Transformers Character Lineup

The lineup of Transformer characters is:
Autobots: Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Jazz, Rachet and Ironhide
Decepticons: Megatron, Starscream, Brawl, Barricade, Bonecrusher, Scorponok, Frenzy and Blackout.

Character descriptions:
- Prime "every society has that noble king. That King Arthur."
- Bumblebee (left) is the "same underdog, same G1 character we know and love." and that despite being a Chevrolet Camaro "The clothes don't make the man." Be aware that when Hasbro approached BMW to make a new Bumblebee toy they declined as they did not want to be associated with war toys. Clowns: they lost out in the greatest advertising ever.
- Jazz's attitude is "can't do something with style it's not worth doing at all."
- Rachet continues to be the medic of the group but will not match his Gen-One alt mode.
- Ironhide remains the gutsy muscle of the group and make "any Transformer bust an O-ring just with his stare."
- Megatron will be explored beyond just the usual evil, destroy this and that mentality.
- Starscream will continue to try "to best Megatron."
- Brawl is an "extremely pissed off Decepticon" and is based on other iterations of the Transformers which may continue in sequels.
- Bonecrusher is basically Megatron's willing slave (and apparently the closest thing to a Constructicon)
- Barricade is the Saleen Mustang police car seen in some leaked photos and who likes to hunt down the Autobots.
- Scorponok is closest to the Beast Wars iteration with a "little bit of flavors from the other things."
- Frenzy is the replacement Soundwave. The alt mode will be a stereo.
- Blackout is the EMP guy. Has the weapons to knock out most electronic items, which of course is bad news for the military and the Autobots.

Source: Transformersmovie.com, Yahoo

Snakes Secret

New Line Studios has had unprecedented extraordinary success (especially in this day and age of the internet where anyone in the world can know anything in seconds) in keeping details of Snakes on a Plane secret (I'm assuming there's more to it than just some snakes on this plane...).

The film opens today without benefit of preview showings or even screenings for critics, although no one is expecting the film to bite the dust. Even vaguely intelligent moviegoers usually avoid a film released without advance screenings because it can indicate a studio knows the movie is bad (Batman and Robin anyone?) however Snakes is unusual in so far as people who have never seen it already call themselves 'fans' and many hope it will be awful.

"Bad Movies are special," New York Post critic Kyle Smith wrote "genre flicks - shoot-'em-ups, stabathons, disaster epics -- that make you holler and stomp for 90 minutes. Then when the lights go up and someone asks you how it was, you reply, 'Oh that? That was a Bad Movie.' A Bad Movie is a bad movie you watch over and over."

What do I think? I think it's going to kick muthafuckin' ass! Check out this youtube file for some Snakes related hilarity.

Sources: Yahoo, Youtube

Ospreys cross 'the pond'!

Right: V22 Osprey over the river Thames.

Two MV-22B “Ospreys,” belonging to Marine Tiltrotor Test and Evaluation Squadron 22, have made history by completing the first-ever Tiltrotor Vertical Assault Aircraft trans-Atlantic flights. The Ospreys successfully flew from North Carolina to England and back.

“The MV-22's ability to make two trans-Atlantic flights within a three week period, and fly every day in Great Britain during that time period confirms its reliability,” said Col. Glenn M. Walters, VMX-22 commanding officer. “The aircraft and aircrew performed above my expectations in accomplishing the most arduous portion of a self-deployment. This was the final event that demonstrated the full range of unique capabilities this aircraft will provide to our war fighters in the near future."

The flight covered more than 4,000 miles, much of it over the North Atlantic, in challenging weather conditions. Both aircraft were conducting a self-deployment rehearsal in preparation for the Osprey’s operational deployment scheduled for next year. Over 40 Marines participated in the exercise, including pilots, aircrew and ground support personnel. While in England, the Ospreys flew a total of 17 flight events, all of which were executed on time. The craft even participated in the Royal International Air Tattoo in Fairford and the Air Show at Farnborough, U.K.

Lt. Gen. John Castellaw, deputy commandant of Marine Corps aviation, remarked on the success of the historic trans-Atlantic flight and how this brings the “Osprey” one giant step towards deployment sometime next year. “The leadership of the Marine Corps and those that have been involved with the aircraft has had confidence that it could complete a mission like this all along.”

Colonel "Whopper" Creedon of the United Nations Extra-Terrestrial Invasion Defence Agency, a strong supporter of the Osprey since it's early design stages, was rather smug about the now-proved abilities of the Marines new craft. "I'm always right" he said "especially about things I know about. I said many, many, many times that this would fly and succeed where others failed, but the Marines were behind this baby 100% so it could not have failed. So to all those who said [the Osprey] was a lemon, I say a big Screw You!". It was obvious The Colonel had been drinking.

Source: Military.com

Sith Lord is Visitor 10,000!

Yes indeed, I'm sure it can't have failed everyone to notice that The Colonel's Eagle has received its 10,000th visitor. I'm pleased to announce that the nefarious SITH APOLOGIST has won the much sought after prestige of being the 10,000th* visitor and the coveted prize that goes with it.

The apologist of all Sith arrived on Sunday August 13th at 14:29. He stayed for a whopping 2 hours 47 mins reading 17 pages, most likely containing material he missed during his long absence recently.

Be not envious, as this would only lead you down the Sith's dark path (and forever will it dominate your destiny) and instead; join me in congratulating Sith Apologist as he wins a genuine United States Special Operations Command lapel pin (pictured left), identical to the worn by myself and US Special Operators on off-duty civilian clothing.

The Colonel's Eagle has grown exponentially since its inception and has many frequent returning visitors. Stick around folks and let's see if YOU can be visitor number 20,000 for which the next prize will be up for grabs.

*he was actually visitor 9999. A random Yank who didn't read the site regularly and was only here to find Spiderman stuff was 10,000. A French dude was 10,001 but all French are disqualified from participation for being a shower of wankers. The closest hitter was thefore the Apologist.

2IGTV Episode 23

In these troubled times where terrorists mastermind a plot to prevent the Colonel from getting his Cherry Coke from the UK: We discuss the crowning of David Hasselhoff as King Of The Internet. A new movie starring Brainless hulk Vin Diesel, who'll be sharing movieland with another of his ilk; John Cena. We discuss Mel Gibson, Heath Ledger, the demise of E3 and the next market to be consumed by Microsoft, the modern-day Borg.




Get it all here.

Space Marines: A Reality?

