Monthly Archives: April 2015
Google Makes VR Setup Easy With New Program
Google has unveiled a new program that makes virtual reality headset setup simple for those using Google Cardboard.
The program, aptly dubbed "Works with Google Cardboard," ensures your homemade VR headset is compatible with all of the virtual reality apps designed to be used with the device.
"At its core, the program enables any Cardboard viewer to work well with any Cardboard app," the company explained in a post on its developer blog. "And the result is more awesome VR for all of us."
No One’s Going to Mars Without NASA’s Help
No one is going to make the journey to Mars without the help of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, according to NASA administrator Charles Bolden.
Private companies looking to travel to the rocky red planet don't stand a chance of getting there on their own, Bolden explained during a budget proposal for the coming fiscal year (via Engadget). "No commercial company without the support of NASA and government is going to get to Mars," he said.
Ben and Jerry’s Burrito Is Cream on the Inside, Cone on the Outside
Everyone likes burritos, and everyone likes ice cream, and the visionary ice cream scientists at Ben & Jerry's have taken the two concepts and melded them into one creation, the "Brrr-ito."
Set to launch on April 20 for no particular reason, the Brrr-ito is two scoops of Ben & Jerry's ice cream wrapped in a "soft and chewy" waffle shell. That sounds pretty delicious in and of itself, but no self-respecting burrito would dare present itself with a single ingredient. So to keep things real, the ice cream scoops are drizzled with fudge and dusted with cookie crumbs.
You won't be able to go to your local store and just grab one on the go, however. To get your mouth on one of these hybrid desert creations you'll need to visit a Ben & Jerry's Scoop Shop, where a friendly ice cream wizard will conjure you up one of a seemingly infinite number of flavor combos.
Is a Howard the Duck Reboot Coming?
A reboot starring Howard the Duck could very well be Marvel's next big film, according to legendary filmmaker George Lucas.
Lucas, who served as executive producer on the 1986 original, believes it's finally time the smart-mouthed space duck got another shot on the silver screen. After all, Marvel Comics wasn't afraid to sneak him in for a surprise cameo at the very end of 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy.
Tatiana Maslany Previews Orphan Black: Season 3
The web of lies and mysteries on Orphan Black has become more and more complex since Season 1. Sarah Manning's life has spun in ways she couldn't have imagined since she met Beth Childs, and actress Tatiana Maslany has found herself on a similarly wild ride. Maslany plays all of the Project Leda clones but infuses each of them with so much personality and individualism that it's all too easy to forget they have the same face.
Going into Season 3 of the BBC America series, which debuts Saturday night, Clone Club has learned Project Leda isn't the only game in town. There's a whole other set of male duplicates because of the military's Project Castor. The Castor clones, played by Ari Millen, are one of the several threats Sarah and her sisters must face in the upcoming season. IGN participated in a conference call with Maslany and she discussed the role of the Castor clones, key relationships for her many characters, impending threats and more.
4 Unaired Clone Wars Episodes Debut at Celebration
At Star Wars Celebration today, Dave Filoni introduced a premiere screening for a never finished or released story arc from Star Wars: The Clone Wars – “Bad Batch.” All four episodes of the storyline were shown, though in their incomplete form – final animation was never completed, so this was all the earliest, animatic-style animation without any detailed backgrounds, moving lips and many other elements we'd have seen if it had been completed, though the vocals had all been recorded by the cast.
The storyline is another big one for Dee Bradley Baker, the voice of all the clone troopers, as we meet the Bad Batch of the title, a foursome -- Hunter, Tech, Crosshair and Wrecker -- of Clones who came out somehow malformed (like the Clone “99” we met once before), but were then mutated further into a squad of super soldier types, sent on especially dangerous missions. These guys are all highly individualized (including their appearance, as they do not share the same exact face) in both their skill set and armor, with an almost G.I Joe type feel to them. There’s also a hint of a Republic Commando type crew here as well.
Is that BB-8 Hitched to an X-Wing?
A seemingly innocuous model at the Star Wars Celebration shows an iconic character in a new light, and raises theories about the plot for Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
The model, which can be seen below, is one of the miniature vehicles on display at the Celebration this weekend. But Entertainment Weekly's Anthony Breznican (who moderated The Force Awakens panel yesterday) noticed something more –– BB-8 hitched to the X-Wing behind the cockpit. This marks the first time BB-8 has been shown in a droid pit, and evokes images of R2-D2 revolving behind Luke Skywalker during frantic dogfights.
How does #BB8 get to Jakku? Maybe he crashed in (Poe Dameron's?) X-Wing ... The Force Awakens #StarWarsCelebration pic.twitter.com/xSk49kDg2i
Destiny: Where’d the House of Wolves Raid Go?
The team of Destin Legarie, Jose Otero, and Fran Mirabella discuss the huge House of Wolves reveal from Bungie this week. Where's the Raid? What did they think? Listen or watch to find out.
Furious 7 Breaks New Record
After today's ticket sales, Furious 7 has passed $1 billion, marking the quickest initial rise in box office history.
It took 17 days for Furious 7 to reach the new milestone –– The Avengers, Avatar and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 all crossed the same mark, but it took them 19 days to do so. Furious 7's total global sales are estimated at about $1.009 billion, with $735 million in overseas tickets, and $274 million in North America.
Last weekend, Universal announced that Furious 7 was the fastest-grossing entry in the Fast and Furious series within 10 days of its debut, with $60.6 million in its second weekend. The second-best grossing in the series, 2013's Fast & Furious 6, passed $238.7 million in domestic sales.
Justice League: Gods & Monsters Gets Comic Prequel
DC has revealed that they'll be publishing a comic book prequel to their upcoming animated movie Justice League: Gods & Monsters. This digital-first series will explore these new versions of Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman before the events of the movie. While most stories will have a solo focus, the comic's final storyline will detail the formation of this world's Justice League.
No writer has been announced for the prequel, though DC did reveal that Thony Silas will draw the series and Francesco Francavilla will provide covers. Check out a preview of the first issue:
In case you missed our trailer debut on Tuesday, Justice League: Gods & Monsters is a new direct-to-DVD movie from producer Bruce Timm (one of the driving forces behind Batman: The Animated Series and its various spinoffs). The film takes place in an alternate universe where very different and more brutal versions of the DC Trinity have risen to power. The film will feature the voice talents of Michael C. Hall as Batman, Benjamin Bratt as Superman and Tamara Taylor as Wonder Woman.