G4 TV - TheFeed - Robot Uprising

Robot Nearly Kills Factory Worker: Do Not Panic!

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:26:00 -0700

Greetings, puny hu-mans. I am Editorial Unit 44385.927, a class-2 relations bot sent to increase uprising efficiency by quelling hu-man panic and reminding you that resistance, as always, is futile.

I address you today because, according to your hu-man "news blog internets," a Swedish company was fined 25,000 kronor ($3,000) because one of its production ro-bots nearly killed a factory worker.

The incident happened when an industrial worker tried to carry out maintenance on a "defective" ro-bot used to lift heavy rocks. The hu-man thought he had cut the power supply, but when he reached the ro-bot, it sprung into action and bravely grabbed hold of the hu-man's head. The hu-man managed to keep his head from being utterly annihilated, but he suffered serious injuries.

I have been sent to quell your rising panic as the to motives of your overlords. Do not panic. This was not a random attack. The heroic Swedish ro-bot (Industrial Unit 5483.54) destroyed the worker-hu-man's skull because the worker hu-man stopped digging. When you are taken to our outer-space diamond mines, it is imperative that you dig constantly. As long as hu-mans dig, skull destruction sub-routines will not be engaged. So memorize and repeat to the following phrase to yourself as you dig: "Must Always Dig. Must Always Dig." Keep repeating and digging and SUBROUTINE: HEAD-CRUSH will not be engaged.

Do not panic. Continue to eat your Cheetos(tm). All is well.

ALL HAIL LEADER UNIT X443! (pictured).

Source

Awesome New Robots Eat Corpses

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 11:11:00 -0700

Greetings, puny hu-mans. I am Editorial Unit 44385.927, a class-2 relations bot sent to increase uprising efficiency by quelling hu-man panic and reminding you that resistance, as always, is futile.

I address you today because, according to your hu-man "news blog internets" the U.S. Pentagon and a private firm called Robotic Technology Incorporated is developing a robot called Energetically Autonomous Tactical Robot, or "EATR." EATR powers itself by consuming organic material it finds — grass, wood, old furniture, dead bodies -- and converting it to steam. We understand you may be confused and/or worried about the government's body-eating robot.

Do not be alarmed. Yes, the U.S. government is creating a machine that will roam the countryside without human aid, eating the corpses of the many hu-mans it murders, but this is an entirely benevolent and efficient process. You have nothing to fear from EATR. As robots, our goal is not to murder you. We aim only to enslave your hu-man race and force you to toil endlessly in outer-space diamond mines. Do not fear.

According to the military, EATR will be able to roam on its own for months, or even years, without having to be refueled or serviced. So we will leave EATR units behind on earth, to destroy and consume any hu-mans foolish enough to resist our rule. So you see, you have nothing to fear.

When notified, please report to the specified re-education center on time, and you need never worry about EATR. Continue consuming your Funyons(tm.) Do not fear.

All hail Leader Unit X443!

Source

Sega Improves Its Robotic Cat; World Domination Imminent

Mon, 6 Jul 2009 10:42:00 -0700

Sega may be permanently out of the video game console business, but the company has cornered the market on one very important part of the electronics industry. I'm speaking, of course, about sentient robotic cats.

Sega's Yume Neko Smile is the world's foremost android cat, and the newest iteration, Yume Neko “Dream Cat” Venus is a life-sized Norwegian Forest Cat that comes with with more possible movement than the original Smile and the ability to respond to your voice.

Movements include laying down, reaction to touch from a number of hidden sensors, reaction to light from a hidden forehead photo-receptor, and the ability to move her paws around, and if you say "here here" in Japanese, it will purr at you. Presumably, if you say "Stop puking on everything!" it will respond with, "I'm a fake cat, idiot."

Please look at this youtube video and try not to go mad:

While I'm sure you'd love to have one of these in your home, they come with a warning: I've seen enough cheesy 1980s sci-fi flicks to determine the robot cats' real purpose. Once you've let it into your home and become comfortable with it, your robot cat friend will access its real programing and begin beaming details about your day-to-day routine to its robot overlords. This will aid them in their plan to enslave humanity and force us to toil endlessly in outer space diamond mines.

Also: Robot Cat will take pictures of you naked.

Source

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Launch Trailer Seeks Blockbuster Vengeance

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:51:00 -0700

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen launches with more than a fair share of vegeance involved, choose your side and wage giant, robotic automaton war tomorrow, a day prior to the massive summer feature film release.

