Thursday, June 21, 2012

The Mistery Of Mask


In this world each person has at least three faces: his real one, the one that he shows to all people around and the one he thinks he possesses. And it is not the whole list, everything depends on the very person, his world outlook and his life philosophy. It’ a notorious fact that most of us don’t want to lay the heart bare and let other people become close to us and that is the reason for us to wear masks. Each of us has plenty of them for various cases and for all life emergencies. It is easier to put on a mask and pretend somebody else, to behave in the other way, to show the different conduct than to be own self. Of course, with the mask you can be at certain desired liberty, anyway you will think so. But you have to bear in mind that the way that you wear a certain mask and this thing itself can tell the truth and even more about your personality.

Source

Kristen Stewart Tops Forbes’ List of Hollywood’s Highest-Paid Actresses

Starring in the “Twilight” films has really paid off for Kristen Stewart. She ranks first on Forbes magazine’s new list of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood.

According to the magazine’s calculations, Stewart earned $34.5 million between May 2011 and May 2012, thanks to her work on the last two “Twilight” movies, plus the current hit “Snow White and the Huntsman.” Cameron Diaz ranks second at $34 million, and Sandra Bullock rounds out the top three at $25 million.

Forbes considered the actresses’ salaries, residuals and endorsements in compiling its list. An interesting stat: the top 10 highest-paid actresses made a total of $200 million, compared to $361 million collected by the top 10 highest-paid actors.

Here are the top 10 highest-paid actresses in Hollywood, according to Forbes:

1. Kristen Stewart, $34.5 million.
2. Cameron Diaz, $34 million.
3. Sandra Bullock, $25 million.
4. Angelina Jolie, $20 million.
5. Charlize Theron, $18 million.
6. Julia Roberts, $16 million.
7. Sarah Jessica Parker, $15 million.
8T. Meryl Streep, $12 million.
8T. Kristen Wiig, $12 million.
10. Jennifer Aniston $11 million.

Source 

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Parallel Zombies on Android: A lurch in the right direction

Zombie games are a dime a dozen on mobile devices these days. Just search the word "zombie" on the App Store or Google Play, and you'll be greeted with pages worth of zombie games. Throw in the fact that location-based gaming hasn't exactly taken off, and the odds seem to be stacked against games like Parallel Zombies for Android.

To meet such odds, luckily, the developers at PerBlue have stepped up their game with Parallel Zombies, set to launch exclusively on Android July 19. While much of the game is similar to what Android gamers--about 85 percent of PerBlue's audience, we're told--enjoyed with Parallel Mafia and Parallel Kingdoms before that, PerBlue has tweaked much of the formula so that it feels, well, more like a game than an app. A lot more. (In fact, we kind of wish we had an Android device handy right about now.)What players will notice immediately about Parallel Zombies is simply that this is the most gorgeous game in the series yet. Plenty more resources have been devoted to players' avatars, namely. Not only do they appear larger in the game world--which is your world, basically--but the customizations made to your character are far more visible as a result.

"Kind of a pain point that we learned along the way is that people are really, really attached to their avatars, and they want to be able to see the representation of their avatars in the game," PerBlue's Ellie Humphrey admits. "So we made the avatar almost 3x bigger for this game."In fact, almost everything is bigger in Parallel Zombies. The various buildings in the game world appear in 3D, strengthening the feeling of peering down on a world in ruin. Ain't that the truth: The streets and alleys around you will eventually be covered in zombie blood as you take the fight to 15 different types of carnivorous cadavers.

That's really what Parallel Zombies is all about, and the numerous changes PerBlue made to the game's systems shows it. For one, skill points have been fleshed into an all new class system that allows players to choose whether they'll be a soldier, a hunter or a doctor. Digging even deeper, those three classes can branch out into even more specialized roles as players level up, like zombie-charming for doctors, sneaking around for soldiers and a focus on pets for hunters.Almost more important is the combat itself, which is both real-time and turn-based. For example, players go blow-for-blow with zombies using either guns or melee weapons, but other baddies can easily join the fray in real time. (And yes, ammo is most definitely a concern.) Real-time combat laced with unique abilities is cool and all, but only if people are around to fight with.

