NASA Confirms Closest Rocky Planet Yet
Using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, astronomers have confirmed that Earth's nearest known rocky exoplanet neighbor is HD 219134b at just 21 light-years away.
"Most of the known planets are hundreds of light-years away. This one is practically a next-door neighbor," said astronomer and study co-author Lars A. Buchhave of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.
The super-Earth is too close to its star, HD 21913, to sustain life which it orbits around in three days. Scientists believe the hot planet’s rocky surface may be partially molten with possible volcanic activity.
Reynolds Pitches Deadpool-Wolverine Movie to Jackman
Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds has thrown in his two cents for a possible Deadpool-Wolverine crossover movie.
Earlier this week, Hugh Jackman took to Twitter to request input on what fans want to see for his final portrayal of Wolverine.
Reynolds jumped on the opportunity to offer his thoughts, and delivered it in true Deadpool fashion on Twitter (below).
Not sure if it's been done, but what if Logan and Deadpool enlist in the Navy's elite Top Gun Program? #volleyball https://t.co/Pi9UbxcJ0z
How to Skip the Wait for Your Windows 10 Update
Microsoft’s gradual rollout of Windows 10 might mean you’re still waiting your turn to get your free upgrade—but you don’t actually have to be patient. You can skip the line (and escape automatic download woes) and cut straight to the good stuff.
How? By getting Windows 10 through the Media Creation Tool, which you can download from Microsoft’s website. It’s completely legal and legitimate, and doesn’t take much time at all. It also works whether you’ve already reserved a copy of Windows 10 or not.
Before performing any operating system upgrade, you should back up your machine. (You can find tips for that in Step 3 of our How to Prepare Your PC for Windows 10 feature.) Backing up is a good practice in general, but it’s especially important as a fail-safe should something go awry during this manual upgrade process—or if you decide you don’t like Windows 10 as much as you thought you would, roll back to your previous OS, and discover your system isn’t quite the same as it was before. (At the time of this writing, the reports on switching back to Windows 7 or 8/8.1 say that the results aren’t perfect and can require some cleanup, like reinstalling apps.)
Release Window Announced for Terraria on Wii U, 3DS
Terraria will be released on Wii U and Nintendo 3DS in early 2016, 505 Games and developer Re-Logic announced today.
The sandbox adventure game will come to Nintendo's platforms with touch controls for both crafting and combat. In addition to 4-player split-screen, the Wii U version will feature online multiplayer for 4-8 players, while the 3DS version will support 4 players over a local connection.
Those attending Gamescom will have the opportunity to get hands-on with the 3DS version by visiting the Nintendo booth at the show.
Terraria is currently available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC, PlayStation Vita, and mobile. For more, check out IGN's Terraria review.
Original Ghostbusters Director Talks Other Reboot
Following comments about a second new Ghostbusters project made by screenwriter Drew Pearce, Ghostbusters reboot producer Ivan Reitman has released a statement clarifying there is only one film in the series currently in the works.
"There has been a lot of excitement recently about what is happening with the Ghostbusters franchise," said Reitman (via Entertainment Weekly). "As the producer of the new Ghostbusters film, I feel the need to clarify. There is only one new Ghostbusters movie and that is the Paul Feig directed version coming next July, presently filming and going fantastically. The rest is just noise."
HBO Boss “Enormously Proud” of True Detective: Season 2
HBO president Michael Lombardo sat and answered some questions today at the Television Critics Association Press Tour, and when talk turned to the somewhat negative reception the second season of True Detective has been receiving, Lombardo defended the choices made by writer Nic Pizzolatto and advised that everyone should withhold final judgement until the season was over.
"I think Nic Pizzolatto is one of the most talented writers working in TV and motion pictures today," Lombardo said. "I think he takes a big swing and all I can tell you is that I think the this
end is as satisfying as any show I've seen. Much like all of our shows, I didn't believe this season, or last season, was intended for as big of an audience as we're getting. We're getting 12 million viewers an episode. I'm enormously proud of it. If
Game of Thrones Very Likely Ending With Season 8
So how long will Game of Thrones run? Executive producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have previously made it clear that they see around seven seasons as their goal, while HBO has made it clear they’d love the incredibly successful show to go longer.
Asked if it was looking like Game of Thrones would run seven seasons today at the TCA (Television Critics Association) press tour today, HBO president Michael Lombardo replied, “That’s definitely open. I think seven seasons and out has never been the conversation. The question is how much beyond the seventh season are we going to do. At this point, obviously we're shooting
6 now, hopefully discussing
7. I think they’re feeling like there’s probably two more years after 6.”
Ranking the MCU
With the release of Ant-Man, Marvel Studios has now given us 12 movies based on the comic-book characters we love so much. And since the tiniest Avenger’s arrival also marks the end of Marvel’s Phase 2, we figured this was the perfect time to rank the MCU.
Of course, keep in mind that we’ve only included Marvel Cinematic Universe movies here. That means no X-Men, no Fantastic Four, no Blade, and so on. Also, no Marvel TV shows like Agents of Shield. We’re only talking about the films made by Marvel Studios that exist within the MCU. So with that said, let’s get on to the ranking…
The first Iron Man was a triumph for the studio and fans alike, representing what a Marvel movie could really do. But its follow-up showed how a shared universe could go wrong, spending too much time setting up other movies instead of focusing on Tony Stark… and making sure his story made some kind of sense.
The Leftovers: Season 2 Premiere Date and Story Details
UPDATE: Four new Season 2 images have been added below...
HBO has announced that The Leftovers will return for its second season on Sunday, October 4th.
We've also got a new seasonal story synopsis to go along with the news. Something to explain the cryptic Season 2 trailer that came out in June (which we've posted again below).
The Leftovers: Season 1 Review
From the press release: More than three years ago, 2% of the world’s population inexplicably vanished. 140 million people, gone in an instant. No country, no state, no city was spared, except for one small town in eastern Texas. Population: 9261. Departures: Zero.
Jabba’s Cackling Crony Gets a Figure
Gentle Giant has announced a 7” Salacious Crumb figure, coming in time for the 2015 holiday.
Star Wars fans might remember Salacious Crumb as a court jester under the employment of Jabba the Hutt in Return of the Jedi. The monkey-like critter is known for his shrill cackle and ripping C3PO's eye out in the movie.
The jumbo figure is a Premier Guild Holiday Exclusive, and is inspired by the original Kenner Star Wars figure.
Included with the figure are a knit fabric hat and scarf, and a fabric gift bag to tote around a C3PO head.
