ANGRY BIRDS Causes $1.2 Million BUGATTI Crash
Wednesday, 30th November 2011Posted in Blog Archive, Now I've Seen Everything, Online Video
Tags: angry birds, bugatti crash, controversy, insurace fraud, insurance scandal
Written by: Paul Nyhart
Andy House was the owner of a $1.2 million Bugatti automobile, one of the most expensive and fastest cars that a consumer can buy on planet earth. It has a 1,001 horsepower engine that is capable of reaching 253 mph on a good day.
But here’s the real question…can a Bugatti avoid angry birds? According to House, that answer is no.
House claims that an angry bird, more precisely, a low flying seagull, caused his car to crash and end up in 3 feet of salt water. Due to the wreckage of the automobile, House is claiming $2.2 million for the value he placed on the car, something the insurance company isn’t Keep Reading
Switchcam Compiles YouTube, Fan Videos Into Interactive Concerts
Wednesday, 30th November 2011Posted in Blog Archive, Online Video, Technology
Tags: artists, camera, fan videos, startup, video, youtube
Written by: Jordan Kahn
Have you ever tried to watch fan shot videos of a recent concert or events on YouTube? It usually consists of jumping from one video to another trying to find the best camera angle and highest quality videos. It’s also painfully obvious nobody in the audience was man enough to hold up their camera for an entire two-hour set, leaving you to find bits and pieces of the show.
Thankfully, San Francisco-based startup Switchcam does the dirty work for you…
The company compiles all of the necessary videos to create a full-set list for different concerts, events, and performances, allowing you to seamlessly jump between different camera angles and sections of the set all from one page. Here’s how it works… Keep Reading
Don’t F*ck With Frodnar: The Unnecessary Censorship of Skyrim
Wednesday, 30th November 2011Posted in Blog Archive, Gaming, Online Video
Tags: censorship, skyrim, video, youtube
Written by: Jeff N
Youtube user NormalDifficulty has made it his mission to assemble highlights of the video game industry’s love of pointlessly censoring video games which don’t need censors.
Courtesy of Gamefront comes this week’s victim, Skyrim, who it turns out is a particularly overzealous offender Keep Reading
The Return of Etch-A-Sketch…With Nintendo Controllers
Wednesday, 30th November 2011Posted in Gadgets, Offbeat, Technology
Tags: geek, nes controller, nintendo, toys
Written by: Jeff N
Etch-A-Sketch is often thought stone-age relic, but have the MacGyver-like skills of a certain YouTube user disproved that notion? Could rigging an old school NES controller to the toy enable one to more easily compete in the beautiful but small world of Etch a Sketch artists?
Judging by his elaborate rigging — which features an arduino microcontroller, hooked up to a stepper motor control board, which themselves are hooked up to the knobs — the idea is that one would have an easier time simply using the NES control pad to guide your way onto doing the next masterpiece (or just drawing vaguely suggestive pictures). Keep Reading
‘Infinity Blade 2′ Lands in App Store; Ups The Ante For iOS games
Wednesday, 30th November 2011Posted in Blog Archive, Gaming
Tags: apple, Chair, download, InfinityBlade2, iOS, ipad, iPhone, iTunes, unreal
Written by: Jordan Kahn
The highly anticipated Infinity Blade II from Chair Entertainment, successor to the original Unreal Engine-powered iOS title, was officially slated for a December 1st release.
Today New Zealanders are getting a bit of an early Christmas present with the title already available in the country’s App Store a day before its official launch.
Originally shown off as a free roaming tech demo known as Epic Citadel, the first Infinity Blade title set a new standard for mobile gaming on iOS devices being the first unreal-engine powered game. This was despite the final game being an on-rails hack and slash with minor RPG elements. That game went on to be the fastest grossing iOS title ever taking in $1.6 million in just four days. Keep Reading
Microsoft Lets You Try Out ‘Windows Phone’ On Your iPhone or Android
Wednesday, 30th November 2011Posted in Blog Archive, Gadgets, Technology
Tags: android, demo, HTML5, iOS, iPhone, Mango, microsoft, windows
Written by: Jordan Kahn
Have you ever wanted to see what the Windows Phone experience was all about without having to commit to a handset? Thankfully, Microsoft feels your pain and has now opened up a functioning HTML5 demo of the Windows Phone 7 (Mango) OS that runs on Android and iPhone browsers…
No downloads or installations required, all you have to do is swing by http://aka.ms/wpdemo in your browser of choice. You’ll be presented with an almost fully functioning demo of the OS’s main features.
Unfortunately there are some limitations– you wont get to try out any voice recognition capabilities, and most features Keep Reading
Apple & Google Pass on ESRB Ratings For Mobile Apps
Wednesday, 30th November 2011Posted in Apple, Blog Archive, Gaming
Tags: android, app, apple, AT&T, CTIA, esrb, games, google, mobile, rating, ratings
Written by: Jordan Kahn
So as gamers we are more than aware of the ESRB’s work– you know…the ones responsible for that little black and white rating in the corner of just about every game.
