The One about the Demise of Flip Video (Metro Media Complex)

As for my Flip Video HD device, I will continue to use this device at our events and my personal interviews to record video or as a backup to record the audio for transcribing.  I trust it way more than my DV cameras and even my digital and mini-cassette audio recorder and it has done its job well.  RIP Flip Video.

You probably have read that Cisco has shut down their Flip Video Camera Business.

After purchasing Pure Digital for $590 million (in stock), the company has announced that “As part of the company’s comprehensive plan to align its operations, Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) today announced that it will exit aspects of its consumer businesses and realign the remaining consumer business to support four of its five key company priorities — core routing, switching and services; collaboration; architectures; and video.”

That Cisco will “Close down its Flip business and support current FlipShare customers and partners with a transition plan.”

And also to add that 550 employees will receive a pink slip.

The fact is that video mobile phones did make the Flip somewhat irrelevant and digital cameras could do what these Flip Video phones can do as well.

But what I loved about the Flip Video was the fact that a) I can focus my battery power on my cell phone for strictly phone use  b) 8GB was a good storage space for my videos  c) Running of Eneloop rechargeable batteries, I never had to worry about the recharging issue some Flip owners have had and to say the least, the device has been part of our media arsenal for two years now (and just to note, the two original Eneloop AA batteries just ran out of juice without a recharge after a year and a half) and d) I can shoot in HD at 1280 x 720, worked with my Mac and easy to use (pre-installed with software each time you plug it in or you can use software like iPhoto to download the videos).

When Pure Digital released the Flip Video, other companies scoffed and look what happened, celebrities started using it at events, reporters were using for news coverage and for me, I used it for video interviews, transcribing interviews, to personal family use.

Sure, a new iPhone or Android phone has plenty of capabilities and people who own those phones will have no use for a Flip Video phone.  But if you are like me and you are constantly talking to clients and associates on your phone and you have to constantly recharge, the Flip Video does a great job of being a go-to-device whenever I just want to shoot video and knowing that I can use as many AA rechargeable Eneloop batteries (yes, I do feel that Eneloop brand rechargeable batteries are the best in the market) and not having to spend on rechargeable 2 hour batteries for my DV cameras.

In many ways, the Flip Video was one of the most cost efficient investments we have made here at nt2099 because we have always been plagued by dying batteries when capturing video for events since 1993.  I personally had to invest in various rechargeable batteries for multiple video cameras and at events, would have constantly search for outlets to recharge one camera while shooting with the other and sometimes having to make multiple trips to my hotel room to make sure that our cameras were ready to shoot video for the remainder of the day.  And then spending the night having to transfer the video to our laptops was quite tedious.

With the Flip Video, plug-it-in (I also recommend getting the USB connector wire to your Flip Video) and videos are downloaded and I could easily begin working on them on a video editing software program and have it ready on YouTube and Facebook.

So, I understand where today’s iPhones and Android phones may have made this device obsolete to some, for others who do not want to use their cell phone for primary video use, the Flip Video was an awesome device and it’s sad to see the demise of this product. Granted, you can’t do live streaming on a Flip Video device but that’s the beauty of the iPhone and Android phone and why they cost a bit more.  You’re paying a little more for that luxury.

But the fact is, if you couldn’t afford an iPhone or Android phone or simply wanted a device a small device to capture your family, at the beach, at the park, any place… because the Flip Video was economical and often would go on sale on Amazon or Best Buy, this was perfect for the budget-conscious consumer.

But when you come right down to it, the demise of Flip Video goes beyond what is good for the consumer, it is about business and the problem is longevity.  The Flip Video’s chances of survival with no unique upgrades would have hurt the company.  Today’s smartphones offer so much in features, the Flip Video was seen as a device that couldn’t connect to the Internet, can’t live stream, can’t be plugged in to a tablet like an iPad and needless to say, it faced many challenges if it was going to survive in this competitive technology jungle with devices coming out each year, better than its previous counterpart.

The Flip Video… was there something in development that would have shocked people and become a must buy device in the near future?  Or perhaps, would the technology or software be licensed to other companies?

Unfortunately, we will never know as April 12, 2011 will be the final nail in the coffin for Flip Video.

And as for the consumer, if these ultra HD devices go on sale at Amazon, I recommend picking one up. Especially if the device receives a significant price cut.

And as for my Flip Video HD device, I will continue to use this device at our events and my personal interviews to record video or as a backup to record the audio for transcribing.  I trust it way more than my DV cameras and even my digital and mini-cassette audio recorder and it has done its job well.

RIP Flip Video

 

Q&A Interview with Ashley Tisdale and Austin Butler of “Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure”

Images courtesy of ©Disney. All Rights Reserved.

Sharpay Evans is back!

Ashley Tisdale reprises her role as the popular “High School Musical” character in “Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure” coming out on Blu-ray and DVD on April 19th.

The “High School Musical” trilogy was a big hit for Disney and one would wonder if the film series would continue in someway or form.

Sure enough, we have “Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure”, a direct-to-video film which revolves around the rich and naive character of Sharpay Evans (played by Ashley Tisdale).  The film is directed by Michael Lembeck (“Friends”, “Mad About You”, “Veronica’s Closet”) and a story by Robert Horn (“Designing Women”, “Living Single”, “High Society”) and producers of the HSM films, Bill Borden and Barry Rosenbush.

The film features Sharpay Evans, a year after graduating from high school.  As she (and her dog, Boi) perform at a local event in Albuquerque, New Mexico, she is recognized by a talent agent from Broadway who has interest in her and wants her to come out to audition in Broadway for a show starring Amber Lee Adams (played by Cameron Goodman), a star that Sharpay looks up to.

So, Sharpay goes to New York to make it big on Broadway and with the help of her new friend Peyton (played by Austin Butler), the two try to make it in the big city.

With the upcoming Blu-ray and DVD release of “Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure”, J!-ENT’s Dennis A. Amith and other journalists from entertainment media took part in a media Q&A roundtable with actress Ashley Tisdale and actor Austin Butler.

Here is a transcript of themedia Q&A roundtable interview with Ashley and Austin.

Q – Who’s your favorite designer? And which style do you prefer to wear?
Ashley Tisdale: I have a couple of favorite designers, Elizabeth and James, J Brand, Mui Mui, Chanel, Rebecca Taylor, Christian Louboutin. I would say my style is all over the place. It can go from Cali girl to rocker chic and bohemian!

Q – What can you tell us about your character? What’s his secret?
Austin Butler: My character is a film student who meets Sharpay and teaches her the ins and outs of living in the big city of New York. He helps her pursue her dream of becoming a Broadway Star. I don’t think he has any secrets that I know of.

Q – Would you like to be friend of your character in your real life?
Austin Butler: I would like to be friends with Peyton! He’s very supportive and patient. I’m trying to learn from him

Q – Do you have something / anything in common with Sharpay?
Ashley Tisdale: I can relate to how driven she is and I love to perform.

Q – Do you have something / anything in common with Peyton Leverett?
Austin Butler: Peyton is constantly thinking about directing and how he can become a better director. I feel the same way about acting.

Q – Do you miss High School Musical?
Ashley Tisdale: We had so much fun filming those movies. It was one of the best experiences so there definitely are times where I miss working with that cast. The best part is we are all so close, so whenever I’m with them it reminds me of everything we’ve been through.

Q – Who’s the first person you immediately call for a professional and for a personal advice?
Austin Butler: For professional advice I usually call Alexa Vega. She’s been in the business for so long, she always gives great advice. And for personal, I always call my family.

Q – What was the most difficult part to play in the movie?
Ashley Tisdale: I would say starring in a movie is definitely difficult. You have so much pressure and you hold the whole movie together. It’s a challenge. I was so lucky to have been the co-star in the first three movies, I feel like I grew as an actress and I’m now able to take on so much more as a lead actress.

Q – What is the most expensive thing in your wardrobe?
Ashley Tisdale: Definitely my Rolex presidential watch

Q – How can you describe your ideal partner?
Austin Butler: My ideal partner would be a girl who is easy to talk to and has a great sense of humor. I like to watch shows like “The Office” with girls and test their sense of humor.

Q – Will Sharpay’s attitude change in that movie or will we see the same Sharpay? What are the differences between Sharpay from High School Musical and Sharpay from this new movie?
Ashley Tisdale: In the beginning Sharpay is the same girl you know from the High School Musical movies but you get to see through her experiences in New York, that she evolves and grows up.

Q – You have grown up in the movie sets. Have you ever missed a “normal” childhood?
Ashley Tisdale: I went to a regular school growing up and graduated from High School so I got to have all those experiences. I love what I do and wouldn’t give it up for anything!

Q – You are a Californian; do you think you are living a California dream?
Austin Butler: I’m living my California dream for sure! Sometimes I have to pinch myself.

Q – What were the challenges of taking Sharpay from being an antagonist to the hero?
Ashley Tisdale: It was a challenge because she was the character you love to hate in High School Musical, and now in this movie you root for and fall in love with her.

Q – Who did you work best with on the set?
Ashley Tisdale: Austin Butler, just because we we’re in so many scenes together. The whole cast would always go out whenever we had time. I love creating a family on set.

Q – What kind of movies would you like to make in the future?
Austin Butler: I would like to take on challenging characters that I can really sink my teeth into. That and a really cool action movie!

Q – You two worked together on “Aliens in the Attic”. What was it like to go back to work on the same set for this project?
Ashley Tisdale: It was a lot of fun. I was actually the one to mention Austin for the character. We have such good chemistry and have so much fun together it felt perfect.

Q – What is the nicest thing a fan has said?
Ashley Tisdale: That I inspire them

Q – Could you imagine dating a girl like Sharpay?
Austin Butler: Sharpay is a really honest girl; she just says what she wants. Sometimes she needs to be more censored, but I think she’s a really sweet girl on the inside. I could see dating a girl like that, but Sharpay is a little bossy for my taste.

Q – Have you ever visited Denmark?
Ashley Tisdale: No I haven’t. I want to so badly though. I want to visit the Little Mermaid statue.

