STUFF: News, Technology, the cool and the plain weird

[MIKA27]

ESALEN INSTITUTE

Under the guidance of ex-Google product manager Ben Tauber, Esalen Institute is a place for tech's greatest minds to go to clear their conscience. The long-time yoga and meditation retreat is located on the coast of Big Sur and now holds workshops for Silicon Valley execs looking to overcome the guilt their from their tech creations have caused them. Programs are led by former Facebook and Google employees, with classes focusing on depression and tech and internet addiction. While they're cleansing their souls, guest can also indulge in the house-baked bread and the healing hot springs.

 

[MIKA27]

OMEGA SPEEDMASTER PORSCHE CLUB OF AMERICA WATCH

Before it was known as the Moonwatch, the Speedmaster was known for its use as a lap timer. The Omega Speedmaster Porsche Club of America Watch celebrates this heritage with a number of race-inspired details. Its 44.25 mm case is made from polished and brushed gray ceramic, which recalls high-performance brake discs as the yellow details recall the calipers. Its dial is made from Grade 5 titanium, which references both the moon and the exhaust of the 911 Turbo, and its Calibre 9300 is visible behind the PCA logo on the sapphire-crystal case back. Set on a gray leather driver's strap with yellow contrast stitching and micro perforations that reveal the yellow rubber lining, it's limited to just 99 examples.

[MIKA27]

HANGAR 1 FOG POINT VODKA

With Fog Point Vodka, Hangar 1 has bottled a pure expression of the state of California. At four San Francisco locations, the distillers installed fog catchers that turned fog into fresh water. That water was later blended with vodka distilled from wine sourced from a vineyard on the Central Coast. Only one batch of 2,400 bottles were released.

[MIKA27]

Death Isn't The End In The New Trailer For Altered Carbon

In the new trailer for Altered Carbon, the wealthiest man in the world has been murdered. And now he's hiring someone to find out why.

In the world of Altered Carbon, death is trivial - human minds are digitzed and downloaded from body to body, meaning that those who pass only pass through, not on. After Laurens Bancroft (James Purefoy), who has lived for well over 300 years, is "resleeved" into his new body in a more involuntary fashion than usual, he hires Takeshi Kovacs (Joel Kinnaman/Will Yun Lee) to solve his murder. In exchange, Kovacs gets a new body, and a new lease on extended life.

The new teaser is told from the perspective of Bancroft, giving a look at his long, extravagant life and the circumstances leading to the series. It's big on worldbuilding and offers a nice hint of Kinnaman's version of Kovacs getting into a nasty brawl.

Altered Carbon debuts on Netflix February 2, 2018.

[MIKA27]

Decades After Discovery, 3500-Year-Old Mummy Found In Egyptian Tomb

Egyptian archaeologists working in Luxor have explored two tombs dating back to the 18th Dynasty, uncovering colourful figurines, funeral masks, a stunning mural - and a linen-wrapped mummy.

As National Geographic reports, these two tombs, found in the necropolis of Dra' Abu el-Naga in Luxor, Egypt, were originally discovered in the 1990s by the German archaeologist Friederike Kampp-Seyfried. On Saturday, the Egyptian ministry of antiquities announced the re-discovery and excavation of these two tombs, designated Kampp 150 and Kampp 161, after languishing for nearly three decades. Kampp-Seyfried managed to excavate the entranceway to Kampp 150, but that's as far as she got, and the tombs were quickly forgotten.

Funeral furniture found inside Kampp 161.

It isn't entirely clear who the tombs were for, as there are no obvious inscriptions. What is clear, however, is that they date back to the 18th Dynasty (1550-1292 BC), and they were likely made for government officials who served at the ancient capital of Thebes.

Kampp 150 is a mud-brick and masonry structure that's larger than the other tomb. It contains five entrances that open onto a courtyard with a pair of shaft burials. This tomb is a full century older than Kampp 161, dating back to the reign of Thutmose I. The Egyptian archaeologists leading the excavation weren't able to uncover any inscriptions or dedications, but they did find funerary seals bearing the names of a writer, named Maati, and his wife, Mohi. Excitingly, they also discovered funerary masks, colourful wooden statues, and a linen-wrapped mummy in the tomb.

The colourful mural discovered along the west wall in the Kampp 161 tomb.