The organization has been assigning the familiar “Everyone”, “Teen”, “Mature 17+”, etc., ratings on video games since around 1994 and now in conjunction with the CTIA are introducing a new rating system for mobile apps and games. Bloomberg reports:
“Mobile applications for smartphones and tablet computers may carry new ratings for violence and sexual content under a wireless Keep Reading
Exclusive ‘Trick James’ Interview: How Great Dubstep is Made
Wednesday, 30th November 2011Posted in Blog Archive, NERDCORE
Tags: artists, Dubstep, interview, Pee Wee Heman Dubstep, Pee-Wee Herman, Trick James
Written by: Jeff N
Creating a great dubstep song is hard enough — listen to any song and you can hear the knack for editing, accuracy, and ingenuity it takes. Almost as difficult: editing together a bunch of movie clips to go with it, all of which need to be just as precisely timed.
But just because we’re gluttons for pain, we needed to know the specifics. Enter dubstep stars Trick James and their collaboration with aspiring Chris Cunningham, Mr. Bo Johnson. Keep Reading
Battlefield U.S.? Is the Government Declaring America a War-Zone?
Wednesday, 30th November 2011Posted in Blog Archive, Keeping it Real, Technology
Tags: Al-Qaeda, battlefield law, milatary, politics, posse comitatus act, united states
Written by: Paul Nyhart
News is beginning to spread its way through the media that American’s rights are under attack, and that the nation famous for fast food and football is now a declarable ‘battlefield’.
If you paid attention to any of the Black Friday events, you might think that battlefield is a fairly accurate assessment. But is the media blowing this story out of proportion or just trying to keep the government honest?
The United States Senate defeated an amendment, 61-37, which ALLOWS suspected Al Qaeda terrorists captured in the U.S. to be held in military, not civilian, custody. Essentially, it makes the National Guard part of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Opponents believe it puts the United States Keep Reading
‘Ghost in the Shell’ Shoes: The Next Best Thing to Being Major Kusanagi
Tuesday, 29th November 2011Posted in Blog Archive, Pop Culture
Tags: Ghost in the Shell, Major Kusinagi, Reebok, shoes, swag
Written by: Jeff N
If you ever admired the Bruce Lee-like dexterity Major Kusanagi used to twist limbs, smash face and break bones in Ghost in the Shell these new shoes might put you that much closer to the action. You’ll probably have to learn kung fu or jeet-kun -whatever, all that stuff, but now you might be .001% closer to at least running like her.
Thanks to Reebok and these new Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex shoes, you’re one step closer. That’s right, GHOST IN THE SHELL HAS ITS OWN SHOE! Keep Reading
Lil Boosie Gets 8 Years For Smuggling Drugs…In Jail
Tuesday, 29th November 2011Posted in Blog Archive, NERDCORE, Now I've Seen Everything
Tags: album, drugs, hip hop, jail, Lil Boosie, murder, prison
Written by: Jeff N
Lil Boosie was sentenced to 8 years today when, according to Vibe, guards found out that both the Louisiana-based rapper and his girlfriend were trying to smuggle drugs into prison. Most ironically of all is how Boosie’s girlfriend is, yes, actually a prison guard at the same jail.
Despite coming from a relatively f*cked up childhood, Boosie seemed on the rise for a while.
His motive and networking skills got him into the rap game back in 2006 when he released Bad Azz, his major album debut. Keep Reading
The Top 5 Most Epic Sci-Fi Movie Bombs…Of All-Time?
Tuesday, 29th November 2011Posted in Blog Archive, Pop Culture
Tags: Dune, money, payment, Pitch Black, Riddick, studio, trouble, trudel, Vin Diesel
Written by: Jeff N
How bad are things when a movie starring a world renowned action film star can’t get off the ground? Maybe a better question is: how far down the action movie ladder has Vin Diesel fallen when his new sequel to Pitch Black can’t catch a break?
But despite getting off the ground earlier this year, the follow up to 2004′s The Chronicles of Riddick suffered some major setbacks when the cast and crew found themselves locked out of shooting quarters.
Great that things are back on track, but such development problems are usually the sign of worse things to come. In celebration of Diesel’s difficulties, here’s a quick look back at some of The 5 Biggest Sci-Fi Bombs of All Time. Keep Reading
Incredible Steve Jobs Portrait Created Using Hand Drawn Words
Tuesday, 29th November 2011Posted in Apple, Blog Archive, Offbeat
Tags: apple, art, drawing, portrait, SteveJobs, tribute, words
Written by: Jordan Kahn
Redditor and art teacher cheeseboyhalpert (we’re assuming that’s not what his students call him) has posted quite an incredible hand drawn portrait of Steve Jobs. The portrait was done using only descriptive words, a technique Halpert plans on teaching his students and also explains in detail in the description below.
