Author: Matt Burns

Google’s playable Pac-man logo surely cost the worldwide economy millions of man-hours last week. It was originally only supposed to up for only two day. That’s changed. It will now reside forever at Google.com/Pacman. We heart Google.

Lost will wrap up this Sunday. It’s about time, too. At least the story is actually ending, rather than drifting along until the show is canceled because of bad ratings. But still, I feel like there are too many loose ends that will not be answered tomorrow.

This isn’t a sign of a clever mystery. It’s simply bad storytelling and so I submit to you the four reasons why Lost is actually a terrible TV show and not deserving of all the attention it got over the last six seasons.

Here’s the obligatory *Spoiler Warning* tag although there is no way you’ll be able to avoid Lost news next week so you might as well get over it now.

1. A main antagonist was never established

Remember the first two seasons? The barefooted Others were the baddies. Then the Dharma Initiative and Ben took over that role as The Others switched sides. Then we learned that the Dharma Initiative were really just nerdy hippies and Charles Whidmore took over as the bad guy by trying to kill everyone on the island. But wait, he’s just another one of Jacob’s pawns and the real bad guy is ol’ Smokey who previously seemed like the island’s janitor.

Critical viewers have always questioned whether the end-game was known when the show started. While I’m sure the writers knew the overall story arc from the beginning, they probably didn’t know how much fluff was needed to fill in seasons. After all, the core business model of TV networks is to get viewers to watch the commercials and successful shows are generally dragged-out to con people into watching said ads.

2. Story arcs never ended

The key to long-running TV shows are simultaneous story arcs. Ideally one arc should be wrapping up while another is in full swing with the next one clearly on the horizon. Lost never wrapped up any story arc, instead left viewers hanging while distracting them something wildly off-topic. Sometimes, like with the story of Walt, the arc would seem to be nicely wrapped up but then out of nowhere, it was clear that wasn’t the case.

Clearly Lost’s writers and creators were trying something new. They bucked nearly every traditional TV show guideline and created something that seemed on the surface as something totally different. The result was something different but doesn’t relate to good storytelling.

3. Lost never really fit into any genre and so missed a huge opportunity

Sci-fi shows are for nerds, only housewives watch dramas, women hate action shows, but yet Lost tried to appeal to all three demographics without fully committing to one.

Sci-fi/fantasy shows are all about mythology and science. The writers could have created this rich and deep storyline that told the tale of good vs evil in a totally new way, complete with new symbols and analogies. The writers could have created another Matrix. But they didn’t. Instead it’s a story about a glowing well that turns people into smoke monsters that for some reason will unleash all hell if it’s let off this mystical island.

Lost was an action drama in the beginning. This was probably by design as both males and females got something out of it. But quickly it turned into a quasi-drama by showing these people’s crappy lives before they got on the plane. We learned Kate was a killer, Jack’s a dick, Sawyer’s a lazy con man, and Eko’s a drug runner. But the personal flashbacks only lasted one episode and we had to endure everyone else’s backstories before it would cycle back around to a particular character’s.

In between these random backstories is when the real action would take place. But just when it was getting good, the trademark Lost tone would crescendo in and the story would jump from the island to watching Jack track down his dad in Australia. Each episode was 20% island happenings, 40% backstory, and 40% commercials.

We now know for sure that the extensive backstories were there to simply justify Jacob’s selections, but surely there had to be a better way to mix up it up a bit.

Of course each viewer probably wanted Lost to be a different show than it was. I would have like a more sci-fi-orientated theme. Others, however, maybe wanted more of the Kate-Jack-Sawyer love mess.

4. So many questions

There are too many unanswered questions that were raised over the last six seasons. Many previous story arcs like the whole Dharma Initiative are now seemingly trivial. A person really could watch the first two seasons and the last and get the whole story. Most everything that happened in between was just fluff.

