The Flickcast

TV: CBS Sets Fall 2013 Premiere Dates

Posted on June 17, 2013

We like TV. TV is fun. And CBS is one of the better networks going these days. Yes, we like NCIS, what of it?

So, when they announce their Fall 2013 premiere dates (which they’ve done today), we listen and bring that info straight to you as soon as possible. Although, there’s really no hurry. Most of the shows we like to drop until the week of September 23.

That’s right, CBS likes to keep it traditional and will debut most of the new seasons of its shows during that week. There are, of course, some exceptions and omissions.

For example, Survivor is starting a bit early, with a 90-minute premiere September 18. In addition, CBS also set a February 24 premiere date for new drama Intelligence but so far hasn’t given dates for new drama Reckless, new comedies Friends With Better Lives and Bad Teacher or the returning Mike & Molly.

Here’s the full list of CBS premiere dates and times:

Tech: Make Android Look Like Apple’s iOS 7

Posted on June 17, 2013

People seem rather divided over the look of Apple’s new iOS 7. But love it or hate it, iOS 7 is here to stay. That’s great for iPhone and iPad users excited for the new OS, but what about people using Android smartphones?

Fortunately, Android users who do want the iOS 7 experience are in luck because an intrepid Android developer has decided to copy it and create a theme for Android called “jbOS 7.” The theme, who’s full name is “Jelly Bean OS 7,” is compatible with handsets running Android 4.0 and later.

Once installed, the theme mimics the look and feel of many aspects of the iOS 7 interface including the lock screen, home screens, some apps and the new app icons. The photo above gives you an idea of how that looks.

There’s also a handy video as well, which we’ve included after the break. For more on “jbOS 7” or to get the files needed to install the theme, head on over to the developer’s website.

In truth, we’re not entirely sure why someone using Android would want to do this, but heck, who are we to judge? People do love to modify their Android devices. Maybe the iOS 7 theme will actually catch on?

Movies: First Trailer for ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ With Leonardo DiCaprio

Posted on June 17, 2013

This first trailer for The Wolf of Wall Street actually came out last night, but that’s okay. We still feel it’s important enough to bring to you.

That mostly because its Martin Scorsese teaming up with Leonardo DiCaprio again. They seem to do pretty well together before. Check out The Departed if you don’t believe us.

In this one, a biographical crime pic based on the memoir by Jordan Belfort, DiCaprio plays the hard partying “boiler room” stockbroker who scammed $200M from investors and was indicted for securities fraud in 1998.

Also in the film are Matthew McConaughey, Jonah Hill, Jean Dujardin, Rob Reiner, Kyle Chandler, Margot Robbie and Jon Bernthal. Look for this one to hit theaters on November 15.

Check out the first trailer after the break.

Movie Review: ‘Man of Steel’

Posted on June 14, 2013

Whatever happened to The Man of Tomorrow? In the late ’70s, when Richard Donner and Mario Puzo were making their Superman movie, they realized that the lead character, when in costume, lacked a personality. He’s tough, he’s fast, he can fly, and those abilities define him. It may be impressive as spectacle, but it’s a hard lead for an audience to connect with, and so they chose to focus on Clark Kent — in short and in a bad pun, theirs was a classic because it was more Man than Super. Now, with Man of Steel, Snyder, and his writers David S. Goyer and Christopher Nolan, do precisely the opposite.

The film opens with the usual prologue, though seeming far more extended here, on Krypton. Jor-El (Russell Crowe) is arguing with the planet’s elders about mining the core of their world — he warns them that the planet has only weeks left before it implodes, and as soon as he’s dismissed, General Zod (Michael Shannon) appears and starts blowing the elder’s palace up. Jor-El escapes to his wife Lara (Ayelet Zurer), who has just given birth to their son, Kal-El, Knowing the planet is doomed, they place him in a shuttle and shoot him off to earth, but not before Jor implants a whatsit codex into the ship.

