Sneak Peek at "The Green Lantern" (via Entertainment Tonight)

Green Lantern Sneak Preview

Here's a first official sneak preview of the upcoming Green Lantern movie starring Ryan Reynolds:


I'm a bit disappointed by the suit's rendering, but it still looks good. Will have to wait for the Green Lantern trailer to have a better idea.
:)

Review: Fantastic Four vol 1 - Solve Everything

Parallel universes, a world on the edge of destruction from a black hole, and a man from the future with a portent of events that must be avoided at all costs – not a surprising turn of events for the Fantastic Four. This scifi book has a little something for everyone.

The first part of this story involves Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic, who has the power stretch his body) using his true talent – his mind. He has a list of the 100 most important things he could do – and has just added one more, to Solve Everything. In deciding to pursue that, he has warranted the attention of a Council made up of Reed’s from other parallel universes. They offer him a position within their ranks, one in which he can make a larger difference than he ever thought possible – by seeding entire worlds with food to feed the “multiverse”, taking down cosmic threats and remolding the very matter of the universe itself to protect life. The only cost is his very soul, as he’ll have to give up on his family, since he’ll never be able to do all these wonderful things and still be a good father and husband – but isn’t the result worth the price?

Then comes a story where Torch and The Thing, along with the stowaway children of Reed and Sue, wind up on a planet they thought they were going to for a little R&R – only to discover it’s not the place they left only a few weeks ago. Years have passed on this planet, due to some time-distortion because of the collapse of their star – and now the planet is poised on the edge of destruction, and the civilization is at war over how best to end their predicament. The Thing is captured by one side of the fight, while Torch and the kids fight along with the other side to get him back and find some way off this world before topples into the black hole…

Finally, after a day of celebrating with friends and superheroes on Franklin Richard’s birthday, he receives a visitor from the future bringing a dire warning – the war of the Four Cities is coming, and Doom may be their only chance of survival.

I’ll confess, I’ve never been much of a fan of Marvel’s First Family, the Fantastic Four (which is also sometimes called The Worlds Greatest Comic Magazine). I’m not so sure about some of those titles, but I will say I was pleasantly surprised to see how much I enjoyed this book. These are not the most action packed issues, the highlights as far as that goes would be the Council of Reeds fighting Celestials as well as Torch and The Thing fighting the cybernetic warriors on nu-world. But more than those things, it’s the ideas presented within this book that are worthy of mention. This is a big thinking book, talking about science fiction and really tackling those kinds of high concepts in a no nonsense way. The writers don’t back away from these ideas (like the idea of giving up ones desires for a greater good) with a knock-down drag-out fight, they have the characters carefully consider their choices and determine their own fates.

Though, speaking of fate, I also love a good “prophecy” – and obviously the end of this book gives one of those as well. It’s worth reading to see who it is that gives this warning, as well as the powers it exposes for one particular character – far greater than anything I think anyone has ever imagined. It’s these things that’ll have me coming back for the next volume in this series, to see where the Fantastic Four are headed next.

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Assalammualaikum dan Salam 1 Malaysia,sepertimana yang semua tahu Business card merupakan elemen yang perlu ada pada semua usahawan atau perniagaan. Bukan sahaja untuk memaparkan info kepada pelanggan untuk dihubungi tetapi Business card juga dapat mencerminkan keseriusan usahawan tersebut dalam bidang perniagaannya. 

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Maybach DRS concept, a coded DNA-cocoon

This is one in the LA Auto Show’s 2010 Design Challenge, the Maybach DRS (Den-Riki-Sha) is a concept electric that design by intention to align with modern architecture, infrastructure, nature and eco-friendly. The light and transparent design offers the user a range of comfort, safety, and luxury in one futuristic transportation. Maybach "Den-Riki-Sha" (electric powered rickshaw) leverages the traditional values of the classic "Jin-Riki-Sha" (human powered rickshaw).
In the designers concept the car is produced from a coded DNA-cocoon, in a complex organic metamorphosis, hence the name NMV (Naturally Manufactured Vehicle).

The Maybach DRS is powered by a self balancing electric drive unit and controlled by an onboard computer that is plugged into the city’s transport infrastructure. The Maybach DRS delivers a smooth, luxurious journey cross town. To extend its range, this human-electric hybrid allows pedaling power to be supplemented by the driver. Meanwhile, the passengers enjoy the journey in their glamorous surroundings.

Designer: Holger Hutzenlaub, Hiroshi Yajimar, Hideki Takahashi, Yong Won Lee, Toru Nakano, Teck-Koun Kim, Masahide Yamada, Daniel Schlapp








If you liked this vehicle, you would also be interested in:
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Blogger_04 : Aku Seorang Blogger

Assalammualaikum dan Salam 1 Malaysia.Rasanya sudah lama saya tidak post tentang komik Kisah Aku Seorang Blogger,komik Strip ini sepatutnya dihasilkan setiap minggu,tetapi oleh sebab kekangan masa dan kerja jadi untuk upload komik ini tergendala.Oklah kita terus pergi untuk kisah seterusnya.

