RIP Stan Winston. The visual effects and makeup genius died of cancer yesterday at the age of 62. From Aliens to Jurassic Park to Galaxy Quest (along with dozens of other films), he was responsible for how SF looked on film for much of the last 30 years. See SF Signal article or IMDB for more links.
New Hubble quasar images have been released.
Auto makers are working hard to find alternatives to expensive gas: Honda has begun commercial production on hydrogen fuel cell cars, and Japanese company Genepax has developed a car that will run on water only.
The mummified remains of a duckbilled dinosaur have been found in South Dakota. It is among the best ever found in terms of preserved quality and quantity. We may soon have more than an educated guess as to what they looked like.
This couple makes me smile: After 55 years together, they will finally be able to legally get married tonight.
It sounds like the 2nd half of Battlestar Galactica's final season (which will air next year) may be longer than previously announced. It will have an extra 2 episodes and another TV movie added.
Reminder: Firefox 3 is being released tomorrow. They are aiming for record downloads for day 1, so get it tomorrow if you plan to get it.
Borderlands Books in SF (a great specialty book store that frequently hosts crowded events with good authors) wants to put in a cafe. They have a petition to put before the planning committee to support their idea. If you want to sign the petition, go to Cheryl Morgan's blog. If you want to see more ways to help, go to John Scalzi's blog.
Adult Swim has a listing of the 10 Best Star Wars Moments from Family Guy and Robot Chicken (with videos included). I'd seen the Robot Chicken ones, but not the Family Guy ones.
DVR for tonight:
5pm The Middleman (ABC Family - premiere)
10:30pm Dana Carvey special (HBO)
Showing posts with label hybrids. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hybrids. Show all posts
Monday, June 16, 2008
Thursday, June 5, 2008
6-5-08
NASA is very close to developing an earthquake warning system. They have discovered that there are distinctive electrical disturbances in the ionosphere before earthquakes. Read the BBC News article for more info.
A new generation of batteries for hybrid cars will be much more affordable.
Gary Cole ("Crusade") has joined the cast of Rob Thomas' new show "Good Behavior", and Jeffrey Tambor will also guest star.
SF Universe previews The Middleman (coming to ABC Family Monday after next), which they describe as "three parts Austin Powers, two parts Men In Black, one part X-Files all mixed together with just a touch of Gilmore Girls". I'll give it a try.
Good news and bad news for Torchwood fans. Season 3 has been confirmed, but it looks like it will take the form of a 5-hour single-arc mini-series, and there have been no reports of what will come after that (or when).
NASA has a great shot of a Martian sunset (captured 3 years ago) as their image of the day.
DVR for tonight:
6pm McBride: Requiem (Hallmark) - This actually aired 1st this weekend, but I missed it.
A new generation of batteries for hybrid cars will be much more affordable.
Gary Cole ("Crusade") has joined the cast of Rob Thomas' new show "Good Behavior", and Jeffrey Tambor will also guest star.
SF Universe previews The Middleman (coming to ABC Family Monday after next), which they describe as "three parts Austin Powers, two parts Men In Black, one part X-Files all mixed together with just a touch of Gilmore Girls". I'll give it a try.
Good news and bad news for Torchwood fans. Season 3 has been confirmed, but it looks like it will take the form of a 5-hour single-arc mini-series, and there have been no reports of what will come after that (or when).
NASA has a great shot of a Martian sunset (captured 3 years ago) as their image of the day.
DVR for tonight:
6pm McBride: Requiem (Hallmark) - This actually aired 1st this weekend, but I missed it.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
10-23-07
DVRs for tonight:
8pm Bones
9pm House & Reaper
CBS has ordered 4 more scripts for Moonlight.
Pushing Daisies has received a full season pickup!! Quirky charm getting a full season pickup this early? I never would have expected this, but I'm glad.
Sean Patrick Flanery talks about making Young Indiana Jones (the dvd set is about to come out).
Honda has said that they have no interest in making a plug-in hybrid. If they can get the necessary battery power, they would go for a pure electric.
They have found a correlation between leaded gas use and crime rates. The lead from gas was getting into the water and air, and once it was phased out for about 20 years (so there weren't still people in their teens and twenties who were raised with high lead), the crime rates drop. If the lead was prevalent enough to be causing notably different crime levels, I wonder what other problems it was causing.
