Wii Network (Full Feed)

MTV True Life is now casting for "I'm a Fanboy" [Generation Star Wars (Full Feed)]

jrhood@gmail.com (John Hood) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:09:31 -0500

ARE YOU A FANBOY?

MTV’S TRUE LIFE WANTS TO HEAR YOUR STORY!

Are you a young person who is obsessed with a certain book, comic, or video game? MTV’s True Life is looking for young people who are die-hard fans of certain brands, characters, or fantasy series.

Are you obsessed with comic books, anime, fantasy, or manga? Do you like to dress up as your favorite character and attend conventions with other fans? Have you ever waited in line overnight for a book, movie, or video game release? Do you have tattoos depicting your favorite brand or characters? Have you ever missed work, school, or other important events to engage in role-playing or cosplay? Are you misunderstood by your family or significant other because of it? Do you aspire to author your own graphic novel or comic series despite your parents’ disapproval?

If you appear to be between the ages of 16 and 28, and want to share the story of your fantasy obsession, email us at fanboy@mtvn.com with all of the details. Be sure to include your name, location, phone number and a photo, if possible.

Tell MTV why you need to be seen and heard. This is your chance to let others see what your life is all about!

Multimedia Memorial [Generation Star Wars (Full Feed)]

jrhood@gmail.com (John Hood) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 11:29:14 -0500

Last week, whilst working on my mother's memorial project at Lucerne House Care Centre, Exeter, I had the notion that an ASUS Eee PC maybe an excellent enabling device for people with physical disabilities! With its shockproof Solid State Drive (SSD) design, users are able to enjoy stable and reliable computing on-the-go; while up to 8 hours of battery life and high speed 802.11n connectivity make it the ideal portable.

With the above in mind, I'm going to use this post as a soapbox and invite ASUS to contact me concerning the possibility of donating an ASUS Eee PC. I am prepared to mention ASUS, or any memorial project sponsor for that matter, in all subsequent press coverage - I intend to approach local and national newspapers with a most positive nursing home story.

A resident with the custom installation team from shop@Panasonic, Harlequins Centre, Exeter.

The plasma television forms part of my mother's memorial project, which is a work-in-progress! I have also donated a Nintendo Wii, PC and widescreen monitor amongst other equipment.

Special thanks to shop@Panasonic for donating a plasma television wall mount bracket and their time for free!

Room With A VIERA [Generation Star Wars (Full Feed)]

jrhood@gmail.com (John Hood) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 15:50:04 -0500

Last evening I attended an open evening at shop@Panasonic, located in Exeter's Harlequins Shopping Centre. Invited guests were privy to a captivating demonstration of Panasonic's latest, and finest, range of VIERA televisions and 10% discount off all products.

Here are my VIERA television recommendations for your delectation:

LCD

Panasonic TX-32LZD85
* Superb Moving Picture Quality with 100Hz Motion Picture Pro 2 and 24p Film
* 178° Wide Viewing Angle with IPS Alpha Full HD Panel
* 10,000:1 High Contrast with Intelligent Scene Controller
* x.v.Colour
* Smart Networking with VIERA Link and SD Card Slot (JPEG)
* V-Audio surround with BBE ViVA HD3D Sound

Panasonic TX-37LZD800
(Same specifications as TX-32LZD85)

Plasma

Panasonic TH-46PZ80B
* 100Hz Double Scan
* 24p Playback
* Full HD (1920x1080p)
* High Contrast Native 20,000 : 1
* 4,096 Equivalent Steps of Gradation
* 2 x HDMI
* 2 x Scart

When Panasonic first introduced their award-winning VIERA range of televisions, the aim was to give consumers the pinnacle of a viewing experience – an experience so real, so true-to-life, that viewers would unwittingly feel themselves to be almost part of the on-screen action. Now in 2008, the year of the summer Olympic Games, no other company is better placed and able to deliver every second of the action from the stadia into your living room than Panasonic.

Panasonic has been responsible for relaying the Olympics to our homes for the past 20 years. Since the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Panasonic has exclusively provided professional broadcast cameras, editing consoles, monitors, and recording media to the international Olympic Broadcast Centres which beam images of the games around the world. 2008 will mark the first time that the entire production of an Olympic games will be done in High Definition – meaning that viewers will be able to experience all the events with unparalleled clarity and crispness thanks to Panasonic technology.

Thanks to Panasonic HD technology and the highly developed motion technologies in our VIERA TVs, millions of people around the world will be able to follow the ceremony and the proceeding games as intensely as if they were there in person – without missing a moment!

