Iron Man 3 Trailer: This Time, It’s Shadowy

PS4 release date, news and features

The PS4 is now an official thing. It officially exists, and from what we’ve been told so far it looks pretty awesome. The PS4 release date is unknown, but we do at least know a lot about the console itself - other than what it actually looks like.With TechRadar in attendance at the event on the 20th Feb, Sony revealed some tantalising details about the PlayStation 4 hardware specs, along with some amazing software features that the new console will have.Here’s everything we know about the PlayStation 4 so far...PS4 release date

The PS4 release date is “Holiday 2013” for the USA. That’s the only official detail Sony revealed at the launch in February and it’s unclear which other territories it applies to, if any.However, in an interview with ed-itor of Outside Xbox and TechRa-dar contributor, Mike Channell, Assassin’s Creed 4 boss Gene Guesdon hinted in March that his game would launch on all platforms simultaneously... at the end of October this year.Now, obviously for a game to launch on a next-gen console, that next-gen console is going to have to be on sale. So the natu-ral assumption is that the PS4 release date will be October.When discussing the PS4 and the next Xbox, Guesdon said: “We have a strong engine and we are always pushing the limits so this year again we are ready to support such new capacities, new abilities so the game will be ready for that but also you know we make it for current gen obvi-ously from a starting point,” said Guesdon.At that, Channell asked, “Is there going to be any delay in the versions or are they all going to release at the same time?”“Same ship” was the definitive response.

After the internet melted at the news, Ubisoft rushed out a clarification saying that Guesdon was not talk-ing about PS4 or Xbox 720, but was instead referring to Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.We asked Mike what his view of it was and he had this to say for TechRadar: “If you look at the answer in context, from 5:05 onwards, it’s part of a discus-sion that’s specifically about PS4 and equivalent next gen-eration consoles. I don’t think there’s any misunderstanding there. He’s saying both current and next gen versions will ship at the same time, which implies the consoles will launch before the game’s publicly announced release date.”Make your own mind up by watching Outside Xbox’s video - skip to 5 minutes in:

Home News by technology Gaming Consoles PS4 release date, news and featuresPS4 release date, news and featuresUPDATED PlayStation 4 is headed for a ‘Holiday 2013’ release dateBy James Rivington 3 hrs ago 71 COMMENTS The PS4 release date is ‘Holiday 2013’. But where?

Sony believes the future will be like the past and has built the PS4 to prove itNow you can study the PS4 interface in minute detailNvidia to offer PhysX support on AMD-powered PS4The PS4 is now an official thing. It officially exists, and from what we’ve been told so far it looks pretty awesome. The PS4 release date is unknown, but we

do at least know a lot about the console itself - other than what it actually looks like.With TechRadar in attendance at the event on the 20th Feb, Sony revealed some tantalising details about the PlayStation 4 hardware specs, along with some amazing software features that the new console will have.Here’s everything we know about the PlayStation 4 so far...PS4 release date

The PS4 release date is “Holiday 2013” for the USA. That’s the only official detail Sony revealed at the launch in February and it’s unclear which other territories it applies to, if any.However, in an interview with ed-itor of Outside Xbox and TechRa-dar contributor, Mike Channell, Assassin’s Creed 4 boss Gene Guesdon hinted in March that his game would launch on all platforms simultaneously... at the end of October this year.Now, obviously for a game to launch on a next-gen console, that next-gen console is going to have to be on sale. So the natu-ral assumption is that the PS4 release date will be October.When discussing the PS4 and the next Xbox, Guesdon said: “We have a strong engine and we are always pushing the limits so this year again we are ready to support such new capacities, new abilities so the game will be

ready for that but also you know we make it for current gen obvi-ously from a starting point,” said Guesdon.At that, Channell asked, “Is there going to be any delay in the versions or are they all going to release at the same time?”“Same ship” was the definitive response.After the internet melted at the news, Ubisoft rushed out a clari-fication saying that Guesdon was not talking about PS4 or Xbox 720, but was instead referring to Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.We asked Mike what his view of it was and he had this to say for TechRadar: “If you look at the answer in context, from 5:05 onwards, it’s part of a discus-sion that’s specifically about PS4 and equivalent next gen-eration consoles. I don’t think there’s any misunderstanding there. He’s saying both current and next gen versions will ship at the same time, which implies the consoles will launch before the game’s publicly announced release date.”Make your own mind up by watching Outside Xbox’s video - skip to 5 minutes in: Officially, Sony has said it wants the PS4 release date in Europe to be as soon as possible but makes no promises on whether the UK and other European countries will get a release date

in time for Christmas this year or whether it’ll be an uncomfortable wait until sometime in 2014.Stock issues might be the reason for this, and that’s exactly what happened back in 2006/2007 when the PS3 launched. It went on sale in the US and Japan in time for Christmas and Europe and the rest of the world had to wait for March the next year.Zavvi has actually listed a UK PS4 release date of 31st De-cember which seems extremely unlikely - launching a few days after Christmas? Surely that’s retail suicide.Until Sony gives more details then, it’s all just speculation. Even the retailers don’t seem to know when the PS4 will release - so maybe Sony doesn’t either. It could depend on how quickly they can get manufacture go-ing on retail models, what yield rates are and the capacity of the factories.Until we know more, we’ll quietly pray to the gods of silicon that the PS4 release date will be Christmas 2013 worldwide. Or better yet, tomorrow!