Kampp 161 is a single shaft burial, but with no remains. It does, however, contain a treasure in the form of an elaborate mural depicting some kind of social event, possibly a banquet, with a figure presenting offerings to the tomb's occupant and his wife. Wooden funerary masks, furniture and a decorated coffin were also found within this tomb. Analysis of the tomb's style and architecture suggests it dates back to the reigns of Amenhotep II or Thutmose IV, placing it at about 3400 years old.

Egyptian archaeologists are now in the midst of an incredible run of discoveries. Back in April, they uncovered the tomb of an 18th Dynasty magistrate named Userhat within the same necropolis, along with a thousand figurines, eight mummies and 10 wooden sarcophagi. Importantly, these excavations have been made without the help of foreign archaeologists, suggesting a newfound confidence and professionalism within archaeology in Egypt.

[MIKA27]

BANDIT9 PROJECT ODYSSEY

Sleek, design-forward, and simply a piece to admire if nothing else, Bandit9’s newest release – The Odyssey – spares no expense and looks frankly like a modern work of art. Here, there’s no brawny engine, no mud-slinging or dirt tracking knobby tires. Instead, what we have is a stylish futuristic motorcycle built for the next century.

At the helm here is either a roaring 1400cc V-Twin or a silent duel drive electric engine, based on your power preferences of course. Whatever is chosen, however, is held within a stainless steel shell, Marzocchi forks, Beringer Aerotec Brakes, Italian calf leather, OLED systems, and a modern see-through display. Needless to say, The Odyssey is a head-turning ride without a doubt, inspired by aircraft and using Avionics to guide and manage the ride. Bandit9 is slated to produce a handful of these rides so be sure to drop them a line if interested.

[MIKA27]

ALILA YANGSHUO HOTEL

Backed by the Karst mountains of southern China, the Alila Yangshuo Hotel converts a 1960s sugar mill into a contemporary concrete retreat. The existing buildings have been repurposed to house the reception area, cafe, bar, gallery, and library. Situated around a pool and reflecting pond, a pair of new structures on either end of the property contains the guest rooms and suites. While they are modern in material, the volume's form pays homage to the original architecture. The resort is also host to a spa and a farm-to-table restaurant but the main attraction is Leisure Concierge team. Guests are immersed in the local culture and surrounding landscape through a series of bespoke experiences ranging from traditional sugar spinning to guided rock climbs up the neighboring mountains.

[MIKA27]

CASIO PROTREK PRW TACTICAL WATCH

It was just last year when Casio expanded its unique series of Pro-Trek watches purposed for tactical application. Now, the newest addition to the lineup – the PRW-3510Y-8JF – with a recognizable militarized color scheme and a handful of stealthy features is here to continue that tradition.

Each tactical timepiece boasts fine Japanese quartz movement housed within its airtight 20 bar military housing and comes complete with a steel back cover and anti-reflective sturdy mineral glass. Each Pro-Trek is also affixed with a thermo-polyurethane strap, their Triple Sensor v3 technology hosting a digital compass, thermometer, and barometer/altimeter, as well as a world-time function, automatic calendar, stopwatch, countdown timer, climb chart, and bright LED lighting for use in even the darkest of nights. All told, no matter what the mission may entail, Casio’s highly durable Pro-Trek PRW-3510Y-8JF surely won’t let you down.

[MIKA27]

Annihilation Looks Like the First Great Sci-Fi-Horror Hybrid of 2018

In 2015, Alex Garland made his directorial debut with Ex Machina, a psychological sci-fi thriller that made him one of the most exciting filmmakers in the genre. He's a voice that's arrived as science fiction has thrived, alongside the likes of Arrival, Looper, Gravity, Blade Runner 2049, Snowpiercer, Her, and others. In his next movie, Garland adapts Jeff VanderMeer's Nebula Award-winning novel Annihilation, which follows four women researchers as they explore a place known as Area X.

The book is a largely analytical, psychological horror story, told as the first-person account of the biologist's journey into Area X. While the book is a slow-building thriller that carefully reveals much of the mysterious backstory of this mission and its characters, the new trailer for the film adaptation shows a more Hollywood approach to the story. This likely makes more sense as a big-budget film, showing the biologist (Natalie Portman) entering Area X to find out what happened to her husband (Oscar Isaac), who returned from his mission in pretty bad shape.

