Gizmodo: Batman

Batman's Tumbler Replica Won't Fly On Rooftops, Ram Through Barricades or Take a Direct RPG Round

Jason Chen — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 15:40:00 EDT

This $499 Tumbler from The Dark Knight is confusing. On the one hand, it's $499, but on the other hand, it's a 1:6 replica of what Batman's been driving in the last two movies, PLUS it's even big enough for you to fit your 12-inch action figures in. The thing doesn't seem to be remote controlled—you'd be afraid to lose your $499 from ramming this under a car tire anyway—but does have light-up headlights, a sliding roof panel and movable flaps. If this were only a few hundred bucks cheaper we'd be all over it, but we suppose the price is worth it just to see Brock Samson sitting in Batman's ride. [Entertainment Earth via Random Good Stuff]

'89 Batmobile Now on eBay: Hurry, Grab Your Wallet!

Sean Fallon — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:49:00 EDT

If you are impulsive enough to drop over $100,000 on a whim for a nerdy automobile, here is your chance to score one of the five Batmobiles made for the original Michael Keaton movie. Unfortunately, you only have until 5PM PDT today to put in a bid on this baby, so you had better hurry (I know you guys are all frantically searching for your wallets). [eBay via CNet]

Make Your Own USB Batman Spotlight When You Should Be Working

Sean Fallon — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 16:00:00 EDT

Unless you are a race car driver or something, work is boring. This DIY project is slightly more fun than spinning around in your seat and does a good job of killing around 2 hours of time. And, when all is said and done, you will have the satisfaction that comes with building a USB Batman spotlight that is fairly useless but amusing. It is an easy hack to pull off, and most of the materials are basic—bottle caps, tin foil, some cardboard etc.

You will need a cheap USB light and some skills with a soldering iron, but the end result is a little more authentic looking than say a projector keyring or a $300 desktop lamp. Hit the link for full instructions. [Instructables via Everything USB via Gadgetheat]

Dark Knight Xbox 360 Available On eBay For $Obscene

Jason Chen — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 12:00:00 EDT

The limited edition Dark Knight Xbox 360 that Mark was willing to end his marriage for is now available on eBay. Bid fast and bid hard, cause they've only created 110 of these and not all of them are going to be scalped. The going price seems to be somewhere around $1200, which is obscene even if it's a Dark Knight version. Even Bruce Wayne wouldn't buy one of these, and he buys hotels just so he can pee in its pool. [eBay via Gamertell]

How Stuff Works Hosting Detailed Guide To Batman's Tumbler

Matt Hickey — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 22:00:33 EDT

If you're a fan of the current crop of Batman movies (you probably are) then you either love or hate the new Batmobile, affectionately known as the Tumbler. If you're in the love camp, then you can now find out everything you'd want to know about the four prop cars they built for the films, including what engine they have and how they were constructed. The in-depth guide is even broken down into categories like the history of the project to how the makers modeled the shape, and makes a perfect Friday evening read. [How Stuff Works via Jalopnik]

DIY Batman Tumbler Is Nearly Perfect, Built With One Man's Bare Hands

John Mahoney — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 20:20:00 EDT

Bob Dullam is a man possessed—by a lot of things, surely, but mainly by the drive to build this absolutely amazing working replica of Batman's current-gen Batmobile, the Tumbler. Our buddies over at Jalopnik have spotted it, and It's got it all—the afterburner, the huge honking double-barrel wheels, the stealth-toothiness on all of the edges—immaculate. Dullam threw it all together with nothing more than commonly available photos and the movies themselves, all custom welded, in his own garage by himself. And if you're assuming he's got a pretty impressive Batsuit to go with it, you're right.

Bob estimates when all is said and done, his labor of love will cost him anywhere from $50k-$70k. And even after repeated pleading on the Super Hero Hype forums where he's showing it off, he ain't sellin'. At least not until he needs to liquify some assets to work on a working Batpod, which he's setting his sights on next. Head to Jalopnik and the boards for more. [SuperHeroHype via Jalopnik]

The Dark Knight Edition Xbox 360

Mark Wilson — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 09:20:00 EDT

ZOMG! The Dark Knight! Xbox 360! All in one!

We were unable to translate the source text clearly enough to get the full story—this unit spotted in Taipei will probably never see wide commercial release—but we're stomping the shit out of our current system just in case our dreams come true, The Dark Knight 360 is released and it does come packaged with trace amounts of Bale's musk. [Gamer via Maxconsole]

Warner Bros. Delays Dark Knight Piracy for 38 Hours, Deems it Success

Mark Wilson — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:50:00 EDT

Warner Bros. didn't want to lose one penny off of the precious early box office gross for The Dark Knight (one that traditionally favors Hollywood in the split over movie theaters), so they reportedly spent 6 months developing an anti-piracy plan to keep the film off filesharing sites for as long as possible. And through a highly regimented flow of tracking and distribution that included staggering reel delivery to individual theaters (so that no one had the entire film for too long), Warner Bros. was able to delay online piracy for a whole 38 hours. Their president of distribution explains why this was considered a success:

One of the reasons why it's so important to try to protect the first weekend is that it prevents the pirate supply chain from starting. A day or two becomes really, really significant. You've delayed disc manufacturing that then delays distribution, which then delays those discs from ending up on street corners for sale.

