Pop Culture & Current Events

He Does His Own Stunts! Ethan Hunt Is Back in Mission:Impossible 5 Trailer

It looks like Ethan Hunt and the team are back in the new trailer for Mission:Impossible Rogue Nation. Arriving this summer in theaters, the fifth installment of the MI series, Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation, directed by Christopher McQuarrie, has a trailer available for view online! In what looks to be a bump in release dates to avoid competing with Spectre, the latest James Bond movie starring Daniel Craig, it looks like Tom Cruise is doing even more risky, death-defying feats. Oh, and Simon Pegg is along for the ride as well! In the action-packed trailer there looks to be a motorcycle chase,…

Events, News & Features

Happy Pi Day from Gear Diary!

Happy Pi Day Everybody! Today is the one day out of the year that you can wake up at 9:26:53AM and eat a whole bunch of pie. If you aren’t a math wiz kid; look up the definition of Pi, it’s described as “the symbol ? denoting the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter”.

News & Features

The Game of Thrones Catch-Up Machine Gets You Ready for April 12th!

With less than five weeks left until Season 5 of Game of Thrones starts up worldwide, a lot of people who are just catching or are attempting to catch up in a panic. With ten episodes a season, it might be quite a feat.

News & Features

Walkers on the West Coast: The Walking Dead Spinoff Details

Now that the Walking Dead Spinoff has been greenlit, the internet has been abuzz about its companion series set to take place in Los Angeles. The show has been picked up for two seasons according to Variety.

News & Features

Rest in Peace, Terry Pratchett

Back when I worked in retail, I didn’t have a lot of downtime. When I did have a rare day off or afternoon free, I spent it reading, and I devoured a big chunk of Terry Pratchett’s “Discworld” series during a particularly stressful time. Terry Pratchett passed away today; it’s a sad day for literature and fantasy in particular.

eBooks

How Up to Date Is “Goodnight iPad”?

My son loves (LOVES) the book “Goodnight iPad“. I’ve read it so many times I have it memorized, so I usually “read” it to him once it is lights-out. Half the time he’s asleep before I finish. Last night I realized some of the book’s technology references are already outdated, and it’s only four years old!

Editorials, News & Features

Celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8th! #MakeItHappen

For more than a century International Women’s Day has been held on March 8th. And it is amazing to think of the things that have happened in our country and world for women since that time. The date is derived from the women of Petrograd, Russia holding a “bread and peace” strike in 1917, but the message is timeless.

News & Features

Join the National Day of Unplugging March 6 & 7!

Do you ever unplug – I mean REALLY unplug? I can’t think when I’ve gone more than ‘mostly unplugged’ since … long ago. But from tonight through Saturday night the National Day of Unplugging invites you to live with “No cell phones, no selfies, no technology that distracts us from each other: just people talking and enjoying each other’s company.”

Events

‘Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron’ – Omaze Premiere Experience

Robert Downey Jr. (a.k.a. ‘Iron Man’) has become even more of a fan favorite with his recent announcement about a special event for the premiere of upcoming Marvel superhero sequel Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron with all entries benefiting a children’s hospice charity through the Omaze platform. A fan fantasy will come true for one lucky participant as Robert Downey Jr. hosts the winner who will be flown with lucky a friend to Los Angeles, California to experience a day in the life of Tony Stark. Participants can enter at www.omaze.com/RDJ by donating $10 to benefit Julia’s House, a children’s hospice center dedicated to helping improve the lives…

Editorials, Events

So What’s Up with ‘#TheDress’?

The recent #TheDress sensation has created a common thread (and a viral one) among worldwide citizens by posing an intriguing question – How can so many people view the same object in different ways? Color theorists everywhere debate is it black and blue?…or gold and white? …or brown and blue?!? First, the subject of this whole phenomenon is based on a photo, not a video, so there are immediate questions of lighting, overexposure, the device it’s being viewed on, etc. It was originally posted by 21-year-old singer Caitlin McNeill from the tiny Scottish island of Colonsay with the comment “guys please…

Editorials, News & Features

Parks & Recreation Ends…but the Laughs Continue

The comedy/satire television show Parks and Recreation shot in ‘mockumentary-style’ aired their final episode after seven seasons on NBC, but fans can get plenty more thanks to streaming media options and home video. This unique fan favorite piled on great comedy and community morals to create some memorable television, which lives on through diehard fans.

