BELLO mag #66 Entertainment

BELLO JANUARY 2015

Ben BARNES Adam KAUFMAN

Brad’s BUZZ Hottest Tech of 2014

Best Games of 2014

Hottest Gadgets and Games in 2015

Gaming Nerd to TV

Star

ENTERTAINMENT

SUIT KLEIN EPSTEIN & PARKER SHIRT GANT TIE ALEXANDER OLCH SHOES JOHN VARVATOS POCKET SQUARE REISS WATCH MONTBLANC TIE BAR THE TIE BAR SOCKS UNIQLO

BEN BARNES

MANS UP WORDS BY BRAD LIBERTI | PHOTOS BY ALEKSANDAR TOMOVIC

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ENTERTAINMENT

TO WITNESS BEN BARNES’S DYNAMITE PERFORMANCE AS COCKSURE MAFIOSO NICK TORTANO IN HIS LATEST FLICK, BY THE GUN, YOU’D HAVE LITTLE DOUBT THAT THE BOY WAS RAISED ON THE MEAN STREETS OF BEAN TOWN’S NORTH END. IT’S A TESTAMENT TO HIS TALENT, HOWEVER, THAT THIS DASHING LONDONER DIDN’T EVEN GROW UP WATCHING MOB FLICKS. “I CAME TO THEM A BIT LATER. MY PARENTS WERE ALWAYS REALLY STRICT ABOUT WHAT I COULD WATCH WHEN I WAS A KID, SO WHEN I WAS THIRTEEN AND EVERYBODY ELSE WAS WATCHING THE GODFATHER, I WASN’T ALLOWED TO.”

Fortunately, he has since seen Coppola’s 1972 masterpiece, as well as a slew of other great “wise guy” films from Mean Streets to A Bronx Tale, but while he’s certainly a fan, this latest performance wasn’t about mimicry. “Every male actor wants to be in a gangster movie,” Barnes says confidently, “but I’ve always said about any project [that] I don’t want to be in a film that I’ve already seen. This is a genre that people are familiar with, but the movie is different. We are hopefully taking you beyond the looking glass.”

And Barnes knows a thing or two about life here. After all, since bursting onto the scene right out of drama school for his portrayal of the valiant Prince Caspian in the wildly successful Narnia series, his life has been a lot like Alice’s, save in LaLaland, a place where one’s perception can become just as easily skewed. “If you’ve earned a lot of money and a lot of people know who you are, maybe to some people that’s making it. To me, that’s not what it’s about; it’s about having things out there that I’m proud of.”

That’s not to say that Barnes is ashamed of the part that made him a global star; he’s just been waiting to sink his teeth into more decidedly adult roles, like Nick, and like another legendary tragi-hero, Mr. Sam Adams, whom the actor portrays in The History Channel’s hotly anticipated new miniseries, Sons Of Liberty. “This is the action-packed physical visceral exciting spirit of the era version. I for one certainly didn’t realize that Sam Adams, George Washington, 27

John Adams, [and] Thomas Jefferson were all contemporaries- I’m sure most Americans maybe know that, but the idea of seeing how they all banned together in an Oceans Eleven kind of way in this gunpowder heist was incredible.”

in the southern states of America with this ‘20s and ‘30s folk blues music and train-hopping and this incredible fading culture.” Next comes a mythical hero with a dark side opposite Oscarwinner Jeff Bridges in the big budget 2015 epic, Seventh Son.

I think you have to learn to leave your dignity at the door, because you are going to be asked to do many things from throwing yourself on the ground to acting opposite a tennis ball.

In case you couldn’t tell, he’s excited about the project, although one can’t help but notice a pattern. “I’ve been spending a lot more time here in the last few years, and now the last five [characters I’ve played] have all been Americans,” he explains. “What I love is there’s not a class system defined by accent over here. I like the idea of presenting people with a man and then playing from there. When you play a Brit, you immediately put it into a context.”

Sounds like the fate of most actors whose fame gets the best of them... but Barnes’s fans need not worry. The actor continues to defy typecasting, playing a train hopper and traveling troubadour opposite Katherine Heigl (“Katy and I got on like a house on fire.

