It may have been a sad day, but Joan Rivers' star-studded funeral on Sunday was also full of laughs thanks to a raunchy eulogy by Howard Stern and a light-hearted letter from daughter, Melissa Rivers.

Melissa read an excerpt from "A Letter to My Mom," a book that will be published in April. In the letter, the 46-year-old "landlord" scolds her 81-year-old mother/tenant for too much partying and corrupting her 13-year-old son, Cooper.

In recent years, Joan had been staying in a small guest room in Melissa's L.A. home where she stayed for the one day a week she flew in from New York to tape E!'s "Fashion Police."

The bi-coastal relationship was the subject line of the mother-daughter duo's WE tv reality show, "Joan & Melissa: Joan Knows Best?"

Read Melissa's letter, first published on The Hollywood Reporter, below:

Mom:

I received the note that you slipped under my bedroom door last night. I was very excited to read it, thinking that it would contain amazing, loving advice that you wanted to share with me. Imagine my surprise when I opened it and saw that it began with the salutation, "Dear Landlord." I have reviewed your complaints and address them below:

1. While I appreciate your desire to "upgrade" your accommodations to a larger space, I cannot, in good conscience, move [my 13-year-old son] Cooper into the laundry room. I do agree that it will teach him a life lesson about fluffing and folding, but since I don't foresee him having a future in dry cleaning, I must say no.

Also, I know you are a true creative genius (and I am in awe of the depth of your instincts), but breaking down a wall without my permission is not an appropriate way to express that creativity. It is not only a boundary violation but a building-code violation as well. Additionally, the repairman can't get here until next week, so your expansion plan will have to be put on hold.

2. Re: Your fellow "tenant" (your word), Cooper. While I trust you with him, it is not OK for you to undermine my rules. It is not OK that you let him have chips and ice cream for dinner. It is not OK that you let him skip school to go to the movies. And it is really not OK that the movie was Last Tango in Paris.

As for your taking his friends to a "gentlemen's club," I accepted your rationale that it was an educational experience for the boys — and you are right, he is the most popular kid in school right now — but I'd prefer he not learn biology from those "gentlemen" and their ladies, Bambi, Trixie and Kitten. And just because I yelled at you, I do not appreciate your claim that I have created a hostile living environment.

3. While I'm glad to see you're socializing, you must refill the hot tub after your parties. In fact, you need to tone down the parties altogether. Imagine my surprise when I saw the photos you posted on Facebook of your friends frolicking topless in the hot tub.

I think it's great that you're entertaining more often, but I can't keep fielding complaints from the neighbors about your noisy party games like Ring Around the Walker or naked Duck, Duck Caregiver.

I'm more than happy to have you use the house for social gatherings, but you cannot rent it out, advertise as "party central" or hand out T-shirts that say "F— Jimmy Buffett."

In closing, I hope I have satisfactorily answered your complaints and queries. I love having you live with me, and I am grateful for every minute Cooper and I have with you. You are an inspiration. You are also 30 days late with the rent.

Much love,

Melissa

The mother and daughter had a famously close relationship.

The two remained strong at the 1987 funeral of Edgar Rosenberg, Joan's husband and Melissa's father.In 1996, they began hosting E!'s "Live from the Red Carpet" at major awards shows.

Here's Joan joking with Melissa at the 59th Annual Golden Globe Awards in 2002.In 2003, they were back on the red carpet for the following year's Globes.In 2004, they hosted the red carpet for the Academy Awards.In 2005, they covered the red carpet at the Academy Awards for TV Guide.They showed affection again at the 2006 Academy Awards.And at the Emmys in 2006.They stayed close in 2007 at the Academy Awards.And celebrated Joan's "Celebrity Apprentice" win in 2009, despite competing against each other on the show.Melissa supported her mother during 2009's Comedy Central roast.And the two celebrated the second season of their WEtv reality show "Joan & Melissa: Joan Knows Best?" in 2012.Melissa produced E!'s "Fashion Police," on which Joan starred.But they still worked the red carpet together, recently at last year's Do Something Awards.In January, they were each others' dates to a pre-Grammy gala.And in May attended the NBCUniversal upfronts to promote "Fashion Police."Joan was scheduled to shoot "Fashion Police" in New York City the week she died at age 81.

