Please excuse me for Monday’s unexpected postponement of the Superheroine Battle Royale! There was a wardrobe malfunction – busted seams and everything. Not pretty. Actually, it was really pretty, but moving on … :-P

The match-up was epic, but as you can already tell – we’ve crowned us a winner!

Miss Quinn, Miss Quinn, do you have any comment for your fans?

‘Hehehe Never go against me or my baby, Mista Jay. That gun-toting walking bra needed a lesson that powerful things come in little packages – just like me and my explosives! Kablooie!’

… is what she would say if I were writing her dialogue :-) Thank you all so much for playing with me and distracting me from the monotony of the real March Madness. It might be sacrilege to some of you, but I really don’t ‘do’ basketball.

Anyway, let’s move on! Here’s a peek at what’s going on today:

--My love affair with all things G4 hasn’t come to an end yet: AOTS host Olivia Munn is branching out while keeping those roots firmly planted in her Leia gold bikini. PS – She posed for Playboy? Really? Huh.

--My non-love affair with iPad hasn’t moved either: Looks like it’s another Apple hit, but techies are holding back. Oh, and are you having connectivity issues with yours? The fix is here.

--Not if you gave me a free ticket and a multi-million dollar life insurance plan. No.

--Ohmigosh, my nerdy-editor little heart just skipped a beat – but don’t worry, Scrabble really isn’t changing its rules. Breathe.

-Sister of mine, I found this iPad story for you. And, I mean it in the most non-snarky way possible. We only learn through being showed the facts, right?

--Only read this story on Facebook if you’re secure enough in your own browsing rationale. Otherwise, it could feel like a bucket of ice water tossed directly into your nice warm bed.


... On Friday, I’ve got a review of GelaSkins: the vinyl covers for all your best gadgets. Sneak peek: They are beautiful, but functional as protection? Umm… See you then!

Labels: connectivity fix, facebook, Harley Quinn, iPad reviews, scrabble, superheroines

Is there anything better than a Boston Creme Dunkin' Donut to get your day started? Yeah, all you health nuts can balk in dissent, but that slight crust of hardened chocolate, that burst of the creamy center, the light density of the donut cake... Mmmm... Pair that with some bold espresso and some Owl City and you've got my morning.

Anyway, moving on, we've got headlines and an update on the Superheroine bracket! We're down to the final two combatants and I'm *dying* to crown the winner. And, if there is anyone who can explain some of the lyrics to the 'Ocean Eyes' CD to mean, I'd welcome your insight ...

--You know what an Easter Egg is, right? ... Yeah, that's not what I meant. I mean the little hidden treasures and features secretly placed on DVDs and websites. Here is a great example: go to http://www.jkrowling.com/. That site is pretty much made of Easter Eggs -- click on the pen, or type on the cell phone, or find your own -- each little egg you find unlocks a bonus piece of content otherwise hidden to the average user.

The internet is famous for these little bits, and DVDs have gotten in on the game, too. That was a long intro to the idea of an Easter Egg, but this feature story on, if you will, the treasure maps to finding DVD Easter Eggs is worth it.

--Greenpeace has now turned its sights on cloud computing. It's a funny article, but first...

What's cloud computing? If you think of your personal desktop as the ground, and the internet as the blue sky above you, cloud computing is the act of keeping your programs, or 'desktop' somewhere in the sky -- hence, among the clouds. Facebook and Twitter are good examples of cloud computing. Why is this good? If you computer crashes, you don't lose your files; and, you can access your 'desktop' or programs from any computer with a www connection. The bad? Privacy concerns and, according to Greenpeace, it's still not good for the environment.

Sigh. Yeah, that's right, bash everything trying to help and you'll keep convincing those converts.

I'm just making myself aggravated, so let's move on the the 'Superheroine/Villainess Bracket'!

I've tallied all your votes and counted mine twice -- Hey, whose idea was this anyway? :) Pipe down! -- and here are the final two for our 'Last Chance' Round 3:

Harley Quinn v. Lara Croft! Email me your vote at ByteSized@Captivate.com NOW!

OK, let's forget all of the other match-ups that have lead to this epic battle and just take a look at our featured ladies.