We drank whisky and just had so much fun”) in Ami Canaan Mann’s upcoming film, Jackie & Ryan. “It sort of has this feeling of that film, Once, but set

The movie marks the first time Barnes has returned to the genre that made him famous, but thanks to Prince Caspian, he sort of knew what to expect.

“I think you have to learn to leave your dignity at the door, because you are going to be asked to do many things from throwing yourself on the ground to acting opposite a tennis ball. And to try to act with conviction when talking to mythical creatures, you just have to dispel any disbelief and charge into it headfirst, and really hope that something fun and organic happens in terms of characterization along the way.”

It’s certainly a motto for all artists and creative types to live by. And even though he’s been doing this for almost a decade now, Mr. Barnes has just begun to scratch the surface of his immense talent. Besides, as he says himself, “Men aren’t really interesting until they’re 30 anyway.”

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Photography ALEKSANDAR TOMOVIC www.alekandsteph.com Styling WARREN ALFIE BAKER www.warrenalfiebaker.com Grooming BARBARA GUILLAUME at CELESTINE AGENCY using ORIBE HAIR CARE Photo Assistaint MARCO NASSO Video ARNO DIEM FABULOUS issue - BELLOmag.com

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ENTERTAINMENT

BRAD’S BUZZ

BY BRAD LIBERTI, ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR twitter and instagram @bjl233

1. Mommy Photo courtesy of IMDb

From the ferocious performances of its three leads to its 1:1 aspect ratio to its deliciously unexpected soundtrack, nothing about this film is typical. But what truly sets this drama apart from the flock is the genius of its writer/director, Canadian enfant terrible, Xavier Dolan. The soul this kid puts into his work will shatter you.

Photo courtesy of IMDb

2. Galavant I’m not even sure what to make of ABC’s mid season series, a musical fairy tale with an all-star guest cast that includes John Stamos, Ricky Gervais, and even Weird Al, but I’m hoping it’s less like Once Upon a Time and more like the old network mini-series events of my childhood.

Photo courtesy of nbc.com

3. The Celebrity Apprentice I would call this reality show with its petty squabbles, D-list celebrity meltdowns, and constant stroking of the Trump ego a guilty pleasure…if I believed in guilty pleasures, that is.

Photo courtesy of IMDb

4. Catching up on Oscar Pics

5. Mark Ronson: Uptown Special I still play songs from the über-cool Brit’s 2007 breakthrough, Version (which featured the now-classic Amy Winehouse cover of “Valerie”), and the two singles that I’ve heard off this latest album (“Uptown Funk” with Bruno Mars and “Feel Right” with Mystikal) have had me tapping my feet for weeks now. Needless to say, Mark and I will be spending a lot of time together in 2015.

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photo courtesy of julesfashion.com

Instead of bemoaning the fact that Hollywood seemingly dumps all of its quality pics over the span of one week at Christmas, I’ll be spending most of the month at my local cinema catching up. The Gambler and Selma, I’m coming for you two first!

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ENTERTAINMENT

Give Me

4K VR Wireless Or Give Me

Death

2014 BROUGHT EVERYTHING BUT THE HOVER CAR… HERE ARE OUR FAVORITE GADGETS AND TECH OF THE YEAR.

BY DARION LOWENSTEIN ( twitter @DarionL1 )

This was a great year for gadget lovers, from the launch of the smart watch (who didn’t want a Dick Tracy watch as a kid? I have the calculator watches to prove it!) to new crazy powerful phones and connected EVERYTHING.

TVs: Now that smart TVs all have Netflix, PC connectivity, and wifi standard in every new TV sold, the new hotness in 2014 was 4K/UHD with curved screens.

We saw prices drop as much as 70% this year alone on new 4K TVs, and while their picture is jaw droppingly gorgeous, there is a decidedly limited number of ways to get 4K content on the TV itself. A handful of choices on Netflix and clips on youtube make the extra several hundred (or thousand, if going for a top-of-the-line model) worth it for hardcore techies.

