August 2008
Monthly Archive
LED Electronic Football Coming to iPhone
Matt 28 Aug 2008 | : Video Games
Before the Game Boy was invented, handheld LED games were awesome. They usually only consisted of a handful of different combinations of LED screens and 2-3 different bleep and bloop sounds but they were fun! The classic 1970’s LED football game is being remade for the iPhone and iPod Touch and it will only cost $.99. Here’s to hoping they keep the beeps and squeeks of the original.
Cubeecraft Papercraft Toys
Cubeecraft are free papercraft toys you can download, print and cut to create characters and put on display. The details on these little guys are pretty amazing. I created the Duck Hunt character and it took about a half an hour but the final product turned out nice so it’s worth it if you have some extra time to kill.
New York Times Olympics Web Features
There are two neat Olympic related features on the NY Times website.
The first is a 360 degree rotating high-res picture of what it’s like to look off the top of the diving platform in the Water Cube. It would be difficult enough to jump off this thing but imagine doing it with 17,000 people staring at you. Here.
The second is a map of Olympic medals. The countries that won more medals in a particular year are represented by a larger circle. Here.
Sony Announces PSP-3000
Matt 20 Aug 2008 | : Video Games
At this years Leipzig Games Convention, Sony has announced a new model PSP; the PSP-3000. This new model however won’t be as significant of an update as last years “slim and light” PSP-2000 model and will look identical. Not sure yet how the unit will be priced but I suspect it will be in the $169-$199 range.
The new features of the PSP-3000 include:
- improved glare-free screen
- a PS button instead of a home button
- smoother edges
- built-in mic
The Greatest Music Collection
Matt 19 Aug 2008 | : Technology, Web
The largest vinyl record collection is for sale for $3 million dollars. The owner must sell it due to health issues and a struggling record industry. This is a really good documentary of the story of the man and his records. You can view the official website of the collection for more information.
USB 3.0 Almost Ready
Matt 19 Aug 2008 | : Technology
USB 3.0 is almost ready to hit the market with amazing new transfer speeds and more!
Features include:
- Backwards-compatible with USB 2.0
- Transfer rates up to ten times faster than USB 2.0 (4.8Gbps)
- Uploads and downloads are kept on separate lanes with thicker cables
- Charge devices more quickly
- Much more mindful of energy waste
Secret Sega Archive Vault At Sega HQ
Matt 16 Aug 2008 | : Video Games
Probably like most larger companies, Sega has a room somewhere deep in their Headquarters with a copy of every product they’ve ever made. Sega is one of my favorite development companies so I found this picture awesome. Jammed inside the room (they ran out of room in just the bookshelves) are games, consoles, controllers, accessories and more Sega nostalgia stacked from Floor to ceiling and everywhere in between. More pics can be seen on Segas Flick Page and in the Sega Blog.
Beijing National Aquatics Centre (Water Cube)
Matt 15 Aug 2008 | : Architecture
I’m usually not big into the Olympics or sports for that matter but when I saw Michael Phelps representing Baltimore tearing up the charts with gold medals and records, I had to see what all the fuss was about. The Olympics is a great way for all the world’s countries to show sportsmanship and respect for each through the competition of sports. It’s a beautiful thing. Another beautiful thing is the design behind the newly built Water Cube.
Breaking ground in 2003 and being completed more recently, the structure has a capacity of 17,000 during the Olympics. It is composed of steel space frame. The Swimming, Diving and Synchronized Swimming events are being held there during the Olympics. What makes the design so successful is the the outer wall which is based on the Weaire-Phelan structure and look like soap suds. The way the light shines through the outer wall is breathtaking.
eBay Live.com Cashback Saves You Money
There’s an easy way to get cash back on everyday items you purchase on eBay. I’ve already got back over $100 (some of it still pending) by signing up for Live.com cashback. It’s pretty simple and here’s what you do:
- Go to http://live.com/cashback and register an email with them
- Do any live search on http://live.com and add EBay to the item you looking for (like: “iPod eBay”)
- Click on the link in the header that says “Live Search cashback” on the search results page
- Once you choose what you want on eBay, but prior to committing to buy (to buy, not to pay) make sure the 25% cash back is being offered there, otherwise you won’t get it! Only Buy It Now auctions are eligable for cashback
- You will receive a message after you pay for you item that you have new cashback. Click that link and register it to your newly created Live.com account
It works! The cashback ranges from 15% - 30% and is currently at 25% which means that if you buy an iPod for $200, $50 will be put in your Live.com account. After 60 days of a pending status the money will be yours to withdrawal from your Live.com account.
Jenga Donkey Kong Coming Out!
Matt 13 Aug 2008 | : Video Games
I didn’t quite know how to categorize this post which involves both the classic Nintendo game Donkey Kong and the party block game Jenga. Should it be considered video games? Is this an invention? Should I create a new category for board games? I settled on video games since this is both a video game and a game.
The classic tower building game of Jenga features 54 black hardwood blocks decked out with the iconic Donkey Kong girders. In addition custom Mario, Donkey Kong and Pauline playing pieces and a Donkey Kong themed spinner are included for alternate game play. USAopoly is releasing this game which should be available in September but is currently back-ordered on Amazon.