Q – What are your hobbies?
Austin Butler: I play the guitar and the piano. I also recently started boxing and rock climbing a lot.

Q – ‘High School Musical’ was a blast! Did you expect this worldwide franchise success?
Ashley Tisdale: We had no idea it was gonna be so huge! We had so much fun filming it so there definitely was something special, but we couldn’t have imagined all the success it had.

Q – How can you keep in touch with your fans? Are you addicted to social networks?
Austin Butler: A couple years ago, I used to be addicted to MySpace. I’m not addicted to any social networks at the moment. I use twitter to keep in touch with fans now.

Q – What do you feel the High School Musical franchise has brought to the American movie industry?
Ashley Tisdale: I feel like High School Musical introduced the musical genre to a whole new generation.

Q – Like Sharpay, is there a current Broadway musical you’d like to star in? If so, which role and why?
Ashley Tisdale: Right now I want to do more movies. Maybe in the future.

Q – What was it like working with Ashley Tisdale?
Austin Butler: Ashley brings a great energy to set that makes it feel like you’re not working. She’s a really fun girl to be around.

Q – What was it like the first time you met Austin? Did you guys hang out during your downtime? What did you do?
Ashley Tisdale: I met Austin filming a movie “Aliens In The Attic.” We clicked right away. The whole cast would always hang out on our down time. Even when we stopped filming we all stayed in touch.

Q – Do you have any advice for kids who want to get in to show business?

Ashley Tisdale: Follow your dreams. You can’t expect that it’s going to be easy, but if you work hard and keep going anything is possible!

Q – Why do you think Sharpay has become such a popular character even though she might not be the “sweetest” girl in the world?
Ashley Tisdale: I’ve always wondered that. While testing one of the movies, the fans said the reason why they love Sharpay is “she knows what she wants and she goes out and gets it.” They could see that she’s driven which I think is a very good quality.

Q – How would you describe Peyton?
Austin Butler: Peyton is a film student at NYU who is working on a Film Thesis. He has to find one unique New York story for his film. He ends up finding Sharpay on the side of the street, covered in pink, with all these pink suitcases around her, and he thinks she’s the perfect ‘fish out of water’ story. He ends up filming her journey of trying to become a Broadway Star.

Q – Who’s the first person you immediately call for professional and/or for personal advice?
Ashley Tisdale: My Mom and Manager.

Q – Who do you most want to work with?
Austin Butler: I would love to work with Clint Eastwood.

Q – Have you already worn pink again in real life after having shot the movie?
Ashley Tisdale: Pink has slowly gone missing in my wardrobe. I think it’s because I wear so much of it as Sharpay. Now that I’m a brunette I think I can get away with wearing pink again.

Q – How is this movie different from the High School Musical franchise, and how does it keep the same flavor?
Austin Butler: It’s the same Sharpay that you know and love, but she’s taken out of this sort of dream world and brought into the real world. It’s really fun to watch her deal with real world challenges.

Q – It seems to me that you are a dynamic duo, so funny! What`s the best part of working together?
Austin Butler: I love working with Ashley, because we have a great relationship in real life, and when we get on set we can just play.

Q – How can you keep in touch with your fans? Are you addicted to social networks?
Ashley Tisdale: Twitter!!! It’s so easy and I love staying connected to all of the fans.

Q – How cute is Austin? You have worked closely together? Are you good friends?
Ashley Tisdale: So adorable!! He’s one of my best friends.

Q – Which side of the celebrity stuff/world would you throw away? (red carpet, paparazzi, interviews…)?
Austin Butler: I think that paparazzi cross the line a lot of the time.

Q – Do you feel more comfortable as a blond or brunette?
Ashley Tisdale: I’m more comfortable as a brunette because it’s easier, less maintenance.

Q – Do you keep in touch with Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens?
Ashley Tisdale: Of course! I was actually just with Zac, and Vanessa is promoting her movie right now, but we’re always keeping in touch. We love to go shopping together.

Q – Do you believe in love at the first sight?
Austin Butler: Yeah. I don’t see why not, and I hope to be able to experience it someday.

Q – Ashley tell me, do you like to play the role of Sharpay?
Ashley Tisdale: I love it! The wardrobe, the hair, the fabulousness, LOL!

Q – What were the biggest challenges in producing this movie?
Austin Butler: My biggest challenge was the fact that I was filming so much of the movie on my camera. It added a whole new dynamic. On top of the acting, I had to focus on not getting any of the lights, crew, or other cameras in my frame.

Q – According to you, what is the most important message of this movie?
Ashley Tisdale: To believe in yourself!

Q – I know you’re from California — what do you think of New York? Could you ever see yourself on Broadway?
Austin Butler: I would love to work on Broadway someday! I love New York.

Q – You are also the executive producer of the movie. Is your future behind or in front of the cameras?
Ashley Tisdale: Both! I always want to be in front of the camera, but I love being able to produce as well. Producing is so new for me and I’m still learning.

Q – What is the best part of being an actor?
Ashley Tisdale: For me it’s watching the finished product and seeing it all come together.

Q – Do you have any advice for kids who wants to get into show business?
Austin Butler: Just be persistent, patient, and focus on working hard every day.

Q – What’s it like to be a brunette again? Do you miss the blond?
Ashley Tisdale: It’s much easier being brunette because that’s my natural color. But blonde is fun too!

Q – Where do you see yourself in the future?
Ashley Tisdale: Hopefully doing more movies and producing.

Q – Have you got any other upcoming projects?
Ashley Tisdale: I’m doing a TV show right now on CW called “Hellcats.”

Q – Did you know each other before this movie?
Austin Butler: Yes! Ashley and I did a movie together a couple of years ago called ‘Aliens in the Attic.’

Q – Tell us about your dog. What’s his/her name?
Ashley Tisdale: My personal dog is a teacup Maltipoo, and her name is Maui.

Q – In this movie Sharpay has a very special relationship with her dog, how was it for you as an actress working with a dog?
Ashley Tisdale: It’s definitely a challenge working with dogs. They’re animals so they really don’t understand what’s going on. They’re so cute though. Howie and Herby were awesome to work with.

Q – What is the best part of being an actor?
Austin Butler: I love acting because it’s almost like playing dress up when you were a kid. You can do things you wouldn’t normally do.

Q – As a child did you put posters on the wall of your room? Who was your idol? Did you already meet him/her? If so, how did you react when you meet him/her?
Ashley Tisdale: I had pictures of Leonardo DiCaprio on my wall. I LOVED Titanic and I LOVED him.

Q – You made your breakthrough at a very early age – what would be your advice to a 12 year old girl who wants to be a successful actress?
Ashley Tisdale: Know that it’s not easy, but if you really want to do it, you have to go for it and work hard!

Q – How do you balance your acting career and your regular life?
Austin Butler: My dad lives out in Arizona, so when I get time off I’ll go out there and ride horses, dirt bikes, etc. It keeps me in touch with myself. It’s good to get out of Hollywood and just relax.

Q – You two have worked together on “Aliens in the Attic”. How was it going back to work on the same set for this project?
Austin Butler: It was great because now we’ve known each other for years and have inside jokes and stuff. So we just had a blast.

Q – You have known Sharpay for years but do you think the most important thing for her is love or her career?
Ashley Tisdale: Her career comes first, always!

Q – What is your favorite scene from the movie?
Ashley Tisdale: New York’s Best Kept Secret! It’s the first time you see Sharpay completely vulnerable.

Q – Our readers have a tough time dealing with their first crushes — what insight can you give them from a guys’ point of view?
Austin Butler: I like to just look at it from the other person’s point of view. I think that the key is to take your focus off yourself and put it on the other person. It helps me get rid of nerves and stuff.

Q – According to you, what makes Sharpay so fabulous?
Austin Butler: I think her fabulousness comes from how big her dreams are, how she’s larger than life and, of course, all her Pinkness.

Q – Did you ever have a diary as a child or teenager?
Ashley Tisdale: I had tons of journals growing up. I still do! I love to just write down my thoughts or if I’m inspired by something I write it down.

Q – What do you think is the key to the success of films and series like High School Musical, Camp Rock and now Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure?
Austin Butler: I think music is such a universal language, that it speaks to everyone.

Q – Have you ever been to Denmark or other countries in Scandinavia? And what do you think of the Scandinavian girls and boys?
Austin Butler: I’ve never been to any Scandinavian countries. I have Scandinavian ancestry though. I definitely want to make a trip there someday!

Q – Sometimes Sharpay can be almost too confident, and it seems like she’s trying to cover up insecurities. Did you ever feel like you had to overcompensate for your insecurities, especially when you were younger?
Austin Butler: When I was younger, rather than overcompensating for insecurities I was just really shy. Getting up and doing scenes in front of groups in acting class helped to break me out of that.

Q – What’s the best part of Sharpay? And the worst?
Ashley Tisdale: She’s driven and knows what she wants in life. The worst is that she sometimes goes about it the wrong way.

Q – You’re the executive producer of Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure and I know you’re doing even more things as a producer. What are the other projects that you have or that you’re planning to produce? And how was your work as an executive producer in Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure?
Ashley Tisdale: All the projects I’m producing are in development right now. The network Bravo just picked up one of my reality shows called “Miss Advised.” I’m super excited about that one (again I’m not in the project, just producing).

Q – How did your acting career start?
Austin Butler: I got into doing extra work when I was about 11, and then through that I got comfortable being on set. I met my manager through one of the actresses on a show I did. She then got me into acting classes and got me an agent.

Q – What do you think the High School Musical franchise has brought to the American movie industry?
Austin Butler: I feel like it has introduced kids to musicals and helped them realize how fun they could be. And with the success of all the former High School Musical movies, Hollywood learned that musicals can still be popular. It sort of brought back the musical!

Q – What’s the best advice you have received in your life?
Austin Butler: Some of the best advice I’ve received in my life: Be nice to everyone you meet. Its such simple advice but you can’t go wrong with it.

Q – In this film you had to do two jobs, one acting and one actually filming, as we saw in the bonus feature Austin Cam. Do you now have any interest in the filming side of things?
Austin Butler: I would love to try directing someday! They let me take the camera I used in the film home and I just memorized how it worked. It was a lot of fun!

