Interesting Drug

A History of Gaming Platforms: Atari 2600 Video Computer System/VCS:

Gamasutra’s A History of Gaming Platforms series - following the Apple II, C64 and
Vectrex - continues with a look at the seminal Atari 2600, the undisputed star of the early console rush - at least until the Great Crash of 1984.

Space Invaders 30th Anniversary Bath Towels [Space Invaders]:

NCSX is now taking pre-orders for these lovely Space Invaders 30th anniversary bath towels; if you’ve been waiting to complete that retro game-themed bathroom, here’s your chance. Orders will be shipping in mid-to-late June, and are retailing at $19.90 a pop.

Space Invaders 30th Anniversary Bath Towel [NCSX via Bits Bytes Pixels Sprites]

All babies are cute — at least in that…:

All babies are cute — at least in that “all babies are ugly” sort of way — so don’t think I’m trying to show off how cute my sister’s granddaughter is by posting a picture of the little imp. It just that, after my “woe is me” post from yesterday, I simply wanted to change the mood.

At the risk of turning this blog into a family album, here’s a picture of my brand new grand-neice, Julia, in all of her bewildered where am I and what the fuck just happened to me glory:

In case there was any doubt that all that cuteness comes at a price, my niece after giving birth to the little critter:

CRYSTAL METH: FRIEND OR FOE?:

THERE IS NO TIME FOR pithy commentary.

IT IS SIMPLY IMPERATIVE that you go here, now.

LINK COURTESY: Sean McDonald.

That is all.

Throw the hippest gaming parties with Tetris ice cubes:

Filed under: Culture, Retro, Puzzle

We suppose that they’re technically ice tetrominoes, but that just sounds so much less hip. Next time you have friends and colleagues over for caviar and Rock Band, keep their cocktails cool with these Tetris-themed ice “cubes,” fashioned like those seven shapes made famous by Alexey Pajitnov’s classic falling block puzzle game. Of course, you could always make them yourself, but nothing says swanky like flexible silicone trays.

Unfortunately, the designer states on his website that the “Tetrice” tray hasn’t been put into production yet, but that he’s currently seeking out companies to produce it. We hope he finds one soon, because we’re already planning our first fancy soirée: black tie only, and you must bring your own controller.

[Thanks, GreasyGuide]

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Commodore 64 Games Hit Virtual Console In Europe:

Representatives from Nintendo of Europe have confirmed that classic 8-bit computer the Commodore 64 will become the latest addition to the Wii Virtual Console - although currently only in Europe. The first two titles to be available via the Virtual Console will be Archer MacLean’s International Karate and Uridium by highly acclaimed British programmer Andrew Braybrook. Both titles were originally released in 1986 and will be sold for 500 Wii Points each (£3.75/$5.00). Further regular …

DIY IKEA Bike Rack [DIY]:

The IKEA Hacker weblog demonstrates how to turn a few relatively cheap items from IKEA into an attractive, apartment-friendly bike rack. The IKEA goods will still set you back around $40, but the actual project shouldn’t take much time at all, and the results are certainly impressive. Looking for a more of a portable bike rack? We’ve got you covered there, too.

Scientists Find Solar System Like Ours:

mlimber writes “The NYTimes has up a story about the discovery of a solar system that is analogous to ours. Of the 250 or so exoplanets found thus far, ‘few of them are in systems that even faintly resemble our own. In many cases, giant Jupiter-like planets are whizzing around inside the orbit of Mercury,’ whereas in this new system, ‘a planet about two-thirds of the mass of Jupiter and another about 90 percent of the mass of Saturn are orbiting a reddish star about half the mass of the Sun, at about half the distances that Jupiter and Saturn circle our own Sun.’ The researchers used gravitational microlensing to detect the planets, and two of the lead authors of the paper to be published in Science are amateur astronomers, one of whom describes herself as ‘an ordinary New Zealand mother.’”

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Jesus hit by lightning:

This photo is so amazing I’m not entirely convinced it’s real, but it reportedly shows Rio de Janeiro’s 130-foot-tall Christ Redeemer statue getting hit by lightning.
Link

Star Wars Rejected Promotional Crap:

These amazing examples of human genius go from a mini-fridge with a door made from Han Solo frozen in carbonite to a Death Star BBQ, actual Leia’s hair headphones and even an AT-AT chair caddy to hold your magazines, snacks and Pepsi—the marketing masterminds proposed all these gadgets—next to your favorite sofa.