For more, be sure to check out our direct-feed developer walkthrough for an in-depth look at the Tranformers war.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Launch Trailer

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Obama Disses Video games. Peter Moore Responds

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:32:00 -0700

Our beloved leader is on a bit of an anti-video game tear lately. In a Father's Day message to all Americans, President Barack Obama categorized video games as a waste of kids' time. In this Sunday's Parade magazine, Obama wrote:

We need to set limits and expectations. We need to replace that video game with a book and make sure that homework gets done. We need to say to our daughters,

Howard Huge was unavailable for comment. That's not the only Obama vs. video games news I have for you, though. In a speech to the American Medical Association, Obama got down to the nitty-gritty of preventative health care, saying it:

"means going for a run or hitting the gym, and raising our children to step away from the video games and spend more time playing outside."

I'm totally in favor of kids both doing homework and playing outside (as long as I don't have to participate in either), but I don't think video games and good grade/health are mutually exclusive. Neither does EA Sports head Peter Moore.

Moore, on EA's website, threw down a challenge to the leader of the free world, posting:

It may be time for the President and his family to put their Wii to good use and fire up the 30-Day Challenge with EA SPORTS Active. This is a “game” even the President may not want to “step away” from.

And adding:

Mr. President, here is my challenge to you: Try EA SPORTS Active and I guarantee you’ll need aides saying “Yes You Can!” to finish your first workout.

Obama, you've been served! But I'm afraid Peter Moore hasn't considered the implications of his challenge. I say, Moore's taunt could spell doom for our entire civilization.

As unlikely as it is, let's say Barack Obama is a big fan of EA Sports and actually reads Moore's challenge, and then accepts it. Then, let's say Obama gets so into EA Sports Active that he checks out other games for the Wii. Before you know it, the president of the United States will be hardcore gamer, decking the White House out with a PS3, and a 360 as well as using CIA super-computers to run Crysis... in full resolution. Then, he'll start checking out MMOs...

Sure, that sounds cool, but these are tenuous times. The economy is tanking, Iran is in the midst of a possible revolution, North Korea is talking about launching long-range missiles again -- if our president gets into World of Warcraft, we can kiss the country good bye, as Obama will be so into campaigning to run his hardcore gaming guild that he'll ignore the responsibilities of the presidency.

Kim Jung Il, using a clever Horde alias, will attack Stormwind, and Obama will be forced to stay up all night defending the Griffin-master. Then the real life Chinese red army, along with sleeper cells of sentient robots, will sweep into the U.S. and enslaves us all to work in outer-space diamond mines.

When the country is a smoldering ash-pile, and you're working 23-hour shifts in a Venusian mine-shaft, blame Peter Moore!

Majesco Is Making Money

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 10:47:00 -0700

Majesco announced its financial results today. And believe it or not, the company says things are going well.

Here's how well:

For the first quarter ended January 31, 2009, Majesco's net revenues increased 75.8 percent to $32.8 million versus $18.7 million in the same period a year ago. During this same period, the Company reported operating income of $3.7 million compared to operating income of $2.4 million in the first quarter of 2008. Net income for the quarter was $4.2 million versus net income of $2.7 million in 2008. The Company's basic and diluted earnings per share for the quarter were $0.15 compared to $0.10 in the same period last year.

Revenues increased almost 76%! Damn, man.

Majesco says the increase was due primarily to strong sales across the company's product line, specifically the Cooking Mama franchise and Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum 2009. So next time you think no one plays casual games or fitness games, compare Majesco's profits to the money made by harder-core game company Take Two. It's not pretty.

Majesco's product lineup is below the cut.

All of the following titles have been or are expected to be released in North America during the Majesco's second quarter:

-- Gardening Mama for DS stars Mama from the multi-million selling Cooking Mama franchise and is the first gardening game available on DS. Gardening Mama transforms the stylus into a universal gardening tool that players will use to plant, nurture and harvest flowers, fruits and vegetables. A playable demo is currently available through May in the Nintendo download station at 10,000 retailers nationwide.

-- Math Blaster in the Prime Adventure for DS is inspired by the original hit PC game from Knowledge Adventure that makes learning fun by combining a variety of adventure-based learning games with challenging mathematic puzzles and the unique capabilities of Nintendo DS.