Q – Austin, any final thoughts on SHARPAY’S FABULOUS ADVENTURE?
Austin Butler: Thank you so much! This was really fun. You guys asked some great questions! I hope you enjoy the movie.

Q – Ashley, any final thoughts on SHARPAY’S FABULOUS ADVENTURE?
Ashley Tisdale: I had so much fun filming this movie. I’m so proud of it and I hope everyone likes it. I have to thank my fans for making this all possible. I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for them.

The One about the Epson Workforce 635

Overall, the 635 is a wonderful printer.  The price is fantastic but if you just want a printer without the two-sided printing and you tend to only print mostly in black and white, go for the 630.  If you want the two-sided printing and larger ink cartridge capacity, then definitely go for the Epson WorkForce 635.

EPSON WORKFORCE 635 INFORMATION:

Superior Performance
Faster speeds that save you time
* Save time — with the world’s fastest all-in-one in both one-sided and two-sided printing1
* Speed through critical documents — ISO print speeds of 15 ISO ppm (black) and 7.2 ISO ppm (color), and two-sided print speeds of 7.5 ISO ppm (black) and 4.5 ISO ppm (color)
* High-speed faxing in black and color — as fast as 3 sec per page; speed dial storage up to 60 numbers; fax memory up to 180 pages
* Get more done — 30-page Auto Document Feeder to quickly copy, scan or fax stacks of one — or two-sided originals
* Connect to your wireless network in seconds2 — Easy Epson Wi-Fi makes connection to your network simple
Higher quality text and graphics that make you look your best
* Create professional looking documents — output from an ink jet that rivals that from a laser printer
* Print high quality color graphics and black text — DURABrite® Ultra pigment ink for smudge, fade and water resistant prints
Additional features that save you time and money
* Print twice as much — get about 2x more prints with 127 Extra High-capacity Black ink cartridges3
* Save paper — save up to 50% of your paper supply with automatic, two-sided printing
* Less hassle — built-in 250-sheet paper tray means you re-load paper less often

As many others have done wonderful reviews on the Epson WorkForce 635 Color Inkjet All-In-One, I’m going to approach this review much differently in which I will be comparing the Epson WorkForce 630 ($79.99) vs. 635 (which goes for $132).

When it comes to size, aesthetics even down to the box packaging (aside from the last single digit and that the 630 has French text included with the English on the packaging) but there are two major differences which may matter to you or may not (and I’ll go into this in the section titled differences), these two printers look very alike and share similar features.  But what makes the 635 much more expensive than the 630?  And is it better?

I.  EPSON WorkForce 635 Data

* Color: Up to 5760 x 1440 dpi
* Black & White: Up to 600 dpi

Display
* 2.5″

Print speed
* Color: 7.2 Pages/min
* Black & White: 15 Pages/min

Connectivity
* USB host
* IEEE 802.11n
* Ethernet 10 Base-T/100 Base-TX
* Hi-Speed USB
* IEEE 802.11b
* IEEE 802.11g

Paper size / Tray Capacity
* Letter A Size (8.5 in x 11 in)
* Legal (8.5 in x 14 in)
* A6 (4.13 in x 5.83 in)
* A5 (5.83 in x 8.25 in)
* B5 (6.93 in x 9.83 in)
* Executive (7.25 in x 10.5 in)
* A4 (8.25 in x 11.7 in)
* 250 sheets

Paper Formats:
The Epson WorkForce 635 can handle:  Plain Paper, Cards, Transparencies, Stickers, Photo Paper, Glossy Photo Paper, Envelopes, Matte Photo Paper.

Features
* SDHC Memory Card
* MultiMediaCard
* Memory Stick
* SD Memory Card
* USB flash drive
* xD-Picture Card Automatic Duplexing
* 48 bitColor Depth (Internal)
* PC Connection Availability
* ENERGY STAR Qualified

Dimensions 17.6 x 21.9 x 9.1 inches
Weight    16.8 lbs

What do you get inside the box?
* Printer
* Plug
* Installation CD and Instructions
* All four printer cartridges: Black, Cyan, Yellow, Magenta
* Free paper from CreativeZone

II.  INSTALLATION

Installation was quite easy.  Make sure to follow instructions of how to install the printer cartridge as there are two plastic pieces.  You only have to remove the one in yellow, do not remove the clear plastic.  When you open the top section of the printer, the cartridge holder goes to the middle and you can easily snap all four cartridges.  The next step for those using wireless is to select your wireless connection, enter your code and if it’s all good, you can then install the CD.  Installing was easy and on my iMac, it only took around 10 or less minutes to install everything.  It’s important to note that I used a custom install not manual and bypassed all third-party software and just installed the printer contents only and instruction guide only.

III.  TESTS

PRINTING:

The first test was printing documents and wow!  Printing was quick (especially compared to the Epson 440 I reviewed a few months ago).  In fact, right after that, I printed my magazine interview article from Adobe InDesign to the printer with hi-res graphics and high quality printing and the printer was just printing quickly.  I was amazed how full-color pages were just printing with ease.  Colors also looked exactly how my layout looked.

So, I did a third test.  This time, full color printing with images with darker colors to check on how deep the ink gets and if the claim of how dry the ink is, is true at all.  I did two types of pages, one with heavy black and it printed quickly.  The page was slightly damp but no ink run off, nor did it get on my fingers.

Fourth test and I printed a digital camera picture on photo paper and it looked very good, actually extremely good for an InkJet.

Final test for printing was using the automatic document feeder on the top of the printer which you can place 30 letter or A4 Sized sheets or 10 legal-sized sheets on the top.  There is a slide edge and it works perfectly.  I had no problems printing at all.

***********NOW, THIS IS MAJOR DIFFERENCE FROM THE 635 vs. the 630***************

A. TWO-SIDED PRINTING

The 635 can do two-siding printing.  In fact, the printer is exactly the same with the 2-sided printing button missing from under the LCD.  So, the big question is how important is 2-Side Printing for you?

Most people don’t utilize two-sided printing but I sure did back in college for spiral bounded presentation projects.  And in my former corporate job, I used the function a lot for presentations.  For my business, it helps to use it for events and test brochures.  Especially if you are a graphic designer and are doing two-sided projects.  No need for cutting and gluing both sides together.

But it all comes down to if you need this feature or not.

B. CARTRIDGE CAPACITY

The 635 has more capacity for Black and Color ink.  The 635 can print 385 b/w pages and 755 color pages.  The 630 can print 245 pages and 340 color pages.  So, the difference is quite substantial.  You will save money in the long run getting a 635 but that is if you do a lot of color printing.

COPYING:

Copying is easy as you can select the quantity, the quality and it copies and prints quickly.

SCANNING:

Unfortunately, while the printer is wireless, scanning is not and you need to use the scanner, you need to have it connected to the USB or you can have a flash card or USB Flash Drive in the front and save the image on that card.  While it works well for scanning, for the work I do, I still prefer having a flat bed scanner for larger objects but many people should find the scanner to be quite adequate.

FAXING:

Connect it to a phone line and you have a fax machine without having to worry about toner.  Very convenient to use and easy to setup.

IV.  JUDGMENT CALL:

I absolutely love this printer!  One because of it’s price and also two things that I always look for in a printer which are:

a)  Bottom feeding paper and not top loading (top loading will often eat paper up and mess up things inside your printer as opposed to bottom loading)
b)  The rear of the printer has an access panel to remove jammed paper.
c)  It’s wireless and allows for USB Flash and Compact flash Cards

And of course, the quality and speed that these 630 editions are known for.  This is a wonderful all-in-one printer but as you look into the price on Amazon, there is nearly a $60-$70 difference between both the 630 vs. the 635.

Both are exact machines with the exception that the 635 does two-sided printing.  It’s a very convenient feature and for college students or home offices that utilize that capability, it’s definitely worth it!  But if you notice that you have no need for two-sided printing, then definitely go for the cheaper 630 version.

And the other difference is the 635 has more cartridge capacity for ink, especially if you are printing color. 755 pages for the 635 and 340 pages for the color ink cartridge and because this takes four cartridges, in the long run, you will probably save more money getting the 635 over the 630 (that is if you print a lot of documents in color).

Now if your main purpose is to find a printer that holds more paper, then the Epson WorkForce 840 is what you need as that holds 500 pages as opposed to the 635 which holds 250.  (Note: The 840 also has a larger LCD screen by an inch, BUT the 635 has more color cartridge capacity and can print up to 755 pages as opposed to the 840′s 470 pages).

Overall, the 635 is a wonderful printer.  The price is fantastic but if you just want a printer without the two-sided printing and you tend to only print mostly in black and white, go for the 630.  If you want the two-sided printing and larger ink cartridge capacity, then definitely go for the Epson WorkForce 635.

In my opinion, I would go for the 635 because of the better ink cartridge capabilities and of course, the two-sided printing does help.  But for it’s price and features, the Epson WorkForce 635 is awesome.

This printer is highly recommended!

Q&A Media Interview with Bruce Boxleitner (Alan Bradley/Tron) for “Tron: Legacy” (J!-ENT Interviews and Articles)

Images courtesy of ©Disney. All Rights Reserved.

Back in 1982, the sci-fi Disney film “Tron” captured the attention of sci-fi fans, especially for those who saw the beginnings of animation on coordination with CG for live-action film. “Tron” was a groundbreaking film for Disney.

As Disney was able to use experimental ways of achieving animation back in 1940, the company would do the same in 1982 with “Tron” and many thanks goes to the creative and foresight of writer/director Steven Lisberger, who had the concept in his mind of what he wanted to accomplish. And although the technological terms may have had people scratching their heads back in the early ’80s and the film was seen as “ahead of its time”, while the majority of the public may have not understood the film, many younger people were fascinated by it.

“Tron” would become a box office success as it grossed $33 million in the U.S. and since 1982, the film would be seen as an amazing time in Disney live action and animation as the film would inspire many people to become animators and the film itself would become a significant cult film, including the “Academy Award for Technical Achievement” in 1996.

