Cheap Geeks Anonymous

750 Daily Words in an Attempt to Become a Writer Again

2012-02-10T13:16:00.000-06:00

Hey, a new post! That means I haven't altogether abandoned this blog yet!

That's the good news. The other good news is that I've been writing a lot lately. But everything I've been writing doesn't really have a place here.

I discovered a site called 750Words, and I promptly signed up and started writing. Surprisingly, the site was suggested to me by a few of my professors as a way to force oneself to write every single day. Because, writing every day makes you a better writer? (or some sort of logic like that)

So, I've been writing. Daily. I really like the site, because the badge system encourages you to come back and write every day and never miss a day or oh-my-fucking-god you just lost your 10-day-streak badge and now you have to start all over. Which happened to me. I missed my sixth day (although I blame the fact that my computer refused to connect to the internet the entire day). When I went back to the site the next day and discovered I had to start over, I sat staring at the screen for a good 10 minutes ~~in mock fury~~ while my right eye twitched.

Anyway, want to know the really super cool thing about the site? THIS

How fucking nifty is that? Those are my stats from writing today. Each day the site gives stats on how fast you typed and how quickly you finished, what your mood is, and your mindset. While it isn't always completely accurate, I think it's really fucking cool, so you should too.

In short, I just wanted to let anyone still bothering to read this blog know that I'm not giving up--yet. I'm still writing, and I still have my other, class blog to worry about, but I am too stubborn to completely give up on this, too.

Also, I'm thinking about recruiting another author to post on here. Not sure we're going to go through with that, though.

Is This Thing On?

2012-01-22T20:43:00.000-06:00

I've been putting this post off for entirely too long.

Do I even remember how to do this anymore?

Well...*ahem*...I feel as if anyone still devoted enough to read this deserves an apology from me.

It's been...well, let's be honest here--months--since I last updated this blog. I always meant to come back! I swear! (Doesn't this, what I'm doing right now still show that? I'm a good blogger...? Yeah, right.

Well, sorry. If that means anything at this point.

Here's the short-and-sweet version of my absence:

Something totally happened in my life to bring everything I ever wanted and hoped and dreamed to come crashing down. I couldn't muster up the ambition to keep doing anything. My classes suffered, and this blog suffered as well. I was fully ready to never write another post again. I just didn't have it in me. Eventually, things started to look up, but I felt guilty for having not updated. So I procrastinated (I'm good at that!). And procrastinated. Then things got really good, but I was still too guilty to write.

Then I realized that I wasn't exactly happy with how this blog was going anyway. I looked back at my last dozen or so posts and sort of thought to myself Who the hell was writing this? Because it isn't me. Now that I think about it, I was way too concerned with getting traffic and comments to write like myself. I was starting to lose my own voice in the mess of utter shit I didn't care about but I thought other people would.

So overall I realized that I felt guilty, but also didn't know what the hell to do to start up again. How do I explain to anyone still reading that I want to change things, but don't know how? Well, this is me trying.

I don't know if I'm going to be updating Cheap Geeks Anonymous anymore. I definitely want to, but I still have to figure out how to make this something I am happy to do again.

In the meantime, the catalyst that urged me to write this post is the fact that I had to start up a Wordpress blog for an online class I'm taking this semester. While most of what I'm writing over there is primarily for class, you may find what I'm writing there interesting. If so, click to visit it: Real Women Wear Corsets. I can't say I will be updating here again for a while, so if you want to read my writing again on any sort of regular basis, you'll have to pop in over there.

What I'm hoping is that the class awakens the enthusiasm I used to have for blogging. I hope that it gets rid of the "people-pleaser" part of me that cares how many comments or visits my blog gets, and coax out the me that just wants to fucking write. And hey, if people like the just fucking write! me, then I'll gain readership that way.

So. That's what's new.

Until next time,

The Estranged Owner of This Blog

Super Mario Bros In Real Life [Video]

2011-05-02T11:42:00.001-05:00

I love these sorts of videos, especially when they are very well done like this one. Enjoy!

Official “Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part II” Trailer [Video]

2011-04-28T15:47:00.001-05:00

Nothing more needs to be said.

Caption My Cat And Win J!NX Credit CLOSED

2011-04-25T20:19:00.002-05:00

Ready for another J!NX giveaway?
This time, I would like to mix things up a bit. Instead of a simple-ish giveaway where you just enter, I thought some of you might like to work a bit more for your prize. Don’t worry! For those of you who just want a quick entry, I’ll be picking some winners at random, too.
Rules and Such:

Mandatory: You must “like” J!NX on Facebook or subscribe to their newsletter to enter!
Anyone can enter, as long as J!NX ships to you. You can enter a total of five (5) times, as long as you have a different caption for each entry. I will choose my five (5) favorite captions to win a $15 gift code, and five (5) will be chosen at random for a total of ten (10) winners. Please submit the form separately for each entry.
This giveaway will end midnight (CDT) Saturday, May 7.

Caption the following picture of Izzabel (the cat) and then fill out the form to enter!

^ Caption That ^

Thanks for entering, and good luck! It’s not mandatory or anything, but consider sharing the giveaway with others; the more entries and traffic, the more I can give away next time!

Portal 2 End Credits “Want You Gone” [Video]

2011-04-21T17:23:00.001-05:00

For those of you (like me) who didn’t play through Portal 2 the night it was released…here is the song that plays during the end credits. Like “Still Alive”, it is written by Jonathan Coulton.

I still like “Still Alive” better, but this one’s growing on me!

What do you think?

WANT: Sexy Marvel Superhero Pajamas From Spencer’s

2011-04-20T11:45:00.001-05:00

The older I get, the more I like lounging around my own apartment in pajamas. Because of this, I try to find more fashionable sets, that are also attractive for my boyfriend. Spencer’s has saved me.

I mean, wowza, you can’t go wrong with those! I especially like the Emma Frost one (even though her character in the comics always pissed me off). Next fave would be Black Widow, and finally Captain America. Unfortunately, at $24.99 each, I’ll probably have to wait around to buy these.

Which ones do you like?

[via Geeks are Sexy & Spencer’s]

Bacon: Just A Little Overdone

2011-04-19T18:43:00.001-05:00

Is it just me, or should the “hype” over bacon just stop already!?

I’ve always thought being obsessed with bacon was a little over the top, but then a perfume company (Fargginay) announced that its newest perfume contains an “ever-so-slight hint of bacon.” WHAT?! If I smelled a “hint of bacon” on someone, no matter how well it blends with the other scents, something tells me that vomit would begin creeping up my esophagus. First thoughts would be along the lines of Sheesh, he/she likes bacon a bit much. Do they BATHE in it?! or Holy Pork-Obsessed Maniac! Take a f***ing shower! Without pig fat!

Below is the video advertising Bacon Cologne.

Don’t get me wrong. I love the idea that bacon has become liberated in the culinary world; instead of being just “a really good breakfast food”, bacon is being used in more dishes, ranging from bacon pancakes to bacon muffins to bacon brownies. Yes, bacon desserts. This is all well and good to me. I like bacon. It tastes great. No, it tastes phenomenal...and in a dessert it’s no less! Even Denny’s has come out with a Bacon Sundae. What I don’t understand is why the sumptuous flavor of bacon needs to leak into everything on the freaking planet.

Bacon mints. Bacon floss. Bacon cologne. Bacon pillows. Bacon soap. Bacon mayonnaise. I’m surprised I haven’t seen bacon purses (I should bite my tongue though...someone will probably comment about a bacon purse now).

Frankly, I just think it’s about time the bacon hype ended.
What do you think?

PWN3D: Super-Realistic First Person Shooter [Video]

2011-04-18T10:04:00.001-05:00

I want to play video games with them.

[via Geeks are Sexy]

Netflix: Now With Kinect Action

2011-04-14T18:40:00.001-05:00

Whether or not that title made sense (I’m very tired, don’t be mean), Microsoft has released an update today (April 14, 2011) that makes Kinect supported by Netflix!

Hurray! This was one update I have been waiting very patiently for. Actually, the minute my boyfriend and I updated, we started a show and began repeatedly saying “Xbox, Pause!” “Xbox, Play!”, which finally ended in “Xbox, have my babies!”

Unfortunately, the updates aren’t perfect: though all the voice commands such as “play”, “pause”, “stop”, “fast forward”, “rewind”, and more are included, the one big fault is that when starting Netflix with Kinect, you only have a choice between certain “Suggested Movies”. You have to actually use the controller to go to your Queue or browse any other way.

However, I can’t wait until they develop it so you can search for movies with voice commands! Or, you know, when they actually release an update allowing you to turn off the damn Xbox with a simple “Xbox, off.”

But I can be patient!

[via Geek.com]

Technorati Tags: Kinect,Netflix,Microsoft

Peter Jackson’s First Video Blog from The Set of The Hobbit [Video]

2011-04-14T11:01:00.001-05:00

For those of you impatiently waiting for the release of The Hobbit, Peter Jackson has posted a 10-minute-long video blog from the set to help tide you over. And there will be more to come!

I can’t wait. Enough said.

[via Facebook and NerdApproved]

Technorati Tags: movies,The Hobbit,Peter Jackson,Tolkien

Hasbro’s Ratuki! Offers Addictive, Simple Slap-Happy Fun [Review]

2011-04-13T16:14:00.001-05:00

It’s not often anymore that you can find a card or board game that is not only quick to play, but easy to learn and addictive. Lately, every game I play takes close to if not more than an hour, and learning the rules takes even longer. Hasbro sent me a game that is very refreshing in its simplicity: Ratuki!.

For those of you who don’t know yet, I go to an awesome college that has a student organization known as Gaming Guild. There is also Anime Club, DDR Club, and a newly-started-up Video Game Club. Gaming Guild is, basically, an organization where anyone (we really don’t care if they’re students or not) get together officially one night a week and play board and card games. Unofficially, generally any member of Gaming Guild can be found hanging out any other day of the week, playing computer or DS games, chatting, or playing more board games between classes.
This being my group of friends, I really enjoy trying out new board/card games! So when Hasbro offered to let me try out Ratuki!, a new card game that has just been released, I jumped at the opportunity. Once I received my copy, I took it to Gaming Guild that week to try it out.

Instructions
Having no idea what to expect other than what’s on the box, my friends and I did a thorough read of the directions to figure it out before commencing gameplay. Unfortunately, for an otherwise simple game, the instructions that come with it were terribly hard to understand. Out of the four of us playing, everyone had to do a read-through of the game at least once to fully “get it”; even after that, we had to re-read the directions to find out what constitutes a winner. Perhaps we only had trouble because we were in a small room full of excessively loud geeks who had had too much Mountain Dew and pizza. Or maybe we were just expecting the game to be a little more complicated like The Stars are Right or Settlers of Catan. Nevertheless, we had difficulty initially figuring out what we were supposed to do. But once we did, gameplay was very fast and simple.

Gameplay
The way I love describing this game: “It’s like “Speed.” On crack.”
The game itself is pretty simple. If you’ve ever played the card game “Speed,” it’s kind of like that. The idea is very similar, but instead of trying to get rid of your cards the fastest, the aim is to do that and collect piles of cards. A finished pile starts at 1 and finishes with 5 (however, the sequence can go from 3 to 2 to 1 to 2 to 1...just like “Speed”), at which point the first person to yell “Ratuki!” and slap the pile claims the prize. Sounds easy, right? Well, it gets much harder because the more people playing (max of 5) the more piles there are, so you have to pay attention to multiple piles to win. Also, playing cards gets a little more difficult because cards aren’t neatly labeled with matching numbers; nope, some numbers are listed numerically, some with Roman numerals, and other with hands (hand with one finger up for “one”, two up for “two”, etc.).

Overall
Was the game fun? I thought so. I would definitely bring it back to Gaming Guild and play it again. Now that I know how to play, teaching others will be easy, and it is a nice fast-paced game. That said, if you aren’t a fan of very fast-paced games or card games in general, you probably will not enjoy Ratuki!. But if you’re open to it, I’d at least request giving the game a try; some of the people I played with don’t like card games but seemed to enjoy this one. Depending on how many people play, the game can take minutes to finish so it would be a great option if you are looking for something quick to do!

Ratuki! retails for roughly $10. More info is available (including where you can buy it) on the Hasbro site!

Technorati Tags: reviews,card games,board games,Hasbro,Ratuki!,family game night

Harry Potter Proposal [Pic]

2011-04-11T14:11:00.001-05:00

I should just make a series of these, for geek guys and gals that need ideas proposing to their significant others. Why do I say that? Because I once posted a Munchkin Marriage Proposal, and mere days ago found a super-cute Pokémon Proposal. Sheesh. Geeks are seriously too romantic/creative.

[via geekologie]

A Superhero’s ABCs

2011-04-08T13:50:00.001-05:00

I love this. So much. Especially that “N” is Nightcrawler.

So, can you name all the superheroes used?! If so, I’d love it if you list them in the comics. Just to show off. Look, I even gave you a freebie!

[via Geeks Are Sexy]

Technorati Tags: Superheroes,Comic Books,ABCs,Geeky Education,Superhero ABCs

Pokémon Marriage Proposal [Pic]

2011-04-08T10:19:00.001-05:00

As far as geeky marriage proposals go, this one rivals the Munchkin Marriage Proposal I posted a while back. I’m hoping I get proposed to in a creative fashion like this!

[via Geekologie]

Technorati Tags: Marriage Proposal,Pokemon,Geeky,Geek Marriage Proposal,Geek Wedding,Pokemon Proposal

League of Legends: I Hate You

2011-04-06T14:25:00.002-05:00

Have you ever been in one of those awkward situations where your whole group of friends went to see a movie/concert/event of some sort, and you were the only one left out of the loop?
That’s my life every day right now.
My entire group of friends have been consumed with League of Legends, an MMO Battle Arena (MMOBA) PC game. This is all fine and dandy with me; it’s happened before, so not a big life-shaking deal, right?
Wrong.

League of Legends happens to be a pretty spectacular game (this is my opinion, based on watching my boyfriend and a few friends play and their opinions on the game). What makes the game increasingly interesting and addictive is the sheer number of possibilities it holds. First of all, it’s totally free. Can’t beat that. In the game, you are a summoner, and you control a champion (character) in the game. As you level up, you build your base abilities. Each game, you can pick a different champion to control, and you spend the game leveling up and building their abilities. There are also dozens of characters to choose from. And the graphics aren’t too shabby, either. Though normally, I dislike battle arena games, this one is very enticing and potentially exciting.

