Ditemi se non vi siete ritrovati nella situazione appena descritta almeno una volta…Volete sapere come rimediare? Semplice!! Con Harmony Touch!

Il Logitech Harmony Touch non è un semplice telecomando multifunzione, ma è il migliore amico del vostro sistema di intrattenimento domestico!

Partiamo subito dagli accessori che troviamo nella scatola: il telecomando, un cavo di sincronizzazione per Mac e Pc per impostare le funzioni del telecomando, una base di ricarica con relativo alimentatore.

A livello di forma reputo questo Harmony molto ergonomico e leggero: sia mani piccole che grandi potranno agevolmente utilizzarlo e accedere al fantastico schermo touch al centro del dispositivo e ai suoi vari tasti fisici. Il telecomando sembra molto resistente e credo che possa resistere facilmente alle “cadute da salotto”.

Per poter iniziare ad utilizzare il telecomando sarà necessario visitare dal vostro PC o Mac il sito , registrarvi e scaricare il programma per personalizzare il telecomando che si avvierà sempre da interfaccia web. Dopo aver effettuato queste operazioni dovrete collegare il telecomando al vostro computer tramite il cavo usb-microusb contenuto nella confezione. Il programma riconoscerà immediatamente il modello di Harmony in vostro possesso e vi guiderà passo passo nella sua configurazione. Potrete impostare tutti i vostri dispositivi molto agevolmente e rapidamente: sarà pressoché impossibile non trovare nel database le impostazioni ai vostri dispositivi, qualora però dovesse essere così il programma vi guiderà all’apprendimento dei comandi del telecomando del dispositivo in modo semplice e veloce: si punterà il telecomando “originale” a quello della Logitech e si farà apprendere al nostro Harmony le funzioni del telecomando di partenza. Personalmente ho ritrovato nel database tutti i dispositivi presenti nel mio salotto, compreso un vecchio hi-fi JVC dei primi anni ’90. Sarà possibile controllare fino a 15 dispositivi solo con un telecomando.

Dopo aver impostato i vostri dispositivi la procedura vi chiederà di impostare delle attività da far compiere al vostro Harmony Touch semplicemente con un tocco: potrete ad esempio far accendere la tv, impostare una delle entrate AV automaticamente, accendere il vostro lettore bluray, accendere il vostro hi-fi e godervi la visione del vostro film in meno di 5 secondi. In questo modo il bilancere del volume controllerà l’hi-fi, i tasti della riproduzione controlleranno il lettore bluray. Per poi spegnere tutti i dispositivi dovrete anche questa volta compiere una sola azione: premere il pulsante off posto in cima al telecomando. Potrete agevolmente impostare tutte le attività più frequenti e disporle sul grande schermo touch del telecomando. Navigando nella home del telecomando potrete cambiare attività e lui stesso si occuperà di spegnere o accendere i dispositivi coinvolti o meno nella nuova attività.

Due tasti soft touch sormontano, oltre ad alcuni tasti fisici (utilizzati o no in base al dispositivo controllato in quel momento), il rivoluzionario touch screen del telecomando: essi ci aiuteranno nella fruizione dei vari contenuti. Il primo è il tasto Preferiti: la procedura guidata iniziale, dopo aver configurato dispositivi e attività, ci chiederà se vogliamo impostare alcuni canali preferiti: potremo scegliere canali del digitale terrestre per esempio o canali preseti nella lista dei canali di Sky qualora avessimo un decoder di Sky. Vederli sarà semplicissimo! Basterà infatti selezionare il tasto e scegliere uno dei 50 canali personalizzabili: si accenderà il televisore, il vostro decoder (nel caso di sky) e il telecomandò darà l’imput al decoder per posizionarsi sul canale desiderato. Tutto con un solo gesto!

Al termine della procedura di configurazione potrete impostare la luminosità dello schermo del telecomando, lo sfondo, il timeout sia dello schermo che dei tasti retroilluminati (per riattivare il telecomando sarà necessario sfiorare lo schermo oppure utilizzare direttamente uno dei tasti fisici), la disposizione delle attività nel menù, i tempi d’azione del telecomando (esempio: la vostra TV si accende in 2 secondi e quindi il telecomando è necessario che attenda questi due secondi prima di impostare il canale o l’entrata AV desiderata).

