amanda

A long time ago (not really), in a galaxy far, far away (Boston), attendees to the Arisia sci-fi convention got revenge on the Evil Empire by tearing into a life-size Stormtrooper cake.

Though geek-inspired cakes aren't new, we imagine creating a 6-foot, 300-pound sugary replica of a Stormtrooper wasn't an easy task, so we had to find out more.

Crave caught up with Amanda Oakleaf, founder and co-owner of Amanda Oakleaf Cakes, to ask about the highs and lows of building the Stormtrooper dessert. (Seriously, where does one even start?) … Read more

Who needs a lightsaber when you can kick, punch, and twist the living daylights out of your enemy?

This seems to be the charming ethos of Mixed Martial Arts. It is one that is being espoused by "Star Wars" creator George Lucas' daughter, Amanda.

I am grateful to the hard-working informants at Yahoo Sports, who have mined the depths of their metier to bring me news of Amanda "Powerhouse" Lucas' latest attempt to skywalk in the world of MMA.

It seems that she performed last night at a profound event called DEEP 55 in Japan. (I … Read more

On today's show, Benito announces that he's leaving us for his one true love, Gamespot--the good news is, he's still in the family, and more importantly, in the building, to help out the new guy, Steve Beacham. Be nice, everyone. Also, Google plays Honeycomb close to the vest, Groupon might be on a downward slide, and laser bongs and douche telecoms. Friday! --Molly

If you've been anywhere near Twitter in the last week, you know that the South by Southwest Interactive, Film, and Music festival (known lovingly as SXSW to just about everyone) starts this week. Last year was the first time that interactive registrants outnumbered even music festival attendees, so it's more than safe to say the Internet portion of the program has become the biggest part of the program (probably to the dismay of Austin's old-school music fans!). But hey, we can take a hint. If you're anyone at all online, you're at SXSW. So, we'… Read more

WASHINGTON, D.C.--A study conducted by Pew Internet & American Life Project found a decline of blogging among teens and younger adults, and a small increase in blogging among adults over 30.

The study, published Wednesday, also found that only 8 percent of teenagers are using Twitter, though among high-school girls, the number climbs to 13 percent. Not surprisingly, social networking continues to grow among all age groups. Seventy-three percent of online teens use social-networking sites, compared to 55 percent in 2006.

For a summary and analysis of the survey, I spoke with study director Amanda Lenhart after she … Read more

A high school teacher finds it inconceivable that any software could be free. I wonder if she uses Internet Explorer? We also talk about the failure of not one but two big Internet filters, and get the scoop from Caroline McCarthy on why YouTube isn't in decline.

Google to take Chrome out of beta http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/12/10/google-takes-chrome-out-of-beta/ http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-10120049-92.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20

Australian plan to censor Internet in shreds http://www.theage.com.au/news/home/technology/labor-plan-to-censor-internet-in-shreds/2008/12/09/1228584820006.html… Read more

On today's show, we're joined by two of the girls from NewYork.com! Wilson's sick, but he misses out on an insane show filled with the girls drooling over Michael Phelps, even more slanted eye pictures, Nintendo bikinis, Apple store nightmares, and a possible NewYork.com/404 meetup!? Listen for more details!

Wilson can't make it to the show today so we replace him with two of the fantastic ladies from NewYork.com! "Broadway Baby" Hillary and "Soho Hot" Amanda are a real treat to have in the studio, especially for the … Read more

The Internet is still seeking its first true crossover artist. Amanda Congdon's attempt at turning Web stardom into the mainstream kind has floundered, at least to this point.

The former host of Rocketboom, a once popular quirky online news show, has cut deals with ABC and HBO that amounted to little, and now the 26-year-old is attempting a comeback in the style of video blogging that made her famous.

Working with Media Rights Capital, an independent production company, Congdon will host a new Internet-based show called Sometimes Daily. The show is going to be "an interactive variety show&… Read more

The right combination of smarts, beauty and goofiness drove Amanda Congdon to Web stardom. But perhaps that's not enough to make her a crossover talent.

ABC News announced last week that the online arm of the TV network won't be renewing the one-year contract it extended last November to the former host of Internet humor show, Rocketboom.

Congdon said on her blog that she's the one who decided to call it quits. However the relationship ended, the Internet will not miss Congdon's uninspired video blogs for ABCNews.com, and that's likely not all her fault. … Read more