Col. Jack Wassink is a former Marine Corps jet jockey with a weird new mission. This blunt, 45-year-old chief of the Marine Corps's tiny Space Integration Branch in Quantico, Virginia, shepherds the Marines' radical vision of space warfare.

Unlike the Air Force, Navy and Army, all three of which sponsor expensive satellite programs, the cash-strapped Marines are pushing just one space concept. It's called Small Unit Space Transport and Insertion, or SUSTAIN, and it's a reusable spaceplane meant to get a squad of Marines to any hotspot on Earth in two hours then get them out. The idea is to reinforce embattled embassies, take out terrorist leaders or defuse hostage situations before it's too late. "The Marine Corps needs this capability," Brig. Gen. Richard C. Zilmer told Congress in 2004.

"The Corps has always been an expeditionary force, a force of readiness, a 911 force," Wassink says. "All SUSTAIN is, is a requirement to move Marines very rapidly from one place to another. Space lends itself to that role."

Spaceplanes -- that is, craft that take off and land like airplanes but achieve low orbit using rocket motors -- aren't science fiction (like the Aliens dropship) anymore. In 2004, Burt Rutan's Space Ship One snared the $10 million X-Prize by demonstrating that a relatively cheap and simple vehicle could get a man into low orbit in two stages and return him safely. Air Force Brig. Gen. S. Pete Worden said Rutan's bird offers a glimpse of a future military space transport. “It’s just a scaled-up version of that that would do this [SUSTAIN] mission."

This year, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, launched a spaceplane program called Hot Eagle. Capitalizing on Space Ship One and Hot Eagle, the Marines are hoping to get a space transport into service soon. But Wassink says the Corps can't go it alone. He's been working hard since 2003 to convince the sister services and the scientific community to get behind SUSTAIN. "We've seen the entire gamut of reactions. Some people don't get past the past the giggle factor. Some people think we're off base. Some think we're visionary."

Wassink and the Marines are the underdogs of space. Of all the military space techs on the drawing board, SUSTAIN is the among hardest to pull off. "Propulsion and aerodynamics are going to have to be developed," Wassink says. "And there's a whole host of safety considerations. It's certainly not something the Marine Corps would be able to develop and acquire on its own."

But SUSTAIN promises, for the first time, the capability to influence events anywhere in the world fast and with flexible force, lethal or non-. Wassink believes it is truly revolutionary -- and possible in 10 to 15 years. That's why he's at the Pentagon or in research labs every week pitching SUSTAIN. And that's what motivates him to keep trying when skeptical scientists and generals laugh him out of the room.

"Think about how fast aviation developed. By the end of World War II, you're flying jet aircraft as opposed to propeller planes. That's just 20 years. It's realistic," Wassink says "And I'm excited about it."

Source: Military.com

Police Squad on DVD

In November this year, Paramount will finally release the hilarious antics of Sgt. Frank Drebin, Detective Lieutenant, Police Squad! (as he introduces himself).

One can't have enough Leslie Nielsen and while in this 6 Episode short lived comedy series he's without O.J. Simpson, he's not without the side splitting antics that made the Naked Gun movies so popular.

Paramount Home Entertainment will release Police Squad! - The Complete Series on DVD with all six episodes of the comedy, and will feature tons of bonus materials and extra features. It will be available for about €20.

Special features include: a brand-new interview with Leslie Nielsen, Behind-the-scenes featurettes, Hysterical audio commentaries by the creators on select episodes, a Gag Reel and more.

Britishland: Defcon 20

Our neighbours in Great Britain were in a 'bit of a tizzy' yesterday when the Pakies gave them the heads up on a few troublemakers attempting to cause come trouble over some outbound British flights over the Atlantic.

Left: A copper patrols outside the Houses of Parliament yesterday morning, note the powered targeting mount on his MP5- that's bloody expensive let me tell you, but guaranteed to take down any running Brazilians at 150m!

All flights into and from the UK were disrupted and passengers subjected to delays, searches and reclassification of hand luggage, including the prohibition of anything that could be used as part of an explosive device including bottles of alcohol and iPods.

One Hannah Pillinger, 24, from Horley, Surrey, said she was more disappointed not to be able to take her iPod on the flight as opposed to a 10 hour delay."Eight hours without an iPod, that's the most inconvenient thing."

In all seriousness however, well done to the boys of Scotland Yard and the Intelligence and Security forces across the UK in thwarting this heinous action from those whom the Global War On Terror is waged against.

You won't win, you Terrorist Bastards!

Medal of Honor: Airborne gets Jeep

Electronic Arts and Jeep Brand announced that they inked a deal that will put the Willy-Overland Jeep in Medal of Honor: Airborne, the next installment for the World War II first-person shooter franchise.

The Medal of Honor series has been renowned in the WWII genre since 1999 due to its faithfulness to historical accuracy and authenticity. Jeeps played an important role for in WWII moving troops, information, and tracking the enemy. More than 350,000 Willys jeeps were built and used during the war.
Medal of Honor: Airborne lets players fully control where each mission begins and how it plays out. This is the first time the series has included fully player-drivable vehicles like the classic Willys-Overland Jeep. Authentic to their use in WWII, the Willys Jeep will be able to access more areas than the other drivable vehicles featured in MOHA, because of their four-wheel drive features and can-do attitude.

"The Medal of Honor: Airborne experience begins with unprecedented freedom of approach from the air. With the addition of the Willys Jeep, that freedom continues on the ground, on road and off, and in combat scenarios of all types." explained Patrick Gilmore of EALA. "This is the first time in any Medal of Honor game that a player will have the ability to drive a Willys Jeep, and we're very excited to see this new addition increase the fun and intensity of the gameplay."

But there is a trench war going on in the World War II shooter sub-genre. Electronic Arts' original WWII FPS, which first debuted on PlayStation in 1999, has reached great heights, but during its run, games such as Call of Duty have stolen a lot of the series' thunder. About a year ago, EA took a different direction with MOH, opening it up with larger, wide-open spaces, giving choices to players, where there was simply a single trail before. Medal of Honor: Airborne, the newest game in the series, takes it one step further, offering players the chance to drop from airplanes into the battlefield.

Now that EA has announced its official partnership with Jeep, the publisher has opened up a little, giving us information on a number of subjects. EA is digging deep to re-capture the sub-genre with a game that people will love, and pretty much everything else -- from AI to graphics to vehicles to the newly implemented air drops.

