This is one trippy art project.  Zoom Quilt is a collaborative group art project where each artist submits their art pieces into this long looping flash movie.  The flash movie continously zooms into each art piece making it seem like you’re going through a very weird world. Check it out.

Oh, and if you’re under the influence of some “stick, icky, icky”, you’re welcome.

I know people sometimes steal images to put on their websites, but this is just dumb. I could smell a lawsuit from a mile away. Seems just like the lame Evony game with false advertising. Oh well, at least they aren’t resorting to using photos of swimsuit model stock photography.  Oh, but this isn’t the only image they took. Check out Kung Fu panda after the break.

Have they no shame?

I recently received some reader mail, from “phyzical”, that I thought would be nice to answer publicly. Phyzical writes:

hello I saw how you said you wanted to design websites ever since high school, I was just wondering how you came across working for pixelated geek? did you go to college I think its called over there. im Australian btw. its just im finishing my final exams at school and have decided I want to get a career in computing but I am going to do a computer science degree in uni, and was wondering if that would lead into the field you work in, my knowledge on computers is better than most but not to the degree of programming, I know it to a degree and know most parts of computers and what not.

phyzical

To read my answer, go past the break.

The answer below is kinda long. If you want a tl;dr version, scroll down to the end.

Hi phyzical,

Yes. I’ve always wanted to design websites since I was 13. It all started when a classmate showed me his 1 page webpage that he made using some AOL tools. The webpage was super simple. It was black text on a white background.  No graphics, no tables, nothing. All it said was “Hi, I’m Erwin. I’m 13 and my hobbies are ….. “. Mind you this was back when AOL was mailing out 3.5 floppy disks with their program on it.  Back before Geocities was born. Back before Battle.net was born. Back when 28.8kbps modems were all the rage.

Damn, I feel like an old guy now. =(

For some reason, after seeing that on my computer screen, something sparked in my mind that I too wanted to make a webpage. I started learning how to do everything on my own.  Then I’d see more and more of my friends make webpages, but with graphics, then with javascript, and then with flash. I have a competitive side in myself that made me always want to make my designs better than theirs. To tell you the truth, all the design and technical skills I know and use now have been from using the internet, asking friends, and trial and error. But, here I am now. Using those skills I’ve learned on my own and through friends and making a career out of it.

So, now on to your main question.  How did I come across working for PixelatedGeek. Well, I don’t actually work for it.  I work on it. It’s another hobby of mine, like how web design is. I started PG on November 2008. (Yes, we are 1 year old now!) I started it on a whim thinking, “damn. I want to be able to touch the newest and latest video games and gadgets first.” Also I thought, “I want to meet those people who create these games and gadgets.” After a year of working on, not for, PixelatedGeek, I’ve come to realize that one, this is tough to do. Making sure the site has good, original, or breaking news content. Two, it takes a good chunk of money, and three, I would love to switch my careers.

Instead of web designing full-time and keeping PixelatedGeek up on the side, I’d like to do the exact opposite.  Meeting new people, making new friends, going to expos/conventions, and talking about it is so much fun.

Hope I’ve answered your questions. Thanks for being a reader/fan. =)

tl;dr - I started PG in Nov. 08 because I wanted to. I learned all my skills off the nets and friends.

For everyone else, if you have a question for me, just e-mail me.

This is scene was hilarious to watch when I first watched the movie.  But, I think the above comic makes it better. Also, does Edward have wings?

Good job, China. An invention that all of us geeks can behind. An inflatable bra that can make breasts look bigger for a sexier cleavage.

Japan. Seriously. What is it about your culture that makes your people come up with the best advertisements and game shows? I love you, Japan. Keep doin’ what you’re doin’. For the full animated gif, go past the break.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The exclusive and officially licensed Star Wars Tauntaun sleeping bag is now available for $99.99 only at ThinkGeek.com. Oh, and one more thing.  That zipper to open it is just a touch more of awesome.

The prize: Scarabor on Steam.
Quantity: Ten (10) Steam Keys.  One (1) per winner.

