Affleck wants Larry David in 'Man of Steel' sequel

Ben Affleck wants Larry David in Man of Steel sequel. PHOTO: AFP

LOS ANGELES: Actor Ben Affleck reportedly wants actor Larry David to make a cameo appearance in “Man of Steel” sequel.

Affleck has been roped in to play Batman in the movie.

David and Affleck have been talking about the idea of the former playing the role of Superman’s enemy, Mr Myxlplyx, in the movie, that features both Batman and Superman, reports radaronline.com.

“They chatted about the idea with earnest abandon throughout the course of Emmy weekend. Larry has long been courted by the big budget superhero industrial complex, being linked to roles in the Sam Raimi ‘Spider-Man’ sequels nearly a decade ago,” said a source.

David trusts Affleck and is considering the offer.

The Kind Executioner: Of Bhutto’s final moments

Pakistani writer’s script has been shortlisted in Hollywood Screenplay Contest. PHOTO: FILE

Pakistani-American writer Mumtaz Hussain’s script The Kind Executioner was shortlisted in the drama category amongst the official finalists of the Hollywood Screenplay Contest last week. Now, Hussain is ready to transform this script, which portrays the relationship between late Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and his executioner, into a movie.

Hussain says his project, which is in English, is a piece of fiction derived from the last years of Bhutto’s life. “I am delighted to learn that my script has been appreciated because I am working hard to make this film my singular achievement,” Hussain told APP. The writer hails from Jhang but has lived in New York for the past couple of years.

The production will portray the relationship between the popular prime minister and his executioner Tara Masih, who believed Bhutto (executed in 1979) was a saviour of Pakistan. The script, which was evaluated by a team of writers and experts, is said to be intense in terms of both its dialogue and drama.

The Kind Executioner will be an attempt to cinematically answer questions in the audience’s mind by symbolism, and Hussain is confident that the average Pakistani, who doesn’t really have an interest in history or politics, will be able to enjoy it. He promises it will be meaningful, with unique transformations and expressions. He did not disclose too many details as he is keen on preserving the audience’s curiosity till the project is ready for release.

Hussain has held several exhibitions as a modern artist and has also published a collection of short stories in Urdu.

The winning scripts of the Hollywood Screenplay Contest, the body that has shortlisted Hussain’s film, the winning scripts are forwarded to several leading production companies and literary agencies. The screenplays are scored and evaluated on a multi-point scale with criteria including concept, structure, plot, pacing, character, dialogue, style, theme and marketability

Samsung Galaxy Round brings curve to smartphones

Samsung's curved Galaxy Round smartphone.

(Credit: Samsung)

Samsung has won the race to be the first phone manufacturer this fall to launch a curved smartphone.

The company announced late Tuesday that the new Galaxy Round incorporates the latest in screen technology, along with other unique features.

The device resembles the Galaxy S3 and S4, but it has slight dip in the middle that causes the phone to curve along a vertical axis. The phone's body itself is rigid, so it doesn't actually flex or bend -- but rather has a stationary curve that is said to fit the contours of a person's face. The company said the curvature lets people controls their apps, music, and photos in a new way.

"As a result of its unique curved design, users can take advantage of round integration experiences like the Roll Effect that enables user to check information such as date, time, missed call and battery easily when home screen is off, and the Gravity Effect for creating visual interaction with the screen by tilting the device," Samsung said in a statement.

"When the Galaxy Round's display is off while the music player is running, a short press to the left of the device will play the previous track while a short press to the right will play the next track. For pictures and videos, the Side Mirror feature enables users to gain access to list of the album content with a left and right tilt."

The Galaxy Round has a 5.7-inch, 1080p screen with an HD Super AMOLED display. The device is 7.9mm thick, weighs 154g, and has a 2800mAh battery. It runs Android 4.3, has 3GB of RAM, and a 2.3GHz quad-core processor. The smartphone also has a 13-megapixel camera.