Logitech ovviamente ha pensato anche a permettere all’utente di utilizzare il telecomando come un “semplice” telecomando. Sarà infatti possibile comandare i vostri dispositivi indipendentemente dalle attività attraverso un menù raggiungibile direttamente dallo schermo touch nel quale troverete la lista di tutti i vostri dispositivi: una volta selezionato quello desiderato potrete facilmente controllarlo.

Un particolare plauso è da fare alla funzione “?”: se avviate un’attività e per qualche motivo il vostro dispositivo non dovesse aver compiuto ciò per cui l’avevate correttamente impostato potrete risolvere il problema spostandovi su questo pulsante sul touch screen: vi guiderà nella risoluzione del problema chiedendovi (in ordine di esecuzione del comando impostato) cosa non sia stato fatto e risolverà così il problema.

La batteria del dispositivo ci ha permesso di effettuare 4 giorni completi di utilizzo senza mai poggiare il telecomando sulla base di ricarica: a mio giudizio si tratta di una buona autonomia viste le risorse richieste dal telecomando.  La base di ricarica può diventare un’ottima soluzione per non avere più difficoltà nel trovare il telecomando dopo il suo utilizzo: così oltre ad una indispensabile funzione, diventa il posto dove riporre il telecomando mentre non si utilizza.

In questa prova abbiamo testato il telecomando con i seguenti dispositivi:

1. Una tv Sony HDready non recentissima

2. Un lettore Bluray Samsung

3. Xbox360

4. Decoder MySkyHD

5. Decoder linux-based

6. Sisteme Hi-Fi JVC degli anni ’90

Credo che questo sia un ottimo telecomando adatto principalmente a chi utilizza quotidianamente più di 2 dispositivi contemporaneamente nel proprio salotto. È adatto non solo agli appassionati di tecnologia, ma soprattutto a chi trova difficoltà nel comandare più di un dispositivo alla volta.

Il prezzo di questo dispositivo è di 179€ forse troppo alto visto quello che offre. Mi sento di consigliarne l’acquisto solo a coloro che hanno 3 o più dispositivi e a tutti gli appassionati dell’home entertainment.

Ringraziamo Logitech per averci permesso di utilizzare e testare questo magnifico prodotto e vi rimandiamo al link per l’acquisto di questo stesso qualora ne vogliate uno anche voi. Amazon.it offre lo stesso prodotto al prezzo di €160 circa.

Questo post Recensione Logitech Harmony Touch: il migliore amico del vostro salotto è stato pubblicato su Nerdvana - Nerd Magazine.

Proprio qualche ora prima del day one di Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, UbiWorkshop, sussidiaria di Ubisoft per la produzione di spin-off artistici come fumetti, cortometraggi e film di animazione, ha rilasciato su iTunes Movie Store, Zune Marketplace e PSN Store la graphic-novel animata intitolata “Assassin’s Creed: Ascendance”. La trama ripercorre, in circa 10 minuti, gli eventi intercorsi fra ACII e il nuovo capitolo del gioco, dipingendo a tinte fosche la città di Roma rinascimentale e introducendo la nemesi di Ezio per eccellenza, Cesare Borgia, figlio di quel Rodrigo Borgia, diventato Papa con il nome di Alessandro VI, che abbiamo affrontato nel precedente capitolo e fratello di Lucrezia, figura su cui si incentra la trama delle Guerre di Italia nel gioco su Facebook Assassin’s Creed: Project Legacy.
Se disponete di un account iTunes USA potete acquistare la graphic novel da questo link per $ 1,79. Al termine della stessa potrete gustare uno speciale making of della pellicola. Buona visione!

Questo post Assassin’s Creed: Ascendance disponibile su iTunes Movie Store USA, Zune Marketplace e PSN Store è stato pubblicato su Nerdvana - Nerd Magazine.

Come dicevo se 2 indizi fanno una prova a breve avremo in un colpo solo film a noleggio e possibilità di acquistarli, e molto probabilmente la possibilità di avere nei nostri salotti la nuova Apple TV.
Dico questo perché come potete vedere dallo screen in alto a breve verrà aperto lo store per poter acquistare o noleggiare film in italiano, finalmente aggiungerei. Questa è una sezione che ancora non è aperta (ma se volete provare potete visionare la pagina di Angeli e Demoni) ma che comincia ad essere raggiungibile.
La considerazione più veloce da fare è che mentre l’iPad, sul quale è una meraviglia vedere i film, è già sul mercato, l’altro device Apple che può usufruire al massimo di questo store è l’Apple TV 2G (qui recensita da ikki_83) la cui ipotesi di una commercializzazione a breve sul territorio italiano si fa sempre più consistente.

