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10 Jun 08:28

iZombie: "Dead Rat, Live Rat, Brown Rat, White Right" Review

by Amy Ratcliffe

Note: Full spoilers for the episode follow.

Anyone who doesn't believe comedy and tragedy can exist side by side in a series and do so in harmony should watch tonight's episode of iZombie. And yes, there are people who still need to be convinced darkness and lightness can exist in the same show. "Dead Rat, Live Rat, Brown Rat, White Right" brought the most laugh out loud moments of the season -- Ravi's "It's not alive!" killed me -- but also scenes right out of a horror film and one of the heaviest interactions we've seen. The balance this show consistently achieves is impressive.

Much of the humor in the episode came from the personalities Liv took on. Thanks, teenager brains! The cheerleader and stoner versions of Liv worked, but they leaned towards the overdone side. It's tricky. The post brain eating transformations have to be obvious enough for the viewers to pick up on the differences but not so overblown that it relies on gags and stereotypes. Some measure of subtlety is necessary. The portrayal of these brains could have been dialed back and still hit the mark -- especially the stoner.

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07 Jun 08:29

blvcc-gold: alwaysbewoke: Kickstarter: The Angelica Doll: A...

















blvcc-gold:

alwaysbewoke:

Kickstarter: The Angelica Doll: A Natural Hair Doll For Young Girls

BOOST AND SUPPORT!!

(”Sophia wanted long straight hair, and she even started expressing a strong dislike for her facial features and skin tone.” Don’t tell me representation, dolls, toys don’t matter to children. Think internalized racism and self hatred happen by accident? It’s rampant among the Black community and Black girls are especially targeted).

This is amazing these dolls should be in everysingle toy store

07 Jun 08:27

(photo via brianito)





(photo via brianito)

07 Jun 07:47

Game of Thrones Author Hopes to Finish Book 6 Before Season 6

by Michael Martin

The sixth Game of Thrones novel, The Winds of Winter, could debut in the next year.

According to Entertainment Weekly, George R. R. Martin is committed to wrapping up the novel ahead of the Season 6 debut of the Game of Thrones TV series.

Martin did not script an episode for the fifth season of Game of Thrones, like he had in previous seasons, and will opt out of penning any episodes for Season 6.

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07 Jun 07:47

Game of Thrones: "Hardhome" Review

by Matt Fowler

Warning: Full spoilers for the episode follow...

Not THAT'S more like it. What an exceptionally savage and exciting final fifteen minutes. "Hardhome" actually sort of broke the "Episode 9 is the most exciting, impactful episode of the season" rule here. I'm assuming, of course. Next week could still deliver big.

Then again, this season hasn't really been filled with too many memorable endings. I'm not counting the ending here as the winner by default though. This was some seriously awesome s***. Episode 9-worthy, in fact.

There's nothing like massive full-tilt assault by the army of the dead (moving way faster than when we saw them back at the end of Season 2) to bring two feuding parties together. Jon and Tormund had managed to wrangle up some serious supporters (who joined in on the plan mainly because they trusted Tormund), but not everyone. Then the dead attacked and people couldn't wait to get south of the Wall. And the way it all started was excellent. Dogs barking. Rustles in the wind. Something happening on the ground that you couldn't see. Screams. Dust kicking up off the ground. People running for shelter. It all built up so damn well.

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07 Jun 07:39

Mr. Robot: Series Premiere Review

by Amy Ratcliffe

Note: This is an advance, fairly spoiler-free review of the first episode of Mr. Robot. It's available to watch on YouTube now but doesn't premiere on USA until June 24.

When you've seen a particular subject depicted over and over again and maybe not in the best or most inventive ways, it's easy to feel fatigued. But just when you're about to raise your eyebrow in weary skepticism, a show comes along and surprises you. It happened with zombies in iZombie, and based on a single episode, it looks like it's happening with hackers in Mr. Robot. The new drama from USA doesn't make hacking look like a magical, solve every problem skill learned at Hogwarts and doesn't include glitzy and unnecessary shots of the camera traveling through the inner workings of laptops. It's grounded and fits better with my perception of hacking (not that I can say I have any real world experience).

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07 Jun 07:34

Star Wars Cosplayer Sparks School Lockdown

by Jim Vejvoda

A man walking around Lynn, Massachusetts, showing off his stormtrooper outfit was arrested after he unintentionally caused a nearby school to briefly lock down over security fears.

The principal of the Brickett Elementary School was about to dismiss classes for the day when she spotted a man in a costume carrying what appeared to be a gun near the school grounds.

George Cross, 40, "was arrested on charges of disturbing a school and loitering within 1,000 feet of a school," according to Salem News.

The principal suspected the gun was plastic, but as Lynn Police spokesman Lt. Rick Donnelly explained, "the way things are today, you can't have that."

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05 Jun 21:11

This R2-D2 Mini Fridge Will Serve You Drinks

by Matt Porter

Haier Asia has produced a life size R2-D2 mini fridge that will deliver drinks to you.

The fridge is fully detailed, comes with a remote control, and is rechargeable. When summoned, it will roll over to you and you'll be able to open the front panel to grab a drink.

This isn't the biggest R2-D2 out there though, because All Nippon Airways and Disney are teaming up to transform a Dreamliner into a flying R2-D2.

