So, I’ve talked in the past how I have been working hard on “Show #15″ here at Revision 3. Well, I am happy to say that it has finally launched!

Called Social Brew, the show is all about social networks and the people who use them. It has gone through a lot of modifications, and it still very much is a work in progress. Along with producing parts of the show, I will be your guide to Bay Area meet-ups, and do a weekly segment on new apps and social networking websites.

As you all know, I live and breathe this stuff, so I am really enjoying working on this show. Also, our senior producer, Eileen Rivera has done a smashing job on really refining the idea of Social Brew.

Check it out, and please let me know what you think. Constructive criticism, likes, and suggestions welcome!

Hey friends,

I’m just gonna come out with it–I love Star Wars, and any paraphernalia related to the films. I have 2 toy lightsabers [1 Anakin; 1 Obi-won] and have gifted a Yoda, Dooku, and another Obi-won to my closest friends…so technically, I have bought them all! I also have an old cardboard lightsaber that a good friend of mine painted–but none were nothing compared to this Master Replicas Force FX Saber.

As you can see, that item is beautiful but really expensive. Plus, a big part of Jedi training is learning how to do things by yourself. So, there was only one solution left: I had to build my own.

I read a lot of websites, but wasn’t quite sure where to start. I enlisted the help of someone known on the forums as Novastar…and was glad to find out that he was relatively local. Matthew Carrauddo from The Cutting Edge was kind enough to stop by popSiren and show me how it was done. Then, I spent some time building one on my own. Want to see how it turned out? Check this out, padawans (and stick around for the bloopers at the end, pretty funny)!

If you want to know how exactly to build it and get a list of materials, see the show notes here. Now for some pointers:

1. Take Matthew’s advice; Try to get a narrow tube
I learned that bigger is not always better. Because my tube was 2″ in diameter, I had to get larger parts to accommodate it. However, finding a cost efficient thin LED Flashlight would have been even tougher if I went with the thinner sink part. Pick your battle, I suppose.
2. Use light parts, your arms will thank you!
I ended up using plumbing parts because of my large and in charge tube. Sink parts are much, much, lighter making it easier to maneuver the saber. Although, I gotta say that my guns look pretty good after toting that bad boy around for a few days :)
3. Be patient and keep focus
Building lightsabers can take some time. Understanding how it all comes together, and tweaking it for yourself can be frustrating and time consuming. Also know that this will not be your last lightsaber.

On that last note, I have to say that it’s a bit of an obsession. I want one thats even more realistic, and with noise. I’ll be tooling away in my workshop, and I’ll keep you posted on what becomes with this project. Try it out, and show me what you make!

Even though my grammar has gone to shit since the arrival of these little guys, I still love them.

Lolcats have transcended to the next level. The Lolcat Bible which has been around since November of last year has finally populated to an amusing amount–a whopping 48% is now complete according their update yesterday. Since it’s a wiki type thing, everyone can add to it. Visitors can translate a verse, passage, or even a whole chapter. Like any wiki, the more contributors the merrier!

Just to give you a preview of what’s contained in this web masterpiece, here is one of my favorite (real) segments from the New Testament, in Lolcat:

Luv is pashient n kind, luv haz no jelusniss or showin offz, luv no is stuck-up or r00dz. Luv no insistzes on doin it rite, itz not pisst off alla tiem or rezentflufflele.Luv izzn all happiez about doin it wrong, but is happiez about teh truthz.Luv putz up wiht all teh stuffz, beelivez all teh stuffz, hoepz for all teh stuffz. Luv putz up wiht all teh stuffz… i sed that areddy?

-1 Corinthians 13:4

Perhaps these nonlolcats should seek out Jebus, to bring joy to their nine cat lives. Can u haz a Happy Easterz? KTHXBAI!

This video was super fun to work on! Mauricio did a great job editing, and Randi came up with a great concept. Scoble…was wearing glitter and a red boa. What more do you need for entertainment?

Let me know what you guys think!

:)N

Hey kiddies,

I have been under the radar a bit at Revision 3, and as I mentioned earlier, I have working on the development of a couple of new shows.

I am glad to announce that popSiren has been launched! Heather Frank, my friend and mentor, worked her hiney off on this show from concept to execution. I have to say, she did a great job and I am really proud of everyone who worked on this project.

Jessica Corbin is popSiren’s redhead ringleader, Sarah Lane is the Web Prowler, Dr. Kiki Sanford is the ever-so-cool Rad Scientist, Heather Frank is our zany gal who is on The Fringe, and I am your Nerd Bird. Sit back and enjoy something that is not only aesthetically pleasing but wonderful brain food. I guarantee you will learn something! Oh, and don’t forget to digg it and tell us what you think on our forums.

:)N, your Resident Nerd Bird

I am pretty proud to say that this Black Friday, I picked up a load of brand new toys. As I was growing to be rapidly disenchanted by the amount of sold out items online on Thanksgiving, I realized that I would have to go into guerrilla attack mode if I wanted to get anything the following day. The original plan was to wake up at an ungodly hour to get to Best Buy, Circuit City, etc. to acquire everything I needed. I hit snooze on that idea, and was lucky enough to still pick up mostly everything I wanted.

Here’s what I got, with anecdotes.

Gaming

• XBOX 360 Pro w/ Guitar Hero II Bundle {$350}: It was nearly noon, and I was pretty sure these bad boy bundles would be swept up clean from Best Buy. I was unsure if I wanted to stake my birthday gift on the console and decided I would leave it to fate. When I walked in, I instantly checked to see if any were left–there were 2. I put one on hold and as a result, I have now chosen a side in the console wars! The only catch is that I can’t open it till my birthday. Guitar Hero III? Ya, I know there is a bundle with the console now, but I just need the game. Santa better have that covered.

