Trying to get in shape isn’t the only reason to skip dessert: consuming high-fructose corn syrup is bad for your brain, according to a study published Tuesday in the Journal of Physiology, the AFP reports.

In the six-week study, researchers at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) fed two groups of rats a solution containing high-fructose corn syrup, an ingredient found in soft drinks, candies and other processed foods.

One of the groups was also fed omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in foods such as salmon and walnuts and which are known to promote heart and brain health. This group of rats was fed the fatty acids via flaxseed oil and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The other group of rats did not consume omega-3s.

For five days before the study, both groups of rats practiced running through a maze. After the six-week study, both groups were observed in the maze again.

“The DHA-deprived animals were slower, and their brains showed a decline in synaptic activity,” said Fernando Gomez-Pinilla, a professor of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. ”Their brain cells had trouble signaling each other, disrupting the rats’ ability to think clearly and recall the route they’d learned six weeks earlier.”

Scientists also discovered that the brains of the omega-3-deprived rats had begun to resist insulin, a hormone critical to brain function and to blood sugar regulation.

“Because insulin can penetrate the blood-brain barrier, the hormone may signal neurons to trigger reactions that disrupt learning and cause memory loss,” said Gomez-Pinilla. ”Our findings illustrate that what you eat affects how you think.”

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average American consumes upwards of 40 pounds of high-fructose corn syrup a year. But a diet rich in omega-3s can help keep your brain sharp, says Gomez-Pinilla.

“Eating a high-fructose diet over the long term alters your brain’s ability to learn and remember information,” said Gomez-Pinilla. ”But adding omega-3 fatty acids to your meals can help minimize the damage.”

38 Studios met today with Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation to discuss its current financial situation, which at the moment isn’t looking so good. During the meeting, studio founder Curt Schilling asked the state for more money, even after his studio defaulted its latest loan payment this month, leaving many to wonder what will end up happening to the Providence-based company.

Attorney and Game of the Law Editor Mark Methenitis told Joystiq that based on documentation and information he has reviewed, the state’s $75 million loan was secured by studio assets including all of 38 Studios’ intellectual property. This includes rights to Kingdoms of Amalur and any other unannounced games currently being worked on.

“What that means, in brief, is if they default on their obligations to the RIEDC, then the RIEDC can turn around and take possession of as much of that as is necessary to pay off the debts owed, Methenitis told Joystiq.

Remember that Rhode Island taxpayers may end up paying upwards of $112.6 million to pay up the studio’s loan. The state could bring in more money by auctioning off rights to Kingdoms of Amalur to the highest bidder, though it’s not likely anyone will want to pay $100 million for a relatively new IP that has only seen one game so far.

Source: Joystiq

Sniping games seem to form their own sub-genre in the crowded first person market. From the disastrous Sniper:Ghost Warrior to the original Sniper Elite, it is a genre that does not seem to have too many supporters. Nonetheless, Rebellion Software has seen it fit to revive it’s cult classic series and bring it to the next generation. Unfortunately, despite the shiny new coat of paint, the game suffers  from a major identity crisis, leading the once promising series deep into the path of mediocrity. Sniper Elite V2 acts as a sort of “revamp” for the original game.

Once again, you take control of American OSS agent Karl Fairburne who has been sent deep into war torn Berlin in 1945 to single-handedly stop the German nuclear secrets from getting into Soviet hands. Predictably, the story has you track down the most evil fictional Nazi’s ever imagined, complete with scars and ugly snarls. There are no notable secondary characters and you are literally alone during every mission. The roughly six hour story does not do enough to satisfy any narrative nerve and only drives this game deeper into the mediocrity hole. The main problem with Sniper Elite V2 is that it completely misses the point of what a sniper game should be. Instead of creating a decent stealth game with some cool sniping opportunities, the game forces you to engage all enemies in the room in order to continue.

The average level will involve some sort of artificial hallway, be it a bombed out street in Berlin or a V2 rocket facility, littered with enemies and a sniper or two perched in a building. You would think that the best approach would be  to sneak your way around the patrol, by either not being noticed or quietly picking out enemies. However, the linearity of the game prevents you from taking any other routes other than where the patrol is. You cannot traverse through broken down buildings and flank you enemy, you cannot sneak your way into a sniper’s nest, or even find any alternate routes to your objectives. Sneaking past the patrols is out of the question since the enemy snipers are guaranteed to see you  and shooting them will get the attention of every enemy in the area. There are times where background noise can be used to cover the sound of your shot, but it is few and far between. The game is built so you have to become a one man army and dispatch all of the enemies as quickly as possible.

Now, to say that a game fails at one thing does not mean that it does not succeed at another. You would think that when taking away the useless stealth, Sniper Elive V2 would be a half decent action game, but it even fails at that. Bullets are realistically impacted by gravity and wind meaning lining up a shot can be more difficult than anticipated. There is a focus system that is activated by how calm the sniper’s heartbeat is, meaning that is you were sprinting to knee high wall you are using as cover you will have to wait a minute to have a super slowdown effect. One of the few redeeming features of Sniper Elite V2 are the gruesome killcams that follow the trajectory of your bullet and show an x-ray effect as it breaks bone and  pierces internal organs. It rarely gets old and can bring about a few macabre chuckles.

Not everything in Sniper Elite V2 is horrible. There are a few cool features in place that make setting up a good shot enjoyable. If you wound an enemy they will lay on the ground screaming for help until another enemy comes by and helps them up, in which case you can finish him as well. The game encourages you to lay traps, such as using a trip mine on a door or setting a landmine on a dead body, in order to make your escape easier. However, the game will often make you escape through a different path than the one you came from, making any premeditation useless.

The amount of complaints toward this game keep stacking up. There is no Nazi swastika in the game for whatever reason, making the red and black flags in its place stand out like a sore thumb. The graphics do not fare well, with character models in the Xbox 360 version looking like Ken dolls and a horrible draw distance that makes one wonder why Rebllion used such a limited engine for a game that requires a good draw distance. To add insult to injury, the enemy AI did not graduate from kindergarten, leading them to get stuck behind walls and unable to notice you when you are right next to them. Even more annoying is the fact that they seem to have ridiculously good aim while blindly shooting a fully automatic machine gun from behind cover, hitting you in the face when you are 500 meters away in a watchtower.

To put it simply, Sniper Elite V2 is a broken game. There are cool ideas in place but the game containing them is a waste of time. The poor game design completely misses the point of a sniper game and manages to make this a painful exercise in patience.

While anyone can pre-order Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance] and get a few AR cards, serious Kingdom Hearts aficionados will want to feast their eyes on the game’s Mark of Mastery box set.

Commemorating the franchise’s 10th anniversary, the special edition of the game will come in a snazzy magnetic box and will include a branded clear hard case skin cover and 12 art cards. The game will also come with five AR cards that will unlock creature companions known as Dream Eaters in the game.

The Mark of the Mastery box set is priced at $54.99

Brace yourselves, Halo fans. Microsoft today revealed the contents of Halo 4‘s robust, sleek-looking Limited Edition.

Available for pre-order now, the $99 game package grants players access to nine future DLC multiplayer maps, early access to six Specializations for their Spartan career character, and a UNSC Infinity Briefing pack, which includes some collectible documents and a neat blueprint of the game’s ship.

Players will also gain extra content through Xbox Live including,

• Unique in-game Spartan-IV armor skin
• Unique in-game weapon skin for the Assault Rifle
• An exclusive in-game emblem
• Xbox LIVE Avatar prop
• Xbox LIVE Avatar Spartan-IV armor set

Finally, the Limited Edition will also include lots of exclusive videos and featurettes including an extended 90-minute version of the live-action digital series Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn. Even the box for the Limited Edition looks like it means business.

During a meeting with the Economic Development Corporation to discuss his studio’s financial situation, Curt Schilling asked the state of Rhode Island for more money.

The meeting was called days after officials were notified that the studio failed to make its latest loan payment of $1.125 million this month. 38 Studios was given a $70 million loan from the state of Rhode Island to move from Massachusetts to Providence.

The EDC took no action on Schilling’s request, nor was the amount he asked for revealed. WPRI reports that the “state is still trying to decide whether it’s worth risking more to help the company.”

Schilling quickly left the meeting this afternoon and simply told reports that his priority was to get back to his team.

If 38 Studios doesn’t receive assistance, Rhode Island taxpayers could face paying back upwards of $112.6 million through 2020 after interest payments.

Source: WPRI

Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two is all about teamwork. The game takes Mickey back to the Wasteland where he discovers that things are not as peaceful as he left them. The game will include new co-op features that will enable two players to venture forth in the Wasteland together. While one player controls Mickey and his magic paintbrush, the other can take on the role of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and use his remote controller to electrocute enemies.

In a new behind the scenes video, Warren Spector and his team discuss the making of The Power of Two and the important role of working together. The video below also showcases the game’s lush updated graphics coming to Xbox360, PlayStation 3, and Wii later this year.

Since 1983, the Boston radio station marketed as “true alternative” has rocked the airwaves, but for the last few years it really hasn’t been the alternative to anything — it’s been the only game in town.

And now it’s gone.

Phoenix Media has sold 101.7 FM, the home of WFNX, to radio conglomerate Clear Channel.

Not the station, the frequency.

Phoenix Media, in a statement Wednesday, said the company will retain “the call letters, the archives, interviews, videos, etc.,” meaning that soon, the radio station 101.7 WFNX will cease to exist, and may only live on as an Internet or HD radio station.

The Phoenix, reporting on its own company, says that Clear Channel may have plans to turn 101.7 into either a country or a Spanish language station.

Bolstering that argument, the Boston Business Journal is reporting that longtime radio personalities Julie Kramer and Henry Santoro were laid off today.

The move will leave Boston without an alternative radio station and with only one option for FM rock music. WAAF (97.7 and 107.3) attracts a “harder” audience and does not share much of an audience with the indie-heavy FNX crowd.

Blast interviewed Santoro in 2009 in a lengthy a profile of the Sandbox morning show, which shut down just four months later.

Boston.com reported Wednesday afternoon that 15 other WFNX employees were laid off. The station, which started the week with 21 employees — 9 full-time and 12 part-time — is left with three full-timers and one part time employee, Boston.com reports, citing Boston Phoenix editor Peter Kadzis.

WFNX has struggled in ratings for years, even after longtime rock competitor WBCN went off the air when CBS Radio launched its 98.5 The Sports Hub sports talk channel and moved a top 40 station to WBCN’s 104.1 dial position.

“Because this is an emotional announcement to make, let me cut right to the chase. This morning I met with the staff of WFNX to announce the pending sale of the station to Clear Channel Communications,” Phoenix Media founder Stephen M. Mindich wrote in a memo to staff. “It was a great run and I will miss the station.”

Mindich cited the economic downturn as a contributing factor in the sale.

“Despite its celebrated history, its cutting edge programming, its tradition of breaking new music, its ardent fans among listeners and advertisers, for some time it has been difficult to sustain the station – especially since the start of the Great Recession,” he wrote.

WFNX will remain on the air during the time it takes to complete the FCC transfer process.

Mindich said that events and concerts like the Best Music Poll (June 13) and the Seaport Six (June 14) will go on as scheduled.

The Dictator arrives at the Carlton Hotel during the 65th Annual Cannes Film Festival on May 16 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images)

The Boston public had a rare chance to support the great Republic of Wadiya yesterday, as AMC Boston Common Theater hosted a paid sneak preview of film “The Dictator.”

Paramount Pictures credited the preview to an “uncharacteristic stroke of generosity” by the film’s title character, General Aladeen of the Republic of Wadiya (played in the movie by Sacha Baron Cohen). The General’s “Virgin Guards” were on hand to greet supporters and offer complimentary snacks, t-shirts, posters and photos.

The film, which opens today, centers on Aladeen’s trip to America to ensure that his country can remain “lovingly oppressed” and free of democracy. Cohen’s character has made several public appearances in preparation for the film’s release, including on the 2012 Academy Awards red carpet when he accidentally spilled the ashes of deceased North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Il on Ryan Seacrest.

Starting today, players who want to partake in online Mario Kart 7 races need to download the free patch for the game released a couple of days ago on Nintendo’s eShop. The Mario Kart 7 Version 1.1 patch removes three notable shortcut exploits in the Maka Wuhu, Wuhu Loop, and Bowser Castle 1 race tracks when the game is played online. These glitches allow players to skip entire laps or get transported too far ahead, giving them an edge over their competition, forcing many to either join in on the shortcut or wind up in last place.

This update is the first one of its kind Nintendo has rolled out since it announced plans to do so earlier this year. In Japan, the next batch of games to be patched include Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance and New Love Plus. Its latest 3DS firmware update now allows Nintendo to update individual software over the internet, something its competitors have been doing for years.

More bad news for 38 Studios. It seems the studio founded by former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling failed to make its latest loan payment of $1.125 million, causing the state of Rhode Island to investigate the studio’s sketchy financial situation, WPRI reports after confirming the news with Rhode Island House Speaker Gordon Fox.