But while Warner Bros. is high fiving that they defeated the internet, maybe the executives should learn a different lesson about creating $158.4 million weekend openings—namely by making good movies and tailoring them for the big screen experience. [LATimes]

Bat-Logo Projector Key Ring: Recipe For Embarrassing Superhero Call-Outs

Kit Eaton — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 10:20:00 EDT

You know how dumb you feel when somehow your phone is set off in your pocket, and you leave a 25-minute voicemail message for someone random? Imagine how awkward it'd be to set off this gizmo in your pocket, only to have the Dark Knight himself rock up in the Batmobile, ready to fight danger at your call. "Oh... Sorry, I guess I set it off by accid... *KaPow!*" This Dark Knight branded Bat Logo projector key ring probably also serves as a regular torch, and is available August 1 for around $16. [Nerd Approved]

Nokia Responds to Batphone Allegations

Mark Wilson — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:40:00 EDT

Remember the fancy cellphone in The Dark Knight? It was that touchscreen Nokia that Morgan Freeman was carrying around all like, "Look at me, I'm so cool, I'm Batman's boss as well as the narrator behind many popular films." Some people (OK, CrunchGear) think that it might be the Nokia Tube (we were too busy making "pew pew" noises in the seats to notice). Nokia, however, is denying it.

In the summer blockbuster, The Dark Knight, a Nokia device is prominently featured. We worked closely with the producers of The Dark Knight to develop an appropriate device that would suit the technology-savvy character of Batman. The Nokia device used in the film is not a commercial product—at this point.

So paraphrased, that reads "Yeah, we made the world's most awesome phone for the world's most awesome movie, wouldn't you be lucky to buy it?" So even if it's not the Tube, the phone certainly has that "might go on sale" ring to it. [CrunchGear]

Behind the IMAX in The Dark Knight

Elaine Chow — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 19:00:00 EDT

One of the many exciting aspects of The Dark Knight is how the movie incorporated IMAX shots. Friends who watched the film have called the shots absolutely stunning and incredibly immersive; another reason why this is the Best. Movie. Ever. Having yet to see it, I can only sigh wistfully and aggregate information on how it was done. Popular Mechanics has a great write-up of the challenges in shooting with an IMAX camera, including a behind-the-scenes video on how the action came together.

IMAX cameras, which use 70mm film, are much larger and heavier than a traditional 35mm machines. Among the plethora of changes to accommodate IMAX, technicians reinforced gyrostabled remote control camera cranes, crafted sturdier rigs to be mounted on cars, and forced one poor cameraman to actually carry the damn thing on his shoulders in an especially tense S.W.A.T. Team sequence.

When you're done checking the video out, head over to Wired (if you haven't already) for even more information on Christopher Nolan's methods and madness. Helicopters, wrangling with the Chinese government; the making of this movie could be its own movie. [Popular Mechanics]

Paper-craft Batmobile Recreates Tumbler From The Dark Knight

Elaine Chow — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 10:45:00 EDT

Despite wanting desperately to watch The Dark Knight, I still haven't gotten a chance to rush out to my nearest movie theater and bask myself in the two-or-so-hours of nerdgasmic delight I know is waiting for me. So as the stellar reviews pour in from the papers and from friends, I need to find creative ways to scratch that Batman itch. Like papercraft! Here's an amazing Batmobile Tumbler design created by paper model expert Claudio. With hundreds of individual pieces, I bet this thing will distract me until my man in shining (black rubber) armor whisks me off to the cinema. [Technabob]

The Dark Knight Review: Even Gadgets Can't Stop The Joker's Madness

Jason Chen — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:06:00 EDT

The Dark Knight does not disappoint. Sure, there are gadgets galore in this one—you've seen a few of them in the trailer, like the Batpod and the new Batsuit—but you're going to be focusing your eyes on two things: The Joker and Harvey Dent. This film is dark, it's gritty, it's arguably more realistic than even the first movie. In short, it's everything you'd expect the sequel to be. And more.

(I'm going to try and get through this review without spoilers.)

First off, the gadgets. The Batmobile is back, and so is Batman's upgraded fighting suit. He's not residing in Wayne Manor anymore after the events of the Batman Begins, so he has to make do with hiding his Bat-gear inside Wayne Towers and various locales around the city. Batman makes do. He's a hero in exile, a thread that continues through to the end of the movie and on to the next.

