• Andy Whitfield of Spartacus has now completely left the project due to the return of his Stage 1 non-Hodgkin lymphoma
• Kaley Cuoco of Big Bang Theory has fractured her leg after a horse riding incident and will miss a few episodes this season
• A short new “The Walking Dead” promo is out
• True Lies coming to ABC
• “Person of Interest” the JJ Abrams produced Jonathon Nolan crime series gets picked up by CBS
• Fox picks up new Ryan Murphy series, a supernatural procedural
• J.J. Abrams, Josh Appelbaum, and Andre Nemac have began pitching “Odd Jobs” a comedic drama that has former Lost co-stars Michael Emerson and Tery O’Quinn reuniting as former Black-ops agents

• FNL’s Kyle Chandler and Dakota’s little sis, Elle Fanning are the first two cast in Super 8
• True Blood headed to the big screen for a couple movies after “1 or 2 more seasons”
• Bryan Fuller writing a live action Pinocchio
• Joaquin Phoenix’s retirement and crazy rap career was all an act for faux doc “I’m Still Here”
• Comic writer Mark Millar currently shooting his directorial debut “Miracle Park”
• Sacha Baron Cohen to play Queen singer Freddie Mercury in a biopic
• Ian McKellen says he will be playing Gandalf in The Hobbit, and filming will “hopefully” start in Janurary
• John Williams will return to score Deathly Hallows, his first work on the series since Azkaban
• Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity is still looking for its leading lady. Alfonso wants Natalie Portman, the studio reportedly wants Sandra Bullock
• Shyamalan’s next Night Chronicles film was previously “Twelve Strangers” but is now called “Reincarnate”
  
• MGM seems to be getting itself back together, Sam Mendes drops out of The Hunger Games to be ready for Bond preproduction
• Bill and Ted 3 in the works
  

• New Twitter Interface coming soon

Geek Jerk Reaction – Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole,  Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, and You Again

Sponsors: InStockTrades, DCBService, and Geek Boy Press

• Robert Englund, AKA Freddy, will be heading to Chuck for its Halloween episode
• Stephen King’s The Dark Tower will be adapted to a Television series and a Movie trilogy by Universal Pictures and NBC Universal Television. Ron Howard, Akiva Goldsman and Brian Grazer are behind the adaptation.
• Glee’s Rocky Horror Picture Show episode airs on October 26th and will feature Meatloaf, and Barry Bostwick as guests. Susan Surandon would “be interested” in being a guest as well.
• JJ Abrams shopping a new crime series to networks by Jonah Nolan
• Caprica will be returning to the air sooner than expected: October 5th
• Aquaman will be returning to Smallville

• Star Trek 2 writers are more interested in a good story than trying to fit in fan favorite villains
• Sherlock’s Martin Freeman is surrounded by on again/off again rumors concerning The Hobbit
• Zombieland 2 draft is complete, but may not be director Ruben Fleischer’s next film
• Hillary Duff has a copy of a Spider-Man script sitting on the table as her husband is interviewed. Possible love interest?

• Bungie’s last Halo game released today
• Dreamcast games being released all over the place for the console’s 11th birthday. Sonic Adventures & Crazy Taxi on XBLA, Chu-Chu Rocket on iOS devices in Oct

• Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark is in production, costumes and first song revealed (Link)

GeekJerk Reaction: Alpha and Omega, Devil, Easy A

But I digress. 2009 had its fair share of what I shall broadly term “remakes” and it is to these I will turn a little attention for this article. I will be restricting this discussion to films that fall into this category as it is the easiest field to deal with in terms of it reaching the broadest audience and the one I can talk about the most.

I have to confess though, that I didn’t really get around to viewing that many of the remakes of 2009. Reports of the ones I have missed, however, appear to indicate that I haven’t really missed anything. Still, hope springs eternal and we all know that everyone has different tastes.

So, here I offer my own personal list of top 10 favourite “remakes” of 2009.

10. Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen

Now I know that many people have issues with this movie and I agree with a lot of them. Compared to many other films, Transformers 2 is not the best movie. It’s a movie about robots that can bend and twist into the shapes of cars and things. At the end of the day, it’s not going to be high calibre stuff.

