New Trailer: Transcendence
Friday, December 27, 2013
Transcendence is directed by Wally Pfister (cinematographer on Inception and The Dark Knight trilogy) and written by Jack Paglen, with rewrites by Alex Paraskevas & Jordan Goldberg. Dr. Will Caster (Johnny Depp) is the foremost researcher in the field of Artificial Intelligence, working to create a sentient machine that combines the collective intelligence of everything ever known with the full range of human emotions. When anti-technology extremists threaten his life, they inadvertently trigger a quick move towards his transcendence, and Will’s thirst for knowledge evolves into a seemingly omnipresent quest for power, to what end is unknown. The cast includes Morgan Freeman who narrated one of the earlier teasers, as well as Rebecca Hall, Kate Mara, Cillian Murphy, Cole Hauser and Paul Bettany. Warner Bros will be releasing Transcendence in theaters starting April 18th, 2014.
New Kicks: Air Jordan 5 “3Lab5"
Another Air Jordan 5 “3Lab5″ colorway is on the way, and we now have official images of the new elephant print-covered retro. The Air Jordan 5 “3Lab5″ Black/Infrared takes the original concept of the Air Jordan 3Lab5 and paints it with the winning contrast of black and infrared, a color scheme that is nothing new for Jordan Brand fans. Will you be looking to pick up this boldly printed Air Jordan on Tuesday, December 31.
Sneaker: Air Jordan 5 “3Lab5″
Color: Black/Infrared Black/Infrared 23 599581-010
Release Date: December 31, 2013
Price: $225
New Gear: Neil Barrett Leather Bomber Jacket
Milan-based English fashion designer Neil Barrett has just revealed a premium leather jacket for the new season. Though the crop-collar bomber silhouette has surged in popularity since last season, this piece from Barrett’s eponymous label is a definite winner in its category. The jacket is executed with supple sheep’s leather around the chest and sleeves, accented with subtle biker hits at the zipper and ribbed trims. Completely made in Italy, the clean, simple jacket is cut true to size, allowing space for layers underneath on colder days. Price: $2,660 USD. (CLICK HERE FOR LINK)
New Tech: Samsung 105” Curved UHD TV
Samsung recently unveiled the world’s largest and most curved UHD TV. Measuring 105 inches, the display features an 11 million pixel or 5120 x 2160 resolution with a 21:9 aspect ratio. It promises images that are two times as vivid when viewed from the side and optimal viewing from any angle thanks to its ‘Quadramatic Picture Engine’ which processes and outputs all content at UHD-level quality regardless of the source. The TV will be officially revealed at the Consumer Electronics Show in January of next year, so stay tuned for details on pricing and availability after that.
New Trailer: Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes
Friday, December 20, 2013
Fox has debuted the first teaser trailer for Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, the Matt Reeves-directed sequel to 2011's Rise of the Planet of the Apes. While James Franco is not back, we do get Andy Serkis returning (in motion-capture) as Caesar, the ape who is now leading a revolution. We also get a glimpse at newcomers Jason Clarke, Judy Greer, Keri Russell, Kodi Smit-McPhee and of course Gary Oldman. A growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar is threatened by a band of human survivors. They reach a fragile peace, but it proves short-lived, as both sides are brought to the brink of a war that will determine who will emerge as Earth's dominant species. 20th Century Fox has Dawn of the Planet of the Apes scheduled for 3D release on July 11th next summer.
New Kicks: Air Jordan 11 “Gamma Blue” Unboxing
As far as sneaker enthusiasts worldwide are concerned, Christmas has become synonymous with the Air Jordan 11, at least since 2008. 2013 is primed to follow suit with the release of the Air Jordan 11 “Gamma Blue” coming this weekend. Circulating in the rumor mill since the last 11 drop, the “Gamma Blue” has finally arrived in the flesh right on time. As arguably the biggest release of the year, we couldn’t wait to give you a closer look at the all-new colorway of possibly the most beloved signature sneaker in this week’s edition of the Nice Kicks Unboxing. The Air Jordan 11 “Gamma Blue” will be available at your local Jordan retailers. Good Luck!!!! (SOURCE)
Sneaker: AIR JORDAN 11 RETRO “GAMMA BLUE”
Color: Black/Gamma Blue-Black-Varsity Maize Release
Date: December 21, 2013 Style #: 378037-006
Price: $185
New Whip: BMW i8 Spyder Production Has No Timeline
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Last week, we heard reports that the Bimmer brass had given the thumbs-up to the BMW i8 Spyder, after having sold out the entire first run of the hardtop variant before production ceased.