Our pick for best TV of 2014: The Samsung UHD HU7250 Curved 4K TV delivers an epic picture, and despite 4K content problems, you know more is coming. EVERYTHING looks gorgeous on thisTV, especially games!

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Cars: BMW’s gorgeous and sexy i8 is finally available to purchase, and you only have to sell a few major organs to afford its base MSRP of $135,700! While finally giving Tesla some competition in the luxury electric car space, the i8 remained in relatively low production with very high demand in 2014. Tesla’s much lauded Model X SUV was once again delayed, and we saw almost every other manufacturer launch a plug-in hybrid or electric car of some kind. However, many of them, like the plugin Prius, offer a mere 11 miles before they switch back to gas. Wah wahhhh.

Our pick for best car of 2014: The Tesla Model S is still the best true electric car made available today, and starts at half of what the BMW i8 goes for. So you can get the car and keep your kidneys!

Gear: Google Glass sputtered, the Oculus Rift (VR Goggles) bathed in buzz as it got a nice crisp $2 BILLION from Facebook – all while the Apple iWatch was finally announced and the Android Wear / Samsung Gear watches hit the market and proved to us the tech is early. Like most new gadgets, no matter how bad you want a magic smartphone on your wrist, wait for improvements! Terrible battery life, limited functionality and high costs plagued all the smartwatches, and will be similar from what we’ve heard of the Apple iWatch.

Our favorite Gear of 2014: The Apple iPhone 6, a sleek and sexy phone with great power for gorgeous games, a massive library of apps and the best camera on any phone in the market is our pick. Despite its much discussed concerns like bending and lack of current Android technologies like NFC wireless charging, we still find ourselves living on the device. And it will be at least six months before we have to upgrade it to the new hotness. Sigh.

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ENTERTAINMENT

Getting Briefed

with

Adam Kaufman WORDS BY GLENN GARNER PHOTOS BY NICK SPANOS

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FIFTEEN YEARS AGO, ADAM KAUFMAN STOLE THE HEART OF EVERY ADOLESCENT GIRL WHO WATCHED BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER AND EVERY PUBESCENT GAY BOY WHO TUNED INTO DAWSON’S CREEK. AFTER EIGHT AUDITIONS FOR NUMEROUS CHARACTERS (INCLUDING DAWSON, PACEY, AND JACK), HE WAS CAST AS ETHAN, JACK’S FIRST KISS. IT WAS ALSO THE FIRST KISS BETWEEN TWO MEN ON PRIMETIME TELEVISION. “PLAYING A GAY CHARACTER ON TV WAS NO BIG DEAL,” KAUFMAN NONCHALANTLY RECALLED.

No stranger to a shocking storyline, he now reignites our teenage crushes on State of Affairs. Kaufman gives a charming performance as Lucas Newsome, a CIA briefer. He stars alongside a talented cast of newcomers and seasoned actors, including Katherine Heigl and Alfre Woodard. “It’s certainly as much as any of us could have hoped for,” Kaufman said. “As far as the cast, we have a total blast working together.”

Let’s be honest, who wouldn’t want this guy handling their briefs?

As with any role he goes for, Kaufman was immediately drawn to the script.

Although pilots are particularly difficult to write and shoot because they spend a lot of time introducing characters, Joe Carnahan’s script and direction were a major draw for Kaufman. “Story means everything to me,” Kaufman said. “And after story, it’s really about the director.” While researching for his role, Kaufman was in luck to find that Executive Producer Rodney Faraon held the position of briefer to CIA Director George Tenet, the same position Kaufman’s character holds. He frequently consults with Faraon about the various details of his character. From how to address 41

another character to major plot points, Faraon has proven indispensable to the cast.

