Intro Natali
Intro Ben

Items of Interest

• Great Costumes from SDCC 2011 (btm)
  • Careful, some are a little saucy.

• Batman: The Last Laugh
  • Fan Film Done Right

Gold Sponsors:

Jeb Apps – Today in Geek History, Today in Movie History

• Want to wow all your friends with off-the-wall Movie Trivia?
• Want to know more about Geek History and share them with your friends?
• Today in Geek History and Today in Movie History are for you
• Both have been out on the Android Marketplace for awhile now
• After a long vetting period, Today in Movie History is now available on iTunes!!!
• Go check out both apps, TIGH  and TIMH, now available on both Android and iPhone
• Now As Seen on Wired.com!!

Natali’s Etsy!!!

• Need your noms????
• @UberDorkGirlie’s etsy is the way to go
• Whether it’s Woookie Cookies, Happy Pandas, or Unicorn Treats, every sweet tooth needs to try them out
• Need a present and don’t want to bake? then Natali’s Etsy store is the way to go

Deals of the Week / New Release

• New DVD Movie Releases
  • Rio, Rio 3-D BR
  • Conan the Barbarian (International Cut) – Conan the Destroyer, BR
  • Braveheart / Gladiator BR
  • Eastbound & Down S1 + 2 (think KSwiss)

Entertainment Geekly (new feature)

• Die Hard 5 Rumors
  • Yipee – Kai –  Why???
  • possibly directed by  Noam Murro (300 prequel, Xerxes)
  • Set largely in Russia w/ his Son, blah blah blah

• Cowboys & Aliens
  • Released and achieved #1 in the US (barely beat out the Smurfs)
  • What have yall heard and do yall plan to see?
  • Harrison Ford is looking rough

Geek Speak

• SDCC Talk (Kristin, etc)
  • New Movies (Spiderman, Ghostrider, etc)
  • Costumes
  • After-parties

• Video Graphics x 100,000, Real or Fantasy (sm)
  • A company claims to have moved from Polygons to pixel/atoms
  • “Improves the quality of computer graphics infinitely”
  • In todays technology, times a 100,000
  • explain polygons
  • Changing from polygons to atoms

Tech, Gaming, and Geek News

• Apple Antics
  • Apple has more money than America? (btm)
    • Latest news from the US Treasury is that the United States has an operating balance of $73.7 Billion
    • Apple’s most recent financial reports shows it’s reserves at $76.4 Billion
    • The US is spending approximately $200 Billion more than it takes in every month.
    • Apple, meanwhile, is raking in cash with it’s latest quarter showing 125% more income than this time last year.
    • What’s Apple planning to do with this extra cash?
      • Industry watchers think they are building a war chest to be used for later acquisitions for other businesses and technology patents.
      • Barnes and Noble bookstores and Netflix have both been identified as possible targets.
    • There’s also this really cool house on Pennsylvania Avenue they might be interested in. it’s white and we all know how much Apple likes white products.
  • Skype gets posted for iPad then promptly pulled
    • for a long time, no approved Skype app optimized for IPad
    • Presto, inadvertent publish and then a prompt pull by Skype itself
    • Hopefully means it will be released shortly
  • Apple blocks Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia
    • Claims 10 patent infringement including slide tab to unlock
    • Australia actually honored the injunction, Korean company has to respond
    • This after newest Galaxy Tab compares favorably with IPad 2

• Nintendo President Takes 50% Pay Cut to Reduce 3DS Price (btm)
  • The slow selling 3DS is cutting it’s price from $249 to $169
  • This means Nintendo will be losing money on each sale.
  • To help with the loss company president Satoru Iwata told shareholders that he and other executives will be taking a significant paycut.
  • He will be taking a 50% cut while directors close to the project are giving up 30% and other executives will be losing 20%

• Internet Enabled TVs Interfaces just got better (SM)
  • Ever get frustrated with your TV’s interface?
  • Most TV’s are internet connected nowadays but are a pain to setup and maneuver
  • Heck, if you own cable, you have plenty of on-demand but GL getting to it
  • Poor Interface design makes users not want to use your products
  • Insignia (owned by BB) recently has gone to the TiVo interface to solve that problem
  • Still no DVR included out of the box or over-the-air program guide
  • Wait-and-see but its a step in the right direction

• Blizzard Makes Diablo III Require An Internet Connection (udg)
  • Remember how Ubisoft has managed to upset just about every gamer on the planet by requiring an always-connected machine to play its PC games? Well, Blizzard is doing the exact same thing with Diablo III. That’s right Diablo fans, if you want to play you need a solid internet connection. Offline play is just not an option.
  • If you want a reason as to why this decision has been made, Blizzard is happy to provide you with two. The first is of course piracy, which they believe an always-connected game will limit. The second is down to providing a fair game on Battle.net.
  • Blizzard is not allowing any mods in Diablo III and doesn’t want any cheats being used either. The developer states the only way to control this is with a game they can guarantee isn’t running any such additional software. Keeping you online during play apparently solves that problem and means whatever level your character is, is a true representation of the time you have spent in the game, not some mod or cheat working overtime in the background.
  • The final bit of news that has appeared about the game is that buying it might not be the end of your spending. The auction house included in the game will accept real money for buying items as well as allowing you to sell them. Blizzard’s reason for including this is for those gamers who have, “more money than time.”
  • Has Blizzard just made three huge mistakes, or is this what needs to happen for PC gaming to survive? I can imagine a few pre-orders have been cancelled already, and have to question the logic behind what Blizzard is doing here.
  • Diablo has a massive following, yet removing mods, requiring a connection, and introducing cash to the game to get ahead all seem like steps that will turn fans off rather than building excitement for the release.

• Et tu Adobe? (udg)
  • So, along with everyone else ::cough Apple cough:: Adobe is abandoning Flash as well. Their new tool, Edge, still encourages all the “flashy” loveliness, except that if Edge does it- it’ll be CSS, Javascript or HTML5. NOT Flash.
  • Don’t start calling it the “Flash-killer,” Edge is not intended to put Flash out of its misery or even to encourage developers to switch over to HTML5, but rather open up a new development path while Flash development presumably hits a wall.
  • As of right now, Flash can do some things better than HTML5. So it’s still an important part of the web and not going to up and disappear any time soon. . Still, Adobe seems to be well aware that developers will eventually abandon Flash for HTML5 and while they don’t intend to expedite that process, they are doing what they can to grab a piece of the new pie.
  • At the moment, Edge is available, for free, to anyone who wants to see what it can do. The 1.0 version proper will probably launch sometime next year. While Edge is obviously still a very new tool, it holds promise for developers who are looking to move beyond the messy, messy world of Flash and users who are getting tired of not being able to view .swfs on their mobile devices because no one wants to deal with the messy, messy world of Flash. Even though Adobe is allowing Flash to continue kicking around, it’s good to see them with a horse in the HTML5 race. Here’s to hoping Edge can “cut” it, and Flash can slowly saunter off to pasture where it probably belongs.

• Japan Brings Us One Step Closer to Cylons (as usual) (btm)
  • Japanese researchers are working on a robot that reacts to situations by making educated guesses based on past experiences
  • Robot was built on a learning mechanism called Self-Organizing Incremental Neural Network (SOINN) which processes information and lets the robot estimate future patterns and networks.
  • Future applications are both endless and a little scary as SOINN allows robots to learn from the Internet and other robots.

• Paypal Strikes Back at Anonymous (udg)
  • I’m sure we all remember Anonymous’ attack on Paypal last year after they bloced the Wikileaks accounts transactions. Well, now they’ve come up with enough evidence to strike back at Anonymous with a lil help from the FBI. In fact they’ve got a list of over 1,000 IP addresses left behind when Anon attacked. (Remember my DOS lecture before?? Yup!)
  • These IP Addresses were left behind from the DDoS attacks which were targeted at PayPal. Those IP Addresses could prove both useful or useless to the FBI as they start their investigation. The DDoS attacks are usually performed on computers that have been infected with viruses so the owner of the machine might not even know they are playing part in the attack. However the FBI may be able to perform forensics on those computers to find out where the infection originated from.
  • I am sure this story will heat up as time progresses, stay tuned for more details.

Intarweb Goldmine

• Castles Made Out Of Human Hair (udg)

• • What goes well with the cultured human hair necklace? A castle made entirely out of human hair, of course! Artist Augustina Woodgate created 3,000 bricks of human hair and built two castle sculptures as part of a series called “I Want To Be A Princess.” One of the two sculptures, called Tower, reaches about four and a half feet off of the ground, and the different colored bricks are simply different colors of hair — the yellowish window framing is made of bricks of blonde hair.
  • Woodgate’s second sculpture, Sandcastle, sports molded tops — similar to how one molds parts of a sandcastle with buckets — that sit atop a chaotic pile of hair, simulating a crumbling base. Woodgate’s hair castles will be debuting at Spinello Gallery in Miami.

• Lithuanian Mayor Says Tanks for Illegally Parking (btm)
  • Arturas Zuoukas, mayor of the Lithuanian capital Vilnius is fed up with illegal parkers.
  • Decided to send a message by driving a Russian tank over illegally parked cars
  • Saying, “People with big and expensive cars can’t park wherever they feel like and ignore the rights of pedestrians and bike riders”
  • The shocked owner of the first Mercedes was photographed exiting a shop to find his car crushed by the smartly dressed civic leader.
  • The car was later re-crushed at a local junk yard.

• A Hallow Leg of a Different Kind (udg)
  • A South Carolina trooper says he found a kilogram of cocaine in a suspect’s prosthetic leg, after he pulled over a vehicle for driving slow in the fast lane.
  • The Anderson Independent-Mail reports trooper Brad Davis testified at a preliminary hearing Friday that he felt an odd bulge when he patted down Glodualdo Moreno Lojan. Davis says a plastic bag was stuffed between Lojan’s leg and his prosthesis.
  • Lojan and two others in the car face cocaine trafficking charges.
  • Davis says he pulled over the car with Texas plates in July for traveling 50 mph in the left lane on Interstate 85.
  • Lojan’s attorney, Kurt Tavernier, says the car should not have been stopped, since 50 mph is over the minimum highway speed.
  • The three remain in jail without bond.

• Computer Conducts Wedding
  • Guy in Houston couldn’t find a friend to officiate his wedding so he writes a program to do it for him
  • Called it Rev. Bit
  • he programmed Rev. Bit to declare at that most poignant moment during the ceremony when last objections may be raised: “If anyone here has anything to say that might change their minds or has any objections, they do not want to hear it and I will not recognize your objections since Miguel has programmed me to only recognize his commands.”
  • Get this, met his wife on “Sweet on Geeks”

Extra Links

• Square handling 4 million in payments daily

How To Reach Us on the IntarWebs

• On Twitter: Steven is @DarthMolen, Ben is @realityamuck , Natali is @UberDorkGirlie
• email us: darthmolen@thepowergeeks.com, uberdorkgirlie@thepowergeeks.com (yay!) and tovias@racomics.com
• And Become a Fan

We are LIVE on Ustream.  This week we talk R2D2 XBox360, Chinese going too far, and even a bit of Ant-Man the movie… WHAT??? Seriously?? blech

Intro Natali

Items of Interest

• R2D2 XBox360 (SM)
  • Kinect version
  • Total R2D2 paint job
  • Gold 3PO controller
  • Star Wars Kinect Game
  • Star Wars for system sounds…
  • Must.Buy.Immediately.In.NOVEMBER!!! NOOOOO!~

• Not as Cool as R2 But Dad Hacks Wall-E Toy To Make Real Robot

Gold Sponsors:

Jeb Apps – Today in Geek History, Today in Movie History

• Want to wow all your friends with off-the-wall Movie Trivia?
• Want to know more about Geek History and share them with your friends?
• Today in Geek History and Today in Movie History are for you
• Both have been out on the Android Marketplace for awhile now
• After a long vetting period, Today in Movie History is now available on iTunes!!!
• Go check out both apps, TIGH  and TIMH, now available on both Android and iPhone
• Now As Seen on Wired.com!!

Natali’s Etsy!!!

• Need your noms????
• @UberDorkGirlie’s etsy is the way to go
• Whether it’s Woookie Cookies, Happy Pandas, or Unicorn Treats, every sweet tooth needs to try them out
• Need a present and don’t want to bake? then Natali’s Etsy store is the way to go

Deals of the Week / New Release

• New Released DVD’s / BR
  • Source Code – Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Action thriller where a guy gets amnesia and has to uncover his identity and a bomb plot at the same time
  • Red Planet – More realistic, gritty portrayal of space travel.. might be worth some of your time
  • Blues Brothers / Animal House – RIP Jon Belushi

Entertainment Geekly (new feature)

• FX Picks up Superhero movies left and right
  • Recently acquired Captn America (the one in theatres)
  • Already had TF: Dark of the Moon, Green Lantern, X-Men: First Class, Thor, Tron: Legacy, Kung Fu Panda 2, The Green Hornet
  • Maybe they should rename themselves “TSN: The SuperHero Network
  • Most of these came from an epic 2008 deal with Marvel, before the Disney acquisition

• Ant-Man: the Film???
  • Ant-Man is the superhero persona of Hank Pym
  • Recently came to the forefront with the Avengers cartoon being so popular
  • Can shrink and enlarge at will, Super-Genius, Pacifist
  • Has pretty side-kick “The Wasp” (Janet Van Dyne)
  • Really worth a full featured film though???

• Wanna See What We’re Not Missing W/ WW?? (udg)
  • io9.com “We’ve seen the unaired Wonder Woman pilot, and it’s actually kind of worse than we expected. It’s bad in the ways that we were all expecting, but it’s also bad in other, more fundamental, ways.”
• Comic Con Trailers (udg)
  • Features- The Amazing Spider Man, Haywire, Sherlock Holmes 2, Dark Knight Rises Teaser

Geek Speak

• SDCC! – Tease it for next week, Everyone has hangovers, we’ll bring on some heavy hitters and have a good round-table

Tech, Gaming, and Geek News

• The Chinese Have Now Gone TOO FAR! (udg)
  • Cuz selling fake iTunes cards and really cheap Apple knockoffs on their sites weren’t enough, last week five supposed Apple stores were operating in China. Only they weren’t actually official Apple stores!
  • To make it worse, they were nearly flawless copies of the official stores. To the point that the employees thought they were working for Apple!
  • Two of those five have since closed. But, not for them being complete fakes. Nope, the only reason they are closed is because neither had a business license in the first place.
  • The iFakes hit the major media and were brought to light last week when blogger  BirdAbroad visited one and spoke to staff. The store she located and visited was in the southwestern city of Kumming, and is not one of the two that have been shutdown. There’s a video of how Apple Store-like the store is in our show notes.
  • What’s going to happen to the other 3 stores is unclear at the moment. Chinese law does deem the stores illegal, but it’s the Chinese. If they’re able to cough up a business license, there’s no guarantee they’ll get shut down.
  • One thing is certain- Apple is definitely going to be talking to Chinese officials and this could get interesting.

• Hacker Caught, 10 years in jail (SM)
  • Rogelio Hackett Jr. 25, of lithiuania, plead guilty to stealing 635,000 credit cards
  • Instead of light slap: Go directly to jail, do not pass go, do not collect $200
  • Must pay $100,000 fine and serve 10 years in a jail
  • Guy had been hacking since 2002, and trafficing in purchased accts
  • Before you go all boo-hoo, the CC companies found that he bamboozled over $36 million dollars over the years
  • Yeah, I’m personally glad they threw the book at him

• Google’s Print Mag (udg)
  • Because you know they haven’t launched enough new stuff over the last few weeks, Google has now released the first US edition of its marketing mag Think Quarterly.
  • Actual print copies of the mag will be sent to a select and limited and are all kinds of lux with a magnetic cover, heat-sensitive end paper and a pretty blue ribbon fastener. Don’t fret though, us little people get to at least check out the online version.
  • The magazine is essentially a very pretty advertisement for how wonderful Google is, with a feature story highlighting the positive work done at Google. In addition to several pages dominated by advertising executives, the magazine also has several essays on the future of the Internet and society. I actually kinda dug it.
  • The UK version of Think Quarterly launched in March 2011, under the clear distinction that it is not intended to be a consumer magazine. Through Think Quarterly, Google may be taking steps to change its image from a familiar search engine to a group of innovative thinkers and strategists who have a real impact on the world.
  • But change their image with who? Well, potential advertisers of course. They are the people getting the snazzy print version, after all. The rest of us Googlers are just left with our Intarwebs.

• Samsung passes Apple in Smartphone Sales (SM)
  • Samsung passed Nokia for new sales in the last quarter
  • According to bloomberg, 18-21 million handsets were sold in the last quarter
  • Thats in comparison to the 20 million sold by Apple
  • Nokia has been sliding from their dominance for awhile now
  • M$ partnership has not helped them.
  • Lets be real, Everyone is waiting on the IPhone 5…

• Data Furnaces (udg)
  • Servers are energy hogs. Not just to run, but they get so bloomin hot you have to use more energy for the air conditioning that keeps the waste heat at by. This problem with inefficiency is only going to compound as the hoopla about the cloud continues.
  • Seems Microsoft has come up with a wacky-in-a-way-that-just-may-work solution: Distribute cloud servers to businesses and homes for use as heaters.
  • “Data Furnaces” as Microsoft dubbed them in a research paper on the subject would provide exhaust that, while too cool for energy regeneration (104-122 °F), is just right for space heating. Not only does this reduce waste, but it could increase the overall efficiency of the cloud servers involved by making it far more practical to locate specific servers near the areas they serve.
  • That’s a lot of win right there.
  • Obviously with issues like size, the fact heating systems are complicated, security, reliability, you get the point- this is something for way off in the future. But, it’s definitely got my interest piqued.

• Netflix Up, Blockbuster Wooing (SM)
  • Netflix made a profit, just not as much as investors had hoped.
  • To blame? The price hike announcement for September
  • Not all doom and gloom, their subscriptions are up 70% for streaming
  • Netflix talks with Dreamworks (Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar)
  • Blockbuster is looking to capitalize w/ a $9.99 1-disc out plan
  • (still no streaming from BB)
• Fox Gets Stupid (udg)
  • In what is probably one of the lamest ideas I’ve heard in a very long time, Fox has just announced that it will only allow approved cable or satellite consumers free next-day access to its popular TV shows. Fans could previously catch shows the next day on Fox.com or Hulu.com for free.
  • Don’t have cable or want to pay for Hulu? Well then you’ll have to wait until 8 days after they’ve aired to watch it.
  • Got DISH? No worries!
  • “DISH Network is proud to be the first pay-TV provider in America to give customers the opportunity to take full advantage of the new Fox.com viewing experience — at no additional cost,” according to a Fox press release.
  • Hulu Plus customers will also still have access to Fox shows, according to a tweet from New York Times reporter Brian Stelter. Fox hopes to add more cable and satellite partners in the coming months.

Intarweb Goldmine

• What Ya Get For Being A Sound Sleeper In South Africa(udg)
  • A 50-year-old South African man woke up inside a mortuary over the weekend and screamed to be let out – scaring away attendants who thought he was a ghost.
  • His family presumed he was dead when they could not wake him on Saturday night and contacted a private morgue in a rural village in the Eastern Cape.
  • He spent almost 24 hours inside the morgue, the region’s health department spokesman told the Sapa news agency.
  • The two attendants later returned and called for an ambulance.
  • The man – whose identity has been withheld – was treated in hospital for dehydration.
  • The man woke up at 1700 local time (1500 GMT) on Sunday, demanding to be let out of the chilly morgue in Libode village, frightening the attendants on duty.
  • “At first the men ran for their lives,” said Mr Kupelo.
  • Officials have urged the public to contact doctors or the emergency services so they can they can pronounce someone dead before calling an undertaker.
  • “You begin to ask yourself how many other people have died like that in a morgue,” said Mr Kupelo.
  • “We need to [get] the message across to all South Africans that it is very wrong for them to conclude on their own that a person has died,” he said.

• Jaws Jumps into boat… Literally (SM)
  • Have a front row seat to Discovery’s shark week? Not as close as these guys
  • 6 researchers off the coast of africa got the scare of their life
  • After an hour of shark activity, 10 foot great white breached the water and jumped halfway on the boat
  • In a panic and apparently trying to eat a crew member, he thrashed all the way on board and then became stuck
  • Despite the danger to their lives, the scientists eventually rescued the shark after being towed to port, letting it go, being beached, pulling it back out, and finally getting it out to sea

• Mystery Prisoner (udg)
  • A mystery man arrested on minor charges more than three weeks ago remains behind bars in Utah while law enforcement officials try to determine his true identity, which he refuses to reveal.
  • “This is really a strange case,” said Lt. Dennis Harris with the Utah County Sheriff’s Office. “He just doesn’t want to be found.” The unidentified man, who has graying hair, a light beard and is believed to be in his 60′s, was arrested on July 1 for trespassing in a parking garage.
  • He was booked into jail on three misdemeanor charges and has thwarted any chance of release, with or without bail, by refusing to identify himself.
  • “I’ve been trying to think from A to Z why he would want to stay here … why he wouldn’t give us any information,” Harris said.
  • “He either has to be wanted by some other state or he could be on some other registry or database that has not shown up,” he added.
  • Law enforcement officials say the man is “fairly well spoken and educated,” but very guarded about his identity.
  • As a result of several short conversations with him, officers believe he may not be from Utah.
  • Officials gave the man a telephone calling card so he might contact friends or relatives, but he has not used it.
  • “He was very aware of what we were trying to do and he would not give us the slightest bit of information indicating where he was from or anything relating to his family situation,” said Harris.
  • “We’ve had a lot of people call in but nothing has panned out. Nothing,” he added.
  • Officials say in three weeks of jail the mystery man has shown a pleasant demeanor and has communicated that he is being treated well.
  • “He said the food has been great,” Harris said.
  • “I realize that sometimes people want to go to jail because they are homeless, have nothing, they are destitute. I’ve seen that over the years. I just don’t get the impression that’s the reason. He just doesn’t want to be discovered by somebody.”
  • Now in his fourth week of incarceration, the man added another twist to the story recently by hinting he had business of some kind outside prison that he would need to attend to.
  • “He said there was a point at some time that he would need to get out of jail,” Harris said. “That’s the closest I can find of what he wants to do. And that makes no sense to me whatsoever.”
  • I’m surprised I don’t know the guy. I seem to attract people like this.

• RDJ New Hazards: Exploding manholes
  • Imagine if you will, walking down the street
  • A rumble and a roar shake the ground and all the manhole covers explode into the air
  • This isn’t hollywood, welcome to Rio De Janeiro
  • Recently a manhole cover blew up into the air, injured 2 ppl, smashed into a nearby window, and ended in a parked car
  • This was the 130 of these in April alone…
  • Sparks from old transformers igniting “gasses” (read human methane) causing the random explosions around the city
  • Talk about some dangerous crap….

Extra Links

• Navy testing more lasers
• Q&A With The Man Behind The Lego LOTR Tower (udg)

We are LIVE on Ustream.  This week we talk Spotify, finally in the US, Batman vs. Cptn. Kirk in the ultimate cage match, and YES, it is officially confirmed, the Gods want more cowbell.

Intro Natali
Intro Ben

Items of Interest

Just cuz it’s still making me giggle –

• Finally a Good Use For 3D Printers (btm)
• Millenium Falcon Bass Guitar (udg)
• INSANELY AWESOME FInal Fantasy Stop Motion (udg)

• Kid Finds a Piece of History and Gets to View History Up Close (btm)
  • After a 2006 Hurricane struck the North Carolina coast a Durham teen, Kevin Schanze found a piece of metal on the beach from the first stage of Apollo 16.
  • NASA confirmed it was authentic
  • The sheet of metal made a 30 year journey from the Florida coast to an inlet of the Outer Banks and floated into the Pamlico Sound.
  • NASA showed there gratitude by inviting him to see final Shuttle launch last week.
  • He was taken on an all-access tour of the Kennedy Space Center including the top of the Atlantis launch pad and the Atlantis cockpit.