Download Darkville on iTunes [Generation Star Wars (Full Feed)]

jrhood@gmail.com (John Hood) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 09:40:33 -0500

"Within the depths of insanity, a castle composed of intricate illusion. Within its grounds there lived an alien hero, forgotten in the chaos of madness and confusion..." - Darkville

Darkville (iTunes) was inspired by the works of Tim Burton and was intended to be developed as a unique multimedia intellectual property (IP) - traversing comic books, film, music, toys and more!

However, Darkville, due to innumerable reasons, did not progress much beyond what you see here! The creative ideas it spawned bled through into December Duet (iTunes)...

This teaser trailer formed part of my A-Level Media Studies showreel at Exeter College.

The incidental music was composed and performed by Michael Williams and myself! The poem was composed by me and performed by Michael Williams!

The Clone Wars 'give-away' [Generation Star Wars (Full Feed)]

jrhood@gmail.com (John Hood) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 11:32:50 -0500

To celebrate the cinematic release of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Dorling Kindersley (DK) and myself are offering two lucky readers a chance to win a copy of the stunning Star Wars: Clone Wars: The Visual Guide!

This is the complete guide to "Clone Wars" characters, locations, wars and vehicles from the "Star Wars" universe. Get up close and personal with the "Clone Wars" universe as revealed in the 2008 cinema release and TV series plus learn more about this crucial time in the history of the galaxy.

To enter for a chance of winning this really cool prize, please leave a comment on this post. The competition closes August 31st 2008 and the winners will be randomly selected by me. My decision will be final! Good luck.

Special thanks to DK books for supplying the competition prizes. Explore the Star Wars galaxy through DK books.

If you enjoyed reading this post subscribe by RSS! I'll be running further 'give-away' contests in the future.

About DK books
Since 1974, Dorling Kindersley has published an extensive range of internationally acclaimed titles in 51 languages for adults and children. As the UK's market leader in illustrated non-fiction, we pride ourselves on creating books that combine comprehensive information and superb design.

Over the years, as the world's leading family illustrated publisher, we have inspired and informed readers who find DK books to be educational, distinctive and of consistently high quality. We value this reputation and will continue to create reference titles that are, without question, exceptional.

TV Guide has The Clone Wars covered [Generation Star Wars (Full Feed)]

jrhood@gmail.com (John Hood) — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 16:30:27 -0500

Star Wars fans around the world are eagerly anticipating the theatrical release of Star Wars: The Clone Wars on August 15th. And I'm delighted to announce a tie-in with TVGuide.com!

TV Guide magazine has created 4 collectible Star Wars covers, each with an exclusive CD-Rom! Fans can collect covers of C3PO, Yoda, Obi-Wan and Anakin Skywalker when the issue hits stands August 7th.

Collectible covers republished with the kind permission of TV Guide.

Preview
This animated film from George Lucas fills in the events that take place between Episodes II and III in the live-action narrative. Obi-Wan and Anakin Skywalker are now both full-fledged Jedi, and it's Anakin who has a Padawan apprentice, a young girl named Ahsoka, a teenage female Togruta, which is a race of red-skinned, horned aliens. The movie is a launching pad for a similarly themed animated TV show, which will air on TNT and the Cartoon Network beginning in the fall.

Look out for my Star Wars: The Clone Wars review in the coming weeks.

"Star Wars Spoilers, Scoops and TV Listings on TVGuide.com"

Did the 2.40 firmware update break your PS3? [Generation Star Wars (Full Feed)]

jrhood@gmail.com (John Hood) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 05:01:02 -0500

Sony has pulled its latest 2.40 firmware update, heralding in-game XMB for the PS3, from its download servers!

Users are reporting that their machines 'hang' during boot or become unresponsive during game play! To date my 40GB and 60GB PS3 models are running smoothly with the 2.40 update! However, if you've experienced any serious issues with your PS3, after applying the update, please leave a comment.

PS3 to get XMB in July [Generation Star Wars (Full Feed)]

jrhood@gmail.com (John Hood) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 05:01:02 -0500

PS3™ to give online gamers the features they’ve been requesting: XMB™ (XrossMediaBar) access in-game and trophies available in this free, automatic system upgrade

June 30, 2008: Sony Computer Entertainment Europe today announced new online gaming functionality for PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™), which will become available on July 2, 2008 with the 2.40 enhancement, an automatic firmware upgrade that delivers several of the features most requested by gamers. Combined with PLAYSTATION®Network’s unique service of free* online gaming, the enhancement makes PS3 an even more attractive platform of choice for the online gamer.