38 Studios was to provide payments to the Economic Development Corporation, but the EDC has now scheduled “an emergency meeting” tomorrow morning to discuss “an unexpected occurrence that requires immediate action to protect the public regarding the 38 Studios LCC financing.”

As was reported earlier, 38 Studios has already used up $49.8 million of the $75 million loan that it was given to move to Rhode Island. Fox didn’t comment on what would be discussed at tomorrow’s meeting, but it’s a safe bet the first thing on everyone’s minds will be how the money will be made up. If the burden falls onto taxpayers, Rhode Island citizens may wind up paying upwards of $112.6 million through 2020 after interest payments.

38 Studios has yet to make any statement.

Source: WPRI

Yes, we know Max Payne and Diablo III are out today, but Sega wants you to put down your AK-47 and gaming keyboard for a bit and take a minute to relive your childhood with Sonic the Hedgehog: Episode 2, which spindashes its way onto consoles and mobile devices this week.

Sega has been listening to fan feedback following the release of Episode 1, so expect to see some enhanced gameplay features such as two-player co-op, better physics, and the addition of the challenging red rings introduced in Sonic Colors.

Also, those who currently own Episode 1 will be able to replay the original game from the perspective of Metal Sonic and learn more about his backstory and how he survived the events at the end of Sonic CD.

Sonic the Hedgehog: Episode 2 is out today on PlayStation and Steam and will be out on Xbox 360 tomorrow. The game will also be available for iOS devices on May 17. Be sure to check out our upcoming review of the game once it posts!

Fans have been waiting over 12 years for the release of Diablo III, and today they finally go their hands on Blizzard’s latest offering. The game not only set a Blizzard pre-order record of 2 million copies and became Amazon’s most pre-ordered PC game of all time, but just last night, over 8,000 midnight launch events were held across the country.

“This launch is a culmination of many years of hard work by our development team, and many years of passionate, dedicated support from gamers around the world,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and co-founder of Blizzard Entertainment. “We’re grateful for the enthusiasm of our players, and for the help of our beta testers in getting the game ready for release. Now that Diablo III is live, we hope everyone’s ready to have a hellishly good time slaying demons and collecting loot in Sanctuary.”

But before you relish in the hellishly new adventures you’ll be playing through in Diablo III, be aware that the game does come with a few bugs, and one in particular may lock you out of your game.

Here’s a list of the currently known bugs and errors players have experienced in the game and possible solutions. Blizzard is looking into correcting all these errors, but in the meantime, be careful who you trade with!

Error 37
This error indicates that the Diablo III server is full and is likely the result of high login traffic. If you receive this error message, please wait and try again.

Error 3005 and 3006 (time outs)
If you receive either of these messages while playing, please wait and try again.

Error 3006 (affects Demon Hunters)
When playing a Demon Hunter, giving a shield to your Templar before you kill Jondar and hire him can disconnect you from Battle.net and give you an Error 3006. Blizzard is working to resolve this issue as quickly as possible and may address it via hotfix.

Error 14009 and 315300
If you are experiencing either of these issues and are using Windows, create a new user account with administration powers (http://www.wintuts.com/Manage-User-Accounts). From there, log into Diablo III.

Grayed-Out Login Button
Please make sure that you are using your Battle.net email address and password to log in to the game. Do not attempt to log in with your BattleTag.

Character Creation Issues
While most of the character creation issues have been resolved, it’s possible that if you attempted to create characters previously and did not log out, you may have actually maxed out your character list with “invisible” characters. If you are still receiving an error creating new characters, log out and log back in and then check your character list.

In conjunction with the release of Max Payne 3 today, Marvel Comics and Rockstar Games have released a brand new comic based on the grizzled detective — and you can get the first issue right now, for free without leaving your favorite chair.

Max Payne: The Fall, written  looks into Max’s troubled past, as well as tells a bit of the story leading up to the new game.

Head over to the official Max Payne webpage to download the first issue now, as well as enter to win a printed copy of the book.

BORDEAUX, France — In a city with a mix of students, the weekend starts on Thursday in Bordeaux. A night of drinking and dancing begins in the Place de la Victoire, where the crowd tends to be younger and livelier. Very popular with students is Le Titi Twister (76 Rue Leyteire), which as one insider described as “cozy inside with a Belgian/Dutch pub feel to it…and a good selection of world beers.” Other spots for entertainment include Place St-Pierre, Place du Parlement, and Place Gambetta.

Also in the vicinity is Café des Moines (12 Rue Menuts), a great place with a wide selection of beers and wines, and live music nearly every night. Nearby is Au Chat qui Peche (50 Cours de la Marne), something of a speakeasy where they play live music of jazz, rock and blues until midnight. However, the place is almost always packed until 4 or 5 a.m.

Bordeaux’s nightlife has a funky sophistication and its own chic that cannot be compared with Paris. Really, Bordeaux is the center of the world in wine commerce. These Frenchies know how to drink, and they know the quality of what they drink.

But don’t think you won’t be able to find a beer in this city: the Chartrons district has a rich Irish history, and there are plenty of Irish and British Pubs, such as The Cambridge Arms (27 Rue Rodé). At Connemara (14-18 Cours d’Albre), one can enjoy open-mic nights, karaoke, games and good pub food.

If gambling, drinking, dining and people-watching is more your ticket, then check out the Casino de Bordeaux, in the Hotel Sofitel Bordeaux Lac (rue Cardinal Richaud). If anything, the free admission is great if all you want to do is have a look around. To enter the formal gaming rooms, you will have to present your passport or identity card. Usually Fridays around 8 p.m. there is live entertainment. A brasserie on the street level is informal and has a fixed price menu of 25€. The restaurant above has menus beginning at 35€.

Or, if you’re the cultured type, a play or an opera at the Grand Theatre, place de la Comedie, could start your evening. Formal attire is required, and the cheapest tickets are best bought in advance. If jazz is what your soul is feeling, head over to Le Comptoir (14 Rue Temple), which is located near Gare St. Jean. For sure, this club attracts the 30-something crowd who have a taste for a little more sophistication and less wildness.

If you are looking to schmooze and network while listening to good music, Chez Pom-Pom (4 Cours Verdun ) is respectable, if not charming. The loud music and close space will lead to intimate conversations with handsome strangers (only the good looking people seem to go here).

Place Camile Julian is where the entertainment is, though. Cinema Utopia is “the best thing since sliced bread!” says an English teaching assistant living in Bordeaux.

If you are interested in salsa dancing, head to La Casa Latina Bar (59 Quai Chartrons ) in the Chartons. Another trendier bar is L’Absolute Lounge (rue de la Devise). There, you will be able to twist and shake to merengue and bachata, and occasionally enjoy live electro-jazz concerts.

Along the quai du Paludate or the old abandoned Wet Docks (Bassins-a-Flots), night owls can hibernate in bars and clubs until the early morning while listening to techno dance beats.

Iboat (Bassin à flot n°1, Quai Armand Laland) is located along Bassin-a-Flots with other major nightclub players like Pier 6 Deck (Rue Lucien Faure, Bassin à flot n°2), Dame de Shanghai (1 Quai Armand Lalande ) and Ice Room (19 Quai de Bacalan). Be prepared for a selective bouncer who will judge you on your guy-to-girl ratio and heel size. This is a crowd of 20-somethings in their first professional jobs or blowing off some end-of-the-week university steam.

As the parties end and dawn breaks across the quai, be certain to make one of your final stops at a street kebab stand, a portable late night food perfect for sharing with friends. Or if you feel like lingering, rest a little at a smaller café. If there’s anything the French know better than their food and wine, it is their coffee. And after a night of dancing, drinking, singing and dancing some more, a fresh cup of coffee and some talk will begin your Sunday morning.

(Images are original photography for Blast. Image credits: JenniferRose Photography; model, Alena Karabina; hair and makeup by Janeen Jones; styling by Nicoletta Marie Lyons; clothing provided by Conrad Lamour).

Heroes of Ruin impressed us with its mission-based gameplay at PAX East last month, but the game is also coming with some features that are not too common on the 3DS including voice chat and a fluid drop-in-drop-out campaign mode.

This bustling RPG encourages players to play it with others and will come with daily Spot Pass challenges, Street Pass item trading, and other features that will make you reconsider playing it solo. Check out our preview to learn more about the game and watch the trailer below to see some of these multiplayer features in action.

A local Rhode Island NBC station reported on Monday night that Curt Schilling’s 38 Studios is now facing insolvency issues, just three months after the release of their first major title Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning.

Back in 2010, 38 Studios moved to Providence from Massachusetts after Rhode Island offered the company a $75 million loan with the hope of bringing 450 employees and tax revenue to the state. WPRI reports that the studio has received $50 million and currently has 288 employees.

Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee has been in talks this past weekend with company executives regarding the future of 38 Studios.

“We’re concerned and just doing everything possible to ensure that 38 Studios stays part of the Rhode Island community,” Governor Chafee told WPRI on Monday night. “We’re working on different issues with them.”

The massive taxpayer-backed loan is actually funding the studio’s “Project Copernicus,” a massively multiplayer online game that is supposed to be released this September. 38 Studios has not announced plans to showcase the game at E3, nor has it planned any booth for the show.

If the former Red Sox pitcher can’t find a way to pay off his studio’s loan, Rhode Island taxpayers could be forced to pay up to $112.6 million through 2020 after interest payments, according to bond documents reviewed by WPRI.

Source: WPRI, WPRI

Former lead anchor for San Diego’s Channel 4 –  and all-around “big deal”  - Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell) demanded that his legion of fans stop what they were doing yesterday and listen to his latest announcement: starting today, the first look at the long-awaited sequel to 2004′s Anchorman, Anchorman 2, will debut in the form of a teaser trailer.  The trailer will air before the latest Sascha Baron Cohen flick The Dictator.

Burgundy took to Twitter to drop the bombshell, in his own inimitable way. “Don’t know what a teaser is,” he wrote. “World is crazy? Having a scotch.”

News of the sequel officially broke when Burgundy made an appearance on “Conan” in late March and announced that Paramount had given the project the green light.

This is the first real look at the film, the plot of which has only been teased by writer and producer Adam McKay: “Keep in mind we’re still writing the story, but I’ll say one phrase for you: custody battle,” he told Salon.com in April.

We have a handy giveaway for you this week — something that we know everyone wants, needs, and continually buys.

Verbatim, the global leader in data storage, is allowing Blast to give away two of its brand new 16GB New Store ‘n’ Go V3 USB 3.0 Drives.

The V3 drives are twice as fast as an older USB 2.0 solution, though they still work in any USB port.

All you have to do is comment on this story, follow @blastmagazine on Twitter, and Tweet a shout out to us in order to be entered. We’ll pick TWO winners on Friday morning, before we start #freegamefriday up all over again!

Product Features and Specifications

• USB 3.0 Interface for faster data transfer on USB 3.0 equipped pc’s.
• New retractable design, shields USB connector in transit
• Compatible with all USB ports (including USB 2.0/1.1)
• 8GB -64GB Capacities
• Available in 7 trendy colors
]]> http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/technology/tech-news/computers/easy-reader-contest-verbatims-new-store-n-go-v3-usb-3-0-drives/feed/ 3 http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/technology/tech-reviews/class-of-2012-grads-gadget-gift-guide/ http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/technology/tech-reviews/class-of-2012-grads-gadget-gift-guide/#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 15:27:55 +0000 John M. Guilfoil http://blastmagazine.com/?p=75876

As commencement season comes upon us, a lot of your favorite grads may have already amassed a fortune in gadgets and electronics. But as 2008′s gadget of the year begins to age and the student loans start to come due, you can bet your class of ’12er won’t be running around to buy the latest and greatest anytime soon.

So we put together this little gift guide. Give them one last thrill, will ya?




IoSafe Rugged Portable SSD

Speed, security, and reliability are the criteria for purchasing any hard drive, especially an external one. The ioSafe Rugged Portable is a 500GB USB 3.0 SSD drive, and it’s one of the best on the market. It is durable and reliable, and will work even with 2.5 tons of weight crushing it. It will work even if it’s soaked in fuel, oil, water, left out in the sun, sunk in salt water for three days, frozen in ice, or left in a dust storm. This is the Glock of hard drives, and your data will thank you when it’s not lost in damage or failure.

It’s also a solid-state drive, so it’s fast to boot. Technical reviewers like Maximum PC have given the IoSafe high marks. It takes a sledgehammer to break one of these babies. The sleek milled-aluminum (titanium available) case also looks great in a workspace.

Warpia ConnectHD

This may be a better gift to give to the student entering college, but either way it’s a good one. The Warpia ConnectHD is one of the better ways to communicate online over a great distance. It’s a product that looks business but is all personal when you get down to it.

The ConnectHD lets you have live, high definition video conferences online while giving you the power to stream that conference to your living room television, so you’re not stuck sitting in front of the computer to talk to your parents back home. It enables more personal communication over these long distances, and it might help empty nesters, too.

