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A majority of American families take a variety of electronic gadgets with them on vacation, a new study released yesterday found.

• 85 percent bring cell phones
• 75 percent bring digital cameras
• 35 percent bring portable CD players
• 33 percent bring portable gaming devices

On top of that, 87 percent of those surveyed said they plan to check personal e-mail, with 36 percent keeping up on work-related e-mail.

“In this age of connectivity, it's not surprising that 63% of all respondents and a full 75% of the ‘wired vacationers’ own three or more electronic devices,” InsightExpress, the online market research firm who conducted the study, reported in a press release.

InsightExpress surveyed 530 adults over the age of 18. Each participant had at least one child under the age of 18 and planned on taking a family vacation this summer.

“Although the study deliberately focused on families,” Erik Sass wrote in his article about the survey in Online Media Daily, “it contradicted conventional wisdom that children adopt gadgets more readily than adults: according to Insight, only 7 percent of respondents said that "love of technology is just a kid thing" during vacations.”

“As technology continues to creep into every aspect of our lives,” said Kevin Kruper, Group Director of the Technology Sector at InsightExpress, “it's clearly becoming harder for Americans to take a vacation without it."

Of course, as genre travelers, we probably were ahead of the back, since people with an interest in speculative fiction are more likely to be early adopters of technology products.

"While some vacation purists might balk at the idea of packing a charger in their carry-on,” said Kruper, “the reality is that Americans embrace technology because it makes their lives easier. And since the point of most vacations is to relax and have fun, it makes a lot of sense for families to incorporate their favorite devices into travel plans."

The online study was conducted from June 15 – 22, 2006.

For More Information:
InsightExpress: www.insightexpress.com
Online Media Daily Article: publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.san&s=45139&Nid=21415&p=361241

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John Landis, director of genre classics such as An American Werewolf in London and Michael Jackson’s music video "Thriller," is serving as creative consultant for an ambitious movie-themed nighttime entertainment show at the Universal Studios theme park in Orlando.

Universal 360 – A Cinesphere Spectacular premieres July 1 and presents of the most memorable moments in film history with some high-tech special effects. Combining more than 100 great movies, 360-degree spherical projection, lasers, pyrotechnic effects, digital mapping technology  and four enormous spheres spread across acres of waterfront at Universal Studios Florida, Universal 360 promises to be a one-of-a-kind experience.

“We’re attempting to take the magic of movies and use new technology to create a spectacular experience that goes beyond just seeing a movie,” said Landis.  “We want to create something that interacts with you and that happens around you.”

Jim Timon, senior vice president of entertainment for Universal Orlando Resort added, “We set out to create a new form of entertainment, an entirely new way to view and appreciate film.”

The spheres, which are 30-feet tall and 36-feet wide, float in the park’s central lagoon and serve as giant outdoor projection screens.  Digital mapping technology allows Universal to project supplemental images and effects on buildings surrounding the lagoon-transforming entire buildings into walls of flame.  The show also features a specially developed soundtrack broadcast through more than 300 outdoor speakers.

“We are creating a nightly mega-event that will sweep tens of thousands of people at a time into the emotion and drama behind some of America’s most popular movie moments,” said Timon.

A 15-minute collage of film clips serves as the centerpiece of the show. The clips come from all times and genres: from black-and-white classics to newer releases, including comedies, dramas, thrillers, horror films and more.

 “I like spectacles-especially mass spectacles,” Landis said.  “When they are done well -- whether it’s a circus or a political rally or a theme park show-they can be an amazing communal experience.  It’s not so easy to create something that touches people emotionally.  But we’re using the power of many movies and we’re editing them together and combining them with great special effects to create what we believe will be a series of very powerful moments.”

DETAILS:
What: Universal 360 – A Cinesphere Spectacular
Where: Universal Studios Florida, Orlando
When: Nightly, Premiering July 1, 2006
For More Information: www.universalorlando.com/usf_index.html

NOTE: If you experience this new attraction, please post your comments here so fellow genre travelers will know if it's worth going to see.

Horror theatrics man extraordinaire Alice Cooper will be the guest of honor at The Rue Morgue Festival of Fear Canadian National Horror Expo in September.

Canada’s largest genre event, organized by Rue Morgue, Canada’s leading horror magazine, and Hobby Star Marketing, is expected to draw more than 30,000 genre fans. Now in its third year, the Festival of Fear will take place Sept. 1 -3 as part of Canada’s National Expo, which also includes ComiCon, CNAnime, SFX and GamesX.

