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We’re Trekkies And We Know It via Giant Freakin Robot I’m proud to be a Trekkie and I’m glad these fellows feel comfortable enough in their nerdiness to do this video. But I also cringe while watching it because of the stereotype...

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'Game Of Thrones', A Clash Of Food Fine Dining Lovers, an online magazine for food enthusiasts, thought you might be interested in the story about Game of Thrones from a foodie point of view. Fans of Game of Thrones want to eat and...

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Interesting Articles: Banana Sex, Android for Battle,...   Top 10 films that predicted the future [Listverse] The unfortunate sex life of the banana [Damn Interesting]   Securing Android for the Battle Space, armed conflict has radically changed. ...

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The Art of Film & TV Title Design The credits are often the first thing we see when we watch a great film or TV show, but the complexity and artistry of title design is rarely discussed.  From PBS Off Book, a quick look at the thinking...

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Rash of UFO Sightings Around the World There’s been a lot of UFO sightings in the USA, England, Canada and Australia, all reporting seeing an object in the sky shaped like a pyramid. Coincidence? Conspiracy? You decide. Here’s a...

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QPAD = Incredible Mousing Madness!

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Posted by Patrick | Posted on September 8, 2008

Category : Computers, Gadgets

logo_QPAD

Oh yeah.  The folks over at QPAD Pro Gaming Gear in Sweden are the people to know when you want a slick mousemat setup for your intense gaming action.  Christer Körnbäck from QPAD sent us a QPAD CT Large black 4mm for review, Yay!

 IMG00573         IMG00562

QPAD®|CT™ Large, Black, 4mm. Gaming surface with Hybratek™ coating. QPAD Glidz included for utlimate control.

- Size: Large [40.5x28.5cm 15.95x11.23 inch]
- Thickness: 4 mm
- Color: Black
- Surface: Hybratek™ Coated soft top

I’ve used a bunch of mousemats, from Icemats to QPad, and this is without a shred of doubt the best gaming surface you can have. I tested four different mice (ball, roller, IR and laser) on the surface, using varying games and applications, and under differing situations. Some mice may jitter and skip across it a little if you’re using a cheap mouse with scratched pads, and if it’s a skimpy laser, then it might not work too well, making your gaming experience not so fun. I use a Logitech Mx518 Gaming Mouse, and tried a Razer Diamondback and OCZ Equalizer on it, and all worked without a hitch. It is supremely slick, has an amazing glide, and just feels so right under most mice.

Cloth pads have the added benefit of a nice soft feel and less wear on your mouse feet. All that is why most of the hardcore pro gamers are using this type. So this thing is amazing, super slick motion, spot on tracking, and it’s huge enough that I never run out of room even in those mind numbing frag-tense gaming moments. I had to clear out a good portion of my desk space cause this thing requires some serious real estate!

IMG00566

It is also, in my humble opinion, the sexiest mousemat on the available market. Works well with any setup, and has plenty of space for movement. It will last too, because with QPAD’s patented super-smooth Hybratek coating you won’t find it wearing down, getting dirty, or peeling at the sides. Just make sure your mouse has good feet, and if not, use the QPAD Glidz supplied in the tube with the mat!

Seriously.  If you’re a gamer, hardcore or not, you must check these out.  Satisfaction guaranteed.  ‘Nuff said.  Shoot us some comments!

From GOOG Maps to Gold Medal

Posted by Andy | Posted on September 8, 2008

Category : Gadgets, Web

Kristin Armstrong

I meant to post about this last week, but better late than never…

Kristin Armstrong of the USA won the Women’s Individual Time Trial in Road Cycling at the 2008 Olympics.

She did it in large part by preparing like everyone else, but unlike everyone else she traveled to the site in advance, went through the course one time while using her husband’s GPS. When she returned to her home in Utah, Kristin uploaded the lat/long results from the GPS unit to Google Maps and found a local route that was similar to the one to be used in the Olympics.

So she was able to practice, practice, practice on a road route that mimicked what she’d have to endure for the real thing?

Is it cheating? No!

But I guarantee you that next time either everyone will be doing this or the IOC will not announce the official route until the games are going to begin so that everyone has an opportunity to compete on an equal playing field.

Kudos to Kristin for using her noodle, not just her brawn, to win the race.

Oh Frak! It’s Not a Curse Word.

Posted by Andy | Posted on September 8, 2008

Category : Entertainment

Frak

Here’s some excellent insight into how the Battlestar Galactica writers came up with ‘Frak’ as a replacement for it’s more vulgar cousin F*ck. And they’ve never received a complaint from SciFi owner NBC or the FCC over their word.

Snippets from the story:

It was Larson who first used the faux curse word "frak" in the original "Battlestar Galactica." The word was mostly overlooked back in the ’70s series but is working its way into popular vocabulary as SciFi’s modern update winds down production.

Larson, one of television’s most prolific and successful writers, doesn’t much care for the new series. He used "frak" and its cousin "feldergarb" as alternates for curse words because the original "Battlestar" was family friendly and appeared on Sunday nights. The words fit in with his philosophy that while the show was about humans, it shouldn’t have an Earthly feel.

…

The word has even appeared in the funny pages where Dilbert muttered a disconsolate "frack" — the original spelling before producers of the current show changed it to a four-letter word — after a particularly dumb order from his evil twit of a boss.

"Dilbert" creator Scott Adams calls the word "pure genius."

…

When new series producer Ron Moore first introduced "frak" in early scripts, Bamber said the actors were dubious. But as writers expanded its use, they caught on to the possibilities.

"I mean why are we not offended by ‘frak’ because it means exactly the same thing as the other thing?" said Bamber, who plays fighter pilot-turned-president Lee "Apollo" Adama.

Why Rank #1 in Google?

Posted by Andy | Posted on September 7, 2008

Category : Web

Google search behavior

Think Eyetracking is the specialist eyetracking and market research arm of Bunnyfoot Ltd, the leading usability and user experience consultancy.

They’ve posted some interesting findings related to how people scan the GOOG search results page today compared to how they scanned the page 3 years ago. This is a good article, if you’re have any interest in SEO at all, you should check it out. If you’re not in the field, let me boil it down for you: Google has trained you to expect high quality results in the first 3 results. Beyond that, it’s a waste of your time and you’re likely to not go much further. Let alone click through to a second or third page of results like you used to.

 

[via http://www.grokdotcom.com]

Pirates vs. Ninjas Dodgeball Released

Posted by Andy | Posted on September 6, 2008

Category : Games

PvN

Gamecock Media Group announced recently that Blazing Lizard’s Pirates vs. Ninjas Dodgeball will release on Wii this winter; if you live under a rock like me it was apparently released to Xbox Live Arcade on Sept 3 2008. The title features two ancient rivals, Ninjas and Pirates, along with several other teams, all looking to settle the score once and for all – on the dodgeball court.

Besides Pirates and Ninjas you can also choose to team with Zombies or Robots. But who are we kidding, we all know Pirates kick ass in the underworld and is the smart team to join…right?

You can read more about it at http://www.piratesvsninjas.com/ or on its Wikipedia page.

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