Category Archives: Images

‘Once Upon a Time’ returns Sunday night: watch the first 8 minutes of “Desperate Souls” and flick through new cast photos

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ABC’s fairy tale series Once Upon a Time returns this Sunday night at 8PM on ABC. Can’t wait until then to get your Snow White and Prince Charming fix? Head over to Hulu to watch the first eight minutes (another Lost reference!) of the new episode “Desperate Souls.” The logline: Regina and Mr. Gold play dirty politics and take opposite sides when Emma runs for a coveted Storybrooke public office against Sidney (Giancarlo Esposito). Meanwhile, back in the fairytale world that was, Rumplestiltskin tries to track down the ultimate power source in order to help his son avert the horrors of a meaningless war.

In addition, ABC has released a bunch of new cast photos that are simply stunning. They include looks at fairy tale-world and real-world versions of Snow White/Mary Margaret, the Evil Queen/Regina, Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold, as well as shots of John Doe, little Henry, and Archie. Scrub through them all in the gallery below. And in the gallery below that you’ll find stills from the episode!

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[Via TVLine; IGN]

Samsung Galaxy Nexus now available on Verizon Wireless at $299.99

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The very first phone running Android 4.0 aka Ice Cream Sandwich is now available on Verizon Wireless. The 4G LTE compatible Galaxy Nexus by Samsung packs a 1.2GHz processor, a big 4.65″ HD Super AMOLED display, 5 megapixel rear-facing and 1.3 megapixel front-facing cameras, 1GB RAM, and 32GB on-board memory. Android ICS brings with it a whole slew of new features including Face Unlock, Android Beam, an enhanced Camera app, a new People app, and of course an entirely redesigned user interface. Get all the juicy details here. As of December 15 the newest Nexus was made available on VZW and can be yours for a cool $299.99 with a two-year contract. Pics below, PR and video after the break.

[Via VZW] Continue reading Samsung Galaxy Nexus now available on Verizon Wireless at $299.99 →

Windows Phone-powered Nokia Lumia 710 comes to T-Mobile January 7 for $49.99

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In October Nokia unveiled its Lumia range of Windows Phone-powered smartphones, the Lumia 800 and Lumia 710. This week T-Mobile became the official carrier of the budget-friendly Lumia 710 and announced that’ll be available next month. The 710, which features a 3.7-inch ClearBlack WVGA scratch-resistant display, a Qualcomm 1.4GHz Snapdragon processor, a 5 megapixel camera, and HSPA+ 14.4Mbps “4G” speed, is being touted by T-Mo as “the perfect first-time smartphone” at the low price of $49.99 after a two-year contract is signed. Also shipping with software like Nokia’s Drive and ESPN apps as well as T-Mobile TV and Netflix, the 710 comes to market in the US on January 11 in black and white variants.

It’s a shame Nokia isn’t promoting the fiercer Lumia 800 before its low-budget brother, let alone alongside it. In my humble opinion, Nokia is making a mistake by allowing customers to think that Windows Phones manufactured by Nokia are “cheap” or lacking competitive features. It would have been smarter to team the 800 with T-Mobile first so that the public could understand that the Finnish company is ready to battle the likes of Apple, Samsung, Motorola, and LG in the States, rather than push out an entry level smartphone for techies to scoff at. Nokia is a deserving phone maker, so here’s to hoping that they get their act together and release the Lumia 800 in the States sooner than later.

[Via T-Mobile] Continue reading Windows Phone-powered Nokia Lumia 710 comes to T-Mobile January 7 for $49.99 →

Kid Cudi reveals WZRD album cover

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Kid Cudi can’t keep out of the news. After releasing two tracks from his upcoming collabo album with producer Dot Da Genius, Cudder jumped back onto Twitter to share with his followers the “official logo” for his band WZRD. He confirmed that the image embedded above will in fact serve as the album cover when the still yet-to-be-titled album drops January 30. Though now all signs point to it being self titled as WZRD. Cudi went on to describe the album art as “simple, classic, iconic.”

Bonus! The same day he posted the WZRD image to Twitter, he also shared a link to Dia Frampton’s YouTube channel. Embedded after the break you’ll find an amazing cover of Cudi’s “Pursuit of Happiness” by The Voice runner-up. The two recently collaborated on Frampton’s new single “Don’t Kick the Chair.”

