Internet - Nerdvana: Sci-fi, comics, games & more

Archive for the 'Internet' Category

‘The Guild’ crafts a music video

August 20th, 2009, 5:49 pm by Chris "KeL" Adams

As a promo for their upcoming third season (starting August 25), the stars of the comedy web series “The Guild” have released a music video ““Do You Wanna Date My Avatar.” The song praises the perks of online in-game romance.

“The Guild” series follows a group of guildmates and dysfunctional almost-friends as they struggle through the highs-and-lows of their real lives and their lives in an online role-playing game. Though the game is never named, it’s clearly based on World of Warcraft (cast members are appearing at this week’s Blizzcon). The short episodes are a scarily accurate portrayal of the life of a hardcore WoW player. Like so many things, the series is funny because it’s so true. The characters are exaggerated for comedic effect, but not nearly as much as one might imagine.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Gaming • Internet • Music • RPGs • WoW • the guild | 3 Comments »

Explore Legoland from your chair

August 18th, 2009, 9:08 pm by Chris "KeL" Adams

vll

Can’t afford a real vacation? No problem! As usual, the Internet’s got you covered. Google Maps’ photographers recently took a trip to Legoland California and made it the first U.S. theme park to be mapped on Street View. Just go to www.maps.google.com and put in Legoland California and it’s like you’re there. Now you can take a first-person virtual stroll through the building block wonderland without ever leaving the house, putting on pants or spending a dime. That’s my type of trip!

Posted in: Internet • LEGO • Google | Post a Comment »

Let’s play swine flu pandemic! (It’s just a game … right?)

August 17th, 2009, 6:47 am by Jayson Peters

Why am I not surprised that a computer game based on the swine flu pandemic has beat a vaccine for the H1N1 virus to market?

Image: PhotoSpin

You can play The Great Flu online at www.thegreatflu.com. It was designed by medical experts who apparently have nothing better to do at a university hospital in the Netherlands.

Thanks, Dutch doctors. (Cough, cough.) When the swine flu makes its epic comeback this fall, we’ll know who to blame. Unless this is like Ender’s Game, and world health officials have given up all hope of managing the crisis themselves, and they’re disguising the situation as a game that will inspire some child prodigy to step forward and save us all.

For the love of God, kids — PLAY THE GAME!

Posted in: Gaming • Internet • Nerd rage • PC • Ender • simulation • swine flu | Post a Comment »

Skip this if you’re trying to be productive

August 5th, 2009, 4:16 am by Chris "KeL" Adams

redremover-1

If you like puzzle games, you’ll want to give Red Remover a shot. It’s a free web-based game at http://www.thegamehomepage.com/play/red-remover. Like most great puzzlers, the objective is simple. All you have to do is remove the red objects from the play area while ensuring that the green objects stick around. The game combines this simple premise with a robust physics engine for some of the most engaging and dynamic fun that I’ve seen lately.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Gaming • Internet • puzzle | Post a Comment »

Nintendo DSi gets Facebook integration

August 3rd, 2009, 12:42 pm by Jayson Peters

Starting today, gamers can upload photos directly to their Facebook account from their Nintendo DSi handheld game system.

A free download available after 5 p.m. Pacific time will update the firmware to allow the new feature.

Users with wireless broadband Internet access enabled can click on the Facebook icon that will appear in their DSi Camera albums to send images directly to their Facebook profiles.

“Facebook and Nintendo DSi build on the trend of personalization that is so important to consumers,” Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of sales and marketing, said in a statement. “We’re giving people the tools to express themselves in creative new ways and show off the results to their friends and family on Facebook.”

See also: Nintendo gets a dose of reality

Posted in: Gaming • Internet • Nintendo • Facebook | Post a Comment »

Feds probing Apple’s ban of Google Voice app

July 31st, 2009, 11:26 pm by Jayson Peters

I wasn’t going to blog about this, but it just got a lot more interesting.

On Tuesday Apple rejected an iPhone app for Google Voice, a free VoIP service that lets users link their various phone numbers together. Immediately a googol of Google fans cried foul, saying the iPhone maker was stifling innovation by acting only in its own self-interest.

Now, late Friday, comes word via The Wall Street Journal that the Federal Communications Commission has sent letters to Google, Apple and iPhone carrier AT&T, wanting to know more about Apple’s practices of late.

A clash of the titans is brewing, it seems. And now the government is getting involved.

Via Gawker/LifeHacker

Posted in: Apple • Business • Internet • Technology • FCC • Google • Google Voice • iPhone • Law • VoIP | 1 Comment »

Sample 4 new manga titles for free

July 30th, 2009, 4:09 pm by Jayson Peters

VIZ Media has launched a Web site for theier online manga magazine IKKI where you can check out the opening chapters of Japanese graphic novels for free in electronic form.

Hit the jump for descriptions of the titles, some of which would not be deemed suitable for young children. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Books • Comics • Free stuff • Internet • Manga | 1 Comment »

A disturbing convergence

July 25th, 2009, 11:27 pm by Jayson Peters

We’ve already reported that at least one e-tailer has proved it has both the ability and the guts to snatch back content you thought you wanted (Amazon embraces the Orwellian spirit and UPDATE: Orwell e-books yanked from Kindles were bootlegs, July 17).

Now the U.S. government appears to be on the verge of establishing a squad of truth police if not Thought Police, if Tribune columnist Austin Hill is to be believed (Obama appointee wants control of web speech, July 25).

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Books • Business • Hmmmmm..... • Internet • Nerd rage • Piracy • Politics • Technology • Television • Amazon • Barack Obama • Big Brother • e-books • George Orwell • Kindle • PDF | Post a Comment »