It is thought the R2-D2 mini fridge will be coming out next year, but no pricing information is available yet.

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05 Jun 20:57

Sense8 Review

by Eric Goldman

Note: This is a spoiler-free review of the entire 12-episode season of Sense8, debuting June 5th on Netflix.

The Wachowskis are an incredibly accomplished duo – you don’t make films as great as Bound and, of course, The Matrix without some amazing, innate talent. But they’ve spent the past decade in a struggle to re-capture the alchemy present in their early triumphs, with films like Speed Racer, Cloud Atlas and Jupiter Ascending. All of these movies have their merits and all of them have notable issues.

Seeing them make the leap to television with the new Netflix series Sense8 was an exciting prospect though. What would these highly imaginative siblings do with a long-form narrative and more time to world build? The fact that they teamed with J. Michael Straczynski for the series was also highly promising, given his strong background in both TV (Babylon 5) and comic books (Thor).

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05 Jun 20:56

Rumor: Jason Statham Eyed for Bullseye in Marvel's Daredevil

by Rachel Paxton-Gillilan

Marvel's Daredevil may have found one of its season 2 villains in The Transporter star Jason Statham.

According to Latino Review, Statham was seen meeting with Marvel personnel earlier this week. A source at Marvel reportedly told the site Statham is wanted for the part of Bullseye but the information hasn't been confirmed.

Statham was in talks to appear in a cinematic reboot of Daredevil before the rights reverted to Marvel. The action star recently appeared in Furious 7 and can now be seen in the action-comedy Spy.

Previously, Daredevil star Charlie Cox said he wanted Bullseye, Elektra, and The Punisher to appear in the second season. Earlier rumors already suggested love interest and ninja assassin Elektra will join season 2, but there's been no word on whether we will also get The Punisher.

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05 Jun 15:13

8 Times 'Game Of Thrones' Hinted At What's Coming In The Books

by Bill Bradley
Is winter ever actually coming? According to the show, it sure looks like it.

tv show gifs
Image via HBO/HuffPost

Fans of the hit HBO series "Game of Thrones" know that the show is very different from the books. Huge characters have seemingly been cut from the series (The North remembers, Lady Stoneheart), and storylines have had drastic changes (Just hang on, Sansa). Despite all this, George R.R. Martin has said on his blog that things are meant to "arrive at the same place" in the end. This actually makes the changes even more intriguing.

At this point, the series has pretty much caught up with the books. Keeping in mind that the books and the show are supposed to get to the same place in the end, and the fact that the show needs to often condense events and characters down to just the essentials, it appears the major changes, exclusions and inclusions may hint at what we can expect in Martin's upcoming books in the A Song of Ice and Fire series.

Here are some interesting moments that stand out:

Note: These "Game of Thrones" speculations are based on what we know from the books and the show.

1. It looks like Valyrian steel will help defeat the White Walkers, thanks to that one big fight.


Image: Giphy

If you watched the Season 5 episode "Hardhome," you know one of the biggest moments came when Jon Snow took on a White Walker in combat and his sword didn't break. Whaaat? The White Walker shattered another guy's weapon just moments ago. How did this happen? Don't even bother asking Jon Snow. The dude doesn't know a lot.

In Martin's novel A Feast for Crows, one particular exchange between Sam and Jon explains how this could occur. (FYI the White Walkers are more commonly called the Others in the books):
"I found one account of the Long Night that spoke of the last hero slaying Others with a blade of dragonsteel. Supposedly they could not stand against it."

"Dragonsteel?" Jon frowned. "Valyrian steel?"

"That was my first thought as well."


Though some redditors speculate that Valyrian steel and dragonsteel may not be exactly the same, we can derive from the fight with the White Walker that they appear to share similar properties. According to a video on the history of Valyrian steel from the "Game of Thrones" DVDs, it's thought to have been forged with magic and dragon fire, and the events in "Hardhome" seem to support that.

2. We might finally know where White Walker babies come from because of that Night's King scene.




HBO didn't wait until Season 5 to possibly spoil the books. Back in Season 4, the series introduced us to the Night's King, who turns babies into new ice people.

As io9 points out, the series actually tells us more about the White Walkers than the books ever have. Though the novels don't explain what the White Walkers are doing with the babies, their fate is speculated on. The specific scene where a baby appears to turn into a White Walker seems particularly telling.

3. Cutting out Aegon means he's probably not a Targaryen.


game of thrones

A new, controversial Targaryen seems like an important role on "Game of Thrones," but apparently not, based on the fact that a character from the books is not appearing in the show this season.

In Martin's novels, Aegon Targaryen is thought to be Daenerys' nephew. Varys supposedly switched him with another baby before the Mountain was able to kill him in the Sack of King's Landing, but perhaps that's not actually what happened.

Even in the books, there are a lot of doubts about Aegon's legitimacy, and totally excluding him from the show appears to confirm that he's either fake or a total non-factor.

Also, in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Martin didn't cite Aegon as one of the characters he was disappointed got cut from the series, so take that for what it's worth.

4. Westeros could have an outbreak of greyscale thanks to what happened to Jorah.



Image: ScreenCrush


Since Aegon's been cut, it seems his guardian Jon Connington won't appear this season either. This made it seem like the greyscale storyline would be cut, since in A Dance with Dragons it's Connington, not Jorah Mormont, who contracts the disease while saving Tyrion.

