Tuesday, November 25, 2008

11-25-08

After 41 years, the Dumarest saga will be concluded this December with the 33rd volume. Starting next year, the entire saga will be republished in 3-5 book omnibus editions.

One more cheesy SciFi Saturday movie I'm going to end up watching despite the "plot": Alien Western just started filming with James Marsters in the lead role.

The Grasping for Wind site asked a bunch of bloggers what the best SF books and anthologies of the past year were and then posted their responses. I have several of these, but sense some shopping in my future.

SciFi Wire has comments from the creator of the UK Life on Mars about the US version. (He likes it.)

Researchers have made a fabric that never gets wet, even when submerged for months.

DVR for tonight:
8pm House (long ep)
9:08 Fringe

Monday, November 24, 2008

11-24-08

Random House is going to offer an additional 6,000 books from their backlist as e-books.

SF Gate has an article about a new company called Bookswim, which rents books like Netflicks rents movies. Sounds like a good deal for people without a really good local library, or those who are too busy to get to one.

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/081123-planet-carbon-dioxide.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/nov/23/water-mill-eco-invention

DVRs for tonight:
8pm Big Bang Theory, Chuck, & Sarah Connor Chronicles
830 How I Met Your Mother
9pm Heroes & 2.5 Men

Friday, November 21, 2008

11-21-08

Jo Walton has a great post at Tor.com about Fantasy of Manners (comedy of manners books that are fantasy). Since I love quite a few of the mentioned books, I may have to track down some of the others (as well as those mentioned in the linked articles). In the comment thread, they extend the discussion to Science Fiction of Manners, which is a term I've never used, even if I love the books.

Tricia Helfer (6 from BSG) will guest star on Chuck later this season.

The world's first biofuel-powered flying car will make a test flight in January.

Huge underground glaciers were found near the equator of Mars.

ABC has officially canceled Pushing Daisies. :( The final episode will end in a cliffhanger, but Bryan Fuller promises to wrap up the story, whether that is in a movie or a comic. More detailed article at E!.

DVRs for tonight:
Stargate: Atlantis
Sanctuary
Ghost Whisperer
Numb3rs

Thursday, November 20, 2008

11-20-08

SciFi Wire has an article about the movie version of Terry Pratchett's The Color of Magic, airing this Sunday on ION.

Researchers have developed a compound that can replace lead in electronic devices, protecting the environment from all the discarded hazardous material.

DVRs for tonight:
8pm My Name is Earl
9pm CSI, Supernatural & Grey's Anatomy
10pm Life on Mars & 11th Hour

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

11-19-08

Rather than fight when logic doesn't seem to work, an Australian ISP is installing filters in order to gather data proving they don't work.

To combat poor quality pirated versions of their work on the internet, Monty Python has posted high quality versions of all their videos on YouTube with a note telling people where to buy the dvds.

Newest example of real space technology inspired by Star Trek: the deflector shield.

One of the Pushing Daisies episodes this season will have a Wonderfalls crossover.

Political note: why I like my county today.

DVR for tonight:
8pm Bones & Pushing Daisies
9pm Private Practice & Life
10pm CSI: NY

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

11-18-08

A new Firefox extension will expand a java game to full screen, even if the game wasn't designed to have that option. I can think of one or two I want to try with this.

Mozilla also now has a service to help guide you through selecting which add-ons you want to customize your Firefox installation, and installs them all at once, not one at a time.

Google Image Search will now include photos, images, and etchings from Life Magazine dating all the way back to the 1750s, some of which were never published. Here is the direct link to the archive.

DVR for tonight:
8pm House
9pm Fringe

Monday, November 17, 2008

11-17-08

Monk has been renewed for a final season.

Medium has received an order for extra episodes before even airing for the season.

The next version of Firefox will have Tab Tearing (so you can easily separate a tab into a new window or merge a window back in as a tab).

The Star Trek trailer is now online. (Of course, I currently have no sound on this computer, so I can't watch until later. Enjoy.)

DVRs for tonight:
8pm Big Bang Theory, Chuck & Sarah Connor Chronicles
830 How I Met Your Mother
9pm Heroes & 2.5 Men

Friday, November 14, 2008

11-14-08

The WALL*E dvd will have a short called BURN*E on it. SciFi Wire has comments from the director and a couple photos.

Marc Forster (the director of the new 007 movie, Stranger than Fiction, etc.) has been named director of World War Z (zombie movie with screenplay by JMS).

Emma Thompson is planning a 2nd Nanny McPhee movie.

Space.com has the first pictures ever captured of planets from another solar system. CNet also has a slideshow.

Space.com also has newly restored photos of the moon taken over 40 years ago (and then buried with a tape system that wasn't used).

Australian cord blood has been used to save a woman with a deadly form of leukemia who had no bone marrow matches.

Researchers are working at making replacement heart valves from cord blood for children born with heart defects so they don't need to have repeated surgeries to replace artificial parts as they grow.

An HIV+ leukemia patient received bone marrow treatment from a donor with a gene known to be resistant and now shows no sign of HIV.

Yahoo! has thoroughly messed up my RSS feeds, so more news will have to wait until I figure out a better way to find it.

DVR for tonight:
Stargate: Atlantis
Sanctuary
Ghost Whisperer
Numb3rs

Thursday, November 13, 2008

11-13-08

NBC has canceled My Own Worst Enemy. It will air the full 13 episode run.

SciFi has renewed Sanctuary for a 2nd season.