You might not live in the most bumping area, so PerBlue has concocted a nifty solution to that problem. "We really wanted to hone in on the multiplayer aspect of the game for this title. We really wanted to make it easy for people to access the multiplayer," Humphrey tells us. "Right from the menu here, we have this button that says, 'group'."While players will come across tasks to complete in the world, real-time multiplayer missions separate from the map are where Parallel Zombies seems to shine best. With a matchmaking system, players can find folks to team up with on special zombie-slaying missions that offer numerous rewards.

A much needed visual boost, a focus on combat and easy real-time multiplayer could be just what the doctor ordered for PerBlue's "Parallel" franchise. But will it these improvements alone help it stand out among the hordes of zombie games on mobile? See for yourself on July 19. Until then, check out the official Parallel Zombies page for more info.

Source 

Saturday, June 16, 2012

First Look: Saab Phoenix Concept

GENEVA -- Saab's Dutch chairman and CEO, Victor Muller, probably doesn't know and certainly doesn't care that to us, the Phoenix is a Pontiac compact from the '70s and '80s. He's named ex-Ferrari designer Jason Castriota's 9-3-sized concept hatchback coupe "Phoenix," a celebration of Saab's rising from the ashes of the GM sale. Company President Jan-Ake Jonsson called last week's celebration of the one-year anniversary of Saab's separation from General Motors "Independence Day."The Phoenix seems too stylized to say much about Saab's design future under Castriota, whom Muller announced as his new chief designer, at last year's show. The Phoenix has much more surface tension than the Saab Aero concepts designed under GM. As good-looking as those Aeros were, they now look like the bubble-wrap the Phoenix came in. The car may be a bit busy, but it is gorgeous, and hints that if nothing else, Castriota plans to use early Saab raindrop shapes as a design theme. It has been designed as a 2+2 coupe. The tail, with its many LED taillamp bulbs, looks like something designed for Spyker. While there's no sign on the Saab stand of Muller's 9-2 design proposal, the Phoenix concept riffs off its raindrop shape. Castriota calls the design theme for a "sporty three-door hatch" the "aero-motional" aesthetic, and the inspiration for the 9-5 and 9-4x. The Phoenix has a 1.6-liter turbo four rated 200 horsepower, Saab's new "V" all-wheel-drive system developed with supplier American Axle, and a Google Android-based Icon infotainment system.Muller has designated Phoenix as the name for Saab's flexible architecture, which debuts under the new 9-3 he promises for calendar 2012. The car started with GM's Epsilon platform, but Saab has made enough changes to call the platform its own, or Phoenix, and the new 9-3 "will show to you what an independent Saab organization can do.

Muller calls the coming Saabs, including the 9-5 SportKombi unveiled here, as "drivers cars" that will emphasize small-displacement, turbocharged engines. Muller has just sold his interest in, and Saab's connection to, Spyker, the independent sports carmaker that made it possible for Muller and his investors to buy Saab to Russian entrepreneur Viktor Antonov. Muller says he proposed the sale to Saab's board so the small sports carmaker could raise additional cash. If Muller and his board had held on to their interest in Spyker, he said, their shares would have been diluted to the point at which they would have lost control.

So automaker Muller has gone from being an automaker who made something like 300 cars in a full decade to an automaker who can build 80,000 per year. That's how many Saabs were sold worldwide in its first full year of independence. Eighty thousand per year, globally, would be total failure for most mainstream automakers. In its first year of independence, Saab has managed, one way or another, to stay out of the mainstream.
Source

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Neverending Saab Story Youngman Lotus Refuses to Go Away

Official news of Saab's inevitable bankruptcy liquidation last December 19 broke too late for "Trend's" last deadline. After covering it at motortrend.com, we figured Saab's death would be nothing more than a brief "We Hear" item.
Saab has never been that easy. Between deadlines comes word that Youngman Lotus, the Chinese company that tried to buy Saab last year after the Swedish factory shut down when suppliers held back parts, is trying to pick away at the company. The news reports were accompanied by grainy, leaked photos of the stillborn new Saab 9-3.

