Winnipeg Free Press - June 10th
IF your productivity was down on May 21, you can probably blame Google. To mark the 30th anniversary of the release of the Pac-Man video game in Japan, the search giant made its logo a playable version of the popular game. According to RescueTime, a self-described “software tool that allows businesses and individuals to understand exactly how they spend their time and attention,” in 24 hours Google Pac-Man consumed 4,819,352 hours of time. That’s above and beyond the 33.6 million daily hours of attention that Google normally gets. (Even more time could have been gobbled up if more users had realized that something was different on the site.)
This was the first playable doodle in a long line of logo variations that have occurred since the site launched. The addictive game proved so popular, Google has made it available permanently on a separate page.
119 things Lost did (and didn’t) answer
IF you were a fan of ABC’s Lost, the two-and a-half-hour finale probably raised as many questions as it answered. Over six seasons, the show’s complex narrative sparked a whole new level of discussion about a TV show on message boards and blogs, and ushered in a new way for networks to build the myth about a show through the web.
If you’re still trying to fill in some of the details on the mysteries of the island, the survivors of Oceanic flight 815, Jacob/Man in Black, the smoke monster, the four-toed statue or any of the other questions that might be bothering you, Scifiwire.com looks at 119 Things Lost Did (and Didn’t) Answer.
AIRING Fridays on Food Network Canada at 7 p.m., CheF* Off is a new show that pits chef Michael Lyon from Banff and Ottawa chef Michael Blackie (who lost to former Winnipegger Makoto Ono at the Canadian Culinary Championships event that was featured on Mark McEwan’s TV show The Heat) in a culinary competition where they never really know what to expect.
From exotic ingredients to makeshift kitchens with little equipment, this isn’t going to be your regular cooking competition. If you were disappointed with the lack of actual cooking in Chefs vs The City with Aarón Sánchez and Chris Cosentino, this new show should be right up your alley.
BORROWING an idea from the 100 Bands in 100 Days blog, Chuck Walton of Fandango.com has set out to see and review 100 movies in 100 days. After 19 days, he has already seen a mix of new (Exit Through the Gift Shop, Robinhood, Date Night) and old (Beverly Hills Cop, Robocop). Follow Chuck on his movie quest while he battles junk food-induced weight gain, bad summer blockbusters and cinema burnout.
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition June 10, 2010 E3