But I can’t play it. I am stuck with an HP Netbook that has trouble loading YouTube videos. Getting this computer was not my choice; my awesome laptop broke right before the end of summer and frankly, I needed something for my classes. Until I can scrounge up the money, I can only play PC games by mooching off my boyfriend. In addition, between doing homework, working, and maintaining this blog, I’m not left with much time to game (especially since when I play video games, I tend to play for hours without realizing it).
I would like to play League of Legends with all my friends. I really would.
Until then, I will continue to abhor this game for all it’s worth.
Whenever I see my friends, after the pleasantries of “How’s your day going?” and things like that, the conversation inevitably gets torn out of my hands and plopped right in the center of League of Legends. Suddenly, everyone is talking about MF-ing Cho’Gath!, how they totally whooped Annie Bot, builds for Olaf, and a bunch of other things I’m completely oblivious to. Any sort of strategy on my end to try and lead the conversation back to something I can at least attempt to do more than smile and nod at fail. Eventually, I end up spouting something totally untrue (or...not?) and inappropriate like “Man! My pubes itch!” or “I hit children with my car last night!” Unfortunately, after brief confused stares, League of Legends dominates again.
None of this is even mentioning the fact that I get continually spurned by my boyfriend, because he’d like to play a “short game or two” that end up lasting 2 hours...or all night.
Oh, League of Legends...I hate you.

This “Binary” Table Scares the Crap Out of Me [Pic]

2011-04-06T12:26:00.001-05:00

It scares me because I happen to be somewhat clumsy. Table made of motherboards, computer chips, led screens, and hard drives = lots of cuts for Flufferwuffer.

Still, upcycled and designed by BRC Designs, you have to admit the table is pretty damn awesome.

Not safe for geeklings or clumsy nerds like me, though!

Watch It: Indulge in the First 15 Minutes of Game of Thrones!

2011-04-05T18:39:00.001-05:00

This show makes me really wish my boyfriend and I had cable. This show is premiering on HBO April 17, and is adapted from George R. R. Martin’s “Song of Ice and Fire” series (which apparently I really have to read). Sean Bean—who you may remember as Boromir in Lord of the Rings—stars in the show.

The question is: Will you be watching?

Let me know in the comments!

[via igeektrooper]

Watch It: New Green Lantern Movie Footage

2011-04-04T21:08:00.001-05:00

Are you excited for this superhero movie or not? Does this new footage change what you think of the upcoming Green Lantern movie (as compared to the trailer)?

Let me know in the comments!

Winners of the J!NX Giveaway!

2011-04-02T21:37:00.001-05:00

First, I’d just like to give a huge THANKS to everyone who entered the giveaway! I hope to see you back at Cheap Geeks Anonymous sometime! Here’s a list of the winners, who each have 48 hours to respond before a different winner is chosen:

Casually Unique wasteland4junk@
Myrna mariemrq@
Gain mynameisgianfaye@
Astara astarav@
Ken dangermouse3597@

If you didn’t win, I can assure you that there will be more giveaways in this blog’s future! Perhaps next time you’ll have better luck.

To make sure you don’t miss another giveaway, I encourage you to like me on facebook, follow me on twitter, or subscribe to my e-mails!

Fan-Made Wonder Woman Movie Poster [Pic]

2011-04-02T21:22:00.001-05:00

All I have to say is I wish I had this kind of picture-editing skills.

[via MindPollution]

What If…Dr. Seuss Created Star Wars?

2011-03-31T18:18:00.001-05:00

We geeks take Star Wars for granted. Don’t we? I mean, would the Geek World be so big without George Lucas’ brilliant idea? Would you be a geek without Star Wars and the various spinoffs and rip-offs?

Now that I’ve got you thinking about that, here’s a new idea to add into the mix. Would Star Wars be the same if it was thought up by someone other than George Lucas? Well, cartoonist Adam Watson thought that very thing. More specifically, he thought, what would Star Wars be like if Dr. Seuss had the idea first?

Here are some of the results:

Would you read this Dr. Seuss story to your geekling?

[via Bit Rebels]

This Video Game Theme String Quartet is so Full of Awesome and Win I Just Might Explode [Video]

2011-03-30T14:37:00.001-05:00

Amazed. Just amazed. It was obviously meant to be humorous and entertaining, but their playing skills are pretty damn good too! In short, I just <3 this video to death.

What do you think?

Wonder Woman TV Show Costume—CHANGED!

2011-03-30T12:41:00.001-05:00

You may have read my post last week about Adrianne Palicki’s revamped Wonder Woman costume for the upcoming TV series. I had some beef with the costume, and I wasn’t alone! Apparently, fans all over the web erupted in nerd rage over the crappy, shiny, I-found-this-in-a-stripper’s-closet appearance of the costume. In short, they listened. Apparently, a reader of DailyBlam! witnessed a production shoot and snapped a few photos.

The.Costume.Has.Changed!

Here are the changes: The boots are back to their normal red color, and the stilettos don’t seem as high to me. The pants are not super-shiny anymore, and there are stars down the side. Even the tiara is a touch different, if you look closely.

I really like this costume better than the old one! Here are a few more pics:

What do you think? Are the changes for the good or did you like it better with shiny pants? Let me know in the comments!

[via iGeektrooper]

Cheap Geek: Saving on Video Games

2011-03-29T09:43:00.001-05:00

One of the banes of being a gamer is the high cost of buying new games to play. No one loves shoveling out $60 or more every time an interesting game is released (especially me!). The good news is, just like almost everything else in life, there are multiple ways to save money on video games! Many people will tell simply tell you to buy games used instead of new. While there is no problem with that, there are others that frankly just prefer new games. There are many, many ways to buy a game brand new and still save tons of money (sometimes more than buying used!)

Here are some of the better ways:

Preorder

“What? I can save money by preordering games? Don’t I have to pay full price?” Yes! You can save lots of money by preordering the games you want and getting them before all your friends! And yes, this will also require you to pay full price (or near full price)--up front, anyway. One of the best ways to save money on video games, especially new releases, is preordering. Many websites--Wal-mart, Amazon, Newegg--often offer gift card deals when you preorder. For example, at the writing of this post, Amazon is offering $20 credit when you preorder Portal 2. Plus, you get $5 off. How sweet is that? You pay full price, but with the gift card coming back to you, it’s as if you paid $35.99, or 30% off. The best way to use these deals is to continue preordering. Take that $20 credit you got from your first preorder, and use it to preorder another game that offers $20 back. Make sense? You continually get $20 (30%) off the game before it even hits shelves.

Wait. Just Wait.
- Not too long! While browsing the net for video game deals, I’ve noticed something. Usually, two or three weeks after a game is released, stores start lowering prices to compete with other stores. Many times, the price of a just-released game ($59.99) will be dropped down to $39.99, a savings of 30%! All from simply waiting after the game was released. If you want to take this route, I suggest doing a lot of shopping around. Don’t just go to one store. Check Target, Best Buy, Wal-mart, Amazon, Newegg, or any other you can think of to see which ones have the lowest price that week. Granted, you can always wait for a much longer period of time and watch the game’s price slowly fall throughout stores.

Gamefly

Gamefly is the Netflix of video games. Once you have a subscription, you receive games in the mail, play them as much as you’d like and send them back when you’re done. Just like Netflix, you can choose to have one, two, three, or four games out at a time. After you send one back, the next game in your queue (as long as it’s available) is sent to you.
Having a Gamefly subscription can really save you money if you’re the type of gamer who likes to play through new games quickly and move on to the next one. Instead of purchasing each game, get it in the mail and send it back once it’s finished. My boyfriend and I like to use Gamefly to try out new games before actually purchasing them. We can try out just-released games and send them back if we’re not impressed. No money wasted on buying the game! If you do end up wanting to keep a game, Gamefly gives you the option of buying a game you have out, usually at a discounted price. And the longer you stay a member, the better discounts you get for buying games. If interested, you can sign up for Gamefly and get a one month free trial right here.

Buy. And Sell.
- I’m not a fan of this method, mostly because I like to keep the games I like, but some people swear by it. Basically, buy a game, play through it, and when you’re done head to one of the many stores that purchases games like Gamestop or Best Buy and sell it back. Alternatively, some online stores like Amazon give you store credit for your games, or rewards sites like Swagbucks will give you points for trading in your used games.
- I guess, used with a method from above, like preorder deals or buying the game new at a discount, you could potentially get profit from selling games back. But, I can’t be sure about that, since I’ve never sold a game back.

Readers: What do you think about my money-saving methods? Did I miss something? How do you save money on video games?

By Way of Reminder: You Can Still Enter to Win a $50 Gift Card to J!NX!

2011-03-28T13:52:00.001-05:00

This is just a little reminder that you still have time to win one of five $50 Gift Cards to J!NX, the best geek and gamer clothing boutique on the web!

CLICK HERE to visit the post where you can enter.

Since there are 5 winners, your odds of winning are pretty good!

What would you buy at J!NX with $50?! I’d go totally nuts if I could keep one of the gift cards!

Preorder Video Game Deals for the Week of 3/27-4/2

2011-03-27T21:38:00.001-05:00

Per reader request, I’ll be posting preorder deals separate from other video game deals, because they tend to take up a lot of space. I’ll also try to do these once a week on Sundays or Mondays, because preorder deals don’t tend to change too often, and each week you’ll be able to see which games/stores are offering new or the same deals.

Also, I’ll be posting these by store instead of by gaming console. This way, if you have a store preference, you can browse that way. The other reason is because many gift card deals are the same across consoles (except the Wii, but that will be noted in the deals).

Amazon Preorder Deals

Get $25 credit for preordering Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters for PS3 or Xbox 360, or get $20 for preordering for Wii
Save $5 and get $20 credit for preordering Portal 2 for PS3 or Xbox 360
Get $20 credit for preordering F.E.A.R. 3 for PS3, Xbox 360, or PC

+You get a free 12-page F.E.A.R. 3 comic book

Get $10 credit for preordering Mortal Kombat for PS3 or Xbox 360

+ Get a code for access to “Klassic Reptile Playable Character Skin and the original Reptile Fatality”

Get $20 credit for preordering Gears of War 3 for Xbox 360
Get $10 credit for preordering Lego Battles Ninjago for Nintendo DS
Get $10 credit for preordering L.A. Noire for PS3 or Xbox 360

+ Get Broderick Detective Suit

Get $10 credit for preordering NASCAR The Game 2011 for PS3 or Xbox 360 or Wii
Get $10 credit for preordering SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy Seals for PS3

+ get in-game SU90-S Shotgun

Get $10 credit for preordering Shift 2 – Unleashed for PS3 or Xbox 360
Get $10 credit for preordering Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Future Soldier for PS3 or Xbox 360
Get $10 credit for preordering Brink for PS3 or Xbox 360

+ get “The Psycho Pack”

Get $10 credit for preordering LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean for Wii, PS3, Xbox 360, or Nintendo DS
Get $10 credit for preordering Mass Effect 3 for PS3, Xbox 360, or PC
Get $20 credit for preordering Madden NFL 12 for PS3 or Xbox 360
Get $10 credit for preordering Carnival Games: Monkey See Monkey Do for Xbox 360 + Kinect
Get $10 credit for preordering Red Faction Armageddon for PS3 and Xbox 360

+ Get a digital download of the game

Get $20 credit for preordering Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters for PS3 or Xbox 360
Get $10 credit for preordering Final Fantasy XIV for PS3
Get $10 credit for preordering Cars 2: The Video Game for Nintendo DS, PS3, Xbox 360, or Wii
Get $10 credit for preordering Spec Ops: The Line for PS3 or Xbox 360

Wal-mart Preorder Deals

Get $10 credit for preordering Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters for PS3 or Xbox 360, or Wii

+ get Walmart Exclusive Precision Boost Driver and Iron Set

Get $20 credit for preordering Portal 2 for PS3 or Xbox 360
Get $10 credit for preordering Mortal Kombat for PS3/Xbox 360

+ Get a Walmart Exclusive Character Mileena

Get $20 credit for preordering Gears of War 3 for Xbox 360
Get $10 credit for preordering Lego Battles Ninjago for Nintendo DS
Get $10 credit for preordering L.A. Noire for PS3 or Xbox 360

+ Get Exclusive “A Slip of the Tongue

Get $10 credit for preordering NASCAR The Game 2011 for PS3 or Xbox 360 or Wii
Get $10 credit for preordering Shift 2 – Unleashed for PS3 or Xbox 360
Get $10 credit for preordering Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Future Soldier for PS3 or Xbox 360
Get $10 credit for preordering Brink for PS3 or Xbox 360
Get $10 credit for preordering LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean for Wii, PS3, Xbox 360, or Nintendo DS
Get $10 credit for preordering Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars for PSP
Get $10 credit for preordering Mass Effect 3 for PS3, Xbox 360, or PC
Get $20 credit for preordering Madden NFL 12 for PS3 or Xbox 360
Get $10 credit for preordering Carnival Games: Monkey See Monkey Do for Xbox 360 + Kinect
Get $10 credit for preordering Final Fantasy XIV for PS3
Get $10 credit for preordering Cars 2: The Video Game for Nintendo DS, PS3, Xbox 360, or Wii
Get $10 credit for preordering Spec Ops: The Line for PS3 or Xbox 360
Get $10 credit for preordering Duke Nukem Forever for PC, PS3, or Xbox 360

+ get exclusive Trucker Hat for preordering on PS3 or Xbox 360

Happy Saving!

Is there any way you would like me to change how I type up the deals? What would be easiest for you to browse through?

Super Mario Bros.—Now With Realistic Sound Effects! [Video]

2011-03-25T13:23:00.001-05:00

Not sure I would have played it if the noises were like that…

Then again, it is pretty awesome.

[via TechSpotlight]

Cthulhu Is Calling [Pic]

2011-03-24T16:24:00.001-05:00

Seriously. You’d better pick up.

[via The Superficial Gallery]

A Review of Rift, a New MMORPG from Trion Worlds [Guest Post]

2011-03-23T22:02:00.001-05:00

Rift, previously known as Rift: Planes of Telara, was released earlier this month to no small amount of anticipation from the MMORPG community. The developer, Trion Worlds, is a new name in the MMO community, but apparently has quite a large number of prestigious talents at their disposal, and it shows in the slick presentation of their first game.

For those of us that have been playing MMOs for awhile, we all know it’s inevitable that you’re going to see a lot of people comparing any new game to the big dog, World of Warcraft. In my experience, Rift is no different in this respect, and for good reason. WoW has dominated the market for about 7 years now, and its take on the MMO genre has affected both games that came out before it and every one since. There is always some buzz in the community over which game will be the “WoW Killer”, and in my opinion, while Rift IS good, it’s not going to dethrone the king.

Why do I say this? Because at its heart, Rift just remains too close to the WoW style of game play. What WoW managed to do upon its release was take all the bad things (well, maybe not all of them) about the existing MMOs and change them to make it more fun and accessible. It singlehandedly turned a niche market where 100,000 player base subscription was considered successful, into a mainstream phenomenon. As of this writing they have upwards of 10 million active subscriptions, just orders of magnitude greater than much of the competition.