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Random Thoughts...

• There should be a reality show for geeks. Wasn't there one for people who wanted to be comic book heroes? What happened to that one? Well, if I have to endure reality television then they need to cater to the geek crowd more. Maybe have a show where contestants train in Medieval combat with sword fighting and jousting tournaments at the end of the show. Too much? I can't lie, I think it would be hilarious to watch the Renaissance faire crowd give this a go. Don't get me wrong-- I like Renaissance faires. But like the Comic-Con crowds, there are some people who really get into it. That's who I want to see. 
• I don't have the patience for politics in my entertainment anymore. I'm also sick of hearing how "polarizing" everything is right now. When aren't we polarized in our beliefs? I've never known a time when it hasn't been that way. It doesn't matter what you believe, there is always someone out there ready to tell you you're an idiot for believing in just about anything. I don't care if an author has a different point of view than I do, but how about some subtlety? I tried to read a book recently and every character just so happened to have a belief system that reflected one viewpoint. Couldn't we have an opposing view just for fun? How about this-- why not just tell a story and let the reader come to their own conclusions? That would be awesome. When I was 20 years old, I could read anything. Now, I'm too darned cranky to deliberately irritate myself. 
• I'd love to be a zombie extra on 'The Walking Dead" (heck yeah I've entered the contest). But everyone would totally hate me because I'd be trying to do the dance to "Thriller" the whole time. 
• I'm kind of tired of big, epic movies. I'm also a little weary of having to see a minimum of three movies to get the whole story. "Harry Potter," "Narnia," "The Lord of the Rings," "The Matrix..." It's not that I didn't enjoy some of those movies, but it's rare that I'd say I enjoyed all of them. I think "The Lord of the Rings" is the best of that list, but by the end I was just looking at the screen and saying for the love of God, can you just throw the ring in already! Lately the only thing I look forward to are animated films.  I wish more people would remember that less is more. My wallet would appreciate it too. 
• There is a lot of blood and sex on television these days. I know, I know, sex sells. It always has. But nowadays it seems like everyone is getting really aggressive with it. "True Blood" is an interesting example because they really ramped up the sex and violence quotient from the books. There was bound to be blood (vampires and all) but I certainly wasn't expecting so much graphic sex. Now it seems the two are inseparable and shows like "Spartacus" are really blatant with the alternating sex and blood motif. What ever happened to showing a little tenderness?
• Hi, my name is SQT and I'm a bookaholic.  I have more books than I will be able to read before I'm 90, and I keep accumulating more. I'm not just talking about stuff that is sent to me for review, I'm also talking about every random title that looks interesting and becomes something I just gotta have. I have 5 full-sized bookshelves and they are not enough. I need help before I become one of those scary hoarders you see on TV. I hope the eReader I'm getting this Christmas will, at the very least, help me get rid of some of the piles on my floor.
• People are much nicer to you after you lose weight. I'm really going on a tangent here, but what the heck. They come up to you and chat you up for awhile, and then work their way around to saying...so you've lost a lot of weight recently haven't you? It's not that they're suddenly interested, they're just hoping that what you have is contagious. 
• So what comes after zombies? We've had the emo vampires, handsome werewolves and now we've got lots of zombies. Would anyone be interested in mummies? Frankenstein monsters? Bigfoot? I haven't figured out what the next big monster is. Have you? (Secretly I'm pulling for the Wookalar).
• Is sarcasm ever going to go out of style? Everyone's favorite weapon these days seems to be snark. It's kind of funny to hear the vampires from "Twilight" described as douchbags by Dean Winchester (yeah I laughed) but any character in the paranormal spectrum right now doesn't seem to have much range beyond a sneer and a sarcastic one-liner. I blame Buffy. 
• Maybe I'm too rash in dismissing sarcasm. Maybe I'm just jealous of the kind of mind that can come up with an instant come-back. I blame Joss Whedon. 
• Speaking of Joss Whedon, I miss the sci-fi/western motif of "Firefly." There was something cool about seeing people dressed in trench-coats and holsters while flying a spaceship. 
• Random lists are my new favorite thing. It's so much easier than having to keep to a theme. 

"The Walking Dead" and the Struggle for Consistency

What a difference a week makes. I had been really looking forward to the second episode of "The Walking Dead" after being captivated by the premier. I don't get this giddy over television shows anymore and it's not unusual for whole seasons to accumulate on my DVR before I decide to play catch-up before the new season. But it seems I may have set my expectations a bit high.