SEE ALSO: Tons Of Celebrities Showed Up For Joan Rivers' NYC Funeral

MORE: Here's How Joan Rivers Pulled Herself Out Of A $37 Million Debt

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With five albums under her belt, Taylor Swift has smoothly risen to the top of the music world, carrying along a huge fanbase of "Swifties" as she straddles both the country and pop genres. But for Swift, her toolbox extends beyond her strong pipes and catchy tunes.

She not only has sold more than 26 million albums but also has 43.6 million followers on Twitter and 11 million followers on Instagram.

Swift also comes up with creative ways to tease album releases and keep her fans on their toes. All while maintaining an approachable, down-to-earth personality. She is a modern-day business genius through and through.

Taylor Swift Is A Queen Of Social Media

Swift gets her fans, and instead of keeping to herself she builds a relationship with her audience through Twitter and Instagram. She acts as her fans best friend as opposed to their untouchable celeb crush. And she does it all herself, no assistant at hand.

Just the other day an Instagram comment Swift posted on a fan's account went viral. A girl named Hannah was being bullied, so Swift decided to send a heartfelt message encouraging her to "keep walking in the sunlight."

And then there was the time Swift commented on a heartbroken fan's Instagram, telling her to "Hang in there."

And these were definitely not two lone cases. One Swiftie even devotes a tumblr account to following Swift's likes and comments on Instagram.

Swift told @decemberirwin that she loved her sense of humor.

Swift wished @brighteyed.swift a happy 16th.

She congratulated Angie on her engagement.

And she apologized to @laaauurrraaa for not being able to meet her.

When one fan bought a dress she saw Swift wearing, Swift told her she looked fantastic.

And she told @fangirl_swift13 she was so adorable.

Swift congratulated @alltowell13 on getting her driver's license and gave her some wise advice.

And she told the same fan that her pictures make her smile.

She's also frequently retweeting and replying to her fans tweets, making their lives.

Swift has favorited only one tweet on Twitter, this one right here, that went viral immediately with fans going bonkers about the Swift favorite.

Britney Spears' Assistant Tweets For Her. Taylor's Doesn't, And You Can Tell The Difference.

Nowadays, it's nothing unique that a celebrity is active on social media, but what makes Swift really stand out is that she doesn't have an assistant or social media expert doing all her work. She runs it all herself.

She engages with fans in a raw and natural way that makes them feel that they're really connecting with Taylor. And that's prime social media action.

Not every celeb can do this. Take Britney Spears, for example. It's widely known that her manager tweets from her account most of the time, and that's fine, she still has 38.8 million followers.

But it translates to a different kind of social media presence and a different kind of relationship with fans.

Swift Keeps Her Fans On Their Toes, Hinting At A New Album In Her Social Updates.

Swift also goes beyond the individual social media interactions to reach a broader audience. For instance, she dropped some clues about her newest album on Instagram, with a video of someone pressing the 18th floor button on an elevator.

Followed by a screenshot of her phone showing the time 5:00.

And a screenshot of Yahoo!'s search engine.

All hinting at a livestream on Yahoo on August 18 at 5.

But again, that's not what truly makes Swift a social media prodigy. Any celebrity handler can post some clues on Instagram to a new album. Swift, on the other hand, makes it personal and spends the time commenting on, liking, favoriting, and retweeting individual fans' posts.

And she carries this offline as well.

Taylor Swift's Personality Isn't An Act.

In a recent Rolling Stones profile of Swift, Josh Eells wrote about Swift's transition into pop and out of country, and throughout the piece, Swift comes across as her casual and fun self, turning the typically stiffy and formal profile into a true look at her life.

For instance, Swift tells Eells about how her friendship with Lena Dunham blossomed.

After meeting Dunham in 2012, Swift became obsessed with the show Girls. She went to follow Dunham on Twitter and noticed that Dunham had just tweeted something nice about Swift.

"I was really scared she was being ironic, but I decided to follow her anyway, just in case," Swift told Eells. "Within five minutes I had a direct message from her. Let me see if I still have it."

