'Breaking Bad' App Turns Your Name Into Chemical Element

LISA LACY for ClickZ 12 hours ago

For five seasons, each episode of AMC's Emmy Award-winning series Breaking Bad has begun with a title sequence that includes the symbols for bromine and barium, Br and Ba.

And now, thanks to AMC's Breaking Bad Name Lab app, the show's fans can generate images with symbols from the periodic table in their own names.

Since its launch on June 26, more than 1.4 million people have used the Facebook app — 20,000 of whom accessed it in the first four minutes it was available, according to an AMC rep.

What's more, Breaking Bad has gained 80,000 Facebook fans since the app launched, bringing its likes to a total of 4.7 million. (The show also has 338,000 Twitter followers.)

Calling the end result a "personalized periodic table name," the Name Lab app is accessible viaBreaking Bad's Facebook page and www.breakingbadnamelab.com. Users click "Get Started" and the app automatically generates a "personalized periodic table name" with element symbols replacing various letters in the fan's name.

Fans are then given the option to download a cover photo or profile picture and can share these images on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Tumblr. The images also include the hashtag #allbadthingsmustcometoanend — a nod to the critically acclaimed series' eight final episodes, which will begin airing in August.

The app is not the only promotional element to feature names; AMC has also released a promotional poster featuring actor Bryan Cranston, who plays central character Walter White, and the words "Remember My Name."

"We launched the app to complement the tease campaign that is out in the marketplace now, 'All Bad Things Must Come to An End,'" says Gina Hughes, AMC's senior vice president of marketing, in a written statement. "We wanted to give the fans a unique and organic way to engage with the series and build excitement for the final eight episodes, which premiere this summer."

The season finale for the first half of season five, which aired in September 2012, had 2.8 million viewers. AMC says that was up 47% over the season four finale.

Created by writer, producer and director Vince Gilligan and produced by Sony Pictures Television, Breaking Bad follows what AMC describes as "the story of a desperate man who turns to a life of crime to secure his family's financial future."

The series has received seven Emmy Awards and a Peabody. Breaking Bad has also been named to the American Film Institute's list of the Top 10 Programs of the Year in 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2012.

Image courtesy of AMC Name Lap App

This article originally published at ClickZ here

Amanda Seyfried Is '70s Porn Star in 'Lovelace' Trailer

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You Can Rent This Incredible Hovercraft Golf Cart Soon

Golf will never be the same.

Back in April, we brought you the story of an amazing hovercraft golf cart PGA star Bubba Watson demoed in spectacular fashion. Alas, we noted with some displeasure, the incredible vehicle was just a prototype and not available for public consumption.

Well, all that's about to change.

The Windy Knoll Golf Club in Springfield, Ohio, has just bought two of the BW1 contraptions for its customers to use. The course paid $58,000 apiece for the nifty get-arounds and patrons will soon be able to rent them for a yet-to-be-determined rate for select events, SB Nation reports.

As seen in Watson's viral YouTube video embedded above, the BW1 — which glides across greens and water hazards alike while leaving traditional carts in its dust — is pretty much the sweetest thing to hit golf since the Arnold Palmer drink.

Windy Knoll is currently the only golf course to possess BW1s of its own, and plans to introduce its new additions at a "Hover Bash" on July 27.

How much would you pay to rent one of these bad boys? Let us know in the comments.

Homepage image courtesy BubbasHover via YouTube

Michael Jackson Was Top Pick to Star in 'Doctor Who' Film

David Tennant, Matt Smith, Tom Baker — these are the famous names that have become synonymous with BBC's popular sci-fi series, Doctor Who. Improbably, another well-known figure could have been added to this list: Michael Jackson.

In the late 1980s, the King of Pop was Paramount Pictures' top pick for the lead role in a Doctor Who movie. What's more, if Jackson wasn't available, Bill Cosby was the studio's second pick to play the alien time traveler.

While both casting choices may seem odd now, they were not actually that outlandish, as Jackson was at the height of his fame, and just coming off the success of American anthology film, Moonwalker. For his part, Cosby was dominating television with The Cosby Show.

These revelations come thanks to a new book, Charles Norton's Now On The Big Screen: Unofficial and Unauthorised Guide to Doctor Who at the Cinema, that describe multiple failed attempts to make a film about the Time Lord, according to The Times

Last month, BBC announced that Smith, who played the Eleventh Doctor, will leave the show at the end of this year. The actor, along with fan favorites Tennant (the Tenth Doctor) and companion Billie Piper are slated to appear in Doctor Who's 50th anniversary special on Nov. 23.

The show just completed part 2 of season seven in May.

[via The Guardian]

Image courtesy of BBC America

Limbo May Be the Creepiest iOS Game Ever

Remember Limbo, Playdead's black-and-white, 2D-scroller that scared and thrilled us on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC? The game is now available for iOS, and it's every bit as scary as its big-screen counterparts.

In the game, you play a little boy searching for his lost sister. To find her, you must enter Limbo, a weird, monochromatic world that's a child's worst nightmare. Don't believe us? Well, the first time you step on a spring trap, you'll see what we mean.

The gameplay mostly consists of the usual brain teasers and obstacles, and the controls are simple, but effective — tap and swipe right on the screen to move forward, and swipe up to jump.

However, Limbo's beautiful visuals, bleak atmosphere and gruesome details make it a special treat for gamers looking for something slightly out of the ordinary.

The game is available in Apple's App Store for $4.99. It works on the iPad 2 or higher, iPad Mini, iPhone 4S and higher, and the latest-generation iPod Touch.

Have you tried the game out? How do you like it? Tell us in the comments.

Image courtesy of Playdead