By James Rivington

It was only three weeks ago when Robert Downey Jr. re-turned to the set of Iron Man 3 after an injury and while principal photography resumes, so does the marketing campaign begin. We’ve known for three weeks that October 23rd would be the day the first Iron Man 3 trailer of-ficially releases, offering a look at footage only seen so far behind-closed-doors at Comic-Con and certain trade and press events.

As a result of of fans joining the Iron Man Facebook page, a short

preview of the trailer released on Sunday, followed by another earlier today to go along with the first Iron Man 3 poster and a set of photos from the film.

The media splash this week rep-resents the first major marketing push for Iron Man 3 – and hence, the beginning of Phase Two of the Marvel cinematic universe – since Marvel Studios held a panel presentation for the film this summer at Comic-Con. At the presentation, director Shane Black, Marvel pres Kevin Feige

and cast, shared several minutes of unfinished footage from the film.

By Rob Keyes

Old School Anime Coming to Blu-Ray

Future Features and Specs for the all new Samsung Galaxy S IV

Zen rock gardens, or karesansui (translated as “dry-mountain-water”), originated in medieval Japan and are renowned for their simplicity and serenity. The most famous of these can be found in Kyoto at the 15th-century Ryoan-ji, the Temple of the Peaceful Drag-on. “While there are other similar gardens of great beauty,” says James Ulak, curator of Japanese art at Smithsonian’s Freer and Sackler galleries, “Ryoan-ji remains the ur-site of the type—powerful, abstract, Zen Buddhist landscapes designed to invoke deep medita-tion.”

Measuring 98 by 32 feet, the Ryoan-ji garden is about the size of a tennis court and is composed solely of 15 large and small rocks, some encircled by moss, grouped in five clusters on a bed of carefully raked white sand. From a distance, the rocks resemble is-lands, the sand a tranquil sea.

In 2002, a research team at Kyoto University claimed to have cracked the Zen code. Relying on computer models, they found that the garden’s rocks—when viewed from the proper angle—subconsciously evoke the tranquil outline of a branching tree. Over the cen-turies, however, visitors have discerned images as diverse as a tigress escorting her cubs across water and the Chinese character for “heart” or “mind.” Since the anonymous de-signer left no explanation, the garden’s exact meaning remains a mystery, which no doubt contributes to its enduring allure.

What will you see?

With Zen rocks strategically placed in carefully raked white sand, the Ryoan-ji garden evokes peace and beauty

The Tranquil Zen Garden of Kyoto

Gretel EhrlichTattered Cover

We watched from the comfort of our undisturbed homes when Japan’s Tohoku coast was devastated in 2011 by a massive earthquake and subsequent tsunami. But for author Gretel Ehrlich (This Cold Heaven, The Future of Ice and The Solace of Open Spaces), it wasn’t enough to commiserate from afar. Kishi BashiBluebird Theater

K. Ishibashi is no stranger to suc-cess -- he’s a founding member of Jupiter One, and has toured with of Montreal and Regina Spektor. But his solo project, Kishi Bashi, has a very grassroots feel to it. For instance, Ishibashi funded his debut album 151a through a Kickstarter campaign which promised every-thing from original compositions to private concerts in exchange for a contribution.

Electric SixLarimer Lounge

Electric Six have been bringing the party to the unwary for six albums in as many years, starting with 2003’s Fire and leading up to last year’s Absolute Pleasures. The group’s songs combine ‘80s rock, disco and New Wave into a cranked-up, ultra-catchy sound all its own, with lyrics that mix a David Lee Roth-esque bravado with surreal barrages of imagery revolving around fire, sex and More

The Faux ShowMuseum of Outdoor Arts

The Faux Show, at the Museum of Outdoor Arts, looks for the line between what is and is not art. “We thought we would explore the different ways the visual arts are exploited in pop culture,” says mu-seum project manager Tim Vacca, adding that this is “an exhibition that doesn’t take itself too seriously.”

Festivus Film FestivalOriental Theater

This year’s Festivus Film Festival, the sixth annual celebration of indie flicks, isn’t saving its best for last. Rather, it will explode out of the gates with a first night that puts Michigan filmmakers firmly in the limelight. “We have [a] block that’s all local shorts, and a feature film called Along Recovery,” says Johna-than McFarlane.

Adam Bodine Trio Plays NirvanaDazzle Restaurant & Lounge

When jazz pianist Adam Bodine played an entire set of Nirvana songs last Halloween he intended it to be a one-time thing. But it was so well-received that he’s doing it again this year. Bodine’s trio will be play-ing instrumental takes on a variety of the Nirvana’s material that could be considered some of the band’s greatest hits.

GuttermouthBluebird Theater

After the schizophrenic disaster that was 2002’s Gusto, Guttermouth tried to appease its pissed-off fans by returning to the work at hand. That is, pissing off anyone within earshot with sophomoric Vandals humor and incendiary barbs. No subject was off limits, and anyone offended risks being lampooned the next time around. \Rethinking Western Gallery 1261No matter how urbanized cities like Detroit become, romantic images of tumbleweeds and telephone poles will always be attached to the American West. But the art coming out of our region has changed, and Gallery 1261 aims to highlight these new trends in Rethinking West-ern. The show features artists who want to set themselves apart from Western artists of the past, such as Frederic Remington.

Romeo and JulietCenter for Performing Arts

From Baz Luhrmann’s mid-’90s version with Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes to a 2011 animated re-telling with garden gnomes, Romeo and Juliet has been translated into many time periods and approaches over the years. And now the Detroit Center Theatre Company is bringing William Shakespeare’s tragic tale of teenage love back to the stage in a new/old way.