8pm Bones
9pm House & Reaper
CBS has ordered 4 more scripts for Moonlight.
Pushing Daisies has received a full season pickup!! Quirky charm getting a full season pickup this early? I never would have expected this, but I'm glad.
Sean Patrick Flanery talks about making Young Indiana Jones (the dvd set is about to come out).
Honda has said that they have no interest in making a plug-in hybrid. If they can get the necessary battery power, they would go for a pure electric.
They have found a correlation between leaded gas use and crime rates. The lead from gas was getting into the water and air, and once it was phased out for about 20 years (so there weren't still people in their teens and twenties who were raised with high lead), the crime rates drop. If the lead was prevalent enough to be causing notably different crime levels, I wonder what other problems it was causing.
Monday, October 22, 2007
10-22-07
DVRs for tonight:
8pm Chuck & How I Met Your Mother
830 Big Bang Theory
9pm Heroes & 2.5 Men
JK Rowling revealed that she always thought of Dumbledore as gay. It makes sense. I like the comment that it gives Christian groups one more reason to dislike her books (which she sees as an argument for tolerance). There are probably a billion articles around by now, but the ones I read were at CNN & January Magazine.
The Space Elevator Games started this past weekend. Teams from around the world competing for $1 million in prizes for creating a super-strong tether or a robot that could climb a suspended ribbon at a certain rate. Sounds like the technology is getting close to making a space elevator possible. This Nature article talks about the competition, and the competition blog has details and videos on the progress.
Even though the Genesis spacecraft crash landed 3 years ago, they are starting to get valuable data on solar winds from the wreckage.
2 teams of scientists have found ways that will change the course of hurricanes (and possibly slow them down). The US to warm from above and Israel to cool from below.
I see why we've been hearing more about hybrid & plug-in cars in the last few months. New regulations require that manufacturers increase their average mpg per product line from 25mpg to 35mpg by 2020. So they can either make trucks and SUVs more efficient or they can introduce more efficient cars to change their overall product line average. As much as I like seeing more efficient cars, I wish they would just work to make the stupid gas guzzlers more efficient.
The Hollywood WGA voted 90% in favor of authorizing a strike. Although the studios dropped their ridiculous request for no residuals until a profit is shown (which never happens in Hollywood), these sides are still miles apart with less than 2 weeks until the deadline. For those of us who hate "reality" shows, there isn't going to be much to watch soon.
2 recent science breakthroughs from North Carolina State University: Biofuels and Positron beams. They have developed a way to make jet fuel from any vegetable or animal fat (no petroleum products involved and it burns clean - a true green fuel), and they have produced the most powerful antimatter electron beam in the world.
8pm Chuck & How I Met Your Mother
830 Big Bang Theory
9pm Heroes & 2.5 Men
JK Rowling revealed that she always thought of Dumbledore as gay. It makes sense. I like the comment that it gives Christian groups one more reason to dislike her books (which she sees as an argument for tolerance). There are probably a billion articles around by now, but the ones I read were at CNN & January Magazine.
The Space Elevator Games started this past weekend. Teams from around the world competing for $1 million in prizes for creating a super-strong tether or a robot that could climb a suspended ribbon at a certain rate. Sounds like the technology is getting close to making a space elevator possible. This Nature article talks about the competition, and the competition blog has details and videos on the progress.
Even though the Genesis spacecraft crash landed 3 years ago, they are starting to get valuable data on solar winds from the wreckage.
2 teams of scientists have found ways that will change the course of hurricanes (and possibly slow them down). The US to warm from above and Israel to cool from below.
I see why we've been hearing more about hybrid & plug-in cars in the last few months. New regulations require that manufacturers increase their average mpg per product line from 25mpg to 35mpg by 2020. So they can either make trucks and SUVs more efficient or they can introduce more efficient cars to change their overall product line average. As much as I like seeing more efficient cars, I wish they would just work to make the stupid gas guzzlers more efficient.
The Hollywood WGA voted 90% in favor of authorizing a strike. Although the studios dropped their ridiculous request for no residuals until a profit is shown (which never happens in Hollywood), these sides are still miles apart with less than 2 weeks until the deadline. For those of us who hate "reality" shows, there isn't going to be much to watch soon.
