Apreche Stalker

GeekNights 20150929 - Fresh Fish

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Wed, 30 Sep 2015 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights we review a nice board game Fresh Fish by Friedemann Friese. We also talk about a bunch of other games we played at PAX Prime 2015 such as Tumblin' Dice, Viticulture, and Elysium.

GeekNights 20150917 - The Eye of the World

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Fri, 18 Sep 2015 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on the GeekNights Book Club we discuss the first book in Robert Jordan's famous epic fantasy series "The Wheel of Time" entitled "The Eye of the World." There is no news in this episode since we pushed it out in a hurry before Rym went on a business trip.

GeekNights 20150914 - Rocket League

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Tue, 15 Sep 2015 02:00:00 +0000

Rocket League is our game of choice, and is a rising/risen star of eSports already. It is also the topic of GeekNights tonight. Niantic, the people who made Ingress (the first modern ongoing AR game), are making Pokemon GO, possibly bringing ruin to the world, and definitely replacing all other candy boxes.

GeekNights 20150909 - One Punch Man Preview

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Thu, 10 Sep 2015 02:00:00 +0000

One Punch Man - the anime TV series - is about to air. We here on GeekNights have watched one episode (poorly subtitled and badly bootlegged) to confirm that it is everything you could ever have hoped it to be. Descender (Jeff Lemire) is out, as it the latest Saga trade. Rym and Emily are deeply into the surprisingly human Bojack Horseman. Tons of old Streamline dubs of 90s OAVs like 8 Man After are just hanging out on youtube.

GeekNights 20150820 - Cookies

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Fri, 21 Aug 2015 02:00:00 +0000

Cookies are delicious, and they are the topic of tonight's GeekNights. We also talk about our NASes. The Ashley Madison hack raises many complex issues, which are being discussed in the GeekNights forum. Athletes are paid a lot, but are they overpaid? (This will be covered in depth in one of our PAX Panels - Sports are Games).

GeekNights 20150818 - Dance Dance Revolution

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 02:00:00 +0000

Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) is the topic of tonight's GeekNights. It's one of the more important games ever made, and you would do yourself a favor by trying it if you've never played. The PAX Prime 2015 Schedule is live, including two panels with us! Fig, purporting to be Kickstarter for equity, launches with some smart people working for them. If they succeed, this will be a gamechanger. Literally. We also had a powerful game of Tigris & Euphrates, which remains to this day our favorite tabletop orthogame.

We previously discussed DDR in an ancient (2006) review of DDR Supernova in Wildwood in the waning days of the last arcades. We also gave a lecture on DDR and similar games at PAX Prime 2011!

GeekNights 20150810 - HTTP Proxies

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Tue, 11 Aug 2015 02:00:00 +0000

HTTP Proxies can be used for good or evil, and are generally a good thing to know about. Tonight on GeekNights, we consider the high level of what they are, where they're used, and how you can mess with your friends with them. Google has restructured under Alphabet, likely as a giant middle finger to ridiculous European regulation. The rapid rise of cord cutting and ad blocking accelerates with possible devastating (and deserved) consequences. Scotland hilariously bans "genetically modified crops." Linux servers make too little entropy, which itself is ever more crucial to secure operations. North Korea targets Rym with its new time zone. We've also upgraded the GeekNights production systems to Windows 10 with basically no problems.

Don't forget to come see us at PAX Prime and CHIFOO!

GeekNights 20150806 - The Lightning Round

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Fri, 07 Aug 2015 02:00:00 +0000

It's the GeekNights Lightning Round! Tonight, rather than a single topic, we tackle several in a row with a one-minute time limit!

credit cards
ISIS
planned parenthood
shaving my head
water bottles
diamond industry
best skills and practices for being an informed nerd
obesity/HAES
hopes/dreams/wishes for a Settlers of Catan Movie or TV Show
Go
Boston's olympic bid
the whole Uber/Lyft/Whatever paradigm, medallions, regulation, deregulation, etc...
favorite ghost stories, urban legends, and/or mythological creatures?
gardening
yogurt
political polls
the FIX protocol
doughnuts
kids' bathroom toys
Chinese American food
mugging, pickpocketing and other street crime
the Singularity
soldering
kitchen technology - fridges, microwaves and other kitchen appliances.
anger management
2016 Republican primary
guaranteed income
socks

Don't forget to come see us live at PAX Prime 2015!

GeekNights 20150804 - Conrad Kreyling and Date Nighto

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 02:00:00 +0000

Conrad Kreyling, founder of Date Nighto who once saw a ghost, joins us to talk about the mad odyssey of founding a game studio, making visual novels, and life in general. Starfighter, Hustle Cat, and now more newly announced titles! SDGQ 2015 is over, with an epic Chrono Trigger finale. Battle for Wesnoth (which we've discussed on GeekNights before) desperately needs developers. Scoville is pretty good.

Join us at PAX Prime 2015, where Jo (also from Date Nighto), three other smart people, and us are going to talk about games!

GeekNights 20150729 - Vampire Hunter D and Gundam The Origin

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Thu, 30 Jul 2015 02:00:00 +0000

Vampire Hunter D (1985), the OAV that was Rym's first anime, and Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin, the fantastic manga, are the topics of tonight's GeekNights. Otakon 2015's attendance dropped substantially, and we speculate on what this means in light of near across-the-board drops for many other anime/fan conventions, nonetheless contrasted by growth in other cons like Anime Boston 2015.

GeekNights 20150727 - When Services Die

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Tue, 28 Jul 2015 02:00:00 +0000

When services disappear, they often disrupt. Tonight on GeekNights, we consider dead, dying, end-of-life, deprecated, and dilapidated services in light of Google blocking access to their unsupported auto-complete API and Nintendo dropping their Nintendo TVii service (if anyone even knew it existed). Windows 10 day is tomorrow (we're upgrading all of our devices). You should buy an SSD if you don't already run the OS on one, upgrade, then use the new install media to re-install on the SSD. Trust us. Windows 10 Home will force Windows Updates. This is a good thing. Oleogustus joins sweet, savory, sour, bitter, and umami as a fundamental tongue taste. Pentaquarks were observed in LHC experiments. Some people are failure canaries.

Come see us live at PAX Prime 2015! We'll be there in style!

GeekNights 20150723 - Belts

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Fri, 24 Jul 2015 02:00:00 +0000

Belts are the fascinating topic of tonight's GeekNights. Lately we wear these things. But first, you would do well to share your salaries with your friends. You will never escape ads, which are largely fraudulent, and may not even be morally justifiable.

Don't forget to come see a bunch of smart people (and also us) at the Primest of PAXes.

