knights

Chess is one of the oldest games in the world. It's a classic, and it's revered by everyone from world class-thinkers to children just learning to play as a game that tests the limits of your thinking ability. So any game that takes all the elements that make chess so popular and finds a way to make them more engaging is bound to be successful. Such is the case with ChessFlash KnightVision. Looking beyond its simple green interface and somewhat maze-like menus, KnightVision is a fantastic game, sure to capture the imagination of anyone who has ever obsessed … Read more

For most of us, Batman's cool toys are pretty much out of reach. We'll never drive a Batmobile. We won't slip on a Batsuit or fire a Bat grappling gun. The iconic "Batarang," Batman's bat-shaped cross between a throwing star and a boomerang, however, may be a little bit more in reach.

Prop maker and swordsmith Tony Swatton has created weapons for more than 200 films. He tackles a new item each week in his online show, "Man at Arms." Most recently, he went to town on building and demonstrating a Batarang. Swatton certainly has the cred for this project. He's worked on three Batman movies, including creating Bane's belt buckles for "The Dark Knight Rises."… Read more

If Generals David Petraeus and John Allen want to change their currently salacious images, they should get together with their alleged lady friends -- Paula Broadwell and Jill Kelley -- and perform a "Gangnam Style" routine.

It surely helps that Kelley is alleged to be an "honorary consul" for South Korea.

If the president really wants to avoid the fiscal cliff, he and John Boehner should stretch their arms out, cross their wrists, wiggle their rearguards and do a Gangnam.

Hey, why don't they do it on the edge of a real cliff?

The Gangnam … Read more

Leaked from today's 404 episode starring Jeff Sussman from TheBatSignal Podcast:

- "Dark Knight Rises" Blu-Ray extras likely to include deleted Bane origin sequence.

- Top 10 things you may have missed in "The Dark Knight Rises." Our favorite is the Robin "R" insignia that pops up in the stadium.

- The politics of "The Dark Knight Rises"

- Batman is a reformer and humanist in "The Dark Knight Rises," not an avatar for right-wing fears.

- 12 Gotham newspaper headlines during "The Dark Knight Rises."

- … Read more

Not all home theaters are created equal, and the following $2 million Dark Knight-themed setup is in a different league altogether.

Designed by Elite Home Theater Seating for a client in California, the custom Batcave theater features six full-size bat suits; a command and control center; and even an authentic Tumbler replica. While information on the actual A/V hardware is very limited, we do know that movies are projected on a massive 180-inch cinemascope screen. … Read more

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Bane voice: What does the 'Dark Knight Rises' villain sound like?

- First 3D printed gun signals the end of gun control.

- Pornography in public takes the next seat.

- Apple reportedly to unveil iPhone 5, iPad Mini on September 12.… Read more

MOJAVE DESERT, Calif.--It's hard to imagine a more complete -- and impressive -- collection of aviation facilities and aircraft anywhere on the planet than the one in this vast, arid, wide-open wasteland northeast of Los Angeles.

Thanks to its endless amounts of dry, flat terrain, useless to most people, and the fact that there are only a few ways in -- vital for security -- the Mojave is, and has long been, the beating heart of the aviation world. It's here that Chuck Yeager first broke the sound barrier. And where Burt Rutan's SpaceShipOne ushered in … Read more

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Apple patents game controller.

- Check out Shellrazer, out now and available for everyone.

- Spelunky is a 2D platform game for Xbox Live Arcade and PCs that demands patience and a lot of time.

- The Verge has bad news about your favorite game.

- Subscribe to Polygon's gaming podcast The Besties, featuring Russ Frushtick. … Read more

YouTube is now encouraging video uploaders to use their real names. Is this the first sign of what's to come? Will our anonymity on YouTube become a thing of the past?

For now, users still have the option to opt out of disclosing their true identity, but a world in which YouTube videos are no longer anonymously uploaded appears much closer to reality than ever before. Of course we've seen things like this before. Most of us seem to have no problem giving away our personal information to Facebook, right? … Read more