Director Garland visualizes this bizarre, dangerous place with stunning beauty and darkness. Given what he accomplished with Ex Machina, Garland's Annihilation is certainly an early one to look forward to in 2018.

[MIKA27]

GREAT DIVIDE BARREL-AGED YETI BEER

With so many barrel-aged options available, sometimes it's best to reach for a classic. Built off the back of their legendary Yeti Imperial Stout, Great Divide also crafts this barrel-aged version as an exclusive release annually. It's aged for at least 12 months in whiskey barrels and recently became available in 12-ounce bottles. If it's one of your favorites, you might not get another chance to drink it as Great Divide is shelving it for the foreseeable future after the 2017 release.

[MIKA27]

HOTEL LES ROCHES ROUGES

Surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea, Hotel Les Roches Rouges lets you experience a vintage French Riviera. It was first built in the late 1950s and has recently been refurbished to its original modernist aesthetic. The 50 rooms and suites are adorned in retro and custom-made pieces crafted by local artisans. The pools are as unique as the property with one nearly in the ocean and the other cut into the coastal rock. The property also features two restaurants serving local fare, three bars, and endless water views.

[MIKA27]

BREW: BETTER COFFEE AT HOME

Coffee experts need not apply. Brew: Better Coffee At Home is a down-to-earth guide to making barista-quality beverages at home. Penned by Dear Coffee, I Love You author Brian Jones, it covers every facet of making quality coffee, from buying the best beans to mastering your favorite slow-brew technique. You also get a selection of recipes to move beyond the black stuff and into coffee-based drinks and cocktails.

[MIKA27]

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Will Screen In Space

Argue all you want about the best way to maximise your Star Wars movie viewing experience - IMAX, Atmos and Dolby Vision all suck compared to the format "Literally Among the Stars".

That's where crew members of the International Space Station will watch the film soon. The news was first reported by Robin Seemangal on Twitter.

NASA confirmed the information to io9 and said that the film will be shown in English, as all crew members aboard the ISS speak both English and Russian.

There's no timetable on when this screening will take place, but NASA's Dan Hout told Inverse, "They typically get movies as digital files and can play them back on a laptop or a standard projector that is currently aboard."

Now, let's just hope they don't broadcast any spoilers.

[helix]

9 hours ago, MIKA27 said:

HOTEL LES ROCHES ROUGES

Surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea, Hotel Les Roches Rouges lets you experience a vintage French Riviera. It was first built in the late 1950s and has recently been refurbished to its original modernist aesthetic. The 50 rooms and suites are adorned in retro and custom-made pieces crafted by local artisans. The pools are as unique as the property with one nearly in the ocean and the other cut into the coastal rock. The property also features two restaurants serving local fare, three bars, and endless water views.

Just like the  Havana Copacabana . LOL !  

[MIKA27]

Ancient Shark Found In North Atlantic

As previously posted on this thread

Researchers have found an ancient shark in North Atlantic, believed to be 512 years old, which could be the oldest living vertebrate in the world. While the animal was discovered a few months ago, its potential age was revealed in a study in the Science journal.

Marine biologist Julius Nielsen found that an 18-foot Greenland shark his team had been studying was at least 272 years older and possibly as much as 512 years old. Earlier this year professor Kim Praebel, from the Arctic University of Norway, found that Greenland sharks could have a lifespan of up to 400 years. But the recent research proves that the species could be even older. With the help of mathematical model analyzing the lens and the cornea that linked size with age, researchers found a way to predict age.

By measuring the size of the recent Greenland shark found, researchers suggest the animal could have been born as early as 1505, making it even older than Shakespeare. Greenland sharks grow at a rate of one centimeter a year, enabling scientists to determine their age by measuring their size.

The shark that was found to be 512 years old was one of 28 Greenland sharks to be analyzed by the scientists.

Greenland sharks are found in deep water in the Atlantic Ocean, from Canada to Norway. The species is often plagued by worm-like parasites that latch onto their eyes. These sharks have been known to feast on rotting polar bear carcass.

In September, Nielsen shared a stomach-churning photo of the remains of a polar bear extracted from the stomach of a Greenland shark.

"And no, I don’t think the shark attacked the bear,’ Nielsen wrote. "It is much more likely a carcass found by the shark. Polar bear remnants in Greenland shark stomachs are extremely rare and polar bears are considered of no importance as food source for sharks in Greenland waters."