GeekNights 20150721 - The Jackbox Party Pack

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Wed, 22 Jul 2015 02:00:00 +0000

The Jackbox Party Pack is what impressed us enough to talk about it tonight on GeekNights. It fulfills the promise that Nintendo has so long ignored, and works surprisingly well using smartphones as 8-player game controllers. Shenmue III is actually happening thanks to a 6MM Kickstarter, and we expect to to be just like I and II. (It was a different time in those Dreamcast days). Professional Counter-Strike players flat-out admit to using performance enhancing drugs, and equipment failure issues at the EVO 2015 Street Fighter IV championship show the slow but steady progress of professional esport evolution.

GeekNights 20150707 - Lost Cities

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 02:00:00 +0000

Lost Cities somehow escaped our baleful gaze, so tonight on GeekNights, we review Reiner Knizia's Lost Cities. It's a fantastic two-player game. In other news, if you look older, you probably are (effectively) older. Cold Express wins the Spiel des Jahres 2015, Twitch Plays Pokemon has a sad successor, and the button is no more. We will be live at ConnectiCon 2015!

GeekNights 20150629 - Buying a new PC in 2015

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Tue, 30 Jun 2015 02:00:00 +0000

Rym is considering buying a new PC to replace his i7-920 from 2009. Despite even a ridiculous spec being pretty reasonable, it's worth it to hold out until fall for skylake. Thunderbolt 3.0 will use USB-C connectors, bringing a grand cable unification. So get used to this guy. Scott brings us a review of the Livewedge video streaming device.

Don't forget to come to ConnectiCon if you live anywhere on the Northeast Coast: it's an amazing con, and there isn't much else like it.

GeekNights 20150625 - Furniture

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Fri, 26 Jun 2015 02:00:00 +0000

Furniture is the topic of tonight's GeekNights. But first, Rym explains why there wasn't an episode on Tuesday (but happily, it will rise from the dead thanks in large part to @tresi), and Apple has thrown the baby out with the bathwater banning ALL instances of the rebel traitor flag in the App Store, including historical, cultural, and other entirely benign uses (e.g., a Civil War simulation game). We also talk about doctors and the hypochondrium, but hopefully neither one of us is dying.

Check out our video of Bad Games from PAX South, as well as snippets from it on Go, MOBAs, and Racewalking!

GeekNights 20150623 - The new Wolfenstein Games

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 02:00:00 +0000

After talking at length about Wil Wheaton violating his own rule in the botched run of Tabletop, we discuss the new games in the Wolfenstein series, following our friend William "B.J." Blazkowicz through Wolfenstein: The New Order and Wolfenstein: The Old Blood. This was very nearly a lost episode of GeekNights, so the quality isn't up to the par of our 10-years 1,100ish episode run to date. But it's not lost. It's UN-lost.

GeekNights 20150617 - Ore Monogatari!!

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Thu, 18 Jun 2015 02:00:00 +0000

Ore Monogatari!! (My Love Story!!) (俺物語!!) is the topic of tonight's GeekNights. It's a fun show that breaks from the typical path for this sort of thing. Parts of it remind us of Here is Greenwood. Definitely a show to finish. Based on the manga by Kazune Kawahara. In other news, it's the 30th anniversary of Studio Ghibli! Anime Next is moving to Atlantic City for 2016! Beach con! The CBLDF still matters, as this adult women is deeply afraid of assigned comic reading in here college English classes.

GeekNights 20150615 - Sneakernets

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Tue, 16 Jun 2015 02:00:00 +0000

Sneakernet is how one used to acquire what was at the time known as warez. It's also how Cubans have received "the packet." Physical data transfer is far from dead. In the news, there is tons of Apple news (like Swift going open source and split screen app use on the iPad), encryption and anonymous speech are crucial in the fight against corruption, and injectable brain meshes are a real thing.

Come see us at ConnectiCon 2015 in July! Watch our lecture from PAX South on Bad Games!

GeekNights 20150611 - Luggage

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Fri, 12 Jun 2015 02:00:00 +0000

Luggage is the topic of GeekNights tonight, since we apparently already did an episode on hats back in 2012. In the news, there was a great disturbance in the Net, as if millions of shitheads cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. (Reddit has banned several egregious subreddits). Lancaster shows us the same behavior that makes these people so terrible. Apparently GeekNights has a subreddit. Pizza hut did a good thing. Come to ConnectiCon. See panels and workshops! See screenings!

GeekNights 20150609 - Time Crisis 5

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Wed, 10 Jun 2015 02:00:00 +0000

Time Crisis 5 is the topic of GeekNights tonight, having just played a bunch of it in Wildwood this past weekend. We haven't discussed Time Crisis since 2006! Time Crisis is (was) a staple of arcade gun games, and 5 is a fine addition to the franchise. In other news, the Megaman Legacy Collection is coming and stress is driving developers out of the videogame industry. Come see us at ConnectiCon in a month!

GeekNights 20150601 - Trusting Application Downloads

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Tue, 02 Jun 2015 02:00:00 +0000

How do you trust the software you download is what you think it is? Tonight on GeekNights, we explore that question in light of Sourceforge's disgraceful ad-fueled intrusion into the GIMP's installer on their site. In other news, MinGW conflicts badly with MSVCRT in some situations to mess up your floating point numbers, and Google has made a big move by separating Google Photos from G+, giving it unlimited storage, and having a killer UX.

Don't forget that there are many different feeds for subscribing to GeekNights exactly how you like! Also, if you want us to come to our third PAX Australia in a row, let us know!

GeekNights 20150528 - Watership Down

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Fri, 29 May 2015 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we finally talk about Watership Down now that Scott has read it (it only took him eight months)! It's a fine book worthy of the wide praise it continues to receive. In the news, Nebraska begins a possible turn of the tide as it becomes the first conservative US state since the early 70s to ban the death penalty, and FIFA is beginning to get what it deserves. If you're thinking of seeing Manhattanhenge in person: don't. Just look at these photos instead.

GeekNights 20150526 - Heroes of the Storm: Initial Thoughts

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Wed, 27 May 2015 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we bring to you our initial thoughts on Blizzard's not-a-MOBA-we-swear-to-god Heroes of the Storm. It is to MOBAs what Team Fortress 2 is to... well... Team Fortress games (TF, MegaTF, Weapons Factors, TFC, etc...). In other news, Rym tried out an Escape the Room for some real-life Layton, and the Star Wars pod can be yours for a token $100,000.

After a brief outage, the main GeekNights Feed is now back up on iTunes for your listening pleasure. And in case you didn't know, we have many other options for subscription, including a feed of random old episodes from our ten year 100+ episode run!