• Turn your IPad into a Trek Pad… (SM)

Gold Sponsors:

Jeb Apps – Today in Geek History, Today in Movie History

• Want to wow all your friends with off-the-wall Movie Trivia?
• Want to know more about Geek History and share them with your friends?
• Today in Geek History and Today in Movie History are for you
• Both have been out on the Android Marketplace for awhile now
• After a long vetting period, Today in Movie History is now available on iTunes!!!
• Go check out both apps, TIGH  and TIMH, now available on both Android and iPhone
• Now As Seen on Wired.com!!

Natali’s Etsy!!!

• Need your noms????
• @UberDorkGirlie’s etsy is the way to go
• Whether it’s Woookie Cookies, Happy Pandas, or Unicorn Treats, every sweet tooth needs to try them out
• Need a present and don’t want to bake? then Natali’s Etsy store is the way to go

Deals of the Week / New Release

• Mtv Geek’s Guide to Manga on the Cheap (udg)
  • Even full price, most people consider manga a pretty good bang for your buck. But, it can be a really pricey habit- especially if you start a long-running series like One Piece.  But, thanks to the folks over at MTV Geeks,  here are their suggestions for 6 ways to get your manga fix for half price or less…
    • Your local library. Yup! Try the YA section as that’s where it’s usually shelved. Popular ones are usually checked out so don’t limit yourself just to your local branch. Most libraries have a swap system of some sort.  If you are looking for a specific volume, try plugging it into WorldCat, which is a mega-library catalog that will locate the copy closest to you.
    • Online swap clubs:  The most popular one seems to be Paperback Swap. It’s pretty easy to use: You upload a list of books you are willing to part with (it’s all done by ISBN so the information goes in automatically) and send out the books to people who request them. That means you pay the postage (usually less than $2.50 for a single volume), but in return, you get a credit to request a book from someone else. Paperback Swap is a general-book site, but you can set your defaults so the newest manga and graphic novel offerings are always displayed on the home page. The selection leans toward older series, but a number of book reviewers use the site, so newer volumes pop up as well, and you can ask to be notified if a particular book becomes available.
    • Freecycle: I belong to my local freecycle and never cease to be amazed by the range of items offered and found through here! Visit their site, find your local group then post a message saying you’re looking for manga and you may connect with someone who is cleaning out their collection.
    • Used book sales: It’s rummage sale time people! Get on out there. Also keep an eye out for libraries cleaning house.
    • Online shopping: Amazon and Barnes & Noble also offer used manga at astonishingly low prices, but watch out for shipping costs. You can find a lot priced at one cent on Amazon, but keep in mind that shipping is $3.99, so you’re actually paying four bucks out of pocket. Given that you can ship a volume of manga for less than $2.50 via media mail, Paperback Swap is a better deal. Ebay is a good bet if you’re looking for multiple volumes of a series, as shipping a number of items isn’t much more expensive than shipping one (and many sellers just charge the mailing cost, not an inflated shipping cost).
    • Digital: Digital manga can be a good way to go if you have a device to read it on, and if you watch out for special promotions. If you have an iPad, iPod Touch, or iPhone, check out the Viz app, which offers single volumes for $4.99, and stay tuned to the manga blogs, because they have a lot of sales.

• So there you go, six different ways to get your manga fix without resorting to piracy or robbing a bank. And don’t forget that most of these channels are good ways to pass on the volumes you are done with as well—recoup a bit of the cost by selling them online, trade up via Paperback Swap, or just get a bit of good karma by donating them to your local library.

• Google Releases own eBook Reader (SM)
  • Iriver – Fully integrated with the google book store
  • eInk display by LG that XGA resolution
  • Faster page turns due to beefier processor
  • full querty keyboard
  • Built in Wi-Fi, 6 weeks battery life
  • chromed buttons on the bottom for nav
  • $139.99 (Target and Target.com)
  • Too little to late?

• Capcom Lists Res Evil 15th Anniversary Collection (udg)
  • Capcom has listed for preorder on its Japanese e-shop a Resident Evil 15th Anniversary box, including the first four games in the survival horror franchise plus Code: Veronica, soundtrack CDs, and extra trinkets.
  • The full listing is as follows:

• Resident Evil Directors Cut
• Resident Evil 2
• Resident Evil 3 Last Escape
• Resident Evil Revival Selection [contains Resident Evil 4 and Code: Veronica]
• Resident Evil Code: Veronica soundtrack
• Resident Evil 4 soundtrack
• A number of Pins & Stickers
  • The first three games are the original PlayStation versions, which run on the old hardware, but the image above shows that the discs’ appearances have been redesigned for the bundle. The early games appear to have received some updated packaging as well.
  • Revival Selection for the PS3 contains HD versions of Code: Veronica and RE4, but it’s up to the player to complete the series collection with their own copy of Resident Evil 5. Thankfully Capcom has left a spacer in the box for you to do this.
  • The package will go on sale exclusively on Capcom’s e-Capcom online store (Japanese link) on September 8th for a price of 7,800 yen ($96 at current exchange rates, but the exchange rate is extraordinarily high lately).
  • There’s no word yet on an American release, but since there’s an equivalent online store for the US market (the Capcom Store) known for selling cool and rare stuff, it’s very possible that this one will cross the pond.

• Video New Releases (SM)
  • Rango – a lizard in the Wild West (first full animated film from ILM)
  • Robot Chicken – Star Wars III
  • Battle Beyond the Stars – If you crave total cheese, cell matted laser bolts, epicly cleavaged ships, and blatant rip-offs of Star Wars and Seven Samurai, this is the show for you
  • Damnation Alley – Get your Post Apocalyptic fix here…  w/ Burt Reynolds

Entertainment Geekly (new feature)

• Do Gods Love Cowbell?? (udg)
  • Gods Behaving Badly is a Fables/Fruits Basket sort of story with just a dash of American Gods‘ theme of washed up deities: The ancient Greek gods are alive and managing in a New York city brownstone, much to the surprise of their neighbors.
  • But then the actual casting is the aweseome!
  • The gods are: Aphrodite — Sharon Stone, Apollo — Oliver Platt, Artemis — Edie Falco, Demeter — Phylicia Rashad, Dionysus — Nelsan Ellis, Eros — Gideon Glick, Hades — John Turturro, Hermes — Henry Zebrowski, Persephone — Rosie Perez and Zeus — Christopher Walken.
  • Christopher Walken as the patriarch of an incestuous, petty brood played by some of the best character actors in the business? That’s worth paying attention to. And who knows- maybe there’ll be some cowbell.

• Boba Fett Movie? Possible? (btm)
  • In a recent interview ‘Captain America’ Director, Joe Johnston was asked if his former boss and mentor, George Lucas, had already seen the movie.
  • His surprising response was:
    • “You know if he wants to see it, I would show it to him. I’m trying to get George to make a feature based on Boba Fett.”
  • Says he would like to direct the Boba Fett movie and thinks it would be a lot of fun
  • Began his career as a storyboard artist for George Lucas and created designs for some of fandom’s favorite characters and vehicles including, Yoda, the Ewoks, The Millennium Falcon, the X-Wing and Y-Wing fighters, Imperial Snow Walkers, Imperial Star Destroyers and of course, Boba Fett.
  • One wonders if Lucas ever decided to hand over the reigns of the franchise to someone else why wouldn’t it be to one of the original trilogies original creators?

• Space Invaders Coming to a Theater Near You? (udg)
  • Space Invaders, the classic ’80s videogame, may be coming to a theater near you.
  • Producers Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Gigi Pritzker have optioned the rights to develop the project, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The two are looking for a writer.
  • For the uninitiated, Space Invaders was introduced in 1978 and became a pop culture phenomenon during the next decade when it was made available for the Atari 2600. The title is the top arcade game of all time, according to the Guinness World Records.
  • Given that brand equity and the track record for other films based on ’80s properties, like Transformers, the idea of a Space Invaders movie has been around for a while. Last March, the L.A. Times reported that Warner Bros. was negotiating with Space Invaders owner Taito about a movie.
  • Additionally, di Bonaventura has brought toy properties to the big screen. He is one of the producers of the Transformers films as well as G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra.
  • Meanwhile, a slew of movies based on videogames are in various stages of production. That list includes an Asteroids movie, a Missile Command flick and one based on Angry Birds. In the case of Space Invaders, though, the cult TV show Futurama seems to have beaten di Bonaventura and Pritzker to the punch with an episode based on the game.

• Wanna Be In The Dark Knight Rises? (udg)
  • The movie is looking for fans to fill a stadium in the Pittsburgh area on Saturday, August 6,” which would seem to indicate Heinz Field as the location.
  • The stadium scene calls for energetic football fans to cheer the Gotham Rogues in a game against the Rapid City Monuments. There will be door prizes, gift cards and autographed items. Go to beinamovie.com for full details.

• Speaking of the Dark Knight, WB has released a teaser trailer (btm)
  • Premiered with the Harry Potter movie
  • Now on Facebook page.
  • Mostly clips from the previous two movies but there’s some added footage from the new movie showing Batman preparing to do battle with Bane.

• Batman: Year One Coming to Video (btm)
  • Based on one of my all time favorite comic story arcs written by Frank Miller and illustrated by David Mazzucchelli in 1987
  • Clips indicate they’ve stayed very true to the original source material
  • Story recounts the beginning of Bruce Wayne’s career as Batman and James Gordons’s in the Gotham Police Department.

Geek Speak

• Twitter Turns 5 (SM)
  • Happy B-day, you text streaming social service
  • How has this little service affected the world
  • Iran Voting Conflict, Japan earthquake, major sporting events, etc.
  • Lets talk about our experiences
  • Outline some of the challenges for this free social cloud

Tech, Gaming, and Geek News

• Spotify in the U.S. (SM)
  • music streaming service that has free and premium subscriptions
  • VERY popular over in the UK and Europe
  • Just barely opened for business in the US
  • How is it different than Internet Radio? You can actually stream selected tracks
  • Most devices supported with players
  • Premium services start around $4.99
  • Is it worth it?? .mp3 (you own) vs. Streaming (you get to listen but don’t own)

• Secret Service onto the Apple Store Spy Cam Artist (btm)
  • 25 year old Brooklyn artist Kyle McDonald installed software on computers in a NYC Apple Store
  • Software would take pictures every minute and capture the faces of Apple Store shoppers as they stared at the monitors of MacBooks.
  • Software would then send the images back to the artist where he was working on using them as part of a project.
  • Woke up to four Secret Service agents who took his two computers, his iPod and two flash drives.
  • Not sure what or if he will be charged with.

• Dear Anon- Pick a Direction and Stick With It. (udg)
  • Hacker group Anonymous has been booted off of Google+. However, the hacker collective is responding by creating its own social network called AnonPlus that won’t put up with “being shut down, censored or oppressed.” Google apparently kicked “Your Anon News” off of the social network because it apparently violated Google’s Community Standards. Google also pulled their Gmail account.
  • So, if  you can’t join em, beat em. As of right now, the only thing you’ll find at AnonPlus.com is a splash page, and there’s not a whole lot of information there. You can’t register, or even click any links for that matter. The only clickable link on the page is to the dev forum at the bottom of the page. The site is in “Revision: 0.5 Alpha” at the moment.
  • AnonPlus’s message on the front page says the site is to be a “new social network where there is no fear…of censorship…of blackout…nor of holding back.” The site is for everyone, and not just for members of Anonymous. Anonymous says the site will go up soon, but it can’t happen overnight.
  • The hacktivist group said in a post on a subsidiary site that activists being banned from sites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube is the result of “walk(ing) to a different beat of the drum.” The hacker group said on AnonPlus that “the sheep era is over. The interwebz are no longer your prison.”
  • Anonymous isn’t the only one who was kicked off of Google+. William Shatner was also banned after Google believed his profiled to be a fake. Perhaps Shatner will join AnonPlus?
  • Then you’ve got the was supposedly disbanned now back part of Anon Lulzsec out hacking The Sun and redirecting it to a fake Murdock death story.
  • Last week Anon took credit for leaking 90,000 U.S. military email addresses stolen from servers owned by Booz Allen Hamilton. (Which honestly made me PISSED)
  • They need to stop chuggin the dew and snorting the pixie stix and pick a direction. I suggest one that continues to follow the Hacker’s Manifesto. Keep straying from that and you’re going to end up being made an example of.

• Your Next Job May Depend on Your Facebook History (btm)
  • It’s often said what you post online can never truly be deleted.
  • Several new companies are apparently trying to help that be true
  • Recently the FTC gave the company Social Intelligence the go ahead to run background checks on your Internet and Social Media history.
  • While the company doesn’t store 7 years of your history, it looks at 7 years of your online life and makes this available for potential employers
  • Looks for aggressive or violent tendencies or illegal activity, discriminatory activity, and sexually explicit activity.
  • While it redacts any identifiable images of the subject and ignores benign tomfoolery it’s still kinda creepy considering how much information many of us put online and forget about.

• Google’s + Button Already More Widespread Than Twitter’s (udg)

• • They’ve only been out for around a month and Google’s +1 buttons are more common on major web sites than the tweet button.
  • BrightEdge, an enterprise SEO platform provider, analyzed the 10,000 largest sites on the web and found a 33% surge in placement for Google’s +1 button during the past few weeks. The company found that +1 buttons are now on 4.4% of those sites, up from 3.6% in June. Meanwhile, Twitter’s plug-ins are displayed on 3.4% of the sites.
  • Both Google and Twitter trail far behind Facebook though, whose  “Like” button, is on about 20% of the sites’ front pages.
  • Plus runs out of disk space (SM)
    • Their notification system went on the fritz and was spamming ppl
    • Ran out of disk space for 80 mins
  • Already the Contact Export Wars Begin (SM)
    • Facebook has already swung the ban hammer on a company
    • They were exporting first and last names from FB and matching them to contacts on your local machine and on linkedin
    • You then had a free-and-clear contact list
    • Wasn’t much different than you going “Account->Account Settings->Download Your Information” to get a friends.html

• Amazon to rent textbooks (SM)
  • 30 day rentals with 1 day extensions
  • Ability to store annotations in the amazon cloud past rental period
  • Not all roses though
  • Cognitive process “where the information is” broken
  • Some of the illustrations are illegible (who looks at those anyways)
  • No chump change by selling books mommy and daddy paid for
  • John Wiley & Sons, Elsevier, Taylor & Francis and Oxford University Press.
    • Half Price Books is now selling Textbooks (actual paper ones) online now too.

• Netflix Raising Prices by 60% (btm)
  • Starting September 1st Netflix will no longer offer a $9.99 package of DVD-by-mail and unlimited streaming
  • 23 million subscribers will now pay $15.98/month or $7.99 for just one of the two
  • Netflix feels their streaming content is now robust enough that many people don’t want both options.
  • “Given the long life we thing DVDs by mail will have, treating DVDs as a $2.00 add-on to our unlimited streaming plan neither makes great financial sense nor satisfies people who just want DVDs,” said Netflix in its press release.

• Facebook Introduces Vending Machines for Computer Accessories(udg)
  • How many times have you been there? At work, some part of your computer goes kaput? Maybe the mouse is fried, power cable goes bad, you name it. Well, getting a replacement is usually a pain in the tush. I’ve had to write a request, submit to department head who then submitted to IT who then checked stock, and then.. you get the point.
  • Well it seems FB had cut out all the middle people and I can’t honestly think of any easier way than what they’ve done-  After some initial tests with a swipe card system and a cabinet, the social network went ahead and had some custom vending machines made. Each contain all the common accessories that regularly need replacing.
  • All a FB employee has to do to get a replacement is swipe their ID card and ket in the accessory they need. The employee gets quick access to the accessory and can continue working. Facebook gets a record of which employee took what device, and alerts can be put in place when a machine needs restocking. There’s also going to be the option to pull up a summary of employees and the number of accessories they get through in any given time period.
  • According to Tim Campos, CIO at Facebook, the vending machines have cut the cost of replacing such devices by 25%. There’s also going to be another cost saving in both time and money gained from each Facebook employee not having to wait for a replacement device.

• Google+ App finally released for iOS (btm)
  • While the Android app has been available from day one the iOS app took a little longer to get through the Apple approval system.
  • The much anticipated iOS app was released today providing many mobile features to iPhone users.
  • Several iOS users were a little upset that it doesn’t support iPad or iPod Touch devices.

• Family Time Now With Zombies (udg)
  • In The Walking Dead Board game, only the strong survive. The weak turn into walkers, and then turn against their former friends! Fight your way through zombie-infested Atlanta with your fellow survivors. Grab some weapons to clear a path. Visit destinations like the department store, old folk’s home, and the CDC. Find the tools you’ll need to live another day. Take on the role of Rick, Andrea, or one of the other hapless survivors and scrounge for sweet weapons like a Shotgun or Crossbow. Keep your eyes open for new allies, but watch your back! When supplies start running low, it’s every man for himself. If you can make it back to camp with enough gear to defend yourself and those you still care for, you win!
  • Should you fall to the hungry horde of walkers, the game doesn’t end. When a player dies and becomes a walker, they leave the world of the living behind and seek out the remaining survivors. Spring surprise attacks on the living, cause the walkers to frenzy, or contaminate the survivor’s supplies. Put the bite on your former friends and they’ll join you in your pursuit of the living.
  • The fate of the human race is in your hands, either as a survivor or a walker. Join us this September 2011 with Cryptozoic Entertainment’s The Walking Dead Board Game.

Intarweb Goldmine

• No Equal Rights for Monkeys (udg)
  • It was a wedding that thousands waited eagerly for since the engagement was announced. Invitations were sent, the details were meticulously labored over, and finally, to the almost-hysteric joy of the crowds, the big day arrived.
  • In the small village of Talwas, Rajasthan, Raju, a well-known cigarette smoking monkey, and his bride Chinki were married.
  • Raju had become a local celebrity after Ramesh Saini, a rickshaw driver, adopted him three years ago when he found the monkey unconscious.
  • He’s been a surrogate son to the childless Ramesh ever since.
  • “I want to enjoy the feelings of a son’s marriage through Raju’s wedding.” Ramesh told the publication. “We will welcome the bride in our house … after the wedding with all rituals.” Raju’s bethrothed Chinki lived with a priest in a nearby village.
  • More than 2,000 guests were expected to attend the pre-wedding feast and to watch Raju ride atop a horse in a procession, Stuff reported. The wedding was planned in accordance with traditional Hindi customs, including sacred fires and fragrant incense.
  • Monkeys are revered by many Hindus, because the deity Hanuman appeared in primate form.
  • But the carefully made preparations were thrown into havoc by government officials who cracked down on the animal nuptials, because monkeys are technically government property. So marrying a monkey, even to another monkey, is illegal
  • Two hundred guards from the forest department flooded Talwas on the wedding day after warning that all guests would be arrested. Hundreds of attendees showed up despite the threats, but Raju, Chinki and their owners had fled.
  • In a final twist, the owners announced that the monkeys married in a secret ceremony deep in the woods. Forest rangers captured the newlyweds, but Ramesh told Stuff that he is confident they will return.
  • “I know my son Raju, with his wife Chinki, will come back home,” Ramesh said. “I will have a big reception for them.”

• JellyFish shut down Nuclear reactor (SM)
  • Japanese reactor has to shut down.. for earthquake? for natural disaster? nope, for JELLY FISH
  • Thats right, the lil buggers swarmed around the coolant intake, gumming it up and forcing them to shut down a thermonuclear device
  • Who says Mother Nature 2 – humans 0
  • There is an upside to this… Free sushi for the whole country for at least 2 months, well nuked
  • This actually happens a lot, A couple other plants have shut down because of this same phenomena

• Who says Chihuahua can’t be guard dogs? (udg)
  • Don’t mess with the little guy with the big bark at the Ace Smoke Shop in Altadena, Calif.
  • The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s office released some amazing surveillance video on Monday, showing what happened when armed robbers stormed into the shop on July 7.
  • They left with some money, but less than “they could’ve gotten,”as the Los Angeles Times reports, because of the owner’s Chihuahua. His “ferocious barking” and lunges at the bad guy’s legs look to have convinced the robbers to clear out quickly. No one was hurt.
  • According to LA Weekly’s The Informer blog, the real tough guy in this tale is named Paco and he weighs about 15 pounds.
  • The robbers are still at large.

• Jet Pack Fail (SM)
  • Fox 5 thought it would be awesome if they had a guy fly via jetpack on the start of their show..
  • So the show starts and the guy jumps to fly… and falls flat in the water
  • What do the anchors do??? roll on the floor in disbelief
  • Guy recovers and flies out of the water

• I don’t know what’s better, this story or the guy’s name (udg)
  • It’s tough finding even an odd job these days.
  • That’s why Utah-area resident Mork Encino, who swears this is his real name, created the oddest job for himself.
  • Encino, 28, on his website, advertises he’ll be human prey for marksmen with $10,000 to spare. It’ll cost you an extra $2k to hunt him in the nude.
  • He says he’s “generally unskilled” and hasn’t had a job in years. In the past, he’s worked in construction, landscaping and cleaned out storage sheds.
  • His greatest skill may be self-promotion: He’s appeared on radio programs and been written up by quite a few websites.
  • Since hunting people is highly illegal, valid hunting offers have been few and far between.
  • “I’ve had a variety of offers, none of which I’ve been comfortable accepting. As I’ve said, this is not my dream job. There’s obviously no longterm in it. This is just something I’ve resorted to in order to make others aware of my situation. It’s a job application, man. And a damn good one if I may say so,” Encino said via email.

• Tune In and Tune Out, i-Dosing with your iPod (btm)
  • Get your bonfires ready America!
  • Kids are downloading MP3s and getting high!
  • According to an Oklahoma news channel reporting on a new trend called i-dosing
  • Kids are putting on their headphones and listening to music which consists of a droning noise and promises to get you high.
  • Local schools have already sent home letters to parents warning of the new threat.
  • Sites are selling guides to how to properly get high on the MP3s
  • How will society react to this new menace?
  • Will politicians be asked if they’ve ever i-Dosed?
  • “I i-dosed, but I had it on mute”?

• Captain Kirk gets booted off Google+ (btm)
  • Joining in the Google+ craze, actor William Shatner accepted an invitation and joined
  • Shortly after making his first post Google took down his account for “violating standards”
  • He had only made one post saying “Hello”
  • This could be related to Google+ trying to prevent fake accounts and pseudonym use.
  • Posted on his twitter account, “ “My Google+ account was flagged for violating standards. Saying hello to everyone apparently is against the rules maybe I should say goodbye?”
  • Shatner was returned to Google+ Monday with the following post, ““I am back plusers! I still do not know what happened but I will refrain from saying hello again for a while just in case. My best, Bill.”
  • Currently there seems to be no verification system for Google+ accounts, unlike Twitter with their check mark and “verified” accounts.
  • Google reps could not be contacted for comment.

Extra Links

• Best Google+ Tips & Tricks (udg)
• Google Declares Nuclear war on Malware
• QR Tattoo spawns animation (SM)

How To Reach Us on the IntarWebs

• On Twitter: Steven is @DarthMolen, Ben is @realityamuck , Natali is @UberDorkGirlie
• email us: darthmolen@thepowergeeks.com, uberdorkgirlie@thepowergeeks.com (yay!) and tovias@racomics.com
• And Become a Fan

The Power Geeks #107

We are LIVE on Ustream.  Lulzsec disbands, Google unveils how they plan to social network, and Ding, Dong, a Star Wars product is dead

Intro Ben
Intro Natali

Items of Interest

• Ever Want To Be On Your Own Trading Card? (udg)
  • The awesome folks over at Meet Meme reached out to me recently and OMG I am LOVING the cards they made me!!!
• ShouldIChangeMyPassword.com (udg)
  • With all the hacks going on lately, wouldn’t it be nice if you had one place to go to see if your information has been compromised? Well, we do! It’s ShouldIChangeMyPassword.com and it works by making use of a number of databases that have been released to the public by Hackers. No passwords are stored by the site and it is strictly being made available as a public service.

• Boutonnieres from a Galaxy Far, Far Away (udg)

• Super Mario Beatbox (udg)
  • Trust me- it’s hella awesome and once again proof of the zillion reasons I love the Japanese.

