The Measured Circle

A geeky mix of pop culture, tech, and the weird world, from Bufo Calvin (of The Measured Circle blog and Bufo's Weird World)

By Bufo Calvin

Disneyland
'Move along': Stormtroopers ready for Star Wars land crowds
Associated Press - By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr., AP Entertainment Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Disneyland's new Galaxy's Edge attraction promises to transport visitors to a new locale in the Star Wars universe, but any who overstay their visit might not catch their ride on the
TV Series
Why HBO’s Succession will be the new Game of Thrones
Vox - Todd VanDerWerff
With Game of Thrones over, one big question hangs over the TV industry, TV fans, and people who more casually enjoy water-cooler shows: Will there ever be another show like this? I answered this question
Microsoft
Microsoft reveals xCloud can stream up to 3,500 games from the cloud
The Verge - Tom Warren
Microsoft is revealing some of the more finer details about its upcoming xCloud game streaming service today. The software maker has been testing the service with employees recently, allowing them to the
Product Reviews
The Kia Niro EV is relentlessly sensible
Engadget - Roberto Baldwin
The EV market is growing. More people are realizing that the majority of their drives don't stray far from the cities or towns they live in. While a robust charging infrastructure still isn't in place
Paranormal
Upright 'Wolf' in Texas Woods
phantomsandmonsters.com
Mr. Strickler - My grandson confided an encounter to me on May 17, 2019. The sighting was in Bastrop, Texas on May 16, 2019 toward dusk, in the …
Dolby Atmos
Add Dolby Atmos to your surround sound system with Onkyo's speakers on sale for $75
androidcentral.com - John Levite
The Onkyo SKH-410 set of 2 speaker system has dropped to $74.96 on Amazon. The speaker system normally sells for $90 or more with highs around $140. …
Smart Homes
Hubitat -- the privacy-focused smart home hub -- launches its long-awaited app
CNET - by Andrew Gebhart
The smart home hub that processes info locally just became more user friendly.
Comic Books
Game of Thrones Characters Ranked by Screen Time
comicbook.com - Jamie Jirak
The series finale of Game of Thrones aired on Sunday, and whether you loved or hated it, you’ve probably spent much of your week talking about it. The …
Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge
PHOTOS: Guidemap Finally Revealed for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at...
wdwnt.com - Jessica Figueroa
To help you “map” out your visit, we’re excited to share a first look at the Disneyland park guidemap! As you can see, there are three entrances into …
Asia
Chinese driver gets ticket for scratching his face
bbc.co.uk - By News from Elsewhere...
A man in eastern China received a fine after a traffic camera using artificial intelligence captured him scratching his face, it's reported.
Indiana Jones
Harrison Ford weighs in on who should next play Indiana Jones: 'Nobody'
Entertainment Weekly - Rosy Cordero
He is set to play the legendary archeologist a fifth time in 2021. Only Harrison Ford can play protagonist Dr. Henry Walton “Indiana” Jones Jr., this according to the actor himself, who has brought the
Psychedelic Drugs
Can you trip on music alone? This psychedelic startup thinks so
Wired UK - Victoria Turk
A London-based wellness startup aims to use music and light to offer an experience similar to psychedelic therapy, but without the psychedelic drugs …
Ridley Scott
Ridley Scott Confirms New Alien Talks, Says the Series Needs to Evolve to Have a Future
io9 - Beth Elderkin
Disney recently hinted that the company was looking into expanding the Alien franchise, after acquiring 20th Century Fox and all of its major …
Zeiss
The 10 Best Performing Lenses Per DXOMark For May 2019
thephoblographer.com - Brett Day
If you’re in the market for a new lens, check out the 10 best on the market according to DXOMark. DXOMark are known for putting lenses, and other …
Christian Bale
Christian Bale, Matt Damon strap in for Ford v Ferrari first look
Entertainment Weekly - Derek Lawrence
Christian Bale and Matt Damon are racing toward awards season in EW’s exclusive first look at their highly-anticipated new film, Ford v Ferrari. You’d think the two Oscar-winners would be playing the automobile