Penso sia un’ottima notizia visto anche il fallimento, annunciato qualche settimana fa, di quella che negli anni ’90 era la padrona dell’home entertainment, la catena di negozi nota come Blockbuster, che negli ultimi anni, anche per colpa della diffusione dei programmi P2P, ha subito una crisi notevole fino alla conclusione e al fallimento nell’ottobre di quest’anno. Chiaramente al giorno d’oggi la gente preferisce rimanere in casa e poter noleggiare i film comodamente seduta sul proprio divano invece di uscire ed andare a noleggiare i film in uno store fisico.

Detto questo vi lascio con 2 domande che continuo a pormi: se davvero l’Apple tv dovesse approdare nel nostro territorio con il movie store quanto tempo durerebbe ancora il Blu-Ray Disc? E visto e considerato che Apple Tv va in streming le nostre infrastrutture reggerebbero tale traffico?

Questo post Se 2 indizi fanno una prova: iTunes Movie Store Italia è stato pubblicato su Nerdvana - Nerd Magazine.

Ritorno al futuro è un film di fantascienza del 1985, diretto da Robert Zemeckis ed interpretato da Michael J. Fox e Christopher Lloyd. Primo episodio della trilogia omonima, è considerato un’icona del cinema degli anni ottanta e ha riscosso un enorme successo a livello internazionale. La pellicola ha ricevuto il premio Oscar al miglior montaggio sonoro.
Nel 2007 è stato scelto per la preservazione nel National Film Registry della Biblioteca del Congresso degli Stati Uniti.

Buon compleanno Ritorno al Futuro e, come sempre, in bocca al lupo al nostro mito Michael.

Questo post Ritorno al Futuro, 25 anni dopo è stato pubblicato su Nerdvana - Nerd Magazine.

L’1 Settembre durante l’ultimo Keynote Steve Jobs presentava la “one more thing”, si trattava della nuova Apple TV con nuove straordinarie funzionalità. Eccoci oggi a parlare di un iOS che potrebbe significare anche un App Store ad essa dedicata. Una coincidenza che i due prodotti della casa di Cupertino abbiano avuto uno sviluppo simile? Diciamo che c’era da aspettarselo.

Proprio poche ore fa Apple ha reso disponibile per il download la versione 2.1 del firmware per la Apple TV che deve ancora arrivare nelle case degli americani e già ha una ottima novità. Quest’ultimo non è che una versione dell’iOS 4 adattata al nuovo dispositivo, lo prova il fatto che il file ha un’estensione .ipsw. Questo, assieme alla Micro-USB “service port” posta nella parte posteriore della Apple TV, ha permesso che non appena il firmware è stato rilasciato @pod2g ha cominciato a darsi da fare e SHAtter ha colpito ancora riuscendo a decriptare la chiave del filesystem principale del file immagine .dmg.

In Italia tutto questo rimane per il momento solo un sogno dato che la vendita non c’è ancora. Oltretutto se anche acquistassimo la Apple TV, non potremmo utilizzare tutti i servizi che prevedono lo streaming data l’arretratezza delle nostre infrastrutture. Il nostro utilizzo sarebbe ridotto allo streaming dai nostri idevices grazie ad AirPlay, ed al download di app eventualmente anche di terze parti dopo aver effettuato il Jailbreak. Il tutto non è sicuramente da poco, ma rimane in ogni caso un utilizzo parziale. Non potremmo infatti godere dei servizi offerti dagli accordi stretti da Apple con Netflix e le altre case produttrici per noleggiare serie tv e film.

Rimane inteso che il nuovo firmware è compatibile solo con la nuova Apple TV quindi tutti coloro che ne avessero la versione precedente rimangono esclusi dall’aggiornamento.

Questo post iOS su Apple TV è stato pubblicato su Nerdvana - Nerd Magazine.

Questo post Incredibile sneak peak di Tron Legacy è stato pubblicato su Nerdvana - Nerd Magazine.

Sayonara (Goodbye)

How could I forget, May 18th of this year.

