The Flickcast

Tech: Google Updates Gmail for Android, iOS and Desktop

Posted on May 29, 2013

Are you a Gmail user? If you’re like most people, you probably are. In fact, you probably have multiple accounts that you check on a daily, hourly or even a minute by minute basis. Heck, we get it, you don’t want to miss anything important and Gmail is a great service.

Well, good news because it seems Google understands. Or, at least they’re trying to by continuously updating and refining the Gmail experience both on the desktop and via their mobile apps to make it even better.

Continuing the trend this week, Google has announced they are updating Gmail yet again for Android, iOS and the desktop. This time, the update will include features designed to help users unclutter their inboxes and deal with email in a more efficient way.

The redesign changes the layout of Gmail and separates messages into tabs. You can have up to five with each designed to group messages into categories that make it easier to process email. In addition to the main tab, which continues to be sorted by priority, the new tabs include social (messages from social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc.), promotions (for Groupon, LivingSocial, etc.), updates (for confirmations, receipts, bills, etc.) and forums (messages from discussion boards, mailing lists, etc.).

TV: Check Out Some New Promos for FX’s ‘The Bridge’

Posted on May 29, 2013

FX is doing a great job keeping our interest in its upcoming new series The Bridge. We’ve had a few promos for the show before and with each one, the anticipation keeps building and we’re really looking forward to the show. This is marketing done well.

To keep things going, we’ve got several more videos promoting the show to share with you today. In these, which have cool names like “Carpenter, “Horses”, “Coyote” and “Corner,” we learn a bit more about the world of The Bridge and also the creepy/cool vibe the show is going for.

Judging from these new promos, and the ones before, the creators have succeeded. The series, which stars Demián Bichir and Diane Kruger, premieres July 10th at 10PM E/P on FX.

The new videos are after the break.

Video: Apple CEO Time Cook at the ‘AllThingsD’ Conference

Posted on May 29, 2013

You have to imagine it’s been a bit difficult for Apple CEO Tim Cook. After all, nobody really wants to follow someone like Steve Jobs, under any circumstances. No matter how well you do, it’s hard to live up to that kind of unique genius.

Still, somebody has got to do it and that somebody is Tim Cook. Fortunately, Mr. Cook is no dummy either as he proved yesterday during his Q&A session at the AllThingD Conference . During an 81-minute interview on stage with AllThingsD’s Kara Swisher and Walt Mossberg, Cook discussed all manner of topics including taxes, TV, the idea of Apple making Android apps, Google Glass and wearable technology in general, Apple’s nine recent acquisitions, upcoming new iOS APIs and more.

In true Apple fashion he didn’t give out much in the way of detail, but he still managed to do an excellent job answering the questions. To show you what we mean, check out the full video of the interview after the break.

CinemaSins Tells You Everything Wrong with the ‘Green Lantern’ Movie in Six Minutes

Posted on May 29, 2013

Do you have a friend who picks apart every movie they see? Or maybe that friend is you? Well, let it be known that you aren’t the only one. And let it be known, you can go somewhere doing it.

If you have heard of a little site by the name of YouTube, you may want to check out the channel CinemaSins. In about six months, CinemaSins has gained close to 400,000 subscribers and over thirty million views just by being “that guy” who decides to tear apart the hard work of so many creative people. (I kind of want his job.)

In this week’s installment, CinemaSins takes a look at what some could consider “low hanging fruit.” Let’s face it, Green Lantern was not a great movie. In fact, it was a pretty bad movie by all stretches of the imagination. And not just for the poor story, poor acting and poor effects…. Actually those are all the reasons it was bad. But CinemaSins helps articulate just what those problems are unlike most of us who are all just so appalled by it that our only response is “It sucks.”

Movies: Take ‘The Scenic Route’ With Josh Duhamel and Dan Fogler In This New Trailer

Posted on May 28, 2013

Road movies are usually a pretty good time and there’s a good history of them doing well. Now, a new movie is looking to take its place in the good time/successful group.

In The Scenic Route, Josh Duhamel and Dan Fogler play buddies on a road trip which, as often happens in these situations, goes horribly wrong. It’s directed by Kevin and Michael Goetz’s and written by Kyle Killen, who’s last one was The Beaver.

The movie hits theaters August 23. Check out the trailer after the break.

Now On Netflix: Gillian Anderson Is Back In ‘The Fall’

Posted on May 28, 2013

Sadly, Gillian Anderson isn’t coming back to TV as the iconic Agent Dana Scully of X-Files fame. At least, not yet. She is, however, coming back in a similar role: a homicide detective investigating a serial killer.

So yeah, that’s pretty cool too. The series is called The Fall and it’s from the BBC. The psychological thriller hit BBC Two on May 13 and all five episodes are available in the U.S. and Latin America exclusively on Netflix starting today.

The series follows the lives of Anderson’s highly driven detective Stella Gibson and the sexually motivated serial killer she’s tracking in Belfast. Once Upon A Time‘s Jamie Dornan also stars along with The Good Wife‘s Archie Panjabi.

For more, check out the full trailer after the break. Or, just watch the show on Netflix right now.

Why Nintendo Killed My Excitement for the XBox One’s Kinect

Posted on May 28, 2013

Last week I posted my thoughts about the XBox One announcement and something just didn’t sit right with me about the focus on the Kinect integration. I’ve thought about it and watched the press conference over and over and the things I saw should have gotten me excited. The ability to control my TV and game system with just hand gestures and talking to it is like Iron Man style Jarvis technology. Why shouldn’t seeing that in action get me excited. This weekend, I finally figured out why.

It’s Nintendo’s fault. Specifically it is the fault of the Wiimote and Wiimotion Plus. Let me explain.

When we first saw the Wii, everyone got the impression that the technology inside the system and controller would be able to accurately track the motions of my Wiimote but quickly found out it wasn’t one to one readings, but gestures that were recognized.

Happy Memorial Day 2013

Posted on May 27, 2013

It’s a holiday here in the United States and a day we remember all the men and women of our armed forces who’ve paid the ultimate price for our freedom. Because of this, and because we like to let the writers have some time off occasionally, we’ll have a reduced posting schedule today and will resume our normal schedule tomorrow.

To our readers in the U.S., have a great holiday. For the rest of you from other countries, thanks for reading and we’ll see you tomorrow when everything is back to normal around here.

Well, as normal as it gets anyway.

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