GeekNights 20150518 - Ad Blocking

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Tue, 19 May 2015 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, from host file to adblock, we discuss the technology of ad blocking. European telecoms are considering blocking ads on mobile networks (in an egregious and bad-faith violation of basic network neutrality). A drug dealer was caught in a particularly interesting way. Windows 10 isn't a free upgrade for pirates. Slashdot's community has gotten increasingly conservative and regressive.

GeekNights 20150514 - Nuts

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Fri, 15 May 2015 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we talk about nuts. In the news, Amtrak's horrific and deadly accident, easily prevented by basic technology denied funding by the US Republican party, is one of the worst train disasters in modern American history. Mother Fucking Wegmans is coming to New York, making this place even more perfect. Jem and the Holograms is getting the saddest and most inexplicable reboot imaginable, evoking memories of a dark age.

GeekNights 20150512 - Cordial Minuet

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Wed, 13 May 2015 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we review Jason Rohrer's real money gambling game Cordial Minuet. It's a pure game theory strategy game that you can only play for real money. In the news, there isn't enough news to discuss Kojima's departure just yet, but mark our words: this is going to send reverberations throughout the gaming world. Beyond that, GOG now released the correct version of TIE Fighter, and Koji Igarashi is making Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night in answer to all of our prayers.

GeekNights 20150427 - Tech News Roundup April 2015

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, there's more tech news than we have time to talk about, so we focus on age-discrimination claims against Google, the launch of the iWatch, another victory for the Internet with the breakdown of the Comcast/TWC merger, the EU's misguided antitrust suit against Google, enemies of mine enemies fighting one another in the TV/cable network race toward grim death, and a turning point where robots are replacing migrant and seasonal labor in agriculture.

In other news, Rym finally bought a new phone and GeekNights will have one final hiatus next week while he is in Hong Kong before returning to our full regular schedule!

GeekNights 20150414 - Sheriff of Nottingham and Mount Your Friends

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Wed, 15 Apr 2015 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we fully review Sheriff of Nottingham (it's a great game in the same social category as Bohnanza) and Mount Your Friends (gifted to us by a friend and played to great effect at a PAX). Both are solid additions to your collection of games that you can whip out at a party without derailing the social scene. In the news, we've been playing a lot of Dance Dance Revolution again, Hearthstone is coming to iPhone, and a Turkish mayor implores you to respect the robot.

GeekNights 20150408 - Anime Boston and Zenkaikon 2015

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Thu, 09 Apr 2015 02:00:00 +0000

It's the end of con season until ConnectiCon, so we talk about our great experiences at Anime Boston 2015 and Zenkaikon 2015! In the news Pones started up again, and we talk about some of the shows that looked OK from our Judge Anime By Its Cover Summer 2015 panel. We also want to hear your speculation on why fursuits are becoming more and more prominent at anime cons. Anime Boston in particular impressed us with an uptick in interest in academic panels over other content, and we plan to return for 2016!

GeekNights 20150407 - FPGAs and Parallel Computing

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Wed, 08 Apr 2015 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we talk on a high level about FPGAs and massively parallel computing technology like CUDA or Intel Phi. In the news, LG may have leaked Apple's ridiculous 8k displays, Hyundai is releasing a production semi-automnomous car this year (hot on the heels of similar announcements from other vendors), and Estonia has opened its E-residency to the world!

We're back from Anime Boston, and you can expect at least a few weeks of regularly scheduled episodes before Rym heads back overseas!

GeekNights 20150331 - XCOM: The Board Game Review

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Wed, 01 Apr 2015 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we properly review XCOM: The Board Game having played it again outside of PAX. We also now have a proper review of Red7 and a confirmed positive opinion on Navegadore. Tomorrow is ruin the Internet day, so don't prank anyone unless it's actually a good prank. Also, come see us live at Anime Boston 2015!

GeekNights 20150320 - San Antonio Texas

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Sat, 21 Mar 2015 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we review the city of San Antonio, Texas. We were stuck there for several days after PAX South thanks to the blizzard in the northeast canceling our flights. In the news, Microsoft is giving everyone a free upgrade to Windows 10, though won't be supporting the pirates after that. In a word, it's confusing. Meanwhile, Musk and Kalanick both say (correctly) that self-driving cars will replace human drivers, but Lyft's Green panders to the luddites in insisting that this won't happen.

GeekNights 20150317 - Games of PAX East 2015

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we talk about all (except one) of the games we played at PAX East 2015 that stood out in some way. VA-11 HALL-A (Papers Please + visual novel + that bar in Idoru) looks amazing. Red7 is a solid warmup game. One More Line falls short. Videoball will be the fucking breakout game of the future (and we have formed a professional Videoball team). Morels is a solid 2-player game (one step under Battle Line, but much shorter).

In other news, Hotline Miami 2 releases to mixed reviews, Overwatch brings another chapter to the Blizzard vs Valve head-to-head, Long Live the Queen is worth playing, and we will be performing live at both Zenkaikon and Anime Boston Your text to link... this year!

GeekNights 20150303 - Games at PAX South 2015

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Wed, 04 Mar 2015 03:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we talk about some of the games we played at PAX South 2015! Navegadore, Sheriff of Nottingham, Doom, USCMC, Bring Your Own Book, Real Money Gampling (Cordial Minuet), Videoball (a breakout game: mark our words), and Starr Mazer.

Beyond that, Scott's been playing a bunch of Skeleton Clicker (released as Diablo 3 in the US) and Rym's been playing Five Nights at Freddy's 3. Don't forget to come see our panel at PAX East 2015 this weekend!

GeekNights 20150225 - Horror News and Parasyte

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Thu, 26 Feb 2015 03:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we talk about two horror(ish) anime that we're watching recently: Horror News and Parasyte -the maxim-! But first, Rym (and Emily) are obsessed with Ikuhara's currently running Yuri Kuma Arashi (Lesbian Bear Storm) (Love Bullet) the Oscars (no surprise) snubbed those Chinese cartoons, and Sex Criminals is getting a TV series.

We're going to be live at PAX East 2015 with What is Losing?

GeekNights 20150223 - Never Trust Lenovo Again

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Tue, 24 Feb 2015 03:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we discuss Lenovo's egregious violation of trust in bundling ad-inserting SSL-attacking malware with their computers. The malware included a SuperFish self-signed SSL certificate allowing straight-up man-in-the-middle attacks, complete with the now-known password "komodia". Even better, "komodia" is an obvious reference to the Komodia Redirector Framework, a ready-made SSL manipulation tool. EVEN BETTER, the Komodia site is now down under the load (and a claimed DDOS). The US Department of Homeland Security has gotten involved, at least one lawsuit has begun against Lenovo, and companies like Microsoft and McAfee have added SuperFish to their antivirus software. We humbly suggest that you never trust Lenovo hardware ever again.

