Angry Birds: Peace Treaty

From one of my all-time favorite iPhone games, Angry Birds.

Nerdom + Rubick's Cube + LEGO Robot

equals awesome.

This video is just fun to watch.

Tempus II

Who doesn't like to watch everyday objects explode in slow-motion?

Exactly! Here you go.

Tempus II from Philip Heron on Vimeo.

Lagoa Technologies - Sick Video

Lagoa Multiphysics 1.0 - Teaser from Thiago Costa on Vimeo.

Blatant Product Endorsement: Apple

I am an admitted Apple enthusiast. I absolutely love my iPhone, I've had an iPod ever since MP3's took over the portable music market, and I am in the process of purchasing a notebook. Also, next time you are in Best Buy, go play with the iPad. I really thought it was going to be lame and gimmicky, but dammit...that thing is really cool too.

In the wake of the latest news, Apple overtook Microsoft as the world's biggest tech company. In lieu of this, here is my top 5 list for applications you should definitely procure for your iPhone/iPod/iPad/iWhatever. I'm going to skip the traditional apps that most people use, such as Shazam, Huff Post, Trapster, etc. etc. etc.





Number 5: Perfect Balance Harmony

First up! I just came across this game. It's similiar to Tetris, but only in the shape of the pieces that you will be playing with. At the top of the screen, you will notice many different shapes that you begin with. This game is really simple: stack the shapes on the block at the bottom so that they remain balanced for a few seconds. The game gets more difficult as you go on, but it's fun and challenging. Perfect for class, work, or driving! Don't play and drive.


Here is the trailer:







Number 4: Moron Test

This game/app is addictive as you try and prove that you aren't...in fact, a moron. It's hard to explain without really giving anything away. Basically there is a timer and seemingly simple tasks to complete. However, many times you will overthinkg and mess up, thus having to begin anew. Do you remember taking those tests back in elementary school to see if you have read the directions, and if you don't you will do a lot of dumb things? That can't be just me, right? Well, in any case, that is the type of game this is. Check it out and make sure that all of your friends know that they are morons and you are not.

Here is the trailer:





Number 3: Zombieville

This game is a side-scrolling adventure game that's as easy to play as the first Mario Brothers. I completely love zombies and will try just about any game that features them. In this game, you assume the role of a survivor that must traverse each level without getting eaten for dinner...or lunch, or whatever meal schedule that zombies abide to. This game is constantly updated and never ceases to be fun. New characters, each with a set ability over the other characters, new weapons, vehicles, and other items have been added. As you travel each level, make sure you stop in houses and grab the money and ammo. After each level, you can purchase health and new ammo and weapons. Don't become zombie food!

Here is the trailer:




Number 2: CRUSH THE CASTLE

In this game, you control a catapult for your king. The purpose is to attack the rival royal families via destruction! As the game progresses you procure different ammo that has different destructive capabilities. I have been playing this game the most recently, pretty much anytime work gets slow or if I get stuck at a redlight. It's addictively fun.

Hint: You can go back and replay levels with the new ammo that you receive as you go on.

Here is a fanmade trailer:









...annnnd my number 1 favorite game/app. for my portable Apple device is: FRUIT NINJA! It's common knowledge that ninjas hate fruit. If you are ever feeling froggy and really want to piss off a ninja (I have NO idea why you would), simply throw a mango, an apple, or a kiwi at them. This game is addictively simple, to the point where upon picking it up, it's pretty easy to instantly know what to do. Your finger, in essence, is a ninja blade used for the purpose of defending your honor from malicious and misguided fruit. You slice and dice your way through a multitude of flying fruit, leaving a devastating path of delicious smoothy ingredients at your feet. Sounds pretty easy, huh? FALSE! The trick is that there are also flying bombs that simmer through the air. If you so even much as nick any part of them, well then your game is over and you must begin anew. You get three strikes, which count as fruit that you let slip passed you (no good ninja allows this). However, for every 100 pieces of fruit, a strike will go away. This is one of the very few games that I have actually purchased (for the staggering price of $0.99). Also making the game worth the price, Halfbrick Studios (makers of the game) continually update the game (for free) with new fruit and new gameplay options. The newest addition is Zen mode where, in the place of bombs, there is now a time limit. For this game mode, the prospective fruit ninja must slice his or her way through combos to accumulate the highest score over a set period of time.