1. Why does the island move?
2. Who made the huge four-toed statue?
3. Why does it only have four toes?
4. Why is the island a super-magnet?
5. Where did Jacob’s and Smokey’s step-mother come from
6. Who taught Jacob the secrets of the island?
7. How did the Dharma Initiative construct massive complexes?
8. How did the Dharma Initiative learn about the island?
9. How could Richard travel off the island?
10. Why did Smokey need Locke’s body when there are plenty of corpses around?
11. Why does the island heal some people and not others?
12. Why couldn’t Dharma women get pregnant on the island?
13. Why can’t Smokey just fly over the sonar fence?
14. Why does a ring of ash protect against Smokey?
15. Why does Smokey spare some people?
16. How does Walt figure into the end-game?
17. What’s the significance of the numbers and how are the connected to Jacob?

There are so many more questions. It’s sad, really. Lost had the makings of a great show but there are simply too many loose ends for them all to be wrapped up tomorrow. It’s a good rule of thumb that if a show needs a question and answer session after its finale, then the writers didn’t do their jobs properly.

[Awesome vintage Dharma ads by Hot Meteor]

Ford, like most modern manufacturing companies, is utilizing virtual reality tools at all levels of development. Gone are the days of designers and engineers hunching over drafting tables in a smoke-filled room, working on blueprints for what will next be molded out of clay.

These days development is done on 20-foot ultra-high resolution displays with real world testing done in a virtual world. Designers can experience nearly every aspect of a future vehicle before any physical piece is constructed. Ford even employs virtual tools for the manufacturing phase to maximize efficiency there as well.

I recently got a close look at a bunch of these tools and processes. I was granted access to everything from Ford’s gigantic full vehicle motion simulator to the gigantic video wall. These are some impressive toys.

Powerwall

Imagine a large room with a single computer workstation and a 20-foot screen as its display. That basically Ford’s Powerwall. It’s a place where designers to executives to auto dealers can gather and get a high-res look at Ford’s current and future lineup.

It’s a simple concept with Sony 4k projector connected to just a single high-end workstation, but the results are spectacular. Designers are no longer tied down to their cubicles and can explore their work in larger-than-life dimensions using AutoDesk & AutoStudio CAD programs to creating spectacular animations in Maya.

The Powerwall rooms are also equipped for worldwide collaboration and any one of them can host virtual meetings with the other seven Ford Powerwall studios found across the globe.

(Sorry for the pics. It’s nearly impossible to show the sheer scale of this screen. Use your imagination and picture those images 20-feet wide and you’ll get the idea.)

Programmable Vehicle Models

Much of a vehicle’s testing is now done virtually, a processes that helps streamline development while keeping cost down. Ford utilizes numerous tools for virtual testing with the PVM at the heart of the process. It immerses the tester in a virtual world assisted by the physical presence of a configurable vehicle sled.

This testing sled is a complex platform that’s able to match the physical dimensions of nearly any vehicle. Once the physical properties are set, a tester sits in the sled wearing a head-mounted virtual reality display equipped with reflective spheres to enable 1-1 movement mapping. A pair of gloves with the same IR-visible balls helps complete the illusion.

The goal here is to allow designers and engineers the ability to test out their designs without building a full-scale working model. Nearly everything from seating position to steering wheel position to blind spots can be evaluated and worked out.

The same lab also houses the so-called CAVE — Cave Automated Virtual Environment. This 3D environment is designed not so much for the ergonomics like in the PVM, but rather for style and craftsmanship. Four rear projectors generate 3D images on three sides and above the tester. The 3D glasses are equipped with motion-tracking sensors to further complete the environment.

It really has a WOW-factor. Once you don the glasses and sit in the single elevated seat, it really gives the feeling of being in the vehicle.

VIRTTEX

Ride testing is key to any vehicle’s development. It can be expensive constructing prototypes that do not function right or are simply wrong. This is where the VIRTETEX simulator comes in.

A 24-ft dome houses a full-size vehicle — in this case a Taurus X crossover — that’s connected to a series of computers. Hydraulics, five projectors, and a bunch screens then immerses drivers in a virtual world.

The benefits are nearly endless. No more expensive and potentially dangerous test vehicles as the system can simulate most of the driving dynamics of a compact car or full-size truck. Testing and polling can be done in a controlled environment without any variables. And it’s just so cool. Imagine playing Burnout Paradise or Grand Turismo in this thing. The Ford engineers said they’ve never broke out the games but you know the six blade servers with high-end Nvidia graphic cards that powers the displays are just screaming for a bit of downtime.