According to Bimmerpost, BMW set the i8 Spyder for a 2015 debut powered by the exact same powertrain as its hardtop brother, the regular i8. This means a three-cylinder gasoline engine mated to a plug-in hybrid powertrain good for 362 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque, which is enough to push the i8’s carbon-reinforced plastic body to 62 mph in 4.4 seconds and onto a top speed of 155.
This stands in stark contrast to the recent reports that BMW is planning an M8 supercar based on the bones of the eco-friendly i8 sports car.
Word has now come that BMW is not in fact ready to push the i8 Spyder onto the assembly floor. “The last architecture presented some fairly major challenges, to be able to produce a convertible in that format. The rigidity was hard to find with that particular architecture,” a BMW representative told Autocar.
There is “no set timeframe” for the i8 Spyder, the rep added.
So there we have it. Although BMW created an open-air concept variant of the i8 for the 2012 Beijing Motor Show, it apparently can’t get the body rigid enough for the open road. That’s a shame, though. Although the i8 isn’t crazy fast, when you drop the top, it almost wouldn’t matter.
Interestingly, this isn’t the first time BMW has struggled with the i8. Originally, it aimed for the i8 to be V8 powered … then V6 powered … then it settled on the three-cylinder due to cooling issues. Now it apparently can’t keep it from being too floppy when it chops the top. It’s a shame. This platformed seemed promising. (SOURCE)
New Tech: Twitter Working On New “Edit” Feature For Tweets
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Those sources, who asked to be identified only as Twitter employees, say the feature has been a top priority at the company for months as Twitter pushes to expand partnerships among media organizations and original content producers. “Larry,” the Twitter bird.
According to sources and documents reviewed by The Desk, the new Twitter feature would look something like the picture above.
Once a user publishes a tweet, an “edit” feature will be present for a limited amount of time (Twitter is still currently working out the length of time the feature would be available). The feature would allow a user to make “slight changes” to the contents of a tweet, such a removing a word, correcting a typo or adding one or two additional words.
An edit could only be performed once per tweet. Once the edit is made, it would be immediately visible on that user’s Twitter feed. The edit would also show up on the feed of anyone who re-published the tweet using Twitter’s built-in “re-tweet” feature.
Twitter wants to enable users to immediately debunk incorrect information, especially erroneous tweets that go viral. However, Twitter wants users to be able to edit a tweet without changing the overall purpose — in other words, Twitter doesn’t want a user to post a news story, accumulate a large amount of re-tweets, and then change the tweet to display a promotion or advertisement.
To solve this problem, Twitter is looking at a few things, including limitations on how many characters or words a user would be allowed to insert or delete. According to sources, Twitter is also developing an “editorial algorithm” that, if it works correctly, would be able to “detect” whether or not a user is attempting to change the overall intention of the tweet instead of fixing a minor mistake or retracting an erroneous report.
Sources say Twitter’s editorial algorithm, still being developed, is projected to be finished in a matter of “weeks, or months at the most.”
Once Twitter feels it has a solid “edit” feature, it will begin making it available to a select few — likely verified news organizations, celebrities and public officials — for testing. In the past, Twitter has reached out to select “partners” to help test secret features that have yet to be made public, such as expedited Twitter support and fast account switching from a single login.
Sources acknowledge that an “edit” feature would not be a perfect fix. As it is designed now, the feature wouldn’t benefit those who “manually re-tweet” a message. It also would not display whether or not a tweet has been “edited,” although that may be built in later. And even advanced algorithms — sources say its algorithm will be “one of the most-advanced in the industry” — are still prone to error.