Now that Mormont has the disease, speculations of an outbreak in Westeros seem to be back on the table.

5. Cutting all those Martells means they are probably less important then we thought.

arianne

No Martells, mo' problems.

The future ruler of Dorne sounds like an important part in "Game of Thrones," but that hasn't been the case with Arianne Martell. In the books, she appears to be a huge character and has a big plan to name Myrcella as the ruler of Westeros, but all that was cut in Season 5. Instead, we just got a bunch of sand snake scenes:


Image: Giphy


Oh gosh. Make it stop.

Arianne's younger brother, Quentyn Martell, also seems to be cut. This casts doubt on the book theory that he was successful in his attempt to steal one of Daenerys' dragons, which obviously would've been huge. Instead, it appears he actually did die in the attempt.

The exclusions also puts a chink in the armor of the Dornish master plan theory, which says Dorne has been secretly pulling the strings for pretty much everything all along.

6. Daenerys Targaryen will probably take Tyrion Lannister into her service in future books, much like what happens in the show.


tv show gifs
Image: Giphy


Season 5, Episode 7 has a moment "Game of Thrones" fans have been anticipating for a long time. Tyrion Lannister and Daenerys Targaryen finally meet. This hasn't happened in the books yet, but Martin has teased that "Tyrion and Dany will intersect" and the former "has decided that he actually would like to live." So, from the show, it appears he may be living to help Dany take the throne.

7. Hizdahr may have been revealed as the Harpy.


Image: Imgur

The identity of the Harpy in the books is still a mystery (or was, anyway). But Imgur user Piranha Plant points to one particular moment in Season 5, which may reveal that Hizdahr zo Loraq is the true mastermind behind all the killings by the Sons of the Harpy.


Image: Imgur


Piranha Plant cites the scene where Dany threatens the masters with her dragons as evidence:

Note the other masters. Almost all of them are on their knees, begging, but not to Danny -- to Hizdahr. They are asking him to admit to being the Harpy so that they (the innocent ones) may be spared from being dragon fodder. His answer? "All Men Must Die."


8. "R + L = J" is basically confirmed. Jon Snow isn't Ned Stark's son.


Image: Imgur

Martin has said he might reveal Jon Snow's real parents in The Winds of Winter, but why wait that long? The show appears to have already confirmed what many fans have come to suspect: Jon Snow's parents are Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark.

The truth about Snow's parentage is strongly hinted at in Episode 4, "Sons of the Harpy." In addition to Lyanna being mentioned in the episode and Melisandre possibly revealing that Snow has King's blood, Selyse Baratheon remarks to Stannis that Snow's mother was some "tavern slut." Stannis replies, "Perhaps. But that wasn't Ned Stark's way," making "R + L = J" supporters everywhere immediately pledge their loyalty to House Baratheon.

To make a long story short, that's why Stannis is the man-nis!


Image: Giphy

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

05 Jun 09:35

Casting News Reveals 5 Major Spoilers For 'Game Of Thrones' Season 6

by Bill Bradley
Winter still hasn't come in "Game of Thrones" Season 5 and already we're hearing news about Season 6. Casting news, to be exact.

Dedicated fan site Watchers on the Wall reports that it has received new casting info for the next season of "GoT." Based on the news, it appears some abandoned storylines are going to be revisited and some huge characters may be making appearances, perhaps even that one big one.

tv show gifs
Image: HuffPost/HBO

The new cast reportedly includes a "no-nonsense rural priest," "an infamous pirate," a father who's "one of the greatest soldiers in Westeros" and a number of other characters, which you can see at Watchers on the Wall.

Based on the new casting calls, here are five potential spoilers to look out for in Season 6: (Though we should note that these are speculative spoilers based on this casting info and what we know from the books.)

1. Brienne will probably survive this season, and she could even meet up with a familiar face.



Image: Best Movie Gifs


A casting call for a "no-nonsense" priest who "ministers to the poor of the countryside" has caused speculation that Septon Meribald is going to make an appearance.

Because of that, as users on Reddit predict, you can infer that Brienne should survive this season.

Interestingly enough, this also means the Hound could make a return. It's believed among book readers that a gravedigger who is introduced during Meribald's storyline is actually Sandor Clegane, who apparently didn't die after being left by Arya. Also, since Meribald's story is so intertwined with Brienne's, that pair could even meet again. If so, let's hope it's the Hound vs. Brienne, round 2.

2. Gendry could finally return, and he might bring that one big character with him.

gendy

Hells yeah! Gendry's three-hour tour could finally be over!

This is getting a little further out there, but in "A Feast for Crows," Brienne's journey with Meribald ultimately leads her to an inn and the Brotherhood without Banners. If the story goes this way, we could see the return of Gendry, who is smithing at the inn in the books, not randomly rowing a boat since Season 3.

Though Season 5 has seen a lot of changes from the source material, author George R.R. Martin has said that ultimately the books and the show should "arrive at the same place." If this is the case, Gendry might not be the only character Brienne meets on her journey. This could mean the long-awaited appearance of Lady Stoneheart, but perhaps that's just a dream for a summer child. And winter is coming ...