There's a very good minor plot device that centers around cellphones that would be pretty damn awesome if it we could get our hands on it in real life. Who knows...maybe the government's already using it now. Plus there's are great scenes in the air, both with a plane and "without". He's really earning that "Bat" part of his name.

As good as Christian Bale is as Bats, the real stars of THIS movie are the Joker and Harvey Dent. If there is ever a character that is the complete opposite of the Dark Detective—cold, calculating, and completely logical—it's the Joker. He's simultaneously insane and extremely insane, taking apart bit by bit the fragile peace that Batman has strived to build since the first movie. There is so little logic to the joker that he's probably the one person whose moves Batman can't predict.

What's great about this movie isn't just the writing and the special effects (though they both are still stellar), it's that everything FEELS exactly like you'd imagine Batman and his villains to be in real life. There's even traces of realistic crime flicks like Heat going on throughout, which lends more to making guys as ludicrous on paper as Batman and the Joker believable. How would you portray a man whose sole intent, as Alfred says, is to watch the world burn? This is how. Gone is affable clownish uncle figure that Jack Nicholson played in the 1989 Batman, and in his place is a character that if you saw on the street, you should run away from as fast as you fucking can. Us gadget fans relate more towards with Batman's logic than Joker's lunacy, which is why he's going to be the best villain you'll ever seen in a superhero flick.

See this movie. Go buy this ticket right now and print it out at your office. We didn't get to see it in IMAX, but a good 20 minutes of the film was shot in the format, so we're definitely going to go back and catch it again. In fact, we've been trying to wrap our heads around all the different themes and nuances that Chris Nolan crammed in; ideas that are even more subtle than they were in the first. A second viewing would do us good.

(You'll notice we didn't mention much about Harvey Dent/Two Face in this review. We'll leave that bit of plot for you to discover yourselves.)

Dark Knight iPhone App Lets You Jokerize Yourself

Jason Chen — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 19:00:00 EDT

It's essentially just a marketing tool for the Dark Knight movie, but hot damn if we don't like this. Just run the app, take a picture of yourself, then add Joker elements to your face. Works on iPhone (use the camera) or iPod touch (use a saved picture). The only downside is that there's no way to delete picture elements once you've let go of your fingers, so be careful or you'll have to start over. [iTunes - Thanks Marco!]

We're Not Reading This Article on the Batpod, But Maybe You Should

Mark Wilson — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:40:00 EDT

We're doing our best to shield ourselves from whatever surprises are left in The Dark Knight before we stay up too late to see it, but that doesn't mean you should miss out on this story from Popular Mechanics on the new Batpod. We only skimmed the intro, but it looks to have interesting real-life background on the design and construction of Batman's fictional new ride. That's right. Batman isn't real. Because if he were, Santa Claus would have long since been busted for B&E, and that thieving bitch Tooth Fairy would be missing a few teeth of her own. [Pop Mech]

The Magnetic Forcefield Tech in Batman: Gotham Knight

Brian Lam — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 23:44:20 EDT

Batman: Gotham Knight has been hailed as a collection of Batman short stories in anime form. I enjoyed the highly stylized treatments of Batman as a robot, a living shadow and a man, but I was surprisingly delighted to see the amount of high technology featured in one short in particular, Field Test, where Batman repurposes a satellite's failed magnetic gyroscope prototype into a bullet-deflecting force field, shown in this video.

Ultimately, the field test goes wrong, and the tech is shelved for working too well, but I won't spoil the ending for you. Batman: Gotham Knight takes place between the last movie and the one coming out shortly, and this animated flick is a good hold-over until it hits. [Gotham Knight on Amazon]

Batman Tumbler Transformer Eats Jokers and Decepticons for Breakfast

matt buchanan — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 11:50:00 EDT

The Tumbler is the most badass Batmobile ever (it's a freakin' tank), but what if it was a Transformer? This is definitely what it would look like: A Decepticon-shredder. Bat-ingenuity, Transformer tech and sheer badassery definitely make this the beastliest 'bot out of Cybertron. Optimus Prime had better watch his back. I want one. [Jester Pictures via Autoblog via io9]

Famous Batmobile Tumbler Case Mod on eBay

Sean Fallon — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 19:00:00 EDT

About a year ago, the Batmobile case mod lit up the internets with a design crafted from a Wal-Mart R/C Tumbler. The mod still kicks ass, but the specs were lame a year ago and are now...one year lamer. Still, it would make for a unique web surfing device and a great way to celebrate the opening of the new movie. Plus, its pretty cheap at the moment (although there is still a week left). [eBay via Geekalerts]