"The receivers in Sweden have been talking to several groups," says Tim Colbeck, chief of Saab's post-GM North American marketing, a separate company from the automaker. Colbeck hoped one of the mystery groups would take over all of Saab, but says it's no clearer to him than to us. A parts company will likely rise from the ashes of Saab Cars USA, but warranty coverage for post-GM Saabs "is to be determined," Colbeck says. Former owner General Motors scuttled Youngman's attempt to buy Saab while it was still viable, by objecting to potential threats to GM's intellectual property. When Victor Muller's Spyker bought Saab from GM, the contract stipulated Spyker could not share GM platforms with another automaker. GM built just a couple hundred 9-4x crossover/utility vehicles for Saab in the Mexican plant that builds the Cadillac SRX.
So it was easy for GM to stop delivering the CUV to the Swedish brand. Saab built the GM Epsilon II-based 9-5 in Trollhättan for nearly a year. That’s the platform GM wants to keep from other manufacturers, especially in China, where SAIC builds Epsi II-based Buick LaCrosses in a joint-venture factory. So, Youngman Lotus swoops in and has an international brand to place on a relatively sophisticated sporty four-door hatchback, right?

Not so fast: The Chinese government still must approve the deal. As we’ve reported before, China is much more interested these days in reducing, not expanding, the number of automakers in the country. The only thing of which we can be sure is the Saab story simply will not go away

Source

2013 Ford Fiesta ST Ford's Sporty Subcompact to Hit European Streets Next Year

When we first saw the Ford Fiesta ST as a concept car at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show and later in five-door form at the L.A. show, it seemed like a no-brainer that the small, go-fast hatch would be built. Not surprisingly, Ford has made it official with the reveal of the production-spec version of the 2013 Ford Fiesta ST debuting at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show in advance of its in European showroom launch early next year.

As was the case in the Fiesta ST concept, the motivating force comes from an EcoBoost turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-four engine, with 178 hp and 177 lb-ft of torque directed to the front wheels by way of a six-speed manual transmission. Ford says the Fiesta ST will hit 62 mph in less than seven seconds, with a top speed north of 136 mph. To help keep up with the power increase, the Fiesta ST also scores unique suspension tuning that is 0.6-in. lower than a regular Fiesta, Torque Vectoring Control, and a three-mode stability control system.
The Fiesta ST's mechanical upgrades are matched by a new body kit with a trapezoidal mesh grille, roof spoiler, new side skirts, lower front and rear fascias, and twin exhaust tips. Recaro seats with contrasting inserts that match the bodywork, metal sport pedals, and Sync voice recognition are all standard. The car looks like a scaled-down version of the Focus ST -- a move we're sure was deliberate.Based on what Ford has told us so far, we have high hopes for the Fiesta ST's performance character. Ford director of Global Performance Vehicles Jost Capito claims drivers "will be blown away by the new Fiesta ST." An engineer with Ford's Special Vehicle Team previously told us that the new car is "designed to reward excellent drivers, and flatter novices." The car was tested and developed at the Nurburgring in Germany.


One big question remains: Will the Ford Fiesta ST be sold in the U.S.? The version shown here is a two-door model that likely won't arrive on our shores because the American market only gets four-door Fiestas at present. But Ford received strong response to the four-door Fiesta ST concept at the L.A. show last fall and "remains open to the idea" of selling the Fiesta ST in America. That sounds like tacit confirmation to us that the hot hatch is destined for American market in four-door form sometime after the two-door launches in Europe next year.

