Brandon Dimmel

Call yourself a gamer? Then maybe you can answer this question: what game warranted the most critical acclaim last year? Was it PC's Crysis? The Xbox 360's Halo 3? The Wii's Mario Galaxy? Or multi-platform smash Rock Band? Although all of the above ... are certainly worth checking out, during the recent Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences' (AIAS) announcement of nominees for Interactive Achievement Awards (IAA), Xbox 360 and PC hit Bioshock swept up. Released in August of 2007, Bioshock mixes art deco design and a 1950s sci-fi flair to create a rather unique shooter experience. The ... (view more)

Can't get the sandman to stop by? Quit calling the guy. According to reports from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, talking on a cell phone before heading to bed can prevent a person from getting a good night's sleep. Ironically enough, ... the study was funded by mobile phone companies. Research performed by Sweden's Karolinska Institute and Wayne State found that radiation emitted by the average cell phone can cause more than just headaches, confusion, and car accidents -- it can also lead to insomnia. (Source: usatoday.com ) How, you ask? Researchers found that using a cell phone ... (view more)

There's no denying that Apple's got itself a bountiful hold on the digital music market. The company's hardware retails for more than comparably-equipped devices from the competition, and yet the Touch, Nano, and Shuffle all manage to maintain the ... company's massive lead. However, that advantage might be threatened where Apple seems strongest: online. For some time, Apple's virtual music store, iTunes, has been the front-runner in offering individual songs or entire albums for a reasonable price. Buying one song at a time has proven a dynamite marketing dynamic for Apple, which clearly ... (view more)

Way back in November, I reported on the release of Crysis on PC. Hailed as one of the most beautiful (though not particularly brilliant) shooters released in 2007, some critics went so far as to call Crysis -- made by Crytek -- the greatest ever ... graphical achievement. Now, those gorgeous visuals might be headed to Sony's big black console, and it might just mark a much-needed exclusive for the struggling system. Similar to the Xbox 360's flagship franchise Halo, Crysis' story follows the frightening invasion of earth by a hostile alien species. Also like Halo, Crysis' main character is ... (view more)

Little bit worried about that one-night stand last weekend? Don't thank your partner -- he or she are probably never going to call you again, anyhow -- but instead think on one of America's most celebrated explorers. In a surprising and fascinating ... new study, researchers have discovered that Christopher Columbus or one of his men likely introduced syphilis to Europe. Unlike today, syphilis was not just a common and annoying ailment during the fifteenth century. When it reached Europe during the twilight of the 1400s, it spread quickly amongst randy Europeans, eventually killing thousands. ... (view more)

In the world of hardware, Microsoft is -- gasp! -- an underdog. It took a full generation for the company's Xbox project to sweep up a respectable segment of the video gaming population, a goal it has now achieved with its successor, the Xbox 360. ... In the world of digital music, the Redmond-based company still has a ways to go, but a major facelift is starting to turn heads. When it first launched over a year ago, many techies were underwhelmed by Microsoft's Zune music player. A drab rendition of Apple's iPod, its brown, black, and white visage paled in comparison to the much sleeker and more ... (view more)

You've really got to give it to Toshiba. Even when the odds are stacked against the company responsible for HD DVD high definition movies, it still manages to capture the public's attention with drastically slashed prices. As Warner Brothers readies ... the release of all future flicks under rival Blu-ray, it's hard to completely dismiss any HD option that will be regularly priced for less than most DVD recorders. As a result of Toshiba's aggressive attempt to win back consumer approval, most HD DVD players will now be available for boxing-day blowout prices. Entry-level devices will retail for ... (view more)

In the war of Blu-ray versus HD-DVD, the last battle appears to be just over the horizon, mere weeks after it seemed Toshiba's format was in solid shape against its competitor from Sony. The reason this might all be at an end? No longer is Warner ... Brothers the only studio threatening to ditch Toshiba and HD-DVD. Just days after the studio officially announced its intention to only support Blu-ray in the future, Variety is now reporting that HD-DVD's best cards -- NBC Universal and Paramount -- are making undercurrent shifts so that they may soon change their allegiance to Sony as well. Though ... (view more)

Still not completely convinced that parents are fanatical about Nintendo's new video game console, the Wii? Here's evidence that anyone will play the motion-sensitive device -- even the bloody Queen of England! According to reports from British ... newspaper The People, the Wii was originally a present for grandson Prince William from long-time girlfriend, Kate Middleton. After peeking over Willy's shoulder for a while, The People finds that Queen Liz "begged to join in." Surprisingly, the Queen proved quite the video game talent once she did. "She played a simple ten-pin bowling game and by all ... (view more)

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. That seems to be the attitude of Microsoft now that Warner Bros has decided to back Sony's Blu-ray in the high definition movie format war. Although the Redmond-based company once stood firmly behind Toshiba's rival ... HD-DVD, things appear to be changing very quickly in the Pacific northwest. For those who haven't heard, Warner Bros recently dealt Blu-ray a pair of aces ('bullets') in the high stakes game for next generation's movie format. By turning its nose up at HD-DVD, Warner may have finally put the final nail in Toshiba's coffin; although the tech company ... (view more)