Image: Tumblr


3. Balon Greyjoy will probably meet the drowned god. IOW -- he's dead.
greyjoy

The ironborn say what is dead may never die, but too bad that doesn't apply to Balon Greyjoy. It looks like he's about to be super dead. A casting call for “an infamous pirate who has terrorized seas all around the world" and has a "touch of madness" has many guessing that Balon's brother Euron is on the way.

Euron is Theon's wild card uncle. He has an eye patch, blue lips and is a pro at messing up other people's lives. As Vanity Fair points out, his appearance could mean he's there to try to take over as leader of the ironmen following the mysterious death of Balon (a death that's theorized to have been orchestrated by the younger bro).

4. Sam Tarly's dad might save Margaery.


Image: Tumblr

Though Margaery was imprisoned in the books under different circumstances, it appears she'll be saved in a similar way. A casting call for someone described as "one of the greatest soldiers in Westeros" is speculated to be Randyll Tarly. Yep, that's Sam's dad. He was also mentioned by Stannis Baratheon in Season 5.

In the books, he's involved in Brienne's story, and, as one of the Tyrell's bannermen, marches for King's Landing in order to free Margaery from prison.

Yet another thing to wipe Cersei's smirk off her face.


Image: Giphy

5. Ned Stark may return, but not in the way you think.
stark

There are actually theories that the Stark patriarch is alive. But, assuming he isn't, there is still a chance he could come back in Season 6.

Watchers on the Wall speculates that a casting call for a boy with a North accent may be a young Ned Stark seen in a flashback by Bran Stark. If that happens, obviously Bran will be coming back as well, which is great for everyone who freaked out when it was announced that the young Stark and Hodor wouldn't be in Season 5.

Based on casting calls for two other boys, commenters suggest that Ned Stark's appearance may even reunite him with young versions of his brother Brandon and Robert Baratheon.

The North Remembers ...

File:Ned stark.gif
Image: DegrassiWiki

To learn about the rest of the casting info, head over to Watchers on the Wall.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

05 Jun 09:32

Kit Harington Drops Huge Hint About Jon Snow's Fate On 'Game Of Thrones'

by Erin Whitney
As the Season 5 finale of "Game of Thrones" looms closer, fans are anxiously wondering whether or not some of their favorite characters will be axed. While Kit Harington has been rather silent about what's to come in the final two episodes, he did drop one significant hint on Tuesday.

Serious show and book spoilers follow. You have been warned.

tv show gifs
Image via HBO/HuffPost

Fans of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series know that Jon Snow's fate is a major cliffhanger. In Martin's last published book, A Dance with Dragons, Jon is repeatedly stabbed by his brothers of the Night's Watch. It's unknown whether or not Jon lives, and there's endless fan theories flooding the Internet about it. But what does Kit Harington have to say about it?

While discussing his new film "Testament of Youth" during an AOL Build interview on Monday, Harington warned fans about Jon Snow's fate. "You can’t count on Jon Snow being safe," Harington said, "or Tyrion being safe or anyone being safe." Okay, but doesn't that just mean anyone on "Game of Thrones" can die at any time? That's not news.






But on Tuesday, The Huffington Post sat down with Harington, and he let a new detail slip. The British actor told us how much he looks forward to taking a break soon saying, "I’m disappearing off the face of earth after publicity for ['Testament of Youth'], which will be really nice." Just to be sure, we asked if he would be taking time off before he returns to the set of "GoT," which he said shoots from July to December each year. "If I start filming 'Thrones,'" Harington said (the emphasis his own). "I can’t tell you if I do."


Yep, Harington doesn't know if he'll return for Season 6, which can only mean Jon Snow may die at the end of Season 5. (Take a moment to breathe.)



But we may have some good news. Whether or not Jon will live, die, become resurrected or warg into the body of Ghost is unknown, but thanks to details about contracts, we have somewhat of an idea. Last year, The Hollywood Reporter learned that Harington was one of a handful of "GoT" actors who signed on through Season 6 and "completed an extensive renegotiation" for a potential Season 7. While nothing is official, it seems likely Jon isn't going to be gone for good.

Another area of speculation regarding Jon's possible stabbing scene is who will commit the act. In the book, Bowen Marsh repeatedly stabs Jon along with a group of Night's Watch brothers. In the show however, Bowen is hardly a well known character. One character who has been featured more prominently this season though is Olly, who really hates the Wildlings for slaughtering his family and isn't thrilled about Jon siding with them. Last month, Vanity Fair theorized that Olly may be the one to put an end to Jon, and it seems pretty likely -- he did kill Ygritte, after all.

Like Jon, we know nothing, but we know you should pray to the old gods and the new for him.

"Game of Thrones" airs on Sundays at 9:00 p.m. ET on HBO. "Testament of Youth" opens in on June 5 in the U.S.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

05 Jun 08:44

Hacked IRL: You Can't Just DRIVE Carefully Into This Place!

Roumen.ganeff

One does not simply drive into Mordor

05 Jun 08:43

Big Pharma, Big Profit

by John Bridgman

bigPharma1.png
The special enzyme, extracted from a beetle found deep within the rain forest, is unceremoniously pushed into the ioniser. The machine fires and activates the hidden medicinal quality in the ingredient. The remaining material rolls down the conveyor belt, and it's pressed into a pill and shipped off. You check the financial report. You're not making enough to justify the space occupied in your factory. So much for that rare acne medication you'd just discovered. This is business after all. This is Big Pharma by Twice Circled.