Apparently, players will be PFC Boyd Travers, a soldier in the Army's newly-minted Airborne division. After Nazi attacks in Crete and Belgium, American military officials saw the need for an army capable of a vertical envelopment tactic—that is, they could drop into combat from the air. Volunteers were recruited and specially trained in America and England. Generally, the Airborne preferred soldiers who were bilingual and self-managing, given that they would be dropped behind enemy lines, and largely cut off from command. Travers is no exception. He is fluent in German, and self-managing almost to the point of insubordination.

As Travers would say, he likes to, "go for the long odds." That means he'd rather crash and burn doing something spectacular than see victory doing something mundane. The Airborne division is perfect for him. Travers winds up in the 82nd Airborne, then later transfers to the 17th to participate in Operation Varsity, the invasion of Germany.

Travers' war takes him through every major Airborne operation of WWII; his story is the story of the birth of the Airborne, which continues to help define American combat forces to this day.

While you don't spend a high percentage of game time in the air, the decisions you make in the drop have a significant impact on the game that follows. Thinking of it a different way, the airdrop might go by quickly, but some of the most significant decisions need to be made in that short time frame: Where will I land? What tactics will I employ? Where is the enemy base? What are the relevant approaches? Where are there potential support targets? What are the good sniper/squad/infiltration/assault points? And so on…

Jeep was such an integral part of the airborne experience, EA felt like they'd be shortchanging the concept if they didn't include them. That having been said, Medal of Honor: Airborne is first and foremost an FPS with some cool driving components. Mounted weapons are not standard, but the jeep vehicles will support them. The standard Willys Jeep comes with a high caliber weapon mount which can be operated by a passenger, AI can board the jeep with you and someone has to handle the mounted .30 cal. But for Airborne soldiers in WWII, a Jeep was one of the most valuable resources available. Most soldiers took exceptionally good care of their Jeep; if they were lucky enough to land one, they hung onto it as long as they could. As great a vehicle as the Willys was, sadly, it was not indestructible. While the Jeep affords players additional armor and firepower, various components of the jeep, including tires, suspension, engine, hood, grille, etc., have health. The damage each part takes impacts the performance of the vehicle; ultimately, it can be destroyed entirely.

Apart from many of the features which are already becoming clear visual signatures on next gen graphics (high dynamic range, bloom, crushed blacks, post effects, atmospherics), a couple of next-gen features unique to Airborne that should have a strong visual impact. Among those features is a suite of methods and technology EA shorthand as "best humans." It includes a method for animating and rendering character faces to create more emotional expression and intensity on the battlefield. It also includes some cool tech for higher fidelity environment interactions and an enemy movement style that's a lot more aggressive and in keeping with German army tactics in WWII. All of these features, as well as the integration of vehicles into gameplay, help to make the experience more authentic and more realistic.

Airborne is fundamentally about freedom and player choice. From the first step out of the plane, the player is in control of how the experience plays out. The player defines their landing spot, angle of approach, tactics and style throughout the game. That's a big difference from the rail-ride shooting galleries we've seen within the genre in the past. Basically, the commitment to make a more choice-driven game has required EA to change the way they design levels, and the way non-player-character interactions are crafted. The NPCs are largely driven by the new Affordance engine, which makes enemies aware of the value of the terrain around them, and causes them to prioritize high-value resources (like a pillbox) over lower value (a trench) or even lower value (a blasted tree stump) or no value (open ground). This results in lots of cool dynamic offensive and defensive tactics, no matter which direction the player approaches from.

Don't expect to see Medal Of Honor: Airborne until next summer if we're lucky.

Sources: IGN, Gamespy, 3DGamers

Iran: It's getting hot in here...

In December 2005, a reporter asked Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz, the Israel Defense Force's chief of staff, how far Israel is willing to go to stop Iran's nuclear weapons program; the general answered: "2,000 kilometers" -- the flying distance from Israel to Iran's key nuclear sites.

Unfortunatly in light of Israel's current "little problem" with Hezbollah it seems that it will fall yet again on the square shoulders of the US of A to 'eliminate' the threat posed by the maniacial Iranians once the UN Security council's August 31st deadline arrives.

Naturally before any such action can be taken a recon unit had to be sent into Iran. It was rather warm :) The following is from the declassified sections of my report:

Unfortunately, flattening Iran's nuclear infrastructure isn't easy or risk-free -- and could have serious consequences for American interests. The key challenge: the program is underground, literally and figuratively; Iran burrowed many sites deep below the soil, making them much tougher targets. (It also put some near populated areas to make civilian casualties a certainty if attacked.) And these are the sites we know about: At least two dozen nuclear-related sites are scattered across the country but it may be more than 70.

By burying and dispersing its facilities, Iran is clearly trying to avoid the fate of Saddam Hussein's nuclear program back in 1981 -- when Israeli F-16 fighters, crossing Jordan and Saudi Arabia, destroyed Iraq's 40-megawatt Osiraq reactor in a dawn raid, effectively setting Saddam's nuke dreams back a decade. An Israeli strike at Iran today might feature fighters carrying satellite-guided JDAM bombs, cruise missiles on diesel subs and Special Forces. But the task would be much tougher than the Osiraq strike, thanks to the number of targets and their dispersion, and the greater distances from any Israeli base.

What about U.S. airstrikes? These could take a range of forms, depending on policymakers' desires. Surgical strikes might limit their targets to Iran's air defenses (for access) and key nuclear sites (e.g., Bushehr, Nantanz, Arak). Or an escalated attack could nail all suspected nuke facilities -- plus forces Tehran might use in a counterattack, such as its ballistic missiles and conventional forces. Depending on the strike's objective, think Operation Iraqi Freedom: B-2 stealth bombers carrying bunker-busters, F-117 stealth fighters and other Navy/Air Force strike assets from carriers and theater bases plus Navy destroyers and subs loosing cruise missiles on Iranian targets. Could a raid destroy all sites? Thanks to the covert nature of the Iranian program, that's not clear. It's highly likely, though, that striking key facilities would set the program back, possibly causing Tehran to reconsider the folly of its proliferation policy.