Personal High Scores:

Classic Mode --> 646

Zen Mode --> 226



Still not convinced? Try this trailer on for size!





Honorable Mentions:

Craving more fun games/apps, well then check out these. I don't feel like doing a big write-up for all of them, but they are all fun and worthy of getting.

• Paper Toss - This game is cool and simple. Basically, you go through various locations, such as an airport, basement, cubicle, bathroom, etc., and have to throw a paper ball into a trashcan at varying lengths. Also, there is a fan that blows at different speeds. Pretty cool.


• Words With Friends / Chess With Friends - These games are a lot of fun too. They used to be higher on my list, but I got pretty burnt out on them. Do you like Scrabble? Do you like Chess? If yes, then you will like these. Added Bonus: you get to play against your friends.


• JaredAllen/Zombie Me - These are two cool apps b/c you can take pictures you have taken of your friends and turn them into either a redneck (complete with mullet) or a zombie. Cool.


• Dexter, The Game - Do you like Dexter? Then buy this game. It's the most expensive game I have purchased ($5), but well worth it. Could easily be a Playstation game. Great quality and gameplay, especially for a phone game.


• Emoji - This is cool for texting only. You get to send cartoon pictures to other people that have iPhones. It's fun.


• Spilldamilk - This game is pretty addictive and you have played it before. You throw a softball at metal milk jugs. Fun.

Well, that's my list! Let me know what you think in the comments section.

"CNN: Porn for the Blind" --> What do Blind People See?

So I decided to finally break down and join the blogosphere after reading my friend, Spencer's (check him out - http://cerebralbabble.blogspot.com/) blog. In any case, I plan on posting on things that I experience and/or find intriguing.

I stumbled across this video on CNN a solid while ago. While I found myself giggling at times, as the immature adult that I can be, I found this to be fascinating once I began to think about the nature of arousal. On the most basic of levels, arousal is a mixture of physiological and psychological response to stimuli. Since it has been more than a few years since I last sat in my Physiological Psychology class, I had to consult with my learned colleague: The Internet.

There are many different neural systems involved in what is collectively known as the arousal system. Four major systems originating in the brainstem, with connections extending throughout the cortex, are based on the brain's neurotransmitters, acetylcholine, norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin. When these systems are in action, the receiving neural areas become sensitive and responsive to incoming signals. (Thanks, WorldWideWeb!)

Arousal is a crucial component for our existence as it is responsible for motivating certain behaviors, such as mobility, the pursuit of nutrition, fight-or-flight, emotion, and sexual activity, among others. Referring back to the video, the sexual aspect of arousal becomes interesting, in relation to blindness. According to Masters and Johnson, there exists a four-stage model of physiological response to sexual stimulation: (1) excitement phase, (2) plateau phase, (3) orgasmic phase, and (4) resolution phase. The excitement phase occurs as the result of any erotic physical or mental stimulation. It would be in this category that pornography could/would be used. However, would this new pornography for the blind only be useful for blind individuals that were previously able to see, and thus relate to past experiences, or could it also be used for people that have been blind for their entire life? For example, would a blind man be able to distinguish what would excite him about a pornographic image of a woman if he had never seen one with his eyes? Or would the other senses take over for the man and allow his imagination to fill in the (brail) dots?

It is widely known that once vision fails, the brain compensates by reorganizing networks in a kind of...cortical re-mapping. This plasticity accounts for the heightened alertness of other senses as a different one fails or other connections are formed. In terms of sexual arousal, blind individuals clearly have other stimuli to work with, just as people with perfect vision do. External stimuli such as varying degrees of touch, taste, smell (pheromones), etc. clearly dominate vision in the sexual stimulus arena (sounds like Viagra sponsored a sports team). However, would it even be useful for a blind man that has never seen a nude woman/man to "look" at this new pornography for the blind?

I suppose this question delves deeper than sexual arousal. However, it does become an interesting vessel to question the reality of those that cannot see. For most of us, vision is the basis for which we formulate an opinion on the external stimuli that surrounds us for our entire lives. It is truly intriguing to ponder what someone would "see" when vision isn't the basis for thought.