Geek culture

Augmented reality meets D&D-style gaming

Dungeons & Dragons and other turn-based strategy games are alive and well. Gamers paint elaborate miniature fighters, monks, thieves, and monsters and send them out to battle on tabletops around the world.

OggBoard, a new Kickstarter project, is looking to bring those characters to life without plastic or paint. The concept is to mix augmented reality with board games so that knights and creatures take shape on your iPhone.

The OggBoard has an appealingly minimalistic design. It features a playing surface with small tiles and docks on either side for your iPhone or iPod Touch. Each tile is rendered on the screen as a different 3D character.

"We aren't just trying to make new apps, we are trying to change the way players and developers think about strategy gaming," said OggBoard co-creator Sam Lytle in an e-mail to CNET.… Read more

The 404 894: Where we're touched by a tablet (podcast)

Samsclub.com finally delivered my HP TouchPad yesterday, and I can already feel the drops of regret bubbling up--listen to today's episode of The 404 Podcast before you invest in HP's next round of $99 tablets.

It's not all complaints, though--we'll also tell you what to expect from HP in the coming months, discuss the latest news in the Dept. of Justice vs. AT&T ruling, and wag our collective finger at Gawker for its unapologetic nerd-baiting.

The 404 Digest for Episode 894

HP to bring back TouchPad for last production run. Justice Department to block AT&T's T-Mobile deal. My brief OkCupid affair with a world champion Magic: The Gathering player.

Episode 894 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

A look at Star Wars: The Old Republic's end game

The highly anticipated Star Wars: The Old Republic MMORPG still lacks a release date, but Bioware isn't shying away from showing off some end-game content.

As a bit of background for the uninitiated, gamers can group together in SW:TOR and tackle challenges called "operations," which are similar to raids or instances found in World of Warcraft. These types of areas are critical to those who have reached the maximum level possible by offering intensive teamwork experiences and the chance to acquire high-powered items. Dallas Dickinson, Bioware's director of production, previews one of those operations, Eternity Vault, in a 10-minute video released a few days ago. … Read more

Trooper iPad ClamCase channels 'Star Wars'

How "Star Wars" can you get without actually paying George Lucas? ClamCase may be testing the Force with the new limited-edition Trooper case for iPad.

The Trooper logo design looks mighty familiar. The case color is described as "imperial white." The black hinge, keyboard, and rubber feet provide "intergalactic contrast." It's targeted at unspecified collectors and fans. It's unclear whether Lucas' lawyers will be fans, though.

Clearly, this is an iPad keyboard case for Stormtroopers. It will accessorize seamlessly with your imperial-army armor. This should be a brisk seller among members of the 501st Legion.

The Trooper is the first in ClamCase's Inspired Series line of limited-edition cases that will give buyers options other than basic black. It has some familiar specs that include a hard polycarbonate shell, an integrated Bluetooth keyboard, and the ability to transform into a stand. … Read more

The 404 893: Where we never rub another man's rhubarb (podcast)

The world's most expensive 3G iPad 2 is up for purchase on eBay with a "Buy it Now" price of $620,000...and it comes with a 1:1 replica of the Batmobile featured in the original Tim Burton movies.

On today's episode of The 404 podcast, we'll about the original Batmobile design and get to more stories, including Beyonce setting Twitter records with her pregnancy announcement at this weekend's VMAs, 260 mph paintballs causing problems for plastic surgeons, and a Dominos pizza location on the moon. We also choose sides in the Chris Brown vs. Jay-Z feud!

The 404 Digest for Episode 893

Beyonce's VMA fallout sets record at 8,868 Tweets per second. Beyonce and Jay-Z's baby already has a Twitter page. The original Tim Burton Batmobile is up for sale on eBay. Paintball shot ruptures woman's silicone breast implant. Dominos to open first generic pizza store on the moon.

Episode 893 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

Klipsch S4A headphones for Android available for preorder, software included

The Klipsch Image S4 earphones and the iOS-compatible Image S4i continue to earn their position in our Best 5 Headphones list for their unique conical ear-tips and exceptional sound quality , so it's not surprising the company just released a model for Android users--the Image S4A.

Available now for $99, the S4A headphones come with a unique accessory we don't normally see packaged with headphones: software.

Although not necessary for audio purposes, the Klipsch Control Android app lets you change the functions of the remote buttons--you can specify voice search and commands, auto-dial a phone number, and advance tracks. … Read more

The 404 892: Where estamos agradecidos de haber sobrevivido el huracan Eirene (podcast)

Hurricane Irene is over, but all we have to show for it is the five extra pounds we each gained from eating non-perishable foods (read: Dominos) all weekend.

The storm left tons of buildings, roads, and trees damaged, but the award for "Worst Irrevocable Damage" goes to Mayor Bloomberg for "trying" to address the Spanish-speaking population in their native language--and the subsequent Twitter parody @ElBloombito: "Go to worko. No excuso!"

CNET's own Sharon Vaknin makes her debut on The 404 Podcast today to replace our co-host Jeff Bakalar, who's currently re-evaluating his decision to live in Hoboken, N.J.

Joseph Kaminski from CNET Labs also joins us to discuss the stories of the day, including an app that lets New York drivers sell public parking spots to the highest bidder, a history lesson on the classic Windows XP default wallpaper, a big corporation making money off the hacker group Anonymous, and a secret list of celebrity XXX domain names removed from the adult market.

The 404 Digest for Episode 892

App lets NY drivers sell public parking spots to highest bidder. Ever wonder where the Windows XP default wallpaper came from? "@ElBloombito Twitter page bites back at Bloomberg's Spanglish. Secret list of celebrity .xxx domains removed from market. Time Warner gets royalties on every Anonymous mask worn on TV.

Episode 892 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

The 404 891: Where we are total losers (podcast)

Writer Caprice Crane joins us in the studio today to tell us what it's like writing for shows like "90210" (2.0) and "Melrose Place." She also gets life-changing news halfway into today's preshow, so tune into Monday's show to find out how to win a copy of her book, "Little Luck."

Caprice also has a new Web site for self-deprecating stories called I'm A Total Loser, and she sticks around in the second half to give us her take on stories about social networking leading to drug abuse, a peer-to-peer alarm clock that smells like Chatroulette, and how social networking is blowing the cover of covert police officers.

The 404 Digest for Episode 891

Huffington Post named Caprice Crane the top 50 funniest on Twitter. I'm a Total Loser Newsflash: Social networking leads to drug abuse. Social media could render covert policing "impossible." National Lampoon names Caprice Crane " Twitter Queen." Follow Caprice Crane on Twitter.

Episode 891 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

Moon landing, Roswell re-imagined as model kits

Japanese plastic-model-kit company Tamiya was looking to make a splash in the Vietnamese market, so it decided to drum up some excitement with a series of ads that portray famous conspiracy theories in plastic-model-kit form.

The ads depict kits for the moon landing, the Roswell UFO crash, Elvis, JFK, and Marilyn Monroe. Marketing company Ogilvy & Mather and animation company Cirkus conspired on the project.

For us techies, the moon landing is particularly compelling. It comes complete with Neil Armstrong, a director's chair, the lunar module, movie lights, and a big sack of money.

The Roswell UFO crash kit even has a partially dissected pig. I don't know why the pig is included. Maybe someone with more UFO conspiracy knowledge can fill me in. … Read more