Episode 25 – Disney’s D23 Wraps Up Ashley Madison
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Welcome to another episode of Geek Bytes Podcast.
I’m Ramon Mejia…….I’m Edgar Acosta
Every podcast we bring you the roundup of the week’s best Geek and Tech news, then we discuss that news and anything else we’re interested in that week.
In Geek News this week, we’ll talk about Disney’s D23 announcements, Viagra for women, the Ashley Madison hack, the death of Batman and Batgirl, trailers of the week and more
In our Discussions section we’ll talk about some movie and TV shows that we’re interested in.
Now let’s Begin our show with Geek News
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Geek News
Disney D23 News
Last weekend Disney held it’s convention, the D23 expo. Last week we talked about all the movie announcements. This week we can give you the full run down of all the cool stuff announced at D23. Now, because it’s such a long list of announcements we’re just going to read them all off then talk about the ones we’re excited about. We begin with:
Star Wars announcements
· Colin Trevorrow was announced as the Star Wars Episode IX director.
· The first Rogue One cast photo is released, complete with new cast member confirmations and announcements with a 2016 release.
· Star Wars Land was announced. It will be a massive, 14-acre Star Wars theme park expansion that will be coming to both Disney World in Orlando, Florida and Disneyland in Anaheim, California sometime in the near future.
· The Star Wars Launch Bay exhibit, which was revealed for Shanghai Disneyland, will also be coming to both U.S. parks later this year.
· Star Tours will be getting a The Force Awakens themed update sometime soon, Early next year both U.S. parks will host an event titled "Seasons Of The Force" which will included, among other things, the classic ride Space Mountain being transformed into "Hyperspace Mountain".
Disney Animation announcements
· Shakira will join the cast and the soundtrack of Zootopia.
· Gigantic is Disney’s upcoming take on the Jack and the Beanstalk story.
· Moana charmed the hall with lush animation and the charisma of The Rock.
Pixar announcements
· The New Toy Story 4 movie will be a love story between Woody and Bo Peep.
· Coco is the title of the studio’s film in development based on Mexican Day of the Dead customs.
· Ed O’Neill is among the new voice talent announced for Finding Dory.
· They introduced the T-rexes from The Good Dinosaur.
· Pixar gave a first look at the Inside Out short, Riley’s First Date?
· Big Hero 6 will appear in the next Kingdom Hearts game.
Marvel Studios announcements
· Showed some concept art for Doctor Strange
· Captain America: Civil War footage officially reveals the Black Panther costume, and shows Scott Lang to be a huge fan of Captain America.
Disney Live-Action announcements
· The Jungle Book blew the hall away with amazing CG imagery.
· Orlando Bloom is confirmed to return for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.
· Alice: Through the Looking Glass gets a footage debut, and its time-traveling, sorta-prequel plot is revealed. (We also saw great costumes from the movie.)
· The first footage from Pete’s Dragon is revealed, with hints of the dragon.
· Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson was announced to star in the live action Jungle Cruise movie.
Disney Parks announcements
· Toy Story Land was announced for Disney Hollywood Studios in Orlando Florida. It will be an an 11-acre attraction that will “shrink” guests to the size of Toy Story toys, and drop visitors in Andy’s back yard, with blocks toys and game board pieces. As guests become part of Andy’s world there will be two new attractions and one revamped ride between encounters with Toy Story character
· Frozen Ever After, at Epcot Center in Orlando FL., will take guests to a winter celebration, with new songs from Robert Lopez andKristen Anderson-Lopez. The attraction goes into and expands the Norwegian Pavillon area, to include a cabin where guests can meet Anna and Elsa.
· Disney also showed off new concept art and concept models of their upcoming Avatar Land.
http://www.slashfilm.com/d23-coverage/
FCC fines company $750,000 for blocking personal WiFi hotspots
There’s some wiggle room when it comes to many of the FCC’spolicies and rules, but one thing is definitely non-negotiable — you don’t interfere with or block licensed or authorized wireless communications. Companies that offer paid wireless network access would really like to, though. Smart City Holdings made the mistake of trying to block personal WiFi hotspots, and now it’s being hit with $750,000 civil penalty by the FCC.
Smart City Holdings operates network infrastructure for large hotels and convention centers, and has admitted that at several of its venues, it actually deployed WiFi blocking technology. When its system detected a “rogue” wireless network (i.e. one not set up by Smart City), it would transmit a series of “deauthentication frames” that knocked everyone off the network. That left exhibitors with little recourse but to pay $80 for access to Smart City’s network.
