Amazon will bankroll Terry Gilliam’s cursed ‘Don Quixote’ movie
There are many famously unmade films, but few are as well-documented as Terry Gilliam’s The Man Who Killed Don Quixote. The Monty Python star has been trying to make his passion project since 1998, the most successful, erm, unsuccessful attempt being documented in the documentary Lost in La Mancha. Now, the director has revealed that Amazon will stump up cash to shoot the film as part of a deal he signed back in May. According to an interview in Indiewire, the plan is for a theatrical release in the US that’ll be followed “a month or two afterwards” by a splashy premiere on Amazon Prime.
The obvious question to ask is why Amazon is putting money on such a famously doomed project? It seems clear that the company enjoys courting filmmakers with a high-standing amongst critics. That can be seen in its recent track record, since it’s signed deals with big names like Woody Allen, Spike Lee, Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Jim Jarmusch in the last six months alone. As far as Gilliam is concerned, it’s because the site’s studio business is still in its “formative stages” that is, as yet, untouched by a studio-system style bureaucracy.
In addition to getting the funding that he’s been seeking, Gilliam believes that he’s gaining far more artistic freedom than under the traditional system. When discussing another project, Defective Detective, the director mentioned that his films have had to be “compressed,” presumably to meet a cinema-friendly run time. Now, however, Gilliam could produce a mini-series style version of the story that’ll satisfy his artistic sensibilities and, hopefully, draw plenty more crowds towards paying for a Prime subscription.
[Image Credit: Getty]
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Amazon
Via: The AV Club
Source: Indiewire
Samsung (and Apple) are looking into dual-camera technology
While HTC has been tinkering with dual-camera setups for a couple of years now, with its One M7 and One M8 smartphones featuring Ultra-Pixel technology (before abandoning it for the One M9), it hasn’t really caught on. While it was praised for delivering good quality low-light images, HTC‘s take on the dual-camera was lacking when compared to its competitors singular sensors with a higher Mega-Pixel count. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a future for a dual-camera setup though, as there are reports that both Samsung and Apple are looking into the technology for use with future handsets. China’s Huawei is also getting in on dual-camera technology, with its Honor 6 Plus handset making use of the ‘bokeh‘ effect.
At present, flagship smartphones are using 16MP or 20MP sensors, with more and more features being crammed inside of them. But with the never-ending need to make the device thinner and lighter, the single camera setup might be pushing the limits in regards to the number of features that can be packed inside. It’s thought that with the might of both Samsung and Apple pushing development of the dual camera technology (separately, of course), that using a twin camera setup will be the way forward. One thing is for sure, if dual-cameras were to become the norm, component manufacturers would be pretty happy seeing their sales increase. Time will tell, I would be extremely surprised if we were to see the upcoming Note 5 sport a dual-camera setup, but who knows about the Galaxy S7 next year?
Source: ETNEWS
Come comment on this article: Samsung (and Apple) are looking into dual-camera technology
Google offering a free movie rental for Chromecast owners
Google has just opened up a pretty compelling offer to Chromecast users today, offering all owners a free movie rental of their choice from a selection of Play Store titles. We’re not just talking a few obscure films here, titles available include popular recent films, such as Kingsman and Interstellar.
The films available for rent are usually priced between $2.99 and $4.99. The choices range from recent titles such as American Sniper, through to some old favourites such as The Lost World: Jurassic Park and Mad Max 2. The deal is running until April 18th 2016, so there’s plenty of time to pick out something you like.
To claim the offer, head on over to the Chromecast offers webpage, tick the little box, and choose the option for a free movie rental from Google Play. After that, you’ll be redirected to a page that lists all of the rentals available with the deal. I’ve grabbed a screenshot of some of them below.
As with most rentals from the Google Play Store, you have around 30 days to start watching your rental after making your purchase and have 48 hours to finish watching the film once you hit play. Although this does vary with some titles from different studios.
If you don’t have a Chromecast yet, you can still grab one directly from Google via the Play Store. Any takers out there?
Gmail adds OAuth support for Microsoft and Yahoo email accounts
Google is improving security for non-Google email accounts used with the Gmail Android app.