Walt Disney Company
How Disney And Coca-Cola Developed An Out Of This World Marketing Campaign
Forbes - Christian Sylt
Disney doesn’t spring to mind when you think of corporate alliances but it should. Although the Mouse is most famous for its cartoons, cuddly characters and roller coasters it has also been building partnerships
Harriet Tubman
This stamp lets you put Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill in an act of 'civil disobedience'
USA TODAY - Joel Shannon
A "Harriet Tubman Stamp" aims to allow Americans to put Tubman's face on $20 bills, despite the Trump administration's announcement this week that the official bill's redesign will be delayed. Treasury
Ali Wong
How Keanu Reeves Ended Up in Ali Wong, Randall Park’s Romantic Comedy ‘Always Be My Maybe’
Variety - Angelique Jackson
“I made Netflix spend all this money on this movie just so that, as a 37-year-old mother of two, I could kiss Daniel Dae Kim and Keanu Reeves,” Ali Wong …
Prototypes
China unveils prototype maglev train with max speed of 373 mph
The Verge - Jon Porter
China’s leading train manufacturer has unveiled a prototype maglev train that will eventually carry passengers at speeds of up to 373 mph (600 km/h). CNN reports that the train, developed by the state-owned
PlayStation Plus
Renew your PlayStation Plus Membership: 1-year for $38.50 w/ free digital delivery (Reg. $60)
9to5Toys - Justin Kahn
CDKeys is now offering 1-year PlayStation Plus memberships for $38.39 with free digital delivery. Regularly $60, this is more than $20 off and a great time to renew or jump in for the first time. PS Plus
Technology
Driving upside down might be easier than it seems
MIT Technology Review - Emerging Technology from the arXiv
The idea of driving on an inverted track has attracted lots of analysis, but a previously overlooked approach could let an upside-down driver keep …
Renée Zellweger
Netflix’s ‘What/If’ Is The Trashiest Show That You Won’t Be Able To Stop Watching This Year
Warming Glow - Kimberly Ricci
What/If tricked me. I should have realized this would be the case, given that this is the latest creation from Revenge‘s Mike Kelley. It’s not a good show, which makes it all the more remarkable that cannot
Android TV
What is Android TV? Google’s smart TV software fully explained
Digital Trends
Getting the most out of your TV these days means having a way to interact with streaming apps like Netflix, YouTube, or Amazon Prime, plus the …
Netflix
Yes, Black Mirror Is Returning, but Here Are the 21 Other Must-Watch Shows on Netflix This June
POPSUGAR - Corinne Sullivan
We would probably still be happy if the long-awaited fifth season of Black Mirror was the only original series bringing new episodes to Netflix this June. However, we definitely don't hate that there 21
Menopause
‘Fleabag’s’ soliloquy on menopause is the best three minutes of TV ever
Los Angeles Times - Mary McNamara
There are many reasons to praise “Fleabag,” Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s sweetly savage excavation of family and fury, guilt and desire. Waller-Bridge’s ability to strip baroque emotional crises down to their
AirPods
Beats Powerbeats Pro review: Better than AirPods in every way except one
Mashable - Raymond Wong
Great sound • Super long battery life • Really snug fit • Physical control buttons on both earbuds Compared to AirPods, Beats Powerbeats Pro sound better, have longer battery life, and fit better. I'm
Ridley Scott
‘Alien’ at 40: Ridley Scott Explains Why ‘You Don’t Show the Monster Too Many Times’
Variety - Susan King
It’s difficult to imagine Ridley Scott’s sci-fi/horror classic “Alien” without the clear-minded, strong presence of Tom Skerritt as Dallas, the …
Mark Zuckerberg
Mark Zuckerberg apparently tried to buy Panic, the creator of Playdate
Engadget - Christine Fisher
If the company had responded, the handheld, hand-cranked console probably wouldn’t exist. Buried in Edge Magazine's exclusive feature on Playdate, is an interesting revelation. Apparently, Mark Zuckerberg
Lifestyle (UK)
Tim Dowling: my wife’s earwax is sucked out. She screams. Now it’s my turn
The Guardian - Tim Dowling
It is Saturday morning, and we are driving along a leafy street a mile west of home, with my wife at the wheel. “Turn left,” the satnav woman says, “and your destination will be on your right.” “But it’s