About the prize: Sacraboar is an RTS game in which players have to capture their opponent’s boar trophy. Featuring an intuitive and easy to use resource management system, the game offers fast-paced game play without lengthy and tedious construction phases.

During the game players can build towers, which either give them access to powerful spells or increase their budgets for producing units.

Get yourself some awards in league and cup competitions as well as bronze, silver, and gold medals in over 80 challenging missions and battle it out against human opponents via LAN or Internet.

• Multiplayer via LAN and Internet
• League in four difficulties (Bronze, Silver, Gold, All Star)
• Cup in four difficulties (Bronze, Silver, Gold, All Star)
• 89 Missions, each one in three difficulties (Bronze, Silver, Gold)
• 6 additional tutorial missions
• Replays (record your matches and share them with your friends)
• 18 difficulties in Skirmish mode (from very easy to ultra-hard)
• Lots of different game modes that can be combined
• Easy to use code system for sharing cool game settings
• Test Center for testing units and spells
• Encyclopedia with all information about units, spells, game modes etc.
• Trophy Room that lists all your achievements

Thanks to: Makivision Games

How to win: First ten (10) people tweet about why they love reading PixelatedGeek, gets a Steam key.  Don’t forget to put @pixelatedgeek so I can see the tweet. Thanks for being a fan! =D

[View with PicLens]

 

Genres: Action, Fantasy, Occult

.

In a world much like our own, around the height of the 19th century, a rather peculiar event happens upon ones’ death. Every memory, every recorded moment of your life encodes to a stone “book”, representative of your soul. A facility was created to house these tomes: the Bantorra Library. There in, every possible “book” is cared for by the Armed Librarians. These librarians must guard the books from those that might abuse them, as well as from the creatures which inhabit the ancient halls below them.

The Armed Librarians enter the series in dramatic fashion, speeding toward a steam ship owned by the Shindeki Church. The church follows a rather brutal hierarchy with those known as the “True Men” on the top. Under them are the “Mock Men”, who serve unconditionally, and give up their lives for the True Men. The lowest rung are called the “Meats”, and have little to no free will left. They are brutally brainwashed and mistreated; frequently being turned into living bombs. It is these bombs that begin throwing themselves at the Librarian’s boat.

The librarians acting leader, Hamutz Meseta, sits on the shore monitoring the group’s progress on their mission to gather information on the church’s activities. She shows on of her psychic powers, that of extended senses, by mentally poking around the boat with invisible threads (the visual representation of her power is that they glow white to the viewers). One Librarian, not realizing the Meats are bombs, is killed trying to rescue a man from the water. The rest make their way on board, slaying the Mock Men left to defend the ship.

After finding a suitable number of clues about the church’s goals, the ship’s cache of gunpowder and bombs explodes and throws the Librarians and Meats into the ocean. One of the Librarians, named Volken McMarney, attempts to save the Meats, but notices they have no will of their own to live, allowing themselves to drown. The Librarians begin tracking down clues which leads one, Mattoalast Barori, into a direct confrontation with three Meats in a mining town. One detonates himself and kills Mattoalast, the other rebels against one of the True Men, Segal, and dies. The remaining Meat continues on his programmed mission, to kill Hamutz Meseta.

There is absolute volumes of information I have left out of this article (the function of the books and shards there of), you just have to watch the series to get the true impact of the events that transpire! Two deaths amongst the Librarians within the first two episodes give us a good feel for the serious nature of the series. There are many levels in the complex social environment that have yet to be unveiled… and I can’t wait to find out. The mix of generally old technology, psychic powers and cults plays out well in these first two episodes. The cool display of Hamutz’s power at the end of episode two leave this as one series to definitely watch.

Overall Hook Rating: A

Check out the stylish opening sequence after the break:

Congratulations to Nintendo for getting their Game Boy inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame.  I remember the first time I saw one of these bad boys. I couldn’t believe my eyes while watching my next door neighbor play Super Mario Land. I kept thinking to myself. Wow. This is Nintendo! But this is Nintendo that you can walk around with. Amazing!

The Game Boy has laid down the ground work for every advanced mobile gaming device and deserves this place in history.

Full press release past the break.

