Tatooine Namesake Now Backdrop to ISIS Campaign
The Tunisian town that inspired the name of Luke Skywalker's home planet has become a focal point in a very real war.
Tataouine, a remote community from which George Lucas took the name of the desert planet Tatooine in his Star Wars saga, has become a backdrop in Tunisia's struggle to prevent the terrorist organization ISIS from gaining a foothold there.
"This struggling town on the fringes of the Sahara still draws a few fans of the movie but now finds itself part of a real conflict, as a way-station for jihadists crossing the Libyan border 60 miles to the east," reports CNN. "Two arms caches have also been found in the region this month ... Tunisians say their country is at a crossroads as it tries to fend off the jihadist contagion seeping across North Africa. Their democracy is young and vulnerable."
Fortnite Enters its Second Closed Alpha
As of today, Epic Games' upcoming Fortnite has entered into its second closed alpha on PC.
The alpha will run from 12pm-12am EDT every day until April 14. The patch notes on Epic's blog explain that a wipe was necessary for the closed alpha, meaning that any progress made in the first test will be reset for this one.
Those interested in signing up for the alpha can do so via Epic's website. For a complete list of incoming updates and changes, check out Epic Games' Fortnite blog.
Google Fiber Headed to Salt Lake City
Not only do the residents of Salt Lake City have fabulous mountain views to boast about, because now they can start bragging about their amazing internet speeds. Google has revealed the capital of Utah will be the next city to gain access to its high-speed Google Fiber network.
"We’re looking forward to seeing Salt Lake residents use gigabit Internet to spark creative ideas, jumpstart businesses and collaborate in ways they couldn't before," said Google Fiber associate city manager, Devin Baer.
Google Fiber provides internet connections of up to one gigabit per second. The service is currently available in Kansas City, Missouri; Austin, Texas; and Provo, Utah. Expansions are currently planned for Nashville, Atlanta, Charlotte, and Raleigh-Durham.
Black Hood: A Noir Hero with No Powers, Mysticism, or Sci-fi
With Black Hood #2 releasing tomorrow, we talked to writer Duane Swierczynski about the influences behind the dark and gritty relaunch of this classic Archie Comics superhero.
Now being published under Archie's Dark Circle Comics imprint, Swierczynski has taken the cliche out of "dark and gritty" to deliver a superhero story that trades in powers and plots for psychological hangups and street violence.
James Wan’s MacGyver Movie That Could’ve Been
Before famed horror director James Wan (Saw, The Conjuring) took over the reins of the Fast & Furious franchise to helm Furious 7, he planned to make his action flick directorial debut with MacGyver.
Back in 2012, Wan was in talks for the film adaption of the 1980's television series about a government agent who used his wits and whatever he found laying around to fight bad guys. In a recent interview with CraveOnline, Wan spoke about the failed project and what he'd planned for the adaption.
Moon Colonization Might be Possible After All
Harsh conditions make living on the surface of Earth's moon unlikely, but a team of researchers have discovered it may be possible to live underground.
A recent theoretical study presented by Purdue University's Jay Melosh at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference posits there might be large tube-shaped volcanic features beneath the moon's surface.
"There has been some discussion of whether lava tubes might exist on the moon," Melosh said. "Some evidence, like the sinuous rilles observed on the surface, suggest that if lunar lava tubes exist they might be really big."
Suicide Squad Rumor: Harley to Have Multiple Looks
It should probably come as no surprise that actress Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn won't have just one outfit in the Suicide Squad movie. Look, they have to sell that merch, right??
According to Latino-Review, "Harley Quinn has a few looks throughout the film. Going from traditional with the animated series as a reference to prison attire & in one sequence where they infiltrate a club she swears a dress. Get this, her & Joker's pet Hyena's
are in the film briefly. Apparently, Harley with the hyena's
are a big motif."
Check out some of Harley Quinn's many looks through the years below:
YouTube Readying Launch of Game Streaming Service
Last year, rumors swirled of YouTube's apparent intent to purchase game streaming service Twitch for a reported $1 billion USD. But later in 2014, Amazon would eventually acquire Twitch, with some reporting the deal with YouTube fell through over "antitrust" issues.
Now, it seems YouTube is ready to forge its own path, leveraging its superpower as an online video site to begin dedicated streaming of eSports and other gaming content.
Wrestling Wrap Up: Final RAW Before WrestleMania 31
Quite the eventful (and tragic) week in the world of wrestling, so let's carve it up.
When I first heard that Snoop Dogg/Lionn/Meerkatt would be on the go-home RAW for WrestleMania, I grimaced. Because, let's face it, I think I was still waiting for something to truly grab me about the 'Mania card and was overcome with "Don't waste precious time with celebrities and jokes - it's Mania Season!" Heh. What a fool I was. Precious time. Get me. All of a sudden three plus hours isn't enough for this bozo. Oh well. Lesson learned.
The Flock is a Summer Camp Game Gone Wrong
The Flock is vicious. One moment you're a member of a pack of monsters leaping out of the darkness to tear your prey to shreds, the next you're alone – your only defense a flashlight that burns out if you don't keep moving. This king of the hill horror game has a lot in common with games like Left 4 Dead or Evolve, but it takes the hunter-and-hunted dynamic to a new level with slick asymmetric design and some of the most polished movement I've seen. It's definitely vicious, occasionally terrifying, and quite fun.
The Flock is the first commercial release from Dutch studio Vogelsap – a team of students that began the game as a second-year project – and it's already winning accolades. I got the chance to see what all the fuss was about at the Indie Megabooth at GDC in San Francisco. It's a simple enough concept: five players spawn as monsters – the titular "flock" – trying to pick up an artifact called "the orb." Whoever picks up the glowing orb becomes a humanoid character and begins racking up victory points while the other players try kill the orb carrier, grabbing the orb for themselves. The first to fill up their bar of victory points wins the match.