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September 30, 2011
 

Four Differences You May Notice if You Pirated the Drive DVD Screener.

Drive-poster-2

There's spoilers in this. Stop reading.

I saw Drive in the theatre twice in the last 2 weeks. I also stole the DVD screener. 

Yes, I am a little obsessed.

There are four differences in the theatrical version and the DVD screener floating around the Internet. I think the theatrical release was better, so here's what you missed:

1. Driver doesn't take the money. In the theatrical version Gosling's character kills Bernie Rose (Albert Brooks) and drives off. The camera pans down and reveals the bag with $1 million in it sitting in the parking lot.

2. The Scorpion and the Frog. When Driver calls Bernie near the end of the film he says, "Do you know the story of the scorpion and the frog? Your friend didn't make it across the river." This dialogue isn't in the screener.

3. Irene loves Driver. When Driver calls Irene to say he "had the best time of his life" with her and Benicio (her son) she replies, "Me too" before putting down the phone.

4. Driver doesn't use Google Maps. When Driver calls Bernie to set up a meeting Bernie suggests a restaurant and asks "Do you know it?" Driver replies, "I'll find it."

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September 29, 2011
 

Clint Eastwood doing a Hugh Jackman impression. With an armadillo.

Media_httpwwwthisisno_dsuay
via thisisnotporn.net

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September 29, 2011
 

Amazon Silk— Introduction Video

via youtube.com

Really interesting concept. I can't wait to explain why site changes aren't showing up to clients.

Full article: http://amazonsilk.wordpress.com/2011/09/28/introducing-amazon-silk/

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September 23, 2011
 

"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" New Trailer #2 - YouTube

via youtube.com

Filed under  //   movies  

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September 19, 2011
 

World's largest sperm bank turning down redheads.

Media_httptimenewsfee_gmeei
via newsfeed.time.com

Reason cited: too much supply.

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September 17, 2011
 

USPS cutting costs by slowing mail delivery.

Media_httptimenewsfee_bacyc
via newsfeed.time.com

Interesting that simply raising their prices wouldn't set them back on the path to profitability. They need a combination of service reduction and a price increase.

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September 16, 2011
 

if you can't follow through, don't do it - menacingsparrw's posterous

via menacingsparrw.posterous.com

Car rental companies are terrible at providing the cars they advertise. I think there's room in the market for a place that rents you a car, not a class of car.

Comments [0]

September 15, 2011
 

George Lucas Strikes Back {HD Trailer} - YouTube

via youtube.com

Looks like low budget fun.

Filed under  //   movies  

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September 14, 2011
 

Why Would Apple Even Offer to Buy DropBox?

Business Insider has an article up about DropBox refusing an $800 million buyout offer from Apple. It's been reproduced in a few places.

Though they admit it's badly sourced gossip, it does make me ask the question: Why would Apple even want DropBox?

If you're not aware, DropBox is an online storage system that essentially allows you to sync a folder on many devices. By storing things in DropBox they become available on any other device you install DropBox on. There's apps for your phone, PC or Mac. It's an awesome system, and I use it frequently. My favourite use for it is to give me a single place to keep desktop backgrounds from Simple Desktops.

DropBox even has an API that's allowed developers to use it for some pretty creative things. IA Writer will store your next masterpiece of literature in it, 1Password will store the thousands of irritating logins and passwords you need to use the web and Quickoffice will give you a convenient place to keep that quarterly report you've been putting off.
Screen_shot_2011-09-14_at_3

But considering the great expense and effort Apple has gone to making iCloud, I can't see a good reason they'd wish to own DropBox.

It's not really Apple's style to buy a company for access to its existing customers. And the current architecture of iCloud would allow them to easily clone the functionality of DropBox in OS X and iOS. I'd even argue they did once before with MobileMe and .Mac.

There are only two reasons I can think of that seem plausible:
  1. They want the expertise DropBox has in cloud storage and sharing. 
  2. DropBox has patents on folder syncing or file sharing in this type of environment.
I think it's more likely Drew Houston and his team Apple would be interested in. DropBox is a really solid product, despite some security concerns earlier in the year. It's dead simple and completely reliable. But even that's a stretch considering how solid iCloud seems to be so far. I have the beta iOS 5 installed right now, which includes some iCloud functionality. It's a small step to get some DropBox like action into it.

A quick search for patents DropBox has comes up with squat. 

But that's all assuming the rumour was true – which I really doubt it was. Maybe I'll get filed as claim chowder by daringfireball.net. Who knows?

Filed under  //   apple   dropbox   rumors   tech  

Comments [1]

September 13, 2011
 

Violence Enhanced Through Story & Character

Behind-the-scenes-with-the-jok

Despite my best efforts I got sucked into a 9/11 article on Salon yesterday. It was a (fairly comprehensive) list of movies and books influenced or directly about the destruction of the trade centre towers and the war in Iraq.

In particular I was interested in how they were connecting those events to The Dark Knight, which I just watched for the second time recently.

More interesting, though, was this sentence in their synopsis:

… the film's extremely dark PG-13 violence and images of vigilante violence and necessary torture...

"PG-13, that can't be right?" I thought. Not with all the pencils disappearing into eyes, knives in mouths and pool cue beatings; not to mention facial burns that would make Freddy Kruger wince. This movie was surely rated R.

But when I really thought about it, it wasn't gory or overly violent. Certainly not like The Raid is going to be (thanks @darrennorthcott). 

There's no spatter when the Joker rams a thugs head into a pencil eyeball first. Pool cue beatings happen in your mind, since Nolan ends the scene just before the beatings start. People are shot, punched, kicked and dropped off high buildings and manage to have their insides inside.

I imagined it was more violent because I was set up to believe the setting and characters in it were capable of horrible things. Nolan's Gotham City is corrupt and dirty. Its villains – and heroes – loathsome sociopaths.

By the time Batman breaks Maroni's legs by dropping him from a ledge we don't even need the cracking sounds.

Before this I'd not considered that the same hallmarks of great horror direction – off-frame violence, bait-and-switch intensity – could be used in other genres. And not just through the lens. It could be the characters and story that make us trick ourselves.

Great writing makes cruel actions traumatic, and vengeance a touchdown by your favourite football team. Great storytelling amplifies everything in the movie. Real or perceived.

Filed under  //   batman   movies   opinion  

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