“I’m pretty lucky that I have this one guy who did exactly what I’m doing on the show,” Kaufman said. “We’ve all had Rodney to go to.” It would seem that the show’s familiar plot points might also allow the cast to pull from personal experience of current events, but it’s mostly coincidental. According to Kaufman, a majority of the episodes were written shortly before these topics became recent headlines. However, he finds that the show’s duty surpasses entertainment value. “Art has a purpose in dealing with the harsh realities that we all go through,” Kaufman said. With season one wrapping at the end of January after six months, Kaufman looks forward to a potential second season. Meanwhile, he’s open to playing other roles. “I’m not looking to go and do some big broad comedy or Magic Mike 2,” Kaufman joked. “I’m looking for that script that just rings true to me.” Although Kaufman has no projects slated for the near future, perhaps even he could become the president’s briefer. “The president gets to choose anyone to be his briefer,” Kaufman pointed out. “He could literally choose Katherine Heigl.”

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Photographer NICK SPANOS www.spanosphoto.com • Stylist AARON WILLIAMS www.aaronwillstyle.com Grooming STACY BISEL www.stacybisel.com • Stylist assistant CLARISSA MCELROY • Location provided by OLIVER VOIGT 43

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ENTERTAINMENT

Don’t Bother Me;

I’m Gaming OUR PICKS FOR THE BEST GAMES OF 2014 – INCLUDING SOME YOU MAY HAVE MISSED!

BY DARION LOWENSTEIN ( twitter @DarionL1 ) There’s a reason gaming is the biggest form of entertainment in the world! In 2014 we saw new consoles like the PS4 and Xbox One really hit their stride, and the mobile hardware and quality of games also shot up!

Game of the Year: This was an easy call: Mario Kart 8 (Wii U). If you’ve ever played a Mario Kart, you know exactly what you are getting, but MK8 ups the ante in every single way. From the delightfully cute cartooney graphics to the gravity defying hover gameplay and TONS of playable characters, it’s the best Mario Kart ever. I’ve had many nights with friends (and even my Dad!) playing ‘til 4am. It’s worth buying a Wii U for!

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Honorable Mentions – Console & PC Games: It apparently cost over $500 million to make, but Bungie’s (creators of Halo) epic MMO/Shooter Destiny (Xbox 360 & One/PS3 & PS4/ PC) is a beautiful, expansive, deep and fun game. While its metacritic came in surprisingly low (75), I had a blast playing this game; it’s gorgeous, has an engaging story and universe, and it truly shines when playing cooperatively with friends.

Best Mobile Game: This one is always a hard choice, but this year we have to give it up to Hearthstone, Blizzard’s first entry into the mobile games category. I was predisposed to not like card games, but fell in love in the first hour of gameplay. Then I did something I never do… I SPENT MONEY ON IT! A free download (the first hit is always free, right?), if you are even remotely a fan of Magic the Gathering or Blizzard games, it’s a must have!

Honorable Mentions – Mobile: Candy Crush Soda Saga is a great play-anywhere-when-you-have-a-few-minutesto-kill game that’s a pretty update to the original with new mechanics. And if you want a deeper experience, try Vainglory from Super Evil Mega Corp. Think of it as League of Legends (MOBA) for your phone/tablet. It’s PRETTY and fun, and yes, a free download with characters and the like to buy.

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Best Game You’ve Never Heard Of: Kingdom Rush Origins is a really addictive, simple, and fun tower defense game on mobile. It’s actually a premium game, which means you pay up front, but you won’t be hit up for money every 3 minutes.

Imagine that.

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NIGELLA LAWSON

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LIFESTYLE

THE

TASTE Season 3

is Heating Up!

WORDS BY JAMES MCCOURT PHOTOS BY ALEKSANDAR TOMOVIC

SEASON 3 OF THE TASTE IS CURRENTLY AIRING THURSDAYS AT 8|7 CENTRAL ON ABC. SIXTEEN MORE COMPETITORS, RANGING FROM HOME COOKS TO PROFESSIONAL CHEFS, ARE BATTLING IT OUT FOR A CHANCE TO WIN THE BRAGGING RIGHTS, TROPHY AND $100,000 PRIZE MONEY. Judging the offerings of the sixteen hopefuls are no-holds barred chef Anthony Bourdain, British food star Nigella Lawson, expert chef and author Ludo Lefebvre and award-winning chef Marcus Samuelsson.