Yes, it's a business simulation, focusing on the exciting and potentially lucrative world of medical science. Import ingredients, create production lines, and sell off your finished product. Keep your most profitable drugs and clear away unprofitable ones for more financially acceptable ones. It's a cutthroat business to be sure, but it's one in which success can translate into a very rewarding experience.

The game on paper isn't particularly complicated. Bring in ingredients, adjust concentrations and mix other ingredients in to create medicine and ship off the finished product. However, in execution, the game is wonderfully deep, and requires some very meticulous planning of machines and conveyor belt routes in order to maximize your efficiency and, thus, your profits.

More profits of course means you can research upgrades and technologies to make even more valuable medicines. You can develop new machines in order to improve your efficiency and free up floor space, or send explorers out to remote climates and find exotic new materials with which to derive your cures. To top it all off, you can use your finances to expand your factories, giving you more floorspace and points to begin and end your production lines.

The game has a warm cartoonish look to it, which I think is welcome for this, as keeping things visually simple means that when production lines sprawl you can still make out easily by eye what's going on. And you'll have to be able to tell what's going on in the event that upgrades or new machines mean you can improve your lines and how quickly you bring in money. There are a few minor graphical glitches with the UI, such as elements not quite being the right size for the chosen resolution, but there's already been steady improvements made to these and I have no doubt that more are on the way. (In fact, I'm downloading another significant update as I write this.)

bigPharma2.png
Your facility sounds like you'd expect a bustling medical factory would. Spraying from distilling machines and whirring mixers creates the background noise as you build up your lines, the belts roll as product is moved along the way, and the various machines have their own sounds. It's a nice touch, and it means your factory creates its own unique soundtrack as you play. Consequently, just as no two games will likely play out identically, so too will they not sound the same. There is also a proper soundtrack to the game, and it's catchy and upbeat, and I swear it's made to intentionally work well with the sounds of the machines, as they all sound good mixed together.

Keeping the game from becoming stagnant are AI corporations to compete with. They will gradually develop their own medicines, including ones that will compete with yours, and they'll begin to dig into your profits if you don't adapt quickly. Deciding what concentrations to work with in your medicines for the best profits, as well as when to stop producing a long-running cure as it becomes less profitable is an important part of the game. Also to account for are random events in the world, which will drive up or down prices of various drugs. If something happens to drive up the selling price of painkillers, for example, it would be prudent for you to, well, exploit the situation and increase your painkiller production. Again, it's just good business.

bigPharma3.png
Business simulations are an interesting niche of games. They can tend to approach any industry and boil them down to their base elements to make something engaging to players. Big Pharma is no exception to this. The planning element is rewarding even if it takes a little time to get used to. It's got a rewarding difficulty curve, as the simplest of cures make way to more elaborate upgraded drugs and eventually compounds with lines snaking around and a chorus of machines working away to produce something powerful and valuable. People who enjoy business sims, and want to engage with something that requires planning without overzealous micromangement may find Big Pharma to be the cure for what ails them.

05 Jun 08:42

BBC ready for Queen to die

by Rob Beschizza

A BBC reporter tweeted that "Queen Elizabrth [sic] has died" and all hell broke loose. However, when NBC News alerted Buckingham Palace to the tweets, a spokesman said that the queen was not only alive but carrying out public engagements.

Read the rest
04 Jun 07:05

Large Hadron Collider gets back to running science experiments

by Jon Fingas
What's that strange circular shape, you ask? That, friends, is what particle physics looks like when it's getting back on track. After weeks of test runs following its return to service, the Large Hadron Collider has resumed smashing particles togeth...
04 Jun 07:04

Leaked trade deal stops countries from saying where your data goes

by Jon Fingas
There's been a fair share of leaked trade deals raising hackles in recent memory, but the latest could have some big repercussions for your data privacy. WikiLeaks has slipped out details of the in-progress Trade in Services Agreement (TISA), and one...
04 Jun 07:00

Despite Support From Sen. Sanders, Sen. Paul Loses USA FREEDOM Act Fight

by Jason Mick
The USA FREEDOM Act -- a limited version of phone call metadata seizures -- will now take effect, for better or worse
04 Jun 06:32

Microsoft Announces That Windows 10 Will Launch On July 29

by Brandon Chester

Today Microsoft formally announced the release date for Windows 10, the latest version of their Windows operating system. Up until this point, all Microsoft had said was that they were aiming for a summer release. Today's post on the official Windows blog states the release date for Windows 10 has now been set for July 29, less than two months from now.

According to the blog post, Microsoft will be simultaniously launching Windows 10 around the globe to some 1.5 billion Windows users that currently reside in over 190 different countries, making it the widest Windows has ever been released at once. Windows 10 is Microsoft's chance to win back users who didn't embrace the changes made in Windows 8, and they have a lot riding on its success. Offering it as a free upgrade to existing Windows users will certainly help in gaining adoption.

Even with the free nature of the upgrade, the promise of a July release date for such a monumental update is quite a bold move on Microsoft's part. The less than optimal state of the current Windows 10 testing builds means that Microsoft has a great deal of work ahead of them as they squash bugs and improve the stability of Windows 10 in the two months between now and release. As a user who is keen on upgrading from Windows 7 to Windows 10, I really hope they succeed.