In other news, Rym and Scott lost some money in a bad bet regarding Apple and OSX's Gatekeeper back in 2012, Waze is angering NIMBY Luddites by better utilizing public roads, and the US government move a tiny step closer to actually doing something resembling the right thing regarding Net Neutrality.

GeekNights 20150120 - King's Forge

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Wed, 21 Jan 2015 03:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we review the mediocre King's Forge, serving alongside Ground Floor as an example of why Kickstarter tabletop games are more often than not best avoided. In the news, Club Nintendo is dead and more old Star Wars games have come to GOG, including the last of the great Star Wars freespace shooters: X-Wing Alliance.

Don't forget to come see us live at PAX South 2015 with Bad Games on Sunday! Also, be sure to check out Rym's new Advance Wars streaming series.

GeekNights 20150114 - Song of the Sea

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 03:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we review Tomm Moore's fantastic Song of the Sea. It's far and away better than The Secret of Kells, itself an excellent film. Before that, Rym has re-discovered the at-one-time-well-known 90s shows The Critic and Duckman, which are both... interesting... from a modern perspective (and available on Youtube). Ghost in the Shell joins the long line of failed attempts to adapt anime into live action in the US, complete with the whitewashing, and one of the last major comic cons that's actually about mainstream comics - Emerald City Comic Con - moves under Reedpop's control.

GeekNights 20150108 - Predator

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Fri, 09 Jan 2015 03:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we have us some fun with Predator (1987), the classic Arnold movie whose cast brought us not one, but two US state governors. In the news, Yuu Miyake is performing at MAGFest 2015, we (GeekNights) are performing at PAX South 2015 that same weekend, and the social media "years in review" aren't always the best for people whose years weren't so great.

GeekNights 20150106 - Losing: PAX Australia 2014

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Wed, 07 Jan 2015 03:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we present the full audio of Rym's second PAX Australia lecture: Losing.

Winning is good, and losing is bad. We strive to win, and this is the basis for most of the games we play. Challenges are binary: we either overcome them, advancing the story, or fail, and must try again. But, what if we were to toss this conventional wisdom aside? Do we really only have fun when we win? Have you ever had that moment in a game where epic and total failure was the most memorable part? What kinds of games would arise if we strove to make losing, instead of winning, the point?

GeekNights 20141223 - Home Versions of Game Shows

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Wed, 24 Dec 2014 03:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we talk about the unique space of home editions of game shows. In the news, Counterstike is using something like Elo ratings, confusing the silvers. Also, Awesome Games Done Quick is rocking 2015, especially with Dynamite Headdy on 1/5/2015 @ 3:55:00 AM. ConnectiCon panel submissions are OPEN!

GeekNights 20141217 - Cucumber Quest

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Thu, 18 Dec 2014 03:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we review the delightful webcomic Cucumber Quest by Gigi d.g. Beautiful art, great characters: in some ways a cross between the fantasy parts of Bone and the zany fun of Adventure Time. But first, Sailor Moon Crystal is basically being reanimated in a style more like the original anime on Blu Ray, so there's literally no reason to watch it on TV/Crunchyroll. Rym gives us a brief review of Rick and Morty (of which he is a great fan), and Brian K. Vaughan is in New York (as you should be).

GeekNights 20141215 - Will AI Destroy Us?

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Tue, 16 Dec 2014 03:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we consider whether Artificial Intelligence (in the future tech magic sense) will destroy humanity or make everything awesome. Will AIs replace us, or will they treat us the way we treat ants? In the news, T-Mobile continues to play catch-up, but will have Uncarrier 8.0 tomorrow, HIV is evolving to be less infectious/deadly, and morons are angry at flickr for their own moronitude about what the Creative Commons license actually means.

GeekNights 20141211 - Busses

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Fri, 12 Dec 2014 03:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we discuss busses, possibly the worst form of transportation. In the news, the pirate bay has been shut down again, this time possibly for good, dim people are suing Adblock, adblocking software is escalating the war on ads (though this is not new to people who actually know things), and Internt ads are mostly clicked on by bots likely run by organized crime, making the whole thing a giant money laundering scam. (See also some free-to-play games).

GeekNights 20141209 - Wizard

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Wed, 10 Dec 2014 03:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we review Wizard, which was the GeekNights breakout game of PAX Australia 2014! In the news, there was officiating/game drama at the Dreamhack Winter CounterStrike tournament (leading to some debate in the forum), and Tekken fans are mad about a new character in Tekken. Also, be sure to come see us at PAX South!

GeekNights 20141203 - Prophecy

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Thu, 04 Dec 2014 03:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we review Tetsuya Tsutui's Prophecy (manga). It's essentially about 4chan terrorists who understand technology and act accordingly. The tech is surprisingly realistic. If the topic scares you: it should. Interestingly, the best source of information on this manga is its French wikipedia page.

Rym made an AMV, and in doing so discovered (through intense archaeological excavation) that animemusicvideos.org still exists, largely unchanged from ancient times. Otakon, after their ridiculous badge disaster, has finally decided to almost maybe do the right thing and MAIL the BADGES. (Vote in their poll: it ends December 5th!) Also, The Kingdom of Dreams & Madness is airing in New York, but don't bother seeing it in person: it will be available for digital download on December 9th!

GeekNights 20141201 - Buying Other People Computers

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Tue, 02 Dec 2014 03:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we talk about how to buy or recommend computers for other people. As in, the people who will call you for help when they eventually fail. Rym had good luck with the Newegg iBUYPOWER configurator thingie. Gerrymandering can be analyzed, quantified, and solved with mathematics. The European Parliament tothlessly declared that Google should be broken up. Blackberry is so desperate they'll buy your iPhone.

The GeekNights Book Club book is now Watership Down. Also, rent can't be paid with anything other than paper in New York, and there's talk of laundry.

GeekNights 20141119 - Bee and Puppycat

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Thu, 20 Nov 2014 03:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we review the new episodes of Bee and Puppycat on Cartoon Hangover. It's a delightful show, and there's every reason to watch it. Rym also brings us some thoughts on the cartoons he's been watching lately (The Amazing World of Gumball, Steven Universe, Sailor Moon (again), Sailor Moon Crystal, and My Little Pony: Rainbow Rocks (don't watch that one). In Japan, the top two anime on TV are still Sazae-san and Doraemon.

GeekNights 20141117 - What Phone Should Rym Buy?

