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Interactive Video Object Manipulation from Dan Goldman on Vimeo.

The above video illustrates some of Dan Goldman’s research with Adobe to bring interactivity to video editing. The system analyzes videos using computer vision techniques, enabling interactive annotation, browsing, and even drag-and-drop composition of new still images using video footage.

This is a joint research project of Adobe and the University of Washington.

Hungry for a hot lunch at your desk every Monday through Friday, but don’t want to stand in line for the microwave? The USB-powered heated lunch bag is probably something you’ll want to look into, then. It apparently keeps your food at a steamy 140 degrees Fahrenheit all day, though it gives us pause that we’re warned to “make sure the plastic container that you store your food in is of a certain grade and quality” to ensure that there’s not “an adverse chemical reaction,” but we figure that’s probably a minor concern. We don’t know if the bag will ever be available in the US, but we have a feeling that if it is, it’ll be at least double the size of the current iteration.

Top filmmakers have already dipped into the sci-fi vault for 21st century remakes of “The War of the Worlds,” “The Planet of the Apes” and the upcoming “The Day the Earth Stood Still,” so what’s next on the revival list? Plenty. Here’s a list of a dozen remakes and revival projects now at various stages in the studio pipeline.

“When Worlds Collide” Steven Spielberg is one of the producers and Stephen Sommers (“The Mummy,” “Van Helsing”), infamous for his “give me more” attitude toward CGI effects, is directing. Like the original 1951 film produced by George Pal, this “Worlds,” due in theaters next year, is about the mad scramble to build a spaceship to save humanity before Earth is destroyed by a rogue planet entering its orbit. The problem comes when there aren’t enough seats for everybody on Earth.

Talking with Total Film, Terminator Salvation director McG addressed the four major rumors out there about the new reboot of the franchise with Christian Bale starring.

Below is each rumor, followed by what McG had to say about them –

From TOTALFILM.com

Rumor #1 – The ending posted on Ain’t It Cool News is a fake

Remember the leaked ending that hit Ain’t It Cool News five months ago? The one that claimed the climax would see John Connor die, only to be resurrected as a robot?

The upcoming Tintin Movie trilogy follows a recent trend over the last 5 years to turn popular/cult comics into movie. There reasons for this are that it allows movie studios to tap into existing audiences with fans of these comic characters along with the added benefit that the lead character of any movie will be already in the consciousness of much of the movie going public at some level.

The use of comic books for the source of a movie also allows for special effects to be used in such a manor that they cannot be questioned as part of the integrity of the film as often this is the only way to portray the comic character in the most authentic way.

Despite a contracting marketplace, Kerner Technologies CEO Thomas Randolph is lining up partners all over Hollywood for a revolution in imaging.

Armed with a laptop and software called “Phloto,” Randolph has begun making licensing agreements with entertainment companies for a patented technology that turns still photos into moving images.

Kerner has already struck licensing deals for Phloto with Marvel and Fuji Film, among others, and more entertainment companies are pursuing it with an eye toward making video production cheaper and easier.

Phloto fills the gaps between still images to create full-motion video. Unlike other “keyframe animation” software, it creates that video instantly, so it can be used for Web streaming.

(Source: foxnews.com)     “Benjamin Button” is a lot of things: innovative, creative, technologically advanced. The trailer was so good that Oscar buzz started generating quickly. The result was almost like what happened to “Home for Purim” in the satire, “For Your Consideration.” Overnight, “Button” became the Oscar front runner.

Actually seeing it is a different story. Fincher has a lot of gadgets to play with. So Pitt’s early depiction of Benjamin, which takes up more than hour of the total three—that’s three—is a CGI process. Pitt’s head – made into that of an old man—is situated on a short, old man. The result is a synthetic character—a sort of geriatric Jar Jar Binks—matted into the movie.

(Source: scifi.com)   Paramount screened more than 20 minutes of footage from J.J. Abrams’ upcoming Star Trek movie this week in Los Angeles, about which much has been written.

But the studio also previewed concept art that offered a glimpse into the top-secret story and the way Abrams’ Trek universe expands the original series.

The art, which ran as a slide show on TV monitors placed around the lobby of the Paramount Theater on the studio lot in Hollywood, revealed designs for uniforms, ships, command bridges, sets, a Starfleet Academy lecture hall and weapons, including phasers.

After 27 hours of round-the-clock meetings, talks between the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers (AMPTP) and Screen Actors Guild (SAG) have again broken down, and SAG will now seek a strike authorization from its members. First up is a statement from the AMPTP:

The AMPTP accepted the federal mediator’s invitation to meet with SAG in hopes of concluding our seventh major agreement of 2008. The Producers met for two days with SAG at the request of federal mediator Juan Carlos Gonzalez. The parties were unable to reach an agreement and the mediator has adjourned the mediation process.

The party is in New Zealand: The Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI) will reveal “Oscar Winners Secrets” at the opening luncheon of Cineposium 08 on Saturday, November 22 at the Intercontinental Hotel in Wellington, New Zealand.

“This panel of remarkable talent sharing their professional insights and years of filmmaking experience is certain to be a Cineposium highlight,” says Robin James, AFCI Board President.  “Not only are they among the best in their respective fields but also are a testament to the wonderful and diverse filmmaking talent coming  out of New Zealand.”