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KDE on the NBC Show "Heroes"
Vesuv writes "The pilot episode of NBC's flagship drama for the 2006 fall season proudly features a laptop showing a KDE desktop and KDE applications such as Kopete and KMix running on Mandriva Linux. " The show itself looks to have potential for essentially an x-men knockoff. I mean, it ain't written by Sorkin (all hail jesus) so I'll give it a few more episodes to decide if all the angst is gonna kill me or not.
Don't get me wrong... teleportation, flight, invulnerability, etc... all okay. But a hot girl using linux on the desktop? Yeah, right!
Do we really need another X-Men ripoff? Wasn't Mutant X already enough?
Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
It does make sense that in TV and films people would use free and open software on computers, they need it to look like people think a computer should look (and KDE does that) and they need to have the right to use it without worrying about being sued because it's proprietry and they like to not have to give thousands of dollars and coppies of the script over to people so the whole show doesn't get pulled for creating a negative image of software.
The only thing that amazes me is that more people aren't doing this
*''I can't believe it's not a hyperlink.''
I think the show is based on a graphic novel by the same name. (if not, it sure is inspired by it.) Mutants start to realize what they are, and the normal population has trouble coming to terms with them. All this before the mutants become "superheros."
Are you...Are you some kind of genius?
No, ma'am, I'm just a regular Slashdot reader.
This is even remotely interesting because?
"I use a Mac because I'm just better than you are."
The scene in question with the KDE stuff involves a hot chick getting naked online.
:)
And you notice the windowing system and applications on her laptop.
Slashdot, you never cease to amaze me
Come to the University of Mars! Classes starting soon!
And if you squint really hard you can see Elvis in the background.
Superpowers != Xmen.
I watched the pilot. It was interesting enough that I'll probably watch a few more episodes to see what the hell is going on.
It used to be that Apple was the darling of the TV/Movie business. Of course that was usually on the hardware side. Ordinarily the "screen shots" were graphic-artist nonsense that photographed well (and of course, there is always a beep or click when each character appears on the screen). Maybe now we'll see Apple hardware, and then the screen shots will be Linux. That would be a bit incongruous, but very likely something Hollywood would do.
The more you regulate a company, the worse its products become.
Not really big news.
TV has been doing that for a while. It might not have been KDE. But I can't count the times I have seen alternate OS's.
Mac OS has been shown all the time, even advertising software or websites that do not even work on a Mac (Or is not needed for a Mac like virus scanners). (Movies follow the general trend. Heros use Macs, while Villains or Dark Heros use Windows)
Unix and Linux (because they often look the same on TV) with various windows managers. CDE is often popular. This is often used in the Big Data Centers, or when people are doing some real hacking.
Now they probably used KDE because they didn't need to pay royalty to any company to show it. Plus it looked high-tech enough for the show. But in the grand scheme of things most people don't care what the hero's computer is running. It wont bring packs of people to install linux because they saw linux on their favorite TV Show. Just like in Jurassic Park you didn't see a migration back to Unix because the park ran it, or a huge migration away because the park failed because of it.
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
I don't reply to Anonymous posts; if you have something to say to me, identify yourself or I won't reply.
Some of the exposition dialog was *painful. Now that's over with, though, so I have hopes for later episoden
My turnips listen for the soft cry of your love
they're COMICS, not graphic novels. Their intended audience does not change the fact that they're still COMICS. Get over yourselves. C.O.M.I.C.S.
OK, so the show is trying a little too hard to be "Lost" (Look - we've got all these connections between people - there are no coincidences on the Island - I mean, the Earth!)
But what gets me is how the writers could actually have a conversation like this one:
Politician: Hey, little brother.
Good hearted guy: Hey, I think I can fly!
Politician: Great - that's *exactly* something someone would say in a crowded room full of people.
Good hearted guy: No, really - I'm going to be like superman!
I nearly turned it off at that point, but my wife wanted to watch the rest. Overall, maybe a 7/10 so far - but the next episode looks to kick things into gear.
52 Weeks, 52 Religions with John Hummel
I am so man I missed the first episode. It looked interesting. Clearly a rip-off of the XMen idea, but I would love to see how they make it their own.
Click Click Bloody Click PANCAKES!
There's a decent amount of cc-licensed material out there. Televisions that are on in the background, music on a bus, etc. I've heard that clearing rights for this stuff takes up an obscene amount of time and money. Sometimes you gotta bite the bullet because you gotta have a particular clip with some resonance but just as often you only need something that looks professional
My turnips listen for the soft cry of your love
Actually, it's not Linux running... It's FreeBSD with KDE.
