renaissance

The 404 895: Where we meet a schmuck in a suit (podcast)

Sir Jon of Strick-land is a longtime listener of the podcast, but we never knew he was fluent in Elizabethan English until today's episode--by my troth, this should be good.

Jon tells us about his adventures in cosplay at local Renaissance Faires back home in Georgia, and also gives us a preview of his costume at this year's DragonCon--a Renaissance-themed Lex Luthor!

We'll also hear a voice mail from a listener in Berkeley spearheading a movement to proliferate a sarcasm font called Sartalics--along the same lines as the SarcMark, but way cooler.

The 404 Digest for Episode 895

Follow Jon Strickland on Twitter. Woman gets duped by thieves, buys wooden "iPad." Listener "California from Maya" Photoshops the first Domino's Pizza on the moon. Convey sarcasm online using Sartalics. Survival tips for DragonCon, a gathering of sci-fi and fantasy fans.

Episode 895 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

The 404 679: Where we delivereth thy podcast episodeth (podcast)

Summer is officially over and no one is happier with the sun's absence more than The 404 Podcast. Fall also happens to be the ideal season for Renaissance faires, and this weekend I checked out Medieval Festival at Fort Tryon Park up by the Cloisters.

Unfortunately, I didn't see anyone in a centaur costume, but I did witness a "real" jousting tournament, not to mention a falconer and Black Wolf the Dragon Master himself, from the Triumph the Insult Comic Dog segment at the Clone Wars premiere.

Tune in to the first half of today's episode to hear the rest and click the slideshow below for photographic evidence of my nerddom.

Switching gears to the only tech story in the rundown, Toshiba introduces the Regza 12GL1, the first line of 3DTVs that don't require a set of cheesy glasses. The 20-inch flat-panel display provides "nine different perspectives of each single 2D frame," which are then "superimposed...to create a three-dimension impression of the image."

Don't worry, we're totally confused by that quote as well, but we also think it's really funny that you have to sit 3 feet away to get the 3D effect. The Toshiba 20GL1 will be for sale in Japan later this year for $2,900, so now might be a good time to take out that second mortgage.

Enjoy the show!

Episode 679 Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

Nintendo strikes Wii hotel deal

If you're going to be staying at the Renaissance New York Hotel Times Square on business, you might need to have someone come get you when it's time to leave for your meetings.

That's because the hotel, and several others in the Marriott chain, will now be featuring Nintendo Wiis in their rooms, along with a selection of 20 games. Mass meeting delinquency is sure to follow.

According to a release from Nintendo on Tuesday, the Times Square hotel, along with Marriotts in five cities around the country, are going to begin stocking hotel rooms, or the … Read more

How Louis XIV would hide a plasma TV

Apparently some homeowners think that disguising a wall-mounted plasma with a mirror or painting is for the hoi polloi--hardly suitable for the truly opulent interior. Recognizing such discerning taste, North Carolina-based Tapestries Limited has developed a motorized device that can store a woven work and dramatically descend it over the surface of a flat TV on command, Electronic House says.

It can be lowered on a moment's notice by a remote control, which will come in handy while watching your favorite episode of the Three Stooges when the neighbors drop in unexpectedly. The company, which will also sell the … Read more