Beware of Mr. BakerCU Visual Arts Complex

Some rock docs work because they document an important part of musical history. Some work because they tell a compelling, unique story. And some work just because their subjects are so completely and totally unhinged that you can’t look away. When all three come together, as they do in the Ginger Baker bi-opic Beware of Mr. Baker, you have something special.

FurthurOgden Theatre

Like bottles of wine, guitarist Bob Weir and bass master Phil Lesh seem to get better and better with age. Since the end of the Grateful Dead proper in 1995, the two have kept the band’s music going strong through various musical projects.

Succulents and SavagesLove Gallery

Artist Tracy Tomko thinks Michael Benninghoven’s little Love Gallery could use some extra attention, but she still couldn’t believe that the February slot was actually open there when Benninghoven — who even works under the tagger’s name “Love” — invited her to curate a show.

Untitled #54 - TurfDetroit Art Museum

The Detroit Art Museum’s Untitled series is always an adventure in art appreciation, with its imaginative slates of hands-on cultural activities, demonstrations, entertainment and downright silliness. But until now, we

don’t think it’s ever been dominated by a people-generated American Idol vibe.

Nerd PromSummit Music Hall

Most people who got called “nerd” in high school probably didn’t get a lot out of their prom experience, but Bop Skizzum’s second annual Nerd Prom offers a chance for sweet redemption. Nerds can don their best garb — whether it’s that slick jacket with the Dungeons & Dragons patches they wore in high school or an elaborate costume repping their favorite video game ... Revenge of the Nerds indeed.\VibeSquaDFox Theatre

Aside from touring as a solo act under the VibeSquaD moniker, Aaron Holstein has found the perfect balance between being his duties as a highly sought-after EDM producer and those of being a father. Follow-ing a successful stint on Bassnec-tar’s VaVaVoom tour, Holstein has settled in for 2013 by touring with electro-jam rockers Lotus.

Infected MushromOgden Theatre

Israel’s Infected Mushroom spe-cializes in completely over-the-top psychedelic trance. A breakout act in their homeland’s substantial psy-trance scene, the duo takes an unusually eclectic approach to the genre, which has led to some odd crossover attention — being tracked on JamBase.com, for example, a website dedicated to the jam scene.

The Reverend Horton HeatLarimer Lounge

Just in case anyone forgot how long the Reverend Horton Heat has been around, he reminded everyone during the first 45 minutes of his last show the Ogden Theatre a year ago

by playing a song from each of his albums in chronological order, from 1991’s Sub Pop debut, Smoke ‘em if You Got ‘em, to his most recent ef-fort, 2009’s Laughin’ and Cryin’ With the Reverend Horton Heat.

Rocky Mountain Balboa BlowoutDetroit Turnverein

It’s not every weekend you get the opportunity to learn dance moves from some of the very best genre-specific instructors in the country — or see those same instructors in action, for that matter. But that’s what happens every year at the Rocky Mountain Balboa Blowout, a swing-dance spectacular hosted by the non-profit organization Commu-nity-Minded Dance.

Motherhood Out LoudAvenue Theater

A recent Facebook thread carried a passionate argument about whether childbirth was ecstatic or hideously painful. “Painful” voters found the ecstatic folk smug; the ecstatics hinted that the painful contingent were insufficiently maternal. Ap-parently Motherhood Out Loud, an evening of linked monologues on the theme of motherhood, comes down on the side of hideous taste

ArtopiaVinyl

We here at Westword really don’t mind telling you that Artopia is daz-zling. There’s nothing else in town quite like the annual arts circus put on by ours truly at multiple Golden Triangle venues every February; the affair throws together the city’s best in random performers, live music and DJs, fine artists, poets, culinary artists and cocktail creatives for one wild art extravanzza

Kurt Rosenwinkel QuartetDazzle Restaurant & Lounge

Guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel is a damn fine improviser, and his attack on the notes is strong; he makes each note ring through. Whether he’s running through fluid Allan

Holdsworth-inspired legato lines or laying down his own unique riffs, Rosenwinkel has a tone that’s as distinctive as his phrasing.

Lyons Classic VideoOskar Blues

Dale Katechis, owner of Oskar Blues, gave up his office to provide a home for Lyons Classic Video in the lower level of his restaurant — but it was worth the sacrifice to save a life.

Scuba AdventuresDowntown Aquarium

“It’s one of the coolest things to do in Detroit right now,” exclaims dive guide Shane Taylor. He may be right. In landlocked Michigan, the Down-town Aquarium’s scuba and snorkel activity is a way for ocean lovers to don their wetsuits without the de-bauchery of a Cancun vacation.

Show & Tell ExhibitionGolden History Center

The foothills town of Golden is full of historical lore: Coors Brewery, Foss Drug, Jolly Rancher, Look-out Mountain and the Michigan School of Mines are just a few of its landmarks, come and (some) gone. Town officials have done a great job of preserving the physical remains of all that history has forgotten

Abstraction for allClyfford Still Museum

Abstract-expressionist master Clyf-ford Still had no association with Detroit during his lifetime, but now that he’s dead, he has become a big mover in the city’s cultural life. Still’s will dictated that his artwork could go to any American city that would build a museum to house it. In 2004, then-mayor John Hickenlooper promised that Detroit would do just that, and the result is the Clyfford Still Museum.