HBO has ordered a pilot based on George R.R. Martin's "Song of Ice & Fire" series. What is the current trend of making fantasy TV series based on books I could barely get through? I know lots of people loved these, but I think there are better choices.

Here's an interesting article on a company brewing diesel fuel from sugar cane. I love the concept, but not the apparent source of the sugar they use.

Scientists have discovered protein behaviors that are providing a better understanding of how evolution actually works.

Toyota is releasing a car designed for the safety of dogs.

DVRs for tonight:
8pm My Name is Earl
9pm CSI, Supernatural & Grey's Anatomy
10pm Life on Mars & Eleventh Hour

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

11-12-08

Neil Gaiman and Penn Jillette (Penn & Teller) are working together to adapt a 1920 book into a movie script. The Road to Endor by E.H. Jones was about World War I prisoners who convinced their guards (through magic and trickery) that they were in touch with the spirit world so they could escape.

Scifi Wire has an interview with Guillermo del Toro about The Hobbit (and a multitude of other projects, both past and future).

Chatterbox Audio Theater has a full cast version of Rikki-Tikki-Tavi available for streaming or download.

Bad news and good news about The Ex List. It sounds like it is definitely cancelled, but they are filming an ending episode (presuming it ever airs).

DVR for tonight:
8pm Bones
9pm Life
10pm CSI: NY

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

11-11-08

A few days ago, I linked to an interview with Jim Butcher about the comic version of The Dresden Files. Now, the first 5 pages are available online if you want to see it for yourself. It will be in stores starting tomorrow (and probably ending soon after).

ABC has announced their midseason schedule. Life on Mars and Private Practice are switching nights. Scrubs will lead into Lost on Wednesdays. Pushing Daisies doesn't appear (presumably only having 13 episodes this season), but the schedule is subject to change.

In honor of his birthday yesterday, Geeks of Doom posted a Beginner's Guide to Neil Gaiman.

A "new" 4,300 year-old pyramid has been discovered in Egypt.

14 animated movies were submitted for Oscar consideration, so there will be 3 nominees. I've only seen one (Wall-E), but I'm sure it will make the final list.

Two new discoveries may lead to heart attacks being prevented: cell activity has a daily schedule and a new protein test can determine risk of heart disease.

CIO has an article on how 10 popular tech products were named.

DVR for tonight:
8pm House
9pm Fringe

Monday, November 10, 2008

11-10-08

Disney and Pixar have released a trailer for "Up". Watch it at SF Signal.

SF Signal also has video clips of Robot Chicken's 2nd Star Wars special.

MGM has announced they will release full feature-length films through YouTube.

DVRs for tonight:
8pm Big Bang Theory, Chuck, & Sarah Connor Chronicles
830 How I Met Your Mother
9pm Heroes & 2.5 Men

Friday, November 7, 2008

11-7-08

TVGuide has an interview with Andrew-Lee Potts (Connor on Primeval).

Fox is making massive schedule changes for midseason. Starting January 19th, House is moving to Monday at 8pm (annoying). Fringe will stay on Tuesdays at 9. Starting January 15th, Bones will air Thursdays at 8. Starting February 13th, Fridays will have Sarah Connor Chronicles at 8pm and Dollhouse at 9 for a Fox version of SciFi Fridays. Start date article came from Futon Critic.

SciFi Wire has an interview with Jim Butcher about the comic book version of The Dresden Files.

SciFi Wire also has a trailer for Dollhouse.

Is it weird that Amazon has listed Editor's picks of the best SF/F of 2008 and I've only even heard of 2 of the books?

India's moon probe will reach lunar orbit this weekend, and it started sending back pictures.

USA and SCIFI have set their midseason start dates.

DVRs for tonight:
Stargate: Atlantis
Sanctuary
Ghost Whisperer
Numb3rs

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

11-5-08

RIP Michael Crichton. The author died of cancer at age 66.

Vitamin B3 appears to help protect the brain from Alzheimer's damage.

Fox TV Studios (not the network) has joined with Canadian, German, and UK studios to make a new scifi show. Once 13 episodes are completed, they will shop for a US network. Ron Livingston (Standoff, Band of Brothers, etc.) will star.

Brief political note: for the first time in a long time, I am proud of my country (Obama's win) and deeply ashamed of my state (Prop 8 passing). Or, to quote someone I saw today: "Obama won, but civil rights lost."

DVRs for tonight:
Bones
Private Practice
CSI: NY

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Election day

You can get free stuff for showing your "I voted" sticker at Ben & Jerry's, Starbucks, Krispy Kreme, or Chik-Fil-A.

Marvel has the first Ender's Game comic online for free.

Amazon is trying to change their packaging to "frustration free".


DVR for tonight:
Indecision 2008 (Daily Show/Colbert Report special on Comedy Central)

Monday, November 3, 2008

11-3-08

The Dead Like Me movie "Life After Death" has been postponed until next February. It looks like a direct-to-dvd release.

There should be a nice meteor shower this week (November 5th through 12th).

Guy Gavriel Kay won the World Fantasy Award for Ysabel (a very good book). Other winners listed at Science Fiction Awards Watch.

NBC has fired 2 producers of Heroes. E! has more info on what this might mean.

Night Shade Books will be offering their ebooks through Baen's webscription site. It is nice to see Baen using their portal for good small press titles as well as their own books.

DVRs for tonight:
8pm Big Bang Theory & Sarah Connor Chronicles
830 How I Met Your Mother
9pm 2.5 Men