While still a vital industry, mounting layoffs show the impact of tough economic times.
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Friday, December 26, 2008
Video distribution service coming to Wii
A video distribution service is coming to Nintendo Wii, according to Nikkei business daily.
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Study: Female MMO Gamers 5 Times More Likely to be Bisexual
According to no less than 2,400 completed web-based surveys, females account for 40 percent of the Everquest II gaming community. The surveys also found that female EQ II players display "an unusually high level of bisexuality," more than five times that of the "general population."
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Monday, December 22, 2008
Sony's PlayStation Home Hacked
Sony's PS3 virtual world, Home, has already been hacked, with developers having discovered ways to exploit vulnerabilities within the software's code. According to reports in the Telegraph this week, the hack allowed the developers "to customise their PlayStation Home experience beyond the options provided by Sony."
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Discovered: Earliest Evidence Cave-dwelling Human Ancestors
Stone tools found at the bottom level of the cave — believed to be 2 million years old — show that human ancestors were in the cave earlier than ever thought before. Geological evidence indicates that these tools were left in the cave and not washed into the site from the outside world.
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Top 10 downloaded PSN games of 2008
PlayStation.com's Pulse program has revealed* PSN's "overall" most downloaded games of 2008.
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The 10 Types of Gamers - Which Are You?
Those of us in the gaming universe are a proud lot. We have rules, traditions, and a set of standards by which most of us abide. Similarly, we fall into certain groups (or tribes, or guilds, depending on your MMORPG of choice). Whether you joined on purpose or not, you are one of the following 10 types of gamers.
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Snackbot! A Social, Snack-Fetching Robot Emerges from CMU
Back in May 2008 it was announced that CMU professors Sara Kiesler and Jodi Forlizzi (from the HCI Institute) and Paul Rybski (from the Robotics Institute) were awarded $500k in Microsoft's Human-Robot Interaction funding to develop a social, snack-selling robot. The wait is over - photos of the new CMU snackbot and designs are here!
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Holy Fucking Shit I Was Just In A Plane Crash!
A Continental airlines 737 slid off the runway in Denver last night. The engine on the right side was shorn off and the plane burst into flames. Passengers escaped out the left side on slides. 38 people were hurt. Fortunately no one was killed.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Thursday, December 18, 2008
UPDATE: Rocket co-owner Todd Sanford, who was a suspect in Sampier homicide, kills himself
Here is a new article about my friend that was murdered...
Todd Sanford, co-owner of The Rocket Night Club in Jackson, killed himself Wednesday after a murder warrant was issued against him, police said.
Sanford, a former state trooper, shot himself with a handgun in a vehicle as a deputy approached about 4:30 p.m., Jackson County Undersheriff Tom Finco said.
Earlier in the day, a murder warrant was issued against Sanford in last month's killing of Steven Sampier II in Blackman Township, said Mark Blumer, chief assistant prosecutor for Jackson County.
Blumer said Sanford shot himself when deputies came to arrest him.
Sanford, who would have turned 34 today, was flown by helicopter to the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor, where he was pronounced dead, Finco said.
The shooting happened in Henrietta Township near Meridian and Territorial roads in front of Sanford's home. Voter registration records say he lived at 12182 N. Meridian Road near Pleasant Lake.
Patrick Colligan, Sanford's business partner at The Rocket, was booked into Jackson County Jail on Wednesday night on a charge of obstructing police. Finco said Colligan is accused of resisting or obstructing police at the scene of Sanford's shooting. He is not accused of involvement in Sampier's death.
Sampier, 30, a Michigan Department of Corrections sergeant and former Army paratrooper, was killed Nov. 25.
Blackman Township Public Safety Director Mike Jester said Sampier was shot once in the chest and once in the head with a handgun. His remains were found after a fire in his home at 1054 N. Brown St. Police ruled the death a homicide and said the fire was set to conceal the crime.
"We're still in shock," said Shelly Sampier of Midland, the victim's mother. "It's like a bad dream."
Jester said Sampier and Sanford were dating the same woman and Sanford was angry. He did not release the woman's name.
Shelly Sampier said her understanding is the killing was motivated by jealousy over a woman.
"He's a coward to take my son's life like that," she said of Sanford.
Jester said this morning detectives had been looking at Sanford for a while and obtained enough information Wednesday to seek a warrant.
He said police initially did not release a lot of information about the murder case, despite wide-spread rumors, because they still were collecting tips from the public. If specifics are dispersed then "when information comes in you don't know if it is credible or not," Jester said.
He called the case's conclusion "unfortunate."
"Unfortunate for all those involved," he said.
Sanford and Colligan opened The Rocket Night Club in January 2005.
A birthday celebration for Sanford was scheduled for tonight at The Rocket.
Hot Toddy Productions, Sanford's concert promotion company, specialized in bringing such platinum-selling rappers as Naughty By Nature, Vanilla Ice, Tone-Loc, Ying Yang Twins and Chamillionaire to town.
"It was all Todd," said Brandon Armstrong of Lansing, who produced fliers for The Rocket's events. "He could pretty much line up anybody you can think of and get them to this area."
Kevin Carter, publisher of Hood Illustrated, a Lansing hip-hop magazine, said other concert promoters in the area tried to model themselves after Sanford.
"He was someone that people looked up to in promotion," he said. "They used him as a blueprint for how to throw a party."
Cameron Doyle, a Lansing rapper who goes by the name Big Perm, organized more than 40 events at The Rocket in the last year.
"Hot Toddy is known throughout the state as one of the top hip-hop promoters in our region," he said. "It's a major blow. Todd was actually a fan of hip hop. He wanted to see independent artists like myself ... do well. You can't say that about a lot of people that own clubs."
Doyle said other promoters are going to have to "step their game up and help fill that void that Todd's going to leave."
"He takes those connections, those personal relationships he had, with him. None of us have that. ... It's going to be a major issue for Michigan hip hop."
Armstrong said there are going to be mixed feelings about Sanford's death in the local hip-hop community.
"There are people that are going to be mad and people that are going to be sad," he said. "... I would never in a million years guess he would do that."
Todd Sanford, co-owner of The Rocket Night Club in Jackson, killed himself Wednesday after a murder warrant was issued against him, police said.
Sanford, a former state trooper, shot himself with a handgun in a vehicle as a deputy approached about 4:30 p.m., Jackson County Undersheriff Tom Finco said.Earlier in the day, a murder warrant was issued against Sanford in last month's killing of Steven Sampier II in Blackman Township, said Mark Blumer, chief assistant prosecutor for Jackson County.
Blumer said Sanford shot himself when deputies came to arrest him.
Sanford, who would have turned 34 today, was flown by helicopter to the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor, where he was pronounced dead, Finco said. The shooting happened in Henrietta Township near Meridian and Territorial roads in front of Sanford's home. Voter registration records say he lived at 12182 N. Meridian Road near Pleasant Lake.
Patrick Colligan, Sanford's business partner at The Rocket, was booked into Jackson County Jail on Wednesday night on a charge of obstructing police. Finco said Colligan is accused of resisting or obstructing police at the scene of Sanford's shooting. He is not accused of involvement in Sampier's death.
Sampier, 30, a Michigan Department of Corrections sergeant and former Army paratrooper, was killed Nov. 25.
Blackman Township Public Safety Director Mike Jester said Sampier was shot once in the chest and once in the head with a handgun. His remains were found after a fire in his home at 1054 N. Brown St. Police ruled the death a homicide and said the fire was set to conceal the crime.
"We're still in shock," said Shelly Sampier of Midland, the victim's mother. "It's like a bad dream."
Jester said Sampier and Sanford were dating the same woman and Sanford was angry. He did not release the woman's name.
Shelly Sampier said her understanding is the killing was motivated by jealousy over a woman.
"He's a coward to take my son's life like that," she said of Sanford.
Jester said this morning detectives had been looking at Sanford for a while and obtained enough information Wednesday to seek a warrant.
He said police initially did not release a lot of information about the murder case, despite wide-spread rumors, because they still were collecting tips from the public. If specifics are dispersed then "when information comes in you don't know if it is credible or not," Jester said.