The product features 1080p streaming, HDMI output to your television, a crystal clear multidirectional mic, and 16-bit audio. While you’re running the video conference from your laptop, you can stream up to 30 feet away to your television. Setup is quick and easy, but it’s PC only.




Turtle Beach Ear Force XP400 wireless headphones

For the audiophile who has everything, we offer this. The Turtle Beach Ear Force XP400 is an uber-high quality headset that, while wireless, will not interfere with your WiFi. The set features adjustable Dolby Surround Sound with virtual 5.1 audio, digital/analog connections, and adjustable bass/treble/midrange effects.

The XP400 also features dual Bluetooth pairing, allowing you to game on your Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 while answering calls on your smartphone if need be.

At $219, they are an investment, but you’d be pressed to find better headphones.

MUNITIO 9mm Billet earphones

It’s hard to believe, but most people I see walking around, jamming to their tunes on their iPhone or other portable device are using the default earphones/earbuds that came with the phone/iPod.

Fair enough, but allow me, if you will, to propose an alternative.

MUNITIO 9mm Billets are machined from aircraft aluminum and deliver a clear, well-defined sound that outperforms default earbuds and similarly-priced competitors. They are comfortable and produce remarkably tight bass with little distortion on the highs.

And for those of you who multitask, there is a microphone built in for on-the-fly phone conversations.

]]> http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/technology/tech-reviews/class-of-2012-grads-gadget-gift-guide/feed/ 0 http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/entertainment/tv/how-i-met-your-mother-the-magicians-code-season-finale-review/ http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/entertainment/tv/how-i-met-your-mother-the-magicians-code-season-finale-review/#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 14:18:46 +0000 Bill Peloquin http://blastmagazine.com/?p=77396

(SPOILER ALERT: DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THE FINALE)

Last night’s hour-long season finale of “How I Met Your Mother” featured a birth, an engagement, and the shocking-reveal of a future wedding between Barney and (gasp!) Robin. After seven seasons, HIMYM writers just can’t seem to move on from the Barney-Robin-Ted love triangle, and boy am I tired of it. The finale wasn’t a total bust though, with Lily finally giving birth to Marvin WaitForIt Eriksen and Ted driving off into the sunset with Victoria (wedding dress and all). In fact, I’d say that the episode as a whole was rather satisfying except for that last 10 seconds, which left a bitter taste in my mouth.

3 out of 5 stars


Everything seemed to be going so well as the episode began. Lily was finally having her baby after what felt like an eternity of pregnancy, and Marshall was able to bound into the delivery room just in the nick of time. After Marvin was born, Robin and Ted talk in the waiting room and have a long-awaited talk that patches up their fractured friendship. Not only do they set things straight, but Robin encourages Ted to chase after Victoria (yes Ted, please do!). After Ted’s out-of-the-blue phone call to Victoria, she agrees to meet him at MacLaren’s. When they meet up, Victoria is in a wedding dress and explains to Ted that she’s about to get married. Ted’s got a tough decision to make, but in the end he chooses Victoria.

Meanwhile, things with Barney and Quinn are getting better too. After the trip to Atlantic City, Barney returns home to find that Quinn hasn’t left him as he feared. They take a vacation together, and in the airport Barney (rather extravagantly) pops the question. Quinn says yes, and it seems that Barney’s playboy days may have finally come to a close. And this is where I wish the episode had ended, but…

Barney and Quinn go to Lily and Marshall’s apartment to tell them the good news. As Lily, Quinn and Marshall head into the baby’s room to change his diaper, Robin and Barney are left alone. Robin looks like she’s about to cry even though she claims she’s happy for Barney and Quinn. Oh no, not this again, pleeease don’t fall back on the Robin/Barney/Ted triangle again, please! But of course, in the closing moments of the finale, we flash ahead to the wedding and who is it marrying Barney? Robin, not Quinn.

After seven seasons of Robin bouncing back and forth between Ted and Barney, and a number of fake-outs and almost getting back together with them, I am so utterly tired of the love triangle between the three of them. I’ve lost count of how many times Ted has declared his love for Robin, then regretted it, then they almost get back together, then they have sex once but it’s a huge mistake, and so on and so forth. The same goes for Barney and Robin. I’m tired of Ted and Barney finding great girls that aren’t Robin, and then ultimately losing them because they still have feelings for Robin. Enough already! Can’t we all just move on? I’m tired of being led on by the HIMYM writers to believe that Barney or Ted finally found a great non-Robin match for themselves (or Robin a suitable non-Ted / non-Barney), only for the chick to get ditched five episodes later for – who else? – one Robin Scherbatsky.

Victoria is awesome, one of Ted’s best girlfriends throughout the series, so let’s hope to God that she sticks this time. I’m worried that once we get to that wedding scene of Barney marrying Robin, there’s still a chance that Robin will defect back to Ted and screw up a great relationship he was with Victoria or some other flavor-of-the-season. And I’m not looking forward to watching Quinn and Barney’s engagement crash and burn – I liked Quinn, she had a lot of spunk and didn’t take Barney’s crap. Still, I would have been okay with the “twist” ending of Barney’s bride not being Quinn if it had been Nora instead of Robin. Nora and Barney always had great chemistry, and the ending still would have been “shocking” without reverting back to the Robin problem.

Who knows what next season has in store for us, but here’s to hoping that Ted and Victoria actually work out and that the Barney / Quinn demise is quick and painless. I hope we get to that Robin / Barney wedding as soon as possible (maybe midway through the season) and that it goes over without any issues. Because sooner rather than later, HIMYM is going to be ending it’s run, and is it too much to ask that the characters enjoy a season without breakups and heart-break?

]]> http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/entertainment/tv/how-i-met-your-mother-the-magicians-code-season-finale-review/feed/ 11 http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/gaming/gaming-news/pokemon-dream-radar-and-pokedex-3d-pro-hitting-eshop-this-fall/ http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/gaming/gaming-news/pokemon-dream-radar-and-pokedex-3d-pro-hitting-eshop-this-fall/#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 14:00:27 +0000 Giancarlo Saldana http://blastmagazine.com/?p=77384

Revealed at last month’s Nintendo Direct webcast, Pokémon AR Searcher, now known officially in the US as Pokémon Dream Radar, will let players use their 3DS cameras to search for Pokémon in the real world. The game is an AR shooter that will also give players access to new Pokémon like the recently revealed Sacred Beast Formes of Tornadus, Thundurus, and Landorus and transfer them to their games.

Pokédex 3D Pro is another upcoming eShop title that will give 3D owners a full working Pokédex with information on the over 600 species of Pokemon.

These two titles will coincide with the release of Pokémon Black and White Version 2 and be released this fall in the US. Available only on the 3DS, these two titles will give 3DS owners an advantage even though the upcoming Pokémon sequels are actually DS titles. No price was announced, but do recall that the current Pokédex 3D was offered at no cost to 3DS owners when it first launched last year.

]]> http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/gaming/gaming-news/pokemon-dream-radar-and-pokedex-3d-pro-hitting-eshop-this-fall/feed/ 0 http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/entertainment/tv/once-upon-a-time-a-land-without-magic-season-finale-review/ http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/entertainment/tv/once-upon-a-time-a-land-without-magic-season-finale-review/#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 13:44:29 +0000 Christopher Peck http://blastmagazine.com/?p=77371


Emma (Jennifer Morrsion) hopes Henry (Jared Gilmore) recovers after her lack of faith leads to his hospitalization.

3.5 out of 5 stars


“It’s not the destination, it’s the journey,” or some variation of that cliche was drilled into me as a kid so that I would develop patience, and not be so results-oriented: “I want this, I want that,” and the like. And it’s useful, because when you embrace that value you’re less likely to be disappointed. Sure, if you invest mightily in a project you want to see it succeed, but if the process was rewarding in itself, then you won’t walk away like you’ve wasted your efforts.

As a viewer of “Once Upon A Time,” I cannot speak for all, but in my enjoyment of the breakneck speed conclusion, I wondered if the journey that led me to this satisfying destination was tainting it. Almost as if I had such a traumatic flight en route to a luxury resort on a tropical island that it soured me on the whole paradise thing. While I’m sure I could find a way to enjoy soaking up some rays and bathing in pristine waters, this finale wasn’t so mind-blowing that I’d forgotten how pissed I was on the way over. Last week, I talked about being that proverbial kid who always need to pee in the back seat, whining incessantly, “Are we there yet?” Now, I feel like the spoiled kid who got the Christmas present he wanted, but upon receiving it doesn’t want it as badly, Because I waited so long for it lost its allure. I saw the commercials every day after school and the desire for it became pathological. When Mom said I would get it for Christmas, I danced around for what seemed like forever and passed the time imagining what it would be like to call it my own. Then the day came and I wanted something else more.

That feeling of getting almost exactly what you wanted, but not being as thrilled with it as you’d imagined you would was my overwhelming emotion watching the conclusion to OUAT’s first season. The isolated fairybacks, whose relevance eluded us got connections that were more than tenuous at best, magic got context and concrete boundaries instead of fluid, willy-nilly usage and the emotional toll on the characters was palpable. Withholding these methods of engagement doesn’t seem fruitful to me, especially when you need to convince your viewers that 22 episodes are a worthy investment. I understand the storytelling advantages inherent in character by character flashbacks, but for me the real world arc was dragging its heels so that its development would sync up that of the Fairy Tale Land. But Storybrooke is the aftermath, the fallout from these FTL events. Being beholden to those fairybacks serves no narrative purpose.

The “Lost” formula was successful for a reason, but the application of it was sloppy. Yes, an episode of “Lost” would focus primarily on one character through flashbacks and they would become more fleshed out in the current timeline as a result, but the world didn’t stop so that we could get to know them. For example, in the Grumpy episode, what did we glean from having Grumpy crush on a nun and sell candles? Yeah, nothing. That contributed zero to the direction of the arc. And while the relevance of certain threads like The Mad Hatter’s and Belle’s were given heft in the finale, many other detours remained a distraction, the part of the magician’s trick where they subtly get you to draw your focus away so that you’ll miss the manipulation. Shoehorning a “see wasn’t that worth it, kids?” into one pretty thrilling day trip, does not make this television show a worthwhile “vacation.” To me, it’s a case of lazy parents who are putting off presents until the holiday so they don’t have to deal with it now. And they hope that by making it special, the excruciating wait will be forgotten. Sorry, I remember the bumpy ride to Disneyworld or the painfully drawn out months that preceded the most wonderful time of the year.

Let’s get down to logistics. there was a lot to be delighted about. And while promises are not always kept on this show, we end on a note that would suggest OUAT won’t just be meandering in The Infinite Forest in its follow-up season. In the FTL, we begin where we left off, with Snow White poisoned and Charming trapped. While being escorted to his execution, Charming busts out his apparent military training as he totally owns the Evil Queen’s guards. However, as he turns down the hall a guard points his bow and arrow at him, and another guard boxes him in. Awaiting an arrow in the chest, the guard fires and hits his own man instead. Why did the guard help him? Well, because that guard is the Huntsman a.k.a Sheriff Graham. I got nervous they were bringing him back from the dead as some ploy, but then I remembered that in FTL you have the luxury of living after your heart is ripped out of you and crushed in someone’s hands.

Emma rushes Henry to the hospital and Dr. Whale asks her how this happened. She now does believe in Henry so she screams that he ate a poisoned apple turnover! Emma’s insistence was kind of hilarious, because for once she gets to feel how ridiculous it is to explain this to a non-believer. As the kid goes comatose, she touches his book and she’s flooded with memories of the FTL. It feels cheap. I understand that belief is powerful, and the point is that her son being in immortal danger is and should be a galvanizing force, but seeing “magic” as a catalyst again brings out the groans in me. Regina flurries in and Emma goes ape. She shoves Regina in a supply closet and throws her around. Well, it’s about damn time! I know it makes sense that Emma would only get some fight in her now that she believes, but Regina could have used some roughing up a while ago. Regina admits that it’s all true and that it was poisoned to make Emma fall asleep. The brief moment where we see Regina’s desperation to keep her son is touching, but most emotional moments are breezed through and not given time to ferment because, as I said, the answers are shoehorned in and it’s a mad dash to revelations. Regina says they must consult the only other person in Storybrooke who knows magic. Emma guesses Gold, but then Regina delivers the laugher line: “Actually, he goes by Rumpelstiltskin.”

Lost in the forest, Charming bumps into Rumpy who enchants his mother’s ring to help find Snow. On one condition. He must insert a potion, carefully encased in a golden egg, into “the belly of the beast…for a rainy day” (hehe). The potion, of course, is that true love potion I was excited about. Eeerily enough, the potion was made from strands of Charming and Snow’s hair. We also get a gem of a line about what Rumpelstiltskin knows of true love (obviously referring to Belle): “It was a brief flicker of light amidst a notion of darkness. Badass.

