SMS Audio by 50 Cent: Earbuds and Earphones

STREET by 50 Over-Ear Wired Headphone, Image: SMS Audio

Music can transport us to a different place and time and has the power to evoke the most tangible of memories from some of the biggest moments in our lives. It can take us away from where we really are to the places we long to be instead. Emanating from a speaker, the feeling can be wonderful, but heard on a quality set of headphones or earbuds, the experience can be truly magical. The SMS Audio line of earbuds and earphones by Curtis Jackson (aka 50 Cent) aims to create such a feeling, but does it succeed?

The SMS Audio line includes three different options for listening to your music. First, there’s the Street by 50 Earbuds which are available in black or silver. They come with three sets of tips so you can find a pair that fits comfortably in your ears. There’s also an attractive hard case with a zipper in the same bright blue you’ll find accenting the earbuds themselves.

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Sherlock as it was Meant to be Seen: In Lego

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Warning: Do not watch this recreation if you have not seen the final episode of Sherlock season two and have any desire to do so.

I’m sure it’s not the first time that the incomparable Mr. Holmes has been rendered in Lego, and it probably won’t be the last, but the world has been blessed with a scene from the final episode of Sherlock season two, done completely in Lego. If you are really interested in seeing what people do with their spare time you can also check out Lluukky’s paper production of Batman and the Lego Harry Potter Universe.

Want to get in on the recreation act yourself? Try this Lego Adventures Detective Sherlock Holmes Minifigure to help with your character building.

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ConnectiCon Cosplay Parade!

My eldest son is attacked by Pyramid Head and goon at ConnectiCon.

International Comic Con in San Diego had all the action on the West Coast last week but the 10th annual ConnectiCon, held at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford last weekend, had a lot going for it for us geeks on the East Coast.

It was my first time spending multiple days at the con with my kids and, in this case, they out-geeked me. My fandom is superheroes and Science Fiction/Fantasy. This con is what organizers call a “massive multi-genre” con. So I only had a piece that I recognized.

There was a huge focus on anime and gaming, webcomics, voice actors, and internet personalities like the Nostalgia Critic and Team Four Star. Not to mention a Cosplay Death Match.

I’ll be writing up specifics of the Question and Answer panel of That Guy With the Glasses aka the Nostalgia Critic and several other articles, but in the meantime, enjoy the varied cosplayers of Connecticon. I love how so many fandoms were represented.

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GeekMom Puzzle of the Week – #15

Welcome to the GeekMom puzzle of the week!

Each Sunday, a new quiz will be posted and you will have until 11:59 pm PST the following Friday to submit your answer. The kind folks over at ThinkGeek will be providing a $50 gift certificate for each week’s winner. In order to be in with a chance of winning, you simply need to send your puzzle answer to the email address below. The winner will be chosen at random from all correct answers.

We’ll announce the winner’s name on Saturday, along with the solution to the previous week’s puzzle. Then we’ll start the process all over again the next day. Sound like a good thing? Then let’s get right on with this week’s puzzle.

EXAMPLE:

  • 2 = S in a P

EXAMPLE SOLUTION:

  • 2 = Shoes in a Pair

GEEKMOM PUZZLE WEEK #15:

  • 1912 = S of the T
  • 4 = H of the A
  • 7 = D in S.W.
  • 39 = B in the O.T.
  • 999 = O.L than O.T.
  • 5 = O.R.
  • 15 = F.P. in T

Send your answers to geekmompuzzle@gmail.com with the subject line “GeekMom Puzzle #15″ and please include the name you would like announced if you are the winner. Good luck!

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Dear Movie Theaters: Costumes Aren’t the Problem

Image: http://www.warnerbros.com/

Midnight movie openings with people attending in costumes have become a bit of a tradition throughout the country. But in the wake of the tragedy in Colorado, some movie theaters are moving to ban costumes. But are costumes really a problem?

After hearing about the news of the shooting at the midnight release of The Dark Knight Rises, I was saddened and horrified. My husband and I both attend midnight showings of new movies often. We actually made a deal that if he got to see The Avengers at midnight, I’d get to see The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey at its opening. Like with other movie openings, I was planning on wearing a costume because I love dressing up.