What Trion Worlds is trying to do is much less revolutionary, they are trying to walk that fine line between innovations and sticking with what works. For example, a perceived weakness in WoW is the lack of character customization. In WoW, each class has three builds, but there is little variance amongst toons of the same build. Rift addresses this issue by offering a large amount of character customization through character customization. Each character has three separate trees you can put points into, and you can choose to have up to 4 different sets of these three. I found it to be a pretty cool system, but as the game gains a player base, standard builds will emerge that are heavily used by most players. Still, it is nice to have the option to tailor your character’s abilities to your own tastes.

The second most differentiable point is the inclusion of “rifts” into the game play. These rifts offer players the chance to join public raids to defeat the legions of monsters pouring out of the rift, fight a boss, and close the “rift”. If you’ve played Warhammer Online, it’s similar to their public quest system. It’s an interesting system, and useful for introducing noobs to raid-like content. I say raid-like because, at least in my one week’s experience, the bosses issuing forth from these tears in the space-time continuum lack the mechanics that necessitate coordination amongst the raid. Everybody just runs in, swords a swinging and spells a slingin’ till the beast goes down. I was not impressed.

Rift does have a beautifully rendered world, and the game play is tight. The cities and crafting system are a bit generic and lacking, but they are in working order. Overall, I would recommend it to those looking for a change of pace from WoW, just don’t expect a huge deviation in game play, or for it to be the WoW Killer.

Author Bio: Maria Rainier is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident blogger at First in Education where she writes about education, online degrees, and what it takes to succeed as a student getting an online associates degree remotely from home. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.

--------------------------------------

Thank you for the great guest post, Maria! I appreciate it!

So, everyone, what do you think? Tried Rift? Love it or hate it?

3 Reasons Being A Female Superhero Sucks

2011-03-22T19:29:00.001-05:00

Keeping Up Appearances
- You think fighting crime, saving the world, and looking sexy is easy? WRONG! Not only do I have to fight criminals (who are mostly men, by the way) in a super-tight costume that leaves nothing to the imagination and run around wearing high heels all the time, but I also have to constantly watch what I eat and work out. While the men can celebrate saving the city with a pizza party and beer, I’m stuck with water and a salad. I’m always working out to keep my body toned and hot. Think about it: you’ve never seen an overweight superheroine, have you? You don’t want to see me in latex after I gain a few pounds.
It’s Expensive!
- What happens whenever that custom-made costume rips? I need a new one! I can’t just stop off at Target and pick one up--no, I need a whole new one made with the best-quality fabrics and materials. The same applies to any other accessory or tool I have. Bruce Wayne is lucky he’s a billionaire; he doesn’t have to worry if the Batmobile gets a dent. I’m also stuck spending money on top-quality makeup and hair care so I don’t look bad doing my job. I have to buy supplies that won’t fade over time; how horrible would it be if my makeup ran from sweat or my hair got floppy in the midst of battle? Most people don’t think about this, but it’s not as if I get paid to save the city or the world. People expect superheroes to do that...plus, there are no insurance plans!
The Fans
- Because of my tight, skin-revealing outfit and constantly working out to make sure I look good in that outfit, I always have perverted fans whose one fantasy is a night alone with me. Sure, it’s flattering at first to be so many pubescent boys’ wet dreams, but it gets old. Fast. On the other hand are feminists who hate me because of my costumes and that I’m “a sex object”. They don’t care that I’m saving people...no, it’s all about my appearance with them...and the fans!

New Wonder Woman Costume! [Pic]

2011-03-21T14:33:00.001-05:00

Entertainment Weekly has an exclusive picture of Adrianne Palicki in the new Wonder Woman costume for the TV Show! Here’s a look:

There are a couple things I love:

Hurray, pants! Wonder Woman’s costume has always bugged me because of how skimpy it is. I’m so glad that they at least covered some skin up with pants!
It’s still reminiscent of the original costume. I like this, obviously, because too often do they change the comic book costume completely for TV or movies. I like that they kept certain aspects of the costume the same, while

Things I don’t like as much

Though I do like the pants, the blue portion of the costume looks like it was taken out of a cheap Halloween costume package. Shiny, much? I think they could have picked a darker blue to go with the red.
Unless Diana plans on gluing or taping her overdeveloped breasts into the inside of that bustier, I don’t think it’s going to do much to stop them from flopping about like fish.
Though it’s possible, I hear it’s very difficult to fight crime in high heels. More realistically would be combat boots. But most men don’t find those sexy…*sigh*

Your Thoughts? Yay or Nay on the TV costume?

[via The Mary Sue]

LvUrFR3NZ by Princeton [Song/Video]

2011-03-19T17:41:00.001-05:00

My boyfriend first introduced me to this song, long before he got me into playing the Halo series. We just started playing Halo: Reach after a long vacation from it, which caused this song to get stuck in my head as we rocked the house in Grifball.

I’m sure any gamer that enjoys first-person shooters can agree that this song is not only pretty awesome, but accurate, too. Who doesn’t play Halo: Reach or Call of Duty: Black Ops for a chance to show off their controller mastery to their friends? And what better way to do that than blowing off their heads?

Anyway, this song comes from the Halo 3 Soundtrack (which was an all-around good soundtrack).

Love it? Hate it? Let me know in the comments!

Kinect: What Happened to the Games We Saw At E3?

2011-03-18T17:15:00.001-05:00

Watch the above video. This was shown at E3 when Kinect was announced. Now, if you own Kinect, or if you’d played it, or even just been paying attention to the games that have been released, I’m sure you are wondering the same thin as me: “When are those games coming out”?

I know, I know that the video starts by saying at the bottom that it’s only a “product vision” and thus may not actually portray real gameplay. But still, since watching this video at E3 was one of the factors that made me want Kinect, I’m hoping that they choose to develop some of these games.

I mean, check out that samurai/ninja game! I’d love to try that out. And anyone who’s played Kinect Joy Ride knows it’s nothing like the game the family was playing. Even the godzilla-like game the young boy is playing looks fun.

The whole concept of “using your own gear” I’ve only seen used in Kinect Joy Ride, where you can paint your car based on the color you place in front of the screen. I would love to see something like that developed more! And while Kinect Video is pretty awesome, the video shows it being developed a lot more.

I’ve heard that Microsoft is making more core Kinect games. I haven’t read anything about what games they’re making, however. I really hope that some of the games and features in the video will be used, though! If anything, the fact that these games haven’t been made yet just make me look forward to what they will do with Kinect with more time to develop it.

End of rant.

What do you think?

WANT: “Hitchhike a Tardis” Shirt

2011-03-16T11:02:00.001-05:00

Who in their right mind would not want this totally epic shirt? A perfect blend of Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and the much-loved TV Series Dr. Who.

Unfortunately, at $23.94, it’s a little out of my price range. But, if that’s totally fine with you, you can purchase it at Redbubble.

[via Shirtoid]

Real-Life Latency [Video]

2011-03-14T10:00:00.001-05:00

This was nothing short of entertaining to me. What do you think?

[via g4tv]

Giveaway: Win $50 to J!NX CLOSED

2011-03-11T17:15:00.004-06:00

Who wants to win some free stuff?!

J!NX, an online clothing boutique that caters to geeks and gamers, is sponsoring a huge giveaway! They approached me and asked if I’d like to give away $250 to their site this month. Why wouldn’t I jump on that? I’ve already done a review for them, and am a huge fan of their clothes.
Here’s a taste of what’s in store for you if you win:

Awesome, right? And there’s lots more if you visit the store! On to the giveaway…
Prizes: 5 winners will each win a $50 gift code to J!NX.
Eligibility: Open to all, as long as J!NX ships to your country.
Dates: March 11, 2011 thru March 31, 2011 at 11:59 pm

Enter: The mandatory entry is “liking” J!NX on Facebook. Simple, right? If you already like them, that’s fine!
Extra Entries: You can get one extra entry PER DAY by sharing this giveaway on Facebook or Twitter. Make sure to leave a link to this post in your tweet/status! You can really easily share a post with the “Share” tool at the bottom of each post!
Here is a sample tweet: Win 1 of 5 $50 in geek and gamer clothing from @JINX and @CGAnonymous !! http://ow.ly/4cRtZ #giveaway
~~Fill out the form below to enter! Just fill it out a second time if you come back for extra entries!~~

Legal stuffs: I am not receiving any compensation for hosting this giveaway. J!NX is providing the gift codes, not me!

Kinect in Guinness Book of World Records

2011-03-10T14:43:00.001-06:00

I’ve been saying it from the beginning, but doesn’t this just prove it? Kinect is totally awesome. It has officially been named the “Fastest-Selling Consumer Electronics Device” in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Here’s a quick look at why Microsoft’s Kinect claimed that title:

After 25 days, 2.5 million units sold
After 60 days, 8 million units sold (that’s 133,333 units per day)
After 125 days, 10 million units sold.

Let’s compare that to the iPad:

After 60 days, 2 million units
After 80 days, 3 million units

So, Microsoft actually called it when they predicted Kinect would surpass the iPad.

Those of you who regularly read my blog know that I really love my Kinect system; therefore, I’m glad for it’s success. Though numbers don’t necessarily indicate a great product…well, you can just take my word on that, right?

Do you have Kinect? Are you thinking of getting it? Do the numbers or the new status as Fastest-Selling Consumer Electronics Device sway you?

[via ReadWriteWeb]

Coffee Creamer in Slow Motion [Video]

2011-03-09T12:36:00.001-06:00

This video makes tears flow from my eyes in rapture, awe, amazement, and joy.

Also, it makes me crave coffee.

Lots of coffee.

[via curiositycounts.com]

A Strangely True Graph for Geeks [Pic]

2011-03-08T12:07:00.001-06:00

I have to say, I’m a little sad that the person that made this graph left out “Tornadoes”. Or “Mudslides”. And those of us in Fargo have probably thought of Floods a little more…

But still pretty accurate! Zombies keep me awake at night.

[via GeeksNGamers]

Would You Try Breast Milk Ice Cream? I Would.

2011-03-07T19:49:00.001-06:00

It’s true! I totally would. But before I explain myself, here’s why I’m asking: A London ice cream shop called Icecreamists decided to make ice cream out of women’s surplus breast milk.

And guess what? They sold out of it! Within days! So obviously, even if the first round of ice cream doesn’t necessarily indicate that it tastes really good, there are apparently tons of people willing to at least try it. They call their creation “Baby Gaga” Breast Milk Ice Cream, as you can see in the photo.

It’s expensive, though. One serving is 14 pounds, or $22.50 US. Here’s a video about it, which I think is funny because it’s British and they’re much more witty than us Americans.

My Thoughts: Like I said before, I would totally try it (even if it is super expensive)! With food, I am one who adopts the motto “I’ll try anything once.” Just like the store founder said in an interview: “It’s pure, it’s natural, it’s organic, and it’s free range—and if it’s good enough for our kids, it’s good enough to use in our ice cream.” As a note, the store also said that they did testing on the breast milk used to make sure it was free of diseases/abnormalities/etc.

I’m not really surprised someone decided to use breast milk, considering in the past few years many women have turned to online marketplaces to sell their surplus milk. Yes, people do buy it, presumably to drink it themselves…at least Icecreamists is being creative with the stuff!

Maybe, when I have kids, I’ll use my extras to make mac and cheese or brownies or something? Or would that just be creepy?

Would you try breast milk ice cream? Would you try breast milk at all? Why or why not?!

[via NPR]

Technorati Tags: Breast Milk Ice Cream,Baby Gaga,Icecreamists,ice cream,oddities,foodies

Video Game Deals for 3/5/11

2011-03-05T22:13:00.002-06:00

Still a LOT of great Pre-order deals from Wal-mart, and a few from Amazon. I would have done more searching for deals today, but my time got cut short today.

Question for the Masses: I know from my site analytics that the few times I’ve done these posts, they’ve been pretty popular. Would you like me to post gaming deals more often? Is there any way I can make the posts easier to navigate for you? Any games you’re specifically looking for?

-----------------------

Xbox 360

Preorder MLB 2K11 for $59.99 @ either Wal-mart or Amazon and get $10 credit to whichever store you order from
Preorder Top Spin 4 for $59.99 @ Amazon and get $20 in credit, or preorder @ Wal-mart and get $10 in credit
Preorder Homefront for $59.96 @ Wal-mart and get $10 eGift Card + Goliath Drove Avatar + Mini Art Book
Preorder Star Wars III: The Clone Wars for $49.96 @ Wal-mart and get $10 eGift Card
Preorder Gears of War 3 for $59.96 @ Wal-mart and get $10 eGift Card
Preorder Crysis 2 for $59.96 @ Wal-mart and get $10 eGift Card
Preorder Mass Effect 3 for $59.96 @ Wal-mart and get $10 eGift Card
Preorder Lego Pirates of the Caribbean for $49.96 @ Wal-mart and get $10 eGift Card
Preorder Mortal Kombat for $59.96 @ Wal-mart and get $10 eGift Card + Exclusive Character Mileena
Preorder Brink for $59.96 @ Wal-mart and get $10 eGift Card + The Spec Ops Pack
Preorder Cars 2: The Video Game for $49.96 @ Wal-mart and get $10 eGift Card
Preorder Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier for $59.96 @ Wal-mart and get $10 eGift Card
Preorder Shift 2: Unleashed Limited Edition for $59.96 @ Wal-mart and get $10 eGift Card
Preorder Tiger Woods PGA 12: The Masters for $59.96 @ Wal-mart and get $10 eGift Card + Exclusive Precision Boost Driver and Iron Set
Preorder NASCAR 2011: The Game for $59.96 @ Wal-mart and get $10 eGift Card
Kinectimals for $40.50 @ Amazon (19% off) (Requires Kinect)
Sonic Free Riders for $35.81 @ Amazon (28% off) (Requires Kinect)
Zumba Fitness for $39.99 @ Amazon (20% off)
Call of Duty: Black Ops for $49.99 @ Amazon (17% off)
Fable III for $28.06 @ Amazon (53% off)
Dead Space 2 for $52.08 @ Amazon (13% off)
Halo Reach: Legendary Edition for $88.30 @ Amazon (41% off)
Halo Reach for $49.99 @ Amazon (17% off)
Bulletstorm for $48.98 @ Amazon (18% off)