Wouldn't it be GINUSA: GINUSA Is Not the USA?
W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
... I hope you're glad! Madmen! MADMEN!
How about: USG States of GNUmerica?
"Times have not become more violent. They have just become more televised."
-Marilyn Manson
Point no.3 is very valid. By making it look "techy", it gets featured on Slashdot! Seriously,it has helped spread the show.
Wincopy
On Sci-Fi (owned by NBC). They showed it twice during primetime this week on NBC, and it's available all over the place online in legal and illegal ways. It's really hard to not watch it.
Did you notice that Hearst's abacus was running an early build of Slackware?
I watched Heroes the night it was on and loved it (I missed the Linux part; as someone mentioned earlier in this thread, there were better things to be looking at in the scene).
:)) The site above did not mention/post about his desktop, but I'm sure someone can get a capture of it.
I didn't delete it from TiVo because my wife missed it. Last night she was watching it, and I sat down right as the camera was pointing at the desktop, and my eyes noticed the blue in the window's title bar and I laughed and said "they're using Linux".
Later on when they showed the Japanese guy's friend screwing around on his computer at work, I noticed his desktop was also not Windows or Mac, but didn't recognize the theme (and no, I wasn't going to pause and try to figure it out
I would have gladly paid to watch - but it's not on iTunes. Oh well, off to the TorrentMobile, batman!
Another idiotic network failing to grasp they could make money by letting me watch the show when I want.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Dude the show is available online @ NBC's site.
You can even download it if you have the intel processor they require.
Check this NBC page http://www.nbc.com/Heroes/
Wincopy
So I take it it runs Linux?
I've always wondered about all the terminology that we have for derivative creative work. I doubt that anyone could come up with a coherent definition of "rip-off" that didn't rely on subjective evaluation of quality and/or a subjective evaluation of sameness.
Ask yourself this, is it possible to have a story about a group of super-powered students that won't be considered an "x-men rip-off"? Is that really fair to the authors who actually do come up with interesting and creative ideas of their own?
I'm not saying Heroes is a unique and beautiful flower. I haven't seen it, and maybe all it does have going for it is its x-menness, but I refuse to evaluate fiction on the sole basis that it is "like" something else. IMHO, it stands on its own merits, or it falls on its own flaws. Anything else just seems like being dishonest and unfair to the creative folks that put the fiction together.
... we'll see the news:
"Last night's episode of NBC's drama 'Heroes' scored surprisingly high in the Hopeless Geeks demographic, according to Nielsen Media Research."
You're an idiot...
Yuo fail it!!11oneone
What a miserably written and horribly acted show. I found myself wishing Nissan hadn't ponied up to bring it to us with limited commercial breaks.
so its another slashvertisement is what you are trying to say
Do not try to read the dupe, thats impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth
What truth?
There is no dupe
Heroes on iTunes. $1.99 an episode. It was actually available prior to being on TV.
There were actually a couple of small twists in the pilot that surprised me.
I was expecting this show to be completely horrible, and to hate it. Based on the previews, I thought it would be a plastic version of the XMen, but my girlfriend and both really enjoyed it.
I also thought it was really bold of them to show a painting of NYC with a nuclear bomb going off in it.
Speaking of nukes, don't watch the Jericho show.. it is horrible.
It's a sad reflection on my life that I care about this... but I do.
Its not an X-Men ripoff - Its a ripoff of Misfits of Science, which was the best television show ever.
Wait, isn't this the same show where some 10 year old kid was soldering his computer because it was broken? Now, I know they were trying to illustrate that he was a smart kid and all, but you can't fix a computer that was made any time after 1982 with a soldering iron. I really think they should hire consultants to read through the script before they put in stupid things like that.
I know some geek is going to respond saying he soldered his computer and made it work, but realistically, it's not something that you can do. Some script writer thought it would sound good...
-Arthur
Cave ne ante ullas catapultas ambules
The wannabe flying kid was so terribly annoying that I was really hoping he'd jump off of the building and face plant. So imagine my excitement when he seemed to be doing just that--only to have my hopes dashed when his brother flew up and caught him. Definitely dampened my enthusiasm for the show.