Continuing with the overt parallelism, in the following real world scene, Gold tells Emma about the nature of the curse, and the reason why she is the anointed savior, the safety valve. He put one drop of true love’s potion onto the parchment of the curse, meaning that she, the product of true love, is the one glimmer of hope in all that misery. See, that’s cool. I like that. As I’ve mentioned, I’m a sucker for true love, but it also follows through on what I have been asking for, some guidelines for how magic can be used, instead of being deployed when it’s convenient. We get the punchline too for the “rainy day” joke when Emma replies, “Well it’s stormy as a bitch, where is it?” Gold smiles with that Rumpy, mischievous grin and gives Emma her father’s sword.

We get another Spark Notes version of emotion when both Regina and Emma say their potential goodbyes to Henry. There’s some good acting, they just aren’t afforded time to linger with the severity of the situation. Like when Regina’s goodbye is abruptly cut off by Jefferson creeping in the shadows, waiting for his deal to be honored where he doesn’t remember his old life. But their deal is null and void since Emma is still awake. Jefferson doesn’t take this loophole well and seems to have the face of a schemer.

Emma stalls a bit to visit August with an obligatory, “You were right!” He can’t open the door though because at this point, he’s mostly wood (giggity) and as his face, the last remnant of humanity turns, he tells Emma that he has the faith she can save them all. Emma then meets Regina at the post office where she has a secret lair (surprise, surprise) with an elevator that will take her to Maleficent. We all know it’s gonna be a dragon, but they’re coy about it like it will be some big reveal. But anyone with a working knowledge of fairy tales knew that was coming, right? Anyway, Emma assures her majesty that the only reason she’s not dead is she needs her help. But if Henry dies, she does too. See, Emma with some bite is awesome, more please!

Our double duty dragon battles ensue, with father and daughter trying to accomplish opposite goals. While the CGI dragon was impressive, it was depressing to see how horrible the green screen scenery was. All the effort put in to those sword fights and gorgeous fire-breathers, and it’s downplayed by a really artificial looking castle. At any rate, having both battles at the same time felt like overkill, like I was in an anteroom waiting for the real action to start, but it looked damn good. And we get a couple standout moments from Emma’s bout: she pulls out her gun because she is clumsy with a sword; and she chucks the sword at the dragon as the prince did in the Disney film.

Charming finds Snow with his GPS ring and then asks for her hand. It was a nice touch for Goodwin to say, “What do you think?” playing off the knowledge that we obviously knew where this was headed. Egg in hand, Emma gets stalled in the elevator and screams up to Regina only for Gold to answer. He says to throw up the egg before she climbs up. Boneheaded move. Once up there, she sees that Gold gagged Regina, and that upon catching the egg, Gold ran off. It’s then when Regina and Emma both receive messages. Henry’s dead. Now, fair warning. This is horrible. But did anyone else HOPE he stayed dead. I’m not a proponent of child murder per say, BUT man would that add some urgency or what, huh? I’m sorry. I’m a terrible person and should be ashamed. I will let the record show though, that losing Jared Gilmore as a child actor would not be the worst thing. There’s a reason he didn’t stick around on “Mad Men.”

While Henry was going into cardiac arrest, Jefferson uses the chaos to slip downstairs to the mental institution wing. As revenge against Regina, he frees Belle and tells her to go seek out Mr. Gold and tell him that Regina locked her up. Why he couldn’t escort her, I don’t know. Late for tea, maybe? Yeah, I suck. So, when Gold opens the egg at his shop and Belle strolls in, he’s astonished. If there was one sentiment that sang in this episode it was that reunion. Emile de Ravin and Robert Carlyle killed it. Even if we got only one episode of them together, I thought their reuniting was more triumphant than even Snow and Charming’s, and we follow them along their treacherous journey all season.

As Emma stares shocked at Henry’s lifeless body, we can hear her exasperated breaths. She’s torn up, knowing that her lack of faith, not necessarily in fairy tales but in her son, was to blame is a heavy burden. But she pours her love into an “I love you,” and a kiss on his forehead and true love’s kiss radiates throughout Storybrooke, jolting Henry awake and reigniting the memories in all the former fairy tale characters’ heads. Again, seeing Belle remember how she loved Rumpy beats out even David turning around from leaving Storybrooke to hold Mary/Snow in his arms again. On the opposite end of the spectrum, everyone also remembers how they hate Regina, and while she would love to stay and be grateful Henry’s alive, she ducks out ready for a mob and cries into Henry’s pillow instead. That sounds a bit stalkerish though when you say it out loud, doesn’t it? Hm.

Despite having love reintroduced into his life, Rumpy hasn’t abandoned his lust for power. He leads Belle to the magical well we were introduced to in “What Happened to Frederick.” This was the well with water that can bring back what you’ve lost. Now we also have the nugget in our minds that Rumpelstiltskin told the prince he’s invested in true love, especially the powerful concoction Charming and Snow have, because of what its magic creates. With that veiled threat in my mind we see Rumpy pour the contents of true love’s vial into the well and a billowy, purple smoke blasts through town. I was intrigued that Henry knew it was bad right away. I mean, as we know from “Lost,” smoke of any color is bad, but considering that the return of magic was what the kid wanted, it’s curious how the idea of magic in the real world is so frightening. As Rumpy manically informs his new/old beauty, “Magic is power,” but couldn’t that power be acquired by the good guys? I suppose it’s interesting too because the other Sunday show I review, “Game of Thrones,” is also dealing with the perils of magic in its second season, so maybe this is an admirable direction for reinvigorating this series.

Regardless, the realization of their past while remaining in the real world is almost exactly what I was calling for. I didn’t want this to be adventure time in FTL, and I’m glad Kitsis/Horowitz got the memo. Now that the characters know, there’s more opportunity to seize their own destiny instead of being servile prisoners of the EQ. And the devilish grin upon her face when the smoke tumbled through suggested to me that Henry’s dalliance with death hasn’t softened her. I’ve already addressed my quibbles ad nauseum, but now props must go out to the writers for lurching ahead with this runaway train instead of trying desperately to slow it down. It’s reassuring to know—although still infuriating to a degree that it wasn’t apparent earlier— that there was a finite plan and trajectory.

The callbacks were pleasant, and at points even fun and sweet. Because we wandered aimlessly so much, I didn’t realize how much I cared about Belle, but on a practical level to have less space and time wasted was refreshing. Still, there needs to be a concerted effort to pace the season just like this episode. Obviously, don’t show your hand, but making us aware of what’s important wouldn’t hurt. It’s not a spoiler to say, for example, that Emma is the drop of true love Rumpy put into the curse as a safety valve. That’s more informative than just “she’s the savior.” In a fantasy world, we need structure and rules just as necessarily as we do in the real world. Because like our fairy tale counterparts in Storybrooke, we’re only human, so let’s respect that and not pretend we’re don’t need things like love to stay alive.

]]> http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/entertainment/tv/once-upon-a-time-a-land-without-magic-season-finale-review/feed/ 2 http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/technology/tech-news/computers/the-green-geek-gives-cyber-security-advice/ http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/technology/tech-news/computers/the-green-geek-gives-cyber-security-advice/#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 06:08:15 +0000 Anonymous http://blastmagazine.com/?p=77163

In the spirit of The Avengers we have our own superhero — a superhero of computer and IT policy. This article is written — in true superhero fashion — anonymously, by The Green Geek, whose real name you may never know.

Join together with the Green Geek in the struggle against evil vector forces that willingly destroy your computer and information security. Vectors in cyber space are villains who would maim your digital dignity, steal your identity, invade your privacy, destroy your data, and ruin your gadgets. If you let them.

What threats put you at risk? What can you do about it? Defend yourself with this Five-Point Plan from The Green Geek:

5. Value your privacy.

If you think privacy is no big deal, think again. You disclose a birthday here, a school there, you friend your mother’s mother on Facebook, expose your address or phone. Here and there you leave puzzle pieces that let us assemble your whole story.

• Villains can steal your identity - costing you much time and money. Stalkers can find you. Weirdos want to know you. Friends have Too Much Information. Employers can and will use what you say against you.
• Be in control. You rule the computer not the other way around. Draw a line in the sand where you will not cross for sharing private information. Use factual security questions that only you know the answer to. Do you really need 1000 people to wish you happy birthday online? Tell us about your vacation when you get back, but don’t tell the world beforehand when your house is empty. If you use f-bombs, serial date, and drink, do we have to see you share that? Do you need to save all the web searches you ever made?

4. ”Don’t talk to strangers.” Vectors include viruses, malware, botnets, robots, scam artists, and worse. This is huge.

• Look before you click. Only open messages and emails from senders you recognize. Someone is fishing for a sucker to bite their bait, in the form of fraudulent email. This is called “phishing“. Various sources estimate spam email takes up 90-94% of ALL email! Their purpose is to get you to look, buy, send money, accept a virus, or join a global botnet. Recognize fake and unwanted messages by their familiar but wrong sender address and weird titles. Report spam to help email vendors improve spam filtering.
• Only click on links from a source you trust. Inspect hyperlinks before you click on a hyperlink, which displays one thing but underneath is the real link.
• Don’t respond to emotional appeals or act on wishful thinking. What is real and hidden in the picture? Yeah, you’re lonely AND beautiful, you believe in love; or that car is a bargain! But if it is too good to be true, then it’s probably not. Some emails are written by robots. Some generic messages say nothing specific that can’t be said to everyone.
• Never enter your password in response to links in an email.

3. Lock your doors, literally and figuratively.

Prevent the entry of illicit vectors into your space by limiting access. Consider security like an onion. At the center of the onion is treasure, payload, your precious stuff. How easy is it to peel off the layers of security, if any?

• Physical access - How safe are your things, from smartphone to PC? Stuff should not be available for just anyone to touch. Keep these objects physically secure, not left laying around. Same as you would protect a wallet. Not left in public bathrooms, unlooked cars, or on the hood of your car.
• Device access - How safe are your data files and screen displays? What if someone has access to your smartphone or PC? Require a screenlock. You should provide a uniquely personal password, finger-swipe, or biometric to see further. If you share the device or PC with other guests, then create a guest portal, so that your user session is separate from theirs.
• Network security - How safe is your connection to a network for internet access?  Beware of Wifi and untrusted networks, where your internet traffic travels on the information superhighway in full view, unencrypted for network admins or sniffers to capture. Be safe and sure, use your own encrypted 4G or 3G air card or USB modem. This is handy for reliable internet access anywhere anytime, and you not only don’t have to compete amongst an entire coffeehouse full of net surfers for bandwidth, but you also have the peace of mind that that your communications are safe.
• Software reliability - Does your software scan for malicious vectors before you open or download objects? When you use the “cloud” – all the services are provided online via the internet on a web site or web server – make sure there is rigorous protection against vectors. Good cloud service providers will filter virus vectors from reaching your PC or device.  so that you either don’t download or get your data ruined by vectors. You want to use email software that filters spam well, for example Google Mail (gmail.com).
• Device defense is 1st and last - We’ve peeled the onion back. The above inevitably fail, because new vectors can sneak through until discovered. Keep your device up-to-date with the latest:  operating system; web browser; anti-virus/anti-malware software; and storage encryption.
• Microsoft Windows vulnerabilities created a multi-billion $$ spinoff industry just to create and administer the IT security. This gave Apple one leg up to bring to market OSX or iOS which were more closed and designed for better security. The Google browser Chrome is touted for its security. Samsung Galaxy Android and Apple iPad/iPhones are now offering the NIST FIPS 140-2 standard encryption for storage.
• If you login to use software (such as email and banking), the appearance of the “padlock” icon in the browser means the network traffic is encrypted using SSL and therefore unreadable.

2. Trust NO ONE to store your credit card.

Online shopping is great. We save gas and time by browsing online, and the item is shipped faster than you can shake a green fist. Unfortunately some companies, to which we entrust our identity or financial credentials, are themselves negligently lax when it comes to IT security.

• DO NOT STORE CREDIT CARDS in online accounts with any vendor. Rather [tediously, yes], enter the credit card information for a one-time purchase each time you make a purchase. This is not risk-proof either, but incrementally better than storing your credit card like a sitting duck waiting for a hunting season.
• LIMIT CREDIT CARDS that you use online to a very short list. If something goes wrong you can more easily assess and contain the damage.
• READ YOUR STATEMENTS. We are unaware until a breach goes public. Take for example, the intrusion to Global Payments servers in March 2012 that was not reported publicly for nearly one month. Global Payments coordinates the steps involved in authorizing the charge and submitting the transaction details for VISA and Mastercard. When you hear news about credit card theft, check your statements and activity ASAP.

1. Protect your passwords.

Some of the most famous security intrusions come from hacking passwords, but your defense in this regard is totally within your control.