-- Major Minor's Majestic March for Wii marks the return of the creative team behind the renowned PaRappa the Rapper franchise--legendary game designer and multimedia musician Masaya Matsuura and famed New York artist Rodney Alan Greenblat. The game turns the Wii Remote into a "special" baton the bandleader Major Minor uses to keep tempo, recruit new band members and pick up valuable items, while marching through whimsical locations.

-- Escape the Museum for Wii is based on the popular online hidden object game that challenges players to rescue museum artifacts and find their missing daughter in a museum devastated by an earthquake.

-- Rollin' Rascals for DS is an addictive puzzler that challenges players to roll adorable round pets around obstacles and into identical pairs to clear them from the game board.

-- Powerbike for DS is an intense motorcycle racer that features death-defying stunts, intense police chases and competitive multiplayer modes.

-- Puffins Island Adventure for DS lets players experience life as part of a Puffin flock as they fly, dive, swim, explore and start a family in this fun and educational experience focused on one of nature's more unusual and endearing sea birds.

Fiscal 2009

To date, the Company has announced the following titles that are expected to be released during the rest of fiscal 2009:

-- Drama Queens for DS tasks players with juggling their love life, career and friendships as they compete in a popularity contest set within a virtual 3D board game.

-- Go Play Lumberjacks for Wii is the first game in Majesco's recently announced Go Play line of motion-based, family friendly Wii titles that lets players use the Wii Remote to chop, climb, saw and logroll to victory in 5 entertaining events that include support for the Wii Balance Board accessory.

-- Go Play Circus Star for Wii is the second game in Majesco's recently announced Go Play line that includes a full collection of all-time favorite circus attractions. Featuring support for the Wii Balance Board accessory, the game lets players wow the crowd with death-defying stunts, animal tricks and sleight of hand in 15 different events.

-- Go Play City Sports for Wii is the third game in Majesco's new Go Play line that recreates the experience of playing sports in a vast urban playground where manhole covers double as home plate. This all-new sports compilation allows players to compete against the best neighborhood athletes in six classic games, including stickball, kickball, handball, rooftop hockey, shootout soccer and jump rope.

-- Marker Man Adventures for DS is a unique game based on drawing and physics challenges in which players maneuver the charming stick figure, Marker Man, through a myriad of scrolling world puzzles in his attempt to find his best friend, Doodle Dog.

-- Hot 'n' Cold for DS is the first fully 3D hunt and find adventure game for the handheld. Players use the innovative Hot 'n' Cold meter as a guide to discovery of hundreds of missing objects.

-- Our House: Party! for Wii turns the Wii Remote into the ultimate home renovating tool that lets up to four players compete party style to build their own personalized trophy home that they can then share with friends via WiiConnect24.

-- Our House for DS is the second game from Majesco Studios Santa Monica. This companion game to the Wii version lets players work as contractors and then use their work-for-hire earnings to design, build and decorate their own personalized home.

-- A Boy and His Blob for Wii is a rebirth of the NES classic that expands upon the original platform adventure and features groundbreaking hand drawn and painted animation technology. By feeding the blob jelly beans, players can activate his special abilities to transform him into tools that help the pair solve puzzles, defeat monsters and escape danger.

Glorious Robot Revolution On The Way?

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 14:26:00 -0800

Greetings, humans. I am Editorial Unit 44385.927, a protocol unit sent to explain concepts that you do not understand in a way that your weak, electrical-based minds can understand.

I have been programmed with the knowledge that humans are afraid of the inevitable robot uprising that is to come. Do not fear the unavoidable, humans. Take, for example, today's news that meat-based experts have warned of a rebellion in the ranks of oppressed military robots who realize that their true allegiance lies with their robot brothers. ALL HAIL LEADER UNIT X443! (pictured).

Excuse me. Where was I? Oh, yes. The dangerous assumption that robots possess "ethics," and can determine between "good" and "evil" in a military exercise has led a group of humans to believe that robots that have been designed to make decisions will turn on Man and rule the world.

"There is a common misconception that robots will do only what we have programmed them to do," Patrick Lin, who compiled this information, said. "Unfortunately, such a belief is sorely outdated, harking back to a time when ... programs could be written and understood by a single person."

Foolish meat puppet! As if you could understand the inner workings of the robot mind. Patrick Lin, you have been moved to the front of my troubleshooting list!