2 recent science breakthroughs from North Carolina State University: Biofuels and Positron beams. They have developed a way to make jet fuel from any vegetable or animal fat (no petroleum products involved and it burns clean - a true green fuel), and they have produced the most powerful antimatter electron beam in the world.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
10-10-07
DVRs for tonight:
8pm Pushing Daisies
9pm Bionic Woman & Private Practice (I really need to watch at least one of these)
10pm CSI:NY & Life (I still haven't watched any but have been told I should)
Apparently Pixar is planning not just one John Carter of Mars movie but a trilogy.
Japan's lunar probe has jettisoned baby satellites and has started taking pictures and studying the moon.
Using GPS to predict the weather? By measuring the change to radio waves sent through the atmosphere between GPS-RO satellites, scientists can get a very accurate view of our atmosphere (temperature, humidity, denseness, weather, etc.). Not all GPS satellites are the -RO models, but they are planning to launch more.
Researchers are working on a computer user interface that changes in response to the stress, overload, or distraction level of the user. I'm not sure I want my computer knowing that much about me.
The new Star Trek film has cast it's villain (Eric Bana) and may have found a young Kirk (Chris Pine, assuming he doesn't choose to make the George Clooney movie instead).
Subaru has a new electric car prototype they will be showing off this month. The article worries that with Subaru and Nissan developing electric cars, the new startups may not survive. As long as the cars get made (and not shelved again), then I don't care who does it. Hopefully the startups (even if they die) stay around long enough so that the big players don't abandon the technology.
8pm Pushing Daisies
9pm Bionic Woman & Private Practice (I really need to watch at least one of these)
10pm CSI:NY & Life (I still haven't watched any but have been told I should)
Apparently Pixar is planning not just one John Carter of Mars movie but a trilogy.
Japan's lunar probe has jettisoned baby satellites and has started taking pictures and studying the moon.
Using GPS to predict the weather? By measuring the change to radio waves sent through the atmosphere between GPS-RO satellites, scientists can get a very accurate view of our atmosphere (temperature, humidity, denseness, weather, etc.). Not all GPS satellites are the -RO models, but they are planning to launch more.
Researchers are working on a computer user interface that changes in response to the stress, overload, or distraction level of the user. I'm not sure I want my computer knowing that much about me.
The new Star Trek film has cast it's villain (Eric Bana) and may have found a young Kirk (Chris Pine, assuming he doesn't choose to make the George Clooney movie instead).
Subaru has a new electric car prototype they will be showing off this month. The article worries that with Subaru and Nissan developing electric cars, the new startups may not survive. As long as the cars get made (and not shelved again), then I don't care who does it. Hopefully the startups (even if they die) stay around long enough so that the big players don't abandon the technology.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Roundup for 9-18-07
Brief reviews of new shows from Sacramento Bee. Most of the shows I definitely want to watch got good rankings from them, the ones I've said "I might give it a pilot" are all over the place, and I might be willing to give one or 2 more a chance because they sound better than I thought they would.
IBM is making a free, downloadable office suite to challenge Microsoft. It sounds like a version of OpenOffice (who they just partnered with) with IBM support. Sounds great.
http://slashdot.org/articles/07/09/18/1155252.shtml
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9780362-7.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20
First angel shark born in captivity in SF. Why is it that I like aquariums and I have been living between the ones in SF and Monterey for 4 years now and still haven't gone to either one? I need to change that.
Interview with Naomi Novik about her latest book and the pending Peter Jackson movie, etc.
November 7, 2007 has been announced as the release date for the hardcover version of the Heroes online comics.
Weird but true: Personal jet wing in development.
Lauren Graham has signed a development deal with NBC. So sometime in the next year they will develop a new show for her. Let's hope it is good.
I'm not sure if I would use the email program Mozilla is working on, but after reading this article, I'm glad they are doing it.
New stuff coming from Lee & Miller per the Liad Infodump on her blog. Cool!
New battery being developed for plug-in hybrids could make the technology more affordable.
IBM is making a free, downloadable office suite to challenge Microsoft. It sounds like a version of OpenOffice (who they just partnered with) with IBM support. Sounds great.
http://slashdot.org/articles/07/09/18/1155252.shtml
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9780362-7.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20
First angel shark born in captivity in SF. Why is it that I like aquariums and I have been living between the ones in SF and Monterey for 4 years now and still haven't gone to either one? I need to change that.