Source

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

PlayStation Suite becomes PlayStation Mobile, HTC officially certified

When Sony introduced the PlayStation Suite a little over a year ago, their plan was to have other manufacturers jump in. So far the adoption has been slow, but HTC is one company that sees a benefit in getting PlayStation Certified. We heard rumors about this a few months ago, but it was just officially announced that HTC is now onboard. HTC might not be the biggest presence when it comes to Android, but they’re definitely a major contender. This deal can only help Sony get the PlayStation experience to more devices in the coming months. We can expect to see HTC One customers benefit from this deal.

Sony also announced that the PlayStation Suite has been renamed to PlayStation Mobile. This change reflects the fact that Sony is now positioned to bring the PlayStation experience to many mobile devices with this HTC deal along with other developers and publishers.

Full press release after the break

PLAYSTATION®SUITE RENAMED “PLAYSTATION®MOBILE”

Further Proliferate The PlayStation® Experience Across Mobile Devices

TOKYO, June 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCE) today announced HTC Corporation (HTC) will join the PlayStation™Certified license program(*1). By collaborating with HTC, a global designer of smartphones and the world’s first company to launch Android-powered devices, SCE aims to deliver the PlayStation® experience to even more users around the world.

“HTC is focused on delivering innovative mobile experiences for people everywhere and SCE’s immersive world of gaming will bring compelling entertainment to HTC One customers across the globe,” said Kouji Kodera, Chief Product Officer, HTC Corporation.

In addition to third party developers and publishers as well as a wide range of content developers who have agreed to develop content for PlayStation®Suite, SCE Worldwide Studios is developing attractive games. SCE is positioned to proliferate the world of PlayStation across mobile devices with the progress of content development and the expansion of PlayStation Certified devices. In conjunction with this development, SCE will rename PlayStation Suite to PlayStation®Mobile, and position it as a new platform.
SCE will further accelerate the expansion of PlayStation Certified devices and continue to collaborate with content developers to drive the delivery of compelling entertainment experiences through PlayStation Mobile.

source

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 review: Competitively priced but is it enough?

Samsung continues to be the leader in the number of tablets released by an Android manufacturer. They had the first mainstream tablet, the Galaxy Tab, and from there they continued to release various 7-inch tablets along with an 8.9 tab and a 10.1. This year they updated their tabs to the Galaxy Tab 2 by trying to be more competitive. I already reviewed The Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, which is priced at $249. I found that one to be very competitive and a solid deal. This review is for basically the same tablet, but with a 10.1-inch display. The price is $399, but is it that competitive enough? Hit the break to get started, and you can also check out our initial hands on as well


Design

The Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 is very similar to the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0. Other than display size, speaker placement and some button placement, it has the identical plastic case. I’ve never been a fan of Samsung plastics, but I did find these tabs to not be as slippery as in past offerings. For the 10.1, the speakers are on the front at the edges of the bezel. The good thing is they aren’t on the same side. The left one is on the left side and yes, you guessed it, the right one is on the right side.

When holding the tab in landscape more, the power is at the top left and the volume rocker is to right of that. In the middle is the IR port and to the right of that is the microSD slot. Lastly, the microphone jack is all the way to the right. The bottom has the proprietary Samsung charging port, and both the right and left sides are free of switches and ports.

As far as thickness and weight, it comes in at 9.7mm thick and weighs 581 grams. The original Tab 10.1 came in at 8.6mm, which is much thinner, but the weight was a little heavier, 595 grams.

All in all it feels nice in the hands, much like the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0.

Hardware

The Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 has a 10.1-inch (1280 x 800) PLS display, 1 GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 3MP rear camera, VGA front camera, 16 GB of internal storage, microSD for up to an additional 32GB of storage, 7000 mAh battery, built-in IR blaster, Bluetooth 3.0, GPS, and WiFi. This is pretty much the same specs as the Tab 2 7.0 except for the screen size, resolution, and internal storage.

