Geeks are Sexy Technology News

Darth Maul Soda Box Display [Pic]

Geeks are Sexy — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:31 +0000

Presented without comment.

[Via]

Homemade Portal Valentine’s Day Card

Geeks are Sexy — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 23:00:13 +0000

[Via]

George Orwell Lived Here

Rodney Brazeau — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:00:59 +0000

In the UK, homes and locations marked with these historical plaques indicate which historical figures may have lived or worked in these locales. I tripped over this one online and felt it was worth sharing.

If you don’t understand why this image is laced with deep irony, you need to read more books.
(Note: This is apparently photoshopped – but it’s clever anyway)

Via

Converse One Star Super Mario Bros. Pumps

Geeks are Sexy — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:00:54 +0000

These awesome-looking Converse One Star Super Mario Bros. pumps are due to be released in March 2012. Unfortunately, it appears they’ll only be available in Japan. Sadness.

[Via Likecool]

Sovngarde Song – A Skyrim music video by Miracle Of Sound

Geeks are Sexy — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:00:46 +0000

This is awesome… and Skyrim in this video looks so much better than on my PS3… probably because they grabbed the footage from the PC version.

[Via Being a Geek]

Apple’s grand Frand demands

JLister — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:44 +0000

Apple has asked European officials to make changes that could reduce the number of lawsuits in the mobile tech industry. But while the changes are arguably valid, it’s notable that they are largely beneficial to Apple itself.

The call comes in a letter to the European Telecommunications Standard Institute, sent last November but only just made public. It specifically covers patents that relate to telecommunications standards such as 3G. Firms that work together to develop such standards agree to the principle that any resulting patents should be made available for other firms to license on a “fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory” (Frand) basis. The logic is that this gives greater incentive to work on standards, which in turn helps the market grow and benefits all concerned.

As we noted recently, the European Union is formally investigating whether Samsung has not only breached these principles but is unfairly attempting to enforce the patents as part of the ongoing barrage of lawsuits back and forth between Apple and Android manufacturers.

A similar lawsuit saw Motorola get an injunction this week that banned Apple from selling 3G-enabled devices in Germany, only for Apple to persuade a court to almost immediately put the ban on hold pending legal arguments about whether Motorola had breached FRAND principles. The two sides each claim the other failed to negotiate a licensing deal in good faith.

Apple’s letter to the ETSI says the Frand system needs more consistent and transparent rules. It’s suggesting three formal additions to the principles:

Royalty rates should take into account the relative scale and importance of the company’s patents in question compared to those across the entire industry.
Royalty payments should be calculated by applying the percentage figure to the cost of the relevant components, not the total value of the device.
Patent owners should agree not to seek injunctions for patents that are covered by Frand principles.

The big problem with the call is that although Apple has formally signed up to follow Frand principles, it has very little involvement in developing communications standards (or standards generally, as those attempting to develop a standard charger socket for cellphones in Europe discovered.) That means that however reasonable its suggestions may be, they all work in Apple’s favor while being a mixed bag for its rivals.

Gotham City Imposters is Online Now

Rodney Brazeau — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:00:06 +0000

I just bought myself a copy of Gotham City Imposters on Steam and its worming its way into my hard drive as we speak.

You haven’t heard of Gotham City Imposters? Have you been hiding under a rock? You play a makeshift superhero or supervillain in a deathmatch style romp while Batman is out of town. Check out the trailer:

The game looks wildly fun, and I can’t wait to get my cartoony smash on. There is also a metric pantload of unlockable achievements that can be used to upgrade your toon, but for the slacker with too much money and no desire to earn it, all the unlockable gadgets, costumes, and gear are available via DLC.

Kotaku shares:

The game now has over one hundred selections of downloadable costume pieces, ranging in price from $1 to $4 (80-320 MSP). A majority of the DLC is obtainable the old fashioned way – by playing the game and earning tokens.

Personally, I want to have that pride knowing that if my wannabe Batman is running around in a burlap bag and a tutu that I EARNED it. That and the $15USD price tag on this silly thing is half the appeal.

