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News Technology

Amazon acquires KindleVoice.com, Siri-like functionality closer to release?

Kindle Voice

Amazon buys domain names on a regular basis, so it’s no surprise to see the company acquiring the domain name kindlevoice.com.

The name recently expired and Amazon’s legal department scooped it up.  While it may be nothing more than a defensive move, it may also signal that Amazon could be closer to releasing its own version of Apple’s Siri.

Last November, Amazon purchased the Charlotte voice-to-text startup called Yap, which created a lot of buzz among tech sites that speculated Amazon would eventually release voice recognition technology for its Kindle devices.

Apple’s Siri still isn’t fully available on its iPad tablets.  The new iPad was the first tablet to officially have limited Siri technology, but only the voice dictation software.

(Image of Kindle Fire via Amazon.com)

Categories
News Video Games

Avengers: Battle for Earth video game headed to consoles [UPDATED]

Avengers: Battle for Earth video game

Avengers: Battle for Earth

The Avengers video game looks to have a title — Avengers: Battle for Earth.

On May 3, 2012, a day before the film was released in the United States, the domain name avengersbattleforearth.com (Whois) was registered through the brand protection company MarkMonitor.

The name was registered by Marvel Characters, Inc. and is currently listed on Ubisoft’s nameservers: nic1.ubisoft.com and nic2.ubisoft.com.

While there has been speculation the game may have been delayed, cancelled, or simply couldn’t work, the newest domain registration hints that it may be officially announced soon.

[UPDATED May 10, 2012:. Ubisoft officially announced “Battle for Earth” in a deal with Marvel Entertainment, LLC. According to the press release, “This game will be released this fall for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft with Kinect™ for Xbox360 and Nintendo’s Wii™ U™ system.”]

Talking about this story: Joystiq, Forbes, Kotaku, /Film, Comic Book Movie, Game Rant, Just Push Start, Comic Book Resources, Game Informer, Complex.com (blog), Side Mission, io9, Shogun Gamer, Attack of the Fanboy, Digital Trends, MCV, Computerandvideogames.com, Kotaku Australia, OnlineWelten.com, Neoseeker, Neogaf, ZoKnowsGaming, Playstation Lifestyle, games.on.net, Gamespot, HardGamers, Videogameszone, Gamesaktuell.de, gamona.de, gry-online.pl, gram.pl, Judão and All Games Beta

Categories
Movies News

Sony Pictures looks to have acquired rights to Turok film according to domains

Turok the movie

Back in March, Deadline reported Sony Pictures closed a deal to acquire Bloodshot, the Valiant Comics series.

Now it looks Sony Pictures has landed another deal for a comic book character that once appeared in Valiant Comics: Turok.

On May 3, 2012, Sony Pictures registered domain names hinting at the movie like Turokthemovie.com (Whois).

Here’s a look at the full list of domain names:

turok-movie.com
turok-movie.net
turok-themovie.com
turok-themovie.net
turokthemovie.com
turokthemovie.net

Turok has a long publishing history, going back to the 1950s when he first appeared in Four Color Comics #596.

At the time of this story, Sony Pictures hasn’t officially announced anything regarding a Turok film.

Categories
News Video Games

Square Enix files “Solo Remix” trademark

Solo Remix

According to a recent trademark filed by Square Enix, it looks like you may be able to remix your own music from Square Enix games like Final Fantasy XIII, soon.

The game publisher submitted trademark applications, which cover a wide variety of goods and services, both in Europe (Application number: 010823672 – .PDF) and the United States (Serial Number: 85611715) for “Solo Remix”.

The European trademark filing offers more details about the upcoming product.  And it appears Solo Remix may be more than just an app that involves music.

Computer game software; video game software; sound
recordings in the form of optical discs, magnetic discs, semiconductor ROMs featuring
music and/or fictional stories; audio visual recordings in the form of optical discs,
magnetic discs, semiconductor ROMs featuring music and/or animated fictional stories;
prerecorded compact discs featuring music; prerecorded video discs featuring music
and/or animated fictional stories; prerecorded video cassettes featuring music and/or
animated fictional stories; decorative magnets; mouse pads; straps for cellular phones;
sunglasses; blank memory cards; memory card cases; CD cases; computer keyboards;
joysticks; downloadable wallpapers for computers and/or mobile phones; downloadable
screensavers for computers and/or mobile phones; downloadable video recordings;
downloadable musical sound recordings; downloadable ring tones for mobile phones;
electronic publications in the field of computer games, video games, cartoons and/or
general entertainment.

Computer game strategy guidebooks; video game strategy
guidebooks; books featuring fictional and/or fantasy stories; graphic art books; song
books; musical score books; comic books; magazines featuring video games and/or
cartoons; posters; stickers; paper banners; calendars; postcards; stationery; collectors’
cards; trading cards; photographs.

Providing amusement facilities; amusement arcades;
providing on-line computer games; providing on-line video games; providing information
on computer game strategies and/or video game strategies via computer networks and/
or global communication networks; providing information on entertainment in the field
of computer games, video games, card games, animated cartoons, comics, novels
and/or magazines; providing on-line non-downloadable comics; providing on-line nondownloadable
magazines in the field of computer games, video games, cartoons and/or
general entertainment.

Square Enix has been diving into music lately.

In April, it unveiled a free streaming music service that offers music for such games and franchises as Xenogears, Drakengard, Final Fantasy XIII, Sengoku IXA, SaGA and El Shaddai.

This July, Square Enix releases its first rhythm game called Theatrhythm Final Fantasy.

Categories
Movies News

Domain registrations reveal Lucasfilm is working on “Star Wars 1313” project

Boba Fett movie

Star Wars 1313

UPDATE 2: May 6, 2012 @ 7:42 PM Est:. Star Wars 1313 now looks less likely related to a new film.  Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd. has filed a trademark application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for “Star Wars 1313″.  The filing hints that a new video game will be released.

ORIGINAL STORY:. Last July, talk of a film featuring Boba Fett was making the rounds on the internet after Screen Rant interviewed director Joe Johnston who said he was trying to get George Lucas to make a movie based on the Star Wars bounty hunter.

Though nothing was ever confirmed, Lucasfilm is hinting at a new project called Star Wars: 1313, according to several domain names registered on May 2, 2012, through the brand protection agency Corporation Service Company.  The registrations I spotted include names like StarWars1313.com (Whois) and SW1313.com (Whois).

It’s unknown at this time, what Lucasfilm has in store for Star Wars: 1313.

The company hasn’t officially announced anything at this point, but has registered eight domains in total including: 1313starwars.com, 1313starwars.net, 1313sw.com, 1313sw.net, starwars1313.com, starwars1313.net, sw1313.com, and sw1313.net.

I’m only speculating that Star Wars: 1313 is the Boba Fett movie.

The only thing I have dug up so far on the significance of “1313” in the Star Wars universe, is that CT-1313 was once an alias used by Boba Fett on Aargau when he was confronted by a clone trooper.

UPDATE 1 at 3:37PM EST:.  In addition to the eight domain names I spotted earlier, Lucasfilm registered the same names in a number of different extensions.  The following names were also registered on the same day:

1313starwars.de
1313starwars.co.uk
1313starwars.fr
1313sw.de
1313sw.co.uk
1313sw.fr
starwars1313.de
starwars1313.co.uk
starwars1313.fr
sw1313.de
sw1313.co.uk
sw1313.fr

Talking about this story:  @geoffkeighley, MTV, Boomtron.com, Ars Technica, Entertainment Weekly, Tweakers.net, Moviehole, G4TV, Tiscali, Gamerfront, Shacknews and WhatCulture!