Apple Releases Apple TV Software Update 4.2.2

Apple has released Apple TV Software Update 4.2.2, the latest software update for its second-generation set-top box. Apple has yet to update its Apple TV software update support page, so it is unclear what bug fixes or other improvements might be included in the update.  Apple TV Software Update 4.2.2 is available now via the device’s software update feature.

Horrible Bosses Trailer

Warner Bros. has debuted the first trailer for their upcoming comedy Horrible Bosses.

Directed by Seth Gordon (The King of Kong, Four Christmases), the film deals with three friends, Nick (Jason Bateman), Kurt (Jason Sudeikis), and Dale (Charlie Day), who decide that the only way to improve their lives is to eliminate the bosses that are making them miserable. Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Spacey and Colin Farrell star as the employers.

Set for release on July 8th, Horrible Bosses also stars Jamie Foxx, Donald Sutherland and Julie Bowen.

Pop-Culture Silhouettes By Olly Moss

For the past 6 months Olly Moss has been making paper-cut silhouettes of his favorite pop culture icons. They were displayed in an exhibition at Gallery 1988 that opened on May 7th and will run for around three weeks. Check out some of his work below and see if you recognize any of the outlined figures. More images of the opening night can be seen HERE. Finally, an interview with the artist can be read HERE.

Google Music, Lets You Listen To Your Music Anywhere And Stay In Sync

Today at Google I/O 2011 in San Francisco they announced Google Music, a new cloud service that lets you host your musical collection online so you can listen to it anywhere, even offline. It also makes it easy to keep your music sync without using cables, file transfers or storage space limitations.

The service is launching in beta today, allowing storage of up to 20,000 of your songs for free (at least while it’s in beta.), but you can request an invite.

Microsoft To Acquire Skype For $8.5 Billion

Microsoft has announced that it has entered into an agreement with Skype Global to acquire VoIP service provider Skype for $8.5 billion in cash. According to the announcement, the agreement has already been approved by the boards of directors of both companies, and “will increase the accessibility of real-time video and voice communications, bringing benefits to both consumers and enterprise users and generating significant new business and revenue opportunities.” With 170 million users, Skype will be integrated into Microsoft devices like Xbox, Windows Phone, and Windows, while Microsoft will in turn connect Skype users with Lync, Outlook, Xbox Live and other communities, and will continue to invest in and support Skype clients on other, non-Microsoft platforms. “Skype is a phenomenal service that is loved by millions of people around the world,” said Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. “Together we will create the future of real-time communications so people can easily stay connected to family, friends, clients and colleagues anywhere in the world.”

Uno 3, The Transforming Scooter Is Now Available For Pre-Order

The innovative self-balancing two-wheeled Uno 3 scooter began as a high school science fair project and now it has gone into production and can be pre-ordered from BPG Motors. The Uno 3 combines the reduced parking footprint of a Segway with all the benefits of a conventional motorcycle.

The Uno 3 can balance solely on its rear wheels in “Uno mode,” enabling unmatched nimbleness with an extremely tight turning radius. This alone will make it ideal for urban settings. When higher speeds are needed, the middle wheel can drop down in front and the outer wheels shift backwards transforming the Uno 3 into a full street bike.

Inspired by the congested streets of China, the design not only makes it collapsible to allow it to fit easily into an elevator, but the Uno 3 also produces zero tailpipe emissions.

Rango Blu-ray & DVD Due On July 15

Paramount Home Entertainment has released details for the home video release of Rango:

“An animated comedy for smart moviegoers” (Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times) that is “like nothing you’ve ever seen” (Peter Travers, Rolling Stone), the hilarious and imaginative Rango saddles up in a Blu-ray/DVD Combo pack with Digital Copy and on standard DVD on Friday, July 15, 2011 from Paramount Home Entertainment. The incomparable Johnny Depp voices Rango, a chameleon living as an ordinary family pet who dreams of being a fearless hero and is challenged to become just that when he inadvertently becomes the sheriff of a lawless desert town called Dirt. Directed by Gore Verbinski, the visionary behind the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, Rango delighted audiences of all ages, earning more than $230 million worldwide. The film also features the voices of Isla Fisher (Horton Hears A Who!), Abigail Breslin (Kit Kittredge: An American Girl), Ned Beatty (Toy Story 3), Alfred Molina (Spider-Man 2), Bill Nighy (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1), Harry Dean Stanton, (“Big Love”), Ray Winstone (Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) and Timothy Olyphant (“Justified”).