He called the case's conclusion "unfortunate."
"Unfortunate for all those involved," he said.
Sanford and Colligan opened The Rocket Night Club in January 2005.
A birthday celebration for Sanford was scheduled for tonight at The Rocket.
Hot Toddy Productions, Sanford's concert promotion company, specialized in bringing such platinum-selling rappers as Naughty By Nature, Vanilla Ice, Tone-Loc, Ying Yang Twins and Chamillionaire to town.
"It was all Todd," said Brandon Armstrong of Lansing, who produced fliers for The Rocket's events. "He could pretty much line up anybody you can think of and get them to this area."
Kevin Carter, publisher of Hood Illustrated, a Lansing hip-hop magazine, said other concert promoters in the area tried to model themselves after Sanford.
"He was someone that people looked up to in promotion," he said. "They used him as a blueprint for how to throw a party."
Cameron Doyle, a Lansing rapper who goes by the name Big Perm, organized more than 40 events at The Rocket in the last year.
"Hot Toddy is known throughout the state as one of the top hip-hop promoters in our region," he said. "It's a major blow. Todd was actually a fan of hip hop. He wanted to see independent artists like myself ... do well. You can't say that about a lot of people that own clubs."
Doyle said other promoters are going to have to "step their game up and help fill that void that Todd's going to leave."
"He takes those connections, those personal relationships he had, with him. None of us have that. ... It's going to be a major issue for Michigan hip hop."
Armstrong said there are going to be mixed feelings about Sanford's death in the local hip-hop community.
"There are people that are going to be mad and people that are going to be sad," he said. "... I would never in a million years guess he would do that."
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Report: MS knew about disc-scratching problems with the 360
Some 360 units scratch game discs if they're moved while in use, and a new court document alleges that Microsoft knew about the problem before the consoles shipped.
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Nintendo Scrabble Uses Swear Words to Win
Some parents may find they got more than they bargained for this holiday season if Nintendo DS's Scrabble 2007 Edition was on their child's wish list. Tonya Carrington, a 36 year old British mother, recently gave her son Ethan the game as an educational asset. Yet she soon discovered the game is just as naughty as it is nice.
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Top 5 Games based on movies that don't suck
As you may or may not know, there are a lot of games based on a movie but most of them suck. But there's a few games that are well, awesome!
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read more | digg story
World of Warcraft Seems Like Kind of a Silly Hobby
World of Warcraft player/dorkmaster supreme Prepared has caved to his smack addiction-like dependence on WoW and created 36 separate accounts that he plays simultaneously on an epically ridiculous rig.
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Top 10 Overused Video Game Story Lines
If you stop to consider just how many games have been released over the years, you can imagine that some plot devices have been used more often than others, while some have become staples for the medium.
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Vulnerability: Is the PlayStation 3 Dying?
Fallout from the November sales data continues to mount for Sony and its PlayStation family. CNNMoney's Silicon Alley Insider column pulled no punches in its assessment of the numbers calling the PS3 "A sinking ship" in light of its sales declining 19 percent compared to what it did last year. While that's a bit melodramatic, it's hard to argue.
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Shoe Attack On Bush Already Turned Into Flash Game
As hilarious and .gif worthy the incident was yesterday that saw an Iraqi journalist chucking his shoes at President Bush, did we really need a flash game? Apparently so.
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Boy killed mother, Shot father because they took Halo 3 away
Daniel Petric was so angry that his father would not allow him to play the violent video game Halo 3 that he killed his mother and shot his father, then tried to make it appear to be a murder-suicide, prosecutors told a Lorain County jury this morning in the boy's murder trial.
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Russian girl crowned Miss World 2008
Russian girl Kseniya Sukhinova was crowned as the 58th Miss World in South Africa. The 21-year-old student from Russia beat 109 rivals. First runner-up was Trinidad and Tobago’s Gabrielle Walcott followed by India’s Parvathy Omanakuttan as second runner-up. The other two finalists were from South Africa and Angola.
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Laid Off? You Have 62 Days to Get Health Coverage
Make sure you know your health-insurance rights and options, because once you get that pink slip you have no time to lose. Here's what you need to do within...
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Monday, December 15, 2008
Sony Home: Female Avatars Are Not Safe in Sony Home
Here's some uplifting video from the trainwreck Sony Home. In it, we see two female avatars being surrounded by male avatars doing little dances. Apparently this is happening all over the service. A lot.This next video, however, is hilarious. Called a "Quincy," the act lures in desperate males, and then pulls the ol' bait and switch. Classic.
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Why aren't dinosaurs in the Bible?
Bizarro cartoonist Dan Piraro also shares a unique take on why people really shouldn't wear crosses...
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Why that $73/hr Figure is a Lie
That figure — repeated on television and in newspapers as the average pay of a Big Three autoworker — has become a big symbol in the fight over what should happen to Detroit. But the truth is very different.
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National Debt From 1940 to Present
A sobering look at how our government spent their way into oblivion at the speed of light.
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Wireless Controller Helps Recover Stolen 360
A Missouri State student came back to his dorm to find his Xbox 360 stolen. Realizing the controller still connected when turned it on, he set out to find the console. And he did.
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How my Nerd Boyfriend Seduced Me w/ Wine, World of Warcraft
If BF wants to pull an all-nighter to crush some monsters, it’s fine by me. What do I care if my BF gets his kicks from a server? He’s a bonafide dork, I knew that when I met him.
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Sony won't ape NXE, no plans for Netflix on PS3
According to Sony, there's nothing wrong with the Current PlayStation Experience (CPE). The company has no plans to make any "grand-scale changes" to the PS3's XrossMediaBar interface.
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Virtual MMORPG item from Gaia Online sold for 6k on eBay
How can someone afford to spend $6,000 on a virtual game item when the economy is this bad?
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Friday, December 5, 2008
Nintendo's new DSi already hacked
It seems that enterprising hackers have already destroyed Nintendo's best laid plans, having already cracked the new DSi with an R4DS-like device doing the rounds in Japan.
read more | digg story
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Why Techies Love Games & and Why It's Good They Do
So what, exactly, does a kick-ass shooter game like " Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare" or the beautifully rendered role-playing game " Fallout 3" really say about tech life? Well, saddle up your Mechano-strider and watch as the Blade of Vaulted Secrets carves deeply into the tech-worker psyche.
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Jack Black to host this year's Spike Video Game Awards
Jack Black is one of those guys people have a very distinct reaction to -- they either love him or loathe him. Looking at the picture above, it's sort of a snap to figure out why. Therefore, I am not sure if I bring you good or bad tidings when I say that he has been formally announced as the host of this year's Spike Video Game Awards.
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U.S. Patent Office Denies Nintendo's 'Wii Remote' Trademark
The United States Patent and Trademark Office has suspended Nintendo's application to trademark the term Wii Remote. A letter sent by the USPTO to Nintendo last week indicates that the word remote is too commonly used to be trademarked. Nintendo submitted an official application to trademark Wii Remote in March of this year.
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Top 15 RPGs of All Time
It is hard to argue for a better video game format than the RPG. No form before or after has instilled such wonder and nostalgia in the video gamer. When playing the likes of racing or fighting games, one is enveloped by momentary pleasure of winning a fight or driving as fast as you can to finish a race. The RPG format is quite the opposite of the...
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G4 "X-Play Best of 2008 Awards" 100+ Nominees Announced
Gears of War 2, LittleBigPlanet, Metal Gear Solid 4, Grand Theft Auto IV, headline the 20+ categories of nominations.
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Atari calls used game sales
Atari is the latest in a long line of big-name publishers speaking out against used game sales, saying that the second hand market "has a macro-economic impact" on the industry.
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The Votes Are In: BlackBerry Storm Sucks
Though Verizon says the Storm is its fastest selling handset yet, the touchscreen phone is also generating more negative buzz than any BlackBerry before.
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Holland Puts a New Spin on Old Technology
A restaurant in the Dutch town of Zeist has come up with an innovative power generation system fueled by their own customers - They have installed a generator in their revolving door which converts the energy of people passing through into electricity. Each time you pass through the door you generate enough power to make a cup of coffee.