But the feature, if it is ever rolled out, would almost certainly be a welcome addition by news organizations and power users. Conversations about how misinformation can spread on Twitter started in early 2011 when National Public Radio erroneously reported on Twitter that former U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords had died from a gunshot wound to the head. The report, which NPR cited to law enforcement sources, was repeated by other news organizations, including television stations that had been reporting from the scene of the crime in Tucson, Arizona that day.
The incident, which was corrected and profusely apologized for, was something of a case study at the time at how quickly bad information can spread on social media platforms. Despite the conversation, there have been more instances of erroneous reports going viral — and a good amount of it can be attributed to Twitter’s users.
In April, Wired’s Mat Honan called the absence of an edit feature the “one function that Twitter desperately needs,” drawing upon his own experience of having contributed to the spread of misinformation during this year’s Boston Marathon bombing and subsequent manhunt for the suspects. Right after Honan published his article, the Syrian Electronic Army compromised the main Twitter account used by the Associated Press to publish a tweet that caused the Dow Jones index to drop by 100 points.
The company isn’t blind to the fact that its platform contributes to misinformation. Though the company has not publicly addressed any chance of rolling out a “correction” feature, sources at Twitter say its been a top priority internally — and even moreso since the company went public last month. (SOURCE)
New Trailer: The Amazing Spider Man 2
Friday, December 13, 2013
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is directed by Marc Webb and written by Jeff Pinker, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman. Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) finds, life is busy between taking out the bad guys as Spider-Man and spending time with the person he loves, Gwen (Emma Stone), high school graduation can't come quickly enough. Peter hasn't forgotten the promise he made to Gwen's father to protect her by staying away, but that's a promise he just can't keep. Things will change for Peter when a new villain, Electro (Jamie Foxx), emerges, an old friend, Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan), returns, and Peter uncovers new clues about his past. Sony will release Amazing Spider-Man 2 in theaters next summer on May 2nd.
New Kicks: Air Jordan 12 “Taxi"
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Following a CDP release in 2008, the Air Jordan 12 “Taxi” returns to retail. A white and black color scheme proves as just as iconic in 2013 as it was in 1997, earning its nickname from the yellow and black hits on the carbon fiber midfoot shank. Golden eyelets keep it classy, with heel and tongue tagging providing identity and nostalgia. (SOURCE)
Sneaker: AIR JORDAN 12 “TAXI”
Color: White/Black-Taxi-Varsity Red
Release Date: December 14, 2013
Price: $170
New Whip: 2015 BMW M3 and M4
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Ahead of next month’s official unveiling at the Detroit Auto Show, BMW leaks some choice imagery as well as the specifications to its 2015 M3 and M4 models. On the outside each sedan sports a subtle power dome in its hood, M3/4-branded strakes on each front fender, split-five-spoke 19-inch wheels, and carbon-ceramic brakes. Under the hood, both cars pack a 430-horsepower, twin-turbocharged six-cylinder engine with the choice of a six-speed manual or a dual-clutch transmission. The cabin of the M3 and M4 will include a new steering wheel, bolstered heated seats, carbon fiber trim availability, side and top-view cameras, and LED lighting. Lastly, both models will be available in different color options.
New Tech: Alexander Wang x Beats By Dre Collection
Here’s a full look at the Alexander Wang x Beats by Dre collection. Featuring Wang’s signature matte black and pale gold color palette, the Beats Pill Speaker and in-ear Beats Urbeats Earbuds extend the Alexander Wang x Beats by Dre experience to those who crave a more lightweight listening experience than the Studio set or want to share the music with others. The full series is set to drop December 16 at the Beats online store and at Alexander Wang online. (CLICK HERE FOR LINK)
New Trailer: 300 “Rise Of An Empire"
Friday, December 6, 2013
Noam Murro (Smart People) directs 300: Rise of an Empire (formerly The Battle of Artemisia), based on Frank Miller's upcoming prequel graphic novel Xerxes, and adapted by Zack Snyder (director of 300) and Kurt Johnstad (writer of 300 and Act of Valor). Greek general Themistocles (Sullivan Stapleton) attempts to unite all of Greece by leading the charge against the massive invading Persian forces led by mortal-turned-god Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro), and Artemesia (Eva Green), vengeful commander of the Persian navy. Warner Bros is releasing 300: Rise of an Empire everywhere in 3D on March 7th, 2014 early next year.