Ball, Big Wheel® and Game Boy® Inducted Into National Toy Hall of Fame® at Strong National Museum of Play®

ROCHESTER, New York—The Ball officially joins the Stick (among last year’s toy inductees) as it bounces into the prestigious halls of the National Toy Hall of Fame at Strong National Museum of Play along with the iconic Big Wheel® and innovative Nintendo Game Boy®

The three toy honorees were selected from among 12 toy finalists that included: The Ball, Big Wheel, Cabbage Patch Kids®, Game of Life®, Hot Wheels®, Nintendo Game Boy®, Paper Airplane, Playing Cards, Rubik’s Cube®, Sidewalk Chalk, Toy Tea Set, and Transformers®.

Roll it, throw it, kick it, catch it, bounce it, or bat at it, the Ball is as old as civilization itself. It has, in fact, been depicted in ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman drawings and continues to provide opportunities for free play among people of all ages. Baby’s first toy may be a soft and safe cloth ball, older children play kickball on the playground, and a grown-up’s reward for a week’s work may be a round of tennis or golf. Today, we even set aside physical spaces—baseball stadiums, tennis courts, and golf courses to play these ball games.

Vroom, Vroom! In the 1960s, Ray Lohr, head designer for Louis Marx & Co., took apart a tricycle, mixed up the parts, and reassembled them into an upside-down trike that handled like a race car. Launched at the 1969 Toy Fair in New York City, the Big Wheel had a low- slung design that made for superior handling, giving kids a sense of independence and control that tippy old trikes could never deliver. By the following Christmas, children all over the country delighted in riding their new ―muscle‖ trikes. The Big Wheel remained Marx’s big seller for a decade.

Admitted into the hall because of its role as a major industry innovator, Nintendo Game Boy® transformed the electronic-games market by popularizing handheld gaming. No
—more—
2—Toy Hall Inductees video-game platform did more to put gamers ―on the go‖ than this invention. And go they did—bringing their gaming experience to school, to summer camp, and to the back seat of the family automobile. Over the past two decades, Game Boy has become synonymous with hand- held gaming fun. Its portability and efficient design, ability to allow simultaneous multiplayer gaming, and scores of intriguing games (like Tetris and Super Mario Land, featuring Nintendos’ already-iconic character Mario) make it a true innovator.

The National Toy Hall of Fame® at Strong National Museum of Play recognizes toys that have engaged and delighted multiple generations, inspiring them to learn, create, and discover through play. Criteria for induction include: Icon-status (the toy is widely recognized, respected, and remembered); Longevity (the toy is more than a passing fad and has enjoyed popularity over multiple generations); Discovery (the toy fosters learning, creativity, or discovery through play); and Innovation (the toy profoundly changed play or toy design).

To date, the following 44 toys have made it into the National Toy Hall of Fame: Alphabet Blocks, Atari® 2600 Game System, Ball, Barbie®, Baby Doll, Bicycle, Big Wheel®, Candy Land®, Cardboard Box, Checkers, Crayola® Crayons, Duncan® Yo-Yo, Easy-Bake® Oven, Erector® Set, Etch A Sketch®, Frisbee®, G.I. JoeTM, Hula Hoop®, Jack-in-the-Box, Jacks, Jigsaw Puzzle, Jump Rope, Kite, LEGO®, Lincoln Logs®, Lionel® Trains, Marbles, Monopoly®, Mr. Potato Head®, Nintendo Game Boy®, Play-Doh®, Radio Flyer® Wagon, Raggedy Ann & AndyTM, Rocking Horse, Roller Skates, Scrabble®, Silly Putty®, Skateboard, Slinky®, Stick, Teddy Bear, Tinkertoy®, Tonka® Trucks, and View-Master®.

Playthings, the leading trade magazine covering the children’s toy industry in the United States, is a national media partner of the National Toy Hall of Fame®. Founded in 1903, Playthings offers the most current and in-depth information and news on toy manufacturers, retailers, licensing, products, and people. Playthings is published by Reed Business Information, the largest business-to-business publisher in the United States.
For more information on the National Toy Hall of Fame® visit www.museumofplay.org.