After scrolling through her phone, Swift said, "I still have it! She said, 'I am so excited about the prospect of being friends with you that I added the adjective best in front of it.' 'The idea that you like my show is so thrilling, and I can't wait to lavish you with praise in person.'"

She's Always On Her Game.

In the same Rolling Stones profile, Eells noted how as he was interviewing Swift, a girl on a rowboat spotted Swift and proceeded to freak out.

"Oh, my God!" she said. "Today is my birthday! Can I please take a picture with you?"

"You can, but I don't know how you're going to," Swift responded with a laugh. "You're on a boat, buddy!"

"I'll get off!" the girl said. "I'll find a way."

After Swift and her bodyguard helped the girl into the pavilion, she said, "You're going to make me cry!"

"Is it really your birthday?" Swift asked. "How old are you?"

"Seventeen," the girl answered.

When Swift asked how she was going to celebrate, the girl said they were heading to Chipotle for dinner. Swift proceeded to hand over $90 in cash.

"Here," she said. "Go somewhere nice."

Then there was the time that Swift threw a private concert for a 6-year-old Leukemia patient. And the time she had a two-hour lunch with a 17-year-old girl battling cancer. And then there was the time she surprised a fan at her bridal shower.

Swift comes off as the rare celebrity who really cares about her fans, each and every one of them. More than her music, that's what makes her so attractive and likeable. She gets her fans, and she gets the music business.

In recent op-ed in The Wall Street Journal, Swift compared her relationship with her fans to a couple in love.

"I think forming a bond with fans in the future will come in the form of constantly providing them with the element of surprise," she wrote. "No, I did not say 'shock'; I said 'surprise.' I believe couples can stay in love for decades if they just continue to surprise each other, so why can't this love affair exist between an artist and their fans?"

SEE ALSO: Taylor Swift Had A Powerful Message For A Fan Who Was Being Bullied

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Director Zack Snyder just shared the first official image of the new batmobile that will be featured in "Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice" summer 2016.

Here’s a real picture of the #Batmobile. http://t.co/47beaZqr6fpic.twitter.com/Ez1ILa8JeE

— ZackSnyder (@ZackSnyder) September 11, 2014

Here's the high-resolution image.

The director's tweet comes after low quality images of the batmobile on set surfaced on social media.

The car definitely reminds us of Batman's new ride he'll have in next year's video game "Batman: Arkham Knight."

Snyder first showed off an image of Batman's vehicle in May. 

"Batman V Superman" is set for release May 6, 2016.

SEE ALSO: "Batman V Superman" set photos tease another character in the film

AND: Ben Affleck: I wouldn't have accepted 'Batman V Superman' role if I didn't think I could do it

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If you don't want your kids to grow up to be jerks, make sure that "Harry Potter" is a part of their lives. 

New research from an Italian university suggests that J.K. Rowling's wizardly world helps kids to be more empathic. It's all in the study's title: "The greatest magic of Harry Potter: Reducing prejudice." 

There are two bodies of research intersecting here.

• Research is starting to show that reading literary fiction can train you in social perception and understanding other peoples' experience of the world.

• Other research shows that you can get people to be less prejudiced if they interact with people who they don't identify with — psychologists call it "inter-group contact."

This can happen by way of written word, reports Bret Stetka at Scientific American, since kids have better attitudes toward "stigmatized groups" if they read stories about friendship between characters from different sides of the tracks. 

Beyond the dragons and wands, "Harry Potter" has lots of those group dynamics: there's the "muggles," derided for their magiclessness; the "mudbloods," scoffed at for being muggle-born (such as Harry's friend Hermione); and the curious case of Lord Voldemort, "who believes that power should only be held by 'pure-blood' wizards," Stetka says. "He's Hitler in a cloak." 

It's in these group dynamics that the hidden magic of Potter lies. 

In the study, lead author Loris Vezzali of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia in Italy gave 34 elementary school children a questionnaire regarding their feelings about immigrants. Their attitudes toward them changed, by way of Harry Potter. 

Stetka sketches the experiment: 

One group read passages relating to prejudice, like the scene where Draco Malfoy, a shockingly blond pure-blood wizard, calls Harry's friend Hermione a "filthy little Mudblood." The control group read excerpts unrelated to prejudice, including the scene where Harry buys his first magic wand.