Virtual Manufacturing

Ford’s virtual tools even extends to the manufacturing arm of the company. Motion-capturing technology allows a team of developers to test-build vehicles early on. This allows the company to ensure that manufacturing line workers will not run into any issues.

Full-body motion capture suits are used to generator baseline manufacturing tolerances. The end result is that many manufacturing tasks are now designed so both a 6-foot male and a 5.2-foot female will be able to do preform the same task. If the man’s big hands can install a tiny plug deep in an engine compartment than so can the female’s smaller hands.

This drives down the high-cost of manufacturing later on. The company can plan out a line workers exact tasks before the vehicle ever hits the assembly line.

On Ford’s openness

The more interesting story, at least to me, is Ford’s open access to all these tools. Our access wasn’t something I sought out. We were invited along with other outlets to view all these tools. That’s something many companies would never do and when some actually open their doors, everything but the specific subject matter is covered by a conveniently-placed white sheet.

Of course we had to sign a confidentiality agreement just in case we saw any unannounced vehicles, but that’s normal and fine by me. Ford basically opened their door and said to a bunch of curious journalists, “Come on in, take a bunch of pictures of our design tools, and ask our engineers any questions you have.” Apple could learn a thing or two from this type of access and transparency. It’s refreshing.

Well this is good to know. An HP Taiwan VP apperently let it slip that HP is working on mobile devices powered by webOS. It’s a shocker, I know. You would think that after HP spent over a billion dollars buying Palm, they would archive all of the acquired intellectual properties and keep moving forward with Microsoft platforms.

Interestingly though, Mr. Monty Wong, VP of Personal Computer Systems Taiwan, did state that the Slate will be released before the fiscal years ends in October. Of course Monty didn’t indicate whether webOS will be present or it will still be released with Windows 7 contrary to previous reports. He also indicated that HP is keeping with its current netbook platforms rather than moving to webOS.

We could either give Best Buy the benefit of the doubt and chalk these stickers up to an over-zealous blue shirt or Best Buy really does expect to con some ignorant customers out of some cash. Your call. [via Consumerist]

Verizon’s latest netbook nearly completes its collection. The 10.1-inch HP Mini 210 offers the N450 1.66GHz Atom CPU along with 1GB of RAM and a 250GB hard drive. Windows 7 Starter edition powers the netbook and it can be yours for for $149 with a 2-year data contract. Of course $50 more will get a larger screen and Windows Home Premium with the HP Mini 311.

Now the big red V has the Windows XP-powered Gateway LT at the $50 price point, the new HP at $149, and the more potent HP Mini 311 rounding out the group at the $199 mark. Now all Verizon needs is a tablet of some sort. Say, maybe, one by RIM?

‘Lost’ audio: Garnett explains the island to ‘Big Baby’ from The Basketball Jones on Vimeo.

Okay, so this video can basically bring anyone up to speed on Lost and so it probably deserves a *Spoiler Alert* tag, but there’s going to be no avoiding Lost news after the finale on Sunday so you might as well get used to it. Your screwed if you’re just now getting into the show. The Internet isn’t going to stop just because you’re only on Season 3. Sorry.

Yup, it’s another game where you shoot the baddies in the face. This time it’s set in Vietnam. Exciting.

There’s not much to say here. It’s somewhat of a normal affair to have cases leak of upcoming Apple products before the actual announcement. We would then go on to speculate about upcoming features and form factor based on said case, but we already know all about the iPhone 4G. There’s really nothing a silicon case can add to the conversation. Move along. [Hardmac via 9 to 5 Mac]

HP announced a bevy of updated Pavilion and Envy models a few weeks back. Well good news, kiddies. LogicBuy sent us a note, pointing out that the whole line is now shipping including the clonetastic Envy 17 with it’s MacBook Pro-busting starting price of $1,399.

What’s going on in Vietnam? Unannounced Apple products seem to be falling from the sky. The same group that released the second round of iPhone 4G pics got their hands on an iPod touch with a 2MP rear-facing camera. The DVT-1 stamp clearly states that it’s not a production model, but rather a pre-production or prototype model, suggesting that this boy might not ever get a release.