Support for third-party email services arrived to Gmail for Android back in March, making it possible to access all your email accounts in one place and rendering the old Email app redundant in the process. Now Google is enhancing the security of said third-party accounts with the addition of OAuth support, starting with Microsoft (Outlook.com) and Yahoo.
OAuth is an open authentication standard widely used on the web, that makes it possible to grant an app “secure delegated access” to a server, without actually transmitting the credentials. According to the Gmail team, using OAuth makes authentication more secure and enables some extra features, like two-step verification and account recovery.
No word for now on OAuth support coming for other email providers.
The feature is part of an update currently hitting Gmail – you can check for an update on the Play Store, but as usual Google has not provided a changelog that reveals other modifications brought to the app. Also as usual, “several bug fixes and performance improvements” are promised for the new version.
Apple Music May Cost Just $2 to $3 Per Month in India and Russia [iOS Blog]
Apple Music will cost $9.99 per month in the United States after a three-month free trial period, but the service could cost as little as $2 per month elsewhere. A sign-up menu for Apple Music that started appearing yesterday for some developers and public beta testers on iOS 8.4 beta 4 reveals that the subscription-based streaming music service may have lower pricing in countries such as India and Russia.
A pair of separate reports by Technology Personalized and Russian-language tech blog TJournal share screenshots that suggest an Apple Music individual subscription could cost Rs 120 per month in India (~$2 USD) and 169 rubles per month (~$3 USD) in Russia. While the lower prices in these countries are not confirmed beyond these screenshots, they would be in line with similar pricing offered by rivals such as Rdio, Guvera and Gaana.
Apple Music was announced earlier this week as a streaming music service, live global radio station and social platform for artists to connect with fans. The subscription-based service will be available for a monthly fee after a three-month free trial for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac and PC. Apple TV and Android versions of the service will be available in the fall. Apple Music launches June 30 on iOS 8.4 and iTunes.
‘Halo’ dart guns are perfect for the galactic war in your backyard
Need something to take your Master Chief Collection frustrations out with? Then these Halo branded Nerf foam-dart guns from BOOMco might be right up your alley. For $30 you get toy versions of the sci-fi series’ M6 Blaster pistol and and the alien Covenant Plasma Overcharge Blaster, a target, foam ammo and a gun case modeled after those you’d find in-game. As reseller MattyCollector writes in the product listing, these are apparently accurate up to 70 feet too. You can pre-order them through the site right now, but the catch is you have to pick them up in San Diego at Comic Con this year. A number of the armaments will be sold at the Mattel booth as well. You’ve already gotten your tickets and booked a hotel, right? If not you can try your luck for the “limited” supply that’s going to Toys R Us’ website after the show, sans the SDCC-exclusive case pictured below.
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment
Via: Toyland
Source: MattyCollector
Sony shifts to pricey game rentals in UK PlayStation Now beta
Sony kicked off closed beta testing of its PlayStation Now game streaming service in the UK a couple of months ago, and now it’s time to talk turkey. Beta participants previously had unrestricted access to the PS Now streaming catalogue, but Sony’s just started experimenting with rental pricing. A full-fat PS3 title now costs £5 to rent for two days, or £10 if you want to stretch that to a 30-day term; PS3-era PlayStation Network games are slightly cheaper at £3 and £8 for two- and 30-day rental periods, respectively. Bear in mind, PS Now is still in the early stages of beta testing in the UK, and Sony’s made it clear that it’ll be playing around with “different rental options at different price points.”
This means Sony can alter rental terms and their prices as much as it likes to get a feel for what works best. That said, these initial offerings give us at least a vague indication of what Sony would like us to pay for the convenience of on-demand gaming. Across the pond, where PS Now is fully launched, game rentals can last anywhere from four hours to 90 days, so you can expect more timespans to come to the UK beta in due course. In the US, you can also pay $20 per month (roughly £13) for unlimited access to the full PS Now library, and it’ll be interesting to see what Sony thinks us Brits are willing to shell out for the same privilege.
Via: Eurogamer
UK government should retain mass surveillance powers, says report
An “undemocratic” and “unnecessary” patchwork of laws that facilitate the UK government’s use of mass surveillance should be abandoned in favour of new legislation “drafted from scratch.” That’s the conclusion of a new, independent review commissioned by the government, which broadly supports the current powers available to intelligence services.