I received the following pronouncement from a cardiovascular doctor at Musashino Red Cross Hospital.

“It’s the latter stages of pancreatic cancer. It’s metastasized to several bones. You have at the most half a year left to live.”

My wife and I listened together. It was a fate so unexpected and untenable, that the two of us together could barely take it.

I used to honestly think that “I can’t help it if I die any day.” Still, it was so sudden.

To be sure, there were some signs. 2 to 3 months before that I’d had strong pains in several places on my back and in the joints of my legs; I’d lost strength in my right leg and found it hard to walk, and I’d been going to an acupuncturist and a chiropractor, but I wasn’t getting any better. So after having been examined in an MRI and a PET-CT and such advanced machinery, came the sudden pronouncement of the time I had left.

It was as if death had positioned itself right behind me before I knew it, and there was nothing I could do.

After the pronouncement, my wife and I researched ways to prolong my life. It was literally a life or death situation. We received the support of staunch frends and strong allies. I rejected anti-cancer medication, and tried to live with a view of the world slightly different from the norm. The fact that I rejected what was “expected (normal)” seemed to me to be very much like me.

I’ve never really felt that I belonged with the majority. It was the same for medical care, as with anything else. “Why not try to keep living according to my own principles!” However, as is the case when I’m trying to create a work [a film”], ones willpower alone didn’t do the job. The illness kept progressing day by day.

On the other hand, as a member of society, I do accept at least half of what society in general holds to be right. I do pay taxes. I’m far from being an upstanding citizen, but I am a full member of Japanese society. So, aside from the things I needed to do to prolong my life from my own point of view, I also attempted to do all the things necessary to “be ready to die properly”. I don’t think I managed to do it properly though. (But) one of the things I did was, with the cooperation of 2 friends that I could trust, set up a company to take care of things like the measly number of copyrights that I hold. Another thing that I did was, to insure that my wife would take over any modest assets that I had smoothly by writing a will. Of course, I didn’t think there would be any fighting over my legacy or anything, but I wanted to make sure that my wife, who would remain behind in this world, would have nothing to worry about – and besides, I wanted to remove any anxiety from myself, the one who was going to take a little hop over there, before I had to leave.

The paperwork and research necessary for these tasks, which neither my wife nor I were good at doing, were taken care of speedily by wonderful friends. Later on, when I developed pneumonia and was at death’s door, and put my final signature on the will, I thought that if I died right then and there, it couldn’t be helped.

“Ah…I can die at last.”

After all, I’d been brought by ambulance to the Musashino Red Cross Hospital 2 days before that; then brought back again to the same hospital by ambulance the day after. Even I had to be hospitalized and undergo many examinations. The result of those examinations: pneumonia, water in my chest, and when I asked the doctor [straight out”], the answer I received was very businesslike, and I was in a way grateful for that.

“You may last 1 or 2 days…even if you survive this, you probably have until the end of the month.”

As I listened, I thought “It’s like he’s telling me the weather forecast”, but still the situation was dire.

That was July the 7th. It was a rather brutal Tanabata for sure.

So, I decided right there and then.

I wanted to die at home.

I might inconvenience the people around me, but I asked them to see how I could escape and go back home. [I was able to do so”] thanks to my wife’s efforts, the hospital’s cooperation despite their position of having given up on me, the tremendous help of other medical facilities, and the coincidences that were so numerous that they only seemed to be gifts from heaven. I’ve never seen so many coincidences and events falling into place so neatly in real life, I could barely believe it. This wasn’t Tokyo Godfathers after all.

While my wife was running around getting things in place for my escape, I was pleading with doctors “If I can go home for even half a day, there are things I can still do!”, then waiting alone in the depressing hospital room for death. I was lonely, but this was what I was thinking.

“Maybe dying won’t be so bad.”

I didn’t have any reasons for it, and perhaps I needed to think like that, but I was surprisingly calm and relaxed.

However, there was just one thought that was gnawing away at me.

“I don’t want to die here…”

As I thought that, something moved out from the calendar on the wall and started to spread around the room.

“Oh dear, a line marching out from the calendar. My　hallucinations aren’t at all original.”

I had to smile at the fact at my professional instincts were working even at times like this, but in any case I was probably the nearest to the land of the dead that I’d ever been at that point. I really felt death very close to me. [But”] with the help of many people, I miraculously escaped Musashino Red Cross and came back home, wrapped up in the land of the dead and bedsheets.

