brave

Official RC robotic transformers coming soon?

Remember the robotic Transformer shown off by Brave Robotics at last year's Tokyo Maker Faire? It seems the toy caught the eye of official Transformers toy maker Tomy, which is now working with Brave Robotics to create a commercial line, according to Italian hobby news Web site Hobby Media.

Tomy, which hit robotic success in the 1980s with its Omnibots line, is seeking to get up to date with current technologies to make a dream come true for Transformers fans everywhere. … Read more

'Brave' nets Pixar its seventh best animated feature Oscar

Although it didn't earn the critical acclaim of "Toy Story 3," "Up," or "Ratatouille," Pixar's 2012 film "Brave" joined those three hits, as well as three other Pixar predecessors, in winning the Oscar for best animated feature.

Beating out fellow nominees "Wreck-it Ralph," "Frankenweenie," "ParaNorman," and "The Pirates! Band of Misfits," "Brave" became the seventh Pixar film to nab the Oscar since the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences began awarding the honor in 2002. No other studio has … Read more

Disney Storybook apps sale brings good tidings

The holidays have arrived. I'm sure with the launch of the new iPads, many young ones may find them, or possibly iTunes gift cards, in their stockings. In light of this, I bring good tidings.

Starting December 21 and running through January 2, Disney Publishing has specially priced some of its more popular titles, including Tangled: Storybook Deluxe; Brave: Storybook Deluxe; Finding Nemo: Storybook Deluxe; and Cars 2: Storybook Deluxe. Normally retailing for $6.99 with the exception of Cars 2 at $5.99 in the iTunes App Store, they will all be reduced to $2.99. … Read more

The 404 1,080: Where we paint the sixteenth chapel (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Ray Bradbury may soon be honored online with "451" error code for Internet censorship.

- Time Warner Cable grabs patent to prevent DVRs from skipping commercials.

- Twitter to grant Web sites extra characters with "expansive tweets."

- Select audiences at Disney-Pixar's "Brave" will be treated to Dolby's new Atmos sound system.… Read more

Nintendo goes big on 3D with 3DS XL

It's time to live large, change your fate and flip out:

Nintendo just ordered up a supersized version of the 3DS. Going on sale on August 19 for $200, the 3DS XL is 90% larger than the original 3DS. Nintendo could have taken this product in a new direction for gamers by using the extra space to add a second analog stick. But no, the XL has the same design as the 3DS. It's also a bit odd that Nintendo didn't announce this two weeks ago at E3.

So who would want the 3DS XL? Larger screens … Read more

Bravely going where Pixar animation tech has never gone

As people, we understand instinctively what flowing hair looks like. Or the way layers of clothes move on someone's body, or how water would splash when a bear runs through it. If it looks unnatural, our brains know -- and get distracted by it.

These are some of the technical challenges Pixar faced when making the studio's 13th feature, "Brave," which was directed by Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman, and which opens June 22: If the technology behind its animation doesn't ring true, the audience may lose focus on the most important thing of all: … Read more

'Brave' trailer teases lush, epic animated adventure

A trailer for Pixar's next animated film, "Brave," was finally released online today after being imprisoned in theaters as a preview that displayed before "Cars 2."

The trailer reveals a hero, many generations ago, surviving larger-than-life challenges in the beautifully portrayed highlands of Scotland. Scenery and tone feel like a fairy tale, and as always, the main protagonist is an unexpected one: a girl named Merida, who has long curly red hair and a side serving of extra panache as she shoots arrows around Scotland.

Environments shown in the trailer look amazingly lush, reminiscent of realms one would see in MMORPGs. The official Web site reveals more about the story: … Read more

Do Americans want to ban 'Brave New World'?

I am not sure what sorts of people go to libraries these days.

I had always assumed that Google and Amazon had corralled the library system between them, leaving few with the need to go and sit next to the coughing, the chatting, and the lonely.

But it seems that people do still go to libraries and still object to some of the books they see there. It so happens that the American Libraries Association, conscious of its continuing role in monitoring the national mood and culture, issues a list of those books that have been challenged by individuals or … Read more

J. Lo brands a USB drive

It's hard to know what to make of Gresso these days. In the last year the purveyor of luxury gadgets has introduced some stunning products, whether they be mobile phones or MP3 players made of exotic materials.

But then it came out with some decidedly pedestrian-looking USB pendants that paled by comparison to its earlier offerings. And now we hear that the company is planning to distribute the flash-drive jewelry with Jennifer Lopez's latest album, titled "Brave."

That may not be the wisest choice for its debut, as Luxist notes, given the slump in J. Lo'… Read more

Giving the little guy a piece of the Web media action

BOSTON--So-called user generated content is being built into the business models of forward-looking media companies as they venture out onto the Web, according to experts who spoke today at the MIT Enterprise Forum's Brave New Web conference on Wednesday. (See this CNET News.com story.)

Jeremy Allaire, the CEO of online video company Brightcove, said that Web is a tiny fraction of the overall media industry but that's changing because media companies are starting to distribute video over the Web. Brightcove itself is building social media features to its video distribution system which will allow people to post … Read more