All that said, visually, this movie is pretty cool. Visual effects have come a long way. Shia Lebouf is an ok actor in the movie, certainly better than Megan Fox, and to some extent you do care what happens between the Autobots and the Deceptacons.

Not the greatest by any means but to see a Transformers movie on the screen again in and of itself is quite pleasing. I suspect that there will be yet another sequel so I hope against hope that the story will be a bit better and I perhaps would like to see a new lead come in and interact with these characters. In any case, I’d watch this movie if it was on but wouldn’t actively seek it out.

9. X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Again, it’s no secret that this remake is not a favourite among diehard fans. Like many I was looking forward to this for a long time but as it got closer I started to doubt a little. I finally got to see it on literally the last day it was screening in cinemas here so I think maybe some of my affinity with this movie is merely from the fact of waiting so long for it to come out and then finally seeing it at last.

I cannot deny that a big plug for me for this movie is seeing Hugh Jackman. There’s no denying that he is a very talented entertainer and after three X-Men movies we have gotten very used to him in the role. That said, by this point, I think they’re flogging a dead horse. In the first X-Men movie he was so tough and kick-ass but now in Origins, he’s kinda wimpy. Perhaps the Wolverine character started out that way before all the government stuff but he still seemed too soft for the character that I remember from watching the cartoon series as a kid.

I didn’t know anything about Weapon X so as the story unfolded for me that was exciting and seeing Gambit was cool, but ultimately the ending was a massive letdown. Weapon X wasn’t scary looking and I wanted to be scared by that character. It was really a case of ‘okay get this fight over with already and end the movie’. So, not great but still okay enough to make my top 10.

8. My Sister’s Keeper

I read the book a few years ago when it came out and as a novel it is just a phenomenal read. Jodie Picoult has such a powerful style as a writer that really grips you as a reader and is very good at switching between different character voices and keeping them all unique. She always picks gripping subject matter to do with moral and/or ethical choices in seemingly impossible situations so if this is your kind of thing and if you haven’t read any of her books, I highly recommend them.

I didn’t, however, imagine that this story would be made into a movie. As much as it is a dire situation, in many respects it’s also a bit fluffy so I guess that was why it was picked and then pegged more towards the female, mother/daughter kind of audience. In my opinion, Picoult’s ‘The Pact’ would be a much better film because it is a bit darker and meatier a story to delve into.

I absolutely loved Abigail Breslin in this movie. She is just a sweetie in everything that she does and she is so talented. I really hope that she continues to grow in her success as she gets older. I also loved the other young girl who played her sister. She brought a reality and truth to the character that the film needed to be meaningful.

The casting of Cameron Diaz as the mother was a real turnoff for me. I just wasn’t convinced by her at all. She was too young and pretty for the role. On the flipside I thought Alec Baldwin was too old for his character whom I had envisioned as a younger man when I read the book. Worn out by his work, yes, but still younger.

The saving grace of the movie though, and the reason I rate it in my top 10 is because of the way the filmmakers treated the ending. Anyone who has read the novel will tell you that they completely changed the ending between the novel and the film. In the book, you are blind-sighted (or at least I was) by the sudden and dramatic ending that it adds to the beauty of the story and really tugs on your heartstrings. Being a novel and being able to go completely inside someone’s head gives you the ability to do that. For a movie though, the ending would have been far too clichéd and would have been a ‘quick fix’ so as to make a happy ending.

The ending the filmmakers did choose, however, in my opinion is far more realistic and powerful. Having some personal connection to this story I can say that real life stories like this, more often than not, don’t have that happy ending that we all want. People we love do get sick and die and there is little in the long run we can do to change that. Worth the watch. Make sure you have the tissues and if you are up for it, read the book cuz it is a million times better.

7. Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel

Okay, so this one is yet another sequel made merely to cash in on a pre-established fan base from the first movie. CGI sells big these days, particularly with kids, and it virtually guarantees to draw the crowds in for the summer holiday period.

For me this one is a big nostalgia hit. I grew up watching Alvin and the Chipmunks on tv practically every afternoon for years and I wish the powers that be would hurry up and release it on DVD already. Yes, the story was lame, stupid and pointless. I inwardly groaned when I saw the sleazy producer from the first one was in it to have another crack at it all. I was also disappointed that Jason Lee had so small a role in it in favour of the younger, edgier human sidekick to the boys who really brought nothing to the table. You need that interaction between Dave and the boys.