Praebel had been looking into how Greenland sharks' "long life" genes could shed light on what determines life expectancy in different species, including humans.

"This is the longest living vertebrate on the planet," he said. "Together with colleagues in Denmark, Greenland, USA, and China, we are currently sequencing its whole nuclear genome which will help us discover why the Greenland shark not only lives longer than other shark species but other vertebrates."

Amid the study into "long-life" genes, studies have also shed new light on the shark's behavior. 

"Since the Greenland shark lives for hundreds of years, they also have enough time to migrate over long distances and our genetic results showed exactly that," Praebel reportedly said. "Most of the individuals in our study were genetically similar to individuals caught thousands of kilometers away."

[MIKA27]

It's Official: The X-Men And Fantastic Four Are Coming Back To Marvel Thanks To A Huge Deal Between Fox And Disney

After weeks of teasing the public with reports of false starts and stops, Disney and Fox have settled on a massive $US52 billion deal in which all of 21st Century's film rights are being sold to the House of Mouse. Marvel's Cinematic Universe is about to get a whole lot more, well, fantastic.

Today, Rupert Murdoch - Fox's executive chairman - expressed his confidence in the acquisition's potential to strengthen both companies:

Quote

"We are extremely proud of all that we have built at 21st Century Fox, and I firmly believe that this combination with Disney will unlock even more value for shareholders as the new Disney continues to set the pace in what is an exciting and dynamic industry."

News of the deal comes after early reports that Fox proper was looking to unload 21st Century Fox in favour of focusing more on news and sports, its two other largest business endeavours. For Fox, this deal means a rather hefty payday but for Marvel, it's more of a long-overdue homecoming.

For years now, some of Marvel Entertainment's most iconic characters that first put the comics publisher on the map back in the 70s have been locked out of the MCU because of deals made during the 90s in which Marvel sold off the film rights to properties like the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and Deadpool. Now, Marvel can get to work on changing that, but it doesn't mean that it will or even should happen anytime soon. Properties like Avatar, The Simpsons, FX Networks and National Geographic will also fold into Disney's portfolio according to the official release.

While Fox's X-Men and Fantastic Four movies weren't always particularly good, the studio was finally in the process of beginning to carve out a rather distinctive and honestly refreshing voice in the superhero movie space with films like Logan, Deadpool, and The New Mutants. The sequels to the latter two movies are still due to be released on schedule (no word on the X-23-focused Logan followup) but there's no telling what Marvel plans to do with its new toys now that it has them.

Given how far along the MCU is at this point, the most obvious choice would be for the universes to remain separate as they build towards a version of the second Secret Wars with a little Avengers vs. X-Men thrown in for flavour, but who knows?

Before we all get our hopes up about the next massive developments in the MCU, however, there are still significant questions about the deal's larger regulatory implications. With its potential acquisition of 21st Century Fox, Disney would effectively be destroying one of the six major Hollywood film studios, something that's sure to draw the attention of antitrust regulators. Questions are also being raised about what it would mean for Disney to take on all of Fox's other 21st Century assets, like its stake in Hulu and the 61% of Sky UK that it didn't already own. Previous to this deal's announcement, Fox was already in the process of having its own $US15 ($20) billion proposal to take full control over the UK telecommunications giant reviewed by British regulators who were concerned about the company being entirely controlled by the Murdoch media empire.

Chairman and CEO of Disney, Robert A. Iger, will remain through at least 2021. He said, "The acquisition of this stellar collection of businesses from 21st Century Fox reflects the increasing consumer demand for a rich diversity of entertainment experiences that are more compelling, accessible and convenient than ever before." But the question remains: Will there be a "rich diversity of entertainment experiences" if only one company is making them?

[MIKA27]

2018 CANYON SPECTRAL MOUNTAIN BIKE

Gone are the days of making sacrifices in order to get the all around bike that can give you the ability to ascend with ease and the confidence to crush any descent. Canyon’s Spectral line of 27.5 inch trail bikes are delivering on the modern expectation of a lightweight climbing machine, backed with plush suspension and snappy geometry.