However, the team led by David Anderson is also suggesting fundamental changes that would do more to protect citizens. Instead of ministers having the final say, warrants needed to intercept our communications and, specifically, the content of our calls and messages would be considered and authorised by a new Independent Surveillance and Intelligence Commission (ISIC). The body would consist of serving and retired senior judges, who would weigh whether each intrusion is both necessary and appropriate. The report also calls for “a tighter definition” of scenarios where warrants can be approved.
The second wave of proposals concern communications data, which covers only the circumstances for which a message or call is made. Typically, this means the date, people and location relevant to our conversations. The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA), first introduced in 2000, has slowly been expanded to allow a host of government bodies, including local authorities, to request this kind of data. It’s led to numerous reports suggesting that these powers are being misused — today’s report suggests that all “minor” cases should be handled by independent staff at the National Anti-Fraud Network.
In addition, the “designated persons” that are required to authorise the collection of communications data in each public body would need to be redefined. At the moment, the only requirement is a senior rank, but under the report’s new proposals, they would also need to be independent from the case tied to each application. It would mean that in the police force, for instance, a superintendent could only approve an application if they hadn’t been involved in the case themselves. In theory, this would ensure the person weighing each application is objective and makes fair, balanced decisions. The report also suggests that requests deemed novel or contentious should be referred to the new ISIC.
Privacy advocates will no doubt be alarmed that the type of data and the overall extent of the government’s surveillance powers have been endorsed today. Although the internal processes would change, the report supports the requirement that service providers retain your communications data for 12 months. It also suggests that the retention of data about broader “internet activity,” put forward in the controversial Snoopers Charter, “would be useful” with the appropriate safeguards. It sets up a contentious foundation for the new Investigatory Powers Bill which Theresa May hopes to introduce later this year.
[Image Credit: Barry Batchelor/PA WIRE]
Filed under: Internet
FBI seized computers linked to celeb photo leak scandal
A huge celebrity nude leak scandal took the internet by storm last year — now, an unsealed federal search warrant gives us a peek into the FBI’s investigations. Apparently, the feds used phone records and IP to track one of the computers used to access the celebrities’ compromised accounts in October 2014. That computer was linked to two email addresses owned by a 30-year-old man named Emilio Herrera. As a result, the FBI conducted a search of Herrera’s home in Chicago and ended up seizing several computers, antiquated phones, memory cards, a Kindle Fire and, curiously, even two floppy disks. Herrera isn’t necessarily a suspect, though: he wasn’t even arrested, and investigation’s still ongoing.
According to the documents, Herrera’s computer and IP address were used to illegally access 572 unique iCloud accountsaround six times each. They were also used in attempts to reset almost 2,000 other iCloud passwords. The documents state that majority of the accounts accessed from Herrera’s home belong to celebs, models and their families, and that a number of them belong to the victims of the nude leak.
Feds didn’t list those victims’ full names in the docs, but gave their initials as follows: A.S., C.H., H.S., J.M., O.W., A.K., E.B. and A.H. A separate affidavit unearthed by the Chicago Sun-Times details a detective’s interview with another called J.L.. Some of them told the feds they took the photos with their phones and only sent a select few to their significant others, yet all their images still made it online. A few remember being kicked and locked out of their own accounts for a period of time last year (one even got spooked enough to disable iCloud afterwards), while others recall receiving phishing messages. You can read the full warrant and affidavit (courtesy of Gawker) right here, if you want to know more about the case.
Via: Variety
Source: NBC News, Federal Search Warrant
Google brings Android Auto support to the Galaxy S4 and S5 on three carriers
Google has updated its official Android Auto application in the Play Store to bring compatibility of the platform to AT&T, Sprint and Verizon-branded variants of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and S5.
For those unaware, Android Auto provides users with in-car access to Google Maps and other specially-adapted Google services via a touchscreen embedded in their vehicle’s centre console. If a users smartphone is paired they will also be able to make/receive calls and read/reply to texts.
If you own one of the newly-supported handsets and would like to install the Android Auto app, hit the download link below.
Download: Play Store
Come comment on this article: Google brings Android Auto support to the Galaxy S4 and S5 on three carriers
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