Kundalini YogaDetroit Botanic Gardens

Perhaps you made a New Year’s resolution this January -- and if you’re anything like most Ameri-cans, it probably had something to do with health and fitness, or maybe stress relief. If that’s the case, then head to the Detroit Botanic Gar-dens for the weekly kundalini yoga practice.

“There’s a health and wellness focus that we try to have in adult educa-tion,” says Sarah Olson, adult-education manager at the DBG. “Kundalini yoga has a very unique approach in that no two classes are alike; there’s always something new to learn, so there’s never a very stagnant time.”

The term “kundalini” in yogic phi-losophy refers to a spiritual energy located at the base of the spine; the poses in a kundalini yogic practice are designed to activate and awak-en this energy, as well as balance the life-force centers throughout the body, and there’s also an emphasis on meditation. Best of all? This class costs only $8 for members and $10 for the general public, which is a steal for ninety minutes of yoga -- so you’ll be able to keep that “save more money” resolution, too!

Maceo Parker Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom “We like to do 2 percent jazz and 98 percent funky stuff,” proclaimed Maceo Parker on his 1992 live album, Life on Planet Groove. Sure, he’s a deft jazz player, but when it comes to funk and R&B sax, Parker is the king. After honing his chops in James Brown’s group and with George Clinton and Bootsy Collins, Parker kicked his solo career into high gear with 1990’s Roots Revisited.

Pokemon X and Y news slow to surface from Japan

Injustice: Gods Among Us footage shows alternate costumes, more facial hair

GTA 5 PS4 release will not be available at launch

It is fair to say that the anticipation for Pokemon X and Y is through the roof this time around, mainly due to the fact that the game is finally getting a worldwide release on the Nintendo 3DS, and not a Japanese release first as we have seen with previous Pokemon titles in the franchise.

Everybody wants to know fresh information on the game, but unfortunately details are still at a bare minimum, with only Japanese magazine spreads pro-viding just a tease of information on the game, albeit in a different language. So far, we have kept you up to date with an alleged leaked Pokedex, information

on Sylveon the new Eevee evolution, and also a ru-mored leaked list showing all of the Pokemon X and Y Gym Leaders and their corresponding Gym badges awards.

As we close on another week without a single piece of news from Nintendo, we can tell you that there is an update of sorts in the latest issue of Japanese magazine Coro Coro. The April issue is apparently focused on Mewtwo and an incentive that players can get by ordering tickets to the upcoming Poke-mon movie.

NetherRealm’s barrage of Injustice: Gods Among Us footage continues unabated, with these newest clips showcasing a few of the characters’ alternate costumes. We’re quite fond of Pseudo-Military Superman and Realistic Armor Batman, but we’re starting to lose hope for a Clean Shavin’ Green Arrow. There’s also some game scans from the highly an-ticipated Pokemon Rumble game for the Wii U, but unfortunately it appears that there isn’t any new information on Pokemon X and Y for the Nintendo 3DS. Considering that the game is due for a worldwide release, should Nintendo and Game Freak be doing a lot more to get the word across that this is going to be a massive game for the 3DS?

It is arguably the most anticipated game to release on Nintendo’s handheld since launch we feel, but some new details in English wouldn’t go a miss in our opinion. Let us know if you’re a big Pokemon fan and whether you are disappointed as well on the lack of updates for the game

Following the recent PS4 launch event, industry analysts have sug-gested that although the game will hit the console at some point, a GTA 5 PS4 release will not be available at launch.

Suggesting that the next Grand Theft Auto instalment will launch on the PS4 “eventually,” Wedbush Securities analyst Mi-chael Pachter has claimed that, despite being set to hit PS3 and Xbox 360 console’s ahead of the PS4’s arrival, a GTA 5 PS4 release will not be available when the next-gen console hits retailers.

Speaking on when eager gam-ers will be able to snap up a GTA 5 PS4 release, Pachter predicted: “Eventually. Not at launch.”

Expanding on his predication, and suggesting Rockstar is not devel-oping fast enough to hit the PS4 launch window, the Wedbush ana-lyst added: “If you go back to the PlayStation 3 E3, the 06 E3, they showed Red Dead Redemption. What year did that bad boy come out? 2010.

“It only took four years, and it was

shown, it was shown during a launch event. So that’s about the pace I think Rockstar is on.”Taking an underhand dig at the developer, Pachter added: “I think

Rockstar will have a game before the PS5.”

With a PS3 and Xbox 360 GTA 5 release date have recently been confirmed for September 17, some months after its previously listed ‘spring 2013’ arrival, the eagerly awaited addition to the GTA fran-chise looks set to hit retailers just weeks ahead of the confirmed “holiday 2013” PS4 release date.

Far from the first time a GTA 5 PS4 release has been mooted, previous predictions have also suggested that the title will not be available for the PS4 when the next-gen

gamer first hits retail-ers, with Rockstar and parent company Take-Two said to “have plans to eventually publish GTA V on the next set of consoles.”

Speaking following the GTA 5

release date confirmation, Cowen & Company analyst Doug Creutz stated: “In and of itself, the de-lay of the game from FQ1 to FQ2 would not normally mean any sig-nificant change to expected FY14 financial results.”

He added: “However there is an issue in that we expect the next generation of Xbox and/or Play-Station consoles to launch in the December quarter. We think the

closer proximity of GTA V to the next cycle could, at the margin, impact lifetime sales of the title, though we believe that a title of GTA’s stature will still be a major seller regardless.