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Tue, 18 Nov 2014 03:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, Rym debates what phone he should buy to replace his Nexus 4. The Sony Z3 compact is the smallest (smaller than the iPhone 6), but is still a god damned monster. In the end, the best cell phone to buy at the end of 2014 is either the iPhone 5s or the Nexus 4. In the news, you can sort of build an actual PC on Newegg, New York's gentrification monoliths are getting gigabit WiFi, Google Glass is "dead," at least for mass market consumers, but still has massive utility in professional spaces. Also, you can start to earnestly debate whether or not it's immoral to torture a simulated creature.

GeekNights 20141113 - Apples

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 03:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, in another of the ever-popular food shows, we talk about apples. Since is a very New York topic, we have a good deal of other New York talk as well. From Rym's encounter with a subway commotion to Scott's encounter with a little box on fire to the scaffold drama at 1WTC, it's a New York night! Also, Amazon and Hachette have apparently resolved their dispute.

GeekNights 20141111 - Super Smash Brothers 3DS

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 03:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, back from PAX Australia and resuming our regular schedule (as well as our ninth year of the show), we bring you our coverage of PAX Australis 2014, our review (and old-man talk) of and around Super Smash Brothers on the 3DS, discussion of cheating in tabletop tournaments, amazing competition at the Fantasy Flight world championships, Blizzard's Overwatch, Kotaku's unfortunate character count in the title of their recent article on it, and Five Nights at Freddy's 2.

GeekNights 20141106 - US Midterm Election Special

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Fri, 07 Nov 2014 03:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, Rym is back from PAX Australia, and we're finally resuming our regular schedule next week! But, to get the ball rolling, and considering several of our friends voted incorrectly in the US New York State Midterm Elections of 2014, we discuss how and why we voted. (No on 1, Yes on 2, Yes on 3). Rym tells us a little about his time in Sydney before PAX, and Scott tells us about the Fantasy Flight streams and the Netrunner World Championships.

GeekNights 20141016 - Sunglasses

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Fri, 17 Oct 2014 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we talk about sunglasses. Also a little at the end about roller coasters. Ecigs definitely leave an odor residue (distinctive of "brown permanent marker"). Apple announced some stuff, including a ridiculous monitor we both want but can't get. There was also a squandered incident involving a fan.

GeekNights 20141008 - Anime We Never Reviewed

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Thu, 09 Oct 2014 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, as we struggle to watch enough new anime to warrant serious reviews in a timely fashion, we talk about some of the bigger shows we've, for various reasons, never actually reviewed. Roughly: Kaze no Yojimbo, Nadesico, KOR (Kimagure Orange Road), Marmalade Boy, Fushigi Yugi, Inu Yasha, Kodocha, MKR (Magic Knight Rayearth), Lodoss War, AMG (Ah My Goddess!), and Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, Conqueror of Shamballa.

In the news, Saturday Morning Cartoons are dead and Mathew Klickstein, now (thankfully) kicked out of presenting at the New York Comic Con, revealed through his bizarre and racist rant in a recent interview just how, well, racist he is.

GeekNights 20141002 - Book Club: A Canticle for Leibowitz

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Fri, 03 Oct 2014 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on the GeekNights Book Club, we discuss A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller. It was definitely worth reading as an example of one of the first modern post-apocalyptic stories. It reads like an author exploring an idea (the idea being nuclear holocaust and the nature of man and technology), and presents ambivalent, sometimes contrary themes. In the news, New York failed at time capsule, we consider stealing the Westinghouse Time Capsules, you should check out the Hatsune Miku Expo, as well as this SECRET BURGER CRAWL, and Ghibli's The Tale of Princess Kaguya (assuming you're in New York).

GeekNights 20140930 - Pandante

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Wed, 01 Oct 2014 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we review Pandante, which is far more fun than it has any right to be. It distills the interesting/fun parts of Texas Holdem and is an excellent social/starter game. Floosh. Before that, Rym has some praise for Five Nights at Freddy's (it is easily the most stressful game he has ever played), and Smash Brothers is finally coming for the 3DS.

GeekNights 20140924 - Gundam Unicorn UC

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Thu, 25 Sep 2014 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we review Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn. It's basically pornography for Gundam fans, and might be both incomprehensible and emotionally void if you aren't too knowledgeable about Gundam. In the news, GeekNights is back! At least, back until Rym goes to PAX Australia. Hatsune Miku will have a concert in New York in October. Scott tells us how not to pronounce Rosh Hashanah, and South Park is back tonight!

GeekNights 20140910 - Blue Blazes

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Thu, 11 Sep 2014 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we talk about Blue Blazes (Aoi Honō - アオイホノオ). If you know the basic history of aniem and manga, you'll probably really, really enjoy it. In the news, Rym is sort of enjoying The Adventures of Gumball, and a second season of Yowapeda is coming in October! Rym is lecturing at PAX AUS! Scott is dying of terbuculic whooping cough!

GeekNights 20140908 - Upgrading PCs

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Tue, 09 Sep 2014 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, in response to some unnamed friends not understanding when/how to upgrade their computers, we talk about upgrading computers. From the "$300 for 4MB of RAM" era to the "upgrade every component every six months" era to the modern "just get a new video card and maybe an SSD" era, there's fun for the whole family. But seriously, just upgrade your video card. It's way, way cheaper than buying a new computer.

In the news, Tivo still exists, and is selling a $5,000... NAS/HTPC? (To whom?) Also, the FAA is going after drone users and all the amazing things they're using them for.

GeekNights 20140904 - Judith on the Spot

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Fri, 05 Sep 2014 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, Scott literally forgot to come to the studio, so rather than demonstrate the GeekNights process to our studio guest, I put Judith (@loltsundere) on the spot and made her a guest host. So what do we talk about? A bunch of meta about how GeekNights is made. Also Adventure Time, Teen Titans Go, Gay Marriage Victory, how horrible Louisiana is, the ridiculous Neckbeard Benghazi that is "#gamergate", and a bunch of other stuff. It's totally fun.

GeekNights 20140825 - Electricity

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Tue, 26 Aug 2014 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, Rym having realized just how many circuits the apartment has (and having no better excuse to banter for a while), we talk a vaguely about electricity (in the thick wire sense). Don't use cheap USB chargers. In the news, Amazon buys Twitch, and the Great Linux Divide is growing greater.

The official PAX Prime GeekNights Meetup will be right after our panel - Why no one will Game with You - in the Sandworm Theatre.

GeekNights 20140821 - AVGN: The Movie: The Experience

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Fri, 22 Aug 2014 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we review the perfectly solid, definitely-worth-seeing Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie. We were able to attend a screening in New York, and it was definitely worth it. We review the movie (no spoilers: don't worry)... but we also review the crowd. They were, shall we say, maximal in many attributes. In the news, the US Copyright Office gives clear direction that it will not register copyright on a picture taken by a monkey, and you shouldn't post photos of your giant pile of cash on social media: someone might murder you for it.