Playsation 3

Preorder MLB 2K11 for $59.99 @ either Wal-mart or Amazon and get $10 credit to whichever store you order from
Preorder Crysis 2 for $59.96 @ Wal-mart and get $10 eGift Card
Preorder Top Spin 4 for $59.99 @ Amazon and get $20 in credit, or preorder @ Wal-mart and get $10 in credit
Preorder Mass Effect 3 for $59.96 @ Wal-mart and get $10 eGift Card
Preorder Star Wars III: The Clone Wars for $49.96 @ Wal-mart and get $10 eGift Card
Preorder Shift 2: Unleashed Limited Edition for $59.96 @ Wal-mart and get $10 eGift Card
Preorder Cars 2: The Video Game for $49.96 @ Wal-mart and get $10 eGift Card
Preorder Lego Pirates of the Caribbean for $49.96 @ Wal-mart and get $10 eGift Card
Preorder Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier for $59.96 @ Wal-mart and get $10 eGift Card
Preorder Homefront for $59.96 @ Wal-mart and get $10 eGift Card + Goliath Drove Avatar + Mini Art Book
Preorder Brink for $59.96 @ Wal-mart and get $10 eGift Card + The Spec Ops Pack
Preorder Mortal Kombat for $59.96 @ Wal-mart and get $10 eGift Card + Exclusive Character Mileena
Preorder NASCAR 2011: The Game for $59.96 @ Wal-mart and get $10 eGift Card
Preorder Final Fantasy XIV for $59.96 @ Wal-mart and get $10 eGift Card
Preorder Tiger Woods PGA 12: The Masters for $59.96 @ Wal-mart and get $10 eGift Card + Exclusive Precision Boost Driver and Iron Set
Call of Duty: Black Ops for $49.99 @ Amazon (17% off)
Killzone 3 for $49.99 @ Amazon (17% off)
Dead Space 2 for $49.99 @ Amazon (17% off)

Wii

Preorder MLB 2K11 for $49.99 @ either Wal-mart or Amazon and get $10 credit to whichever store you order from
Preorder Cars 2: The Video Game for $49.96 @ Wal-mart and get $10 eGift Card
Preorder Lego Pirates of the Caribbean for $49.96 @ Wal-mart and get $10 eGift Card
Preorder Top Spin 4 for $49.99 @ Amazon and get $10 in credit, or preorder @ Wal-mart and get $10 in credit
Preorder NASCAR 2011: The Game for $49.96 @ Wal-mart and get $10 eGift Card
Preorder Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars for $49.96 @ Wal-mart and get $10 eGift Card
Preorder Tiger Woods PGA 12: The Masters for $49.96 @ Wal-mart and get $10 eGift Card
Call of Duty: Black Ops for $44.99 @ Amazon (10% off)
Michael Jackson The Experience for $34.99 @ Amazon (30% off)

Nintendo DS

Preorder Pokemon Black or White for $34.99 @ Amazon and receive $10 in Amazon credit
Preorder Star Wars III: The Clone Wars for $29.96 @ Wal-mart and get $10 eGift Card
Call of Duty: Black Ops for $24.22 @ Amazon (19% off)
Preorder Cars 2: The Video Game for $29.96 @ Wal-mart and get $10 eGift Card
Preorder Lego Pirates of the Caribbean for $29.96 @ Wal-mart and get $10 eGift Card
Preorder Lego Battles: Ninjago for $29.96 @ Wal-mart and get $10 eGift Card

Call of Duty: Black Ops for $49.99 @ Amazon (17% off)
Preorder Mass Effect 3 for $59.96 @ Wal-mart and get $10 eGift Card
Medal of Honor for $25.47 @ Amazon (15% off)
Rift [Game Download] for $39.99 @ Amazon (20% off)

Accessories

Xbox 360 12 Month Live Gold Card for $39.99 @ Amazon (33% off)

Apple’s iPad 2 to be Released March 11…Hooray?

2011-03-03T18:07:00.001-06:00

Ah, Apple. You never cease to amaze me. Yesterday, Apple announced the iPad 2, which will be released March 11, 2011 in the US.

Here are a few of the specifics:

33% thinner (iPad 2 = 8.8 mm—thinner than an iPhone 4, original iPad = 13.4 mm)
Lighter by .2 lbs
Dual core processor and improved video
Front and rear-facing cameras
Come in black and white
Supported by AT&T and Verizon
Same battery life as original (10 hours)
Same price as original ($499)
Can be bought with a “Smart Cover” that attaches to the iPad with magnets for $39-$69

My Reaction: Okay…I’m supposed to be excited about this? I should say that I wasn’t excited about the original iPad either. I took one look at it and thought, “If I want something like that, I’ll get an iPhone, which will actually fit in my pocket.” So now I’m supposed to be jumping up in down like an excited 4-year-old because the iPad 2 thinner and weighs less? Because let’s face it, those are the biggest differences. Same price. Same battery life. What’s the big deal? The better processing is nice…but necessary?

Oh my gosh, it’s lighter! Because the average person struggles to lift over 1.5 pounds. Thank goodness Apple has solved this problem with the iPad 2. And thinner! WOAH! I definitely need my tablet to be as thin as my glasses. Thinner than my textbooks. Hell, why not just make it sheet-of-paper sized? Two cameras. TWO! And they face front and back! I know so many people had problems with the first iPad, which only had one camera…poor chaps had to actually flip around their iPad to catch video on their other side. Oh no!

I guess I should say I’m not an Apple fan. I don’t like the idea that the company constantly comes out with products that are just a little better than their previous one. I think The Oatmeal sums that concept up nicely.

Honestly, I’ll wait until the iPad 5 to finally cave (if even…there are many other companies I’d rather buy from who are also making tablets). This chart I found on GeeksAreSexy.net explains that…click the pic to go to the site to view and read it fully.

So no Apple iPad 2 for me. No tablets at all for me. Yes, I’ve sinned against the Gadget Gods: I have no tablet, no smartphone, no nothing beyond a phone I text and talk with. Maybe that’s why I just don’t get the hype surrounding the iPhone or the iPad?

However, one of my coworkers pointed out that since the price is the same, you will probably be able to find an iPad for pretty cheap now.

What do all of you think? iPad 2: yay or nay?

Pika-Mew? [Pic]

2011-03-01T17:39:00.001-06:00

I honestly don’t know whether I should be saying “Awwwwwww!!!!” or banging my head against my desk. I can’t deny that I found this utterly adorable when I first stumbled upon it.

Technorati Tags: Adorable,kitty,cat,pikachu,pokemon,weird

5 RPGs to Look Forward to in 2011 [Guest Post]

2011-02-28T11:30:00.001-06:00

by Louise Baker

Role playing fans have been longing for an era as exciting for the genre as the mid-nineties were, between Earthbound, Final Fantasy 6 and 7, Wild Arms and Chrono Trigger. What we're mainly seeing these days in the genre is still a good hit here and there and a bunch of junk to fill the spaces in between. That said, 2011 is already shaping up to be a really hot year for role players if the following games are any indication.

Diablo III

The first Diablo was an instant hit upon release. The old school dungeon crawler was less a modern RPG and much more a continuation of the basic ideas put forth by games like Wizardry. The level busting, customization and exploration between the first two Diablos makes a return for this one from Blizzard.

Final Fantasy Versus XIII

The title doesn't make a lick of sense (is Final Fantasy fighting with the number thirteen?), but long time RPG fans know that Final Fantasy is always a series to watch out for. Even if you were disappointed with previous entries in the series, you never know when something as fun as Four Warriors of Light will come from Square/Enix.

Star Wars: The Old Republic

Star Wars: The Old Republic blends action and role playing together within the Star Wars universe. This promises to be an in-depth and involving delve into the world of Star Wars as only modern gaming can deliver.

L.A. Noire

While it's really being advertised as "Grand Theft Auto: Prohibition Era Chicago", it really borrows just as much from games like Dragon Quest as from Grand Theft Auto. Fans of GTA: San Andreas should be happy to see Rockstar's free-roaming gameplay and action mixed with role playing elements again.

New Vegas: Honest Hearts, Lonesome Road and Old World Blues

Players of Fallout: New Vegas have these new DLC packs to look forward, adding hours upon hours of new campaign play to the fan-favorite action-RPG series.

What we can gather from these releases is that traditional RPGs are becoming fewer and farther between. Even the most recent Dragon Quest was initially going to be released with full-on real time combat instead of menu based combat. Younger gamers are hungry for something that combines the depth of RPGs with the action and excitement of the first person shooter and free-roaming action games. All in all, it's really for the best that we're seeing this cross-pollination of genres, but older RPG lovers may long for something more traditional. We're also seeing DLC content becoming a more integral piece of the gaming marketplace, with some of the hottest upcoming games only being available by download. It's definitely an exciting time to be a gamer.

Louise Baker writes about online schools for Zen College Life. She also recently wrote about the best place to attend nursing school.

Fans Helping Nathan Fillion Buy Rights to Firefly Updated

2011-02-25T18:06:00.001-06:00

**UPDATE** Edit: Since this post is becoming pretty popular, I thought I should point out to anyone reading that I was not condoning, by any means, that someone give their money to this movement. It should also be pointed out that Nathan Fillion himself told fans to not donate money. The thought of him owning Firefly or the show starting back up is kind of nice, but the reality is that it most likely will not happen. So don’t be throwing your money away. OKAY?!

Yes, you heard me right! If you are a diehard Firefly fan, you may have heard/read Nathan Fillion reply in an interview when asked if he would act as Captain Mal again, “If I got $300 million from the California Lottery, the first thing I would do is buy the rights to Firefly, make it on my own, and distribute it on the Internet.”

The short story is, fans took him serious! So now, there is this website out there called “Help Nathan Buy Firefly”. They aren’t taking actual donations, just pledges. After a week, they have over 70,000 pledgers!

Obviously, though, the chance is very slim that even if there were enough people to raise the money Nathan would actually buy the rights to Firefly, or that 20th Century Fox would be willing to sell the rights. Most fans think Nathan was just joking in the interview. Fans started the website and are pledging more for the idea of it, and to get the higher-ups to realize how much us geeks and nerds absolutely ~~worship~~ adore Firefly (I don’t know. Maybe you do worship it?).

You can read more about the reality of what buying the rights to the show would take by reading this article on EW.com

So what do you think? Are you going to pledge to the site? Would you love Firefly to be back on the air, too?

Technorati Tags: Firefly,Captain Mal,Captain Tightpants,Nathan Fillion,Crazy Fans

This Sign Should Be Posted at Every Help Desk [Pic]

2011-02-24T16:11:00.001-06:00

89% of Help Desk customers are suffering from what is called a “User Error.” They receive a crotch fire from Help Desk employees. True story.

[via]

Your Shape: Fitness Evolved [Review]

2011-02-24T09:20:00.001-06:00

Ever since I first saw Project Natal at E3 in 2009, I pined for it. It was appealing, exciting, and too good to be true all at once.

The next year, in 2010, E3 dazzled me with videos of different games for Kinect (aka Project Natal). Out of all the new games that made me drool in anticipation, this preview caught my eye the most:

Game Reviews - E3 2011

Needless to say, I was excited for both Kinect and this game. I’ve often struggled with my weight, and since gaining 20 or so pounds after moving in with my boyfriend…well, let’s just say I’d like to become at least comparable to those cosplaying bombshells I see male nerds drooling over.

Here’s what I have to say about Your Shape: Fitness Evolved. I love it. Wait, that doesn’t even begin to describe how awesome this fitness game is. I know, I know that some of you aren’t “into” any games that don’t involve shooting, blood, or dismemberment. But can you seriously say that you could afford to lose a few pounds or get in shape?

What amazed me about Your Shape: FE is that I actually enjoy working out every morning. Initially, the fun was in exploring the workouts and content, finding out what you can do. Now that I’ve found my favorite routines, I’m actually motivated to work out in the mornings.

I’ve lost 15 pounds so far and can definitely tell I’m more in shape! I’m a fan of Your Shape on Facebook, and have even seen personal trainers comment on how impressed they were with Your Shape: FE’s workouts and efficiency.

For me, there are multiple advantages to Your Shape: Fitness Evolved and Kinect over the gym or any other fitness game I’ve seen.

No travel! I start working out minutes after I wake up in the morning
Tons of variety, and workouts recommended especially for you
I can see how many calories I’m burning as I burn them
- Getting achievements for burning calories and reaching goals I set for myself are motivating and rewarding
Already, there’s lots of downloadable content available for new workouts, and more are being made!
No controllers, boards, or equipment to worry about. Just turn on the Xbox 360, pick a workout, and go!
Your Shape: FE has a website where you can link up your account, so you can view info on your workouts, set goals, challenge friends, and eventually will be able to sign up for events

So there you go! Just a bit of what I love about Your Shape: Fitness Evolved. If you have Kinect, I definitely recommend getting this game and canceling your gym membership (that’s what my parents did!). Or, just buy both Kinect and Your Shape: FE!

To wrap up, I’d give Your Shape: Fitness Evolved a 5 out of 5.

Facebook Updates Screwing With Everyone: Please Read!

2011-02-16T22:51:00.001-06:00

Facebook has done it again. New updates and changes have messed with just about everyone.

Some of you may have noticed that friends or pages you used to see updates from have suddenly disappeared. That’s because Facebook’s newest updates have dictated that you only see updates from friends and pages you “interact” with, meaning you visit the page often, comment, or “like” things. So if you got updates from someone/a page and simply read them, their updates might be gone.

If CGA’s updates no longer appear in your feed, there are one of two ways I see that you can fix it.

On the main Facebook page, click the dropdown box listed as “Most Recent” on the top right of your feed. Then click “Edit Options” at the bottom. In the window that comes up, click the dropdown box next to “Show posts from:”, and select “All your friends and pages”.
The other way I see to fix it, if you don’t want to see posts from ALL the pages and friends you have, is simply to go to Cheap Geeks Anonymous’ page and like or comment on a few posts. Granted, I don’t know if this actually works so don’t yell at me if it doesn’t! I just figure if Facebook wants you to interact with a page in order to see it, you’ll start seeing it if you interact!

So, if you want to continue getting my updates, do one of the two listed above! If you don’t like my page, maybe you should head over and like me!

Wanna Play A “Killer” Game?

2011-02-16T22:32:00.001-06:00

I died. No, really. Last weekend I threw a game night party, and as I stood at our hot stove, melting marshmallows to make more Rice Krispie bars for my guests (who had eaten the rest of the Rice Krispies and were begging for more), when out of the blue I was shot in the femoral artery (which is in the thigh, for those of you who are rusty on their anatomy) and bled out on the kitchen floor as my friends and killer gazed on in ~~horror~~. No, ~~disgust~~. NO…what’s the word I’m looking for? Oh, right. Amusement.

Just to clear things up, my friends aren’t really sadistic murderers who kill their hosts at awesome parties. I was shot in the leg, but it was by an expertly manned Nerf gun from under the table.