A week after the last session, the children's attitudes towards out-groups were assessed again. Among those who identified with the Harry Potter character, attitudes toward immigrants were found to be significantly improved in children who'd read passages dealing with prejudice. The attitudes of those who'd read neutral passages hadn't changed.

After being exposed to Malfoy's unsavory intolerance, the students showed more tolerance. 

Follow-up experiments showed similar tolerance-inducing results. In one experiment, Italian high schoolers had better attitudes toward gay people after spending some time with Harry and the gang, while another found that British college students felt more compassionate toward refugees after hanging out in Hogwarts. 

The key might be the genre itself. Vezzali, the lead author of the study, says that fantasy is great for opening up people's minds because you get to sidestep political defensiveness since you're usually dealing with goblins and orcs rather than groups of people. 

"Unfortunately the news we read on a daily basis tells us we have so much work to do [around tolerance]," Vezzali says. "But based on our work, fantasy books such as Harry Potter may be of great help to educators and parents in teaching tolerance." 

This post was updated to reflect the fact that the term "mudblood" indicates Muggle-born witches and wizards such as Hermione, not Harry.

SEE ALSO: Who You Know Is Even More Important Than You Realize

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It's been well over a year since JJ Abrams' "Star Trek Into Darkness" opened in theaters, but a new Blu-Ray release has brought the film back into the spotlight.

Star Trek: The Compendium, a set that includes "Star Trek" (2009), "Star Trek Into Darkness" and tons of new bonus features, hit shelves earlier this week, and this hilarious never-before-seen gag reel proves the cast and crew had a great time on set.

After some hilarious flubs and blunders, the reel comes to an end with a glorious mash-up of various members of the Starship Enterprise crew gettin' jiggy with it. 

Here's Simon Pegg (Scotty) gettin' down on set.

John Cho (Sulu) and Alive Eve (Carol) having some fun.

Zachary Quinto (Spock), Benedict Cumberbatch (Kahn), and Zoe Saldana (Uhura) stage a peculiar fight scene.

Benedict Cumberbatch again with the big finish while the crew worker in front of him appears oblivious.

Watch the full gag reel below:

SEE ALSO: Fans Are Freaking Out Over Benedict Cumberbatch's First Emmy Win

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John Travolta is a certified private pilot who owns five aircraft, so it's only fitting that the 60-year-old actor's Florida home has two runways that lead directly to his front door.

"We designed the house for the jets and to have at our access the world at a moment’s notice, and we succeeded at that," a bearded Travolta said during an interview Thursday on Australia's "Today." "For the last 11 years, we’ve been able to globe-trot for Qantas and movies … I’ve been really able to operate out of this house for business and personal reasons.

Travolta has been a Qantas "ambassador-at-large" since 2002 and keeps his personal Qantas Boeing 707 in the yard of his Florida home, just a 10-minute flight from Orlando.

Travolta also keeps a Challenger jet parked in his backyard:

"Now I've made a profession out of flying in addition to acting, and at my age I'm glad I did, because it's something to do when you're not working," Travolta told "Today."

But the actor also flies his own planes for work. He flew the Challenger to the Toronto Film Festival to promote his new movie, "The Forger."

Travolta and his wife, Kelly Preston, previously gave a tour of their unique aviation-inspired home to Architectural Digest.

"It was always John’s dream to have planes in his front yard — to practically be able to pull up to the house — so that when you wanted to go to dinner, all you’d have to do was step out the door, get on the plane and whisk off,” Kelly told the magazine.

Travolta added: "You can be the ultimate eccentric, like I am, and bring in a 707, but you can also bring in any corporate jet or airliner."

Although the property came equipped with a 7,500-foot runway, Travolta extended the taxiway to reach the house.

Check out a few of Architectural Digest's pictures below:

More Architectural Digest photos here.

Check out an awesome aerial shot of the home here.

Travolta's property, located in the Jumbolair Aviation Estates in Ocala, Florida, is situated on Greystone Airport. The actor was reportedly the first resident of the 550-acre community that caters to people who want fly-in, fly-out access.

The aviation community allows homeowners to land their planes, including Travolta's Boeing 707 airliner, and taxi up to their homes. 

