Random Art: I’ve Been Busy, But That’s A Lame Excuse.

The Third DancerWell, not SO lame, as I’ve been busy working on trying to make some actual money (digital money really blows when you can’t feeling it taking up space in your pockets!). Anyway, this one’s kind of unfinished (what else is new?), but that won’t stop me from letting you be the judge on whether or not it’s actually complete. Eh, well… I can always do another piece at some point (hopefully without taking so long to post it once it’s “done”)…

Tech Review: Color Cables

cc-glowWelcome to the easiest review I’ve ever done: Color Cables are AWESOME (The End!). Okay, there’s a bit more to write about, but the direct and simple nature of this cool, colorful luminous charge and sync cable makes this one a no-brainer replacement for any OEM charge cables thanks to a few fine features. Available in seven colors with 30-Pin, Lightning and Micro USB options with two length choices (3 or 6 feet, $15 and $20 respectively), Your iOS, Android or Windows phone or device gets a superior cable that’s well worth the price point.

MicroUSB_Pink_GlowAs the cables are flat and extremely well made, they don’t tangle up while in your bag of choice and solid connections on both ends mean you’re not likely to see any splitting or fraying form general wear. The cool factor comes from the distinctive luminosity on display and yes, it’s pretty nifty to let your cable sit in the sun or under a light for a bit during the day and have them giving of that soft glow in the evening or night.  If you grew up with stars on your walls and ceiling or had some toys that gave off that familiar greenish color, you’ll get a grin going every time you use your cable.

CC_Lifestyle_PackagingSure, there are similar colored cables out there for less that don’t have that funky glow thing going for them, but the smarter of you out there know you get what you pay for and often “cheap” refers to both price and quality. Color Cables are a nicer (and still affordable) solution that take care of a few problems as well as making for a great gift for that phone or device user you know who wants something to stand out from the crowd when they need a recharge at home or away.

– Greg Wilcox

Game of Thrones Fans? Think Geek Has You WELL Covered (Not In Blood, Though)…

1abc_fabled_axe_tea_infuser_inuseYou may have not thought you needed a House of Stark, Lannister or Targaryen pillow, a TOO cute Dire Wolf Plush, a Fabled Axe Tea Infuser or a set of Wax Seal Coasters, but the folks at Think Geek think otherwise and have very wisely gathered up a load of interesting (and even some exclusive) Game of Thrones goodies on their site just for you. And you, too. And you over there on the left who still needs to play catch up with the series because you FINALLY got HBO and don’t yet realize that includes HBO On Demand which just so happens to be running the first three seasons along with episodes from THIS season after they premiere each Sunday.

See, you learned something today and you weren’t even expecting it! Now go buy one of those goodies above or perhaps that Dragon Egg Pendant or a replica of Jon Snow’s Longclaw Sword are more up your alley? There’s FREE shipping on orders over $75, so knock yourself out and brighten (or darken) up your space with some neat swag!

 

Wait. Orphan Black Won A Peabody Award? How Great Is That?

 
Okay, it’s MORE than cool. I’m pleased to see all that hard work is getting noticed, although poor Tatiana Maslany not getting that Emmy was a shame, as she definitely deserved it. Granted, try telling that to people who still don’t watch the show or who think network dramas are as good as what this show has done in less time and you’re in for a fight of some sort. Me, I’m a lover, not a fighter at all, so I say check out Season One of Orphan Black before Season Two drops in about nine days and see for yourself. Um, that’s all I have to say, but it looks like OB will have a post show show just like The Walking Dead does.

Transistor: Supergiant’s New Game Popping Up at PAX East, May 20 On PC, PS4

transistor_postcardOkay, I’m not going to Pax East this year (I think Boston has banned me showing my face there since I my days as an usher in Cirque du Soleil during the Saltimbanco tour), but if I were there, the first booth I’d jet over to would be Supergiant Games just to see Transistor, which will be playable on the show floor before making it’s official debut on PC’s and PlayStation 4’s worldwide on May 20, 2014.

Yeah, yeah, other than a post or two last year I really haven’t been covering this one in detail like some other sites, but that’s thanks to SO darn many games (indie and otherwise) I’ve been following that I’m only paying the most attention to those a lot less polished than this one. It may sound backwards, but I trust Greg Kasavin and his team to deliver the goods, so they really don’t need me to hover around as they cook up a storm. Anyway, three new screenshots are below, so make sure you check them out and if you want to know more about the game, well… you know where to go, right?