• Use strong passwords. A strong password is a character string generally not found in any dictionary for any language. Use a combination of Upper- and lower-case letters, mixed in with numbers and special characters. Create acronyms out of phrases.
• Use different passwords for different accounts, and change the password every 60-90 days. Yes, with all your stuff in the cloud, we’re talking about a load of passwords.
• Assess your risk, and firewall your passwords. Risk means the probability of something bad happening, and the impact if it did. It’s not kosher but the Green Geek does classify different accounts by degree of risk, and ramps up the security of passwords appropriately. For example, to comment on news or blogs, the Green Geek is known to reuse a password or two… For anything with private or banking information, the passwords are inscrutable. By “firewalling” passwords, there should be no crossover from an unimportant account to an important account.
• Use Multi-Factor Authentication! DO IT! Multi- or two-factor/two-step authentication (“MFA” or “2FA”) adds an extra step when you enter your user password, to ensure you are who you are. When you enable MFA, you define a “token” such as a phone; and when you try to login with your username and password, you will receive a message with a code (voice or text) on your phone or token. You enter this code along with the password. If your software provider, bank, or credit card company offers this option then use it (e.g. offered by Google Mail)!

“Social engineering” in IT security refers to the ability to hack based on using known info about a person, in order to crack the security procedures for forgotten passwords, or to guess or reset their passwords. While very common, social engineering can be reduced with the above privacy practices and password discipline. MFA stops social engineering dead in its tracks. Here are three epic social engineering stories:

• In 2008, when Sarah Palin was running for VP, someone hacked her Yahoo Mail and reset her password by correctly guessing Palin’s birthday and her security questions: “Where did you meet your spouse?” (Answer = Wasila High) Half the planet knows Palin’s bio; she compromised her own security when Palin chose that question.
• In 2009, the corporate email, business plans, and files of Twitter.com were hacked, when someone first hacked the wife of Twitter’s founder, and used the same passwords to gain access to the Twitter company.
• In 2011, the firm HBGary which specializes in corporate and government IT security got totally pwned and humiliated, when after bragging about exposing the hacker vigilante group, Anonymous, they were cyber attacked by Anonymous.

“I can explain it to you but I can’t understand it for you.” We can’t defend Stupid. But it’s not that hard. This Five-Point Plan breaks it down for you. The takeaway here is to learn from others’ mistakes, and get comfortable with security awareness.

Read more about internet crime at the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. If you are a victim of internet crime, file a complaint with the FBI. Crime or vulnerability that puts the nation at immediate risk should be reported to the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT).

What is your best tip for keeping all of your devices protected? Comment below and you’ll be entered to win a $400 Amazon gift card from Kaspersky Lab.

One way to protect all of your devices is with Kaspersky ONE Universal Security. Download your FREE trial today.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Kaspersky Lab. The opinions and text are all mine. Official Sweepstakes Rules.

]]> http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/technology/tech-news/computers/the-green-geek-gives-cyber-security-advice/feed/ 0 http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/gaming/gaming-news/this-is-apparently-halo-4s-box-art/ http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/gaming/gaming-news/this-is-apparently-halo-4s-box-art/#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 00:20:14 +0000 Joe Sinicki http://blastmagazine.com/?p=77364



Hey look, it’s Halo 4′s box art.  Appreciate it, because a ton of gamers had to work damn hard to get it.

Being the fun loving company that they are, Microsoft sent out a ton of emails to select users titled “Your piece of the Halo Puzzle”, each with a piece of the above image. NEOGAF user spawn031 collected them all and supplied the above image.

Now everyone say thank you.

]]> http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/gaming/gaming-news/this-is-apparently-halo-4s-box-art/feed/ 0 http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/gaming/gaming-news/dynamic-audio-improvements-coming-to-madden-nfl-13/ http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/gaming/gaming-news/dynamic-audio-improvements-coming-to-madden-nfl-13/#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 22:31:36 +0000 Giancarlo Saldana http://blastmagazine.com/?p=77357



EA knows watching a football game is a complete sensory experience and hopes to give Madden NFL 13 fans the closest experience possible to attending an NFL game without actually buying a ticket.

In its latest NFL playbook, EA highlights the game’s enhanced audio system including the new commentary team of Jim Nantz and Phil Simms, the award-winning broadcast duo who have worked together since 2004 as the top team of the NFL on CBS. The two have spent over 82 hours in the recording studio and have created over 9,000 unique lines of in-game dialogue, a majority of which were improvised on the spot.

The game also includes new dynamic sound effects and crowd banter as well as a newly orchestrated theme song by veteran composer Colin O’Malley. You can also check out EA’s website for videos and outtakes from Nantz and Simms’ recording sessions.

Madden NFL 13 hits stores August 28.

]]> http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/gaming/gaming-news/dynamic-audio-improvements-coming-to-madden-nfl-13/feed/ 0 http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/technology/how-to/analysis-defending-yourself-from-internet-crime/ http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/technology/how-to/analysis-defending-yourself-from-internet-crime/#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 20:45:09 +0000 Sandra Giger http://blastmagazine.com/?p=77343


Never leave home without your IT security awareness. (Media credit/NOAA)

On May 10, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) released its annual 2011 Internet Crime Report. The 2011 Internet Crime Report is a summary overview of online criminal activity. In 2011 the IC3 received 314,246 complaints, an increase of 3.4 percent from 2010, but less than 2009. The estimated dollar loss in 2011 was $485.3 million.

The IC3 received and processed, on average, more than 26,000 complaints per month in 2011. Many online schemes use deception schemes to de-fraud victims of identities and money. The report summarizes complaint types, along with statistical breakdowns by demographics and state.

Some common themes of internet crime include:

• Auto-Auction Fraud - 4,066 complaints at a loss of $8.3 Million. In fraudulent vehicle sales, criminals attempt to sell vehicles they do not own. Criminals advertise vehicles for sale at prices below book value, and claim they are moving for due to work or military deployment. They get the money because they are rushed, or take partial payment. The criminal does not deliver the vehicle. Demographically, males age 40-49 complained most, followed by males 20-29. Let’s say, “These prices are a steal!”
• Romance Scams - 5,663 complaints at a loss of $50.4 Million. Scammers target individuals looking for online for companionship or romance. Victims believe they are “dating” a good person. Overwhelmingly, the most frequent complainants were women ages 50-59, with women 40-49 a close second. On average, each victim reported a loss of $8,900. Dearie, when it seems too good to be true, it’s probably not.
• Work-from-Home Scams - 17,352 complaints at a loss of $20.1 Million.Cyber criminals move stolen funds using work-from-home scams. Organized crime and cyber criminals recruit victims through newspaper ads, online employment services, unsolicited emails or “spam,” and social networking sites advertising work-from-home “opportunities.” Sadly, for their participation, some “victims” are legally liable for participating in criminal activity. Victims are the “mule” for criminals who use the victim’s accounts to steal or launder money. Scammers may also damage the victim’s own identity or accounts. While all ages, except the elderly fall for this, woman are over 50% more likely than men to become victims. Everyone with an email account will probably get such an offer. PRESS DELETE, &/or report spam. Ah [sigh], don’t we wish we could get rich quick?
• Loan Intimidation Scams - 9,968 complaints at a loss of $8.2 Million. A relentless continual caller claims the victim is delinquent on a loan and must repay the loan to avoid legal consequences. The callers claim to be representatives of the legitimate-sounding law enforcement agencies such as the FBI, or they claim to be collecting debts for various companies. Callers have accurate identifying information about the victims, including Social Security numbers, dates of birth, addresses, employer information, bank account numbers, and names and telephone numbers of relatives and friends. Females age 30-39 appear most at risk; perhaps struggling single mothers who are not surprised when loansharks come calling. (One avoidance tip is to never fill out an online application for a loan or credit card.) Hmmm, now I’m starting to sweat…
• FBI Impersonation Email Scams - 14,350 complaints at a loss of $3.5 Million. Government agencies do not send unsolicited emails, but scammers do. Men ages 50-59, then over 60, often fell prey. Impersonating a federal agent, to defraud consumers, sure takes a lot of, um, nerve!

The typical American reader would not expect Alaska and the District of Columbia to have much in common; let us count the ways they differ. However, Alaska and DC have the highest rate of reporting internet crime per population; and are in the Top-7 for highest average dollar loss.

More advice: When you travel overseas – let’s generalize this advice for any WiFi or guest internet connection (domestic or foreign) – be careful what you view and click, and protect your computer/data.

IC3 receives, develops, and refers criminal complaints of cybercrime. IC3 provides victims with a convenient, central reporting mechanism, and coordinates the response with local, state, federal, and international levels. How low can these criminals go? To read the IC3 report, click here.

]]> http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/technology/how-to/analysis-defending-yourself-from-internet-crime/feed/ 0 http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/kinky-stuff/mp4-love/mp4-love-17-sexual-escalation/ http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/kinky-stuff/mp4-love/mp4-love-17-sexual-escalation/#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 19:50:55 +0000 Neely Steinberg http://blastmagazine.com/?p=77337

Hi Neely,

I just saw your video “Mp4 Love #15- He said/she said: How to gain confidence with women.” It is very informative and helpful, and I enjoyed watching it!

I have a quick question for you, if you can help me answer it that will be great. My problem now is not so much about approaching women. I can approach, banter, and build rapport with pretty much any woman I see. BUT when I start building rapport and sitting down with her in comfort, I do not know how to properly escalate sexually. I usually touch them lightly on the elbow and shoulder (but that’s about it), and talk about comfort stories (childhood, future goals, etc). It just seems that attraction wears down after a while when I don’t sexually escalate. Do you have any tips or suggestions for me? Should I be more dominant and use more sexual touching? Or maybe develop erotic talks? I’m a little lost here. Any feedback would be appreciated! Thank you for your time.

Best,
Escalating

Submit your dating/relationship questions to neely@blastmagazine.com. And don’t forget to check out my website: neelysteinberg.com.

Takeaways:

• 15 seconds: It’s important to think about your love life and what you want, but in this situation you are overthinking things!
• 1:16: When you think too much in these situations, you come off as rehearsed and awkward.
• 1:38: You don’t want to end up in the friend zone, though, so there a few simple things to consider. Tune in to find out more!
• 1:40: How can you use touch to your advantage in this type of situation? Tune in.
• 2:20: An easy NLP technique that builds rapport. Find out what it is!
• 3:04: Work on eliminating the belief that you’re just a friend zone kind of guy. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy unless you end the belief.
• 3:35: How to observe a woman’s body language and know how to proceed to build sexual energy.
• 4:05: Don’t second guess yourself.
• 4:18: Practice, practice, practice!
]]> http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/kinky-stuff/mp4-love/mp4-love-17-sexual-escalation/feed/ 5 http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/gaming/gaming-news/get-some-backstory-to-future-soldier-by-watching-the-ghost-recon-alpha-short-film/ http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/gaming/gaming-news/get-some-backstory-to-future-soldier-by-watching-the-ghost-recon-alpha-short-film/#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 19:05:51 +0000 Giancarlo Saldana http://blastmagazine.com/?p=77329

Ubisoft may be releasing Ghost Recon: Future Soldier on May 22, but if you’re someone who likes to get to know your characters on a more personal level, even those in FPS titles, you may want to check out Ghost Recon: Alpha, a short film that serves as a prequel to the game.

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Alpha is a 25-minute film that follows the game’s four protagonists as they are dropped deep behind enemy lines after an attack on a European city. The plot plays an important role in the game and the film’s soldiers are the four protagonists you’ll play as in the game. There is also a special code in the film that gives access to an exclusive weapon in Future Soldier. The full film can be viewed below.

]]> http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/gaming/gaming-news/get-some-backstory-to-future-soldier-by-watching-the-ghost-recon-alpha-short-film/feed/ 0 http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/entertainment/tv/game-of-thrones-a-man-without-honor-episode-review/ http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/entertainment/tv/game-of-thrones-a-man-without-honor-episode-review/#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 18:35:33 +0000 Christopher Peck http://blastmagazine.com/?p=77306


"A Man Without Honor," Jamie Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) uses his charm to savagely escape Robb Stark.

5 out of 5 stars


One of the major strengths of “Game of Thrones” in its first season that has carried over to this season has been its unpredictability. (SPOILERS FROM PRIOR EPISODES) The arguable main character was decapitated last season, a man was killed via a molten gold crown, and this season a woman birthed a shadow baby that assassinated its uncle. Needless to say, there are no rules in Westeros, save Arya’s decree: any man can be killed.

And while those moments of shock and awe are compelling as hell, even the outbreak of a world war has its downtime. Before the crucial battles commence, there’s a lot of nitty-gritty details that need to be ironed out. And while that reeks of tediousness for even the most impassioned viewer, tonight was a night where cruelty was at nearly everyone’s doorstep. If there is a God in the GoT universe, his will has descended upon them. The sins of these power seekers will be repaid. Whether these sins are stripping land from its rightful owners, having incestuous relations, or perhaps just messing with the wrong warlock, enemies are lurking in the shadows ready to right those wrongs by correcting the imbalance they created.

