Entertainment

Sony changer puts 400 Blu-ray Discs in a box

No, we're not talking about a ridiculously priced movie box set, but a Sony Blu-ray changer with a whopping 400-disc capacity. This tallies up to a jaw-dropping 20 terabytes of storage space, which puts the upcoming BDP-CX7000ES in a different league from your typical network-attached storage (NAS) device and home theater PC. Bear in mind that most consumer hard drives max out at 2 terabytes.

If you could fill this towering behemoth to the brim, chances are that its rumored $2,250 launch price will be the least of your concerns. We can't imagine the nightmarish prospect of … Read more

The 404 350: Where we'll soon be swimming with the fishes

Today the truth comes out. As if we didn't know it already, Wilson Tang is officially an Apple fanboy. Find out how he shows his true colors when he and Jeff get into a heated debate over the company.

It seems that 4chan helped create a porn spam on YouTube a few days ago, forcing the company to scramble to take down the illicit videos. Is there anything that community can't do?

Next it's on to an infamous 404 topic, the Jitterbug. Apparently the cell phone designed for ease of use by senior citizens is being recalled due to coverage issues.

Now please enjoy the latest batch of 404 logo submissions, sent in by our incredibly talented listenership. Make sure you send in your submission as well! Get it over to the404 [at] cnet [dot] com right away!

EPISODE 350 Download today's podcast Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS VideoRead more

How technology lifts Pixar's 'Up'

If you want to consider a difficult computational problem, try thinking of the algorithms required to animate more than 10,000 helium balloons, each with its own string, but each also interdependent on the rest, which are collectively hoisting aloft a small house.

That was the challenge the production team at Pixar faced when it set out to begin work on "Up," its tenth feature film, five years in the works, which hits theaters on Friday.

There was absolutely no way the team was going to hand-animate the balloons. Not with their numbers in five-figures, and especially not … Read more

UEFA Champions League final: What brands can learn from 'Barca'

I’m nervous, seriously nervous. In a few hours, in the Olympic stadium in Rome, FC Barcelona (or “Barca,” as its supporters call it) will face Manchester United, the other soccer superpower, in the game of all games, the final of the UEFA Champions League, the most important club competition in Europe (and the world, for that matter). Both teams have already won two trophies this season (their national leagues and national cups, respectively), and a victory in Rome would see either one clinch the “treble.” For Barca, it would be a historic accomplishment–no other Spanish soccer team has … Read more

Get a $133 Magnavox Blu-ray player or a Samsung Blu-ray box, four movies for $176

I haven't seen a decent Blu-ray deal in months. Months! And now I have two. First, Sears has the refurbished Magnavox RNB500MG9 Blu-ray player for $132.99. That's with free shipping and a 5 percent discount (the latter automatically applied to your cart), both of which end today.

Given that it's still pretty rare to find a player selling below $150, this is a solid deal. Just one complaint: The Sears site makes no mention of the warranty, so assume 90 days. (Also, you'll probably have to cough up sales tax. Guess that's two complaints.)… Read more

Amazing N.Y. subway breakdancers caught on iPhone

I'm not a big fan of anything subterranean, but every time I'm in NYC, for practical reasons, I take the subway.

This time around, it was also because I wanted to find out if the City Transit NYC Subway Guide iPhone app was worth $2.99. I ended up catching something else which, by itself, totally made the one-hour ride from Manhattan to the Bronx worthwhile.

As express train No. 5 started to leave 59th Street and Lexington Ave., two dudes who looked just like regular New Yorker-on-holiday riders turned on their boombox. One called out: "Hi everybody, what you're about to see is the most amazing thing. If you don't like it, boo as much as you want. But if you do, clap and please show your support." Seeing some people taking out their cameras, he added, "You can take video all you want, as long as you pay us."

Without further ado, the two took turns performing the most amazing breakdance I've seen. It was just coincidental that I had my iPhone video on and managed to capture the whole thing. What I didn't capture was the fact that their dance inspired some regular riders to stand up and show off their own moves. I totally heart NYC for this. … Read more

Inside CNET Labs 44: Get yourself a boombox and pull up your pants

We start off with probably the weirdest opening ever. Where was I going with that? Your guess is as good as mine.

That opening sets the tone, though, since we jump right into Dong's promised dating advice from last week that's completely full of fail. Seriously, don't try this at home, or on the street.

There are bad segues and then there are bad segues. This one here is probably the worst ever, and we deliver it to you, unedited, raw, real. Real dumb.

From fail dating advice, to fail segues, to something that is potentially full … Read more

Visual effects shoot for realism in explosive 'Terminator Salvation'

Spoiler alert: This article describes some of the action sequences in the new Terminator movie. If you don't want to know details about some scenes, bookmark this article and come back to read it after you've seen the movie.

SAN FRANCISCO--What do you do if you're a filmmaker trying to capture a scene in which an onrushing tow truck slams into a parked car, sending the car rolling neatly up and over the truck's back, but you face the reality that the car, vaulted into the air by a cannon shot from below, actually flies high … Read more

Lego: The Frank Lloyd Wright collection

As the flawed human beings we all are, from time to time, each of us needs a break from swine flu fears and waterboarding debates. As a 35-year-old man-child, my distraction of choice is video games. For others, it's Lego.

The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation on Thursday announced that "The Lego Group is now the exclusive licensed manufacturer of Frank Lloyd Wright (FLW) Collection Lego Architecture sets." Good for them, since it would have been pretty embarrassing if someone else won the Lego license. And earlier Friday, we mentioned the set in a brief, but here's … Read more

Her Royal Highness gets a Wii

Our senior editor Leslie Katz pointed me to this story about the Queen of England getting a Nintendo Wii as a gift, and I thought to myself, "Ah, this is the kind of news that's gonna change the world."

Apparently, THQ is doing a huge promotion of the latest release of a Wii game called BIG Family Games. According to THQ product manager Danielle Robinson, it's "the ultimate Wii game to get all family members, from grandparents to young children, playing together."

This game is the newest release in the company's "BIG&… Read more