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Gaming's worst voice acting set to hilarious face acting
Dean is a man after our own heart. This video, in which he mimes the 50 worst video game voice acting lines with brilliant facial expressions, reveals a natural talent for acting. One day, this guy will be a star -- maybe just on YouTube and gaming blogs, but a star nonetheless! Are you watching, James Lipton?
Modern War Gear Solid is totally coconuts
The latest episode in long-running series Modern War Gear Solid has just been uploaded. It's kind of hard to describe the series: it's part homage, part irreverent mish-mash of gaming's most beloved franchises. Find all five episodes past the break.
The Fantastic Mr. Star Fox is exactly what you think it is
If you've seen The Fantastic Mr. Fox, then you're probably going to find this College Humor video entertaining -- if not, well, there isn't much we can say. Have you ever wanted to see Star Fox play a banjo? It's totally in there.
Onion: Madden NFL 12 to let players feel tackles, go deaf from crowd noise
We realize The Onion, purveyors of funnies, is joking with this video segment past the break that details a new head-and-neck peripheral for Madden NFL 12, but we think there's actually potential here. Think about the people who play Madden: people who like football; people who play professional sports; and people who wish they still played professional sports. That last group has got memories to relive and the cash to make it happen. They've also got skulls thick enough to not die when the pistons in the helmet fire.
Peach and Zelda come down with a case of Stockholm Syndrome
Even outside of being recognizable and beloved Nintendo royalty, Peach and Zelda have a lot in common: They've both grown quite contemptuous of their heroic better halves. In their defense, we can't imagine living without central air, either. It's the little things in life, people.
BBC comedians ridicule tech naming schemes, make us laugh along the way (video)
They say all good comedy has a modicum of truth to it, and there's no denying that the jargon that's built up around technology is littered with opportunity for mockery, fun-poking, and general satire. Leave it to two old pros from the UK, then, Harry Enfield and Ronnie Corbett, to summarily dispatch Apple, BlackBerry, Orange, Microsoft and everyone in between in one of the better tech-related sketches we've seen. See them do their thing after the break, but be warned: the video contains (a lot) more than your recommended daily allowance of fruit puns. [Thanks, Thanasis]
Angry Birds try for a more diplomatic resolution to their pig problem
Birds have always looked down on pigs due to their inability to fly, while pigs themselves have always been envious of their flight-enabled counterparts -- it's led to much conflict between the species, naturally. But we're happy to report that today the two finally sat down for peace talks.
'The Gadget Blog' trailer
You know, our readers are really awesome. Super awesome. Not only are you guys really smart and funny, but you're wildly creative -- and there's no more compelling evidence for that argument than the video in this post. Based on nothing more than an Engadget Podcast rant, commenter (and podcast listener) Michael Jacob created an amazing parody trailer for the non-existent film The Gadget Blog. And that image up top? Created by commenter AWartinger! If you're not familiar with the source material, go back and take a listen to our most recent 'cast, but for the rest of you, enjoy the hilarity below.
Stun Fone iPhone accessory: YouTube spoof or real product?
Thanks to TUAW reader Adam, I was pointed in the direction of YouTube a few minutes ago to watch a video of a purported stun gun accessory for iPhone 3 / 3GS / 4. While I'm 99.9 percent certain that this is a spoof, the other .1 percent is wishing that the US$24.99 Stun Fone was actually available for sale. It would be so handy for those situations where someone cuts in a line ahead of me... A little research on Amazon showed that stun guns are readily available at about this price, so setting one up to be triggered by a press of the volume buttons on an iPhone isn't exactly out of the realm of reality. It would probably also require something other than the iPhone's battery to charge it up. To Jeff and his roommate, the "inventors" -- if this sucker is for real, we here at TUAW will be happy to put a review unit through its paces. Just let us know. Video (slightly NSFW) is on the next page.
Well, at least Blanka has a fallback career
It would seem that Blanka's pre-Street Fighter years living in the jungle have provided him with a set of skills valuable to today's parking attendant work force. At least, that seems to be the case based on this video courtesy of Dorkly, just past the break
Video: What if Call of Duty was a Pokemon game?
The problem with Pokemon is that it's pretty embarrassing to tell people you play it, especially if you're over the age of 13 -- just ask Griffin. They're great games, don't get us wrong. It's just that we're adults, with actual utility bills and Netflix memberships, and alive and breathing significant others. We can't risk losing all of that. That's why we want to draw your attention to this Call of Duty and Pokemon mash-up clip, available just past the break. By incorporating the two, we can maintain our adult facade, while enjoying the deep and robust RPG experience Nintendo's line of games offers without all the kiddie stuff. It's the best of both worlds!
We really wish 8-bit StarCraft was a thing we could play
StarCraft 2 may be one of the most anticipated titles of this year, but after checking out this 8-bit recreation of the game that started it all, we're inclined to cancel our pre-order and spend the rest of our days praying for a playable version. It takes us back to our elementary school days, when we thought getting to play Oregon Trail in school was about the best thing ever. Can you imagine if we had this instead? Zerg rushing would be at, like, a whole 'nother level. But we digress. Instead of pining for what could've been, you should head past the break to watch the game in action and hope for what could be: an actual playable release of this charming 8-bit recreation. What else could you possibly want in life?
The Onion: Google 'whisper ads' detect keywords in phone calls (video)
Oh man, The Onion really outdid itself this time. Its latest tech parody takes on ad-supported phones from Google meant to drive down the device's cost. Funny, because it's true. Users won't even remember a time when they didn't have a second voice whispered in their ear. P.S. The Yahoo dig at the end is classic.
