Nothing was going to keep Steve Jobs a
way from the introduction of the iPad 2 – not even his health.
The CEO of Apple, who has been on a medical leave of absence from the company since late January, surprised attendees at the tablet computer’s unveiling in San Francisco Wednesday, taking the wraps off of a redesigned version of its popular gadget, which will hit stores next Friday, March 11.
Hollywood is coming to 
Nintendo.
The game giant announced Wednesday that U.S. owners of its upcoming 3DS console will be able to stream movies to the device via Netflix starting this summer. And users will also be able to watch 3D trailers for upcoming Hollywood features.
Panasonic is headed back 
to the city.
The consumer electronics giant has stopped development on its handheld gaming system that was code-named Jungle “due to changes in the market and in [the company’s] strategic direction”.
Sony has some mounting problems
in Europe.
Customs officials have been ordered to seize shipments of all PlayStation 3 shipments from the manufacturer and hold them in storage for at least 10 days. The orders come as LG has won a preliminary injunction against Sony in an ongoing patent dispute between the companies.
The first push by the Academy of Motion Picture 
Arts and Sciences to offer a multi-screen viewing experience may not have been perfect, but it proved to be a very solid first effort.
Oscar Backstage Pass offered a strong second screen experience for users that wanted a behind the scenes look at the Academy Awards, taking them into previously roped-off areas like the press room and giving them looks at the backstage happenings of the film industry’s biggest night.
The Oscars are getting high-tech
– and going multi-screen.
As Hollywood gears up for its biggest night, the countdown clock is ticking on the official app of the Academy Awards – Oscar Backstage Pass. Build in collaboration with ABC, the ambitious project (which works with the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad) hopes to serve as a second screen for viewers, giving them access to live camera feeds before, during and after the event.
The countdown is on for the next
installment in the “Call of Duty” franchise – and all signs are pointing to “Modern Warfare 3”.
Activision has sent out dog tags to select members of the press that include the message “end the war” and refer to athe website FindMakarov.com. That site (which is getting hammered right now) features a countdown clock that’s set to expire Wed. March 2 at 7am PST.
[UPDATED: Activision has issued a statement that the site has no ties to the “Call of Duty” franchise. The publisher has further clarified it had nothing to do with the dogtags sent to some media outlets, either.]
The Creator’s Project, a creative 
showcase initiative created by processor giant Intel and media company Vice (which is behind Vice Magazine and VBS.tv), is undergoing a dramatic expansion.
The initiative will today announce the launch of a multi-million dollar major studio that will produce multimedia works for leading and emerging talents from the art, film, design and music worlds.
Ok, I recognize this is just clever marketing from THQ, meant to 
appeal to my ego. I know they’re using me here to promote “Homefront,” as it nears its March 8 ship date. I even realize other game-focused media sites are likely posting similar clips around the Web.
That said, this is a clever piece of propaganda recreation. And I would like to be the first to apologize for “cruelly attack[ing] the facilities that provide oil for you to stay warm in winter.” I assure you that the Variety propaganda production mentioned in this audio file is of the highest caliber.
Amazon is escalating the battle among 
video streaming services.
The online retailer has flipped the switch on Amazon Instant Video, a ‘free’ streaming service for paying members of its Amazon Prime program. The service is squarely targeted at the growing service Netflix has been building over the past few years, with over 5,000 titles – and a lower monthly cost.
Chris Morris: Journalist 