• Ready for Transformers: Bark at the Moon? How About Your Data? (btm)

• • From themed flash drive maker Mimoco
  • Optimus Prime and Megatron are available in 2, 4, 8 and 16GB models
  • Prices range from $20 to $60 depending on size.
  • Includes Screensavers, Comics, Icons and Images.
  • USB 2.0

• DC Relaunch, Hipster Style (btm)
  • As DC Comics remake and relaunch their comic universe lot’s of heroes are getting a new look
  • deviantArt user “CallMePro” has put together a catalog of his vision of the costume redesigns, Hipster style.

• Ditch your Remote (SM) (accessory not included)

• Hackintosh Mini for less than $600 (SM)

• USB Powered Butt Cooler (SM)

Gold Sponsors:

Jeb Apps – Today in Geek History, Today in Movie History

• Want to wow all your friends with off-the-wall Movie Trivia?
• Want to know more about Geek History and share them with your friends?
• Today in Geek History and Today in Movie History are for you
• Both have been out on the Android Marketplace for awhile now
• After a long vetting period, Today in Movie History is now available on iTunes!!!
• Go check out both apps, TIGH  and TIMH, now available on both Android and iPhone
• Now As Seen on Wired.com!!

Natali’s Etsy!!!

• Need your noms????
• @UberDorkGirlie’s etsy is the way to go
• Whether it’s Woookie Cookies, Happy Pandas, or Unicorn Treats, every sweet tooth needs to try them out
• Need a present and don’t want to bake? then Natali’s Etsy store is the way to go

Deals of the Week / New Releases

• Team Fortress 2 Now Free-To-Play Forevvvver! (udg)

• • Valve has decided to introduce the free-to-play model for its very popular team-based first-person shooter Team Fortress 2.
  • Right now, you can hop on your mac or PC, load up Steam, download the game and start playing free and the game play is exactly the same as the paid version. Free users will also receive all the updates and downloadable content, but there are some differences.
  • So what’s different? Free accounts get 50 slots in their backpack, standard items, limited blueprints, can receive items and gifts only. There’s a couple of unique extras too like a Proof of Purchase hat to wear and if you help out someone with a free account a lot and they upgrade to premium you get a free wearable item.
  • You can still update to a premium version. All you have to do is purchase something in-game at the Mann Co. store.

• The Real Muppets Trailer (SM)

• DVD Movie Releases (4th wk June)
  • LOTR: EE on BLU-RAY!!! (sm) ‘nuff said!
  • Sucker Punch: Director’s Cut
  • Max Manus: Man of War – Dutch Underground Pulp war movie

Entertainment Geekly (new feature)

• R.I.P.D Gets a Release Date (udg)
  • Looks like the comic book movies are going to keep coming for Ryan Reynolds. Universal Pictures has announced a June 28, 2013 release date for R.I.P.D., an adaptation of the Dark Horse Comics series and will star Reynolds along side Jeff Bridges. It follows dead police officer, Nick Cruz, (played by Reynolds) that joins the supernatural “Rest In Peace Department” in order to investigate his own murder. Bridges plays the role of Roy, a veteran on the undead police force.
  • So what does this mean for the other comic book movie that Reynolds is attached to start in- the “Deadpool” solo movies spinning out of his debut as the character in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”? I’m not sure, but I am glad to see Hollywood branching out more in the comic department without bastardizing the classics.

• Starz to Premier “Torchwood: Miracle Day” July 8, 2011 (btm)
  • Popular BBC One series, often called Doctor Who for grown-ups is coming to America.
  • Show’s original creator, writer/producer Russell T Davies will serve as Executive Producer.
  • 10 part series features original  Torchwood stars John Barrowman and Eve Myles along with Mekhi Phifer, Bill Pullman and Lauren Ambrose.
  • Story explores what happens when no one on Earth dies. They still age, get sick and get hurt, but no one dies.

• WW Movie Talk That Makes Me GIDDY!?! (udg)
  • Nicolas Refn, director of Bronson and Valhalla Rising, has spoken about his perfect Wonder Woman in the shape of Christina Hendricks. Interviewed at the premere of his latest film, Drive, Nicolas was adamant that if he is chosen to chair the Wonder Woman feature, currently in development at Warner Brothers, he’d pick the Mad Men actress.
  • Speaking about Christina – who Nicolas cast alongside Ryan Gosling in Drive – he told NY Magazine, “If I ever get to do it, she’s going to be it.” He also told the BBC last year that helming Wonder Woman was a lifelong ambition for him, “It’s probably something that, to me, would be not just a satisfaction, but almost a catharsis”, adding, “I was born to make it.”
  • As for Hendricks, the dream of playingWonder Woman has been on her mind for over a year now. Last year she told US chat show host Rachel Ray “I’ve been wanting to wear that outfit my whole life … I had Underoos. I had Wonder Woman Underoos!”
  • Of course nothing is even remotely set in stone in regards to WW making the leap to the big-screen but I absoeffinglutely LOVE this choice.

Geek Speak

• Are Fake Geeks Dooming Real Ones?
  • “In the wake of the Best Buy ‘geek’ trademarking and Miss USA calling herself ‘a huge history geek,’ writer (and self-proclaimed geek) Eryn Green has an interesting piece for Esquire on how so-called ‘geek chic’ is pervading the culture so much that no one appreciates an actual geek anymore. From the article: ‘The difference between brains and beauty is that you’re more or less born into good looks — entitled, if you will. Intelligence? That takes work. If the hallmark of real geekiness — of America — is determination, then we seem too determined to have an entitlement problem.’”

Tech, Gaming, and Geek News

• JK Rowling Quoth Pottermore(udg)
  • Fans of J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” series waited expectantly for the announcement the best-selling author promised to make last Thursday.
  • The big announcement turned out to be Pottermore. She describes it as an online website for fans that will be “an online reading experience unlike any other.”
  • Rowling said this is her way of thanking her fans. “Harry’s fans remain as enthusiastic and inventive as ever,” she said in the video. “So I’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you, because no author could ask for a more wonderful and diverse and loyal readership.”
  • According to Rowling, the “Harry Potter”story will be available on Pottermore, but it will be built and shaped by the readers. Rowling also said that she plans on sharing additional information that she has “been hoarding for years about the world of Harry Potter.” The website will also be the exclusive place to buy digital audio books and e-books of the “Harry Potter” series.
  • “The digital generation will be able to enjoy a safe, unique online reading experience built around the ‘Harry Potter’ books,” Rowling said in the video. The description of it all is very vague. I’m sure Potter fans will want to smack me but- wasn’t this series supposed to end? This skirts a dangerously fine line of supporting fans and continuing on so you can extract money from them long after you’ve “ended” your series.
  • The Pottermore website will not open officially until October, but Rowling said that a lucky few can enter the site early and help develop it. “Just follow the owl,” she said. Fans can return to the website on July 31 to find out how to enter the site early.

• HBO GO Showing Growth (SM)
  • HBO strikes another blow against Netflix
  • 3 million downloads strong (10% of the HBO userbase)
  • Not Hulu Plus, all HBO’s vault is available for watching
  • Soprano’s, The Wire, Rome, the Pacific, Band of Brothers, Deadwood, Entourage
  • Here’s the catch. You must have cable and subscribe to HBO
  • (SM) Boo!!

• Apple Awarded Patent for Multitouch (btm)
  • US Patent and Trademark Office recently awarded Apple U.S. Patent #7,966,578 for a “portable multifunction device, method and graphical user interface for translating and displaying content.”
  • Patent originally filed December of 2007
  • iPhone revolutionized smart-phone design and use with the first iPhone
  • Spawned many copycats since it’s launch
  • Critics say that the awarded patent is too broad in it’s scope and unless it is invalidated or made more narrow it will hamper innovation until 2027.
  • According to Patent Attorney Spyros J. Lazaris, “It could cover any mobile device with a screen capable of accessing the web and showing web pages, including tablet computers and smartphones.”
  • How Apple plans to implement this new patent remains to be seen but in the past Apple has aggressively protected patents of their interfaces.

• Star Wars Galaxies is Dead, Long Live the Old Republic (udg)
  • LucasArts and Sony ONline Entertainment has announced, effective Dec. 15th, they will shut down Star Wars Galaxies.
  • In a note on the game’s support forum, the companies stated “The shutdown of SWG is a very difficult decision, but SOE and LucasArts have mutually agreed that the end of 2011 is the appropriate time to end the game.” Besides the MMO, the closure will also affect the Trading Card Game.
  • “During the last week that SWG is available…we’re going to end with a bang and we want the final chapter of the galaxy to be written in part by the dedicated and passionate SWG community.  Details will be announced at a later date,” the companies said.
  • Meanwhile, SWG subscribers in good standing will be able to play several other SOE MMO PC Games at the subscriber level at no extra cost. Between Oct 15 & Dec 15th, those users will have access to Free Realms, Star Wars; Clone Wars Adventures, EverQuest, EverQuest II and DC Universe Online via the Star Wars Galaxies web site.
  • Effective June 24th though 3, 6 & 12 month subscription packs, as well as the TCG store were turned off. Sept 15 starts cease of the sale of the Trading Card game and the SWG MMO. Billing will be turned off Oct 15th and all free game trials will end Dec. 31st.

• Lulzsec Disbands (SM)
  • Lulzsec, group famous for hacking the CIA, Senate, Nintendo, Sony, and others
  • Surprisingly announced their disbanding after a short news garnering life
  • Claim that the plan was to only operate for 50 days
  • Wanted to bring back the AntiSec movement – anti-disclosure of exploits
  • (what attacking gov’t and corporate websites do for this cause, who knows)
  • As a parting shot,  AT&T, AOL, Disney, Universal, EMI and the FBI were all hacked
  • Anonymous claims they carry the torch, and hack some more

• US Navy Buys 59,000 Microchips with Chinese Backdoors (btm)
  • Last year the Navy bought 59k Microchips for use in everything from missiles to transponders.
  • Turns out the chips were counterfeits from China
  • Wired reported that not only were they fake chips, they had built-in back doors that would allow them to be remotely shutdown at anytime.
  • Trojan circuits that are built in during the production process are almost impossible to detect.
  • The danger is from US contractors attempting to save a buck by using cheaper, foreign made chips.
  • The Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Agency (IARPA) is now looking for methods to check chips for these Trojan circuits.

• Resident Evil Mercenaries 3D Game Saves Can NOT Be Deleted (udg)
  • As far as we know, the 3DS is the 1st Nintendo portable gaming unit to use region protection. Turns out it’s also the first machine to get a game with permanent save games on a cartridge.
  • Capcom has decided to make the save games on Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D permanent. In other words, as soon as you start playing, the cartridge is gonna fill up with your saves that can’t ever be deleted. Why the heck would they do this? Well, to stop you from selling it once you’ve beaten it or gotten bored with it.
  • Yeah, Capcom may think themselves clever- but it’s just going to piss off gamers. Selling it aside, eventually it’s going to run out of save game space which will render it useless. And let’s face it, selling your games is not pretty much a common thing and something retailers rely upon. This could be the start of a very slippery and frustrating slope. Hopefully Capcom will learn quick and no other developers will jump aboard this trend.

• Shareable Open-Source Internet in Afghanistan (SM)
  • Many postulate that corporate-controlled Internet will never be “free”
  • FabFi has put their money where their mouth is
  • Using common building materials and off-the-shelf electronics, they have built an open-source system to transmit wireless signals across MILES!
  • (SM)and here I have a problem with a few feet
  • Their longest link? 2.41 miles to Jalalabad in Afghanistan @ 11.5 Mbps (22 Mbps is normal)
  • Total cost for one single sharing node? $60 worth of material….

• FINALLY!!! Video Games Ruled Free Speech (udg)
  • Gamer and Gamerettes, the Supreme Court has FINALLY ruled 7-2 that video games are indeed a form of free speech and therefore protected by the first amendment. You may remember this whole mes started all the way back in 2005 when California passed a law prohibiting the sale of mature-rated video games to minors under penalty of a $1,000 fine. Protesting ensued and this worked it’s way all they way up to the Supreme Court.
  • To quote their decision: “Video games qualify for First Amendment protection. Like protected books, plays and movies, they communicate ideas through familiar literary devices and features distinctive to the medium.  California’s claim that ‘interactive’ video games present special problems, in that the player participates in the violent action on screen and determines its out-come is unpersuasive.”
  • While this is certainly a symbolic victory for us gamers and geeks everywhere, you’re still going to have to show your ID before purchasing mature-rated games because restricting the sale to minors is both a legal and extremely pervasive store policy. But, it is now impossible for legislation involving video game bans to bubble up from the state-level since this decision is federal and overarching.
  • So, go forth and game. Game happily and game proudly.

• Google Unveils Google Plus (btm)
  • We all saw the “Google +1” buttons that started showing up a few weeks ago
  • Today Google unveiled it’s new Social Networking project “Google Plus”
  • So far only a lucky few have been invited to participate
  • And so far it looks pretty much like every other Facebook clone.
  • There’s an interactive tour available.
  • Tour highlights the many ways you’ll be able to interact with your friends
    • Circles, hangouts, instant uploads, sparks and huddle
    • Each grouping allows for different levels of access to information and levels of privacy.
  • Will the search giant be competition to Facebook?
  • By addressing sharing and privacy from the start will unhappy Facebook users make the switch?
  • Will Billy ever tell Cindy he knows about her affair with Josh? Wait, wrong show.

• Canadian Nerds Rejoice, Toronto is Getting a Star Trek Day (udg)
  • This past May the 4th, Toronto got it’s first Star Wars Day. It was organized by collective of local nerds and combined costume contests, trivia and a lot of sniping about the prequel trilogy.
  • And when you have a Star Wars Day, you know there will be Trekkies to rally for their own day too. So, Sally Christensen, a self-identified writer, crocheter and all-around nerd got together with other locals and organized a committee for Star Trek Day Toronto.
  • So, our dear Canadian friends- mark your calendars for October 2, 2011. Yeah, unlike the May the 4th be with you wit of Star Wars Day, there doesn’t seem to be any significance to the date. Well unless 10.2.11 was the stardate when dilithium was first discovered or something.
  • The group has assembled, Avengers-style, as Nerd Mafia, a name that is just way too awesome. Star Trek Day Toronto will be the first major event hosted by this mafia of Toronto’s dork elite. And it’s already shaping up to be far more expansive than Star Wars Day.
  • Christensen says that in addition to the usual cosplay and trivia games, Star Trek Day will also include some screenings. The films haven’t been picked, but she assured us that fan favorite and series highpoint Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan will almost certainly be one of them. And if that’s not enough to crank you up to Warp Six, the Nerd Mafia’s also plotting for live music and a Star Trek–themed burlesque show. Heck yeah!
  • So, there you have it. Toronto is getting a Star Trek Day. Want to stay up to date on the deets? Follow Star Trek Day on the Twitters at @StarTrekDayTO and Nerd Mafia at @TONerdMafia.

• Would Unlimited Movies at One Price Get You Back to Theaters? (btm)
  • San Francisco startup “MoviePass” is hoping it does
  • For $50 per month you’ll get to see unlimited movies in the theater
  • Currently in private beta in the San Francisco Bay Area
  • Hopes to use the Netflix model to get people back to theaters
  • Uses geo-aware HTML5 web app users buy tickets day of the show and app gives you a redemption code to get tickets from kiosk or counter.
  • Theater must be part of major online ticketing services.
  • Few rules
    • Limited to one movie per day
    • You can only see a movie one time
    • You can’t transfer tickets to someone else
    • 3D and IMAX movies will cost an additional $3

Intarweb Goldmine

• RageGage Allows You to Smack Facebook Friends (btm)
  • We all know about the Facebook Like button, but what do you do with all those annoying “friends” who constantly post junk as their status updates?
  • RageGage, LLC has the answer, the RageGage.
  • Connect via USB to your computer and select a friend to smack
  • The nearly unbreakable device then transfers your rage via the RageGage Connect application to Facebook and provides a virtual beatdown to your “friend”.
  • Also allows users to update their “Rage Level” on Facebook by smashing the RageGage and customize how their RageLevels appear on Facebook.

• How Far Would You Go To Avoid Jail? (udg)
  • Mexican prosecutors say Aaron Vera Morales, wanted for sealing $200,000 from the government changed his sex to avoid arrest. Yup, according to a statement form The Attorney General’s office he “Had plastic surgery in an effort to evade justice, to change his identity from a man to a woman.”
  • When finally caught, Morales was carrying identification that said he was a woman. Initially it was unknown whether he had undergone gender reassignment surgery or had just changed his appearance. Turns out, he went all the way on this one. This definitely takes going on the lam to a whole new level

• Sell Weed on Facebook! (btm)
  • As a tie-in to the popular Showtime series “Weeds” the “Weeds Social Club” launched in closed beta this week.
  • Players tasked with raising money to save their house by selling pot.
  • The game will not actually show you how to grow pot, but features a time clock tracking growing and selling.
  • Players will face run-ins with the police, organized crime and taxes
  • Other popular TV series have also featured Facebook games. Gossip Girl launched a game in January and Spartacus featured a game at it’s launch as well..

• Not Your Average “Construction Ahead” Sign (udg)
  • The zombie menace has once again found its way onto a highway sign.
  • After pranksters switched the message on an electronic road sign, motorists in northern Kentucky were warned this week to watch for zombies along the Interstate 71-75 corridor.
  • The usual message about upcoming roadwork was changed to: “Nightly lane closures, zombies ahead.”
  • Kentucky Transportation Cabinet spokeswoman Nancy Wood said the Transportation Cabinet learned about the new message midmorning Thursday and turned it off until it can be fixed. Wood said officials are not amused by the prank.
  • The gag was hardly original. There was a spate of such pranks in 2009 in Florida, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Illinois and Texas. Last March, someone posted a zombie warning on a highway sign in South Carolina. Original or not, it’ll definitely make you smile as you’re stuck in traffic.

• PETZ – People for the Ethical Treatment of Zombies (btm)
  • Have we already discussed this?
  • Encourages people to “Vote Yes on Z!” and show that California supports basic rights for the unnaturally born.
  • Describes proper Zombie care
  • Lists companies that test on Zombies

• Very, Very,Very Happy Bunnies (udg)
  • Police in Brandenburg who discovered a large plot of cannabis called on the neighbouring house only to find an 84-year-old woman who had been feeding her rabbits with the plants.
  • “The rabbits really like it,” the woman told officers who called on her in the village of Golzow near Belzig, according to Saturday’s Tagesspiegel.
  • A police officer had seen the healthy, metre-high plants from the road while on his way to work and told his colleagues, who visited the plot’s owner – the elderly woman.
  • She told them that she had not grown the plants herself, but that they had simply started growing there, and had proven to be excellent rabbit food. Not only did the rabbits love eating the plants, they grew back very quickly after she cut them down, she told the investigating officers.
  • A spokesman for the Brandenburg police said her explanation had sounded plausible, but the officers could not leave her with the plants, rather cut them all down and took them to the forensics laboratory for testing.
  • The three large plastic sacks of weed will now be tested to determine the level of THC – the psycho-active ingredient in cannabis – they contain. There was no official comment on what the elderly woman was expected to feed her rabbits with now.

• Extra Links

• Hackers School DEFCON Kids (udg)
• Good Robert Kirkman Q&A (udg)
• The Original AT-AT (udg)
• Pope Sends First Tweet (btm)

How To Reach Us on the IntarWebs

• On Twitter: Steven is @DarthMolen, Ben is @realityamuck , Natali is @UberDorkGirlie
• email us: darthmolen@thepowergeeks.com, uberdorkgirlie@thepowergeeks.com (yay!) and tovias@racomics.com
• And Become a Fan

We are LIVE on Ustream . This week we celebrate our 100th episode Where we bring you Star Wars Propoganda, CosPlay from a former host, Every host we’ve ever had and much more!!!

Intro Kristin… Get interrupted by Steven.

Intro Natali
Intro Ben

Items of Interest

• The World of Mistrunner: An Awesome Kickstarter by Chat Room Regular NakedHobo (udg)
  • The world can always use new amazing games and Mistrunner looks awesome. It’s an RPG set in a world of high fantasy, steam punk and a bit of post apocalyptic action as well. Check it out, contribute if you can and pretty, pretty please help get the word out.

• Nerd News Reigns Supreme

• SkySurvey.org
  • 60,000 travel miles, 5000 megapixels, 37,000 photos
  • Most comprehensive photo survey ever taken of night sky

• Star Wars Propaganda Posters (btm)

• Epic Skadoosh
  • Very short video of Jack Black practicing “Skadoosh”
  • Video ends with “Click for Epicness”
  • When you click the link you’re taken to a 4th wall breaking epic ad for the upcoming Kung-Fu Panda 2 that must be seen to believe.
  • Great use of the YouTube interface.
  • Skadoosh

• Cole’s Current Costumes:

Gold Sponsors:

Jeb Apps – Today in Geek History, Today in Movie History

• Want to wow all your friends with off-the-wall Movie Trivia?
• Want to know more about Geek History and share them with your friends?
• Today in Geek History and Today in Movie History are for you
• Both have been out on the Android Marketplace for awhile now
• After a long vetting period, Today in Movie History is now available on iTunes!!!
• Go check out both apps, TIGH  and TIMH, now available on both Android and iPhone

Natali’s Etsy!!!

• Need your noms????
• @UberDorkGirlie’s etsy is the way to go
• Whether it’s Woookie Cookies, Bark Maul, or Hothballs, every sweet tooth needs to try them out
• Need a present and don’t want to bake? then Natali’s Etsy store is the way to go

Contests

Giving away 2 decks of Dabong! to whomever hears the cowbell (before the intarweb goldmine) and comment on our facebook page on the time and why they love card games

• 2 – 5 players take turns laying down cards in a central pile. Instead of the basic suits found in a standard deck of cards, dabong! uses Earth, Wind, Water, and Fire.

• lays down a card is by matching the suit
• Also match the number of the card in the pile to a card in the player’s hand.
• additional options to play the players can play cards of the same suit that add up to the number in the middle. For example, if a 10 of Fire is in the central pile, a player could play a 2, a 3, and a 5 of Water all at the same time.
• A player wins when he/she has used all of his/her cards, or through a dabong! A dabong occurs when a players cards add up to the central card, regardless of suit.

Deals of the Week / New Releases

• Bin Laden’s Hideout recreated in CS
• Angry Bird in PC Chrome Store
• Murloc Mugs for half off in GCD store

Movie Minute (new feature)

• **** on hold for this week due to extended Geek Speak****

Geek Speak

• Current / Ex-Host Roundtable

Tech, Gaming, and Geek News

• Marines See the Sun and Go Green (btm)
  • US Marine Corps is one of best trained and best equipped fighting forces on the planet.
  • As Marine equipment becomes more advanced so does it’s power needs.
  • But now Marines of the 3rd Battalion, 5th Regiment are the first to be equipped with new portable solar gear developed by Navy R&D.
  • Currently batteries make up about 20% of the 100 pounds of gear a typical infantry Marine carries into the field.
  • A Marine of today will use about 4 times as much fuel as a Marine from the early 1990’s did due in part to electronic gear that require electricity from portable generators.
  • 30% of the fuel going into Afghanistan is used to power these generators
  • Scientist from the Office of Naval Research developed solar-and-battery gear that is small enough to be transported on Humvees, large enough to power gear at command outposts and ruggidized for field use.
  • Smaller solar panels were also developed for individual Marines.
  • They can be unfolded and used to charge equipment at base or on the march.
  • For some platoons at remote outposts, solar power is all that’s available.
  • Plans are underway to field bigger equipment to meet the power needs of larger formations on the battalion level and could be in place as early as this summer.
  • Ties in with plans to reduce per-Marine fuel use by 50% by 2025

• Star Wars Novels coming to EReaders (SM)
  • Did you know there are 106 titles in the EU
  • Lucasfilm and Random House are releasing all of them to eFormat
  • June 28th is the big day
  • This can solve the problem of the X-Wing Series being dropped
  • (SM)These novels were like comforting popcorn balls to me, I have like the first 60
  • Never bought into the New Jedi Order and haven’t even tried Legacy

• Man Tweets From Mt. Everest (udg)
  • Kenton Cool, a British mountaineer claims to be the first man to have tweeted from Mt Everest. Although his name is slick, we hate to break it to him, he’s not the first.
  • He was a giant product placement on May 6th when he tweeted “1st tweet from the top of the world thanks to a weak 3G signal & the awesome Samsung Galaxy S2 handset!” while wearing his fully exposed Galaxy II T shirt despite nippy conditions. Samsung sponsored Cool’s ascent and gave him a free Android handset to tweet from. Which he of course pulled out of a box  from a pre-cut hole in the ice.
  • Tweeting from Everest is a pretty impressive achievement. But  unfortunately for Samsung and its PR team, Cool’s tweet isn’t the first.
  • American polar-explorer Eric Larsen beat the Brit by about six months. His tweet simply read, “Everest summit!” and a description of the gadget used to tweet from 29,029 ft above sea level.
  • It was the DeLormeGPS Earthmate PN-60w, a handheld device that can send short text messages from anywhere in the world, by relaying them through a satellite.
  • Larsen is no stranger to extreme-tweeting: in April 2010 he tweeted from the North Pole. “Standing on top of the world,” he wrote. “Getting to the North Pole is the same as stopping Global Warming. Begin with one step.”
  • So Cool might have missed out on a cool record, but he’s still got one achievement under his belt (besides his nine climbs up the planet’s highest mountain, of course). The veteran mountaineer called his wife from the summit, marking the world’s first 3G phone call from Everest. If you thought the largest mountain on Earth would be a good place to get away from the connected world, think again.