Performance

The performance is pretty much on par with the Tab 2 7.0. They both have the same processor, but with the 10.1-inch display, this one has to work a little harder. The obligatory AnTuTu benchmark gave us 4878, which is actually lower than the Tab 2 7.0, which scored 5006. With more display real estate and more resolution this isn’t a surprise. In real world use, it seemed to perform as well as the 7.0 though.

The real problem lies in that this is a 10.1-inch tablet so it can’t behave like a 7-inch budget tablet. Unfortunately that’s the case here, and even though it’s priced cheaper than previous Samsung tabs, it might already be priced out of the market with the likes of the ASUS Transformer Pad TF300.

The display on this 10.1-inch version is much better than the Tab 2 7.0 thanks to the 1280 x 800 resolution. It’s still a PLS display so no Super AMOLED like the Galaxy Tab 7.7. It’s still nice and it’s made for the mainstream consumer in mind.

The sound quality is dramatically better with the 10.1 versus the 7.0. With the 7.0, the speakers are on the side, but the 10.1 has speakers placed at the front along the right and left bezel. It gives you best separation possible and is something I wish more tablet manufacturers would implement.

Battery

The 7,000 mAh battery is 75% bigger than the Tab 2 7.0 so you would expect more time, which was the case. I conducted my usual video rundown test in which I run continuous video with the display turned up to 2/3′s brightness. I was able to get just about 10 hours, which is 3 hours better than the Tab 2 7.0. It’s about average for a 10.1-inch tablet and should satisfy most people.

Software

Just like the Tab 2 7.0, it has Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich. Also unfortunately, it has the same TouchWiz interface which really takes away from the whole ICS experience. If you’re familiar with TouchWiz, you probably won’t complain, but if you’re new to Samsung, be aware.

Samsung includes the IR port and the Peel Smart Remote app, which is a nice touch. It’s one of those features that is most likely forgotten with 90% of the consumers, but I think if users take the time to set things up, they will enjoy it. When I reviewed Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus, I spent a short amount of time with the software so if you want to see a glimpse of it, check out the video below. It starts around 4:20 in.

Dropbox is also included, but the big news is that you will get 50GB of storage for one year. This is double the space that HTC users get, but HTC users get their 25GB for 2 years. I would rather have the 25GB for two years, but I won’t complain about 50GB of free space.

As far as the bloatware, you get Amazon Kindle, Dropbox, Netflix, and the Peel Smart Remote. Samsung’s included app extras include All Share, ChatOn, Game Hub, Media Hub, Memo, Music Hub, Music Player, Photo Editor, Samsung Apps (app store), Screensaver, S Planner, and Video Player.

Camera

There really isn’t much to say about the camera. Samsung threw in a 3MP rear, but I would’ve rather them leave it out completely and put a better front-facing one. They only gave us a VGA (640 x 480) front-facer and I think a 1.3MP or 2MP would have been better. To be honest I don’t use either much, but I’m certainly more likely to use the front-facer for video chat as opposed to the rear-facing to take pictures.

I’m not including any example photos here since there’s nothing earth shattering here. If your looking to buy this device and plan on depending on the rear camera then move on to the next device. If you plan on needing it for an occasional emergency, which seems more likely, than don’t worry, it will get the job done.

Closing
Samsung has admitted tablet sales have been dismal. They are obviously trying to get things going with the Tab 2 line, which is more economical. Unfortunately the 10.1 version at $399 isn’t all that economical anymore. ASUS released the Transformer Pad TF300, which can be had for $389 and you get a NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor and more storage. The 7-inch version really provides a solid deal, but unfortunately this version just didn’t get the job done. It really needs to be priced at $329 to $349 in order to wow anyone. If a great deal on a 10.1-inch tab is what you want, I have to recommend the ASUS Transformer Pad TF300, but if you don’t mind a 7-inch display, you can’t beat the $249 price on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0.

Source

Monday, June 11, 2012

Ernestine Shepherd: The 75-year-old bodybuilding grandma


The world's oldest female bodybuilder wakes up every day at 02:30 to fit in a 10 mile (16km) run before hitting the gym.