Engadget points out that the serial number lists this unit as a late 2009 third generation iPod touch. It’s possible that the unit in question here is from the batch that caused all those rumors stating the iPod touch was getting a camera. That rumor obviously didn’t pan out and only the iPod nano got the camera treatment.

There’s always a chance that ol’ Steve will announce this model alongside the iPhone 4G next month. iPods are still selling like mad and an undated model with not only a camera, but also iPhone OS 4 will no doubt spark even more sales. Guess we’ll have to wait until next month.

There doesn’t seem to be anything particularly wrong with the EZX60 headset. The $79 wireless headset has a digital noise and echo cancellation processor and a battery that will last 12.5 days on standby or 7.5 hours of talk time. All that seems about right these days. The EZX60 is available now if you’re in the market.

Sennheiser Launches Lightweight Mobile Bluetooth Headset for Everyday Use

Sennheiser Communications’ EZX 60 mobile Bluetooth headset (click for hi-res)
OLD LYME, Conn. – May 18, 2010: Sennheiser Communications introduces the stylish new EZX 60 mobile Bluetooth headset. The low-profile headset clings weightlessly to the ear—perfect for all-day wear. Its digital noise cancellation ensures every word comes through clearly, while the digital echo cancellation eliminates annoying echoes. And best of all, it’s incredibly easy to connect to any Bluetooth-enabled phone.

The fashionable EZX 60 will keep you talking all day long no matter how busy your lifestyle. It gives you everything you could ever desire in an affordable, super-light headset: superior Sennheiser sound with digital noise and echo cancellation, one-hand convenience and a discreet, smart design that won’t ruin your look.

Thanks to advanced Bluetooth technology, the EZX 60 eliminates the need for bothersome cables, yet delivers clear sound with every wireless conversation from any Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone.

Superior Sennheiser sound meets Bluetooth
Despite its tiny, discreet design, the stylish EZX 60 boasts the same first-class Sennheiser sound you would normally only expect with a full-size headset. And to make your phoning experience complete, the EZX 60 also features the latest Bluetooth 2.1 wireless technology. This advanced protocol ensures outside interference won’t spoil the EZX 60’s sharp sound—while at the same time eliminating unsightly wires which could get in the way of your hair or outfit.

Echo-stopping sound clarity
Whether you’re racing between business appointments or enjoying an afternoon of shopping in the city, Sennheiser Communications’ digital noise cancellation always ensures carefree conversations in crystal-clear quality—without any annoying background noise. Now, Sennheiser Communications has gone a step further, equipping the EZX 60 with cutting-edge digital echo cancellation. This innovative feature uses the latest digital technology to eliminate all echoes which could disturb your conversation while you’re talking.

Sennheiser Communications’ EZX 60 mobile Bluetooth headset (click for hi-res)
Ease and convenience at every level
The EZX 60 features easy one-hand operation so you can carry your suitcase or handbag—or shopping bags, too—without dropping them to fiddle with your mobile phone. Just clip the headset on either ear and with just one hand, quickly take and end calls or set the volume as it suits you best

Comfort that won’t slow you down
To keep you going for hours on end, the EZX 60 is not only super lightweight (at just 0.4 oz.), but it’s also equipped with a comfortable, soft ear hook. Simply flip and rotate it to effortlessly switch between wearing the headset on your right or left ear, without the need to carry around a second ear hook. The long talk time is an extra plus, delivering up to 7.5 hours of phone conversations and up to 300 hours of standby time.

The EZX 60 is available now with a street price of $79.95.

EZX 60 at a glance:

• Digital noise cancellation reduces background noise for crystal-clear
phone conversations, even when talking on busy streets
• Digital echo cancellation eliminates annoying echoes
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR ensures compatibility with all Bluetooth 1.1, 1.2,
2.0 and 2.1 devices
for hands-free convenience
• One-touch operation to easily take/end calls and adjust the volume
• Weighs just 0.4 oz.
• Can be worn on either ear
• 7.5-hour talk time, with up to 300 hours of standby time
• 2-year international warranty

About Sennheiser Communications
Sennheiser Communications is the result of a joint venture between the electro acoustics specialist Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co. KG and the hearing healthcare specialist William Demant Holding Group. Decades of experience in pro music and hearing healthcare has helped the six-year-old company produce award-winning, innovative headsets.