As the film would spawn a successful franchise of video games, comic books, an animated series and toys, “Tron” was a film that would remain a fan favorite for nearly 30-years.

And then came the sequel, “Tron Legacy” in 2010. Produced by original writer/director Steven Lisberger, the film would feature the debut of director Joseph Kosinki and feature a screenplay by “LOST” writers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz. The film would also feature the return of the original movie’s actors Jeff Bridges and Bruce Boxleitner.

This long awaited sequel had a hefty budget at $170 million and made over $397 million worldwide.

And now both films will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on April 5th. This includes an Ultimate Tron Experience, a 5-disc collection which comes with “Tron: The Original Classic” on Blu-ray and “Tron: Legacy” in 3D, Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Copy.

In celebration of the release of both “Tron” films on Blu-ray and DVD, J!-ENT will be featuring Q&A interviews with the cast and crew of “Tron: Legacy”. We began with Olivia Wilde, the actress who plays the character Quorra, followed by Garrett Hedlund who plays the protagonist, Sam Flynn and Jeff Bridges, who plays Kevin Flynn/Clu.

In this fourth interview, we feature Bruce Boxleitner who plays the character of Alan Bradley, the computer programmer who created “Tron” in the original film and plays Sam’s caretaker in “Tron: Legacy”.

Bruce Boxleitner may be known to sci-fans for his role on both “Tron” films but for many others, they know him from the ’90s sci-fi series “Babylon 5″ and ’80s series “Scarecrow and Mrs. King”.  Boxleitner continues to be active on television, making appearances on the TV series “Chuck”, “NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service”, “Cold Case” and “Heroes”.

Here is a transcript of a recent media Q&A interview with Bruce Boxleitner:

How would you describe the story of TRON: Legacy?

BRUCE BOXLEITNER: TRON: Legacy is the sequel to TRON. The story of the sequel is set in real time, 28 years after the first movie. We revisit some of the characters from the original movie, including Kevin Flynn and Alan Bradley, and we revisit the world of Encom. We also meet Kevin Flynn’s son, Sam. Ultimately, the story takes us back down into the world of TRON where much of the action was set in the 1982 movie. However, it’s a different world now. It’s a darker, more violent and dangerous world down there.

What can you tell us about your character in the movie?

BRUCE BOXLEITNER: I return to play Alan Bradley in the sequel. Alan is the storyteller who bridges the past to the present. There’s a lot of history that needs to be told about the world of TRON and not everyone watching the movie knows that story, so Alan does that at the beginning of the sequel. He passes the torch onto Sam Flynn, who is the new hero of the movie. I guess Alan is the Alfred to Sam’s Batman.

What makes you choose that analogy?

BRUCE BOXLEITNER: Well, Batman always needs Alfred to remind him of who he is and where he came from. Alfred is also Batman’s conscience. Alan is similar because he’s the surrogate father to Sam Flynn. Alan’s best friend and creative partner – Kevin Flynn – has been missing for 15 years, so Alan has looked after Sam and has always kept an eye on him. Both of these guys, Sam and Alan, are wounded people because of the disappearance of Kevin. They’ve had no closure on Kevin’s story. They don’t know where he is; they don’t what happened to him. Is he alive? Is he dead? They have no idea. Both of their lives were altered seriously because of his disappearance.

How has Alan Bradley changed since the first movie?

BRUCE BOXLEITNER: Over the years, Alan has been a very successful man. He is currently the CEO of Encom, but he’s not respected within the company. His colleagues tolerate him in the boardroom, but he has no say because Encom has turned into something that neither Flynn nor Bradley envisioned. It’s a shocking change to where Alan was 28 years ago. He’s now a broken man; he’s a lost soul. He wanders the corridors of Encom wearing nice suits, he drives a great car and he makes a great paycheck. However, he has absolutely nothing to do with the company. That frustrates him. He’s nothing like the nerdy tech you saw in the original film.

What’s your favorite scene in TRON: Legacy?

BRUCE BOXLEITNER: Shooting the seminal scene between Alan and Sam at the beginning of the movie really stands out for me. We filmed that scene in Vancouver and we spent all night outside a really cool freighter container house, which is where Sam lives. I think every young guy is going to want to have a home like that. It was amazing. I love this scene in particular because this is where the human side of the story really comes to light. It’s the human story that makes the movie stand out. TRON: Legacy is not just about special effects and computer wizardry; it’s got a heart.

Was it easy to play the father figure to Garrett Hedlund’s Sam Flynn?

BRUCE BOXLEITNER: It was very easy because Garrett is a wonderful actor. I have three sons myself, so it was very natural to act out those scenes and relive being a father. In fact, I have a Sam Boxleitner. He’s a couple years older than Garrett, but that’s why it felt especially real. It felt like I was talking to my own kid and Garrett looked at me like I was his daffy uncle. That’s the way it struck me anyway.

What was your biggest challenge in working on TRON: Legacy?

BRUCE BOXLEITNER: Portraying Alan Bradley again after 28 years was one of the challenges. What is this man now? What’s happened to him in this interim? I was fascinated by where these wonderful writers had taken these characters. However, I guess my biggest challenge involved the motion capture work on TRON: Legacy.

Hoes does it feel to see people excited about the TRON universe again?

BRUCE BOXLEITNER: It feels great, although I’m amazed because when we shot the original movie, we had no idea that it was going to become a cult classic. We knew we were working on something cutting edge, but the film didn’t have a ton of success when it was first released. However, as the years passed, I kept seeing it pop up on Top 10 lists of fan favorites and cult favorites. I would say that 85 per cent of the autographs I have signed over the years have involved a piece of TRON memorabilia. Even when I worked on the TV show, Babylon 5, I was still signing TRON merchandise – especially overseas. There were always huge lines of people waiting with TRON memorabilia when I visited countries like Australia and the UK, and I was always surprised because I never believed that it would come to that.

What attracted you to the sequel?

BRUCE BOXLEITNER: The idea of working with Jeff Bridges again was a big plus point for me, but I was also intrigued to find out what had happened to these characters. It’s been 28 years since the first film was released and I wanted to know where they went during that time. When I first read the script, I was thrilled by it because I had no idea that Alan Bradley would become such a lost soul. It was such a great idea that it was a no brainer to sign up for the sequel. I was thrilled to be asked to return.

What do you think of TRON: Legacy cast members Garrett Hedlund and Olivia Wilde, who play Sam Flynn and Quorra in the movie?

BRUCE BOXLEITNER: I’m very proud to say that I started on the movie earlier than everybody else. I was hired to screen test all of the young talent fighting for the roles that were eventually won by Olivia and Garrett. I screen tested all of the Sam Flynns and all of the Quorras – and it was a lot of fun because I got to work with a lot of young, new, talented people. It feels really good that these two made the cut because they were my personal picks. I was really impressed with their work. They are both going to go far in their careers.

In what way did the filmmaking process differ between the original TRON and TRON: Legacy?

BRUCE BOXLEITNER: The two movies are both cutting edge and they’re both years ahead of their time, but they were shot completely differently. On the original movie, we were running around in tights with a Frisbee taped to our backs. We were wearing hockey helmets with motocross shoulder pads and armguards, along with high boots. If you had to go to the bathroom, someone had to unzip you and you’d have to take everything off just to go for a pee. We were promised the movie was going to look good, but we had no idea what was going on when we shot it. We were blown away by the results, though. It looked amazing.

How does today’s filmmaking compare?

BRUCE BOXLEITNER: Today, filmmaking is still a long process – but everything is much more sophisticated and technologically advanced. There are no tights and no Frisbees. The costumes are incredible and the motion capture used in TRON: Legacy blows me away. The bulk of my time on the set of the movie was spent in the real world, so I didn’t experience the technical side of filming as much as Garrett Hedlund and Jeff Bridges. However, I was extremely impressed with everything I saw.

What do you think of the light suits used in TRON: Legacy?

BRUCE BOXLEITNER: I think they are fantastic. They have lights incorporated into the actual suit, so they’re very different to the tights we wore back in 1982. The new suits are spectacular. There was this wonderful moment on the set of TRON: Legacy where the director would yell, “Light them up.” This happened just before he called “Action” and it was amazing because all of a sudden, all of these people on the sound stage would literally light up. It was amazing to watch.

How do you think the younger generation will react to TRON: Legacy?

BRUCE BOXLEITNER: How will the younger generation react to the movie? Well, we’ve had a lot of positive feedback so far. Personally, I hope that a whole new generation falls in love with the movie and this cutting-edge world we created – and I hope it spurs them on to watch the original TRON movie, too. We have the original film being released on Blu-Ray, so it’s going to be out there for them. However, they don’t need to know anything about the original film to enjoy TRON: Legacy. It’s my character’s job in the movie to reveal the past mythology and to familiarize the audience with the story, so it’s all explained clearly at the start of the sequel. You know what? If kids today don’t like this movie, then I quit! Personally, I think this new generation is going to love it. They are going to be blown away. I can’t wait for them to see it.

Can you take us through the motion capture process?

BRUCE BOXLEITNER: It was very technical. I had hundreds of dots placed over my face and I wore a helmet with cameras pointing at my head. The extras had no idea what was going on, but the dots were used as reference points for the amazing artists on the movie. They created a younger version of my face from 30 years ago. In fact, the same crew who worked on The Strange Case Of Benjamin Button worked on TRON: Legacy and you get to see Jeff Bridges in his 30s again, too. The work they did was amazing.

What else did you have to do for the motion capture process?

BRUCE BOXLEITNER: After filming finished in Vancouver, I had to go and have my face scanned in Los Angeles. The rig was immense. It was like walking into a UFO. I pulled every kind of facial expression you can possibly think of for the special camera set-up. The cameras captured every angle and every aspect of my face. They captured every aspect of my muscle movement. It was astonishing.

Was it very different to the special effects work on the first movie?

BRUCE BOXLEITNER: You know what? I look at how far effects have come since we shot the first TRON, but it’s not like we were in the Stone Age back then. We were state of the art at that time. We’re still state of the art with TRON: Legacy. It’s just moved forward a great deal.

What advances in technology did you notice on the set of TRON: Legacy?

