playboy

Does Mafia II get 'made' or swim with the fishes?

Mafia II is the long-awaited follow-up to the 2002 cult-classic Mafia. Though it's not necessarily a direct sequel, the game does make the occasional nod to the original as well as iconic films like "Goodfellas."

Mafia II will be available Tuesday for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC.

Jeff: Make no mistake; Mafia II is not Grand Theft Auto in 1951. For starters, Mafia II is not an open-world sandbox game. That said, a quick glance at some gameplay footage would have you thinking otherwise. No, Mafia II is as linear as titles come, and though the city map of Empire Bay is littered with gun shops, clothing stores, and auto repair stations, that is just about all you can do in town.

Instead of choosing which mission to take part in, Mafia II instead threads the player along a collection of chapters that ultimately tell an engaging and highly entertaining story of the title character, Vito Scaletta. The narrative is some of the best we've seen in a game, and we were equally impressed with how well the characters were voice acted. From a strictly storytelling standpoint, we don't think any of the GTA games can touch what Mafia II has been able to convey. … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 1291: The Playboy app: it's just for the articles (podcast)

On today's show, you can finally tell people that you read Playboy for the articles ... and have it be the truth! At least if you shell out $5 for the Playboy iPad app. Also, Oracle sues Google over Android, and it doesn't look good for Google. Plus, the brewing Apple vs. BBC cage match. Our prediction: Apple wins. Apple always wins.

Can cell phones cause tinnitus?

Links from Wednesday's episode of Loaded:

Panasonic announces new 3D plasma TVs with glasses that come in kid sizesRumor has it that two new Droid phones are on their way to Verizon within the next monthBorders launches Borders Textbook Marketplace to buy and sell used textbooks for all grades Playboy launches a site that actually is safe for workA new study shows a link between cell phone use and tinnitusThe Pileus umbrella lets you go surfing in the rain...surfing the Net that is

The 404 626: Where we dream the impoffible (podcast)

A quick announcement prior to today's episode of The 404 Podcast: Good news! After several failed attempts at watching "Inception," we learn today that tickets are indeed still available for purchase. The bad news is that you have to hike out to Hoboken, N.J., to see it.

Jeff caught a showing of it last night, and Wilson joins in as they offer a unique review of the rather confusing film. Jeff even wonders if director Chris Nolan has a firm grasp of the winding plot, and it apparently doesn't help when Ken Watanabe stumbles through … Read more

Playboy launches site you can ogle at work

Playboy without naked DD-list celebrities is like a cupcake store that only serves coffee.

At least that is what one might imagine. Now, one no longer has to rely on one's imagination, because I am informed by Fox News that Playboy is determined to capture your eyeballs while you struggle with your daily cubicled lives.

It has therefore launched a new site, sans the obvious pneumatic allure. TheSmokingJacket.com, which is, I believe, something of a reference to Playboy founder Hugh Hefner's penchant for wandering around in such a garment, is still quite obviously essential male viewing.

Who … Read more

The 404 579: Where we let the poison out in 3D (podcast)

Wilson's 24-hour bug lays dormant for now, so he's back on today's episode of The 404 Podcast just in time to usher Hugh Hefner and his gang of co-eds into the studio! Trust me, if we had a magic lamp in the room we'd be rubbing it to no end for that wish to come true, but until that day comes we'll have to settle for Playboy Magazine centerfolds in 3D.

The June issue of the gentleman's magazine hitting stands Friday will feature all three dimensions of centerfold Hope Dworacyk and includes a set of those blue-and-red paper glasses so you can enjoy your porno like an 11-year-old flipping comics in the '80s.

As expected, the only words Wilson can produce are, "Ohhhh my," but Jeff and I are just wondering if this is the last futile flail by a publication made completely obsolete by the Web's generous bounty of free content. And besides, anyone who cares about porn* knows that 3D video porn is already available to anyone with four grand and a set of misdirected priorities.

A new study angrily ripped from the pages of "No $&!# News" suggests that certain four-letter curse words can help alleviate physical pain triggered by receptors in the brain. Research for the study was conducted by Richard Stephens, a psychologist in Massachusetts who was inspired by the waterfall of swear words blurted out by his wife during labor pains.

He found that certain curse words, particularly the most common forms that start with F, S, C, D, B, P, M, and T (use your imagination) allowed both male and female subjects to keep a hand in chilly water longer. At its conclusion, the participants also reported feeling significantly less pain after letting off some verbal steam.

Tune in to hear each of our favorite curse words and a glimpse into why Jeff's mouth is so dirty that it just got sponsored by Dove.