Firstly, the 2.40 enhancement allows XMB™ (XrossMediaBar) access in-game. This means that you can access the PS3 menu at any time while playing most games, simply by tapping the PlayStation button on your controller. With 2.40, you can check if any of your friends are online (thanks to their own user profile), read and send messages, change some settings for games, all without having to quit the game you are playing. While you can’t pause an online multiplayer game involving other people, you can rejoin play at any time when you’ve finished browsing. Along with these enhanced communications features, the Friends list capacity will double to 100 Friends.

2.40 also delivers trophies to recognise players’ achievements in the online arena. Other competitive activities recognise winners with trophies – so why not gaming on PS3? Many online games will have gold, silver and bronze trophies – with platinum available for those who snag all three – all displayed on the XMB for everyone to see.

Super Stardust™ HD, a PLAYSTATION Network-exclusive released last year, will be the first game to leverage the Trophies system and will offer a variety of trophies**. The following first-party games are also slated to offer Trophy support:

· BUZZ!™ Quiz TV

· LittleBigPlanet™

· MotorStorm™ Pacific Rift

· NBA 09 - PS3

· PAIN**

· PixelJunk™ Eden

· Resistance 2™

· SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation

· Warhawk™**

The 2.40 enhancement is just one more reason to join PSN, the online network for PS3 users that lets you game online for free*. All you need to do to join is connect your PS3 to broadband and register, or go to the connection guide at www.eu.playstation.com to find out more.

Once in, you’ll find online matches and leagues for all of your favourite games – whether that’s MotorStorm™, Resistance™, Warhawk™ or Gran Turismo™5 Prologue – absolutely free (although users are responsible for paying their broadband fees) and at any time of the day or night. You’ll also find PLAYSTATION®Store, where you can download entire games as well as extra levels, content for your existing games plus internet browsing, video chat thanks to PLAYSTATION®Eye and much, much more.

There’s never been a better time to buy a PS3!

* No subscription required, broadband fees apply

** Requires a game update to be downloaded and installed

Firefox 3 'Download Day' [Generation Star Wars (Full Feed)]

jrhood@gmail.com (John Hood) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 05:01:02 -0500

Don't forget to download Firefox 3 today and assist Mozilla's aim to set a Guinness World Record for software downloads!

This is the most Mac-like iteration of Firefox yet, mostly due to an extensive, and long overdue, rewrite of the code; to benefit from modern Apple technologies, such as Cocoa, and fix enduring bugs! Code optimisations, paving the way to a 64-bit future, aside. The 'most visited' bookmark feature "adds value" to the browsing experience!

The Firefox Release Candidates (RC) 1-3 rapidly replaced Safari as my default browser, which I hope is recommendation enough!

Heroes Do Blu [Generation Star Wars (Full Feed)]

jrhood@gmail.com (John Hood) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 05:01:02 -0500

First Transformers and now Heroes is to receive the Blu-ray treatment!

Both franchises were HD DVD 'banner bearers' in the HD format wars! The war ended a few months ago and, with Sony's Blu-ray platter emerging victorious, Universal Studios Home Entertainment has, finally, unveiled the specifications for the upcoming Blu-ray releases of 'Heroes: Season One' and 'Heroes: Season Two', both due to hit store shelves on August 26th.

The wildly successful TV series will get the full high definition treatment, with video being presented in 1.78:1 1080p accompanied by a DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack.

Season One has been reduced from seven discs for the HD DVD release to five! Some special features, such as "Genetics Test" and "Mind Reader" games, have been removed. The special features are as follows:

Disc 1
* Artwork Presentation; Hero Connections
* 73-Minute Premiere Episode with Audio Commentary by Show Creator Tim Kring
* BD-Live Enabled
* Making Of
* Special Effects
* The Stunts
* Profile of Artist Tim Sale
* The Score
* Deleted Scenes

Disc 2
* Artwork Presentation, Hero Connections
* Deleted Scenes

Disc 3
* Artwork Presentation, Hero Connection
* PIP Cast Video Commentaries
* Deleted Scenes

Disc 4
* Artwork Presentation, Hero Connection
* PIP Cast Video Commentaries
* Deleted Scenes

Disc 5
* Artwork Presentation, Hero Connection
* PIP Cast Video Commentaries
* Deleted Scenes

Season Two comes on four discs, notably due to the writers' strike. Extras for this season include:

Disc 1
* Hero Connections - Bios, PIP Cast & Crew Commentaries
* Heroes Season 2 "A New Beginning"
* Takezo Kensei: Sword Saint
* BD-Live Enabled
* Hero Connections: Network
* My Scenes
* Deleted Scenes

