The first video game I ever played was Pong. It wasn’t at a Con in the vintage game room, but on my living room floor on a shag carpet. It’s amazing to think that a little ball bouncing back and forth across my TV screen could keep me busy for hours, but don’t underestimate the wonder of Pong. The better you played, the faster the ball bounced, and if you were really good and smacked it at just the right angle, it zipped off the screen too high or low for your opponent to possibly hit it back. Video games have gotten slightly more complex since Pong. Now they’re whole worlds come to life on your screen. More often than not, though, you’re running through that world with barely any time to appreciate your surroundings. LA Noire is a welcome break from that frenetic pace and a return to a style of gaming that I haven’t enjoyed in years.
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The Keyport Slide bills itself as the “ultimate keychain alternative”, but it’s had a rocky history. When it was first released several years ago, the Keyport Slide cost $295, users had to physically mail in their keys, and some customers ended up waiting three years to get their product. Not exactly what we would call enticing.
The good news is—all that has changed.
I got a chance to put my hands on the J.J. Abram’s Star Trek Movie 1:1 Scale Phaser Replica from QMx, and there isn’t much to say about it besides “WOW”.
It’s cast from a first-generation master of the screen-used phaser and it features a polystone core and a metal plating with finishes in gunmetal, aluminium block and chrome. Not surprisingly, the phaser has some weight to it and it feels good to hold, albeit a bit slippery because of the chrome finish on the handle and the odd shape/weight distribution.
The bottom line is that this phaser makes for a great display piece (stand included) and a nice cosplay accessory. But the best part is that it won’t break the bank at $49.99. Check out a full gallery of images after the break.
Once again I have spent a ridiculous amount of money on movie tickets. It’s not enough that the price of a regular admission with soda and popcorn is roughly equal to my mortgage. Now, all the biggest movies are being released in IMAX 3D which adds the cost of a car payment to the experience. I end up walking into the theater knowing I may be living in a cardboard box soon and hoping that it will be worth it in the end. This was my mindset when I went to see Thor on Friday night. I really, really wanted to love this movie. I wanted to cheer out loud, knocking over my popcorn as I threw my hands in the air and screamed “For Asgard!” with the rest of the theater. The Mighty Thor had to meet some mighty high expectations.
If you are looking to get a serious home theater or stereo setup without spending a fortune, check out the review after the break. These Orb speakers might be exactly what you are looking for.
Undead zombie Nazis. Giant red-eyed samurai. Hot chicks. Fire-breathing dragons. Evil robots on a train. Big Guns. Huge Bombs. Fancy Swords. Yes, it’s fair to say that Sucker Punch managed to put a little bit of everything that a Geek loves onto the big screen this weekend. After looking forward to this feast of over the top goodness for months, I finally went to see it on Sunday afternoon. I went all out and sprang for the IMAX experience, including the extra $3 for online order processing. (Why does it cost me more to buy tickets online than it does from an actual human?) On Friday I couldn’t wait to see it, despite critics giving it less than stellar reviews, but by Sunday, after hearing the opinions of “normal” folks I was bracing myself for disappointment. Did I waste my money on this movie? No, it was worth every penny. Did I love this movie? Well…..
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As we first saw with their World Time E-Ink watch, Phosphor is on the cutting edge when it comes to affordable watch design. The new Phosphor Appear (formerly the Phosphor Reveal) was no exception as it garnered quite a bit of attention when it was first announced thanks to its unique Micro-Magnetic Mechanical Digital (M3D) display adorned with Swarovski crystals.
So how cool is it up close and personal?
Read more on Fashionably Geek…
Just a quick reminder that today is your last chance to enter and win a $75 prize code good for anything in the iFrogz store. That means stock or custom headphones and earbuds and/or stylish cases for your iDevices.
Check out our contest page for all the details on how to enter.
If you are lucky enough to win, you might want to pick up a pair of Mogul headphones—which we got the chance to experience firsthand. Check out the review after the break.
If you had the stamina to sit through the Oscars over the weekend, you might have watched Shaun Tan receive an Academy Award for the best short film. That film was called The Lost Thing, and it is one of three stories featured in his amazing new book Lost & Found.
And we are giving away copies to three lucky Nerd Approved readers!
Bad Robot is the mascot for J.J. Abrams’ production company, but it has now become the official mascot of my office.
When we first got a close-up look at the Bad Robot figure while visiting the Quantum Mechanix headquarters back in November, we knew it was a thing of beauty—but after examining it more closely I can say that is an understatement. I’ve totally fallen in love with this adorable little bot.