Creepy Chart of Scientology Courses:

Scientology large classification gradation and awareness chart.

N00b Usb Guitar for Mac?:

So is the iAxe usb electric guitar a worthwhile start for a beginner or am I better off getting a ‘real’ guitar and a usb guitar cable?

The computer any guitar would be plugged into is a Mac with OS X.

If the iAxe is optimal, which model? There’s three of them now, the 393, 624, and 629. Where is the best place to buy, either online or in the Boston area?

If a ‘real’ guitar is the best choice, I’m not sure what I need. I have no electric guitar playing friends and multiple trips to local Daddy’s Junky Music stores have left me intimidated and frustrated, which is why I’m looking to learn solo for the moment.

Ideally, I’d like to have a computer program that can help teach me (I’m coming to this from Guitar Hero and Rock Band, so mimicry of onscreen notes would be a nice bridge from virtual rock god to actual rock newb). Any suggestions? Does GarageBand, which may or may not be on my Mac to begin with (never checked) help out in this regard?

The 5 Ballsiest Con Artists Of All Time:

Yeah, they’ve screwed over thousands of innocent people. But some of them had balls the size of hot air balloons and for that, we must salute them.

New York Wants To Tax Amazon.com Purchases [Taxes]:

According to the New York Times, Governor Spitzer (of New York) is trying to pass a law that would force Amazon.com to collect sales tax for customers in NY:

To help fill New York State’s budget…

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7 Products that Look Like Sex Toys But Aren’t (Officially):

Valentine’s Day is rabidly rapidly approaching, and most people are looking for one of two things: a present for a loved one, or a way to “love yourself”. Don’t look for these to safisfy either need. These products look sexual, but are made for other means… honestly!

Psycho inspired bathroom:

Michelle of CRAFT magazine blog says:

Craftster member Rockstarcrafter posted before-and-after photos of her Hitchcock-inspired Psycho bathroom. It might not be for everyone, but it is definitely one way to go for crafty film buffs.

Link

Pinhole camera from iPhone box:

Scot Hampton converted the sturdy iPhone box into a handsome and effective pinhole camera, the iHole. From his build notes:

I tried to keep it simple and the only external items I used were tape, tinfoil (for the lens), a piece of foam, and a leftover screw and tightener from an old ikea desk. Oh, I also used a black washer for the cover of the lens but that was purely cosmetic. I used the cardboard lining that was on the inside of the original box to construct the film holders on the back. I even left the serial numbers intact, so if my roommate ever needed to return it he could …I’m not switching until they work on other networks…

I suppose it might have been symbolic to take the first pictures of an actual iPhone, but that’s so cliche.

Link

Afghan war rugs in Smithsonian:

Since the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Turkmen weavers have woven “war rugs” that depict machines of war, battle maps, and even 9/11. Interestingly, the rugs depicting the planes crashing into the Twin Towers are based on images from US propaganda leaflets dropped on Afghanistan. The new issue of Smithsonian explores this incredibly interesting art form. From the article:

These rugs, principally woven by women of the Turkman culture, often include red or yellow hues and are peppered with large weapons, military vehicles and English phrases such as “Hand Bom [Bomb],” “Rooket [Rocket]” and “Made in Afghanistan.”

To many, this script is a firm indication of the rugs’ intended audience: Westerners, and in particular, Americans, who funded the Afghan resistance—the Mujahadeen—during the Soviet occupation. “The rugs are geared for a tourist market,” says Margaret Mills, a folklorist at Ohio State University who has conducted research in Afghanistan since 1974. “And they verbally address this market.” Sediq Omar, a rug merchant from Herat who dealt in war rugs during and after the Soviet occupation, agrees. “Afghanis don’t want to buy these,” he says. “They’re expensive for them. It’s the Westerners who are interested.”

While this may be true, it’s likely that the first “hidden” war rugs from the early 1980s were meant for fellow Afghanis, according to Hanifa Tokhi, an Afghan immigrant who fled Kabul after the Soviet invasion and now lives in northern California. “Later on, they made it commercialized when they found out that people were interested,” she says. “But at the beginning, it was to show their hatred of the invasion. I know the Afghan people, and this was their way to fight.”

