Tags: Geek Loot


Guys don't cut and stab things as much as they used to. With pocket knives, I mean. Or anything, for that matter. How many people carry pocket knives anymore? No one needs to cut ropes, trim branches, cut the whiskers off of big game, or anything like that so much anymore. There's not much in our cubicles that needs cutting.

The Victorinox folks are trying to keep up with the times. They have some new Swiss Army knives that might entice geeks to keep knives in their pants: the Swiss Memory pocket knives include a USB Memory key up to 2 GB in size! Talk about the ultimate geek toy! A knife that you can plug into your computer!

"How big is your knife?"
"Mine is 2 GB!"
"Gosh!"

I find it interesting that all USB swiss army knives include a nail file. I guess they know that most computer geeks chew their nails, so maybe a nail file is a good idea.

Tags: Elder Scrolls   Games   Geek Loot   Reviews


My big red Alienware PC is now about two years old. Seems like I just bought it. *sniff* As I mentioned earlier, I bought BioShock, the smash hit new game that doesn’t work. Well, this game really showed me how old my computer is. The graphics are still good, and oh-so shiny, but the framerate just isn’t high enough to allow me to react fast enough to the zombies... er, mutants... er, splicers? I don’t know, whatever they are. They’re zombies with a stupid name.

So, disappointed, I switched over to playing Oblivion again. I still love that game. Then I thought about making it run even better. I mean, eventually BioShock will get a much-needed patch (right?!) and then I’ll want to play it. So, I downloaded the Computer Internet to my hard disc driver, and found that video card prices have dropped delightfully! I was expecting to see the latest cards being sold for $300 or more (Canadian dollars), but found one of the recommended upgrade card (see Tom’s Hardware) for as low as $192! Wow, a PC upgrade that’s cheaper than an XBOX 360? Too good to be true.

The Tom’s Hardware upgrade guide I referenced describes my PC perfectly. It’s like they wrote it for me. But instead of following the advice strictly, I just bought the video card and ignored the CPU upgrade suggestion. Turns out it was a fine decision, because now I’m playing Oblivion with things turned up almost to max! BioShock looks better too, but still crashes all the time. So my “old” hardware wasn’t the problem. It really is just a broken game.

Click to continue reading...

Tags: Comics   Discounts   Geek Loot


Things From Another World is having a contest for all the Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans. Joss Whedon created the franchise that won't quit. The Buffyverse continues after the end of the TV series in Season 8, the comic series, fully endorsed and produced by Whedon himself.

Apparently the success of season 8 has inspired ideas of spin-offs and more seasons. Could we one day see a movie continuation, much like Serenity was a continuation (conclusion?) to Firefly? I'm sure a Buffy movie would be a hit.

Wikipedia tells me that a BBC movie based on the character of Rupert Giles is nearly official, called Ripper. This info comes from Whedon himself, so Buffyverse geeks should be excited. A Spike movie would be more exciting, but close enough.

Anyway, check out the contest for Buffy loot.

Tags: Games   Geek Loot


UPDATE Sept. 5, 2007: This product has been discontinued! Crap.

Comic convention season is ending. If you went, you probably noticed people with all kinds of cool costumes and loot! The Final Fantasy VII characters are a pretty common sight at most cons, thanks mostly to Cloud’s giant Buster Sword.

Cloud’s sword is so ridiculously big that it only works in Anime or as cardboard... or does it?

Some crazy sword maker has created a real metal replica of this iconic sword. It is made of four steel blades that lock together into the one huge weapon. With all the steel involved in its construction, it weighs a hefty 15 pounds. If you can stand to carry this beast around at next year’s comic conventions, you’ll be sure to induce nerdgasms everywhere you go!

Check it out!

Tags: Discounts   Geek Loot


So I was walking around my part of town on the weekend wearing my new "Dinosaurs Were Big" t-shirt when something happened that I very much enjoyed! A couple of people stopped me to say how much they loved the shirt and wanted to know where they could get one. How often are you stopped on the street just so someone can tell you how good-looking you are?

For some reason, people connect with powerful statements like "Dinosaurs Were Big". It's something we are taught at a very young age, and it stays with us our entire lives. It is perhaps the only thing that we can truly believe! With all the uncertainty we face, we can always trust that dinosaurs were in fact big, whenever they walked the earth. Have you ever heard someone deny the bigness of dinosaurs? You can wear this shirt knowing that everyone will agree with its statement. They might even applaud your zeal for the truth.

Anyway, the answer to these strangers' query was that such cool shirts can be found at Nerdy Shirts, an on-line store of off-beat shirts based on video games and retro 80's stuff. The shirts are printed on American Apparel tees, and fit very well. I hate shirts that fit like potato sacks, so I'm pleased to find that they fit the way the website's sizing chart advertises. Be sure to check the chart before choosing a size. I ordered large, while I usually wear medium at other American franchise stores, like the Gap, which fit big around the waist.

Right now they have a new selection of retro Transformers shirts. If you would wear one of these shirts, then you've probably already seen the movie. To have any cred while debating whether it rocked or sucked, you better be wearing a Transformers t-shirt!

Tags: Discounts   Geek Loot   Star Wars


Today I post my first article about geek loot for sale on-line. I want to hunt for discounts and coupons at on-line stores and publicize them here for all geeks to take advantage of. The danger of this scheme of mine is that I'm finding all these deals and my credit card feels the burn! I'm hopeless! But at least I'm saving money... that's what I'm telling myself.

Anyway, Things From Another World has a dragon's horde worth of stuff for all tastes. Right now they have discounts on some large Star Wars vinyl figures, including some by Japanese award-winning Kotobukiya. These figures measure around 12 inches tall, and include classic poses from the original trilogy, as well as some prequel characters like Darth Maul. Until July 31, these figures are discounted between 20% and 50%.

Now is a good time to shop for Star Wars collectibles since the franchise is in a lull. The last movie was more than two years ago, and the new TV series are still far away. Poor George Lucas, how does he pay the bills these days?

If you have any of the Kotobukiya figures, leave a comment and let me know what you think. I've never seen them myself, but the photos look great. I'd love to see some action shots!