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Final roll of Kodachrome processed in Kansas; angel sheds a rainbow-colored tear
Kodak stopped manufacturing the oldest film in its catalog last year, but Dwayne's Photo in Parsons, Kansas kept its Kodachrome processing rig around just in case. Last week photographer Steve McCurry processed the final manufactured roll of Kodachrome there - 33 frames taken around New York City, and three taken in Parsons. A crew from National Geographic (where McCurry made his name, specifically with the iconic "Afghan Girl" cover photo) documented the final roll's journey from the factory to processing, so you'll probably be able to find out more on it soon. Oh, and if grandma's a real shutterbug, you might want to tell her to check the attic for any spare Kodachrome rolls she has lying around -- Dwayne's is the last remaining Kodachrome processing facility in the world, and that service will stop on December 10th. Now, if it's quite alright -- pardon us while we attempt to capture a meaningful moment on our soulless Easyshare ecosystem of products.
April Fools' Day roundup: 'let me Topeka that for you' edition
Alright, good netizens of Engadget, it's time for us to bring you the sort of hard-hitting news content you can expect only on the first day of April. First on our slate we have the earthshaking news that Google is to officially rename itself Topeka, with the company's official blog urging all future communications to be addressed to Topeka Inc. This is to honor the Kansas town that renamed itself Google in an effort to curry favor with Goog... excuse us, Topeka's 1Gbit broadband program. We also have exclusive and absolutely official confirmation of the forthcoming Android 2.5 update, an inflatable laptop from Toshiba, YouTube's textual deviance, and the hands-down best iPad dock you will ever see. You'll have to come after the break for all those -- they're too hot to handle out in the open. We'll be updating this post as the day goes along, so keep it locked.
Richard Knaak signing in the Midwest, Blizzard artists' forum at UC Irvine
Stuck in the Midwest and didn't have enough money to go see all the fun at BlizzCon 2009 this year? We've got a little (very little) bit of condolence for you: Richard Knaak, author of the Warcraft novels, is doing a signing tour this weekend around the Midwest in Missouri and Kansas. Blizzplanet has all of the dates and places -- he'll be in St. Joseph, MO on Friday (today), and then in Overland Park, KS and Lawrence, KS on Saturday and Sunday respectively. Not quite as fun as seeing Ozzy, but if you're out in the middle of the country, there's your chance at a little facetime with someone helping shape the WoW universe.Unfortunately, I'm stuck in Chicago, and -- oh wait! I moved to Los Angeles last weekend, which means I'm actually going to get to go to this artists' forum down at UC Irvine in California. Where I am (it's still a little weird to say that). The Laguna Art Museum (which has an ongoing relationship with Blizzard) will be hosting some of Blizzard's and other artists on October 1st, and they'll be talking (we presume) about creating art and other media for games and digital entertainment. Usually this is the part of the post where I'll ask you to send us pictures if you go, but what the heck -- I'm in the neighborhood (not really, but closer than Chicago), so maybe I'll get a chance to go and check it out for myself. See you there?
Topeka, Kansas gets another pay-TV option: AT&T's U-verse TV
Topeka area residents have been primarily dealing with Cox Communications for years, but according to a new article in The Capital-Journal, AT&T is about to change that. As of now, U-verse TV is available for ordering in select parts of the city, and if you're curious to know if you're one of the lucky few (relatively), hit the read link and surf over to A the carrier's availability checker.[Thanks, Kevin]
Sonic fan gets town's pet hedgehog ban overturned
An 11-year-old Sonic fan's crusade has overturned a citywide ban on hedgehogs in Lawrence, Kansas. As reported by KTKA, young Judson King wanted one of the super-fast and incredibly agile rodents as a pet, but they were illegal, so he spent three years getting a brief together petitioning city commissioners to overturn the law. The town elders couldn't find a reason behind the blue creatures' banning in the first place, so Master King now has his own pet hedgehog -- Luke.After doing some research of our own, we've discovered the reason Lawrence banned hedgehogs in the first place. In 1944, a Dr. Eikopf Robotniksky settled in Lawrence, and he just so happened to own a pet echidna. Echidnas and hedgehogs do not get along well, and thus hedgehogs were given the boot. No, really. We're not making this up.[Via GamePolitics]
Cox gifts Kansas subscribers with three more HD channels
Good news, Kansas -- not only has Cox gone live with the two high-def stations it promised it would, but it's apparently bringing along three others. According to a local, FOX News HD (605), AMC HD (639) and Cartoon Network HD (640) have all emerged on the EPG, and we reckon we speak for everyone in saying that there's hardly anything more awesome than new HD channels that you weren't expecting.[Thanks, Kevin]
Cox adding SPEED HD, FX HD and MLB Network in Kansas
Cox Communications dropped a nice bundle of HD nets on Kansas in late October, but apparently it's not quite done for the year. Effective December 30th, the carrier will add SPEED HD and FX HD to Shawnee County (other areas aren't specified) on slots 641 and 651, respectively. Two days later, MLB Network will show up on digital cable slot 263, with no high-def accomplice in tow. For shame.