News & Features

RIP Leonard Nimoy, AKA Mr Spock

Sad news in the world of science fiction-Leonard Nimoy has passed away at the age of 83. He was an icon as Mr Spock, the half-Vulcan science officer on Star Trek, as well as a fixture in various other science fiction shows (like Fringe). His contributions to pop culture cannot be understated, and he will be missed by fans everywhere!

Game Diary, Gear Bits

Marvel Mighty Heroes Game Announcement

More Marvel comic book characters are on the way to iOS and Android phones and tablets! DeNA and Marvel Entertainment have announced Marvel Mighty Heroes, a fighting game with cooperative gameplay in real-time.

News & Features

Sling TV and EPIX Partner: Adds 2000+ Video-On-Demand Titles to Service

The new Sling streaming video service will feature EPIX content in an add-on package, which includes 2,000 Video-On-Demand titles, plus linear channels with EPIX, EPIX2, EPIX3 and EPIX Drive-In. Launch date, package and pricing details will be released soon.

Reviews

Gear Guide for the ‘Kingsmen: The Secret Service’ Movie

Colin Firth features his action side and Samuel L. Jackson shows his villainous side in the Matthew Vaughn-directed Kingsmen: The Secret Service film that kicks off a spy-filled year at the cinemas.

Editorials

Mike’s 2015 Oscar Picks and Analysis

This year’s Academy Awards (Oscars) have a satisfying eclectic mix without one clear front-runner. Check out my 2015 Oscar picks and some analysis so you succeed in your office Oscar pool…or have a better idea of what’s going on February 22.

News & Features

Saturday Night Live’s 40th Anniversary Celebration

Saturday Night Live celebrates 40 years in several ways including a special Sunday February 15 broadcast special on the NBC television network. Funny memories will flow and new ones will be made.

News & Features

Check out the Red Band Trailer for NWA’s ‘Straight Outta Compton’ Movie (NSFW)

No matter how you feel about rap music in general and NWA specifically, the music and band are connected to the late 80s racial unrest in the way that Woodstock is connected to the late 60s Zeitgeist. Songs like ‘F**k tha Police’ made them few friends in the establishment, but they spoke to and for a generation still feeling oppressed.

Game Diary, News & Features

2015 LEGO Game Announcements

LEGO Maniacs have a full slate of video game releases coming this year including a surprising LEGO set announcement decided by fans. Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, TT Games and The LEGO Group have set LEGO Jurassic World, LEGO Marvel’s Avengers, LEGO Ninjago: Shadow of Ronin plus LEGO Batman: Beyond Gotham. The LEGO Movie Videogame iOS versions are available now. LEGO Jurassic World starts a new game series ahead of the upcoming film of the same name (June 12, 2015). This game will combine the storylines of Jurassic Park, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Jurassic Park III, and Jurassic World. Available in June on Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PlayStation…

Editorials, Game Diary, News & Features

Games Get First Real Super Bowl Feature, Was it Worth the Money?

Surprisingly based on overlapping demographics, video games have not featured widely in Super Bowl commercials in years past – maybe because the big franchises launch in late summer through the fall, maybe they were unwilling to spend the big money on the ad space, or something? But this year three ‘freemium’ mobile games spent big – but was it worth it?

News & Features

The Ghostbusters Reboot Gets the Best Cast Ever!

I’m on the fence about constantly rebooting classic movies, but the more I hear about the new Ghostbusters reboot the more excited I get. The latest news from the AV Club is pointing to a dream cast; Kristin Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Leslie Jones, and Kate McKinnon!