Transistor_10-apr_14_00 Transistor_10-apr-14_01 Transistor_10-apr-2014_02

Child of Light Making of #2: Music and Sounds Get The High Note This Update…

 
Equally as important as the plot and lovely visuals are the music and sound effects in Ubisoft’s upcoming soon to be classic Child of Light, and as you can see above, all those pieces are indeed falling exactly where they need to. It’s clear that this project will be one for the ages as well as a great first game made with UbiArt Framework (which needs to get into the hands of a few other developers just so we can see how different art styles hold up to the new tech). April 30th is when this one comes out for PC and consoles, so keep an eye peeled, I say…

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel? Wait, What? GEARBOOOOOOOOOOX!

 
Well, actually, this is 2K Australia’s fault, but still, I blame Gearbox for creating the unstoppable juggernaut that is the Borderlands franchise (one of the only shooters I’ll still play because of the wild, stupid fun to be had and SO many millions of weapons to discover and collect). Wow. Okay, I ignored this news earlier at first because I’d just woken up and thought it was either a late April Fool’s joke or just a joke, period. Ah ha ha… the joke was on me. So, this is happening and it’s coming SOON. As in this Fall 2014 to Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. Yeah, THAT’S RIGHT, dammit – the “OLD” consoles are getting this BEFORE the new ones because 2K Games is SMART and knows there are still more millions of you (and me) out there who haven’t committed to one of the new systems just yet. They’re getting my money (again!) for sure…

Tesla Effect: A Tex Murphy Adventure Launch Trailer: Atlus Goes Back To The Past To Bring You The Future!

 
As I noted last year, seeing a new Tex Murphy interactive adventure (or game, for those of you scratching your heads right about now) is quite a shock as well as a pleasant surprise, so it’s also a good thing that Atlus is not only seeing this through, they’re making sure their followers know all about it. Now, you don’t need to have played the other Tex games to get into this one at all, but it may help some of you appreciate what’s here all the more. Especially if that mildly cheesy full motion video you’re seeing above isn’t floating your boat, but you’re intrigued about the story and such. Trust me, you’ll get used to it once the plot wraps its fingers around your throat and starts shaking gently. It’s great to see you back, Tex… next time, don’t take so darn long to make a comeback!

The Tesla Effect: A Tex Murphy Adventure is coming to PC and Mac April 22, 2014.

Super Smash Bros. Direct: System Seller To Some, System Savior To Others…

 
While I think The Wii U and 3DS versions of Super Smash Bros. will do incredibly well, I’d bet a solid five cents that those numbers won’t be as huge as some are thinking. Granted, it’s been a while since a new SSB was released, but I’m thinking this, like Mario Kart 8, will appeal mostly to the already system-owning Nintendo fans more than it will anyone who’s yet to buy a Wii U or 3DS just to play it. Sure, I’m reading comments on boards from people waiting to buy a Wii U “just for this game”, but I take those with a whopping grain of salt, as if you’re a Nintendo nut, you probably already have a Wii U and are in the holding pattern loop waiting for more first party games to drop. Granted, there WILL be people snapping up a Wii U just for this one and MK8, but those numbers probably won’t be as massive as even Nintendo wishes them to be.

That said, with the 3DS version coming first this summer, it’s going to be a massive game launch and push for that handheld while poor Wii U only owners have to sit it out until the winter when that version ships. Granted, Nintendo also knows that many Wii U owners are 3DS owners (but it’s not a 1:1 ratio at all), so they get to make money twice selling two versions of the same game (although I’m betting there’s not a line of code shared between them in terms of visuals). Anyway, this video reveals a ton of stuff, so stick around for the whole thing, as there are a few minor surprises during the last third and at the end.

Storing Up Energy For Some Quality Time…

 
Shhh. Quiet back there! I’m kind of taking the day off until Game of Thrones pops up this evening. I made the mistake last night and early this morning of staying up to watch all of those House of Lies episodes I missed when I bailed on the series and man, that was a bad decision. The show is well-acted, but I ended up hating just about everyone on it beyond the point of caring (um… thanks, writers?) and with a season finale popping up, I figure I may as well commit to that at some point this week just to wrap that up as neatly as possible. I’m definitely watching the Shameless finale and may scoot back to HBO to catch the Silicon Valley premiere just because it’s Mike Judge and Office Space is one of my favorite films as a former office drone (in a few too many places in the past) and long time movie lover. Eh, we’ll see… or perhaps not. GoT has all my attention until Orphan Black returns in less than two weeks. As for Mad Men? Coin toss when it returns, period. I gave up caring about that show ages ago…