Later in the night, my assassination target keeled over from a poison…which was plainly written on the bottom of his paper cup. Another guest got shot under the table with a rubber band.

By now, you’re probably thinking “What the hell is she writing about?”

Well, we are playing a game. It’s not a secret game. We didn’t make it up.

Actually, it was concocted by Steve Jackson, who has also created awesome games like Munchkin and The Stars Are Right. It’s called Killer. And it’s fun!

From the website:

“You might be:

Bitten by rubber snakes!
Poisoned with peanuts!
Electrocuted by ropes!
Bombed with pillows!
Shot with a banana!
Hosed & sprinkled, squirted and boffed . . . even ping-ponged!

Killer is the exciting live roleplaying game for intelligent, creative and slightly uncivilized people – people who want to knock off their friends . . . without hurting them.”

In the book, it’s described as Cowboys and Indians for adults. Which is a pretty accurate description. There are multiple ways to play, but probably the most common is “Circle of Death”: the players are each given a target by the GM (Game Master), and when their target is eliminated, their new target becomes the dead person’s target. Or, Player A has to kill Player B who has to kill Player C. If Player A kills Player B, Player A’s new target is Player C.

Make sense?

Anyway, as long as “weapons” are relatively safe, they are usable. There are many, many suggestions in the book, but players are able to come up with their own weapons as well. For example, our GM approved spoons as knives, and I’ve worked up an awesome balloon-bomb contraption that would go well in a backpack.

I can’t be revealing all my secrets, though!

You can read more about this live-action role playing game by visiting the Killer site. The book is currently out of print, but you can download the PDF on the site and the site indicates that a new edition will soon get published.

So now what I’m wondering is…have any of you ever played Killer? If so, how was it? If not, would you ever play?

Technorati Tags: Killer,RPG,Live-Action Role Playing Game,Steve Jackson

Thor Vs. Jaws: Who Would Win? [Pic]

2011-02-16T14:51:00.001-06:00

Amazing artwork by Greg Horn. This is a variation for the comic book cover for Heroes for Hire #5, in anticipation of the Thor movie release.

So…who would win?

[via io9]

THIS Is Why North Dakota Rocks [Pics and Video]

2011-02-16T08:05:00.001-06:00

So, a lot of states in the US that normally don’t get snow (or at least a lot of snow), have gotten snow, “snowstorms”, and the like. All of us in North Dakota are laughing at you. I’m sorry for being so blunt about it, but this is one of the reasons I love living in ND—I get pelted with both 100+ degree weather in the summer, and –50 degree weather in winter. WE CAN TAKE ANYTHING.

<—There is a F#*$ing three story building behind this snow pile. BEAT THAT.

Not saying North Dakota is invincible. If there’s a blizzard bad enough, the interstate will shut down. This usually only happens once a winter, maybe. Car accidents happen, of course…but not like this:

That is why those of us in North Dakota rock. As a side note, the past few days it’s been a warm 30 degrees in ND. Nearly everyone has ditched their winter coats and gloves for a sweatshirt. Hurray for above zero weather!

Technorati Tags: north dakota,nd,snow,snowing,snowstorms,blizzards

Week of Flufferwuffer: SICK

2011-02-08T21:31:00.001-06:00

This past week has been a very uneventful one for me, unless you count me being sicker than a Boomer on Left 4 Dead.

It started innocently enough…I woke up with a sore throat last Wednesday. I went to class and work, but was happy to get home, knowing I would have a nice nap. Then on Thursday, I called in sick to work. I had no energy. NONE. You have no idea what it feels like to lie in bed and think to yourself I wonder if xxxx would be really angry if I just peed here instead of getting up and going to the bathroom? simply because you are struggling to find the energy to get up. Horrible! I had the flu, which kept me bedridden for 4 days.

Anyway, because of this, I couldn’t do the things I normally do when I’m sick. I usually do one of two things: get a lot of stuff done, so the sick day turns into super-productive day OR play videogames and otherwise enjoy my leisure time. Well, I had no energy to do any of that stuff. I slept a lot. I also watched a really crappy anime. That was my sick time. Hooray?

So while this post is pretty short and possibly kind of boring, that’s what my last week consisted of. Nothing very geektacular.

Now I want to know…what do you do when you’re sick?

Ooey-Gooey “Surprise Inside” Cake [+ Super-Easy Recipe]

2011-02-08T13:51:00.001-06:00

On February 1st, my elder sister celebrated her 22nd birthday! For the occasion, I spontaneously whipped up a cake for her. Of course, I added a bit of a twist to the typical cake to make it extra special. Many people really enjoyed the cake, and apparently my little “surprise inside” idea is being adopted by others. So, I thought I’d post the recipe for all of you! Don’t worry, it’s very simple!

What You Need:

2 boxes cake mix (obviously you can make your own cake…just make sure you make 2 cakes)
- Oil, eggs, etc. for cake mix
Frosting (homemade or store bought is fine)
Fudge sauce
Caramel sauce
Your Favorite Candy, or the favorite of the person the cake is for (you need enough for however big your cake is; for a 9X13 cake, I used a full bag of snack-sized Reese's)

Directions:

Make both cakes (you want to make them separate unless you prefer to cut the cake in half)
Let both cakes cool completely
On one of the cakes, frost the top. At this point, more frosting is probably better! (this is so the candy pieces and the other cake will stick to it)
Break up pieces of the candy (making it easier to cut later), and scatter them on the cake. It helps to press the candy into the cake so it doesn’t create mounds. Here’s the cake I made, with Reese’s:
Put the other cake on top of this one. Make sure it stays pretty securely on top…you don’t want toppling cake!
Using a knife, wooden spoon handle, or spatula handle, poke holes in the cakes. Don’t poke all the way to the bottom, but enough that it makes holes in both cakes.
Pour both the caramel and fudge sauce into the holes, letting it slowly soak through the cake. If your cake isn’t in a pan, make sure to watch that you don’t put too much in; it will leak out the bottom and all over.
Frost the top. You can use whatever frosting you want, but note that with fudge and caramel on top still on the top of your cake, it can easily mix with the frosting.
Enjoy your “Surprise Inside” cake!

Technorati Tags: Food,Cake,Dessert,Chocolate,Candy,Cooking,Baking

Thor Movie Trailer [Video]

2011-02-08T09:07:00.001-06:00

Are you going to see this in theaters? I might…but probably not in 3D. Overall, I’m hoping Marvel has changed their “let’s-totally-fuck-up-the-comic-book-characters-just-to-make-others-happy” attitude. Granted, I never really read Thor comics, so I won’t know if they totally shredded the dreams of comic fans.

Technorati Tags: Thor,Thor Movie,Trailers,Videos,Marvel,Comic Books

5 Gift Ideas for Your Geek Girl This Valentines Day

2011-02-02T18:37:00.001-06:00

Welcome to my Valentines Gift Guide for Geek Chicks! Like many people, I tend to agree that V-day is a commercialized “holiday” urging us to spend our money. However, I think the idea of a day you can spend with your significant other and/or express just how much you love them through material things is awesome. For those of you that are single—sorry, not my problem. But maybe buying one of these things for your favorite geeky girl might change your relationship status.

1. Nerdy Jewelry

Sure, diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but there are other, more affordable, original, and nerdy options. While there are thousands of Etsy sellers who hand-make geeky jewelry, I have to admit that one of my faves is The Lady Herself Etsy Shop. Case in point:

Beautiful. There are many other similarly heart-shaped necklaces and earrings in the shop, and other styles like D10 earrings. The shop owner also does gorgeous custom work. Oh, and you can read the review I did of her work, if you’d like.

This is my favorite Etsy geeky jewelry shop, but obviously there are many more options. Quite simply, search “geeky jewelry” and you’re bound to find something that fits your sweetheart’s tastes.

2. DIY – I Love You Bean

Yes, give her a plant. Not only does the container proudly display “I Love You” on the side, but the bean sprout itself will once it bursts through the soil.

Of course, this little gem is sold by none other than ThinkGeek.com. You can pick it up from them for only $4.99, too!

3. 8-Bit Dynamic Life Shirt

Another cute item available from ThinkGeek (because I <3 that site). I absolutely adore these shirts; I keep telling myself that I’ll the set for myself and Ryan (BigJones) one of these days.

It’s pretty simple. When you’re away from each other, the shirts display only 2 1/2 hearts. But as you get close to each other, you slowly gain life force…until you’re a few feet away from each other and you’re at full health! Such a cute concept. I really want these shirts! Oh, and considering this is a gift guide…I bet your geek girl wants them too.

4. Icon Pillows

What better way to instigate some cuddling time with your geek girl than to get her a geeky pillow as a Valentine’s Day present?

Cute and functional, these handmade pillows are as awesome as they come…and they range from Twitter to Gmail to Facebook! You can get them from Crafstsquatch on Etsy (note, though, that each pillow is handmade, so you might not get your pillow before Valentine’s Day!).

5. Chocolate Weapons

Yes, you read correctly…show your geek gal how much you care by preparing her for the zombie apocalypse. Oh, did I mention that the gun, grenades, and bullets are all made of chocolate?

The fact that a chocolate gun will do nothing against real zombies will seem totally moot. As far as geeky chocolate goes, this is my favorite find on the web. My friends always joke about beginning an arsenal for the impending zombie apocalypse, and now I really think we should get it started with “The Ultimate “Near Death” (By Chocolate) Experience”.

Well, there you go. Not a huge list by any means, but perhaps this will get some ideas going. Even if you/your geeky girlfriend hates Valentines Day, remember that any girl loves a present now and then, and none of my suggestions are limited to February 14th.

Technorati Tags: Geeky,Valentines Day Gift Ideas,Geeky Gift Ideas,Valentines Day,V-Day,Gifts

Gaming Steals and Deals for 2/3/11

2011-02-02T14:39:00.001-06:00

LOTS of preorder deals from Walmart! Really worth considering if you are getting those games when they release anyway. Ryan (BigJones) and I preordered Halo: Reach from Walmart and it came the day before release day. ^.^

I apologize that it’s been awhile since I’ve made a new Gaming Deals post. Eventually, I would like to be able to post new deals every day or every other day. Until I have a handle on everything else though (work, homework, classes, housework…), it will have to be sporadic!

For those of you that read this, is there any way you would like me to improve the posts so they are easier to navigate? Or are you fine with the way they are?

Xbox 360 Games

Fable III for $41.46 @ Amazon (31% off)
Red Dead Redemption for $29.99 @ Amazon (25% off)
Call of Duty: Black Ops for $49.54 @ Amazon (17% off)
Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood for $49.99 @ Amazon (17% off)
Preorder Test Drive Unlimited 2 w/ Walmart.com Exclusive Bugatti Veyron Supersport 2010 & Bonus $10 Walmart.com eGift Card for $49.96 @ Walmart.com
Preorder Bulletstorm and get a Bonus $10 Walmart.com eGift Card for $59.96 @ Walmart.com
Preorder Gears of War 3 and get a Bonus $20 Walmart.com eGift Card for $59.96 @ Walmart.com
Preorder Marvel vs Capcom 2: Fate of 2 Worlds and get a Bonus $10 Walmart.com eGift Card for $59.82 @ Walmart.com
Preorder Homefront w/ Exclusive Goliath Drone Avatar and get a Bonus $10 Walmart eGift Card for $59.96 @ Walmart.com
Preorder Brink w/ Exclusive The Spec Ops Pack and get a Bonus $10 Walmart eGift Card for $59.96 @ Walmart.com
Preorder Tiger Woods PGA 12: The Masters w/ Exlusive Precision Boost Driver and Iron Set and get Bonus $10 Walmart eGift Card for $59.96 @ Walmart.com
Preorder Firght Night Champion w/ Exclusive Boxer George Foreman and get Bonus $10 eGift Card for $59.96 @ Walmart.com
Preorder Top Spin 4 and get Bonus $10 eGift Card for $59.96 @ Walmart.com
Preorder Spec Ops: The Line and get Bonus $10 eGift Card for $59.96 @ Walmart.com
Preorder Shift 2: Unleashed Limited Edition and get Bonus $10 eGift Card for $59.96 @ Walmart.com
Preorder Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier and get Bonus $10 eGift Card for $59.96 @ Walmart.com
Bioshock 2 for $13.99 @ Amazon (30% off)
Alan Wake for $27.25 @ Amazon (22% off)
Bayonetta for $15.69 @ Amazon (48% off)

PS3 Games

Red Dead Redemption for $29.99 @ Amazon (25% off)
Vanquish for $29.99 @ Amazon (25% off)
Call of Duty: Black Ops for $44.99 @ Amazon (25% off)
Preorder Bulletstorm and get a Bonus $10 Walmart.com eGift Card for $59.96 @ Walmart.com
Preorder Test Drive Unlimited 2 w/ Walmart.com Exclusive Bugatti Veyron Supersport 2010 & Bonus $10 Walmart.com eGift Card for $49.96 @ Walmart.com
Preorder Lego Star Wars 3: The Clone Wars w/ Bonus $10 Walmart.com eGift Card for $49.96 @ Walmart.com
Preorder Marvel vs Capcom 2: Fate of 2 Worlds and get a Bonus $10 Walmart.com eGift Card for $59.82 @ Walmart.com
Preorder Homefront w/ Exclusive Goliath Drone Avatar and get a Bonus $10 Walmart eGift Card for $59.96 @ Walmart.com
Preorder Tiger Woods PGA 12: The Masters w/ Exlusive Precision Boost Driver and Iron Set and get Bonus $10 Walmart eGift Card for $59.96 @ Walmart.com
Preorder Lego Star Wars 3: The Clone Wars w/ Bonus $10 Walmart.com eGift Card for $49.96 @ Walmart.com
Preorder Firght Night Champion w/ Exclusive Boxer George Foreman and get Bonus $10 eGift Card for $59.96 @ Walmart.com
Preorder Crysis 2 and get Bonus $10 eGift Card for $59.96 @ Walmart.com
Preorder Brink w/ Exclusive The Spec Ops Pack and get a Bonus $10 Walmart eGift Card for $59.96 @ Walmart.com
Preorder Final Fantasy XIV and get Bonus $10 eGift Card for $59.96 @ Walmart.com
Preorder Top Spin 4 and get Bonus $10 eGift Card for $59.96 @ Walmart.com
Preorder Shift 2: Unleashed Limited Edition and get Bonus $10 eGift Card for $59.96 @ Walmart.com
Preorder Spec Ops: The Line and get Bonus $10 eGift Card for $59.96 @ Walmart.com
Preorder Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier and get Bonus $10 eGift Card for $59.96 @ Walmart.com

