Reporter Chris O’Brien looks at the rise of San Jose appliance networking Echelon.

Cobb’s Comedy Club of San Francisco will celebrate its 25th anniversary in September. Reporter Mark de la Vina spoke to Cobb’s veterans such as Kevin Pollak, star of “The Usual Suspects,”and “The Whole Nine Yards,” about the venerable stand-up comedy venue.

“The Daily Show” regular and stand-up comedian Lewis Black talks to Mercury News arts and entertainment reporter Mark de la Vina about how a nation’s collective anger has helped his comedy career.

Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs answers media questions about the new Apple products announced today.

Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone, the Berkeley-reared trio best known for their hit videos “Lazy Sunday” and “Dick in a Box” on “Saturday Night Live,” talk to reporter Mark de la Vina about their new feature film.

A delegation of Chilean economic development officials recently visited Silicon Valley to promote their country as a destination for high-tech companies looking to expand or relocate. As a relative newcomer, Chile faces a big challenge if it wants to get the attention of Silicon Valley businesses. During a break in their presentation, Mercury News reporter Chris O'Brien got a chance to sit down and talk with Carlos Alvarez, Executive Vice President, Chilean Economic Development Agency (CORFO) about the history of his country’s efforts to attract high tech business.

On June 27, Willis returns to movie theaters as John McClane in “Live Free or Die Hard,” the fourth “Die Hard” film. Willis spoke to arts and entertainment reporter Mark de la Vina about how this is the best “Die Hard” since the original, how computer-generated imaging effects were kept to a minimum and how paparazzi have changed since he and ex-wife Demi Moore were prime targets in the late ’80s.

Filmmaker Michael Winterbottom is one of the most versatile directors in his field. He can now add shooting Jolie to his resume. She stars in his new film, “A Mighty Heart,” which opens Friday. Winterbottom spoke with San Jose Mercury News reporter Mark de la Vina about working with the actress and reflected on the challenges of making a movie about the search for slain Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl.

“The Sopranos” comes to an end Sunday. Check out a critics roundtable about the show’s finale. The panel is made of up Bay Area MediaNews TV critics — Chuck Barney, Charlie McCollum and Susan Young — all moderated by Tony Lioce, an editor at the Mercury News. They talk about what will happen to the central character Tony Soprano, the legacy of the show and what the future holds for the actors after the series ends.

Eli Roth, who’s part of a new wave of horror filmmakers, spoke to Arts + Entertainment reporter Mark de la Vina about his controversial, brutal movies that have delighted fans of all things scary. He talked about his films, how his father, a professor of psychology at Harvard, feels about them and why such graphic, frightening movies are a good thing.