My old Pokemon nemesis Jimbo sent me a link to this completely awesome a capella performance of the original Pokemon cartoon theme song (North American version). Danny Fong did an excellent job with this and should win a medal or a trophy or something. Check it out and let me know what you think (please)!
Category: TV
WWE and YouTube Expand Partnership, Full Episodes Online
YouTube has announced that it has expanded its partnership with WWE. This snippet from the official YouTube blog says it all:
Wrestling fans, have we got a body-slam of an announcement for you. Today, we’re announcing a new partnership with the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) that will bring full-length episodes of Friday Night Smackdown, WWE NXT, WWE Superstars and ECW to YouTube users in the U.S. on the WWE YouTube channel. In case that’s not enough pile-driving goodness for you, there will be even more clips from Monday Night Raw, footage from classic WWE matches, and videos from WWE Superstars and Divas like John Cena, Chris Jericho and Alicia Fox.
I’m sure all of you are thrilled that more Alicia Fox videos will be available online. *sigh* Could they have picked a lamer WWE Diva?!?
Seriously though, this is awesome news. Too bad WWE Raw isn’t part of the deal. That would make me think hard about cancelling my cable service (which I ultimately wouldn’t do because I’m a boxing fan).
You ladies and gents psyched for more Alicia Fox hotness (and full episodes of WWE programming)?!?
Xbox 360 Kinect Produces Mixed Results on Jimmy Fallon
Xbox Kinect and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon have some history. Microsoft’s Kudo Tsunoda showed the device on Late Night when it was known as Project Natal. He recently returned to show the updated hardware and some new games. The results were mixed. The crowd seemed to dig it (or the applause signs were really effective), but the lag issues were obvious.
Check out the video above and let me know what you think of Kinect’s performance on Late Night (please). Remember, Natal is due out in November so there’s plenty of time for Microsoft to tighten the bolts. The question is, should the company be showing it off when it’s lag city?
New WWE Champions and Bryan Danielson Launches New Site
In case you missed last night’s WWE Fatal Four Way pay-per-view event, Sheamus is the new WWE Champion and Rey Mysterio is the new World Heavyweight Champion. I love that Sheamus has the strap again; he has a unique look and cuts fun promos (I love it when he calls someone “fella”). I’m not as jazzed by Rey Rey winning a belt. WWE could have done more with previous title holder Jack Swagger. Hopefully Rey is just a transitional champion.
In other news, Bryan Danielson (Daniel Bryan in WWE) has launched a new web site. He was released from the WWE under murky circumstances and has several indie bookings lined up. I am tremendously bummed that WWE released Danielson for seemingly idiotic reasons. I’m also bummed that he never really got to show what he could do in WWE. Since Shawn Michaels retired, Danielson and Chris Jericho were the two main reasons I wathced WWE programming. Sadly, it’s down to Jericho.
In order to honor Danielson, I think I’ll download an excellent Ring of Honor episode on Xbox Live (they’re under HD Net). I believe there’s an excellent match between Danielson and my pal Austin Aries available. Thankfully a very kind and very smart reader hooked me up with Microsoft Points yesterday. I think this will be my second purchase with said points.
High Quality WWE Clips on YouTube
I totally missed this little tidbit — WWE has an official YouTube account! There are lots of great clips available. Here are two of my favorites from the last episode of WWE Monday Night Raw. Up above is a dance-off between Santino Marello and Vladimir Kozlov. It’s significant because it’s the most interesting Kozlov has been since joining WWE. Below is a great clip of John Cena getting the crap beat out of him by the cast of NXT season one. It’s awesome because any time Cena gets trashed is fantastic and Bryan Danielson rules!
Snoop Dogg, David Beckham, and Noel Gallagher in Mos Eisley
It sounds like a really bad joke — Snoop Dogg, David Beckham, Jay Baruchel, and Noel Gallagher walk into the Mos Eisley cantina (Star Wars)…. Ha! It’s actually a very cool commercial by Adidas that features several famous athletes, musicians, and actors. I saw it over the weekend and wanted to share it with you.