I'm not the only one who feels this way. If you're a fan of the genre, you probably have seen the grumblings on Facebook and Twitter about Sunday's show (I know I have) and my friend Charles over at Razored Zen has a great post up about stereotyping and where "The Walking Dead" went wrong.

I'll just make a quick mention here, and try not to be spoilery about the episode, and the subject line that didn't sit well with some viewers. The show is set in Atlanta and, as we all know, one of the most common stereotypes about the South is that of the Southern racist. We all know that people like that exist, but the South is a lot more than some characterization out of "Deliverance." I have family from the South who work in the medical field, and they're justifiably tired of the ignorant hicks that are regularly featured on television shows with their conspicuous Southern twang.

But I wonder if "The Walking Dead" staggered (pun intended) on their second go-around because of a clichéd plot? Or could it be because they switched directors?

I know it's not unusual for television shows to have a revolving door when it comes to directors. Just click on the episode guide of your favorite show on Wikipedia (I did this for "House" and got a page full of different names) and a lot of shows don't suffer a bit in quality or consistency. But the premier of "The Walking Dead" was so good that it's hard for me not to credit that the direction of that episode must have been exceptional. I am somewhat biased toward the direction of Frank Darabont, who was the director of the first episode, because he directed one of my all time favorite movies-- "The Shawshank Redemption." And I did feel that the premier episode of "The Walking Dead" had the same kind of feel. Darabont is the master of quiet intensity. He also wrote the script for the show so there's a good chance that first show was really his baby. And the underwhelming feel of Sunday's episode may be what happens when someone else does the babysitting.

"The Walking Dead" is going to have a few uphill battles. The zombie storyline can get old if it's not finessed properly, and that was another complaint I heard about the last show. The show has so far defined itself as being best when it concentrates on the human story and isn't just about the merry-go-round of killing zombies and trying not to become one yourself. Which is why I think there was such a sense of disappointment about this second effort-- the human story failed to rise above the stereotype and as a result didn't feel real.

On the one hand I'm glad there is a show that has the potential to excite me; on the other hand I hate that a show has such a potential to disappoint me. I also have some trepidation going forward since "The Walking Dead" is slated to have different directors for pretty much every episode. We've all watched new shows and know what it's like to see some growing pains-- and that's what I hope is going on here. If we're lucky we'll see the actors grow into their roles and some of the rough edges go away.

I almost hate myself for becoming so invested, this quickly, in a television show. Shouldn't I know better by now?

Blind CC, financial chance of the blind

The Blind CC (Blind Credit Card) concept aims to convenience to the blind with the opportunity on others about their financial transactions. It can is usable easy that uses the cardholder’s fingerprint by using fingerprint recognition software as their signature and the Braille on the display for transaction details. An inbuilt speaker rattles-off the kind of products being paid for, thus giving the blind a complete account of the transaction autonomously. Giving them a completely secure and safe transaction.

Designer: Kwon Ki Nam





If you liked this product design, you would also be interested in:
www.yankodesign.com

Can Anything Save 2010 From Being the Worst Year in Movies Ever?

In January of this year I posted a list of movies I was looking forward to in the 2010 line-up. "Iron Man 2" had to top the list, but "Inception" was way up there too. Even "The A-Team" had my nostalgia kicking in and ready for some mindless entertainment. On paper the list looked pretty good. You had "Daybreakers," "Alice in Wonderland," "Clash of the Titans" and "The Wolfman," and that seemed like a pretty good list for a fantasy-lovin' fool like myself.

But 2010 seemed to be the year of the lackluster film. "Inception" seemed to live up to expectations, thanks to the ever inventive Christopher Nolan, but "Iron Man 2" didn't have the 'wow' factor of the original and seemed to waste a stellar cast. Retreads like "The A-Team" and "Clash of the Titans" have proven that we really need to stop trying to relive the 80's. The rest of the line-up is just kind of there. "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," "The Prince of Persia...." So far the only movies released this year that I have purchased are "How to Train Your Dragon" and "Toy Story 3" (though my husband did buy me a copy of "Iron Man 2" for my birthday).

So it's fair to say that I am not hugely optimistic about the remainder of this year in movie releases. The only really notable releases left are sequels, though Disney has one original movie that is probably the one sure-fire hit we're likely to see in what little time we have left.

So the question is-- can anything redeem this year in movies?

Here's some of what we have left.


Skyline (Starring Eric Balfour, Scottie Thompson, and Donald Faison) November 12th

After a night of partying, a group of friends are distracted when beams of light awaken everyone in Los Angeles, that then attract every person like a moth to a flame. As the night progresses, they soon discover that once exposed to the light, they vanish into thin air, caused by extraterrestrial forces that later threaten to swallow the entire human species.

