Before Heath Ledger's death last week, I was very much looking forward to this summer's The Dark Knight, the sequel to Batman Begins, which I loved. But now, the teaser trailers for the film just make me feel sad and wistful. The images of Ledger in his perfectly-cast glory as the iconic villain the Joker, no doubt a talent-filled effort, are heartbreaking. That's why Valleywag's report that the viral websites to promote The Joker's role in the film will remain active confounds me.
I can't say I'm outraged, because this isn't the first time a film has faced losing a star prior to its release, but this may be the first time a marketing campaign such as this — viral websites surrounding the deceased actor — has been launched. The Joker-centric sites — among them whysoserious.com (which has been sporting a black ribbon in Ledger's honor since the news broke), TheGothamTimes.com, and TheHaHaHaTimes.com, don't seem to currently display any actual images of Ledger, but it still seems to be in poor taste that they remain up.
With new technology, we face new decisions each day that we never had reasons for before, and sensitivities must be bred to respond to our new world. What do you make of Warner Bros.' decision to leave the sites up? Is it an expected move, since the proverbial show must go on, or do you think their response should be different? Source
I still have yet to pimp my crib with lots of digital photo frames. Why? Because I still like the idea of filling my wood frames with original prints. Nonetheless, I'm all about giving them as gifts, load em' up with pics and your grandparents will love you forever!
It looks like Rebecca Romijn has already gone digital with her new picture frame. She couldn't help but pose with her gift, which she's powering-up via her car to display her beautiful pics. And if you look closely, you'll notice that the frame is displaying a lovely picture of her and her hubby Jerry O'Connell!
I'm still pretty haunted by the Australian ad campaign that raises awareness about iPod-listening traffic victims. These Vibe Body Sound Headphones would solve that problem by allowing you to experience the vibrations of the music, while leaving your ear canal totally open to hear the dangers of the outside world. That way, you're still rocking out, but you'll know when a car is screeching toward you or your boss is standing over you with a question.If the music is uncompromised, I think these headphones are pretty genius. My main concern is how they look and feel — I know they're not as bad as these wireless headphones, but the component resting on the back of my ear could look both funny and feel uncomfortable. They just might be the next wave in safe digital life though. What do you think, worth the $100 from Think Geek, or will you just be turning your music down a little lower?
It definitely lets your co-workers know whether your allegiances lie on the light or dark side (pick red or green to discern, or both to keep your boss guessing), but it might be a liiiittle too geeky for this geek. And yet, maybe not quite as geeky as a Lightsaber Umbrella. Discuss!
I love robot voices! They always sound weird and robotic and hilarious all at the same time. VozMe is a website that lets you create mp3s from text and already has me in geeky giggle fits. You just type something in the text box and hit "create mp3" and a robot will say what you just typed. You can even save your creations by clicking "download mp3" in the pop-up window, and then do a "save as" from your browser. The robotic voice even works in Spanish and you can add VozMe to your iGoogle page. My head is spinning with pranking opportunities and who my first victims will be — looks like the pizza guy is about to get an order from Hal!
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Racing Games: Seen one, seen 'em all, right? With the new format of Burnout Paradise totally blowing my mind, I thought innovation would take a backseat for a bit while we got used to a new way of playing racers. Little did I know that game developer Load had something up its sleeves. In a partnership with Xbox Live Arcade, Load will be letting us in on what is sure to be a big Summer hit: Things on Wheels. Things on Wheels lets you control your very own RC car through a big and shiny art deco mansion, avoiding obstacles and hazards like stacks of magazines in the living room and oven coils in the kitchen as you race from room to room. And it's not just me that's geeking out about the concept. Game publisher Southpeak Games saw the potential too: "Competing with real life remote control cars is great fun, so why not do it in a video game? ToW delivers the same reckless thrill," says CEO Melanie Mroze in a company announcement.
Who didn't love racing remote control cars when they were kids? Only now we can finally do it in the house without hearing it from mom! Expect to see Things on Wheels to hit XBox Live Arcade sometime this Summer.
The stars were out last night in NYC to show their love for the new and improved pastel pink BlackBerry Pearl 8130. Paris has sure had a gadget-filled month, although I'm sure this phone tops her cell phone favorites list. So many great features are wrapped up in this adorable handheld smartphone. With web browsing, a 2-megapixel camera, a media player with microSD memory support, a QWERTY keyboard, and VZ Navigator for spoken turn–by–turn directions, you can't help but get excited about this fashionably functional phone . . . What can I say, I love my Pearl! Check out more pics below from the party.
I can't say I'm outraged, because this isn't the first time a film has faced losing a star prior to its release, but this may be the first time a marketing campaign such as this — viral websites surrounding the deceased actor — has been launched. The Joker-centric sites — among them whysoserious.com (which has been sporting a black ribbon in Ledger's honor since the news broke), TheGothamTimes.com, and TheHaHaHaTimes.com, don't seem to currently display any actual images of Ledger, but it still seems to be in poor taste that they remain up. 
Charles Tyrwhitt
Dunhill
PRPS