Disc 2
* Hero Connections - Bios, PIP Cast & Crew Commentaries
* Genetics of a Scene
* Hero Connections - Network
* The Drucker Files
* My Scenes
* Deleted Scenes

Disc 3
* Hero Connections - Bios, PIP Cast & Crew Commentaries
* Tim Sale Gallery of Screen Art
* Hero Connections - Network
* My Scenes
* Deleted Scenes

Disc 4
* Hero Connections - Bios, PIP Cast & Crew Commentaries
* Generations Alternate Ending
* Inside the Alternate Ending of Generations
* Hero Connections - Network
* My Scenes
* NBC.com Featurettes

Given that Heroes includes BD-Live, I recommend that you watch this title on a PS3! For those who are completely unaware of what BD-Live is, it is a newly developed Blu-ray feature that enables you to access content via your internet-connected Blu-ray player. BD-Live can allow you to download a variety of up-to-date content (e.g., refreshed previews and exclusive special features) and also enable exciting next generation possabilities, such as ringtone/wallpaper downloads, peer-to-peer interactions, live events and gaming activities. BD-Live is showcased on Men In Black (Blu-ray).

You'll be able to pre-order Heroes S1 and S2 from my Blu-ray Shop and support my blogging. Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (Blu-ray) is available for pre-order now! Your support is very much appreciated and, most importantly, at no additional cost to yourself! Thank you.

The O2 Arena [Generation Star Wars (Full Feed)]

jrhood@gmail.com (John Hood) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 05:01:02 -0500

The halo of geek chic is in full effect and WWDC enjoys a public profile comparable to Macworld!

The buzz surrounding next week's WWDC 2008 is bordering on the feverish! Only a brand with Apple's mindshare could garner such frenetic excitement, from the mainstream mass media, for what is, arguably, exclusively a 'developers delight'!

Not only is there incessant talk of the iPhone 2/3G, there's Mac OS X 10.5.4 (didn't we all just download 10.5.3 last week?), Mac OS X 10.6 codenamed 'Snow Leopard', and a much-needed .mac makeover! The latter holds the most compelling secrets, and may convince me to renew my subscription in October!

Everything hinges on the iPhone 2 and whether or not O2, the exclusive UK network carrier, offers Apple's second generation mobile device at a compelling price point alongside pay-as-you-go deals! If so, I'm sold and it'll be goodbye Orange! Readers who watch Channel Four's Dispatches series will appreciate the pay-as-you-go bias!

Further to the iPhone and .mac refresh, I'm predicting that there'll be an announcement regarding a new portable device called Mac nano...

Apple releases Mac OS X 10.5.3 [Generation Star Wars (Full Feed)]

jrhood@gmail.com (John Hood) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 05:01:02 -0500

After weeks of comprehensive testing, and compulsive nail biting, by the developer community, Apple has finally released Mac OS X 10.5.3 ahead of next month's WWDC 2008.

The Mac OS X 10.5.3 Update is recommended for all users running Mac OS X 10.5 and includes general operating system fixes that enhance the stability, compatibility and security of your Mac.

General

* Fixes a font issue that could result in Helvetica Narrow being used in applications instead of Helvetica.
* Addresses an issue with stuttering video and audio playback in certain USB devices.
* Resolves stability issues with Word of the Day, iTunes Artwork, and Slideshow screen savers.
* Fixes an issue in which certain attached hard drives may not show up in the Finder.
* Addresses an issue with .Mac syncing of Dashboard widgets over multiple Macs that use different screen resolutions.
* Includes additional RAW image support for several cameras.
* Improves the accuracy of the Software Update progress bar indicator.
* Addresses an issue in which Finder may not be available if the computer name is blank in Sharing preferences.
* Improves Active Directory binding and login.
* Eliminates a delay when logging in as an Active Directory user in a .local domain.
* Improves Spotlight searches on a AFP file server volumes.
* Clients can now change their password at the login window when bound to a Mac OS X 10.4 Open Directory server.
* Improves Safari reliability when connecting to the Internet through a Microsoft ISA proxy.

Address Book

* Addresses reliability issues when searching for contacts using built-in search.
* Resolves issues with mapping addresses that contain an ampersand character (&).

AirPort

* Improves 802.1X behavior and reliability.
* Improves reliability when using Time Capsule.