Getting a facelift for 2018, Canyon has taken their notes from the development of their heavier hitting downhill line and completely reshaped the chassis for the balanced all-mountain appeal riders are looking for. Mounting the shock horizontally provides a sturdy pedaling platform while not losing the nuances of damping in this progressive suspension design, making the Spectral equally poised for XC hot laps or bangers at the local resort. Take your choice between eight models built in a combination of carbon fiber and aluminum, the offering gives an option that will work for any situation.

 

[MIKA27]

Adidas Jake Blauvelt Boot

The popular Jake boot is back and with us in a fresh new colorway for this season. The Adidas design team have collaborated closely again with professional snowboarder Jake Blauvelt, for this classic hiker made for the spontaneous adventurer. Built to take on snowy sidewalks, this interpretation of the Jake Blauvelt signature boot is made from rugged full grain leather and features a beefy outdoor sole for grip on snow and slippery surfaces, quick lacing system with D-rings, and a padded mesh ankle that keeps things extra comfy and more breathable.

[MIKA27]

John Wick Director Bringing Brutal Vigilante Comic Kill Or Be Killed To The Big Screen

A comic book about an unlikely masked gunman who kills criminals for bizarre reasons. A filmmaker who helmed Keanu Reeves' modern-day action classic. It's the kind of deal that seems too perfect to be true. But it is: John Wick director Chad Stahelski will be adapting Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips' Kill or Be Killed for the big screen.

The Hollywood Reporter broke news of the deal, which has screenwriter Dan Casey attached. Brubaker, who wrote for season one of HBO's Westworld, has a number of creator-owned works currently in development, including noir magic property Fatale and pulp supervillain tale Incognito, whose screenplay has also been written by Casey.

At first glance, Kill or Be Killed - which is put out by the creative team of Brubaker, Phillips, and Elizabeth Breitwiser - looks like yet another iteration of the gun-wielding vigilante trope. But the series has actually been a well-rendered deconstruction of the archetype. It's taken a deep look at the fear and psychology that might drive someone to kill, and the regret and adrenaline rush that comes with getting away with it. If the film adaptation doubles down on these elements, a Kill or Be Killed adaptation could be a very different kind of action movie.

[MIKA27]

US FCC Votes To Kill Net Neutrality, Capping A Year Of Endless Bullshit

You tried, America. You tried.

Despite overwhelming bipartisan support for safeguarding the open internet, the US Federal Communications Committee voted to ignore the public and kill net neutrality protections.

With his familiar shit-eating grin, FCC chairman Ajit Pai went through the motions of holding a committee hearing on his "Restoring Internet Freedom" initiative. The hearing was as much of a fraud as the title of the item: It was a foregone conclusion that under Pai's leadership the FCC would hand big telecoms an early Christmas present.

In a 3-2 vote along party lines, the Republican-led commission decided to eliminate the current net neutrality rules and remove the shackles that prevent ISPs from blocking online content, slowing a competitor's website, or charging you extra just to access YouTube. (You can read the dissenting opinions here.) It paves the way for an ISP free-for-all, baby, and you can bet telecom executives have plenty of lucrative plans in mind that we haven't even considered.

The vote was briefly delayed after Pai's comments were interrupted by security. The room was evacuated and searched by Federal Protective Service before Pai resumed. The nature of the threat was not immediately disclosed.

From the moment President Donald Trump appointed Pai, we knew he was dead-set on killing net neutrality protections. He's advocated for ISP interests for years. Before joining the FCC, Pai was a lawyer for Verizon, and he worked as counsel for the Senate Judiciary Committee under mega-conservative former Sens. Sam Brownback and Jeff Sessions. But make no mistake - just because Pai is a Republican doesn't mean this is a partisan issue for the American public.

Studies show that the vast majority of Americans support regulating ISPs to guarantee that they treat all internet traffic equally. A new survey published on Tuesday found that four out of five Republicans support net neutrality.

California representative Jerry McNerny requested the opportunity to speak at today's hearing but he was denied by the Chairman. As part of her dissent, FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn read a statement from McNerny. It said, in part:

Quote

Why such a bipartisan outcry? Because the large majority of Americans are in favour of keeping strong net neutrality rules in place. But the saddest part, to me, about all of this, and it's painful for me to say this, is that this is the new norm at the FCC. A norm where the majority ignores the will of the people. A norm where the majority stands idly by while the people they are committed to serve, that they have taken an oath to serve, are about to lose so much.