Wii Games

Call of Duty: Black Ops for $39.99 @ Amazon (20% off)
Just Dance 2 for $34.99 @ Amazon (13% off)
New Super Mario Bros for $34.99 @ Amazon (30% off)
Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga for $15.62 @ Amazon (22% off)
Preorder Lego Star Wars 3: The Clone Wars w/ Bonus $10 Walmart.com eGift Card for $49.96 @ Walmart.com
Preorder Tiger Woods PGA 12: The Masters w/ Exlusive Precision Boost Driver and Iron Set and get Bonus $10 Walmart eGift Card for $49.96 @ Walmart.com
Preorder Top Spin 4 and get Bonus $10 eGift Card for $49.96 @ Walmart.com

Other Games

Nintendo DS -- Preorder Lego Star Wars 3: The Clone Wars w/ Bonus $10 Walmart.com eGift Card for $29.96 @ Walmart.com
PSP -- Preorder Lego Star Wars 3: The Clone Wars w/ Bonus $10 Walmart.com eGift Card for $29.96 @ Walmart.com

Consoles

Playstation 3 160 GB Family Bundle w/ SingStar Dance Party & Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time for $299.99 @ Amazon (19% off)
Xbox 360 4GB Console w/ Kinect + $20 Amazon Credit for $299.99 @ Amazon (no % off, but you get the $20 credit!)
Nintendo Wii Console and Wii Fit Plus with Balance Board Bundle for $279.98 @ Amazon (7% off)
Nintendo Wii Console Starter Bundle including extra Wii Remote Plus, Nunchuk, Wii Sports Resort, and Wii Sports for $239.97 @ Amazon (8% off)
Nintendo Wii Console w/ Mega Pack Bundle for $244.98 @ Amazon (8% off)

Miscellaneous Accessories

Xbox 360 Live Gold Subscription for $44.99 @ Amazon (25% off)
Xbox 360 Live Points Card (1600 Microsoft Points) for $17.99 @ Amazon (10% off)
Xbox 360 Wireless Controller – Glossy Black for $36.99 @ Amazon (26% off)
Perfect Shot for Wii (by Nyko) for $9.99 @ Amazon (44% off)
Charge Station for Wii – Black (by Nyko) for $18.16 @ Amazon (27% off)

Technorati Tags: Gaming deals,video games,deals,gamers

Just a Bad Case of the Manboobs [Pic]

2011-01-31T18:30:00.001-06:00

iPhone auto correct…*facepalm*. Nonetheless, Mondays will hereby be known as Manboob Monday.

[via damnyouautocorrect.com]

Week of Flufferwuffer: Toast

2011-01-31T16:48:00.001-06:00

BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP

That wholly unpleasant sound snapped me out of my morning routine of watching my cat Loki acting adorably as he begs for some of my yogurt. Startled, I quickly snapped around to see that my precious gingerbread Poptarts had suffered a horrible fate in the depths of our cheap-as-cheap-can-get $5 toaster, whose timer had decided that a year and a half of good service was more than enough and it would just let whatever the hell was supposed to pop up perfectly instead smolder in the toaster’s clutches. A good-sized stream of smoke was climbing upwards to pool at the ceiling. I jumped up, shut of the damnable toaster, and snatched a calendar to wave the smoke away from the smoke alarm.

Our toaster, unfortunately, DIED. As did my gingerbread Poptarts, which had become unbreakable bloated black pouches filled with molten marshmallow crème. Very unfortunate.

For two days our apartment was filled with the ~~sweet aroma~~ stench of burnt Poptart. I strongly advise that you don’t burn Poptarts. It smells awful.

So, my boyfriend figured out that the toaster works fine; put simply, the timer stopped working, so instead of popping up after whatever time…that thing will just keep on toasting whatever the fuck is in there, even if it’s on fire (presumably). Whenever we want Poptarts, toast, or Toaster Strudels for breakfast, we have to sit and watch the little toaster like Big Brother. Not fun.

Of course we’re getting a new toaster. This thing’s useless now. (Unless, of course, we get so bored that all we can think of doing for fun is watching bread…toast).

That is why I posted a new Geeklist the other day…can you guess which toaster we’re buying? You have a 20% chance of being right!

The Geeklist: Toasters, Toasters, and more Toasters

2011-01-29T12:45:00.001-06:00

Because toast is awesome. I had a lot of fun the last time I did a Geeklist post, so I’m doing another! This Geeklist is all about toasters, because breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And honestly, who doesn’t love toast every once in a while? Enjoy!

1. Darth Vader Toaster

Yes, you can have breakfast on The Dark Side! With this Star Wars Shop exclusive Darth Vader Toaster, every piece of toast gets branded with our favorite Dark Lord. It’s listed as $54.99.

2. KRUPS TT6190 2-Slice Digital Toaster

Digital Toaster? Yes, please! This toaster boasts an LCD screen, countdown function, 8 browning levels, defrost, reheat, and bagel options. Pretty nifty. Available for around $60 at Amazon.

[via Geek.com]

3. Inseq Design’s Zuse Toaster

This one’s just a concept for now, but I really hope they develop it! This nifty, wall-mounted toaster prints pictures on your toast based on images stores in its memory chip. FUN!

[via GeekSugar]

4. Back to Basics TEM4500 4-Slot Egg-and-Muffin Toaster

This toaster looks so awesome to me. Why spend money at McDonald’s when you can make your own breakfast sandwiches…on one appliance? This toaster comes as a 4-slicer or a 2-slicer, includes an egg boiling basket that fits up to 8 eggs, two trays for poaching eggs or heating pre-cooked meats, and the toaster fits English muffins, bagels, toast… Plus, there are settings for just toast or just eggs. Available for around $60 at Amazon or Walmart.

5. Sunpentown BM-1107 Stainless Steel 3-in-1 Breakfast Maker

Okay, not actually a toaster-toaster, but still pretty cool…one appliance will make your morning coffee, cook up some eggs in a mini frying pan, and toast up some bread in the toaster oven. Only about $45 at Amazon!

Technorati Tags: toasters,geek,breakfast,appliances,geeky,geeklist

Sorry, Apple…the Verizon iPhone is Just Too Late

2011-01-27T14:15:00.001-06:00

In case you haven’t heard, the iPhone 4 will be available through Verizon Wireless starting Thursday, February 10, 2011. This is all fine and dandy. Verizon users are rejoicing that they can have reliable service and the “coolest” (heavy on the quotes, there) phone. AT&T users are happy that they can switch to Verizon and still keep their precious iPhone. Here in North Dakota, people are happy because we don’t have AT&T—only Verizon and Alltell (in ND, they’re still separate because otherwise, they would be a monopoly without AT&T here). We’ve never really been able to get iPhones here—that is, without living close enough to the Minnesota border to get really crappy AT&T service.

Anyway, I digress. While Apple’s move over to Verizon is a good idea in my opinion, I think they’re a wee bit too late. Why wait until the iPhone 4 to make this ingenious move? Verizon has other smartphones, now. Android is just as popular, if not more popular, than the iPhone. Apple should have thought about spreading to Verizon before there was anything comparable to compete with. At this point, if I were to move up to a smartphone (which I’m not contemplating, by the way), it would be to an Android phone instead of an iPhone.

Still, if you really want the iPhone from Verizon…why now? Seriously, wait. If you haven’t noticed, Apple kind of has a schedule…this June, they’re bound to release (or at least announce) the iPhone 5. Wait just a few months, and get the new iPhone, so you can be cooler than all your iPhone 4 friends.

But, you know, I don’t have a smartphone…nor do I want one at this point, so I don’t really pay attention to many new gadgets. (Something about that iPhone 5 pic makes me think it’s too good to be true…) I also am not a huge fan of Apple products. However, I highly doubt I’m the only person who thinks that Apple simply waited too long to go to Verizon.

What do you think? Are you getting an iPhone on Verizon? Will you wait for the iPhone 5? Do you agree with me? Let me know in the comments!

Technorati Tags: iphone for verizon,iphone,apple,verizon,iphone 5

Reasons to Become an Engineer [Pic]

2011-01-27T12:23:00.001-06:00

This is what Ryan tells me anyway….

Technorati Tags: graph,engineer,robot army

Pi = Pie [Pic]

2011-01-24T12:28:00.001-06:00

So true, so true.

[via]

Technorati Tags: pi,pie,geeky,pics

Jasmere Deal: $60 to OrigAudio for $29 or Less!

2011-01-21T11:35:00.001-06:00

For the next 70 hours (at the time of me posting this), you can get a pretty good, geeky/gadgety deal from Jasmere! If you don’t know Jasmere, it is a deal site that features different online businesses every few days (kind of like Groupon), offering an awesome discount to the retailer every time.

What makes it better is that the more people who buy the “voucher” or gift certificate, the lower the price. That’s why the title says “$29 or less”. It’s at 52% off right now, but it can go up to 70% off if enough people buy…making the OrigAudio voucher only $18! If you buy it now at $29 (or whatever it is when you click the link), your credit card doesn’t get charged until the deal is over, so you still get the lowest price.

You do have to sign up for an account, though. Fair warning. But all in all it’s a great site.

Technorati Tags: jasmere,deals,gadgets,origaudio,speakers,geeky

The Truth About Peach and Zelda [Video]

2011-01-20T18:46:00.001-06:00

One word: Hilarious!

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Alternate Scott Pilgrim vs The World Poster [Pic]

2011-01-20T11:36:00.001-06:00

[via jeffisageek.net]

Technorati Tags: scott pilgrim. movie posters,pics,scott pilgrim vs the world

Gears That…Shouldn’t Work (or so Logic Says) [Video]

2011-01-19T13:36:00.001-06:00

Gah! This blows my mind. Keep watching…midway into the video I started to wonder if this was even real. This makes me wish the cog from Gears of War was really one of the squid gears from this video!

Technorati Tags: gears,video,impossible gears,mind blowing,oddities

Gaming Deals for 1/17/11

2011-01-16T23:42:00.001-06:00

I hope you all are enjoying these deals! Lots of great stuff lately…many new releases up to 33% off, and others over 50% off! If you’re looking for something specific, press “Ctrl +F” and then type in whatever you’re looking for.

Remember, I can’t guarantee the prices will be the same when you click on the link as when I found them! And if you find a deal, let me know!

Xbox 360

Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood for $39.99 @ Amazon (33% off)
Call of Duty: Black Ops for $48.99 @ Amazon (18% off)
Blur for $22.79 @ Amazon (43% off)
Halo Reach: Legendary Edition for $79.99 @ Amazon (47% off)
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow for $39.99 @ Amazon (20% off)
Bayonetta for $15.69 @ Amazon (48% off)
AC/DC Live: Rock Band Track Pack for $5.59 @ Amazon (84% off)
Rock Band Track Pack Volume 2 for $5.59 @ Amazon (72% off)
Lips for $25.03 @ Amazon (50% off)
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe for $15.15 @ Amazon (49% off)
Resonance of Fate for $24.84 @ Amazon (59% off)
Resident Evil 5 for $14.99 @ Amazon (50% off)
Alan Wake for $19.96 @ Amazon (43% off)
Red Dead Redemption for $36.99 @ Amazon (40% off)
EA Sports Active 2 (Kinect) for $49.99 @ Amazon (50% off)
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Conviction for $19.99 @ Target.com (in stores only, not available online) (50% off)
Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation for $19.99 @ Target.com (33% off)
Dark Messiah of Might and Magic Elements for $19.99 @ Target.com (33% off)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince for $16.99 @ Target.com (43% off)
Fairytale Fights for $19.99 @ Target.com (50% off)
N3: Ninety-Nine Nights II for $29.99 @ Target.com (50% off)
WWE Smackdown Vs. Raw 2010 for $29.99 @ Target.com (50% off)
IEFA Champions League 2006-2007 for $19.99 @ Target.com (67% off)
Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3 for $19.99 @ Target.com (33% off)
Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands for $19.99 @ Target (in stores only) (33% off)
Supreme Commander 2 for $16.99 @ Target.com (72% off)
R.U.S.E. for $39.99 @ Target.com (33% off)
Dance Central (Kinect) for $39.99 @ Amazon (20% off)
Kinectimals (Kinect) for $39.99 @ Amazon (20% off)
Sonic Free Riders (Kinect) for $40.85 @ Amazon (18% off)
Kinect Sports (Kinect) for $39.99 @ Amazon (20% off)
Zumba Fitness (Kinect) for $43.81 @ Amazon (12% off)

PS3

Call of Duty: Black Ops for $44.99 @ Amazon (25% off)
EA Sports Active 2 for $48.99 @ Amazon (51% off)
Blur for $21.89 @ Amazon (45% off)
Bayonetta for $22.99 @ Amazon (23% off)
AC/DC Live: Rock Band Track Pack for $5.59 @ Amazon (84% off)
Rock Band Track Pack Volume 2 for $5.19 @ Amazon (74% off)
Resonance of Fate for $22.97 @ Amazon (62% off)
Valkyria Chronicles for $24.38 @ Amazon (39% off)
Resident Evil 5 for $14.63 @ Amazon (51% off)
Red Dead Redemption for $36.99 @ Amazon (40% off)
Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood for $39.99 @ Amazon (33% off)
Gran Turismo 5 for $44.00 @ Amazon (27% off)
God of War III for $39.99 @ Amazon (33% off)
Iron Man 2 for $19.99 @ Target.com (33% off)
Darksiders for $19.99 @ Target.com (67% off)
Army of Two: The 40th Day for $29.99 @ Target.com (50% off)
Folklore for $29.99 @ Target.com (50% off)
Disney Sing It: High School Musical 3: Senior Year for $9.99 @ Target.com (67% off)
Batman: Arkham Asylum (Game of the Year Edition) for $29.99 @ Target (in stores only) (40% off)
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (Ultimate Edition) for $39.99 @ Target.com (33% off)
Vanquish for $39.99 @ Target.com (33% off)

Wii

Call of Duty: Black Ops for $39.54 @ Amazon (21% off)
Resident Evil 4 for $10.83 @ Amazon (46% off)
EA Sports Active 2 for $48.99 @ Amazon (51% off)
AC/DC Live: Rock Band Track Pack for $5.48 @ Amazon (84% off)
Rock Band Track Pack Volume 2 for $6.19 @ Amazon (69% off)
Rock Band 3 (game only) for $29.96 @ Amazon (25% off)
The Sims 3 for $29.99 @ Amazon (40% off)
Ultimate I Spy for $17.99 @ Target.com (40% off)
Biggest Loser Challenge Wii Fitness Bundle for $54.99 @ Target.com (15% off)
Boom Blox for $19.99 @ Target.com (33% off)

Consoles

PS3 160GB Amazon Family Bundle w/ Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time and SingStar Dance Party Pack (comes with 2 microphones and a PS3 controller) for $299.99 @ Amazon (19% off)

Miscellaneous

Xbox Live 12 Month Gold Subscription $39.99 @ Amazon (33% off)
Wii Nunchuk & Remote Bundle (white) for $16.99 @ Amazon (72% off)
Xbox 360 Wireless Black Controller $24.96 @ Walmart.com

Technorati Tags: video games,deals,shopping,gamer,gaming,cheap

The Real Food Chain [Pic]

2011-01-16T17:52:00.001-06:00

Yeah…nothing to say about that (~~I’m terrified of zombies~~).