But being a girl you just can’t go past the Chipettes, although I was a little disappointed that Britney didn’t have as much sass as the character I remembered. Their singing Beyonce was simply adorable even though the content is a little bit inappropriate for the target demographic. If nothing else, you just can’t get over how cute they all are and how largely faithful to the essence of the series it was, particularly now that the characters as in high school.

Definitely worth it for the nostalgia and just a feel-good hour and a half of pure enjoyment for the young at heart.

6. Terminator Salvation

Yet another disappointment to many, but I confess I really enjoyed it. Maybe it was because I saw it as the first movie at a marathon and the other two films on the bill were really average (Fired Up and Mall Cop) but I liked the action and general storyline of the movie. Christian Bale is a great actor, although a little type cast, and I simply adored Anton Yelchin as Kyle Reese.

I’m not that familiar with the original movies either so I guess that’s why I give this prequel the benefit of the doubt. Visually I like the look of this movie. Its gritty and dark enough for my likings though I admit it probably is too ‘Hollywood’ for most. Perhaps it’s simply because I enjoy the story of an underdog. This isn’t really the story of John Conner. It’s about Kyle Reese. But I fully take on board and can understand the complaints and disappointments about this film already expressed on the various podcasts and articles posted here on Geekshow.

In any case, as for me, I liked it, more so than Wolverine or Transformers anyway.

5. Twilight Saga New Moon

Once more, shoot me if you must but I am supremely curious as to how this story is being translated from book to screen. Like it or not, Twilight has a huge fan base that cares greatly in a faithful and loyal retelling of the vampire who sparkles and his teenage lover. Probably because I’m female and have had that experience of being so in love with that guy, I have a soft spot for this. Try not to hate me. :-)

4. Sherlock Holmes

This movie was just kick-ass and with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law in the mix how could it not be? Witty, gritty and lots of action and intrigue. Simply delightful to watch. Now this is by no means a perfect facsimile of the Sherlock Holmes Arthur Conan Doyle envisioned. There’s no tweed in sight and I doubt reformed bad boy Robert was exactly the type of actor he would have had in mind to play the part.

But there is something about this movie that is really captivating. Holmes is a recluse yet brilliant in his reasoning, deduction and accuracy – and it doesn’t hurt that he can pack a good punch when needed! At first appearance this is a supernatural type of story but as you get into it you realise that is a facade. Why is it so intriguing? Elementary my dear Watson, this remake knows how to blend the old with the new in a masterful synthesis that hits the right mark or bringing something fresh to an old favourite.

3. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans

This is something my brother made me watch and I’m so glad he did. This movie was great. I didn’t know much about it other than it was about vampires and werewolves, but I really enjoyed watching this story of love, betrayal and the fight to be free. I instantly went out and bought the trilogy boxset on DVD that came with free lycan figurine.

Visually it was stunning and the tone was so refreshing and gritty from the jazzed-up style that is often incorporated into the making of so many films of this genre these days. Sure, there is the obligatory humanising of the demonic characters but even after that they still maintain their ferocity and fear factor. Definitely worth the watch for something against the crowd.

2. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

What can I say? Harry Potter hit the screen again in 2009 and generally speaking he did not fail at all to disappoint. Like many I am a rampant Harry fan, however, of all the film adaptations of the novels, I must confess this one was not one of my favourite ones. That said; it was still really awesome.

Rupert Grint shines once more as the oblivious boofhead Ron, who is suddenly in possession of the world’s most ridiculous first girlfriend, who good for the actress, fully committed to the role. Poor Hermione! Likewise, it’s great to see Harry and Ginny finally get it together.

Everything we come to expect and be wowed by in a Harry Potter film. Bring on the final two chapters!

1. Star Trek

Easily the knockout hit of remakes in 2009! There is a massive subculture around this particular sci-fi franchise so naturally there is a phenomenal fanbase to draw upon and virtually a guaranteed audience for any new incarnation created. But given that, there is an equally overwhelming pressure for any such incarnation to be faithful, true, accurate and ‘good’ to the dedicated fan of the story.