But 75-year-old Ernestine Shepherd insists that "age is nothing but a number".

"Miss Ernie", as she is known in the world of competitive bodybuilding, began training at the tender age of 71.

She says her true calling in life, however, is helping others to follow a more healthy lifestyle.

The BBC caught up with her at an exercise class at her church in the US city of Baltimore, Maryland, to find out why she started bodybuilding and what competitors say when they see they are up against a grandmother.

Source

Shooting in Auburn, Alabama, leaves three dead


A shooting at an apartment complex in the US city of Auburn, Alabama, has left three people dead and another three wounded, police say.

The attack happened during a party at the University Heights complex, home to many students from the nearby Auburn University.

Two of those killed were former Auburn University football players.

Police have charged a man, named as Desmonte Leonard, with murder but say he has not yet been captured.

At a news conference, Auburn Police Chief Tommy Dawson said former university football players Edward Christian and Ladarious Phillips were killed. He named the third victim as Demario Pitts.

Mr Dawson said current football player Eric Mack was among those wounded.

"This is a trying time, not only university students and athletes, but it's young people. It's six young people that have been shot. As you can tell, the community is shaken by this and grieving today," Mr Dawson said.

Witnesses said the shooting broke out following an argument at a pool party on Saturday night.

Emergency vehicles converged on the apartment complex and the building was swathed in yellow police tape.

Witnesses said the shooting appeared to have taken place in an archway near the apartment complex information centre, near the edge of a car park. Several uniformed police officers were guarding the area.

Auburn is the largest city in eastern Alabama with more than 50,000 people. Some 25,000 students attend Auburn University.

Source

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Win 2 Free Tickets To Le Web London, Courtesy Of TechCrunch


Well, over 1,000 tickets have been sold to Le Web London, the gigantic tech conference hitting the UK shores on June 19-20.

You want to go right? Well, TechCrunch has two tickets to give away, as part of the “adopt an entrepreneur” programme backed by Silicon Valley Bank and LEPE Partners.

Here’s how you win the tickets: Explain why you deserve to go to Le Web in the comments below. Convince us why, e.g. you’re a student with an amazing product or you’re the next Zuckerberg etc etc – you get the drift. (For extra points share Le Web London on your social networks, make some content/video, use the tags #leweb #lepe and #svb). We’ll pick the winners randomly from a group of the best entries.

Ok, go.

view the original artical here

Friday, June 8, 2012

Madagascar 3 (2012)

Madagascar 3 (2012)






By Kelsea Stahler

A kids’ movie without the cheeky jokes for adults is like a big, juicy BLT without the B… or the T. Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted may have a title that sounds like it was made up in a cartoon sequel laboratory, but when it comes to serving up laughs, just think of the film as a BLT with enough extra bacon to satisfy even the wildest of animals — or even a parent with a gaggle of tots in tow. Yes, even with that whole "Afro Circus" nonsense.

It’s not often that we find exhaustively franchised films like the Madagascar set that still work after almost seven years. Despite being spun off into TV shows and Christmas specials in addition to its big screen adventures, the series has not only maintained its momentum, it has maintained the part we were pleasantly surprised by the first time around: great jokes.

Madagascar Afro CircusIn this third installment of the series – the trilogy-maker, if you will – directing duo Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath add Conrad Vernon (director, Monsters Vs. Aliens) to the helm as our trusty gang swings back into action. Alex the lion (Ben Stiller), Marty the zebra (Chris Rock), Gloria the hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith), and Melman the giraffe (David Schwimmer) are stuck in Africa after the hullaballoo of Madagascar 2 and they’ll do anything to get back to their beloved New York. Just a hop, skip, and a jump away in Monte Carlo, the penguins are doing their usual greedy schtick, but the zoo animals catch up with them just in time to catch the eye of the sinister animal control stickler, Captain Dubois (Frances McDormand). And just like that, the practically super human captain is chasing them through Monte Carlo and the rest of Europe in hopes of planting Alex’s perfectly coifed lion head on her wall of prized animals.