But it's unlikely to be that simple. After an assault, Iran might lash out with a vengeance. We'd have to be fully prepared for some nasty blowback. Tehran and its terrorist toadies can brew up some serious trouble for both America and Israel -- or anyone else that supported an attack on the fundamentalist Islamic state. The Iranian regime is already up to its neck in the insurgencies in Iraq and Afghanistan. It could certainly increase its financial/material support to the Sunni insurgents, Shia militants, al Qaeda, and the Taliban to destabilize the new Baghdad and Kabul governments -- and kill Coalition forces. Iran's other "secret" weapon -- oil. As the world's No. 4 oil exporter, Tehran could rattle oil markets and major economies (e.g., Japan, South Korea, France, Italy) by slashing output. It could also mess with other nations' oil exports -- attacking tankers in the Gulf using mines, subs, patrol boats or anti-ship missiles.

Hezbollah, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad are already in force against Israel and Iran could augment this by pounding populous Tel Aviv with its Shahab missiles mated with chemical/biological warheads. The U.S. homefront could get hit, too. Over the last few years, the FBI has evicted Iranian intel officers for surveilling New York City tourist/transport sites. Hezbollah has supporters and likely has operatives in America who might undertake acts of terrorism or sabotage U.S. ports or bases, too. Iran now harbors at least 25 senior Al Qaeda operatives, including senior military commander Saif al Adel and three of Osama bin Laden's sons. If we come to blows, would Tehran help al Qaeda hit the U.S. homeland?

This doesn't mean we shouldn't use military might to interrupt or end Iran's nuclear gambit; it may be the best/only option. There are no easy answers, only tough choices. But the military option has to stay on the table. Otherwise, it's a snap that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will let Tehran's nuclear genie out of the bottle. I'm glad I ain't a General.

Flags Of Our Fathers poster

http://www.flagsofourfathers.com/

Target: Athlone

If anyone is looking for me this long weekend; I'll be in the Westmeath area "just making sure"!

Big news from the casting couch.

It was confirmed today that one half of that recently celuloided "friendly cowboy" duo, Heath Ledger has been cast as Batman's arch-nemesis; the maniacal Joker in the upcoming sequel to the greatest super hero film of all time Batman Begins, which has now been given the title The Dark Knight.

Don't screw it up Heath.

(Left, artists quick impression of the new Joker)

In other casting news, I'm pleased to announce that the part of James "Rhody" Rhodes, former US Marine pilot, Tony Stark's best friend and part-time user of the Iron Man armour has been offered to Terrence Howard. It's unknown yet if Howard will take up the offer but I think there's a good actor who hasn't sullied his career with stupid romantic comedies or friendly cowboy films + he actually looks the part.

The F-35 Lightning II

At an unveiling ceremony a couple of weeks ago; Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England congratulated the team that built the stealth-technology fighter, and said the aircraft will serve far into the future. "The F-35 Lightning II will be the centerpiece of airpower in the 21st century for America and our allies," England said.

In addition to Britain, the consortium of countries that will field the aircraft includes Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, Australia, Norway, Denmark and Canada.

The Lightning II will be "the most sophisticated, affordable and capable" aircraft of all time "and the very best fighter ever built," promised Ralph Heath, president of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., the lead contractor for the F-35 development program.

The F-35 is most-expensive weapons procurement ever undertaken by the U.S. military. Contracts worth about $30 billion, out of an estimated total U.S. government cost of $276 billion, have been issued so far to Lockheed and other contractors.

As Air Force Gen. Michael Moseley let out the worst-kept secret in Washington, the Lightning II name, a giant video screen behind him disappeared into the stage floor, revealing the stealth gray F-35, bathed in spotlights and also shrouded in smoke. "What a fantastic looking flying machine," Moseley said. "Today, we collectively put the enemies of peace and freedom on notice. Their defenses are obsolete."

The F-35 is supposed to eventually replace many of the combat aircraft now used by the U.S. and its allies. It is designed to be stealthy -- hard to detect with radar -- speedy, maneuverable and loaded with modern weapons. Three versions are planned: the F-35A version is designed for conventional takeoffs and landings, and will be used by the Air Force. It will replace the F-15, F-16 and A-10. The B variant has vertical lift capability, and will be used by the Marines as a replacement for the AV-8B Harrier. The C variant will be for carrier launches and will ultimately replace the Navy's F-18s.

Rep. Kay Granger, a Fort Worth republican, argued against critics who say there's little need for a new generation of expensive fighter jets in the conflicts U.S. forces are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. Iraqi terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, killed by U.S. bombs, "found out the F-16 could make a house call," Granger said, adding that U.S. forces already have a name for his successor. "They just call him 'Next.'"

Source: Military.com

2IGTV Episode 22

Discover who will voice Optimus Prime in the upcoming Transformers movie in this weeks episode. Learn about See Stan Lee in something far more nonsensical than Marvel film cameos. Wrinkler attempting to reunite the Angels. Take home the Star Trek: The Animated Series on DVD or trap yourself in South Park's closet. Halo movie and Conan MMO are delayed. And if you want news on either David Hasselhoff or Wesley Snipes then you should go here.

Bond soundstage ablaze!

It happened in 1984 before A View To A Kill, but now it's happened again. The giant 007 soundstage at Pinewood studios has once again been destroyed by fire. A spokeswoman for the Buckinghamshire Fire Brigade said they were alerted at 11.18am on Sunday morning. Filming on the latest Bond film Casino Royale had finished so it doesn't appear that it will be affected, but producers had set a target of 2008 for Bond 22 which may not be possible now.

Source: BBC News

The Crysis Report, Part III

Continued from Part II

Part of the appeal and buzz sorrounding Crysis is that those who have witnessed the game in action have claimed it's the most graphically incredible game ever seen. It undoubtadly surpasses anything on the PC today and most likely will shit on the limited capabilities of "Next-Gen" consoles (as PC games usually do anyway). One of the main selling points for any game today is graphics and those of Cry Engine 2 (which Crysis is built on) will water your eyeballs. some of the features include:

Volumetric clouds which are illuminated in real-time and allow soft fly-throughs. This allows for frantic action when you are fighting aliens in the sky. The clouds also cast realistic shadows on anything lying beneath them.
Real-time Ambient Maps lighting technology is a real-time implementation of indirect lighting that approximates ambient light intensity. This technology provides realistic ambient lighting. Using this technology Crysis will feature the most realistic lighting without compromising the real-time performance.
A leak and bleeding free implementation of Depth of Field is shown to support focus changes. Crysis will feature this technology as part of their cinematic gameplay experience.
The camera, as well as any object on screen, if moved too quickly features directional high quality Motion Blur. This feature provides a cinematic visual quality supporting what Crytek calls "Video Realism".
All objects cast shadows that are pixel accurate and soft according to the sunlight diffusion; allowing for an unparalleled shadow rendering technology.