Automator

* Addresses an issue in which some actions may not work with the "Show When Run" option enabled.
* Resolves an issue in which the "New iCal Event" action may not work.
* Resolves an issue that prevents workflows from being saved in the Finder's contextual menu.
* Fixes reliability issues for Automator scripts that search for files by date.
* Resolves an issue that prevents workflows from being saved in the Finder's contextual menu.
* Addresses an issue in which Automator workflows as Finder plugins do not work when the workflow begins with the "Get Selected Finder Items" action.
* Fixes an issue in which the "Copy Files" action does not reliably work when added from Automator’s warning dialog.

iCal

* Addresses potential privacy issues by allowing events to be marked as private.
* Resolves an issue in which the inspector does not show capacity and availability info for conference rooms within a building.
* Addresses an issue in which the current day could appear in the left-most column of the weekly view.
* Addresses reliability issues with meeting alarms, invitations and attachments.
* Resolves issues with reliability when restoring from iCal backups.
* Fixes accuracy issues with auto-completion, availability data and location names.
* Resolves an issue in which iCal may send cancellation notices for events in the past after a calendar is deleted.
* Fixes reliability issues with iCal syncing.

iChat

* Addresses reliability issues with screen sharing.
* Resolves an issue in which saved chat transcripts may reported as "still in use" after opening and closing them in iChat.
* Resolves an issue with group chats not being indexed in Spotlight.
* Only the last 250 messages of an active chat are saved. Fixed to save unlimited number of lines.
* Addresses issues with echo cancellation that may occur on portable Macs.

Mail

* Resolves an issue in which Mail may prevent idle sleep when set to automatically check for new messages every minute.
* Addresses stability issues that may be encountered when dragging large attachments into an email message.
* Fixes an issue that could occur if two compose windows are open when dragging a file to the Mail icon in the Dock.
* Addresses reliability issues when changes are made to a mailbox while offline.
* Resolves wrapping issues that may be found with consecutive spaces in plain text.
* Fixes issues with certain web pages appearing garbled when emailed from Safari.
* Fixes an issue in which the Sent, Drafts, and Outbox mailboxes incorrectly list the "cc" recipients in the "To" column.
* Addresses reliability issues with attachments added to plain text notes.
* Fixes reliability issues with authenticated RSS feeds.
* Resolves an issue in which attaching an alias to an email message may not send the actual file.

Parental Controls

* Addresses reliability issues with application logging and time limits.
* Resolves an issue in which Parental Controls may prevent forced sleep.
* Addresses performance issues with web content filters.
* Fixes an issue with managed accounts in which iChat transcripts may not be created.
* Addresses issues with 4-byte files and whitelist.

Spaces

* Resolves an issue in which switching to a different space and returning back to the original space may reorder the application windows with a different active window.
* Resolves an issue in which activating an application from the Dock switches to a different space, even if there is a window for that application in the current space.
* Fixes an issue in which Command-Tab may incorrectly switch to a new space.
* Addresses reliability issues with Spaces when syncing preferences over .Mac.

Time Machine

* Includes fixes for Time Machine compatibility with Time Capsule.
* Resolves certain issues when backing up a portable Mac that is on battery power.
* Addresses compatibility issues with Aperture 2.
* Addresses reliability issues when performing a full restore from a Time Machine backup.
* Fixes an issue in which certain function keys may be disabled after using Time Machine.
* Fixes a possible alert message that incorrectly states a backup volume does not have enough space.
* Updates Time Machine to reliably restore attachments and messages in Mail.

VoiceOver

* Includes Braille Update 1.0 which enables GW Micro, HandyTech, HIMS, Nippon, and Papenmeier Refreshable Braille displays.
* Addresses an issue with Braille dot 7 and 8 underlining.
* Fixes an issue in which HTML page anchors may be ignored by the VoiceOver cursor.
* Fixes an issue that prevented Hot Spots from being used in text areas.
* Resolves an issue with spell checking in which VoiceOver may only announce the first misspelled word if there are multiple words spelled incorrectly.

As ever, I unreservedly recommend all Mac-based readers to download the hefty Mac OS X 10.5.3 Combo Update! If readers encounter any show-stopping problems, please post a comment. Thank you in advance.

Moving Parts: A Droid's Life [Generation Star Wars (Full Feed)]

jrhood@gmail.com (John Hood) — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:15:58 -0500

Due to personal reasons, I've decided on a haiku review format! WALL-E (voiced by Star Wars sound designer Ben Burtt) is deserving of so much more!

PIXAR's artisans have, most literally, rendered their finest achievement worthy of demolishing any residual prejudices levelled against CGI - as a storytelling medium - forever; a silent story of dystopia and boundless hope!