[Via @wizardcud] Continue reading Kid Cudi reveals WZRD album cover →

Motorola’s Xoom 2 Honeycomb tablet releases in the US as Droid Xyboard on December 12

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In early November Motorola unveiled the successor to the very first Honeycomb tablet, the Xoom 2. More recently plans were made to ship the curvaceous device stateside. US customers will see the Droid brand crossover from smartphones to tablets when the Droid Xyboard (Xoom 2 internationally) releases December 12 on Verizon Wireless. The device will come in five distinct variants. The Droid Xyboard 10.1 (boasting a 10.1 inch screen) comes in three models: 16GB for $529.99, 32GB for $629.99, and 64GB for $729.99. The Droid Xyboard 8.1 comes in two models: 16GB for $429.99 and 32GB for $529.99. All of these tablets are 4G LTE-ready and the prices are set at these marks so long as you agree to a 2-year contract with Big Red. And don’t forget–although this dual-core tablet will ship with Honeycomb 3.2, Motorola promises the Xyboard will support Ice Cream Sandwich when Google eventually releases it. Head over to VZW to browse and shop for the Droid Xyboard today. Peep the gallery below to eye the Xyboard from various angles. PR after the break.

In related news, the Droid RAZR is getting a new coat of paint. See it in white below.

[Via Motorola] Continue reading Motorola’s Xoom 2 Honeycomb tablet releases in the US as Droid Xyboard on December 12 →

‘Grand Theft Auto III’ is coming to iOS & Android

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One of the most iconic video games of all time is about to be re-released for gamers on the go. Rockstar Games is calling it Grand Theft Auto III: 10 Year Anniversary Edition, and it’s coming to the App Store and Android Market on Decemeber 15 for $4.99. And just in case you’re wondering, this isn’t a spinoff or rehash of the PS2 original; this is GTA III all the way only miniaturized for mobile devices. Look in the gallery below for some gorgeous screenshots, and hop after the break to see exactly which iOS and Android devices will support the game. The wait for GTA V just got more tolerable.

Update: GTA III is out now for iOS & Android. Get yours today: App Store / Android Market

[Via RockStarGames; Engadget] Continue reading ‘Grand Theft Auto III’ is coming to iOS & Android →

Barnes & Noble announces Nook Tablet, updates and drops prices of Nook Color & Nook Simple Touch

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Kindle Fire, meet your head-to-head competition. Today Barnes & Noble announced their latest e-reader, the Nook Tablet. On the outside, the Nook Tablet looks nearly identical to its predecessor the Nook Color. This time around, it’s almost entirely what’s on the inside that really counts. The Tablet is fast, packing a 1GHz dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM. The 7-inch multitouch screen (1024 x 600) displays 16 million colors ultra-bright and features full IPS lamination to reduce reflection and glare and offer extra-wide viewing angles and clarity. The display can play full HD 1080p content. Battery life is quite impressive, too. The Tablet offers up 11.5 hours of reading time or 9 hours of video viewing. There’s 16GB of onboard storage, and this can be expanded with an SD card. Built-in WiFi allows for web surfing and downloading books, magazines, newspapers, comic books, apps and other content. (Note that though the Tablet runs Android Gingerbread, users will not have access to the Android Marketplace.) It’s thinner than the Color weighing in at 14.1 ounces and it features a soft touch back design. A built-in microphone allows users to take advantage of the new Read and Record feature which allows parents to record narration and let their kids play it back when they’re reading their favorite stories. The newest Nook also sees an upgrade in entertainment selection. It comes preloaded with Netflix and Hulu Plus apps for movie and TV show selections (Flixster with UltraViolet is coming soon) and Pandora, Rhapsody, Grooveshark, and MOG are available for streaming music.

During their press event, B&N highlighted their Tablet’s advantages over Kindle’s Fire. In addition to featuring a better display with superior viewing angle, more than 2X the memory, a lighter design, more RAM, and better content rendering, Nook Tablet owners will also have the assurance that if they ever need product support they can visit a local Barnes & Noble store to resolve their issue. That is something Amazon sadly can never offer as it is strictly an e-tailer. The Nook Tablet is now up for preorder at $249 and it releases next week on November 18. That is a fat $50 more than the direct competition coming from Amazon, so be careful when you’re shopping this holiday season.