Fortunately this particular movie knocks all these expectations out of the park in its success. The casting is perfect for each character. Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto are simply amazing and bring a new depth and life to Kirk and Spock respectively. I especially liked seeing Aussie Chris Hemsworth in the role of Kirk Senior at the beginning of the film which was an unexpected surprise, and he really showed him chops thru the character.

An absolute epic, the film draws you in from the first minute until the last. It’s a long film, sure, but who really cares? The length perfectly does the story justice so it isn’t rushed or overdone. Best of all, the film knows just how far to take things in a new direction and just how close to stick to all that has already been established.

This one was not only completely worth being made, but added much to an already well-loved story. Even if you would never in a million years consider yourself a ‘Trekkie’, check this one out. You might just fall in love a little bit.

So there you go, those are my picks for the year that was. Still on my list to see are Inkheart, Sorority Row, Watchmen, Halloween 2, A Christmas Carol and Dragonball Evolution to name but a few. I suspect I shall be greatly disappointed but I just can’t help but have a little hope.

At the end of the day, there is something easy and comfortable in watching stories that we are already familiar with and are fans of. Although there is also nothing worse than when such stories are retold in such poor fashion as to make you doubt if you really liked it at all in the first place.

No doubt 2010 will hold its own array of remakes which we can all love and hate in whatever measures we see fit. But if Hollywood is kind, there will be more to love than hate, and the mistakes of the past will be learnt from and moved past. Still, the question of ‘to make or remake’ remains constantly in the background, begging moviemakers to really think about the projects they take on and just why audiences should bother paying any of their attention to them.

They’re reckless. They’re peons. They’re Red Shirts. Everyone’s favorite expendable crew members finally get their moment in the spotlight in the newest audio series from Geekshow Entertainment!

A sad day for Trek fans, for sure. :(

Fuller himself got his start in TV by writing scripts for Star Trek Voyager and Deep Space Nine. The creator of Dead Like Me and Pushing Daisies offered no details as to whether or not this new Trek would take place before, after or even during the upcoming J.J. Abrams origin saga.

In other Bryan Fuller news, the upcoming episode of Heroes, ‘Cold Snap,’ will be the first one written by Fuller since the first-season Company Man, which many say is the best Heroes as ever been.

Just a thought; how cool would it be if Greg Grunberg was cast as the new Captain?

Talking Points

• Missing a couple weeks
• Re-modeling
• No Lost this last week!?
• Battlestar Galactica ending next week
• Veronica Mars’ apartment is kinda a dump
• Being a Geek is expensive
• Daft Punk doing Tron 2.0 Score
• Race to Witch Mountain Premiere
• Bioshock 2 details: Big Sisters?
• JJ Abrams – “The challenge of doing “Star Trek” — despite the fact that it existed before “Star Wars” — is that we are clearly in the shadow of what George Lucas has done.”

Box Office Report:

Geek Jerk Reaction:

Opening March 20, 2009

Duplicity
I Love You, Man
Knowing

Opening March 27, 2009

Monsters vs Aliens
AdeventureLand
The Haunting in Connecticut
12 Rounds

Question for Next Week: Star Wars, Star Trek, or Battlestar Galactica? Do modern sci-fi properties live in the shadow of Star Wars still?

Send Your Answers to: answers@geekshow.us

500 Days of Summer – Theatrical Trailer

This is a story of boy meets girl, begins the wry, probing narrator of 500 Days of Summer, and with that the film takes off at breakneck speed into a funny, true to life and unique dissection of the unruly and unpredictable year-and-a-half of one young man’s no-holds-barred love affair.