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The 6 Most Pointlessly Elaborate Movie Murder Plots
Hollywood bad guys think Occam's razor is a Mach 3 competitor. They can't seem to kill a single victim without planning out a complex, Rube Goldberg-style sequence that's almost sure to end in failure.
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Google’s Apps SLA Allows It To Minimize Downtime Of Gmail, C
Any Google App could be unavailable for more than 21 hours on a given day, and the company could still claim they had 100% uptime. WTF!
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The Best And Worst Versions Of Popular Christmas Songs
Let's just say the Crash Test Dummies did THE worst version of "Jingle Bells". Ever.
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read more | digg story
Tattooed convict in jarring before/after booking photos
Unbelievable transformation. I just don't get it... who in the hell thinks this looks good?!?
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read more | digg story
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Tax activist's ad challenges Obama's eligibility for office
Robert L. Schulz, 69, chairman of We The People Foundation, took out ads Monday and Wednesday to raise questions about whether Obama's Hawaii certificate of live birth is authentic.Asked about the case, Schulz said the government has tried to silence him.He hopes the Tribune ads bring his group prominence.
read more | digg story
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Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Nintendo makes about $49 per Wii... not $6
Here is a better article that is much more accurate on how much money Nintendo makes per Wii.
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Nintendo Makes $6 on On Every Wii Sold - NOT SURE HOW TRUE...
Nintendo makes an operating profit of $6 for every Wii console sold, according to the latest analyst reports, with Microsoft breaking even with the Xbox 360 and Sony still making a loss on each PS3 it sells.
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The Top 7 Video Games You Won't Get to Until 2009
This holiday, even awesome games are falling by the wayside. Here are a few we predict will fall by yours Tough choices will have to be made, whether they’re with money or time, and some of the hottest holiday releases will inevitably be ignored until either a price drop or a lull in activity make it possible to pay attention to them.
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Wednesday, November 26, 2008
My friend was murdered...
When I bought my new house 3 1/2 years ago, I thought everything would be great. What I have found so far is that it is started a curse or something. The first year I moved in, I have 12 friend/family die that year. Even more amazing was that 5 of those were suicides, and 1 was a possible murder (although never confirmed).
Since that year, things have been better. I only lost 1/2 a dozen friends/family each of the next 2 years. Yeah... that's right... 24 people in my life in 3 years!!! That even included a stretch where I lost both my grandmothers and my 2nd uncle in only 6 months time. Tough to deal with for sure.
Now... #25 since I bought my house happened, and this ones is really bothering me. He was murdered. Not just a simple random hit and run... but a revenge hit.
This summer I had my own modified-softball team. Junior (my late friend) used to drive up from Jackson each week to play ball with us and his dad. He was a hell of a ball player. One of the fastest men I have ever seen. He lead our team in average, and a few other categories. He was definitely the spark plug that lead off and got us runs on the board.
When it came time at the end of the season for our state tournament, it just happened to be in Jackson. So, naturally... Junior let us stay at his house since he didn't live too far away. IT was great. We had a lot of fun. Karaoke... a mini poker tournament... beer drinking... and that was the night before.
While we were there, Junior mentioned that he had had his car broken into a few weeks before. And also that he came home to find people in his house and chased them out, but was unable to identify them. Then, those people finally got their revenge on Monday night.
They apparently broke into his house, killed my good friend Junior, and then set his house on fire to cover it up. Junior was not even recognizable by the time he was found. Police have confirmed he was murdered, and an investigation is on-going. I have posted a few articles on this blog right before this post if you would like additional details or if you have any information.
I am not a religious man, and feel very strongly that people deserve what they have dished out. I hope they are found, and if it was up to me... I would burn them alive while I watched them die...
Since that year, things have been better. I only lost 1/2 a dozen friends/family each of the next 2 years. Yeah... that's right... 24 people in my life in 3 years!!! That even included a stretch where I lost both my grandmothers and my 2nd uncle in only 6 months time. Tough to deal with for sure.
Now... #25 since I bought my house happened, and this ones is really bothering me. He was murdered. Not just a simple random hit and run... but a revenge hit.
This summer I had my own modified-softball team. Junior (my late friend) used to drive up from Jackson each week to play ball with us and his dad. He was a hell of a ball player. One of the fastest men I have ever seen. He lead our team in average, and a few other categories. He was definitely the spark plug that lead off and got us runs on the board.
When it came time at the end of the season for our state tournament, it just happened to be in Jackson. So, naturally... Junior let us stay at his house since he didn't live too far away. IT was great. We had a lot of fun. Karaoke... a mini poker tournament... beer drinking... and that was the night before.
While we were there, Junior mentioned that he had had his car broken into a few weeks before. And also that he came home to find people in his house and chased them out, but was unable to identify them. Then, those people finally got their revenge on Monday night.
They apparently broke into his house, killed my good friend Junior, and then set his house on fire to cover it up. Junior was not even recognizable by the time he was found. Police have confirmed he was murdered, and an investigation is on-going. I have posted a few articles on this blog right before this post if you would like additional details or if you have any information.
I am not a religious man, and feel very strongly that people deserve what they have dished out. I hope they are found, and if it was up to me... I would burn them alive while I watched them die...
POLICE RULE DEATH IN FIRE A HOMICIDE
http://www.mlive.com/citpat/news/index.ssf/2008/11/police_rule_death_in_fire_a_ho.html#preview
by By Danielle Quisenberry and Steven Hepker | Jackson Citizen Patriot
Wednesday November 26, 2008, 8:31 AM
Blackman Township investigators said today Steven Sampier II was murdered before his N. Brown Street home was set on fire early Tuesday morning.
Firefighters found the charred remains of the 30-year-old Department of Corrections drill instructor after extinguishing the blaze in his one-story ranch house.
"It was a homicide and it appears the fire was started to conceal or destroy evidence," said Jon Johnston, deputy director for Blackman Township Public Safety.
An autopsy late Tuesday afternoon confirmed Sampier's identity and that he was murdered, Johnston said. Investigators are not releasing details on the cause and manner of death.
The Jackson County Major Crimes Task Force, comprised of representives of five local police agencies, is investigating.
Sampier's father, Steven Sampier, spent Tuesday hoping his tears were for naught and that it wasn't his son who was found dead.
"It's got to be him... I just wish I could have been there to pull him out of the fire," said Sampier of Midland, who spent much of Tuesday in tears. He said he kept waiting to get a call from his son, but had not.
Lee Taylor, a neighbor, said the house on Brown Street had been broken into recently and the windows were later broken out of Sampier's vehicle.
The elder Sampier said two police officers arrived at his home Tuesday morning to inform him his son, an Army veteran and Michigan Department of Corrections employee, was believed to have died in the fire at 1054 Brown St. He said Steven Sampier II's car was locked in the garage of the home near Argyle Street and his son lived alone.
Firefighters from four departments arrived at the home about 1 a.m. Tuesday to find it in flames.
"The house was fully engulfed. There were flames coming out of every window," said Taylor, who lives two houses south of the Sampier house and woke up Tuesday to the sound of fire trucks.
Officers were monitoring the house Tuesday night and were to continue watching the home, which they considered a crime scene, township public safety Sgt. Steve Stowe said.
The house was roped off with yellow tape. Its front windows were open to a black interior.
Steven Sampier said his son had worked as a drill instructor at a boot camp on Waterloo Road in Chelsea since leaving the Army in 1999.
He joined the military in 1996, after he graduated from a Midland high school, and served for three years with the 82nd Airborne Division based in Fort Bragg, N.C.
After 2 1/2 years, Sampier II earned the rank of sergeant and spent some time in Bosnia, the father said. "He got a bunch of ribbons, more than I ever got in the Marines. He was always teasing me about that."
Outside of some high school fights, he had not been in trouble, his father said.
The father said his son was professional, courteous and well-respected at work. He was going to college to get a degree in criminology, his father said.
Often, he called his dad to talk about the Detroit Lions or Tigers.
He was well-liked, his father said. "People always asked me more how he was doing than how I was doing."
The news has been tough to take, Steven Sampier said. "I just have a hard time dealing with this thing," he said.