Finally, Microsoft has revealed a few more details about how Windows 10 distribution will work. Starting today, users can "reserve" Windows 10 on Windows 7/8.1 machines. Reserving Windows will in turn flag a machine for pre-loading, with Microsoft distributing most of Windows 10 ahead of time as to get it in to customers' hands more quickly to better balance the expected load on their server backend. According to Microsoft's FAQ, reserving/pre-loading Windows 10 only downloads it, and users will still manually confirm the installation, or for that matter users can cancel the reservation entirely. Pre-loading has not started yet, and while Microsoft doesn't say when it will start, I expect it won't be until very near July 29th.

Windows 10 Upgrade Paths
Win10 Win7 Win8.1
Windows 10 Home Windows 7 Starter Windows 8.1 (Core)
Windows 7 Home Basic Windows 8.1 (Country-Specific)
Windows 7 Home Premium Windows 8.1 w/Bing
Windows 10 Pro Windows 7 Professional Windows 8.1 Pro
Windows 7 Ultimate Windows 8.1 Pro for Students
Windows 10 Mobile N/A Windows Phone 8.1

Along with detailing the reservation process, Microsoft has also confirmed the upgrade paths for various versions of Windows. As expected, all Pro/Ultimate versions of Windows 7 and 8.1 will get upgraded to Windows 10 Pro, while all other versions of desktop/tablet Windows will get upgraded to Windows 10 Home. And of course, Windows Phone 8.1 devices will upgrade to Windows 10 Mobile.

03 Jun 22:25

The Flash: 11 Coolest Easter Eggs from Season 1

by Joshua Yehl

The first season of The Flash has come to an end and it was packed with tons of Easter eggs, references and trivia from the comic books. After cataloging them all in our Flash wiki, we selected the best of the best that you should know about.

Full List of Flash Comic References

1b - newspaper

Continue reading…

03 Jun 22:22

Sam Jackson Talks Frozone in The Incredibles 2

by Max Nicholson

Earlier today, we got to speak with Samuel L. Jackson about his new movie Big Game (more on that soon!), but we also asked him about a few other projects, including The Incredibles 2 and Captain America: Civil War.

Back in April, we learned that writer-director Brad Bird had begun writing the script for the Incredibles sequel, which Jackson said will include the return of his character Frozone. "Every time I see Brad, he tells me that," the actor explained. "I was really glad to see that they're actually going to do it. So hopefully Frozone is still alive and kicking, and looking for his super suit, so we can get this back on."

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03 Jun 22:20

Rumor: Martin Freeman Connects Age of Ultron with Civil War

by Zack Stein

Remember in Avengers: Age of Ultron where Klaw (Andy Serkis) is on the phone and, after threatening to send a missile where the sun doesn't shine, says "Now, Minister, where were we?"

The "minister" in question might end up being Edward Chase, Prime Minister of England in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, according to Latino Review.

The website also claims Chase might be a villain, pressured into action against the Avengers after numerous British soldiers are injured near the start of Civil War.

Last month, IGN reported that Martin Freeman will be in Captain America: Civil War, though we were not sure what his role will be. There are rumors that Freeman will be in both Civil War and the Black Panther movie, possibly as US State Department Official Everett K. Ross, who's a Wakanda expert from the comics -- which could explain why he was on the other end of that phone call with Klaw in Age of Ultron.

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03 Jun 22:20

Obi-Wan Star Wars Trilogy Rumored

by Cassidee Moser

More rumors of future Star Wars film content have surfaced today, shortly after we learned there's a possibility of Han Solo and Boba Fett taking center stage in the second Star Wars Anthology film.

Schmoes Know reports that a source has leaked information heard in Disney's halls about the entertainment giant being in negotiations with Ewan McGregor to reprise the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi. But instead of just one Anthology film, it's possible Disney is eyeing three.

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03 Jun 22:18

John Noble Joins Elementary as a Series Regular

by Matt Fowler

Everyone's favorite mad scientist dad John Noble (Fringe, Sleepy Hollow) is joining the cast of CBS' Elementary to play Sherlock Holmes’ wealthy, estranged father.

At the end of the Season 3 finale, Watson (Lucy Liu) informed a rock-bottom Sherlock (Jonny Lee Miller) that his father (who'd only been mentioned thus far, never seen) was on his way to New York to intervene in Sherlock's crumbled life.

John-Noble-Sleepy-Hollow John Noble in FOX's Sleepy Hollow.

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03 Jun 22:13

'Game Of Thrones' Season 5 Finale Title Hints At Appearance Of That One Big Character

by Bill Bradley
"Game of Thrones" says, "All men must die," but they never said anything about staying dead.

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Image: HuffPost/HBO

The title of the Season 5 finale, "Mother's Mercy," is giving rise once again to speculation that Lady Stoneheart, aka the zombified version of Catelyn Stark, may be making an appearance, and this time it's a pretty strong case.

The main evidence is that one of Stoneheart's aliases is "Mother Mercy," according to the appendix of George R.R. Martin's novel A Feast for Crows. She is also referred to as "Mother Merciless" in the book.

Adding support, there's a Season 6 casting call for a character who sounds like Septon Meribald. It's on her journey with Meribald that Brienne actually meets Stoneheart in the books.