The FCC investigated after receiving complaints and found that there was no evidence the jamming was being done to protect Smart City’s own network from interference, simply as a way to generate more profit.
http://www.geek.com/news/fcc-fines-company-750000-for-blocking-personal-wifi-hotspots-1631464/
The FDA has just approved Addyi, a libido pill for women
The first prescription drug designed to increase a woman’s sexual desire has been given approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but with an unusual number of restrictions regarding who can prescribe it and how.
The manufactures of the pill, Sprout Pharmaceuticals, have been told that only doctors and pharmacists who have been specifically trained will be able to dispense and prescribe it, and they must keep a close eye on the patients and report any negative side effects. One of the main worries is that the pill, which will be marketed under the name Addyi, will be taken with alcohol, which can bring with it a heightened risk of sudden fainting.
Addyi is designed to address the psychological aspect of sexual desire. Rather than being taken right before the big moment, as Viagra is, Addyi is taken daily, and over time is supposed to alter the levels of certain chemicals in the brain to assist with sexual desire.
It's not designed to act like an aphrodisiac or to assist women who aren't interested in their partner anymore, but to treat those who are afflicted by a condition known as hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD). "Hypoactive sexual desire disorder is characterized by low sexual desire that causes marked distress or interpersonal difficulty and is not due to a co-existing medical or psychiatric condition, problems within the relationship, or the effects of a medication or other drug substance," the FDA says.
http://www.sciencealert.com/the-fda-has-just-approved-addyi-a-libido-pill-for-women
The UK is trialing a new road surface that charges your electric car as you drive
Later this year in the UK, a select number of cars will be fitted with the requisite wireless charging technology, and a test road will be built to show how smaller sub-stations, AC/AC converters, and power transfer loops can provide inductive charging built into the road itself.
The trials are expected to last 18 months, and then on-road testing can begin. Electric car charging points won't be dismissed completely, however, and Highways England has said it's committed to installing plug-in facilities every 48 km along the motorway network.
Fear the Walking Robots
Boston Dynamics released a video showing off the improvements they’ve made to their robot walking and running designs. They highlight two robots. The Spot that runs on two legs and in this video can also open doors with a new face attachment. They also show off a human looking robot, ATLAS, that can walk upright over various terrain like gravel, forest trails, while maintaining balance even when shoved.
http://gizmodo.com/watch-boston-dynamics-robots-run-outside-oh-god-theyre-1724630556
The Ashley Madison Hackers Just Released a Ton of Stolen Data
Hackers who claim to have stolen data from Ashley Madison, the dating site for cheaters, recently posted nearly 10-gigabytes of said stolen data. That includes member email addresses, credit card transactions, and even profiles.
The hackers, who call themselves the Impact Team, have said:
We have explained the fraud, deceit, and stupidity of ALM and their members. Now everyone gets to see their data … Keep in mind the site is a scam with thousands of fake female profiles. See ashley madison fake profile lawsuit; 90-95% of actual users are male. Chances are your man signed up on the world’s biggest affair site, but never had one. He just tried to. If that distinction matters. …
Too bad for those men, they’re cheating dirtbags and deserve no such discretion. Too bad for ALM, you promised secrecy but didn’t deliver.…
Nintendo dropping 2DS price to $100 on August 30
Nearly two years after its US launch, Nintendo has lowered the price of its slate-like 2DS to $99.99, throwing in a downloadable copy of Mario Kart 7 with the system for good measure.
The 2DS was already the cheapest way to get access to the 3DS' impressive library of games (plus original DS titles) at its original price of $130. And while the 2DS has dropped below $100 briefly during retailer-specific sales, this is the first time the official price of entering the 3DS ecosystem has come in under that figure (just barely).
http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2015/08/nintendo-dropping-2ds-price-to-100-on-august-30/
Green Arrow to wrestle in Summer Slam
The arrow star, Stephen Amell, is wrestling in this Sunday’s Summer Slam. Amell also revealed in his latest facebook live post, that he’s packing his green arrow uniform for the epic bout against stardust and King Barrett (with partner Neville). This Sunday’s matchup brings months of build-up between Amell and stardust to a climax, after stardust began taunting Amell earlier this summer. And like any proper final battle between hero and villain, both parties need their Sunday best.
http://comicbook.com/2015/08/21/stephen-amell-teases-green-arrow-costume-for-wwe-summerslam/
THE MOCKINGBIRD/HUNTER AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. SPINOFF LIVES AGAIN!