It's unsurprising that this is a PC only title. What Crytek has done with CryEngine 2 can only be pulled off with the next-gen technology for the PC and those with high-end machines when the game releases are in for a treat. It should also be noted that it's planned to take full advantage of Windows Vista and DirectX10, although it will run with much lesser options on XP and DirectX9. Any delays with Vista will also delay this game as already announced by Electronic Arts.

Sources: 3D Gamers, IGN & Gamespy

Iron Man Teaser Poster

My dear God! It's magnificent. This is Adi Granov's Comic Con 2006 Iron Man teaser poster (not to be confused with an actual studio teaser poster), showing what could be the version of Shellhead's armour as seen in the film. Note the classic use of round, rather than triangular centre light, like in most of the more modern depiction of the Iron Man armour. This may be Fraveau's nod the the original red and gold design. It's doubtful that this exact design will make it into production, considering the release date is almost 2 years from now, but at least we can be happy that Fraveau is taking things in the right direction.

Source: Jon Fraveau himself

Mr. T: "A sin to wear all that gold again"

Mr. T will apparently become bereft of his signature gold chains after witnessing the havok and destruction caused in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Apparently he doesn't feel it's right that he continues to wear his gold while there is still so much suffering there.

It's most likely however that
a) hes not strong enough to lift the several kilos of gold around his neck anymore (I mean seriously one of the "medallions" around his neck in the picture there is as big as my fucking frying pan).
b) This is a publicity stunt for his new show "I pity the fool" starting in October, where T will dispense advice for people coping with life's problems. I've found a better 'agony aunt' however.

Source: Yahoo News

Star Trek XI Poster

This is the one-sheet teaser for Star Trek XI revealed at the weekend. It certainly captures the feel of the original series using the command star varient of the USS Enterprise arrowhead (which we all know was later adopted as the insignia for all of Starfleet) imposed over swashes of colour denoting command gold and sciences blue. Simple, yet amazing. Go J.J.

Icons and Desktops are now available here from StarTrek.com.

More Iron Man details

At the Marvel Studios panel at Comiccon 2006 this weekend, it was obvious that fans thought Jon Favreau was the right man to bring the saga of the armored Avenger to the big screen.

Throughout the panel, the director shared his vision for the story arc of the film, the character of billionaire playboy Tony Stark, the man behind the armor, and the look of the suit itself. "We'll start with the gray armor," he said, citing that "you can't build a Lamborghini in a cave." This is in reference to the origin of the original suit, which Stark will be piecing together during his imprisonment in Afghanistan. From there, Favreau wants to evolve the look to the red and gold comics fans have become accustomed to, and ultimately incorporate the idea of the suit as weapons platform, a la War Machine. The director foresees several suits of armor throughout the film, and the look will evolve if multiple installments of the saga are told.

Talking about the feel of the armor, Favreau stated, "There is a sort of Robocop-like quality this character could have… I like the weight and mass and power," adding that this Iron Man would never be about martial arts Power Rangers moves, and instead all about heavy metal and heavy weapons.

For guidance on the suit design, Favreau turned to Iron Man artist Adi Granov. The digital painter designed a special teaser image exclusively for the Con that shows an idea of what the armor might look like. Of import is the center light on Iron Man's chest, which is round, rather than triangular, like in some designs. In the teaser image, most of the character is shrouded in shadow, as the final design has not yet been determined.

Favreau got a round of applause for stating that he hates the overuse of CG in films, but went on to say, "I always stay away from CG, but if there's any character that lends itself to CG… it's Iron Man." The trick, he said, is that "you have to treat something false as real in order to make it real."

To help inform the project, the director has been re-reading the comics and using anime sources like Ghost in the Shell, Appleseed and Neon Genesis Evangelion to get an idea of how technology interacts with an organic environment.

Favreau described the storyline as a combination of James Bond and a Tom Clancy novel, deeply embroiled in the geopolitical issues of our time. Since he sees the project as a number of films, he has opted to incorporate the "demon in a bottle" alcoholism storyline in future films after the character has been introduced and developed.

Finally, Favreau revealed that the villain that Iron Man will face in the film is the Mandarin. He also hinted that he might reprise his Daredevil role of lawyer Foggy Nelson for this film. The movie will be the first released by the newly-formed Marvel Studios, and it is set to hit theaters in May, 2008.

Source: IGN.com

New Sniper Rifle for Marines

Scout Snipers from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit's Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Bn., 2nd Marine Regiment, fired their new rifles for the first time on a range this week.

The BLT Marines will use the new MK-11 semi-automatic sniper rifle simultaneously alongside the bolt-action M40A3, a descendent of the Vietnam-era M40. The rifle resembles an M-16 on first glance, and Sgt. Gerald V. Gavin, Scout Sniper Platoon commander, said the resemblance can benefit operations on today's urban battlefields because identifying a sniper with the new MK-11 in an infantry patrol will be harder, making them less vulnerable.

Gavin said the semi-automatic action on the new rifle, as well as the addition of a suppressor system that reduces muzzle flash and report, make it a valuable addition to the inventory.
The MK-11 comes fitted with the Scout Sniper Day Scope (SSDS), which the Marine Corps also is attaching to its existing inventory of M40A3s. Gavin said the new scope improves the snipers ability to engage targets, offering enhanced sighting ability and ease of use. "It's a great piece of glass," he said.

The Mk 11 system uses match grade 7.62x51mm NATO ammunition (similar to .308 Winchester). The out-of-the-box system includes the rifle, 20 round box magazines, QD scope rings, Leupold Vari-X Mil-dot riflescope, Harris swivel-base bipod on a Knight's mount, and QD sound suppressor, which is also manufactured by Knight's Armament Co. Flip-up BUIS (Back up iron sights) are attached to the modified gas block and upper receiver.

It is currently in service with most operational components of United States Special Operations Command and also with the Israeli Special Forces. The system has also recently become available to civilian consumers at a unit price of around $7,500 USD (without the sound suppressor unit and with with assault weapons ban friendly 5-round and 10-round magazines).

The BLT and Scout Snipers will continue to train with the MEU's Aviation and Logistics Combat Elements here until the end of the month. The training at Fort A.P. Hill is the MEU's first step in a six-month pre-deployment training process designed to merge the disparate elements of the MEU into a cohesive, rapid reaction force. The 26th MEU will continue to prepare for an early 2007 deployment in support of the Global War on Terrorism.