Interview with Naomi Novik about her latest book and the pending Peter Jackson movie, etc.
November 7, 2007 has been announced as the release date for the hardcover version of the Heroes online comics.
Weird but true: Personal jet wing in development.
Lauren Graham has signed a development deal with NBC. So sometime in the next year they will develop a new show for her. Let's hope it is good.
I'm not sure if I would use the email program Mozilla is working on, but after reading this article, I'm glad they are doing it.
New stuff coming from Lee & Miller per the Liad Infodump on her blog. Cool!
New battery being developed for plug-in hybrids could make the technology more affordable.
Monday, August 6, 2007
8-6-07
Supernatural's creator talks about plans for season 3.
http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=1&id=43074
161 stories, 63 pieces of art and 4 radio plays about Mars are on their way to be the first library on Mars about Mars. (They are on a special silicon glass CD velcroed to the lander.)
http://www.space.com/news/070804_phoenix_spacelibrary.html
http://www.planetary.org/programs/projects/messages/vom_contents.html
More about plug-in hybrids. I figure by the time they get the bugs smoothed out with this technology, it will be about time to replace my trusty Camry.
http://news.com.com/8301-10784_3-9755379-7.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20
David Anders (Sark from Alias) has been upgraded from recurring (1 arc) to regular on Heroes. How is that going to work since he is playing Kensei (in ancient Japan)?
http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Ausiello-Report/Exclusive-Heroes-Promotes/800019944?rssDate=12345678
Truly weird - the Hello Kitty punishment: cops in Thailand who break rules will have to wear pink Hello Kitty armbands for a day to shame them into behaving. Who thought up this one?
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/08/06/international/i035724D81.DTL&feed=rss.news
Last week, ABC's new show Big Shots got the actor playing Harry Dresden as a recurring character. This week they get Rob Thomas (of Veronica Mars) as consulting producer. With the cast this already had, I may have to change this from "not interested" to "watch the pilot to see if they can be better than their premise".
http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Ausiello-Report/Exclusive-Veronica-Mars/800019936?rssDate=12345678
OK. I admit I'm having a bad day, and I'm oversensitive, but this bugs me. Harris Polls has released a study that more people go online to research health concerns before visiting their doctors. They call these "cyberchondriacs" where I consider it to be common sense. I've had enough idiotic uninformed doctors that I think it is necessary to do some research myself, and I wouldn't go in the first place if I didn't think it were necessary. They say they don't mean anything negative, but I really don't like the hypochondriac comparison.
http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;233083692
http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=1&id=43074
161 stories, 63 pieces of art and 4 radio plays about Mars are on their way to be the first library on Mars about Mars. (They are on a special silicon glass CD velcroed to the lander.)
http://www.space.com/news/070804_phoenix_spacelibrary.html
http://www.planetary.org/programs/projects/messages/vom_contents.html
More about plug-in hybrids. I figure by the time they get the bugs smoothed out with this technology, it will be about time to replace my trusty Camry.
http://news.com.com/8301-10784_3-9755379-7.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20
David Anders (Sark from Alias) has been upgraded from recurring (1 arc) to regular on Heroes. How is that going to work since he is playing Kensei (in ancient Japan)?
http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Ausiello-Report/Exclusive-Heroes-Promotes/800019944?rssDate=12345678
Truly weird - the Hello Kitty punishment: cops in Thailand who break rules will have to wear pink Hello Kitty armbands for a day to shame them into behaving. Who thought up this one?
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/08/06/international/i035724D81.DTL&feed=rss.news
Last week, ABC's new show Big Shots got the actor playing Harry Dresden as a recurring character. This week they get Rob Thomas (of Veronica Mars) as consulting producer. With the cast this already had, I may have to change this from "not interested" to "watch the pilot to see if they can be better than their premise".
http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Ausiello-Report/Exclusive-Veronica-Mars/800019936?rssDate=12345678
OK. I admit I'm having a bad day, and I'm oversensitive, but this bugs me. Harris Polls has released a study that more people go online to research health concerns before visiting their doctors. They call these "cyberchondriacs" where I consider it to be common sense. I've had enough idiotic uninformed doctors that I think it is necessary to do some research myself, and I wouldn't go in the first place if I didn't think it were necessary. They say they don't mean anything negative, but I really don't like the hypochondriac comparison.
http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;233083692
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