Batman Begins Now Out on Blu-ray

Jason Chen — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 03:30:53 EDT

Batman Begins, the one HD DVD that we've been waiting to get on Blu-ray, has finally made it. It's Batman. It's Blu-ray. You want it. Buy it now. Get tickets for The Dark Knight. It's Batman! Buy this goddamn movie! BATMAN!! [Amazon]

Armored Tornado Interceptors Are Probably Driven by Batman, Mad Max

Jesus Diaz — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 06:38:00 EDT

Here's a close-up look into the Tornado Intercept Vehicle, a heavily-armored, modified Ford F-450 that was used in the famous Discovery Channel's Storm Chasers. With its plates, small windows and top turret, it looks like a cross between a B-17 Flying Fortress, a Panzer tank and a Mad Max truck. The new version of the Interceptor, however, looks like it's out of a Batman movie:

Created by cinematographer Sean Casey, the Tornado Interceptors are used to film impressive images of supercells like this:

Armor or no armor, I wouldn't like to be in that car when something like that hits me. [Ryan Mcginnis at Flickr]

Promo Box for Nokia 6205 Dark Knight Edition Is Cooler Than Phone Itself

Benny Goldman — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 17:42:49 EDT

Nokia just sent us the 6205 Dark Knight phone in a promotional box and man, is it cool. The box, that is. As you can see in the clip above, the purple box with pretty green bow on top surprised the hell out of me when I opened it—it cackled in the Joker's voice. The box is also packed with a DVD of Batman Begins and a creepy Joker card that has the scribbles of a madman all over it. Way to go with the box, Nokia...now where's the psycho purple 6205 Joker Edition to go with it? [Verizon Wireless]

Batpod Makes Its Way to the British Formula One Grand Prix

Elaine Chow — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 20:30:00 EDT

One of the coolest things about the Batpod from the upcoming Dark Knight movie is the fact that it actually works. Previously seen being straddled by Meredith Viera on The Today Show, the decked out motorcycle burned rubber at the slightly more dignified British Formula One Grand Prix this weekend. Who else would give anything to be Jean-Pierre Goy, Christian Bale's stuntman, right now? [Gizmag]

Shooting the Dark Knight With Little CGI and Massive Film Stock

Mark Wilson — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 17:20:00 EDT

Wired recently published an excellent article on the Dark Knight (Batman Begins 2). It's a must-read for anyone who's a fan of Batman, the film's director, Christopher Nolan, or just doing things the old fashioned way. Between interesting tidbits like Christian Bale himself standing on the edge of the Sears Tower, arguments with the Chinese government to allow stunt helicopters over Hong Kong, and the film's huge 8K Imax cameras outright cracking their mounts, you really get a glimpse of the trouble the filmmakers went through to nail a gritty visual effect while using CGI only sparsely.

But one thing I wanted to highlight was a particularly interesting segment from Wally Pfister, the film's director of photography. He explains the relevance of using huge Imax film stock in the days of 1080p televisions and digital compression.

It's more of a visceral thing. You can see something way off on the horizon. You can see a little glint of light, a reflection in Batman's eye. You can't see it in a conventional theater. And you definitely can't see it on a plasma screen at home.

Only a handful of the Dark Knight's scenes were shot with Imax film and cameras, but I'm looking forward to them all the same.

Now read it all over at Wired. Or I swear I'll blockquote the whole thing. [Wired]

Gotham City Has a Bigger Problem Than Joker or Two Face - It Has Comcast

Jason Chen — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:00:00 EDT

Hasn't Gotham suffered enough? First that huge depression, then deranged lunatics trying to kill everyone in the city via gas, then a prison break, then this dude dressed up as a joker. And now they have to use COMCAST INTERNET? The humanity! Can't Bruce Wayne do anything about this? He can buy them out and put in people who can actually get our connections installed within a month of ordering it. Maybe this libelous expose on his recent comings and goings will get Wayne in motion. (Seriously though, this is a pretty fun recap for people who haven't seen, or forgot what happened in the first movie.) [Gotham Cable News]

Iron Man and Dark Knight Collectibles Are Super-Detailed Comic Book Hotness

Jack Loftus — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 17:30:00 EDT

Ok, so the disembodied, interchangeable heads on these super-detailed Hot Toys Iron Man and Batman collectibles are a bit weird, but that's the only downside I can see so far. They're 1/6th-scale, and were on display today at the 2008 Tokyo Toy Show. If you thought Batman sculpt looked cool, just wait until you see his whips.

