Colbert debates...himself

Ok so this isn't total nerd news, but it's funny and I write this blog so it's now a part of the "nerdiverse" :-) This is a video of Stephen Colbert (from Comedy Central) debating himself about the US's treatment of prisoners in Guantanamo Bay. It's funny, trust me.

Links: Gitmo Prison Debate

Oh Snap! - Part Deux

Well we've got double the movie trailer fun as someone leaked the teaser for next year's Transformers movie. Check it out!

UPDATE: Apparently it wasn't leaked, as it's up on the official site. So go there instead and you won't have to install DIVX or watch a crappy camera rip.

Links: Transformers Movie

Oh snap!

Hot from the servers is the new Spiderman 3 teaser! Dang that looks cool...

Links: Spidey 3 Teaser

When words aren't enough

Check this out, it's Glyph Trash, an interactive flash "game" where you shoot letters across the screen and build up a big pile of...uh...letters. You can pick any font you have on your computer, type, and letters will fly out of some guys mouth. Still waiting on the monkeys out of the butt though.

Links: Glyph Trash

Take a Wii on my birthday!

I guess some Nintendo employee had too much to drink and spilled the beans on the release date for the new Nintendo Wii. In case you're out of the gaming loop, the Wii sports a uber-cool motion sensitive controller that looks to either revolutionize the video game industry or make us all look dumb while we flail about. And it's coming out on my birthday, October 30th!

Links: Nintendo Can't Keep a Secret | The Nintendo Wii

Don't drop your computer (it will break)

After years of scientific research and study, we've found out that people actually break their laptops more then they break their desktop computers. No freaking way. Who pays for this crap anyway? At least now you can tell your friends that you now know that one in every 6 laptops needs major repair in the first year. I'm sure they'll be impressed.

Links: Laptops Still Fragile

Suer to Sueey in record time

So newsflash, that school system finally admitted it wasn't google's fault that a bunch of kids' personal info was on display for all to see. That must be the quickest turnaround time from "We'll sue you" to "We won't - thanks for helping us clear up the mess we made." At least someone had the stones to actually admit they made a mistake. Although they should watch their mailbox...there's still some angry parents out there. Good luck with that guys.

Links: It's Not Google's Fault After All

Repeat after me: Privacy is already dead

So here's a fun pickle: a school system accidentally leaves some kids social security #'s on a public server which gets indexed by Google. Instead of owning up to their mistake, they sue Google for "trespassing" or something like that. When are people going to realize that privacy as we (used to) know it is gone for good? Stop whining and get used to it.

BTW, I had a wheat bagel with honey nut cream cheese for breakfast this morning. Let's see when that fact shows up on Google!

Links: Kids' Social Security #'s Found on Google

Warming, Schwarming

It's good to know I'm not the only one feeling the heat. A new study from the US government claims that the last few decades have been the warmest in the last 400 years. Even though scientists are still divided over whether Co2 (what we are pumping into the atmosphere at a pretty alarming rate) actually causes global warming, isn't it still a pretty good idea to try to keep the planet in as natural a balance as possible? It might not stave off a super-storm that buries New York in ice and whatnot, but it couldn't hurt.

Links: Past Decades Have Been Warmest on Record

BS3?

I really think Sony has gone off the deep end. They are claiming that they are going to sell 100 million (pinkies raised) Playstation 3's over the next couple of years. Pass the crack please.

LInks: Sony Expects to sell 100 Million PS3's

Is there anything you can't sell on ebay?

This is actually pretty cool: a British race car driver is auctioning off the ad space on his car on ebay. That gets me thinking about promoting etcetera...where's my company card again?

Links: Driver sells ads on Ebay

M$ employees like Google better

From the actions-speak-louder-dept.: A study by the Inquirer (no, not the National Enquirer) shows that as many as 80% of Microsoft employess search the net using Google instead of their own MSN Search. So I guess I'm never going to be able to look up someone and say I "MSN-Searched" them. Pity.

Links: Microsoft workers prefer Google

Recording industry confuses fans for thieves

Well the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) just doesn't know when to quit. They've decided to sue YouTube (the big big video sharing site) users for posting videos of themselves dancing around to songs. Because someone might steal the crappy low quality version of the song and listen to it over and over. Did it ever occur to them that passionate fans sharing music that they like might actually sell a song or five?

Links: RIAA Sues YouTube Users

Jackwatch: UPDATE Louisiana judge blocks new video game law

This just in, a judge ordered a temporary injuction against "Jack's Law" over in Louisiana today. We will see if saner heads prevail.

Links: Gamedaily Story

Star Wars on your iPod

It appears that Apple is planning to unleash full-length motion pictures on the iTunes music store this Christmas. Movies will only cost $9.99. Unfortunately, squeezing Episode 1 down to iPod size doesn't mean it sucks any less. (And what's with that link? The "itbues" Movie store? Really?)

Links: iTunes ("iTbues") Movie Store

The... iThug?

This is too good to pass up. Rumors are flying that Apple computer and 50 Cent (yes, that "Fitty") are teaming up to promote a low cost Mac to inner city kids. The marketing tagline is reportedly "Get a Mac or Die Tryin'."

Links: Low Cost Computer

Your Crack at Showbiznass...

So over at Gearslutz they have a thread going right now about the best way to record a fart. I'm serious. Really.

Quote: "Important is the position of the farter, let him/her lay on her back while he is 'hugging' his knees [which] are on his chest. That way you can produce the loudest/deepest farts with some nice top end in the end of the fart."

Be back next week as we tell you how to capture the sound of one hand clapping.

Links: Tracking Farts

Confessions of a Video Geek

I recently just went and saw Madonna's Confessions tour up in Chicago, and I was really impressed by the multimedia elements in the show.  Between the 3 video screens in the floor to the stage-wide curtain of pixels that displayed full motion video, the visual show was extraordinary.  It turns out they were running it all using Adobe After Effects and Premiere.  Oh and just 22 hard drives.

Links: Madonna: Behind the Video

Jackwatch: Louisiana keeps games from minors; doesn't prevent them from borrowing their parent's ak47's...

Our favorite lawyer Jack Thompson is at it again, this time "assisting" the state of Louisiana in passing a law banning the sale of violent games to minors. Even though Louisiana doesn't require background checks to buy handguns and considers an uzi a hunting rifle, it's comforting to know they're this concerned about kids buying the latest Elder Scrolls game. Way to go, Jack.

Links: Gamasutra Story | Louisiana Gun Laws