• Forza, Top Spin 2, Ninja Gaiden Black, Dead or Alive 3, SSX, Robotech Battlecry {+/-$60}: Gamestop/EB Games was having a “buy 2, get 1″ promotion, so I snagged up a bunch of titles that I have played in the past [and are backwards compatible], or got a pretty high rating on Gamespot or IGN. Needless to say, I am psyched to play all these games. I even saw the rare and legendary Marvel vs. Capcom 2 at my local EB, but I think that I’ll have to wait until I splurge on that $70 dollar gem.

GPS

• Tom Tom One LE GPS {$120}: Since I get lost often, I really feel that this may be the most time-saving purchase that I made. It’s compact, has a nice display screen, and I really enjoy the library of voices [stupid feature to discuss, but I love it.] The big problem that I had with Mr. Tom squared was that when I tried to update the map, I got an internal server error. According to a number of forums, it’s a common problem that’s been happening in light of the TT folks updating their site. Hopefully, the site will be ready to roll soon so the Tom Tom nation can get on with their travels.

Read the rest of this entry »

For most tech-heads, Christmas usually comes a little early. That’s right–while the rest of your family is polishing up the last bits of turkey and crans’, you are at the laptop looking up steals.

I follow this same ritual almost every year, yet I never really make any huge purchases. This year, that all changes!

For once, I actually have a lot of tech that I need to acquire. Ya, that’s right need. For starters, I need to buy my parents an inexpensive digital camera [for traveling], as well as a camcorder. I used to think that I would hold-out to see whether HD or DVD cams would come out on top, however, I feel that neither did. I basically think that when it comes to a video camera that is going to be used chiefly for home videos, Mini DV is the way to go. I’ve used Panasonic and JVC in the past, but have had the best experience with Sony.

I also need a kick-ass pair of headphones for the job. I know Patrick did a whole segment on inexpensive headphones, and I am thinking of finding some Sennheisers. I like Grado Labs as they give me the “purchasing from mom n’ pop” feel, but the pair I have seem to leak out a lot of noise when I use them. I highly doubt that Sarah and Heather are interested in hearing me edit, thus making Grado’s unsuitable for the work environment. I also am looking into an external hard drive, always love collecting USB flash drives, and may pick up a snazzy new backpack.

I am already planning my Modus Operandi as efficiently as possible, and have found great use of this link, sent to me by Patrick Norton. I’ll also be checking out FatWallet, GottaDeal, and BFads.net. Also, If you aren’t out shopping already, check out this weeks Tekzilla for more Black Friday tips.

I just got home from picking up the coolest DVD case ever. The actual film inside of it has some good moments–but the packaging is out of this world. What else could it be but Transformers!!!

While looking online today, I noticed that most retailers had the standard Transformers on DVD and HDDVD, but two stores had a little more. Best Buy was offering two little toys with their 2-disc DVD. Unfortunately, the toys looked more Happy-Meal-esque rather than something that is proudly displayed alongside your original Optimus Prime circa 1985.

Target, however, had something much more applicable–a DVD case that actually transforms into a 15″ Optimus Prime! It’s not available on the website, so you may actually have to saunter into your local Target to get it. Please be assured that it is so worth it. As an added bonus, the DVD comes with a mini Transformer comic book and a special decoder to use on Target’s Transformers website. Check out the slideshow and get the “all spark” of DVD packages, people!!

p.s. Those are not my hands--totally my brothers. Man hands would be very unfortunate!

As tech enthusiasts, we deal with design frequently. Whether it is a web page or aesthetics of hardware, there is some percentage of gadgetry that overlaps with art.

I recently moved into a new cube at a very tech savvy place [which, by the way, needs some art!], and I think the the folks at Shana Logic seem to recognize where beauty meets nerd eclectics. In addition to rad jewelry inspired by computer innards and Cat5 cables, the site offers items for your abode.

Artist Cynthia Malaran has a number of nostalgic art up for grabs for $40 dollars a pop. Rustic tech featured on these wood mounted prints include the Apple Newton, Atari Joystick, NES controller, Mac Lisa, and a 3½-inch floppy disk rendering called “Boot Disk.” The entire collection seems to be a great way to spruce up any home office, and also conjure up memories of old. Who doesn’t remember playing Metroid on that old NES controller or saving reports on a good old 3½ floppy?

When I move into my digs in the near future, I plan on having a tech themed home office with complementary art. Malaran’s stuff would totally be a perfect fit! And about that jewelry–maybe it would be a good thing to give to your sweet geek of a girlfriend. I would dig it :)

Oh hai! I can haz bruteburger? kthxbai!

Just by reading my blog, I am sure you can tell that I heart Lolcats. I have the Facebook app, and have even attempted to create my own Lolcats. Honestly, nothing I could slap together would compare to this stuff.

The cutely called Halolcats is a place where Halo 3 and Lolcat fans can rejoice and share a geeky belly laugh. Built by two gamers, the site was inspired by the much anticipated release of Halo 3 and everyone’s favorite subculture–the Lolcat.

Although I haven’t played Halo 3 yet [or any Halo after the first– FPS aren’t really my thing anymore], I still enjoy this sites simple layout, creativity, and attempt at good old fashioned gamer fun. I must let you know that I know the folks behind this site, and they are just as wonderful in real life as their Lolcats are fiercely funny.

Get in ur internets, and laugh at these Flood blastin’ Lolcats!

Don't ferget to Digg meez. Plz.