Link

Previously on BB:
• Afghan rugs depict Twin Towers Link

Comcast Defends Role As Internet Traffic Cop:

RCTrucker7 writes “Comcast said yesterday that it purposely slows down some traffic on its network, including some music and movie downloads, an admission that sparked more controversy in the debate over how much control network operators should have over the Internet. In a filing with the Federal Communications Commission, Comcast said such measures — which can slow the transfer of music or video between subscribers sharing files, for example — are necessary to ensure better flow of traffic over its network. In defending its actions, Comcast stepped into one of the technology industry’s most divisive battles. Comcast argues that it should be able to direct traffic so networks don’t get clogged; consumer groups and some Internet companies argue that the networks should not be permitted to block or slow users’ access to the Web.”

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Save Web Pages to Your iPhone or Touch for Offline Viewing [Bookmarks]:

Web site iWebSaver saves entire web pages to your iPhone or iPod touch by converting the entire page to a data URL, then providing that data link as a bookmark you can save to your bookmarks or your home screen. That means next time you’re about to jump on a plane or hit the tunnel on the train, you can use iWebSaver to save some reading material directly to your device before you lose your signal. One would think you could do this just by loading the web pages in beforehand, but Safari often reloads pages inactive, so that’s not a foolproof method. iWebSaver ensures you’ve got some reading material saved directly to your device. Be sure to bookmark the iWebSaver bookmarklet to save any site on-the-fly.

Filmakers to Produce E.T. Landfill Documentary [Documentary]:

Some Auburn University students are planning a documentary on the famed E.T. landfill. The landfill, which many still claim is an urban legend, has been widely discussed in video game circles for years. Now our intrepid filmmakers are out to find the legendary dumping ground with their film E.T.’s March.

We are proud to announce our upcoming documentary, E.T.’s March. Over the course of a week this March, we will go on a road trip from Auburn, AL, to El Paso, TX. From there, we will take the actual path those fourteen trucks took that fateful day, into the heart of Alamogordo, New Mexico. Along the way, we will take in the video game culture of our great country. The documentary will be released for free via the internet this summer.

Good luck guys! Hopefully this doesn’t turn out to be another Al Capone’s Vault.

E.T.’s March Official Site

R4 Cartridge Discovered in GameStop Ad [GameStop]:

Kotakuite razmig snapped this rather interesting photo at his local GameStop. In a sign promoting the Nerf DS case, he noticed something a little strange. Right there in the case, nestled among the other games is an R4 cartridge. For those not in the know, the R4 is a popular product that will allow its users to download and play DS games illegally through the use of a Micro SD card. Mind you, the cartridge itself is technically not illegal, but given GameStop’s hard stance on this type of thing and Nintendo’s recent crackdown on piracy, I’m rather surprised this ad made it through. Having been a graphic designer, I know these things get looked at by a number of people before it goes to print and I would think someone would have caught it. Guess not.

Guitar Hero Carabiner Rocks Little [Toys]:

Activision’s Guitar Hero licensing fest continues as they team up with toy maker Basic Fun for the Guitar Hero Carabiner. This pocketable Guitar Hero is about 7-inches long—75% smaller than the original controller—and it folds up even smaller to prevent dreaded unintentional pant-tenting.

But we’re left wondering, why the hell is that neck attached in the first place if you aren’t using the frets? The LCD streams notes ala Guitar Hero, but the frets tower above the system, unused and waiting to scratch someone’s elbow bad. Do we really need the whole guitar if we aren’t using it?

Songs include Smoke on the Water, Rock this Town, Cherry Pie, Killer Queen, You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’, Miserlou, Heart Shaped Box, Message in a Bottle, Jessica, and Surrender. And at $14.99, we can only assume that those songs absolutely rock through the system’s tiny speaker.

Pocket Sized Guitar Hero Arcade Game [ChipChick via Technabob]

Post-Apocalyptic London in the Year 2038:

A picture inspired by Hellgate: London, a dark fantasy-themed action role-playing game released in October 2007.

Man learns to read after 17 years of teaching high school:

John Corcoran graduated from college and taught high school for 17 years without being able to read, write or spell. Pretty amazing story.