GeekNights 20140814 - Last Week Tonight and the Daily Show

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Fri, 15 Aug 2014 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, with Emily replacing Scott, we talk about The Daily Show (which Rym has watched for a decade longer than Emily has) and Last Week Tonight. In the news, we talk about the ridiculous and tragic situation in Ferguson and what happens when you give small town police departments in racially tense regions paramilitary hardware and little oversight. Also, change.

GeekNights 20140811 - IT Disasters

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Tue, 12 Aug 2014 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, in light of Otakon 2014's spectacular pre-registration badge pickup system failure, we discuss how to identify, mitigate, and entirely avoid IT disasters. We've both seen our share of them (from incorrectly configured servers to mystery Ethernet drops, disabled iptables to ENABLED selinux). Learn why your procedures should never involve "copying the /opt directory." In the news, Yahoo is rolling out browser-to-browser email encryption and Google is claiming to uprank search results for encrypted sites.

GeekNights 20140807 - Salad

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Fri, 08 Aug 2014 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we talk about salads. Garden Salad, Cobb Salad, Caesar Salad, Chef Salad, Salad Days, etc... Should you cut or tear lettuce? What kinds of tomatoes? Kale? Arugula? Advanced Crackers? In the news, we discuss the Toledo Water Crisis, which should terrify you far more than Ebola or war in Ukraine (or even the Toledo-Michigan War. We also consider the AVGN movie that we're going to see tomorrow.

The deadline to enter our contest for TWO four-day PAX Prime 2014 badges is TOMORROW. Our panel at PAX is on Monday at noon in the Sandworm theatre.

GeekNights 20140805 - Crypt of the Necrodancer

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Wed, 06 Aug 2014 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we discuss the current iteration of Crypt of the Necrodancer, the wonderfully aptly-named rhythm roguelike (though I wouldn't suggest you actually play it on a dance pad). It's interesting and inspired, but is not exactly what it appears to be. In the news, a cooperative X-COM board game (in the tradition of the Omega Virus) is coming, Nintendo continues its likely death spiral, and the Internet is surprisingly confused as to Sheik's gender. We also talk about our recent rounds of Tigris & Euphrates play

Be sure to see our panel - How to Win Every Game - at PAX Prime this year! Also be sure to enter our contest to win two four-day PAX Prime badges!

GeekNights 20140730 - Top Special Attacks

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Thu, 31 Jul 2014 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we discuss special attacks. You know, like Big O's punch, or Lina Inverse's Dragonslave. Who has the best special attacks? Does Galactus have one, or is he just big and powerful? Does any Sailor Scout have a special attack more powerful than Sailor Saturn? In the news, the newly announced Adventure Time: The Secret of the Nameless Kingdom, is definitely going to be awful. We were right about the results of the Eisner Awards. Takeshi Obata will be at NYCC! (We won't be, but if you are, you should go see him)!

GeekNights 20140728 - Babies and Accelerating Technology

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Tue, 29 Jul 2014 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we talk about kids growing up today and how they seem to be adapting technology into their lives (both for good and for ill), simultaneously more and less competent with it than their parents, and how the "digital divide" may be sharper than we realize. In the news, Amazon now has a 3D printing store, and the newly discovered CrAssphage wins the award for most aptly named virus.

Join us at PAX Prime! Join us at PAX Dev! Join us at the Pre-PAX Sky High Tabletop Charity Play (which is NOT yet sold out)! Don't have a badge? Stay tuned for our giveaway of TWO four-day PAX passes! What?!

GeekNights 20140724 - Dashcon and Horrible Convention Disasters

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Fri, 25 Jul 2014 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we discuss what went wrong at the ridiculously failed and popularly-enjoyed failure of Dashcon. In sum, people think doing things (like running cons) is easy. They see a convention happen and think "I could do that!" And the truth is: it IS easy... if you're intelligent, knowledgeable, drama-free, and able to respond in a timely fashion to email. Most people are incapable of being all four of these things. Dashcon 2014 was a joke (just LOOK at their ridiculous panels application form). Dashcon 2015 will be a disaster. In the news, Jeff Lemire has a new comic coming that touches all the right things, and SDCC is happening (and to be avoided).

GeekNights 20140722 - Ingress

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Wed, 23 Jul 2014 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we review Niantic's Ingress, an ARG (Augmented Reality Game) that, while effectively nothing more than a team-versus Candy Box, is actually pretty fun. We're both playing it, and Scott is rapidly leveling up. The Enlightened are the correct (green) group to join, for together we will usher in a new evolution of mankind. In the news, Tetris Ultimate is coming, complete with a completely meaningless trailer, and Hearthstone updates with Curse of Naxxramas Arachnid Quarter.

GeekNights 20140716 - Sailor Moon Crystal - First Look

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Thu, 17 Jul 2014 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we present our first look at Sailor Moon Crystal. We worry it is uninspired and lacks the care and energy of the original anime, but will continue watching it for the time being. Meanwhile, we're also watching the original anime (as we've discussed previously). In the news, Thor is a lady, Archie is dead, Yowamushi Pedal is getting a movie, Midousuji is Voldo, and ConnectiCon 2014 was amazing! We're also looking generally for good AMVs.

GeekNights 20140708 - The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Wed, 09 Jul 2014 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we review The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. It's all right, but it does lead us to discuss what the best Zelda games ever made truly were. (Apparently, it's Zelda 3, Zelda 1, Ocarina of Time, and Zelda 2, plus or minus Four Swords on the GC). In the news, the World Cup had a ridiculous late-tournament blowout, and the sad tale of the failed Mechwarrior Online tells us why pay-to-win is the worst idea in the world. Connecticon 2014 is THIS WEEKEND! We'll be there performing four shows!

GeekNights 20140702 - Bravest Warriors

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we talk about the delightful show Bravest Warriors. In many ways, its the future of how media can be made in the modern world of digital distribution and the Internet. In the news, Rym's feeling that need to rewatch Escaflowne, Letter to Momo is playing in New York, as is The New York Festival ofContemporary Japanese Cinema, and someone stole Jun Fukushima's bike.

GeekNights 20140630 - Performance Profiling

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we cover the high level of performance profiling. It's a complex problem that requires an understanding of programming and profilers, but also hardware and statistics. In the news, Orkut is finally dying the true death, right alongside freshmeat.net. ConnectiCon is happening NEXT WEEKEND!