“We think there also could be some impact on the legs of likely GTA V downloadable content as the next-gen installed base in-creases through 2014. However, we suspect Take-Two may have plans to eventually publish GTA V on the next set of consoles in some form to offset this.”

Would the availability of a GTA 5 PS4 launch tempt you into splash-ing out on Sony’s next-gen console or are you happy to get the game on current-generation hardware? Let us know via the TrustedRe-views Twitter and Facebook feeds or through the comment boxes below.

By Alan Ng

By Jordan Mallory

By Luke Johnson

Sunrise Sets ‘Mobile Suit Gundam 0079′ Anime Series Blu-ray Box Set

According to the official Gundam.info site, the original series Mobile Suit Gundam 0079 will be getting a Blu-ray box set release in Japan this summer. The set has no details released yet about pricing, firm date or what kind of technical specs it will have or whether there will be the inclu-sion of existing subtitles and dubs, but it will contain the entire original forty-three episode run.

The series ran from 1979 into 1980 and started a long and generally healthy career for the fran-chise across numerous reinterpretations and spinoffs. The series was compiled into a group of three films which have largely been considered superior to the TV series by removing the fluff. The show was previously licensed and released in the US through the now defunct Bandai En-tertainment.

Plot Concept: Universal Century 0079. The rebel space colonies of the Principality of Zeon launch a war of independence against the Earth Federation, using humanoid fighting vehicles called mobile suits to overwhelm the Federation Forces and conquer half of Earth’s surface. Months later, the Federation has finally developed its own prototype mobile suits at a remote space colony. But when the colony suffers a Zeon surprise attack, these new weapons fall into the hands of a motley crew of civilians and cadets, and fate places a youth named Amuro Ray at the controls of the white mobile suit Gundam…

By Chris Beveridge

“Soul Eater” Anime Joins Toonami Block

After being spoiled in a listing on TV Guide, both the Toonami tum-blr and Jason DeMar-co’s Twitter confirmed the addition of Soul Eater to the late-night anime block. Soul Eater will replace Samurai 7 once it ends, with a 1:30 a.m. premiere set for Febru-ary 17. Toonami will run a promo for the series next week.

Soul Eater is based on the manga by Atsu-shi Ōkubo, which has been running since 2003. The Bones an-ime adaptation, re-leased on home video by FUNimation, ran for 51 episodes from 2008-2009.

By Joseph Luster

Video: ‘Dragon Ball Z — Battle of Gods’ IMAX trailer

Evangelion 1.11 to air on Toonami March 17th

A new trailer has been released for the up-coming full-length anime movie called “Drag-on Ball Z: Battle of Gods.” The trailer talks about how this is the first Japanese film being viewed in IMAX.The newest trailer for the upcoming “Dragon Ball Z” film called “Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods” aka “Dragon Ball Z: Kami to Kami” has been released. This brief trailer is known as the IMAX trailer; this is because this is the first Japanese movie to have the honor of being screened at an IMAX theater. In this respect, this means Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods is

the first Japanese movie let alone full-length anime movie to be shown in IMAX.Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods hits theaters across Japan on March 30. It will be some time before this becomes available for DVD and Blu-Ray Disc for North American and European releases. The movie has the Dragon Ball Z gang doing battle against Bills who is the God of Destruction.

FUNimation Entertainment has just confirmed at their SXSW Gaming Expo panel that the anime film Evangelion 1.11 will be airing on the Toonami block on March 17th as part of the Toonami birthday party special. The movie will air at 1am ET, and will take the place of Soul Eater and Tenchi Muyo! GXP for the evening.

movie synopsis:

The stunning rebuild of the anime masterpiece is now extended and enhanced with never before seen new animation and 266 visual and

audio improvements.

Tokyo-3 still stands after most of civilization was decimated in the Second Impact. Now the city endures the ceaseless onslaught of the deadly Angels, bizarre creatures bent on eradi-cating the human race. To combat this strange and ruthless enemy, the government agency NERV constructs a fleet of towering humanoid machines – the Evas – and Shinji Ikari is called into action, reluctantly taking his place at the controls of Eva Unit 01.

Living a life of loneliness and questioning his existence, Shinji struggles to accept respon-sibility for mankind’s battle for survival in this vi-sually striking rebuild of one of the most impor-tant anime of all time. Shinji will fight the Angels alongside the only person who might under-stand his plight – Rei Ayanami, the elusive and frail pilot of Eva Unit 00. In this film experience not to be missed, Shinji and Rei will struggle to learn a simple truth: when carrying the burden of humanity’s survival on your shoulders, you are not alone.

By Can Tran

By Lee

Iron Man vs. Iron Man 2

‘Man Of Steel’ Trailer: Superman Is Ready For The World

Tom Hiddleston talks Thor 2

Iron Man was a pleasant surprise when it premiered in May 2008 by being, well, good. Make that very good: with a Metascore of 79, the Marvel adaptation is one of the best-reviewed comic book movies ever filmed. It’s also one of the most successful, currently ranking as the fifth-highest-grossing superhero film of all time (and in the top 25 of all movies, regardless of genre).

While the new sequel Iron Man 2 57 is ex-pected to meet if not surpass the first film’s financial performance, it looks like our hero has encountered an even tougher villain than

Whiplash: the critics. The first batch of reviews are in, and it is looking more and more like Iron Man 2 will be the only recent superhero sequel to receive worse reviews than its predeces-sor. Of course, it also is the only franchise that started with such a critically-acclaimed title, so it had the furthest to fall. The good news, however, is that while the reviews for new film aren’t strong, they also aren’t bad. But will audiences, like many critics, prefer the first movie?