Dressing in costumes is such a harmless activity that I was also really sad to see that AMC has banned costumes. And it looks like other movie theaters chains are considering following suit. Costumes aren’t the problem and they didn’t cause this tragedy to take place. All the costume ban does is make things a little less fun.

Now, I do think a ban of masks and prop weapons may be a good idea as well as tighter security at movie theaters. But mostly I think this costume ban is a knee jerk reaction on the part of the movie theaters in the wake of the shooting.

Update: AMC posted the following statement on their Facebook page:

Contrary to media reports, costumes are not banned, but we will not admit guests with face-concealing masks and we will not allow fake weapons in the buildings. We want all our guests to feel comfortable at our theatres and we will be closely monitoring.

I think this is a good policy to have and hopefully any other movie theaters considering to ban costumes will follow suit.

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Be Amazed by the Maze of Books

Photo: aMAZEme: London

One of my highest priorities when we moved last year was getting my books out of packing boxes and onto my bookshelves. I love to be surrounded by books. So this exhibit, being held in London, truly amazes me. It’s appropriately called aMAZEme and it’s being held at the Southbank Centre Clore Ballroom, London from July 31 to August 26.

The pattern of the labrynth is modeled after the artist’s fingerprint. The purpose of the exhibit is to “discover new textures, images and emotions. To become surrounded — hypnotized — by words and thoughts, designs and patterns.”

Click over to the events website and I think you’ll be as “aMAZEd” as I was.

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GeekMom Puzzle of the Week #14 – Solution and Winner

 

As usual on Saturdays I get to announce our Puzzle of the Week winner who was selected at random from all the correct entries. Many congratulations to:

Kerry

Here is the solution to last week’s puzzle:

The answer to each clue is a word that ends in -GENT

  1. Is poor
  2. Is in a hurry
  3. Humours others
  4. Of bright mentality
  5. Rebels
  6. Goes a different way
  7. Sharp smelling

So the solutions we needed were:

  1. Indigent
  2. Urgent (or Exigent)
  3. Indulgent
  4. Intelligent
  5. Insurgent
  6. Divergent
  7. Pungent

Look out for a new puzzle starting tomorrow.

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What Was Your Favorite Childhood Toy? Vote Today!

Photo: Indianapolis Children’s Museum

The Indianapolis Children’s Museum is very near and dear to my heart. When my kids were young we used to drive from Missouri to New Hampshire every autumn, to visit relatives. The stop in Indianapolis was our life saver. Just when the car was starting to feel like a torture chamber, we’d pull up in front of that magnificent building and spend a day exploring.

Every year they had new exhibits, mixed in with the old favorites. It’s the largest children’s museum in the world so spending a whole day there was easy. Some of my favorite pictures of my kids were taken as they interacted with exhibits on all five levels of the building.

When I got word that the museum was having a promotion, to find the all time favorite childhood toy, I knew I had to do my part to spread the word. What’s your favorite toy from childhood? The Easy Bake Oven? Your little red wagon? Your Mr. Potato Head? The Indianapolis Children’s Museum wants to know.

On their website you’ll find the list of 100 toys that are in the running. Vote on your all time favorite. Every week the top 20 winners will be announced. Then at the end of the promotion, the all time favorites will be announced and displayed at the museum. You can also share a story about your favorite toy.

If you’re in the Indianapolis area this summer, especially if you have kids in tow, be sure to stop by this fun filled place. And take a minute today to click over and have your say, as to which toys you loved enough that you don’t want them to be forgotten. If you’re like me, you probably have a few of them still in your basement, waiting for the next generation to pick them up.

(Side note: I’d like to offer a big THANK YOU to the museum for offering special passes for foster families in the area. Having grown up in a large foster family, and rarely getting to visit museums because of the cost, I’m thrilled to know that Indianapolis foster families are being taken care of.)

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Hurry! It’s the Book That Can’t Wait!

The books that can wait…
Photo: Judy Berna

Like many of my fellow GeekMom writers, I love to read. I see bookstores and libraries as my own personal theme parks. I can spend hours lost in the aisles, deciding which treasures I’ll dive into next.

Then the stack comes home and sits by my bed. And sits. And sits. Sometimes time restraints keep me from opening them. Sometimes being engaged in another book, that eats up the little bit of free time I have, keeps me from attacking the stack.