Public Enemies – Trailer #1

In the action-thriller Public Enemies, acclaimed filmmaker Michael Mann directs Johnny Depp, Christian Bale and Academy Award® winner Marion Cotillard in the incredible and true story of legendary Depression-era bank robber John Dillinger (Depp)the charismatic bank robber whose lightning raids made him the number one target of J. Edgar Hoovers fledgling FBI and its top agent, Melvin Purvis (Bale), and a folk hero to much of the downtrodden public. No one could stop Dillinger. No jail could hold him. His charm and audacious jailbreaks endeared him to almost everyonefrom his girlfriend Billie Frechette (Cotillard) to an American public who had no sympathy for the banks that had plunged the country into the Depression.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine – Theatrical Trailer

Leading up to the events of X-Men, X-Men Origins: Wolverine tells the story of Wolverine’s epically violent and romantic past, his complex relationship with Victor Creed, and the ominous Weapon X program. Along the way, Wolverine encounters many mutants, both familiar and new, including surprise appearances by several legends of the X-Men universe.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince – Internet Trailer

Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching. Together they work to find the key to unlock Voldemort’s defenses and, to this end, Dumbledore recruits his old friend and colleague, the well-connected and unsuspecting bon vivant Professor Horace Slughorn, whom he believes holds crucial information. Meanwhile, the students are under attack from a very different adversary as teenage hormones rage across the ramparts. Harry finds himself increasingly drawn to Ginny, and so is Dean Thomas. Lavender Brown has decided that Ron is the one for her, only she hasn’t counted on Romilda Vane’s chocolates. Then there’s Hermione, simmering with jealousy but determined not to show her feelings. As romance blossoms, one student remains aloof. He is determined to make his mark, albeit a dark one. Love is in the air, but tragedy lies ahead and Hogwarts may never be the same again.

Star Trek – Theatrical Trailer

From director J.J. Abrams and screenwriters Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman comes a new vision of the greatest space adventure of all time, Star Trek, featuring a young, new crew venturing boldly where no man has gone before.

Up – Theatrical Trailer

From Disney-Pixar comes Up, a comedy adventure about 78-year-old balloon salesman Carl Fredricksen, who finally fulfills his lifelong dream of a great adventure when he ties thousands of balloons to his house and flies away to the wilds of South America. But he discovers all too late that his biggest nightmare has stowed away on the trip: an overly optimistic 9-year-old Wilderness Explorer named Russell. From the Academy Award-nominated director Pete Docter, Disney-Pixar’s Up invites you on a hilarious journey into a lost world, with the least likely duo on Earth. Up will be presented in Disney Digital 3-D in select theaters.

Discussed This Week:

• Chuck in 3d
• Heroes has people talking again
• Movies we watched this week (Grand Torino,  Push, Inkheart)
• Superbowl Trailers (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, GI Joe, Year One, Up, Star Trek, Land of the Lost)
• Dollhouse Premiere this week
• Update on Game Night with Geekshow

Box Office Report:

January 30–February 1, 2009

Geek Jerk Reaction:

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is an upcoming live action film adaptation of the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toy franchise, to be released on August 7, 2009. Set ten years in the future, the film is an origin story, showing the rise of the Cobra Organization.

Land of the Lost is an upcoming feature film based on the 1974 TV series Land of the Lost. The film follows a disgraced paleontologist, his assistant and a macho tour guide who find themselves in a strange, alternate world inhabited by dinosaurs, monkey people and reptilian Sleestaks.

Star Trek is the eleventh Star Trek film and features the main characters of the original Star Trek series, who are portrayed by a new cast. It follows James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) enrolling at Starfleet Academy, his first meeting with Spock (Zachary Quinto), and their battles with Romulans from the future, who are interfering with history. The film is scheduled for release in conventional theaters and IMAX on May 8, 2009.

When I first started watching Star Trek:The Next Generation in 1987 I was fascinated with the small handheld devices that the crew were using: PADDs (Personal Access Display Device). These allowed access to all the knowledge of the Federation and appeared to have virtual infinite abilities. I wanted one.

Along came 1989 and I made my first purchase of a device that kicked of my dream of owning my own PADD.

Sharp IQ-7000 (1989-1997)

Tech Specs: Screen: Mono 96×64, Memory: 16KB RAM

The Sharp IQ-7000 was essentially a glorified pocket calculator. What differentiated it from the pack was that it had a built in calendar for planning out your time and a contacts button to store al your phone numbers and addresses. It could take short notes and had all the normal calculator functions. The unique selling point what that it had a port to take custom application cards that converted a section of the device into a touch pad. These cards were bought as add ons and included cards that could manage your accounts, add a dictionary to your device or even boost the meagre memory up to 64KB (the first SD card?) This device kept my vision of the ultimate PADD open for a number of years until in 1997 when along came a device that was closer to my dream.

