williams

John Williams to compose 'Star Wars' score? J.J. Abrams hints at it

Getting the straight word about the next "Star Wars" movie might be tougher than trying to escape out of a Sarlacc pit, but director J.J. Abrams has let loose a juicy tidbit about who may compose the score -- John Williams.

The impromptu revelation occurred during a "Star Trek: Into Darkness" press conference in Berlin on Monday, as Abrams fielded a question about the possibility of composer Michael Giacchino -- who has worked extensively with Abrams on previous ventures -- taking on "Star Wars." After speaking a few sentences about Giacchino's brilliance, Abrams threw everyone a curve ball and name-dropped Williams. … Read more

U.S. gives big, secret push to Internet surveillance

Senior Obama administration officials have secretly authorized the interception of communications carried on portions of networks operated by AT&T and other Internet service providers, a practice that might otherwise be illegal under federal wiretapping laws.

The secret legal authorization from the Justice Department originally applied to a cybersecurity pilot project in which the military monitored defense contractors' Internet links. Since then, however, the program has been expanded by President Obama to cover all critical infrastructure sectors including energy, healthcare, and finance starting June 12.

"The Justice Department is helping private companies evade federal wiretap laws," said … Read more

Crave Ep. 116: Bubba Watson's BW1 hovercraft golf cart

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Oakley and golf champ Bubba Watson have teamed to build the world's first hovercraft golf cart. A physicist invents a way to write e-mail using a guitar, and a "Star Trek" phaser rifle from the original series sells for a staggering sum. … Read more

Crave Ep. 115: First look at the feature-packed iKazoo

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On this week's Crave, we take a first look a gadget that truly blows, an optical game controller that looks like a kazoo. Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield gives us some more cooking tips from space. And Hotello is a hotel room in a box. Sounds uncomfortable, no? All that and more on this week's episode. … Read more

Meet the (wo)men who could be named Intel's next CEO

In a few short months, Intel will have a new CEO. Who that person will be remains a mystery, but he (or she) is sure to have a big role in shaping the future of the company and the broader technology industry.

Since Intel sure isn't talking (a spokesman simply said the search is ongoing and thorough and that Intel hopes to have a replacement by the time CEO Paul Otellini retires in May), CNET decided to list a few candidates whose names are mentioned on Wall Street and around the Intel water cooler. Keep in mind that our … Read more

Crave Ep. 111: Man vs. jetpack

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A German inventor has built a DIY jetpack, so we hop onboard. Also, we get a first look at "Star Wars" pinball for iOS and Android, and "Star Trek" fans win a major space battle when they vote to name a Pluto moon "Vulcan." All that and more on this week's episode of Crave. … Read more

Crave Ep. 109: The greatest drinking game ever

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This week on Crave, William Shatner has some choice words for J.J. Abrams, and we toss one back in the greatest drinking game ever invented. Cheers! Plus, we dodge a bullet the size of a football field as an asteroid nearly collides with Earth. Phew. … Read more

Shatner: J.J. Abrams a 'pig' for taking on 'Star Wars'

J.J. Abrams is a busy man. The director who breathed new life into the "Star Trek" film franchise recently agreed to helm the new "Star Wars" movie. This may have fueled geeky fever dreams of crossover "Star Trek"/"Star Wars" projects, but it also led to some head-scratching. Does Abrams really have time to head up two major sci-fi film series?

"Star Trek" did have Abrams first. His sudden commitment to "Star Wars" may have left a few Trekkies feeling like they've gotten involved in an unexpected cinematic menage a trois. That's why I have some sympathy for William Shatner's recent comments to Movie Fanatic.

When asked to share his thoughts on Abrams adding "Star Wars" to his resume, Shatner said, "He's being a pig. He's collecting the two franchises and holding them close to his vest. And he's probably the most talented director of that ilk we have, but he's gone too far this time."… Read more

A Monty Python sci-fi movie? With Robin Williams? What?

Have you ever had the kind of feeling where, after hearing a piece of news, your mind-body continuum is so confused that you don't know how to react?

This is largely how I felt on hearing there will be a new Monty Python movie. A new Monty Python sci-fi movie. A new Monty Python sci-fi movie in which Robin Williams will have a role.

It is nowhere near April 1.

So I have to take Forbes' word for it that this may actually come to pass.

It seems that the storyline will revolve around the original Python members involved … Read more

Priceline gets Shatner an angry daughter for Super Bowl

My remarkably imposing, draconian, single friend Taylor -- who's a girl -- tells me there are only two types of men: those who have two sheets on their bed and those who have one.

Similarly, there are two types of online travel sites: those where you bid and those where you don't.

It seems, however, that Priceline has tired of all that bidding. Which makes you wonder what they will do with the resurrected Negotiator, or, indeed, with whatever people used to think of Priceline.

In a campaign that launched three weeks ago, but is now given heightened … Read more