[via GeeksNGamers]

Week of Flufferwuffer: First Post

2011-01-16T11:21:00.001-06:00

This is my first time writing a post like this, but I’m doing my best to keep it as entertaining and interesting as possible! Every week, I will post a new “Week of Flufferwuffer”, just to keep my readers updated on various events and reflections happening in my life. Honestly, I don’t know why you’d want to read about me, but I figured it would be a great way for the readers to get to know me a little more.

Really quickly, I’d like to point out my new “About Me” page. When I started blogging, I was going to make a point to remain as anonymous as possible, but I’ve done away with that. My name is Chelsea Fetch. You can find out more about me by visiting the new page. Oh, here’s my mug, if you’d like to see it…

For this post, I’d like to start the series off by outlining a few different goals I’ve set for myself. You can call them New Years Resolutions if you want, but I’m not doing this just because the year has changed. It’s more about me.

Learn how to knit ~~more than just lopsided scarves~~
Learn about computer programming/more about coding
More creative baking projects
Spend more time writing/improve writing

All of these, in some way or another, are geeky or nerdy. Trust me. May not seem like it now, but as I write more posts from week to week, everything will become clear. If any of you reading this think you can help me with any of those, just let me know. I need mentors!

Munchkin Marriage Proposal

2011-01-14T11:20:00.001-06:00

Now this is a way to propose to a girl. Especially a girl like me (hint hint, BigJones!). If you’ve never played Munchkin, not all of the text makes sense, but it’s still romantic nonetheless. This card was homemade by someone to propose to his girlfriend. CUTE! And if you disagree, go away. Really. I don’t want you here.

[via Wedinator]

Technorati Tags: munchkin,proposal,marriage proposal,marriage,geeky,board games,weddings

Gaming Deals for 1/12/11

2011-01-12T14:14:00.001-06:00

Here are the various gaming deals I’ve found throughout the day, varying from video games to accessories!

Prices can change at any time, so if they don’t match up with my links, please let me know so I can change it.

Also, if you find a deal, feel free to e-mail it to me or leave it in the comments.

Xbox 360

Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood for $39.99 @ Amazon or $39.99 @ Target.com (33% off)
Zumba Fitness (Kinect) for $39.70 @ Amazon (21% off)
Call of Duty: Black Ops for $48.99 @ Amazon (18% off)
Blur for $23.29 @ Amazon (42% off)
Halo Reach: Legendary Edition for $79.99 @ Amazon (47% off)
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow for $26.99 @ Amazon (46% off)
Bayonetta for $15.69 @ Amazon (48% off)
AC/DC Live: Rock Band Track Pack for $5.69 @ Amazon (83% off)
Rock Band Track Pack Volume 2 for $5.69 @ Amazon (72% off)
Lips for $25.36 @ Amazon (49% off)
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe for $15.15 @ Amazon (49% off)
Resonance of Fate for $20.18 @ Amazon (66% off)
Resident Evil 5 for $15.06 @ Amazon (50% off)
Alan Wake for $19.96 @ Amazon (43% off)
Rock Band 3 for $32.42 @ Amazon (35% off)
Sonic Free Riders (Kinect) for $39.96 @ Amazon (20% off)
The Sims 3 for $39.99 @ Amazon (33% off)
Red Dead Redemption for $36.99 @ Amazon (40% off)
EA Sports Active 2 (Kinect) for $49.99 @ Amazon (50% off)
Halo: Reach for $39.99 @ Target.com (33% off)
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Conviction for $19.99 @ Target.com (50% off)
Fable III for $39.99 @ Amazon or $39.99 @ Target IN STORES ONLY (33% off)
Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation for $19.99 @ Target.com (33% off)
Dark Messiah of Might and Magic Elements for $19.99 @ Target.com (33% off)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince for $16.99 @ Target.com (43% off)
Fairytale Fights for $19.99 @ Target.com (50% off)

PS3

Call of Duty: Black Ops for $44.99 @ Amazon (25% off)
EA Sports Active 2 for $48.99 @ Amazon (51% off)
Fallout: New Vegas for $39.99 @ Newegg (33% off)
Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood for $39.99 @ Target.com (33% off)
Singularity for $39.99 @ Target IN STORES ONLY (33% off)
Bioshock 2 for $19.99 @ Target IN STORES ONLY (33% off)
Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands for $19.99 @ Target.com (33% off)
Iron Man 2 for $19.99 @ Target.com (33% off)
Darksiders for $39.99 @ Target.com (33% off)
Army of Two: The 40th Day for $29.99 @ Target.com (50% off)
Folklore for $29.99 @ Target.com (50% off)
Disney Sing It: High School Musical 3: Senior Year for $9.99 @ Target.com (67% off)
Batman: Arkham Asylum (Game of the Year Edition) for $29.99 @ Target.com (40% off)
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 for $39.99 @ Target.com (33% off)
Vanquish for $39.99 @ Target.com (33% off)

Wii

Call Of Duty: Black Ops for $39.54 @ Amazon (21% off)
Resident Evil 4 for $10.69 @ Amazon (47% off)
EA Sports Active 2 for $48.99 @ Amazon (51% off)
Your Shape for $29.99 @ Target.com (25% off)
Ultimate I Spy for $17.99 @ Target.com (40% off)
Biggest Loser Challenge Wii Fitness Bundle for $54.99 @ Target.com (15% off)
Boom Blox for $19.99 @ Target.com (33% off)
Wii Fit Plus with Biggest Loser Challenge Fitness Bundle for $119.99 @ Target.com (27% off)

Miscellaneous

Xbox Live 12 Month Gold Subscription $39.99 @ Amazon (33% off)
Xbox 360 Wireless Black Controller $24.96 @ Walmart.com

Technorati Tags: video games,gaming,deals,saving money,low prices,shopping,gamers

Epically Nerdy Ghostbusters Wedding Cake

2011-01-12T13:11:00.000-06:00

“I now pronounce you—oh sh*t! It’s the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man!” That’s what I imagine happens at the wedding. ~~(don’tjudgeme)~~

This light-up cake was made by Charm City Cakes for the wedding of a couple of nerds.

[via that’s nerdalicious]

Technorati Tags: wedding cake,city charm cakes,ghostbusters,nerd wedding,nerdy,geeky,Stay Puft

Things Are Going to Change Around Here…

2011-01-12T10:17:00.000-06:00

2011. Something about the fact that my computer is now displaying that number has made me reevaluate why I started blogging. And that’s why things will be changing around Cheap Geeks Anonymous. Not much, but hey, bear with me.

When I started blogging in May, I think I was reading the wrong blogs. I should have been reading blogs like GeeksAreSexy, Geek with Curves, or jeffisag33k. I got caught up in the idea that I needed tons of people following my blog right away. In the end, I’ve ended up with the majority of my following (as reflected by Facebook fans, Twitter followers, and Google Friend Connect followers) being absolutely dormant.

I fell into another pitfall along the way. Last semester, I was putting too much time into my hobbies, and less time into schoolwork and the blog. Thus, my grades suffered (got the first C since junior high), and posts on my blog have been lackluster and scarce.

Both these things will change. I’m going to start posting more about me, my geeky adventures, and the things I want to post about. I’ll still work to grow my audience, but not just for the numbers—for geeks who actually want to read, discuss, and comment on what I write. Some things will stay the same, but I’m hoping this not only makes my blog more rewarding for me, but more manageable as well.

Along with my normal, random postings, I’m going to be typing up two (as of right now) posts that will recur. First, every week or so, I’ll be posting a “Week of Flufferwuffer” (title subject to change…seriously!) post…which will basically be an update of geekworthy stuff happening in my life. Next, I’ll be honoring the “Cheap” of Cheap Geeks Anonymous a little more by posting more deals, which will include anything from video game, computer, hardware, and gadget deals I find throughout a day or two. In addition, I’ll be posting more of my opinions on things—not reviews, just opinions—like why I’ll never buy Apple products.

To wrap things up, I’m doing this for me…and you. If you are already following my blog somehow, and decide to leave because you don’t like my new way of posting…fine, I don’t really care; you’re wasting your time here anyway. I want an audience that likes me, likes what I like, ~~and will worship the ground I walk on~~. Hopefully, these changes will make my blog more enjoyable to other geeks out there and me.

Bestcovery Winner!

2011-01-10T19:08:00.001-06:00

This is loooooooong overdue, but I’ve finally picked the winner of the $5 Amazon Gift Card from Bestcovery.

Winner was #64, hannah!

The winner has been e-mailed, and will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen.

Big Paw Designs [Review]

2011-01-10T19:02:00.001-06:00

As many geeks would agree, pets are pretty awesome. In particular, a large percentage of nerds seem to have a love of cats (even if we’re just talking LOLcats). I’m definitely a cat person, and not at all ashamed to admit that I love to spoil my two furbabies. So when I had the opportunity to review something from Big Paw Designs, I couldn’t say no! This site has been making collar tags, treats, toys, and more for pets since 2002.

Before I even go into what I was sent, what makes Big Paw Designs awesome is that not only are you treating your pet to something nice, you’re helping not-so-fortunate pets. They have two different shops to help two charities; a portion of sales from each shops goes to help animals. First is the Romeo Love shop, which benefits cats.

I got to review a collar charm from the Shop benefitting Used Dogs Rescue in New Orleans. Though I don’t have a dog, my cat Loki fits the bill pretty well (he chases his own tail, drinks out of the tub and sinks—we keep him away from the toilet, he loves licking people, and if we let him he would be living outside).

I have to tell you: It’s beautiful! Very well made, perfect-looking (even better than the picture on the site), beautifully cut, and I’m sure it will make a wonderful addition to Loki’s collar when we get him a new one. All in all, I’m very impressed with the charm, and it’s also heartwarming to know that every purchase helps an animal!

The very same charm I received is listed on the website for only $10. Considering how high of quality they are and the fact that buying it benefits other pets, that’s not much of a cost.

If you want to check out the shop, go to Big Paw Designs. There’s also a coupon code good until January 15th, 2011 that’s good for 35% off any purchase! Just enter code BLOGHOLIDAY at checkout.

Disclaimer: I received a collar charm free of charge from Big Paw Designs for review. However, all my opinions are 100% honest and mine alone!

Technorati Tags: pets,cats,dogs,reviews,collar charms,charity

I Am Not a Robot [Video]

2011-01-10T10:06:00.001-06:00

“I Am Not a Robot” by Marina and the Diamonds.

Holy Geek Gods. She is good. And gorgeous.

Technorati Tags: music videos,robot,android,songs,music

Top 10 Technology Sites [Guest Post]

2011-01-08T14:58:00.001-06:00

Who subscribes to magazines anymore? If you’re a tech geek or you want to become one, you probably already have RSS feeds set up for a number of news sites that get you the information you want about new technology and shiny new gadgets. And a little gaming news on the side doesn’t hurt either. If you don’t already have your finger on the pulse of the technology world, here are a few fantastic sites to get you started. These are some of the most popular and most-trusted technology news sites on the web (in no particular order).

1. Gizmodo: Gizmodo is a great site for everything geek, mostly focusing on gadgets and other fun stuff for the little geek in all of us.

2. TechCrunch: Not really shying away from the geeky aspect of technology, TechCrunch is less a place to go for new gadgets than it is a site to look for business news about hot tech companies and reviews of online technologies like new social media websites and applications.

3. Mashable: One of the most Tweeted sites on the internet, Mashable concentrates its news on social media and online applications. If you are looking for the latest information on Facebook privacy settings, this is probably the site for you.

4. Wired News: One of the top print magazines in geekdom—online! If you’ve already let your print magazine subscription lapse (hopefully in the name of saving a few trees), you don’t have to be denied all the cool information that comes through Wired.

5. Slashdot: Think of it as a combination of Wired and Science. Slashdot goes beyond just reporting tech news into posting stories from the science world that relate to geeks everywhere, like the future of space travel.

6. Cnet: It’s like Consumer Reports for geek crowd. Cnet reviews just about every piece of hardware and software available on the market today. They are widely respected because of the depth and breadth of their knowledge and expertise. Before you buy a new shiny gadget, computer, or piece of software, check here first.

7. Engadget: One of the top names in tech news, Engadget focuses its website mostly on new gadgets (as its name might suggest), but it also covers tech business news.

8. ArsTechnica: Another great tech news site, ArsTechnica covers the gamut—from product reviews, to business news, to info on new and upcoming video games and console systems.

9. Boing Boing: Not so much into product reviews, Boing Boing focuses its site on more interesting, quirky, and out-of –the-way tech news, and it usually has a sense of humor. If you’re looking to go a little off the beaten path, give it a try.

10. Technology Review: The technology news website for MIT, this site packs a punch on stories about new and emerging technology and the way that science is making our world a better place (for better or for worse).

About the author: Gunter Jameson writes about several topics including travel, minimalism and Pell Grants.

Technorati Tags: Technology,websites,technology sites,tech,guest posts,top 10

Amazon Deal of the Day: Complete Farscape Series for 67% Off

2011-01-04T13:05:00.000-06:00

I absolutely love it when Amazon has really great deals on a really geeky product!
Today only Amazon has the Farscape: Complete Series DVD Set for only $49.99, which is 67% off the normal price of $149.95! If you've never seen Farscape, I totally suggest you check out the series...it's absolutely awesome! My family used to watch this addictively when I was younger.

This deal is for today only, so don't wait if you're interested; buy it!

Sweet Deal on Xbox 360 250 GB + Kinect Bundle

2011-01-03T19:09:00.001-06:00

Here’s a pretty sweet after-Christmas sale! Right now on Amazon, you can get the new Xbox 360 250GB console + Kinect (and Kinect Adventures) for $399 (the normal price) and get $50 in Amazon credit back! This is a great deal to seriously consider jumping on if you’d like an Xbox and Kinect!

If you already have an Xbox 360, consider that this is the new model, which BigJones and I have noticed seems to display graphics better, run quicker and more smoothly, and the 250 GB model obviously has a ton more space than the typical 4GB model.

Thanks, Jessica’s Coupons!

Technorati Tags: deals,amazon,xbox 360,kinect,video games

Various Video Game Deals All Around the Web

2011-01-03T15:43:00.001-06:00

Instead of posting post after post of single video games that I've found for cheap online, I'm going to compile everything here.

