Tron

The 404 794: Where all we are is dust in the wind, dude (podcast)

Babysitting troubles steal Natali away from today's podcast, but Keanu Reeves brings us news about the next "Bill & Ted" sequel and we spin off into the rest of today's rundown, which includes a FaceTime camera glitch, a tilting Safari Easter egg, and a new way to promote viral advertisements.

The 404 Digest for Episode 794

A new "Bill & Ted" is in the works, says Keanu. A supposed FaceTime glitch shows random pictures when you initiate a call. Googling "tilt," "askew," and "slanted" reveals misaligned search results. Hot Wheels erects a clever marketing campaign on a bridge in Columbia. Would you let a company paint an advertisement on your wall? What if they paid your mortgage?

Episode 794 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

Welcome to the creepily awesome Tron home

In today's Hollywood, a movie doesn't have to actually be good to be a success. Box office flops and critics' punching bags can live on and prosper with the right marketing and merchandising strategy--or in the case of Disney's "Tron: Legacy," a super cool interior design project.

Disney is teaming with DuPont and a bunch of architects and designers to bring the world of the "Grid" to life, and this time without the use of expensive CGI effects.

Instead, they'll be using Corian--DuPont's trademark solid-surface material most commonly used in countertops--to create creepily sterile-looking furniture and all the other accoutrements you'd expect to find in the home of a Grid denizen... er, program.

Click through the gallery above to see digital renderings of the Tron pad, complete with a home entertainment center, a kitchen that's cooler than anything in stainless steel, and a hot tub you'll want to be sure to unplug for. A real-life version of the "Tron designs Corian" geek abode will exhibit at Milan Design Week from April 11-17, and we even hear Jacuzzi is involved in the project. Talk about a Sea of Simulation...… Read more

The Internet and the 'Art of Immersion'

AUSTIN, Texas--At the South by Southwest Interactive conference (SXSW) over the last few days, the bulk of the conversation, in hallways, at parties, and in panels, has been about social media. But what about the fascinating ways that people are using technology to take storytelling to the next level?

The team behind the new Jake Gyllenhaal film "Source Code" was in town and talked a bit about the interactive game associated with that film, and a few panels here also touched on the subject. One of those was about the film "Tron: Legacy," and was moderated … Read more

'Tron: Legacy' review--go for the fun, not the plot

movie review It's hard to judge "Tron: Legacy" in a vacuum, as most will naturally look to the original 1982 film for comparison.

That said, even if you've never seen the original, you can still enjoy the new movie. There are enough flashbacks and explanations that you won't miss out on much. But that doesn't mean it doesn't draw a steady stream of influence from the original, with nods peppered throughout to keep fans happy.

I won't explain the whole plot here, but in general, it's as much a reboot as it is a sequel. Kevin Flynn, played perfectly by Jeff Bridges--who sometimes seems to channel The Dude from "The Big Lebowski"--disappeared 20-odd years ago. His son, Sam (Garrett Hedlund), bitter about mysteriously losing the dad he loved, gets paged to Flynn's abandoned video arcade. There, he finds his dad's secret super-computer workshop and gets himself blasted into the world of Tron that Flynn had created.

This transition was a neat trick, and one I didn't anticipate. Watching the first 20 or so minutes of the film, I was disappointed at how the 3D looked. But then I realized it wasn't 3D, but regular 2D. The 3D, which looks spectacular, starts the moment Sam (and the viewers) enter the Tron world. It's a trick reminiscent of the black-and-white-to-color gimmick in "The Wizard of Oz." This is also where the Daft Punk score kicks in, and in some ways it's as much a character as anyone else in the film. There's been a lot of hype about it, and it's all legit.

Another highlight of the film, which opened nationwide at midnight last night: the requisite light bike scene, which is great. It very much resembles the gameplay I've seen in the "Tron" games coming to consoles and it made me want to play right there in the theater. … Read more

The 404 724: Where we do it live with Russ Frushtick (podcast)

With only a few weeks left before the holidays, we're getting picky about the guest hosts while Wilson is out of town, so show veteran Russ Frushtick makes another appearance on the show and rounds up the year in video games with his top three picks for the holiday season. He also runs down his spoiler-free review of TRON: Legacy and chews some beef with Time Warner!

