Google Glass Skydive
If you have seen Iron Man 2 then you may remember that Stark leaps out of a plane in his armor to fly through fireworks just to give a speech at his Stark Expo. The showmanship and amazement just for giving a speech could only be seen on the silver screen and thanks to acting chops of RDJ. Well, at least until now…
This past week Google held their I/O conference in San Francisco. They unveiled new hardware in the a line of Nexus products, they moved from Ice Cream Sandwich to Jelly Bean, and then Sergey Brin (co-founder of Google) jumped out of a fucking plane to land on top of the Moscone Center in the middle of downtown San Francisco and live-streamed it from his Google Glasses. It is stunts like these that make me truly appreciate the ideas and balls that these people have. Anyway, watch the video below to see what happened.
Muse – Survival
I heard this song on the radio yesterday and for some reason Shazaam was totally useless. Then I came across this link that provided me with the name and huge news for a favorite band of mine… MUSE. This song has been chosen to be the official song for the 2012 Olmpics in London. Muse has truely outdone themselves this time, this rock-opera-queen-esque sound is perfect for olympians and us mere mortals alike. Have a listen….
Addictive Apps: Temple Run
As many you may know when you download the Amazon Appstore on your smart phone they offer a free app of the day. Recently the free app of the day was this little game called Temple Run. It is currently available for iOS systems, including the iPhone, iPad, and Android. It used to be .99, but as of this morning it is still being offered for free in the Appstore. I downloaded it mainly because it was free and a few Facebook friends had mentioned that it was an entertaining game. Typically this means it is of the Farmville variety and I steer clear, but while waiting for a movie to begin that night I peer over and both Danny and Ricky are playing this game. I start it up and somehow I am 3 days in with no clear recollection of where the time has gone. If I have a spare moment to kill I find myself running this endless maze and being chased by demonic monkeys.
This game is highly addicting for the mere fact that it is small bursts of increasingly difficult twists, dramatic drops, and multiple obstacles. They keep you motivated by having objectives that you can complete in order to increase your score and unlock power-ups and other characters. I have been more of the Angry Birds player in the past, but I appreciate the short-burst entertainment of Temple Run. This is a game that should be easy, I mean, you see a turn coming up you swipe and clear it, see a chasm you jump! Well, after a dozen or so turns you realize that it is not that easy and the game refreshes fast enough that you can try to redeem yourself almost instantly. That is what makes this game so addictive.
For you Disney fans there is a variation of this game to promote the newest Disney Pixar movie: Brave. 
Happy 40th Birthday Atari
Today happens to be the 40th birthday of Atari. I’m too young to really appreciate the 2600, but the games still have my attention to this day. Back when there were arcades, I would pop quarters in Gauntlet and Millipede. Hell, I was really into San Francisco Rush when I was in high school. It is a little sad where Atari is now, but there’s not much we can do.
To commemorate the date, Atari has put out this video:
Cheap Date: June 27th
This week was definitely a little easier when I was paring down the choices, let’s just say that this week it will decidedly one category will dominate your entertainment schedule. This is Cheap Date, where I will recommend nerdy entertainment for your week all under thirty dollars. Have fun.
Games – $25
You may remember my review of the first episode of Walking Dead from Telltale Games back in April. Well, the second episode is dropping this week; yesterday on XBL then Friday for PSN and Steam. The first episode was a work of art that may have been better than the show and close to the greatness of the comic book series. The great thing about this game is that it is only $5 to play each episode. If you did not like the first episode then you do not have to pay for the rest of the game. But if you are like me and pre-ordered the entire season, then you already spent the money and this game is coming to you for free this week. Your decisions, big and small, follow you to help shape the story. Not to mention that there are zombies!
The next two recommendations for games are DLC and require you to have the game, but playing these games is a must so you should already have these games.
First off, the Dawnguard DLC for Skyrim has dropped (again early on XBL then on other systems). This expansion to one of the best games of the year or even this console generation brings some new yet familiar features. As some may know after the completion ofSkyrim, the coders began work on personal projects involving the game. Each of these projects where things that were not in the game at release, but many are being added with this expansion. First off the Dawnguard part of the DLC allows you to become a Vampire Lord or join the Dawnguard to fight the vampires. You also gain crossbows, new skills and perks, and you can even ride an undead horse! There is a lot more to this download that you can find you by playing.
The other DLC is the extended cut for Mass Effect 3. This DLC is completely free for everyone. There is not much added, but it changes the ended that many fans were not originally happy with. You can replay the game to find an ending that may be better suited to your tastes, or it may wreak your experience completely. Either way it is more Mass Effect to play. I have personally enjoyed all the Mass Effect 3 DLC because it has all been free to this date, mostly due to its multiplayer nature.
That will be it for this week in our little Cheap Date. I may have only focused on video games this week, but it will definitely keep you busy. This week you will explore more of Skyrim with your Dunmer or one of the lesser races, help Lee Everett protect Clementine from zombies, and find out what “really” happens to Commander Shepard.
Sacre Bleu: A Comedy D’Art
In July 1890, Vincent Van Gough went into a cornfield and shot himself. Or did he? Why would an artist at the height of his creative powers attempt to take his own life… and then walk a mile to a doctor’s house for help? Who was the crooked little “color man” Vincent had claimed was stalking him across France? And why had the painter recently become deathly afraid of a certain shade of blue?
A magnificent “Comedy d’Art” from the author of Lamb, Fool, and Bite Me, Moore’s Sacré Bleu is part mystery, part history (sort of), part love story, and wholly hilarious as it follows a young baker-painter as he joins the dapper Henri Toulouse-Lautrec on a quest to unravel the mystery behind the supposed “suicide” of Vincent van Gogh.
Click to read what I thought.
This Trailer is (for) Epic
The newest movie from Blue Sky (Rio, Ice Age) has hit the trailer-verse. It looks very Fern Gully-ish, but I gotta say that is a sleek looking trailer. At least the first half. Great sense of scale and … epic-ness. Take a look.
CYaN Podcast Episode 9: Jesus Healed
It’s a light week, but we keep bringing you the most interesting news of the week. Danny and Ricky talk about the Microsoft Surface announcement and what we want with tablets, several different movie trailers, our thoughts about Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, and the finale of the Legend of Korra.
(Right click and save link as)
Album of the Week… Linkin Park loves listening to Skrillex
Linkin Park’s newest album Living Things has finally arrived.
The reviews I have seen so far have been pretty brutal, but after first listen it is exactly what I have come to expect from Linkin Park.They deliver their album with an easy flow that links each track together and Chester Bennington breaks up the heavy guitar rifts with his seemingly softer tenor that scream sings you through the song transitions.
One of my favorite albums of all time, Hybrid Theory, has been ranked as one of the best albums of the 00’s and has been awarded Diamond status. This band has a distinctive sound that has lifelong fans. I think that Linkin Park would really have to pull a miracle to surpass Hybrid Theory’s success, but I will keep listening just in case. Living Things is a bit heavier on the electronic feel than usual and for a workout album it is not bad. Loyal Linkin Park fans will not be disappointed with this bass-heavy album.
Robot & Frank Trailer
Sometimes there comes a trailer that you appreciate and want to see, then they throw something at you that immediately enamors you with the film. Not to mention the infusion of scifi into indie movies definitely has me won over.
Enjoy the trailer for Robot & Frank…
And even at 28, I feel like he does with the newer generation. Especially knowing that the majority of today’s kids do not know how to write in cursive.
Call Yourself A Nerd 