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Tag Archives: Gaming

Super Mario Bros. Cake Looks Too Good To Eat

By David Ponce on 06/19/13 • Leave a comment!

super_mario_bros__cake_by_cakecrumbs-d68m8pz

With modern cake-making methods, you can do pretty much anything. We’re rather fond of DeviantArt user Cakecrumb’s design, pictured above. It’s not a random assortment of images from the game, but rather an accurate depiction of some levels.

The cake aims to be a level-accurate depiction of levels 2.1 and 2.2. I chose those levels as it allowed me the variety to depict three different ‘places’ on tiers that could be joined relative to one another.

The cake took about 5 days to finish. There was a lot more detail than I expected. Everything from the stripes on the pipes to the embossing of the stones took a lot of time. Everything is hand cut, mostly with a craft knife, and either embossed or painted (with edible ink) to add the details. It’s all fondant or marzipan, save for the coral and the waves, which are piped from royal icing.

Of course, this was a one-off and it’s not being sold anywhere. Maybe you can contact Cakecrumb and inquire how much this would cost you, since the user does take on commissioned work.

Hit the link below for a ton more pictures.

[ Product Page ] VIA [ Technabob ]

Sony Wins The Internet

By David Ponce on 06/12/13 • 4 Comments

sony-ps4

E3 is underway, and unlike editions of the past few years, we’re treated to all new console reveals (if you ignore Nintendo, who’s already had one out for a bit… did you know?) which means people are excited. It’s been more than 7 years after all! And while a lot of folks had been talking about Microsoft’s XBox One and it’s next-gen Kinect and rumble-trigger controllers… Sony just gave them a slap heard round the world with the PS4. How? Two things: 1) the ability to share, sell, rent or lend any game, without restrictions and 2) pricing the console at $399 rather than Microsoft’s $499. There. Case closed. Sony wins.

It might look like we’re exaggerating, but in case you haven’t been keeping track, this matters because the XBox One will officially make it near impossible to do anything with your games once you’ve paid for them, unless the publisher allows it, which is unlikely. Yes, Microsoft is ready to deal a fatal blow to an entire industry built around renting games and reselling used ones. Worse still, the console has to check in to a central server every 24 hours or even single player games stop working! You’re not online? You’re a soldier stationed in the middle of nowhere? Tough luck, no XBox One for you, son. Rumble triggers, next-gen Kinect, super ultra TV central? That won’t matter to a lot of people who’ll be more than happy to flock to Sony for what is likely to be just as good a gaming machine for $100 less, and 100% more freedom. Good job, Sony.

Incidentally, you should watch the instructional video below. It’s Sony’s step-by-step on how to share a game when you have a PS4.

Want To Be A Better Gamer? Give Yourself Electro Shocks

By David Ponce on 05/29/13 • Leave a comment!

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That would seem to be what the foc.us device is proposing. To be fair, calling it an ‘electroshock’ has incorrect connotations. The company is instead proposing that in order to sharpen your skills, and fine tune your reflexes, you don the above headset and submit your cranium and brain to what’s called “transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), a controversial practice that has seen a minor resurgence in recent years.” The theory is that by passing a low current through your pre-frontal cortex, which controls memory, vigilance and focus among other things, your brain will eventually become better at getting kill streaks on CoD. So does it work? It’s hard to tell.

Studies have shown the practice of tDCS could help in treating depression and certain brain injuries, but there’s only been one study that measured video game performance, and that was only used as a tool to gauge a soldier’s aptitude.

One study is hardly conclusive evidence of anything.

Critics have also questioned why the headset is built to stimulate the prefrontal cortex instead of the motor or visual cortices, which directly affect a person’s reaction time.

Indeed. Until more data is out, we’d suggest holding off on dropping $249 on the device. Then again, if you’re really desperate to try anything to show those kids who swear they’ve seen your mom in various stages of undress who’s boss, then what’s $250 if it might work? Know that if you do order, shipping is expected for July.