A publisher in Argentina decided to light a fire under those of us who sometimes procrastinate when it comes to actually cracking open a new book. They’ve printed a book that goes away if you don’t read it. No, the actual book is still in your hands, but as time passes, and the ink is exposed to air and light, the actual words go away. On average you have two months to read their publication, before it turns into a lovely blank page volume that you can then use as a journal. Their video explains it well.

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The book itself is called El Libro que No Puede Esperar, which means “the book that can’t wait,” and it’s an anthology of new Latin American authors. Most of these authors would be lucky to have anyone read their work, since they’re not well known. With the help of their clever publisher, their words will now rise to the top of the priority list.

Of course there are issues of recycling and being able to share books for years and years with other readers, so every volume can’t use this tactic. But it’s a fun experiment in human nature, to see if having a deadline will actually motivate a distracted reader to finally dig into that new book on the bedside table.

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Geeking Out in Orlando: Islands of Adventure

The Entrance to Universal's Islands of Adventure © Sophie Brown

The Entrance to Universal’s Islands of Adventure © Sophie Brown

Welcome back to my Geeking Out in Orlando mini-series! Many apologies for the delay in getting this post up, this is purely down to personal health issues. The final two parks will now be featured next week with voting for the geekiest park in Orlando taking place the first week of August.

We’re looking at the top ten geeky things to do in each of the major theme parks in Orlando and then we’ll ask for you to vote on which has the best geeky attractions. So far we’ve looked at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, EPCOT, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and today, we’re looking at Universal’s Islands of Adventure. This park has some serious geek credentials as it’s home to three major geek brands: Marvel, Jurassic Park, AND Harry Potter.

10. Storm Force Accelatron

What do you get if you mix the classic teacups ride with the X-Men? Not the best ride in the park but a good introduction to Marvel Superhero Island’s larger rides for youngsters. Storm Force Accelatron asks you to help Storm fight Magneto by turning the wheel in the middle of your “teacup” to help build energy for her. The ceiling uses flashing lights to create an impressive charging effect around the central electro-magnet type device that builds as the ride goes on – it works surprisingly well to immerse you in the ride’s story which is difficult to do on such as basic, open attraction. Because of the light effects, this ride is best after dark if you can stay on a late opening night.

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This Week With the GeekMoms

Dakster Sullivan has absolutely nothing planned this weekend! If she were to fantasize about doing something though, she would be on a Disney Cruise to the Caribbean or on a trip to Paris to explore the history of the city. Since both of those are out of her reach, she will be happy with some new comics and much deserved reading time.

To celebrate her 5-year wedding anniversary, Ariane‘s parents will babysit the kiddo this weekend… PARTY! In other news, Ariane finished watching the first season of Doctor Who on Netflix. She will miss Doctor #9. I guess it’s true what they say, you never forget your first Doctor.

Chaos Mandy is looking forward to having some girl time with her best friend. They will be taking their girls to enjoy some sunshine at a local park early on Saturday.

Patricia is enjoying having her boys home, and the calendar is nice and empty of rigid scheduled items for a couple weeks. There are plenty of outings on the calendar planned, such as trips to the Pensacola MESS Hall, the Pensacola Children’s Museum, Pensacola State College Planetarium, and the Florida State Museums in Tallahassee. The boys are going to be all Florida-ed out by the time school starts!

Kelly Knox is vacationing in the great state of Texas. Howdy, y’all! She plans to relax by the pool, read comics, and soak up the abundant sunshine.

Kris Bordessa‘s latest project – acting as Hawaii managing editor for a travel site that caters to visitors from China – has just launched. It’s a little surreal to see her words translated into Chinese. And we’re still doing the happy dance around here that the Lego Thinking with Portals project on Cuusoo achieved the necessary 10,000 votes to be considered for production. Now we wait until September and beyond for a decision from the folks at Lego.

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Sookie Scores the Plot

Deadlocked cover

There’s this little series on HBO called True Blood. You might have heard of it. You may have even heard it’s based on a series of books somewhere. But who has time to read when there’s great sex and gore on TV? Find. The. Time.