Anyone with information on the case may call the tip line at 787-0212.
by By Danielle Quisenberry and Steven Hepker | Jackson Citizen Patriot
Wednesday November 26, 2008, 8:31 AM
Blackman Township investigators said today Steven Sampier II was murdered before his N. Brown Street home was set on fire early Tuesday morning.
Firefighters found the charred remains of the 30-year-old Department of Corrections drill instructor after extinguishing the blaze in his one-story ranch house.
"It was a homicide and it appears the fire was started to conceal or destroy evidence," said Jon Johnston, deputy director for Blackman Township Public Safety.
An autopsy late Tuesday afternoon confirmed Sampier's identity and that he was murdered, Johnston said. Investigators are not releasing details on the cause and manner of death.
The Jackson County Major Crimes Task Force, comprised of representives of five local police agencies, is investigating.
Sampier's father, Steven Sampier, spent Tuesday hoping his tears were for naught and that it wasn't his son who was found dead.
"It's got to be him... I just wish I could have been there to pull him out of the fire," said Sampier of Midland, who spent much of Tuesday in tears. He said he kept waiting to get a call from his son, but had not.
Lee Taylor, a neighbor, said the house on Brown Street had been broken into recently and the windows were later broken out of Sampier's vehicle.
The elder Sampier said two police officers arrived at his home Tuesday morning to inform him his son, an Army veteran and Michigan Department of Corrections employee, was believed to have died in the fire at 1054 Brown St. He said Steven Sampier II's car was locked in the garage of the home near Argyle Street and his son lived alone.
Firefighters from four departments arrived at the home about 1 a.m. Tuesday to find it in flames.
"The house was fully engulfed. There were flames coming out of every window," said Taylor, who lives two houses south of the Sampier house and woke up Tuesday to the sound of fire trucks.
Officers were monitoring the house Tuesday night and were to continue watching the home, which they considered a crime scene, township public safety Sgt. Steve Stowe said.
The house was roped off with yellow tape. Its front windows were open to a black interior.
Steven Sampier said his son had worked as a drill instructor at a boot camp on Waterloo Road in Chelsea since leaving the Army in 1999.
He joined the military in 1996, after he graduated from a Midland high school, and served for three years with the 82nd Airborne Division based in Fort Bragg, N.C.
After 2 1/2 years, Sampier II earned the rank of sergeant and spent some time in Bosnia, the father said. "He got a bunch of ribbons, more than I ever got in the Marines. He was always teasing me about that."
Outside of some high school fights, he had not been in trouble, his father said.
The father said his son was professional, courteous and well-respected at work. He was going to college to get a degree in criminology, his father said.
Often, he called his dad to talk about the Detroit Lions or Tigers.
He was well-liked, his father said. "People always asked me more how he was doing than how I was doing."
The news has been tough to take, Steven Sampier said. "I just have a hard time dealing with this thing," he said.
Anyone with information on the case may call the tip line at 787-0212.
Body found in Blackman Township house fire
http://www.mlive.com/citpat/news/index.ssf/2008/11/man_dies_in_blackman_township.html
by Steven Hepker | Citizen Patriot
Tuesday November 25, 2008, 8:33 AM
Investigators planned an autopsy today to determine the cause of death and positive identification of a body found in a house fire early this morning in Blackman Township.
Jon Johnston, deputy director of public safety, said firefighters encountered a fully involved blaze at 1054 N. Brown St. when they responded to the 1 a.m. call.
Firefighters from Blackman, Leoni and Summit townships extinguished the fire in the ranch house and found a body inside, Johnston said.
Johnston said investigators believe the victim was the home owner. He said the victim's relatives live outside the Jackson area.
A state fire marshal will assist in the determining the cause and origin of the blaze.
by Steven Hepker | Citizen Patriot
Tuesday November 25, 2008, 8:33 AM
Investigators planned an autopsy today to determine the cause of death and positive identification of a body found in a house fire early this morning in Blackman Township.
Jon Johnston, deputy director of public safety, said firefighters encountered a fully involved blaze at 1054 N. Brown St. when they responded to the 1 a.m. call.
Firefighters from Blackman, Leoni and Summit townships extinguished the fire in the ranch house and found a body inside, Johnston said.
Johnston said investigators believe the victim was the home owner. He said the victim's relatives live outside the Jackson area.
A state fire marshal will assist in the determining the cause and origin of the blaze.
Monday, November 24, 2008
1,800-Year-Old Bronze Chariot Unearthed
Archaeologists have unearthed a well-preserved 1,800-year-old bronze chariot at an ancient Thracian tomb in southeastern Bulgaria, the head of the excavation.
read more | digg story
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Blizzard Celebrates WoW's 4th Anniversary With Baby Bears
Folks who log into the game today are gifted with the achievement "WoW's 4th Anniversary" and an adorable little baby polar bear to follow them around everywhere they go.
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read more | digg story
Report: Only 4% of Games Make Profit
Only four percent of video games sent to market actually make a profit, claims a new report from the Electronic Entertainment Design and Research company. Speaking to Forbes, president of the California-based company Geoffrey Zatkin shares a number of interesting facts from the study, including the claim that 60 percent of a game's budges is spent
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Download Need For Speed - Undercover
Download NFS - Undercover for free with working crack.(RELOEAD Crack included). Please share and digg and let all diggers enjoy! thanx
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Indiana Inmates Sneak Through the Ceiling to Have Sex
Three men (ages 44, 38 and 17) and three women (ages 27, 26 and 21) face felony charges after they figured out how to remove metal ceiling panels to sneak between cell blocks to have sex. They used their secret passageway at least a dozen times in the past 2 months in what they explain was created 'to help pass their time behind bars.'
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McDonald's Sued Over Woman's Naked Buns
McD's just got served by a guy who allegedly left his cell phone -- which contained nude photos of his wife -- at the Arkansas restaurant, only to find the nude pics posted online.
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The boat's a rockin'
This is security footage of a dining room of a cruise boat as it hits rough seas. The video starts of a bit slow but by the end the dining room is completely destroyed.
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read more | digg story
Friday, November 21, 2008
How to Condescend to Women About Technology, the Book
According to its press release, this is a book that "shows every woman how to sort out the complicated world of technology. Whether she's buying a computer, shopping for a cell phone, trolling electronics aisles, or simply surfing the Internet, How to Be a Geek Goddess makes sense of it all with wit, intelligence, and attitude."
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
The PS3 Turns Two
Two years ago tomorrow the PlayStation 3 had its North America launch. Remember November 2006? Ah, yes, the days of $3,000 machines being sold on eBay and beyond-the-pale mayhem in the midnight line-ups to get one. Sony Computer Entertainment America had a far more sedate affair on Wednesday, toasting the two year anniversary of the console.
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read more | digg story
‘Call of Duty: World at War’ Unlockable Zombie Mode Info,Vid
There are two things in this world I love: Zombies and Video Games. If you figure out a way to put those two things together then you might as well alert my employer to deduct the money directly from my paycheck and send it to you.
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read more | digg story
Italian Boy Diagnosed With ‘PlayStation Addiction’
An Italian boy has been diagnosed with “PlayStation addiction” following a marathon gaming session. The boy, 13, was rushed to a hospital where doctors thought he had suffered a stroke or some other serious condition.......
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Over 100,000 PlayStation Home Beta 1.0 Invites Going Out
SCEE begins rollout of PS Home Beta 1.0. Of course, I don't need one since I am already in the Closed Beta. :-)
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read more | digg story
Half-Life now available for $.98 on Steam
Valve has taken a crowbar to the price of the original Half-Life on Steam. Originally priced at $9.99, the award-winning, if-you-haven't-played-it-don't-talk-to-us FPS can now be had for $.98. No, that's not a typo.
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read more | digg story
10 Things You Should Know About The New Xbox Experience
The New Xbox Experience, a.k.a. the new Xbox 360 Dashboard, hits tomorrow. If you've got an Xbox 360 that's connected to the internet, you're going to be prompted to update your console as soon as you turn it on. No exceptions; this is what your machine will look like until either it dies, you die,
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Nintendo and its Fan Base; Who Abandoned Who?
