Google Maps 5 For Android Dazzles With 3D

I’ve been playing around with Google Maps 5 for Android for the last 30 minutes and I’m completely fascinated with it. The 3D capabilities are really cool and potentially useful. I’ve been entertaining myself by checking out my friends’ locations on Google Lattitude and reaffirming my own location (*snicker*)…in 3D! The tech is cool and surprisingly fun. Here are some official highlights:

  • Tilting: Drag down with two fingers to tilt the map. Tilt while zoomed in on one of the 100+ cities around the world with 3D buildings to see a skyline spring to life.
  • Rotating: Twist with two fingers to rotate the map. After tilting to see 3D buildings, rotate around them to gain a new perspective from any direction.
  • Smooth zooming: Slide two fingers together or apart, and see the map and labels continuously scale to any zoom level, stopping when your fingers stop.
  • Compass mode: Center the map on your location, and then tap the compass button in the top right corner. The map will flip into 3D mode and start rotating to match your perspective, while still keeping all the labels upright and readable.

Check it out and let me know what you think (please)!

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MLB 11 The Show Features Joe Mauer, 3D, and PlayStation Move

Here’s a video and some box art for the upcoming MLB 11 The Show. In addition to some baseball awesomeness, Sony has revealed Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer as its cover athlete, stereoscopic 3D support, and PlayStation Move compatibility. MLB The Show has been the best baseball game for the last few years and the 2011 version is particularly important since it will showcase two technologies Sony is pushing.

Any of you curious to play MLB 11 The Show using PlayStation Move and or 3D?

Fast Five Trailer Features Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson!

The Fast and Furious movies are a guilty pleasure of mine. Paul Walker’s crappy acting mesmerizes me. I love that Vin Diesel is a giant nerd that plays Dungeons & Dragons (and by numerous local accounts is also secretly homosexual). How can this crappy series get even better?!? That’s easy — pit Diesel and Walker against Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson!!! That’s exactly what’s going down in Fast Five. That’s sheer brilliance.

Let’s watch the trailer together and discuss!

SlickyFats Shows Off His RPad.tv Swag!

RPadholic SlickyFats sent in these excellent pictures of his RPad.tv merchandise. The first photo has him, his shirt, and his mug posed in front of a television with RPad.tv on the screen — excellent composition! The second has his RPad.tv mug next to the legendary Bacon Fatty Melt — you know, the bacon cheeseburger that uses grilled cheese sandwiches as the bread. These are awesome Slicky! Thanks so much!!!

As an annoying reminder (sorry!), there’s still time to pick up some RPad.tv swag as a holiday gift.

Coffee Talk #266: Your Favorite Sports Moment of 2010

Let’s wrap up 2010 by discussing a few of our favorite things (raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens). We’ll talk about our favorite music, movies, and games of the year in the next few Coffee Talks. Today I want to hear about your favorite sports moment of 2010.

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, Cafecito Organico’s El Salvador Rainforest Alliance, Scarlett Johansson breaking up with Van Wilder, or the Julian Assange defense fund, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Let’s wrap up 2010 by discussing a few of our favorite things (raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens). We’ll talk about our favorite music, movies, and games of the year in the next few Coffee Talks. Today I want to hear about your favorite sports moment of 2010. As for me, that’s easy!

LeBron James’ “The Decision” was the most fascinating sports event of the year to me. It transformed a generally loved athlete into a generally hated one. It showed that even super-rich athletes look like picnic tables when wearing red gingham-check shirts. It gave the world an all-purpose phrase — “I’m going to take my talents to South Beach” — which can be used for bailing out of drinking sessions, going to the toilet, playing with yourself, and more. “The Decision” offered drama, unintentional comedy, emotion, and more. I loved it!

Now it’s your turn. What was your favorite sports moment of 2010?

Dissidia 012 [duodecim] Screens: Tifa and Lightning!

The latest batch of Dissidia 012 [duodecim] Final Fantasy screens adds some girl power with Lightning (Final Fantasy XIII) and Tifa (Final Fantasy VII). Laguna’s there too…but he’s not nearly as interesting (for boys). While I enjoyed the first Dissidia, the gameplay was a tiny bit lacking. The sequel should be a deeper experience. I’ll definitely play it just so I can mark out at different Final Fantasy characters sharing the screen.

Kindly check out the screens and let me know if you’re interested in Dissidia 012 [duodecim] and if you’ve been calling it Dissidia 012 Dewey Decimal System. What Final Fantasy character match-ups fill your dreams? I want to see Faris (Final Fantasy V) and Vivi (Final Fantasy IX)!

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Hammer Time: Discuss the Thor Movie Trailer!

I’m LTTP on this one, but I wanted to see what you guys and dolls think of the latest Thor trailer (posted above). A lot of my friends are hating on the costumes, but they don’t really bother me. The Destroyer looks pretty dope and I totally marked out when Thor used his mystical uru hammer. I’m still not convinced that mainstream moviegoers give a crap about Thor, but I’m totally down for some hammer time. And you?

Hugh Jackman Injures Eye on Oprah

It sounds completely lame that Wolverine injured himself on Oprah, but Hugh Jackman did it in the coolest possible way. This isn’t Tom Cruise jumping up and down on a couch like an idiot. This is Jackman slicing his face as he flies through the air! Here’s the story according to Fox NY:

X-Men star Jackman injured himself as he flew on a zip line from the top of the Opera House to the stage — where Winfrey hosted both shows Tuesday — outside the iconic building.

He cut his right eye on the way down to the stage when his leg struck a studio light, forcing Winfrey to call for a break in filming so he could be treated for his injury. The actor, however, made light of the incident, saying, “That was so much fun — let’s do it again.”

I don’t care that he got his big break in Oklahoma the musical. Jackman is a stud!

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