WALL-E's heroic journey is a deft mix of light and darkness! The last of his kind, chillingly revealed in a silhouetted scrapheap graveyard, WALL-E's only companion, on an abandoned Earth, is a loyal cockroach! Then one, seemingly ordinary, day, a starship arrives, dispatching a probe droid called EVE!

In so many ways WALL-E completes a saga! PIXAR was owned by George Lucas and sold to Steve Jobs. With Ben Burtt's involvement this is further cemented and underscored by the insertion of the iconic Mac startup chime at a pivotal narrative juncture!

Mainstream cinema has regained its sense of wonder and it's called WALL-E!

"Padme" wins the George Lucas Selects Award at Comic-Con [Generation Star Wars (Full Feed)]

jrhood@gmail.com (John Hood) — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 13:01:12 -0500

A reader sent me the following, which I wanted to share with fellow Star Wars fans!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The comedy short Padmé won the George Lucas Selects Award at the 2008 Star Wars Fan Movie Challenge, held at the San Diego Comic-Con. Producers Jason Ginsburg, Robert Reeves, and Kevin Walsh accepted the top prize, beating thousands of other entries and over forty finalists.

Padmé has been a fan favorite since its debut on Atom.com (co-producer of the awards), garnering great reviews from Star Wars fans, bloggers, the science-fiction site io9, and the Times of London. The honors continued when George Lucas himself named Padmé his personal favorite.

A parody of Juno using Star Wars characters, Padmé pokes fun at the similar tales of two sets of teens who learn that teen pregnancy is no joke -- unless you mix in some hip teen dialog and the Dark Side of the Force. Ginsburg, Reeves, and Walsh even created Star Wars versions of Juno's famously quirky songs.

"We're truly honored that Lucas picked us," said co-producer and performer Jason Ginsburg after the ceremony. "We were up against films with much bigger budgets. The three of us shot Padmé at five locations in five days, played half the roles, and served as our own crew."

"The other winners are all top-quality entries spanning several genres," said writer Kevin Walsh. "After seeing them all again at the ceremony, we were surprised and humbled to take home the ultimate trophy."

The film's cast includes Lisa Vendette (star of the web series Hollywood Acting Class) in the title role, along with Gerald Webb, Robin Johnstone, and Riley Rose Critchlow. The three producers also appear in the film; Ginsburg alone portrays Yoda, C-3PO, Darth Vader, and the Emperor.

Celebrity guests at the awards ceremony included Kevin Spacey, Reneé O'Connor (Xena: Warrior Princess), Danny Kastner (The Apprentice), and Kyle Newman, director of the upcoming MGM film Fanboys.

The Star Wars Fan Movie Challenge is an annual short film contest sponsored by Lucasfilm and Atom.com, a comedy website owned by MTV Networks. Spike TV will air a special featuring all of the 2008 winners this fall.

Padmé can be found exclusively on the Atom site, at:

http://www.atom.com/funny_videos/sw_padme/

REEVESREEL is a production and visual effects company founded by Robert Reeves. Reeves directed and starred Cheap Seats, which won the Best Comedy award at the Star Wars Fan Movie Challenge in 2005. Reeves' movie Wheeled Migration (a mockumentary about shopping carts) played in festivals such as the 48-Hour Film Festival, the Comic-Con International Film Festival, and the Universal Studios Film Festival where it won for Best Documentary and Best in Show. ReevesReel can be found at www.myspace.com/reevesreel.

ReevesReel contact: reevesreel@earthlink.net, 818.822.9237

EVIL GENIUS ENTERTAINMENT is a production company founded by USC film graduates Jason Ginsburg and Kevin Walsh. Together, they have written several award-winning feature screenplays and created comedy content for the National Lampoon and mobile phones. Individually, Kevin Walsh is the co-creator of the comic book series Salem: Queen of Thorns (BOOM! Studios). Jason Ginsburg has received high praise for his satire of 24, Jack Bauer's Day Off. Evil Genius content can be found at www.evilgents.com.

Evil Genius Entertainment contact: evilgent@evilgents.com, 310.890.0323

Love Lumix Leica Lenses [Generation Star Wars (Full Feed)]

jrhood@gmail.com (John Hood) — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 15:07:50 -0500

I'm in the process of replacing my Canon PowerShot A70 and appear to have reached an impasse! Do I stick with Canon or switch to Panasonic Lumix?

