Category: geek life

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Math is hard? Not anymore: Barbie takes on engineering

Computer Engineer BarbieThere are bound to be tons of announcements out of Toy Fair this week (people seem awfully excited about Hasbro’s new AT-AT.) But what I personally find most interesting is a computer engineer Barbie. On the one hand, I was surprised that Mattel hasn’t gone there already, and that it took a “popular vote” to get her there. (The “girls vote” went to ‘news anchor.’) On the other hand… I’m not surprised at all. Not even that her laptop is pink. But a step is a step, right?

Wait a minute:

“Girls who discover their futures through Barbie will learn that they – just like engineers – are free to explore infinite possibilities, and that their dreams can go as far as their imaginations take them,” said Nora Lin, President, Society of Women Engineers. “As a computer engineer, Barbie will show girls that women can design products that have an important and positive impact on people’s everyday lives, such as inventing a technology to conserve home energy or programming a newborn monitoring device.”

Baby monitors. Not that there’s something wrong with baby monitors, but how does that even make the top ten of exciting things to do with computers? Aim for the stars, girls!

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Sequel rumblings: Indy 5 and Star Trek

While talking to MTV News, Harrsion Ford dished up a little talk about the fifth Indiana Jones film, but doesn’t elaborate much on George Lucas’ “crazy but good” idea for a new adventure, and concedes that his Extraordinary Measures co-star Brendan Fraser would probably have his Rick O’Connell character from The Mummy franchise beat Indiana Jones to the treasure nowadays.

Variety reports that Paramount released that the next Star Trek film will have its release on June 29, 2012. While J. J. Abrams will be producing, no word yet on whether he will be directing, or just adding lens flare effects. John Cho reports to IGN Movies that he’s hoping for some Khaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan in the sequel, which could either be Star Trek 2, or Star Trek 12 depending on how you count. Meanwhile SciFiWire finds some Trek fans in Seattle use body paint to make Trek uniforms (warning: NSFW). Maybe they could wear some Star Trek wetsuits.

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Your Star Wars highlights of the year and decade

There's nothing quite like half a theater breaking out into 'the hills are alive.'

With this being a slow week and me being both behind and exhausted, I thought this might be a good time to pose a question of our readers: With both coming to an end, what was your Star Wars highlight of the decade and the year 2009?

For me, the first may be seeing Attack of the Clones in Vegas with a large chunk of Club Jade. Sure, it might not be the best of the prequels, but damn did we have fun… The second? Well…

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Gift Guide: Santa Maul panders to his demographic

baseball

Santa Maul's Holiday Gift GuideSanta Maul considers himself a gentleman of taste. This means he does not wear baseball caps, or any such gear reserved for the beer-swilling masses. As such, he finds these Star Wars baseball caps – while wildly creative – not the type of thing he would ever let near his perfectly-adequate head. But again, Santa Maul’s duty here is not to outfit himself, but you… Or friends with ridiculously pedantic taste in headgear. Santa Maul only points and comment: The rest is up to you. And at least none of them hold beer.

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Gift guide: Underwear for geeks of the female persuasion

Santa Maul's Holiday Gift GuideSanta Maul has no desire to be crude, but he suspects there are many ladies among his readership who will be amused by Thinkgeek’s HTTPanties.

If underthings are not yet an appropriate gift for the geeky women in one’s life, Santa Maul urges his friends to peruse their selection of women’s t-shirts or tech jewelry. (A familiar-looking pendant necklace is on the sale.) Of course, Santa Maul knows there is much among ThinkGeek’s selection that is appropriate for all genders, and even younglings.