The story lover and the storyteller in me says that the reason why this episode felt so rich and gripping was because it told the far more intriguing tale. Everyone remembers the destruction that men inflict upon each other and themselves, but the fascinating events that precede them are so alive with probability. Why do bad things happen? Is it a matter of blame, of accident, of greed, of naivete? The ominous future is always ahead of them, and those who fear it are plenty. But those who seem prepared for its reckoning, who have committed themselves to understanding chaos (a paradox, but bear with me) may be the most fit to survive. Dark days breed dark nights, as well as dark knights. Batman, anyone? The question becomes, can anyone keep their soul intact while they do what’s necessary? Even the villains seem pitifully inept at keeping their heads about them, feeling insecure in their sacrifices and atrocities. And the morally incorruptible are realizing that if if extenuating circumstances do exist, these might be them.

Winterfell

Bookending this epic installment of ruined plans, we begin in the North where Theon, the world’s sloppiest conqueror, beats the living sh*t out of the guard responsible for allowing Bran and Rickon to escape. We check in on the lads and Osha and huggable Hodor to see they’re spritely, just a bit starving. Maester Luwin is horrified because Theon’s deperation to be taken seriously may lead to Joffrey-esque behavior. He employs a scorched-earth policy to apprehending the boys and he looks a bit batty when he smiles eerily at the Maester and says, “Don’t look so grim…It’s all just a game.” Beside being perhaps a little obvious for a show called “Game of Thrones,” it’s sufficiently creepy to see a boy who wanted to belong transform into an off-his-rocker and incompetent tyrant.

In the end, Theon returns to unveil two charred corpses. Though our instinct is to worry that Bran and Rickon are those unrecognizable bodies, TV tropes tell us that unidentifiable dead are rarely who we think they are. All indications are that the crispy boys are the sons of the farmer that the hounds followed the scent to, the one Theon kicks like the coward he is. While it is entirely possible that Bran and Rickon were offed, and while I gasped like I’d lost a friend, my better judgement tells me there’s nothing to fear. Well, except that Theon has moved over to the dark side. Whoops.

Beyond the Wall

In the barren cold, Ygritte remains the sassy and alluring wildling I loved last week. Her ribbing of Jon Snow is so riveting and I like him a lot. She comments when they wake that his knife is poking her backside and when he leaps up in embarrassment she guesses correctly that he’s never been with a woman before. She teases some more with a variation of “If you don’t use it, you lose it,” but then the conversation gets real. Ygritte stops with the insects and asks seriously why he would choose to never get naked with a woman so that he could invade someone’s land. Snow goes on the defensive saying that the Starks were among the first men and share blood with wildlings. Then Ygrite wonders aloud why he would want to fight them. While Jon Snow is honor personified, and his sacrifice is admirable, he does carry an air of self-righteousness that I could see would frustrate a “savage.”

This perspective echoed for me the true story of how the Europeans occupied Native-American lands on the principle that they were more advanced and it was God’s will. This mirrors when Ygritte rants about how wildlings may not have stone castles or be so skilled at making steel, but that does not make those like Jon on the other side of The Wall better. Truthfully, the wildlings are more free. If someone told Ygritte she couldn’t lie with a man she’d shove a spear up his ass. Brutish, sure, but that’s freedom. She advocates further for democracy over monarchy and says they don’t serve sh*t kings because of who their father was, they choose their rulers like Mance Rayder. Now we know as modern folks how the democratic process is flawed too, but this nugget of historical fiction and reflection upon our medieval beginnings as an unexpected, but welcome layer for the show to unfold.

Apart from philosophical treatise though, we get Ygritte acting out how she imagines it will go when Jon Snow hands her over to his boss and she relays her fake story of how he “ruined her” (there goes that word again!). It’s fantastic, that sick sense of sexual humor I love in a woman. Then she seduces him, describing her lady parts all tantalizingly, then she gives the rope a swift kick and runs off, leading him into an ambush of her people.

Harrenhal

One of my favorite “calm before the storm” scenes occurs here. Maisie Williams and Charles Dance face off again as their respective characters, Arya and Tywin Lannister, dancing around their suspicions and mistrust and relishing in the intellectual stimulation the other provides. After Tywin whines to The Mountain that he wants him to find who killed Amory Lorch because they were probably after him, he talks to Arya about his legacy. He offers Arya his mutton and she holds her knife maliciously for a bit, but then she sinks her teeth into their conversation. He expects that his current war, “The War of Five Kings” will be what defines him, the glory he passes on to his children. He then discusses the history of Harrenhal as the fortress for King Harren the Black. It was tall enough to withstand any ground assault easily, but the Targaryens changed the rules and their dragons flew over the castle giving the towers the smoky look of today and obliterating the men inside.

Arya reminds him that not only Aegon Targaryen rode dragons, his sisters did too. Way to go, feminist kid! Those sisters, Visenya and Rhaenys were fierce warriors. Arya particularly idolizes Visenya, her dragon Vhagar and her Valyrian sword Dark Sister. Tywin asks her why she isn’t interested in the maidens of the songs like most girls. And like a boss she answers, “Most girls are idiots.” BOOM. Then Tywin makes a telling remark that he knows her secret. No matter how she tries to convince that she is a stonemason’s daughter, she is too literate and learned. He knows she must be noble. He corrects her and says that noble women say “My Lord,” commoners say “Milord.” She must play the part better. Is he so enchanted with her, will he not care of what noble birth she is from? The stepping on eggshells while having enlightening discussions is a stellar combo, and a wonderful way to spend this “downtime.”

King’s Landing

The Hound gives a foreboding message to Sansa when she criticizes his gleeful attitude toward killing. After he assures her that even her father loved killing (“It’s the sweetest thing there is”), he insists she’ll appreciate the hateful things he does when he is all that stands between her and her beloved king. We know he’s prone to abusing women, this marriage could prove hurtful for her on many levels. That fear paralyzes her when she wakes from a a nightmare to discover she has bled. She can now bear Joffrey’s children. Shae helps her to conceal it and even puts a knife to the throat of another handmaiden who was peaking. But suddenly, The Hound is there hovering over the soiled sheets.

In the next scene, we start to feel bad for Cersei when she describes the sham of a marriage she had with Robert. He would flee to hunt when she was close to labor, then return with pelts. She gave him a baby. Her other womanly wisdom for Sansa is to love as little as possible since it makes you weak. “Love no one but your children.” Then Sansa becomes confused, this whole time she felt it was vital for her to love Joffrey. So when she asks shouldn’t I love the king, Cersei responds: “You can try, little dove.” Chilling stuff. She may, besides her son, be the most manipulative and sociopathic villain there is, there are reasons why she is so horrid.

My ability to “relate” to Cersei increases when she confides in Tyrion (the brother she loathes!) that she’s afraid she’ll have to pay the price for her sins, her incest with Jamie. At the start, Tyrion is calculated and says the advancing fleet of Stannis Baratheon must be dealt with, get Joffrey to start acting like a king, but she can’t. He quips, “it’s hard to put a leash on a dog once you put on a crown on it’s head. But he consoles her when she cites the Targaryens as a family who bred internally and how half of them went mad. She wonders if her uncontrollable child is the madness she deserves for her repulsive sexual acts. Tyrion assures her that the young ones, Myrcella and Tommen are good and although I’m sure Tyrion finds the relationships between his siblings gross, he doesn’t mention it here. Tyrion has on several occasions undermined his sister because he doesn’t trust her, but there’s no doubt how pitiful Cersei is here, and that it takes her down a peg on the villainy scale.

Qarth

The crazies come out. While Xaro can’t stop bragging about how rich he is now, he’s also distraught because he took a blood oath to protect Daenerys. Now that her dragons are gone his reputation is tainted: “A man is what he is to others and nothing more,” he says. Ser Jorah returns and although his crush on her is still a source of tension, his counsel is important to her. He understands her trust issues because she has no loyal followers yet (The Dothraki mostly left her), but he knows no one can survive this world without help.

Daenerys then pleads to the Thirteen for help to find her dragons and they are reluctant. The fat, annoying, yet eloquent speaker one says they don’t want to since dragons only bring destruction and misery. Then Daenrys is like, “But they’re my children!” Then one of the Thirteen, warlock Pyat Pree speaks up saying they are cruel to separate her from them. He declares that he has allied with lofty ambitions man, Xaro Xhoan Daxos, to make him King of Qarth and to open up their city to the West. He uses his strange brand of magic then to multiple behind all the remaining members and slit their throats. While not as bizarre (blood spilled is typical now on GoT), it was even more jarring because of how random it was. The warlock was not showcased nearly enough to give me a sinking feeling like I had with Melisandre. Once again men who realize that times have changed do what they are willing to do and cut out the antiquated council and get with the times. The warlock strongly urges Daenerys to find her dragons, that he admits to stealing, in the House of the Undying. That sounds like a fun stroll, right? Nope, sounds like the carnival ride from hell.

Robb Stark’s camp

While a smitten Robb promises to smuggle more medical supplies for the sexy Talisa, bringing her along for The Crag’s conditioned surrender, Jamie Lannister makes a break for it. When his distant cousin Alton relays the news that Cersei ripped up Robb’s demands they hold him in the cell with Jamie. Not Robb’s best choice, but he was pressed and he’s trying to get with a nurse. Needless to say, the man’s busy. Anyway, our time not listening to Jamie ramble on like The Joker about how honorable people are hypocrites seems like wasted time now.

When Alton is first dropped in, Jamie makes small talk asking who he is and Alton says he was once his squire. When he jogs his memory Jamie compliments the lad and reminisces when he was 16 and squired for Ser Barrister Selmy. He describes the honor as being like living a dream. It’s clear how much he values fighting and knighthood. Then he complains how he isn’t suited for subservience like Ned Stark and how he has been planning to escape and that Alton can help. He has no qualms about whispering in the adoring young man’s ear that he will have to die. He clobbers his distant cousin over the head till death and then strangles the guard who comes to tend to him.

Northern bannerman catch the escaped Kingslayer and call for his head, especially Lord Karstark, the strangled guard’s father. Catelyn tells him to stand down in the name of King of the North. The men get rowdy then, getting drunker and ranting about how Talisa has made Robb soft and that they don’t want to die defending a Lannister. Catelyn then confronts Jamie herself. Jamie shows no remorse and even assures that any knight would have done the same. Catelyn believes he is no knight because he has forsaken any vow he ever took. Jamie the retorts that vows can’t be followed dutifully. What if a king he should obey kills the innocent he should protect? The vigilante starts making a lot of sense! Jamie then goes overboard though, pushing the wrong button. He asserts that he’s more honorable than Ned Stark because he has only been with one woman (Cersei) when Ned had a bastard child (Jon) with a whore. He incurs the wrath of Mama Stark and Catelyn asks for Brienne’s sword.

You know when Jamie and Cersei start to seem reasonable that the world’s capacity for ethics has been depleted. Moral relativism is the name of the game. Do what must be done until principle, honor and righteousness are a luxury you can afford. Until then, plan for a sword to stab you in the back by stabbing them first. Even the expert schemers like Tyrion seem woeful for the turn the world has taken. Whether you call it evil, magic, karma, or God’s will, it an undeniable force that is suffocating the order of Westeros with its disorderly conduct. Nothing makes sense, so make your own rules. As anarchy reigns, I await with great anticipation as the dominoes fall. I hope we see our favorite fire priestess soon and that when Stannis’ fleet comes knocking there’s a throwdown for the ages in King’s Landing. For a setup as delightful as any battle due to psychological and philosophical wafare, “A Man Without Honor” earns my allegiance through cunning and contemplation. Westeros is as complicated and complex as ever, but a joy to navigate.

Remember, don’t discuss elements of the books that haven’t aired yet. Don’t spoil it for everyone else in the comments section!

]]> http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/entertainment/tv/game-of-thrones-a-man-without-honor-episode-review/feed/ 0 http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/entertainment/the-lonely-island-celebrates-their-100th-digital-short/ http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/entertainment/the-lonely-island-celebrates-their-100th-digital-short/#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 17:46:29 +0000 Morgan Lawrence http://blastmagazine.com/?p=77309

Featuring host-of-the-week and returning alum Will Ferrell and countless other celebrity cameos, The Lonely Island’s 100th (and, perhaps, final?) bite size music video “Digital Short” aired last Saturday.

In the typical laugh-out-loud, what-just-happened fashion that the group has seemingly perfected over the years, two of The Lonely Islands’ founding members – Andy Samberg and Jorma Taccone – teamed up with honorary member Justin Bieber to announce their raunchy and offbeat plans to celebrate their centennial effort. Tuxedo-clad and beaming with pride, they announce to the Biebs that they’re going to…well, congratulate themselves, so to speak.

References to past Shorts appeared throughout, including Natalie Portman’s psychotic alter-ego, Justin Timberlake’s mustached”Dick in a Box” character, and Kenan Thompson’s Reba McEntire, among others.