Psion Series 5 (1997 – 2001)

Tech Specs: O/S: Symbian EPOC, Screen: Mono 640×240, Memory: 4MB RAM + 6MB ROM, CPU: 32 bit ARM 7100 (18.432 Mhz)

This big selling point for me was that this device had a touch screen. I was one step closer to that PADD dream. This was a proper little computer that had most of the functionality of modern day devices. It accepted Compact Flash cards and hence you could build up the memory (I recall buying a 32 MB CF card for £80 ($120) and thought this was an amazing amount of memory). This device had a word processor, a spreadsheet app and even stored photos and took recordings. It’s database app was one I used a lot, filling it up with databases of Star Trek episodes and details of all my favorite films. I loaded it up with all my contacts, diary, personal data and databases and had access to them wherever I was. At the time this was all cutting edge stuff, and then along came a new kid on the block.

Casio Cassiopeia E-115 (2001 – 2003)

Tech Specs: O/S: Pocket PC 2000, Screen: Color 240×320, Memory: 32MB RAM +16 MB ROM, CPU: 64 bit NEC VR4122 (150 Mhz)

Now this was a proper little computer. It was even running a simple version of Windows. This device felt like my ultimate PADD. It was the right shape, it had a full color screen and no keyboard. Compared to the Psion it was ultra fast with a 150 Mhz processor and had no problems storing all the info I ever needed and was compatible with all my PC applications so a cinch to update and link to all my documents. It did play music and video, but that 32MB of RAM didn’t go very far (anyway the 5 GB iPod I got in 2001 sorted that need out). You now had the ability to install custom applications like simple games and apps that could simulate the night sky (cool!). The device was still a bit  bulky for carrying in your pocket and had terrible battery life (that big 3.8” TFT screen was cutting edge but power hungry). It took regular AA batteries and ate them like candy – very expensive. I needed something more fuel efficient.

HP iPaq 2250 (2003 – 2005)

Tech Specs: O/S: Windows Mobile 2003, Screen: Color 240×320, Memory: 64MB RAM + 32 MB ROM, CPU: 32bit Intel XScale PXA255 (400 Mhz)

This was the evolutionary step up on the Cassiopeia. The basic design was very similar with a screen only slightly smaller at 3.5” but this device had been on a diet with the weight dropping from 255 g to 164 g. It also had a rechargeable battery to save my pennies and a much faster processor. The cost of memory was rapidly coming down in price and was now up to 512 MB SD cards for £80. I could now store some video files (mainly clips from Star Wars) and store lots and lots of databases. I liked this device a lot. It hit a lot of my PADD buttons and I carried it everywhere in my pocket where it competed for space with my phone (these had yet to shrink to the ultra tiny devices of today).

HP iPaq 2750 (2005 – 2007)

Tech Specs: O/S: Windows Mobile 2003 SE, Screen: Color 240×320, Memory: 128 MB + 128 MB ROM, CPU: 32bit Intel XScale PXA270 (625 Mhz)

In 2004-5 wi-fi was the big thing and home networks were springing up everywhere. My next device was a faster, slicker version of the previous iPaq. The big selling point was that it had wi-fi built in. It quickly connected to my wi-fi network and suddenly the whole of the internet was at my mobile fingertips. My mobile (cell) phone had already been doing this for a while over the WAP network (very slow, but it was still the internet). The iPaq gave a bigger cleaner internet experience with the big screen and ability to pick up email. Memory was now ultra cheap and I loaded it up with 4GB of flash memory and started to load full movies onto it (Star Wars being my first film). It even streamed video over the net and I remember getting live Shuttle footage from NASA TV showing the earth slowly rotating below. While surfing the net I found a piece of Windows CE software that created a Star Trek inspired interface. My gadget finally looked like a Star Trek PADD! I was now very close to my ultimate PADD.