Now, "Mother's Mercy" seems like it'd be a pretty obvious giveaway, but just because there are hints, it definitely doesn't mean it's a sure thing. The showrunners and Catelyn Stark actress Michelle Fairley have repeatedly shot down rumors that the character will show up; past teases of an appearance have obviously not amounted to much; and, as the Westeros.org Twitter account notes, "Mother's Mercy" is different than the Stoneheart moniker "Mother Mercy":

@Black_Vulcan69 I don't get it. The phrase 'Mother's Mercy' is never used in association with Lady Stoneheart.

— Elio & Linda (@westerosorg) May 28, 2015



Damn. Why'd they have to include that apostrophe? All apostrophes must die!

The synopsis from HBO also doesn't say anything about Stoneheart or her revenge:

Stannis marches. Dany is surrounded by strangers. Cersei (Lena Headey) seeks forgiveness. Jon is challenged.


Still, as Vanity Fair points out, the episode titles often cover a lot of storylines, and there may be a chance for Stoneheart to appear and dish out some of her special brand of "mercy" ...


Image: Giphy


Chills ...

For more, head to Vanity Fair.

Correction: An earlier version identified "Mother's Mercy" as the Season 6 finale instead of Season 5.

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03 Jun 22:09

Winter Came And Brought 'Game Of Thrones' Its Most Mind-Blowing Battle

by Erin Whitney
Don't get us wrong, in Sunday night's "Game of Thrones," the Battle of Hardhome was truly the most epic, mind-blowing battle sequence the series has ever seen. Yes, it was more shocking than the Battle of Castle Black, and yes, it was more heart-stopping than the Battle of Blackwater.

Here's everything that went down in Season 5, Episode 8, "Hardhome."

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Image via HBO/HuffPost

Winter came!
Where to begin? The last 40 minutes of the episode were spent at Hardhome, the free folk settlement where Jon, Tormund and some of the Night's Watch arrive to convince the Wildlings to side with them against the White Walkers. It happened to be perfect timing, since as soon as the boats were loaded up with Wildlings, the White Walkers suddenly appeared. Warning, this is not a drill: the White Walkers have arrived.

It was one of the most shocking, heart-racing battle sequences of the series, mainly since it was one without any forewarning, unlike Castle Black and Blackwater. While the full-episode devotion to Castle Black was one of the series' most fantastic feats, and "Blackwater" remains one of the most visually spectacular and harrowing episodes to date, "Hardhome" takes the top prize. The highlights:

Hundreds of Wights (literally) rained down on Hardhome.

got hardhome

One of the giants crushed the Wights and tossed them off his body like flies.



And the young ones were the scariest.
kid wights

Oh, and Jon was inches from death until Longclaw, aka his Valyrian steel sword, saved the day.

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Image via Tumblr

Finally, Jon and his remaining men escaped. But then the Night's King made his second appearance. Remember him from Season 4's "Oathkeeper" (and when HBO accidentally spoiled his identity)? The horned Walker is known as the Night's King, and we first met him when he placed his finger on Craster's last born son.

nights king

Now he appeared more terrifying than ever, staring down Jon after the battle in one of the show's most chilling moments. As the Night's King raised his arms, he displayed his skill of bringing people back from the dead as the bodies behind him began to rise to life with piercing blue eyes. He was pretty much just saying, "Thanks, Jon, you just made my army even bigger!"

So what else happened in "Hardhome"?

Tyrion advises Dany
After telling Dany she can't successfully rule with a traitor (though a devoted one) like Jorah at her side, the Mother of Dragons once again kicks him out of Meereen. Tyrion continues to give Dany advice as the two share stories of their families' connections -- "Your brother who killed my father," she says to Tyrion of Jaime. Get ready, these two are about to take over the world!

Reek confessed to Sansa
Finally Sansa got some good news when Reek confessed the truth: that he didn't kill Bran and Rickon, but two nearby farm boys instead. Now she knows her brothers are alive out there somewhere. (Pray Ramsay doesn't find out Reek told her the truth.)

sansa reek

Arya became someone else
No longer sweeping or washing dead bodies, Arya finally began her journey into becoming someone else. Meet Lanna, an orphan with an oyster cart. We finally see Arya's major makeover this episode as she trains to become Lanna and begins watching a gambler in Braavos.

Cersei's still in prison
Once the most conniving, powerful woman in King's Landing, Cersei is now losing her mind in a prison cell. After refusing to confess to her crimes of murder, incest and fornication, the Nun leaves Cersei to rot in her cell.

"Game of Thrones" airs on Sundays at 9:00 p.m. ET on HBO.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

03 Jun 22:07

Kit Harington Says Viewers 'Can't Count On Jon Snow Being Safe' On 'Game Of Thrones'

by Leigh Blickley
It appears Jon Snow isn't the only one who knows nothing.

Kit Harington, who plays the beloved character on "Game of Thrones," stopped by AOL Build on Monday to chat with The Huffington Post about Sunday night's crazy plot twist, and what's to come in the final two episodes of the HBO series. But Harington, like everyone else, knows little about where George R.R. Martin, David Benioff and Dan Weiss will take Jon Snow, or any of the other characters. All he knows is that no one is safe.

"I think that’s the thrilling thing about the TV show, is that we really don’t fit by the norms and people are in danger and horrible things do happen to people and we don’t shy away from that," Harington said. "You can’t count on Jon Snow being safe or Tyrion being safe or anyone being safe, so it keeps people on the edge of their seat, and it’s why it’s good drama."