GeekNights 20140624 - Sportsmanship

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Wed, 25 Jun 2014 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we discuss the sportsmanship. We also discuss the all-important concept of athwartship, croutons (or, as Rym refers to them, "advanced crackers"), nevermind the Steam Summer Sale 2014, that Ghost Detective not-a-game game, FTL Advanced, the fan attempt at a Sonic 2 remake (and the expected lawsuit/takedown), the difference between the new Ducktales game and Bionic Commando: Rearmed.

GeekNights 20140612 - A Showdown

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Fri, 13 Jun 2014 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we talk about Gundam models and Eric Cantor's 2014 Republican primary defeat. These are two things about which Rym and Scott give zero shits. Along the way, we have the anniversary of the OJ Simpson extravaganza, bootleg Gundam models, ConnectiCon's amazing panel schedule, The Rent is Too Damn Low, urban legends, fakelore, slenderman, pogs, OJ Simpson pogs, and Tesla Motors opening up their patents.

GeekNights 20140610 - Level Editors

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Wed, 11 Jun 2014 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, in light of Nintendo finally doing something awesome within a decade of it being a good idea (with the Mario level editor, we talk about level editors. Even games like Radical Psycho Machine Racing have historically included them. There is a big difference between the tools given to internal level designers, given to players, and MADE by players. In the not-so-exciting E3 news trickle, we talk a bit about Bowser Mode in Mario Party and the beautiful interactive amusement / rhythm game that is Entwined. It echoes Vib Ribbon crossed with Journey.

Join us at ConnectiCon July 10th-14th, where we'll be running the Panels Department and also performing a few ourselves! Also take note of our separated "main bits" from the show with our review of Hansa Teutonica

GeekNights 20140605 - Ghost in the Shell: Arise - Preview

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Fri, 06 Jun 2014 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we review the first two episodes of Ghost in the Shell: Arise, after having seen them in the theater. It's more of a "preview" in the sense that we don't have enough out yet to fully examine the show's worth. In a pinch, however, it'll definitely serve as an adequate follow-on to Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. We also saw Takashi Murakami's Jellyfish Eyes at Lincoln Center, along with the man himself and some surprisingly good Q&A.

GeekNights 20140602 - Old Computers

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Tue, 03 Jun 2014 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we talk about old computers (e.g., the Apple II GS, the Amiga, and the humble 486), why they're different from modern computers, and what they can be used for today. Primarily, we mean museum pieces, teaching tools, awesome hacks, and guaranteed non-compromised encryption key generators. In the news, TrueCrypt was shut down under extremely dubious circumstances, raising fears that that project received a National Security Letter or had other government woes and other heavy speculation. Also, Apple Day brought many minor Apple announcements, though SWIFT is what you should be paying attention to.

ConnectiCon is just around the corner in July, and it has a pretty amazing panel/workshop/lecture schedule. Join us there! Also join us in the GeekNights Forums!

GeekNights 20140527 - Hansa Teutonica

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Wed, 28 May 2014 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we review the fantastic 2009 board game Hansa Teutonica, designed by Andreas Steding. It's stood up to repeated play among skilled gamers, and provides a deeply interactive experience while minimizing the effect of politics. Ignore the awfully written rules (get someone to teach it to you) and their awful terminology ("merchants" vs "traders" and "supply" vs "stockpile").

In the news, WotC is releasing basic Dungeons & Dragons as a free PDF. making us wonder at the actual future of Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition or even the franchise as a whole. Nintendo is lashing out against fans streaming their games with new monetization options (for them, not the fans, in most cases), which is extra worrying now that Youtube has purchased Twitch.

GeekNights 20140521 - Remembering Sailor Moon

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Thu, 22 May 2014 02:00:00 +0000

Some 15 years ago, Rym watched all of Sailor Moon courtesy of VKLL fansubs he acquired on VHS. Tonight on GeekNights, as we begin watching the original Sailor Moon anime again thanks to its current re-release, he tries to remember what it was all about. With the new Sailor Moon Crystal coming, apparently following the manga much more closely this time, expect more Sailor Moon talk from us in the coming months. In the news, if you want to see some Ghost in the Shell: Arise, there is a screening next Thursday in a city near you!

As an aside, enjoy one of the most amazing angry Sailor Moon fan pages ever created. Such anger. So Weeaboo. Wow.

GeekNights 20140519 - Tech News Roundup May 2014

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Tue, 20 May 2014 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, in light of the many tech news stories breaking recently, we discuss several issues. Google/Youtube is likely buying Twitch, a university accidentally re-imaged all of its computers, criminals are finding increasingly sophisticated uses for large drones, Europe is still obsessed with this ridiculous "right to be forgotten," the UK appears determined to veto any action on Network Neutrality in the EU, AT&T is buying DirecTV (reminding us why streaming tech/access is still so primitive), malware increasingly is targeting ad-clicks, gun advocates went crazy and threatened a company for introducing updated smartgun technology, Oklahoma botched an execution despite there being modern technology to do it properly (entirely aside from whether it should be done in the first place), and New York may be on the verge of treating Internet access as a right.

Come to ConnectiCon: it's actually pretty awesome. Post in our forum: it's extremely awesome. Read A Canticle for Leibowitz: we're hoping it's awesome (as part of the GeekNights Book Club)!

GeekNights 20140508 - Adventure Time in Continuance

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Fri, 09 May 2014 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we discuss the continuing seasons of Adventure Time! While we did previously review Adventure Time, it's definitely worth further discussion. As the seasons have gone by, it's become increasingly dark, pointed, and serious. We've brought the big guns with our good friend and Adventure Time expert Judith. In the news, Ghost in the Shell: Arise Borders one and two are screening in several cities, and the delightful Drops of God is ending in June. The GeekNights Forum is continuing to rock, and you should be there.

GeekNights 20140505 - Prosumer vs Professional: A Case Study

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Tue, 06 May 2014 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, as Scott buys an expensive camera and Rym buys some wireless equipment and ridiculous microphones, we discuss the differences between "prosumer" technology and "professional" technology. The latter isn't just better: it's more difficult to use effectively in most cases. In the news, Twitter will soon have a weak integration with Amazon, and police tell us not to use technology to solve our own crimes, while refusing themselves to use said technology to solve crimes.

GeekNights 20140501 - Profiles in Geek: Uncle Yo

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Fri, 02 May 2014 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, reviving our ancient Profiles in Geek format, we have Karl Custer, aka Uncle Yo (@UncleYo), to talk about himself, his geekery, puppets, and Dungeon Crawlers! He's up to some good stuff!