Nokia N95 (2007 – 2008)

Tech Specs: O/S: Symbian OS 9.2 Series 60, Screen: Color 240×320, Memory: 8GB, CPU: 32bit Texas Instruments OMAP 2420 (332 Mhz)

Through 2006-7 the life of the Pocket PC was being overtaken by the increasing power of phone operating systems and software. My old Psion Series 5 operating system, Symbian had gone on steroids and had turned into Series 60. The Nokia N95 had a step down in processing power and flexibility from the iPaq, but gave me a camera, video, GPS, cool N-GAGE games and oh yeah, a phone! I also had the whole internet at my fingertips virtually anywhere (not just with a wi-fi signal). This was truly a gadget that I could carry anywhere, have access to the worlds knowledge and never get lost with. Was this my ultimate PADD?, No, I needed a touch screen.

iPod Touch / iPhone (2008 – )

Tech Specs: O/S: iPhone OS 2.2, Screen: Color 480×320, Memory: 32 GB, CPU: Samsung ARM (533 Mhz)

Now I have to admit, my iPhone is still in the shop. But with my iPod Touch and N95 I have full internet access on the move (courtesy of Joikuspot software). To me my iPod Touch is as close to my Ultimate PADD until they actually make one. It is portable, has a great touch screen and now with the Application store has been opened up to thousands of applications. Of course I had to search for a PADD application and my prayers were answered with ‘Tricorder’. I may not be able to shutdown a warp core with it, but I know feel like I’m on the Enterprise. Clearly the iPhone is closer to my goal and as soon as my contract runs out, a fresh one will more than likely be in my pocket.

Looking back at my Sharp IQ-7000 it’s hard to believe how much the portable orgainser has evolved. It was only 10 years from the Psion 5 to the iPhone and the technology advances were significant. What will the next ten years hold? Somehow I think my Star Trek PADD is still a few more years away.

GadgetGeek – Tech Reviews, News, and Future Views

Growing up with a family of Mexican film fans, Montalban was placed on high regard because of his early films like Neptune’s Daughter and The Kissing Bandit which I remember watching at my Grandma’s house back in the day.  Montalban had that great Latin work ethic and often appeared in films that, while their quality may have been questionable, he always improved with his presence.(One of his last pieces of work was a very funny vocal performance as a Cow in Family Guy.
 He was a great villain in the first  Naked Gun and Kim Possible but of course he will always be remembered as the bare-chested, long-haired villain responsible for one of the most memorable lines in movie history. 

You lived well man. Now take it easy.

She died peacefully during her sleep at the age of 76 due to leukemia. May she rest in Peace.

(LATimes)

J. J. Abrams’ Star Trek:

Race to Witch Mountain:

The Chinese Theater is the location where all the stars put their hands and feet into the cement and then sign it.  I found a couple that were really neat, especially the last one:

I am planning on going back soon and hopefully getting some more photos of some historic places.  One interesting thing I learned today: the stars on the Walk of Fame are not gifts.  The stars pay $25,000 as a fee to have their name on the street.  They are nominated and then selected by a commitee, so not just anyone can have their name in concrete.  They still have to pay the fee as a “security” fee for the ceremony and it covers the cost of the ceremony.

Look for more from me in the future!

Starring Chris Pine as James T. Kirk, Zachary Quinto as Spock, Simon Pegg as Lt. Montgomery Scott, Karl Urban as Dr. McCoy, Anton Yelchin as Chekov, John Cho as Sulu, Zoe Saldana as Uhura, and Eric Bana as Nero.

Star Trek hits theaters everywhere May 8, 2009

]]> http://www.geekshow.us/content/movies-content/movie-news/jj-abrams-star-trek-promotional-stills/feed/ 21 http://www.geekshow.us/content/articles/star-trek-online-details-coming-sunday/ http://www.geekshow.us/content/articles/star-trek-online-details-coming-sunday/#comments Fri, 08 Aug 2008 00:15:28 +0000 Saberj http://www.geekshow.us/?p=532 An MMO Star Trek game has been in works for at least a year or two. A company by the name of Perpetual Entertainment held the rights to the title. I followed along with a sense of mild interest. A killer space MMO would be something that would appeal to me beyond all of the Fantasy based MMOs. In fact, my favorite MMO was City of Heroes. While it eventually got boring, and it’s problems eventually about drove me insane, it was still something that could hold my attention much longer than the typical fantasy based title.