New Kicks: Jordan Son of Mars Low “ Dark Sea"
Inspired by the storied signature models endorsed on air by Spike Lee, the Jordan Son of Mars Low introduces a new “Dark Sea” makeup. More lifestyle less sport, this pair drenches attributes from the Air Jordan 3, 4, 5, 6 and XX in the a cold water colorway. Red accents pop off black and white trim for eye catching contrast and a new palette. The Jordan Son of Mars Low “Dark Sea” launches tomorrow at Nike Store for $140.
Sneaker: JORDAN SON OF MARS LOW “DARK SEA”
Color: Dark Sea/Gym Red-Black-White
Release Date: December 7, 2013
Price: $140
New Gear: Topo Designs Ballistic Black Collection
Colorado-based Topo Designs has applied a stealthy, ballistic all-black treatment to its Klettersack, Daypack, and Mini Mountain Bag models. With an exterior made predominately from a durable 1000D Cordura fabric and an inner liner made from a heavy-duty 18oz waterproof truck tarp, this collection of bags is designed to take on the demands of being a travel companion, workmate or pack mule. Featuring natural leather lash tabs for securing extra gear, as well as smooth YKK zippers made in America, these versatile carry-ons uphold the brand’s outdoor heritage. The Klettersack and Daypack measure in at 12″w x 19″h x 6″d, while the Mini Mountain Bag comes in a slightly more compact 15″w x 8″h x 5″d. Handmade at Topo Designs’ LEED Certified shop in Colorado, these backpacks range from $159-$189 USD over at Topo Designs. (CLICK HERE FOR LINK)
New Tech: Amazon Testing Prime Air System “Delivery By Drone"
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
It’s true – Amazon plans to deliver your packages using flying robots. If that news, announced by CEO Jeff Bezos on Sunday night’s episode of “60 Minutes,” sounds like an absurd PR stunt meant to spur Amazon’s Cyber Monday sales, you aren’t alone – not by a long shot.
Most of the Internet, it seems, gave a collective “Psh, yeah, whatever, dude” upon hearing the news of Prime Air, which Bezos says will one day enable some Amazon customers to receive their purchased items within 30 minutes thanks to GPS-enabled unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) – also known as unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), or, of course, drones.
Our skepticism and disregard for Prime Air is reasonable, to a certain extent, given the range of obstacles that will keep Amazon’s drones down for years. (Not to mention gun slingers’ frothing desire to shoot the company’s drones out of the sky.) But love it or hate it, the Era of UAVs is coming – and Amazon will likely be there from day one. It just has to leap over a number of hurdles before Prime Air takes off.
Please, sir, may I have a Certificate of Authority?
The most obvious barrier is Federal Aviation Administration regulations, which currently prohibit the use of UAS for any commercial purpose. It’s not legal for photographers to make money off pictures shot using drones, and it’s sure as hell not legal for Amazon to start launching robotic deliverymen into the sky.
In order for an organization to use a UAV for some official purpose – be it business, education, or policing – the organization must receive what’s known as a Certificate of Authority. According to a list published by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), those mostly go to government organizations, like the Department of Homeland Security or the U.S. Navy, or to universities. And it’s highly unlikely that Amazon could snag a Certificate of Authority anytime soon: The FAA tells me that, “so far, only a single commercial UAS operator has been approved to operate, and it is in the Arctic.”
All is not lost for Amazon Prime Air, however. As Bezos pointed out, the service won’t go into effect until at least 2015. That’s a key year; Congress passed a bill in 2012 mandating that the FAA open U.S. airspace to commercial UAS by September 30, 2015. But before we get to that point, a whole heck of a lot needs to happen, some of which will take years to accomplish.