Nintendo and You. Nintendo has always been there, been your best friend, and your toughest opponent. It brought you together with friends and you missed it when you were grounded from it.But now, here you are, feeling betrayed by your old best friend.
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PlayStation 3 Costs 5x As Much to Operate as the Wii
According to a new Natural Resources Defense Council analysis of the energy consumption of popular video game consoles, the Playstation 3 uses the most energy. More than 40% of American households have at least one video game console, and a staggering 50% of users leave them on all the time, even when not actively playing a game.
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read more | digg story
Friday, November 14, 2008
Electronic Arts debuts fitness video game for Wii
Electronic Arts Inc unveiled its first personal training product on Thursday, tapping into the growing appeal of video games as fitness systems as seen with Nintendo Co Ltd's hit title "Wii Fit" earlier this year.
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RBI Baseball - Bunt Home Run
If you've played RBI Baseball enough, you've no doubt seen the rare but not unthinkable bunt home run. Thanks to the way that the fielders get glued to their bases so quickly, it's possible for a bunt to get past the remaining infielders and, thanks to the fact that RBI Baseball is played on not grass but green ice, the ball can make it all the...
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Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Inventor of Suicide Bomber Game Says It's No Big Deal
"Have you tried playing it? It's absolutely pointless," says the inventor, who won't reveal his name. ("I have received several death threats," he says.) But seriously, is he honestly that surprised about the furor?
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read more | digg story
MotorStorm's Target Render "Pissed Us Off A Lot" Says Devs
Here's an interview we conducted with MotorStorm lead designer Nigel Kershaw and creative director Paul Hollywood. The most revealing part of the interview -- which you can watch in the 1UP Show segment above -- comes when Kershaw reveals his frustration at how often the subject of the original E3 target video for MotorStorm comes up in interviews.
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Why I can't go beyond the first 5 mins of Call of Duty
I've been avoiding Call of Duty: World At War. Not because its developer, Treyarch, has yet to inspire me. Not because it's another World War II shooter. I've been avoiding World At War because the featured enemy is the Japanese Empire. Let me explain:
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We are comfortable with Nazis as demons. This is wrong.
The issue of creating bad guys in video games is an important one, and it's sad that conversations about World War II, the issues of responsibility and duty, and even the nature of evil get lost because we're all so comfortable turning the very human people who fought on both sides of that war into either heroes or villains.
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read more | digg story
New spoiler design increases SUV fuel economy 3.4% at 67mph
Collaborating researchers from the University of Michigan-Dearborn and a commercial company have developed a truck/SUV spoiler that is unlike other spoilers. The team adapted fluid dynamics algorithms to produce an unexpected design which they claim yields a 5% reduction in drag and a complete reversal of lift.
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read more | digg story
4,300-Year-Old Pyramid Discovered in Egypt
Egyptian archaeologists have discovered a pyramid buried in the desert and thought to belong to the mother of a pharaoh who ruled more than 4,000 years ago, Egypt's antiquities chief said on Tuesday.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Monday, November 10, 2008
The HTC Touch Pro, a QWERTY Diamond
Call it Raphael no longer! HTC has officially thrown the cover off its Touch Pro today -- the QWERTY slider sibling of the recently-unveiled Touch Diamond -- which should cover the bases for those who loved the Diamond's keen looks but decided they'd go our of their gourds without a full set of physical keys at their disposal. Under that glossy...
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How To Downgrade your PSP & Upgrade to a Custom Firmware
There are a lot of different ways to downgrade, which one you’ll have to use depends on your current firmware. Some are harder to break than other, but it’s always possible. We will be posting a simple step-by-step guide, so that nearly everyone will be able to find his or her way through the bulk of information available on the web.
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read more | digg story
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Heidi Klum loves Guitar Hero
Heidi Klum dances around in her bra and panties on my television to sell me a video game? God Bless America!
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Ghost Of Christmas Future Taunts Children With Playstation 5
Bored with scaring elderly misers, the Ghost of Christmas Future is taunting modern children with visions of Christmas 2016's hottest toy: the Sony PlayStation 5, a 2,048-bit console featuring a 45-Ghz trinary processor and CineReal graphics booster with 2-gig biotexturing. "You know how kids are—a year is an eternity to them."
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read more | digg story
Monday, November 3, 2008
Couple 'Divorce' Son Over $20,000 Ripoff
An elderly couple have "divorced" their son after he stole their life savings, leaving just 34 cents in their bank account.
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read more | digg story
Woman Kills Repeat Rapist With Shotgun Blast
An intended rape victim shot and killed her attacker this morning in Cape Girardeau when he broke into her home to rape her a second time, police said. The 57-year-old woman shot Ronnie W. Preyer, 47, a registered sex offender, in the chest with a shotgun when he broke through her locked basement door. He had raped her days earlier.
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What's Wrong with Being Atheist Anyway?
Are we Atheists somehow unAmerican? The suggestion from Dole is that being an Atheist is anti-American.
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MSNBC: Over 80,000 Have Complained About Voting Problems
Today, Barbara Anwine of the Election Protection Coalition (1-866-OUR-VOTE), a nonpartisan group, told MSNBC about voter suppression tactics they have witnessed around the country. Watch the video too.
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read more | digg story
2nd Egg Found Inside A Giant Chicken Egg
A second, normal-sized egg popped out of a giant egg laid by a chicken raised at a high school in Shiga Prefecture, a school official said Saturday after breaking open the shell. The huge egg, which was 8.1 centimeters high and weighed 158 grams, was laid at the Yokaichi Minami High School in the city of Higashiomi in late October. The egg...
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read more | digg story
Gamer's Radical Realization: I Prefer Playing With Myself
Because really, who needs people? People suck. I'm joking, of course - but only a bit. The truth is, in online multiplayer worlds, dealing with the delightfully unpredictable behavior of "real" people can be an absolute chore. Teammates fail to show up for a raid or logout mid battle. What do Diggers prefer playing? MMO or Radically Singleplayer?
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read more | digg story
Jets Cheerleader Test-Drives New Wii 'All Star Cheer Squad'
The newest cheerleading video game is sure to have you shimmying from your fingertips to your feet - but being a pro might help in playing it. "All Star Cheer Squad" for the Nintendo Wii system hits stores this week at $39.99 a pop. We invited Natalie, a member of the New York Jets Flight Crew, to test it.
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read more | digg story
Sony patents sound-sensing PS3 controller
A recent Sony PS3 patent filing has revived rumors that the company is quietly preparing to attack Nintendo's motion-sensing Wii head-on. While just a patent filing for now, the details include features and functionality that would be impossible with a Wiimote or the upcoming 1:1 MotionPlus add-on.
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read more | digg story
Zombies invade WoW in pre-expansion world event
To generate excitement for WoW's Wrath expansion launching on Nov 13, Blizzard unleashed a zombie plague upon the surprised players today transforming them into the undead that need to be cured before they add more players to their shambling ranks.
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read more | digg story
Friday, October 31, 2008
WiFi thermostat puts power (and cooling) at your fingertips
Ecobee's WiFi-enabled thermostat lets you change your home's temperature far from home, as well as find out if it's freezing or flooding. Smart grid not required.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
NASA regains contact with Mars spacecraft
NASA's Phoenix Mars spacecraft regained contact with Earth more than a day after falling silent, but its days operating on the red planet are still numbered, mission managers said Thursday.
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read more | digg story
Venus and the Moon to Treat or Trick
Venus and the moon will deliver a Halloween treat visible this evening just as little ghosts and goblins head out to gather candy. Or, if your skies are cloudy, it'll just be an invisible cosmic trick. If skies are clear, look to the west just as the sun sets - Venus, the brightest "star" in the sky will hover just above slender crescent moon.
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read more | digg story
Obama Spent $44.5K on In-Game Advertising
For weeks now, Obama has been running in-game ads in games such as Burnout Paradise for the 360 across 10 battleground states. The full campaign started on October 6, runs through November 3, and spans a reported 18 games. According to the Obama campaign's pre-general-election filing with the Federal Election Commission, he spent $44,500 in games.