Mega64 and Tommy Tallarico present: Gamer Warz 2
We really think Tommy Tallarico missed his calling in life by becoming a composer. If the first Gamer Warz and this followup are any indication, the man was meant for comedy. Gamer Warz 2 (watch it after the break) is a collaboration between Tallarico and lulz-factory Mega64 that really gets to the heart of the elitism and console preferences of the gaming community at large in a surprisingly civil and educated way. Don't get it twisted: we certainly love Tallarico's music, but this may be the funniest video we've seen in a long time.
Master Chief Sings: a 19-disc set of John 117's best
With all of that space travel going on, there's got to be plenty of downtime for the last Spartan in existence. Sure, Master Chief can just hop into a cryo-chamber and saw some wood between Halo games -- but every now and then, when nobody's around, MC likes to exercise the old pipes. You would not believe how dynamic his range is, clearly exhibited in the video past the break from IGN. Oh, and before you watch the video (and inevitably call that number to order your own set), know that we think we've finally figured out John 117's identity: Michael McDonald. [Via LazyGamer]
Mega64 shows off the Nintendo 3DS's revolutionary tech
We're not quite sure what we like best about the new video from comedy goldmine Mega64 after the break: the proposed lifelike tech behind the upcoming Nintendo 3DS (we've got our fingers crossed!) or that Korn is currently recording a new song for Haze 2. It's probably the Haze 2 thing. Regardless, it's a great spoof on an upcoming gaming handheld we know virtually nothing about, which kinda makes the handheld the easiest thing to make fun of right now. Besides Haze, of course. [Via Destructoid]
Family Guy gets pwnd in Modern Warfare 2
Hey, did you ever want to see what it would be like for your fat, obnoxious uncle to take a stab at "the Call of Duties?" Well, you're going to have to undertake that quest on your own. But we've got the next best thing: Family Guy's Peter Griffin trying to play Modern Warfare 2. It's like every single stereotype about those 'rents that just don't get it rolled into one minute-long segment, which you can check out past the break.
PSA: Portal guns are for trained professionals only
You know, we always thought GLaDOS ran the Portal simulation just so she could discover the true value of friendship, but it may really have been in the name of public service. In the video after the break -- created by Freddie Wong, who you probably recognize from his ridiculous (and hilarious) Guitar Hero video -- we get a glimpse at the likely ramifications of improper Portal gun training and how a few apathetic "friends" can ruin one of the most exciting experiences ever. And here, all this time, we thought GLaDOS was the bad guy! Note: For those of you who spot that weird frame at the end of the video -- yep, with all that gibberish -- don't bother to decipher it. It's apparently just another gag from Freddie and "friends." Yuk-yuk-yuk.
Video: Dr. Mario kinda doesn't know what he's doing
As much as we'd like to think Mario is an accredited doctor with the papers to back it up (that University of Phoenix diploma above might as well be toilet paper), the dude is just a plumber in a white lab coat. Unlike most practitioners, he's willing to throw pills at any problem and can only really deal with two issues: the chills and fever. Nothing makes this more evident than the video made by College Humor user Brentalfloss, which adds lyrics to the Dr. Mario theme ... and some kinda disturbing imagery, too. Check it out at your own risk![Thanks, Adrian!]Source - Dr. Mario with Lyrics (probably NSFW)
USB-IF to Palm: "Oh really? You've got some explaining to do."
Didn't you hate it when you were a kid, and you would complain to an adult about something one of your siblings was doing, just to end up getting yourself in more trouble than they ended up in? Well, you might say that's exactly what is happening to Palm and the ongoing dispute with Apple over the Pre's ability to sync with iTunes. The company has landed itself in some hot water after drawing the attention of the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) by filing a complaint against Apple for violating "the letter and spirit of the USB-IF Membership Agreement," which is "intended to facilitate interoperability between USB devices." What that's referring to, of course, are Apple's repeated attempts to block the Palm Pre from syncing with iTunes. The whole question of whether or not Apple is in the wrong by doing so is entirely debatable, but the USB-IF seems to be of the opinion that Apple is following the letter of the law: "In the view of the USB-IF, Palm's allegation (if true) does not establish that Apple is using its Vendor ID (VID) contrary to the USB-IF's policies... Therefore, under present USB-IF policies, the USB-IF does not consider the alleged use, without more, to be 'improper.'" To summarize, the USB-IF does not believe that Apple is in violation of the agreement, based on the information provided in Palm's complaint. What is interesting with this chain of events is how Palm continues to shoot itself in the foot trying to find a resolution. Rather than work out a deal with Apple or write a custom application to legitimately communicate with iTunes, Palm has chosen the sly path of attempting to trick iTunes into working with the Pre, first by simply identifying the device as an iPod that was made by Palm, to actually using Apple's assigned USB vendor identifiers to completely masquerade as a true Apple iPod. Perhaps even more startling, however, is that Palm is completely open about the whole process, even going as far as detailing the workaround in the complaint to the USB-IF, saying "Palm will shortly issue an update of its WebOS operating system that uses Apple's Vendor ID number for the sole purpose of restoring the Palm media sync functionality." Although openness is usually a good thing, it seems that Palm may have encountered too much of a good thing: the USB-IF turned the tables, and hinted that Palm itself may be in violation of its own agreement (emphasis added): I attach for your information the USB-IF's adopted and published policy regarding Vendor Identification Numbers (VIDs). Under the Policy, Palm may only use the single Vendor ID issued to Palm for Palm's usage. Usage of any other company's Vendor ID is specifically precluded. Palm's expressed intent to use Apple's VID appears to violate the attached policy. Please clarify Palm's intent and respond to this potential violation within seven days. What's next for Palm? Will the company finally decide to work something out with Apple? Will Palm start embedding USB chips out of refurbished iPhones so that it isn't technically misreporting the device's identity? Only time will tell, and in the meantime, at least we can look back and say "Palm, we told you so."
