Geek culture

Breaking: White House Tumblr says it's GIF, with a 'hard G'

The first post on the White House's official new Tumblr boldly tackles a topic sure to inspire as much debate in certain circles as immigration reform, tax cuts, and gun control -- the pronunciation of "GIF."

I, being the softie that I am, have always pronounced the acronym for Graphical Interchange Format "jif" (it sounds more French), but the White House informs me I am wrong and may be declared an enemy of the state. "Hard G," it declares on a graphic (or is that jraffic?) previewing the kinds of content we should expect to see on the new Tumblr -- everything from behind-the-scenes photos to updates on policy and First Dog Bo (and, presumably, Bo's take on policy updates).

And because a Tumblr without them wouldn't be worth its weight in dancing cats, "yes, of course there will be GIFs," it says. … Read more

A $12,000 music box for the Sith Lord who has everything

We've seen a number of drop-dead beautiful watches this week from Baselworld 2013, but meanwhile watchmaker MB&F has introduced this delightful spaceship that plays music.

The Musicmachine, part of the brand's Performance Art series, is a music box that plays your favorite melodies from science fiction and classic rock on rotating cylinders.

Produced with high-end music box maker Reuge, the 18-inch-long craft has a walnut sound amplification chamber that doubles as a fuselage, and two aluminum outriggers. The two music-playing brass cylinders are powered by mainsprings wound by turning two attached propellers. Each cylinder has 72 notes per comb. … Read more

Assassin's Creed series turned into epic slasher movie saga

Some people take cut scenes in a video game for granted, skipping mercilessly past eye-popping visuals and compelling -- or sometimes forgettable -- dialogue.

With more than 55 million copies sold, the Assassin's Creed series holds a special place in the hearts of many gamers, but Indiana astronomy tutor Andy Gilleand took things to a new level. Gilleand carefully created movies out of the cut scenes and gameplay from the five main titles in the series. In total, the movies collectively span over 16 hours and average about 3 hours each. … Read more

The 404 1,257: Where we're blank on the inside (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Virgin America flights allow mile-high flirting.

- Nintendo: Don't expect a big event at E3 this year.

- Next Xbox: Microsoft sets big reveal for May 21.

- Wii outsells Wii U.… Read more

Blacksmith forges Minecraft diamond sword from steel

Armorer Tony Swatton wasn't content to stop at ax-sharp Batarangs. Nope, he had to go and forge a Minecraft diamond sword in his blazing hot blacksmith workshop of awesomeness. Somebody get that man a cold beverage, because he's on geek fire!

While Minecraft has multiple levels of swords, starting with wood, Swatton went with the highest level, diamond. It's all documented in sweaty, fiery detail in his YouTube series, Man at Arms.… Read more

Marvel at NASA's mesmerizing 3-years-of-sun-shots video

We've always been told not to stare at the sun, but NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) has been doing just that for the last three years. Since it started operations, the SDO has taken a shot of the sun using its Atmospheric Imaging Assembly every 12 seconds on 10 different wavelengths, giving scientists an unprecedented look at the shifting moods and surface of our nearest star.

NASA put together a 3-minute video of the sun's last three years and set it to lovely music. The result is a yellow, fluctuating, spinning globe, spitting out flares over time. It's nearly hypnotizing.… Read more

'Star Trek' Wikia fan portal warps into cyberspace

A new enterprise was born today. The Trek Initiative brings together wiki host company Wikia and Roddenberry Entertainment, the creators of "Star Trek," in a brave new Web site dedicated to offering fans a home planet on the Internet. It offers communities for fan interaction, fan fiction, fan films, and rare images from the Roddenberry Entertainment archives.

Hard-core Trekkies will particularly enjoy a 55-minute audio clip of Gene Roddenberry discussing his motivations for "Star Trek" and his views on the future of humanity. The "Star Trek" franchise is currently under the ownership of CBS, publisher of CNET.… Read more

Nerd nirvana: Top 10 nerdiest cities in America

In just about every American city, you can find a bastion of nerdiness. There's a comic book store, or a video game shop, or a fantasy convention where all the geeks get together. Some cities, however, are much more serious about their nerdiness than others. Real estate site Movoto recently put together a list of the top 10 nerdiest cities in America.

The list was based on factors like the number of geeky conventions, the distance to the nearest Renaissance faire, and the ratio of people to computer stores, comic book stores, and live-action role-playing groups. Admittedly, it's not the most scientific of methods for determining nerd levels, but you have to set the bar somewhere.… Read more

The 404 1,256: Where we go off the charts with Shanon Cook (podcast)

Spotify's Top 10 Trending Songs of the Week

Daft Punk - Get Lucky - Radio Edit Lorde - Royals Robin Thicke - Blurred Lines Hunter Hayes - I Want Crazy Nashville Cast - Ho Hey Florida Georgia Line - Cruise - Remix Avril Lavigne - Here's To Never Growing Up Selena Gomez - Come & Get It Psy - Gentleman Bastille - Pompeii… Read more

Snap a photo with a turtle shell

Taxidermy and technology aren't two words you usually associate with one another, but Swiss artists Taiyo Onorato and Nico Krebs managed to make the two subjects collide in an unconventional series of works featuring cameras made out of the hallowed remains of books, armadillos, and turtles. Yes, you read that correctly.

Fortunately, no animals were harmed in the making of the series, as Onorato and Krebs sourced the creatures from flea markets and other uncommon outlets. … Read more