Giant Sparrow has announced that The Unfinished Swan will be available on PlayStation Network on October 23, 2012. PlayStation Plus members will be able to download the game a week early, getting access on October 16, 2012. As many of you know, this was my favorite game of E3 2012. It’s creative, inventive, and beautiful to watch. While I’m uncertain of its mass appeal, The Unfinished Swan is perfect for people that like “artistic” games. I hope you guys and gals give this one a shot. It’s different and refreshing. I’m confident that the game will do well with critics, but I hope lots of people buy it. In a world full of balls, guns, and sequels, The Unfinished Swan stands out.
Adele’s James Bond 007 “Skyfall” Song
Here’s Adele’s “Skyfall” song for the upcoming James Bond 007 of the same name. It features her famous timbre and signature runs while also paying homage to songs from the previous Bond movies. Give the track a listen and let me know what you think (please!). Continue reading “Adele’s James Bond 007 “Skyfall” Song”
Today’s Poll: Adobe Flash and You
Adobe Flash has a mixed reputation. Some people find it a vital part of the Internet experience. Others think that it’s an annoyance that slows down system performance and drains battery life. Then there are people that install Flash on their web browsers and just don’t care. How do you guys and gals use Adobe Flash with your web browsers? Kindly vote in today’s poll and expand on your answer in the comments section.
As for me, Flash is an on-demand feature. I don’t use it with Firefox or Safari. It’s baked into Chrome, but I don’t use it unless I have to. For most sites, it’s treated as a “Click to Play” feature. There are some exceptions, like this site, where I always leave it on, but for the most part I try not to use Flash unless I have to.
Now it’s your turn! Please vote and tell me about your Adobe Flash usage habits.
[poll id=”165″]
What Are You Playing This Weekend?
The last two weeks have been a little rough, so I’m looking to play simple games that make me feel good. First up is Civilization: Revolution for iPad, because conquering the world over and over again cheers me up. Next up is Outernauts. I’m done with all the quests that have been released, so it’s all about finding and training rare monsters. Right now my Golden Scyke and Bizaur need some leveling up. It’s gratifying watching them learn new attacks and become more powerful. Hours and hours of these two games will help me reset my mindset so that I can rock next week. Let’s do it!
How about you? What’s on your weekend playlist?
Ichiro Suzuki’s Nerd Chic Baseball Bat Case
Like many great athletes, New York Yankees outfielder Ichiro Suzuki is a creature of habit. One of his nerdiest habits is the way he takes case of his baseball bats. It makes total sense — of course one of the greatest hitters in MLB history takes pristine care of his bats. Tech nerds will appreciate the great lengths Ichiro goes to in order to make sure his bats are protected from excess moisture. Here’s more from The New York Times:
While most players dump their bats in cylindrical canvas bags when they are not using them, Suzuki neatly stacks his best eight bats inside a shockproof, moisture-free black case that he keeps close by his locker at home and on the road.
The case, which looks like a mini trunk, not only protects the bats from jostling and banging during transports, it also serves as a dehumidifier, drawing moisture out of the bats during the hot, humid American summers.
For Suzuki, a preeminent scientist in the field of hitting, regulating the amount of moisture in his bat is critical to the touch and feel of it. A hard, dry bat with just the right amount of water content has helped Suzuki become one of the best hitters in the game.
I’ve been an Ichiro fan since his Seattle Mariners days. His obsessive and technologically-charged bat care makes me an even bigger fan of his. Honestly though, I’m surprised that this isn’t done by every baseball player (except for Adam Dunn, who will swing at a baseball with anything he can get his hands on regardless of its condition). Wood is a finicky substance and its properties can be drastically altered by changes in humidity. I’m sure that traveling musicians like RPadholic N8R know what I’m talking about; I’ve felt how humidity can change the feel of guitars first hand. Many people consider Ichiro a surgical hitter. Naturally, his precision hitting requires his tools to be in tip-top shape at all times. Props to Ichiro for nerding up his bat care!
Watch Debates on Xbox Live, Get Halo 4 Warrior Armor Avatar
Did you watch last night’s presidential debate through Xbox Live? If you’re a Halo fan then you should have, because you’ll have the chance to win the Halo 4 warrior armor avatar. In a clever marketing ploy, Microsoft is giving away the avatar to one of its most popular games to Xbox Live members that watch three out of the four debates through Xbox Live’s election 2012 hub. It’s a cool way to get young people interested in the election.
The offer is available to Xbox Live Gold members only. For full details, check out Major Nelson’s post on the promo.
What do you think of Microsoft using its most popular videogame franchise to get people to watch the presidential and vice presidential debates? Are you going to watch the future debates through Xbox Live to get some sweet Halo 4 duds for your dolly avatar?
Mariah Carey vs. Nicki Minaj on American Idol
I knew that putting two batsh*t-crazy women on the American Idol judging panel was a good idea! Here’s a video of Nicki Minaj cursing out Mariah Carey during the American Idol audtions in Charlotte, North Carolina (aka Ric Flair country). Minaj was pretty intense and her tirade featured an impressive curse-words-per-minute ratio. Carey tried to play it cool, dismissing Minaj’s behavior as childish. If these two are having problems during auditions, I can’t wait to see what they get up to during the big shows. They’re a live TV disaster waiting to happen! Love it!!!
McKayla Maroney is Impressed With Hart of Dixie
The adorable and not-easily-impressed McKayla Maroney is making her acting debut in Hart of Dixie. For those of you not familiar with the show, it’s a Rachel Bilson drama/comedy on The CW. McKayla will be playing Tanya, Rose Hattenbarger’s best friend on the show. While she has acting aspirations, Maroney noted that she’s not done with her gymnastics career. Check out the full Access Hollywood interview below for all the details, including why she and her Olympic teammates are cooler than Justin Bieber. Continue reading “McKayla Maroney is Impressed With Hart of Dixie”
The Lone Ranger Trailer
I’m not sure what to make of The Lone Ranger. On paper, it sounds amazing. Johnny Depp is playing Tonto and he’s almost always awesome. The Winklevoss Twins are playing the titular character and I really enjoyed Armie Hammer in The Social Network. I absolutely love the supporting cast — Helena Bonham Carter rules, Barry Pepper is one of my favorites (he rocked as Roger Maris in 61*), and William Fichtner is awesome. This should be an awesome movie, right?
One of the reasons I’m apprehensive is that Gore Verbinski is directing. He can be fantastic, but he can also be all over the place. Modern Westerns are also hit-or-miss with me. That said, I’m not going to bet against the Bruckheimer/Verbinski/Depp combo. Those guys have generated an ungodly amount of money together.
Any thoughts on The Lone Ranger?
A Good Day to Die Hard Trailer
Bruce Willis is back as John McClane and this time around he’s on a father-and-son adventure in Moscow. Thankfully, Shia LeBeouf isn’t playing his son. Instead, it’s one of the dudes from Spartacus: Vengeance, Jai Courtney. A Good Day to Die Hard comes out on Valentine’s Day 2013 because…hell, I don’t know. Check out the trailer and let me know if you’re up for another John McClane gun-blazing adventure or if this series died (hard) for you a long time ago.