Roundup for 9-13-07 part 2

CNet article about using Torrents to watch TV now that networks (esp NBC) are making it harder to watch them legitimately.
http://www.cnet.com/8301-13739_1-9775271-46.html

NBC has put all their new pilots on Amazon for free download, and SF Signal is having a poll as to which genre show will be the first to die.
http://www.sfsignal.com/archives/005632.html

Microsoft is trying to get BBC shows as downloads for the Xbox platform.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article2412752.ece

Another argument-generating best list - this one is the top 100 women of genre film and television. What I've seen so far seems to at least consider a pretty wide spectrum.
http://www.pinkraygun.com/2007/09/11/top-100-women-of-genre-film-and-tv/

If looking at these photos of beautiful old libraries makes you drool, you too could be a book addict.

Red Dwarf videos have been put online here.

Interesting look at the 8 most common visions of the future in film and why they won't happen.

New free speculative fiction online here. Some new stuff as well as things that qualify for Project Gutenberg.

8-27-07

Reports are that Keanu Reeves will play Klaatu in a remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still. I actually usually like him, but I think this is really horrible casting.
http://www.zap2it.com/movies/news/zap-reevesdaytheearthstoodstillcasting,0,2690006.story?track=rss

Early studies show that stem cell injections can help rebuild heart muscles after a heart attack. The same article says that stem cell use for spinal cord injury goes to clinical trial next year!
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/cfce5cae-53f7-11dc-9a6e-0000779fd2ac.html

Article on lesser known SF movies & miniseries. Talk about a strange mix.
1 - Dark City - I like
2 - Robot Stories - I like
3 - The Lost Room - OK
4 - Pi - never saw
5 - Lathe of Heaven - saw ~25 years ago and don't really remember
6 - Ghost in the Shell - never saw
7 - Akira - never saw
8 - Donnie Dark - I like
9 - Cube - never saw - it looks too much like horror
10- A Scanner Darkly - never saw and not really interested
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/235773/lesser_known_scifi_films_and_miniseries.html

Kevin Smith will direct a 3rd TV show this coming season. We know about Reaper and Heroes: Origins, but now Battlestar Galactica has been added to the list.
http://www.buddytv.com/articles/battlestar-galactica/kevin-smith-to-direct-battlses-9870.aspx

The original lightsaber prop from Star Wars is going into space for the 30th anniversary. Chewbacca (or an actor dressed as him anyway) will pass it off to NASA. Then R2-D2, storm troopers and other characters not yet named will escort it along the way. This has got to be filmed for some sort of anniversary dvd release.
http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=3&id=43631

Eliza Dushku has signed a development deal with Fox. They killed Tru Calling and didn't even pick up her last pilot, so why does she want to let them keep her dangling? She and Tim Minear must have the same masochistic tendencies or the same agent.
http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=1&id=43592

Interview with Sherilyn Kenyon about her Dark Hunter series. 2008 has been marked as the "Year of Acheron." Talk about teasing.
http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=5&id=43590

The Sarah Jane Adventures will be back for 10 30-minute episodes telling 5 2-part stories this fall in the UK.
http://www.shannonsullivan.com/drwho/sarahjane.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sarah_Jane_Adventures

Infinity Plus, a free online SF magazine, celebrates 10 years and closes down. They will keep their archives online.
http://www.infinityplus.co.uk/theend.htm

Review of Heroes 1st season dvd set from someone who never watched the initial run. It's fun to see someone get addicted.
http://dvd.monstersandcritics.com/reviews/article_1347883.php/DVD_Review_Heroes_%96_Season_1

New evidence shows Beethoven died of lead poisoning brought on by treatments from his doctor.
http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_6730028?source=rss

8-24-07

I mentioned the new Google Earth the other day, and today it featured on MyStanford's home page. Stanford was 1 of 7 winners (out of 300 schools competing) of a Google prize for 3D mapping of the campus.
http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2007/august22/google-082207.html

Subterranian Press has started putting their latest magazine online for free. I've never checked these out before, but they include stories by Charles deLint, John Scalzi, etc. and most issues have an audiobook.
http://subterraneanpress.com/magazine

Paul Reubens will have a recurring role on Pushing Daisies.
http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=1&id=43513

The report of JK Rowling writing a detective story was part of a joke reported as fact. Nobody knows what her next project will be yet.
http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=5&id=43515

A Torchwood producer talks about the origins for the idea of the show (US shows like Buffy, X-Files & BSG among others).
http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=1&id=43570

John Williams will be doing the music for the final Harry Potter movie and Indy 4.
http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=3&id=43552

Astronomers have found a huge empty hole in the universe.
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/070823_huge_hole.html

Fairly interesting article about all the fighting going on about setting up high speed rail from LA to SF (the argument being the route and the funding).
http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_6706923?source=rss

Great article on cord blood. If you've been paying attention, you know I think this is a medical marvel being thrown away far too often. This covers pretty much all the issues.
http://www.eastbayexpress.com/2007-08-22/news/a-cure-for-all-that-ails-you

Stargate full series box images are at TVShowsonDVD:
http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/newsitem.cfm?NewsID=7927

Stanford Shopping Center is planning to expand.
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_6706360?source=rss

Sony has developed a bio-battery that runs on sugar. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have ecologically-friendly batteries?

Any DVD that comes packaged with a barf bag is clearly not trying to sell to my demographic. Am I the only one who finds this disturbing?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070824/film_nm/dirtysanchez_dc_1

Tor books is going to podcast from the Worldcon in Japan next week.
http://www.tor-forge.com/podcasts

8-20-07

Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars) is going to have an arc on Heroes this season!
http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/zap-kristenbelljoinsheroes,0,1160536.story?track=rss

The actress joining CSI has been named: Jessica Lucas. (I've only seen her in one small role, so I have no idea how she'll do.) They're still not actually saying if Jorja Fox is leaving.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070820/tv_nm/csi_dc_1

More detailed article/interview about the non-green-screen Iraq on the Daily Show (which I think starts tonight).
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070820/tv_nm/dailyshow_dc_2

There's a lot more SF&F audio online than I thought. Here's a page that links to some.
http://www.sffaudio.com/OnlineAudio.html

It looks like JK Rowling's next book will be a detective novel.
http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=5&id=43390

Seth Green interview about Robot Chicken.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12600713

They just found 5000 year old chewing gum. Apparently the birch tar had antiseptic properties that would help with infections, but I don't want to chew on anything that will still be around in 5000 years.
http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/08/20/1534227&from=rss

Here's a truly horrifying article. An act signed in 2005 going into effect May 2008 will require us all to have Big Brother style "Real ID" Drivers Licenses that link to birth certificate, SSN, photo, and address (requiring a trip to DMV with all the paperwork to prove this for EVERYONE) or - for states that don't go along with this program - we will have to carry passports to fly a domestic plane or enter a federal building or national park.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/08/16/real.id/index.html