My Canon PowerShot A70 is perfectly serviceable! However, I'd like to exert a similar level of manual control, I once enjoyed at Exeter College, with PENTAX cameras! I've managed to whittle my price-sensitive choices down to the following and would welcome readers feedback:

Canon

Canon IXUS 80 IS Digital Camera
Canon proudly presents a fresh new addition to its Digital IXUS range: the Ixus 80 IS. This ultra-compact camera is available in four discreet colours that enhance the smooth curves of its casing, and is loaded with leading technologies for fun, stylish photography. The successor to the Digital Ixus 70, the Ixus 80 IS puts all of Canon's know-how to good use to bring you flawless shots. Its features include a powerful 8-megapixel CCD sensor and a DIGIC III image processor, as well as an optical stabiliser, meaning you can say bye-bye to blur. Its remarkable ISO sensitivity of up to 1600 ensures photos turn out fantastically even in low lighting conditions, while its 2.5-inch TFT screen lets you take complete control of your creations. You'll be able to explore your creative side further with its various scene modes and photo effects, including Ai-AF face detection. Thanks to this technology, the Digitax Ixus 80 IS is able to recognise up to 9 faces in a scene and smooth out shady areas. Express your creative side with professional quality snaps with the Digital Ixus 80!

Panasonic

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX55EB Digital Camera
The Lumix DMC-FX55 from Panasonic is the new and improved version of the FX33, with the same Auto Intelligent technology but with a larger 3" LCD screen! Behind its stylish design, the Lumix DMC-FX55 is equipped with an 8 effective-megapixel CCD sensor and a 3.6x wide-angle optical zoom, which can be expanded depending on the photo resolution. The optical zoom efficient goes up to 5.7x for 2 megapixels, allowing you to take detailed close-ups. The DMC-FX55 also includes the renowned Venus Engine III image processor and an Intelligent ISO Control mode (up to 6400 ISO sensitivity) to guarantee bright, continuous lighting even in darker environments. Meanwhile, the Mega O.I.S. optical image stabiliser counteracts camera shake to deliver clear images every time. The Lumix FX55 is also equipped with an Intelligent Auto mode that automatically adjusts the settings according to conditions so you don't have to! With the Lumix DMC-FX55, you'll have all of Panasonic's latest technologies in the palm of your hand!

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18 Digital Camera
Powerful 18x Optical Zoom, 28mm wide-angle Leica DC VARIO-ELMARIT lens and unique Intelligent Auto Mode. The perfect choice for any photographer with varied photographic needs and high ambitions - Panasonic is pleased to introduce the new DMC-FZ18 8.1-megapixel Lumix camera, featuring a powerful 18x optical zoom (equivalent to 28-504mm on a 35mm film camera), newly developed 28mm wide-angle LEICA DC VARIO-ELMARIT lens and Panasonic's new and unique Intelligent Auto Mode. Panasonic's award-winning FZ series of Lumix cameras has been highly praised across the world, for concomitant realisation of both high performance and ease of use, and the FZ18 is no exception. Bridging the gap between high-end compacts and digital SLRs, Panasonic's DMC-FZ18 offers a level of control close to that of an SLR, but without the need for interchangeable lenses. Perfect for photographers on the move and families who want to shoot pictures outdoors for example, the FZ18 offers an easy way to enjoy the fun of capturing beautiful digital pictures.

Panasonic DMCFX500 Digital Still Camera
The DMC-FX500 features intuitive touch-screen operation on a large, 3.0-inch LCD to provide an advanced hybrid control system with both touch-screen and joystick control. In addition to the 25mm ultra-wide angle Leica DC lens with 5x optical zoom, manual operation controllability give users great creative freedom. A variety of advanced functions, including Intelligent Auto mode, HD motion picture recording and HD component output, together with slideshows enhanced with music, further enrich the camera and user experience.

Canon's IS range is revered, but Panasonic's Lumix line is snapping at its heals! Many Lumix models are fitted with Leica lenses that have been developed and designed by Leica's German optics engineers but are produced in Japan and some are effectively Leica branded cameras without the brand name and with different exterior styling!

It's almost a case of change for change's sake!

The Big "Push" Tour [Generation Star Wars (Full Feed)]

jrhood@gmail.com (John Hood) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:16:15 -0500

This afternoon I, along with many existing .Mac subscribers, received a surprise e-mail from Apple!

MobileMe Services Are Now Available.

We have recently completed the transition from .Mac to MobileMe. Unfortunately, it was a lot rockier than we had hoped.

Although core services such as Mail, iDisk, Sync, Back to My Mac, and Gallery went relatively smoothly, the new MobileMe web applications had lots of problems initially. Fortunately we have worked through those problems and the web apps are now up and running.