There is a private control center:

And a bed-and-breakfast where pilots and prospective homeowners can stay overnight:

Watch Travolta's full interview about his airport-home with Australia's "Today" below:

Travolta waves from the cockpit of an Airbus A380 in 2005 in Brisbane, Australia:

The Qantas Airlines Global Goodwill Ambassador poses near two Qantas planes during a press conference in 2006 at San Francisco International Airport. Travolta was on hand to welcome the first direct Qantas flight from Sydney, Australia.

SEE ALSO: NBC Is Paying For Matt Lauer's Helicopter Rides To Work From The Hamptons

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It's only September, but there have already been tons of memorable style moments this year.

Now that the biggest award shows and fashion shows have whizzed by, we took a moment to collect the most buzzworthy and breathtaking fashion looks we've seen so far. 

From Pharrell's hat seen round the world to Lupita Nyongo's fairytale Oscar gown, these are the looks that set the trends for the rest of us.

While murmurs of divorce have swirled around the couple as of late, Jay-Z and Beyonce continue to hold a special place in American hearts by dominating the red carpet, like at the Met Gala this year.

Cara Delevingne is one of the world's most in-demand models, and her personal style and silly persona is what makes her so likable. This Chanel look was a Cannes Film Festival favorite.

Dutch designer Iris Van Herpen was one of the first to use 3D printing techniques in fashion, and in January 2013, she debuted this intricate, lace-like dress that was created with a laser printing technique by Belgian company Materialise.

In May, 33-year-old actor Jake Gyllenhaal was back to his beefy leading man looks as he sat courtside during the NBA Playoffs at the Barclays Center.

But for the majority of this year, Gyllenhaal was sporting a much leaner look while he shot his new movie "Nightcrawler," due in theaters October 31.

"Nightcrawler," in which Gyllenhaal both stars and is a producer, is the story of a career-hungry young man who stumbles upon the underground world of L.A. freelance crime photojournalism.

Gyllenhaal spent three months in pre-production brainstorming with screenwriter and first-time director Dan Gilroy on the appearance of his character, Lou.

“I knew that [Lou] was literally and figuratively hungry,” Gyllenhaal told Us Weekly, adding that he got into character by transitioning into a "mode where I was always a bit hungry." 

In order to drop 30 pounds from his 180-pound frame, Gyllenhaal told Variety: “I would try to eat as few calories as possible. I knew if I was hungry that I was in the right spot. Physically, it showed itself, but chemically and mentally, I think it was even a more fascinating journey. It became a struggle for me.”

"He'd have a bowl of luxury chewing (gum) and they were, like, really elaborately flavored, to trick his brain into thinking he was having a meal," Gyllenhaal's co-star Riz Ahmed told The Canadian Press at the Toronto Film Festival this week. "So he was on his exercise bike having chewing gum and, like, almond tea with one calorie."

He also said Gyllenhaal was aware and apologetic about his sometimes-sour demeanor, "So he was like: 'Sorry I'm grumpy, I haven't eaten."'

On some nights during shooting, Gyllenhaal told Variety he wouldn’t eat at all, or he’d only take small bites of meat, crackers, or kale salad. To stay lean and fit, he would run 15 miles from his house to the film's set.

“There was a general sense that he was a coyote,” Gyllenhaal says. “I just wanted to live that way.”

Gilroy adds: “When you watch the film and see the angularity of his face, the hollow cheeks, the way that his eyes become prominent — it’s such a haunting look for a night shoot.”

Gyllenhaal's co-star and Gilroy's wife, Rene Russo, told E! Online, "It's incredible what he put his body through. I actually was worried."

But this isn't Gyllenhaal's first physical transformation for a film.

In 2010, the Oscar nominee added major muscle to his physique for "Prince of Persia." The actor told UsWeekly at the time that he would eat six small meals loaded with protein, carbs, and fats.

Gyllenhaal, however, says there was no special diet to shed pounds for "Nightcrawler." 

"I just love this movie," he said. "That’s how I did it. There really was no technique."

Watch the "Nightcrawler" trailer below. Gyllenhaal's performance is already being called "stunning":

SEE ALSO: Here's How Chris Pratt Got Ripped For Marvel's 'Guardians Of The Galaxy'

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The summer box office may have had one of its worst years financially, with hits few and far between, but thankfully, the fall looks to be a bit more promising. 

