Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Sports Blog Net

Sports Blog Net

UFC 131 conference call with Junior dos Santos and Shane Carwin (audio)

Posted: 31 May 2011 06:48 AM PDT

UFC 131 headliners Junior dos Santos and Shane Carwin took part in a conference call Tuesday afternoon with the media to help promote their upcoming June 11 bout in Vancouver. Related posts:Schaub vs. Gonzaga set for UFC 121 Brendan “The Hybrid” Schaub will be looking to continue his… Shane Carwin: “The UFC heavyweight division has [...]

“Little” Patricia Vidonic’s Road to the Championship Blog: Diet and Training

Posted: 31 May 2011 05:28 AM PDT

“Little” Patricia Vidonic gives insight into the diet and training regimen of a female MMA fighter who is preparing for the biggest fight of her life, a 110-pound title fight for Beatdown MMA on June 25. Related posts:“Little” Patricia Vidonic’s Road to the Championship Blog: Introduction Thirty-one-year-old pro female MMA fighter “Little” Patricia Vidonic chronicles [...]

Mann Talk – Torres, Johnson and the theory of two dudes bangin’ each other

Posted: 31 May 2011 01:33 AM PDT

Terrible judging might finally drive Richard Anderson Mann off a cliff. Related posts:Injury to Brad Pickett sets up Demetrious Johnson-Miguel Torres The UFC shows off their uncanny ability to improve fights… Miguel Torres set to clash with Brad Pickett at UFC 130 Former WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Torres’ comeback tour will continue… UFC 130 prelims [...]

Thiago Alves needs to make adjustments, gameplan to beat him is being executed

Posted: 31 May 2011 12:16 AM PDT

Kelvin Hunt takes a look at how good wrestlers Rick Story and Jon Fitch both gameplanned to beat top ten welterweight Thiago Alves. Related posts:UFC confirms remaining bouts for “UFC 124: St-Pierre vs. Koscheck” on Dec. 11 in Montreal The Ultimate Fighting Championship on Friday confirmed the remaining bouts… UFC 124 LIVE results, play-by-play “UFC [...]

UFC 132 to feature Aaron Simpson-Brad Tavares

Posted: 30 May 2011 11:55 PM PDT

Aaron Simpson will now face Brad Tavares at UFC 132 since “Mayhem” has received coaching duties on the upcoming season of “The Ultimate Fighter.” Related posts:Jason “Mayhem” Miller set to face Aaron Simpson at UFC 132 on July 2 Bully Beatdown star Jason “Mayhem” Miller will make his return… Phil Baroni on his UFC release: [...]

TUF 13 Finale preview: Ed Herman returns to face Tim Credeur

Posted: 30 May 2011 10:07 PM PDT

Kelvin Hunt previews a middleweight matchup between Ed ‘Shortfuse’ Herman and ‘Crazy’ Tim Credeur at the TUF 13 Finale in Las Vegas, Nevada. Related posts:TUF 12 Finale medical report; Jonathan Brookins could face significant layoff due to injured foot Seven of the 22 fighters on the TUF 12 Finale… Ed “Short Fuse” Herman excited for [...]

Fights To Make After UFC 130

Posted: 30 May 2011 07:09 PM PDT

By Raphael Garcia UFC 130 was an interesting night of fights, as many individuals came out as potential stars for the UFC in the future. Looking forward, there are a few different directions the promotion can go with future matchmaking, choices that would not only pose exciting fights, but build up the names of fighters [...]

Jamie Varner to face local talent Jeremy Carper at Gruesome MMA 4 on June 11

Posted: 30 May 2011 11:30 AM PDT

UFC veteran and former WEC lightweight champion Jamie Varner will take on Muay Thai specialist Jeremy Carper on Saturday, June 11, at ‘Gruesome MMA 4″ in Belfry, Ky. Related posts:UFC Live 3 results: Brian Bowles submits Damacio Page in first round Kelvin Hunt recaps the UFC Live 3 fight between Brian… UFC Live 3 results: [...]

Book Review: Death Clutch by Brock Lesnar

Posted: 30 May 2011 07:27 AM PDT

ProMMAnow.com’s Jack Bratcher takes an in-depth look at “DEATH CLUTCH”, the new book from former UFC and WWE heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar, and co-authored by Paul Heyman. Related posts:Dana White on not allowing Lesnar to perform with the WWE: “I don’t want to blur the line between what’s real and not real” UFC President Dana [...]

Post UFC 130 discussion: Is Rampage Jackson a significant threat to take out Jon Jones?