To count the throwback references yourself, or to simply appreciate the song in all of its R-rated glory, watch below:

 

]]> http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/entertainment/the-lonely-island-celebrates-their-100th-digital-short/feed/ 0 http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/gaming/gaming-news/feast-your-eyes-on-dreadline-boston-indie-eerie-canals-new-game/ http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/gaming/gaming-news/feast-your-eyes-on-dreadline-boston-indie-eerie-canals-new-game/#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 17:37:54 +0000 Giancarlo Saldana http://blastmagazine.com/?p=77307

Made up of former employees from companies such as Harmonix, Irrational Games, and Iron Lore, Eeerie-Canal Entertainment is a Boston-based independent studio whose goal is to make creative and inspired games that are too risky for large studios.

Well into the development of its first title, the team today released the teaser trailer for Dreadline, a game that turns the tables on typical monster huntings and has you controlling a group of creatures that visit humans right before they face certain calamities. The trailer shows off the game’s Titanic level that involves harvesting the luxury liner’s passengers before they face their inevitable doom.

Eerie-Canal plans to release Dreadline on PC. Considering how well versed its employees are at making console titles, let’s hope the team gives us more platform options in the future.

]]> http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/gaming/gaming-news/feast-your-eyes-on-dreadline-boston-indie-eerie-canals-new-game/feed/ 0 http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/gaming/gaming-news/tomb-raider-delayed-until-q1-2013/ http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/gaming/gaming-news/tomb-raider-delayed-until-q1-2013/#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 07:42:04 +0000 Giancarlo Saldana http://blastmagazine.com/?p=77298



Crystal Dynamics is pushing back the release date of its upcoming Tomb Raider reboot to ensure your next adventure with Lara Croft is perhaps the best one yet.

One of the most common reasons companies delay the launch of their games is for quality purposes. It’s no surprise then, that Darrell Gallagher, Head of Crystal Dynamics, told fans on the Crystal Dynamics forums that their reasoning behind the delay is to ensure they “fully deliver the very highest quality game.”

“When Crystal Dynamics first set out to reboot the Tomb Raider franchise, there were two goals that we were extremely passionate about,” wrote Gallagher. “The first was to create a modern Tomb Raider game that would surprise and excite gamers. The second was to make this the best game of our careers, something we would be really proud to be a part of.

“We’re doing things that are completely new to Tomb Raider in this game and the additional development time will allow us to put the finishing touches into the game and polish it to a level that you deserve. We believe this is the right choice and I guarantee it will be worth the wait. ”

Gallagher also gave us a sneak peek at what we might see at E3 with the inclusion of the above image titled “The Reach.” Last year’s demo showed Lara navigating some underground caverns, so perhaps this year’s playthrough will take her out into the wilderness.

Soure: Crystal Dynamics

]]> http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/gaming/gaming-news/tomb-raider-delayed-until-q1-2013/feed/ 0 http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/entertainment/tv/once-upon-a-times-raphael-sbarge-the-blast-interview/ http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/entertainment/tv/once-upon-a-times-raphael-sbarge-the-blast-interview/#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 00:15:43 +0000 Christopher Peck http://blastmagazine.com/?p=77260


Raphael Sbarge, an accomplished actor of over four decades, sat down with Blast to talk "Once Upon A Time."

Raphael Sbarge, who plays Dr. Archie Hopper/Jiminy Cricket on ABC’s “Once Upon A Time,” recently took the time to answer of my questions. He delved into his character, reflected on the season, and spoke about the show’s improbable success in its first year.

BLAST: First, your career spans many recognizable titles in TV and film. You had a role on The Guardian as well as several parts on notable shows like Dexter, Heroes, 24, Prison Break, and the list goes on. No doubt you’ve had a prolific career and have been sought after for many parts. What in particular drew you to the role of Dr. Archie Hopper a.k.a Jiminy Cricket?

RS: Thank you for your kinds words.  Yes, I have been blessed with a career that had many wonderful opportunities.  Needless to say, there are hills and valleys in any actor’s journey, and one never knows what is coming next, and so you learn, as a matter of survival, to finesse the twists and turns that are inevitable. As far as Once Upon a Time is concerned, my feeling from the moment I read the script was that it was something special.  My concern (on the page) was that it was wildly ambitious, and could never be pulled off.  I mean, how on earth could they create two distinct worlds— and one a fantasy world, in a regular 8 day shooting schedule (the standard amount of time for a network show?)  Clearly they have exceeded expectations on all counts.  I shudder to think how this idea would have been done in lesser hands.

BLAST: Now, funny enough, I started reviewing Once Upon A Time for Blast a few episodes into the season and the first review I did was of your spotlight episode, “That Still Small Voice.” Tell me what it was like to delve into this fresh back-story for the Jiminy Cricket character and what may have surprised or intrigued about the somewhat dark direction the show took with his beginnings and transformation from man to cricket.

RS: When I first heard that it was “coming”( from our creators, Eddie Kitsis, and Adam Horowitz)  I got very excited.  When I finally got to read it, I was really moved by the story they had created— it made me weep, actually.  Jiminy’s story is not a happy one.  His “conscience” was born out of some terrible stuff, which, in my humble opinion, gives it some depth (and doesn’t make him a “know-it-all.”)   Once I got past the teary stage, then I got to the “Holy-Cow!” stage, meaning, this is a big bite, and one that will make a lasting impression.  There are moments, and this was one of them, when the “Hey, I’m portraying an icon and I hope I’m up to the challenge” gave me more than a few sleepless nights.   I was very happy with how it turned out, and been greeted with folks saying, “Wow!  I didn’t know that was Jiminy Cricket’s back story.”  Of course they made it up, but I consider this a huge compliment to their ingenuity.

BLAST: A follow-up to my last question about “That Still Small Voice,” your real-world arc in that episode surrounds Archie’s relationship with Henry. Will that doctor-patient relationship play a role as Emma seeks custody of her son?

RS: As I write this, I believe that you will have seen a scene with Emma and I that addresses that, yes [In last week's "An Apple Red As Blood].   There is clearly a struggle, a battle for Henry and for who knows best.  Adam and Eddie have set up a huge power play between two powerful women— both seemingly with Henry’s well being in mind, but with different methods, it seems.  Henry too, has emerging ideas about who he wants to spend time with.  Clearly we have not seen the end of this.  Archie, as the man in the middle, will have a lot to discuss.  Won’t it be interesting if the Mayor comes to the therapy room, too?

BLAST: A couple weeks ago in “The Return,” Dr. Hopper had his first pivotal scene since Jiminy Cricket’s “fairyback” (my term for the fairy tale flashbacks) where Archie has a mini-therapy session with Mr. Gold. This exchange fascinated me and a lot of fans because it gave Gold a vulnerability we hadn’t yet seen. How did you approach that scene and do you think Gold will return to Dr. Hopper for further therapy?

RS: I love that term, “fairyback!”  You may have coined something!  Ha!  Yes!  We got tremendous response to that scene— I LOVE Robert Carlyle, and was a huge fan of his even before I got to be on a show with him( and now that I get to watch him every week, my appreciation has only grown!)    We had a blast together, and I do hope we have many more opportunities to explore some of the themes that got initiated in that episode.

BLAST: ”The Stranger” was one of my favorite episodes of the season, and you as the voice of Jiminy Cricket played a significant role. Can you tell our readers a little more about how you feel your character played a vital part in Geppetto and Pinocchio’s story (on the show)?

RS: I loved this episode too (but I have so many favorites now, its hard to pick one out, personally).  Tony Amendola who plays Gepetto, quite by coincidence, is an old friend of mine.  We have known each other for 25 years, and done more plays together than I can count.  He is such a wonderful actor, and I was incredibly proud of him.  I loved too, the last moment in the episode when August/ Pinocchio says to his father, “I want to fix things.” Killed me.   I was there doing off camera Jiminy work for the scene at the enchanted tree, when Gepetto and Jiminy have a tiff— and was so pleased that we got to revisit the painful past between these two.  There is a lot to mine, in that relationship I think.  And, needless to say, the episode was just wonderful!

BLAST: Can you speculate at all about how Archie/Jiminy Cricket will factor in next season? If you can’t speculate, what would you like to see for Archie/Jiminy in successive seasons?

RS: Well, I am in the dark as much as you are, frankly ( the story lines to future episodes are a very closely guarded secret, especially for next year).  But that said, I will be interested to see if we get a chance to explore Archie’s love life and or his life in the town outside of his time in the office.  As well, I would love to see more time with Mr. Gold, or Emma, or the Mayor in the therapy room.  Based on the finale, I would say there is a lot of job security ahead for a therapist in Storybrooke.

BLAST: Do you approach your character as separate entities (Archie Hopper AND Jiminy Cricket) that you play differently (distinct voices, personalities, demeanors), or do consider them as one person at two places in time that happens embody a human and cricket form?

RS: This is a very interesting question.  They are, I believe, as you suggest, the same person, in two places at once.  One has a broader view of things, and one is locked in time.  And there is indeed a different voice that Jiminy has.  But, they are both bound by a conscience, born of some hard knocks, and a desire to help others find their way.



BLAST: Obviously, doing the voice of a CGI cricket is a lot different from playing a human therapist. What can you tell us about filming the Jiminy scenes and how involved you are in the process?

RS: It is a fascinating experience.  Completely different from any other I have ever had on a set.  I mean, to be an actor in the scene, playing it full out, but to always be off camera is very unusual.  The actors in the scene, ON camera have been very thankful that I am there to do it (and not a script supervisor, reading lines from way off set, as is the norm).  It has given me, as well, a chance to find him amidst the action, and not just on a dark sound stage by myself.  I have done a lot of voice over work in other mediums (in video games, and commercial work), and it is a particular skill.  But, this is unique in my four decades as an actor.

BLAST: As a Lost fan, I have great respect for Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis. I often talk in my reviews about the similarities the shows share. Kitsis and Horowitz use flashbacks in both to add depth to characters, and I talk about the theme of faith vs. reason—a continuous thread in Lost and something Emma is struggling with mightily on Once Upon A Time. What is it like to work with those two (Kitsis and Horowitz) and what elements of Lost do you think they’ve carried over to this show?)

RS: Wow. Big question.  You elucidate the theme quite beautifully. I would say simply, that it is a marvel to work with them. They have created a very, very complex world, with distinct rules, and clear structure (very hard to do).  I don’t know if I can speak to how Lost themes or elements have carried over, but I can say that I am constantly surprised how they are able to surprise me.  I mean, I watch television.  I work in television.  More often then not, I can anticipate where the story is headed, who the killer is, or where it might be headed.  With this show, I never know where they are going next, and this seems to be one of the things that fans are so excited about (amongst others, of course).  What they have done is create a world of characters that are both good and evil, but complex, and multidimensional.With the Evil Queen or Rumplestilskin, we see evil deeds, with devastating consequences, but we also get to see the cost, the pain, the horror of their interior life, that gives us compassion for them, even as we love to hate them.
This is no easy task— and to do it week after week, I am as I say, slack jawed at how they can balance so many stories at once. I feel at times like a squealing fan, and when people tell me ( as they often do), “I’m totally addicted to your show.”  I say, “I know!  Me, too!”



BLAST: To be honest, it seemed improbable this series would last. It’s such a high-concept show that asks a lot of its audience in terms of patience and trust that it will all become clear soon. Though it helps that the source material includes familiar and timeless tales like Snow White and Pinocchio. But against formidable odds, it has a huge following and is the most watched new drama. Are you surprised at all by the show’s success?

RS:  I am 100 percent surprised by the success.  Not as any disparagement to any of us.  But, just because the odds of any new show finding its audience is slim to none— let alone to be dubbed the “most watched new drama.”  Just as I was writing these answers to you,  I just got an email from Adam and Eddie saying it was official, we are picked up for next year (thrilling to hear!).   Based on the honor of Most Watched, we all felt pretty confident, but needless to say, after years of doing this job, it makes you very humble and grateful for those rare moments when something comes together and works.  This is one of those rare moments.

BLAST: here’s some incredible acting on this show (yourself included, obviously ha-ha). Who have you most enjoyed working with?

RS: I feel like I am on an All-Star team, and every time I come to the set, the level of  commitment and pride that we all share is very evident.  In fact, it is shared by every department— camera, props, costumes— even the guy who watches our cars in the parking lot told me how proud he was to be on this crew!   We all feel like we are on something very special.

BLAST: Overall, what have you considered most rewarding about working on Once Upon A Time and playing Archie/Jiminy?

RS: As actors, we are innately story tellers.  We are, of course, completely reliant on the world that is created by the writers, and the elements that they craft for us.  What is most rewarding?  The absolutely breathtaking stories that we get to tell, every week.  I am so incredibly grateful.

BLAST: For our readers, what should fans know before going into the finale? Will their minds be blown? Can fans look forward to more answers (like the many provided in “The Stranger”) or will more questions arise?

RS: I can’t tell you. But, even if I could, wouldn’t you rather find out yourself?  So much more fun to unwrap you own Christmas present, isn’t it?  :)  What I will say is this, prepare for a big finish!

