I'm feeling nostaligic for Calvin & Hobbes (the comic, not my cat) after reading this link at John Scalzi's blog and tracking back to the original gallery of grown-up Calvin & Hobbes images.
Barnes & Noble just bought Fictionwise. I wonder how it will end up changing in the long run. For the short run, see the FAQ at Fictionwise.
NASA asked the public to vote on the name for the next ISS module, and the current leaders are Serenity (thanks to the Firefly fans) and Colbert (a write-in request by fans of Stephen Colbert).
Harry Potter 6 has a featurette and a new trailer online. This in the same week they announced release dates for the final 2 movies.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
3-4-09
Amazon just released a version of Kindle for the iPhone. So now I can read all those eBooks that are only available in Kindle format without shelling out the extra money for a 3rd device (who really needs a Pocket PC, iPhone, and a dedicated eBook reader like the Kindle even if they do read as many eBooks as I have recently?). Everyone is reporting on this - see sources at: Techdirt, VentureBeat, ZDNet, PC World, NY Times, CNet Crave, CNet Fully Equiped, and SFGate.
Spectrum 16 awards have been announced for art.
Blood Ties is finally coming to dvd this June.
Random House is launching a free eBook library with 5 pdf books by Naomi Novik, Robin Hobb, Harry Turtledove, Kim Stanley Robinson, and T.A. Pratt. (Now that I have Red Mars as a hardcover, an audiobook, and an ebook, will I finally get around to moving it off the To Be Read pile and actually reading it?) Per Tor.com's article, they will make the books available on their suvudu.com site, through Stanza (for the iPhone), and other content portals.
Brian Fuller has expressed an interest in making a new Star Trek TV series in the campy 60s style.
Another device is being developed to play internet-sourced TV on the TV. I wonder if they will have the same rights problems that Hulu has had.
Spectrum 16 awards have been announced for art.
Blood Ties is finally coming to dvd this June.
Random House is launching a free eBook library with 5 pdf books by Naomi Novik, Robin Hobb, Harry Turtledove, Kim Stanley Robinson, and T.A. Pratt. (Now that I have Red Mars as a hardcover, an audiobook, and an ebook, will I finally get around to moving it off the To Be Read pile and actually reading it?) Per Tor.com's article, they will make the books available on their suvudu.com site, through Stanza (for the iPhone), and other content portals.
Brian Fuller has expressed an interest in making a new Star Trek TV series in the campy 60s style.
Another device is being developed to play internet-sourced TV on the TV. I wonder if they will have the same rights problems that Hulu has had.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
3-3-9 (Square Root Day)
The US version of Life on Mars has been canceled. It will continue to air until the finale in April. According to EW, they gave enough notice to make the finale conclude the series. It managed just one episode more than the UK version (17 eps in one season vs. 16 eps over 2 seasons).
I guess the V remake is real. They announced their first casting today: Scott Wolf.
Space.com has a picture picked by the public as the next target for the Hubble.
I guess the V remake is real. They announced their first casting today: Scott Wolf.
Space.com has a picture picked by the public as the next target for the Hubble.
Monday, March 2, 2009
3-2-09
SF Site has listed their Reader's Choice Best of 2008.
It sounds like we won't see the Pushing Daisies season 2 dvd until ABC airs the final 3 episodes (which they haven't scheduled) or their rights to them expire in September.
An "super" antibody has been discovered that might help create a universal vaccine for the flu. Two such discoveries in a month must mean they're getting close, right?
DVRs for the week:
Mon 6pm Kyle XY
Mon 8pm Chuck & Big Bang Theory
Mon 830 How I Met Your Mother
Mon 9pm Heroes & 2.5 Men
Mon 10pm Medium
Tues 8pm Reaper (season premiere)
Wed 9pm Lost
Wed 10pm Life on Mars
Thu 7pm Burn Notice
Thu 8pm My Name is Earl
Thu 9pm CSI
Thu 10pm Eleventh Hour
Fri 7pm Battlestar Galactica
Fri 8pm Ghost Whisperer & Sarah Connor Chronicles
Fri 9pm Dollhouse
Fri 10pm Numb3rs
Sat SYN Legend of the Seeker
Sat 6pm Ashes to Ashes (premiere of BBCA Life on Mars sequel)
It sounds like we won't see the Pushing Daisies season 2 dvd until ABC airs the final 3 episodes (which they haven't scheduled) or their rights to them expire in September.