On the left, we have the epitome of sass. Harley Quinn used to be a psychotherapist at Arkham Asylum -- until the day she became unnaturally obsessed with her patient, The Joker. Initially, she pined for him in a lapdog kinda way -- until she realized that she could breakout her own small band of clown-faced misfits. Of course, she still has her 'Mista Jay' on her speed dial in case she needs a late night, erm, smile fix.

So, what's she got going in this fight? First, she's a sprite -- small, fast and absolutely adorable. Weapon-wise, she has comically large guns and explosives ... you name it, Harley will try it. She's the bad girl who can make you laugh even while she's lining you up in her sights. If Hollywood were casting her for Dark Knight 3 (which they will, unless they're a bunch of MORONS), the no-brainer pick would be Reese Witherspoon.

So, does this make Lara Croft the underdog? Hardly -- and don't ever let her hear you call her that. Born into great wealth and privilege, Lara has always made her own way. She's got all the bleeding-edge tech her gajillions can buy without the entitled-bitch attitude to go with it. No matter where adventure lives, Lara will find it.

Then we have her beauty. Girlfriend has made a generation of gamer-boys (and some girls) lifelong fans with her go-on-forever legs as stocked with sleek feminine muscles as they are with guns, ammo belts and combat boots -- not even to mention her other, erm, assets.

If Harley is cute, Lara is beautiful. I mean, has there been a better casting (other then my previous idea) than Angelina Jolie? I think even Lara herself would nod in approval.

So whose got the edge -- the harlequin doll with the deadly sense of humor, or the stocked-and-stacked tomb raider? Don't forget to email me your vote now at ByteSized@Captivate.com!

Check back here Monday for the winner and the match-up recap ... oh, and I might have some headlines too ;) Have a good Easter weekend!

Labels: alternative bracket; cloud computing; Easter Eggs, superheroines

I was too sleepy and the rain was too delicious pattering on my roof to stay awake to watch ‘LOST’ last night, but please by all means discuss and dissect to your heart’s content.

Here is my PAX East video again for your viewing pleasure! I hate to preface something – it starts you off on the wrong foot – but this was a pure Amber effort save for the questions I asked ‘X-PLAY’ host Adam Sessler. I taped the whole thing on my Flip Mino, which worked splendidly, and spend most of Saturday editing and adding the music track – which, btw, I’m not sure I’m allowed to do in the strictest sense, but oh well. And, I was chewing gum. I *know* -- totally sorry.

Now, enjoy :-) PS – Adam, call me if you want to do a DnD segment, k? :-)

So, as far as highlights from the show, I totally loved the new ‘Prince of Persia: Forgotten Sands’ game. I’m always the navigator to Husband’s Xbox heroics, and there is something about the ‘Prince of Persia’ stories that makes sitting on the couch as an observer really come to life. And, when a game’s mechanics and action sequences make you gasp … well you just know it’s going to be awesome.

This time around, they’ve added the idea of the prince having control over different elements – earth, air, fire and water – which then manifests into your character’s ability to freeze spurts of water coming off the walls to zing across them, or freeze waterfalls to wall-run across them, then unfreeze a curtain of ice to jump onto a ledge hiding behind it … Just really cool stuff to look at, and a different dynamic than I’ve seen before.

Also, there is this power called ‘crowd control’ where the prince can call out a whirlwind-type destruction blast by planting the little sword/knife thing into the ground (great descriptions, right? very professional … geez). The swirling wind kills all the minions attacking you and leaves you free to kill the ‘spawner’ guy in the corner who’s making all the minions.

See, this is why I don’t do video game reviews :-) hehehe Anyways, it’s totally cool and I can’t wait to get my hands on it. Now it’s just a waiting game -- and, had Husband not lost a bet to his friend, I’d already be enjoying ‘BioShock 2.’ Sigh.

Moving on from PAX, I’ve got some fun stuff lined up for you all in the coming weeks, including a review of GelaSkins – they’re like protective covers for your electronic gadgets but they’re much nicer-looking – and the wrap-up of our ‘Superherione’ Bracket …

... Speaking of which, let’s check in on the Femme Fatale round to see who came out on top! (BTW, cast your votes by emailing me at ByteSized@Captivate.com – like, now.) We’re down to four wicked cool ladies and tempers are set to ‘fierce’! I feel like I need Tyra to ref this one as the battles start raging …

Samus was no match for bubbly Harley Quinn, who bounced around and giggled her way to a shut-out victory. Meanwhile, Rogue sapped all Wonder Woman’s wonder and walked away with a TKO.