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[ Product Page ] VIA [ Gizmag ]

Yes, The New Kinect On The Xbox One Will Turn Off, So Stop Worrying

By David Ponce on 05/29/13 • Leave a comment!

xbox-one-off

Back when GMail was launched, there was an uproar over the implication that there’d be machines reading our mail, and tailoring commercials around our conversations. It was an understandably uncomfortable thought for some, but eventually we got over it. We suspect we’ll eventually get over a next-gen Kinect watching our every move, and listening to our every sound, even in the dark, should we wish to awaken the Xbox One while it’s on standby. But if you’re not quite ready to stomach that just yet and thought the new Xbox was the stupidest invention since HD Glasses, you can sleep tonight knowing that the Kinect will turn off, if you so wish. So will the entire machine, actually, if that’s what you’re into.

“Yes, you can turn the system completely off,” a Microsoft rep said. “This would use no power and turn everything off. We’ll share more details about how it all works later.”

So there you go, you can go to bed, unbunch your underwear, and look forward to the Xbox One hitting shelves this year, without having to worry about being unable to plot world domination from the comfort of your couch, should someone, somewhere be listening in on you.

VIA [ Kotaku ]

Disney Research Is Working On Air-Based Tactile Feedback For The Kinect

By David Ponce on 05/23/13 • Leave a comment!

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The original Kinect became popular among home-brew, DIY tinkerers… but failed to make much of a splash among its actual intended audience, the gamers. For the next iteration, Disney Research is working on one element they feel might have been missing from the original device, and that’s any form of physical feedback. But they don’t want you wear anything in order to feel this feedback, since that would defeat the purpose of the Kinect, so they’re working on a device which basically blows compressed air on you at the right time, in the hopes of making you feel something or other. It’s called the Aireal.

The air coming out of Aireal does so as a vortex, which is capable of traveling quite a long distance without losing much speed or its shape. The Aireal device also moves to track the player, meaning precise placement of the air hits on your body can be achieved.

How well this works is still being worked out, but Disney Research will be presenting a technical paper on the technology at SIGGRAPH 2013 in July. There’s also no word on whether Microsoft is even interested in bringing this to market, or whether even Sony or Nintendo would like to incorporate this into their gaming console strategies. But credit must be given to a desire for innovation, whether it bears commercial fruit or not.

Hit the jump for another picture, a video, and links.

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Cannot Unsee: What The CBS Logo Has Been, All This Time

By David Ponce on 05/07/13 • 2 Comments

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[ Nikkolas Smith ] VIA [ Buzzfeed ]

Ridiculously Fast-Footed Dance Dance Revolution Player

By David Ponce on 05/02/13 • Leave a comment!

japanese-ddr-kid-wheeeeeeee

Yeah, you’d think DDR news to be old news. And normally you’d be right: who on earth hasn’t seen the videos of these (usually Asian) players dancing around faster than the eye can see? And yet, we think it worthwhile to show you the above vid, in case you haven’t seen it already in the 9 months it’s been out. Why? Because this right here is the motherlode, the crack-cocaine-on-crystal-meth of DDR videos, the Grand Poobah of I-can’t-believe-his-feet-just-did-that videos. It’s remarkable that a human being is able to process information at such a speed, let alone move its body in response.

VIA [ Geekologie ]

Miniature Nintendo Cartridge Jewelry that Gamers Will Adore

By Hazel Chua on 05/01/13 • Leave a comment!

Nintendo Cartridge

You don’t have to be a gamer to appreciate this awesome set of jewelry that’s fashioned after Nintendo’s game cartridges. These customized trinkets by Etsy seller Jess aka ohmygeekness are available in either gray or gold in the game of your choice. Just make sure you choose the right colored cartridge for the game that you want. I’m sure Jess will oblige with whatever color you prefer, although you’ll have to suffer the wrath of true blue gamers who won’t easily forgive your intentional faux pas.

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This Is What Your Gaming Mouse Needs: A Separate LCD

By David Ponce on 04/18/13 • Leave a comment!

gigabyte_uranium_mouse_news

Last time we were impressed by a gaming mouse, it was because it has a cooling fan attached to it. This mouse from Gigabyte, the Aivia Uranium, comes with a sidekick LCD screen.

It has an integrated OLED monochrome display to clearly show how far along in the recharging cycle a power pack is. It also shows the current DPI setting of the Uranium and its current wireless frequency. You can even customize the macros, as this is where the onboard memory for the Uranium is stored. By offloading as much as they could from the mouse to the station, Gigabyte’s claim of 70 hours of wireless use does seem much more plausible.

There’s no word on price, but it should be available in June.

VIA [ EverythingUSB ]

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