Luckily for pint-sized viewers, Dubois’ terrifying presence is balanced out by her sheer inhuman strength, uncanny guiles, and Stretch Armstrong flexibility (ah, the wonder of cartoons) as well as Alex’s escape plan: the New Yorkers run away with the European circus. While Dubois’ terrifying, Doberman-like presence looms over the entire film, a sense of levity (which is a word the kiddies might learn from Stiller’s eloquent lion) comes from the plan for salvation in which the circus animals and the zoo animals band together to revamp the circus and catch the eye of a big-time American agent. Sure the pacing throughout the first act is practically nonexistent, running like a stampede through the jungle, but by the time we're palling around under the big top, the film finds its footing.

The visual splendor of the film (and man, is there a champion size serving of it), the magnificent danger and suspense, is enhanced to great effect by the addition of 3D technology – and not once is there a gratuitous beverage or desperate Crocodile Dundee knife waved in our faces to prove its worth. The caveat is that the soundtrack employs a certain infectious Katy Perry ditty at the height of the 3D spectacular, so, parents, get ready to hear that on repeat until the leaves turn yellow.

But visual delights and adventurous zoo animals aside, Madagascar 3’s real strength is in its script. With the addition of Noah Baumbach (Greenberg, The Squid and the Whale) to the screenwriting team, the script is infused with a heightened level of almost sarcastic gravitas – a welcome addition to the characteristically adult-friendly, reference-heavy humor of the other Madagascar films. To bring the script to life, Paramount enlisted three more than able actors: Vitaly the Siberian tiger (Bryan Cranston), Gia the Leopard (Jessica Chastain), and Stefano the Italian Sealion (Martin Short). With all three actors draped in European accents, it might take viewers a minute to realize that the cantankerous tiger is one in the same with the man who plays an Albuquerque drug lord on Breaking Bad, but that makes it that much sweeter to hear him utter slant-curse words like “Bolshevik” with his usual gusto.

Between the laughs, the terror of McDormand’s Captain Dubois, and the breathtaking virtual European tour, the Zoosters’ accidental vacation is one worth taking. Madagascar 3 is by no means an insta-classic, but it’s a perfectly suited for your Summer-at-the-movies oasis.

source

WWE 13: Collapsing Ring and Other New Features in Forthcoming Title


Somebody call my momma, is that a collapsing ring?

Yes it is, and there are a few other goodies in store for fans of WWE gaming. WWE '13 is shaping up to be even more robust than WWE '12. It releases for Xbox 360 and PS3 on October 30, and I'm not ashamed to say I'm excited.

If you've played last year's version (who am I kidding, would you really be reading this if you haven't?), then you know there were tons of options.

What you see in the featured photo is an example of what THQ is calling an OMG moment. For those that are social-media illiterates, that means "Oh my God."

Cory Ledesma, the Creative Director for WWE games at THQ, offered to shed some light on this new feature:

That sounds amazing, and like something that will keep hardcore WWE gamers up late at night.

Here is a list of the features from Pasta Padre:

    WWE Live

    Experience the atmosphere, spectacle and fervor of a WWE live event through attention-grabbing Spectacular Moments, including ring breaks and barricade crashes, along with a brand new audio and presentation system designed to produce the most authentic and vibrant commentary, sound effects and crowd participation levels ever experienced in a WWE video game.

    

    The Attitude Is Back

    Return to an unparalleled and groundbreaking era in WWE history—a time of pure raucousness, grandiose personalities and colossal revolution—through a franchise-first single player campaign focused on eight purveyors of attitude during the famed television "Monday Night Wars," including WWE Hall of Famer "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.

    

    WWE Universe 3.0

    Control the virtual WWE experience like never before in the popular career-style mode, as individual decisions throughout gameplay will dynamically introduce matches, alliances, rivalries and unpredictable moments along the path toward becoming a WWE Champion.

