Technology Slice Blog

Johnny Depp May Replace Robert Downey Jr - Robert Downey Jr. has fallen out of "Oz, the Great and Powerful," Disney's prequel-ish take on the "Wizard of Oz" tale, and the studio is in talks with Johnny Depp to don the great wizard's robe. The story revolves around a showy young illusionist who is forced to flee a traveling circus. His hot air balloon is swept up by a tornado to the land of Oz, which is run by two magical wicked witches. Sam Raimi ("Spider-Man") will direct. While it doesn't have a start or release date, the project is a high priority for Disney, which hopes to start production in the second half of the year. Depp has a close relationship with the studio after starring in its "Pirates of the Caribbean" films and last year's "Alice in Wonderland." The issue is timing. He is scheduled to begin shooting "Dark Shadows," Tim Burton's adaptation of the 1960s gothic soap opera, for Warner ...

Two More Matrix Movies - Another two Matrix films may be leaping into cinemas, the Grauniad shrugs. The curiously youthful Keanu Reeves, star of the Matrix trilogy and of an exceptionally lame meme told an audience at the London School of Performing Arts that he may be getting back into Neo's slinky strides once again. Excitable source El Nino told big fat film site Ain't It Cool News that the Wachowskis have completed a "two picture script treatment" for two more Matrix films. The films - which would presumably find humanity and the machines falling out again, alas - sound suitably ambitious. "Keanu stated that he still has an obligation to the fans to deliver a movie worthy of the title 'The Matrix' and he swears this time that the treatment will truly revolutionise the action genre like the first movie," quoth AIC, which also makes mention of - gasp - 3D. A stylish and thoughtful combination of the iconic, much-imitated 'bullet-time...

Ted Williams Leaves Rehab - Ted Williams, the "golden-voiced" homeless man who became an overnight media sensation, left a Texas drug rehab facility Monday, less than two weeks after checking in, TMZ reported. Williams, 53, entered Origins Recovery Center on Jan. 12 for drug and alcohol dependency after admitting on the "Dr. Phil" TV show that he struggled with addiction. But after 12 days at the facility in South Padre Island, Tex., he left against medical advice and headed for an unnamed airport, TMZ said. Williams became an overnight sensation after a Columbus Dispatch reporter discovered him panhandling on the side of a highway in Ohio with a sign saying he had the God-given gift of a radio voice.

Heart Disease Costs to Triple - The costs of treating heart disease in America, where one in three people has some form of the disease, are expected to triple by 2030 due to the growing population, researchers said Monday. While current costs of medical care for heart disease are around 273 billion dollars per year, that figure will skyrocket to 818 billion dollars by 2030, the study said. The findings came from an expert panel that estimated future costs based on current disease rates, and expanded those costs according to projections from US census data about approaching shifts in the population. The researchers assumed that no new discoveries would be made between now and 2030 to stem the tide of heart disease, said the study published in Circulation, a journal of the American Heart Association. "Despite the successes in reducing and treating heart disease over the last half century, even if we just maintain our current rates, we will have an enormous financial burden ...

Jaime Pressly Taxes - A report on January 23 by RadarOnline is declaring that Jaime Pressly who was arrested on January 5 for DUI is not only facing that ugly little demon, but she also is embattled with the law in that she owes just over $637,000 to the Federal government and the State of California. RadarOnline said that The Detroit News uncovered public records stating that the former co-star of My Name is Earl is in serious trouble with the government. On December 6, the IRS filed a $260,370 tax lien against Pressly in addition to filing a lien months earlier (September 8) for $281,699 for 2008 income taxes. Prior to the September 8 filing, the State of California filed a lien for $95,080 on June 21.

Famous Investment Scandals - Scam artist Robert Sucarato admitted this morning that he ripped off investors to the tune $1.6 million, then used the money for department-store shopping sprees and to pay his EZPass bill. The Bernard Madoff scandal made investors wary that they could get double-digit returns in a collapsing market, despite Sucarato‘s promises as owner and president of New York Financial Company (“NYFC”), a hedge fund firm that did its business online while he pretended to operate prestigious offices with large staffs. Investors began asking questions, and soon federal regulators were on his tail. Federal prosecutors said Sucarato, a former School Board candidate in Old Bridge, pulled what is known as a “Suite Scam,” holding up in a funky flatiron-styled building at the 22nd floor of 67 Wall Street, an historic revival tower, where he rented “virtual space” for $100 a month before shifting his base of operations to to an equally powerful address: 501 Fifth Avenue. ...

Utah Trooper on Leave for Punching Woman - A Utah Highway Patrol trooper is under investigation after a video showed him punching a woman several times during a traffic stop, a spokesman for the Utah Department of Public Safety said. A dashboard camera captured footage of Sgt. Andrew Davenport punching 53-year-old Darla Wright in August. Davenport is on paid administrative leave, said Brian Hyer, spokesman for the Utah Department of Public Safety. Wright was speeding in Ogden when officers tried to pull her over, authorities said late Saturday. According to an incident report, the driver evaded police, and a chase ensued. Authorities stopped the woman by trapping her car between two vehicles. "The suspect was still trying to escape, she had the accelerator floored and engine revving in an attempt to push our vehicles out of the way," Davenport wrote in an incident report. Davenport said Wright would not roll down her window and gripped on the steering wheel. On t...