• Microsoft closes in on buying Skype (btm)
  • 8.5 Billion dollars later…
  • Expect more ads in the free version
  • Hopefully this big acquisition goes better than some of there previous ones

• Congress Bans Nasa From Collaborating With China (udg)
  • Frank Wolf is my new hero. According to the 2011 spending bill approved mid April by Congress: Two majorly federally funded space programs, NASA & the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy are prohibited from using federal funds to collaborate with China. Now, this only applies to the 2011 federal budget. But, my new buddy, Congressman Frank Wolf, who inserted the clause in there is planning on making it permanent.
  • Here’s what the bill says: NASA and the OSTP cannot use federal funds “to develop, design, plan, promulgate, implement or execute a bilateral policy, program, order, or contract of any kind to participate, collaborate, or coordinate bilaterally in any way with China or any Chinese-owned company.” THANK YOU FOR THAT LAST PART FRANKIE!!!
  • Here’s Wolf, mincing no words in an interview with Science Insider:
  • “China is spying against us, and every U.S. government agency has been hit by cyber attacks,” says Wolf in explaining why he opposes any collaboration with the Chinese government. “They are stealing technology from every major U.S. company. They have taken technology from NASA, and they have hit the NSF computers. … You name the company, and the Chinese are trying to get its secrets.”
  • Of course the Obama administration has found a possible loophole. Grrr. They assert that NASA and the OSTP can still collaborate with Chinese agencies provided that that collaboration falls under the umbrella of “the president’s ability to conduct foreign policy.” In 1979, the U.S. and China signed a landmark pact called the Agreement on Cooperation in Science and Technology, which established relationships between the two nations’ scientific communities that have persisted for the past three decades. Arguably, backpedaling from that agreement could jeopardize Sino-American relations, so Obama’s ability to sidestep the GOP restrictions on NASA and the OSTP could still be great.
  • But one Republican Congressman from Texas warned that if NASA still collaborated with China using this loophole, the consequences could be dire: John Culberson said that per the terms of the federal funding bill as written, NASA and the OSTP would be “endangering [their] funding” if they worked with any Chinese agencies this fiscal year using federal funds.

• Biggest Piracy Case in US History (btm)
  • At least 23,000 File Sharers will soon be notified they are being sued
  • Users who downloaded “The Expendables” have been tracked
  • Federal Judge has agreed to allow U.S. Copyright Group to subpoena ISPs to find the identity of everyone who illegally downloaded the Sylvester Stallone movie.
  • Subpoenas are expected to be issued this week
  • The United States Copyright Act allows damages up to $150,000 per infringement and they are demanding the maximum
  • Some groups have found it to be more lucrative to settle for around $3,000 per infringement in the past.
  • Film companies pay people to monitor BitTorrent sites and capture the IP addresses of downloaders and uploaders.
  • So far 23,322 IP addresses have been obtained and more are expected to be added to the list. There were only 6,500 when papers were originally filed in February.
  • See if your IP address is listed by using the applet.
  • The Electronic Frontier Foundation has put together a list of suggestions of what to do if you’re targeted

• YouTube Adding 3000 Movies to Rent (sm)
  • YouTube has been streaming hundreds of movies for free since 2009 via it’s movie page
  • Now they are partnering with NBC Universal, Sony Pictures, and Warner Brothers to offer these studios libraries and new releases for rental.
  • Rental fees will be at “industry standards” with most library features at $2.99 and new releases at $3.99
  • Many movies will also include free extras and behind the scenes footage
  • Rotten Tomatoes reviews will be integrated into the movie’s page
  • The addition of these 3000 movies to YouTube’s existing catalog brings their total available movies to over 6000.
  • Once you rent a movie you will have 30 days to start watching the movie and in most cases once you start you will then have 24 hours to finish watching the movie.
  • Currently this will only be available to YouTube users in the United States
  • You need a YouTube account to access the movies
  • They will be available via the browser on Google TV.
  • watch out Netflix?

• Smithsonian Announces Art of Games Line Up (udg)
  • If you’ve been listening to us for awhile, you may remember me geeking out the the “Art of Video Games” exhibit the Smithsonian is going to be holding March 16- Sept 30 of 2012. And I scooted you off to their site to vote for what titles should be included. Well, voting ended April 17th and the results have been announced!
  • The exhibit will also have five playable games – “Pac-Man,” “Super Mario Bros,” “The Secret of Monkey Island,” “Myst,” and “World of Warcraft” – as well as video interviews with notable game developers, large prints of select game screenshots, and antique consoles. Apparently over 3.7 million votes were cast in the poll to select the entrants, spanning over 175 countries.
  • It will include such classics as Space Invaders, Attack of the Mutant Camels, Earthworm Jim, Super Mario World, Goldeneye 007, Diablo II, Shenmue,Halo 2, Portal, Boom Blox, Shadow of the Colossus,  Brütal Legend and Minecraft. The full list is available as a PDF
  • Can’t make it to DC? The site does mention the exhibit will be available for traveling shows after its closing.

• WoW loses 600K Subscribers Since Cataclysm release (btm)
  • During this week’s earnings call, Blizzard revealed WoW subscriber base had dipped to pre-Cataclysm expansion levels with subscriptions only numbering 11.4 million at the end of March.
  • Last year, just before the expansion launched, the number of subscribers was 12 million
  • Blizzard execs point out that their subscription numbers fluctuate regularly but this drop has been faster than previous declines after expansion releases.
  • Other factors may include the launch of RIFT at the beginning of March
  • Often times the launch of a competing game will temporarily pull subscribers away as they check things out.
    • But generally they come back. Every time we think we’re out, they just keep pulling us back in.

• Game Developer Creates a USB Stick PC for $25 (udg)
  • You know who is pretty freakin’ awesome? David Braben.  He’s best known as a game developer that runs Frontier Developments in the UK and the co-developer of Elite.
  • When he wasn’t busy bringing us games like the Lost Winds and Kinectimals, he was working on a little side project- getting programming and general learning of how computers work back into schools.
  • Braben argues that education teaches useful skills such as writing documents in a word processor program, how to create presentations and basic computer skills, but more computer science-like skills such as basic programming and understanding the actual architecture and hardware contained in a computer are just as beneficial.
  • His solution? To manufacture a very low cost PC that can be given to kids for free and courses built around it’s use. And by low cost, holy crap! He’s developed a tiny USB stick PC that has a HDMI port in one end and a USB port on the other. Plug it into a HDMI socked, connect a keyboard to the USB and you’ve got a fully functioning machine running a version of Linux. The cost? $25.
  • And for that insanely low cost, you’d be surprised at the hardware.  It uses a 700MHz ARM11 processor coupled with 128MB of RAM and runs OpenGL ES 2.0 allowing for decent graphics performance with 1080p output confirmed. Storage is catered for by an SD card slot. It also looks as though modules can be attached such as a 12MP camera seen in an image in the article.
  • It will handle web browsing, run office applications, and give the user a fully functional computer to play with as soon as it’s plugged in. All that and it can be carried in your pocket or on a key chain.
  • This tiny, cheap PC is going to be distributed through a new charitable foundation called the Raspberry Pi Foundation. It will also promote computer science studies in schools.
  • As for when the Raspberry Pi device will become available, Braben says he hopes to be distributing it within the next 12 months.

• Miller / Jansen Batman sketch sells for $448K+ (SM)
  • Reported by Jill Pantozi
  • A sketch page from Batman: Dark Knight went for $448,125
  • Which Page? The iconic Batman and new robin jump scene (first female fulltime robin, Carrie Kelley)
  • Page ten of the story “Hunt the Dark Knight”
  • Other Pages? Page 2 of issue #4: 41k, Page 2 from Issue #3: 13K
  • Too Much?? Not enough??
  • (SM)Favorite.Graphic.Novel.Ever!

• Google I/O Developers Conference Opens With Big News (btm)
  • 51 minute keynote address was backed with announcements
  • Google Music Service (Beta) is here
    • Google’s cloud music storage solution.
    • Allows users to upload 20,000 songs.
    • Desktop interface allows users to organize music
    • Using Google’s Music Player 3.0 users can stream music to their devices
  • Android 3.1 Honeycomb begins roll-out to Motorola Xoom users on Verizon this week.
    • new features allow users to resize widgets
    • USB support allows Xoom owners to use keyboards, game controllers & mice
  • Android 3.4 Ice Cream Sandwich will roll-out to users late this year
    • will be adaptable to Android tablets or smartphones
    • new UI, retooled camera interface and face recognition software
  • Google Movies service for Android (which, oddly, is the same 3000 movies Google owned YouTube will be renting) allowing access via Android Marketplace.
    • Available now for Xoom owners with 3.1 and in the next few weeks for handset owners with 2.2 or better.
  • Android @Home platform will allow developers to create apps that control your home via accessories that are compatible with Android software.
  • Google is partnering with most major carriers to ensure Android users are getting the latest updates in a timely manner.
    • The guidelines call for the carriers and OEMs to get the latest version of Android out to their devices within 18 months if the hardware can handle the software.
  • Also, all 5000 attendees got Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1’s (the rest of us have to wait until June 8th)

Intarweb Goldmine

• Star Trek Team VI Kills Bin Laden (SM)
  • Apparently it was a terrorist on terrorist action
  • A german station mistook a Star Trek Terrorist patch for Seal Team 6’s logo
  • Then they went and blew it up on the big screen
  • They forgot to notice the Klingon skull and the phaser held by the eagle #oops
  • Of course, Trekkies everywhere figured it out and had a good laugh
  • The name? Maquis Special Operations Seals Team VI
  • Google FML!

• Man Dressed as Batman Charged With Trespassing (udg)
  • Holy trespassing, Batman!
  • A 31-year-old man dressed as the comic book Caped Crusader was arrested today in Petoskey after he was seen hanging from the top wall of a downtown business.
  • The Petoskey News-Review reports officers went up on the roof about 12:40 a.m. and pulled the 31-year-old man back onto the building.
  • Public Safety Director John Calabrese says he believes the man “enjoys doing this.”
  • Officers confiscated a baton-like weapon, a can of chemical irritant spray and lead-lined gloves.
  • The Harbor Springs man is awaiting arraignment on charges of trespassing and possession of a dangerous weapon. He’s being held in the Emmet County jail.

• Full Moon Stops Train (btm)
  • Man narrowly avoided being hit by train near Madisonville, OH
  • He jumped on the tracks and refused to move
  • Train was able to make an emergency stop just five feet from the man
  • at which point he dropped his pants and mooned the train and the conductors
  • Police say he’s been arrested more than 3 dozen times in the past.

• Makeout App for IPhone (SM)
  • Yes, there’s even an app for that
  • Puts a pair of pucker on your screen and when you kiss it, it kisses the other person
  • Marketing emplores you: “Make out with your facebook friends”
  • Q: Is it really kissing if you’re just tonguing an app that happens to be connected to another persons app?

• On Another Batman Note (udg)
  • New Zealand war veteran John Bray, who calls himself a modern-day Batman, is on the lookout for a sidekick – after being banned from going out and fighting crime alone at night.
  • The 91-year-old served in a raiding unit in World War 2 and therefore considered himself more qualified to deal with the criminals in the North Island town of Waipawa, enlisting himself as a member of the local community patrol.
  • This organization cruises the streets at night and reports on any suspicious activity to the police Just like Batman, Mr Bray started out with a Robin-like partner, but decided to ditch him after he kept falling asleep on duty.

• Dust-up for Ipad 2 in China (SM)
  • Apparently there were fistacuffs at a bunch of different release lines across china
  • One even resulted in the crowd going hostile and wrecking the store
  • Who knew that Jobs could have such a powerful mind control drug on his hands?
  • Next up, 2 chicks wrestling in mud for an IPad 2, as a way to skip the line of course
  • Mr Bray has now been told by the head of the community patrol organization he’s gotta find a new partner if he wants back on rotation. ‘I want to keep going so now I have to find a new partner,’ Mr Bray said.
  • He also described his crime-fighting role – in which he drives through the streets at night armed only with a spotlight and mobile phone – as a success.
  • Get down with your bad self Batman Bray.

Extra Links

• NY Times Awesomely Geeky Sport Section Correction (udg)
• The First Paper Smart Phone (udg)
• Too Much Brain for Easily Distracted (SM)
• House Renewed for 8th (and possibly last) season (btm)
• You can now ‘tag’ Fan Pages in Facebook Photos (btm)
• Starbuck and Starbuck at Starbucks (btm… just because)
• Can one crazy dungeon master defeat the forces of neo-nerd hipster douchery? (btm)

• This Is Not a Test, It’s an Emergency Text Message (btm)
  • Remember those annoying “This is a test, this is only a test” messages on TV and Radio?
  • New system is being put into place that will give officials a means to send emergency alerts to smartphones on AT&T, Verizon and Sprint networks.
  • Personal Localized Alerting Network (PLAN) becomes active in NYC and DC later this year.
  • Local, State and Federal officials will be send alerts in response to disasters and other public safety threats, presidential announcements and Amber Alerts.
  • Only for actual emergencies.
  • Plans are to have the system nationwide in 2012

• Pomplamoose covers Angry Birds theme (btm)

How To Reach Us on the IntarWebs

• On Twitter: Steven is @DarthMolen, Ben is @realityamuck , Natali is @UberDorkGirlie
• email us: darthmolen@thepowergeeks.com and uberdorkgirlie@thepowergeeks.com (yay!)
• And Become a Fan
• http://www.racomics.com

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We are LIVE on Ustream . This week we talk social responsibility in a digital age, the intarwebz got broke, big brother is watching you… everywhere

Intro Natali
Intro Ben

Items of Interest

• The iCade Now A Reality (udg)
  • I mentioned during my April Fool’s Day rundown is that the glory of ThinkGeek’s “pranks” is that they often turn into real items. Well, their iCADE from last year is now up for presale. If you didn’t quite catch it from the name- it turns your iPad into an old-school arcade cabinet. You just slide your iPad in and it uses Bluetooth to connect so no cables to hook up.
  • ThinkGeek teamed up with Atari to bring back classics like Asteroids to the market for iCADE support. And to go with your iCADE comes the “Atari Greatest Hits” app with over 100 classic Atari games. You get pong for free right off the bat. The others are available in-app where you can get 3 for $1.00 or all 100 for $14.99.
  • The iCADE uses a unique API, which it will be opening up to developers so that they can add iCADE support to their games. ThinkGeek also teamed up with ION to develop the tabletop cabinet that features full button and joystick control.
  • Available for iPad and iPad 2, the iCADE is on presale now for just under $100 and is expected to start shipping on May 20, 2011. The first shipment that went on sale sold out in a day.

• Lil Thor: Marvel Releases Lil Thor Version of Our Beloved Lil Vader VW Commercial (udg)
  • Note the car’s plate is ASG4RD *giggle*

• Unique Marketing for Samsung Galaxy S2 (SM)
  • Bloggers put to the extreme unveiling and talking about the product
  • Toyota Raps

Gold Sponsors:

Jeb Apps – Today in Geek History, Today in Movie History

• Want to wow all your friends with off-the-wall Movie Trivia?
• Want to know more about Geek History and share them with your friends?
• Today in Geek History and Today in Movie History are for you
• Both have been out on the Android Marketplace for awhile now
• After a long vetting period, Today in Movie History is now available on iTunes!!!
• (BTM) Happy BIrthday George Takei- I found this out from my newly downloaded Geek History app.
• Go check out both apps, TIGH  and TIMH, now available on both Android and IPhone

Natali’s Etsy!!!

• Need your noms????
• @UberDorkGirlie’s etsy is the way to go
• Whether it’s Woookie Cookies, Bark Maul, or Hothballs, every sweet tooth needs to try them out
• Need a present and don’t want to bake? then Natali’s Etsy store is the way to go

Deals of the Week / New Releases

• With Kinnect Sports Food Fight has a whole new meaning (btm)
  • New DLC for Kinnect sports available April 29
  • 320 Micro$oft points

• Hugo Nominees You Can Read Right Now… For Free! (udg)
  • The Hugo Awards recognize excellence in the genres of science fiction and fantasy. And because you know you don’t have enough to read, and I’m all about helping you find new stuff to add, I’ve stumbled upon a list of the nominees that are available for free online. Yup, free. And I’m not talking one or two. I’m talking 11 of the nominated Short Stories, Novellas, Novelettes and one movie. So, hope on over to our friends at TheMarySue.com and starting finding out how they earned their rank amongst the Hugo Award Nominees.

• WoW Patch 4.1 hit servers this week
  • trolls are definitely back… (Zul’Gurub, Zul’Aman, etc)
  • Guilder finder (like dungeon finder)
  • Guild Challenges

• Speaking of the Hugos, catch up on the Hugo award winning series Doctor Who (btm)
  • now 61% off on Amazon
  • Series 1 thru 4 featuring Hugo winning episodes:
    • “The Empty Child” & “The Doctor Dances” (are you my mommy?)
    • “The Girl in the Fireplace”
    • “Blink” (Weeping Angels are the single scariest thing to me)

• Dexter Ultimate Prop Giveaway (udg)
  • I hugely heart me some Dexter. And Showtime is handing out the ultimate props. 5 lucky winner will score 2nd place prize packs including one pack of Dexter Collectibles, one Baby Harrison Pack, a Debra Morgan Pack, a Trinity Killer Pack and a Dexter & Rita Wedding Pack.
  • One person will snag the Grand Prize which includes a “Bowl Till You Bleed” Bowling shirt, “Thank You for the Blood” Card, Dexter’s Kill Bag and Blood Spatter Pictures. It’s pretty damn awesome. So, head on over to the link in the show notes and… no don’t I want to win it!!

• New Movies for 4th Week of April
  • Blow out -John Travolta at his best
  • Marvel “The Avengers”: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, Vol 1 and 2 – Disney + Marvel = goodness!
  • The Girl Who Leapt through Time (Anime) – multiple genres, supposedly good
  • Dinoshark- (btm)(take Jurassic Park mix with Jaws and you get Dinoshark, just with a much lower budget and not as great acting but 1000% more cheese)

Movie Minute (new feature)

• Hobbit Updates
  • Ian Holms back on set for Bilbo
• WW Script Rewrite- AKA Your WW Train Wreck of the Week (udg)
  • It’s a REALLY good thing I missed the leaked pilot script for this because it included  scenes of Diana having a sleepover, and eating ice cream (“It’s been a three-scoop day!”), and teaming up with her press secretary Myndi to “scream like schoolgirls” over a Katy Perry video, and maybe even crying herself to sleep over her old flame Steve Trevor.  WHAT. THE. TRUCK. Seriously?!?!?
  • Even though they didn’t listen to us over the costume I guess the outrage over turning our beloved WW into Allie McFreakinBeal must have sunk in because, according to i09, it’s been rewritten.
  • The new script has  her lifting bad guys by the throat, gouging their eyes with her thumbs, kicking them into their air with those go-go boots and making obscene gestures at them. In a flashback, we see her pulling Steve out of a burning airplane, despite being told that doing so will be way too dangerous. Even her cat seems braver: In one scene, we discover it’s bitten her neighbor William Marston (named after the “Wonder Woman” creator), who tells Diana he thinks Wonder Woman is a fascist. And apparently, Diana’s glad the cat bit him.
  • Yup. Do you really need me to say what I think of the rewrite?

Geek Speak

• With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility: Social Responsibility in a Highly Digital Age
  • Sadly there have been story after story in this country of people being beaten, raped, even stabbed to death in broad daylight with many onlookers witnessing the horrendous acts. Fear of getting involved has been the biggest reason that people use when stating why they did not do anything to help. When there is a madman with a gun, it’s understandable why you wouldn’t want to.  When you are outnumbered and the situation is violent and ugly, trying to break it up may get you killed. But, with the technological advances we carry with us on a day to day basis I would hope that more would be done to aid in crisis situations. And when I say more being done, I sure as Hell don’t mean put that shit up on YouTube.
  • By now I’m sure you have either heard of or seen the video of the brutal beating
  • of Chrissy Lee Polis. Chrissy is a trans woman that stopped in a Rosedale, MD to use the bathroom and was told by a male employee there that she needed to buy something first. Without warning, she is attacked by two women, one claiming that Chrissy was “talking to her man”- her man being the oh so friendly guy behind the counter that made her buy something first.
  • Employees of the restaurant not only stood around and watched as the two pummeled her, one of them also stood there video taping the incident. He was also kind enough to stop laughing long enough to warn the girls “Y’all better get the fuck up outta here before the cops come” while he’s zooming in on the poor victim who is now mid-seizure from getting dragged across the restaurant by only her hair and beaten.  Then bitches about the fact she’s having a seizure on “his” floor.
  • If you were there, what would you have done?
  • One of my twitter followers posed “Are they trained to break up fights? What about liability issues?”  My thoughts on that- there comes a time where that simply doesn’t fuckin matter. An older woman (Vicky Thom) didn’t give a crap about that and she tried but got hit. If the person video taping it plus the at least 3 employees seen standing there watching all jumped in to contain the situation, it would have ended.
  • Cyber Bullying Statistics

Tech, Gaming, and Geek News

• The Intarwebs Got Broke (udg)
  • So, remember last week when we talked Cloud? Well, the sky fell last week when Amazon’s cloud network crashed, taking with it  a host of web 2.0 companies – including Reddit, Foursquare, Hootsuite  and thousands of others.  Oddly, two of Amazon’s biggest Web Services’ biggest customers- Netflix and Zynga were not affected by Crash 2.0.
  • Amazon EC2 was believed to be impossible to crash, after hacktivist group Anonymous failed to take it down in December. So what happened?
  • The company said that an early-morning “networking event” caused a cascade of problems that started with a glitch at its East Coast facility. The glitch made its servers automatically create back-ups of themselves which eventually led to crashes in that zone. After roughly 3 days, Amazon had everything under control, with one exception- about 0.07 percent of the data storage in its restored eastern cloud service isn’t fully recoverable. Needless to say this is going to shake the faith that many have in the all mighty cloud.
  • As if this weren’t enough, this rare phenomenon came on the same day as the massive PlayStation network went offline after a then unexplained outage that left 77 million users frustrated to say the least.
  • After going down several times at the end of February and outages throughout March, this is just the latest in a string of problems for the network. And it’s still down as they struggle to completely rebuild it
  • The outage wasn’t the most frustrating thing for PSN users, believe it or not. Instead it was the lack of communication from Sony. To make matters worse, after nearly a week, they finally announced to the public yesterday via the US PlayStation blog that this was indeed due to a massive breach. They stated the “illegal and unauthorized person” obtained people’s names, addresses, email address, birth dates, usernames, passwords, logins, security questions and more. With 77 million users and an estimated $500 mill in annual revenues just from this service,  this makes it one of the largest-ever Internet security break-ins.
  • Sony immediately shut down the network as soon as they learned the information had been stolen. The company said user account information for the PlayStation Network and its Qriocity service users was compromised between April 17 and April 19. Going undetected for several days is a huge red flag and probably accounts for the entire rebuild.
  • While they saw no evidence credit card numbers were stolen, Sony warned users it could not rule out the possibility.
  • “Out of an abundance of caution, we are advising you that your credit card number (excluding security code) and expiration date may have been obtained,” they said.
  • Sony said it has hired an “outside recognized security firm” to investigate. Of course I’m hoping that firm has no links to China.
  • The timing is also rather unfortunate for them. Monday night Sony unveiled its first two tablets. Like most Sony products they use access to its media networks as a selling point. In the case of these tablets, Qriocity, which was also highly compromised and is part of this ongoing outage.
  • The incidents involving Amazon and Sony are believed to be unrelated and Anonymous is claiming they nothing to do with it.

