The Hobbit, the prequel movie to the Lord of the Rings film trilogy, is expected to start filming in March 2010 in New Zealand. While the exact locations in Kiwi country are still up in the air, redevelopment has begun at Hobbiton, according to a company spokesperson.

If you're not familiar with Hobbiton, don't worry, we won't judge you. It's a very geeky, middle earth kind of thing to be acquainted with.

For those who aren't Bilbo Baggins fanboys, Hobbiton is a private farmland in Matamata, New Zealand where the Hobbit Village was created and filmed for the Lord of the Rings movies. After filming, most of the farm was returned to its original state but 17 Hobbit holes and structures have been kept open for two-hour guided tours. ]]> juliana 2009-09-21T17:28:57-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/7/27/8449/66479

Phew! We were nerded out this weekend from reading the stream of news from Comic-Con happening in San Diego. From Sam Raimi stepping up to direct a forthcoming "World of Warcraft" movie to five blistering minutes of "Iron Man 2" introduced by Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Jon Favreau and Don Cheadle, the buzz from the annual nerdfest gave us something to look forward to this fall on the small screen and beyond.

A New York Times article today addresses how a very special group of people also headed to Comic-Con: The actors, producers and creators of "LOST," whose big LOST news coming out of the conference was that next season will involve (spoiler?) no time travel at all. Getting all the necessary LOSTies to San Diego for their presentation Saturday involved a working budget of over $25,000, way more than even its most diehard fans would pay to attend. But judging by the frenzy of coverage the event, which included sketch comedy and a wooden seagull given away to a lucky fan picked online, every penny was worth it. ]]> egw 2009-07-27T15:39:25-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/4/22/92348/9155

At least their handiwork will live on: As the creators of file-sharing website the Pirate Bay head off to prison, a Swedish museum will put its trusty server on display for the world to learn the wages of modern piracy.

The Tekniska Museet or National Museum of Science and Technology in Stockholm has added the server to an exhibit on intellectual property called "Inspiration Imitation," and since it's co-sponsored by the Swedish Association for the Protection of Industrial Property, we're guessing it's going to come out pro-IP. ]]> egw 2009-04-22T11:32:28-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/3/19/134226/969

Long gone are the days when being called a geek was a bad thing. Millinials celebrate, almost worship geekdom. Ashton Kutcher produces Beauty and the Geek, Woz is on Dancing With The Stars, and Biz Stone is on Steven Colbert talking about the virtues of tweeting up. Thus, it should come as no surprise that we have decided to give a small nod to geek travel, which in our world means their very own listicle.

What does it mean to travel geek? Well we found plenty of hot spots catering to this zeitgeist. However, after talking with the Twitterati, engineers, and plenty of web heads, it seems the old adage of "its not the destination it is the journey" rang particularly true with these folks. From artificial intelligence, to high end gadgetry and geek service to the latest in transportation innovation, on this list you *still* have to have a nice dose of je ne sais quoi de geek.

Off we go.

Best Geek Trips to Take in 2009
1. Hanford Nuclear Park
2. Miracle of Science Bar and Grill
3. Bletchley Park
4. Mundaneum Museum
5. Future Now: Seoul

Dan Gould, Mark Johnson and Juliana Shallcross also contributed to this report.]]> Jaunted 2009-04-06T10:05:46-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/3/26/152431/854 For 10 years the Las Vegas Hilton hosted Star Trek: The Experience, an alternative for tourists inexplicably seeking something beyond Sin City's decadent cocktail of hookers, booze, and gambling.

The exhibition had Star Trek-themed rides, Star Trek-themed shops, and Star Trek-themed characters. The word "immersion" was thrown around with abandon. The world was filled with light and joy.

Then last year the stars flickered out and darkness descended. The Hilton's contract with the owners expired. The exhibition was left without a home. There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth heard throughout the Kingdom of Dorkdom Universe of Geekdom.

But now, perk up geeks.]]> Omri 2009-03-27T08:41:28-05:00 36.1358696 -115.15467 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/3/13/9232/11634

Most fans of Lost think you need to visit Hawaii where the show films to fulfill your own personal Dharma Initiative, but we think you'd be just as happy knocking back a few cocktails at the El Avion Bar inside the Hotel Costa Verde in Costa Rica.

The bar (and restaurant and coffee shop) is crafted out of a Fairchild C-123, one of the controversial cargo planes used in the 80's Iran-Contra affair. The bar-plane overlooks the Manual Antonio National Park with its beaches, lush vegetation and killer ocean views. It's almost like you're back on "the island."]]> juliana 2009-03-24T09:11:26-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/3/19/173141/277

The other week we talked about how a tiny USB hub, when plugged into a computer and matched with the right set of cables, can become a de facto travel power strip.

That works well enough once you've settled into your hotel room. It's less useful when you're on the road, away from outlets, and trying to conserve precious battery power. During those times you want to charge your USB-powered peripherals without draining your laptop. You want a separate battery. ]]> Omri 2009-03-23T11:32:18-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/