Cox adding slew of HD channels in Kansas / Arkansas
Cox is shuffling around the lineups down in Arkansas and Kansas, but relocation isn't the only process going down. A plethora of new high-definition channels are headed to both locales on November 18th, and here's a look at what's to come: SciFi HD, Bravo HD, Nickelodeon HD, Hallmark Movie Channel HD, Lifetime Movie Network HD, Planet Green HD, CMT HD, VH1 HD, MTV HD and Spike HD. For the full spill of what stations are moving, what stations are vanishing and what stations are being added to what slots, hit the read link and put those sleuthing skills to good use.
Nex-Tech / Redline bringing WiMAX to Kansas
While Sprint's XOHM network is sticking to the bustling metropolises of the US, Redline is looking to bring the wonders of 4G to those sitting in rural America. Granted, this here deployment isn't the first we've seen in a less-than-dense locale, but thanks to its RedMAX infrastructure products and Nex-Tech's desire to spread the love, a number of cities in the Sunflower State are about to get blanketed with WiMAX. More specifically, we're told that Hays (see above) and Great Bend will get covered by next month, but we're left to assume, er, hope that neighboring towns will fall under the umbrella in due time.[Via InformationWeek, image courtesy of AirForceBase]
Wichita's KWCH taking local news to HD this month
Another first is coming to Wichita: local news in high-definition. The area's CBS affiliate, KWCH-TV, just began running commercials to get residents psyched up about the impending transition to HD. When it flips the switch sometime later this month, it'll be the first local station in the region to air its newscasts in high-def. Something tells us the others won't be too far behind, though.[Thanks, Gabe]
Wichita, Kansas now home to AT&T's U-verse TV
AT&T already has a small TV footprint in Kansas City, and now neighboring Kansas is finally getting some U-verse love. As of this week, Wichita-area residents have one more choice when it comes to programming, as U-verse TV, high-speed internet and digital phone have arrived. As always, there's no telling whether your domicile is within range, so go ahead and cross your fingers while making the call.
Kansas Apple Store ready to open
The MacRumors Forums are abuzz with discussion about the opening of the first Apple Store in Kansas. Not to be confused with Apple Store Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, Mo., this store is in Leawood, Kansas. Specifically, the store is located in the new shopping center being built in the Crate & Barrel area on the south east corner of 119th & Roe. While there's no listing on Apple's retail page, they do have a map page partially complete. Several forum users state that the store will open on July 11, just in time for the 3G iPhone launch. If you visit this store over the weekend, please let us know! Welcome to the club, Kansas!Thanks, Darrell!