• Apple secretly tracking your Location (SM)
  • Lets not get hysterical now, It’s pretty muddy data
    • precision is lacking, aggregates by week, no personal info really
  • Why you should care that Apple tracks you
    • Its not that they are tracking, its that there’s a unencrypted history on your handset
    • I.E. a beacon for hackers
  • Guess What? Android is a Much Bigger Offender (udg)
    • Haters always gotta be hatin’. According to industry expert Christopher Soghoian, the iPhone reports your location data to Apple twice a day, but Android reports your location data back to Google several times per hour.
  • App to dump your android location information (SM)
  • Yep, they all do it … and that’s the big dirty secret
  • Most apps cache data and then re-use to help speed things up
  • When you connect to their backend db, guaranteed there is logging
  • Not something to declare armegeddon on but why the huge history on the local phone?
  • Don’t forget the file is also located unencrypted on whichever computer you back up your iPhone. Of course you could put a password on your phone and your computer, but that’s kinda complicated to do, right?(btm)

• AT&T Admits it can’t handle the iPhone (btm)
  • (SM)Thats like the pope admitting he’s Catholic… everyone already knew
  • Explains they need to buy T-Mobile to expand their network
  • iPhone produces 24 times the mobile network traffic than a conventional phone
  • Between 2007 (iPhone introduction) and 2010 mobile network volume jumped 8000%
  • They expect the first 5-7 weeks of 2015 will see more traffic than all of 2010
  • (btm) I wonder if putting iPhones on multiple carriers will help reduce the load or will all carriers see this kind of increase as people who avoided AT&T sign up?

• Valve Probably Done With Single Player Games (udg)
  • According to journalist Geoff Keighley’s Final Hours of Portal 2 iTunes app, Valve may be leaving its single player days behind.
  • “Portal 2 will probably be Valve’s last game with an isolated single-player experience. What this all means is something Newell is still trying to figure out,” wrote Keighly, relating a comment made by Valve founder Gabe Newell.
  • Valve’s Portal 2 introduced multiplayer to the Portal games through a two-player co-op mode. Most of their major games now feature some form of multiplayer mode. In fact, the company’s primary single-player-only experience Half-Life hasn’t seen anything new since 2007.
  • Even outside of Valve, single-player-only modes seem to be on their way out. Even Super Mario now includes second-player support. Series like Uncharted or BioShock that launched as solo-only have added multiplayer modes in their second installments. Capcom has been slowly but surely pushing it’s once single-player only series, Resident Evil into a vehicle for multiplayer.
  • The comment from Valve is striking, though, in that it doesn’t sound like Newell and Johnson said they’d probably never ship a game that didn’t have a multiplayer mode somewhere in it. Rather, they told Keighley they “probably” wouldn’t make a game “with an isolated single-player experience.” That would mean no more modes that couldn’t connect in some fashion to other people.

• Samsung / Apple Rivalry Heating Up (SM)
  • Apple slapped a lawsuit on Samsung for their Galaxy S and copyright violations
  • Funny thing, Samsung (South Korean) manufactures a lot of the IPhone parts
  • (SM) I own one and it DOES look like an IPhone plus the interface is pretty slick
  • Lets say they win… and have to pay a “licensing” fee, what does that mean for the rest of the industry?
  • Samsung has since fired back their own set of lawsuits on copyright infringement
  • Can their partnership last through all this litigation?

• Latest update makes Color Nook more tablet like than ever (btm)
  • Android 2.2 support
  • Flash
  • App Store
    • Angry Birds (SM) – this is a must… #srslyaddicted
  • built in email
  • Ability for authors to sign books?

• WikiLeaks at it Again (udg)
  • WikiLeaks has done another dump of confidential government and military documents. This time they focused on the Prisoners being held at Guantanamo Bay. In all 779 classified dossiers on current and former detainees were released.
  • New York Times, Washington Post, NPR and a number of other media outlets have published, either in whole or in part, these classified files. So, will the government pursue them for espionage charges like they are pursuing WikiLeaks?
  • The Obama administration condemned the leaks in a statement: “These documents contain classified information about current and former GTMO detainees, and we strongly condemn the leaking of this sensitive information.”
  • In addition to shedding light on the actions of Al-Qaeda’s leadership before and after the 9/11 attacks, the documents pertain to the treatment of the detainees: While the Times reports that the documents “are largely silent about the use of the harsh interrogation tactics at Guantánamo — including sleep deprivation, shackling in stress positions and prolonged exposure to cold temperatures — that drew global condemnation,” it also notes that many prisoners appear to have been held for long periods without cause.

• Old Republic Expected to turn a profit, But will it? (SM)
  • Old Republic is a Star Wars MMO done by the Bioware folks
  • These were the same folks who did BG and KOTOR
  • EA expects to draw 500,000 subs in the first year and make a profit
  • Investment firms expect a million from the company
  • Puts 12 million (wow) into perspective, right?
  • One big hitch… Free to play MMO’s are here (LOTRO,  DDO, etc)
  • Can a new sub without current user base survive?

• Look Out Groupon, Here Comes FaceBook (udg)
  • When FB launched “places,” first thought was they were trying to compete with 4sqr.
  • Now they’ve launched Deals. And, again, first glance may seem like 4sqr. But, FB’s Deals are actually like Groupon.  See, with 4sqr, checking in to a place may get you a free app or 10% off. With Deals, like Groupon, FB users will be able to buy a certificate for some goods or services at an extremely discounted rate (typically 50% off) for future use. And you’ll be able to use FB credits to buy them.
  • Facebook is starting with 5 cities- SF, Austin, Dallas, Atlanta and San Diego. Any FB user can sign up for Deals notifications and the users in these 5 test cities will be able to see and use Deals now.
  • We suspected Facebook had plans to bring Credits to the real world since around the time of f8, the company’s developer conference, when Facebook announced its ambitious Open Graph. Looks like this is the start.

• Open home Wi-Fi leads to FBI raid on wrong houses(btm)
  • FBI raided homes of those suspected of downloading child porn
  • After its investigation, FBI finds that neighbors using open Wi-Fi were the actual culprit
  • Wi-Fi Alliance says router security is like seat belts, it only works if you use it
  • Set a password on your router, seriously.

• Xbox to Have Streaming TV Service (udg)
  • Streaming TV may not seem like a new concept for the 360. Microsoft already allows it via AT&T’s U-verse service. But, it looks like they are in talks with major TV networks and could be branching out.  Right now they are reportedly working with Australian TV Network, Foxtel, in bringing a wallet-friendly cable package to the 360.
  • Reports also indicate there is quite a heated battle internally at Microsoft over this with many employees believing that the Xbox franchise should remain as a strictly gaming platform. Others argue it already does video streaming and should evolve into more than just games.
  • In a recent interview Ross Honey, head of content acquisition for Xbox, stated “Microsoft Xbox is very interested in delivering great entertainment to consumers, entertainment in the broadest sense. From our perspective, gaming and TV are going to coexist.”
  • Just recently, Microsoft brought Kinect support to the 360 for the Netflix app now allowing for voice or gesture control of the Netflix interface to select any content.
  • Perhaps the days of a console being used simply for gaming will be over. I think we started to see that already before this announcement came.

Intarweb Goldmine

• Tweeting election results in Canada will get you fined (btm)
  • 73 year old Canadian law makes it illegal to announce or send messages about election results until all polls are closed.
  • Carries a $25,000 fine and up to 5 years in jail.
  • Election officials won’t be actively monitoring the Twitter but if there are complaints they will investigate
  • Law originally intended to prevent radio stations from announcing East Coast results and potentially affecting West Coast elections where the polls were still open.

• Kid Not Guilty til he opens mouth on Facebook (SM)
  • Guy stops up sink in library at closing
  • Ppl don’t find the stopped sink until the next day
  • 200,000 dollars of damage later…
  • Kid gets on Facebook and brags about it and subsequently gets caught

• And the Stupid Tattoo of the Week Goes to… (udg)
  • L.A. County Sheriff homicide investigator Kevin Lloyd was flipping through tattooed gang members when he notice Anthony Garcia. Why? Well his tattoo depicted, in great detail, a 2004 liquor store murder scene.

• • Yup, every key detail was there: the Christmas lights that lined the roof of the liquor store where 23 yo John Juarez was gunned down, the direction his body fell, the bowed street lamp across the way and the street sign- all under a huge banner that said “RIVERA KILLS.” Yeah, as in the gang Rivera-13.
  • It even gets creative with some screaming symbolism-  the helicopter shooting down what seems to be Mr. Peanut is a reference to the gang member’s alias, “Chopper,” while the lovable peanut mascot symbolizes a rival gang member, as the term “peanut” is a gang slang term for a rival gang member.
  • Apparently, the tattooed mural on the chest of Chopper–real name Anthony Garcia–evolved over time, with pictures of him taken at various points since the liquor store murder having new additions inked onto the scene. I’m guessing Chopper is now probably regretting his cockiness just a bit.

• Rules of Golfing During A German Bombing (udg)

• Computer opens grocery store, without employees (btm)
  • Grocery store was closed for Good Friday but computerized security system opened the doors on time at 8AM
  • 3 minutes later customers began shopping
  • Many honest customers used the self check-out lanes to pay.
  • Some realized there was no staff and left without paying
  • Owner is asking those that didn’t pay to fess up and pay. All money received will be donated to the Christchurch recovery effort.
  • Owner isn’t pressing charges yet, even though CCTV cameras recorded it all.

• Christ is Coming, get Tweeting (udg)
  • Could Facebook and Twitter be the salvation of man?
  • Rev. Franklin Graham, son of Christian evangelist Billy Graham thinks so according to the “prophecy” he gave ABC’s “This Week” host Christiane Amanpour.
  • “The Bible says that every eye is going to see [the Second Coming of Jesus],” Graham told Ammanpour. “How is the whole world going to see [him] all at one time? I don’t know, unless all of a sudden everybody’s taking pictures and it’s on the media worldwide. I don’t know. Social media could have a big part in that.”
  • The 58-year-old cited a verse that says Jesus will be coming on “a cloud and the whole world will moan.”
  • Graham was quick to point out that he is not saying Jesus will come back on Facebook or Twitter himself but instead he could make his announcement on the Silicon Valley social networks, or his arrival could quickly become a trending topic of the likes that no one has seen.

Extra Links

• Your IP address can be tracked to a half a mile
• Good reviews for latest version of MK
• The Little Guy Schools MTV
• Fukushima Reactor Battle Plan

• The original flying car for sale (btm)

• Last flight of the Endeavour (btm)
• Tesla CEO, Elon Musk will put a man on Mars in 10 years(btm)
• Who are you really talking to online? (btm)
  • Los Angeles woman met a Firefighter from Colorado in a message board for fans of HBO’s Deadwood
  • Began exchanging emails, letters, postcards, photos and talking everyday on the phone
  • Woman left her unhappy marriage but as she was preparing to move to Colorado was told that the Firefighter had died from Liver Cancer.
  • 7 months later her friends discovered the truth, the Firefighter, his son and 20 other family members were all characters created by a woman from the Chicago suburbs.
  • Chicago woman allegedly used a voice-altering device to disguise her voice and plotted out entire coordinating shorelines for her characters interacting with the LA woman.
  • Chicago woman had posed as a friend of the firefighter and introduced him to the LA woman becoming her friend
  • LA woman learned the truth while watching TV with the Chicago woman, who was visiting.
  • LA woman is now suing the Chicago woman.

• Hotel linens may have more bugs than you think (btm)
  • Hotels are now using specially designed RFID tags to prevent theft
  • tags can be sewn directly into towels, linens and bathrobes
  • Hotel in Hawaii has already saved $15,000 using the system
  • So far only the Hawaiian hotel and 2 others are using system
    • The hotels are remaining anonymous for security reasons

• Jersey Shore gone Wilde (btm)
  • Takes Jersey Shore transcripts adds Broadway actors and gives us re-enactments in the style of Oscar Wilde
  • Series of videos produced by Playbill.com
  • More entertaining than actual Jersey Shore

How To Reach Us on the IntarWebs

• On Twitter: Steven is @DarthMolen, Ben is @realityamuck , Natali is @UberDorkGirlie
• email us: darthmolen@thepowergeeks.com and uberdorkgirlie@thepowergeeks.com (yay!)
• And Become a Fan
• http://racomics.com

Sponsors

Shiny Lines

• What: Shiny Geek Jewelry, clothing and other bits & bytes, made by Geeks for Geeks.
• Why: Geeks, Nerds & Gamers alike deserve to shine at their very best, on and offline.
• 10% off power rings
• Who: @aDigitalAngel & fellow nerds at ShinyLines.com

Intro Natali
Intro Ben

Items of Interest

• If you have an item that is epicly awesome that should be featured in this section, contact the show at darthmolen@thepowergeeks.com and we’ll see about getting it on the air
• I AM A GAMER Documentary (udg)
• The New & Improved But Retro-Gorgeous Commodore 64 (udg)

• Zombies are People too! (SM)
  • Page up in arms about the inhumane treatment of Zombies
  • They only keep their zombies in the safest of cages
  • Fed only a daily brain substitute made from textured soy protein and placed in a mannequin
  • They don’t beat their zombies
  • And they extract the zombie blood with as little mangling as possible for you to drink
  • Due to several incidents, tours are no longer given of their zombie lab or related research facilities. On a related note, we recently acquired more zombies to bleed.
  • Their motto? if a zombie bites you, its bad, if you bite a zombie, its delicious

• Kill Shakespeare #10 out.. and I dig this series
  • Graphic Novels from IDW
  • Take all Shakespeare’s constructs and put them in a world
  • Reswizzle, add some snazzy illustrations, and a great storyline
  • You get Kill Shakespeare…
  • I LOVE this series!

• Garden Jawa FTW!!!

Gold Sponsors:

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• Need your noms????
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• Need a present and don’t want to bake? then Natali’s Etsy store is the way to go

Deals of the Week / New Release

• The Incredibles released on Blu Ray April 12
  • Other movies
  • Battle Beyond The Stars – Low budget sci-fi version of Seven Samurai
  • Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 (SM) Haven’t seen this yet
  • Cars Blu-Ray
  • H.R. Pufnstuff the complete series
  • Damnation Alley

• Can’t afford Photoshop? Adobe has released an upgrade for Creative Suite, ver. 5.5 that supposedly works better with touch-based tablets and smart phones, butnow you can rent individual programs for a monthly or yearly fee. Photoshop starts at $35/month, the entire Master Collection will be $129/month.  You can still buy Photoshop for $699 or Creative Suite Master Collection for $2599 up front. (btm I wonder if other software companies will join in on the “rental software” idea?)

• Mortal Kombat Remake otherwise known as 9
  • released April 19th

Movie Minute (new feature)

• KNEEL BEFORE ZOD Michael Shannon cast as General Zod in Zach Snyder’s Superman franchise reboot which has now been officially titled “Man of Steel”. Shannon will be joining the already cast Henry Cavill (Superman/Kent), Kevin Costner (Pa Kent) and Diane Lane (Ma Kent). Shannon known for his Academy Award® nominated role in “Revolutionary Road”. (btm)
  • Also gets official name “Man of Steel” (udg)
    • Like I said  (btm)
    • I’m tarded and didn’t see that  :)

• Dear WW Fans, Ne We Didn’t REALLY Listen to You(udg)
  • 3 costumes that will all be used. First trainwreck, second car accident and finally “shorty shorts” which they claim are like the ones in the original WW. Really? Shorty shorts????
  • (SM) Wow, just wow… how wrong can you go with a production that could have garnered some real attention and love from fans??
  • (btm) To be fair, what Lynda Carter wore in the original was short shorts over flesh-toned satin tights (just like it says in the song). 1970’s TV Censors wouldn’t let them by with less.

• Producer of “I, Robot” and “Predator” taking on “Martian Chronicles” (udg)
  • All the 50s Sci-Fi fans, THROW YA HANDS UP!
  • It might be time for Sci-Fi legend Ray Bradbury to get the big budget cinema treatment he deserves.
  • The Hollywood Reporter said Tuesday that Paramount Pictures has picked up the rights to Bradbury’s 1950s collection of loosely-linked short stories, The Martian Chronicles,  and they want John Davis to produce the adaptation.
  • Davis has a lot of Sci-Fi street cred, to be sure. Despite a few missteps in his filmography (like Paycheck…ouch), Davis’ credits also include every film in the Predator franchise (including the AVP flicks), I, Robot and Waterworld, which by now we all have to admit is so bad that it’s good (Come on…Costner drinks his own pee in that movie! His own pee!).
  • The book is a collection of stories written by Bradbury in the 1940s, all focusing on the colonization of Mars by a group of humans fleeing a deteriorating Earth, only to find that the native Martians aren’t too happy to have them there. The story has already produced a TV miniseries released on NBC in 1980, but despite the presence of the late, great Rock Hudson, Bradbury himself dismissed the final product as boring. Mr. Blockbuster himself, Steven Spielberg, optioned the book in the late 90s and hired several writers to work on it, but nothing ever got off the ground, and now it’s in Paramount’s hands.
  • Ray Bradbury is 90 now. Maybe we can get a good movie out of this before he dies. Get your asses in gear, Paramount.

• Rise of the Planet of the Apes is opening August 5th this year but during a LiveStream event on Facebook with WETA Digital, the people who did the SFX for Avatar and LOTR, it was announced that the first official trailer would be exclusively released on iTunes Movie Trailers starting Thursday April 14th. Currently there’s a 5 second clip on the Rise of the Planet of the Apes Facebook page. Andy Serkis, who provided the motion capture for Gollum and King Kong will be featured as the lead chimp, Caesar. (btm…segue to Hobbit? )

• Hobbit Update (be sure to visit peter jackson’s fan page and like it)
  • They’re shooting at double the frame rate (48 frames per second) – allows smoothness, less jitters, and helps in the 3-D department
  • Did you know that they’ve been shooting films at 24 fps for 9 decades now?
  • Star Tours used 60 fps process
  • (SM) Very much akin to when Star Wars Ep. 1 came out. Sure ppl can argue the plot sucks but nobody argues how it looked (shot in full digital)

Craig Charles, who played Dave Lister, has announced on the official Red Dwarf blog that the British sci-fi cult classic has been picked up for 10th series (season). The show will begin shooting this year for a yet to be announced 2012 air date. (btm)

Geek Speak

Tech, Gaming, and Geek News

• 2011 Eisner Award Nominations for Best in Comics & Graphic Novels Announced (udg)
  • The Eisner Awards celebrate the best in Comic Books & Graphic Novels and the 2011 Nominations have been announced. We will find out the award winners at this years SDCC on July 22nd and this year’s really represents a wide range of from heartfelt autobiographical works to books aimed at kids and teens to deluxe hardcover archival editions. In fact, unlike in past years, superheroes are very much in the minority in this year’s selections.
  • This is the 23rd year for the Eisners, which is pretty much described as the Oscar’s of the comic industry.  So here are the biggies for this year.
  • Nabbing 5 nominations, including Best Publication for Teens, Best Graphic Novel-New, Best Writer, Best Artist and Best Publication Design- Jim McCann & Janet Lee’s Return of the Dapper Men is definitely leading all the nominees.
  • Just behind Dapper men,  four nominations were Two Comic of Doom Favorites- Morning Glories (Nick Spencer & Joe Eisma) and Locke & Key (Joe Hill & Gabriel Rodriguez).
  • Also receiving multiple nominations was Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys,Chew from Image Comics, Mike Mignola’s Hellboy, and Daniel Clowes‘ Wilson.
  • Among this year’s nontraditional “discoveries” by the judges are Seymour Chwast’s adaptation of Dante’s Divine Comedy (Bloomsbury), the “mocumentary” Finding Frank and His Friends by “Clarence ‘Otis’ Dooley” (Curio & Co.), the Native American anthology Trickster (Fulcrum), Lucidity Press’s The Anthology Project, and cartoonist Dave Kellett’s Literature: Unsuccessfully Competing Against TV Since 1953.  (btm.. the link I sent you guys for the review copy has now been posted on his public blog)
  • To check out the full list of nominees, check out Comic-Con’s official webpage here. The Eisner nomination list is always a good way to be exposed to great comics that you may not have heard of before. Tie it in with the “Expand your Comic Mind” contests that the awesome peeps over at Geek Girls Network, Guerrilla Geek and Nerds in Babeland are having to encourage everyone to expand your Comic Minds!
  • (Dapper Men Intro has me sold- “To anyone who ever fell down a rabbit hole, walked to the sidewalk’s end, danced a wild rumpus or followed the second star to the right, may you find adventure, wonder and a little something from which dreams are made in these pages.”-udg)

• Boy Scouts get a “Robotics” Merit Badge (SM)
  • Finally, after everyone has been asking for years, the BSA is updating their curriculum
  • Robotics is a new merit badge, 1 of 31 STEM (science, tech, engineering, math) badges
  • Badge will teach how to handle actuators, sensors, programming, and a myriad of other requirements
  • more requirements: design, build, program, and test a robot; demonstrate the bot and share their engineering notes; attend a robotics competition or do research on robotics contests; and explain how robots are used today.
  • (SM) This is HUGE! the BSA curriculum has needed and update in FOREVER!

• Warner Bros Denied Access to Superman Estates’ Documents (udg)
  • The clock is ticking for Warner Bros. and the rights to Superman. In 2013, if things go as planned, they will lose certain rights to the character to the estates of both Siegel and Shuster (the co-creators of Superman).
  • And it’s not looking so good for WB. Recently they were denied access to  a secret document. One that breaks down how the  estates of Joel Shuster and Jerry Siegel will handle the rights to Superman, including not doing deals with Warner Bros. studio. In fact, it also covers how they will split the proceeds on Superman once WB loses the rights.
  • So, on one side  you have DC and Warner Bros. creating new Superman stories for everyone to enjoy and reaping the benefits. On the other, the creators, Joel Shuster and Jerry Siegel, have been trying to sue DC for Superman for their fair share and have been living a poverty-stricken life. Joanne Siegel, wife of Jerry Siegel who inspired the character Lois Lane, died in her deathbed during a time when Warner Bros. execs continued to harass her. “We were just stubborn. It was a dream of Jerry’s, and we just took up the task.”
  • Superman fans will have to continue to watch as the fate of Superman’s future truly is yet to be determined.