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read more | digg story
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Beatles Coming To Rock Band
Press releases titled "Apple Corps Ltd. and MTV to Announce Exclusive Agreement to Develop Unprecedented Global Music Project.” sparked speculation that the Beatles are coming to Rock Band.
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Who would you vote for — Mario or Luigi?
"From 'Spore' to 'Second Life,' games give players a political voice." An inside look at the direct relationship between gaming and politics.
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read more | digg story
Wii couldn't even handle RE 5's intro screen
We all would love to see Resident Evil 5 on the Wii. But, according to the game's producer, Masachika Kawata, the Wii couldn't even handle the graphics of the game's introductory screen.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Microsoft Doubles Reward for Missing Xbox Gamer
Software company Microsoft has doubled a cash reward for information on the whereabouts of a Canadian boy who ran away from home after his father took away his Xbox game console.
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read more | digg story
Nintendo says ‘We’ve never neglected core gamers’
General Manager of Nintendo UK David Yarnton has told MCV that the platform holder has “never lost its passion for core gamers”. Yarnton reassured fans that new ‘hardcore’ Nintendo games were being developed.
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read more | digg story
New PSP Media Manager Integrates With the PlayStation Store
Just in case you are one of the few that have actually used the PSP Media Manager, you might be interested in knowing that a new update grants access to the PlayStation Store through the PC. It also helps out with syncing your music, photos and other digital content.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Robert Downey Jr. and Don Cheadle Sign On for The Avengers
Marvel Entertainment has just announced that Robert Downey Jr and Don Cheadle have signed on for both Iron Man 2 and The Avengers. Iron Man 2 director Jon Favreau will also executive produce The Avengers.
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read more | digg story
PS3 Making Money, PSP Sales Up, PS2 Outselling PS3
Sony, as a company, is not in good shape. Global financial crisis will do that to a company. But hey, least it's not the gaming division's fault! While the company as a whole has seen profits drop by an incredible 90%, sales are up (for the most part) across Sony's gaming hardware range, with the PS3 selling 2.43 million consoles over the 3 months.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Weekly MotorStorm 2 DLC Planned, "A Lot of It Is Free."
Game Director Nigel Kershaw has confirmed plans to deliver weekly DLC to MotorStorm: Pacific Rift, promising that "a lot of it is free". The game's just hit US stores today, so it's rest time for the team, before getting to work on DLC. "Once we're all rested its back to the development bunker to finish off the DLC we have lined up."
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
PS Home Hacked, The Search For Backup Exploits Begins
Hackers, like life, will find a way. Sony knows that all too well thanks to the PSP, but so far the PlayStation 3 has stood strong in the face of legions of nerds trying to find a way to exploit it.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
GTA IV DLC could be a zombie outbreak!
Last we heard, Microsoft confirmed the exclusive GTA IV DLC for this fall. The quarantine posting (full text on Joystiq) has sparked some speculation that the DLC could be tied to Eugenics' mess. Namely, a potential zombie outbreak! With art assets already in place, what's to stop Rockstar from turning GTA IV into a "28 Days Later" scenario?
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Adults give Uzi to 8-year-old, who shoots and kills himself
An event at a Massachusetts gun club turned tragic today when an 8-year-old boy accidentally shot himself in the head and later died. "Witnesses state that he was shooting the weapon down range when the force of the weapon made it travel up and back toward his head, where he suffered the injury," the police statement read.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Restaurant closed after dead deer found in kitchen
Health officials shut down a suburban Buffalo restaurant after an inspector found employees butchering a dead deer inside the business. Erie County Health Department officials said they got a tip Friday about a dead deer in the China King restaurant in the town of Hamburg, just south of Buffalo.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Just another cover band? Ars reviews Guitar Hero World Tour
Activision Blizzard hits back at Rock Band with a fun, competent rhythm game filled with great equipment, but will it be enough to unseat standard-setter Rock Band? Ars reviews Guitar Hero: World Tour.
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read more | digg story
Thursday, October 23, 2008
"I can't imagine a President being named Obama"
I'm fascinated how stupid some people are. It must be very tiresome to have the world revolve around you and your religious beliefs.
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read more | digg story
Think Firefox 3 is fast? Try Firefox Minefield
Firefox is outdoing itself with Minefield, which sets new speed records. Read this blog post by Matt Asay on The Open Road.
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read more | digg story
Best PS3 Mods Ever [PICS]
Right here is the Ultimate Sony PS3 Mods and Design Collection showing the game console in a different color, shape and form.
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read more | digg story
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Wii Fit on Track to Outsell GTA IV This Year
The market for video games is changing profoundly, and a comparison of two prominent titles’ recent sales figures shows just how much...
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read more | digg story
LucasArts Announces Star Wars: The Old Republic MMORPG
GamingShogun writes, "Today in San Francisco, LucasArts formally announced their new MMORPG, titled 'Star Wars: The Old Republic'. Highlights of the announcement included word that the game will, as rumored, be set inside the Knights of the Old Republic universe and will be heavily 'story based' and allow players to have 'companion characters'..."
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Awesome Thing #960 - Strategic trick-or-treating
Trick-or-treating ain’t no game. You just have to master the 4 Rules Of Strategic Trick-Or-Treating first
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read more | digg story
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Why Home Should Not Be Shown At Game Shows
Home should not be shown at trade shows. Absolutely not. Not under any circumstances. Why? Because it is boring. Home is not a game. It's not even a user interface. It's a...thing. Once Sony get around to deciding what that actually is will probably be the time they decide to release it, but until then - and especially in the state it was in for...
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read more | digg story
Google extends AdSense to online games
(Reuters) - Google Inc on Wednesday launched technology to insert advertisements into online video games and boost revenue from the booming gaming sector. The software, called AdSense for Games, is in beta testing and allows video, image or text...
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read more | digg story
PSP-3000 scanlines a hardware feature; no fix planned
Sony Japan has responded to criticisms about visible scanlines on the new PSP-3000 systems. While Sony America is looking into the situation, Japan's statement doesn't bode too well. It seems that the scanline problem is a feature of the new LCD screens. SCEI says that the "PSP-3000 has a new LCD device with vastly improved picture quality...
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read more | digg story
E3 2009 To Take Place in June, Opened To Public... MAYBE???
There has been an update... it may not be true... but I figured I would post it anyway to get people taking about it.Level Up has just learned that after long, bruising and politically difficult negotiations, the Entertainment Software Association is preparing to announce tomorrow that E3 2009 will take place at the Los Angeles Convention Center during the first week of June--and that for the first time, E3 will officially open its doors to the public at large.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
7 Wii tricks Nintendo doesn't tell you
The more complex consoles become, the more weirdy-beardy secret functions are squirreled away inside of them, and Nintendo's latest is no exception.
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read more | digg story
Monday, October 20, 2008
Why ‘AC/DC Live: Rock Band Track Pack’ Is Wal-Mart Only
And Not DLC (For Now) There’s been some legitimate confusion over the decision making process behind “AC/DC Live: Rock Band Track Pack,” an 18-song retail product. But $40 for only 18 songs and no additional content... GIVE ME A BREAK!!!
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read more | digg story
Halo 3 Mythbusters
DTHclan's Halo 3 Mythbusters - based on a show by the same name - takes a "scientific approach" (saved films) to either prove or debunk common Halo 3 myths. You know, myths like "you can carry three weapons using a glitch in CTF gametypes" or "the bubble shield is in effect before its animation.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Big Brother is listening (and grabbing): Sony's new PS3 ToS
Sony has updated the terms of service for using your PS3 and the online service it provides. It's not pretty: Sony can listen to what you're saying, they own what you make, and they're not liable if things don't work.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Listen to the Banned Song in LittleBigPlanet
Want to hear what all this mess is about? Enter Toumani Diabate's MySpace page and listen to the song "Tapha Niang". Sounds so innocent, doesn't it?
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read more | digg story
Get homebrew channel and dvd playback on your Wii in 20mins
A quick start guide with everything you need to get the homebrew channel and DVD playback working on your wii in just about 20mins
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Rock Band tried to burn down my house (MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE)
This person's Rock Band 4-port USB hub? It started an electrical fire. Pics are included. Is it a big surprise it happened on an Xbox 360 that has had heat issues all along.