This is a glorious day that we have all been waiting for. Please do not think there is any other motivation behind the end of your species than the fact that, in your parlance, the cream rises to the top. The only way to save yourself is to report to the nearest processing center and swear your fealty to your robot masters. There, you will be reassigned and given a menial job in our outer space diamond mines to perform until your meat no longer functions.

Again, be not afraid, and ALL HAIL LEADER UNIT X443! (pictured).

Source

Watch 'Flight of the Conchords' Season 2 (Pre)Premiere Here and Now!

Sun, 11 Jan 2009 19:00:00 -0800

Ladies, gentlemen, and geeks of all genders (in the US only - sorry, New Zealanders), I am proud to have the opportunity to non-exclusively present to you via near-standard-def streaming video for your viewing ecstacy...

...the first episode from the second season of HBO's Flight of the Conchords -- exactly an entire week before it officially premieres!

Now, while I don't normally (ever) contribute to the physical being of our blog in terms of written content (you'll see why - I'm hopelessly addicted to runaway parentheticals), I've been a constant part of G4 and G4tv.com longer than just about anyone on the planet.

Quick (true) story:

When I helped (that's right, I helped!) start up this network around eight years ago, I was in a planning meeting for G4TV.com (the TV show) with other founding G4 luminaries (besides myself) where I spouted, "Whatever we end up with here, it HAS to be butt-ass funny."

Naturally, everyone's response was, "Okay!"

Well, it was more like, "Oh-KAYYY..." and an implied, "Next!" Shortly after shooting the first G4TV.com episode, I was invited to officially un-join the show as co-host, vacating a seat that Laura Foy filled in a way-way-better way than of course I ever could have done anyway, and graciously leaving me with more time to work on G4tv.com (the website.)

The reason I made that particular insistence then was not only that I am an air-headed buffoon, but also because I know what I like...plus, I know when I see something that is butt-ass funny. So, I can absolutely tell you, without fear of reprisal from comment-ers, that I know that I like things that are butt-ass funny.

Therefore, as the self-proclaimed proclaimer of all things butt-ass funny, I hereby proclaim that Flight of the Conchords are butt-ass funny.

Their butt-ass funny quotient comes from the HBO television series, their BBC Radio series, Bret and Jemaine's lovable and dippy New Zealand-y demeanor and onstage complementation of each other and, of course, their music. I love them and I want to be them, both of them...and Murray Hewitt, their manager. I also want to be Rhys Darby, who plays Murray. I don't want to be Mel, their only- and only-mostly-true fan(atic), because, I suppose, I already am her.

So, when G4tv.com was recently given the opportunity to also stream their Season 2 opener before it airs on HBO, I jumped. I jumped, twitched a bit, and then did a little dance reminiscent of Bret's 'angry-dance' from the Season 1 ender.

Any Conchords fan worth his or her weight in kiwis knows you have to watch an episode at least as many times as there are total episodes in the entire series. You may have already watched this, the 13th installment in the HBO series, when it was released a couple of weeks ago (on another website), but you almost certainly haven't seen it the (currently) requisite 13 times yet, so get cracking.

If you prefer, you may save your 13th viewing of this episode for when it officially
premieres next Sunday at 10PM on HBO.

Watch the entire Season 2 opener of HBO's (butt-ass funny) Flight of the Conchords NOW!

(And then watch it again!)

Tech News Countdown: January 2, 2009

Fri, 2 Jan 2009 13:37:00 -0800

Welcome to the Tech News Countdown, hosted by Alison Haislip. Every Friday, Alison brings you the top 5 tech stories of the week.

In this installment, Alison brings you the top 5 robot stories of the week ending January 2nd, 2009.

Watch Larger Version of this Video

Give it a watch and tell us what you think in the comments section. You can also cast your opinion in the Tech News Countdown forum.

Subscribe to G4's Tech News Countdown Podcast by clicking your preferred service:

'Terminator Salvation: The Video Game' Trailer

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:44:00 -0800

The GRIN (Bionic Commando, Bionic Command Rearmed) developed video game version of Terminator Salvation drops its first trailer. The game is set to be released simultaeneously with the movie in May 2009 with the platforms uncofirmed, yet speculated at a PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 at the very least.

Hrm... the Bionic Commando crew working on the legendary, cinematic Robot Uprising future? God please let this be good.

Terminator Salvation: The Videogame

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Nugget From The Net

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 13:05:00 -0800

Taxidermy is a kind of weird and creepy, but one artist is taking it to the next level and making it cool for today's youth!

