Windows 9 will get rid of Windows 8 fullscreen Start Menu
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2683725/windows-9-rumor-roundup-everything-we-know-so-far.html
TIL There is a study where pictures were put on shelves in hospitals and they could only be seen from the ceiling to find out if people with out-of-body experiences really was out of their bodies. If so they could tell afterward what was on the pictures.
http://www.dailygrail.com/Spirit-World/2013/1/Have-Scientists-Found-Proof-We-Leave-Our-Bodies-Nobodys-Telling-Just-Yet
TIL The comic strip Beetle Bailey has ran since 1950 and is still made by its creator, Mort Walker, at age 91.
http://beetlebailey.com/about/
The Big Bang Theory: "The First Pitch Insufficiency" Review
Warning: full episode spoilers follow.
The Big Bang Theory's 8th season had an uneven first week, with a lackluster premiere episode and a much stronger follow-up. This week's installment fell somewhere in the middle. It was entertaining, but not especially amusing. It gave the full group something to do, but didn't wrap up in an entirely satisfactory fashion. Good, but not great, in other words.
Wolowitz took center stage this week as he found himself tasked by NASA to throw the first pitch at a Los Angeles Angels game. Given that he's not exactly the most physically robust specimen in the greater LA area, Wolowitz naturally showed some concern about embarrassing himself in front of thousands of baseball fanatics. The show wandered into iffy territory with this premise. The Big Bang Theory is so often criticized for making fun of nerd culture rather than celebrating it. And even though I haven't really fond that to be an issue in recent years, there's always the odd episode like "The Bakersfield Expedition" that bears out that criticism.
Sleepy Hollow: "The Kindred" Review
Note: Full spoilers for the episode follow.
After last week’s premiere episode functioned as a conclusion to many of the cliffhangers from the finale, “The Kindred” feels like the true start of the second season. Needing to get down to the business of kicking off multiple story lines while still bringing action, humor and scares, the show does all of this with a flourish. Only two episodes in it’s already looking like this could be even better than the marvelous first season. The heart and soul of the series will always will Abbie and Ichabod, but a growing cast of characters keeps getting richer while the plot thickens.
Until now Katrina has been the most unknown quantity of Sleepy Hollow, usually popping up to deliver exposition or, in the last few episodes, be a damsel in distress. But “The Kindred” reverses this trend by having her cunning and bravery on display. She proves to be clever in attempting to convince Abraham/Headless that she should be allowed time to choose him and then really impresses by insisting that Ichabod and Abbie leave her there as their spy. Katrina also clearly cares about Henry/Jeremy/Horseman of War/Awesome John Noble, which could be a complication for both sides the longer she stays there.
Gotham: "Selina Kyle" Review
Warning: Full spoilers for the episode follow…
I think it’s a pretty good sign that 10 minutes into “Selina Kyle” I was already enjoying Gotham more than - I would say - all of the pilot episode. Not that the show’s where it should be here in episode two, but without the benefit/burden of having to re-tell the crime alley origins of Bruce Wayne, the show felt a bit more free to explore the landscape and tell its own stories.
That being said, the episode was a bit of a let down if you simply consider the title “Selina Kyle,” as the story didn’t really benefit Selina all that much, or reveal anything all that great about the character. Also, Camren Bicondova’s overall “presence” (of which acting plays a huge part) isn’t that great. Hopefully it will improve over time so that when we do get to an episode that focuses more on her character - even delivering some backstory in the process - her delivery won’t feel as choppy. I do cut her some slack, being so young and all, but if the character’s to remain a big part of the show, this leeway will shrink proportionately.
Person of Interest: Root's Out to Take Down Samaritan
Person of Interest kicked off its fourth season last week with "Panopticon" - where most of our heroes found themselves with new anonymous "hiding in plain sight" lives that came complete with day jobs. Except for Amy Acker's Root, of course, who seemed to be gliding by on whatever aliases and identities that The Machine previously cooked up for her in seasons past.
Why You Should Be Watching Person of Interest
I had a chance to talk to Acker about Season 4 and the new safety protocols now that the Samaritan AI rules the roost. Roots words may mean even more now than they ever did seeing as how Finch seems to have forsaken The Machine, and all machines, entirely. So I asked her about that, along with her "good pain" flirty relationship with Sarah Shahi's Samine Shaw.
This is Carl and David from OnePlus, Ask Us (Almost) Anything!