Besides announcing the Nook Tablet, B&N also took time to refresh and make cheaper their other e-readers. The new and improved Nook Color will ship with B&N’s “largest software update ever” that will bring Netflix, Hulu Plus, and music streaming apps to the device, as well as a refreshed library and enhanced shopping experience. The new Color ships this December at $199. Existing owners of the Color will automatically receive the update at no cost over WiFi next month. And finally there’s the tried and true Nook, now renamed the Nook Simple Touch. It will also come preloaded with a software update that will enable better battery life (users can read for up to 2 months for one hour a day). The update, which is now available for existing Nook owners to download, also makes the screen crisper and the page turn rate faster. The rebranded Nook Simple Touch is available to buy today at a low $99 with “no annoying ads.” Stings a bit, doesn’t it Amazon? Game on.

[Via Barnes & Noble] Continue reading Barnes & Noble announces Nook Tablet, updates and drops prices of Nook Color & Nook Simple Touch →

Motorola announces Xoom 2 and Xoom 2 Media Edition tablets

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Today Motorola announced the successor to its Android tablet the Xoom. Expectantly the new tablet is called the Xoom 2. It features the same 10.1-inch widescreen display as its predecessor, runs Android Honeycomb 3.2, and is powered by a dual-core 1.2GHz processor. 16GB of storage is on board, as is 1GB of RAM. A five megapixel shooter sits on the back, and around the front you’ll spot a 1.3 megapixel camera for video chat. Ports include HDMI, microUSB, and 3.5mm headphone jack. And to highlight a few more key differences from the original Xoom: the Xoom 2 weighs approximately 100 grams lighter than the first Moto tablet, it is also much thinner measuring at 0.35 inches thick, the display is brighter and more vibrant than before, it features new splash-guard coating for protection against spilled liquid, Gorilla Glass protection will help deter scratches, it is compatabile with a separately sold Motorola Stylus for note-taking, and an enhanced battery will support more than 10 hours of video playback. Additionally, the body sports an elegant design with angular cut-away corners that takes cues from the recently announced Motorola smartphone the Droid RAZR; Moto promises better ergonomics because of this.

And then there’s the Xoom 2 Media Edition. It’s essentially a Xoom 2 with a smaller 8.2-inch display. A few other things distinguish the Media Edition from its larger brother: it features a wide 178 degree viewing angle, it has a 20 percent improvement in graphics performance over the original Xoom, and it weighs under a pound.

A press release, in full after the break, says that the WiFi-only versions of the Xoom 2 (£379.99) and Xoom 2 Media Edition (£329.99) tablets are headed to Ireland and the UK later this month. No word on when they will hit stateside. People who do get their hands on a new Xoom can expect a future update to Google’s upcoming OS Ice Cream Sandwich, so they are future-proof in that sense. Get a closer look at the Xooms below and jump after the break to watch a promo.

[Via Engadget] Continue reading Motorola announces Xoom 2 and Xoom 2 Media Edition tablets →

Google TV gets an update

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Google admits that their initial attempt at meshing television and the Internet “wasn’t perfect.” On Friday the company laid out their plans for Google TV 2.0 and their hope is that with the new software additions and refinements, customers will be more enticed to purchase a GTV box or compatible TV set if they haven’t already done so. At the official Google TV blog, the development team divided the changes into four categories. First, the user interface has undergone a cosmetic facelift and is now “much simpler” to navigate. The new customizable home screen displays favorite apps across the bottom of the screen and an “all apps” folder allows users to quickly browse every pre-installed and added app. Next up is refined search. There’s a new app called “TV & Movies” that allows users to “easily browse through 80,000 movies and TV episodes across cable or satellite, Netflix, Amazon, YouTube, and many other sites.” Before, the search box allowed users to type a query to make it easier to find a specific TV show. While that search box remains present, the TV & Movies app–which aggregates content from all kinds of services including live TV and Internet-based locations–makes exploring and discovering content in one place a reality. Third is an enhanced YouTube experience. YouTube videos are now available to watch in HD and the video service is more closely integrated with Google TV search. For example, when users search “hysterical baby” they will be able to save the search results as a “channel” to access any time. And last but certainly not least is the addition of Android Market. Google says that “Android developers can now bring existing mobile apps or entirely new ones to TV.” Obviously apps requiring a touch screen, GPS, or telephony will not be made available for download on Google TV devices, but Google claims that “50 developers have seeded the Market with cool and useful apps” made specifically for use on a TV. As in all app markets, the selection will grow over time. Another update to GTV includes the ability to view online pictures in a new Photos app.

According to Google the update to Google TV will rollout to compatible devices made by Sony first starting this week and then it’ll make its way to Logitech’s Revue sometime after. Google promises that more software updates are on the way, “as well as new devices on new chipsets from multiple hardware partners.” With Google’s TV efforts evolving and speculation that Apple is about to enter the fray, the Internet on the TV initiative is just heating up. See what the new Google TV interface looks like in the gallery below. Video after the break.