I should emphasize that I have no criticism of or hatred for Musashino Red Cross Hospital, so don’t misconstrue me.

I just wanted to go home to my own house. The house where I live.

I was a little surprised that, when I was being carried into my living room, as a bonus, I experienced that deathbed experience everyone is familiar with of “looking down on your body being carried into the room from a place high above”. I was looking down on myself and the scene around me from a position several meters above ground, through a wide-angle-ish lens and flash lighting. The square of the bed in the middle of the room seemed very large and prominent, and my sheet-wrapped body was being lowered into the middle of the square. None too gently it seemed, but I’m not complaining.

So, all I had to do was to wait for death in my own home.

However.

It seems that I was able to overcome the pneumonia.

Eh?

I did think like this, in a way.

“I didn’t manage to die! (laugh)”

Afterwards, when I could think of nothing else but death, I thought that I did indeed die once then. In the back of my mind, the world “reborn” wavered several times.

Amazingly, after then my life-force was rejuvenated. From the bottom of my heart, I believe this is due to the people who helped me; first and foremost my wife, and my supportive friends, the doctors and nurses, and the care managers.

Now that my life-force had been restarted, I couldn’t waste my time. I told myself that I’d been given an extra life, and that I had to spend it carefully. So I thought that I wanted to erase at least one of the irresponsibilities that I’d left behind in this world.

To be truthful, I’d only told the people closest to me about the cancer. I hadn’t even told my parents. In particular, because of various work-related complications, I couldn’t say anything (to people) even if I wanted to. I wanted to announce my cancer on the internet and report on my remaining life, but if Satoshi’s death was scheduled, there might be some waves made, however small. For these reasons, I acted very irresponsibly to people clear to me. I am so sorry.

There were so many people that I wanted to see before I died, to say even one word of greeting to. Family and relatives, old friends and classmates from elementary and middle and high school, the mates I met in college, the people I met in the manga world, with whom I exchanged so much inspiration, the people in the anime world whose desks I sat next to, went drinking with, with whom I competed on on the same works, the mates with whom I shared good and bad times. The countless people I was able to know because of my position as a film director, the people who call themselves my fans not only in Japan but around the world, the friends I’d made via the web.

There are so many people that I want to see at least once (well there are some I don’t want to see too), but if I see them I’m afraid that that the thought that “I can never see this person again” will take me over, and that I wouldn’t be able to greet death gracefully. Even if I had recovered, I had very little life force left, and it took a lot of effort to see people. The more people wanted to see me, the harder it was for me to see them. What irony. In addition, my lower body was paralyzed due to the cancer spreading to my bones, and I was prone on my bed, and I didn’t want people to see my emaciated body. I wanted most of the people I knew to remember me as the Satoshi that was full of life.

I’d like to use this space to apologize to my relatives, friends and acquaintances, for not telling you about my cancer, for my irresponsibility. Please understand that this was Satoshi’s selfish desire. I mean, Satoshi Kon was “that kind of guy”. When I envision your faces, I only have good memories and remember (your) great smiles. Everyone, thank you for all the truly great memories. I loved the world I lived in. Just the fact that I can think that makes me happy.

The many people that I met throughout my lifetime, whether they were positive or negative, have helped to shape the human being that is Satoshi Kon, and I am grateful for all of those encounters. Even if the end result is an early death in my mid 40s, I’ve accepted this as my own unique destiny. I’ve had so many positive things happen to me after all.

The thing I think about death now. “I can only say, it’s too bad.” Really.

However, even though I can let go of many of my irresponsible actions [by not telling people”], I cannot help regretting two things. About my parents, and about Madhouse [founder”] Maruyama-san.

Even though it was rather late, there was no choice but to come clean with the whole truth. I wanted to beg them for forgiveness.

As soon as I saw Maruyama-san’s face when he came to see me at home, I couldn’t stop the flow of tears or my feeling of shame. “I’m so sorry, for ending up like this…” Maruyama-san said nothing, and just shook his head and gripped both my hands. I was filled with thankfulness. Feelings of gratitude and joy, that I’d been lucky enough to work with this person, came over me like a landslide. It may be selfish, but I felt as though I had been forgiven in that instant.