The task is made particularly difficult because the judges blind-taste the final culinary creations from the competitors and eliminate individuals based on what does, or does not, tickle their taste buds. The judges also serve as mentors for their own team of competitors, each coaching a group of four individuals, in the hopes that one of them is crowned the Taste Champion.

Despite an intense filming schedule, BELLOmag.com recently caught up with Bourdain, Lawson, Lefebvre and Samuelsson backstage at The Taste, which is filmed in a huge ex-aircraft hangar in Los Angeles. Our chat took place in the contestant holding room, where the competitors usually wait while the judges decide their fate.

While speaking with each judge oneon-one, it quickly became clear that there was genuine rivalry and a fun dynamic between all four mentors, with Bourdain Bourdain describing the whole experience as “nerve wracking.”

When asked if cooking was a skill someone was born with or was one someone could learn, he encouragingly remarked, “No, I think cooking is something you can learn. The way most professionals learn is repetition, repetition, repetition.” So, it seems there’s hope for even those of us with no natural cooking ability!

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A vastly accomplished epicurean traveler, Bourdain let us know that Iran and China are two countries that he would be keen to visit again. He is known for his globally adventurous palate and has previously said that one of his least favorite meals ever consisted of an unwashed warthog rectum. However, Bourdain is quick to point out that many countries, such as Thailand, do not embrace dairy products, and cottage cheese or blue cheese dressing would probably look just as unappealing to them!

Having won seasons 1 and 2, as well as the British version of the show, Lefebvre was in good spirits and exclaimed, “Nobody beats me at this game!”

Looking incredibly stylish, he confirmed that David Beckham was his inspiration, as he is “Pretty, talented [and] very clean,” and Lefebvre feels he has “so much class.” When asked about home cooking, he explained that he enjoys cooking French omelets for his kids for breakfast. The French influence is apparently “in the technique,” and Ludo explains how you must “be gentle, [add] no coloration, beat your eggs, [and] be patient” if you want the perfect omelet, rather than crepe or “fritta” [frittata], which many of us apparently prepare thinking that it is, in fact, an omelet.

We finish our chat by addressing his occasional fiery outbursts in the kitchen. Lefebvre explains, “Actually, I don’t scream…I express myself. [It] is different.” Whatever the case, this “expression” definitely adds passion and humor to the show. We love it!

Samuelsson dazzled in a multicolored Eton shirt and confirmed that his wardrobe was so eclectic because he believes “food today is part of pop culture.” It was clear from the offset that Marcus takes the competition with his fellow judges very seriously, and he describes Bourdain’s approach to mentoring as “playing chess and poker at the same time” (is that even possible?!). That said, Samuelsson

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says his flavor style is most similar to Bourdain’s, as they have both traveled and lived all over the world...although his cooking style is akin to Lefebvre’s.

Born in Ethiopia and raised in Sweden, Samuelsson says he often approaches cooking based on his childhood experiences, and has a solid understanding of different cultures and tastes because of this unusual upbringing. However, he absolutely considers himself American at this point, and feels that personal style is important as he lives and works in Harlem, where “people are dapper.”

An area that is rich in Gospel, R&B, Supper Clubs and, generally, cultural events where people “dress up,” Samuelsson considers his image as one of the reasons patrons frequent his restaurants.

Lawson naturally and elegantly confirmed she was “having fun” with her boys (the three other judges/ mentors). She feels it is important to encourage all of her team to do their best and to treat them as individuals, as they all come into the competition with differing levels of ability.

And, for all of our BELLOmag readers who feel that they may never be able to create culinary delights in the kitchen, Lawson has encouraging words, confirming that “if you have a palate, you can learn to cook.”

She also has words of wisdom for those of us who have tried - and often failed - to follow recipes in the past, explaining that “Chefs, fabulous though they are, make food seem a lot more complicated than it need be.”

And although Lawson goes on to admit that her “knife skills [are] shameful,” she is keen to let us know that this has never stopped her being able to make the food she wants to eat, or that she can make people happy with.