BRUCE BOXLEITNER: Well, the suits are much cooler in the new TRON movie. For the first film, I wore tights with magic marker drawings on them, as well as a hockey helmet and motor cross armor. I was also throwing an actual Frisbee. I didn’t have that cool-looking rainbow disk that they throw around in TRON: Legacy. However, I’m sure that the thoughts going through the minds of the cast on both TRON movies was exactly the same, especially when shooting the scenes set on the grid. Everyone has the feeling that they are making something different and something cutting edge. Everyone feels that they are working on something state of the art. That feeling remains unchanged.

TRON: LEGACY is Available on Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, DVD and Movie Download April 5^th!

Q&A Media Interview with Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn for “Tron: Legacy” (J!-ENT Interviews and Articles)

Images courtesy of ©Disney. All Rights Reserved.

Back in 1982, the sci-fi Disney film “Tron” captured the attention of sci-fi fans, especially for those who saw the beginnings of animation on coordination with CG for live-action film. “Tron” was a groundbreaking film for Disney.

As Disney was able to use experimental ways of achieving animation back in 1940, the company would do the same in 1982 with “Tron” and many thanks goes to the creative and foresight of writer/director Steven Lisberger, who had the concept in his mind of what he wanted to accomplish. And although the technological terms may have had people scratching their heads back in the early ’80s and the film was seen as “ahead of its time”, while the majority of the public may have not understood the film, many younger people were fascinated by it.

“Tron” would become a box office success as it grossed $33 million in the U.S. and since 1982, the film would be seen as an amazing time in Disney live action and animation as the film would inspire many people to become animators and the film itself would become a significant cult film, including the “Academy Award for Technical Achievement” in 1996.

As the film would spawn a successful franchise of video games, comic books, an animated series and toys, “Tron” was a film that would remain a fan favorite for nearly 30-years.

And then came the sequel, “Tron Legacy” in 2010. Produced by original writer/director Steven Lisberger, the film would feature the debut of director Joseph Kosinki and feature a screenplay by “LOST” writers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz. The film would also feature the return of the original movie’s actors Jeff Bridges and Bruce Boxleitner.

This long awaited sequel had a hefty budget at $170 million but made over $397 million worldwide.

And now both films will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on April 5th. This includes an Ultimate Tron Experience, a 5-disc collection which comes with “Tron: The Original Classic” on Blu-ray and “Tron: Legacy” in 3D, Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Copy.

In celebration of the release of both “Tron” films on Blu-ray and DVD, J!-ENT will be featuring Q&A interviews with the cast and crew of “Tron: Legacy”. We began with Olivia Wilde, the actress who plays the character Quorra, followed by  Garrett Hedlund who plays the protagonist, Sam Flynn.

In this third interview, we feature Jeff Bridges who played the main character Kevin Flynn for the first “Tron” film and makes his return as Kevin and also as Clu in “Tron: Legacy”.

Jeff Bridges is a legendary actor in Hollywood, born from a legendary Hollywood family.  The son of Lloyd Bridges (which Jeff starred in his father’s show “The Lloyd Bridges Show”) and also in “Sea Hunt”, it wasn’t until 1971 where Bridges would be known for his role in “The Last Picture Show”.

Bridges would go on to star in many films from “The Last American Hero”, “King Kong”, “Against All Odds”, “The Big Lebowski”, “The Contender”, “Iron Man”, “True Grit” to name a few.

But his role as Kevin Flynn will be remembered by many fans as it is an iconic character for many sci-fi fans.

Here is a transcript of a recent media Q&A interview with Jeff Bridges:

What was your initial reaction when you heard that Disney was interested in making a sequel to TRON?

Jeff Bridges: There have been rumors of a TRON sequel circulating for many years. The first rumor probably started about 20 years ago, so I gave up on the idea because it never looked like it was going to happen. I guess Disney had the sequel on its back burners and they weren’t satisfied with any of the scripts that turned up over the years, so they waited and waited. I’m very happy they did because they held out to find the right guy to be at the helm: director Joseph Kosinski. I think they really found a terrific leader in Joe, and they also found a terrific script.

What makes Joseph Kosinski a great director?

Jeff Bridges: It’s always interesting to discover where a director comes from, whether he’s a writer, an actor or whatever. Joe was an architect and to have an architect at the helm of this movie was terrific. He was up to date with all of the modern techniques in special effects and he had a great visual style. He was also terrific with actors and he had great ideas. When this project was presented to me, I thought to myself, ‘This sounds like something I would love to do.’ The first movie tickled the kid in me – and the sequel did exactly the same. I get to play a guy who is sucked inside a computer and I get to play with all of the new toys that we have available to us with modern technology and filmmaking. To be involved with something so cutting edge was extremely exciting to me. I jumped at the chance to sign up.

What did you think of having Garrett Hedlund play Kevin Flynn’s son in the movie?

Jeff Bridges: Garrett is a great guy. I have three daughters and no sons, but when I look at Garrett, I can see that he could be my son. There’s something about him that reminds me of myself, which is why casting him as my son was perfect. He was a joy to work with and I think he did an amazing job in TRON: Legacy. He’s going to go far.

How much fun did you have shooting TRON: Legacy?

Jeff Bridges: The movie was a lot of fun to film because every day was different. Some days, we’d be working on a sound stage with an amazing set. Other days, I’d be walking around a huge, empty warehouse wearing a leotard with little balls all over it.

That sounds a little crazy…

Jeff Bridges: It was very crazy and very bizarre, but it was a fun challenge because that’s how the special effects were shot. My face was covered with 100 tiny dots and I wore a helmet with two antennas sticking out of it. I am used to acting in costume, but this was very different. I soon learned to get used to it, though.

How has technology changed since you made the original movie?

Jeff Bridges: The first TRON movie was made nearly 30 years ago. Back then, there was no internet and there were no cell phones. There were no personal computers either. It was a completely different world.

How did you shoot the special effects for the original movie?

Jeff Bridges: It was all very basic back then. There was a lot of adhesive tape and tennis balls used on the set of the first film. TRON: Legacy benefits from advancements in technology since then. It’s a completely different world now.

When did you first hear about the sequel?

Jeff Bridges: There’s been a rumor of a TRON sequel going around Hollywood ever since the first movie was released. I kept waiting and waiting to get a script, but I never heard anything until a couple of years ago. I think Disney was very wise to wait for the right script and the right story, but it’s here now.

What went through your mind when you heard a script was on its way?

Jeff Bridges: I was overjoyed. To be honest, I was very excited when I heard about the original movie – and I had the same excitement when I found out that the sequel was going to be made. I couldn’t wait to read what was going to happen.

How was the original movie pitched to you?

Jeff Bridges: The original movie appealed to the kid in me. They said, “Do you want to play a guy who gets sucked inside a computer? We’ll be using lots of cutting edge technology to shoot the film and it’s going to be very different to anything else you’ve seen at the movies.” It was like being invited over to the house of the kid who’s got all the latest gadgets and games. I immediately said to them, “I’m in!”

How was the sequel pitched to you?

Jeff Bridges: The director told me it was going to be a father and son story, and he said we were going to be using cutting edge filming techniques again. It sounded great to me.

Did you hesitate before signing up for the sequel?

Jeff Bridges: Oh, sure. I hesitate before I sign up for anything, but I was extremely excited about the prospect of the sequel. I thought to myself, ‘I can’t wait to mess around with all that great, cutting edge technology. I can’t wait to see what the visual effects will be like now.’

What made you hesitate?

Jeff Bridges: I wanted to make sure the story of the sequel was strong. I knew there was going to be a lot of visual candy, but you need to care about the characters for a movie to work. As soon as I heard the story was going to be a father and son adventure, I knew it was going to work out.

Is it true that you kept your TRON helmet from the original movie?

Jeff Bridges: I kept the helmet and the leotard from the original film and I actually wore it for Halloween one year. I dressed up as my character, Kevin Flynn, and walked around! It got a lot of strange looks, but I didn’t care.

What science-fiction books and movies were you into when you were young?

Jeff Bridges: As a kid, I loved science fiction. When I was growing up, I read books by Ray Bradbury and Robert Heinlein – and I’ve always loved science fiction movies. I don’t think you can get a much better movie than 2001. However, I also like the movie Starman, which I appeared in. Science fiction is great.

Are you into video games?

Jeff Bridges: I was really into video games when we made the original TRON. The walls of the soundstage where we shot the original movie were lined with video games and they were all free. You didn’t have to put any money in them.

That sounds amazing…

Jeff Bridges: It was great! Everyone would be playing them all day long. The crew would come up to me and say, “Come on, Jeff… We need you on set.” And I’d reply, “I’m preparing, man. I’m getting into character.”

Do you play many video games now?

Jeff Bridges: I don’t play too many video games now. I feel like I’ve fallen away from technology. I have a love-hate relationship with the internet, although I have a website that I like to play around with.

We’ve heard a rumor that you’re interested in photography…

Jeff Bridges: I am! I usually take photos on the set of all my movies. In fact, you can see some of the shots on my website.

Did you take many pictures on the set of TRON: Legacy?

Jeff Bridges: I wanted to take lots of pictures, but the lighting was very dark on the set. I didn’t take as many pictures as I usually take, but there are a few out there.

What advice do you have for aspiring photographers?

Jeff Bridges: I don’t know if I have any advice! Just keep taking pictures of things you think are interesting. That’s how I started out.

And what advice would you give to aspiring actors?

Jeff Bridges: Train hard and practice your craft. Get involved in all aspects of drama, but keep on trying because it’s a tough industry to crack. Good luck!

How does it feel to see people excited about the world of TRON again?

Jeff Bridges: It feels great. It’s very exciting. I have taken a number of trips to Comic-Con with TRON: Legacy over the last few years and you can really feel the energy of the fans at events like that. They have been really excited about the project. In fact, the fans have been an integral part in getting the TRON world back together. A few years ago, we went to Comic-Con to test a couple of minutes of film with audiences. The director, the production designer and our special effects supervisor joined forces to give audiences a two-minute taste of what the movie might be like if this project could fly and to see if people really wanted to see it. The audience really enjoyed that Disney felt they wanted to  make this fantastic world come to life again. Comic-Con was very instrumental in getting this movie made.