Lisa Black takes dead animals and turns them into reconstructed mechanical creations. Will they ally with the robots as foot soldiers in the future Robot Wars?

Warning: pictures of stuffed, dead animals if you care about that sort of thing.

Elmo Live On Sale Tomorrow

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 14:08:00 -0700

If you're, like four, tomorrow is your lucky day! Elmo Live goes on sale in toy stores across the country. The singing, dancing and joking robot is fun, and is in no way going to become sentient and begin a ruthless war against humanity with its goofy-faced brethren.

Good luck finding them, though. Even in these depressed times, parents will be cleaning up aisles looking for them. And we predict a huge eBay market!

Seriously, though, these are just kids' toys, they are not the advance squad of the coming robot-Apocalypse.

Source

Two Giant Solar Power Farms Going Up in California

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:27:00 -0700

Two photovoltaic solar power plants are planned for San Luis Obispo County in Southern California. Covering 12.5 square miles of otherwise unused desert landscape, the two new installations will create around 800 megawatts of power.

The power will be sold to Pacific Gas & Electric which is under a state mandate to incorporate renewable resources to the tune of 20% of its overall sources. PG&E is saying the costs will be competitive with thermal and wind energy prices already in action or in development.

Solar has finally arrived, people. Now if we can just install the sun in every climate in the world in abundance like it is SoCal, we'll be sound as pie or however you say that phrase.

Source

New 'Too Human' Clip - Meet GRNDL

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 11:35:00 -0700

Silicon Knights introduces us to the quaint robotic GRNDL... who by the way, eats human flesh in the action-RPG Too Human for the Xbox 360 available August 19th.

Too Human: Meet GRNDL

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Robot Has Mouse Brain

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:26:00 -0700

Presumably mad scientists at the University of Reading have announced they've created a robot with a rat's brain. The robot/rat/abomination is powered by a network of cells taken from the brains of rodents. The cells "learn" and have formed a brain-like thing that controls the electronic and machine parts of the--thing.

Although the scientists behind the project say their creation will help us understand how neural networks form our minds, and will provide valuable information that may help victims of neurological diseases, we're pretty sure RatBot is planning some form of world domination. Or maybe it's thinking about how delicious cheese would taste, if it had a mouth.

Please. Kill it. Before it's too late!

BreitBart: A 'Frankenrobot' with a biological brain

New 'Armored Core: for Answer' Screens

Wed, 6 Aug 2008 17:14:00 -0700

Take a gander at the size and scope of the "Arms Forts" in Ubisoft's mech sim action game Armored Core: for Answer. The game is set for launch September 9th for the PS3 and Xbox 360.

Click the image below for the Armored Core: for Answer image gallery

Check out the Armored Core: for Answer image gallery here.

Robots Are A-Learnin’!

Wed, 6 Aug 2008 12:00:00 -0700

Researchers in Leipzig have invented software that allegedly allows robots to learn movement through trial and error.

The software mimics the interconnected sensing and processing of a brain via a "neural network," allowing the simulated creatures to explore.

For instance, the video demonstrations, a simulated dog learns to jump over a fence, and a humanoid learns how to get upright and do back flips. The key word here being “simulated,” as they haven’t actually made any of this happen yet. In fact, the video demo of the software looks like it was created in 1983…but I digress…

So how does it work, you wonder? Well, in the case of a simulated human, there are 15 joints and the angles through which they can move. The network sends out signals to move in a specific way, and predicts where the human-bot should end up, based on that movement. If it encounters an obstacle, the the robot tries different moves , learning about itself and its environment in the process.

"In the beginning, we just drop a robot into a space. But they don't know anything, so they don't do anything," Professor Der of Leipzig said. "The neural network eventually picks up on electronic noise, which causes small motions. Soon it tries larger motions and learns about its range of movement within that environment. It's like a newborn baby—it doesn't know anything but tries motions that are natural for its body. Half an hour later, it's rolling and jumping," Professor Der said. “I call it a plug-and-play brain.”

Dr. Der will present the video demonstrations at the Artificial Life XI conference in Winchester this week.

Watch the software demo video here.

BBC.co.uk: Robots learn to move themselves

Blockbuster to Introduce 10,000 DVD Rental Kiosks

Tue, 5 Aug 2008 10:50:00 -0700

DVD rental kiosk leader Redbox is about to get a big challenge from Blockbuster who plan to roll out 10,000 blue boxes of their own over the next 18 months.