[Slashfilm]

Nokia 6205 Dark Knight Batphone is for Bruce Wayne Wannabes

Benny Goldman — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 09:00:19 EDT

As if you needed any more reason to get excited for the new Batman movie, the Nokia 6205 Dark Knight edition is coming soon. The black flip phone with the movie's logo on the back comes loaded with the trailer, as well as themed wallpapers, ringtones and screensavers. It also comes in white, if you hate Batman as much as Harvey Dent. The 6205s have 1.3MP cameras with flash, microSD slots expandable to 4GB, and external music controls. It's $120 before rebate with a two-year Verizon contract, press release below. [Verizon]

Verizon Wireless and Nokia team up to fight for Gotham City with the new Nokia 6205 phone

Verizon Wireless Exclusive: Phone Debuts with Limited “The Dark Knight” Edition Inspired by one of the Summer’s Most Highly-Anticipated Movies

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. – Verizon Wireless, builder and operator of the nation’s most reliable wireless network, and Nokia (NYSE: NOK), the world leader in mobility, today announced the availability of the Nokia 6205 The Dark Knight edition mobile phone. Celebrating the upcoming July 18 theatrical release of “The Dark Knight,” the Nokia 6205 The Dark Knight edition will be available exclusively online at www.verizonwireless.com beginning, Sunday, June 15.

Clad in a mysterious black color and embellished with a subtle The Dark Knight emblem, this themed-edition flip phone comes pre-loaded with wallpapers, voice tones, animated screensavers inspired by the film, and a full movie trailer.

The Nokia 6205 The Dark Knight edition has a generous set of features designed to enhance the mobile lifestyle. Touch-sensitive external music keys make it simple to access tracks purchased from Verizon Wireless’ V CAST Music service, while the crisp two-inch display that supports up to 262,000 colors, makes watching news, sports and entertainment content from V CAST Video more enjoyable. In addition, the Nokia 6205 The Dark Knight edition includes:

o 1.3 megapixel camera with flash and 4x digital zoom
o 58 MB internal memory; expandable up to an additional 4 GB with an optional microSD™ memory card
o Support for text, picture and video messaging
o Get It Now®-capable for downloading games, ringtones, wallpapers and other mobile content
o VZ NavigatorSM-compatible for audible turn-by-turn directions and location information
o Mobile Web for access to the latest news, sports, weather and more
o Voice dialing and voice commands for touch-free phone operation
o Built-in speakerphone
o Bluetooth®-enabled for wireless headset support

Like the phone, the unique packaging of the Nokia 6205 The Dark Knight edition is also sure to be a hit with fans, featuring iconic images drawn straight from Gotham City. Verizon Wireless customers will also find a Joker playing card with a code and a link to the www.fightforgothamcity.com Web site. Once on the Web site, customers can instantly find out if they have won The Joker’s “bag of cash” containing $10,000, play games to win more The Dark Knight-themed prizes, and download exclusive The Dark Knight content from Verizon Wireless’

V CAST service.

The Nokia 6205 The Dark Knight edition will be available online for $69.99 after a $50 online instant rebate with a new two-year customer agreement. Following the premiere release of The Dark Knight edition, the standard edition of the Nokia 6205 phone – containing all of the same features and a striking metallic blue and silver color scheme – will be available both online and at Verizon Wireless Communications Stores next month.

For more information about Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.

Ultrasonic Batgoggles Turn You Into Steampunk Batman

Jesus Diaz — Tue, 27 May 2008 06:53:00 EDT

Giz reader and Batman-wannabe Suneth Attygalle has built these cool, albeit a bit goofy looking, ultrasonic batgoggles. As you can see in the video, they allow the wearer to detect the proximity of objects using just $60 in components, including welding goggles, a microcontroller and ultrasonic sensors.

[Instructables]

Movie Roundup: The Other Summer Blockbusters

Adrian Covert — Mon, 26 May 2008 17:00:00 EDT

Indiana Jones may be the current talk of the town, but it's not the only big summer blockbuster worth discussing right now. With Iron Man already out, and Wall-E, The Dark Knight and The Incredible Hulk still to come, there's plenty of movie goodness still to be had. Speed Racer ?...let's not go there.

Iron Man : Yeah, He Can Fly

Iron Man may already be out, but that doesn't mean we should just forget about it. With the great flight scenes, cutting edge tech and the fact that it is just an excellent film, I plan to use any and all excuses to keep talking about the best superhero movie ever made (as well as the sequel).

Wall-E : Don't (or Do) Watch While Dropping Acid

Wall-E is probably the movie I'm most excited for this summer. From the gadget/robot factor, to the CG eye candy, I get hyped just thinking about it (especially with the righteous toys and promo gear). And did I mention Jonathan Ive helped design one of the robots? In any case, with films such as Toy Story, Monsters, Inc. and Ratatouille under their belt, I find it hard to believe Pixar would miss the mark with Wall-E (Cars never happened).

The Dark Knight : Ambien's New Corporate Slogan
For all its positive transformation in Batman Begins, the Batman franchise just hasn't really held up too well on the gadget front. While you shouldn't expect to see any sonic batarangs or batnet guns in The Dark Knight, fans and other, less intentionally strange people have been picking up the slack. If I want to (and I do) I could go out right now and get myself, for example, a Batman MP3 player. I could use it to listen to the old Batman theme while I'm driving the original Tim Burton Batmobile. I might pull up at a stoplight next to nice young lady driving a much flatter, much more street legal Batmobile. I could even ask her out to see the premiere of The Dark Knight. Most importantly, If all goes well (or if she tries to escape) I could finally try out a pair of Batcuffs. Theoretically speaking.

