Late in the game review: Mirror's Edge

Game Title: Mirror's Edge
Consoles: PS3, Xbox 360, PC
Developer: DICE
Release Date: November 11, 2008

Moving Mayhem

Due to rampant unpacking and the blatant mess that has overcome parts of my apartment, I will be unable to make a regular blog post today. I will resume the usual Tuesday/Thursday schedule on Thursday, so for the time being, here's a picture of a cat in a sock via Cute Overload. Enjoy.

Apple donating iPads to Teach for America

The Apple corporation is countering a bit of the "evil empire" karma with a move that puts technology where it's needed: education.

Online gamers triumph where scientists were stumped

Oregon Live reports that The University of Washington had made a discovery that could lead to big scientific advances, and it's all thanks to gamers. Teams assembled to play the downloadable game Foldit, where higher scores were awarded to teams with the most accurate model of a protease, which is a key protein retrovirals like HIV need to multiply.

Using a rough draft idea of the shape of the protease of a retrovirus that causes HIV in monkeys, UW researchers laid the problem before Foldit players. In 10 days, the winners had constructed a near-perfect model - a feat researchers hadn't pulled off after over a decade of work.

Extra Life: the gaming equivalent of the Relay for Life

On Oct. 15, 2011, participants of the Extra Life gaming marathon will put their thumbs to work to raise money by the hour for children all over the U.S. and Canada. 

Floridian "vampire" woman arrested for assaulting an elderly man

Last week, a Florida woman named Josephine Smith was arrested for felony aggravated battery Milton Ellis, a 69-year-old man who was confined to a motorized wheelchair. Just before the attack, Smith announced "I am a vampire, I am going to eat you." Also, this all took place in front of a vacant Hooters in St. Petersburg. Yeah.

Late in the game review: Left 4 Dead

Game Title: Left 4 Dead
Consoles: Xbox 360, PC, Mac
Developer: Valve
Release Date: November 17, 2008

The U.S. Army - soon, powered by Android

The U.S. Army wants to equip their soldiers with reliable, fast communication devices coupled with GPS navigation. Until recently, the Army was independently developing its own devices through the Nett Warrior program, but Wired reports that things have taken a more commercial turn.

Replay value in today's market

Think of your favorite game. Go on, take a minute. Stop reading this and think.