Let the testing begin!
At the top of the FAA’s to-do list is the establishment of six sites to test UAS technology. Twenty four states have applied to host the test sites, where the FAA will be able to figure out how best to integrate UAVs into U.S. airspace safely. The agency is scheduled to announce its choice of test site locations by the end of 2013 – and when it does, Amazon and countless other companies are expected to bum rush these sites.
“With the test sites being assigned, it’ll provide industry an opportunity to go to those states and test their systems,” says Mario Mairena, Government Relations Manager for the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), the world’s largest non-profit group devoted to the advancement of UAS and other robotics. And if Amazon plans to get in on the drone game in 2015, it’ll need to be right there with every other drone-centric business.
Once these test sites are up and running, one of main goals will be figuring out how to relax the restrictions on flying UAVs. At the moment, even those organizations with a coveted Certificate of Authorization from the FAA must abide by a number of rules: UAS may not weight more than 25 pounds, must remain under an altitude of 400 feet, and cannot leave a pilot’s line of sight. It’s that last one especially that needs to change for Amazon before Prime Air – which Bezos says will have a range of 10 miles from an Amazon distribution center – can launch. (And some experts don’t believe the FAA will allow autonomous, long-range UAS for years, if ever.)
Have tech, can deliver
As for the technology needed to make Prime Air a reality, Mairena says it “absolutely” already exists. Even if that means having a fleet of hundreds of drones delivering packages to homes using only GPS coordinates? “Absolutely,” he reiterates. (In fact, a popular delivery company in China called SF Express has already begun testing a service like Prime Air.) The one area of concern is what the FAA calls “sense and avoid” (SAA) systems that would prevent Amazon’s drones from buzzing into houses, trees, or your dog. “Minimum standards” for SAA will need to be established before anything like Prime Air can operate, according to the FAA’s UAS “road map” (pdf) released in early November.
It’s not clear who would make Amazon’s delivery drones, but given that it already pumps out gadgets like the Kindle e-book readers and tablets, it seems more than likely that Amazon will just make its own specialized UAS.
Consider that the FAA has already released a “road map” for how it plans to start launching commercial drones into the air safely by 2015; that hundreds of U.S. businesses are chomping at the bit to get a piece of the $82 billion economic impact AUVSI expects commercial drones will have in the U.S. over the next decade; and that Paul Misener, Amazon’s VP of Global Public Policy, already has a working relationship with the FAA – updating federal regulations may be the least of Amazon’s concerns.
Fear of flying (robots)
The real problem, says Mairena, is that people are freaked out by “drones” – in fact, he corrected me when I let the nasty word slip during our conversation. “UAS, please,” he said. As with any misunderstood technology, the only solution is better educating the public about what UAS can and cannot do.
“A lot of citizens believe that you can weaponize UAS,” says Mairena. “Nothing could be further from the truth – you cannot weaponize UAS in domestic airspace.” (In other words, doing so may be technically possible, but is highly illegal.) Privacy is also a concern, he says, with some worried that these flying robots will lead to the type of “constant surveillance” allowed by military drones. This too is a misconception because non-military UAS “are battery operated, and their flight times may range between 15 and 90 minutes,” he says, making it difficult for them to spy on anyone for extended periods – to say nothing of peeping Toms livestreaming 90 minutes of your bedroom window.
“These systems are going to be used for a specific scope and purpose to do the job that Amazon, for example, would want it to do – and that’s a delivery system,” says Mairena.
True as that may be, the AUVSI recognizes how much work it will take before people begin accepting drones UAS into everyday life – and they have less than two years to do it.
Is that enough time for Amazon, or any other company, to get the public cheering for UAVs speckling our skies? I think it is – we’ve overcome fears of the Internet and smartphones is as much time. And we may have little choice but to get used to it, as the FAA expects at least 15,000 of the buggers to be zipping around within the next six years.
Despite some monkey-brain revulsion to UAVs, I, for one, welcome our robot peons – and delivering me a fresh pair of warm socks in less than an hour sounds like the perfect job for them. (SOURCE)
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