Entertainment

Veteran video game executive Don Mattrick faces his toughest level yet.

On Monday, Zynga said it had tapped Mattrick as its new CEO. He will take over for Mark Pincus, the controversial founder and current CEO of the embattled social-gaming company.

Mattrick faces a Herculean task of reviving a company whose fortunes have taken a turn for the worse thanks to an exodus of players, fatigue from even its most popular franchises, and, ultimately, a "broken" business model. Moreover, he will have to work with Pincus, whose difficult personality has rubbed insiders and investors the wrong way.

Still, … Read more

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Help Kickstart a documentary on the cultural impact of "Back to the Future."

- How movie theaters keep cool through summer's scorching months.

- A Web site that exposes Instagram frauds that use #nofilter.

- Kanye, the new Steve Jobs, gets Jobs-signed Apple mouse.

- How Xbox fans in Japan earned the nickname "Gropers."

- Pebble smartwatch coming to Best Buy starting July 7.… Read more

The world of "Star Wars" fan fashion is a wild and wonderful place full of Wampa-skin dresses and Boba Fett ski hats. No outfit is complete without a great pair of shoes, however. Etsy seller DeckoFab offers a pretty stunning set of "Star Wars" wedges.

The made-to-order wedges are crafted from decoupage with pictures of Stormtroopers, Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Darth Vader plastered across them. DeckoFab also takes custom orders, so you could specify an all-Jar Jar Binks pair if you really want to be obnoxious.… Read more

Grant Theft Auto V will ship with two discs for the Xbox 360, according to the game's developer.

Rockstar Games on Tuesday posted a question-and-answer page on its site, responding to queries from fans. The company confirmed that due to the size of the upcoming title, the Xbox 360 version will ship with two discs. The first disc will need to be inserted into the console at startup. That disc will install game files onto the console. The second disc will then be used to play the game. No switching will be required once the file is installed on … Read more

If you've never seen sweaty, headband-wearing dwarves dance to cheesy music, then you should check out the latest "The Hobbit" video diary from Director Peter Jackson.

Though primary shooting for the next two movies wrapped in 2012, Jackson, the actors, and the crew returned to New Zealand in May to kick off a 10-week pick-up shooting schedule.

After many months of inactivity, it takes a lot of work to get a billion dollar movie franchise rolling again -- especially in a remote locale like New Zealand. To ensure Jackson gets those perfect shots needed to complete "The Desolation of Smaug" and "There and Back Again," crews must reopen and modify existing sets and actors must revisit familiar scenes.… Read more

One word rarely used to describe Kim Kardashian is "mousy."

Although, for all I know, that might be one of Kanye West's pet names for his beloved.

She has, though, clearly wormed her way into the Western frontal lobes with a gift she gave the next Steve Jobs for Father's Day.

Should you have been detained in a Russian airport with passport problems recently, you might not be aware that West has declared himself -- not once, but twice -- the next Steve Jobs.

Perhaps this, therefore, might have been Kimmy's motivation in purloining two … Read more

Don Mattrick, the man who oversaw Microsoft's gaming business, will start his new job as CEO of Zynga next week, Mark Pincus, founder of the social gaming company, announced Monday afternoon.

The struggling company confirmed the appointment on its blog after All Things Digital reported the news earlier in the day. In addition to replacing Pincus as CEO, Mattrick -- who was in charge of gaming and entertainment at Microsoft including the popular Xbox gaming system -- will also become a Zynga board member. He starts at Zynga on July 8.

"As I reflect on the past six … Read more

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Ants aren't the only ones destroying electronics: Bored pets are, too.

- Snapcat: A photo app for cat selfies.

- Stop the presses: Today is the last day to send a telegram in India.

- RIP Google Reader: Today it is kaput.

- What happens when a guy logs in under his wife's gamer tag? Understanding sexism in gaming.

- Computer and printer prices to rise in EU because you can print copywritten stuff.… Read more

Attention "American Idol" superfans: if you've been in major withdrawal since Candice Glover won Season 12 of Fox's blockbuster talent competition last May, you'll get your fix soon enough. On July 19, the American Idol Live! tour--a 30-stop national extravaganza, featuring the top 11 contestants--makes its way across the U.S. to a city near you. Expect to see Amber Holcomb, Angie Miller, Burnell Taylor, Candice Glover, Curtis Finch Jr, Devin Velez, Janelle Arthur, Kree Harrison, Lazaro Arbos, Paul Jolley, and fan-saved Aubrey Cleland re-creating your favorite performances from this past season and surprising you … Read more