However, while Perpetual held the licenses for a Star Trek MMO, we never got more than really ambitious promises and a few pieces of concept art. Everything that the company said about their forthcoming title sounded good. Too good, in fact. Players would be set to work on a ship in which every station could be controlled. One player could play a navigation helm, while the other manned the weapons. Still another could be the communications officer. And if you didn’t have the people to operate the ship, an AI officer would take over those stations. Sounds pretty hard to program, right? So, it came as no surprise to me when after waiting so long to hear something about the game, it was suddenly canceled.

Out of nowhere came Cryptic Studios. Yes, the same Cryptic Studios that made the previously mentioned City of Heroes. The same Cryptic Studios that sold off City of Heroes, began working with Marvel and Microsoft on a Marvel MMO for the 360, and when Microsoft suddenly decided MMOs don’t work on the console they became the developers on a new Superhero MMO based on the Champions pen and paper RPG system. It turns out that the former baby developer now has the funds to snap up the Champions franchise (They now own the Champions name, system, etc.) and grab the Star Trek license. That’s likely the result of making bank from selling the mostly successful City of Heroes to the publisher of the game, NCSoft.

So what, you may ask? Another day, another developer. Well, I’m here to tell you that Cryptic is talented group of developers. Jack Emmert knows what he’s doing, and he surrounds himself with like minded individuals. Developers that go out of their way to make a quality product, talk to the subscribers of their game about their vision, and really leave their heart and soul in their game. It is because of that vision that I can no longer stomach a Sony Online Entertainment MMO. With it’s shoddy animations, and buggy gameplay, SOE games (Such as Star Wars Galaxies, Everquest, and the upcoming DC Universe Online) don’t hold a candle to Cryptic’s quality work.

That’s not to say that Cryptic doesn’t have it’s own problems. One of the reasons I ended up leaving City of Heroes is that the "give the gamers what the need, not what they want" motto became more of a an excuse for being stubborn about critical elements of the game (Like the difficulty vs reward system, for instance). Often, suggestions that were made in the Beta phases of the game were fought for long periods of time before the developers finally would realize that they were good ideas and implement them. That constant frustration of seeing a system that could be so much more finally got to me, and I left the game.

However, Star Trek Online gives users a new reason to be excited. A title from a quality developer that has learned a lot of hard lessons, believes in delivering a faithful experience, and is possibly one of the only developers that "gets it" from the fan perspective. One of the first articles up concerning Star Trek Online talked about how many of the developers grew up watching the many versions of Star Trek. That alone is what it is going to take to make a game that actually works.

Speaking of actually working, the game does. That’s right, after months and months of hearing pipe dreams from Perpetual Entertainment, we actually have a working Star Trek MMO. And this comes only a week after first hearing about the title. Cryptic already has a functioning game, and they did that all on their own. They received no assets from the now defunct Perpetual (Because apparently they didn’t have much at all).

The best part of hearing about the game, is that we will be able to see some actual gameplay footage this Sunday. Cryptic is having an event is Las Vegas this Sunday at 1:30 PST. But for those of us that will not be able to attend, they are also broadcasting the event on their website, StarTrekOnline.com. We will be able to check out for ourselves how the game is set in the future from the last movie, and how players will be able to begin the game as a captain of a small Starfleet or Klingon ship.

I’ll be watching, and hoping for some more juicy details. I have a lot more faith in this title behind the capable hands of Cryptic. Here’s hoping that I am not disappointed. If you are craving more details, check out STO’s website, or read the article that the Associated Press has put out concerning some of the features of the game.

Movies:
Michael Sheard, Admiral Ozzel, dies
Star Trek Movie currently known as Star Trek: The Beginning
Jim Carrey and Ben stiller in “Used Guys”, a Scifi Comedy
Lady in the Water starts production

Games:
Sony Bashes Microsoft…again
City of Heroes Issue 5 goes Live

General & Discussions:
DragonCon takes place this weekend
I bought a DS…and I like it!
Every10minutes.com 360 giveaway
Buffcast Season 2, coming soon?
Bandwidth all used up!

Also, a Link for the Unaired Buffy Pilot!