The Rango Blu-ray/DVD Combo with Digital Copy features both the theatrical version of the film and an extended cut including a never-before-seen alternate ending, a two-part, in-depth exploration of the groundbreaking filmmaking process, deleted scenes, a look at the real creatures of Dirt, an interactive field trip to Dirt and more.

Jae Lee to Illustrate Stephen King’s Wind Through the Keyhole, Donald M. Grant Will Publish

Jae Lee has signed on to illustrate Stephen’s next Dark Tower book, The Wind Through the Keyhole, which will be published as a limited edition by Donald M. Grant Publisher.

The book is scheduled to be published in the Spring of 2012.

Stephen King has agreed to sign 800 copies of a Deluxe Edition which will be issued in a tray case. These will also be signed by Jae Lee. In keeping with the publisher’s policies of supporting long time customers, owners of Deluxe Edition copies of The Little Sisters of Eluria numbered 1-800 will have the first option to buy this Deluxe Edition.

In addition there will be a limited “Artist” Edition which will be signed by Jae Lee and will be issued in a slipcase.

Orders are not yet being taken and a final release date has not been established.

Not actual cover art

Coming Soon: Triple Double Oreos?

Nabisco might be prepping a new cookie concoction called Triple Double Oreos which contains 3 cookies and 2 layers of vegetable shortening and powdered sugar. Described as the Big Mac of cookies, photos of this mysterious new treat (possibly still in a testing phase) leaked online this week, on Twitter and Reddit. There’s also a product listing on Amazon.

You will need a bigger glass of milk for dunking.

First Look At The Pixar Short La Luna

Here is the first look at the upcoming Pixar short film, La Luna, directed by Enrico Casarosa. Likely attached to Brave in 2012, here is the official description:

“La Luna is the timeless fable of a young boy who is coming of age in the most peculiar of circumstances. Tonight is the very first time his Papa and Grandpa are taking him to work. In an old wooden boat they row far out to sea, and with no land in sight, they stop and wait. A big surprise awaits the little boy as he discovers his family’s most unusual line of work. Should he follow the example of his Papa, or his Grandpa? Will he be able to find his own way in the midst of their conflicting opinions and timeworn traditions?”

La Luna is set to premiere at this year’s Annecy Film Festival in France on June 6th.

Free Comic Book Day Is Today

Free Comic Book Day is an annual promotional effort by the North American comic book industry to help bring new readers into independent comic book stores scheduled on the first Saturday of May.

On Free Comic Book Day, participating comic book store retailers give away specially printed copies of free comic books, and some offer cheaper back issues and other items to anyone who visits their establishments.

Check HERE to see which comic store near you is participating.

Be Among the First in the Galaxy to Experience Star Tours At Disneyland

Now through Monday, May 9, at 11:59 p.m. (PDT), you can enter for a chance to attend the “Star Tours Early Departure” at Disneyland park.

1,200 entries will be randomly selected and those lucky individuals that are picked will be able to bring one guest to experience Star Tours at Disneyland park on May 20. (Please see official rules for eligibility requirements. You will be notified via email if you are selected.)

Lady Gaga Will Mentor The 4 Remaining American Idol Finalists During Leiber & Stoller Week

Lady Gaga is set to appear next week on American Idol as a mentor for the remaining 4 finalists (Haley Reinhart, Scotty McCreery, James Durbin and Lauren Alaina).

She will provide guidance to the contestants who will be singing songs penned by Leiber & Stoller. Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller wrote Post-World War II hits such as “Jailhouse Rock,” “Yakety Yak,” “Stand By Me” and “Hound Dog.”

10 Things You Need To Know About The Marvel Universe Before Seeing Thor

With characters dating back to 1939 and decades of mythology and history, it’s pretty much an impossible task for Marvel Studios to explain every little detail in their films. Thor is in theaters today and Cinemablend was kind enough to post 10 things you need to know about the Marvel universe before seeing the god of thunder wield his might hammer onscreen.

Please note that the article contains minor spoilers for Thor, but does also fully describe the post-credits Easter Egg.

