Posted by Jonathan Hunt - Tuesday, January 02, 2007 4:30 PM
 While everyone else was busy toasting the new year, a group of French protestors in the western city of Nantes were standing tall, rejecting the notion of 2007.
The protestors, apparently in an attempt to poke fun at how the French adore protesting just about anything, held banners high, reading, "No to 2007!" and "Now is Better!"
Among the marchers' demands was a call for the United Nations to place a moratorium on "the future" in an attempt to halt the "mad race" of time. Despite poor weather conditions, the crowd stuck through to the end, and even swore to one-up themselves, by relaunching their protest on December 31, 2007. This time, however, the protest will be held in downtown Paris.
BBC News: French marchers say 'non' to 2007
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Posted by Josh Lawson - Tuesday, January 02, 2007 4:16 PM
 Putting the "Googlephone" rumors to rest, Samsung has stepped up to be the first to introduce the technology in their Ultra Edition 13.8.
Formerly known as the Z720, this European cellphone will be incorporating the latest in Google software to give access to the plethora of Google apps planning on hitting the market in the coming months.
Being that the 13.8 is going to be using Google apps for browsing, there is one part that might need to be resolved...their contract with Opera Software for all Samsung phones to carry the Opera Web Browser. Ouch!
In the end, Opera will just have to sit on the bench for this one as Google looks to be taking it down the 40, the 30, the 20, the 10 and in to your pockets once the US carriers decide you are ready for it.
Engadget: First "Googlephone" ends up being Samsung's Ultra Edition 13.8 (Z720)
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Tags: Tech
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Tuesday, January 02, 2007 3:18 PM
Since the saucer crash of 1947*, the tiny hamlet of Roswell, New Mexico has been the center of UFO-phoria. Now the town wants to cash in on their UFO fame by building the world's first UFO-themed amusement park.
Should it ever actually be built, the proposed park, which I call "Six Flags Over Betelguse 7," will feature rides, a learning center and a library where visitors can do their own research on aliens. One thing I love when attending a theme park is research! "This is not a guaranteed project, but it has gone farther than any other theme park that has been considered for the city of Roswell, and it's looking very positive," Zach Montgomery, planning director for the city of Roswell, N.M told the local paper. "This project will add greatly to the things to do for the visitors that visit our great city in search of answers regarding aliens and UFOs, and the tax benefits and profits that could be realized from a project of this magnitude are tremendous."
Sci-Fi Wire: *Which totally happened, for real. The government is just covering up and stuff.
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Posted by Josh Lawson - Tuesday, January 02, 2007 3:13 PM
 LCD and plasma lovers, you just got 15 more minutes of love for your TV.
Toshiba, in conjunction with Canon, has announced that their much awaited debut of the SED TV to the world-at-large is going to be delayed.
Unfortunately for us, Toshiba is involved in a lawsuit with Nano-Proprietary, which originally had given permission to Canon to use the technology.
Lacking the same love for Toshiba as Canon, the lawsuit has forced Toshiba to hold off on building a manufacturing plant that would have specifically produced SED TV's.
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Tags: Tech
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Tuesday, January 02, 2007 2:42 PM
Time Magazine's annual game of the year was announced this week. If you were thinking it's "Gears of War!" "Twilight Princess!" or "Resistance: Fall of Man," you'll be sorely disappointed.
While all those games made the top ten list, according to the news weekly of record the videogame of the year is..drumroll please.... Wii Sports!
Wii Sports. Seriously. The magazine pointed out tha that "it's hilarious, and it shows off the power of the motion-sensitive Wii controller to put you right in the game, sweating and yelling and trying crazy spins and lunges and angles."
It seems nonsensical that the free, shallow-as-hell software that comes with the system is the best game of the year, but think of it this way: Your average non-hardcore gamers will have a lot more fun with Wii Sports than Gears, and non-hardcore gamers make up like 99% of the population of the world.
Oddly, Prey made the list and it mostly sucked, and Dead Rising (my own pick for best videogame) was absent.
Time.com:
Top 10 Video Games
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Tags: Videogames
Posted by Jonathan Hunt - Tuesday, January 02, 2007 2:27 PM
 It appears that we will be able to continue buying vowels and wagering it all on a Daily Double through 2012, based on a press release yesterday from CBS Television Distribution. Both Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! have been renewed in syndication through the 2011-2012 seasons.
CBS Television Distribution announced that ABC-owned stations WABC in New York, KABC in Los Angeles, and WLS in Chicago have all extended their syndication deals for the two games shows.
Wheel of Fortune, in its 24th season, is currently the No.1 syndicated show on television, while Jeopardy! comes in at No. 3 for its 23rd season.
Yahoo News:
"Jeopardy!" and "Wheel" set through 2012
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Tags: TV
Posted by Mike D'Alonzo - Tuesday, January 02, 2007 1:51 PM
In a tragic turn of events, Denver Broncos DB Darrent Williams was killed after a party on Sunday night when the limousine he was riding in was showered with gunfire. There's no motive for Williams' death, and it's possible he might not have even been the target in the shooting, but he died anyway.
Seriously, we do a lot of joking at TheFeed, and I'm no Broncos fan, but this is a senseless and stupid way to die. The people who did this, when they are found, should be subject to the same punishment. Or, if not, I hope that their actions haunt them every moment of every day until they are ushered into hell.