GeekNights 20140429 - FTL Advanced and Flash Point: Fire Rescue

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Wed, 30 Apr 2014 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, back from Zenkaikon, we briefly review FTL Advanced (which makes FTL definitely worth revisiting) and Flash Point: Fire Rescue, which solves many of the co-op board game problems we have previously discussed. In the news, PAX South, newly announced for San Antonio, is the last new PAX, and it coincides sadly with Magfest 2014. Tell us which one we should attend! Games may well be able to diagnose you with diseases like Alzheimer's (opening a whole ethical, moral, and legal can of worms), and Nintendo is holding a pro Super Smash Brothers Wii U tournament for E3 3014 (in lieu of a press conference).

GeekNights 20140423 - Kill la Kill: Final Thoughts

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Thu, 24 Apr 2014 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we bring you our spoiler-filled final thoughts on Studio Trigger's game-changing Kill la Kill. Before that, we discuss the 2014 Eisner Award nominations and Masaaki Yuasa's Adventure Time episode.

If you have any questions or complaints about the mandatory bag checks and metal detectors at Anime Boston 2014 or the mandatory bag checks and forced changes to the bathroom layout at PAX East 2014, know that the Mayor of Boston is doing an AMA Thursday 4/24.

GeekNights 20140403 - Wool

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Fri, 04 Apr 2014 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on the GeekNights Book Club, we review (spoilers) Hugh Howey's Wool. It was a solid book (or set of five short books, which are really just two short books and one longer book). Mixes of Paranoia (the RPG), Logan's Run, Fallout, and other similar stories, it had a lot more nuance than we expected. Definitely worth reading.

GeekNights 20140401 - Why No One Will Game With You

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Wed, 02 Apr 2014 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we consider why no one will game with you. Why is it so hard to form gaming groups? Why won't anyone play Air Hockey with me? Isn't this the panel Rym and Scott are presenting at PAX East? In the news, there's some old Game Boy Megaman coming to the 3DS virtual console (along with GBA Advance Wars on the Wii-U), and they're even having a completely meaningless vote on nothing! Also, our good friend Conrad Kreyling is making waves in the dating game scene. (He's been on GeekNights before).

GeekNights 20140326 - Yamishibai

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Thu, 27 Mar 2014 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we review the short horror anime Yamishibai. It's definitely worth watching, and is genuinely good horror storytelling. In the news, we're back from Anime Boston 2014, though we skipped most of Friday and all of Sunday at the con due to the ridiculous security theater. We discuss the good and bad of Anime Boston 2014!

GeekNights 20140324 - When Internet Services Die

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Tue, 25 Mar 2014 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we consider what happens when Internet services die (like we assume Flickr and Google Voice will). In the news, there are rumors that Twitter will drop @user and #hashtag characters, e-cigarettes are as terrible for you as one should assume, and people are poisoning themselves with e-cigarette liquids in unsurprising numbers. Also, if you have Verizon FIOS, you have to buy your own damn battery. If you didn't notice it beeping for the last several months, you should get your ears checked out.

We'll be at Zenkaikon and PAX East! The GeekNights Book Club book is Wool!

GeekNights 20140320 - Air Travel

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Fri, 21 Mar 2014 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we talk about air travel and flying. In the news, we're going to be at Anime Boston live! Also, there are people trying to create hell for prisoners a la Surface Detail, and the GH4 4k camera cometh!

GeekNights 20140318 - Gaming News Roundup - March 2014

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Wed, 19 Mar 2014 02:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we discuss a bunch of recent gaming news in a Gaming News Roundup! PAX East has eliminated the dedicated Q&A, as well as audience interaction. (So, no more Action Castle Incidents or I want my Hat Back storytime). To be sure, we say this is a good thing. They're also ending the show early at midnight (killing any evening tabletop gaming). This is not as good. We'll be there presenting Why No One Will Game with You!

In other gaming news:

GeekNights 20140304 - Phases of Games

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 03:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, in light of a fascinating article on whether or not the first decision one can make in a Civ V game matters, we discuss the phases of games and how decision trees evolve. Most games break down to three fairly distinct phases: the early, mid, and late game. Why is this the case? In the news, Rym runs afoul of an out of date Civilopedia and Jungle Speed's 20th anniversary comes with a new release.

GeekNights 20140224 - Search Technology

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Tue, 25 Feb 2014 03:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, after doing a show on Dentistry and Dentistry, we discuss how to search for things. In the news, Netflix pays out to Comcast to keep movies streaming (see peering and tiered networks), and Microsoft Killed my Pappy.

GeekNights 20140220 - The Dentist

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 03:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we talk about dentists and dental work. (Shut up, it's an awesome show topic). In the news, Olympic hockey is best hockey, and Kiev continues to burn. The New York Comic Con has split off its comics into a new edition that will likely resemble Philly Wizard World.

GeekNights 20140218 - Twitch Plays Pokemon

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Wed, 19 Feb 2014 03:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we discuss the Internet and its fascination with, well, itself playing Pokemon... collectively. It's Action Pokemon. It's amazing to behold. It's Saltybet 2.0. It's unbearable to watch, yet captivating not unlike a trainwreck in slow motion. Five days in, and it already has its own fandom, its own fan culture, and its own fan merch. Twitch Plays Pokemon. In other news, the videogame industry is as it's always been with Ken Levine shutting down Irrational , and Rym tries a single-day variant of Mafia.

GeekNights 20140210 - Technology and Sports

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Tue, 11 Feb 2014 03:00:00 +0000

Tonight on GeekNights, we talk about technology in sports, the technology of sports, sports technology, and technical aspects of sport. Eventually, it will all be humans controlled by machines, or else just machines themselves anyway, but what will happen (and has happened) in the more recent term? In other news, Twitch.tv is the #4 consumer of bandwidth in the US (thanks to gamers streaming their games), and the NYPD is looking into using Google Glass.

GeekNights 20140206 - GeekNights Book Club: Idoru

geeknights@frontrowcrew.com (Rym and Scott - The Front Row Crew) — Fri, 07 Feb 2014 03:00:00 +0000

Tonight on the GeekNights Book Club, we discuss William Gibson's Idoru. It's a product of its time - the 1990s - showcasing both the promise and the dystopia projected from that era. Wildly inconsistent in its treatment of technology (fax machines, disposable cameras, and IR remote controls exist alongside city-building nanotechnology and true AI), steeped in the cyberpunk aesthetic, it is typical of Gibson and of its era. If we had to say what it's truly about, it's fame, information, and adolescence. The Idol herself, as AI, is not the core of this book: don't read it expecting to be blown away with a deep look at at the Sharon Apple story. The side details, the setting, the meta, are what make this book worthwhile.

In the news (related in some way to the book), Max Martin is the man behind the idols, and Google Glass prescription frames are allowing Rym to take one more step toward cyberization.