What was the most challenging aspect of the film shoot?

Jeff Bridges: As an actor, I really enjoy costumes, sets and makeup. These elements inform your performance and you learn to count on them. However, a lot of TRON: Legacy was filmed without costumes, without makeup and without sets. When you don’t have these things around you, you’re thrown back to your childhood – to the time when you were a little kid playing in the garden. Back then, you didn’t have a castle and you didn’t have a sword. You had to use a stick as a sword and your castle was a box. It was all in your mind. That’s exactly what we had to do in this movie. We had to play ‘pretend’ because we didn’t have the costumes or the sets or the props. It was fascinating.

Do you ask a lot of questions when you work on a film set in an alternate universe with its own rules?

Jeff Bridges: Oh, sure. I ask a lot of questions with whatever film I’m working on – and the director is always the guy to go to.

What kind of questions did you ask about TRON: Legacy?

Jeff Bridges: Joe Kosinski was very inclusive because he allowed me into the writing process and the development of the story. I was interested in creating a modern myth, so I didn’t want the movie to just be about design and the battles. I wanted the movie to have something to say and I wanted the story to be enthralling and captivating.

What appealed to you the most in the movie’s script?

Jeff Bridges: One of the things that drew me to this movie was a chance to be part of creating a modern day myth. Myths are so important for us to help navigate the treacherous waters of being alive. Each age has its own challenges and I feel that technology is certainly one of ours.

Are you not happy with today’s technology?

Jeff Bridges: In some ways, technology is wonderful – but there is a darker side to it that we don’t examine as much as we should. We need to think about the ramifications of what we’re doing. We drink water from plastic bottles that we think are biodegradable, but then we discover that they last for hundreds of years. We bitch about oil spills, but every year we put 100 million tons of plastic into the ocean. That’s worse than the awful oil spill in 2010. I think it’s a matter of educating people and thinking about where we want to go with technology – and what we want to do with it. We could use it in beautiful ways, but I think it’s natural for us to want immediate gratification.

Are there any positive aspects to advances in technology?

Jeff Bridges: What are the good things about technology? Like most things in life, technology is a double-edged sword. When we made the first TRON movie, there was no internet. Now, it’s a huge part of our everyday lives. The internet gives us the chance to link up and be connected – and that’s a great thing.

Can you survive without the internet?

Jeff Bridges: Listen, I don’t Tweet. I don’t Facebook. I don’t do any of that stuff. It’s all too much. I have a website and I draw, but that’s about it. I went to the internet because I thought it would be a way to release an album that I created years ago. I can put it out there in the world and then I get messages from people in places like Russia saying, “I dig your thing, man.” That’s exciting. That’s a positive thing that technology can do. That’s a positive link. I’m very happy about that. Very happy indeed.

TRON: LEGACY is Available on Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, DVD and Movie Download April 5^th!

Q&A Media Interview with Garrett Hedlund as Sam Flynn for “Tron: Legacy” (J!-ENT Interviews and Articles)

Images courtesy of ©Disney. All Rights Reserved.

Back in 1982, the sci-fi Disney film “Tron” captured the attention of sci-fi fans, especially for those who saw the beginnings of animation on coordination with CG for live-action film. “Tron” was a groundbreaking film for Disney.

As Disney was able to use experimental ways of achieving animation back in 1940, the company would do the same in 1982 with “Tron” and many thanks goes to the creative and foresight of writer/director Steven Lisberger, who had the concept in his mind of what he wanted to accomplish. And although the technological terms may have had people scratching their heads back in the early ’80s and the film was seen as “ahead of its time”, while the majority of the public may have not understood the film, many younger people were fascinated by it.

“Tron” would become a box office success as it grossed $33 million in the U.S. and since 1982, the film would be seen as an amazing time in Disney live action and animation as the film would inspire many people to become animators and the film itself would become a significant cult film, including the “Academy Award for Technical Achievement” in 1996.

As the film would spawn a successful franchise of video games, comic books, an animated series and toys, “Tron” was a film that would remain a fan favorite for nearly 30-years.

And then came the sequel, “Tron Legacy” in 2010. Produced by original writer/director Steven Lisberger, the film would feature the debut of director Joseph Kosinki and feature a screenplay by “LOST” writers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz. The film would also feature the return of the original movie’s actors Jeff Bridges and Bruce Boxleitner.

This long awaited sequel had a hefty budget at $170 million and made over $397 million worldwide.

And now both films will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on April 5th. This includes an Ultimate Tron Experience, a 5-disc collection which comes with “Tron: The Original Classic” on Blu-ray and “Tron: Legacy” in 3D, Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Copy.

In celebration of the release of both “Tron” films on Blu-ray and DVD, J!-ENT will be featuring Q&A interviews with the cast and crew of “Tron: Legacy”. We began with Olivia Wilde, the actress who plays the character Quorra.  For this second Q&A we feature actor, Garrett Hedlund who plays the protagonist, Sam Flynn.

Garrett Hedlund began his career in the 2004 film “Troy” and also starred in “Four Brothers”, “Eragon”, “Georgia Rule” and most recently in “Country Strong”.

Here is a transcript of a recent media Q&A interview with Garrett Hedlund:

Hi Garrett! How does it feel to be the star of TRON: Legacy?

Garret Hedlund: It feels amazing, but it’s also really nerve-wracking. I’ve never done a movie where I’ve been in every single scene!

Did you have fun filming the movie?

Garret Hedlund: The film shoot was awesome. There were lots of stunts, shoulder rolls and crazy moves. It was quite a show for everyone watching the action from the side of the set.

Was it hard work?

Garret Hedlund: It was extremely intense, but I wouldn’t change a thing. I had battle scenes, disc game sequences and loads of scenes that involved a lot of imagination, agility and focus – but I’m really proud of the finished film. It’s been an awesome project to work on.

What was the scariest stunt you had to perform for the movie?

Garret Hedlund: I had to do a lot of wirework for the film. You get hoisted up into the air. It’s not the most comfortable experience in the world!

How long did you spend in the harness?

Garret Hedlund: I spent an eternity in the harness! It was intense.

What did you get up to between takes?

Garret Hedlund:Well, there were a lot of play fights on the set of TRON: Legacy! Whenever we were given our weapons from the movie and some spare time between set-ups, you’d find me battling it out with [co-star] Olivia Wilde.

 

What was it like to work with Olivia Wilde?

Garret Hedlund: Olivia is fantastic. We met about seven years before we started work on TRON: Legacy, so it was amazing that we got to experience this crazy film together. It was great working with her. I have a lot of respect for anybody who can do a high roundhouse kick in 4-inch heels!

What was it like to work with Jeff Bridges?

Garret Hedlund: I’ve always been a huge fan of Jeff Bridges, so I was really excited to (play) the role of Sam Flynn in TRON: Legacy. Jeff has such a wonderful charisma and he’s an amazing actor – and I knew I’d get along with him from the start. He’s been great to me.

Can you tell us about the light suit you get to wear in the movie?

Garret Hedlund: The light suits were amazing! I’m used to working in jeans and a T-shirt, so it was strange to put on a skin-tight suit that lights up by itself. You feel very special wearing something like that.

 

How hard is it to act in a light suit?

Garret Hedlund: It’s pretty difficult because it’s really tight and you can’t run around easily. The helmet also gets in the way sometimes. You have to learn to walk again wearing all this crazy get-up.

Can you tell us about the special effects in the movie?

Garret Hedlund: You’ll see a lot of light cycles in the movie, which are the most high-tech, amazing, futuristic motorbikes you’ve ever seen in your life. You’re going to be blown away when you see them in action. They are amazing.

Were they easy to ride?

Garret Hedlund: I had to learn how to ride a motorcycle for the role, but I was fine once I knew the basics. To be honest, I had to learn a lot of things for TRON: Legacy. I had to learn how to ride a motorbike, I had to learn fight choreography and I had to learn hand-to-hand combat. I really enjoyed the physical training. I got really fit by the end of it all!

How tough was all the training for the role?

Garret Hedlund: It was extremely tough, but it was also exciting. I started off my day with 90 minutes of motorcycle training before heading over to work on the fight training. After that, I’d have a break before another 90 minutes of exercise with the guy who trained the actors from the movie, 300.

How long did the training last?

Garret Hedlund: I did about two months of training. After that, I was ready for anything!

How would you describe your character in the movie?

Garret Hedlund: Sam Flynn is a guy whose father mysteriously disappeared 20 years ago. Sam is the biggest shareholder in a huge company called Encom, but he’s turned his back on money. He lives an independent, secluded life – but he’s about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime!

What happens to him?

Garret Hedlund: A friend of the family called Alan Bradley motivates Sam to go and seek his father. That’s when Sam starts to figure things out and he puts pieces of a puzzle together… He ends up entering a whole new world filled with light bikes, discs and a crazy game grid.

Does Sam like action and adventure?

Garret Hedlund: Of course he does! Sam is into all kinds of extreme things just because he can. He’s very interested in base jumping and motorcycles. There’s even a great chase scene with his bike at the beginning of the movie.

What was your toughest challenge during the film shoot?

Garret Hedlund: Everybody likes to talk about how difficult it is to work with green screen because you have to act with your imagination. Personally, I think we were lucky on TRON: Legacy because there were also a lot of sets for us to work on.

Did you enjoy working on the green screen scenes?

Garret Hedlund: Whenever we worked on green screen scenes, we had great direction from our director, Joseph Kosinski. He knew exactly what he wanted, which really helped, and he was always thinking ten steps ahead of us. He made the film shoot such an easy and enjoyable experience. He’s the best!

TRON: LEGACY is Available on Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, DVD and Movie Download April 5^th!

Q&A Media Interview with Olivia Wilde as Quorra for “Tron: Legacy” (J!-ENT Interviews and Articles)

Images courtesy of ©Disney. All Rights Reserved.

