TerreStar May File Bankruptcy

AT&T partner TerreStar may be on the verge of filing bankruptcy. The Virginia-based firm had released an announcement four days ago stating that the FCC had given them the go ahead to use the same wireless frequencies that it uses for both it's satellites and its commercial devices on land, according to SpaceNews.com.

This had followed some hand-wringing from the company that had feared a 'catastrophe' if their request did not go through. Two days later, Wall Street Journal reported that TerreStar was considering bankruptcy despite their approval from the FCC. As Engadget pointed out this afternoon, TerreStar had just released their Genus satellite phone last month.

I Spit on Your Grave 2010 Review

Love it or hate it, there is no doubt that Sarah Butler and I Spit on Your Grave 2010 will be a major office cooler topic for months to come. The film is a remake of the original I Spit on Your Grave that was released in 1978 starring Camille Keaton as she avenges herself of the four men who raped her in classic over-the-top 70s slasher style. If nothing else, I Spit on Your Grave 2010 shows just how much has changed in the world of formulaic slashers in the recent years thanks to brutal films filmed by directors like Eli Roth and James Wan.

For those whose panties are all in a bunch over the graphic depictions of rape and murder in this film, take it down a notch. I Spit on Your Grave 2010 is unrated, meaning it is unlikely that the family is going to accidentally stumble into the theater after Sunday mass. There has always been a subgenre of film that zooms in on the gruesome details of violence; modern filmmakers just have better equipment and a more hardened audience in 2010.

Ashley Anderson email virus

According to a developing story in the computer security community, a new virus is making the rounds online in the form of an email message sent from Ashley Anderson. The email contains a message in which a person by this name encourages you to click on an embedded link to wedding pictures or some other material.

Clicking on this link may result in a malicious virus being introduced to your computer. As of this moment, the precise identity of this virus has yet to be reported. Be sure to delete any emails from this sender without opening the message or clicking on a link.

Friendly's Ultimate Grilled Cheese BurgerMelt

Tired of news headlines lamenting the impending foot amputations of the next generation's blubbering sacks of asthma, heart disease and diabetes? Friendly's invites you to take your war-torn conscience and metabolism out of their misery with the shotgun blast of meat, cheese and grease that is the Ultimate Grilled Cheese BurgerMelt.


Grilled cheese hamburger buns: When fried chicken buns just will not do.

Some numbers via Friendly's website include 1500 calories, 79 grams of total fat, 2090mg sodium and 180g of cholesterol.

They might even let you substitute the lettuce with bacon if you ask nicely enough.

Campbell to Retire Iconic Soup Labels in Favor of "Neuromarketing"

Campbell's announced this week that it has made the decision to dramatically overhaul their iconic soup label design in favor of embracing an emerging trend in advertising design that manipulates the involuntary physiological responses of consumers. The famous red labels of Campbell's soup cans remained largely unchanged throughout much of the 20th century and became a global icon through Andy Warhol's use of the can label designs in a series of paintings. While it is fairly clear that Warhol's work was not exactly intended to be a ringing endorsement of the company, it nevertheless solidified Campell's soup cans as one of the quintessential product of American consumerism.

Despite the fact that polls show consumers are clearly in favor of keeping the iconic label designs, Campbell's has chosen to trade in whatever advertising value the nostalgic red labels held for consumers for a decidedly 21st century approach to advertising. While earlier forms of consumer manipulation exploited psychological buttons in the minds of customers such as using red and yellow color schemes to excite customers, Campbell's new label's take advantage of "neuromarketing" techniques that cause an actual physiological change in the human body. Following a two year study that measured subtle changes in pupil dilation, breath, heart rate and skin moisture of customers while they shopped for soup (the same involuntary indicators measured by lie detectors. BTW), Campbell's believes that they have cracked the code to make consumer's hearts go a flutter over a can of cream of mushroom.

Full story including pic of the new labels via Fast Company: http://www.fastcompany.com/1554158/waiter-theres-pseudo-science-in-my-soup

Rumors Swirling of Google Super Bowl Ad

Beginning late Saturday, rumors began surfacing of a possible Super Bowl commercial for Google during today's game. Google, who has a history of avoiding mainstream modes of marketing, has begun reaching out changing its tune as it struggles to promote its new Chrome web browser and keep ahead of the curve against Microsoft's Bing search engine. Google CEO Eric Schmidt seemed to verify the rumor from his Twitter account last night:

"Can't wait to watch the Super Bowl tomorrow. Be sure to watch the ads in the 3rd quarter (someone said 'Hell has indeed frozen over')."

Mysterious and mysteriouser, the cryptic tweet could mean just about anything, but the tech blogs are taking this as confirmation of rumors of a Google Super Bowl ad that seemed to have originated with Federated Media Publishing's John Battelle.

If the rumors are true, it remains to be seen just which one of Google's many services will be promoted in the Google Super Bowl ad. Some speculations include a possible installment of Google's "search stories" ads or promotion for the Nexus One smartphone.

UFC 109: Randy Couture Chokes Coleman for the Title

49 year-old UFC hall of fame fighter Randy "The Natural" Couture ended the main event of UFC just into the second round of their light-heavyweight tonight with a rear-naked choke hold that rendered Mark "The Hammer" Coleman unconscious. Couture, who was one of the Ultimate Fighting Championship's most well known fighters at the turn of century, has not had a single submission win since the summer of 2005.

MMA insiders and fans alike expected most of the fight to take place off the floor, as both Couture and Coleman are fighters who like to stay on their feet. Coleman, 45, was rated as a slight underdog with sports bookies due to Couture's experience with boxing skills. The first round of the fight went even worse than expected for Coleman, with Couture dominating him in the ring and getting in a number of punches until he had Coleman against the cage and delivered the pain until the end of the round. In round two, Couture took Coleman to the mat and soon brought the match to a close with a choke.