The Incredible Hulk : Suck On That Eric Bana. And Everything Else, Too
The Hulk doesn't give a shit about gadgets. He's not all like "HULK FINGER TOO BIG FOR UMPC, HULK DEMAND EXTERNAL KEYBOARD," mainly because that'd be stupid. If that stupid green Luddite could calm down for five minutes he might realize that just because he's apparently given up electronics, they haven't given up on him. Any of those items would provide Mr. Hulk with a sizable increase in daily productivity.

For a little fun he could always play Hulk Operation, but there's always the risk that if he buzzed he'd flip out, get huge and ruin everyone's family night with another of his obnoxious tantrums. He could do with a pair of carthartic Hulk Gloves, so he could punch some of that energy out every now and then. But I wouldn't watch that movie half as hard as I was going to watch The Incredible Hulk.

Well, that's the summer lineup, and I personally plan on seeing all these films. Also, if you're interested in my two cents, Iron Man kicks way more ass than Batman.

(The Dark Knight and The Incredible Hulk roundups by John Herrman)

Jet-Powered Batmobile is the Flattest Car Ever

Jason Chen — Wed, 21 May 2008 13:10:00 EDT

This crazy, crazy "Flatmobile" is going to enter the Guinness books as the flattest vehicle ever. How flat is it? Nineteen inches. I think that's about how flat we'd be if we laid on our backs (depending on what's on our minds and what we ate for lunch). Not only is this Batmobile-like contraption dangerous, it's extremely dangerous—creator Perry Watkins shoved a gas turbine jet engine on the butt. It's also supposedly street legal, but we wouldn't want to be in it during a rollover. Or when the jet turbine catches fire because the AFTERBURNER FAILED. See that video after the jump. [Flatmobile via Nexus 404]

Replica Bat Cuffs Turn Batman into BDSMan

AddyDugdale — Thu, 08 May 2008 07:20:00 EDT

"Assume the position," barked Batman, as he wrestled his captive into a supine position. "Ooh, I just love it when you talk dirty to me," purred Catwoman, an enigmatic half-smile playing about her whiskers, as she was bat-handled into submission. Her direct, feline gaze never left the superhero's face, and he shifted uncomfortably as he realized that, somewhere below his bat-belt, the batsuit was becoming too tight for comfort.

"If you're not careful, you'll be burning rubber down there," murmured Catwoman, with a derisory nod at his groin. "If you don't shut up, I'll be restringing my tennis racquet with your small intestine," said Batman through gritted teeth.

"I'm intrigued to know what plans you have for my large intestine, darling!" she said with a wink. "Knitting yourself a condom?"

"You, of all people should know that I have no need for those," he replied. "They don't call me the Caped Crusader for nothing." Shifting his hard body so that it was pinning her down to the roof, he freed one hand in order to grab his Batman handcuffs. Immediately, Catwoman saw her chance.

Twisting her back, she managed to free a paw from her opponent's grasp and, with a swish of air, raked a claw down his cheek.

With a roar, Batman squeezed her prostrate figure between his manly thighs. "You promised you wouldn't touch my face, you bitch! I've got to give one of those after-dinner speeches to the Hoboken Round Table tonight, and I'll never hear the end of it."

"Meow!" said Catwoman. "I love it when you get angry with me. Come on then, get the cuffs on and get on with it, as we don't have much time. What time does dinner start?"

As Batman fiddled with the lock of the cuffs, his sexy partner did a double-take. "What the hell are those? Where are your bat-cuffs?" she shrieked. Batman looked embarrassed. "I lost them. Someone must have swiped them off my belt when we went to see Iron Man last weekend."

"You're such a fake," she spat. "Get off me, I can't bear you to touch me. Replica cuffs my ass."

Batman's lower lip quivered. "Aw, CW, don't be like that, please. Please! They're from JLA Trophy Room, and they look just like the real thing. I mean, they're not bad—they've got a bat-shaped key, and they look good on my belt, and they only cost me $136. And I'm the only person with them, as they're not out until next year. Can't you just play along with the fantasy a little bit?"

"Too late, Batty-boy," came the reply. "I don't do rip-offs." With a resigned shrug, Batman released her and watched her go, her tail swishing angrily behind her. [Entertainment Earth via Geek Alerts]

Who Kicks More Ass: Batman or Iron Man?