ESPN.com:
Williams killed when limo sprayed with bullets
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Tags: Sports
Posted by Mike D'Alonzo - Tuesday, January 02, 2007 11:56 AM
 Because you can't live without more of it, there is a television series based on the film Mr. and Mrs. Smith coming your way. Not that either Pitt or Jolie will be involved, but the producers don't think that's what attracted you to the film. No, it's the intense plot and action that they think you liked, so they're serving it up with some new actors...and on television.
The series will premiere in Fall of 2007, and should be off the air about three weeks later. Of course, I could be wrong. I have been wrong before.
Dark Horizons.com:
"Mr. & Mrs. Smith" Series Greenlit
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Tags: TV
Posted by Eugene Morton - Tuesday, January 02, 2007 11:27 AM
 The war with the Cylons is coming straight to DVD in a two hour, original Battlestar Galactica telefilm!
Shooting will begin in March during the show’s hiatus and conclude sometime before June, when production is scheduled to start on the series’ fourth season.
A story for the movie hasn’t been penned yet, though the minds behind it are aiming for something that is dramatically poignant and cost effective without being contradictory to the series history.
Essentially, the movie will tie into the series but not contradict its continuity and it won’t exactly be filled with a whole lot of new sets.
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Tags: Movies, TV
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Tuesday, January 02, 2007 10:51 AM
Let's start the New Year by resolving not to argue over which game system is better, okay?
Each of the big three has their own plusses and minuses, much like people, and in the spirit of making this a better, more peaceful world, let us respect the opinions of others who may prefer a different console to the one we enjoy most.
That having been said, according to industry analysts NPD, the Xbox 360 totally destroyed the Wii and PS3 in terms of sales over this holiday season.
Around 2 million 360s were sold in North America from November up until December 25. Wii came in second with 1.8 million sold, and Sony's PS3 brought up the rear with 750,000 units moved.
For Wii and PS3, these numbers are more indicative of supply than demand: Both systems basically sold out of available consoles across North America. The real test will be next year's holiday season: No new consoles (that we know of) and as much supply as anyone could ever need.
GamesIndustry.biz:
Xbox 360 topped US hardware sales chart over Xmas - NPD
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Tags: PlayStation 3, Videogames, Wii, Xbox 360
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Tuesday, January 02, 2007 10:28 AM
 My views on the country of France have long been on-the-record: France is, in fact, much better than the United States in all things. Art, film, hot chicks, history, whatever, France has us beat. Here's another thing France beats us at: UFO research.
The adorable, wine-soaked nation recently declared they will be releasing their previously secret UFO files on the internet, for all to see and enjoy.
Encouraging UFO kooks to elaborate on their very important theories is just another way that France is adding to our enjoyment. Look for the files in the next few months.
Thanks, Pierre!
Engadget: French space agency to launch UFO archive
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Posted by Mike D'Alonzo - Tuesday, January 02, 2007 10:26 AM
 Stardust was already gonna be cool. I mean, how can you go wrong with a movie by Neil Gaiman that stars Robert DeNiro? Answer? You can't. Now, it's gotten cooler with the addition of Sir Ian McKellen to the roster of voice talent that includes DeNiro, Claire Daines, and Michelle Pfeiffer.
This is likely to be a romantic classic, as it involves the story of a young man who promises his love he will bring her a fallen star, and then goes into the faerie world to get it. Sounds kinda cool, doesn't it? Even if you won't admit it at your local hunt club meetings.
Dark Horizons.com:
McKellen Sprinkles Some "Stardust"
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Tags: Movies
Posted by Mike D'Alonzo - Tuesday, January 02, 2007 10:10 AM
 In what has the opportunity to be a sort of perfect storm of bad moviedom, Vin Diesel will be starring as Hannibal in Hannibal the Conqueror, a self-described 'passion project' he's been hoping to get off the ground for quite some time. Word is, Diesel has already learned how to ride an elephant.
Would that he had spent more of his time learning other valuable tools, like, say...how to act. This film genuinely stands the chance to be one of the worst ever made. I'm talking Battlefield: Earth type of badness. Personally, I can't wait.
Dark Horizons.com:
Diesel Talks His "Hannibal" Movie
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Tags: Movies
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Tuesday, January 02, 2007 9:52 AM
Sure, I'd like to play Final Fantasy XIII. But I don't know if starting the hype more than a year before the release of the game is such a good move. Sony, apparently, disagrees.
In Japan, the videogame company is advertising the FF XIII already, in spite of the fact that developers Square Enix has said it won't even come out until 2008.
Hmmm. Anyway, the full half-second of content from the game looks pretty cool.
GameBrink:
Sony Already Advertising Final Fantasy XIII
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Tags: PlayStation 3, Videogames
Posted by Mike D'Alonzo - Tuesday, January 02, 2007 9:52 AM
 Rarely is there a piece of news that comes from Hollywood that I just flat out don't believe, but this is one of them. According to Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, filming on Indiana Jones 4 will begin sometime in June, in locations around the world. Why do I think that, at some point, there is going to be an announcement that says that they're just not ready, or just not going to commence with filming? Just a hunch, but I would be really surprised if this film ever got made.
Still, there's something pretty great about the idea of a 65-year-old Harrison Ford trotting out the old bullwhip one more time, just to make it official. Wouldn't that be something?
The Hollywood Reporter.com:
Can you dig it? Fourth 'Indy' in '08
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Tags: Movies
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