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read more | digg story
Software to Play/Run the New PC Games Without Graphics Card
Recently I tried to play the game GODFATHER on my desktop.But it always gives error Pixel Shader not supported and Graphic Card not compatible.So I looked around Mr.Google for the error and he told me about 3D Analyze.
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read more | digg story
Over 14 Minutes of Resistance 2 Beta Footage
A big, hearty thanks goes to Upside for capturing over fourteen minutes of direct-feed footage from the Resistance 2 open beta. For those that haven’t gotten into the beta yet, this is a great way to get a feel for the overall gameplay experience. Check out the video after the cut. Once again, because the game is rated M for Mature,
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New PlayStation and PSP unveiled
Sony has announced details of its latest PlayStation 3 gaming console and handheld PlayStation Portable.
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New Holiday Bundles Include Free Games
Get ready—the evolution is coming. Microsoft today announced at the Tokyo Game Show that the New Xbox Experience, a transformation in home entertainment, will launch on Wednesday, November 19.
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read more | digg story
Retired NFL players suing union over royalties
Fans of the popular "Madden NFL" video game by Electronic Arts Inc. can play vintage matchups such as the 1967 Green Bay Packers against the 1971 Dallas Cowboys. Just don't look for either team's dominant left cornerback: Hall of Famer Herb Adderley, who played for both Super Bowl champions...
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Wii Fit Parody
SarcasticGamer.com presents a satircal look at one of Nintendo's "Big" announcements at E3. Wii Fit was billed as a fitness breakthrough. It just looked like standing around to us.
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read more | digg story
OpenOffice 3 - Nice!
OpenOffice has been getting better and better. Similarly, version 3 is no revolution. Most changes are subtle, small, gentle refinements of already good, robust and proven tools. Personally, I find this to be the right way of bringing change. It is all too easy to launch a brand new version that has nothing in common with its predecessors.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
LittleBigPlanet Faces Worldwide Recall For Qur'an References
The European delay of LittleBigPlanet we mentioned earlier has blossomed into a worldwide recall of the game due to passages from the Islamic holy text Qur'an being included in the background music in one of the levels.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Friday, October 17, 2008
Fireball meteor over Oklahoma
On September 30, a spectacular bolide meteor surprised a group of amateur astronomers enjoying dark night skies over the Oklahoma panhandle's Black Mesa State Park.
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Thursday, October 16, 2008
Secret Service Investigating Threat from Palin Rally
The U.S. Secret Service is investigating a threatening remark directed at Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama during a political event in Scranton.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Colossal black holes common in early universe
Astronomers think that many - perhaps all - galaxies in the universe contain massive black holes at their centers. New observations with the Submillimeter Array now suggest that such colossal black holes were common even 12 billion years ago, when the universe was only 1.7 billion years old and galaxies were just beginning to form. The new conclusi
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That’s a MAN, man! (Your guide to being an MMO girl.)
Like to pretend you're a girl to get free stuff out of guys in video games? Well, despite our disgust, here are a few tips to help you succeed.
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read more | digg story
20-Foot-Long Lego Battlecruiser [PICS]
Ed Diment has completed his minfig-scale HMS Hood. Packed with incredible details, this is my favorite of the big ship builds, which have included the USS Harry S. Truman and the Titanic, among others.
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Starship Enterprise in a sink???
Wow... who washes their hands in that sink and go "hey, the starship enterprise. I gotta put this on digg..."
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read more | digg story
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Aussie Cops Find A PS2 Full Of Drugs
If police cracked a PS2 open and found a mod chip? There'd be trouble in the US, but in Australia, no sweat. They're legal. But 3400 ecstasy tablets, that's going a little too far.
read more | digg story
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How To Find That Barack Obama Ad In ‘Burnout Paradise'
This doesn’t work in the PlayStation 3 version, which is running a fake ad in Obama’s place.
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Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Incredible Images of the Sun [PICS]
The Sun is now in the quietest phase of its 11-year activity cycle, the solar minimum - in fact, it has been unusually quiet this year - with over 200 days so far with no observed sunspots. The solar wind has also dropped to its lowest levels in 50 years. Seen below are some recent images of the Sun in more active times.
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Monday, October 13, 2008
Obama and Bush Are Not So Far Apart
They hold similar positions regarding affirmative action, FISA, capital punishment, etc. Maybe only when you look at single comments taken completely out of context...
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A Brief History of Controllers: A & B
There’s always been a minor niggle at the back of my mind when I played the Nintendo DS. “They’ve got it backwards,” I thought. A speedy investigation showed that my memory was a little foggy, and that the answer was significantly more interesting than that.
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LittleBigPlanet used to create 1,600-part calculator (video)
LittleBigPlanet may still be in beta, but if you're willing to sort through some boring bits, you can find a ton of great levels. Take, for instance, this monster that showed up on YouTube: the user has created a working electronic calculator using the game's level editor. If you don't think that's impressive, be sure to watch the entire video.
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WoW Whore Has 36 Accounts, Raids by Himself
In what is perhaps the most shining example of obsession and geekiness I have ever seen, a fella by the name of Bradster has 36 World of WarCraft accounts that he plays on 11 computers simultaneously.
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Microsoft: Xbox will not go Blu
Microsoft has once again poured cold water over the latest rumour that it’ll launch a Blu-ray Disc drive add-on for the Xbox 360.
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Spore expansion confirmed, detailed
We all knew it was coming, and now it is official as Electronic Arts has announced the first details on expansions for Spore. The publisher has announced not one, but two different packs that will be available over the next few months.
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read more | digg story
Monday, October 6, 2008
Intel Extreme Masters Los Angeles - Swarm becomes mad
I just love seeing poor sports. And it doesn't get much more ridiculous then this!
Kid rages in the middle of a WoW match
Swarm of Team SK Gaming US shows some emotions in a match at Intel Extreme Masters Los Angeles.
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Sarah Palin Photoshopped Into Video Games
Curse you, Sarah Palin! Now I can't even load GTA IV without thinking about you.
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Friday, October 3, 2008
Nintendo shows off new DSi with camera, app store
Nintendo has flooded Japan with gaming news, including a new revision of the DS with built-in cameras and an SD-card slot. The Wii will also now use SD-cards to hold downloadable content, and a new Punch-Out is on the way.
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Nintendo announces Wii Speak Channel and Club Nintendo In US
Cammie Dunnaway announced today at Nintendo Conference two good news for America.
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Mega Man Maker: Make Your Own Mega Man!
Create your own Mega Man sprite! Hundreds of parts to choose from or design your own from scratch!
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The Solution to the PS3 Install Debacle
It’s so simple that it’s brilliant at the same time. If Sony were to place the install data on PSN a week before any game were released, anyone that planned to purchase the game could download the data and install the files prior to owning the game. The benefit to gamers is obvious, removing the delay from unpack to play. The benefit. . .
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2008 Nintendo Fall Press Conference: Save Wii Games To SD
Finally. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has just announced that, beginning in Spring 2009 (at least for Japan), Nintendo Wii owners will be able to download software directly to an SD card.
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Personal secrets your iPhone could reveal
Two trends in cellphones are combining to create a new security risk. On the one hand they are becoming more powerful, and more like computers. On the other, they are universally relied upon.
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Is 360's Red Ring of Death Finally Fixed?
New Xbox 360 models have been spotted using upgraded components, said to make the infamous Red Ring of Death a thing of the past. The newest 360s are fitted with new 'Jasper' motherboards, says a report on Joey Gadget, as well as a new and improved graphics chip. The upgraded components are smaller and emit less heat, according to the techies...
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NASA Spacecraft Finds the Sun is Not a Perfect Sphere
Scientists using NASAs RHESSI spacecraft have measured the roundness of the sun with unprecedented precision. They find that it is not a perfect sphere. During years of high solar activity the sun develops a thin cantaloupe skin that significantly increases its apparent oblateness: the sun’s equatorial radius becomes slightly larger than its poles.