Jesus Diaz — Tue, 06 May 2008 12:10:00 EDT

I don't know why Jason says Batman is better than Iron Man, really. I mean, sure, Batman is darker, has a tortured soul, rubber pants, and all those sexuality issues with Robin, but come on, does he have a stripper pole in his private plane? Of course not. And what about all the rest?

• Can he make his own gadgets without having to go run for help to daddy's company?
• Can he let girls do their make-up while they look at his shiny armor? (of course not, Mr Wayne has a fake rubber suit with fake nipples)
• Can he make perfect Margaritas, Martinis and Manhattans on his own, without needing Alfred?
• Can he fly? (No, not fall, I mean fly)
• Can he actually have a bit of fun or is this all about looking miserable, fighting with your demons in three-word sentences with almost no verbs? (Of course he can't. It's "Back in the hole. The beast. The beast comes to me. Old. Old and dark. I feel his breath. Evil. Evil and dark. Evil and dark and eternal. Like them. Like me" all the damn time. Damnit Bruce, get a vacation in a tropical island with a hot buxom blonde and a fully-stocked bar.)

Because if Batman actually enjoyed life in-between saving the ~~World~~ city, he would be the greatest international playboy gadget hero ever. You know, like Tony Stark. And kick his own ass any day.

What do you think? Batman or Iron Man?

Or better yet: who would you like to be? A tortured soul who lives a miserable life having flashbacks about pearls falling on a dirty street, lives with another man, and fights crime in rubber pants and a cape, or a brilliant inventor who builds his own gadgets, dates—for real, not as a façade, you know, with actual sex—the hottest girls on the planet, and can fly in a hot rod red and gold armor? Hello?

The Tim Burton Batmobile Is For Sale

Mark Wilson — Tue, 06 May 2008 08:50:00 EDT

While most of us enjoyed yesterday's Dark Night trailer—though we found typing on lopsided laptops for the remainder of the day a bit inconvenient—watching Batman on the silver screen has and will always be a vicarious experience. It's a humbling reminder that we weren't separated from our parents by tragedy and that we don't live in cities completely overrun by psychotic criminals who lust for torture more than money.

But at least we can score the real Batmobile.

From Tim Burton's original Batman, an eBay seller is offering up one of the five existing Batmobiles. It's 20 feet long and 8 feet wide, sitting on a custom-built chassis and powered by a Chevrolet 350 engine.

Of course you get creature comforts like black leather seats, but it's the vehicle's inconvenience that seals the deal on its $500,000 pricetag. You have to enter from the top canopy, just like Batman did in the movie. Because superheroes fucking hate doors. [eBay via autblog]

New Dark Knight Trailer Shows Why Batman Is Still The Best Superhero

Jason Chen — Mon, 05 May 2008 14:00:00 EDT

Jesus may think that Iron Man is the best superhero movie ever, but those of us who don't go ga-ga for goatees know better. This latest Dark Knight trailer shows exactly why Batman's second adventure (yes, second, since those first few movies don't count) will be the best superhero movie this summer. Hell, it might even be the best movie period this summer.

This rendition of The Joker needs to get some kind of award for Ledger for being the best villain in recent memory. The Joker doesn't need gadgets to kill Batman. He relies on pure insanity. The new suit, on the other hand, seems even more souped up and gadgety than the first. We'll have to wait for the movie to see what crazy ass stuff they shoved in. [Why So Serious]

Japan Gets Batman Bust With Batman Begins Blu-Ray Set

Elaine Chow — Sun, 04 May 2008 15:30:00 EDT

On July 23, Japan will get their chance to own Batman Begins on Blu-ray—about two weeks after it's released in the US. But while our gift set edition comes with story boards, script pages and a $7.50 movie credit towars Dark Knight, our friends in the Land of the Rising Sun get a 25-cm-high bust. Where's MY bust, Warner Entertainment? Why can't I get a miniature rendition of Christian Bale's hooded face to stare at me stoically from my mantle? I may not be Japanese, but I like creepy stuff too! The regular Blu-Ray will be around $47, the gift set edition is about $180.[AV Watch]

Israeli Military Guardian Vehicle is Like the Batmobile Without Batman Driving

Jason Chen — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EDT

Other than taking obvious influences from the Tumbler from Batman Begins, this Israeli Guardium unmanned patrol shares more in common with the iRobot PackBot than Batman's roof-hopping car. The Guardium can either be self-controlled or steered by an operator miles away, and is loaded with cameras, night-vision sensors and machine guns. Unlike the PackBot, which demands that a human be in the loop at all times, the Guardium can be autonomous if the need arises. Let's just hope its programming is really, really good and it doesn't go off killing because it thought it saw a ghost. [Fox News via NewLaunches]

Watch Full Episodes of Friends, Scooby Doo and The Batman Online for Free

matt buchanan — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 15:17:23 EDT