WWE Announces New Pairings for NXT Season Two
During the season finale of NXT, WWE revealed the upcoming pros and rookies pairings for season two. They are:
- Husky Harris (Windham Rotunda, son of I.R.S.) with Cody Rhodes
- Eli Cottonwood with John Morrison.
- Percy Watson with MVP
- Titus O’Neal with Zack Ryder
- Kaval (Low-Ki in ROH, Senshi in TNA) with Michelle McCool and Layla
- Lucky Cannon with Mark Henry
- Michael McGillicutty (Joe Hennig, son of Mr. Perfect) with Kofi Kingston
- Alex Riley with The Miz
There’s some interesting talent here. Right away I’m drawn to Low-Ki, who had some excellent matches in ROH and TNA. I’m curious to see how LayCool will try to put him over. Even though Percy Watson proclaims to be a ladies’ man, his character is clearly flaming. Harris and McGillicutty have big shoes to fill (especially McGillicutty).
NXT is actually my favorite WWE program at the moment simply because I don’t know what to expect each week. SmackDown and Raw have become so predictable. Outside of Chris Jericho’s excellent work, the shows are just kind of…there for me now.
Anyway, let me know what you think of the new NXT pairings when you have a chance.
Microsoft Announcing Hulu on Xbox 360 at E3 2010?
Here’s a hot E3 2010 rumor by way of Gear Live — Microsoft will announce a premium version of Hulu that will be available on Xbox 360. The look would be similar to how Netflix shows up on the Xbox Live dashboard. A paid subscription would also be required. Remember, Hulu was rumored to be launching a premium service in May, but that didn’t happen. Perhaps the Xbox 360 will kick things off. Here’s the deal from Gear Live’s Andru Edwards:
We’ve heard from a very reliable source (who has never been wrong before) that Microsoft is set to unveil Hulu as an Xbox Live service at E3 2010. Similar to how Netflix is integreated into the Xbox 360 dashboard, Hulu would be there as well, and would require a subscription fee.
What do you guys and gals think of the possibility oh Hulu on Xbox 360? What would you be willing to pay for premium content?
Apple TV Rumor: Screenless iPad for $99?
The red-headed stepchild in Apple’s family of products, Apple TV appears to be on the verge of shedding its “hobby” status and readying for prime time. According to Engadget, the new Apple TV will offer an inexpensive device that streams 1080p video. Here’s the scoop:
The new architecture of the device will be based directly on the iPhone 4, meaning it will get the same internals, down to that A4 CPU and a limited amount of flash storage — 16GB to be exact — though it will be capable of full 1080p HD (!). The device is said to be quite small with a scarce amount of ports (only the power socket and video out), and has been described to some as “an iPhone without a screen.” Are you ready for the real shocker? According to our sources, the price-point for the device will be $99.
If this rumor pans out, I’m sure the device will do well. While I’m not big on streaming 1080p, most consumers can’t tell the difference between streaming and Blu-ray video. More importantly, the $99 price point is extremely attractive to mainstream shoppers.
On the business side, it adds another layer to the Apple vs. Google war. Remember, Google recently announced its plans for Google TV, which is coming later this year. It’s getting really fun. I kind of want to watch the whole thing from the sidelines while eating popcorn…or head to Vegas to watch Steve Jobs vs. Eric Schmidt in a UFC octagon.
Who’s Going to Win American Idol: Crystal or Lee?
Tonight’s the finale of American Idol! When the season started, I was planning on covering the show consistently, but it turned out to be such a crappy year for Idol that I couldn’t stand watching it and lost interest. In addition to the Crystal Bowersox vs. Lee DeWyze showdown, tonight’s episode will be the last one with Simon Cowell. It’s going to be tough to replace him and I’m sure the show’s popularity will suffer next year.
In other news, Idol judge and television host Ellen DeGeneres just announced that she’s starting her own record label. This announcement would have made way more sense at the beginning of season nine. Instead of having people wonder why some comedian/TV host was judging singers, the show could have positioned her as a fledgling music mogul looking for new talent (i.e. cast-offs that 19 Management didn’t want).
Anyway, who are you rooting for? Crystal or Lee?