Picture: Maj. Gen. Douglas V. O'Dell Commanding General of the 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (Anti-Terrorism), shoots a 7.62mm Mk 11.

The Crysis Report, Part II

Continued from Part I

We all knew that Crytek would pull some serious technological magic for their second title and it doesn't look like anyone will be disappointed.

According to Crytek, the AI for Crysis has been rewritten from scratch, hopefully resulting in soldiers who will do a better job of using cover, working in teams, and flanking you. The stealth meter returns from Far Cry, so you can tell if you're in danger of being spotted, and you'll also have a set of high-powered binoculars on hand to scope areas out from afar.

One interesting new aspect of Crysis that you have the ability to customize your character's gear. To start, you're outfitted with a specially powered armor suit that can switch between three settings: Speed, Strength or Armor. Each of these settings will come in handy at various times; for example, Strength will allow you to carry heavier weapons, provide more accuracy while shooting, and even dish out more damage if you're forced into melee combat. Switching between these settings was as simple as clicking the middle mouse button and selecting the desired armor setting on the fly. This menu also allows you to customize other aspects of your gear, such as bullet type (armor piercing, incendiary, etc), or bolt-on options for weapons via a rail system found on many weapons I use in reality! The machinegun, for example, could be outfitted with a flashlight (see how simple it is ID?), a scope, or a grenade launcher.

Another improvement is the new environments. While some of the game is set amongst island jungles, players will also fight their way through the ice laden frozen zones of the island chain, across the decks of an aircraft carrier under siege, and even into zero G gameplay aboard the alien mother ship. Thanks to an engine that allows for reaction of a ton of different objects (especially with the help of the unified architecture DX10 design, upcoming GPUs, and PPUs) jungles now become more than stagnant cover. Foliage reacts to contact with other physical objects so that leaves and branches bend and react to human bodies but more importantly, much of the environment is destructible. Trees will fall apart from gunfire and when they fall, if they happen to say: smash into a bad guy's head, that bad guy will take an appropriate amount of damage. Likewise, the frozen objects set in ice by the alien weaponry will have properties that allow it to be shattered by weapons fire.

Perhaps what was most encouraging about seeing Crysis at this year's E3 Expo in Los Angeles was hearing Crytek CEO Cevat Yerli acknowledge the things its rookie effort, the award-winning Far Cry, did wrong -- things like a poor savegame system, insanely difficult endgame levels, and spotty network code that marred an otherwise excellent game with groundbreaking level design and some of the best graphics we'd ever seen in a videogame. Those who've played that will be pleased to know that a quick save function will appear in Crysis as standard (and not just available as a unser downloadable mod). Even Crytek has realized that the difficulty level in Far Cry was pretty high for the average player. Crysis, while still providing a challenge that players can feel good about overcoming, should be a little easier to manage without having to worry about making it to the next checkpoint to save the game. Cevat is hoping the balance between enemies, weapons, and challenges will benefit the player.

Crytek also admits that the story behind Far Cry was a bit cheesy, and its goal with Crysis is to make something closer to a true blockbuster than a B-movie.

Continued in Part III

Sources: 3D Gamers, IGN & Gamespy

Jack Bauer in for 3 more days of hell!

Kiefer Sutherland has inked a deal reportedly worth $40 million to remain on the pulse-quickening drama 24 for another three seasons, ensuring CTU's main man will be fighting terrorists through 2009. The deal includes several perks for the actor including being 'promoted' to executive producer, as well as a pay raise that elevates him to being the highest paid actor on a drama series.

"I am thrilled to extend my commitment to all my friends and colleagues at 24, and I'm looking forward to this expanded relationship with 20th Century Fox." Sutherland said.

A somewhat terrifying part of the Golden Globe winner's multifaceted deal, sets up Sutherland with his own production company and a two-year development deal with the studio. Apparently the actor is eager to see what he can do behind the camera. We can only hope this doen't incude that awful band he manages and promotes which played in Dublin recently in a venue where Sutherland himself bought all the tickets so people could hear the band for free!!!

Aside from another few years on Television; 24, currently in its highest rated and most critically acclaimed year yet, Sutherland and show producers are considering bringing the drama to the big screen. The 24 movie, like the small-screen version, is expected to follow the exploits of Counter Terrorist Unit agent Jack Bauer who protects the United States from whoever threatens it.

Instead of the story taking place over the movie's approximately 2-hour running time, the film will likely abandon the show's unique real-time storytelling approach. Series creators Robert Cochran and Joel Surnow will pen the screenplay with executive producer Howard Gordon working on the story. It's possible that the feature could be filmed as early as next summer in between shooting the sixth and possible seventh seasons of the show. It's easy to envision the sixth season finale providing a adrenaline-charged setup for the film.

Source IGN TV

Who says that justice doesn't work?

The British bobbies who scored a righteous kill on Jean de Menezes (left) this time last year when they suspected him of being a terrorist: will thankfully not be prosecuted for their excellent marksmanship.

Daftly, however they will be held accountable for violating health and safety laws? There's probably some dumb ISO procedure which they didn't follow during the takedown where they didn't police their brass (pick up their spent shells) and someone slipped on one.

While the rushing Brazilian was later proved not to be a bomb-wielding terrorist, he should have stopped when the men in black with "POLICE" in big white letters armed with the beautiful H&K MP5 Sub-machine gun told him to do so. Sadly because this guy was apparently innocent, the UK has left their shoot-to-kill policy slip a bit. Shame.

That reminds me of the best visual gag of last year before The Colonel's Eagle came online. It'll never get old for me :)

Technolotics; the Colonel as you've never seen him before...

... and for all you ladies expecting to see me naked, I must dissapoint, but delight you in other ways by telling you that I appear (with Mark offscreen) in Episode 40 of Irelands first independant Vidcast: "Technolotics", a lighthearted look at the world of Technology and Politics.

Picture: Me and Francis from the Technolotics crew.

Naturally we upset the somewhat left-wing socialist viewpoint of the show, but even the show's producer felt things needed to be shanken up a bit, so how bad?

It's almost a 50 minute long video so be patient. You can get it at the 2IGTV website now!

