Monday
Feb132017

Apple’s ‘Carpool Karaoke’ gets first trailer

We’ve already heard of the new format Apple plans to bring to Carpool Karaoke: The Series. Now we get a first look at what the show is going to look. Previewed at the Grammy Awards, it shows original host James Corden as well as a slew of other celebrities including Will Smith, John Cena, Shaquille O’Neal, Alicia Keys, Blake Shelton, Chelsea Handler, and Arianna Grande, to name a few. And unlike the original show, the guests and the host for the week step out of the car and some surprise fans at bakeries, laundromats, and even a wedding. We’re kinda curious now about the show. It’ll be streaming on Apple Music soon. We don’t have the specific date yet, though.

Monday
Feb132017

Ford to invest US$1 billion into autonomous vehicle startup Argo AI

REUTERS/Daniel Becerril

Not wanting to be left behind in the self-driving car race, Ford is pouring a US$1 billion investment over five years at Argo AI. The previously unheard of startup is led by Uber and Google veterans. They will be working with Ford’s team to create a fully self-driving car by 2021. The cars will be used for commercial ride sharing fleets. Argo AI won’t be owned by Ford but the company is the largest shareholder. The startup will be focusing on artificial intelligence and robotics side of the system to help develop Ford’s “virtual driver system.”

Argo AI plans to hire 200 more employees to get the job done. A possible enticement when it comes to recruitment is that employees could have equity stake in the company. "They have the opportunity to run it pretty independently with a board, but because it is a separate company or subsidiary, it has the opportunity to go out and recruit with competitive compensation packages and equity,” Ford Chief Executive Officer Mark Fields says at a press conference.

Monday
Feb132017

‘Stranger Things’ crew gets tips from ‘Game of Thrones’ creators on how to protect against leaks

Stranger Things became such a surprise success that its crew needed tips from another extremely popular show on how to go about things moving forward. According to an interview by Entertainment Weekly with Stranger Things creators, they had to approach the producers of Game of Thrones on what to do when it comes to security protocols. “We literally consulted with the producers on Game of Thrones to learn security protocols,” say executive producer Shawn Levy. “I just knew I used to throw my sides away and now they have to be burnt,” says co-creator Ross Duffer of his daily shooting notes. The cast and the show itself now even gets code names. According to Millie Bobby Brown a.k.a. Eleven, “It’s this weird thing. On the call sheets our names are across it and if we lose it, we’re dead.”

Now, they’re hyperaware of the measures they need to take to make sure no spoilers get out. “We had no security protocols last season and we have extensive security protocols this season, Levy says. “I can’t speak about what they are because then people could crack them. We protect every story point, every page of every script.” 

Sunday
Feb122017

Canadian Reviewer Weekly Roundup 2/05-2/11