Unstoppable (Starring Denzel Washington and Chris Pine) November 12th

A railroad company frantically works to prevent an unmanned, half-mile-long freight train carrying combustible liquids and poisonous gas from wiping out a city. A veteran locomotive engineer (Denzel Washington) and a young train conductor (Chris Pine) chase the runaway train in a different locomotive in order to bring the runaway under control before it is too late.


Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I (Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson) November 19th

Voldemort's power is growing stronger. He now has control over the Ministry of Magic and Hogwarts. Harry, Ron, and Hermione decide to finish Dumbledore's work and find the rest of the Horcruxes to defeat the Dark Lord. But little hope remains for the Trio, and the rest of the Wizarding World, so everything they do must go as planned.


Faster (Starring Duane Johnson and Billy Bob Thornton) November 24th

After 10 years in prison, Driver (Dwayne Johnson) has a singular focus - to avenge the murder of his brother during the botched bank robbery that led to his imprisonment. Now a free man with a deadly to-do list in hand, he's finally on his mission...but with two men on his trail - a veteran cop (Billy Bob Thornton) just days from retirement, and a young egocentric hitman (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) with a flair for the art of killing and a newfound worthy opponent. The hunter is also the hunted. It's a do or die race to the list's finish as the mystery surrounding his brother's murder deepens, and new details emerge along the way hinting that Driver's list may be incomplete.

Tangled (Starring Zachari Levi and Mandy Moore) November 24th

Walt Disney Pictures presents Tangled, one of the most hilarious, hair-raising tales ever told. When the kingdom’s most wanted—and most charming—bandit Flynn Rider (voice of Zachary Levi) hides out in a mysterious tower, he’s taken hostage by Rapunzel (voice of Mandy Moore), a beautiful and feisty tower-bound teen with 70 feet of magical, golden hair. Flynn’s curious captor, who’s looking for her ticket out of the tower where she’s been locked away for years, strikes a deal with the handsome thief and the unlikely duo sets off on an action-packed escapade, complete with a super-cop horse, an over-protective chameleon and a gruff gang of pub thugs. In theaters this holiday season in Disney Digital 3D, is a story of adventure, heart, humor and hair—lots of hair.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (Starring Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, Will Poulter, Ben Barnes, Liam Neeson and Simon Peg) December 10th

This time around – Edmund and Lucy Pevensie, along with their pesky cousin Eustace Scrubb – find themselves swallowed into a painting and on to a fantastic Narnian ship headed for the very edges of the world. Joining forces once again with their royal friend Prince Caspian and the warrior mouse Reepicheep, they are whisked away on a mysterious mission to the Lone Islands, and beyond. On this bewitching voyage that will test their hearts and spirits, the trio will face magical Dufflepuds, sinister slave traders, roaring dragons and enchanted merfolk. Only an entirely uncharted journey to Aslan’s Country – a voyage of destiny and transformation for each of those aboard the Dawn Treader – can save Narnia, and all the astonishing creatures in it, from an unfathomable fate.

Tron Legacy (Starring Jeff Bridges, Michael Sheen, Olivia Wilde and Garrett Hedlund) December 17th

Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), a rebellious 27-year-old, is haunted by the mysterious disappearance of his father Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), a man once known as the world's leading video-game developer. When Sam investigates a strange signal sent from the abandoned Flynn's Arcade—that could have only come from his father—he finds himself pulled into a world where Kevin has been trapped for 20 years. With the help of the fearless warrior Quorra (Olivia Wilde), father and son embark on a life-or-death journey across a visually-stunning digital universe—created by Kevin himself—which has become far more advanced with never-before-imagined vehicles, weapons, and landscapes and a ruthless villain who will stop at nothing to prevent their escape


Hmmm. I'm going to go ahead and say it-- nothing here is blowing me away. Harry Potter has been pretty consistent all along, but I don't know if "The Deathly Hallows" is the kind of movie that has the potential to make everyone remember 2010. And while I liked "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe," "Prince Caspian" left me cold-- so prospects for "The Dawn Treader" are lukewarm. "Tron Legacy" probably has the best chance of being a standout, but the only people who seem interested are confirmed "Tron" fans, so I'm not placing any bets on that one either.

I included "Faster" and "Unstoppable" because action films are always great audience grabbers, but I can't begin to predict that they'll be monster hits either. I like Duane Johnson, but he hasn't had the track record of being a huge box office performer in the grown-up arena. I hope "Faster" does well but since it hasn't had any early buzz, I'll be keeping my expectations low. Same goes for "Unstoppable."

Truthfully the only movie on this list that might get me to the theater-- as opposed to waiting for the Blu-ray-- is "Tangled" and that's only because my kids want to see it.

I hate to say it, but I think 2010 is going to go out with a whimper and not a bang. What say you?