In addition to some major tentpole releases, there are a slew of Oscar-hopefuls as well as some performance-heavy films including the return of the "girl on fire" Katniss Everdeen and "The Dark Knight" trilogy director Christopher Nolan.

We've sifted through dozens upon dozens of upcoming releases to bring you a definitive list of films you can't miss this fall.

"The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby"

Release Date: 
Sept. 12

Why to see it: The ambitious film chronicling both sides of a broken marriage debuted as two separate features (one told from the man's point of view, the other from the woman's) at the Toronto Film Festival last fall before The Weinstein Company picked it up and altered its structure. The film opening in September is the cut that debuted at Caanes, "The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them," a streamlined, two-hour version of the three hours that make up the individual features.

The uncut individual films "The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Him" and "The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Her" open in limited release Oct. 10. Release strategy aside, the film has garnered its fair share of positive feedback and boasts an epic cast featuring Jessica Chastain, William Hurt, Bill Hader, Viola Davis, and James McAvoy. 

Watch the trailer.

"The Skeleton Twins"

Release Date: 
Sept. 12

Why to see it: SNL alums Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig star as siblings in this offbeat dramedy, and if early buzz is any indication, the film may wind up on quite a few "best of" lists by the end of the year. The film debuted at Sundance to rave reviews, many of which cited Hader's and Wiig's performances as its greatest asset.  

Watch the trailer.

"The Equalizer"

Release Date: 
Sept. 26

Why to see it: It's been over a year since Denzel Washington's most recent appearance on screen ("2 Guns"), which is a shame considering the man tends to elevate the material no matter how generic the idea may seem on paper; the man made a movie about a runaway train exciting. "The Equalizer" sounds like a perfect Denzel vehicle, ripe for butt-kicking and name-taking, as he must "come out of retirement" to rescue Chloe Grace Moretz from Russian gangsters. Another reason to tune in? Denzel reunites with "Training Day" director Antoine Fuqua for the first time since making the award-winning film.  

Watch the trailer.

People have been itching for a standalone HBO Go service for some time now, hoping HBO would follow in the footsteps of Netflix.

Right now, the only way to get access to HBO's on-demand service HBO GO is through a cable subscription, but that could change sooner than you think.

At a recent investment conference, Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes hinted that a standalone HBO GO service was being "seriously considered" by the company, and that the idea was becoming "more viable, more interesting," according to Quartz.

Considering there are now more Netflix subscribers than HBO subscribers, a shift to a HBO GO-only package would make a lot of sense.

The cord-cutting trend is becoming more and more viable, with many choosing to consume their media through Netflix, Apple TV, and other streaming services.

"We’re seriously considering what is the best way to deal with online distribution," said Bewkes, "but I don’t have anything to announce about it today."

So while it sounds like a direct-to-consumer HBO GO service could arrive soon, you'll still have to buy the Blu-Rays if you want to binge-watch "True Detective" and "Game of Thrones."

SEE ALSO: REPORT: Apple May Launch A Super-High-Resolution 5K Display This Year

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If you've been waiting to play "Grand Theft Auto V" on the PC, the wait is (almost) finally over.

Rockstar Games announced release dates for “GTA V" on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC Friday morning. 

The game will come to the next-gen consoles November 18, 2014 and will be available on PC January 27, 2015. 

“Grand Theft Auto V” broke records upon its release last year becoming the highest-grossing video game in its first day of release with $800 million in sales. 

The game broke $1 billion in sales in three days time and has broken seven world records, including highest-grossing video game in 24 hours. 

According to Rockstar, the remastered release of "Grand Theft Auto V" will include, but won’t be limited to, the following additions: 

- a higher game resolution
- new weapons, vehicles and activities
- additional wildlife
- denser traffic
- new foliage system
- enhanced damage and weather effects
- more radio selections, with an added 100 new songs and DJ mixes

Any one who preorders the game will receive $1 million virtual cash inside the game to spend in “GTA V” and “GTA V Online.”

You can read the full release here.

Rockstar also released a new trailer for the remastered edition. Check it out below.