Charlaine Harris‘ series about Sookie Stackhouse has been one of my favorite since before HBO grabbed onto it. (Yeah, I got cred, baby.) I remember seeing the cover art for Dead to the World at my local library years ago and being intrigued; I was bored with the artistic style of most fantasy covers. Then I read the back, “Vampire romance? Mystery? Bleh. Not my thing.” I challenged myself to read some of it just to prove that I didn’t want to read it. The fact that it was the fourth book in the series would guarantee I wouldn’t like it (obviously I wanted to read it).

My subconscious knew what it was doing. The book was sexy, fun, had an intriguing plot, and the heroine kicked ass while still managing to be a down-to-earth woman trying to make sense of it all. I quickly went back to my library for the first three books, and then waited for more. Along with Jim Butcher’s Harry Dresden Files, this is my favorite fantasy series.

But something changed in the Sookie books later on. Bad things always happened to the main character, but now REALLY BAD stuff started to happen, and she wasn’t able to bounce back. Sookie reacted very much like a real person. Unfortunately, it made the series have a darker tone (we started with vampires so that’s saying a lot). I blame it on Hurricane Katrina making the author sad. I heard Charlaine Harris speak about the latest book, Deadlocked, on the radio. She said at one point in the series she started adding all these new elements because she had started to become bored. And when that didn’t help she realized it was time to end it all. There will be one more book and that’s that for Sookie.

The series began with lots of romance, gripping mystery, rounded characters, and some yippee sex scenes. With Deadlocked we have an intense mystery, fully-developed characters, and relationship issues. I read the book in a day, unable to put it down because Harris knows how to write plot. But I miss the romance, and the sex used to be so good. Sigh…

Still, I can’t wait to read the next one.

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Has the Hitchhiker’s Guide Lost Its Wow Factor?

Ford and Arthur (holding The Guide) in the BBC TV Series © BBC

Ford and Arthur (holding the Guide) in the BBC TV Series © BBC

I am currently in the process of introducing a friend to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy amongst other geek classics. Last night when she came over for the evening I sat her down to watch the first episode of the BBC adaptation from 1981 and she really enjoyed it. I however found myself wondering something as we watched: Will the Guide itself ever be as amazing for her as it was for me and for all the generations prior to mine who watched, listened, or read about it? I don’t think it will, and here’s why.

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The GeekMoms Podcast #26: Chevy’s Mom Engineers Talk Cars and Encouraging Kids’ Dreams

General Motors recognizes the importance of having women involved in the development of its cars and had a whole team of mom engineers working on the new Chevy Malibu. GeekMom Nicole Wakelin talks with two members of that team and discusses what it’s like being a woman in a predominantly male field as well as how to encourage kids to pursue their dreams in spite of stereotypes that might tell them otherwise.

Subscribe in iTunes, via RSS or direct download
Music: Rebecca Angel

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People-Power Lights 2012 Olympic Walkway

Pedestrians walking on Pavegen tiles at the West Ham tube station walkway in London

Pedestrians walking on Pavegen tiles at the West Ham tube station walkway in London. Photo: Pavegen Used with permission.

When I first met Laurence Kemball-Cook he was showing me how he’d hacked a cheap AM-FM radio in his hotel room the night before. He rewired it to run off his own kinetic energy instead of the batteries it was designed for. He also shared photos of LED bike lights he’d hacked together that provided superior lighting at a fraction of the cost of commercial bike lights. It was obvious that Laurence had a thing for lights. Really, though, his sustainable clean energy power generation invention is what makes his story interesting.

At first glance, the Pavegen tile looks like a low-tech block of plastic with an LED light embedded in the center — kind of like an overstuffed version of one of those dance game tiles that teens love. But its simplicity is genius. The tile is really a sophisticated device that captures the kinetic energy from human footfall traffic and converts it into usable electric energy. When stepped on, the tile surface flexes five millimeters, converting kinetic energy to around five to seven watts  (five to seven joules) over the duration of the footstep, depending on the force exerted on the tile. That’s why Laurence needed to hack the radio – he showed the world that by jumping up and down on the tile, he could power the radio. Now consider what the tile could power if it collected energy from millions of footsteps. That’s exactly what Laurence had in mind.