Posted: 29 May 2011 11:37 PM PDT

Kelvin Hunt takes a look at the past few performances of Rampage Jackson and determines if he is a legitimate threat to defeat Jon Jones if they meet later this year. Related posts:Rampage Jackson admits he’s not the same fighter he once was; plans to retire at 35 Quinton Jackson, who turns 33 next month, [...]
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Forever Geek

Forever Geek

Sci-Fi Drinking Games That Will Make You Host of the Year

Posted: 31 May 2011 04:00 AM PDT

Some people have the knack of being the life of the party or throwing parties that guests keep talking about in the months after. Then there are those who like throwing parties, but could use some help in making their events livelier. Nothing worse than a party where everyone sits or stands uncomfortably trying to find something to do!

The guys at io9 have the perfect solution for situations like the one described above – drinking games based on notable sci-fi themes.1 Just like them, I am going to say outright that I am not promoting irresponsible drinking. ;)

Remember guys, it’s not all about the alcohol – it’s the theme behind the game.2 So here are my top picks from their list.

Tron Loko

How to play? Simple instructions from the article:

For three or more players. Pop in a copy of Tron or Tron Legacy. Players must drink Four Loko (or Joose or Mad Dog 20/20 or Cisco or whatever neon-hued alcopop doesn’t make you retch) whenever a character…

1.) Derezzes.
2.) Boards some form of vehicular transport.
3.) Volleys back a disc.
4.) Drinks some digital liquid at The End of Line Club (Tron Legacy only).

If you don’t drink alcopop, make your own brightly colored drink. I choose strawberry or blue margaritas! (This might mean taking a only couple of sips each time instead of downing the entire glass, though.)

Hello, Sarah Connor?

This game is only for those who are feeling really silly and are willing to take the risk of getting in trouble. It is highly recommended that you play this game only if you are already buzzed. Or maybe you shouldn’t play it at all. Instructions:

For three or more players. Every player starts with a beer. Open the yellow pages and call each and every John Connor, Sarah Connor, Kyle Reese, Edward Furlong, or Marcus Wright on speakerphone while speaking in a Styrian accent. Keep them on the line while reading verbatim from a 1991 Radio Shack catalogue. For every 20 seconds you keep them on the line, do not drink 1/4 of your beer.

I understand that you might not have a 1991 Radio Shack catalogue lying around, but I am sure you can find a good enough alternative. Now I have a feeling that customer service agents or outbound sales agents will trump everyone else in this game!

Are you a Cylon?

Hands down the winner in the list. To play the game, you must first know how to play Handshake/Wink Murder.3 Introducing the Cylon element just makes it all the more interesting:

For 6 or more players. This is more or less a standard game of handshake murder but with several exceptions.

First off, everyone carries a coffee mug full of their favorite hooch, Saul Tigh-style. Second, whenever you “die,” you must pound whatever’s in your cup. Finally, if you have slept with the person who’s revealed to be “the Cylon,” you must slug another cup.

More than playing Cylons, the fact that you can have whatever drink you prefer makes this the perfect party game.

Anyone up for some drinks this weekend?

  1. Source: io9
  2. Right.
  3. How to play

It looks like a game, but that’s not the point. Horse racing from Planet Japan

Posted: 31 May 2011 03:06 AM PDT

More news from Planet Japan. This is a trailer for what looks like a horse racing game which you normally find at the casinos. After the first few seconds, it turns out that this is no ordinary racing game. I realized this when the giraffe appeared.

What the TARDIS Really Looks Like

Posted: 30 May 2011 12:41 PM PDT

We all know Doctor Who‘s TARDIS is “bigger on the inside.” A lot bigger. Even though all we’ve ever seen is the control room, the show has told us forever that there’s a vast world inside the TARDIS with endless rooms, halls, and equipment. (A recent episode, “The Doctor’s Wife,” finally showed us some interior hallways, but no other rooms.)

Yet all we’ve ever seen of the TARDIS’ exterior is its construct, the blue Police box. Here’s a look at what’s really in there.

The official explanation of the difference in the TARDIS’ interior and exterior is that the two co-exist in different dimensions. There’s lots more to it than that, but that’s the only bit I can get my head around. If you’ve ever wondered what the TARDIS really looks like, in its own dimension, DeviantArt user “Lord Rassilon” is here to help.

This image is just one of many he’s created, showing off numerous incarnations of the TARDIS and his world. Rassilon has grand plans to create schematics and detailed breakdowns of every TARDIS, every Doctor, Time Lord symbology, and more.

For now, this incredible blueprint of the 11th Doctor’s TARDIS (aka, actor Matt Smith) boggles the mind. We can only dream that someday the show’s producers will have reason to show us more of the incredible world inside that blue box.

Review: LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean

Posted: 30 May 2011 09:10 AM PDT

Fans of Traveler’s Tales Games will be happy to know that their adorably magical LEGO video game formula is firmly intact in LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean, the developer’s ninth game based on a franchise external to LEGO. After eight games, you might think they have nothing new to add to this mix, but you’d be wrong. Well, mostly.

LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean takes you through five levels each for all four movies in the series, including the newest film, On Stranger Tides. That’s a total of 20 levels, which come with loads of secrets and tons of replay value.

All of the familiar trappings are here: LEGO stud collection, Story Mode vs. Free Play, minikits and gold bricks, unique abilities spread across 70 characters in numerous character classes, those cheeky cutscenes that lovingly skewer the source material, and so on. Like past LEGO games, Pirates has its own home base hub, which functions as a playable menu where you can enter game levels, collect characters, and explore to unlock special features. In this case, the hub is Port Royale, a large environment that you can explore to progressively unlock more and more of.

The levels are a mixed bag; depending on how much you love the films, some parts of the game may not feel familiar, if only because you can’t recall everything that took place in the movies. Some of the levels are downright inspired, showing off tremendous creativity and bringing entirely new cards to the LEGO table. Others feel like discarded LEGO Star Wars ideas that have been recycled.

 

 

The seventy available characters possess a much broader variety of skill sets than ever before. Some are good with swords, others use whips, steel forging hammers, guns, or bombs. The human characters are all good at climbing ropes and digging with shovels, while the cursed Black Pearl crew and Davy Jones’ people can walk underwater indefinitely, since they don’t have to hold their breath. Women can double-jump. Some can throw axes or bombs, and you can aim by holding down the action button. Flying Dutchman crewmen can pass through special organic passageways, and only Blackbeard can open or destroy special red-and-black items.

Captain Jack has a singular ability that no other character can claim: his magic compass that in the films always points him toward the thing he desires most. In the game, the compass is used in every level to find eight hidden treasures that are crucial to completing that level or the entire game (many of these are accessible only in Free Play). Sometimes the treasures must be dug up out of the ground after Jack locates them, other times (oddly) they’re just sitting right out in the open, waiting to be approached.

While LEGO Pirates doesn’t reinvent the wheel, it does offer new innovations. Chief among them: the co-op split screen that’s been part of the last few LEGO games. Aficionados know this is a long overdue addition — it’s downright glorious not to be tied down to your partner’s position — but the implementation still needs work. Based on you and your partner’s positions in the level, the line going down the middle of your screen rotates, like an arm on a clock, enforcing a subliminal sense of where your partner is located in the level, relative to you. But having the split screen constantly spin creates a very disorienting sensation for players; it means each player is not locked onto one side of the screen. You’ll go back and forth repeatedly, and it leads to lots of confusion in the heat of battle.

 

Switching characters in Free Play mode has always been a bit of a chore, as you tap the controller’s shoulder buttons until you find the character you want. This system has been completely overhauled. In Story Mode, holding down the Y or triangle button brings up a radial menu displaying all the characters available to you. In Free Play, the circular menu gets replaced by the entire list of 70 characters, allowing you to easily pick from them all any time you want.

One of the most creative levels comes at the start of the Dead Man’s Chest chapter, where both players are trapped inside a round cage made of bone. Instead of being confining, this changes the entire side-scrolling mechanic. Rather than run through the level, you roll along in your cage (think: gerbil ball), crushing enemies that get in your way, jumping across chasms, and rolling through cylindrical tunnels pinball-style. It’s a welcome break from the same-old, and the sprawling design of this level gives you plenty of space to enjoy the feel of it.

On the downside, I don’t recall the cutscenes in earlier LEGO games being as long as the ones in LEGO Pirates. The plots of the second and third films in particular were so convoluted that whittling down their essences to something conveyable in LEGO form couldn’t have been an easy task. But most of the game’s cutscenes simply overstay their welcome.

 

On the plus side, there’s still something satisfying about smashing LEGO objects into studs. Even though this mechanic is included in every single LEGO game, it somehow never gets old. I think the developers realized this, because in Pirates, it takes more smashing or blasting than ever to break up a single object — which makes it that much more gratifying.

The visuals represent another vast improvement over prior games. I remember the earliest LEGO titles looked as though their entire world was made of LEGO bricks. Nowadays, LEGO minifigures and objects live in the real world, in realistic environments like beaches and jungles. LEGO Pirates‘ world is mostly sunny and brilliant, though there are a few levels that take place at night or in a storm; I found these levels too dark to easily navigate.

Past LEGO games conveyed a clear sense of what you have to do to reach the end of the level, but more than once I found myself confused in LEGO Pirates, not having a clue about what I was supposed to do next.