As if we didn’t already love Lawson enough, she considers what someone’s last meal might be, leaving us all in agreement that they would opt for a

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“roast chicken, mashed potatoes or something that reminds them of home and is comforting, [has a] really good meat sauce or really beautiful spaghetti with tomato sauce,” and perfectly points out that the same person is unlikely to request an “eggplant and filo stack, with a pomegranate foam.”

The message is clearly to get cooking!

See more from Bourdain, Lawson, Lefebvre and Samuelsson in our on-camera interview, right here on BELLOmag.com and every Thursday at 8|7 central on The Taste on ABC.

Photography ALEKSANDAR TOMOVIC www.alekandsteph.com Styling WARREN ALFIE BAKER www.warrenalfiebaker.com Video ARNO DIEM Interview and article JAMES MCCOURT 53

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ENTERTAINMENT

Cars and Games and Phones...

OH MY!

OUR PICKS AND PREDICTIONS FOR THE HOTTEST GADGETS & GAMES IN 2015

BY DARION LOWENSTEIN ( twitter @DarionL1 )

IT’S SO REAL! Remember Lawnmower Man, that kind of cheesy movie from the 90’s about virtual reality? Well, my inner child is very excited; I think 2015 just might be the year VR hits the mass market! With Facebook’s $2 billion acquisition of the Oculus Rift, partnership with Samsung, and rumored launch of the VR headset in late 2015, it should be a big year for VR. I’ve been lucky enough to play a space exploration game called Adr1ft, made by friends of mine, and I have to say that VR is truly an experience that’s unlike anything you’ve experienced in video gaming before.

Will 2015 be the year smart watches make sense? And can they last more than a day on battery life? It remains to be seen, but our prediction is you’ll want to wait until 2016 or so when the 2nd and 3rd generations of watches come out and they’ve worked the kinks out.

Wait, you can make calls on them, too? Within weeks of the iPhone 6 launching, I started hearing rumors of the iPhone 7. Yes, it’s ridiculous.

A to-the-edges, flexible display, thinner and brighter, faster and 3D...the rumors abound, but as always, you don’t know anything until Apple makes an announcement. The Samsung Galaxy line continues to be one of the top selling phones globally, and the S6 is rumored to have a 20MP camera and a crazy high Quad HD (1440 x 2560 pixels) resolution.

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Also, expect smarter personal assistants on your phone, a.k.a. Siri 2.0.

Google, Apple, and Yahoo all acquired smaller apps/intelligence products to increase how useful your phone AI is.

The real question remains: who will get Scarlett Johansson to voice it, like in Her? 54

Most anticipated games of 2015: Did you ever play the zombie shooter Left 4 Dead? It’s one of my favorites. And now, Turtle Rock Studios - the studio behind L4D - is preparing to launch their next big franchise: Evolve. I played it at E3 and Comic Con, and it’s a fun co-op shooter where multiple players take the roles of humans and one player gets to play the big, bad monster they hunt. It’s oozing with potential. And blood. Fun!  Halo 5 (Xbox One) I’m not expecting anything revolutionary here, but I’ve yet to tire of gunning down those darn Covenant.  Mario Maker (Wii U) Who doesn’t want to make their own Mario levels? Hello...?  Legend of Zelda (Wii U) The early video of this looks great; they have created the biggest experience ever in Hyrule!  Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (PS4) The early preview was drop dead gorgeous, and I never tire of Drake’s witty dialogue.  Metal Gear Solid: The Phantom Pain (PS3/4, Xbox 360/One) Even though the title sounds like a badly translated infomercial, I have high hopes for this one!  The Walking Dead (iOS/Android) The show is #1 on TV, and expectations and hopes are high, but details are low on this one from new developer, NEXT Games.

That big glowy box in your living room: As mentioned in our 2014 wrap up, there are still a lot of issues, beyond price alone, with UHD/4K TVs. However, expect prices to continue to drop heavily, with manufacturers really pushing the new tech and cool features like built in AndroidTV, a.k.a.

Chromecast. Who uses their TV for anything other than YouTube and games now anyway, right?

