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Sam Mendes and Skyfall writer to make vampire hunter show

Wow, we’re floored by this news — a vampire program that might actually have dramatic weight and character development? Serious drama director Sam Mendes and his Skyfallwriter John Logan are making a vampire hunter show. This could be special. According to Deadline, Logan (who has been nominated for three Oscars in Hugo, Gladiator, and The…

Apple’s Not Saying How Many iPad Minis It Sold

Apple doesn’t hesitate to trumpet its successes, but its first public acknowledgement of iPad mini sales is mostly notable for how much it doesn’t say. The company’s crowing this morning focused on total iPad opening weekend sales of three million; that’s iPad mini and fourth-generation iPads combined. And, for all we know, still-available iPad 2…

Genetically modified tomatoes could save you from heart disease

A tomato genetically modified to produce a certain peptide has managed to do a pretty good job of lower plaque build up in the arteries of mice — so one day, you could help your heart simply popping down some produce. This research is being presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2012, and…

Best Buy’s Got (Slightly Less Than Usual) Free iTunes Money Today

While it’s not quite the 20 percent firesale we’ve grown accustomed to, Best Buy’s 15 percent off of iTunes gift cards still represents a healthy discount on your possibly overpriced movie rentals and season passes. Get it while it’s hot! Which it should be all day. Oh, and if you ever wanted a strong argument…

Will We Ever Be Able to Predict Everything?

As super computers get more and more super, you’d think that eventually we’d be able to calculate the position and interactions of every atom in the universe and be able to accurately predict the future. In fact, this was once a widely held belief in science, until quantum mechanics arrived and put an end to…

This is the new Star Wars theme park we’re looking for

Now that Disney has announced its Lucasfilm purchase and intentions to slap Star Wars all over their theme parks and resorts — no mere Star Tours here, folks — the rest of the world has started dreaming up the ultimate Star Wars theme park. Artist Tom Hodges — who has worked for Lucasfilm on the…

These gorgeous medical illustrations look like scenes from another world

When viewed from a new angle, a different scale, or in a slightly different light, even something as familiar as the human body can look utterly alien. Case in point: these stunning anatomical illustrations, created by biomedical artist Alexandra Baker, which showcase the various nooks and crannies of the human form in all their otherworldly…

A sneak preview of this week’s issue of Animal Man

Courtesy of DC Comics, here’s a first look at this Wednesday’s issue of Animal Man, which sees Buddy Baker stuck in a hellish nightmare future known as “The Rotworld” alongside mutated corpse versions of Deathstroke the Terminator and Grifter. Here’s the rundown: ANIMAL MAN #14 Written by: Jeff Lemire Art by: Steve Pugh, Timothy Green,…

Anonymous Claims To Have Stolen 28,000 PayPal Passwords

Hacking collective Anonymous claims it’s stolen around 28,000 user details from a server used by PayPal, with what appears to be email addresses, names and associated passwords appearing on a selection of online sharing services. However, as with some other recent Anonymous claims, the hack is being disputed by the attacked party. PayPal says it…

Amazing Dude Climbs 103 Floors on a Brain-Powered Bionic Leg

When Zac Vawter lost his right leg in a motorbike accident, he thought he’d never walk properly again. Now, he’s managed to use a bionic limb, hardwired into his nervous system, to climb 103 flights of stairs in the annual SkyRise Chicago skyscraper climbing contest. Vawter’s prosthetic leg is worth $8 million, weighs 10 pounds…

You never realized the full insanity of Pixar’s attention to detail

Check out an exclusive clip from the special features on the DVD and Blu-ray for Pixar’s “Scottish Princess” movie Brave, which comes out next week. You already knew that Pixar went to insane lengths to make Merida’s curly hair look natural — but did you know that they modeled every single thread in that all-important…

Do men and women experience orgasms differently?

It’s something that many of us think about from time to time: Is an orgasm the same whether it is experienced by a male or a female? It’s a fair question given that men and women tend to follow different arousal patterns during sex — and by virtue of the fact that we have different…

Watch two warriors battle it out with massive bolts of electricity

Holy crap this is excellent. Many of you are probably familiar with the intimidating crackle and flash of electricity-generating Tesla coils — but watch what happens when you combine them with wearable suits that behave like Faraday cages. It’s like watching a shootout between Raiden and Emperor Palpatine. [The Belfast Festival at Queen’s via nelldogcf]…

How the Most Iconic Hurricane Sandy Image Was Captured

Iwan Baan photographed New York City from the air last Wednesday, and his image has become perhaps the most iconic record of Sandy, gracing the cover of New York magazine and flooding the internet. This is how he got the shot. Poynter caught up with Baan to ask him about how the image came about.…

First Plot Synopsis for Christopher Nolan and Wally Pfister’s Mysterious Transcendence!

Welcome back to your regularly scheduled spoiler round-up. This time, there are hints about the mysterious new project that Christopher Nolan is producing, possibly starring Johnny Depp. Plus a new J.J. Abrams movie based on Etsy crafts. Justin Lin is vying to be the hardest working man in science fiction. There are a ton of…

How to Get a Text Message Alert Whenever the ISS Passes Overhead

If you’re a lazy astronomer, the kinda person who likes gazing into the night sky but never plans ahead, good news: NASA has launched a new service which will pop you a text message or email whenever the international space station is about to pass over your place, so you can dash outside and take…

Google: Nexus 10 Is an Experiment to Rescue an Underpowered Tablet Market

Interesting, if damning, commentary from Google suggests that the Nexus 10 is an experiment in resuscitating a tablet market which is overcrowded with expensive and underpowered 10-inch tablets. Speaking to the New York Times, Google’s director of business development for Android, John Lagerling, explained that the 10-inch tablet market is “overpriced and underpowered, and we…

Seems movie ticket purchasing may be coming to Siri with iOS 6.1: a Fandango backend will help buy tickets. [9to5mac]

Apple Only Pays 1.9 Percent Tax Outside the US

According to an international financial statement filed by Apple, the company manages to pay just 1.9 percent income tax on its foreign earnings, meaning it pays a mere $713 million in tax on earnings of $36.8 billion. Despite making less the year previous, earning just $24 billion outside the US in the fiscal year ending…

io9 is Fully Functional!

Well, that was quite a week, wasn’t it? But io9 is back on its home servers. After several days on Tumblr, we’re back on our familiar blogging grounds. All of us here at io9 want to thank you all for your patience these last few days. We know that it has been hectic for lots…