My biggest regret is the film “Dreaming Machine”. I’m worried not only about the film itself, but the staff who I was able to work with on the film. After all, there’s a strong possiblity that the storyboards that were created by (our) blood, sweat and tears will never be seen. This is because Satoshi Kon put his arms around the original story, the script, the characters and the settings, the sketches, the music…every single image. Of course there are things that I shared with the animation director, the art director and other staff, but basically most of the work can only be understood by Satoshi Kon. It’s easy to say that it was my fault for arranging things this way, but from my point of view I made every effort to share my vision with others. However, in my current state I can only feel deep remorse for my inadequacies in these areas. I am really sorry to all of the staff. However, I want them to understand, if only a little bit. Satoshi Kon was “that kind of guy”, and, that’s why he was able to make rather weird anime that was a bit different. I know this is a selfish excuse, but think of my cancer and please forgive me.

I haven’t been idly waiting for death, even now I’m thinking with my weak brain of ways to let the work live even after I am gone. But they are all shallow ideas. When I told Maruyama-san about my concerns about “Dreaming Machine”, he just said “Don’t worry. We’ll figure out something, so don’t worry.”

I wept.

I wept uncontrollably.

Even with my previous movies, I’ve been so irresponsible with the productions and the budgets, but I always had Maruyama-san figure it out for me in the end.

This time is no different. I really haven’t changed.

I was able to talk to my heart’s content with Maruyama-san. Thanks to this, I was able to feel, at least a little, that Satoshi Kon’s talents and skills were of some value in our industry.

“I regret losing your talent. I wish that you were able to leave it for us.”

If Madhouse’s Maruyama-san says that, I can go to the netherworld with a little bit of self-pride after all. And of course, even without anyone else telling me this, I do feel regret that my weird visions and ability to draw things in minute detail will be lost, but that can’t be helped. I am grateful from the bottom of my heart that Maruyama-san gave me the opportunity to show the world these things. Thank you, so very much. Satoshi Kon was happy as an animation director.

It was so heartbreaking to tell my parents.

I’d really intended to go up to Sapporo, where my parents live, while I was still able to, but my illness progressed so unexpectedly and annoyingly fast that I ended up calling them on the telephone from the hospital room as I was closest to death.

“I’m in the late stages of cancer and will die soon. I was so happy being born as a child to Father and Mother. Thank you.”

They must have been devastated to hear this out of the blue, but I was certain I was going to die right then.

But then I came back home and survived the pneumonia. I made the big decision to see my parents. They wanted to see me too. But it was going to be so hard to see them, and I didn’t have the will to. But I wanted to see my parents’ faces one last time. I wanted to tell them how grateful I was that they brought me into this world.

I’ve been a happy person. Even though I must apologize to my wife, my parents and all the people that I love, that lived out my life a bit too faster than most.

My parents followed my selfish wishes, and came the next day from Sapporo to my house. I can never forget the first words out of my mother’s mouth when she saw me lying there.

“I’m so sorry, for not bringing you into this world with a stronger body!”

I was completely speechless.

I could only spend a short time with my parents, but that was enough. I had felt that if I saw their faces, that it would be enough, and it really turned out that way.

Thank you, Father, Mother. I am so happy that I was born into this world as the child of the both of you. My heart is full of memories and gratitude. Happiness itself is important, but I am so grateful that you taught me to appreciate happiness. Thank you, so very much .

It’s so disrespectful to to die before ones parents, but in the last 10 plus years, I’ve been able to do what I want as an anime director, achieve my goals, and get some good reviews. I do feel regret that my films didn’t make a lot of money, but I think they got what they deserved. In these last 10 plus years in particular I’ve felt as though I’ve lived more intensively than other people, and I think that my parents understood what was in my heart.

Because of the visits by Maruyama-san and my parents, I feel as though I’ve taken a big burden off my shoulders.

Lastly, to my wife, about whom I worry the most, but who has been my support until the end.

Since that time-left pronouncement, we drowned ourselves in tears together so many times. Every day was brutal for both of us, physically and mentally. There are almost no words for it. But the reason why I was able to survive those difficult days was because of the words that you said to me right after we received the news.

“I’ll be at your side [run with you”] until the end.”

True to those words, as though you were leaving my worries in the dust, you skillfully directed the demands and requests that came rushing towards us like a landslide, and quickly learned how to take care of your husband. I was so moved, watching you deal with things so efficiently.