BLAST: Thank you so much for your time, Mr. Sbarge. It’s been a pleasure and an honor to speak with you and I wish you (and Archie/Jiminy) all the best. I hope I get to speak with you in the future regarding Once Upon A Time and possibly any other roles you take on.

RS: And, thank you for these great questions!

]]> http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/entertainment/tv/once-upon-a-times-raphael-sbarge-the-blast-interview/feed/ 0 http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/gaming/gaming-news/redbox-will-only-carry-disc-one-of-xbox-360-max-payne-3/ http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/gaming/gaming-news/redbox-will-only-carry-disc-one-of-xbox-360-max-payne-3/#comments Sun, 13 May 2012 23:07:40 +0000 Joe Sinicki http://blastmagazine.com/?p=77289



 

Looking to save some cash by picking up Max Payne 3 from a Redbox kiosk when it releases this Tuesday?  Let’s just hope you’re playing on PS3, as the US based rental service has confirmed that they will only be renting out the first disc of the Xbox 360 version, meaning you’ll get half of the single player game and the multiplayer suite.

Redbox corporate policy is to carry only single disc games, but as a spokesperson told the consumerist, they’re taking a different tone with Rockstar’s latest. “Redbox kiosks are only equipped to rent out one disc per rental fee,” the spokesperson said. ”Since customer feedback has told us that many of our game customers like to test out titles before they buy them, we’ve decided to offer Disc 1 of Max Payne 3 for Xbox 360 so that renters can try it out for a low daily rate.”

There is currently no option to rent out disc 2 via the service.

“Disc 1 contains the entire online multiplayer mode and the first half of the extremely substantial single-player game. We think that’s a great deal for just a couple of dollars a day, and we’re excited to offer it! We’ve added a message on the website and on kiosk screens to let renters know about the limited game-playing.”

Would you pay $2 a day for what is essentially a limited demo? Let us know!

]]> http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/gaming/gaming-news/redbox-will-only-carry-disc-one-of-xbox-360-max-payne-3/feed/ 2 http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/gaming/reviews/starhawk-review-brave-old-frontier/ http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/gaming/reviews/starhawk-review-brave-old-frontier/#comments Sun, 13 May 2012 20:01:05 +0000 Joe Sinicki http://blastmagazine.com/?p=77275



Starhawk is one of those games where a lot could have gone wrong. The developers at Lightbox Interactive and Sony Santa Monica were quite ambitious and tried to incorporate a ton of different environments, genres and mechanics — normally a recipe for failure, but not here. Starhawk works — and it works well; even when it shouldn’t.

Dripping with style, Starhawk is an absolute joy to get and cause some chaos with. Of course, it does have its drawbacks like a short campaign and some slight graphical issues, but don’t let that stop you from enjoying one of this year’s first truly great games.

Starhawk places players in the futuristic boots of rifter, Emmet Graves. In the distant future, rifters are humans who scavenge a series of planets, known as The Frontier for a precious yet dangerous resource known as rift energy. Of course, things can’t be that easy — the rifter’s way of life is threatened by the Outcasts, a group of humans mutated by the same rift energy everyone else is searching for.

Developed by: Lightbox Interactive
Published by: Sony Santa Monica
Genre: Shooter/Action/RTS/Defense
Platform: PS3
Play it if: You want to feel like Han Solo
Skip it if: You’re not looking to learn a slew of new mechanics
4 out of 5 stars

The first hour or so into Starhawk, I was trying to figure out why the game felt so familiar, then it hit me. I’m this rogue character, scrounging for resources and trying to get myself out of trouble with corporations and enemies, only to jump into my dodgy craft and try to avoid my pursuers in a dog fight — I’m practically Han Solo. I just need a wookie. Starhawk drips with style and the mix of wild west steampunk and space combat is a unique setting that’s incredibly cool and fun to explore.

One of the major reasons Starhawk works so well is just how seamlessly everything blends together. In a typical battle, you’re likely to shoot out a ton of enemies, and then jump into your mech which can instantly transform into a flying ship so you can dogfight in space. This all happens nearly seamlessly, and there’s hardly any slowdown. It becomes incredibly cool and rewarding to move so quickly in between sections of the game. It also makes a good portion of the battles a lot more epic, as you’re often chasing the same group of enemies from land into space.

Starhawk isn’t just another action game though, the game features a number of mechanics from other genres, including strategy and tower defense. The biggest example of this is the game’s structure building system, which plays an integral part in the game’s core structure. You create everything from simple walls, to gates and even entire armories. Once the game tells you how to build them, you’re free to use them practically anyway you want in battle. The best part of all this is that building these structures requires them to fall down from the sky, and it’s an incredibly cool moment when you time it just right and it falls directly onto enemies.

As well animated and voiced as it is, Starhawk’s campaign is simply a primer for the game’s intense 32-person multiplayer suite, and it’s a primer you’re going to want to take. The game’s multiplayer suite requires your knowledge of each of the game’s mechanics to be successful. It may be a bit stressful at first, but the payoff involves some of the coolest moments I’ve had with a game in a long time. There are so many ways to take out your opponents, and games end up getting personal and find you going from ground to space all in search of your rival.

The Blast Factor: There could have been a million ways to screw up Starhawk, but, thankfully, Sony Santa Monica did a great job avoiding many of these pitfalls. What they’ve created is a fun, chaotic mix of genres that’s easy to fall in love with and hard to put down. Starhawk is simply a must own for PS3 owners.

]]> http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/gaming/reviews/starhawk-review-brave-old-frontier/feed/ 1 http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/gaming/gaming-news/new-mama-beyonce-heading-to-court-in-video-game-lawsuit/ http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/gaming/gaming-news/new-mama-beyonce-heading-to-court-in-video-game-lawsuit/#comments Sun, 13 May 2012 16:54:41 +0000 Giancarlo Saldana http://blastmagazine.com/?p=77269

A video game lawsuit filed against Beyoncé has been given the go ahead by Manhattan judge Charles Ramos. The lawsuit, filed by Gate Five Studios last year, claims that the songstress broke her contract and backed out of a $20 million deal for a game called Starpower: Beyoncé after demanding more money.

This forced Gate Five to lay off 70 employees during the busy 2010 holiday season. Beyoncé’s legal team claims that Gate Five did not have enough funding for the game and it was in her rights to abandon the project. Judge Ramos, however, states that Beyoncé simply did not give enough notice.

“You continue to negotiate right up until the time you pull the plug. That is not going to work with me,” Ramos told Beyoncé’s lawyers, according to the New York Post.

Gate Five is hoping to recover $6.7 million in investment capital and over $100 million in potential profits for the game. The lawsuit will head to court later this year.

These claims were filed while Beyoncé was pregnant with her first child Blue Ivy, and this news now comes to the singer during her first Mother’s Day weekend. If Beyoncé had done a little research, she should have just gone ahead with the production of her video game. Dance games actually have a nice niche in the gaming market, and considering her mama’s Beyoncé, I’m sure Blue Ivy would have learned to dance along with the game way before she started walking.

Source: New York Post
Via: Gamasutra

]]> http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/gaming/gaming-news/new-mama-beyonce-heading-to-court-in-video-game-lawsuit/feed/ 0 http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/gaming/gaming-news/amazing-alex-rovios-next-game/ http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/gaming/gaming-news/amazing-alex-rovios-next-game/#comments Sat, 12 May 2012 18:07:19 +0000 Giancarlo Saldana http://blastmagazine.com/?p=77253

After two years giving its fans things to knock down, Rovio is moving past destruction and focusing on construction in its latest new IP titled Amazing Alex to be released in about two months. The Angry Birds developer is basing its new game on Casey’s Contraptions, an intellectual property Rovio recently purchased.

Casey’s Contraptions, released over a year ago, is a physics-based puzzle game that focuses on building Rube Goldberg-esque machines to collect stars on the screen. Once you are done putting everything together, you can press the play button to see if your machine was a success. While there are no screenshots of Amazing Alex as of yet, we can only assume that much of the game will resemble Casey’s Contraptions but with Rovio’s signature charm. It’s also safe to assume the game will be released on mobile devices.

Rovio has definitely seen success with its Angry Bird franchise. Heck, the games have been downloaded a billion times and the latest Angry Birds in Space hit 10 million downloads in just three days. As news starts trickling in, let’s see if fans will greet Amazing Alex with the same enthusiasm.

]]> http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/gaming/gaming-news/amazing-alex-rovios-next-game/feed/ 2 http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/gaming/gaming-news/june-issue-of-corocoro-leaks-more-pokemon-black-and-white-2-info/ http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/gaming/gaming-news/june-issue-of-corocoro-leaks-more-pokemon-black-and-white-2-info/#comments Sat, 12 May 2012 17:08:40 +0000 Giancarlo Saldana http://blastmagazine.com/?p=77244

Monthly Japanese magazine CoroCoro has leaked some more information about the upcoming Pokémon Black and White 2 games releasing in Japan next month and in the US later this year.

Legendary trio Tornadus, Thundurus, and Landorus will be joining version mascots Reshiram and Zekrom and receiving new forms. Their original form from Pokémon Black and White will be known as their “Incarnation Forme” while their new ones will be known as their “Sacred Beast Formes.” Of course, these are translations, so their official name could always change. These new forms boost each Pokémon’s stats and change their appearance. Players will be able to unlock them using the Pokémon AR Searcher, a new app that was announced during last month’s Nintendo Direct webcast, making them exclusive to 3DS owners.

Since the games will take place two years after the events of the original, many trainers and characters have acquired new roles. Cheren is now a Normal-type gym leader and Bianca is now Professor Juniper’s assistant. The game will include new gym leaders too, and so far two new gym leaders have been revealed, including the Poison-type user Homika and Water-type user Shizui. Many past trainers from previous Pokémon games will make a return in the game’s new Pokémon World Tournament mode letting you battle favorites like Misty, Brock, and Cynthia. Other confirmed participants include Blaine, Erika, Lt. Surge, Giovanni, Blue, Janine, Steven Stone, Volkner, and Lance.

Stay tuned for more information as we get closer to the game’s Japanese launch.

Via: Pokebeach

]]> http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/gaming/gaming-news/june-issue-of-corocoro-leaks-more-pokemon-black-and-white-2-info/feed/ 0 http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/technology/earth/discussing-the-impact-of-motorized-vehicles-in-wilderness-areas/ http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/technology/earth/discussing-the-impact-of-motorized-vehicles-in-wilderness-areas/#comments Sat, 12 May 2012 13:43:12 +0000 E - The Environmental Magazine http://blastmagazine.com/?p=77240


A key element of the Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act now making its way through Congress would allow motorized vehicles and equipment into wilderness areas, undermine 1964’s Wilderness Act which expressly bans motor vehicles on these last wild vestiges of untrammeled American land. (Comstock)

A new bill making its way through Congress, the Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act (H.R. 2834), aims to make federally managed public lands across millions of acres of Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management property more accessible to hunters and anglers. And a key element of the bill calls for allowing motorized vehicles and equipment—as long as they are used for hunting or fishing—into these areas. Leading green groups are outraged because this would undermine 1964’s Wilderness Act which expressly bans motor vehicles on these last wild vestiges of untrammeled American land.

According to the non-profit Wilderness Society, the motorized vehicles provision “would result in the destruction of the very wilderness values that millions of American hunters and anglers cherish.”

“The practical effect could be to open all designated wilderness areas to all-terrain vehicles, snowmobiles, motorbikes, motorboats, chainsaws and other motorized vehicles and equipment…” warns Wilderness Society president William Meadows in a letter to Congress. He adds that buildings, towers and temporary roads could even be built in currently pristine stretches of wilderness if the proposed bill becomes law.

But what’s most troubling to Meadows and others is language in the bill saying that “any requirements imposed by [the Wilderness Act] shall be implemented only insofar as they facilitate or enhance the original primary purpose or purposes for which the federal public lands or land unit was established and do not materially interfere with or hinder such purpose or purposes.” Meadows fears this could be construed to allow road building, timber cutting, mining, oil and gas drilling and other development in our remaining wilderness areas.

Another beef environmentalists have with the bill is that it would exempt decisions made or actions taken with regard to hunting and fishing on federal lands from federal environmental review and public disclosure regulations established under 1969’s National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The Wilderness Society reports that this part of H.R. 2834 would keep the public and concerned parties out of decisions to compromise the integrity of wilderness but also other types of protected lands.

First introduced in the house last September by Michigan Republican Dan Benishek (with 45 bi-partisan co-sponsors), H.R. 2834 made it through the House Natural Resources Committee within three months and is poised for a full House vote later this spring. If it passes there, the Senate will take up a companion version, S. 2066, sponsored by Alaska Republican Lisa Murkowski and West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin. Depending on how it plays out, the bill could be on the President’s desk by the summer.

“Recreational fishing and hunting are important and vital recreational activities on our federal public lands,” concludes the Wilderness Society, “but the anti-Wilderness provisions of H.R. 2834 should not be allowed to become law.”

CONTACTS: H.R. 2834, www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/112/hr2834; Wilderness Society, www.wilderness.org.

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