SEE ALSO: Despite reports, "Destiny" did not make $500 million in first-day sales

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Following the announcement that Chris Pratt will host the season premiere of "Saturday Night Live", the "Guardians of the Galaxy" star reminisced on Twitter by sharing a hilarious old headshot featuring the popular "throwback Thursday" hashtag. 

The name's Douchemaster McChest And this is my first headshot. You're welcome. #throwbackthursday circa 2000 pic.twitter.com/85B6tl3swn

— chris pratt (@prattprattpratt) September 12, 2014

He clearly has a sense of humor about his former image, as he refers to himself as "Douchemaster McChest" in the tweet.

The headshot was taken back in 2000 when Chris Pratt was living in his van in Hawaii while waiting on tables to get by. Things have certainly changed for the better for Pratt since then, as he is the star of the most successful domestic movie of the year, "Guardians of the Galaxy," and plays "Parks and Recreation" favorite Andy Dwyer on the NBC comedy.

SEE ALSO: Bob Iger Nominated Chris Pratt For The Ice Bucket Challenge, And His Response Was Great

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At the end of September, two of TV's biggest animated cartoons, "The Simpsons" and "Family Guy," will unite in an epic crossover episode.

A road trip gone awry will send the Griffins to Springfield in the one-hour 12th season premiere of "Family Guy."

The episode, which has been in the works for two years according to Entertainment Weekly, will show the Quahog family interacting not only with the Simpsons' family but also engaging with plenty of Springfield's locals.

The big crossover episode will air Sept. 28 on Fox at 9 p.m.

Fox released a bunch of new photos previewing the upcoming episode entitled "The Simpsons Guy," and it looks like one you won't want to miss.

"The Simpsons Guy" will feature each character as they interact with their counterpart when the Griffin family from "Family Guy" accidentally end up in Springfield.

Lisa will invite Meg to try out her saxophone.

Talking dog Brian from "Family Guy" will see what a real dog's life is actually like.

Expect shows to swap character gags as Chris is seen here sucking on an identical Binky to Maggie's.

Stewie won't only learn how to skateboard, but will also dress up as a mini Bart. Hopefully, we get a "cowabunga."

Naturally, Homer and Peter will team up.

They'll head to the local tavern.

And, of course, will swap some donuts.

They'll also team up to ... wash cars?

Don't expect this budding relationship to be perfect bliss. The two are supposed to engage in an epic brawl reminiscent of Peter's popular chicken fight from "Family Guy."

According to Fox, this will lead to the two getting into "all sorts of trouble."

It looks like a blast.

SEE ALSO: The 24 new shows coming to network TV this fall

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Over 2 million people have download U2's new album "Songs of Innocence" off iTunes, according to Re/code's Peter Kafka.

The album is being offered to iTunes customers for free until October.

Not everyone was so thrilled to be getting the new album. When users began seeing the album appear on their devices, they took to Twitter with profanity.

Two million downloads may sound like a lot, but consider that the album was made available to 500 million users. Only a fraction of iTunes listeners hit the download button.

Apple reportedly paid U2 over $100 million to distribute "Songs of Innocence" to iTunes users.

SEE ALSO: What It Was Like Attending Apple's Biggest Event Of The Year

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Virtual reality is well on its way, and leading the charge is Oculus.

Oculus is the team behind the highly-anticipated Oculus Rift virtual reality headset, which Facebook acquired for $2 billion earlier this year.

Experiencing virtual reality through the Rift can be difficult to describe, but it's vastly different than seeing a 3D movie.

"I’m a strong believer that five to ten years from now, gaming on a flat 3D monitor will feel like gaming on a 8-bit system," Oculus CEO Brendan Iribe told Business Insider. "You will truly feel present in these virtual places."

When you try on a Rift, you're suddenly immersed in a 3D virtual environment that fills your field of view, causing you to feel like you're physically present in a virtual world. You can even gaze around, looking behind yourself, or lean in close to examine an object.

Oculus has already launched two developer versions of its Rift headset, which content creators will use to make sure the VR platform is populated with compelling experiences when the consumer version of the Rift eventually launches.