• Navy successfully tests LASER from ship (SM)
  • no this wasn’t one of those non-lethal weapons this was an actual destructive laser
  • Solid State High-energy Laser (HEL) was fired from  ship and disabled a small target vessel.
  • It was on the USS Paul Foster, powered from the ship, guided by radar, and defeated a target at range  (btm… target was a mile away in rough seas)
  • Still a long ways from completion and will never replace kinetic weapons in near future (btm… I had to call a few people to confirm, but I have to tread lightly on this subject as I am still under an NDA from when I did R&D work in Dahlgren with some of their weapon systems)

• Free Software Makes Using a Mouse Easier for Those W Disabilities (udg)
  • Our entire world revolves around computers. When you have a motor disability, using a mouse can be incredibly frustrating. Well a University of Washington team has invented two mouse cursors that make clicking targets a whole lot easier. And neither requires additional computer hardware – just some free, downloadable software. The researchers hope that in exchange for the software, users offer feedback.
  • The Pointing Magnifier combines an area cursor with visual and motor magnification, reducing need for fine, precise pointing. The UW’s AIM Research Group, which invented the Pointing Magnifier, learned that users can much more easily acquire targets, even small ones, 23 percent faster with the Pointing Magnifier.
  • The magnifier runs on Windows-based computer systems. Software for the Pointing Magnifier includes a control panel that allows the user to adjust color, transparency level, magnification factor, and area cursor size. User preferences are saved when the application is closed. Keyboard shortcuts quickly enable or disable the Pointing Magnifier. The UW team is also making shortcuts customizable.
  • Another AIM technology, the Angle Mouse, similarly helps people with disabilities. Like the Pointing Magnifier, it may be downloaded, and two videos, one for general audiences and another for academic ones, are available as well.
  • When the Angle Mouse cursor initially blasts towards a target, the spread of movement angles, even for people with motor impairments, tends to be narrow, so the Angle Mouse keeps the cursor moving fast. However, when the cursor nears its target and the user tries to land, the angles formed by movements diverge sharply, so the Angle Mouse slows the cursor, enlarges motor space and makes the target easier to get into. The more trouble a user has, the larger the target will be made in motor space. (The target’s visual appearance will not change.)
  • Wobbrock compares the Angle Mouse to a race car. “On a straightaway, when the path is open, the car whips along, but in a tight corner, the car slows and makes a series of precise corrections, ensuring its accuracy.”
  • “Pointing is an essential part of using a computer, but it can be quite difficult and time consuming if dexterity is a problem,” Wobbrock said. “Even shaving one second off each time a person points may save hours over the course of a year.”
  • Wobbrock suggests that users try both the Pointing Magnifier and the Angle Mouse before deciding which they prefer.
  • “Our cursors make ubiquitous mice, touchpads, and trackballs more effective for people with motor impairments without requiring new, custom hardware,” Wobbrock said. “We’re achieving accessibility by improving devices that computer users already have. Making computers friendlier for everyone is the whole point of our work.”

• Robotics Deployed in Japan Nuclear Disaster, Ranked with Chernobyl (SM)
  • A piece of sad news: The Fukishima disaster has been upgraded to Chernobyl status.
  • So while the country is expanding the evacuation zone to 12 miles
  • still trying to contain the disaster.
  • 900 workers are currently deployed to work the site
  • remote operated loaders and excavators are helping do the work around reactor 3
  • ROBOTS IN UNTENABLE GLOW IN THE DARK SITUATIONS! GENIUS!
  • More of these units are being evaluated that were shipped from US
  • Also using unmanned aerial units to provide monitoring and inspection

• Apple Patents Hybrid E-Paper Displays for Phones & Tablets (udg)
  • One of the biggest iPad complaints by people who are loyal to their Kindles (or other e-readers) is that high contrast e-paper displays can be read in any light, even outdoors, without the glare and eyestrain of an LCD. They also brag about their battery life being longer than that of the LCD-based tablets.
  • Well, Apple has heard your complaints and a recently uncovered patent filing looks like a way to build a hybrid e-paper/LCD combo display. This could revolutionize mobile devices and tablets as we know it if it works well. The patent is named “Systems and Methods for Switching Between an Electronic Paper Display and a Video Display,” and behind the lingo is technology that could one day allow segments of, or an entire device’s screen to toggle between e-paper mode and LCD mode.
  • The system would work by putting a thin, nearly see-through electronic paper screen on top of the LCD display, but underneath the capacitive touch-sensitive panel. When the user wants to toggle the e-paper mode, the backlighting for the LCD, which is on the bottom, simply turns down or off, and the only thing on-screen that the users sees is the e-paper display. When the user wants to play a video or bring the screen back to color, toggling the LCD mode will stop current to the e-paper layer and bring up the LCD backlighting.
  • Putting the two displays into layers like this would likely mean slightly thicker devices, but not by much –compared to the battery, the displays themselves make up little of the depth of most mobile devices. What may be an issue however is battery life: even though e-paper displays use less power than traditional LCDs, the act of powering up and dimming the backlight for the LCD may impact the battery life of such devices.
  • Apple reportedly filed for the patent way back in 2009 and is just now making the filing public. That doesn’t mean there’s a new product ready to roll out. It just means Apple is letting us and its competitors know it’s working on the possibility. If this does become real, the iPad will definitely be harder to compete with.

• Sony Lawsuit against GeoHotz Dropped (SM)
  • GeoHotz cracks the hardware key that makes PS3 Secure
  • Sony sues him immediately

• Facebook Says Screw You China, We’re Coming Anyway, Or Are We? (udg)
  • So, earlier this week Chinese press reported that FB had reached a deal with Chinese search engine Baidy to build a joint social network in China. Yet FB is indirectly denying it to US press.
  • Yeah, which one is it folks?
  • Here’s what we know:
    • Three different sources say it’s a go. Two at  Chinese regulators that say they are reviewing the necessary joint venture application and one at Baidu.
    • FB isn’t exactly denying it on record. Their only comment is “Facebook is currently studying and learning about China, as part of evaluating any possible approaches that could benefit our users, developers and advertisers.”
    • Baidu isn’t commenting at all
  • So what the heck is going on? Well it’s possible that FB hasn’t signed off on all the legals yet, so it’s not set in stone. Chinese regulators would still be aware of the deal even if it was not completely signed yet. The two parties may be keeping it hush in the event the regulators decide to veto the whole thing to avoid either party being embarrassed.
  • On the other hand, we’re talking China here. As soon as the report made it to the US, Baidu’s stock jumped. This could have been planted to the Chinese press by traders to move the stock. Don’t look at me like that. Stuff like that happens in China all the time.
  • It’ll be interesting to see what the true story is. All I know is if anyone’s getting a social network into China, my money is on Zuckerberg. And Zynga.

No more Google Street View in Germany. Google has halted Street View photography in Germany for no apparent reason. Google received a court order that declared street photography to be legal in Germany so this decision has left many baffled. They will continue to use the Google Cars to collect data like street names and road signs to maintain their maps but no new photographs will be taken. (btm)

• Kiip- Rewarding You for Your Angry Birds Addiction (udg)
  • I love the moments when I see something new and think “jinkies, that’s actually awesome.” Rarely does it happen when advertising or marketing are involved. And then I met Kiip.
  • Kiip, a mobile ads startup, has been around for 7 months but they finally came out of stealth mode to unveil an entirely new entirely new model for in-game advertising. You’ve all seen the “free” versions of apps that force you to tolerate lame ads. Now, you are about to experience one that actually offers you value.
  • The folks at Kiip know their gamers. They know when people reach an in-game achievement (you know upping a level, etc) we get happy. We pay attention to the app. They call that “the most user engagement”
  • Does Kiip go “Sweet! Good job! Here’s an ad?” Nope. They go “Sweet! Good Job! Here’s free stuffs!” Kiip has partnered up with big brands like Sephora, popchips, Homerun.com, Sony Dash, Vitamin Water, 1-800-Flowers, Dr Pepper, GNC, Carl’s Jr and Hardee’s to offer players actual in-game rewards like a voucher for six bags of popchips, a lipstick sample or a complimentary smoothie when they complete gaming milestones. Kiips is my kind of peeps.
  • “Achievements are the universal currency for accomplishment and every game in the world has achievements,”  says 19-year-old Kiip co-founder Brian Wong explaining what he calls the “Achievement Moment.” “The achievement itself isn’t the cool thing, it’s the moment. We realized that the moment was worth something. The natural evolution is to put something there that actually matches the achievement.”
  • Kiip Rewards Network will be rolling out rewards in over 15 games, reaching 12 million monthly active users. I was not able to find a specific list, but their intro video shows Angry Birds. Brands will pay up when a user signs up for a reward, from 25 cents to $3 per cost per engagement.
  • Wong says the team has got a lot more up its sleeve. I’m looking forward to see what that is.

• Jerry Lawsen, inventor of the video game cartridge, passed away Saturday of unknown causes. He was among the earliest video game engineers. Developed the first video game cartridge (for the Fairchild Channel F system). Prior to this home game systems only played games that were built into the system. (btm… if you’ve every blown on a video game this man is why)

Intarweb Goldmine

• What happens if you get sucked out of a plane
  • Brought to mind by the hole that was ripped in the ceiling of the SW airline
  • Everybody was fine on that flight but what happens at 30,000 feet?
  • Many Factors: Cut in half by hole, lack of oxygen, cold (-70 F), 500 mile winds
  • You’re dead way before you hit the ground
  • This has been your friendly neighborhood PSA announcement
• Nude web coders wanted!
  • “Sex does not play a part in naturism – yes one is aware of differences in sex and size and shape and age of everyone, but the concern is on sales and technical ability, not availability”
• 7 Year Old Missing? He may just be a hardcore gamer. (udg)
  • A mom in Rochester called police after her 7 year old son said he was going outside to ride bike around 2pm and was nowhere to be found an hour later.
  • Where was he? Well he was found around in the video game area at Walmart around 6pm. He told police he was there earlier in the day and wanted a video game.

• Disco is Officially Dead. Meet the Man That Killed It. (udg)
  • California man who used a shotgun to blast the speaker on his son’s stereo will not be facing criminal charges, according to prosecutors. The man told cops that he destroyed the speaker because his 24-year-old son–an aspiring DJ–“was playing his ‘disco’ too loud.”

• • Stanislaw Jarmolowicz, 53, was arrested last week on suspicion of shooting at or into a building. Jarmolowicz spent about two days in the Yuba County jail before posting bail Wednesday.
  • After a review of the case, prosecutors opted not to prosecute Jarmolowicz, chiefly because criminal negligence could not be established since he did not intend to injure his son Anthony. The younger Jarmolowicz uses the handle “Baas” in connection with his DJ pursuits.

• 25 abandoned Soviet Era Monuments that look like they’re from the future (btm)
  • Spomenik literally means monument.
  • commissioned by former Yugoslavian president Tito in the 1960s and 70s to commemorate sites where WWII battles took place.
  • After the Republic dissolved in early 1990s, they were completely abandoned, and their symbolic meanings were forever lost.

Extra Links

• Geek Girls Network & Nerds in Babeland interview Dapper Men’s Janet Lee (udg)
• Interactive Table Top Restaurant Menu- soooo cool!! (udg)
• Google Acquires “PushLife”
• Phone on Phone programming from M$
• Rob Granito gets a smackdown (comic fraud)

• The End of Content Ownership

How To Reach Us on the IntarWebs

• On Twitter: Steven is @DarthMolen, Jeremy is @jpuent, Natali is @UberDorkGirlie
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Today in MovieHistory 2/16/1957
LeVar Burton, Star Trek: TNG’s Geordie LaForge, is born.

Shiny Lines

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• 10% off power rings
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Get Shinylines in Gold Sponsors

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Intro Natali
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Items of Interest

• If you have an item that is epicly awesome that should be featured in this section, contact the show at darthmolen@thepowergeeks.com and we’ll see about getting it on the air
• April Fool’s Day Items From Across The IntarWebs (udg)
  • April Fool’s Day is a favorite day for many. For me it marks the day I actually found out I was prego with lilest and yes the ex thought it was a prank. I pretty much completely missed it this year and if you did too, here are a couple of great things the IntarWebs had to offer this year.
  • ThinkGeek was at it again this year with Playmobil Apple Store Playset, Angry Birds Pork Rinds and Minecraft USB Desktop Nether Portal.

• • • Google always shows up to the April Fools Party and this year included Google China claiming to have invented teleportation and Gmail unveiling Gmail Motion- where you can email using body gestures. That one may be kind of fun. >;-) And Chromercise- an exercise regimen for your hands and fingers you know so they can keep up with Google’s “Lightening Fast” browser.
    • YouTube showcased the top viral pictures of 1911
    • World of Warcraft showed up too- Blizzard has announced the advent of a Dungeon Helper, affectionately called “Crabby,” who will give you tips when you’re stuck and encouragement no matter what.

• • • Toshiba announced the Toshiba Spectacle, the world’s first and only 3D monocle. “Ready to take movies and games to the next level? Imagine being right in the middle of an action movie scene, or right on the basketball court during the playoffs! With the Spectacle, you’ll experience one-eyed 3D so real, you’d think you were using both eyes!”

• Jar Jar Gets a woopin’ (yeah, it’s fake) The awesome folks at Improv Everywhere staged a very real looking video where Jar Jar gets his ass wooped on a subway. People cheered all over for that one.

• Thundercats HO!
  • Saw the new trailer and its an interesting blend of old and new…
  • (who you callin’ a ho? -udg)

• First 14 minutes of “Game of Thrones”

• Stephen Colbert & the Roots covering Rebecca Black’s “Friday”.(MK)

Gold Sponsors:

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Deals of the Week / New Release

• Acoustic North Concert Live on UStream
  • Includes Marian Call and other Alaskan musicians
  • Friday, April 8, 2011
  • Sign up on Facebook for a reminder

• Blu-Ray / Movie New Releases
  • Tron Legacy / Tron Classic / Tron 3D / 3D + BR + Classic + Digital
  • Little Fockers
  • Fiddler on the Roof (BR)
  • A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) BR – Huge tear jerker
  • Kung Fu Panda (BR/DVD)
  • Favorite Peter Pan (BR – 2003) (Jeremy Sumpter, Jason Isaacs, Olivia Williams)

Movie Minute (new feature)

• New Superman Movie Updates- WTF?!? (udg)
  • So, we covered the confirmed casting of Amy Adams as Lois Lane for the new Superman movie last week. Well, there seems to have been some more activity this week. Howard Stern, you know the “King of All Media” has said that Lex Luthor and Miss Teschmacher will have roles in the movie.
  • And it seems the pretty much unknown Adam Harris is confirmed as having auditioned several times for the part of Lex Luthor and will be reading again with Lindsay Lohan. Wait? What the ??
  • Yup, frakkin Lindsay Lohan has been rumored to be reading for a role, quite possibly that of Miss Teschmacher. Course that means she’s gotta stay out of jail long enough to show up to the start of shooting in Vancouver in August.
  • Despite all of this, everything should still be considered a rumor until the story comes from Warner Bros themselves. There’s a chance that Luthor may still not appear in the film, and if he does, he may not be the main villain. Stay tuned. And yeah start praying this doesn’t turn into a total trainwreck.

• The Hobbit Casting – http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0903624/
• Wonder Woman Live Action Shots

Geek Speak

Hacker vs. Cracker-

• • Modern day Hackers have managed to rack up a rep for piracy, sabotage and leaking sensitive secrets, but an authoritative Vatican publication appears to rehabilitate them and traces parallels between hacker philosophy and the teachings of Christianity.
  • The surprisingly charitable view of hackers was expressed by the Jesuit priest Father Antonio Spadaro in an article for the fortnightly magazine Civilta Cattolica, the text of which is gets a once over from the Vatican Secretariat of State prior to publication.
  • “Hackers should not be confused with crackers”, Spadaro wrote, citing a definition penned by tech writer Eric S. Raymond: “Hackers build things, crackers break them.”
  • Hacker philosophy is playful but committed, encourages creativity and sharing, and opposes models of control, competition and private property, Spadaro observed approvingly.
  • The Jesuit priest, a literary critic and technology expert, also cited Tom Pittman, a member of California’s Homebrew Computer Club, as an example of someone seeking a creative fusion of Christianity and technology.
  • “I as a Christian thought I could feel something of the satisfaction that God must have felt when He created the world,” Pittman wrote of his work. Christian hackers, Spadaro said, viewed their work as “a form of participation in the ‘work’ of God in creation.”
  • Hacker mentality implies a joyful application of intelligence to problem solving, rejecting the concept of work as repetitive, burdensome and stupid, Spadaro wrote. Hacker ethics rejected a capitalistic, profit-oriented approach to work, eschewing idleness but favoring a flexible, creative approach that was respectful of the human dimension and natural rhythms, he said.
  • “Under fire are control, competition, property. It’s a vision that is … of a clear theological origin,” Spadaro observed.
  • He went on to emphasize hackers’ ingrained distrust of authority and praise the collaborative knowledge-sharing model of Wikipedia.
  • The debate reflects a growing attention within the Catholic Church to the evolution of modern communications technologies, which Pope Benedict XVI has encouraged his followers to harness for the dissemination of the Catholic faith
  • It’s a really interesting article that I highly encourage you to read through.

Digital eBooks vs. Real Books

• Michael Stackpole’s X-Wing Series out of Print
  • Surprising reveal that a good chunk of change comesfrom his digital novels (In Hero Years… I’m Dead)
  • Considers the electronic vs. Paper war already over with and done
• When is the time that the scales will tip? (nook, kindle, sony ereader, ipad,etc,etc)
• Nook Color eBook reader the most sold tablet
• California Library doing away with books

Tech, Gaming, and Geek New

• Set Phasers to Stun!!! For Realz! (SM)
  • Researchers have now come up with a system that stuns by using only light
  • The device is a 75 watt lamp focused and sent at a certain frequency into the retina
  • Researchers claim that the stun can last seconds or even minutes
  • Tasers work at 12-15 feet, this can work up to 150 ft away
  • (guess they never heard of sunglasses or turning away)
  • One step closer to Star Trek…

• Epsilon Hacked- Yup, It Probably Affects You (udg)
  • Hackers struck gold late last week when they tapped into the customer database for marketing services giant Epsilon.  Why should you care? Well odds are it affects you.
  • So- who is Epsilon? In short, they are the peeps that send out more than 40 billion emails annually for their clients. Clients like Target, Capitol One, Kroger’s, JP Morgan Chase, Best Buy, TiVo, an array of major hotel reward programs, Walgreen’s and MANY more. They are, in fact, the world’s largest “Permissions-Based” email marketing company. And now millions of email addresses and names have been stolen from their company’s 2500 client customer data base.
  • How do you know if you’ve been affected? Well laws like the California Database Breach Act require that customers have to be informed if their data is compromised. I’ve already received word from Best Buy’s Rewards Program and Target. Chances are you’ve already received one of your own from one of the clients. If not, it may still be coming.  Epsilon also won’t reveal how many of its customers were affected; only that it is 2 percent of its clients.
  • What does this all mean? The Hacker(s) have names, e-mail addresses, points balances in certain cases and now knows who all of Epsilon’s clients are. You may be thinking “eh it’s just my email address, so what?”  Well, it’s kind of a big deal. Give me 10 minutes and I can snag the official logos of every major company they serve. I can set up a anonymous gmail account to sign up for all the company’s programs and receive official emails from them. Then, go into photoshop or hell even Word and construct an email that looks exactly like the official email and before you know it, people are clicking on them thinking they are from the legitimate source and I’m snagging passwords, addresses, maybe even bank account information. This is the start of a potentially huge phishing operation. ESPECIALLY when banks and credit cards are involved.
  • I encourage everyone to pay VERY close attention to the emails they receive over the next year from anyone associated with Epsilon. MAKE SURE  THEY ARE LEGIT OR DON’T CLICK.

• IPod Production Troubled Halt Over Earthquake Interruptions (SM)
  • We’re all device jun
  • Lithium Ion batteries use a  key ingredient, Polymer (PVDF), to bind the different elements together
  • Used to bind the different elements together. It’s a small percentage but vital
  • Kureha Corp., based near the epicenter in Japan, owns 70% of the market
  • Its not as easy as changing manufacturers either or a different polymer, chemistry is weird that way
  • The WSJ is claiming only IPod manufacturing is affected… but a lot more stuff than that is Li-Ion.
  • Yet another way the earthquake has affected our lives
  • (It also has led to production disruptions for the PSP2- udg)

• What’s Up With Sony? (MK)
  • Sony Closing 3 Game Studios & Cutting 205 Jobs
    • Earlier rumor that Sony Online Entertainment was about to make some big cuts has turned out to be true. 205 jobs total will be lost and the Denver, Seattle and Tuscon studios all closed down. Sony has also decided to cancel the online game The Agency that has been in development for several years now.
    • All existing titles will remain live so you may continue to play them as normal. As for future game development, two MMOs will now be the focus. The first is based on the PlanetSide IP, and the second on the always-popular Everquest IP.
    • Fewer projects mean less people required and ultimately fewer studios have work, hence the closures. As far as an impact on gamers is concerned, the only noticeable difference is that The Agency will no longer be appearing on store shelves.
  • Meanwhile they manage to piss off Anonymous
    • If you’ve been following the saga between Sony and George “GeoHot” Hotz, you know that Sony is kinda ticked with him for cracking the long uncracked PS2 and has been publicly targeting him with legal action. Then they turned around and offered a job to another prominent hacker who turned them down based on their treatment of Hotz.
    • Well, all of this has now gotten the attention of the infamous hacker group Anonymous and not in a good way. They’ve now officially declared war on Sony:
      • “Congratulations, Sony. You now have now received the undivided attention of Anonymous. Your recent legal action against our follow hackers, Geohot and Graf_Chokolo, has not only alarmed us, it has been deemed wholly unforgivable. You have now abused the judicial system in an attempt to censor information on how your products work. You have victimised your own customers merely for possessing and sharing information, and continue to target every person who seeks this information. In doing so you have violated the privacy of thousands. This is the information they were willing to teach the world for free. The very same information you wish to suppress for sake of corporate greed and complete control of the users. Now you will experience the wrath of Anonymous. You saw a hornets nest, and stuck your penises in it. You must face the consequences of your actions, Anonymous style. Knowledge is Free. We are Anonymous. We are Legion. We do not Forgive. We do not forget. Expect us.”
  • Playstation Relief Efforts Raise 1.3M for Japan
    • Sony has announced that donation efforts for the Japan tsunami and earthquake from PlayStation Network have raised over $1 million.
    • Over ¥109.6 million (approximately $1.3 million) has been raised from the effort, which has allowed PlayStation Network users to donate through the PlayStation Store.
    • All of the money raised from the drive, which has been in effect in over 40 countries, will go to the American Red Cross’s Japanese relief fund, the British Red Cross in Europe, and the Central Community Chest of Japan.

• Algebra II Closer to Being Mandatory (SM)
  • Studies are showing that out of all the classes in High School, Algebra II is the leading indicator on success later in a career
  • Indicators: 84% of ppl in top-tier jobs took Algebra II, 50% in bottom tier took it
  • Whether this is just purely “more education” or actual math skills that translate, ppl are still debating
  • (SM) My thoughts: Math stimulates thinking, your mind grows as you do it, only good things can come from exercising your brain
  • Thoughts?

• Woah! Adobe Demos PhotoShop for iPad (udg)
  • Just when I thought I couldn’t possibly want the iPad 2 any more than I already do…
  • Adobe and Apple may have had issues in the past over Apple refusing to allow the iPad to run Flash, but that hasn’t halted their relationship. In fact Adobe has been hard at work developing a pretty kick ass version of Photoshop for the iPad. They currently offer an app for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad called Photoshop Express. But, this new app is so much more.
  • Check out the video taken at Photoshop World 2011 and you’ll see Adobe didn’t just try to port over the features of the desktop version, but that it knows and behaves like it’s a touchscreen app. And it’s not some dinky toy either. No word on when this will be released or what they are planning on calling it. And I’m sure that there are hardcore graphic designers that will scoff at it. But, it will definitely make it hard for the naysayers to continue to state that the iPad is devise for consumption, not creation.