Minor gripes aside, LEGO Pirates is still a charming, fun, funny place to explore, entirely worthy of its predecessors’ legacy. The faithful will surely adore it, though I don’t think I’d suggest it as the very first LEGO title that newbies should try.
Posted by at 5:31 AM 0 comments

Monday, May 30, 2011

Forever Geek

Forever Geek

Lingodroids: Robots That Invent Their Own Language

Posted: 30 May 2011 05:00 AM PDT

Lingodroids
I am in the middle of reading the Ender’s Game series, and my mind has been full of thoughts of aliens, computer programs, and robots as sentient beings. One aspect that has always fascinated me is their means of communication. Language is such a wonderful thing – ever-changing and taking on so many different forms. Of course, we can think all we want about aliens and AI, but we don’t know if we will ever see them become reality in our lifetime.

That is why work by people such as Ruth Schulz is so interesting. Schulz and her group of researchers from the University of Queensland and Queensland University of Technology have created robots which communicate using their own language. That in itself is nothing to wow at – after all, computers do have their means of communication. The amazing thing is that these robots – called Lingodroids – actually speak like humans do AND they create their own language as they go along. Not exactly sentient beings, but it’s a start, yes?

Evan Ackerman of the IEEE Spectrum provides a simplified explanation:1

To understand the concept behind the project, consider a simplified case of how language might have developed. Let’s say that all of a sudden you wake up somewhere with your memory completely wiped, not knowing English, Klingon, or any other language. And then you meet some other person who’s in the exact same situation as you. What do you do?

What might very well end up happening is that you invent some random word to describe where you are right now, and then point at the ground and tell the word to the other person, establishing a connection between this new word and a place.

I don’t know about you, but I find this research extremely exciting – both technologically and linguistically speaking! If this project progresses, we might have more languages to learn – aside from Klingon, Na’vi, and Dothraki, that is.

  1. IEEE Spectrum

The Many Faces of Oda Nobunaga

Posted: 30 May 2011 04:00 AM PDT

If you ever study Japanese history, you will no doubt come across the name Oda Nobunaga. An Important historical figure, Nobunaga was the one who started the unification of modern Japan and is known by everyone in the country. For such an important figure, it's only inevitable that he would make his way into popular culture, and more specifically, anime.
Nobunaga is often described as a ruthless conqueror that was very successful in the battlefield. While he was also responsible for modernizing Japan and promoting the arts, most anime tend to portray him more as a demonic character with little or no mercy.  To help implement Nobunaga into an anime, some interesting character designs have been created and range from very accurate to bizarre. Below are just some of the different takes on Nobunaga from various anime.

Hyouge Mono

This anime probably portrays Nobunaga as an art enthusiast more than any other. He is sometimes seen with western clothing and talks of different pieces of art with the main character. With an accurate portrayal of his personality, it's no wonder that he also looks like portraits from the 15th century in Hyouge Mono.

Yotoden

An anime about ninjas getting revenge on Nobunaga for the destruction of everything in his path, Nobunaga is portrayed as an evil villain with unholy magical powers. Despite there being demons and sorcery, he actually looks quite normal in Yotoden.

Sengoku Basara

Here we start deviating from what's in the history books. Again portrayed as a villain, Nobunaga is called the Devil King in Sengoku Basara. Of course, when you think of a Devil King in an anime, he just has to have spiky hair. Not only that, he also has to drink from a human skull. How cool is that?

Samurai Deeper Kyo

Now this anime's take on Nobunaga is nothing like what's written in textbooks. After being killed at Honnoji Temple, he is brought back to life (twice) in order to fight. He has long wavy hair and half of his face is just a black hole with a red light in the middle, kind of like the Terminator. I guess the Terminator would have no problems conquering Japan though…

Sengoku Otome

By far the wildest incarnation of Oda Nobunaga is the one from Sengoku Otome. The creators don't seem to have liked the idea of Nobunaga being a man so they figured; why not make him into a busty, scantily-clad woman. And we all know that as far as female warriors in anime go, the less clothing they have on, the stronger they get.

Gears of War 3 Goes Cinematic

Posted: 29 May 2011 03:39 PM PDT

Wow, talk about epic. In case you haven’t seen the new trailer for Gears of War 3 that includes tons of footage of its cutscenes and most cinematic boss battles, I’ve uploaded and embedded it for you here, in high-res. And it’s worth the look, even if you’re not a GoW fan.

The sheer scale and scope of Gears 3‘s action is genuinely impressive. Epic Games has clearly pulled out all the stops for this final chapter in the trilogy, and every last penny of money spent on development is right there on your screen.

I’ve never been the biggest Gearhead — it’s way too extreme for my family-friendly house — but my head is always turned by Gears‘ unparalleled use of the Unreal engine. And this finale looks pretty spectacular.

Gears of War 3 hits stores worldwide simultaneously for Xbox 360 on September 20th, 2011.
Posted by at 5:17 AM 0 comments
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