About Sennheiser
Sennheiser is a world-leading manufacturer of microphones, headphones and wireless transmission systems. Established in 1945 in Wedemark, Germany, Sennheiser is now a global brand represented in 60 countries around the world with U.S. headquarters in Old Lyme, Connecticut. Sennheiser’s pioneering excellence in technology has rewarded the company with numerous awards and accolades including an Emmy, a Grammy, and the Scientific and Engineering Award of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

I’ve been patiently waiting for the Viliv N5 MID to launch after first getting a glimpse at it before CES ‘10. I was hoping to be able to check it out this month as a rumor suggested back in March. But apparently that’s not going to happen. The little Windows 7 clamshell has been pushed back to June.

Hopefully the company has improved upon the model since we got a few minutes to play with it on CES’s show floor. While the form factor is fantastic, it felt cheap and flimsy — almost breakable. We should find out in June.

Yup, a Gameboy iPad sleeve. This is about the best thing you’re going to see on the internet today. [etsy via Likecool]

Panasonic and Skype have teamed up and some of Panny’s new fancy-pants HDTVs feature the VoIP service right in the set. All you need is the $170 wide-angle webcam to get the party started.

The function was just activated in the VIERA VT25, VT20, G25, and G20 sets, which require the Panasonic-branded webcam. It’s a tad pricey, but it does offer four unidirectional mics, 720p@22fps record, a wide-angle lens, along with audio processing to counter echo.

Just think, maybe sometime soon, we’ll be able to enjoy videoconferencing just like Marty Mcfly in Back to the Future 2. That’s been our dream all along.

Inkia isn’t a new player in the tablet game and so the inPad 701 and inPad 702 might be solid contenders. Details are a bit light but we know that both run Android on a 7-inch screen with the 702 model getting a 3G module. It’s probably safe to assume that the target market is Asia but retails such as Dynamism has a long history of bringing similar products to the states. That is of course if they are worth our time and not garbage.

For our latest mission, we brought the movie Ghostbusters to life in the reading room of the main branch of the New York Public Library. The 1984 movie begins with a scene in the very same room, so we figured it was time for the Ghostbusters to make an encore appearance.

AVP Redemption from Alex Popov on Vimeo.

Apparently one dude spent 2 years and only $500 to make this 22 minute AVP video. The graphics aren’t anything special, but what’s important is that the story is solid and a lot more true to the saga than Hollywood’s interpretations. Give it a go after the break. It’s good. [via Kotaku]

Backstory: A Nintendo suit said a while back that the company hasn’t announced the official name yet for its upcoming handheld 3D gaming device. This of course suggests that 3DS isn’t the official name.

Well, that might not be true if Nintendo’s recent trademark filings have anything to say about it.

Apparently the company a trademark for not only “3DS”, but also “3DSPlay” and “3DSWare.” 3DSWare sounds an awlful like DSiWare, the online gaming distribution system currently employeed by Nintendo for the DSi.

Maybe the official name is 3DS. It is kind of a clever name, combing the 3D moniker with the dual screen notation currently used by the last couple generations. Plus, we already have a bunch of posts tagged with the 3DS name. Let’s keep it as 3DS, m’kay? [Siliconera via Kotaku

Apple quietly updated the MacBook this morning, replacing the 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo with a 2.4GHz of the same pedigree. Graphics is now provided via an NVIDIA GeForce 320M, which no doubt lends a hand in the new 10-hour battery rating. Yeah, you read that right. 10-hours.

The new MacBook is quite a deal, really. It’s nearly the same computer sans the unibody construction and 2GB of RAM as the 13-inch MacBook Pro. Except this model starts out at $999, which is why it has always been a favorite among budget-minded buyers. We would have still like to see Apple opt for a Core i3 CPU, but once again, Apple choose battery life over computing power and it’s hard to argue against a 10-hour runtime.