• Gamestop buys Impulse (SM)
  • Impulse was owned by Stardock and is a little brother to Steam
  • Originally created to distribute their games but was opened to other 3 years ago
  • Why is this important? Gamestop has already said their future hinges on digital distribution
  • last month, Digital downloads accounted for 40% of the revenue in the gaming industry
  • Gamestop did 300 million last year alone, 1.5 billion 4 years from now is estimate
  • Impulse gives them ready-made technology to effec that plan and challenge Valve in that arena
  • Gamestop also aquired Spawn Labs, a peer-to-peer gaming service

• GM Cows produce Human-like milk (SM)
  • The chinese have created genetically modified cows that produce “human-like” milk
  • Human milk has a nutrient and protein mix that is very unique for infant consumption
  • These cows, are created through cloning processes where human genes are injected into the embryo before being re-planted into the mothers
  • The Chinese have made 300 of these bovine and are physically identical to regular cattle
  • Scientists insist that genetically modified food poses no threats but there are tons of debates on the matter
  • Bladerunner anyone???
  • (Seriously freakin’ creepy & I have a tiny rant. I’ll keep it relatively bleep free for ya though – udg) (and its by the chinese )

• PopCap Launches 4th & Base (udg)
  • If you’ve ever played Bejeweled or Plans vs Zombies, than you get why PopCap has a reputation for releasing polished games.  The formulas behinds these games may seem simple, but the development cycle is incredibly time consuming. Which is why we haven’t seen Plants vs Zombies 2 yet.
  • Guess what though- PopCap has announced an initiative to get us games quicker- welcome 4th and Battery, a self-proclaimed indie label within the company dedicated to rapidly prototyping and releasing smaller, less full-featured games.
  • “4th & Battery is a pressure valve intended to keep our heads from exploding,” explained Ed Allard, executive vice president of studios at PopCap.  4th & Battery gives us a way to quickly try really strange or marginal ideas, and to give our designers a safe area to hone their chops.”
  • PopCap’s describing these games as being like short films, or B-sides, and they are launching with a game called Unpleasant Horse, in which players become a horse with wings that, as you probably guessed, kills birds. Maybe not full-game material, but it should be available free of charge on the iOS App Store later this month.

• Playstation Tablet in the Works (Matt, you can have this one)

What major electronics company doesn’t have a tablet?  You guessed it, Sony!  There have been rumors of one since 2010 when Apple announced the iPad, but there was nothing confirmed until mid-February.

While skeptical over their software capabilites, Engadget been assured that Sony’s work is cutting edge stuff created by a talented engineering team spanning Sony’s VAIO, Reader, PlayStation, and Sony Ericsson product groups.

The team is lead by the VAIO organization but will probably launch as a Sony product without VAIO branding, according to one source. The tablet itself, we’re told, is 100 percent focused on Qriocity, Sony’s music, games, ebooks, and videos on demand service that’s just been launched in Europe. It comes preloaded with Sony PS One games, a Bravia Media Remote, and yes, PlayStation integration

The tablet’s “wrap” design is meant to remind the owner of something personal in the way that it mimics an open paperback stuffed into the back pocket, or a magazine folded backward upon itself such that only a single page is visible to read. Even though the S1 is about the same size and weight as Apple’s iPad, we’re told that it feels lighter since most of the weight is shifted directly into the user’s hand and over the wrist.

It features a 1,280 x 800 pixel resolution.  It also features both front- and rear-facing cameras as well as a USB-A port that plays host to USB thumb drives or media devices. The only physical buttons — volume and on / off — are located on the edge of each indented side.  There’s an IR port built-in allowing you to control devices other than your Bravia TV.

Price and ship date?  The target for the WiFi-only version was meant to match the iPad, but the price has been bumped to $599 with a September ship date.

• Bike to the Future (udg)
  • If you’re listening to this, odds are when you go to buy a new gadget- it’s gotta be the best, most advanced one out there. You know- fastest PC, skinniest highest res TV, deadliest robot butler (you know they bring you your slippers AND the heads of your enemies!)
  • Well, I’ve got the next bike for you. We’re talking hybrid electric from M55. Their first mechanized monster is so badass, it’s named The Beast AND it lives up to it. Exercise isn’t your thing? Not a problem- The Beast takes the “work” out of working out. Its motor doesn’t throttle on like a motorcross dirt bike. It churns into action as soon as you start pedaling, giving your feeble legs a bionic  boost.
  • The motor on this badboy is so bad, you can tear up hills without having to stand while pedaling. In fact, the drive system is powerful enough that if you’re really jamming on a straight-away, you can travel at almost 50 mph. Yeah, I said it: 50 mph. On a bicycle!
  • If you decide to grab an M55, do us all a favor and remember that sometimes life sucks and so do uneven paved surfaces. Wear a helmet. If  my calculations are correct, when these babies hit 50 miles per hour, you’re gonna see some serious shit.

Intarweb Goldmine

• Man Takes Down Armed Robber With Fake Leg (udg)
  • A Massachusetts man who used his prosthetic leg to take down a robber says he didn’t have time to think, he just reacted.
  • Stephen Cornell peered through the window of his neighborhood convenience store in Middleton on Wednesday and saw a man pointing a gun at the owner.
  • He tells The Salem News he intended to tackle the thief when he left JC Grill & Pizza, but instead stuck out his artificial leg and tripped him.
  • Only thing that would have made this more awesome is if he would have actually beat him with the leg.

• Lucky Mother Trucker
  • Trucker eating an apple on buy Penn. freeway
  • Everything’s calm, he starts to choke
  • Passes out and crashes through center divider
  • When woken up, found that apple had been dislodged by steering wheel
  • Guy used up all his 9 lives

• 75 Year Old Lady Cuts Entire Country Off From the IntarWebs (udg)
  • Elderly people and the Internet are the root of many jokes and headaches. A 75-year-old lady from the Republic of Georgia scored a point for the geriatrics when she cut off the entire country of Armenia from the net last month.
  • According to the AFP, the woman was scavenging for scrap metal around the village of Ksanai on March 28. She came across a fiber-optic cable linking Armenia to Georgia and she cut it up to sell the copper. Unfortunately, that cable provided the majority of Armenia’s internet service, and the poor Armenians were cut off from the Internet for “hours” that evening. Now she faces up to three years in prison.
  • Hey, Armenia, maybe you shouldn’t rely on a single, fragile cable to connect your entire country to the Internet? Just a thought

Extra Links

• Google Product Boss Leaves, Co-Founder Returns
• TI to buy National Semi-Conductor
• the new Commodore 64 >> Pics
• Curing Hair Loss by Accident
• Gamestop sees digitial game sales exploding
• Water-Cooled, Wall-Mounted Wii Mod (udg)
  • I don’t care who you are, even if you hate Wii, this is sexxeh.

• On Twitter: Steven is @DarthMolen, Jeremy is @jpuent, Natali is @UberDorkGirlie
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• And Become a Fan

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Intro Natali
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Items of Interest

• If you have an item that is epicly awesome that should be featured in this section, contact the show at darthmolen@thepowergeeks.com and we’ll see about getting it on the air

• Welcome to Wookiee Week!!!

• Meet Pica Pic: One of the Coolest Sites Ever (udg)
  • Remember when every game had a handheld version too? They may be long gone but Pica Pic is bringing them back on your computer screen.
  • The folks at Hipopotam have recreated the look of the devices and emulate the games for you to play.
  • Each game maps the controls on the device to your keyboard and gives clear key mapping hints. Then you play the game as normal and have your highscore logged.
  • At the moment there are 17 playable games (some you’ve heard of, some you haven’t) but it looks like the site is set to expand with 3 other titles, including Zelda, listed as coming soon.
• GranataPet Billboard (udg)
  • Why on earth would a billboard for a German dog food company be an item of the week? Well, because it’s brilliant.
  • The best way to get people, or in this case our lil canine buddies, to buy a product is to give them a lil taste for free. GranataPet, whose foods are made around the use of pomegranates, are no strangers to thinking outside the box.
  • Their  newest campaign is a billboard that, when you check into it on Foursquare, shoots out a free sample of dog food into a bowl for your best friend to try. There’s a little black box that controls the food dispenser. It checks with the server once roughly every second to see if someone has checked in. When it the server returns a “yes” then the dispenser is triggered to release the sample. The technology is simple, the cost is minimal, the concept is genius.

• Happy 80th B-Day Leonard Nimoy!!!
  • Leonard Nimoy, the man who played Spock the space elf, turned 80 this week. 80!!!!
  • (SM)Despite being an avid Star Wars lover, ST and TNG were near to my heart
  • and also happy almost birthday to KatieDoyle!! (kdr)

• Can I talk Spiderman Turn off the WTF (musical) (kdr)
  • Most of us have seen Spiderman the movie, some have read the comics, and an unfortunate few have had to bear witness to the musical abomination that is Turn off the Dark.
  • Before I explain what this show is about, I thought long and hard about how this script must have been developed. And I can only imagine that a few writers and whatnots got together drank and smoked, watched bits and pieces of the movies, took a nap, drank some more and then wrote out a script on some bar napkins.
  • Okay here’s the breakdown…and i am so not making ANY of this up:
    • Peter Parker is a nerd and gets beat up in school, hearts mary jane, gets bit by a spider…blah blah blah
    • and while all this is going on…Arachne, the great mortal weaver from Greek mythology learns about Peter Parker and decides to become his guardian, and also want to jump his bones…and this is made REALLY REALLY apparent
    • then Peter decides he doesnt want to Spiderman anymore and Arachne is furious and plans to get him back into the red and blue by calling all her spider minors to create a city wide black out so they could steal all the shoes.
    • not.even.kidding.
    • then Arachne makes it to earth and delivers the most unforgettable line ever “I have descended from the astral planes with the help of humans shoes” I cant even facepalm hard enough
    • it gets kinda like someone put something in my drink after this scene, some fights, puppets and flying over the crowds, and then i guess everyone made it out okay. honestly, my head was so spinning from the redonkulous storyline, boring and drawn out dialogues and forgettable songs that i may have just blocked most of it out.

Gold Sponsors:

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Deals of the Week / New Release

• Amazon Cloud Drive
  • 5GB Free / Up to a 1000 GB paid
  • Allows you to stream music to any PC or android device from the files you store on their server
  • Good news? If you buy from Amazon, it doesn’t count against your quota

• Kindle subscription to the New York Times will net you free web access as well (kdr)
  • a subscription to the NYT will also grant users access to the paywall-protected NYTimes.com online portal. No complex rules or conditions, you’ll just be one of the insiders who get unfettered access to all the fine old school journalism practiced at Times towers.

• Dont Blink Tee (kdr) for fans of the doctor and one of the most memorable episodes, this tee is ready to be can has for only $25

• DVD Releases
  • SECRET OF NIMH!!! B/R
  • Sherlock Holmes: Complete Blu-Ray Collection – Old b/w, Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce
  • Black Swan – Natali Portman, Dancing, ‘nuff Said
  • Tangled Blu-Ray (3/d,DVD,Digital D/L)
  • Soylent Green (charleston Heston at his finest)
  • Imax: Hubble
  • Scream 1,2,3 on Blu-Ray
  • Teen Wolf Blu-Ray!

Geek Speak

• All your remakes are belong to Hollywood
  • Tired of Hollywood’s moral bankruptcy and them stealing your childhood? So are we
  • (Talk Point) Name 1 already done remake that has and has not worked
    • karate kid – i didnt even see it, thats how bad it was (kdr)
  • (Talk Point) Name the remakes that you’ve heard are coming:
    • (SM) Heman, The Never Ending Story, Mortal Kombat, The Last Starfighter
    • (UDG) – Smurfs coming this summer, was scared but NPH is in it and yeah, I <3 NPH, WOLVERINES!! Red Dawn- My one complaint- FU for swapping the Chinese out for North Koreans cuz China pitched a fit. But after meeting Chris Hemsworth I’m less worried cuz I’d watch him in anything it also stars the new “wonder woman” hmm….. , Child’s Play- nope not a 4th movie, it’s a remake of original, Adventures in Babysitting and Jonah Hill is now playing Shue’s part WTF!?!?, Teen Wolf- now a shitacular MTV series, Fright Night starring Colin Farrell,Total Recall starring, yup, Colin Farrell. One I am excited about- A NEW Muppets movie done by Jason Segal slated to hit theaters Nov 23, 2011.
    • (KDR)Here’s the maddening list of remakes actually in the works:

• • • • • ARTHUR – now starring Russell Brand. fucking russell brand. i hate that guy
        • DROP DEAD FRED – my favorite movie of all time, starring russell fucking brand
        • PLAN 9 FROM OUTERSPACE – one of the best/worst scifi movies is being “re-imagined” and going straight to DVD
        • Live action AKIRA – The Hughes Brothers are negotiating with WB…somebody stop them  (Testuo is now Travis- WTF? Shooting is scheduled to start in August. Actors sent scripts for Tetsuo- Andrew Garfield, James McAvoy, and Robert Pattinson. Those sent scripts for Kaneda are Michael Fassbender, Garrett Hedlund, Joaquin Phoenix, Chris Pine, and Justin Timberlake.- udg)

• • • • • SHORT CIRCUIT – rumor: Dimension Films has signed Steve Carr to direct “Short Circuit,” the remake. Carr is coming off the Kevin James hit “Paul Blart: Mall Cop.” (LEAVE MY NUMBER JOHNNY FIVE ALONE!!!! UDG)
        • I’d like to take this moment to quote Patton Oswald in saying “Leave the stuff i love alone!“

Tech, Gaming, and Geek News

• Ubisoft Looking to Hire a Fan to Help Write Assassin’s Creed Encyclopedia (udg)
  • Everyone’s second favorite Ubisoft franchise, Assasin’s creed is going to get an official encyclopedia. Yup, not a wiki, but an actual encyclopedia.
  • A posting on UbiWorkshop states that they are making an official job offer and “not some petty human crowdsourcing trick.” Beginner’s need not fear and can apply to the job as well, as Ubisoft says they “wouldn’t want to miss out on someone passionate and talented just because he or she doesn’t have a five-year experience,” further endearing them to fans across the world.
  • To apply, head on over to the UbiWorkshop posting, check out the job recommendations and duties, take the writing test they provide, and send your information to the email provided in the post. You probably shouldn’t mention if you have real-world assassination experience.

• It’s a video card throwdown, Put or Shut Up! (SM)
  • (I personally prefer Nut up or shut up! Zombieland FTW~ udg)
  • (Yeah yeah, you would know all about that )
  • For years, we have heard from AMD and NVidia that they each are the best and fastest
  • Usually, the impartial review sites actually have to do the competition
  • Now AMD is challenging NVidia directly, through a blog post no less by senior public relations manager Dave Erskine
  • He wants to pit the HD 6990 against the GTX 590 from NVidia
  • Both are lightning fast and can magically appear in my computer anytime…

• • • • iPhone 5 Delay Rumors: Will Apple Hold Out Until After WWDC? (kdr)
        • WWDC 2011 conference in June will be all about the future of iOS and Mac, and with the rumor mill in full swing, speculation suggests that the iPhone 5 is more likely to arrive some time this fall, or even in 2012 ??
        • Apple said the focus will be on software at WWDC, including the iOS5
        • But if Apple does not release or announce a new iPhone at WWDC (or shortly after), does that mean the iPhone 5 is delayed until fall, to arrive with iOS 5 preinstalled?
        • Somebody get me some answers!!!

• Amy Adams to play Lois Lane in New Superman (udg)
  • Well, the Daily Planet now has its ace reporter and Clark Kent his love interest. Zack Snyder has official cast Amy Adams as Lois Lane in his upcoming Superman reboot.
  • While he wouldn’t comment on the plot over the weekend, Snyder did imply that Lane would be important in the story:
  • “What’s important to us is making [Superman] relevant and real and making him empathetic to today’s audience so that we understand the decisions he makes. That applies to Lois as well. She has to be in the same universe as him [in tone and substance],” Snyder said.
  • Adams joins a cast that includes Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/Superman, Diane Lane as Martha Kent and Kevin Costner as Pa Kent.  The Superman reboot will be produced by “Inception” and “Dark Knight” mastermind Christopher Nolan
  • Due out December of 2012 (you now if the world doesn’t end before that)

• Paramount in Netflix Canada (SM)

• • Well over 350 films are now on the service from that Studio
  • Includes “exclusive subscription television rights for first run films”. That’s before HBO, Showtime, etc.
  • U.S. has some of these through the EPIX deal, but not all of them
  • It’s messed up but movie rights are divided per region and have to be negotiated separately
  • They might lose some stuff too. Showtime is thinking on pulling Dexter after the deal expires in the Summer

• Showtime adapting the ultra-weird, super-gross comic book Chew for TV? (kdr)
  • Thank you showtime for always delivering bloods and guts
  • John Layman and Rob Guillory’s comic Chew is getting its own TV series.
  • “federal agent Tony Chu, a “cibopath” able to get psychic impression from the things he eats who is assigned to the most usual and bizarre crimes.”
  • Stephen Hopkins (24 and Californication’s) to direct the pilot episode

• Canadian ISP Rogers Throttling WoW (udg)
  • Canadian ISP Rogers Communications last week admitted that it is throttling activity on Blizzard’s “World of Warcraft” gaming platform due to a “problem” with its traffic management.
  • When are they planning on fixing that problem? Well not until June. I the mean time, they suggest turning off all peer-to-peer connections while WoWing.
  • Rogers said it made a change to its software to fix the problem, but a recent change to the game “created new problems” and a second software modification is necessary. That, Rogers said, “will not be ready until June.”
  • The admission from Rogers came after the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission wrote the company in late Feb about complaints it’d received from WoW users.
  • Canada has open Internet regulations that prohibit ISPs from blocking specific applications. An ISP could slow down all of its traffic during peak times, for example, but could not discriminate against specific services or apps like World of Warcraft.
  • In one complaint received by the CRTC, customer Teresa Murphy said she had experienced slow downs since at least November, and was not connected to a P2P network while gaming.
  • “I’ve been affected by this (along with MANY other Rogers users) because Rogers’ filters are picking up several very low bandwidth-intensive games incorrectly as P2P activity,” Murphy wrote. “I don’t use P2P at ALL, and yet I’m still affected by this issue because Rogers sees my gaming traffic incorrectly as P2P.”
  • Blizzard did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

• Java Founder Joins Google (SM)
  • James Gosling, a notable programmer who founded Java, has jumped ship to Google
  • His home at Sun Microsystems became untenable after Oracle purchased the company
  • Called CEO Larry Ellison, “Larry, Prince of Darkness”
  • Notable switch because the android OS basically on Dalvik, which is similar to Java
  • Yet again, Google getting some good mindshare

• STEVEN – please let me do the intro for this
• I dont care if it’s in the dictionary, if you say “LOL” outloud, I’m gonna punch you in the mouth (kdr)
  • The Oxford English Dictionary has announced the latest batch of words and phrases called initialisms including LOL and OMG and “heart”
  • I feel they should also add, WTF and #Facepalm at this point
  • “They help to say more in media where there is a limit to a number of characters one may use in a single message,” says principal editor Graeme Diamond on the dictionary’s website.
  • And this KILLS me, here’s Diamond’s eloquent reasoning: ““The intention is usually to signal an informal, gossipy mode of expression, and perhaps parody the level of unreflective enthusiasm or overstatement that can sometimes appear in online discourse, while at the same time marking oneself as an ‘insider’ au fait with the forms of expression associated with the latest technology.”

• Cheezburger Network Buys Know Your Meme (udg)
  • There’s money in hazzing cheezburgers and for buying other Internet meme sites it would seem.
  • The Cheezburger Network, home to hit sites like I can has Cheezburger, the Fail Blog, the Daily What, and many others, has bought Know Your Meme. The deal closed last Monday, Cheezburger CEO Ben Huh told CNET.
  • The deal was first reported by Tubefilter, which said that Know Your Meme, which was a spin-off from Rocketboom, is getting a low seven-figure payday.
  • Know Your Meme has become famous as a place where people can go to learn about the origins of some of the Internet’s most beloved time-wasters. And that’s exactly why Cheezburger bought it. “Right now, we’re an entertainment destination,” Huh said of the network’s many sites. “A lot of the stuff we show doesn’t have a lot of content…People require context, history, and origins [which] helps them understand why this is funny or why this isn’t funny. And Know Your Meme was probably doing the best job of that out there.”
  • The Cheezburger Network has grown rapidly in the last couple of years, and scored a $30 million round of funding in January that Huh said is intended to be used to “figure out how to grow the business.” And while he doesn’t know yet precisely what that means, it’s actually the point. “A lot of it is going to be wasted on failures,” he said, but “that’s what’s fun and great about this company, is that we can test” ideas.
  • Know Your Meme brings four employees to the Cheezburger stable, all of whom are in New York. That means, Huh said, that Cheezburger now has Cheezburger West–Seattle, where the company is based–and Cheezburger East. He also said that he intends to use some of the recent funding money to staff up the larger company in New York.

• Sprint Vows to Fight T-Mobile / AT&T acquisition (SM)
  • 3rd smallest company is dead set against the new acquisition possibility
  • claims it will “alter the structure of the communications industry (duh) and affect innovation”
  • The gauntlet was thrown down during a roundtable discussion at CTIA 2011, a wireless trade show, where the heads of verizon, t-mobile and AT&T were present
  • The deal would make AT&T the largest carrier at 130 million subscribers
  • Verizon, not so much concerned but they’re the other big player in the market
  • The two of them would own 80% of the market

• Wonder Woman Costume Update (udg)
  • So, it seems Kelley was bright enough to listen to how much his choice of costume for the new WW was hated. He’s made some changes. Pants are a darker matte blue and sans camel toe, the boots are now red and have a more “sensible” heel and the hookah make up is gone.  Guess what? I still can’t stand it. And her right nipple is seriously almost popping out while she’s running. Double Sided Duct Tape FTW I guess.

I actually like her Stunt Double, Shauna Duggins, more!

Intarweb Goldmine

• Pole Dancing for Jesus (udg)
  • In Old Town Spring, Texas there’s a group of pole dancers blurring the line between strippers and Scripture.
  • On the second Sunday of every month, former exotic dancer Crystal Deans leads a pole dancing course for church-goers dubbed “Pole Fitness for Jesus.” The class empowers women and helps them get in shape — all to the sounds of “upbeat contemporary Christian music,” Deans told Fox 26.
  • The instructor says she knew exotic dancing wasn’t for her, but realized she could use her experience performing to help other women connect with the teachings of Jesus Christ.
  • There’s no nudity, but there are high heels — shoes that Deans insists help tone the legs.
  • There’s a place here called Miss Pole I so want to take a class at, you know for the fitness and all, so I can totally hang with the concept. But, saying it’s for Jesus, heck even I know that’ll get ya cussed out.
• Sign Up for Dish, Get a Free Gun. Thanks Radio Shack (SM)
  • (SM) where do I sign up???
  • Montana Radioshack, Owner puts up a sign – “Protect yourself with dish network sign up now get free gun”
  • basically owner wanted to generate foot traffic and the offer of a gun is real
  • Ppl who sign up for dish have the choice between a 380 pistol and a 20 gauge shotgun
  • Those that don’t qualify for the gift certificate / get a $50 pizza hut gift card
  • Literally tripled his business, Next month it will be DirecTV

• Old Tattooed Biker Dude Makes Quilt Out of Ladies Panties (udg)
  • Picture a creepy old biker guy all tattooed up, long hair, wife beater bent over a quilt covered in woman’s underwear and that would be Louis Garret of Louisiana, Missouri.
  • Louis  told the Hannibal Courier-Post about his bizarre hobby, explaining that he only started quilting with unmentionables after he began dressing his mannequin collection in lingerie. Which of course makes perfect sense, right?
  • But don’t get the wrong idea about Garrett, whose nickname is “Shovelhead.” He’s a panty quilter with standards. He told the paper exactly what kind of underwear he’s looking for: “No polyester. I don’t want those cheap, dollar-store, not-sexy, farm-girl panties. I want classy — silk or nylon. You know, sexy. Victoria’s Secret.”
  • He added that he will never sell his kinky quilt because he has personal relationships with most of the women who give him their underwear. “That’s kind of a weird sentimental value right there.” Yeah, it sure is.
• Give the woman her Cupcake geeeez (kdr)
  • A woman in South Wales ravaged a bakery upon learning they were out of her favourite cupcakes
  • The woman reportedly ran around the counter, grabbed the owner by the hair, and proceeded to smash all the glass display units, causing more than in $600 damage
• Dont nom on the train (kdr)
  • Cant a woman just her her spaghetti on the subway in peace?
  • Apparently not – another woman on the train was so annoyed that she couldnt help her mouth diarrhea and spouted out fightin words like “What kind of animals eat on the train like that?”
  • The two women continued to share words, then eventunally knuckle sammiches, while the entire event was caught on tape.
  • And did our anonymous cameraman become the good samaritan and break up the fight? NOPE. he put that shit on youtube as soon as he got home!