Paying for content that is unlockable in game just feels cheap and takes half the fun away.

Day of the Tentacle Creator wants to Kickstart a New Game

Rodney Brazeau — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:00:13 +0000

I spent most of my formative days of computing playing puzzle adventure games like Grim Fandango, Full Throttle, Maniac Mansion, and of course its sequel Day of the Tentacle (which actually included a hidden copy of the full Maniac Mansion game IN GAME)

Now, Tim Schafer and Ron Gilbert – the brains behind many of the titles I mentioned above – are attempting to develop a brand new game in that classic adventure puzzle style, but they need your help. They have started a Kickstarter page hoping to generate the funds to back this project.

And why should you donate? Well in the same comedy styling found in those incredible games, Schafer makes some pretty bold promises on their Company page for those willing to lay down some significant coin.

Pledge $15,000 or more: Dinner with Tim Schafer and key members of the dev team.
Pledge $20,000 or more: Dinner and BOWLING with Tim Schafer and key members of the dev team.
Pledge $30,000 or more: Picture of Ron Gilbert smiling.
Pledge $35,000 or more: Undoctored picture of Ron Gilbert smiling.
Pledge $50,000 or more: Become an actual character in the game.
Pledge $150,000 or more:
Tim Schafer (that’s me) will give last four remaining Triangle Boxed Day of the Tentacles, in original shrink-wrap.” (Limit of 1) (Holy crap, what am I thinking? I only have four of those!)

The goal is to generate $400,000, which despite being exactly the kind of money they will need to get this ball rolling, is exactly $400,000 more than I have. I am pledging a few bucks in hopes anyways. I still hope they manage to get the game made.

Trivia fact: I once owned that triangle boxed version of Day of the Tentacle. I still have the disk, but not the box!

Harry Potter in 60 Seconds [Video]

Geeks are Sexy — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:00:33 +0000

Check out Harry Potter in 60 Seconds, our entry for the Virgin Radio Fake Film Festival 2012 contest. Inspired by J. K. Rowling’s famous book series, this video tells the story of our hero’s journey in exactly 60 seconds.

[HPin60]

Amazon Deal of the Day: 69% Off Tron Light Disc Audio Dock – $109.99 + Free Shipping

Geeks are Sexy — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:10:30 +0000

For today’s edition of Deal of the Day, Amazon has the Tron Light Disc Audio Dock for just $109.99 + free shipping. That’s 69% off the audio dock’s usual retail price of $349.95.

Technology: A Total Immersion of Light and Sound. Monster proudly unveils the future of sight, sound and style, inspired by the iconic disc featured in Disney’s epic film, Tron. With its soothing, luminous glow, the dual-pipe lighting rings on the Tron Light Disc Sound Dock come alive to the rhythm of your favorite music. This dazzling synchronized display is more than a conversation piece – it’s a technological work of art that brings the world of Tron straight into your home or office.

-Tron Light Disc Audio Dock (Tron Edition) – ~~$349.95~~ $109.99 (69% Off)

A Day Made of Glass: Taking a Look at the Future of Technology [Video]

Geeks are Sexy — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:00:22 +0000

Watch and share “A Day Made of Glass 2,” Corning’s expanded vision for the future of glass technologies. This video continues the story of how highly engineered glass, with companion technologies, will help shape our world.

[Via]

Fascinating: Killer T Cell Obliterates Cancer Cell [Video]

Geeks are Sexy — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:00:29 +0000

From Professor Gillian Griffiths:

Cells of the immune system protect the body against pathogens. If cells in our bodies are infected by viruses, or become cancerous, then killer cells of the immune system identify and destroy the affected cells. Cytotoxic T cells are very precise and efficient killers. They are able to destroy infected or cancerous cells, without destroying healthy cells surrounding them. The Wellcome Trust funded laboratory of Professor Gillian Griffiths, at the Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, investigates just how this is accomplished. By understanding how this works, we can develop ways to control killer cells. This will allow us to find ways to improve cancer therapies, and ameliorate autoimmune diseases caused when killer cells run amok and attack healthy cells in our bodies.

[Via IHC]