Word: planetful
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...Japan?that's one for every 20 people?and last year they raked in a total of $56 billion in sales, according to the Japan Vending Machine Manufacturers Association (JVMA). A few dozen companies compete to make what are the most advanced (and priciest) coin-op machines on the planet. A typical Japanese drink machine costs about $5,000, compared with just $3,000 for an American version, according to JVMA secretary-general Takashi Kurosaki. To meet Japanese expectations, he explains, "these machines have to be very versatile, with lots of functions...
...connections. But few manufacturers make souped-up handsets and the networks are idle?while the world continues to simply talk on their cell phones. Will 3G be greeted with a similar yawn? DoCoMo is putting on a brave face, insisting it will be the first 3G provider on the planet. Its big competitor these days: the Isle of Man (pop. 73,000). Think of it: video conferencing between the Irish Sea and Hokkaido will soon be a snap...
...planet that is 71% water, less than 3% of it is fresh. Most of that is either in the form of ice and snow in Greenland and Antarctica or in deep groundwater aquifers. And less than 1% of that water - .01% of all the earth's water - is considered available for human needs; even then, much of it is far from large populations. At the dawn of the 21st century, more than 1 billion people do not have access to safe drinking water. Some 2.4 billion - 40% of the world's population - lack adequate sanitation, and 3.4 million die each...
...What? Mark Wahlberg is doing a movie without George Clooney? What? Tim Burton is finally directing again? What? A _Planet of the Apes_ without kitsch? That's what the newly updated version of the 1968 science fiction classic is shaping up to be: a visceral, dynamic action movie that deviates so far from the original that it's almost unrecognizable. It's hard to imagine anyone besides Charlton Heston battling those "damned dirty apes," but Wahlberg fills his shoes well, and in a fitting, but rare touch, Heston appears in an ape cameo. As a US Air Force pilot, Wahlberg...
...appear sympathetic or belligerent. It's got the trappings of standard summer blockbuster fare, but Burton's brooding atmospheric photography (Batman) and quirky, alternative sensibilities (Beetlejuice) should guarantee more depth than the rest of the summer's offerings. [Interesting sidebar: Burton has rumored to have forced those involved with Planet to sign non-disclosure agreements up the wazoo and filmed five alternate endings to the film to ensure that it's ending is kept a secret. Creative control or hype-inducing scam? You decide...