DDO: Mega Review

The ancestry of nearly all fantasy computer role-playing games can be traced back to the dice-rolling classic, Dungeons & Dragons. The genius of Gygax and Arneson ate the infinite mysteries of magical fantasy created by authors like Tolkein and shit them out as a set of rules that you can argue with others about, over empty beer bottles until four in the morning. Even most fantasy RPGs now follow the basic D&D mathematical principle of: killing things = cool stuff + level up as opposed to an overshadowing of ancient good and evil.

In the extraordinary world of computer games however, just because you were the first at it, doesn't necessarily mean you're going to be the best at it. Indeed games like the D&D Baldur's Gate saga were the most superior of their time, but we have thousands of people still on Battlenet still playing Diablo long after the Gate has been laid to rest. The Dungeon Siege and Elder Scrolls franchises are encroaching into D&D's territory and in the Autumn, Neverwinter Nights 2 will have some battle to wrest the RPG crown from Oblivion.

But now to the matter in hand: How good or bad is Dungeon and Dragons Online: Stormreach? Set in the relatively new campaign world of Eberron, where you may be surprised to see steam and valves everywhere, in a D&D setting, D&D's first MMORPG is simply splendid, in my opinion. I had never delved into the foray of any MMO before. Only Star Wars: Galaxies held my interest when it was released, and because you couldn't be a Jedi (well you couldn't back then), I snubbed it. When Mark "insisted" I join him online, I didn't really hesitate, it was something I wanted to try and since I was more than familiar with the game mechanics of D&D there was no downside...

Picture: (left) Karadon the paladin, (crouched) Zendrak the rogue, (right) Alro the cleric.

I would have to say that DDO captures some of the spirit of the PnP game, in so far as you need to be in a group in order to play, you can't really go it alone- I thought that that aspect was pretty fuckin' obvious myself: what's the point of playing online connected with 1000's of others to a server if you have a pressing need to want to go off and adventure by yourself? Some people demanded solo-play though; you just can't please everyone! It also lacks player-versus-player for the moment, which was a big plus for me to be coaxed into the game. PvP is against the spirit of D&D which is based on co-operative groups of adventurers.

I've read that "no game, including Neverwinter Nights, comes as close to feeling like an actual old-school D&D module running on your computer screen. (At least the combat portion of it. The role-playing is up to the players)". Naturally however, there have been some tweaking to the rules as those who know the rules of D&D know that it would be an almost impossible task to port every single aspect of D&D into a computer game, and make it work. In particular, healing is faster and spell-casting less restrictive but the general feel and the setting make you look around for your dice bag and the dungeons play like an actual adventure with real plot twists.

Graphically, the game was good enough, nowhere near the standard of something like Oblivion, but it could be tailored to almost any system that wanted to play it through a large array of options. In the beginning there were quite a few server issues which resulted in a number of days where you couldn't even get on to the servers, but they seem to have all but disappeared now. The distributors reimbursed you for your time out too, which was very nice of them.

Two things I would have liked to have had in the game were a more epic storyline and kill-based XP. I think that your adventures in Stormreach should have had an epic tale of good triumphing over evil or a quest to recover some epic device which you would need for higher levels. I know that by it's very nature, the game would have to give every player the same storyline, but I'm not a developer, I'm just telling you what I'd have liked and I'd have liked something to say why I was in Stormreach, risking life and limb with all these crazy characters, surely the motivation wasn't as shallow as gettin' loot and levellin' up after a bloodbath? Also, and I'm not just saying I want experience based on kills because out of everyone in my party I always got the most kills. In PnP experience was given to you and anyone who was with you when you made the kill. I think it made more sense that way, but that's just me. You could have got something then for random encounters on your way to a quest-giver in all those areas where you had to do that, but you got nothing for all the creatures slain along the way. Bad form.

While unfortunately only due to time constraints as opposed to the game itself, I won't have the time too see it through to the end, not that there's much of an end of it in sight with modules being added to the game faster than they can be completed, I'm glad that it was DDO (and not the misfire of Guild Wars or something) was my first (and most likely only) venture into the world of MMOs. It was a worthwhile experiment and one I was glad to undertake. I can't say: "I've never done that". It was a funny experience leaving the game finally. I went into an inn and proceeded to give all my gear to a paladin, an avatar of a UK player whom I never met before. Once I told her I was Irish, she asked me if I had been out earlier and if I was sure I wanted to do this? She remarked that she now understands what winning the lotto feels like.

So if you want that old-school D&D experience in its purest form, pull out the books and start rolling dice. But for folks no longer in an actual school, running a D&D game can take more time than is practical. DDO is a fun way to capture some of the feel of all-night, beer & pizza-fueled dungeon crawl without having to do as much of the work up front. It's doubtful it will do next-to-near the business of World of Warcraft, but that's because it takes a special breed of person to enjoy this game, people that are few and far between; good, helpful and friendly people- people who don't think that they're forced to be good or neutral aligned characters (even though you are), they're glad to be. It's for people who will take their time and not rush through the dungeon to get the final treasure and more XP; well you can, but not doing so will be a more rewarding, satisfying experience. It was for me.

Karadon Retires From DDO

The greatest knight whomever roamed the lands of Eberron; Karadon: Slayer of a million Kobolds, has retired from active service to the Church of the Holy Flame.

After 4 and a half months of exemplary service to the people of Stormreach, the mighty Paladin, long-time comrade of Zendrak Thalendon: the sneaky rogue and Alro: the holy cleric, passed on his arsenal of powerful weapons and armour to a fellow paladin who vowed to continue on the fight. "I met Shayla in the Rusty Nail, she thought I was drunk when I began handing over 65000gp and the greatest Paladin armour and weapons that could be purchased in their price category".

Karadon's last campaign was in the Tomb of Delera where he protected his comrades in a battle to near death for their very souls.

"I was able to defend my frightened comrades using my superior martial skills to vanquish the evil undead that dwelled within." Karadon said humbly "The power of my deity flowed through me, no undead could withstand my onslaught, even the non-corporeal Wraiths fell before my magic and Ghost-touch weapons as I accounted for far more kills than anyone else, it was glorious".

Karadon felt the taint of evil however, take hold of him in that darkened dungeon. "There may have been a higher power there, but on either side of good and evil. Unseen eyes watching me with passionate envy, to what end, I know not but once I emerged, I knew I would not be returning as the others would".

What does the future hold for Karadon? "I shall miss my friends and comrades, it is likely that they will be lost without my leadership, I may have not always known which way to go but they knew that glory, treasure and adventure were found by following me. Still, I must move on, I hear Neverwinter is nice in the Autumn" and with that Karadon stepped on a ship which disappeared into the mist.