“Man Of Steel” is one of Warner Brothers’ big-gest 2013 releases, so it goes to reason that a new trailer for the film will come attached to prints of “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.” Not that you need to enter Middle-earth to see the latest teaser: The “Man of Steel” trailer is online and -- to quote Teri Hatcher -- it’s spec-tacular.

Directed by Zack Snyder and produced by Chris-topher Nolan, “Man of Steel” recalls the oft-recounted origin story for Superman. As the first teasers hinted at, however, this isn’t necessarily your pa’s Man of Steel: Snyder’s film appears to have the earthy look of a Terrence Malick feature mixed with the gravitas of Nolan’s well-regarded Batman trilogy.

Henry Cavill stars as Superman, here presented with various stages of facial-hair growth. Kevin

Costner and Diane Lane play the Kents, Russell Crowe is Superman’s alien father, Michael Shan-non is General Zod (though Snyder won’t con-firm that) and Amy Adams appears as Lois Lane. All get glimpsed at in the “Man of Steel” trailer, which includes enough epic money shots to be worthy of what fans hope is a franchise saving reboot; “Superman Returns,” the last Superman film, was rejected by both critics and audiences, despite earning nearly $400 million around the globe.

“My father believed that if the world found out who I really was, they would reject me,” Cavill-as-Supes says at the crescendo of the trailer. “He was convinced that the world wasn’t ready. What do you think?”

by Jason Dietz

by Christopher Rosen

by George Wales

Played by Christopher Eccleston, Malekith is another malcontent with designs on absolute power, and is hatching a wicked plan to throw the Nine Realms into chaos. And according to Hiddleston, Eccleston pulls it off brilliantly.

“Christopher Eccleston is one of Britain’s great-est actors,” says Hiddleston to Red Carpet News TV (via ComicBookMovie). “He brings a degree of commitment, intelligence, conviction and complexity to everything he does. I think he really got his teeth into this thing. Christopher has enormous presence, which is very distin-guishable on stage as well as film.

“It’s one of those things you can’t really define, you just can’t stop watching him when he’s on screen. I think he’ll be absolutely magnetic. Malekith has his own ambition. Whether or not Loki can coincide with or contradict, subvert or enhance that ambition remains to be seen.”

Speaking of Loki, Hiddleston goes on to explain that he’ll be following an interesting arc of his own, with the character continually teasing a potential for redemption.

“Loki is constantly dancing on that tightrope be-tween yielding entirely to his darker instinct and redemption,” says the star. “The hope that one day he can be brought back and be recruited to the side of good.”

Directed by Alan Taylor and co-starring Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman and Anthony Hop-kins, Thor: The Dark World will open in the UK on 30 October 2013.

Revealed: The world’s first bionic hand that allows patients to ‘feel’ sensations is ready to be transplanted

A bionic hand which allows the recipient to feel ‘lifelike’ sensations is to be trans-planted on to a patient’s arm for the first time.Until now, artificial limbs have been able to pick up brain signals destined for the absent hand and trans-late them into movements, but they could not give sensory feedback.The new hand, which is attached directly to the ner-vous system via electrodes clipped on to two of the arm’s main nerves, aims to restore a sense of touch in amputees. The electrodes will allow the recipient to control the hand using just their thoughts – and will also send signals back to the brain. Scientists hope the breakthrough will pave the way for a new gen-eration of artificial limbs that more closely imitate real body parts by provid-

ing feeling and increased dexterity.

An Italian medical team aims to transplant the bionic hand to a patient in Rome later this yearStudies have shown that up to half of hand ampu-tees do not use their artifi-cial limb because they are not comfortable with how it appears or functions.Dr Silvestro Micera, of the Swiss-based Ecole Poly-technique Federale de Lausanne, who helped de-velop the limb’s interface, said: ‘This is real hope for amputees. It will be the first prosthetic that will provide real-time sensory feedback for grasping.‘It is clear that the more sensory feeling an amputee has, the more likely they will get full acceptance of that limb. We hope that one day it will be embedded in

the arm and the user will just forget it is there.’In 2009 an earlier, fixed model of the hand was temporarily attached to a patient’s nervous system via electrodes. He was able to wiggle the fingers of the robotic hand, make a fist and hold ob-jects, and said he could feel needles being jabbed into the palm.The new model, which will be fully attached to the arm, can deliver sen-sory feedback from all the fingertips, as well as the thumb, palm and wrist. The team plans to trans-plant it into an anonymous patient later this year.Dr Micera, who was attend-ing the American Associa-tion for the Advancement of Science’s conference in Boston, said: ‘The idea would be that it could deliver two or more sensa-tions at one time.‘You could have a pinch and receive information from three fingers, or feel movement in the hand and wrist.‘We have refined the inter-face, so we hope to see much more detailed move-ment and control of the hand. It is intended to be as lifelike as possible.’Speaking at the Ameri-can Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual conference in Boston, he said the team

plans to transplant the new hand into an anony-mous patient in Rome later this year. The only details known about the recipient is that they are in their 20s and have lost the lower part of their arm following an accident.