Woman Fall 23 Stories Lands on Taxi Argentina - A 33-year-old woman fell from the 23rd floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, landed on a taxi cab parked on the street below and survived. The woman, whose name was not released, underwent surgery today, Telam, the national news agency of Argentina, said. Doctors believe she has fractured ribs, two broken hips and is bleeding internally. A hospital spokesman said the woman hit the taxi in a seated position, which likely saved her life. Had she come down head first it would probably have been a different story, noted Alberto Crescenti, director of Argentina's emergency medical services. The taxi driver, Miguel Cajal, narrowly escaped death, he told a Buenos Aires television station, C5N. Mr Cajal said he saw a police officer looking up and, following his glance, also looked up. He saw the woman falling and got out of his cab just moments before the impact completely destroyed both the roof and the windshield.

Kelly Osbourne New Face Material Girl - Singer Kelly Osbourne is set to replace Taylor Momsen as the new face of Madonna's Material Girl clothing line. "Kelly's always been a massive fan of Madonna and recently heard Lourdes idolised her, which she was very flattered by. It's a huge coup," femalefirst.co.uk quoted a source as saying. According to reports, Madonna recently launched an online search for the next poster girl for her fashion collection, encouraging fans to vote for their favourite through the brand's website. Singer-turned-reality TV star Osbourne is now said to be in the lead to take over from the " Gossip Girl" actress to front the next advertising campaign for the range, which is designed by Madonna and her daughter Lourdes.

Man Dies Tortilla in Mixing Machine - A New York man died today after falling into the tortilla mixing machine at a factory making the popular Mexican food. "At approximately 2.30am, police responded to a call of an unconscious male.... Upon arrival, police discovered a male Hispanic, 22 years old, who had fallen into a mixing machine," a spokesman for the New York City Police Department said. Police said they did not suspect foul play. "We believe it was an accident at this time," the spokesman added. The New York Post quoted investigators saying the victim was sucked in while trying to retrieve something he'd dropped into the tortilla machine.

Bristol Palin Dating Pipeline Worker - Giacinto “Gino” Paoletti and Bristol Palin are dating, claims a new report. Giacinto “Gino” Paoletti Bristol Palin dating reports surface the same week that Levi Johnston confirmed he has a new girlfriend, Sunny Oglesby. While Bristol approves Oglesby, Levi has yet to comment about Paoletti. All four are residents of Wasilla. The Enquirer claims Bristol has known Gino Paoletti for many years but only fell in love with the local resident in recent weeks. The couple have been spotted in New York but reportedly had become friendly last year as well, claims the paper. Gino Paoletti is 20 years and is employed as a pipeline worker. Sunny Oglesby is one year younger than Levi, 19. Levi and Sunny confirmed their relationship via Facebook last week; but Sunny has been loving Levi for two months, claim reports. The same paper earlier this month claimed that Bristol is set to sign a multi-million deal for her own reality series along with a book dea...

Tiffany Apologizes for Outing Jonathan Knight - Eighties singing sensation Tiffany is apologizing to former flame Jonathan Knight of New Kids on the Block after seemingly outing him during a recent TV appearance. While promoting her upcoming SyFy movie "Mega Python vs. Gatoroid" with Deborah Gibson on Bravo's "Watch What Happens Live" last Friday, Tiffany admitted that she and Knight dated back in their heyday. "He's fabulous. But he became gay later," the 39-year-old said casually. "Looking back when we were dating, he was so much fun - we used to do facials together, he was so easy to talk to." Though Tiffany was laughing and joking during her interview, she changed her tune the next day when Knight, who has never publicly acknowledged his sexuality, tweeted about the incident. "I'm so devastated," Knight tweeted. "How can I not remember getting facials???????" Realizing that she revealed too much, Tif...

Subway Skins Ads - In yet-another blow to MTV’s controversial show “Skins,” Subway has pulled out of all advertising spots amid allegations of the show’s use of child pornography, according to the Hollywood Reporter. While ads for the sandwich chain appeared on the premiere episode last week, a rep for Subway tells THR that they “will not be advertising on [Monday’s] episode.” Subway is the fourth major sponsor for the show to pull out of the show’s advertising after the Parents Television Council (PTC) began targeting advertisers last week. Taco Bell was the first company, followed by Wrigley and General Motors, as FOX411 first reported. Tim Winter, president of the PTC, said in a statement FOX411, "Every single advertiser who sponsored the premiere episode of 'Skins' is not only endorsing but glorifying teen drug and alcohol abuse, not to mention a plethora of baseless sexual content."

