drive-in
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Walmart is turning some of its parking lots into drive-in theaters
Select Walmart parking lots around the US will soon be transformed into drive-in theaters, thanks to a partnership with the company behind the Tribeca Film Festival, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The “safe, socially distanced drive-in events,” as Walmart describes them on its website, will run from August through October at 160 locations across the country. The events will also feature “appearances from stars,” according to The Hollywood Reporter, and customers will be able to order concessions that will be delivered to their vehicles.
Honda intros Project Drive-In to save outdoor movies through digital projectors (video)
Drive-in theaters outlasted VHS tapes, but they may not survive the transition to digital-only movies -- many drive-ins can't afford the professional digital projectors they need to stay in business. Honda wants to give those outdoor venues a second chance through its new Project Drive-In rescue effort. At a minimum, the endeavor will donate digital projectors to five theaters based on web voting; further donations will depend on the results of an Indiegogo fundraising campaign. While there's no guarantee that Honda can save a drive-in near you, it may be worth chipping in to preserve some classic Americana through modern technology.
Parallels offers "Green Computing Bundle"
Parallels started offering a bundle of applications for sale last night (yes, that Parallels -- the one that makes VM software). The Parallels "Green Computing Bundle" is a collection of 9 applications for $49.99 including: Parallels Desktop for Mac MacScan PasswordWallet Macintosh Explorer Macaroni Drive-in PageSender Default Folder X docXConverter The biggest application (and therefore the biggest deal) is by far the inclusion of the Parallels Desktop. You can purchase the bundle by visiting Parallel's Green Computing Bundle website.
DIYer builds his own drive-in theater, brings back the retro
It's one thing to craft a home theater that keeps guests coming back weekend after weekend, but it's another to create one that keeps them rolling (literally) in by the dozens. Kevin Van fulfilled what we can only imagine was a mid-20s fantasy by building his very own backyard theater, complete with an Epson 77c projector, homemade 6-foot retractable screen and 8 vintage drive-in speakers rigged up to deliver 5.1 surround sound on his deck and 2-channel stereo around the pool. There's also a concession stand, a homegrown outdoor subwoofer being pushed by 1,100 watts and a whole slew of other audio / video components. Those cruising through Fraser, Michigan should seriously look this guy up -- sounds like a great way to spend a few hours.[Via UberReview]
Beta Beat: Drive-in
Flip4Mac, the company famous for allowing QuickTime to play Windows Media files, has released a new beta unto the world: Drive-In. It is billed as a way to allow you to rip your DVD collection to your Mac's hard disk for viewing later. It will also organize said files so you can easily find your copy of Road House when you gots to have some Swayze.You can play the images that Drive-In creates on any machine that you own, but you can't share them with others (unless, I suppose, you enter your licesne info into that copy of Drive-In, which violates the terms of use I am sure).You must register the product before you can rip DVDs, though during the beta which expires on January 7th, 2007, the registration is free.
The Mac Mini-based DeLorean drivable drive-in
So you've got your shiny, not-quite-new DeLorean fresh off eBay but still don't think it gives you enough geek cred? Well, you can do what Ryan Brandys did and turn it into a driveable drive-in movie theater with the help of a Mac Mini, a projector, and a bucketload of skill. Ok, just putting a Mac Mini and a projector in a car doesn't really require much skill, but this dude totally pimped it out, installing actuators that open the hood with a push of a button, revealing the 37-inch projector screen mounted under the hood that puts all other in-car movie-watching solutions to shame. He also created custom fiberglass enclosures to keep everything looking pretty, designed a custom Mac Mini dock, and created the Basic Stamp "Brain Box," which makes everything work together. He hasn't, however, tricked out his car to look like the Back to the Future DeLorean but, really, wouldn't you just as soon have this?[Via TUAW]