Oculus has also collaborated with Samsung on their own mobile virtual reality headset called the Gear VR, which will allow those with a Galaxy Note 4 smartphone to plug it directly into the Gear VR headset.

"There’s going to be two categories of VR," said Iribe. "Tethered VR that is PC-based, and untethered, mobile VR."

While the Rift will likely require a robust gaming PC to power its cutting edge experiences, Oculus is hoping mobile VR will attract those unfamiliar and curious about virtual reality.

"Mobile VR will be a lot more accessible," Iribe said. "It’ll be easier to use, you’ll be able to pass it along to your friends."

Early on, virtual reality experiences on mobile platforms will still be less impressive than those powered by gaming PCs, but as smartphones continue to catch up to PCs in their capabilities, Iribe sees the two categories merging into one.

"Solving VR on the mobile side is a lot harder and it will take more time, but there will be some innovations on the mobile side that will happen first, since it's a fixed platform that you can fix and tune," Iribe told Business Insider.

"Having Oculus pioneering these two, we definitely aim long-term to get a billion people in VR, these two areas and categories will converge and deliver an incredibly comfortable VR experience in a set of sunglasses," said Iribe, though he noted that shrinking VR headsets down to a pair of sunglasses will "take a decade or more."

Iribe eventually sees VR eclipsing the internet and mobile platforms, transforming how people relax, learn, and interact with each other.

“If you had asked me that when we first started Oculus, I would have laughed," said Iribe. "But when I saw how real virtual reality can be, and that we can replace human vision with virtual vision, this can be the ultimate platform. We can deliver the holodeck in the next few decades.”

In the meantime, Iribe and the Oculus team are busy exploring new technologies, including "eye tracking, hand tracking, and mouth tracking.”

"At Oculus, we’re now looking at eye specialists, people who really understand how the human eye works, and how that affects human emotion," said Iribe. "Replacing human vision is more than just a tool, we need to understand how that affects the brain."

To help inspire the new generation of programmers, developers, and scientists to explore the frontiers of VR, Iribe recently announced a $31 million donation to the University of Maryland, where he attended school. The donation will create a new computer science building, complete with a dedicated VR lab.

Iribe will be speaking at Business Insider's IGNITION conference, which takes place Dec. 1-3 in New York.

SEE ALSO: The CEO Of Facebook's Virtual Reality Company Is Donating $31 Million To The University Of Maryland

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The rumor is everywhere – Microsoft wants to buy Minecraft for a whopping $2 billion.

It's a move that has tech experts and consumers baffled alike. But when you break down the numbers, the picture looks pretty clear.

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Someone has definitively answered the question of whether we are a country united by "May the Force be with You" or "Live Long and Prosper."

Movato's real estate blog recently tallied the percent of each state's population that "liked" each of the two film franchises on Facebook.

According to the blog, "Star Wars" is an easy winner, being liked more in every state than "Star Trek."

Of course, there's some room for error here. Surely, not every "Star Wars" and "Star Trek" fan is on Facebook, and, even if fans are many people may not necessarily "like" them. 

Movato further broke down their results to show which states have the highest percent of "Star Wars" and "Star Trek" fans.

According to the map, "Star Wars" fans are more concentrated on the West coast.

Here are top five states that like "Star Wars" the most and least on Facebook:

Here's the breakdown of states with the highest percent of "Star Trek" fans.

The results are pretty similar which could mean that there are more sci-fi fans out West. This could also mean that less people use Facebook in states in other parts of the country.

You can read more on the study here.

SEE ALSO: A major "Star Wars" villain may return in "Episode VII"

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"Destiny," the next game from "Halo" creators Bungie, hit stores Tuesday and it's poised to be one of the year's biggest games.

What has gamers interested?

For one thing, the massive multiplayer online shooter lets you play on the moon along with fictional future versions of the Earth and other planets.

While the moon may be a prime spot for exploration now, it doesn't look all that appealing 700 years into the future.

Gorgeous and serene on the surface, Bungie has turned the moon into a hostile destination filled with caverns and underground fortresses full of aliens on the prowl.

We’ve seen gorgeous concept art for gameplay on the moon in “Destiny.”

However, the images don't compare to seeing the real thing in the game.

Every destination in "Destiny" has a huge map to check out. The moon is no exception.

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