Hey redditors! This is Carl (carpe02) and David (devildv) from OnePlus, here for another awesome AMAA session.
Our pride and joy, the OnePlus One, is going to be up for pre-ordering soon. Meanwhile, we thought it was time we returned to reddit to answer all your burning questions about us.
Just in case you haven’t heard of us, check out our website or you can peruse any of these many reviews from press around the world: Wall Street Journal and TIME.
Since our last AMAA, the first ever that /r/gadgets subreddit had hosted, we have had lots of exciting news to share with you. If you are members of our on-line community, you will have heard that we launched the OnePlus Silver Bullet Earphones and our very own blog. We’ve also enjoyed being able to meet a lot of you during our fan gathering in London and DevCon in Manchester.
If you have any questions at all, ask away and we’ll answer (almost) everything! It could be about anything from how the new earbuds sound to how many times Una (our Shiba Inu) has pooped in the office. We are waiting for your intrepid inquiries!
EDIT: To everyone who joined us here at reddit, thank you very much! Interacting with fans is always a pleasure. But for now it’s back to work for Carl, now in Europe, and time to sleep for me (in Asia). Until next time, reddit!
TIL Henry Ford popularized charcoal briquettes after he noticed noticed a large amount of his money being wasted on wood used in the manufacturing process of his model A cars. Ford passed off the briquette business to a relative named Kingsford and the rest is history.
http://bbq.about.com/od/charcoal/a/aa071997.htm
TIL Elephants don't have a scrotum, their testicles are placed slightly behind their kidneys where a females ovaries would be situated
http://www.elephanttag.org/general/general_elephant_reproduction.htmlhttp://www.elephanttag.org/general/general_elephant_reproduction.html
TIL Ernest Hemingway begged his wife not to send him for more electroshock treatments because he lost so much of his memory he couldn't even remember his own name. He committed suicide the day after his 36th shock treatment.
http://www.cnn.com/fyi/school.tools/profiles/hemingway/index.story.html
Say goodbye to Bing apps, and hello to new MSN apps
Microsoft has just updated the suite of Bing apps on Windows Phone. The update drops the Bing branding and replaces it with MSN. So far we're not seeing any new features in these apps, mostly just the branding change.
Microsoft: The top 20 highest grossing Windows Phone apps all use in-app purchases
Microsoft has issued some new statistics concerning downloads of apps from both the Windows Store and the Windows Phone Store, and perhaps the most interesting number in this update is that all of the top 20 highest grossing Windows Phone apps have some kind of in-app purchase feature.
Under the Dome: Season 2 Review
Note: Full spoilers for Under the Dome: Season 2 follow.
As someone who enjoyed the Under the Dome series pilot -- a quote from my review of that premiere is on the Season 1 DVD set and everything -- it was painful to watch the show take an immediate dive in quality the very next episode. And then an even bigger drop in the third. The show would bounce back every so often in the first season, but the end result was that the show, after 13 episodes, had lost itself in either non-characters or extremely unlikeable characters, and random happenstance that was used to drag out the story.
13 episodes later, things have only gotten worse. And it's a shame because those viewers out there who are willing to give a show a second chance in its sophomore season are hopeful that the producers of said show have learned from their initial mistakes. That they, through whatever means, received the appropriate feedback and course corrected accordingly. There was a "reset" vibe present in the Season 2 premiere, but ultimately the killings of Angie and Linda (who weren't even the show's worst characters, by far) didn't signal a sea change. They only stood to make room for even worse characters entering the mix. Like science-bot Rebecca and instantly suspicious Sam. Sam who, from the very first shot of him looking at Melanie as she was brought out of the lake, made me think "Oh, she's been resurrected and he definitely had something to do with her past death." Which in turn made me immediately suspect him when Angie got killed forty minutes later.
Microsoft Designers Create Kinect-Controlled Cube for Music Festival
A team of Microsoft designers and engineers have created a cube that connects people through dance.
Built specifically for the Seattle-based electronic music gathering Decibel Festival, the Cube is an interactive virutal dancing experiment that, according to the designers, doubles as "a canvas for a new type of creative expression."
Powered by several computers, projectors, and four Kinect motion-sensing peripherals, the Cube is a five-sided cube built out of acrylic. Acting much like those attached to Xbox systems, the Kinects within the cube are located on all four sides, projecting the digital avatar of the person standing in front of the side they're facing.