Forget about WikiLeaks, the FBI is apparently downplaying an internally leaked memo that warns field agents of Barbie Video Girl that features a video camera built into her necklace.

You're supposed to use it to record video from the doll's perspective and upload it to your computer, but the FBI is worried that deviants will use the technology to exploit young children. And although there haven't been any reported incidents relating to the new doll, the FBI still has no problem spreading the idea themselves.

We've all received gift cards for the holidays that we have no interest in using, but now online gift stores like Plastic Jungle, Cardpool, and Gift Card Rescue are letting consumers sell back their unused cards and buy new ones at a discount.

The amount of money you receive for a card depends on the popularity of the store, with in-demand retailers like Wal-Mart and Target going for up to 92 percent of the value. Less popular cards only get 80-85 percent, but it's still better than looking for $100 worth of merchandise to spend at Blockbuster.

Google has a new operating system called Chrome OS that will compete with Apple Mac OS and Microsoft Windows for a spot on your computer, but one of the interesting features is Cloud Print that you can use to access your home printer from any Chrome-powered smartphone or computer .

Cloud Print is a Web service, so it's easy to share printers with family and friends from anywhere in the world, and even set up private lists to block Spam. Google hopes that all devices will eventually support Cloud-based printing, and you can take it for a test-drive today by downloading Chrome at Google.com/chrome.

Much thanks to Russ Frushtick for waking up before noon to help us out on the show, and keep an ear out for another appearance on the Back to the Future Yuletide episode that will debut while we're away for the holiday!

Episode 724 Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

Crave 28: Where's my steampunk boombox? (podcast)

This week, we get all Crave-y over a new boombox from TDK with a sweet design that belies the company's low-tech roots. Also, a fake coffee bot makes us yearn for the days when "The Jetsons" becomes a reality; some creepy crawlers get made over into flashy, USB-powered robots that are just ripe for holiday stockings; and we check out a tutorial on how to install your own "Star Trek"-worthy pneumatic doors. Plus, an utterly expensive--yet awesome--steampunk flash drive catches our eyes, as does a rather emasculating motorcycle ripped straight out of "Tron"--but for entirely different reasons. Finally, a shout-out to a local eatery in this week's "This is Why You're Fat" segment.

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'Tron' light cycles come to life, and they're for sale

Show up at the "Tron: Legacy" movie premiere on one of these babies.

Parker Brothers Choppers, of Melbourne, Fla., have built 10 Tron Lightcycles. The $55,000 bike is built on a steel frame, with a fiberglass body and a V-twin Suzuki TLR1000 engine. According to Parker Brothers, it is street-legal.

Each bike weighs a reported 474 pounds and is about 100 inches long and 23 inches wide, with a seat 28.5 inches off the ground. And while the Parker Brothers' design is strikingly similar to the Disney movie light cycle, there are some visible differences, such … Read more

'Tron'-inspired watch needs to get real

In the classic 1982 Disney sci-fi movie "Tron," Kevin Flynn (played by Jeff Bridges) says with cool confidence, "It's all in the wrists." I couldn't agree more.

As a lover of exotic watches who's enthusiastically awaiting the upcoming "Tron: Legacy" movie, my eyes lit up when I saw the 7R0N, a Tron-inspired LED watch featured on the blog of wacky watch seller Tokyo Flash.

The design is very svelte, undoubtedly futuristic, and has a monolithic black band with electroluminescent accents on the strap.

The timepiece features a throwback to the "Tron" disc design, with the LED displaying minutes on the outer ring and hours in the inner ring. This accessory will definitely signal that you're the biggest geek in the room, and could nicely accent the recently announced Tron Gaming Mouse. … Read more

Razer brings 'Tron' to the gaming mouse

Seems like hot trends of the '80s and '90s are coming full circle and hitting a new generation of fans. From "Transformers" to "Star Wars," the latest fad to hit the silver screen is science fiction movie "Tron." Gaming peripheral maker Razer is riding the wave with its latest device--the Tron Gaming Mouse.

Decked out with LED-lit lines and inspired by the famous light cycle motorbike from the movie, the Tron mouse also comes with sound effects activated by movement. Using the company's 3.5G laser sensor, the device has an impressive 5,… Read more