Warner Bros. is jumping into the online video arena next month with a pair of sites, thewb.com and kidswb.com, which will show full episodes of its biggest series, like Friends and Smallville on the former, and stuff like Bugs Bunny, Scooby Doo and Batman (hopefully Paul Dini's brilliant and amazing original animated series, not The Mediocre Batman) on the latter. It'd probably have made more sense for them to join Hulu, but Warner's probably not keen on splitting the ad dollars. If there's enough content, it could become a real destination, but we're guessing you'll still have to go to YouTube for "Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarves." [Yahoo]

BatMP3 Kills Villains as You Listen to Music on Your BatEars

Jesus Diaz — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 07:00:00 EDT

Not having enough with his multi-billion dollar industrial conglomerate, Bruce Wayne keeps whoring his Batman brand for everything that can be manufactured using plastic in China. This the Batman MP3 player, shaped like a 2.75-inch black batshuriken, with 1GB of RAM inside, compatible with Windows and Mac OS X, and stereo headphones shaped as bat ears.

It will be out in June or July 2008, for a suggested retail price of $80, and endless mocking from your friends and colleagues. [Popbox Collectibles]

Batman Utility Belt PC is Better Than a Face Full of Acid

Jason Chen — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 18:00:00 EDT

Made for the Mod Shop's Comic Book Challenge, this Batman Utility Belt PC is, well, it is what it is. There are wires interconnecting the various parts—you can see the power supply's yellow tentacles snaking all throughout the setup—as well as green liquid cooling tubes making sure everything is cool. Cool in the way that this PC is not. We're sorry to hate on this after the creator spent so much effort in building it (especially since we love the Bat), but it's pretty impractical. And dangerous. A much better mod would be to make something Batman-inspired that wouldn't cause a house fire if one of the pieces toppled over. [Modshop]

Batman Battles Baddies Forever in LEGO Zoetrope

Jesus Diaz — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 15:30:17 EDT

Here's Batman, the Riddler and Mr. Freeze jumping around in a LEGO version of a zoetrope, a device from the Victorian-era that quickly spinned pictures to animate them. This one uses a turntable and synchronized LED flashes to produce the stroboscopic effect that creates the illusion of moving figures. The author, who is going to feature it at Maker Faire, got his inspiration from this absolutely stunning, large-scale zoetrope that Pixar built for an exhibition at New York's MOMA:

I want the Pixar one, badly, but I wouldn't say no to his home-made zoetrope here. Much humble, but equally charming.

You can get all the details of the construction in his site. [LEGO 3D Zoetrope and VNOG via MAKE]

Superhero Presents Strong Case for ID Cards as States Get Real ID Extension

Jesus Diaz — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 12:00:00 EDT

Hello guys!
Batman Bin Suparman here. I wanted to talk to you about Real ID. Apparently, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security just extended deadlines on Real ID because many states are resisting it. I know that in the United States and the UK national identity cards are considered a risk to privacy, even while US government agencies continuously snoop into conversations and vampire CCTV cameras are everywhere in the UK. But really people, look at my Singaporean ID card and tell me if you think there's anyone capable of spying on Batman Bin Suparman! Yeah, I didn't think so either! I can kick anyone's ass! Hahahahaha—OK, sorry about that. But do you really think a national ID card is such a big risk to your privacy?

I live in Singapore, where we have had national ID cards for a long time. And while I don't wear my underpants over my pyjamas most of the times, I don't feel any risk to my privacy at all for having it. Why?

To start with, I have a passport too, like everyone in the world, which is already used to track me when I move out of my country to fight super-criminals in places like New York, London, or Albuquerque.

Then, if I have to be concerned about privacy, I am more worried about how companies track my purchases and habits using my credit cards—to share how many red thongs and capes I buy with other associated companies or how their own marketing departments—than about the ID card itself. That, to me, is where the true battle for privacy is.

Knowing how private corporations, financial companies, social security, and the Mr. Taxman track every movement I do, I really don't give a damn about an ID card that I only have to show when I buy something, go to the bank or do some bureaucratic transaction in some public office. Yes, all that info is tied to that ID card number, but that is also my Social Security number and driver's card license number in the first place.

When I have to use my ID card—which has my photo on it—it's never recorded or scanned. Just shown to the occasional waiter or cashier, so they can be sure that my credit card is not stolen and I'm in fact who I say I am. Why would they want to record it when they already have me in a piece of plastic with a magnetic band? So since all my data is already tied to my credit card and I have to live with it, having an ID card makes me feel safer against crime, just in case I forget my credit card in a public place or it gets stolen in the subway without me noticing for a long time.

So my question again is, if we are all getting tracked by the state and private companies, why the concern about Real ID? Do you really think that it is going to be a risk to your already-non-existant privacy? In what way?

Speak up in the comments.

Yours sincerely,
Batman Bin Suparman

[Information Week and Ars Technica —image from Weird Asia News]