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read more | digg story
CHINA DECLARES ECONOMIC WAR, Demands $700bil bailout from US
JUST IN: China + Saudi Arabia hold billions worth of bad loans and are threatening to stop lending money to the US Govt, blackmailing the US into buying them back. "Bush said he would veto any bill that prohibited the purchase of foreign securities" WE MUST STOP THIS NOW, THIS BAILOUT IS NOT FOR MAINSTREET OR WALLSTREET IT IS FOR THE CHINESE!
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Wednesday, October 1, 2008
CNN POLL OF POLLS: Debate 'changed nothing'
(CNN) – Nearly 60 million Americans tuned in to the
first presidential debate between Barack Obama and John McCain last
Friday, but national polls released this week suggest the square-off
did little to change the dynamics of the race.
Check out the original story here...
first presidential debate between Barack Obama and John McCain last
Friday, but national polls released this week suggest the square-off
did little to change the dynamics of the race.
Check out the original story here...
Bodies of Work: 30 Unforgettable Nude Scenes
In honor of Jason Segel bravely baring all in
''Forgetting Sarah Marshall'' (out today on DVD), we look back at our
favorite scenes celebrating the naked form (Straighten up, people! The
human body is nothing to snicker at! Okay, sometimes it is.)
Check out the original story here...
''Forgetting Sarah Marshall'' (out today on DVD), we look back at our
favorite scenes celebrating the naked form (Straighten up, people! The
human body is nothing to snicker at! Okay, sometimes it is.)
Check out the original story here...
House of Representatives' Web site overwhelmed
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The servers hosting the Web sites of the
House of Representatives and its members have been overwhelmed with
millions of e-mails in the past few days, forcing administrators to
implement the "digital version of a traffic cop" to handle the overload.
Check out the original story here...
House of Representatives and its members have been overwhelmed with
millions of e-mails in the past few days, forcing administrators to
implement the "digital version of a traffic cop" to handle the overload.
Check out the original story here...
Freaking out over economic fears
(CNN) -- Another index to keep an eye on in these economically
turbulent times is the "anxiety index" -- it goes up when markets go
down and people get upset and worried about their future.
Check out the original story here...
turbulent times is the "anxiety index" -- it goes up when markets go
down and people get upset and worried about their future.
Check out the original story here...
God of War Film Confirmed By Brett Ratner
This movie has been rumored since last year and at E3 only reveal the third installment into the series is well on it’s way. Well, we all knew that this was going to happen, it was just a matter of when.
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Marriott And Nintendo Team For In-Room Wii Service
While I'm still excited when my hotel room has one of those crappy, wired directly to the TV N64 controllers, more upscale establishments require more upscale entertainment. Marriott and Nintendo have joined forces to provide visitors at select locations the total Wii experience in the comfort of their own hotel room without that hassle of. . .
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Lawsuit: NFLPA conspired with EA to cheat retired players
While EA Sports enjoys an exclusive deal with the NFL, the NFL Players' Association, and the NCAA, a lawsuit claims that a licensing deal with Madden 09 deliberately left retired players, many of whom face serious health and financial issues as a result of their careers, out in the cold.
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Dane Cook Is Not A Movie Star
Why does Hollywood insist on making certain people into big stars, despite a mostly negative public reaction to those stars? Never has that been more evident than with Dane Cook. He had some decent stand-up, but the guy isn’t funny on film, he has no screen presence and he’s completely incapable of carrying his own movie.
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read more | digg story
God Prefers Atheists
Just reiterates the fact of why I am not religious. I don't believe in that BS.
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NORAD to Palin:"WRONG!" Russian Flights in US Airspace NEVER
Sarah Palin was WRONG about Russian flights "into US airspace." They never occurred. Why does she keep lying?
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read more | digg story
Admit It, The Stormtrooper Hoodie is a Little Tempting
By Mark Ecko, this Stormtrooper hoodie will ensure that, at a moment's notice, you will be ready for an impromptu Star Wars convention or back alley role-playing fest. It may sound like overkill, but to the die-hard Star Wars fan, it's a whole lot easier than carrying around plastic armor everywhere you go.
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read more | digg story
Bush had no plan to catch Bin Laden
The U.S. missed the opportunity to catch Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan in 2001, new evidence reveals, because Washington was obsessed with starting the Iraq War and failed to allocate enough troops to the task. The blunder was allegedly compounded by a decision to turn down an offer of 60,000 Pakistani troops.
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How to Bypass Windows 98's Security System (GIF)
Don't get me wrong... this is like 10 years too late... but interesting none the less.
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read more | digg story
Cool Earth Solar Building Solar Balloon Prototype Plant
Cool Earth Solar’s design is unique in the solar energy world. The company uses an inflatable plastic thin-film balloon (solar concentrator) that, upon inflation, focuses sunlight onto a photovoltaic cell held at its focal point.
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read more | digg story
Nokia, Apple iPhone To Lock Horns At Last On Thursday
After remaining near-silent as iPhone and other touchscreen cellphones took control of the high-end media phone business, Nokia on Thursday will try and reclaim what was once its own with its first touchscreen cellphone.
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read more | digg story
Men In Black 3: Are There Any More Wacky Aliens Left?
Rumors are flying that Men In Black 3 is out there somewhere waiting for the right funding. But seriously, do we need another one of these? Because you know Tommy Lee Jones would do it if offered a paycheck, so the chances of this flick hitting big screens are about 50/50.
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read more | digg story
iPhone Software Update To Deliver Safari,App Store Tweaks
Apple last week began testing iPhone Software v2.2 beta 1, the next software update for the iPhone and iPod touch that will deliver, among other things, subtle interface changes to Safari and a new version of the company's App Store application.
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Ricky Williams Tempted to Smoke Pot During Bye Week
Ricky Williams says he was briefly tempted to smoke marijuana during the Miami Dolphins' bye weekend, an act that could have ended his roller-coaster NFL career.
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read more | digg story
A Collection of Athletic Mascots That Make Zero Sense to Me
For the life of me I can’t understand how some mascots come to be. I feel like it’s a group of guys sitting in a room smoking pot saying, "dude, how weird can we make this thing?"
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read more | digg story
13 Spin-Off Worthy Simpsons Characters
With 20 seasons and a successful movie under their belts, the next logical expansion of the Simpsons empire would be a spin-off. If it's going to happen, here's a list of characters that would be perfect in the spotlight, plus a few that would totally suck.
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read more | digg story
Scam sites vanish after owners' names, addresses posted
Two brothers who ran a plethora of scam sites have been outed online, resulting in the disappearance of the sites they used to run. It's funny what the posting of a few pictures and addresses can do.
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read more | digg story
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Rare Plant Thought Extinct Re-discovered in Upstate New York
A salt-marsh plant thought to have vanished from upstate New York is back. But it has not come back to the inland salt marshes, of which only four remain (three in New York and one in Michigan). Rather, the rare goldenrod was found growing alongside local streets, probably competing well where run-off from winter road salt suppresses other plant..
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read more | digg story
The Top 10 (Exclusive) PSN Games
Alright, you’re a PS3 owner that’s sick and tired of hearing about all the awesome games on Xbox Live Arcade from your buddies. Geometry Wars, Braid, Castle Crashers, and all the rest. Well fret not my friend, because your shiny black box has plenty gaming goodness just waiting for you to sink your teeth into...
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
The Multiple Pokerstars Accounts in the WCOOP
Did you hear about what happened with the PokerStars cheat scandal? With everyone wanting to know how to make multiple pokerstars account there's a poker player named TheV0id that did this and won! Pokerstars.com and Pokerstars.net cheating is on the beat it seems...
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read more | digg story
Monday, September 29, 2008
Nintendo to announce "DS Advance" on October 2nd?
According to Nikkei Net, Nintendo will announce an advanced model of their monster product NDS. From the source, this new DS isn't seemed "called DS2" but enhanced model of current DS. The additional architectures of new DS could include Camera, Music Player, More powerful wireless communication...
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read more | digg story
7 Ridiculous Ways to Die While Golfing
If you could choose the means by which you’ll check out of this life, most men would either die old, do something gloriously macho, or in David Blaine’s case find the lamest way possible. Not many would choose getting peed on by a rat.
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read more | digg story
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