Keanu Reeves Says The Wachowskis Have Plans For Matrix 4 And 5

By Meredith Woerner on January 25, 2011 at 6:19 AM on Gizmodo

Neo might be returning to the big screen, according to the original spoon bender, Keanu Reeves himself. Reeves just spilled the beans on the Wachowskis’ plans to make two more Matrix movies!

AICN has a report from Keanu Reeves’s keynote speech at the London school of performing Arts University. A commenter wrote in with a few highlights from the lecture, including this particular gem about The Matrix.

Says he met the Wachowskis… for lunch over Christmas, and stated that they had completed work on a two-picture script treatments that would see him return to the world of the matrix as Neo. Says the Wachowskis have met with Jim Cameron to discuss the pro’s and con’s of 3D and are looking to deliver something which has never been seen again. Keanu stated that he still has an obligation to the fans to deliver a movie worthy of the title “The Matrix” and he swears this time that the treatment will truly revolutionize the action genre like the first movie. Wachowskis are working on a movie called “Cloud Atlas” at the moment, once that concludes they will talk again.

Has enough time passed that most people have forgotten the awful saviour-heavy second and third films in this series? We’ll find out eventually. Meanwhile, the Wachowskis are also working on a futuristic Robin Hood retelling called Hood, which Reeves says is set to star Will Smith.

Your Current Xperia Phone Won’t Be Getting Froyo. Ever.

By Nick Broughall on January 25, 2011 at 1:30 PM on Gizmodo

2010 was a huge year for Android, but one problem kept recurring – getting an update to the latest version of the operating system was far from guaranteed, regardless of manufacturer, or mobile carrier. What is guaranteed is that current Sony Ericsson Xperia owners will never be moving beyond Android version 2.1, with the company confirming that Froyo is definitely not an option for future upgrades.

Sony Ericsson’s official statement below explains that they believe their proprietary enhancements to the Eclair version of Android is competitive enough make the upgrade more effort than it’s worth. They still plan on rolling out smaller updates over the coming months – including adding multitouch – but the core OS will remain as version 2.1 for all current Xperia phones.

We’re planning another upgrade to bring new features (such as multi-touch for Xperia™ X10) to the current family of Xperia™ smartphones in early Q1 (ie: very shortly), however we will not be upgrading the current Xperia™ range beyond Android 2.1. We believe that with the current hardware platform an overhaul of the underlying core OS wouldn’t drastically improve the user experience. Android OS 2.1 coupled with Sony Ericsson’s proprietary upgrades and superior entertainment hardware (8.1 mp camera and HD video recording) delivers a user experience that is on par with, and in many cases better than, a vanilla installation of Android 2.2. Obviously in an ideal world we would keep producing new updates for existing phones forever. However, replacing the base Android version again on the 2010 phones in our view simply doesn’t improve the user experience enough to make it viable.

Our priority right now is to keep enhancing the user experience of the existing products through coming updates and to deliver a fantastic range of smartphones in 2011 that are all on the latest possible version of Android – that is a target we are determined to hit!

Given that one of the reasons it took so long to move from Android 1.6 to 2.1 was the proprietary software running on top of the OS, we’ll have to wait and see whether anyone picking up the Gingerbread-running Xperia Arc will be subjected to the same delayed upgrade path. According to TechRadar, it hopefully won’t be as big a problem, with a Senior Sony Ericsson executive confessing that they weren’t able to “uncouple” the Timescape UI with Android on the X10, but have managed to do it with the upcoming Arc.

The question now is whether or not this move from Sony Ericsson will sway potential customers away from future Xperia handsets?

Microsoft Offers 30-Day Trial of Office for Mac 2011

by Killian Bell on January 25th, 2011 on iSource

If you haven’t already given Microsoft Office for Mac 2011 a go, I highly recommend it. Despite the disappointing 2004 and 2008 releases, Microsoft have really stepped up their game, and their latest Office for Mac is a huge improvement. To help you discover all that’s wonderful in Office 2011, Microsoft are now offering a 30-day trial of the entire productivity suite – including Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and Outlook – to help you decide whether it’s really worth that $150 price tag.

The download weighs in at a hefty 900MB, and requires an Intel-based Mac with at least 2.5GB of free space. Sign up for the trial and grab your download from the Microsoft Office for Mac website.

Apple to Add Near Field Communication (NFC) Payments to iPad 2 and iPhone 5?

posted by arn on Tuesday January 25, 2011 05:00 AM on MacRumours

Bloomberg claims that Apple will be incorporating NFC (Near Field Communication) hardware in the next iPhone and iPad. This feature would allow customers to use the iPhone and iPad to make purchases:

The services are based on “Near-Field Communication,” a technology that can beam and receive information at a distance of up to 4 inches, due to be embedded in the next iteration of the iPhone for AT&T Inc. and the iPad 2, Doherty said. Both products are likely to be introduced this year, he said, citing engineers who are working on hardware for the Apple project.