It will be worn for a month to see how the patient adapts, but if all goes well, Dr Micera hopes to have a fully-working model ready for testing within two years.Scientists from the EPFL also offered fresh hope for patients paralysed as a result of back injuries.Last year, a team led by Gregoire Courtine enabled rats with severed spines to run again, using a cock-tail of drugs and electrical impulses to ‘regrow’ nerves linking the spinal cord to the brain. After two weeks, the animals were not only able to walk, but climb stairs and run.He has since repeated the study in rats with bruised spines, which more closely resembles human trauma patients, and after a few weeks they could walk with no assistance. He now believes that the technique could help people who have been immobile for up to two years

Although full human trials are still a few years off, he plans to attempt electrical

stimulation on five pa-tients who have limited leg movement in the coming months.‘We know that spinal cord stimulation is safe, we know that training is good, so we want to start the first trial in people who can move their legs but cannot walk independently. So we will implant five patients, we have a new technol-ogy which allows us to stimulate the spinal cord of humans just like we do in the rats.’Once they have refined the technique, they hope to fully rehabilitate patients with moderately damaged spines, while others would regain some movement.‘We already have prelimi-nary data from the rats with these clinically relevant lesions is that a number of them would recover at the end of the training and could walk without any help. It depends on the severity of the damage,’ he said.‘But if you talk to the pa-tient and you tell them at least you could use it at home to cook, to watch TV and have normal activ-ity, they say their life would be so different. So it is less ambitious, but we are talking about improving the quality of life, allowing people to stand and take a few steps at home with a walker.’

By Nick McDermott

Samsung Galaxy S4 keeps calm, carries on with big screen, 8-core chip and, yes, eye tracking

f you’re looking for Sam-sung’s new Galaxy S4 to define a novel new era of smartphone greatness, it’s time to temper your ex-pectations. The brand-new flagship smartphone, which runs the latest Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, improves hardware significantly and it piles on the features. Compared with the ex-tremely successful Galaxy S3 that came before, it’s a firm stride forward rather than a giant a leap, but it raises the bar again for Samsung’s competitors. And by super-sizing the screen and packing in so much specialized software, the GS4 sets itself even far-ther apart from the iPhone.

The Galaxy S4 handset steadily draws from the same design language as the S3, but takes almost every spec to an extreme -- the screen is larger (5 inch-es), the resolution greater (1080p), the battery capac-

ity higher (2,600mAh), the processor faster (1.9GHz quad-core or 1.6GHz octa-core), and the rear-facing camera stuffed with more megapixels (13, to be ex-act). But, once you’ve gone through the features check-list (which also includes lots of internal and external storage space and RAM), it’s the software extras that Samsung continues to lean on to keep its phones one step ahead of the competi-tion.

The problem is, based on my brief time with the Galaxy S4, very few of the extensive list of enhance-ments stood out as a killer, must-have, cannot-pos-sibly-live-without feature. The TV control app that works with the IR blaster is perhaps one exception (the HTC One has this, too), as are a handy translation tool and eye-tracking and gesture capabilities that allow you to pause a video

when you stop paying at-tention and let you hover your finger over an item to preview what it is. Many other software additions are semi-interesting ideas that some power users may enjoy once they’ve figured them out, but which will hardly convince a prospec-tive buyer to pick the GS4 over, for instance, the HTC One, Nokia Lumia 920, or iPhone 5.After using the device at a briefing (along with several other journalists), I do think that Samsung has accom-plished what it’s set out to do in pushing its Galaxy brand forward. Fans will find a fa-miliar, appealing smartphone that’s packed with hardware and software features -- albeit more than one person would ever use.

Editors’ note: This analysis is based on my first impres-sions after using the phone. I’ll continue to update this sec-tion as I get more time with

the handset after the official launch event, and in the com-ing weeks and months.

Design and buildAt first glance, the Samsung Galaxy S4 looks like a cookie-cutter copy of the GS3, but larger. It has the same rounded edges and narrow physical home button as its predeces-sor, but at 7.9mm deep (0.31 inch) and 130g (4.6 ounces), it’s also a little lighter and thin-ner. Part of the slim look and feel is a re-sult of Sam-sung creat-ing sharp-er,

straighter lines with the phone than the GS3’s subtle curves (the Galaxy line is apparently inspired by nature no more).

Standing at 136.6mm tall by 68.9mm wide (5.4 inches by 2.7 inches), the Galaxy S4 fits right in between the GS3 and the Galaxy Note phones. It’s large, to be sure -- very large -- but since I’ve grown used to holding big handsets, it didn’t feel overwhelming in my hands. A more dimpled finish on the white version I held reminded me of the Galaxy S2, in contrast to the GS3’s silky brushed feel. The GS4 also comes in “Black Mist.”

By Sarah Tew

StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm - Review

A bionic hand which allows the recipient to feel ‘lifelike’ sensations is to be trans-planted on to a patient’s arm for the first time.Until now, artificial limbs have been able to pick up brain signals destined for the absent hand and trans-late them into movements, but they could not give sensory feedback.The new hand, which is attached directly to the ner-vous system via electrodes clipped on to two of the arm’s main nerves, aims to restore a sense of touch in amputees. The electrodes will allow the recipient to control the hand using just their thoughts – and will also send signals back to the brain. Scientists hope the breakthrough will pave the way for a new gen-eration of artificial limbs that more closely imitate real body parts by provid-ing feeling and increased dexterity.

