Whilst visiting the LATimes website this morning I was pretty annoyed by several skyscraper ads that appeared for the upcoming Saw Movie. I really don’t think the ads are appropriate for all viewers, and that visitor discretion should be advised. Movies, music and video games are all rated before they are released, and I wonder if ads should go through a similar rating system if they are promoting products that could be considered offensive?

Do we need a New Media Ratings Board? Personally I think so, since we cannot trust the judgement of vendors or publishers. Graphic movies such as Saw are not intended for a general audience, however anyone visiting the LA Times this morning to see the MLS soccer scores will be presented with a pretty nasty ad, and if you click on it to see the destination page, you’ll be pretty disgusted by the Saw Movie website - again, with no warning as to the content….

Until we can form a New Media Ratings Board I really think Lions Gate and the LA Times should rethink their poilicy about this kind of promotion.

George Lucas has told the Los Angeles Times he just begun work on a “Star Wars” TV series in news that will please the inner-geek in all of us. George Lucas is planning a live-action television series spinoff of the “Star Wars” film franchise. Lucas told The Los Angeles Times he has “just begun work” on the series, which will not include the films’ major characters Luke Skywalker or Darth Vader. “The Skywalkers aren’t in it, and it’s about minor characters,” Lucas told the Times on Tuesday. Lucas wouldn’t reveal details, but joked that the series would be about “the life of robots.”

Not so sure I wanna know the history of life of the Robots, but some of the other characters from the movies could be pretty cool. Han Solo, although he’s pretty major in IV - VI could be a pretty cool show as could Jabba the Hut and Lando Calrissian…

BTW, here’s a full (and scary) list of the minor characters - lifted from good ole WikiPedia:

1 Amee
2 Chalmun
3 Crumb, Salacious
4 Ephant Mon
5 Gardulla the Hutt
6 Gargan, Yarna D’al
7 Ghoel
8 Jira
9 Klaatu
10 Lars, Cliegg
11 Lars, Owen
12 Lufba, Wam “Blam”
13 Nkik, Het
14 Oola
15 Ree-Yees
16 Valarian, Lady
17 Whitesun, Beru
18 2-1B
19 A’Kla, Elegos
20 Allana
21 Alto Stratus
22 Asha
23 Appo, Commander.
24 Azkul
25 Bastra, Gil
26 Beedo, Aldar
27 Binneed, Mosep
28 BoShek
29 Briqualon, Noa
30 Bwua’tu, Nek
31 Cakhmaim
32 Car’das, Jorj
33 Celchu, Mia
34 Celchu, Skoloc
35 Cerasi
36 Chirpa, Chief
37 Cloud-Riders
38 Dallows, Rhys
39 Davik Kang
40 Droga, Jeng
41 References
42 Eldo Davip
43 Fel, Baron Soontir
44 Foreck, Condren
45 Garindan
46 Gartogg
47 Ghent, Zakarisz
48 Grahrk, Vilmarh
49 Hierogryph, Marn
50 Hesz, Tal
51 Horn, Rostek
52 Horn, Valin “Hal”
53 Jax, Carnor
54 Kallabow
55 Katarn, Morgan
56 Katarn, Patricia
57 Logray
58 Mallar, Plat
59 Meewalh
60 Myo
61 Naberrie family
61.1 Janren, Darred
61.2 Naberrie, Jobal
61.3 Naberrie, Pooja
61.4 Naberrie, Ryoo
61.5 Naberrie, Sola
61.6 Naberrie, Winama
61.7 Thule, Ryoo
62 Narra, Commander
63 Nass, Boss Rugor
64 Navik the Red
65 Nield
66 Nym
67 O-Bin
68 O-Lana
69 O-Vieve
70 Odumin
71 Peckhum
72 References
73 Reti
74 Rukh
75 Salporin
76 Sandov, Utric
77 Shedao Shai
78 Sirrakuk
79 Skynx
80 Skywalker, Ben
81 Sleazebaggano, Elan
82 Sol, Jorin
83 Solo, Jarik
84 Sovv, Sien
85 Stark, Iaco
86 Sunber, Janek
87 Talor, Rand and Kath
88 Tarfang
89 Teek
90 King Terak
91 Ulgo, Trask
92 V-Tan
93 Vor’na’tu
94 Vorru, Fliry
95 Vox, Wade
96 Wessiri, Diric
97 Wessiri, Iella
98 Windy
99 Xux, Qwi
100 Zend, Salla

According to the results of last weeks test by the Google Operating System blog, users tried out three unidentified search engines and vote which had the best results. The results came back and 51% of the more than 2,000 people who voted said Google had the best results. That was followed by 35 percent for Live Search and 30 percent for Yahoo. I think many people are surprised Live Search, from Microsoft, came in above Yahoo, but I wasn’t - have you tried Yahoo search recently…. blurgh…

It’s a good job Jerry Yang was brought back in to save Yahoo - lets hope it doesnt go the way of Netscape.

Just when we thought record company execs and the RIAA had reached rock bottom, they’ve now prosecuted a single mother and she’s getting nailed to the tune of a $220,000 fine for downloading songs illegally. Don’t get me wrong, what she did was against the law, and she ripped off the artists, but as everyone in the music industry knows, thats what the record companies have been doing to artists such as Prince, Michael Jackson and Haircut 100 for years. Could the RIAA have shot themselves in the foot?

Talking of Madonna, it’s interesting to see she’s ditched WB this week and has signed with Live Nation - the concert promoters who are most famous for Live 8. I wonder if this is the start of a big movement as recording artists ditch the regular names, WB, Columbia, Sony etc and go with true media companies who can promote the artist over a variety of formats - Digital, Analog, In Person and marketing/promotion wise….

Sounds like the RIAA and it’s friends have yet to hit rock bottom.

btw, Haircut 100 were fronted by Nik Heyward and had notable hits including:

Boy Meets Girl (UK #4 Oct 1981)
Love Plus One (UK #3 Jan 1982)
Fantastic Day (UK #9 Apr 1982)
Nobody’s Fool (UK #9 Aug 1982)

One of the last remaining vestiges from the original bubble closed it’s doors this week. Business 2.0, the darling magazine of the internet dot com era says “good night and good speed” with it’s final edition in September. B2.0 was one of my favorite reads, I was never a big fan of Red Herring or Industry Standard so I’m kinda bummed out. As on of the 600,000 subscribers, I guess Conde Nast will be hoping I move over to Fortune magazine, but thats not going to happen. I’ll stick with Fast Company, Rolling Stone and The Economist to stay upto date from now on. Arriva Derche B2.

Like many other print periodicals, Business 2.0 has been hurt by a shift of advertising to the Internet as consumers spend more of their time surfing the Web and less reading magazines and newspapers. As Business 2.0’s revenue shriveled, Time — part of Time Warner Inc. — had been seeking buyers for the magazine. Dissatisfied with the offers it received in recent weeks, Time decided pull the plug and transfer some of the 9-year-old magazine’s top employees to the company’s main business title, Fortune.

“We looked for the best scenario for Business 2.0 — one that would nurture the spirit of the brand’s unique coverage and reporting,” said Time spokeswoman Danielle Perissi. Business 2.0’s final issue is scheduled to hit the newsstands this month.