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Maker Camp at Google+

Schedule for first week of Maker Camp. Photo credit: Makezine.com

I love the core idea behind Maker Faire: Project-based learning. Learning by doing. Putting the “construct” in constructivism. Maker Faire NY has been an annual family highlight for us each of its last two years–and we’re already looking forward to our next craft and explosion-filled weekend this September at the New York Hall of Science.

In the interim, however, there is Maker Camp. This summer, the inventive minds at Make have teamed up with Google+ to provide 30 days of online projects and programming for kids aged 13 and up (younger children aren’t excluded from the fun but will need to access the activities through their parent’s Google+ account).

Here’s how it works: Each day, Monday through Thursday, starting this week, a new Maker Camp project and YouTube video will be unveiled at 8am PST. Teen makers will then have from 8am-2pm PST to build the day’s project and post pics and comments on their Google+ accounts (using the hashtag #MakerCamp).

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Xeko Makes an Updated Kickstarter Comeback

The Xeko Tomato Frog sits and waits for a turf war. Photos: Cathe Post

What’s the deal?: Xeko is a game that was first available as a trading card game in 2005. It is now being reintroduced as an online game through Kickstarter.

Players: 2 (recommended for ages 8+)

Playing Time: 10-20 minutes

WHAT!? A GAME is EDUCATIONAL?: Yes, Xeko is educational. The cards feature real animal species. There is information about the species featured on the cards. The digital game should also have the added feature of  a “Google Earth” view of the game board so players can learn about the habitats their favorite animals live in. The art on the cards is also really neat. Michel Gagne is the featured artist for the game – and he has a marvelous portfolio of work.

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Batman Through the Ages: An Infographic

Image: Courtesy of Benjamin Andrew Moore

Batman has had many incarnations over the years. While I have observed the comic books from a distance, I have been a great fan of the movie representations. It began with the Adam West movie from 1966, which we had a VHS copy of that I watched religiously. In this movie I first encountered The Penguin, Catwoman, The Riddler, and The Joker. It is a much lighter version than any of the modern movies. Cesar Romero makes Jack Nicholson’s Joker look much closer in portrayal to Heath Ledger’s dark interpretation.

From a completely non-comic-fan aesthetic perspective, when Michael Keaton donned the cape and mask, I thought he made an impressive Batman, but not a particularly appealing Bruce Wayne. Val Kilmer I found to be the reverse, while George Clooney I shall just gloss over, though I do enjoy the image he provided. Christian Bale has taken to the role with aplomb in both identities and I have thoroughly enjoyed the recent movies.

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Help Manage Stress and Anxiety With emWave2

emwave

The emWave2 software. Image: HeartMath

The more I talk to women, especially geeky women, the more I realize that anxiety and panic attacks, in various forms, are a very common experience, and I’m no exception. Some people have social anxiety. Some have anxiety related to their health. Some have a more generalized anxiety. Some get a panic attack out of nowhere, whereas some are triggered by certain events. There are many ways to combat these often debilitating conditions, including using meditation, medication, diet, exercise, therapy, and a variety of other methods.

Through anxiety we are unintentionally using our minds for bad, causing ourselves mental and often physical anguish. But we can also use our minds for good. One way to do that is to use biofeedback as a form of help. Many years ago I learned about a device called emWave. It appealed to me, but I wasn’t sure about spending the money without having any first-hand experience with it. Fast forward to 2012 and I got the opportunity to try a unit for review.

The emWave2 is a portable biofeedback device to help you calm down, combat stress, or fight panic attacks. It can help you achieve certain goals such as relaxation, or awareness of your heart rate and breathing. This is based on what they call “the coherence breakthrough” which seems to just be an awareness of what is going on with your body.

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Wayne Manor For Sale: A Home For The Upwardly Mobile Super Hero

Image: Movoto.com

Bruce Wayne’s home will cost you over $32 million in real life.

If you have ever debated the true location of Gotham City then you will either feel appalled or validated by the real estate listing for Wayne Manor. Having looked at various constraints geographically and in terms of comic book history, Movoto Real Estate has decided that Gotham City is, in fact, Chicago.

The company speculates on what the real estate listing would look like should David Letterman’s prediction come true.

Comparing a map of Wayne Manor from a 1990s role playing game, with homes that are comparable in scope, the  company came up with a listing for a property valued at $32,100,000.

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