Zod attempts to intercept the shuttle, killing Jor-El in the process, but is overpowered, tried, and sentenced to the Phantom Zone, a kind of black-hole prison. Krypton implodes, and Kal makes his way to earth, specifically to the Kansas farm of Jonathan and Martha Kent (Kevin Costner and Diane Lane), who adopt the boy and impart to him the lessons of compassion and anonymity. I will say that it’s clever of Goyer and Nolan to handle Kal-El’s childhood in flashback, lest we sit through another hour or so of an origin story whose end we already know.

Microsoft Goes Negative Again In New iPad-Bashing Ad

Posted on June 14, 2013

It must be a bit difficult to be Microsoft sometimes, especially these days. Sure, they still make a desktop OS that dominates the world, but that lead is dropping as fast as sales of desktop computers.

And their other products, like the Surface, don’t seem to be catching on with the kids. And don’t get us started on the XBox One.

Microsoft just doesn’t seem to get it. So what do you do when you are a big company that’s falling behind the times? You go negative, of course.

In a new ad that’s just come out, Microsoft again decides to mock Apple and the iPad via Siri, the company’s voice-enabled personal assistant. The chief reasons the iPad is bad this time: it doesn’t have a zoomable home screen, lacks an SD card slot and for not being able to multitask as efficiently as Windows RT.

Sure, okay. Now that you put it that way we’re going to throw our iPads in the trash and rush out to buy a Surface right now. Not.

Check out the ad after the break.

TV: Check Out Previews for New Episodes of ‘Warehouse 13’ and ‘Defiance’

Posted on June 14, 2013

Over the years, Syfy has evolved into a great network for original programming. Two examples of this are the series Warehouse 13 and Defiance.

Both have brand new episodes next Monday and, as we often do, we’ve got previews and interviews for said episodes to share with you today. First up is Defiance where a mysterious plague strikes, carried by Irathients, but affecting only humans.

Next, on the new Warehouse 13, Pete and Myka go undercover in the suburbs, while Claudia and Artie must help a young savant. Looks like both these episodes are a must-see for fans. We’ll be watching for sure.

All the fun starts at 9/8C on Syfy with Defiance. Click through to check out all the clips and interviews for both shows.

Tech: Is It Cold In Here? Microsoft Office Mobile Arrives for iOS

Posted on June 14, 2013

It might be cold in here because Hell may have frozen over. That’s right, Microsoft Office for iOS has finally arrived. Sort of.

The “Redmond Giant” has released Office Mobile for Office 365 subscribers. The app is a free download, at the moment, but an Office 365 subscription is required for use. Lame.

Couple things that struck us off the bat with this: The app is currently available only for the iPhone. Double lame. Who uses an iPhone for this kind of thing? That’s what iPads were made for.

Second, you can only save documents to your Sky Drive account. No local saving is available. Triple lame. For more, check out the full release notes below:

Microsoft Office Mobile is the official Office companion optimized for your iPhone. You can access, view and edit your Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and Microsoft PowerPoint documents from virtually anywhere. Documents look like the originals, thanks to support for charts, animations, SmartArt graphics and shapes. When you make quick edits or add comments to a document, the formatting and content remain intact.

E3 2013: ‘Destiny’ Gameplay Trailer

Posted on June 14, 2013

If Halo, Borderlands and Star Wars had a random drunken blue milk induced menage trois, Destiny would be its baby. At E3 we got a first look at the gameplay of Destiny. After the “Law of the Jungle” trailer got me to care about the story, I couldn’t wait to see how the game looked in action. It doesn’t matter if the game is on the PlayStation 4 or XBox One, it looks beautiful. But what stood out the most was that there actually looks to be some real variety to the world as it isn’t just another corridor shooter.

A combination of team based shooter combined with force powers and speeder bikes in drop in events is a pretty epic task but if anyone can pull it off, it’d be the team over at Bungie who has proven themselves to be masters of building worlds and multiplayer experiences. The drop in interaction seemed to run seemlessly, even on stage at E3 where some games had their share of glitches. Given the time to polish it before release, Destiny looks like it can be one of the game that delivers on both its promises and expectations of its audience.

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