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'Jason Bourne' is embarrassingly dumb about tech
Jason Bourne, the latest film featuring Matt Damon's amnesiac assassin, isn't just a bad movie -- it's woefully ignorant about almost every aspect of technology. And that's a big problem when tech underpins almost everything in the film, from the social media company with a billion users that the U.S. government is secretly involved with, to the hacker collective trying to access and leak sensitive data from the CIA. We're used to seeing Hollywood dumb down technology in movies, but that's harder to stomach in a series focused on high-level government intelligence. And in a world where Mr. Robot has shown that you can balance technical accuracy with a compelling narrative, Jason Bourne simply has no excuse.
Fox pushes virtual reality to the limit with 30 minutes on Mars
I wasn't prepared for The Martian VR Experience. All I'd known before sitting down in a padded seat in a near-pitch-black booth, tucked away in the Library bar at Vegas' Marquee nightclub, was that I'd be enveloped in virtual reality for up to 30 minutes. And I was worried about that. Bad virtual reality -- VR that lasted up to two minutes -- has sidelined me in the past, leaving a lingering nausea I'd prefer to never revisit. But by going all in with its first commercial experience, 20th Century Fox has made an expensive bet that pays off: It's created comfortable long-form VR.
Damon and Affleck revive 'Project Greenlight' filmmaker search on HBO
We're going to bet that everyone has probably daydreamed of making a movie at least once in their life. To help those Scorsese flights of fancy come true, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are back in the saddle of HBO's Project Greenlight, the reality series that follows a film project from start to finish. Compared to the show's initial run (in the early 2000s, before options like Red Digital Cinema or YouTube were popular), though, this will be a bit different. The duo (along with a cadre of production talent) is only looking for directors for this season -- scribes need not apply -- and wannabe Finchers must submit their three-minute-or-less clip via the show's Facebook page. Should your sample get accepted, you'll have to endure the typical day-to-day of a director: dealing with prima donna actors and heat from the studio, staying on schedule and hopefully not deviating from the budget. Sound like the gig for you? Then get cracking: the submission window runs from July 24th to August 8th this year.
HP labs researcher thinks he might have proof of P≠NP, has another Millennium problem been solved?
If you don't know the major problems facing mathematics and computer science, you might not be familiar with the problem of P versus NP. In short, it's a problem which asks, "if 'yes' answers to a yes or no question can be quickly verified, can they also be computed quickly?" Many computer scientists have long suspected that P≠NP, and it's been listed by The Clay Mathematics Institute as one of the Millennium Problems (another of which was solved earlier this year), carrying a 1 million dollar prize if solved. Apparently, HP researcher Vinay Deolalikar has been working on the problem in his spare time, and it seems that he's emailed his preliminary paper in support of P≠NP to the committee tasked with judging the Millennium Prize. His HP profile says he's received several preliminary confirmations of his draft, and that a final paper is currently in preparation. We wish him luck, and we'll keep you updated.
Jimmy Kimmel previews The Bourne Conspiracy: Guillermo edition
A little backstory for those who aren't regular viewers of Jimmy Kimmel Live! -- at the conclusion of many early episodes, Kimmel would apologize for bumping Matt Damon due to time constraints, though almost always in jest. As the tabloids spun a web of rumors concerning a feud between Damon and the late night host, Kimmel's girlfriend Sarah Silverman appeared on the show and debuted a music video admitting she was, in fact, having an affair with Damon. Kimmel replied in kind.Guillermo Rodriguez is the show's actual parking lot security guard, and often serves as a celebrity gossip reporter -- he even bumped Damon from a few celebrity interviews, fueling the fake feud. In the above video, Kimmel reveals that the guard-turned-gossiper managed to bump Damon from his own video game: The Bourne Conspiracy. Sure, it's not exactly accurate, as Damon was never slated to fill Bourne's digital shoes, but the resulting gameplay footage is hilarious nonetheless.[Thanks, Steve.]
The Bourne Conspiracy snipes a PS3 release [Update]
Yes folks, another tie-in. The Bourne Ultimatum is coming to theaters this summer while a different, next-gen offering The Bourne Conspiracy, hits PS3 and Xbox 360 next year in 2008. The game is tailoring its plot around Jason Bourne's identity, borrowing heavily from source materials of ... The Bourne Identity. We don't fully understand why Ludlum Entertainment doesn't just call the game The Bourne Identity, other than perhaps to induce confusion amongst the franchise titles. Considering the first film already has a well-established fan base, it would seem starting the game franchise at the base level and allowing sequels to follow the film release time line would make more sense. But hey, we don't make games, we just play 'em. What do we know? Fans of The Bourne Identity novel and film reiteration will also notice new story elements added to the game. For example, the game will include the pivotal moment when Jason Bourne first learns his identity and the discovery of the overabundant cans of whoopin' he has at his disposal. No release date yet, but expect to hear more on this after The Bourne Ultimatum's release this summer and subsequent (and highly likely) DVD release.[Update: The Bourne Ultimatum is coming to theaters this summer. The Bourne Conspiracy is the game title only, of which there has yet to be a film reiteration. Corrections made to the post clarifying this. Thanks, The Sh0wstopper & Jon K]
PhoneTag for Amp'd: stalking friends and strangers in the real world
Matt Damon and best friend/business partner Ben Affleck will soon be providing us with entertainment at more places than just the cineplex, as the two are set to take over the small screen as well -- on your cellphone. Unfortunately for fans of their acting talents, Damon and Affleck's contribution to the world of mobile content will come in the form of a video game from their production company, LivePlanet, that utilizes the location-awareness functionality on players' mobiles. Called PhoneTag, the subscription-based game is basically a real-world, touchless version of tag, where competitors join a match and use their handsets to track down friends or strangers in real world spaces, hitting a "capture" button when their prey is close enough. This online offering will be available exclusively from Amp'd Mobile, and will feature safehouses sponsored by establishments such as Starbucks, where players can congregate to become untraceable on their opponents' maps (and obviously pass the time drinking copious amounts of coffee).