The product release comes as Samsung faces a slowdown in its core smartphone market. This means the company must find other ways to wow buyers and get them to pay for new devices. A curved display could be one factor that attracts those consumers.Rumors have been floating the last few weeks that Samsung was working on a curved smartphone, and photos of the device evenleaked on the Web earlier Tuesday.

Curved displays, however, are not an entirely new concept. Nokia and Apple have reportedly been working on curved displays for years, and LG apparently plans to launch a curved smartphone dubbed the G Flex within a few weeks.

The Galaxy Round will first launch in South Korea in "luxury brown," and more colors are forthcoming. It's not yet clear when the company plans to launch the smartphone internationally

DisplaySearch: Apple readying phablet, Retina MacBook Air

iPhone will get big. A lot bigger, display analyst predicts.

(Credit: Apple)

Apple appears to be planning a phablet, a Retina MacBook Air, and a 1.6-inch iWatch in its 2014 lineup, according to a research note from NPD DisplaySearch.

In addition to the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 (some are calling it a 4.8-inch design), DisplaySearch anticipates a phablet-sized 5.7-inch iPhone with a 1,920x1,080 display (see chart at bottom), based on data from the supply chain of manufacturers in Asia.

That's the same resolution in many 10-inch-class devices and would match the 5-inch resolution of Samsung's Galaxy S4.

Other goodies expected from Apple include: 

• Big iPad : a 12.9-inch iPad with a 2,732×2,048 resolution display. 
• iPad Mini 2: sporting a 7.9-inch 2,048×1,536 display, matching the resolution of the larger 9.7-inch iPad. 
• Retina MacBook Air: Finally, a Retina version of the popular Air. The new MBA may have a smaller 12-inch screen boasting 2,304×1,440 resolution. (Or slightly larger if you compare it to the current 11.6-inch MacBook Air.) 
• iWatch 1.3-inch and 1.63-inch iWatch with 320×320 flexible AMOLED display. 
• Apple TV: 55-inch, a 65-inch 4Kx2K screen. 

More details can be found in the DisplaySearch chart at bottom.

The note from David Hsieh does not begin on a high note, however.

"Over the past several years, Apple has been an early adaptor of display technology as well as a critical part of the supply chain...However, rapid developments in technology and manufacturing of LCD and OLED displays have challenged Apple's leadership in display adoption," Hsieh said.

"Other smart phone brands like HTC, Huawei, Nokia and Sony are all gearing up with higher resolution, larger displays, as are the tablet PC makers, led by Google and Amazon," he said.In other words, lots of mobile players can match or beat Apple's Retina display technology now.

In closing, Hsieh believes that Apple is planning to revamp nearly all of the displays in its products over the next year, which would "indicate that Apple, once again, intends to count on display technology for new product innovation."

NPD DisplaySearch expects an iWatch with a 320x320 flexible AMOLED display and a phablet-sized iPhone.

Mad Catz Mojo Android console packs Tegra 4 for £220

Mad Catz, best known for its bonkers game controllers and cavalier attitude to spelling, has a new Android console for your expert consideration, called the Mojo. Like the Ouya, it plugs into your telly and lets you play the cream of the Google Play Store in 1080p.

Coming in December, it'll set you back £220, and includes a Bluetooth controller, which Mad Catz adorably dubs the CTRLr.

That's more than twice the price of the £99 Ouya, so what are you getting for your extra cash? There's a more powerful 1.8GHz Tegra 4 chip, which should outperform the Ouya's 1.7GHz Tegra 3. It has a more up to date USB 3 input, compared to the Ouya's USB 2, giving faster data transfer.

The Mojo is roomier too, with double the internal storage at 16GB, and with twice the RAM, at 2GB. You can expand the storage with the microSD slot in the back, too. It's running Android 4.2.2, a slightly newer version of Google's OS than the 4.1 that the Ouya's software is based on.

It should therefore be a more capable gaming rig than the Ouya, and compares with top-end smart phones, and gaming tablets such as the Nvidia Tegra Note.