“My wife is awesome.”

No need to keep saying that now, you say? No no. You are even more awesome now than you ever were – I truly feel this. Even after I have died, I believe that you will send Satoshi Kon to the next world with grace. Ever since we got married, I was so wrapped up in “Work, work” that I was only able to spend some time at home after the cancer – such a shame.

But you stood close to me, you always understood that I needed to immerse myself in my work, that my talent was there. Thank you.

There are so many things, countless things, that I worry about, but everything needs an end. Lastly, to Doctor H who agreed to see me to the end in my home, even though it’s something not done these days, and his wife and nurse, K-san, I would like to express my deep gratitude. Medical care in a private home is very inconvenient, but you patiently dealt with the numerous aches and pains that cancer brings on, and endeavores to make my time until the final goal called death be as comfortable as possible. I can’t say how much you helped me. And you didn’t just deal with this difficult and arrogant patient as if it were just your jobs, but communicated with me as human beings. I cannot say how much of a support you were to me, and how much you saved me. I was encouraged by your qualities as human beings several times. I am deeply deeply grateful.

And, this is really the last, but from shortly after I received that pronouncement in mid-May until now, I’ve been lucky to have the cooperation, help and mental support, both personally and in business, from 2 friends. My friend T, who has been a friend since high school and is a member of KON’Stone Inc, and producer H, I thank you both from the bottom of my heart. Thank you so much. It’s hard for me with my measly vocabulary to express my gratitude adequately to you both. My wife and I have both received so much from you.

If you two hadn’t been there for us, I am sure that I’d be anticipating death while looking at my wife here as she sits by my side with considerably more trepidation and worry. I am really in your debt.

And, if I may ask you for one more thing – could you help my wife send me over to the other side after my death? I’d be able to get on that flight with my mind at rest if you could do that for me. I ask this from my heart.

So, to everyone who stuck with me through this long document, thank you. With my heart full of gratitude for everything good in the world, I’ll put down my pen.

Now excuse me, I have to go.

Satoshi Kon

Questo post La lettera di addio di Satoshi Kon è stato pubblicato su Nerdvana - Nerd Magazine.

Ci giunge notizia che la Nike abbia brevettato le scarpe di Martin MacFly (Micheal J. Fox) in Ritorno al Futuro. La richiesta era stata depositata presso l’Organizzazione Mondiale della Proprietà Intellettuale, che oggi ha concesso la licenza di brevetto per il sistema di allacciamento automatico di Nike: un sistema di lacci e strappi con un meccanismo per adattarli automaticamente al piede e alla caviglia di chi le indossa dal design leggero. Un brevetto potrebbe essere sinonimo di un rilascio sul mercato imminente: inutile dire che saremo tutti in fila davanti al Nike Store più vicino al day one, vero?

Questo post Ritorno al Futuro: in arrivo le Nike di Martin McFly! è stato pubblicato su Nerdvana - Nerd Magazine.

Incredibile ma vero! Proprio in questi tempi in cui Sailor Moon è tornata alla ribalta grazie alla trasmissione dell’anime su Italia 1 la bravissima e bellissima Penelope Cruz in una scena di “Gli Abbracci Spezzati” di Pedro Almodovar, indossa lo stesso vestito che la guerriera Sailor Pluto (che avrete modo di ammirare dalle prossime stagioni!) mostra in una illustrazione dell’autrice Naoko Takeuchi.
Escludendo velleità di cosplayer di Penelope Cruz (che mi piacerebbe vedere nei panni di Sailor Pluto!), la spiegazione può essere una sola: la Takeuchi per le sue illustrazioni si è spesso ispirata alle collezioni di stilisti (soprattutto italiani) recensite sulla stampa specializzata giapponese: lo stesso vestito potrebbe essere stato usato come ispirazione dai costumisti di Almodovar.

Se nel caso in cui decidessero di fare un film su Sailor Moon, che attrici vorreste vedere nei loro panni? Penelope Cruz, Megan Fox, Charlize Theron, Jessica Alba, Jessica Biel, Milla Jovovich, Kate Beckinsale, Diane Krueger e Jennifer Connelly sono le prime che mi vengono in mente!

Questo post Sailor Pluto? No, è Penelope Cruz! è stato pubblicato su Nerdvana - Nerd Magazine.