Another snag we have run into is our use of the word "push" in describing everything under the MobileMe umbrella. While all email, contact or calendar changes on the iPhone and the web apps are immediately synced to and from the MobileMe "cloud," changes made on a PC or Mac take up to 15 minutes to sync with the cloud and your other devices. So even though things are indeed instantly pushed to and from your iPhone and the web apps today, we are going to stop using the word "push" until it is near-instant on PCs and Macs, too.

We want to apologize to our loyal customers and express our appreciation for their patience by giving all current subscribers an automatic 30-day extension to their MobileMe subscription free of charge. Your extension will be reflected in your account settings within the next few weeks.

We hope you enjoy your new suite of web applications at me.com, in addition to keeping your iPhone and iPod touch wirelessly in sync with these new web applications and your Mac or PC.

Thank you,

The MobileMe Team

Wii Got Motion [Generation Star Wars (Full Feed)]

jrhood@gmail.com (John Hood) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 13:42:49 -0500

The following statement is -- in its entirety -- Nintendo's announcement of MotionPlus for Wii:

"Nintendo's upcoming Wii MotionPlus accessory for the revolutionary Wii Remote controller again redefines game control, by more quickly and accurately reflecting motions in a 3-D space.

The Wii MotionPlus accessory attaches to the end of the Wii Remote and, combined with the accelerometer and the sensor bar, allows for more comprehensive tracking of a player's arm position and orientation, providing players with an unmatched level of precision and immersion. Every slight movement players make with their wrist or arm is rendered identically in real time on the screen, providing a true 1:1 response in their game play.

The Wii MotionPlus accessory reconfirms Nintendo's commitment to making games intuitive and accessible for everyone. Nintendo will reveal more details about the Wii MotionPlus accessory and other topics Tuesday morning at its E3 media briefing."

My Wii Code: 4054 9122 2571 1110

Apple + Twitter [Generation Star Wars (Full Feed)]

jrhood@gmail.com (John Hood) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 10:58:28 -0500

Follow tomorrow's Apple WWDC 2008 breaking news on Twitter and discover whether or not I'll be buying an iPhone 2! It'll be up to Steve Jobs to convince me!

Friend me on popular social networks: claimID.

Apple Store + O2 + IE = FAIL! [Generation Star Wars (Full Feed)]

jrhood@gmail.com (John Hood) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 10:58:14 -0500

It can't have escaped anyone's attention that today ushers in the new Apple iPhone 3G!

To insulate myself from indulging in an act of rampant consumerism (thereby reinforcing the status quo). I've kept clear of Apple Store Princesshay and the O2 Shop, Exeter! Not that there was any real cause for concern...

In a deliciously ironic twist (as noted by Twitter peeps @marceatsworld and @babblestorm), Apple Stores were unable to process activations due to O2's online shop only 'playing nice' with IE and, well, surprisingly the Apple Stores only use Macs and Safari! D'oh! How old school is that? We're living in a so-called platform-agnostic age people! Allegedly... Ask the developers behind Google Lively if you don't believe me (requires Windows XP or Vista)!

If you did succumb to the charms of a new iPhone, please post a comment and fuel the envy! I'm cutting this post short as MobileMe continues to FailMe!

Updated with added coolness!
Yesterday, in a most shocking development, my 'coolness' was cast into doubt! As a Mac-owning blogger that's unthinkable!

Danny Franks linked to this blog in his post Why I Refuse to Blog! Little did Danny know that my legion of peeps would alert me to this disturbance in the force!

I've always been a good sport and there's no such thing as bad publicity in my book! Therefore in the spirit of goodwill and Danny's subsequent genial e-mail. I'd like to sincerely wish Danny every success with his blogging (or not as the case may be)! I'll be keeping tabs. However, rest assured that blasters will be set to stun!

Special thanks to Google for ranking Generation Star Wars so highly in "Star Wars blog" searches!

Indy Poor [Generation Star Wars (Full Feed)]

jrhood@gmail.com (John Hood) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 14:52:48 -0500

In May I announced an upcoming Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull tie-in with DK Books!

DK Books had re-approached me with the idea of a 'give-away' competition following our successful Star Wars and Transformers tie-ins from last summer. But, alas, the matter went no further and for that I apologise!

On the subject of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. As my Twitter (direct link to my profile) peeps forewarned me. The latest instalment in the Indiana Jones franchise was a pointless, overly-painterly, affair! Disillusionment made way for apathy, hence, this tardy cliffs notes review!

Clearly Steven Spielberg was running on autopilot and couldn't curtail George Lucas' propensity for excess! Dull... Vapid! Am I being too kind? Play the wonderful LEGO: Indiana Jones instead!

Look out for my WALL-E review in the coming weeks.