Pepsi Introduces Social Vending Soda Machines

PepsiCo plans to launch the Social Vending System, a state-of-the-art networked unit that features full touch screen interactive vending technology, enabling consumers to better connect with PepsiCo brands right at the point of purchase.

Using digital technology, PepsiCo’s Social Vending System enables any user to gift a friend by selecting a beverage and entering the recipient’s name, mobile number and a personalized text message. There’s also the option to further personalize the gift with a short video recorded right at the machine. The gift is delivered with a system code and instructions to redeem it at any PepsiCo Social Vending system. When the recipient redeems his or her gift, they’re given the option of either thanking the original sender with a gift of their own or paying it forward and gifting a beverage to someone else.

PepsiCo’s innovative use of telemetry with the Social Vending System also delivers tremendous operational benefits, allowing customers to closely manage inventory levels and delivery scheduling remotely, and easily update digital content online, enabling them to change messaging and media content as needed.

Social Vending also enables “Random Acts of Refreshment” – the ability to buy a drink for a complete stranger through any other Social Vending system.  For example, a consumer could send a symbol of encouragement someone in a city that has experienced challenging weather, or a congratulatory beverage to a student at a university that just won a championship. The platform holds potential to extend PepsiCo’s digital and social programs for its food and beverage brands

The Social Vending System was conceived by PepsiCo’s newly formed Equipment Innovation group, whose mandate is to leverage emerging technologies to deliver relevant brand experiences for consumers through equipment. The design and UI were created in collaboration with Milwaukee-based DCI Marketing and Protagonist, located in Venice Beach, California.

Jerry Seinfeld To Debut His Online Vault of Stand-Up This Friday

Jerry Seinfeld has built a vast repository of stand-up material and on Friday the comedian will debut his Web site, JerrySeinfeld.com, an online home for video of nearly every recorded comedy performance given by its creator.

For the site Seinfeld has opened his vault and come back with more than 1,000 clips of his stand-up act and comedic interviews. One segment dates to 1977, when the comic made his television debut on “Celebrity Cabaret.”

Read more HERE.

Pandora Now Streaming Comedy Channels

Pandora, the popular internet radio service, today announced that comedy is now available on the service where radio stations can be created and Personalized.

Pandora, known for pioneering personalized music listening and discovery, is broadening its array of content to include comedy in order to meet the requests of its listeners. A team of Comedy Genome Project analysts at Pandora has analyzed thousands of performances to capture their comedic style and content. Additional comedic material is being analyzed daily.

Starting today people can listen to comedy on Pandora in the same manner that they listen to music: by choosing a favorite artist or genre as a seed to start a station and then giving thumbs-up or thumbs-down feedback to shape the station to their individual taste. Like music stations on Pandora, comedy stations will play the seed artist and related material.

CULTURE by Stefan Sagmeister – A Book You Can Drive

The BMW Group is celebrating 40 years of cultural commitment and is currently supporting more than 100 projects throughout the world. To mark this occasion, the internationally celebrated New York-based graphic designer Stefan Sagmeister has created the design of the publication CULTURE, a book describing the BMW Group’s international cultural partnerships. The limited edition of 1488 hand-signed copies, which are not available for sale, will be first presented to the public by BMW board member Frank-Peter Arndt at a press conference in Berlin on March 9, 2011. Stefan Sagmeister explains his concept: “In a publication about all the cultural activities of the BMW Group it made sense to include four hidden wheels and a remote control that allows readers to drive the book around the room. Culture really moves.“ The concept is – typical of Sagmeister – unconventional and refreshingly new: CULTURE is not only a book to browse through, but as it also features an integrated, remote-controlled car, a book that can be driven around. As a whole, the numerical arrangement of all book covers would make a square measuring 7 x 7 metres depicting a graphically abstracted image of the legendary BMW “four cylinder” building – the company headquarters in Munich built by Karl Schwanzer in 1972 – from a bird’s eye view. Consequently, each book cover becomes a fragmented, unique specimen.

The book is divided into four parts according to the BMW Group’s main cultural activities – contemporary art, classical music and jazz, architecture and design and, finally, culture within the company. The first three chapters are each preceded by a quote from the conductor Daniel Barenboim, the artist Olafur Eliasson and the architect Zaha Hadid respectively. This is where partners from the culture communication network have their say. Containing more than 50 partly full-page colour reproductions, CULTURE also illustrates a selective overview of the spectrum of the BMW Group’s international cultural involvement.