Apple could potentially tie this payment system into people’s existing iTunes accounts. It’s described to allow customers to walk into a store and make payments directly from their iOS device. Apple may also incorporate loyalty rewards and credit system in iTunes as well. Other possibilities include using location based transactions to improve iAd targeting.

According to this source, Apple has already made prototype payment terminals intended for small businesses to scan NFC-enabled iPhones and iPads. These terminals could be subsidized or even given away to encourage adoption.

Apple has been hiring NFC experts as well as applied for several patents on the technology. A couple of previous reports have also pegged the next generation iPhone as having NFC technology built in.

Apple Now Approving iOS 4.3-Compatible AirPlay Apps

posted by Eric Slivka on Tuesday January 25, 2011 12:56 PM on MacRumours

As noted by AppAdvice, Apple’s App Store reviewers have begun approving applications that take advantage of the third-party AirPlay video streaming capabilities present in iOS 4.3. The approvals come as Apple has yet to deploy the software update for public consumption, meaning that regular users are still unable to take advantage of the feature.

One example of a newly-approved AirPlay-compatible application is StreamToMe, a relatively popular universal application that allows users to stream content from Macs and PCs to iOS devices via Wi-Fi or 3G.

What’s New in Version 3.5
– Auto detect subtitle encodings
– Preliminary support for WTV files
– Support for AirPlay video (requires iOS 4.3)
– Fixed a crash bug for large or slow folders

Apple issued the first beta version of iOS 4.3 to developers nearly two weeks ago, and followed that up with a second build just a week later. It is unknown when Apple plans to release the software update to the public, but the company may be preparing to release a third beta version tomorrow if the previous one-week interval repeats itself.

New Painting Process Solving White iPhone 4 Problems?

posted by Eric Slivka on Tuesday January 25, 2011 04:45 PM on MacRumours

With rumors swirling that a launch for the white iPhone 4 could finally occur in the near future, questions have been raised about what Apple has done to finally enable the company to possibly begin shipping the device to consumers. While Apple has not officially acknowledged the reasons for the delay, rumors have suggested that problems with the paint being used leading to light leaking through the painted surfaces have been pegged as the issue.

According to Macotakara (via iLounge), a small Japanese company has developed a process for controlling the uniform application of white paint to the iPhone 4, resulting in acceptable units coming off the assembly lines.

According to a source, specified printing white color for iPhone 4 brings poor yield and then huge number of defective products. This is the reason of disturbing to start manufacturing, a source said.

To solve this problem, a Japanese company developed miracle painting material which is able to be set thickness of painting layer.

Making no mention of the original report, AppleInsider has offered nearly identical information, and it is thus unclear whether that site’s information is based on separate sources or the same sources or even the same report.

‘We’re f..king bringing it’ on May 6, Duke Nukem Forever’s creators promise in trailer

Posted on News.com.au

They’re getting sweary about it, so the rumours must be true. (Swirl added to protect innocent eyes). Source: Supplied

EVEN with an official release date and trailer, fans are sceptical.

But then, this is arguably the most famous piece of vapourware – software that never materialises – ever.

After 14 years of promises, Duke Nukem has made another step in an interminably long series of steps closer to reincarnation, after rescuer Gearbox Software committed itself to a global May 6 release for Duke Nukem Forever.

It’s released a proper trailer even, and while it’s hard to tell from such things, it certainly looks the business.

The voiceover tells the story of the one man “whose very presence sent aliens running back to their mother ships”, before he disappeared without a trace.

Frustrated fans of the Duke would know he never really went away – just hung around in the wings, promising to return in a follow-up to the hugely successful 1996 hit Duke Nukem 3D.

According to the new trailer, the invaders took advantage of his absence and came back to Earth.

“They tore our planet apart, bit by bit,” it says as aliens can be seen tearing down a statue of the Duke himself.

“But, they made one mistake – they shouldn’t have gone after our women.”

Cut to scene of pole dancer and lesbian schoolgirls, the type of crudity that made Duke Nukem 3D such an original title back in 1996.

Then, for the first time in 14 years, the Duke speaks.

“Dammit,” he says. “Why do they always take the hot ones?”

Cue highlights – punching giant aliens in the groin. Cheesy one-liners. Triple-breasted she-monsters.

“You want it?” Duke Nukem Forever’s creators ask. “We’re f..king bringing it.”

Indeed. On May 6, apparently, if you believe the final screenshot.

US fans get it on May 3, so we’ll confirm it then.