It all began with the original “Tron”, the artistic and groundbreaking sci-fi film created back in 1982 from Disney.  For many years, fans have clamored for a sequel and sure enough, “Tron Legacy” was released in 2010.  Produced by original writer/director Steven Lisberger, the film would feature the debut of  director Joseph Kosinki and feature a screenplay by “LOST” writers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz.  The film would also feature the return of the original movie’s actors Jeff Bridges and Bruce Boxleitner.

This long awaited sequel had a hefty budget at $170 million but made over $397 million worldwide.

And now both films will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on April 5th and also an Ultimate Tron Experience with a 5-disc collection which comes with “Tron: The Original Classic” on Blu-ray and “Tron: Legacy” in 3D, Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Copy.

In celebration of the release of both “Tron” films on Blu-ray and DVD, J!-ENT will be featuring Q&A interviews with the cast and crew of “Tron: Legacy”.  We begin with Olivia Wilde, the actress who plays the character Quorra.

Olivia Wilde began her career in the 2003 TV series “Skin” but it’s the series “The O.C.” in which the actress became well-known.  She would later appear on the TV series “The Black Donnellys” and is currently on the FOX TV series “House M.D.”playing the character Dr. Remy “Thirteen” Hadley.

Here is a transcript of a recent media Q&A interview with Olivia Wilde:

What training did you have to undertake for the role of Quorra in TRON: Legacy?

OLIVIA WILDE: Quorra is the most physical role I’ve ever tackled in my career. I spent months training and transforming my body for the role. I took up cross training to get to the peak of physical fitness and then I learned all types of mixed martial arts, including Capoeira. We had an amazing stunt team that was really helpful in making us look great for the movie. In the end, I looked like a real warrior.

 

Did you enjoy the physical aspect of the role?

OLIVIA WILDE: After all that training, it was great to feel strong and powerful. I’d never been so ripped, and I never will be again. I had huge muscles and I felt like I could really protect myself, which was cool. It wasn’t easy to build up that upper body strength, but I got there in the end. I had major guns!

How intensive was the training?

OLIVIA WILDE: The training took months, but it was all worth it. A lot of effort goes into creating a movie like this, so you have to give your all in everything you do. For example, the fight sequence in The End Of Line Club flies by in the movie, but it actually took us four months of training to be able to accomplish. It was four months well spent.

 

Did you enjoy the combat choreography?

OLIVIA WILDE: I grew up dancing. I was a ballerina for a long time, so I think that was really helpful when it came to learning the choreography on the set. To be honest, I had a blast with it all.

 

How would you describe Quorra’s costume in the movie?

OLIVIA WILDE: Quorra’s suit was totally revolutionary. We were wearing electro-luminescent lights woven through layers of neoprene and loads of other amazing materials. Costumes like this had never been made before, so it was a complete honor to be able to wear the suit. It was so beautiful that it felt like I was wearing a sculpture.

 

How long did it take to get into Quorra’s costume?

OLIVIA WILDE: In the very beginning, the prep time for wardrobe, hair and makeup was five or six hours every day. However, once we got the hang of it, we were jumping in and out of the suits in no time.

How did the extras react to the high-tech costumes?

OLIVIA WILDE: I think the light suits blew everybody away. In fact, we would all get really excited every time the suits were switched on. The whole room would light up with people in these amazing costumes. You’d look around and think, ‘Oh my gosh… This is really amazing! It’s going to look awesome in the finished film.’ There was a unique glow to the room that couldn’t be achieved by CGI, so I was really glad they did not add the lights in post production.

 

Did you enjoy wearing the black wig for the role?

OLIVIA WILDE: I loved the wig because it was an iconic look that I hope inspires people. I felt really lucky that [director] Joseph Kosinski was open to having a heroine in a movie not have flowing hair. When we first talked about the role, I said, “I think it would be really cool if Quorra had a Joan Of Arc vibe to her.” That’s something I researched a lot in the beginning and that’s how we came up with her androgynous look. It made Quorra more interesting.

 

In what way is Quorra similar to Joan Of Arc?

OLIVIA WILDE: Quorra is an unlikely warrior, just like Joan Of Arc. She is both a child and a warrior – and she’s also very strong. She’s extremely compassionate and she’s completely selfless, but she also seems to be in touch with some higher power.

 

What about the physical similarities between Quorra and Joan Of Arc?

OLIVIA WILDE: Quorra’s haircut is definitely inspired by Joan Of Arc. I also noted that Joan Of Arc wore a suit of white chain mail, so I said, “Quorra’s suit has got be white.” They didn’t think anybody would get that reference, but I knew it in my head, so it was really fun to have that as an inspiration.

 

What do you think of Quorra?

OLIVIA WILDE: I love Quorra. I think she is a wonderful character and she’s been a joy to play. It would have been easy to make her a sci-fi vixen, a temptress of the TRON world, but I’m very happy that we made her a real character. She’s someone people can empathize with. I like that.

What was the rehearsal process like for the movie?

OLIVIA WILDE: We spent a great deal of time talking about the script and working through scenes. The writers and producers welcomed everybody’s ideas, which was really nice. I really valued the extensive rehearsal process because I feel like I was there from the very conception. We tended to focus on the family story and the human story of the movie, and the rehearsals were really important because it’s where we all learned so much about our characters.

 

What do you think of the music of the movie?

OLIVIA WILDE: Daft Punk’s music was an integral part of the shooting process. They were on set for a couple of scenes, but we’d always be playing their music if they weren’t around. If I needed to find the tone of a scene, I would listen to a Daft Punk track and I’d understand where I was in the movie. I found that really helpful and really inspiring. We were lucky to have them on board.

 

Do you remember the first time you walked onto the set of TRON: Legacy?

OLIVIA WILDE: I’m so grateful that they took the trouble to build such huge, practical sets for TRON: Legacy because they informed me on how different this world was and how non-organic it was. The sets were beautiful. They allowed me to understand where my character was from, although there was certainly some green screen work involved during the filming process, too.

 

Did you enjoy the green screen work?

OLIVIA WILDE: I found it a lot like theater because you have to imagine different worlds in your head. In that sense, it was really fun. However, I enjoyed working on the practical sets much more. The director of TRON: Legacy, Joe Kosinski, was an architect before he became a filmmaker so he had some wonderful input into the sets. The ‘safe house’ set really blew me away. It was very Kubrickian and beautiful. There would be an audible gasp whenever people walked onto that sound stage. Hopefully, all that hard work translates to the screen.

TRON: LEGACY is Available on Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, DVD and Movie Download April 5^th!

The One about the Augen Genbook 108

The Good – The Augen Genbook 108 can get you in the Internet and you can be reading a e-book in no time.  The Bad – Unless you are have the disposable income to test your fascination with an android netbook, even priced on sale at $99, prepare for continuous crashing, erratic mouse and spotty wi-fi.

Augen GenTouch Notebook 108 Stats

•1024×600 color 10.2” TFT screen

• CPU: 800 Mhz

• Ram: DDR2 256mb

• Internal Memory: 2GB

• Expansion Slots: SD/MMC card slot up to 16GB

• Wi-Fi Connectivity with Full Web Browsing Capability

• Supports Ebook Formats: Text, PDF, E-PUB, HTML

• Supports Media Formats: MP3, WMA, FLAC, AAC

• Supports most popular E-Book formats

• Picture Viewer in JPEG, BMP

• Video Player

• Rechargeable Lithium Battery

WEBSITE

AUGEN GENBOOK 108 INFORMATION:

 

Like many people who saw the “Augen Genbook 108″ netbook on sale for $99, I instantly jumped at the deal.  Granted, if you read the text from where you bought it, you notice the words “refurbished”.

Personally, I’m fine using my iPad as a portable device and I do have several portable devices to go on the Internet and when it comes to netbooks, I have used a Linux and a Windows netbook before but never an Android version.  So, I couldn’t wait to use an Android-powered netbook.

For starters, the model # for this Android device is Android for Telechips TCC8900 Evaluation Board (multi-language).

So, how did this Android netbook perform?  Read on…

I.  FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Upon opening the box, the genbook was nicely cased and you get a power adapter.  And you get a registration card with an Augen instruction manual.

After opening the box and turning it on (it had about 50% power), so I figured before recharging, I want to deplete it to 100% before giving it a full recharge.

Upon turning it on, I was bummed to see a single dead pixel.  Fortunately, it was on the far right.

Also, I noticed how light the Genbook 108 is and also how it uses plastic that may break easy.

You notice that it feels quite basic as it is light and the plastic casing for the netbook feels as one drop would shatter the netbook.  So, for those considering on bringing this genbook for travel or anywhere and you are prone to dropping things, like a cellphone, unlike a cellphone, I don’t think this Genbook would survive a fall.

I was happy to see three USB ports on its side, headphone and mic inputs plus an ethernet port on the left side.

II.  THE MAIN TEST

Turning it on, you get the Augen Genbook 108 screen and it goes to the main screen in which you see various icons.

The first thing I did was establish a wi-fi connection.

NOTE: Wi-Fi and Ethernet Connection must be set first as it may be automatically set at off.  For Wi-Fi, unlike other netbooks which will detect various incoming Wi-Fi sources, for the Genbook 108, you need to manually input your Wi-Fi settings.

Now, this is where things get a bit sketchy.  For Wi-Fi, it tends to fluctuate for this device.  Sometimes, it will just conk out on you for no reason and the only way to get everything back is my shutting down a browser or other applications and then it comes back up.  For the most part, it was stable 70% of the time but the wi-fi does get a bit spotty at times.  As for Ethernet, you need to make sure the settings are correct.

II.  THE MOUSE

This is probably the most frustrating mouse I have used.  You can be using the touchpad for the mouse and somehow it is so sensitive that tracking your finger on the pad may accidentally be misconstrued as a left click.  Also, when you are moving around, you find yourself zooming in and out at times. So, although it has a mouse and two buttons for left and right clicking, it’s erratic.   There is something about the bottom left corner of the track pad that registers as a click.

I recommend using a mouse or else you will find yourself getting frustrated.