I'm guessing it's on because nobody paid to have it on there - or Mandrake did. Would I like my software promoted in big show on NBC? Hell yeah. I'm guessing the message is "If you don't pay, we don't give you any air time." Next time around, they'll know the threat is credible - they can use something other than PC/Mac. And then I'm sure they'll get some petty cash and put the iMac back in.
Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
You should turn on your television during this show just so you don't miss "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip."
I missed the Linux shot though, probably because I was too busy playing WoW, in Wine. Gnome though . . .
"By the time they had diminished from 50 to 8, the other dwarves began to suspect 'Hungry.'" -Gary Larson
Comment removed based on user account deletion
By making it look "techy", it gets featured on Slashdot! Seriously,it has helped spread the show.
I know, I downloaded it on Bit Torrent ad free already!
this is more a direct rip off of the 4400 show.
www.usanetwork.com/series/the4400/
I believe that quote is from Picasso.
Except for ending slavery, the Nazis, communism, & securing American independence, war has never solved anything.
I always thought Sports Night and West Wing were pretty well-written.
Examples of shows I watched: 24 with Pine v4.44 and Alias with an old version of KDE.
Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
This is about the only time this blog will be on-topic, so here goes:
No, she didn't like it.
-Rob
Biblical fiscal responsibility
The real news here is that someone got a USB camera working with KDE.
And Aaron Sorkin rules.
</fanboi>
The entire episode is on NBC's site for free. You will have to put up with a pretty bad Flash video interface and ads everywhere. I had a problem with it in Firefox, but there was no problem in IE. Yeah... one of those sites :(
There are no uninteresting things. There are only uninterested people.
yes, it's like Mutant X. Yes, it's like Xmen, and yes, it's likely that they are gonna get their pants sued by Intellectual Property Owners of Star Trek and by Marvel. I'm guessing the name Heros is roughly based on the rpg by the same name, so that's another IP infringment that could sue em. Marvel and DC have a join copyright on "superpowers", "superheroes" and mutants last I checked... Read Kevin Sembeidia's RPG Heroes Unlimited for a paragraph long statement about that and why they did that RPG with the name "Heroes" instead of "Superheroes"... and that was way back in the 1990s. Nothing's ever really changed. My bet is Marvel is getting some massive cut out of this or is massively going to get a cut in the future after they sue.
Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!! Look everyone, I can control the volume on my sound card!! :)
(Disclaimer - I've been using KDE as my preferred desktop for over 5 years...
THE HONOUR OF THE KNIGHTS - CC Licensed Sci-Fi Novel
They need to provide the source of the show since they are using GPL'd products (original commercial free edited, uncut video?).
I predict Stallman getting the whole thing shut down shortly.
The ratio of people to cake is too big
You can watch the first episode on here: http://video.nbc.com/player.html?dlid=32956
Stallman's point is that "Linux" is largely GNU software running on a non-GNU kernel. I doubt the US will be running largely GNU software on a non-GNU kernel by 2020, so Stallman will probably not make any effort to have the name changed.
Now that i've provided pics of KDE, you provide pics of your wife ;o)
I'm a woman and that sort of relationship is illegal where I live. So correct the law first and then I'll oblige!
or Uploaded, or Sucked, But Not As Much as 3, or whatever it was. The one where the Hot Chick hacked into a mainframe using a known SSH vulnerability.
Best Slashdot Co
Try to imagine this; you're on a stage, you're doing the third take of a scene at the end of a long day. Your prop guy (Andy) chose MS Windows XP, he did set it up in a hurry the same day (everything's behind schedule on a set), your actors are finally in the proper mood for the scene, you're in the middle of filming it and bang, MS Update warns you there is an update available for you and that you should update it now...
"CUT!, Andy, next time get me a real OS, will you?."
Open Source is GOD! He sent his son Linux to save you! GNU to guide you! OSS, Linux and GNU in one, the almighty! Worship and praise or be condemned to the slavery of Microsoft or Apple forever!!! REPENT SINNER!
Meh.
...rebuilding a "logic board". Such as the little kid was doing right before his mom took him away before the goon squad showed up.
:)
There are two ways of looking at this IMHO:
1, the kid is actually a super-uber-genius and was actually rebuilding a real "logic board" with a soldering iron and spare parts, or:
2, it was simply dumbed-down techno-speak for the masses. I'm inclined to believe this scenario, and it kind grated on me afterwards.