As for the portrait, he apologizes that his handwriting became sloppy throughout the process, but promises the entire thing is made up of only handwritten words. The words used include: Steve Jobs, Business, Visionary, Success, CEO, Apple, Macintosh, iPhone, iPad, Pixar, iPod, Multimedia, California, Innovation, Marketing, iTunes, Network, SteveJobsFinger, and SteveJobsRing Keep Reading
Soft Robot Takes Big Steps For Robotics
Tuesday, 29th November 2011Posted in Blog Archive, Technology
Tags: irobot, robot, robotics, science, soft robot
Written by: Paul Nyhart
On the surface it looks like some creepy display at the Nature Store, meant to lure you in but instead making you move on to the next storefront.
But “soft robots” are evolving into more than just narly displays, they’re showing off the advancements being made in robotics. The soft robot can walk and crawl using several different gaits, and can even deflate itself to fit within certain areas, not limited to door cracks, windows, or other crevices… Keep Reading
‘Amuse Me’ Lets You Customize Video Games Starting At $27
Tuesday, 29th November 2011Posted in Blog Archive, Gaming
Tags: AmuseMe, custom, customization, customized, existing, games, mods, personalization, startup, video
Written by: Jordan Kahn
Ever wanted to make your own video game? Maybe you’ve spent countless hours in character creation trying to craft your exact likeness? Customization and built-to-order options are nothing new for consumer products, but up until now, the idea of customizing existing video games with personal touches has been left up to character and level creators or complicated mods, something made-to-measure video game startup Amuse Me plans on changing.
According to a report from The New York Times, Amuse Me is now offering a customized video game service allowing customers to personalize video games with elements inspired by their life stories. Keep Reading
iCam Could Transform Your iPhone 5 Into a DSLR Competitor
Tuesday, 29th November 2011Posted in Apple, Blog Archive, Gadgets, Technology
Tags: accessory, ADR, camera, concept, DSLR, gallery, icam, iPhone5, mockup, point-and-shoot, SteveJobs
Written by: Jordan Kahn
As cameras and smartphones continue to improve, they are quickly replacing our everyday point-and-shoot cams. The iPhone is no exception, with its recent upgrade to a redesigned 8-megapixel camera system in the iPhone 4S earning approval from celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz. It even beat out a $3,000 Canon in a comparison test.
When author Walter Isaacson sat down with Fortune to talk about the ‘Steve Jobs’ bio, he noted Jobs wanted to reinvent three key industries: TV, textbooks, and photography. While we already have insight into his possible plans for a television, and the book sheds light on meetings with publishers to transform the textbook industry, we’re not too sure what Jobs envisioned for his reinvention of photography. Keep Reading
‘Clever Dick’ and other Urine-controlled video games launch in UK
Tuesday, 29th November 2011Posted in Blog Archive, Gaming, Offbeat
Tags: captive, captive media, drinking game, funny video games, game, high scores, offbeat, pee, pub, toilet, urine, urine gaming, video
Written by: Jordan Kahn
UK-based Captive Media might have just launched the world’s first urine-controlled video game with their custom urinal-integrated consoles now installed in the Exhibit Bar in Balham, South London.
The games are far from your average console experience, but according to Metro the bar owner has experienced a 47 percent increase in beer sales, while Captive Media hopes to cash in on targeted ads. Keep Reading
Could Cloud Computers Replace Your Space-Heater?
Monday, 28th November 2011Posted in Technology
Tags: cloud computing, data, data furnaces, farms, server, server farms, study
Written by: Jordan Kahn
An interesting new study from the University of Michigan and Microsoft, shows how cloud computing, and specifically the heat-generating servers that power it, could be used to cost effectively and efficiently heat people’s homes, buildings, and schools.
With Apple, Facebook, Google, and most of the major internet players recently beefing up their server farms to accommodate their growing cloud services, the study argues these “data furnaces” would improve Keep Reading
‘Kinect 2′ Will Be Able To Read Your Lips & Sense Emotions
Monday, 28th November 2011Posted in Apple, Blog Archive, Gaming, Technology
Tags: 2012, apple, bundled, Eurogamer, high, kinect, Kinect2, main, new, res, second-generation, straight
Written by: Jordan Kahn
If an unnamed “development source” is to be believed, Eurogamer claims to have some interesting details about the yet to be announced second-generation Kinect.
In fact, they say it will be quite a significant upgrade in terms of processing power, enabling games to do things like “lip read, detect when players are angry, and determine in which direction they are facing.”
The peripheral will also reportedly be able to track precise facial movements and the pitch and levels of a player’s voice to determine mood. These features were not currently possible due Keep Reading
‘Pixels’ Coming to the Big Screen in 2013
Monday, 28th November 2011Posted in Blog Archive, Gaming
Tags: movies, online video, pixels, shorts, video game movies
Written by: Jeff N
The viral video hit from a couple years ago by Patrick Jean, PIXELS, is getting turned into a full-length movie for release in May 17th, 2013.
The video details the invasion of a (New York?) city by an army of steadily multiplying pixels that basically destroy everything they come into contact with — 80s arcade staples like Space Invaders, Tetris Blocks, and Donkey Kong being the main culprits. Keep Reading
SEASON 5 IS COMING…
More Music From Jace Hall