The Colonel In Dublin

I had the misfortune of having to go to Dublin today. I do so hate that hole, but it was a necessary measure to continue my quest for fame (but more on that later). I noticed that the spike or spire, that ridiculous monstrosity that claims to be art that even the Dubs themselves are ashamed of, is leaning. I mean Jesus lads... do something about it. It's going to fuckin' fall!!!







Picture: Mark

2IGTV Episode 21

Pirates and French stuntmen invade our cinemas- but should you go? We talk Russel Crowe, John Woo (not Ang Lee!), Casper Van Dien & Linda Carter's Slayer, Cameron's Avatar and comprehensive news of Sam Jackson returns. Big rumour for Indiana Jones IV and speculation on the Silver Surfer abound. We discuss the little hiccups that are plagueing high-def DVD players and the wonders of science continue to cameras that survive re-entry through our atmosphere.

Get it here!

New Spider-Man 3 Poster

'Nuff said!

The Crysis Report, Part I

You can't have not heard of Crysis by now, the second game from Crytek who originally brought you Far Cry in 2004, has been featured in every gaming magazine and website since this years GDC.

Crysis is not a sequel to Far Cry, but both are similar only in the fact that it's an island setting, but we'll se far more different environments than a tropical jungle in this game. Crysis takes place in 2019 directly following the landfall of a large asteroid onto an island chain. Nefariously, North Korea seals off the island chain to all outside sources in order to keep any potentially beneficial research to themselves. Naturally the defenders of world freedom, the United States sends off a Delta Force squad to find out what's going on in the area.

At the two powers bicker undiplomatically, the asteroid pops open and reveals a mother ship and some highly aggressive alien visitors hiding inside. Naturally it's got some interesting weapons. The world's weather system goes wacky, part of the island chain completely freezes, and humans combine forces to take on the new and more threatening enemy. Over the course of the game, players will have to fight through jungle, over mountain, through towns, and into the heart of the alien ship to take down the threat to humanity.

Of course you as the player will be thrust into the shoes of a super soldier out to save the world. Weapons are important to a shooter and Crytek say that you’ll have customizable armour and weapons which will add to the fun and dynamic aspects of the experience by making players adapt to their environment and enemies. Of course, as you would expect following Far Cry, players will want to be adaptable to deal with some AI that's pretty competitive in the market and will undoubtedly be much improved this time around. Not only will human AI be interesting and use military tactics in real-time, but the aliens will use their own tactics and highly tuned senses to make life difficult for any would be heroes.Even more interesting is the promise of natural disasters to confuse the issue even more. Earthquakes, ice-breaks, landslides, and tornadoes will rock the landscapes of the game making the world a death trap as far as we can tell. These particular features could be pretty interesting.

Continued in Part II

Sources: 3D Gamers, IGN & Gamespy

Optimus Prime Transformers Movie Picture!

This is the picture that Mike Bay and Paramount don't want you to see (less the big red X I stuck on there obviously) of Optimus Prime in Truck mode. I'm not completely surprised that they didn't go with a Cabover semi because they aren't that common today, but I didn't see the flame type of deco coming. It doesn't say Prime to me, but it does have potential. I'm reserving judgement until we see robot mode pics.

It's obviously real, since they had AICN remove it, but it's still up in a few places on the net for all to see. I'd like to link them for you but if I do then those sites pictures will be taken down too if not their whole websites like heavy-handed Paramount have done recently.

In related news I do have this from Youtube! It has Steven Speilberg talking about Transformers and Mike Bay and we see a lot of grainy footage.

Flags Of Our Fathers

Clint Eastwood's next directorial assignment is Flags Of Our Fathers, chronicling the US Marines and Navy Corpsman who raised the US flag on Mount Suribachi at The Battle of Iwo Jima on February 23, 1945 , a turning point in WWII.

As this is the most reproduced image in the history of photography, I'm sure you'll be surprised to know that THIS IS AN IMAGE FROM THE FILM! I shit you not people! With attention to detail like this we're in for something big here.

Warning! Construction work ahead!

If you see things go a little "wonky" around here in a bit: Do not adjust your computer or change browser. I'm just doing some modifications and improvements. Due to the fact that I'm not a qualified web-designer nor have I any formal training in HTML I expect things to go horribly wrong before getting it right. As I often say: "It's going to get worse before it gets better!"

Updated:
Please report any issues with my adjusted layout (citing browser and resolution) by commenting or E-mail.

Yet another French defeat...

...this time on the football battlefield where I was overjoyed to see Italy defeat the garlic munching cowardly dogs.
Proving their true nature as ignorant savages; their captain, the commanding officer of the company headbutted one of the poor Italians sending him flying. What an animal!, and a disgraceful way of ending a career. I'd spit at him and his teammates except I'm an officer and a gentleman, far removed from those people.

Mama Mia! Well done Italy!

The North Korean Menace

In the past 24 hours, North Korea has launched 7 missiles into the Sea of Japan. One of their largest and most far-reaching the Taepodong-2 is capable of reaching the US mainland, but apparently failed 40 seconds into its launch.
While I'm readying for possible military action against Iran, I did monitor the launches from the bunker. Non-military people have been asking me all day, what's going on? Is it WWIII? Them I can only assure that North Korea's technology is 10 years behind that of the US and no match for the impressive anti-missile defense system in place by both the US and Japan.

Taepodong in Korean means "a kind of penis" and it appears that for the moment the penis is somewhat flaccid.

Happy July 4th!

Happy July 4th to all my US visitors, don't blow off your fingers with the fireworks.
The big story might have been a pretty big rocket pushing the Space Shuttle Discovery into orbit that thankfully didn't turn into a firework itself, but there were two great 4th July speeches made today, one by the Commander in Chief: President Bush and another by the CJCS Marine General Peter Pace here on www.foxnews.com

The Transformers Teaser Trailer

Never before have so many capital 'T's been used in a headline, but now you can all sit back and watch the most anticipated trailer in history. Not because it's a Mike Bay film, it's because everyone reading this has played with the Robots in Disguise at some point since 1984, or at least has seen the cartoon series. Only if living in a cave like Bin Laden is now, could you have avoided the cultural phenomenon that the war between the heroic Autobots or evil Decepticons has been responsible for.See the Transformers trailer now at www.transformersmovie.com.