In addition to Cooper, special guests will include:

Guillermo Del Toro (director of Hellboy, Blade II, The Devil’s Backbone and Pan’s Labyrinth), Linda Blair (star of The Exorcist), Ben Chapman (the man in the suit from The Creature From the Black Lagoon), Jeffrey Combs (genre icon actor from such “classics” as Re-Animator, Castle Freak, The Frighteners, From Beyond and more), wrestler and film star Roddy Piper (They Live, Hell Comes To Frogtown), Juliet Landau (who played Drusilla in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV series) and cult horror icon Michael Berryman (The Hills Have Eyes, The Devil’s Rejects). For a complete guest list, visit www.rue-morgue.com.

"I am thrilled that we were able to bring together such an eclectic mix of classic and cult icons for our third year," said Rodrigo Gudiño, Rue Morgue publisher and Festival of Fear coordinator. "The Festival of Fear has always existed for the fans and this year will be no different."

In addition to the opportunity to see the special guests, the Festival also features exclusive parties, horror film screenings, autograph sessions, dealer tables, a live performance from The Creepshow and more.

DETAILS
What:      2006 Rue Morgue Festival of Fear
Where:    Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, Canada
When:     Sept. 1-3, 2006

For More Information:
Rue Morgue Festival of Fear: www.rue-morgue.com/festival.php
Alice Cooper: www.alicecooper.com/
Guillermo Del Toro Films (fansite): www.deltorofilms.com/index.php
Linda Blair: www.lindablair.com/
Ben Chapman: www.the-reelgillman.com/welcome/welcome.html
Jeffrey Combs: www.jeffreycombs.com/home.htm
Roddy Piper: www.rowdyroddypiper.com/
Juliet Landau: www.insanedrusilla.deadtime.net/index2.html
Michael Berryman: www.what-a-character.com/cgi-bin/display.cgi?id=BerrymanM

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Don’t have a few thousand dollars to pay for a suborbital flight? Then participate in eSpaceTickets’ Space Tourism tournament for your chance to go for free!

"It is better to have a chance, than NO chance at all,” said Tony Webb, founder of eSpaceTickets, at the International Space Development Conference in 2002. Now he’s put his money where his mouth is.

Currently, tickets are available only for those with deep pockets. Webb said he wants to make access to space travel uncomplicated. So he recently announced plans to give the winners of the eSpaceTickets tournaments free tickets to the edge of space and enter into the free drawings for commercial space flights.

"This international community solution involves the local media, community groups, clubs, schools, and business sponsors, all working together to make everybody involved a winner," Webb said.

Winners of the tournaments have a choice of a suborbital flight through Incredible Adventures using the Rocketplane XP, or an orbital expedition aboard the Neptune rocket launched by Interorbital Systems.

To qualify, you must be at least 14 years old and participate in a local tournament. Winning that tournament, you’ll move on to a regional competition. The champion wins the Grand Prize space flight of his or her choice: orbital or suborbital.

According to the official rules, “participating player groups will decide what type of "OPOLY" board game they will play. From that group game will emerge a winner, who will win the Space Tourism OPOLY game board and move into the next level of the tournament.”

"To reach for the stars, you can't sit on your hands," Webb said.

For more information, visit www.eSpaceTickets.com.

One of the things I like best about traveling is catching up on my reading. I always bring along reading material -- be it printed out copies of e-zines, magazines or books. All those long waits at airports are no longer a drag.

Well, if you’re a Star Trek fan, then you might be celebrating the 40th anniversary of the franchise with some genre travel. Beginning in August, fans in the U.S. will have the perfect reading material to bring along on those travels.

CBS Consumer Products and Titan Magazines have launched a new Star Trek magazine. The deluxe first issue will be available on newsstands beginning August 22 with a cover price of $9.99.

The bi-monthly magazine will feature exclusive interviews, features and behind the scenes access. Every issue will include cartoons penned by Dave Reddick, who created “The Trek Life,” a column by Star Trek insider Dave Rossi, and a "Flashback" review of a classic Star Trek episode. Also included in each issue will be the latest news and updates -- direct from the studio and producers -- on future projects, as well as information about the latest merchandise, Star Trek questions answered and more.

The premiere issue includes interviews with all the Star Trek Captains from Kirk to Archer. 

Titan Publishing Group is one of the world's largest publishers of licensed film and television publications, both magazines and books. Their magazine portfolio, in the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand, includes 24, Lost, Battlestar Galactica, Alias, Smallville, Charmed, Stargate, Buffy & Angel, and Star Wars. The U.S. Star Trek magazine should not be confused with the Star Trek magazine Titan Magazines has been publishing in the U.K. for awhile. It may share some content, but will be a separate publication.

For more information, check out www.trekweb.com/articles/2006/06/23/CBS-Announces-Launch-of-new-Star.shtml