Indonesian Crop Circles - Hundreds of curious visitors have flocked to a small rice field in Yogyakarta to witness what could be Indonesia’s first documented crop circle, an occurrence attributed by some to close encounters of the alien kind. Ngadiran, one of six farmers who owns the land in Sleman district where the crop circle, measuring 70 meters in diameter, was found on Sunday afternoon, told the Jakarta Globe on Monday that he had not seen what had caused the distinctive pattern but others may have. “According to several residents, they saw a tornado on Saturday evening,” he said. “On Sunday afternoon, we saw the design in our fields.” He would not say if he believed that an unidentified flying object was behind the crop circle, which contains a number of symbols. The farmers have fenced off the area to prevent their fields from being trampled by sightseers, while police have cordoned off the area. The latter have declined to speculate on how the circle was made.

Serial Killer Theory Returns - Authorities on New York's Long Island say that they have identified three remaining bodies found near a beach and that it may be the work of a serial killer, after all. Officials in Suffolk County say the bodies belonged to three women who worked as prostitutes or escorts and advertised online. They were identified as Maureen Branard-Barnes, of Norwich, Conn.; Melissa Barthelemy, of New York's Erie County; and Amber Lynn Costello, of North Babylon, on Long Island. Authorities last week identified the first of the four women as that of a missing Craigslist escort from Maine. County police initially thought a serial killer was responsible but backed away from that theory. District Attorney Thomas Spota (SPOH'-tuh) raised the possibility again Monday.

Brain Fluid Giffords Rehab - Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords will likely stay in intensive care until at least the end of next week. Doctors said a fluid buildup in her brain will likely delay the start of full-fledged rehabilitation until her condition stabilizes. Trauma surgeon Dr. John Holcomb said Giffords was a little more alert and responsive Saturday, one day after she was flown from Tucson to Houston and two weeks after a gunman shot her and 18 others. Brain Fluid Giffords Rehab Holcomb said doctors would have to decide whether a catheter draining the fluid can be removed and Giffords can be transferred to The Institute of Rehabilitation and Research, or if a permanent shunt needs to be inserted. Holcomb said the fluid buildup was down a little Saturday and doesn't appear to be infected. Giffords is undergoing therapy in the ICU, but it is greatly limited compared with the options at TIRR, one of the nation's top brain rehabilitation centers. Brain Fluid...

Detroit Police Shooting - A gunman who opened fire in a Detroit police station, wounding four officers before he was shot and killed, came through the front door into an open, unprotected lobby. The shooting Sunday afternoon at Detroit's 6th precinct was described by the police chief as a scene of "utter chaos and pandemonium" and leaves officers to ponder how to protect themselves from the crime they fight daily on the city's tough streets. The precinct commander, two sergeants and an officer suffered wounds that were not considered life-threatening. Unlike a number of suburban police departments, Detroit precincts don't have metal detectors and the front desks are not fitted with Plexiglas-type shields. They do have security cameras. Detroit Police Shooting The shooting happened around 4:20 p.m. Sunday after the 38-year-old man walked through the front door of the one-story building and began firing, according to police. "As you can imagine, utte...

Aaron Carter Enters Rehab - The 23-year-old ex-popstar, better-known as the cute kid brother of Backstreet Boy Nick Carter, checked into rehab to treat "addiction issues", according to E!. The source says it was Aaron's own decision to enter the clinic, saying it was his way to "finally get help". "He was struggling recently and needed this," they said. Big bro Nick has reportedly been visitng Aaron between rehearsals for the upcoming Backstreet Boys/NKOTB tour and has been "very supportive". Aaron Carter Enters Rehab

Clerk Foils Robbery Attempt with Sword SC - Sheriff's deputies in South Carolina say they have arrested a serial armed robbery suspect, connecting him to 14 robberies in the city of Columbia. And it's all thanks to a concerned citizen with a samurai sword. Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott made the announcement during a Tuesday news conference, reports CBS affiliate WLTX. Lott says his investigators have connected Brad Grayland Vinson, 52, to at least 14 robberies committed at gunpoint that have happened since the start of the year. Clerk Foils Robbery Attempt with Sword SC Authorities say they arrested Vinson after he tried to rob a convenience store on Jan. 13. Vinson is accused of entering the business, indicating that he had a gun and demanding cash from the employee. Investigators say the clerk pulled out a samurai sword and chased Vinson out of the store into the parking lot. After a scuffle, authorities say the clerk made an attempt to corner Vinson, but the...

Facebook Unveil Financials - Facebook is preparing to open its books this year or early in 2012 to give investors a glimpse into the financial workings of the world's No. 1 social network, after it sealed an oversubscribed $1.5 billion round of financing led by Goldman Sachs. The financing, $1 billion of which is from Goldman Sachs' overseas clients and $500 million from Goldman itself and Russian investment firm Digital Sky Technologies, gives the company a projected value of $50 billion, setting the stage for what could be one of the largest initial public offerings next year. Facebook Unveil Financials Facebook, founded in a Harvard dorm room in 2004, said it would begin to file public financial reports no later than April 30, 2012, in a statement detailing the new investment. United States securities regulations require companies with more than 499 shareholders to disclose financial information whether they are publicly traded or not. Facebook expects to exceed tha...