An "super" antibody has been discovered that might help create a universal vaccine for the flu. Two such discoveries in a month must mean they're getting close, right?
DVRs for the week:
Mon 6pm Kyle XY
Mon 8pm Chuck & Big Bang Theory
Mon 830 How I Met Your Mother
Mon 9pm Heroes & 2.5 Men
Mon 10pm Medium
Tues 8pm Reaper (season premiere)
Wed 9pm Lost
Wed 10pm Life on Mars
Thu 7pm Burn Notice
Thu 8pm My Name is Earl
Thu 9pm CSI
Thu 10pm Eleventh Hour
Fri 7pm Battlestar Galactica
Fri 8pm Ghost Whisperer & Sarah Connor Chronicles
Fri 9pm Dollhouse
Fri 10pm Numb3rs
Sat SYN Legend of the Seeker
Sat 6pm Ashes to Ashes (premiere of BBCA Life on Mars sequel)
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
2-25-09
RIP Philip Jose Farmer. The author of The World of Tiers, Riverworld and many other books died in his sleep this morning at 91. Sources: SF Signal, Locus, Whatever and SF Scope.
Supernatural has been renewed for another season.
John Cusack has been cast in a time travel comedy.
Amazon's Kindle 2 started shipping this week, so now everyone has reviews. I'm glad that ebooks are getting more distribution and awareness, even though I will continue to use my Pocket PC as an ebook reader instead of buying a dedicated device like the Kindle. See: Wired, PC Magazine, CNet, and Business Week.
Stargate Universe has cast 2 more people (that I haven't seen in enough to make them recognizable). This was corrected at another site as 4 people, one of whom is Lou Diamond Phillips.
Special Effects company Weta made a mermaid tail for a woman whose legs were amputated.
Space.com has an article explaining that some UFO sightings are actually a phenomenon known as sprites, which are triggered by lightning from thunderstorms. The photo they show is great.
BBC radio is including a lot of science fiction in its schedule this year.
Supernatural has been renewed for another season.
John Cusack has been cast in a time travel comedy.
Amazon's Kindle 2 started shipping this week, so now everyone has reviews. I'm glad that ebooks are getting more distribution and awareness, even though I will continue to use my Pocket PC as an ebook reader instead of buying a dedicated device like the Kindle. See: Wired, PC Magazine, CNet, and Business Week.
Stargate Universe has cast 2 more people (that I haven't seen in enough to make them recognizable). This was corrected at another site as 4 people, one of whom is Lou Diamond Phillips.
Special Effects company Weta made a mermaid tail for a woman whose legs were amputated.
Space.com has an article explaining that some UFO sightings are actually a phenomenon known as sprites, which are triggered by lightning from thunderstorms. The photo they show is great.
BBC radio is including a lot of science fiction in its schedule this year.
Monday, February 23, 2009
2-23-09
List Universe has the Top 20 Science Fiction Films of the 80s. Strange things about this: 1) I haven't actually seen them all (only about 13/20 or 22/31) and 2) They manage to find 20 films in one decade (31 if you count the bonus and notable omissions section) and I still feel there are movies that were left off (esp. Enemy Mine). I guess it was a better decade for SF than I remembered.
Asimov's has put their Nebula-nominated stories online for free reading. Note: if you haven't nominated for the Hugos, but plan to before the deadline this Saturday, 2 of these stories are eligible.
SF Signal lists a bunch of other short fiction that has recently been posted online.
More complications with the merging of TV and internet: Hulu has been forced to stop distributing video through TV.com and Boxee. Content providers really think they can stop people watching web videos on their TVs by disallowing the legal, ad-supported companies? They are just going to drive more people to Bittorrent. See more at: CNet Social, CNet Digital Media, and Techdirt.
NBC and Wired both have articles about advancements in nano electronics that dramatically increases maximum storage density (they can fit 250 dvds in a device the size of a quarter).
BBC News has concept art for the UK's new reusable spaceship (that just got funding).
DVRs for the week:
Mon 6pm Kyle XY & The Closer
Mon 8pm Chuck & House
Mon 9pm Heroes
Mon 10pm Medium
Tue 7pm Leverage
Wed 9pm Lost & Life
Wed 10pm CSI:NY & Life on Mars
Thu 7pm Burn Notice
Thu 9pm CSI
Thu 10pm Eleventh Hour
Fri 7pm Battlestar Galactica
Fri 8pm Ghost Whisperer & Sarah Connor Chronicles
Fri 9pm Dollhouse
Fri 10pm Numb3rs
Sat SYN Legend of the Seeker
Asimov's has put their Nebula-nominated stories online for free reading. Note: if you haven't nominated for the Hugos, but plan to before the deadline this Saturday, 2 of these stories are eligible.