Batman Gets 75th Anniversary Stamps
The U.S. Postal Service is teaming up with DC Comics to produce a series of limited edition collector stamps in honor of Batman's 75th anniversary this year.
The collectors set follows in the tradition of last year's Superman anniversary stamps, but this time they're only available in the U.S. The stamps include the artwork of several iconic Batman artists from his past seven-and-a-half decades of existence -- including designs by Jim Lee (Modern Age), Neal Adams (Bronze Age), Dick Sprang (Silver Age), and Bob Kane (Golden Age).
The set comes in a frame that showcases eight classic character designs, four incarnations of bat-symbols and a total of 20 stamps.
HP really will release a $199 Windows 8.1 laptop and a $99 tablet in November
We had thought HP had given up on launching a $199 Windows 8.1 notebook when it announced that its 14-inch Stream laptop would cost $300 earlier this month. As it turns out, the PC maker really will offer a Windows 8.1 notebook for just $199 in November, along with a seven inch tablet that costs just $99.
Meet Nixie, the Flying Wearable Camera Quadcopter
An inventor has created a wearable quadcopter capable of taking unique photos.
Called Nixie, the quadcopter was created by inventor Christoph Kohstall as a way for people to photograph themselves without fiddling with complex camera setups.
Worn on the wrist like a bracelet, Nixie is released into the air by a gesture, where it flies up, takes a picture of the user, and returns again to their hand. According to Kohstall, it is aware of where the user is located, making it an ideal photography tool for people who want a unique way to capture action. Check it out in the video below.
TIL during 1936 Berlin Olympic games, the Nazis ridiculed the US for relying on "non-human black auxiliaries." American black athlete Jesse Owens went on to win 4 gold medals and beat a German at Long Jump in front of Hitler. Four years after Owens' death, a street in Berlin was renamed after him.
http://espn.go.com/sportscentury/features/00016393.html
Delivery Drones Become a Reality in Germany
http://www.livescience.com/48032-dhl-drone-delivery-service.html?cmpid=558303
Manhattan Love Story: Series Premiere Review
Taking a classic (if outdated) approach to the romantic comedy genre, ABC's Manhattan Love Story, debuting Tuesday, unabashedly touts the old adage "Men are from Mars, women are from Venus." The series opens with our leading man strolling down a crowded city street thinking to himself which women he'd have sex with (all of them), while our wide-eyed ingenue walks down the same street gushing over expensive purses... I mean, yeah, okay, it's pretty boilerplate stuff, but there's a hook: we also hear the two main characters' unfiltered, internal monologues, which, as you might expect, could not be more polarizing. The question is, does that hook actually work? Well...
David Fincher developing potential HBO series
After several years of wanting to create a classic-style film noir, David Fincher may have finally found such a project. As The Playlist reports, Fincher is pairing up with crime fiction writer and author of the The Black Dahlia and LA Confidential, James Ellroy, for a potential 1950s-set noir series, with HBO currently in conversations with the duo.
Fincher, the director of Zodiac and Se7en, was once attached to direct an adaptation of Dahlia — Fincher envisioned it as a miniseries — and has not kept his interest in the crime genre secret. Similarly, the series currently being talked about with HBO is said to be a crime show with a noir-like vibe, set in Los Angeles.
Official Disney Channel app available for Windows Phone, brings full episodes and live TV
The official WATCH Disney Channel app is now available for Windows Phone. This app from Disney allows you to watch the kid-friendly Disney Channel on your phone, so long as you already subscribe to cable or satellite TV. You get access to full episodes of popular Disney Channel programs and live content with this new app!
Celebrate 18 Years of IGN With Our Anniversary Quiz
Today, September 29th, 2014, we at IGN celebrate our 18th anniversary. It's been a long, super-awesome ride, and we can't wait to see what's next. Truth be told, we're here because of you. Our readers are our best friends; we wouldn't be here without each and every one of you.
So, we thought it would be fun to quiz you on IGN's history. Whether you've been watching and reading our content for 18 days or 18 years, we want to see how well you know us. Without further ado, here's our 18th Anniversary Quiz!
New survey shows game consoles lead in accessing non-gaming Internet content
If you own a game console like the Xbox One, the chances are good that you are using it for more than just playing games. According to a new study conducted by Parks Associates, 44 percent of the 10,000 US homes that were surveyed that have at least one connected CE device consider their game console their primary device to access non-gaming Internet content, such as streaming video services like Netflix.
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