Thanks to everyone who left us Calls from the Public echoing our rants on Facebook's latest blitz on Internet privacy. We're far from finished complaining, so stick around for the second half of the show where we expose more privacy pitfalls and threaten to jump ship back to the original social network: pen friends!

*everyone

EPISODE 579 Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video

3D Playboy bunny

I once called Playboy "pornography" on Loaded and, boy, did I ever get some heated e-mails!

"Playboy is not pornography! It is art!"

OK, calm down. Can we at least agree that Playboy is adult content?

Hopefully, that does not offend those who are so loyal to the bastion of nude female portraiture.

And, now, that portraiture will come in 3D. The June issue will be equipped with polarized glasses so that the centerfold jumps right out at you. In an artistic manner, of course.

This brings up questions we've been asking ourselves about 3D … Read more

Playboy centerfold expands to 3D

Hope doesn't merely float. Hope displays audacity.

So I am able to bring you the daring news that so many of you, staring into screens, screaming for a third dimension, a fourth, or even a fifth, have been waiting for since hair appeared in your armpits. Yes, model Hope Dworaczyk will, in the June issue of Playboy, hitting newsstands Friday, become the first of the magazine many playmates to be featured in three glorious, luscious, enticing, overwhelming dimensions.

You will be able to clutch your Playboy magazine, open it wide, put on your 3D spectacles, and view Hope's … Read more

The 404 534: Where we take a stab at the daily news (podcast)

The original rundown for today's episode of The 404 Podcast started with a bunch of stories about tech-related violence, but we decided to scrap all that for a more positive show. And we're also putting Wilson on a temporary story time-out for the next few days so this doesn't happen again.

Jeff is particularly excited about this first story, because it involves two of his close loves: video games and Playboy bunnies. This fall, Take Two Interactive is partnering with Playboy on Mafia II, a mature video game that lets you play as a gangster in the 1940s and '50s. The game is replete with vintage Playboy magazines and, of course, the centerfolds. Before you start writing your local government reps, keep in mind that the images are tastefully integrated into the game's nostalgia, which also includes vintage cars and firearms to invoke the 1940s zeitgeist. Additionally, the scenes in question are fairly tame compared with another Take Two game series, "Grand Theft Auto." Remember the Hot Coffee mod in GTA: San Andreas?

The 404 prides itself on keeping up to date on pop culture trends, but the newest fad among teenage girls is churning our stomachs. Across the country, the newest thing is to get intoxicated by an alternative form of ingestion. We'll spare you the details in this blog, because my physical demonstration in the video makes it so much easier to digest. This is why we're absolutely terrified of having kids.

Now that spring has finally decided to visit New York, it's time for backyard BBQs, rooftop parties, and bikes rides! New York certainly isn't the easiest city to navigate on a bicycle, but Google Maps is now offering a cycling navigation feature to guide you along your way.

The directions route you through to your destination by cross-referencing the least busiest streets with the ones that have clearly defined bike lanes, getting you there faster and, most importantly, in one piece. Once you get to your destination, however, be sure to do everything you can to minimize the chance of theft.

In perhaps its first practical application, local New York bike messenger Austin Horse successfully recovered his stolen bike using Twitter. After someone snatched his bike, Horse immediately notified his followers to keep a lookout (not too difficult a task, as the frame is bright orange) and posted the same to a local message board. In less than 24 hours, someone recovered his vehicle in the Lower East Side and it's now back with its rightful owner--great news!

Keep sending us voice mails to 1-866-404-CNET because you know we love to hear how you're doing, and don't forget to send in your 404 sticker pictures to the404(at)cnet[dot]com. High quality shots have a good chance of making it to a blog post, like the one you see up there from our buddy Derrick Chen. Natali Del Conte on the show tomorrow, so be sure to catch us live at 11 a.m. EST/8 a.m. PST on CNET TV.

EPISODE 534 Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

Gadgettes 170: The 'enough with the feminism' episode (podcast)

We received a passionate e-mail from one of our listeners about the show's constant feminist slant. Fortunately for Nicholas, we quickly decided to devote an entire episode to the other side (for a change).

Subscribe with iTunes (audio) Subscribe with iTunes (video) Subscribe with RSS (audio) Subscribe with RSS (video) EPISODE 170

E-mail that inspired today’s episode: The “enough with the feminism” episode Enough with the feminist ranting! I want to hear smart woman discuss technology. Not feel uncomfortable as they take every dubious marketing idea personally. Why if I took every male marketing idea personally, I’d … Read more