SF Signal lists a bunch of other short fiction that has recently been posted online.
More complications with the merging of TV and internet: Hulu has been forced to stop distributing video through TV.com and Boxee. Content providers really think they can stop people watching web videos on their TVs by disallowing the legal, ad-supported companies? They are just going to drive more people to Bittorrent. See more at: CNet Social, CNet Digital Media, and Techdirt.
NBC and Wired both have articles about advancements in nano electronics that dramatically increases maximum storage density (they can fit 250 dvds in a device the size of a quarter).
BBC News has concept art for the UK's new reusable spaceship (that just got funding).
DVRs for the week:
Mon 6pm Kyle XY & The Closer
Mon 8pm Chuck & House
Mon 9pm Heroes
Mon 10pm Medium
Tue 7pm Leverage
Wed 9pm Lost & Life
Wed 10pm CSI:NY & Life on Mars
Thu 7pm Burn Notice
Thu 9pm CSI
Thu 10pm Eleventh Hour
Fri 7pm Battlestar Galactica
Fri 8pm Ghost Whisperer & Sarah Connor Chronicles
Fri 9pm Dollhouse
Fri 10pm Numb3rs
Sat SYN Legend of the Seeker
Friday, February 20, 2009
2-20-09
Although, sadly, The Middleman TV show is officially dead, it will have an extras-packed dvd this summer, then continue in comic book form. Sources: What's Alan Watching, Tor.com and i09.
Tor has an article about all the Jane Austen/SF projects I mentioned yesterday. I love the poster they show.
Great animal stories: cat diagnoses lung cancer and otter points camera at photographer.
Gradual desensitization may help cure peanut allergies.
Seattle is no longer in competition for the 2011 Worldcon (they lost their facilities, so may bid on a year further out), leaving Reno as the only remaining bid.
Gizmotron has a guide to Steampunk gadgets.
Funny internet rumor of the day: some Google Earth users spotted lines in the water off the coast of Africa and thought they'd found Atlantis - in actuality, it was data remnants from the path the boat took while collecting sea floor measurements, but I guess Atlantis sounds better. Sources: The Sun (c/o Slashdot) and CNet.
Cool new YouTube animation: The Future of the Ebook (they don't mean ebooks the way I think of them).
Apparently ABC is planning to finally air the final episodes of Pushing Daisies this summer (at the same time the dvd comes out).
i09 lists 9 books that deserve to be movies (I'm not sure about the word "deserve". I think that depends on the quality of the adaptation, but I'm going with the assumption they would be translated well to screen and they should get a wider audience.) I agree with a few and haven't read a few, but I think there should be a Jack McDevitt on the list.
If you haven't already read it, go check out the story of the squirrel and the motorcycle. It's the funniest thing I've read in ages.
Tor has an article about all the Jane Austen/SF projects I mentioned yesterday. I love the poster they show.
Great animal stories: cat diagnoses lung cancer and otter points camera at photographer.
Gradual desensitization may help cure peanut allergies.
Seattle is no longer in competition for the 2011 Worldcon (they lost their facilities, so may bid on a year further out), leaving Reno as the only remaining bid.
Gizmotron has a guide to Steampunk gadgets.
Funny internet rumor of the day: some Google Earth users spotted lines in the water off the coast of Africa and thought they'd found Atlantis - in actuality, it was data remnants from the path the boat took while collecting sea floor measurements, but I guess Atlantis sounds better. Sources: The Sun (c/o Slashdot) and CNet.
Cool new YouTube animation: The Future of the Ebook (they don't mean ebooks the way I think of them).
Apparently ABC is planning to finally air the final episodes of Pushing Daisies this summer (at the same time the dvd comes out).
i09 lists 9 books that deserve to be movies (I'm not sure about the word "deserve". I think that depends on the quality of the adaptation, but I'm going with the assumption they would be translated well to screen and they should get a wider audience.) I agree with a few and haven't read a few, but I think there should be a Jack McDevitt on the list.
If you haven't already read it, go check out the story of the squirrel and the motorcycle. It's the funniest thing I've read in ages.
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