[Via Google TV Blog] Continue reading Google TV gets an update →

Nokia unveils Lumia range of Windows Phone-powered smartphones

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Today at Nokia World in London, Nokia CEO Stephen Elop unveiled the Nokia Lumia range of smartphones. The Lumia 800 and Lumia 710 are the first Nokia smartphones powered by Windows Phone. Remember way back when, when the cell phone manufacturer announced its “strategic alliance” with Microsoft? Well the Lumia handsets announced today are the first products to be born out of the partnership.

The Lumia 800 is the fiercer of the two, sporting a 3.7-inch (800 x 480) AMOLED ClearBlack curved display, a 1.4 GHz processor with hardware acceleration and a graphics processor, 512MB of RAM, an eight megapixel Carl Zeiss optics branded camera lens on the back with a  f/2.2 aperture and 720p HD video recording and playback, and 16GB of internal storage and 25GB of free SkyDrive storage. Quad-band GSM support is included, and users can expect HSDPA download speeds to reach up to 14.4Mbps. The exterior of the super sleek device–which measures 12.1mm thin and is made of durable polycarbonate plastic–isn’t adorned with much. At the top there’s a 3.5mm headphone jack and a tiny door that hides a micro-USB charger port and the SIM slot; the right side has a volume rocker, power button, and a dedicated camera shutter button; the bottom houses the speaker; and that’s pretty much it. The traditional Windows Phone icons (back, home, and search) are capacitive and sit beneath the display. As far as availability is concerned, the Lumia 800 is scheduled to rollout across France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK in November. It will then be made available in Hong Kong, India, Russia, Singapore and Taiwan before the end of the year, and in further markets in early 2012. Whether or not the United States is included in that “further markets” category is anybody’s guess at this point. The handset is priced at €420, or about $585.

Moving on to the budget-friendly Nokia Windows Phone, the bulkier Lumia 710 sports the same 1.4 GHz processor as the 800, but the 3.7-inch ClearBlack display is WVGA TFT here and misses out on the 800’s crisper and bolder AMOLED screen. Other specs include 512MB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage, plus there’s a five megapixel shooter on the back. It’s also worth noting that the Windows icons (back, home, search) are physical buttons on the 710. Availability goes like this: the Lumia 710 will release first in Hong Kong, India, Russia, Singapore and Taiwan in November alongside the Lumia 800, and then it will be made available in further markets in early 2012. Again, we don’t know if this handset will make it to U.S. shores. The 710 will sell for €270, or about $375.

Now we must briefly focus on the software. Obviously the Lumia range will be running Microsoft’s latest version of Windows Phone dubbed Mango. What’s slightly disappointing is that (at least in the beginning) Nokia isn’t doing much to differentiate their line of Windows Phones from the current competition. The Lumia range will come packaged with the following three software additions: Drive, Music, and ESPN Sports Hub. The first will provide users with full turn-by-turn navigation; the second will work alongside the Zune player and feature something called Mix Radio that allows users to stream music playlists; and the third will offer up sports stats and related news. For now, these are the only differentiating factors software-wise for Nokia’s Windows Phones. Can Nokia get by solely with their good looks?

Be sure to get a closer look at the Lumia 800 (available in cyan, magenta and black) and the chunkier Lumia 710 (available in black and white with black, white, cyan, fuchsia and yellow interchangeable back covers) in the galleries below. Videos and press releases are after the break. If/when these phones make it to the U.S. I’ll let you know. At some point in the near future (likely by 2012) Nokia will be selling Windows Phones in the States, so rest assured.


[Via Engadget 1, 2, 3] Continue reading Nokia unveils Lumia range of Windows Phone-powered smartphones →

Joss Whedon’s ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ project revealed

