Have you ever noticed how intense it looks when you see someone play the violin? It’s definitely involves much more skill and finesse with speed, motion, and pressure than just dragging and pulling a bow across a series of strings. But if you don’t have that kind of time to learn the ins-and-outs of violin playing, Dylan Menzies’ easy-to-play optical O-Bow might be right down your alley. Read the rest of this entry
…also, Pearl Harbor Day, “Man of Steel,” “Star Trek Into Darkness,” and ALL THE THINGS!!
This week on WIRed, a new community arena for the Golden State Warriors and San Fran, build you own speakers, the end and final issue of Nintendo Power, and celebrating the WWE’s most awkward lowlights. Read the rest of this entry
Do you want some decent-sounding basic speakers on the cheap? Well, if you have happen to have a soldering iron, coated copper magnet wire, spare wires, a paper cup, a standard 3.5mm headphone plug, and assorted paper and cardboard scraps, you can build that basic set of speaker yourself. From scratch. FOR FREE (should you have those aforementioned items just lying around; like I would – I like tinkering with things)!
Are you still hankering for some residuals of some Halloween goodness, love video games and music based on said past-time of gaming? Well then good sir/ma’am, Phoenix-based rapper Random (a.k.a. Mega Ran) and Richie Branson released the Halloween-themed The Ghouls ‘n Ghosts EP. Essentially it’s a collection of song collaborations from various other albums,in addition of a couple of new tracks, including the titular “Ghouls ‘n Ghosts” that, of course, is inspired by the infuriatingly difficult classic game from the so-called “Mega Man Haters” (as declared by numerous angry gamers online), Capcom. Read the rest of this entry
While I’m not a huge fan of Ohio State University (or the Big Ten Conference as a whole; nothing personal, I just do not care for them), this halftime performance dedicated to video games from their marching band is one of the best I’ve ever seen (after any performance from the World Famous Fighting Texas Aggie Band; #nobias).
Above is a still image from the halftime performance of The Ohio State University Marching Band from this past Saturday, October 6th, 2012 as the Buckeyes took on the Nebraska Cornhuskers. As previously mentioned, the theme was popular video games, and the performance included musical selections from The Legend of Zelda, Halo, Pokemon, Tetris, and much more. Also, which is probably the BEST PART from the entire performance, make sure not to miss the running horse at the 6 minute mark. Check out the entire Ohio State University Marching Band halftime show after the break.
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Musician Shnabubula released his most recent videogame-themed album back in May, titled SNESology, a free collection of original music that uses instrument soundsets from some classic Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) games. The album, includes various other artists that contributed their SNES-inspired songs to the project. The album has some original numbers along with remakes of pre-existing game tracks in the style of a completely different type of game. After the break, you can listen to five selections including in the collection and remind yourself of how awesome, amazing, and timeless the music from the SNES is. Read the rest of this entry
On this week’s edition of The PractitioNERD discusses:
1) This Musical Olympic Structure Looks Like Superman’s Fortress of Solitude (http://goo.gl/3RLB4)
2) D-Generation X Reunites on Last Night’s 1000th Episode of Monday Night RAW!! (http://goo.gl/cxQ9f)
3) Presenting the $99 Vizio Co-Star Google TV set-top box; Pre-Order NOW! (http://goo.gl/1qTQX)
4) Takeshi’s Challenge is SOOO CHALLENGING; Probably Made by Satan… (http://goo.gl/UGyZC)
…and the Question of the Week!!