As well as the latest Android games, such as FIFA 14, it'll stream movies over your network and via apps such as Netflix and Lovefilm. It has full access to the Google Play Store and Nvidia's specialist TegraZone gaming store too.

Nevertheless, it's a lot of money to splash out on a tiny box. You can get a PlayStation 3 with 500GB of storage for less -- just £209 at Amazon at the moment. Similarly, a 250GB Xbox 360 with the full console version of FIFA 14 thrown in will set you back £165. Both have Netflix and Lovefilm, and tonnes of other apps too, as well as extensive -- if much pricier -- online game collections.

Alternatively, a new Nexus 7 with a similar quad-core processor and the same 16GB of storage (although unexpandable) will run you £199. And it has a Full HD screen, so you can play it on the bus.

The Ouya was a tremendous Kickstarter success last year, but its poor build quality and not-quite-ready software have disappointed some fans and most reviewers.

Can you see a future for Android consoles like the Mojo and Ouya? What would make them compelling? Get your mojo going in the comments, or on the free-for-all that is our Facebook page.

Nexus 5 16GB version reportedly will sell for $299

(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)

LG's new Nexus 5 may launch with a price tag of $299.

A tip received by blog site Phone Arena claims the 16GB Nexus 5 will sell for $299 and the 32GB version for $399. Further, the tipster said the 16GB edition will come with a 2300mAh cell battery, while the 32GB model will be equipped with a 3000mAh cell battery.

In contrast, the Nexus 4 costs $299 for 8GB and $349 for 16GB. Both Nexus 4 models offer a 2100mAh cell battery.

The tip comes from an anonymous source and so should be taken with a grain of salt. But the information sounds credible, as LG likely would want to bump up the storage options for the next unlocked Nexus yet keep the pricing in line.

A "source familiar with Google" recently told TechRadar that the Nexus 5 would cost "half the price" of the iPhone 5S, which puts the smartphone at a slightly higher price point. The 5S sells unlocked for $649, giving the Nexus a price tag of around $324. An alleged copy of a Nexus 5 service manual, which has since been removed at LG's request, revealed many of the phone's key specs.

Hamilton hails Vettel as ‘great champion’

Lewis Hamilton commends Sebastian Vettel’s ability to perform as the 'great champion' that he is, while clarifying the jibes made earlier. PHOTO: REUTERS

TOKYO: Britain’s Lewis Hamilton yesterday backtracked on his suggestion that Sebastien Vettel’s Formula One dominance was a turn-off for fans, hailing the German as a ‘true champion’.

Hamilton said he wanted to ‘clarify’ his comments from Sunday’s Korean Grand Prix, and sent a series of laudatory tweets about the soon-to-be four-time world title-winner depending on the results of the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix.

“Read some of the stories or reports of my comments on Seb,” tweeted Hamilton. “Feel the need to clarify my thoughts. Seb is a great champion!

“I admire his dedication and ability to consistently perform without mistakes. This is the mark of a true champion.

“Regardless of what you and I may think about his car, at the end of the day he’s doing the perfect job.”

In Korea, Hamilton said Vettel’s hold on the sport reminded him of the days of Michael Schumacher, who won seven world titles.

“I feel for the fans though because I remember the period of time when Michael Schumacher was winning,” the 2008 world champion was quoted as saying.

“I remember waking up in the morning to watch the start of the race and then going to sleep, and then waking up when it ended because I already knew what would happen.”

McLaren hope to find Magnussen a seat in F1

Young Danish driver Kevin Magnussen and Belgian Stoffel Vandoorne both deserve to be in Formula One and will get there eventually, according to McLaren Team Principal Martin Whitmarsh.

Both are in the McLaren young driver programme and are competing in the Formula Renault 3.5 series.

“I think both are really good guys and they both will get into Formula One and we’ve got a duty of care to get them there,” Whitmarsh told reporters of the 21-year-olds. “I think they are both pretty special.”

McLaren have had talks with Lotus, Force India and Marussia about giving an opportunity to Magnussen next season.