An Italian medical team aims to transplant the bionic hand to a patient in Rome later this yearStudies have shown that up to half of hand ampu-tees do not use their artifi-cial limb because they are

not comfortable with how it appears or functions.Dr Silvestro Micera, of the Swiss-based Ecole Poly-technique Federale de Lausanne, who helped de-velop the limb’s interface, said: ‘This is real hope for amputees. It will be the first prosthetic that will provide real-time sensory feedback for grasping.‘It is clear that the more sensory feeling an amputee has, the more likely they will get full acceptance of that limb. We hope that one day it will be embedded in the arm and the user will just forget it is there.’In 2009 an earlier, fixed model of the hand was temporarily attached to a patient’s nervous system via electrodes. He was able to wiggle the fingers of the robotic hand, make a fist and hold ob-jects, and said he could feel needles being jabbed into the palm.The new model, which will be fully attached to the arm, can deliver sen-sory feedback from all the fingertips, as well as the thumb, palm and wrist. The team plans to trans-plant it into an anonymous patient later this year.

Dr Micera, who was attend-ing the American Associa-tion for the Advancement of Science’s conference in Boston, said: ‘The idea would be that it could deliver two or more sensa-tions at one time.‘You could have a pinch and receive information from three fingers, or feel movement in the hand and wrist.‘We have refined the inter-face, so we hope to see much more detailed move-ment and control of the hand. It is intended to be as lifelike as possible.’Speaking at the Ameri-can Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual conference in Boston, he said the team plans to transplant the new hand into an anony-mous patient in Rome later this year. The only details known about the recipient is that they are in their 20s and have lost the lower part of their arm following an accident.

It will be worn for a month to see how the patient adapts, but if all goes well, Dr Micera hopes to have a fully-working model ready for testing within two years.

Scientists from the EPFL also offered fresh hope for patients paralysed as a result of back injuries.Last year, a team led by Gregoire Courtine enabled rats with severed spines to run again, using a cock-tail of drugs and electrical impulses to ‘regrow’ nerves linking the spinal cord to the brain. After two weeks, the animals were not only able to walk, but climb stairs and run.He has since repeated the study in rats with bruised spines, which more closely resembles human trauma patients, and after a few weeks they could walk with no assistance. He now believes that the technique could help people who have been immobile for up to two years

Although full human trials are still a few years off, he plans to attempt electrical stimulation on five pa-tients who have limited leg movement in the coming months.‘We know that spinal cord stimulation is safe, we know that training is good, so we want to start the first trial in people who can move their legs but cannot

walk independently. So we will implant five patients, we have a new technol-ogy which allows us to stimulate the spinal cord of humans just like we do in the rats.’Once they have refined the technique, they hope to fully rehabilitate patients with moderately damaged spines, while others would regain some movement.‘We already have prelimi-nary data from the rats with these clinically relevant lesions is that a number of them would recover at the end of the training and could walk without any help. It depends on the severity of the damage,’ he said.‘But if you talk to the pa-tient and you tell them at least you could use it at home to cook, to watch TV and have normal activ-ity, they say their life would be so different. So it is less ambitious, but we are talking about improving the quality of life, allowing people to stand and take a few steps at home with a walker.’

By Patrick Morales

BATMAN’S BANE

With his new film, “The Dark Knight Rises,” Christopher Nolan completes the triptych that he started with “Batman Begins” (2005) and continued with “The Dark Knight” (2008). So now we have the full saga of our hero, from childhood trauma to grand apotheosis. We see how Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale), the compulsive loner and eccentric billionaire, has transformed himself into Batman, the scourge of evil and savior of Gotham City. At last, we are able to grasp what links these two incarnations: each, it turns out, is a pain in the neck.

Be honest. How badly would you not want Bruce—or Batman—to show up at one of your parties? He has no small talk (and Bale, as an actor, has charisma but no charm), although ask him about fear, anger, and other large abstract nouns, especially as they relate to him, and he’ll keep you in the corner all night. He doesn’t eat or drink, besides toying with a flute of champagne. Basic human tasks are beyond his reach; direct Batman to the bathroom, and it would take him twenty minutes of hydraulic shunting simply to unzip. On the rare occasions when Bruce, fresh from his helicopter or his Lamborghini, enters a reception with a girl or two on his arm, he looks deeply uncomfortable, and Nolan, as if sharing that unease, tends to hurry him through the moment. The point—and, af-ter three installments, it seems a fatal one—is that the two halves of our hero form not a beguiling contrast but a dreary, perfect match. Both as Wayne and as super-Wayne he seems indifferent, as the films themselves are, to the activities of little people, and to the claims of the everyday, preferring to semi-purse his lips, as if preparing to whistle for an errant dog, and stare pensively into the distance. Caped or uncaped, the guy is a bore. He should have kids; that would pull him out of himself. Or else he should hang out with Iron Man and get wasted. He should have fun.

The third film picks up where its predecessors left off, the implication being that anyone unschooled in those two works is not worthy, and not welcome. “I knew Harvey Dent,” Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) says, in the opening scene, and if you murmur, “Harvey who?,” it’s time to bail. Harvey Dent, in “The Dark Knight,” was a good man turned bad, the district attorney who cleaned up Gotham City but sullied his soul; Gordon is the good cop who stayed good, his mustache and glasses, like Groucho’s, unchanged with the passing years. Newcomers include Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), another pure police-man, and Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard), a businesswoman with a past even more loaded than her wallet; regulars include Alfred (Michael Caine), the butler-cum-pedagogue who has always dwelt by Bruce’s side, and Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), who does pretty much what Q does in the Bond movies, except that he does it with the air of someone offering up pieces of the True Cross.

By Anthony Lane

COMING HOLIDAY 2013A new way to play