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ICYMI: Mousetrap for memory, balloon space launch and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-30194{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-30194, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-30194{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-30194").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: A virtual reality simulator putting mice through a pretend maze is analyzing memory formation that should benefit humans. A newish space launch company plans to inflate stadium-sized balloons for a gentle flight to the stratosphere, with actual flights scheduled for 2017. Meanwhile researchers built a tractor beam using high-amplitude sound waves to move small objects, which is just as cool as it sounds.
Holy Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! Tetris ported to a jack-o'-lantern (video)
What happens when you gut a pumpkin and replace its insides with heat-shrink tubing, solder, 128 LEDs, eight AA batteries, an Arduino board and clever programming? You get what self-proclaimed tinkerer Nathan Pryor calls "Pumpktris." Over the years we've seen the classic puzzle game Tetris ported to some amazing things, but a piece of fruit? Just in time for Halloween, this high-tech spin on the jack-o'-lantern features a fully playable Tetris game controlled from the pumpkin's joystick stem. Whether you're a hardcore do-it-yourselfer, or a diehard Tetris fan hoping to top the system's high score (9,800 points), you can build your very own Pumpktris. Of course, its creator estimates it'll take around 12 hours or longer to build the custom LED matrix and joystem and carve up the gourd of your choice. If you're up to the challenge, you can find a complete walkthrough of the project at the source link below. However, if you'd just like to see this quasi-organic gaming rig in action, check out the groovy video after the break.
These gaming pumpkins are a real treat, no trick
When planning a fun way to celebrate the fall season, we believe the early settlers tried a variety of creative, yet failed, traditions: Asparagus-eating contests The entire town acting out Hamlet at the same time, with their own grandfathers' skulls playing the part of Yorick Jumping off a 60-foot cliff into a pile of dead leaves Grave-robbing (that one stuck, but it became year-round and highly lucrative in a non-spiritual way) Eggplant, leek, corn and lentil carving Most of these died out with the maypole, but that last one may have led us to the modern fascination with pumpkin carving, which has now led us to these beautiful video-game-inspired pumpkins from ceemdee. This year's pumpkins feature Bastion, Doom 2, The Dig, Worms, Oregon Trail, Outlaws and Magicka. Apparently ceemdee has been doing this since 2009, and the squashy backlog is just as impressive.
Pumpkin contest winners for Final Fantasy XI
As Halloween fades into a memory of candy, costumes, and cheaply-made outdoor decorations, the MMOsphere slowly closes its doors on the various holiday events. Final Fantasy XI's pumpkin-carving contest on Allakhazam has finally drawn to a close, with the votes in and tallied and the winners determined. And if you doubt that there's a great deal of talent and originality on display with the contest, the excellently-rendered San d'Orian knight charging into battle above wasn't the winner -- they placed fourth. Third place went to a rendition of the title image for this year's Halloween event, while second place went to Final Fantasy XI's resident mad professor herself. First place went -- quite deservedly -- to this hauntingly well-rendered image of a tonberry in the darkness. The official announcement includes a tally of the votes, but that might not be quite as exciting to casual observers as a gallery of all the entries. Congratulations to the winners, and here's hoping that next year brings still more pumpkin-carving fun for FFXI.
The best of WoW.com: October 13-20, 2009
It's that magical time of year in Azeroth -- pumpkins adorn the inns, players are chowing down on candy like crazy, and a deep rhyming voice echoes throughout the world, originating from somewhere in the Scarlet Monastery. Yes, it's the in-game Hallow's End holiday again, and the Headless Horseman is terrorizing newbies and veterans alike. Head past the break for all the information you need about trick-or-treating your way through Azeroth.
World of WarCrafts: Sinister Squashling
Every Thursday, Shelbi Roach of The Bronze Kettle guides you in creating WoW-inspired crafts using real world mats with World of WarCrafts.Hallow's End is almost upon us, and with that comes flimsy masks, a chance to be named The Hallowed, and a shot at looting something more cute than sinister. Even if you miss out on this seasonal in-game pumpkin pet, you still have the chance to befriend this small squashling IRL.Here is what you will need: Small (Fake) Pumpkin Small Stick Fake Leaves Vine Wire Acrylic Paint Hot Glue Gun Wire Cutters Paintbrush Pencil Click on the images below to view a gallery of step-by-step instructions. %Gallery-34622%
Pwnage updated to 1.1
Are you an iPhone developer? Sick from missing the command line ever since you upgraded to 5A240d? Good news, everyone! PwnageTool just reached version 1.1. The new tool allows you to add custom packages, logos and fixes EDGE settings under 1.1.4. Either pop over to iPhone-dev.org or choose PwnageTool > Check for Updates (Command-U) directly from the app. Thanks, eddie m.
Warlock soloes the Horseman
Well I sure thought it would have been "some ambitious Paladin," but nope-- turns out it was an ambitious and crafty Warlock that brought the Horseman down all by his lonesome. As you can see in the video above, Deadmasters on EU Blackmoore has gone in SM with some amazing stats, and claimed all the epics off the Horseman for himself.So how'd he deal with tanking? Unfortunately, it seems like the whole thing is based on a pathing exploit-- the player can jump up on that ledge at the end of the fence, but the Horseman can't, so he basically "juggles" the bad guy back and forth while dotting and nuking him. The job gets harder when the pumpkins show up, but it's the same thing-- jump up and then jump back down when the Horseman gets close. If Blizzard had known about this, they probably could have fixed that pretty easily.But I don't mean to downplay Deadmasters' achievement-- clearly he's geared up right for the fight (look at those Affliction DoTs go!), and by the outtakes at the end, you can see that juggling the mobs just right was no easy task. It'll be interesting to see if Blizzard makes changes in the encounter next year, though-- by then, we may be level 80, and who knows what horrors will lie in the SM GY?[ via incgamers ]