With everyone’s favorite blue bomber Mega Man turning a quarter-century old (or “25″ for the mathematically deficient) this year, video game publisher Capcom has decided to celebrate by compiling the music from the series’ 10 main games into a single collection. On September 19th, the collection will be available for ¥14,700 (or $183.56), but unfortunately won’t be available in the United States, so you’ll have to venture into the wilds that is the completely Japanese online shop, E-Capcom (or just use Google Translate). Darn, first Capcom takes away Mega Man Universe and Mega Man Legends 3, and now I’ll have to import this or learn Japanese. Woe is me….well, except for learning Japanese…that would be awesome. Read the rest of this entry
Practically anyone who grew up in the 1980′s and early 1990′s *ahem* has some sort of relationship to, and/or memory of 8-bit gaming, whether it was because of the popular Nintendo Entertainment System, or the not-as-popular but still fun Sega Master System. Recently, PBS took a look into the distinct style of 8-bit in their latest video from their Off Book series. The Evolution of 8-Bit Art gives viewers a look into the genre, including interviews with artists discussing their inspiration, motivation and challenges of working within the medium’s restrictions. Read the rest of this entry
The big news this week in entertainment has been the recent return-from-the-dead (not really) of Tupac “2Pac” Shakur at the Coachella Music Festival, thanks to some very interesting technological means and methods. It was instantly (and incorrectly) described as a “hologram,” although it was technically based on the usage of a projector that sent a 2D animated Tupac onto a reflective surface, that then reflected back to an invisible (to the audience) transparent foil screen to make him look 3D. Check out the picture below for more simplified details.
The Pogoplug Classic
A few weeks ago, I took advantage of a great deal at my local Best Buy and purchased a brand new Pogoplug Classic (that used to retail at $130) for only 30 BUCKS. For the last few years I’ve been looking for a media server (like the LaCie LaPlug Media Server), and this steal came along. For the longest time, I’ve been using my laptop or my near-10-year-old desktop PC along with some server software (i.e., TVersity, PS3 Media Server, Vuze, Orb, etc.), that that always involved having my computer on ALL OF THE TIME, hogging up a whole lot of power.
This past Saturday, March 31, I was able to attend the 8-BIT ARCADE! (LEVEL 2) event at the White Rabbit in San Antonio, hosted by ARTSLAM! San Antonio, and sponsored by Pabst Blue Ribbon and Montana. The premise for the event is to bring back the memories of childhood from going to the arcade, spending quarters upon quarters of our allowance money (or cash from our parents), learning team-building strategies from classic arcade co-op games like “The Simpsons,” “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time,” or “X-Men” with friends and complete strangers. Man, those were the days; too bad arcades (on a large scale) are pretty much dead in America (and NO, Dave & Busters does NOT count).
How do you celebrate your own birthday on a blog? In the real world (or in real life, or IRL), there are cards, drinks, cakes, singing, laughing, and well-wishes from your friends and family (by the way, BIG THANKS to my friends and family for the birthday wishes). I also realize that I have already covered much of my childhood, adolescence, teenage years, college days, and professional experience in the 110+ blog entries I’ve made. I guess rather than find another way to wedge other personal stories and details into yet another blog entry, I’d do this:
PICTURES OF CAKES AND A SONG!!
Former Beatle, frontman of Wings, and music icon Sir Paul McCartney stated in an interview that he is currently working on music for a videogame (and no, it’s not “The Beatles: Rock Band 2″ in case you’re wondering). In an interview with Die Zeit (by the way, “Google Translate” will be your friend for this article), McCartney was asked by the interviewer if he would ever write music for a videogame. His response was that he already is, and that he finds the idea “exciting,” and the games market “fascinating;” also noting that videogames are selling more than CDs nowadays.
He recalls when he was a child and music was mostly accessible via his own radio and record collection, but today music is EVERYWHERE. Due to this, Sir McCartney believes that by making new music in videogames, younger people will be hearing his music for the first time through that particular medium.
Maybe (just maybe), I’m amazed….
….as long as it isn’t like Journey’s and Aerosmith’s venture into videogames. Ugh!
[Thanks Joystiq]
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Founder of a Architecture, Technology, Video-Gaming, Sports-Entertainment & Nerd/Geek Culture Web Site
Freelance Architectural/Graphic/Web Designer
Experienced Architectural Intern & Adjunct Professor (in San Antonio & Chicago)
Texan via Hawaii, Texas Aggie, Spurs fan, and PROUD NERD!!
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