Extra Links

• What Bill Gates Could Learn From Chris Rock (udg)
• How to Make $30 Pair of Headphones get $300+ Quality (udg)
• Marvel vs 30 Rock “Feud” (udg)
• 5 Important People That Were Screwed Out of History Books (udg)
• Nook Color approaching 3 million sales
• Disturbing Chinese KeyChains
• Homeless Man Builds Car Out of Scrap

• On Twitter: Steven is @DarthMolen, Jeremy is @jpuent, Natali is @UberDorkGirlie
• email us: darthmolen@thepowergeeks.com and jpuent@thepowergeeks.com and uberdorkgirlie@thepowergeeks.com (yay!)
• And Become a Fan

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• What: Shiny Geek Jewelry, clothing and other bits & bytes, made by Geeks for Geeks.
• Why: Geeks, Nerds & Gamers alike deserve to shine at their very best, on and offline.
• 10% off power rings
• Who: @aDigitalAngel & fellow nerds at ShinyLines.com

Intro Jeremy
Intro Natali
Tweet up Friday night 3/18/2011 at Dave N Busters Addison, IL starting at 8pm CST

1155 N Swift Road Addison, IL Items of Interest

• Geeks With Heart Japan Response (udg)
  • If you are listening to this podcast, odds are something that has come out of Japan has touched or even changed your life at some point. Technology, games, movies, anime, ramen, the list of things that have become a part of our daily lives that started there is huge.
  • And right now they need a whole lot of love sent back to them. That’s why my item of the week is the Geeks With Heart Japan Response. Geek Girls Network has once again teamed up with the good people at Mercy Corp to help us send some of that love on over. Mercy Corps, with their longstanding partner, Peace Winds will use the donations to meet the immediate and longer-term needs of the survivors of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that has leveled and paralyzed this county.
  • I know times are tough her for a lot of people. Every little bit helps. Skip that Starbuck’s for a day and send it their way. Rent a movie instead of going out. Skip ordering pizza and have ramen. One little change for one week could make a difference. If you can, please click the link and show you’re a geek with heart.
• Batman Sex Cave (SM)
  • Eden Erotic motel in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan
  • $50 for 3 hours and the Decor is spankin’
• What if Chewie were a sexy chick??? (JP)
  • The sexiest SciFi costumes you’ll see…

Gold Sponsors:

Natali’s Etsy!!!

• Need your noms????
• @UberDorkGirlie’s etsy is the way to go
• Whether it’s Woookie Cookies, Bark Maul, or Hothballs, every sweet tooth needs to try them out
• Need a present and don’t want to bake? then Natali’s Etsy store is the way to go

• Convention Schedule
  • C2E2 – March 18-20

Big Exciting News… We are very close (depending on Apple) to being able to test and release our first iPhone app!!! (@JebsApps) it’ll be Movie History… with lots of new features (that we can’t make androids do… yet) but both will be getting a huge update to the Database!!! and right on the heels of that will be Geek History with a bigger update to the Database!!! So… More Geekiness… = More GeekyGoodness!!
Get yours today if you have an Android for only $0.99 to keep up with facts like:
Today in MovieHistory 3/16/1971
Alan Tudyk is born in El Paso, Texas, and went on to play Wash in Serenity  & Alpha on Dollhouse

Deals of the Week / New Release

• Walking Dead Plushies Giveaway! (udg)
  • No one knows how to dangle freebies for us geeks like the folks at Geek Chic Daily. This week’s, as usual, is the awesome!  They are teaming up with their friends at Robert Kirkmans’ Skybound Entertainment that just opened up a brand spankin’ new store spreading zombie gore all over the world. What better way to do that than by giving away 13 Walking Dead Zombie Plushies.
  • Don’t miss your chance to win a zombie of your very own you can hug and squeeze and hell even call George.  Oh and don’t worry if his head pops off, it’s meant to do that. So, head on over to their site and then snag a bonus entry on their Facebook page.

• • (list of new games released this week)
  • (list of new dvd’s released this week)

• The Fighter – Christian Bale
• Gamera vs. Zigra!!!

• Paul Opens In Theaters This Week (udg)
  • If you don’t know who Simon Pegg & Nick Frost are, you really need to learn. Trust me on this. They are brilliant. In fact, you have an assignment from me- go rent Shaun of the Dead. Now. T
  • They have given us so many epic moments whether its their own movies or Robot Chicken or even the voice of Reepicheep in Narnia. And now they are about to give us so very many more.
  • This week, their newest film, Paul hits the theaters. The dynamic duo play British buddies who decide to end their first voyage to SDCC with a road trip through the southwest. Being the hardcore sci-fi fanboys that they are- they are on a pilgrimage to see the likes of Area 51 and Roswell. All good movies have a one dark night. Well on this one, the two of them stumble onto a real life alien, Paul, who is voiced by Seth Rogen. Paul’s been stranded on Earth for decades after crashing his spaceship back in 1947 and now he wants out. He’s engineered an escape but he needs these two to help him pull it off.
  • Paul is being declared “a movie about nerds, written by nerds, made for nerds, in which the word “nerd” appears in the dialogue at least a dozen times.” And this is one nerd who can’t wait to see it!
  • Oh!!! I should probably mention- leave the nerdlings at home for this one, it’s rated R.

Geek Speak

With C2E2 kicking off the major Con season for this year, we thought it was important to give you our How To for Con Surival.  Hello,  my name is Natali and I’ll be your Fairy Con Mother

• #1- SURVIVAL FIRST! You will need a COMFORTABLE bag of choice (backpack, messenger) A. for the haul of freebies, B. for the stuff you’re gonna buy there 3. for your survival kit.
• Survival Kit:
  • 1. WATER (plastic bottles only) You need to stay hydrated peeps
  • 2. Energy boosts!  The fun doesn’t end when the doors close and that doesn’t usually happen until at least 9pm. With parties, tweet ups, you name it-  sleep is for the weak during the epic 4 day weekend. Whether it’s energy shots, craisins, Steven’s cases of NOS, you’re gonna wanna have a stash in your bag to keep you going.
  • 3. Camera- Don’t be proud. Yes you have an iPhone. That iPhone has a battery life peeps.
  • 4. Chargers!!!! – Be it battery for cams, phone, laptop, you need it! Do yourself

a favor, match up all your chargers to your toys and pack them together.

• • 5. Tiny Power Strip- For realz, you snag an open outlet, you best charge all your stuffs. I’ve seen hair pulled and blood shed people, it’s not pretty. Recommend: Monster
  • 6. Sketch Pad & Pens- if you’re hoping of any autograph, artist’s work, jot notes, snag a booth  babe’s number- you’re gonna need this.
  • 7. For Summer Cons- Sunscreen- Seriously. The lines for some of the halls run outside. W/ no shade.
  • 8. COMFORTABLE SHOES This is not the time to try to sport some new kicks. If you’re cos playing, again don’t be proud, giant blisters and limping is not sexy. Sport the shoes that go with your outfit for a bit, but make sure you’ve got back up comfies in your bag.
  • 9. Meds, Inhaler, etc. Passing out in front of Eliza Dushku doesn’t mean she’ll  give you mo 2 mo. Don’t be proud, whip out the inhaler if you need it. (There goes my super plan for next year… I’m out! JP) (if I see yvonne S. from Chuck… I may still try this trick…)
  • 10. ANTIBACTERIAL GEL!! CON CRUD EXISTS AND IT IS EVIL!! I’ve been there people- load up. I’ve got a bottle and a purse spray of it already in my backpack after the curse of Anime Milwaukee. USE IT LIBERALLY AND OFTEN. You’ll hug me for this later when your friend is couched up and praying for death for a good 3-5 days because they were a nonbeliever.

• #2 A Plan

• • Plot out the panels you really want to see. Rule out seeing a panel right before it if it’s not in the same hall. For the biggies a 3 hour line wait is not unheard of. All of the big Cons have an app now, dl it to your phone, it may be a BIG help.
  • If you’re staying at a hotel-don’t forget your shuttle or schedule or the number to a cab service!! Schedules for events change daily! Make sure you pick up the flyer they have all over w/ changes on them
  • How are you getting your loot home?? Make sure you have a plan in advance whether it is extra luggage or plotting out the closest shipping center to the con. Some cons, like SDCC, actually have shipping services located within them.

• #3 Hygiene Even if you’re not facing summer heat, 140,000 people + cos players that wear the same outfit the whole 4 days can = O M Stinky G (x it by hangovers from partying the night before = yeah…. ) SHOWER & be kind, toss a stick of travel size deodorant in your survival kit! And Febreeze, Axe and all kinds of girly sprays all come in tiny lil travel sizes #justsayin. And I know I mentioned it before- but ANTIBACTERIAL GEL!! Please note, it is NOT a substitute for a shower.

• #4 The Sign The day you check into your hotel, on the back of the door- “HEY DUMBASS DO NOT FORGET YOUR BADGE” Trust me, this isn’t just for n00bs. I’ve seen many a veteran con goer get all the way to the convention center and have to turn their self around and go back and get their badge.

• #5 The Realization There are three major things you need to realize before you start this adventure to mecca:

• • • 1. There will be an INSANE amount of people (if you’re crowd phobic) and you need to stand in line for hours w/ them.
    • 2. You will NOT, I repeat NOT see everything on your list. It’s impossible.
    • 3. Your main mission: Snag the fun badge. That’s it.

(JP ) come up with a treasure hunt list of things for you and your friends… IE Pic with Felicia Day, Pic with Wil Weaton, Photo with @GEEKGIRL at her Panel, etc… be creative

• #6 The Moment My assignment to you- I don’t care if you have to set a reminder on your phone to accomplish it, whatever works. But, take one moment to stop, take a deep breath, look around and realize the sheer awesomeness that you are surrounded by. You made it, it is awesome. YOU are awesome. Now go back to having fun.

• Talk about C2E2
  • Presentation to celebrate the life of Jim Henson
  • New Graphic novel, “A Tale of Sand” – Lost Screenplay by the master himself
  • Boy Wonder Preview

• Super Debuts at SXSW – The Review
  • everybody put their expectations here
  • (SM) everybody is saying that the movie delivers but fails in the ending… maybe thats the point? Still looking forward to this movie

Tech,Gaming, and Geek News

• Play Katamari Damacy on Any Web Page (UDG)
  • If you have ever owned a PS2, odds are you’ve played or own one of the Katamari. Never heard of Katamari? For shame! It’s a puzzled-action game Namco put out that sees the player rolling an adhesive ball all around a landscape picking up as many objects as possible. The goal is to get it large enough to become a star.
  • Katamari and its sequels were super popular on Sony’s hardware and all you need now is a web browser to play a version of it.  Alex Leone, David Nufer and David Troung created what they call Katamari Hack which allows any web page to become a play area for the game. Obviously it doesn’t look as good as the Namco games, but the mechanics are the same.
  • Using a bookmarklet for activation, a JavaScript file is loaded into your page of choice and splits all the text and image into separate blocks. A ball is then added to the page which is controlled via the mouse and by holding down the right mouse button. When this is done the ball rolls towards your mouse pointer collecting and text and images as it goes.
  • The end result is a highly playable game of Katamari. There’s also options such as whether to play background music or not, controlling the maximum number of objects that can attach to the ball, and the speed of the ball growth. You can even toggle realistic pickups on or off. We also found you can click the bookmarklet multiple times to get more Katamari balls active at once.
  • To give it a go yourself just visit the Katamari Hack website and drag the bookmarklet to your Bookmarks/Bookmarks Toolbar. Then load a page of your choice and click the bookmarklet. This will bring up the options box and allow you to start playing.
  • (SM) How about URL Hunter? a game that is played on the location bar

• Happy 40th anniversary Computer Virus (SM)
  • This year marks the 40th anniversary of “Creeper”
  • Name some of the most prominent viruses out there
    • Creeper (1971) – ARPANET based, hopped from comp to comp and displayed image “Catch me if you can”
    • Elk Cloner (1982) – Apple II computer, spread by floppy, 15 yr old writer, displayed a poem as an ode to the virus
    • Jerusalem (1987) – Every year on Friday the 13th, deleted every file on the computer
    • Melissa – One of the first HUGE email viruses, propogated via infected Word docs mailed through outlook. 20 mths in jail $5000 fine, named after a stripper
    • 2000 – I Love You, attached virus w/ I love you in subject, then emailed all your contact list
    • 2001 – Code Red – 400,000 IIS web server, Hacked by the Chinese
    • Stuxnet –  Gov’t created virus that exploited windows and eventually destroyed a targetted system (probably a nuclear power plant in Iran)
    • CIH, also known as Chernobyl It is one of the most damaging viruses, overwriting critical information on infected system drives, and more importantly, in some cases corrupting the system BIOS. (JP) I actually got hit with this by Yamaha… I had a CDR400 and the firmware update shipped with it infected… Thanks Yamaha!!!
  • Mind Blowing statistics:
    • 1,300 in 1990
    • 50,000 in 2000
    • over 200 million in 2010
  • From geeky prank to malicious nuisance to business savvy criminalsk, These pieces of code are our bane, Happy B-day the Virus

• Valve Teaches Kid a Lesson When He Tries to Sell His Steam Account (JP)
  • Kid tries to sell his acct that has over $1700 worth of games on it
  • Posts on Reddit, apparently somebody at Valve read the post (pun intended)
  • Its a violation of TOS to sell your acct or lease your acct to others
  • Ban hammer comes out, no more playing games for the kid
  • Kiddo has since been re-instated

• Blizzard Teases Diablo III For Consoles Yet Again (udg)
  • Could one of the biggest fanboy PC games of all time could be coming to major video game consoles by the end of 2011? Blizzard Entertainment, producer of Diablo III, recently posted an online job listing for ‘Senior Producer, Console’. This can only mean one thing, right? The Diablo franchise is finally set on making the transition to next-gen consoles. Right?
  • Yeah, not so fast.
  • “We are looking for a couple of console developers, yes,” Blizzard CEO and first-rate tease Mike Morhaime told video game trade journal MCV. “At this stage though, it’s basically an investigation to see if it makes sense for Diablo to be a console game as well as a PC game. “We haven’t made any decisions yet, but a lot us feel that if ever there was a Blizzard franchise that could play well as a console game, then that’s probably it.”
  • Mike, I’m gonna bust out a phrase my grandma used to love to use “Honey, you need to shit or get off the pot.”

• Court OK’s Posting pics w/out Permission on Facebook (SM)
  • Mother lost custody due to a facebook pic showing her drinking
  • Appeals saying that the prosecution improperly used the photo
  • Court  promptly rejects assertion that Facebook is inadmissible
  • Published from the court “[t]here is nothing within the law that requires [one's] permission when someone takes a picture and posts it on a Facebook page. There is nothing that requires [one's] permission when she [is] “tagged” or identified as a person in those pictures.”
  • Before everybody gets panties in a wad: there might be issues with ppl who use tagging to harrass
  • You do something stupid in your personal life and post it in public, you can get in trouble and it just might stick

• Facebook Rolls Out Anti-Bullying Tools (udg)
  • Faceebook has announced two new safety features in conjunction with a White House summit on bullying.
  • A new reporting will now allow all users to privately report troubling content, not just to the site itself but to parents, teachers and others in their support system.
  • Facebook said the “social reporting” feature is intended to get reports of bullying to the people with the best chance of stopping it.
  • Under the new system, a user could identify a photo, status update or other item as bullying them, then privately send a message to someone in their friend network about it.
  • “Safety and child psychology experts tell us that online issues are frequently a reflection of what is happening offline,” Facebook wrote. “By encouraging people to seek help from friends, we hope that many of these situations can be resolved face to face.”
  • The second feature is an improved Safety Center, due out in the next few weeks. It will provide educational videos, articles and other content created by bullying experts to help adults address the problem and will constantly be updated with new information and tools.

• • • Bonus link to what happens to when a bully has enough

• Microsoft Launches IE9 at SXSW (JP)

• From SXSW: How to Raise Digital Native Children (SM)
  • Has your kids been bugging you for a facebook account? Twitter? The Latest Iphone? starting at age 8?
  • Dan Sinker and John Bracken led  discussion at SXSW about this very thing
  • We’re all plugged in and our kids are even MORE plugged in
  • Some issues brought up at the discussion include:
    • When do you start registering online identities
    • Monitor Internet usage
    • Let your kids on Facebook / Twitter / etc
    • Teach them programming languages
  • One person mentioned that they teach 2 languages in the home, English and C++
  • Example: Bracken won’t let his daughter watch TV but will let her watch Netflix, etc.
  • Where do we draw the line on what content is allowed into the home

• Etsy Reveals Users Real Name and Purchases (udg)
  • I firmly stand by my statement that Etsy is like crack. Okay, so I’ve never done crack, but holy addictive batman. And I know there are other addicts out there. So, if you have an Etsy account and have ever ordered anything with it, you may want to listen up because what you bought may be showing up now in Google search results for your real name.
  • People Search, Etsy’s newest feature rolled out last week. It seems to be an attempt to add more of a social network feel to it by allowing users to connect to each other and create “Circles”, which then allow users to see which products their friends have favorited or purchase on Etsy. To accomplish that, it now allows people to search but real name in addition to username and links both of those to purchase history.
  • Unfortunately, Etsy didn’t announce this chance to any one except sellers and they took a page out of Facebook’s play book by automatically opting all of its current users into the program. Once all that wonderful search able info was available, it starting popping up all over Google search results. Think that doesn’t sound all that bad?
    • Etsy sells ALL KINDS of things. A privacy concerned poster in a forum was looking up research for a reporter. There on the first page of the person she was looking for, right under her resume, was her Etsy purchase. Let’s just say that person now knows the color and curvature choice of a very personal item.
    • Another forum goer found it was possible to start with an item, see who was interested in it, and eventually make your way to their Facebook page.
  • So, if you do have an Etsy account, here’s, thanks to Etsy Bitch,  how to opt out of People Search:
    • Log in to Etsy (you’ll have to do this for each store you have)
    • Click “Settings” on the left top sidebar
    • Choose the “Privacy” tab
    • You have three decisions to make (who can see your favorites, who can see your purchases, and can people search for your email). Be sure to click the update button on the bottom.
    • To change your ‘real name’ on file, click “Profile” in the left sidebar while logged in to your account.

• Before and Afters of the Japanese Earthquake (SM)
  • Web 2.0 at work
  • The pictures here are mind blowing
  • Before and after shots using google earth/ with a manual wipe bar
  • Dare you to try it and not feel your jaw drop

• Apple Comes to the Aid of Japan(udg)
  • I know you mock my love of Apple, Steven, but this is one of the many reasons I will always be loyal.
  • The world watched last week as Japan was devastated by a giant earthquake and Tsunami that followed. With that power cuts and communication links are going down. My friend in Japan that was close enough to have been shaken but safe enough to be okay continues to talk of scheduled power outages there.
  • We have seen people and companies band together over there and Apple is no exception, in fact it may be setting the example for everyone else to follow.
  • Kevin Rose, founder of Digg and a tech angel investor, has posted on his blog detailing how Apple Stores and their staff in Japan have come to the aid of those caught up in the disaster currently being experienced in the country.
  • He has a friend in Japan who works at an Apple Store. When the earthquake hit all the staff led customers to safety outside his store. As it is a more modern building, it withstood the shaking and remained structurally sound. That’s when the store and other Apple locations like it took on a different purpose.
  • With the backup power still on, and the hardware and networks still operational, people flooded in with their mobile devices to get a signal and check on friends and family. Others huddled around the MacBooks on display to catch up on the news using UStream, Twitter, Facebook, news sites, and through e-mails.
  • As well as offering a way to find out what’s happening, the staff also brought out adapters and power cables so people could charge their devices, they even left the wireless connection active after closing at night to allow anyone passing by outside the chance to get a usable signal.
  • For Apple employees the company went even further. As transport links were down it was agreed that any Apple staff, be it retail or corporate, should use the Apple stores nearest to them to sleep, and family members were welcome too. Senior managers also went and got food and drink supplies to ensure everyone had access to them at the stores. Anyone wanting to try and journey home was told that all their food, drink, and transport costs would be reimbursed. Employees attempting this and getting stuck were also having their hotel costs reimbursed as well.
  • This aid is set to continue for as long as Japan remains in a state of emergency. Apple’s quick decision to forget about everything except the welfare of its employees and people in general has seen it turn into a much needed port in the storm, and the company should be commended for deciding to take on that role. It has surely made all the difference to a lot of people desperate to get in touch with loved ones and who have nowhere else to go right now.

• Mortal Kombat Demo Out on PSN (JP)

Intarweb Goldmine

• What’s Almost as Awesome as Ninja Monkeys? Pirate Monkeys! (udg)
  • Louisiana wildlife officials confiscated four monkeys in pirate costumes from an autistic woman visiting New Orleans for Carnival.
  • Joan Newberger, 66, and her caretaker, James Poole, said they and the four monkeys were dressed as pirates on Bourbon Street when police and wildlife agents approached them and seized the small primates, WWLT-TV, New Orleans, reported.
  • Newberger said the seizure was illegal because the primates are registered as her “service monkeys” with a group in Texas. However, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries said the monkeys do not meet the Americans with Disabilities Act’s definition of service animals.
  • Possession of primates has been illegal in Louisiana since 2006.
  • Newberger is scheduled to appear in the Orleans Parish Municipal Court in July to attempt to get her monkeys back.
  • “This isn’t some wild animal that we snatched out of the swamp in New Orleans and we’re running around making money on it,” Poole said.
  • Seriously? Giver Joan her monkeys back dbags!!!
• He REALLY likes Julia Roberts (JP)
  • Most movie fans would settle for an autograph, but when it comes to celebrity ink, Miljenko Bukovic draws his own lines.
  • He’s a Mexican-born newspaper vendor who has spent roughly $4,000 over the past 10 years tattooing his body with sketches of his favorite American actress, Julia Roberts, according to The Sun.
  • Why? you might ask. “Because she’s beautiful,” he says.
  • All of Bukovic’s tattoos draw on scenes from Roberts’ 2000 classic “Erin Brockovich,” which he readily admits is his favorite movie. And with 82 tats and counting, he plans to continue building the body art collection as long as there’s still space on his skin and cash in his pocket.
  • Don’t bother searching his torso for scenes from “Pretty Woman,” though. Bukovic says he doesn’t approve of his Hollywood heartthrob playing a prostitute.

• Best Employee Termination EVER (udg)
  • In honor of Pi Day and thanks to Tim Hunt!

• • If you can remember Pi to the 46th digit, hallucinogens or not, you are way too overqualified to work at Domino’s.

• Car Crash Victim Sues Paramedic That Stole His Foot (JP)
  • She stole his foot — and now she might have to foot the bill.
  • A former Florida paramedic who snatched a man’s severed foot from the scene of a car crash is being sued by the victim.
  • Cynthia Economou — a former St.Lucie County Fire District firefighter and paramedic — admitted that she took Karl Lambert’s mangled foot in hopes of using the limb to help train her cadaver-sniffing dog after a wreck on I-95 on Sept. 19, 2008.
  • She pleaded no contest to petty theft charges and was sentenced to six months’ probation. But now Lambert is taking her to court in a civil case, seeking unspecified damages, according to TCPalm.com.
  • During sentencing in 2009, Economou said she only took the mangled appendage for her dog because she didn’t think it could be reattached to the victim.
  • “It was an unrecognizable mass of flesh,” she said. “It wasn’t a clean cut. You couldn’t even recognize it as a foot. … If I had thought it was somehow reattachable and usable, I would have gone to my commander.”

Extra Links

• One in Five Brits Believe Light Sabers Exist
• Unique IPad Cover Breakdown
• From SXSW: Guide to Geek Sex

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