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Addicted to Tetris? You’re Not the Only One!

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Tetris. Remember those days when your mom would threaten to smash your Game Boy because you wouldn’t stop playing that highly addictive game with blocks of various shapes falling from the “sky”?

This game is arguably the most popular game ever, and it has withstood the test of time. Created in 1984 by Alexey Pajitnov, Tetris has been distributed all over the world for practically all kinds of interfaces. From the personal computer to handheld consoles to mobile phones – anything that can be used to play a game has been used to play Tetris.

For some, Tetris may just be that – a mere game. For others, Tetris means so much more. Various studies have been done to study the effects of Tetris on the human brain. One study claims that playing Tetris – especially during the first few times – makes the brain more efficient. Another study has shown that general cognitive functions become better due to regular playing. Yet another study showed preliminary results that patients deal with traumatic events better when Tetris is used as part of their therapy.

Here’s a firsthand testimony as to what Tetris can do to a real person. Have you ever heard of James Clewett? He is the 1999 Tetris world champion and a certified Tetris addict. This guy has not let his addiction get in the way of pursuing the rest of his life goals, though. If anything, he has gone beyond what the average person does (though he has already done that by becoming world champion). Pretty soon, this Tetris world champion is going to be a doctor as well – in the Dr. Sheldon Cooper way, that is.

Watch the Confessions of a Tetris Addict – you will walk away with a gem or two.

Angry Birds for Real

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It’s been a while since I last played this overly addictive game, but there is no denying that there are still people who are only starting to get hooked. Unsurprisingly, businesses will continue to ride this wave as long as it can bring them benefits. And Deustche Telekom is not exempt from this.

Earlier this month, the telecommunications giant teamed up with Rovio, the creators of Angry Birds, to promote their new services. In a Spanish town called Terrassa, they set up a real-life Angry Birds scene, complete with pigs, birds, bricks, and what-have-you. To top it off, this talented band provides a jazzed up version of the game’s theme. Never mind that the people who participated in the event were all invited to be there and paid (I assume). The whole thing still looks fun.

Some of you may be sick of the birds by now, but this video just might change your mind.

I wonder if this will set off a string of copycat events?

Star Wars in LEGO: Condensed Version

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Have you ever tried telling the entire story of Star Wars to someone who has no idea what it’s about? You probably would need at least an hour and nifty story-telling skills to do the job. That or show that person this video telling a fast paced version of the story. In LEGO.

Now Star Wars LEGO is not a new thing. Try googling “Star Wars LEGO” and you will see countless results. This video is something else, though. Not only are the minifigs and the sets set up so they look really cool, but the background music and the narrative are also noteworthy. It’s not technically epic (whatever that means), but no one can say it is not funny and attention-grabbing. I can only imagine how much this kid has spent on buying all those LEGO pieces!

That is the more recent video that dzine123 uploaded, but sometime last year, he also had a similar video.

Now you can either use these videos for bedtime stories or you can actually transcribe the narrative and tell the story on your own. Either way, you are sure to have the Star Wars story understood by kids of all ages!

Duct Tape Wave Machine

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What do you do when you have a lot of spare time, a lot of duct tape, some shish kabob skewers, and rubber stoppers for Erlenmeyer flasks? ((Refresh your memory: an Erlenmeyer flask is a piece of equipment used in the lab. It is characterized by a flat bottom, a conical body, and a cylindrical neck.)) Well, if you’re YouTube user RDSQC, you will make your own wave machine, take a video of it in action, and upload it for the entire world to see!

As you can see, this is not the wave machine that you use to make waves in pool to simulate the ocean’s movement. (Duh.) If I am right, this is actually a DIY version of a Shive wave machine, which was named after Dr. John Shive. He developed the machine back in the 1950s when he was working at Bell Labs.

So what’s the point in having a machine like this? (Aside from the fact that the guys look like they were having fun making the machine move.)

The purpose of a Shive wave machine is supposed to demonstrate how slow transverse waves move. In order to make this machine, the rods (shish kabob sticks in this case) have to be placed at regular intervals. In conventional wave machines, the rods are attached to a wire spine. In a MacGyver-worthy move, this DIY-er decided to use duct tape.

I don’t know what practical use the average person will ever have for one of these machines, but RDSQC, MacGyver would be so proud of you! ((Source: RDSQC))

Now if you happen to adore physics, you can see videos of “real” wave machines here.

Gmail Motion – The Real-Life Version

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Remember Google’s April Fools’ prank? Gmail Motion was – is – so ridiculous that we all knew that it was nothing but a prank. In case you missed it ((Have you been living in a cave???)), Gmail Motion is e-mail which can be controlled using your body. With this innovative Google development, all you need is your body and you can do whatever you need with your mail. As one person put it, be careful when you sneeze, though, as you may end up deleting all of your e-mails! Here’s the video of the Gmail Motion in action.

Anyhow, prank or not, the idea is actually realizable. Consciously or not, the guys behind the prank may have started something. You know how it is with creative minds, don’t you? When a bunch of guys from the Institute for Creative Technologies ((ICT at the University of Southern California)) saw the video above, their minds started working overtime.

I can just imagine them as they were watching the video. Hey, this is actually technically possible! Why don’t we give it a shot and give Google a dose of their own medicine while we’re at it?

Armed with a sensor taken from Microsoft’s Kinect (talk about the irony of it), they started a projected called the Software Library Optimizing Obligatory Waving, or SLOOW. You don’t have to be slow to use the set up, but you do have to move your butt (and other body parts). Check out the video the guys created to demo their project.

Now this isn’t exactly your run-of-the-mill scientific proposal, but it seems to work, doesn’t it? While it is real, I doubt that we’ll be seeing this kind of setup available to the general public any time soon.

Awesome Video Game Player Can Back His Words Up – With His Mouth!

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How good are you at Super Street Fighter IV? How about Super Smash Bros. Melee? Some of you may be pretty proud of what you can do, but after watching this video, I am willing to bet that you will have a different perspective.

This guy, Broly Legs is one of the best players of the two games I mentioned above. His real name is Mike Begum, and he has a condition called arthrogryposis. Also called Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita, the condition places a lot of limitations on the person who has it. Basically, the person will have limited use of his limbs due to the shortening of the muscles in the joints. It is also characterized by muscle weakness and fibrosis.
Broly
Broly cannot use his legs and hands. Well, he can use his left hand a little bit, but that’s not what he uses when he plays Street Fighter or Smash Bros. So what does he use? Believe it or not, he manipulates the controller using his mouth and cheeks! And this guy isn’t all talk, mind you. He says he thinks he is pretty good, and he can actually back that up with some action. A lot of action.

In this video, Broly shows just how he can kick the butt of people who have the use of both hands. And yes, you can see how he uses cheek, mouth, and tongue in a way that will put many a gamer to shame.

His words of inspiration: find what you can do and just keep at it. The next time you feel like saying “FML”, think of Broly.