Fable III for Xbox 360 only $41.59 @ Amazon
Red Dead Redemption for Xbox 360/PS3 only $39.99 in stores only @ Target (33% off)
Just Dance 2 for Wii only $29.99 @ Amazon
Call of Duty: Black Ops for PS3 only $44.99 @ Amazon (25% off)
Call of Duty: Black Ops for Xbox 360 only $49.96 @ Amazon
Your Shape: Fitness Evolved for Xbox 360/Kinect only $33.99 @ Amazon (32% off)
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood for Xbox 360/PS3 only $34.99 @ Amazon (42% off)
Xbox Live 12 Month Gold Card only $39.96 @ Walmart (normally $59.99)
Kinect Game Party: In Motion for Xbox360/Kinect only $29.96 @ Walmart
James Bond 007: Quantum of Solace for Xbox 360 only $10 @ Walmart
Brutal Legend for Xbox 360 only $10 @ Walmart
Assassin's Creed II for Xbox 360 only $27.20 @ Walmart
Halo: Reach for Xbox 360 only $39.99 @ Amazon (33% off)

These were compiled January 3, 2011. Obviously I can’t guarantee that the prices will be this low when you click on the respective links. But please leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail if one of these deals dies.

If you find a video game deal, let me know and I’ll write a post about it!

Technorati Tags: deals,video games,amazon,gaming,low prices

Amazon Deal of the Day: EA Sports Active 2 for 52% Off

2011-01-02T15:46:00.001-06:00

Since it’s the new year and people everywhere are vowing to lose weight or be healthier in 2011, Amazon is offering EA Sports Active 2 for Wii, Xbox 360 (with Kinect, I believe), or PS3 for only $47.99, which is 52% off the list price of $99.95. Pretty damn good deal! If you’re looking to live up to a new year’s resolution, you might want to snatch this.

On the other hand, if you don’t want all the bells and whistles that come with EA Sports Active 2 and you have an Xbox 360 with Kinect, you might want to pick up Your Shape: Fitness Evolved for only $33.99 here, which is 32% off but still cheaper than EA Sports Active 2. Pretty great deal; this probably won’t last long! I have been playing Your Shape: FE, and it’s pretty fun…but intense!

Technorati Tags: deals,amazon,new years resolutions,video games,EA,Your Shape,Ubisoft

Kinect Rules the World [Video]

2011-01-01T11:12:00.001-06:00

I’ve been a long-time believer that Kinect is totally awesome, thrilling, and all-around amazing. This video, which a friend posted on my Facebook walll, is further proof of that:

BigJones keeps telling me how excited he would be if he could play Fable III on Kinect. Playing an RPG this way just seems…fun! At least this encourages WoW players to get out of their computer chairs and moving around!

Technorati Tags: Kinect,WoW,World of Warcraft,Xbox 360,gaming,MMORPG,software

Douglas Adams’ Dirk Gently Series Coming to BBC [+ Trailer!]

2010-12-21T08:47:00.001-06:00

Hooray! The genius mind of Douglas Adams is once again being recognized for its greatness. Adams’ Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency series has been adapted for television! Hitchhiker’s fans, rejoice!

Here is the trailer, for your viewing pleasure:

No word yet as to when exactly it will premiere (in the US; in the UK it was out December 11), but that doesn’t stop me from being excited about it! Stephen Mangan will star as Dirk Gently in this television movie.

I have heard some ~~polite~~ critiques of the movie, but I’d rather watch it myself and judge it from there. I will admit that I’ve never read the books ~~(yes, I’m a horrible DA fan!)~~ so I should probably get around to doing that before watching this TV movie.

What do you think? Have you read the books? Have high hopes? Will you be avoiding it at all costs, burning your ears out with acid at the mention of the BBC Dirk Gently adaptation?

[via Tor.com]

Technorati Tags: BBC,tv,movie,Dirk Gently,Douglas Adams,Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy,geeky,books

Amazon 17 Days of Deals in Video Games

2010-12-09T18:10:00.001-06:00

In case you don’t already know, Amazon has been having a daily video game deal other than the B1G1 50% off I posted about earlier. They’re currently on day 10, so there’s only a week left, but better I bring it to you late than never right?

Today, the deal is steep discounts off Playstation hits, including Little Big Planet, The God of War collection (includes I and II), God of War III, Uncharted II: Among Thieves, Modnation Racers, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, Heavy Rain, Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, and Resistance 2.

You can save anywhere from $10-$20 off those games, making some over 50% off!

Amazon Video Games B1G1 50% Off! [Deal]

2010-12-09T12:48:00.001-06:00

To kick off my push for posting more tech deals and steals, Amazon has a bunch of great video game deals going on right now. Whether you’re buying video games as gifts this Christmas or want to expand your collection, check out Amazon’s Buy One Get One Half Off Video Games and Accessories deal.

There are pages upon pages of games and accessories to look through, including games (some new releases like Call of Duty: Black Ops and Dragon Age: Origins), Wii controllers, Xbox 360 controllers, Wii accessories (like the Mariokart wheel), and more. Don’t ignore the tabs up top to categorize the deals by platform (Wii, Xbox 360, PS3, etc.). Since they don’t have a tab for it, here’s a link to just the Kinect games included, some of which are already discounted. You can pick up one game for $47, and the next for only around $25. Pretty good deal for video games!

Anyway, there’s somewhere close to 20 pages of games and accessories to look through, so check it out!

Fictional Character Hatsune Miku Entertains Live Audiences via Hologram

2010-12-09T09:24:00.001-06:00

Have you ever heard of Hatsune Miku? If you’re an Anime fan, you may have. If you’re a music fan, you might have. Hatsune Miku 16-year-old fictional character, created by Crypton Future Media to put a face to their singing synthesizer application known as a vocaloid, which is Yamaha technology. Basically, the technology was created so music composers could type in lyrics and a melody to synthesize singing.

Surprisingly, though, this fictional character has become Japan’s favorite celebrity, beginning when Exit Tunes Presents Vocalogenesis feat. Hatsune Miku topped the Japanese Oricon album charts May 31, 2010. Suddenly, the fictional Hatsune Miku was performing live in Japan and overseas. Here she is performing live!

Since then, multiple albums have been created with the Hatsune Miku software, thanks to people uploading songs using the vocaloid. Her popularity has also caused her to appear in video games and many other forms of media. Here is the video for one of the anime character’s most popular songs created with the program, Silence.

[via Geek.com]

Technorati Tags: Anime,Hatsune Miku,Videos,Music,Japan,Singing

J!NX.com [Review]

2010-12-06T20:18:00.001-06:00

If you’re anything like me, fashion is something you simply don’t worry about. Rather than pay attention to “what’s in this spring”, I concentrate my attentions on what video games are coming out or cool new gadgets. For clothes, brand names like Aeropostale and Abercrombie are as important to me as the number of calories in bacon; I frankly couldn’t give a damn. Usually, I just look for clothes that are comfortable and look good on me. As a self-proclaimed nerd, though, shopping for clothes that express my love of D20s can be frustrating at best.

That is, until my boyfriend introduced me to J!NX! When I first met him, BigJones’ shirt closet was exclusively J!NX. Mostly, he wore this skeleton shirt, and a lot of shirts with an iconic nerdy skull. I have never heard of J!NX before, but he wasted no time in informing me that he would only buy shirts from that online store. I’ve been browsing their site for gifts for him ever since. Then, with the Holiday Gift Giveaway Hop (now closed, hope you entered!) coming up, I decided to contact them to see if they’d donate a gift certificate. When they said yes and ALSO offered to send me swag to review, I was thrilled!

The awesome Geekgods at J!NX were generous enough to give me a $30 gift code to pick a couple things from the site to review. Knowing BigJones would be furious if I didn’t get him something, I let him pick first, then I chose a stylish women’s shirt to review for myself. Here’s the results:

Durability. I already knew what to expect, here. As I mentioned before, BigJones has been a long-time fan of J!NX, having quite a collection when I met him almost 3 years ago. Guess what? He still has every shirt. Yes, every last one. And they’re all still in great condition. Sure, some of his shirts may have lost a little bit of luster (designs slightly faded and cracked, a few holes from wear and tear), but they are all totally wearable and still awesome. Just to prove it, here’s a pic I took of one of his shirts (which he got about 5 years ago), compared to the picture from the J!NX site:

Obviously, pretty durable! I know I can expect the shirts we just received to last for years.

Price. J!NX shirts can cost anywhere from $10 to $25. Normally, $25 can be pretty high for me, but considering they’ll last for years to come, they’re very affordable. With lots of sales and a $10 shirt section, which has a lot of cool styles I might add (that’s where I picked up my shirt!), they’re even more cost-friendly and effective. And as I’ll mention later, members have even more opportunities to save at J!NX.

Selection/Design. There are hundreds upon hundreds of designs available from J!NX. Whether you’re a gamer, D&D player, or just an internet aficionado, there are dozens of options that you’re sure to like. Though there are some designs I’m not a fan of, I’m bound to find at least 20 or so shirts I’d like after browsing for a few minutes. And J!NX is constantly adding new stuff, since they regularly hold design contests where fans submit their own designs. Browsing the women’s section, the only issue I have is that they are out of so many styles (which, I guess, is more of a problem of too many women who are J!NX fans!). There is always an option of getting an e-mail notification when a specific design and size are in stock, though!

Cool Other Stuffs. There are a few things other than T-shirts that are awesome about J!NX. First, they also offer things like dress shirts, pants/sweatpants, hoodies/sweatshirts, stickers, buttons, underwear, and lots more. Many of the dress shirts are really nice, and I’m ~~secretly~~ thinking of buying BigJones a couple of them.

There’s also a forum on the site, where you can go to discuss…just about anything geektastic! I haven’t really looked around it all that much (mostly because I don’t have time!) but if that’s your thing, I’d take a look!

Lastly, if you become a member of J!NX, you have the opportunity to earn J!NX Gold and J!NX EXP. You earn points from making purchases, referrals, posting pics of you in your J!NX clothes, commenting, and more. J!NX Gold earns you real money to use on your purchases! 100 Gold = $1. J!NX EXP lets you earn additional things in the shop. For example, earning 950 EXP means you’ll earn 1% more J!NX Gold and J!NX EXP on orders and referrals, and earning 1500 gets you a free sticker pack.

The Bottom Line. I’ll definitely be shopping at J!NX again. And often. This is a site I’ve tested and trust; I know I can expect awesome shirts to express my nerdalicious ways.

Connect With The Company.

Disclaimer: I received a gift code from J!NX to make a purchase and review products. However, I received no other compensation and my review and any opinions expressed are my opinion and are 100% honest. I don’t blur the lines.

Technorati Tags: J!NX,jinx,t-shirts,clothes,fashion,geek,geeky,tees

Flash Mob–Hallelujah Chorus [Video]

2010-12-06T18:22:00.001-06:00

If you haven’t seen this yet, you should seriously watch this.

If you want to find out more about flash mobs, check out Wikipedia’s article here.

Technorati Tags: flash mob,video,hallelujah,chorus,music,mob

Holiday Gift Giveaway Hop WINNERS!

2010-12-06T09:57:00.001-06:00

Here’s what you all have been anxiously waiting for! I don’t know about you, but I definitely had a BLAST hosting and entering all these awesome giveaways! I really hope Simply Stacie and the other wonderful bloggers who hosted this hop decide to make it an annual tradition—I’d love to participate again.

Well, since I offered an additional prize if I gain enough followers, here’s a look at how my stats went up:

Email subscribers: 50 (+38)

Twitter Followers: 233 (+93)

Google Friends: 461 (+121)

Facebook Fans: 158 (+79)

Which adds up to an increase of 331 new followings across everything! Even though I said in my giveaway post that I’d only give away the $15 Best Buy gift card if I received a 400 follower increase, I’m so super happy with the response I’ve gotten that I’m going to go ahead and give it away anyway!

I got a total of 334 valid entries into this giveaway, in only 5 days! Wow, guys, thanks! Best of luck to you now as I draw the winners…

The winner of the $50 J!NX code and Nymgo credit is #109, Monique!

The winner of the $25 Jasmere credit is #11, Bambi!

The winner of the Best Buy Gift Card is #180, Julie!

I will be e-mailing the winners shortly. Each will have 48 hours to respond, and if they don’t, I’ll have to pick a new winner.

Finally, I’d just like to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who entered, and to all my new followers. I hope you all stick around; hopefully I’m entertaining enough!

Bestcovery.com $5 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway!

2010-12-02T10:27:00.002-06:00

As consumers, most of us know that one of the best ways to ensure we buy the best product for our money consistently is by reading multiple reviews on a product before you buy it. Be it a new HDTV, a Digital Camera, or just a new frying pan, reading what other people thought of whatever you’re buying can help prevent you from spending hundreds of dollars on something that, frankly, sucks.

That’s what bestcovery.com is trying to help you out with. Bestcovery.com does the work for you; instead of visiting multiple sites, forced to read through hundreds of various reviews, the folks at Bestcovery have consulted the experts, sifted through consumer opinions, and selected the best product in whatever category you’re looking for. One thing I love about the site is that they break down each category into something specific; instead of just Digital Cameras, you can see the list of best Compact Cameras, best Digital SLR Camera, and many many more. From there they break it down from the best, second best, etc., and continue by telling you why it ranks where it does and where you can buy it. Cool, huh?
Anyway, I highly encourage you at least check out the site! You’ll have to, too, if you’d like to win a $5 Amazon Gift Card!

--Giveaway--

The people at Bestcovery are pretty awesome, so they decided to offer one of my readers a $5 Amazon Gift Card!

Rules: One comment per entry, please! One winner will be chosen. Giveaway ends December 16th, 11:59 PM CST. Winner will be contacted via e-mail and will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen.

-Mandatory Entry-

Visit bestcovery.com and leave a comment here telling me what your favorite or least favorite Best List is, and what the site did that you liked/disliked.

-Extra Entries-

Create an Account on Bestcovery and tell me your Username
Like Bestcovery on Facebook
Follow Bestcovery on Twitter
Follow CGA via GFC (on the sidebar)
Follow CGA on Twitter
Like CGA on Facebook
Subscribe to CGA via e-mail
Subscribe to CGA via RSS
Enter any other one of my active giveaways and tell me which one (+1 for each giveaway entered)
Tweet about this giveaway or link to it on Facebook (+1 per day)(Use the Add This tool at the bottom of this post or use the sample tweet)

Enter to #win a $5 #Amazon Gift Card from Bestcovery.com and @CGAnonymous #giveaway http://ow.ly/3mFCM

Disclaimer: I didn’t receive any compensation for this post, and as always, everything is my opinion and mine alone!