Offbeat posts

The battle has long waged between different gamer types. Which is better, console or PC gaming? That’s a question that likely won’t be answered in this generation, but we can all keep trying. Since 2009, PC game revenues have increased while console game revenues have decreased. 2010 marked the first recent shift in trends where more money was generated through PC game sales than console games. The trend started showing signs of reversing this year as projections for the holidays and into 2012 show a greater increase in console gaming sales over PC. Hardcore-PC-Gamers often point to processing…

We often take the ability to see inside the human body for granted, and why wouldn’t we? X-ray technology is well over a century old. But imagine you live in a time where science isn’t really sure what an atom is and the discovery of electrons is merely a glimmer in some frisky physicists’ eyes, and you begin to appreciate just how insanely intelligent some of these scientists had to be to harness and comprehensively describe the X-ray in its early days. Oh and there was also the fact that they completely revolutionized modern medicine with a discovery matched only by the discovery of antibiotics…

We know where to look to see what Johnny had for breakfast, how little Timmy slid into 3rd base, and what’s happening with Lady Gaga. There is no doubt that social media has connected us to our friends, family, and current events in ways that we couldn’t even imagine a decade ago. When it comes to business, that’s where things get a little more gray. Is it really working? Let’s face it – most who have tried to use social media for business purposes have been met with certain levels of disdain and abuse. They get called spammers. They’re get unfriended, unfollowed, blocked, banned, or publicly ridiculed….

Every now and then you come across something that’s, well, different. It’s hard in today’s world where so many products are simply variations of others. Creativity seems to be dying with the compact disc. The “different” that popped up was these geekaliciously epic 3D Steampunk Robot Magnets. Steampunk is getting old and robots are so yesterday, but there’s something about these little contraptions that screamed at me. I haven’t bought any yet – hard to swallow at $15 a pop – but by golly there’s a yearning that will need to be quenched. Someday. …

The best part about being the Winklevoss twins is that they’ve put in the effort already. Everything else now seems to either fall in their lap or fall off their plate. Whether it’s having to settle for a mere $65 million for having the concept of Facebook allegedly stolen from them or the various endorsement and consultation deals they’ve been able to get from their infamy, the Olympic twins have done well for themselves in the last 5 years. Now, they’re doing more with pistachios. Yes, pistachios. Wonderful Pistachios, a company that is turning up the knob on viral videos ever since increasing…

If there’s one thing Ashton Kutcher is good at, it’s investing. Unfortunately for him, that’s simply a hobby of sorts, with his profession being an actor in Hollywood. Should he make the change once his run on Two and a Half Men ends? We say yes. At TechCrunch Disrupt today, Kutcher was more than entertaining. He came across smart and savvy, then brought cheers from the audience when he said he flew on Southwest Airlines from Los Angeles to San Francisco. “I feel bad taking a private plane from there to here,” he said. “It’s not very energy efficient.” While on stage, he revealed that he tried…

The demise of a once-mighty website is often hard to watch. Many people still have fond memories of MySpace – it was the first social network for a good portion of the online world and did its part to launch social media into the mainstream. Traffic has been steadily declining all year, faster than originally anticipated. When it was sold in June for $35 million, most believed that the shell of the company would have to be scrapped and the core would have to be rearranged completely in order to remain relevant beyond 2011. Evidence of the decline is visible in the most recent numbers from Hitwise. The…

There are certain things that are made to be impossible in this world. One of them is breaking into Fort Knox. The security measures are so extreme, they’re almost comical. Nobody other than a large army could get beyond the first measures (and there are several beyond those). From 4-foot thick granite outer walls to 27-inch thick steel and concrete vaults, the fortress could withstand an atomic bomb. Everything has a backup, and most of the backups have a backup. Getting in is simply impossible. This infographic by our friends at CreditSesame shows just how tight the vault is. They also explore…

Last month, reports started circulating that Apple had lost another iPhone prototype in a bar. This time, it was an iPhone 5, the highly-anticipated next smartphone in the iPhone line. Comedian Conan O’Brien and his team put together a skit about Apple’s “response” to the person or people who currently have possession of the device. It is done very well in proper Apple video advertising style, only with the necessary injections of O’Brien humor. …

If you’re into extreme sports, you’ll dig this. If you’re into watching insane people doing insane things from the safety of their webcam, you’ll love this. Welcome to Valparaiso Cerro Abajo, the premier downhill bike race of the year. It doesn’t necessarily get as much press as others because the entrants are normally fewer than other downhill races. Once you see the videos, you’ll understand why. Unlike most races, this is on a very “loose” track. The streets and sidewalks of Valparaiso, Chile, are not conducive to normal biking and are made more treacherous by the narrowing of the course, poorly-built…