Actually, the anticipation is felt on the set every year as Benioff and Weiss give certain cast members "warnings" about their particular storylines by taking actors out for "a little walk or dinner." "It always reminds me of, anyone know 'The Sopranos'? When Tony Soprano would invite someone for a walk and you see this person going, 'No, I don’t want to go for the walk!’ Yup, we know all about that, don't we TV lovers?

Although viewers might have been nervous about Jon Snow's fate during that epic White Walker battle scene in "Hardhome," the Lord Commander made it through. But will he survive Season 5? Harington is not spilling any details, but he wants fans to get ready to freak out.

"I really enjoyed watching this season. It’s been a really testing and challenging season and those building blocks that have been placed are going to really come to fruition with these last three. They’re really big episodes, and I can’t wait," he explained. "Other than that, I'm not going to say what happens, but there are some huge shocks some huge set pieces -- it’s going to be epic. I can’t tell you what shocks they involve or who they involve, but you’ll enjoy it."

"Game of Thrones" airs Sunday at 9:00 p.m. ET on HBO.

Watch Harington's full interview on AOL Build, with "Testament of Youth" director James Kent:

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

03 Jun 22:06

George R.R. Martin Addresses Violence Against Women On 'Game Of Thrones' And In His Books

by Erin Whitney
One of the biggest criticisms against "Game of Thrones," especially in Season 5, is the show's depiction of violence against women. Multiple times over the course of the show, female characters have been raped, brutally murdered and subjected to continual sexual violence at the hands of men.

Spoiler alert for Season 5 of "Game of Thrones."

Earlier this season, Sansa Stark was violently raped by the sadistic Ramsay Snow, an episode which caused so much controversy that multiple critics and viewers announced they were quitting the show. On top of this, Sansa was almost raped earlier in the series, her pregnant sister-in-law, Talisa Stark, was stabbed in the stomach and killed during the Red Wedding, Cersei Lannister was raped by her brother Jaime in a hotly debated episode last year, and Daenerys Targaryen was raped by husband Khal Drogo before falling in love with him.

Entertainment Weekly caught up with author George R.R. Martin to ask him about the violence against women in his books and on the show -- the latter of which often deviates from the books. Martin has said before how his book series is a reflection of medieval Europe and patriarchal society at the time. "The Middle Ages were not a time of sexual egalitarianism," Martin told EW. He mentioned that while his books do include strong female characters like Sansa and Brienne, Westeros is still a place where the roles and treatment of women are much like they were in the Middle Ages.

But if an author creates a fantasy world, why should he stick to the immoral treatment of women in history? Martin knows this is an argument many critics have, but he says his books are grounded in history, which doesn't leave much room to portray an egalitarian society. "That’s not in our history," Martin said. "It’s something for science fiction. And 21st century America isn’t egalitarian, either. There are still barriers against women. It’s better than what it was. It’s not 'Mad Men' anymore, which was in my lifetime."

sansa ransay

Martin also said it would be "fundamentally dishonest" for him to exclude any sexual violence against women in his stories that are so embedded in times of war. "Rape, unfortunately, is still a part of war today," Martin told EW. "It’s not a strong testament to the human race, but I don’t think we should pretend it doesn’t exist."

Following the controversy that stemmed from Sansa's rape scene on "Game of Thrones" this season, Martin took to his blog to remind fans how the show and books are two different entities. One cause of contention for viewers was that a minor character is raped in the books, instead of Sansa on the show. Martin seemed to not be bothered by the major plot change, writing that "prose and television have different strengths, different weaknesses, different requirements," but that he hopes fans can still enjoy both.

While many have spoken out against the scene, one writer came to Martin and the show's defense. "Hannibal" creator Bryan Fuller recently said that he thought the Sansa scene was "handled tastefully, all things considered." Fuller also reiterated how Sansa's traumatic storyline was something common to the time period "GoT" is inspired by.

"Game of Thrones" airs on Sundays at 9:00 p.m. ET on HBO.

For more, head to Entertainment Weekly.

Need help? In the U.S., visit the National Sexual Assault Online Hotline operated by RAINN. For more resources, visit the National Sexual Violence Resource Center's website.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

02 Jun 10:59

US airport screeners missed 95% of weapons, explosives in undercover tests

by David Kravets

Transportation Security Administration screeners allowed banned weapons and mock explosives through airport security checkpoints 95 percent of the time, according to the agency's own undercover testing.

ABC News reported the results on Monday, but Ars could not independently confirm them. According to ABC News, a Homeland Security Inspector General report showed that agents failed to detect weapons and explosives in 67 out of 70 undercover operations. The report said:

Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson was apparently so frustrated by the findings he sought a detailed briefing on them last week at TSA headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, according to sources. US officials insisted changes have already been made at airports to address vulnerabilities identified by the latest tests.

It's been a bad past two days when it comes to the government's anti-terror strategy. The ABC News revelation came a day after a Senate impasse Sunday allowed parts of three terrorism-fighting aspects of the USA Patriot Act to expire, including the bulk telephone metadata program that Edward Snowden disclosed. Lawmakers are trying to broker a deal to the legislation that is needed, according to Sen. Dan Coats (R-Ind.) because terrorists "want to kill us all."

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