Vroom Vroom: It looks like 2015 will be a big year for electric cars, with either full electric or partial charge electric/ hybrid models available from almost every manufacturer. At the recent LA Auto Show at the end of 2014, we also saw quite a few Fuel Cell vehicles from several manufacturers. While this technology seems farther off from hitting the mainstream, when it does, it should be revolutionary...assuming, of course, that someone agrees to install hydrogen filling stations all over the place...

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Despite several delays, the very sexy Model X SUV from Tesla is also expected to launch around the end of 2015, although we’ve heard that wait lists are averaging over a year. And cool new tech, like surround view camera systems and predictive forward collision detection, should start to show up in more mass produced vehicles, like the 2015 Nissan Murano.

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ENTERTAINMENT

Gaming Nerd to TV

Star...?

BELLO’S VERY OWN TECH/ENTERTAINMENT CONTRIBUTOR DARION LOWENSTEIN STARS IN BRAVO TV’S SOCIAL EXPERIMENT DOCU-SERIES FRIENDS TO LOVERS? WE CHATTED WITH HIM TO GET THE SCOOP ON THE NEW SHOW.

Why this show?

The concept really grabbed me. I think having feelings for your best friend is something we can all identify with.

Being large-bootied uber-celeb... maybe not so much.

Photography by Bradford Rogne

What’s it like going on dates with someone you’ve known for so many years as a friend?

Strange! Especially when you add cameras to the mix. All the usual first date questions are out the window; when you know someone so well as a friend, and then suddenly you start looking at them under the microscope of a love interest, it changes everything. Plus, if you are best friends, you KNOW where the skeletons are buried!

What do you like the most and the least about the show?

We had a lot of fun filming the show; the crew at World of Wonder was great, as was the team at Bravo.

There were a lot

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of funny, dorky moments, like in the “Show Me You Know Me” web special.

The least...there are times the cameras capture you at your most vulnerable, and knowing you have to relive those moments when the show airs.

Besides interviewing celebrities, you also produced and hosted the Game Guy TV series. How does this experience compare?

It was SO different than any other project I’ve worked on. To go from interviewing celebs and talking about games to diving into something so personal [like] your dating life is equal parts fun and terrifying. Now when hosting shows I have more appreciation for the fact that the spotlight is fully on someone else!

What can you tell us about future episodes?

It’s a wild ride. There’s a great cast on the show that goes through a wide range of ups & downs; the preview special that aired recently gave a good taste of that! Big fights, romantic moments, awkward kissing and the potential of falling in love or losing your best friend...just like dating in real life, it’s a roller coaster! Plus, I turn into a robot hell-bent on destroying Mars.

Sorry, one of those things is not true; tune in to find out which!

What was the biggest surprise of the experience?

How positive people have been about the show. You don’t really know what to expect with something like this, and even after the first commercials started airing I’ve had people stop me in the street and go, “I wish I had the confidence to ask out my friend!” or “I married my best friend!” or “I tried that

Photography by Bradford Rogne

Bello: You’re usually the one doing the interviews! How does it feel to be the one on the other side of the table?

Darion: It’s been a trip! I find myself wanting to ask the interviewer questions. How’s your day? Who made those shoes? Tell me about your family.

and it ended in a restraining order and severed limb. Good luck.”

You host, produce games & TV, write...I’m tired just thinking about it!

What’s your favorite?

It’s hard to choose! I love it all! They each bring with them a different difficulty and reward; the great thing is [that] with each, I get to be myself, which is a big ol’ dork who loves entertaining people. Or as the kids say on instagram...#blessed #nofilter.

What’s next for you?

Several fun projects I can’t discuss yet... but I can say great stuff is happening!

Keep an eye in 2015 for a new show hosted by moi, as well as new game projects. And in the meantime, lots of silly photos of me making funny faces on Instagram and Twitter.

Bravo’s Friends To Lovers? airs Mondays at 10PM EST & PST, starting January 12th, on Bravo. Darion can be followed at https://twitter.com/ darionl1,https://www.facebook.com/ darionlow, and http://instagram.com/ darionl1.

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