disney

EMERYVILLE, Calif.--We all know what the reflections off cars or the roiling of the ocean are supposed to look like. So if you are tempted to believe that what you'll see in "Cars 2" proves that Pixar has made its first live-action film, think again.

This is the hit-making studio that breaks new technological ground with most of its new films, and "Cars 2," which opens Friday, is no exception. Where its technicians applied real physics to the escape of thousands of balloons in "Up," or true lighting effects to the rolling and pitching of plastic garbage bags … Read more

Among all the myriad events and announcements of E3 2011--some bombastic, some evolutionary--the unveiling of the Wii U was one that, no matter who you asked, generated some degree of mixed feelings. As gaming press and players, what we saw from Nintendo's future console controller produced sensations of excitement, skepticism, ambivalence, and intrigue.

That might be due partly to the expectations that Nintendo set for itself. The Wii was a new experience, a new idea. It also might be due in part to Sony's PSVita stealing some of the spotlight a day before; the handheld device actually has … Read more

PALOS VERDES, Calif.--"I don't speak for Hollywood," Disney boss Robert Iger said when questioned by Kara Swisher here today at the D9 conference

But from Disney's perspective, Iger sees new platforms (the cloud, the Net, social platforms) as great opportunities for the company. "We're in the content business," he said. "There's no question it provides challenges to old business models, but we were in businesses that were relatively low-growth, and had not changed in a long time."

When he saw the emergence of new tech platforms--Iger used the term "the video iPhone"--he said his realizing was, "Wait a minute, this is VHS," referring to the last non-Internet sea change to hit the television industry.

"There's going to be displacement of consumption...the opportunities to be entertained in the home are so much greater today." But, he said, they're all incremental opportunities for content companies.

So how will Disney keep its content profitable on these new media platforms?

"We view Netflix positively," he began, "It's a good provider for our content to be accessible on," even though some content goes through Disney's deal with Starz on the way to Netflix. Disney also has a direct relationship with Netflix. Also, "We like Hulu for a number of reasons, and not just because we're an equity partner." Iger said that the more content distribution… Read more

Michael Caine would probably forgive you if you couldn't tell the difference between the video game version of his "Cars 2" character, Finn McMissile, and the sleek, sauve master spy car he plays in the forthcoming Pixar film.

On June 24, Pixar will release the sequel to its 2006 hit "Cars." This time, however, rather than following the story of a hot rod lost in a small town, the film is a James Bond-esque spy thriller complete with endless action sequences in stunning locales the world over.

But first, Avalanche Software is putting out Cars 2: The Video Game, and is hoping that those who both see the movie and play the game (available on all major gaming consoles and on the PC) will not sense any loss of story line.

Indeed, according to Jon Warner, a senior producer at Avalanche--which is part of Disney Interactive Studios, and therefore related to Pixar, which is owned by Disney--the game is a clear extension of the movie.

"We worked with Pixar to make the game an authentic addition to the film universe," Warner said. "When you come home from the theater and play the game, you'll feel like you've stepped back into that familiar world." … Read more

Sony is firing up the PlayStation Network again and most of America should have access by now. But the Japanese government says it won't allow PSN back on in its country until Sony can ensure that it's triple-dog-super-secure. Which, uh ... I kind of want it to be that secure here, too, don't you? Plus, artists gets screwed by pirates AND the RIAA, the fascinating and potentially globally destabilizing bitcoin project, and the power of Prey gets back a man's laptop from hundreds of miles away. --Molly

Disney's Playdom social-gaming service has been ordered by the Federal Trade Commission to pay $3 million in fines for collecting and disclosing children's information without parental approval.

According to the FTC, many of Playdom's games, most notably the child-focused Pony Stars, attracted over 400,000 kids between 2006 and 2010. During that period, children under the age of 13 were able to register for the site, violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which requires Web site owners to notify parents and obtain their consent before they "collect, use, or disclose children's personal … Read more

Sony comes clean about six days after its network "intrusion" and admits that its hack attack actually led to the reveal of tens of millions of usernames, addresses, dates of birth, and maybe even passwords, security questions, and credit card numbers. So, that's a pretty bad day over at Sony. Also, Apple "comes clean" on its location data tracking, claiming that it's not happening, and even if it is happening, it's not that accurate, and even if it is that accurate, it's just so they can serve you better iAds. Wait, what?

Pairing sexy cars a with summer movie blockbusters has been a long-standing tradition--like last year's "Iron Man 2," which featured the 2011 R8 Spyder 5.2 Quattro supercar. This summer, "Thor", will team up with Acura for a major cross-promotion featuring the 2012 Acura TL.

In the movie "Thor," S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, worldwide peace-keeping organization of the Marvel Comics universe, drive various Acura vehicles, including the MDX, ZDX, RL and TL models. The TL will be the only model featured in ad spots, which include a 30-second TV on … Read more

While my iPad has become a second screen in many ways--as an e-reader, social-networking pane, video viewer, and more--a new series of apps from Disney is ready to take that into a whole new direction. Disney's Second Screen is a series of apps that take over your iPad and offer up a second screen of information during movie viewings, acting as a disembodied set of bonus features.

Second Screen is a feature that's currently offered on Disney's "Tron" and "Bambi" Blu-ray discs. Each movie has its own app in Apple's App Store. These apps are free, and hefty, too--the "Tron: Legacy" app clocked in at over 800MB, the "Bambi" app comes in at 498MB. However, you can't do anything with the app without activating a "Magic Code" found inside the Blu-ray disc's box. I made the mistake of downloading the app and leaving the Blu-ray box in the office, taking home the disc in a plastic sleeve. Unfortunately, the disc itself can't unlock the app, so I had to wait till the next day to Second Screen my home "Tron: Legacy"-viewing experience. Bottom line: don't lose that code.

The cleverest part of the whole Second Screen idea isn't its content: it's the app's ability to synchronize with the movie and play its related content alongside a time code of sorts that counts down in the upper part of the screen.… Read more