Warcraft III's Orc appears on fireworks
What better way to celebrate the Fourth of July today than to sit outside with some good beer, some tasty BBQ, and a whole lot of cheaply made fireworks? Brom and Seku on the Llane server were kind enough to send us this picture they took of a firework they found at a store in Pittsburg, Kansas -- apparently the "Behemoth," made by the Consumer Fireworks company in China, not only "emits showers of sparks," it also blows copyright law completely out of the water. Very nice.One more gigantic pic of the Behemoth and its Warcraft III orc cover art after the jump. If you do use fireworks (or break copyright law) today, do it safely, and have a great holiday!%Gallery-26839%
TWC implementing switched digital video in Kansas City
Stay sharp, Time Warner Cable subscribers -- we've got a feeling the switched digital video wave is just beginning to swell. Merely hours after hearing that San Diego residents were receiving a letter informing them that SDV was on the way, one particular user in Kansas City has apparently received the same. Better still, he was kind enough to post the full text, which explains that a number of "lesser-viewed" channels will be delivered via SDV as of August 20th. Of course, this means that existing CableCARD users will be out of luck unless they pick up a tuning adapter, and while some carriers have already committed to handing them out to those in need for free, TWC is entirely more ambiguous. The exact verbiage reads: "It is currently contemplated that the Tuning Adapter will be provided at no additional charge," but those unwilling to wait will be forced to pick up one of the carrier's own set-top-boxes in order to see the stations. [Disclosure: Engadget is part of the Time Warner family]
Cox brings 11 new HD channels to Topeka, Kansas
Historically, Topeka has been one of the last locales in Kansas to get gifted with new HD channels. Nevertheless, quite a few folks in the area are celebrating today as 11 newcomers have joined the fold. From SciFi HD to USA HD to NFL Network HD, Cox has ratcheted Topeka's HD lineup to 36 total stations in addition to HD On Demand. We'll admit, this is a pretty impressive list, and we can only hope it bleeds out to other systems here shortly. Head on past the break for the full rundown of new nets.[Thanks, Kevin and James]
FSN Kansas City HD arrives in Topeka on Cox
Although the 2008 MLB season is well underway, we suppose Cox subscribers in Topeka can't complain with being able to catch at least some of the 88 Royals games that are slated to air in high-def on FSN Kansas City. Effective immediately, Cox users in the area can tune in during game times for a high-definition feed of certain matchups, but for whatever reason, these same folks are still waiting to receive the likes of Science HD, Animal Planet HD, Cinemax HD, Travel Channel HD, NFL HD, etc. -- all networks that are already live in smaller locales such as Manhattan and Salina. Keep griping, Topekans, we'd be sour too.[Image courtesy of A.T. Switzer, thanks Kevin]
Topeka, Kansas CBS affiliate and Cox finally come to terms
It sure seems like we've been watching this war between Topeka, Kansas' CBS affiliate (WIBW-TV) and Cox Communication wage for an awful lot longer than half a month, but just over a fortnight after this tiff came to a head, everything is seemingly back to normal. As of last night, the station and the carrier have reached an agreement that will enable CBS to remain on Cox's lineup, and just as expected, the terms of the deal are being kept under wraps. Now, if only Topeka could just get those six HD channels that are already available in many other parts of Kansas, all really would be well.[Thanks, Kevin O.]
Topeka, Kansas CBS affiliate dumped from Cox
About this time last week, we had hopes that WIBW-TV and Cox Communications could come to terms and put this spat behind, but unfortunately, things didn't exactly work out. As of right now, Topeka, Kansas' CBS affiliate is being dumped from Cox's lineup, and while talks are reportedly continuing, TV viewers in the area now have to turn to alternative methods to catch CBS programming. On an update on the station's website, it actually recommends that consumers call up DISH Network and DirecTV to see what kind of deals they can nab should they be too far away to pull in the signal via OTA. Here's to hoping this situation sees an amicable resolution, and fast.Update: The deadline has been extended until March 13th, so Cox users can still receive WIBW for a few more days at least.[Thanks, James H.]
Topeka, Kansas CBS affiliate stays on Cox while negotiations continue
Well, it's Saturday folks, and for Cox customers in Topeka, Kansas, WIBW-TV is still going strong. According to an updated article on the station's website, Topeka's CBS affiliate is going to remain on Cox Communications' lineup for just a few more days (at least), as "substantial progress" has reportedly been made in determining how much Cox should pay WIBW. As of now, the deadline has been pushed to March 8th, but at this point, we've no reason to believe the bigwigs at Cox won't come to their senses and pony up.[Thanks, Kevin O.]
Allegiance Communications rolls out array of HD channels
Though Allegiance Communications may not be known very well nationally, we're sure mid-sized markets in Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas and Texas are quite familiar with the name. Nevertheless, said cable carrier has reportedly just "completed the first phase of channel additions for 2008," and there's definitely some HD love mixed in. According to Oklahoma's Tecumseh Countywide News, local residents can now access A&E HD, HGTV HD, Food Network HD, National Geographic HD and Starz HD on channels 972, 973, 975, 976 and 974, respectively. Better still, the outfit has also promised that ESPN2 HD will be joining the fold in the coming months, and just in case that still wasn't enough, subscribers can look forward to Chiller, Fox Business HD and RFD HD showing up in the not-too-distant future. Not bad for a rural carrier, huh?