In August, a study funded by the broadband industry found that 98.5 per cent of unique comments submitted to the FCC regarding net neutrality were opposed to gutting the rules that went into effect in 2015.

We have to specify unique comments because the FCC was overwhelmed by 23 million comment submissions, and many that supported killing net neutrality were filed by fraudulent bots robo-signing forms and stealing real people's identities, according to New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman's office.

Even though the FCC is required to consider public comments for a specified time period, it has refused to cooperate with Schneiderman's criminal investigation into the corruption of its commenting process. FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, one of the two Democratic commissioners who voted to keep net neutrality rules in place, explicitly said this week, "there is evidence in the FCC's files that fraud has occurred," but the agency won't cooperate.

Regardless of the process, or the criminal investigation, or the protests, or the opposition from lawmakers - including fellow Republicans - Pai and his cronies were always going to ignore the public. The chairman has made his disdain for the public's input and any study that disagrees with his position absolutely clear. He will go down as one of the Trump administration's most effective pro-corporate puppets. And when he leaves office, he'll be welcomed by the telecoms with open arms.

But that doesn't mean all is lost. Even though ISPs have been softening their statements that promise never to violate net neutrality principles, they must wait to take full advantage of their newfound freedom. There's too much public scrutiny at the moment for them to start installing fast lanes or censoring content. Lawsuits challenging the decision will head to court from every direction. And with the right push from voters, Congress could even do the right thing by passing a law to correct this injustice.

Net neutrality is dead. Long live net neutrality.

[MIKA27]

Disney Buys 21st Century Fox

The Walt Disney Company and 21st Century Fox have reached an agreement. The $52 billion deal will see Disney acquire the vast majority of Fox's entertainment assets and divisions, including the movie studios 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight, as well as the FX cable networks, NatGeo, the UK's Sky TV network, and Fox's shares in Hulu. 21st Century Fox will retain the Fox broadcasting network, and, of course, Rupert Murdoch's arsenal of "news" channels like Fox News and Fox Business News and Fox Sports. 

Reports of this potentially massive acquisition made waves throughout the entertainment and finance industries just last month, ro the point where 21st Century Fox suspended trading activities. The initial reports were cautious, perhaps due to the hurdles the similar Time Warner and AT&T deal faced. The deal seemed to collapse early on, and heated up again last weekend. Comcast was the last potential suitor and they bowed out on Monday. According to Variety, the regulatory review process for this deal could take 18 months, so perhaps the government will find something objectionable.

The appeal of certain 21st Century Fox assets to Disney remain obvious. Disney is quickly cornering the movie blockbuster market with its Marvel and Lucasfilm brands. Not only does acquiring 20th Century Fox studios remove a major competitor, it strengthens the Marvel brand by adding properties like X-Men and the Fantastic Four to the stable.

However, the main reasons for this deal appear linked to 21st Century Fox being in need of cash after its attempt to buy Sky News in the UK stalled and a major investor and supporter on the 21st Century Fox board (ahem) is predisposed after being arrested in Saudi Arabia. He has since sold his shares. Coupled with Disney developing a streaming service that it intends to use to compete against Netflix with, access to 20th Century Fox's century of films, plus all of its television content for cable and broadcast from 20th Century Fox Television productions, becomes increasingly valuable. Apparently $52 billion valuable. The Murdochs meanwhile are reported to see the future of entertainment media changing drastically due to streaming, and despite owning over a third of shares in Hulu (which have gone to Disney in this deal), the Murdochs do not believe they will be able to compete in the incoming century's landscape: so they're selling. 

The societal and economic implications of the deal are severe. In a landscape with only six or seven major studios, the solidification of two of them will inevitably mean a shrinking of resources and opportunities in the Hollywood system. As a studio, 20th Century Fox has frequently taken risks in recent years that Disney has shied away from, and this extends beyond blockbusters. Fox Searchlight, for instance, continues to produce the kind of middle budgeted, adult fare that Disney has mostly abandoned since parting with Miramax, and then DreamWorks, and has phased out in the now much diminished Touchstone Pictures. 

But the potential for the Marvel Cinematic Universe to get all of its superhero friends under one tent will appeal to most fans. Still, even there we would argue the X-Men are better off separate from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (the Fantastic Four is a different story). But now, it looks like a certainty they're headed there.