Last spring at the network upfronts, ABC quietly killed the proposed Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. spinoff that was slated to potentially star Adrianne Palicki as Bobbi Morse, a.k.a. Mockingbird, and Nick Blood as Lance Hunter. However, ABC President Paul Lee hinted that the project could still happen at some time in the future…and that time is now!
ABC has given a pilot order to Marvel’s Most Wanted, a potential new series on the network that will focus on Mockingbird and Hunter’s adventures together. Network insiders describe it as less of a spinoff and more of “an entirely new project solely focused on the two characters to continue their story.”
http://nerdist.com/mockingbird-agents-of-shield-spinoff-marvels-most-wanted/
A new Elvira animated series is in the works
Elvira, whose real name is Cassandra Peterson, attended Boston Comic-Con earlier this month, where she told fans she's working on an animated series based on the Mistress of The Dark.
http://comicbook.com/2015/08/17/elvira-animated-series-in-the-works/
Kevin Smith Backs Ronda Rousey For Captain Marvel Role
The famed director and comic book writer recently endorsed Ultimate Fighting Champion Ronda Rousey for the live-action role of Captain Marvel in Marvel Studios’ upcoming Captain Marvel film. After Rousey recently said that she would love to play Carol Danvers, and then posted art of herself as the superheroine, support for the actress' Marvel Universe debut has gone viral. The support has grown so large, in fact, that it made it all the way to Kevin Smith.
Smith, a devout comic book fan himself, said that he thought Rousey would make for an excellent live-action Captain Marvel.
“Everyone knows that she’s one of the only people that could play a superhero that could actually beat the #$*^ out of somebody,” Smith told TMZ. “I would like to see it happen.”
http://comicbook.com/2015/08/19/kevin-smith-backs-ronda-rousey-for-captain-marvel-role/
The Death of Batman and Batgirl
Lenny Robinson dies in car accident
Lenny B. Robinson, who visited children in hospitals dressed as Batman and entered the public spotlight after police pulled him over in costume, died Sunday after a car hit his custom Batmobile on a Maryland interstate.
Medical personnel pronounced Robinson, 51, dead at the scene, Hagerstown State Police said in a statement.
Robinson became a household name in 2012, after police dashcam footage captured him getting out of his Batmobile in full costume during a traffic stop on route 29 in Silver Spring, Maryland. The video went viral after the Montgomery County Police Department shared it on social media, earning Robinson the moniker "route 29 Batman."
http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/17/living/route-29-beltway-batman-lenny-robinson-dies-feat/
Batgirl Dies
Yvonne Craig, best known for her role as Batgirl in the iconic 1960s television series Batman, died Monday. She was 78.
Craig died at her home in Pacific Palisades, Calif., as a result of complications from breast cancer that had spread to her liver.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/19/entertainment/yvonne-craig-batgirl-death/
Trailers of the Week
Here are the best trailers released this week
Victor Frankenstein
James McAvoy and Daniel Radcliffe star in a dynamic and thrilling twist on a legendary tale. Radical scientist Victor Frankenstein (McAvoy) and his equally brilliant protégé Igor Strausman (Radcliffe) share a noble vision of aiding humanity through their groundbreaking research into immortality. But Victor’s experiments go too far, and his obsession has horrifying consequences. Only Igor can bring his friend back from the brink of madness and save him from his monstrous creation.
In Theaters - November 25, 2015
http://www.geekbytespodcast.com/news/2015/8/18/watch-the-official-victor-frankenstein-trailer
Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse –NSFW Red Band Trailer
Three scouts and lifelong friends join forces with one badass cocktail waitress to become the world’s most unlikely team of heroes. When their peaceful town is ravaged by a zombie invasion, they’ll fight for the badge of a lifetime and put their scouting skills to the test to save mankind from the undead.
Oct. 30th release date
Just as a fair warning The RED Band trailer is very NSFW and shows some zombie boobs
For a review of the topics we covered and any of the links in show notes for this episode visit our site geekbytespodcast.com
If you have any comments or news suggestions for us, please e-mail us at feedback@geekbytespodcast.com
Onto our Discussion section
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Discussion-
Fear the Walking Dead premiers this Sunday
Hitman: Agent 47 - An assassin teams up with a woman to help her find her father and uncover the mysteries of her ancestry.
American Ultra - A stoner - who is in fact a government agent - is marked as a liability and targeted for extermination. But he's too well-trained and too high for them to handle. Stars: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart
That will be it for us this week.
Thanks for listening folks. Now Go Geek out about something.
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Music Credits
"Happy Bee", "Movement Proposition", "Theme for Harold (var.3) ", "Take the Lead"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/