That having been said, I have actually resurected a dead mobo by "hot-swapping" the bios chip--we were able to recover from a corrupted bios flash by using an identical board. I was pretty stoked that it worked as well as it did and that I didn't fry both motherboards in the process
There is simply too much glass..
Wow, someone is running KDE on national TV!
Can you say "Marketing Opportunity"? I thought you could. If the show takes off, prepare to have OS X or Vista on that puppy.
Here will be an old abusing of God's patience and the king's English.
Maybe it's an attempt to engage in a little viral marketing.
Marketing Guy: "Hey, how do we get the TV show posted up on high volume sites?"
IT Guy: "Just put a linux desktop on it somewhere. We'll get Slashdot and Digg, and maybe somebody will rip the scene and post it on YouTube"
Marketing Guy: "Geek stuff _and_ a naked chick? We'll be on the internet for sure!"
You can't have a battle of wits against an unarmed opponent.
are you looking at the computer for?
Someone actually came up with a term for this: the Viewer Friendly Interface.
What's really unusual about this appearance was that they actually had a normal, multi-windowed interface with regular-sized fonts.
Kde was the desktop used on the computer in the chat room company last night as well (the one about the Child being Auctioned off - P911)
It is clear that the director and set designers support Linux. Now if more tv shows, movies and commercials use it more often then we might have something.
Also, Heroes is not a ripoff of Xmen or MutantX. X-Men is based on the comics. Heroes is a drama series that revolves the lives of 'special' people. And Heroes is actually an offtake from The 4400. NBC Universal also owns The 4400 series. Has anyone seen The 4400?
\
Is this a sign for a new trend in hollywood's movie? Good guys use Unix( Linux and Mac ), bad guys use Windows?
A little dated, but I thought that was a pretty impressive reference for a television show to make.
The only time I ever see MacOS and Windows alternatives being used by the average person is in the movies.
I cringed at the scene too. But it was more because he said he was "making a new one (logic board)". You cannot make a new logic board with a soldering iron.
But you sure can fix one. I've fixed them. Manufacturers rework them all the time. There about a dozen components on a PC motherboard that cannot be removed and replaced. The rest can be, if you know how.
Honestly though, the tough part of fixing your logic board wouldn't be the soldering, it'd be diagnosing it. When components were discrete, and only a few logic gates were in each chip, you could trace the path of a problem around the board. Nowadays, he'd need a $50K logic analyzer and a $5K oscilliscope to find the problem before he could fix it with the $70 Hakko soldering station that he had.
http://lkml.org/lkml/2005/8/20/95
Maybe his computer is an Apple II
If you watched the show, you'd know that she doesn't have a lot of money and on top of that owes a lot to the Mob...she can't afford a Windows or Apple laptop....so of course she had to resort to Linux on an old laptop she had lying around.
Didn't look like the laptop was dying to me.
Badum dum ching!
Thank you, thank you. I'll be here all week. Enjoy the salad bar and be sure to tip your waitress.
Whoa, someone that doesn't like Aaron Sorkin's writing saying "Hail Jesus?"
Yeah... that sounds about right.
Meanwhile, Studio 60 owns your sorry ass.
Many TV and Movie crews use Linux for digital editing and the like. They like linux because it is cheap and versitle. They very well could have just grabbed a laptop on the set and used it.
The Gospel according to lolcat
I love this guy - for years I have been haunted by the memory of a rock singer powering up (at what appears, in my memories, to be a gas meter), with lightning crackling everywhere, and the closest thing I could find was this :-(
Consciousness is a myth. Trust me.
I've seen KDE in a couple of TV programmes. It was in Alias for a few seconds, and I'm pretty sure I saw it in a well known movie.
OMG!!! KDE got a few seconds of airtime?? this is PROOF that Microsoft's days are numbered! Woo! We're taking over!
;)
Yeah right. You're still a little faggot cocksucking bitch. Linux sucks, Torvalds sucks, you suck. And KDE? KDE *really* sucks
I kind of like that Linux is alien / futuristic enough to lend weight to a "potential x-men rip off". It kind of smacks of "this is what computers will look like in the future".
CheShA: Manchester Breakcore / Drill and Bass Yes I'm a s
I see a lot of people here saying that there is no way to stop someone using something in a movie. Like I would be free to use whatever furniture I like or whatever. But I'm sure this isn't true.
I'm sure I read something a couple of years back about a movie being delayed because they used a chair that the designer of the chair objected to.
I guess the delay was my problem, I thought I had looked a day after...
Mea Cupa.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley