Category: Geek Stuff

Pikachu School Bus Completely Rules!

Kotaku has posted photos of a completely awesome Pikachu school bus. Shuttling kindergarten students in Osaka, this Pikachu bus is pretty much the best thing I’ve seen all month. I love the various Pokeballs that adorn the side of it! I would totally drive one in America. Heck, I’m thinking about taking a trip to Osaka just so I can hijack one and take it to Den Den Town.

Would you drive the Pikachu bus?

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Coffee Talk #98: Your Non-Gaming, Non-Nerd Hobbies

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Lost, the kick-off of the the Mayweather-Mosley press tour, or teenage girls in Japan throwing knuckleballs, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Today’s Coffee Talk is a special request from RPadholic bsukenyan. He recently revealed to other RPad.tv readers that he’s an avid collector of pennies. This hobby definitely falls outside of the realm of the gaming, gadgets, and geek culture that’s discussed on this site. Do you have any hobbies or interests that are “different”?

As for me, I don’t think I have any hobbies that you don’t already know about. You guys pretty much know what I do: games, tech, pro-wrestling, American Idol, MSNBC, and travel.

I guess I’m a little insane when it comes to taking advantage of frequent flyer programs. Yes, I’m one of those guys that frequents the FlyerTalk forums, tries to take advantage of every United promotion, and goes on mileage runs. I actually spent a day flying to New York and back because there was a double qualifying miles promotion that would get me over 150,000, earning another pair of system-wide upgrades that can be used on international flights. In a way, I treat it like a videogame; I want to get the best score I can and take advantage of bonus multipliers.

So in the spirit of bsukenyan’s penny hobby, let everyone know if you have any similar interests or hobbies. Do your non-gaming, non-nerd activities somehow relate to games? Discuss!

TiVo Announces Premiere and Premiere XL Models

TiVo has announced that it will be offering two new digital video recorders in early April: the $299.99 Premiere and the $499.99 Premiere XL. Both models feature a new interface that several tech bloggers have described as “TiVo meets IMDB”. The new interface is based on Flash and will support downloadable extensions. Here are some bullet points:

TiVo Premiere
New HD user interface for optimized search & discovery
Records up to 45 hours of HD programming
Support for NetFlix, Amazon Video, and YouTube
Connects to your cable service, replacing your cable box
Access the world’s largest on-demand video store
Schedule recordings online or with your mobile phone

TiVo Premiere XL
3 times more recording space — up to 150 hours of HD
THX certified for premium audio and digital quality
TiVo premium backlit remote control

Users will also have to pay the TiVo service fee, which ranges from $12.95 a month to $399 for lifetime service.

I’m amazingly psyched for the TiVo Premiere XL. I want one now!!! *sigh* Too bad I totally can’t afford it.

Any of you going to spring for a TiVo Premiere or Premiere XL?

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