It’s important to note that my experience with touchpads from PC or Mac laptops have never been the greatest and I always recommend purchasing a mouse for a laptop or a netbook.  I test a Logitech and Kensington mouse and it detected the mouse perfectly.  Tried a cheaper, no-name brand and while I was able to move around and right click, left-click was off.  So, I would stick with a good brand of mouse for the Genbook 108.

III.  GETTING STARTED

The first thing you want to do is update your App Store that comes with this device.  It’s important to note that this App Store is not the Google Android App Store.  In fact, I have tried to get the Google Android App Store to work with this device to no avail as it keeps saying “no device detected”.  So, you can use this App Store or Amazon’s Android App Store.  The problem with Amazon is that it utilizes one-click when it comes to purchasing things.  Because the erratic nature of this device, the last thing you want is seeing the mouse automatically clicking on an app while trying to move the cursor up or down and then purchasing an app accidentally.  So, I would stick with the App Store for now.

Updating the App Store on this device took about 15-20 minutes and when you get started, I highly recommend downloading the A+ Elite Task Killer.

The reason being is that because this device is prone to crashing or stalling, it helps to have the A+ Elite Task Killer to kill programs that may be on.  In fact, part of the problem of this device running sluggishly is that the device tries to open so many programs all at once and thus giving you sluggish performance.

IV. APPS

If you have a compact flash card, a lot of your documents, photos would best be on the flash card and not using it’s built-in 8GB flash.  In fact, it often looks for that flash card on your system, even when downloading an app.  Otherwise, if you don’t have one, you can use it’s internal 8GB flash.

As for downloading apps… for those not familiar with Android Apps is that you must be careful because unlike Apple which screens their Apps, nothing is screened for Android Apps and it may contain malicious software to steal information.   I would NOT use this device for purchasing items.

Using Augen’s own App Store that is included with this device, I was able to download the full versions of Angry Birds for FREE.  Problem was that the game may require much more memory on the Android because the backgrounds don’t show.  So, right away, I knew that this device is not good for gaming at all.  I noticed that when I downloaded Angry Birds Seasons from Rovio, unlike “Angry Birds” and “Angry Birds Rio”, “Angry Birds Seasons” featured a Chinese layout.

After looking at the many apps featured on the store, the good stuff that you want are on the Google Android App store and because you can’t download from the marketplace is a major caveat for this device.  You can’t download any major apps, watch YouTube, install Flash Player or anything because the marketplace does not detect the Android device.

In fact, I even tried downloading Mozilla Firefox for Android for this device directly and it wouldn’t install.

Also, it’s important to mention that the manual gives you three links to download apps but when you visit the sites, they are Chinese websites that are not in English.  So, unless you can read Chinese, if you can’t, you have to depend on the main app store that came with the Genbook.

V.  THE BROWSER

The browser for this device works.  You can go on any site but the more intensive that website is, their is a possibility that your Genbook will crash.  Forget accessing a site with video because if it uses Flash, it won’t work and because you can’t download from the Google Marketplace to download Flash Player, your out of luck.  So, while videos won’t work on CNN or YouTube, I was able to watch video from sites such as the Wall Street Journal.

For the majority of the time, I was able to get to the site with no problem.  But there are some sites which this browser or device does not like and it locks up and crashes on you.

Personally, I wish I could have gotten Firefox to install and I wish Opera would have a direct download instead of making a user go on the Marketplace (which you can’t access with this device).

VI.  E-BOOKS

I was able to read e-books fine with this device.  But as I mentioned, mouse can get erratic at times.  PDF’s opened fine as well.  Although, I found that using a tablet like a Kindle or Nook or even a cellphone much easier to use because you can easily increase the size with your fingers as opposed to using the mouse.

NOTE: There are several e-books you can download for free on the App Store and these do not work for some reason.

VII.  WHEN IT CRASHES

When it crashes, most of the time it restarts with the Green Android on the front (see photo above) but there are times when you get a screen that asks to restart computer or wipe everything out.  I’ve often thought about this, to see if I can install Windows or Linux to replace Android 2.1 but I believe that Android can’t be wiped out as its part of its memory.  And I’m guessing you can’t upgrade the Android OS to 2.2 or 2.3.

I tried to look on Augen’s support forums and online and haven’t read of anyone successfully installing any other OS on this device.

JUDGMENT CALL:

This device was primarily created for those to view e-Books and go on the Internet.  The positive is that the browser does load up quickly most of the time.

The negative is that an erratic onboard mouse and spotty wi-fi can make you even more frustrated.

The fact that you can’t access the Google Android Marketplace with this device (note: this is not the problem of the device as if you go on the marketplace, you will see others complaining that their Android cell phones are unable to be recognized as well) or some direct downloads will not install on this device.

This leaves you with few options and that is to use it’s own App center and again, I caution people that if you are going to mess around with the apps from app center, because there are hardly any reviews for them, I would not use this device for using important personal data.

In fact, if you were just going to use this for browsing on the Internet, reading e-books, the device works and if you purchased it for $99 or less, I guess you can’t complain. You can go on the Internet, read e-books, view photos and videos, listen to music.  But I wish it was more user friendly.

Like other e-book readers, it does a good job and going on the Internet is much faster than my color Nook.  Granted, I am able to go on the Internet with a Nook and not be worried it may crash or access Wi-Fi.

It’s not a device I would use to create Android apps but possibly one to test out apps.

But I would have not purchased this for $150 or $200.  If I was able to access the Google Android marketplace with ease, I would probably have loved this Genbook a bit more.  Because the majority of the apps I want to use are on there.  As for its erratic mouse problem, it’s erratic but it can easily be solved with a mouse.  And again, the erratic Wi-Fi really sucks.  You can by farther just using an Ethernet cable plugged in.

I would recommend purchasing a Linux or Windows Netbook and even recommending saving up for an iPad.  If your primary goal is for e-books, Augen sells its own e-book reader but you can also purchase a black and white nook with 3G and Wi-Fi capability for the same price.

But if you are able to get this device for $99 and lower, it does do its job for Internet browsing and e-book reading.  But if you can save up more to purchase a better netbook or tablet, I would do just that.  Otherwise, if money is an issue and if you need something under a $100, then the Augen Genbook 108 may be for you.

UPDATE:

We gave a few staff a chance to use the Augen Genbook 108 and here are their thoughts.

From junior reviewer, Crish:

This netbook is not cool!  I can’t even get the wireless to work in the living room and even when I’m a foot away from the wireless router, it would show a strong signal and then it would lose connection and say it can’t detect wi-fi.  I can’t go on the Internet easy, I can’t even play Angry Birds correctly.  This one is bad! Don’t buy!

From Usagi:

If there was an emergency and I needed to contact someone for help on Facebook or Twitter and Wi Fi was around, this device will not work when you need it.  It works sometimes and when it does work, your browser will crash or the netbook will crash.  Forget it!  I don’t need the frustration.

Q&A Roundtable Interview with “Tangled” directors Nathan Greno and Byron Howard

With the upcoming Blu-ray and DVD release of Walt Disney’s 50th animated feature “Tangled” on March 29th, J!-ENT’s Dennis A. Amith recently took part in a media Q&A roundtable with “Tangled” directors Nathan Greno and Byron Howard.

The following is a transcript from the Q&A.  Click here to download the PDF of the article.

The One About the Digital Copies

Since you started buying Blu-rays, have you been installing those digital copies on your system or a portable device (iPad, iPhone, Sony PSP)?  Well, I know there is a large group that do, while there are some who are late adopters.

I am one of those late adopters.

For those who are not sure what a digital copy is, some Blu-ray releases come with a bonus digital copy to install to a portable device.  You get a code and when you enter that code, it will download on iTunes and you can watch that movie on that portable device or laptop (it won’t work anywhere else but the computer it was installed on).  Some digital copies have expiration dates and some companies allow you to watch it on their website via streaming, while some realize that they now have a coaster for their drinks because the digital copy expired within a year.

I’m going to be truthful, when it comes to digital copies, I haven’t bothered with them. And now I can’t believe that I’m coming so late to the game of installing these on my iPad and not knowing if they are expired or not.

I spent yesterday testing out digital copies as I was to lazy to fill them up on my iPad earlier and realized a few have expired. I’m actually going through everything today as I’m curious how much I can fill up my 64GB iPad.

But here are my experiences of having to install the following digital copies on my iPad as of March 2011.

WORKS

- 12 Rounds
- 500 Days of Summer
- Adventureland
- Alice in Wonderland
- Alvin & the Chipmunks: Squeakuel
- Amelia
- Armored
- A Bug’s Life
- Camp Rock 2
- Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
- Confessions of a Shopaholic
- Coraline
- The Dark Knight
- Death at a Funeral
- Dragonball Evolution
- Family Guy: Something, Something Darkside
- Fantastic Mr. Fox
- The Forbidden Kingdom
- G-Force
- Hanna Montana the Movie
- Hellboy II: The Golden Army
- Hero
- Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
- Inglorious Basterds
- Jennifer’s Body
- Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience
- Legion
- Marley & Me
- Monsters, Inc.
- Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
- No Country For Old Men: Collector’s Edition
- Notorious
- Old Dogs
- The Other Guys
- Pink Panther 2
- Planet 51
- Prince of Persia: Sands of Time
- The Princess and the Frog
- The Proposal
- Race to Witch Mountain
- Rambo
- Star Trek
- Street Fighter: Legend of Chun-Li
- Toy Story 3
- Up
- Whip It
- The X Files: I Want to Believe
- X-Men
- X2: X-Men United
- X-Men: The Last Stand
- X-Men Origins: Wolverine

EXPIRED

- 2012
- Angels & Demons
- Bedtime Stories
- Bolt
- Bruno
- District 9
- High School Musical 3
- The Incredible Hulk
- Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist
- Seven Pounds
- Sex and the City: The Movie
- Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
- Watchmen: Director’s Cut
- Wonder Woman

Personally, I wish there was no expiration dates or at least giving a user more than a year to install them.  Now that people are purchasing better iPods, iPads or iPhones, you would think that the companies would change the policy on these digital copy expiration dates.  But for now… the best thing to do is if you purchase a Blu-ray that does come with a digital copy, install it right away.  Otherwise, even if you delete it off your system, you can re-download it again later on iTunes.

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