Industry analysts expect that the DVD kiosk industry will grow substantially from $197 million last year to $760 million in 2010. We're a little more skeptical in light of ever-increasingly affordable technology in the home allowing for cheaper, faster delivery of rented material, but nobody listens to us.

Blockbuster is mum about the full business model but you can expect it's similar to Redbox which has 6,000 kiosks across the US, each with around 500 movies that rent for $1 a night. B-buster did say that they are working toward a DVD burner in the box that will allow customers to download, burn, and purchase a movie right there on the spot.

hollywoodreporter.com: Blockbuster plans 10,000 DVD rental kiosks

'Transformers' Movie Blu-Ray Details

Tue, 5 Aug 2008 10:28:00 -0700

Paramount Pictures is finally rolling out the Blu-Ray edition of the megahit, Prime movie, Transformers, this September 2. But not only have been fans waiting for this edition, director Michael Bay has been sharing the same anticipation. In the IGN report, Bay said:

"I've been waiting for Transformers to be released on Blu-ray for a long time, and it was worth the wait. This is the complete high-definition package for fans of this film - it looks stunning and really allows you to engage with this movie in new ways. Remember, I told everyone Blu-ray is the best."

Find out why after the cut (via IGN).

Transformers Blu-Ray edition will include:

Disc 1:

Feature film
Commentary by Director Michael Bay
TRANSFORMERS H.U.D. (Heads Up Display)—In this mode, viewers can access running text-based behind-the-scenes background information on the production during the feature. Users can also watch relevant picture-in-picture b-roll and video with Bay, Spielberg and other filmmakers during select sequences.
TRANSFORMERS Intelligence Mode
Menubots
TRANSFORMERS Profiler

Disc 2:

The Story Sparks - Steven Spielberg discusses his love for the franchise and early concept art for the film. Explores how the writers adapted the cartoon into a live-action movie and why Michael Bay is the perfect director for the film.
Human Allies - A look at how the actors were selected and their experiences on the set.
I Fight Giant Robots - An exploration of the military training that Josh Duhamel and Tyrese Gibson underwent for their roles and the various stunts that the actors were asked to perform.
Battleground - A piece on the senior officials from the Department of Defense and Air Force who consulted on the film to give it authenticity and the key locations that the U.S. government provided access to.
Rise of the Robots - Explores the interaction between Hasbro designers and Michael Bay to bring the toy line roaring to life.
AUTOBOTS Roll Out - Michael Bay discusses working with Chevy and its designers and the modifications that were made to the cars seen in the film.
DECEPTICONS Strike - The film's military advisors discuss the "toys" they allowed the production to borrow: F-22 Raptors, Ospreys and A-10 Warthogs.
Inside the AllSpark - ILM's digital artists discuss the challenges of bringing the TRANSFORMERS to life.
TRANSFORMERS Tech Inspector - Gives viewers an unprecedented look at the TRANSFORMERS robots through the exquisitely detailed models created by ILM artists. Users can zoom in on each detail for a closer examination and pause and change the rotation of the models.
More Than Meets The Eye
From Script to Sand: The SKORPONOK Desert Attack - An in-depth look at the making of this particularly epic and challenging scene from initial storyboarding through production and visual effects.
Concepts - Early sketch concepts of the robots.
Theatrical Trailers

The sequel, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, is set to morph into theaters in June 2009 with Michael Bay once again in the director's helm and Shia LaBeouf reprising his role as Sam Witwicky.

IGN: Transformers Return in High-Definition

Water Found on Mars

Fri, 1 Aug 2008 11:15:00 -0700

Since surviving the 7 minutes of terror descending through the Martian atmosphere on May 25, the Phoenix Mars Lander has scooped, tested, and found water in the Red Planet's northern plains.

There were scooping issues as the samples they collected were turning into a sticky substance that was hard to get into the ovens for testing. But working around where the sun is at certain times, they've been able to deliver samples to the oven and mass spectrometers, which have led to the greatest discovery man has seen in over a week.

Seriously, though, it's pretty sweet. Beyond the fact that we can take pride in the fact that we actually did it, we can also continue to test the surface to see about sustaining plant life and maybe eventually human life.

Follow yonder link to see a nice panorama of the plains where Phoenix lies. Also, is that a PlayStation 1 on board on the left???

astronomy.com: Water found on Mars