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On Monday, this little bit of exciting news came to light: Bellwether Pictures announced that Joss Whedon (Dr. Horrible, The Avengers) secretly adapted and directed a modern version of Shakespeare’s classic comedy Much Ado About Nothing. Never heard of the backing studio Bellwether Pictures? A press release explains its origin; it’s “a micro-studio created by Joss Whedon and Kai Cole [Whedon’s wife] for the production of small, independent narrativesfor all media, embracing a DIY ethos and newer technologies for, in this particular case, a somewhat older story.” The film was shot in black and white over the course of  just twelve days in “exotic” Santa Monica, California. It stars many of Whedon’s past collaborators from Firefly, Dollhouse, and his upcoming horror film Cabin in the Woods. The two leads are Amy Acker (Dr. Claire Saunders from Dollhouse) and Alexis Denisof (Wesley Wyndam-Pryce from Buffy and Angel) as Beatrice and Benedick, “the world’s least likely lovers headedfor their inevitable tumble into love.” The supporting cast includes Nathan Fillion (Firefly) as Dogberry, Clark Gregg (The Avengers) as Leonato, Fran Kranz (Dollhouse) as Claudio, Reed Diamond (Moneyball) as Don Pedro, and Sean Maher (Firefly) as Don John. Says Whedon, “The text is to me adeconstruction of the idea of love, which is ironic, since the entire production is a loveletter – to the text, to the cast, even to the house it’s shot in.”

Whedon made the decision to move ahead with his passion project while filming The Avengers in New York. After the Marvel filmed wrapped, he planned to celebrate his 20th anniversary with his wife Kai by taking a break from work and going on vacation. Kai ultimately pushed Whedon into Much Ado About Nothing and together they financially backed the project, made casting decisions, and shot the entire film inside their home. Kai is an architect and she ended up designing the set and decorating the house.

In an interview with EW, Whedon described his take on the Shakespearean play. “I had trouble at first, because it had the words “About Nothing” in the title. So I was like, “I don’t have anything to say about nothing.” But really when I started pouring over it, I got a very strong sense of how a little bit dark and twisted it is. The movie’s in black-and-white partially because it’s kind of a noir comedy. I realized that everybody in it behaves like such a dolt — an articulate dolt, but a dolt. I fixated on this notion that our ideas of romantic love are created for us by the society around us, and then escape from that is grown-up love, is marriage, is mature love, to escape the ideals of love that we’re supposed to follow. So that clicked for me when I realized, oh, I get why it matters everybody goes through the weird machinations we go through.”

Actor Sean Maher shed some more light on what to expect with EW. “It does feel contemporary. The direction we were getting from Joss was to make it was real, especially with the language, not to be big and Shakespearian, but to bring it in and be intimate and bring it as close to a realistic way of speaking as we could. And Joss’ house is just magnificent. Not ostentatious by any means, but just a maze of halls and so many different bedrooms and this pool that overlooks the Santa Monica mountains. It’s gorgeous, just the most perfect setting. Everybody who was there, so desperately wanted to be there and you felt that. It really felt like we were doing something great. So I’m excited.”

And so now I bet you’re wondering when the general public will be able to see Whedon’s rendition of Much Ado About Nothing. “I haven’t heard anything yet,” he told EW. “I’ve just been enjoying the Internet response. We’re feeling our way on this one, just like Dr. Horrible. I do mean it to be in theaters. But we haven’t gotten any real plan except [going to] film festivals because it sounded like it would be festive.”

There you have it. The veil has been lifted from Joss Whedon’s passion project, a modernized version of a classic Shakespeare play. While we wait for official announcements concerning the film’s distribution, feast your eyes on two images from the production featuring Sean Maher and Amy Acker plus a a still from the official movie website. The full press release sits after the break.

[Via MuchAdoTheMovie; EW] Continue reading Joss Whedon’s ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ project revealed →

TV reminder: ‘Once Upon a Time’ premieres tonight at 8PM on ABC

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The imaginative new show from Lost scribes Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis premieres tonight at 8PM on ABC. Once Upon a Time takes place in Storybrooke, Maine, a magical place that appears normal at first glance but when examined a bit more closely it actually is home to a myriad of fairytale characters who lead ordinary lives and have forgotten their true identities. Emma Swan (House‘s Jennifer Morrison) is the show’s protagonist, and her son Henry (Jared Gilmore) is the one who draws her to the mysterious Storybrooke in an attempt to find answers and ultimately lift the Evil Queen’s (Lana Parilla) amnesic cruse. Sounds like fun to me. Once also stars Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White, Joshua Dallas as Prince Charming, and Robert Carlyle as Rumpelstiltskin. Lost fans, pay close attention during tonight’s pilot; Horowitz and Kitsis have made it known that the episode contains numerous references to their old show. For example, the giant clock in Storybrooke is frozen in time at precisely 8:15. See what else you can find. Character stills and pictures from the pilot hang in the galleries below.

Bonus! Can’t wait a minute longer to watch? IMDb is streaming the episode right here, right now!

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[Images via IGN]