The Mondo Poster For THOR

Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, which has been called the “coolest movie theater in the world” by Wired Magazine and Mondo, their collectible art boutique, create limited edition screen prints of new and classic films. Their next release, THOR, will go on sale Thursday, May 5 at a random time at MondoTees.com. Follow @MondoNews for the “on sale” now announce. The THOR art was created by Ken Taylor.  The screen print will measure 24 x 36 and contain metallic inks. The poster will be hand numbered in an edition of 380 and cost $45.

Apple Releases iOs 4.3.3 Update For The iPad, iPhone and iPod touch

Apple has released iOS 4.3.3, the latest version of its mobile operating system for the iPad, iPad 2, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 (GSM), iPod touch 3G, and iPod touch 4G. According to Apple’s release notes, the update contains changes to the iOS crowd-sourced location database cache; the update reduces the size of the cache, no longer backs up the cache to iTunes, and deletes the cache entirely when Location Services is turned off. The database in question was the cause of a recent uproar over Apple’s supposed location tracking, leading the company to release a Q&A document in which it gave an explanation for the cache, and blamed its large size on a “bug.” iOS 4.3.3 is available now via the Update feature in iTunes; a similar update, iOS 4.2.8, is also available for the CDMA iPhone 4.

Entertainment Weekly Rates 14 Tablets

If you want your digital fun on the go then check EW’s guide to the latest tablet options and see which model is right for you.

StephenKing.com Version III Goes Live Today

Earlier today, StephenKing.com proudly unveiled the latest version of the official web site. The comprehensive upgrade offers many new features including full compatibility with Apple devices and most mobile platforms.

At the core of the new experience, the Constant Browser will find a revolutionary homepage that offers all the latest news, release info, and Coming Soon content in one central location. The site now provides new RSS and Twitter News feeds to make it easier to stay abreast of everything Stephen King.

With improved search capabilities, an upgraded library and dozens of other significant improvements, the new StephenKing.com is a vast digital playground that looks to the future of Stephen’s work.

Stolen Camera Finder

Stolen Camera Finder by Matt Burns is a simple website that can track down a lost or stolen camera by searching online for the camera’s serial number in the Exif data embedded in many digital photos. The site has a growing database of serial numbers mapped to photos posted online–more than one million cameras have been identified.

Every photo you take with your digital camera contains hidden information about both the image and the camera such as the make, model and date. This information, called exif data, can also include a unique serial number which identifies your camera. stolencamerafinder crawls the internet searching for photos, collecting the serial numbers of the cameras that took them. When you use the drag & drop feature, stolencamerafinder reads the unique serial number from the exif data of your photo and uses it to match against serial numbers it has stored.

Mondo Announces Their Latest Disney Print – The Wise Little Hen Featuring Donald Duck

A few months ago, Mondo announced that they had teamed up with Sideshow Collectibles and Disney for a new poster series and to kick things off they released a poster for the Mickey Mouse classic, Steamboat Willie. The Disney series continues with their newest addition….The Wise Little Hen. This particular cartoon is important as it introduced the iconic Donald Duck to the world for the first time!

For those of you in Austin, Texas, Mondo will be having an in-store release of these posters starting at 5pm on Wednesday, May 4th. A new twitter account for the Austin store can be found HERE.

The remaining copies will be released May 5th online at a random time.  Please follow Mondo on Twitter for the on sale announcement.

The poster by Tom Whalen measures 18″ x 24″ and is hand numbered. The print has an edition count of 325 and will cost $45.

Brandi Carlile Will Do 3 Free Live Performances Today In Seattle

If you live in Seattle, Brandi Carlile will be performing at three separate locations today. Catch her at 4:00 PM at Cupcake Royale (1111 E Pike Street), at 7:00 PM at Molly Moon’s Ice Cream (917 E Pine Street), and at 10:00 PM at Easy Street Records (Queen Anne Location). When you purchase the new live album at either Easy Street location today, you will be given a wristband for entry into the evening’s in-store. Wristbands are first come, first serve. You must have a wristband to attend.