[MIKA27]

'POLAROID' IS A SIMPLE YET CREEPY SHORT FILM 

Sometimes when it comes to pure horror, it's often your own imagination that can be the most terrifying. Whilst tales of blood soaked gore, mutating alien hybrids and torturous serial killers will always have the ability to make you squeamish, it's the realm of the supernatural that is often the most unnerving.

In fact, many of the popular horror franchises in recent times haven't actually been the most gruesome, rather they've been the most cerebral.

There's few things more frightening than a mind riddled with fear, worry and paranoia.

We've all experienced those moments during a movie when you expect to see something but don't, or where that feeling of dread suddenly starts to feel overwhelming. When the tension on screen becomes unbearable. It's why so many of us enjoy the genre itself.

The likes of The Conjuring, Annabelle, the Insidious series, It Follows and Lights Out are all testament to that.

Now you can add indie short film Polaroid to the list of expertly crafted and fine tuned supernatural horror. It might only run 3 minutes, but it's more than enough time to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and set your nerves jangling.

We don't want to ruin the surprise for you, but the basic premise involves a young man playing with his Polaroid camera alone in his apartment. It doesn't take long for him to realise that he might not be alone after all...

 

 

[MIKA27]

THESE HAVE TO BE THE BIGGEST DESIGN FAILS OF THE YEAR

Whilst design won't save the world, it damn sure makes it look good. But in the case of these following examples, there's nothing remotely redeeming or clever about these designs. In fact, some of them are so mind-numbingly stupid it's genuinely amazing that someone not only created them, paid for them and actually implemented them. Some of these design fails should be career killers.

There's a number of reasons why so many of these design fails exist. Maybe the designers were in a rush, maybe there wasn't enough planning, perhaps budgets got cut or maybe they just really didn't give a flying f**k about the ultimate outcome.

From typos in books and unfortunate product placements to the manufacturing of useless items and awful design choices - every single image featured here defies belief. If you're anything like the rest of us, you too will be yelling "WTF?!" as you make your way down the list.

Fingers crossed you won't find any of them near you anytime soon!

 

[MIKA27]

Sir Ian McKellen Would Totally Play Gandalf In Amazon's TV Tolkien Adaptations

A wizard is never early, nor is he late. He reprises his most famous role precisely when he means to.

Talking to Graham Norton today on BBC Radio 2, McKellen responded to the host asking about the prospects of another actor playing Gandalf by saying, "What do you mean, another Gandalf?"

He went on to say, "I haven't said yes because I haven't been asked. But are you suggesting that someone else is going to play it? Gandalf is over 7000 years old, so I'm not too old."

Normally, I don't like to report on casting rumours like this -- actor wants job! is not exactly news, most of the time -- but this seems like a special occasion. McKellen could have any role he wants, with his prestige and talent, but he's at least a little bit intrigued by the idea of taking up the mantle of the wizened old wizard again.

Amazon, you should probably call him. Just saying. It'd be a good move.

[MIKA27]

BAE's MAGMA Stealth Drone Uses 'Blown Air' Instead Of Moving Parts To Fly Around

No one's invented cloaking devices yet, so aerospace companies have to use more conventional technologies to make stealthier jets and drones. Or, you know, you could remove some technology, like BAE has with its MAGMA drone, which uses blasts of air instead of traditional flight machinery to manoeuvre.

A joint venture with The University of Manchester, the MAGMA drone utilises a "unique blown-air system" to get around.

Right now, it consists of two major elements: Wing Circulation Control and Fluidic Thrust Vectoring:

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Wing Circulation Control, which takes air from the aircraft engine and blows it supersonically through the trailing edge of the wing to provide control for the aircraft
Fluidic Thrust Vectoring, which uses blown air to deflect the exhaust, allowing for the direction of the aircraft to be changed.

Not only do they sound cool, they allow aircraft to do away with complicated moving parts, leading to "lighter, stealthier, faster" vehicles.

According to BAE, it's completed the "first phase" of trial flights, with the hope being if all go well -- to the point they can fly the drone "without any moving control surfaces or fins" -- things can be put in motion to implement the technology in other aircraft.

MAGMA is by no means BAE's first stealth drone, with the company performing trials of its supersonic Taranis UAV in Australia a few years back. I wonder if MAGMA will do the rounds down here too?