    

    Predator Technology 2.0

    Driven by new animations, transitions and modified controls, Predator Technology returns to deliver intelligent, fluid and engaging WWE action, resulting in a smoother gameplay experience than its predecessors.

    

    Create and Share

    Utilize the franchise's industry-defining Creation Suite to develop and customize Superstars, entrances, arenas, finishing moves, storylines, highlight reels and more, as well as share and download creations with others from around the world.

    

    Distinguished Roster

    Compete with a vast array of WWE Superstars and Attitude Era luminaries from the largest roster in franchise history, including cover Superstar CM Punk, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Sheamus, The Undertaker, Mankind, Chris Jericho, The Big Show and Mark Henry.

    

    Surprises in Store

    Live the Revolution through future announcements, including additional game features, a comprehensive roster reveal, downloadable content and big surprises.

Here is the rumored full roster, from the same source.

    WWE

        Alberto Del Rio
        Alicia Fox
        Beth Phoenix
        Big Show
        Booker T
        Brie Bella
        Brock Lesnar
        Brodus Clay
        CM Punk
        Chris Jericho
        Christian
        Cody Rhodes
        Daniel Bryan
        David Otunga
        Dolph Ziggler
        Epico
        Eve
        Heath Slater
        Hunico
        Jack Swagger
        Jinder Mahal
        John Cena
        Justin Gabriel
        Kane
        Kelly Kelly
        Kevin Nash
        Kharma
        Kofi Kingston
        Mark Henry
        Nikki Bella
        Primo
        R-Truth
        Randy Orton
        Rey Mysterio
        Santino Marella
        Sheamus
        Sin Cara
        Ted DiBiase
        The Great Khali
        The Miz
        The Rock
        Triple H
        Undertaker
        Wade Barrett
        Zack Ryder

    

    Attitude Era

        Animal
        Big Bossman
        Big Show (Attitude)
        Billy Gunn
        Bret Hart
        British Bulldog
        Cactus Jack
        Chris Jericho (Attitude)
        Christian (Attitude)
        Dude Love
        Eddie Guerrero
        Edge
        Godfather
        Hawk
        Kane (Attitude)
        Ken Shamrock
        Lita
        Mankind
        Mark Henry (Attitude)
        Mike Tyson
        Mr. McMahon
        Road Dogg
        Shane McMahon
        Shawn Michaels
        Stephanie McMahon
        Stone Cold
        The Rock (Attitude)
        Triple H (Attitude)
        Trish Stratus
        Undertaker (Attitude)
        Vader
        X-Pac

That is a total of 77 roster members, an amazing amount of options providing tons of replay value.

Check out some of the other screenshots made available by THQ:

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Thursday, June 7, 2012

Cassini Plasma Spectrometer Turns Off




ScienceDaily (June 6, 2012) — The Cassini plasma spectrometer instrument (CAPS) aboard NASA's Cassini spacecraft was turned off between Friday, June 1 and Saturday, June 2, when a circuit breaker tripped off after the instrument experienced some unexpected voltage shifts.

Engineers are currently investigating this issue, which they believe is due to short circuits in the instrument. In June 2011, the instrument was turned off because of similar problems, but was switched on again in March 2012 once investigators determined that tin plating on electronic components had grown "whiskers" large enough to contact another conducting surface and carry electrical current, resulting in a voltage shift. At that time, it was believed that these "whiskers" were not capable of carrying sufficient current to cause any damage, and the voltage shifts didn't have any effect on normal spacecraft operations because the power subsystem is designed to operate in the presence of such shifts.

More details about whiskers on the CAPS instrument can be found here: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2012-078 .

The cause is still under investigation, but engineers will be looking into this issue over the next few months.

Cassini launched in 1997 and has been exploring the Saturn system since 2004. The project completed its original prime mission in 2008 and has been extended twice. Cassini is now in its solstice mission, which will enable scientists to observe seasonal change in the Saturn system through the northern summer solstice.??

The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington.

For more information about the Cassini mission, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/cassini and http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov .

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