Round 3 Preview: They say everybody loves a joke but no one loves a fool – can Rogue overpower Harley and her overwhelming cuteness?

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Lesson learned: Never underestimate the bitchiness of a cat. Batgirl did and she was batted out of the air by Catwoman too many times to count. And speaking of underestimation, Teela must not get a lot of kick-ass females in Eternia, because she got her staff handed to her by gun-toting bad girl Lara Croft.

Round 3 Preview: Precocious felines will turn a playful companion to tatters – think of what they can do to their enemies. Lara Croft sure shows a lot of skin. Can she keep Miss Kitty and her claws at arm’s length?

Remember, send me your votes to ByteSized@Captivate.com! We’ll be back Friday with a preview of the weekend’s ‘Double Trouble’ matchup between the best two ladies standing. See ya then!

Labels: Adam Sessler, march madness bracket, PAX East 2010, superheroines

Tah-dah! Without any ado, here is my video coverage from PAX East 2010! It's about 10 minutes long and includes my interview with G4's Adam Sessler from 'X-Play' -- plus some great music tracks!

OK, so a few things to keep in mind: I was there by myself. I was the camera girl. The place was massive. I edited the video myself.

So, I was a little starstruck meeting Adam ... but he was just so nice :) And, I love that I'm, like, the face of Captivate now for the G4 crew as they make their way up the elevators. Cracks me up :) I'll have more coverage of PAX East in a few days after I gather my thoughts a little more and download my camera pictures ... Oh, and thank you all for your great questions!

Now, onto The Superheroines/Villainesses Bracket!

As promise, if you want to follow along at home, here is a .PDF download of the weekend's action!

In the Sugar and Spice Round:

Harley Quinn out-sassed Mystique with a few well placed explosives before back-flipping her way back to 'Mista Jay!' Meanwhile, Samus and her cannons proved too much for Princess Allura. Sans the rest of her multi-limbed robot, though, she didn't really stand a chance.

Round 2 Preview: Harley is a wicked little clown but she'd better watch her back against this robotic chick. Overall, this is the battle for the spotlight -- Harley has her self-image issues, but there is something about a bodysuit of metal armor that just screams 'Look at me!'

She-Ra was smack-talking Rogue's premature gray, but this X-Man flattened the crowned beauty and her bountiful gold hair. Across the pond, this was a close one -- neck and neck most of the bout -- but Wonder Woman's fierce whip cracked one time too many for psychic Jean Grey.

Round 2 Preview: Rogue has the magic touch and is heavily favored, but Wonder Woman's reach-2 could give her the edge. The girl power is overwhelming on both sides. Will a dose of anger and a box of black hair dye give our flag-pantied femme the 'fatale' to move on?

There were claws and balls of fur flying everywhere, but Catwoman prevailed over Black Cat in the end and celebrated with a much-deserved bath. Up in the air, Batgirl's nimble acrobatics caused Supergirl to foul out early in the third quarter -- tough break and tough call by the refs, but she deserved it.

Round 2 Preview: It's the cat vs. the bat -- and honestly your guess is as good as mine. The feline is slinkier and smoother, but blue eyes, pointy ears and a cape? Come on now! It's too close to call but definitely one not to miss.

Hawk Girl swooped but bobbled her shield-like mask, giving Teela and her staff an opening to break through. In the other match-up, I wish I could say it was close ... but it wasn't. Lara Croft was in and out and done before Zelda could straighten her skirts and finish texting Link.

Round 2 Preview: Will it be as easy this time around for our 'Tomb Raider' against the wickedest bikini-clad bad girl ever to come out of Eternia? Tune in on Wednesday and find out!

(Again, if you want to play along, here's the PDF download!)

Labels: Adam Sessler, alternative bracket, G4's X-Play, PAX East 2010, superheroines

I have never participated in a real March Madness bracket, like, ever -- but I do love the silly ones that pit awesome characters against each other! And, being a girly geek, I (with some awesome man help) made up my own. So, without further ado, here is ...

Labels: alternative bracket, march madness bracket, superheroines