Yes, but where IS that cord?

Some people keep a drawer full of extra cords for electronics... I have four of those, a hollowed out ottoman, and a giant box in the attic.

You say it's a wall; I see only Windows.

Windows 10 is on its way. Announced today on Microsoft's Blog, Windows 10 will be out this summer in 190 countries, spanning 111 languages. No specific date is stated on their blog, but Summer gives a much narrower time frame than previously rumored sometime in "2015".

The new operating system will be free as an upgrade to Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows Phone 8.1 users, to help support their singularity as a concise system across all platforms.

With Microsoft's acquisition of Nokia last year, they've been playing the long game, making computers, tablets, and phones work seamlessly across the board.

Coming with a new digital assistant, "Cortana", Microsoft is working towards making themselves a one-stop shop for your tech needs. They're even going so far as being the first Windows in over 20 years to not coming with their standard Internet Explorer browser, but a new upgraded heavy hitter named Spartan. (On a side note, the Halo fan in me always laughs when I realize Cortana is the digital assistant for a Spartan, because Master Chief.)

Also announced recently is the free version available for several developer platforms and devices, such as Raspberry Pi, through partnerships with Intel, Raspberry Pi Foundation, and several others.

This new open platform seems to be going over a lot better than their last major launch in 2012, with Windows 8, so good luck to them!

Hoopy Frood.

Yes, I do have a Firefly Online Cortex, with Big Damn Heroes upgrade. And I'm level 42.

Hello World!

So... My fiance is taking courses on html. Close enough.

JANUARY LOOT CRATE “REWIND”: UNBOXING, WITH DETAIL

January's Loot Crate theme was REWIND: “A Look Back At Geek & Gaming Past”. As the prior announced themes of Star Wars and Voltron indicated, we're going on a trip down memory lane for people my age. So, let's get started.

Spoilers start HERE, so if you don't want to know what's in this Loot Crate yet, I'd STOP now!

Here's a nice shot of the exterior of the shipping box. Inside it, many surprises await...

Careful incision on the tape. Oh, look at that neatly packed, full box.

First thing's first. The nicely folded T-shirt on top is a Loot Crate exclusive Voltron Blueprint print, courtesy of Flophouse. The Japanese accents add a perfect flair to complete the style. Retro doesn't even begin to explain how awesome it is.

Let's go, Voltron Force!

Next, we have some 8-Bit Sunglasses, by Loot Crate Labs. These are not unlike a pair that came with a prior Loot Crate, but the orange frame gives me a very Michelangelo feeling when I look at them. ThinkGeek sells a very similar solid black pair of these on their website. Yes, I have a pair. Yes, they're neat looking, goofy, and fun. No, these are not incredibly comfortable after 10 minutes, due to the nose part being squared off. Oh, well, I guess style comes with a price. On the upside, UV 400 Protection is clearly stated on the sticker, so there's that.

8-Bit Sunglasses with an Orange style frame.

Side View of 8-Bit Sunglasses, complete with Loot Crate logo.

The next item is by far one of my favorite items in this Loot Crate. This stylish tie, by Black Tie Geek, has a very Space Invader inspired design. Made of 100% polyester, this tie is unique and absolutely wearable in a lot of occasions, due to its black and white design. I know several places and event I'm going to, personally, utilize this. It comes in a small cube box with the company's logo on it.

Snazzy and Stylish!

Okay, so this is kinda cute. Squid Kids Ink presents Loot Crate Exclusive “10-Doh! Figures”, which are adorable little anthropomorphic Nintendo Entertainment System cartridges. Six options could show up between subscribers, including “games” inspired by The Fifth Element, Firefly, Doctor Who, Mars Attacks, and two Back To The Future options. Each little guy comes with an old school NES Zapper accessory.

My Crate came with a Mars Attacks themed figure. ACK ACK ACK!

The Box. Classic NES case look

Gotta build the little guy!

Pew Pew!

Yes, the Mars Attacks Reference is amazing.

The next item is really neat. The Comic Note Book, by Unemployed Philosopher's Guild, is a nifty little creativity tool. The notebook comes with 64 Pages of comic book style panels and a removable stencil for speech and thought bubbles, as well as a small guide for making proper panels in back.

Make your own comic!

Interior of the Comic Note Book

As per always, the Loot Crate comes with a small monthly guide/magazine and button to celebrate the month and current Rewind theme. The magazine, “REWIND NO. 18” includes a couple articles about Nintendo and Voltron that are worth the quick read, as well as customer submitted photos and a visual list of the items offered into their Mega Crate (Subscribers get entered to win a high end Crate with expensive items in it.). The last few pages involve giving a little more detail about the items in the current Loot Crate.

January REWIND NO.18 Magazine

Always a nice souvenir in each Crate.

Finally, the major Exclusive item of the month was a Loot Crate Variant of Marvel's Star Wars #001. It comes with its own sealed poly bag and board to keep it in pristine order. Han and Chewbacca adorn the front cover of this beautiful art piece. Since I already have a handful of the variants and the digital edition, I've already read this particular issue. And may I say, it's well written, beautifully crafted and drawn, and will make any fan of Star Wars happy and content that Marvel got Star Wars back after so long away.

Out of all of the variants of this issue, this one's my favorite.

Now, for a look at a secret to the shipping box. Flip it inside out and it suddenly becomes The Loot Crate Entertainment System. Almost identical to an original NES, despite coloring, even the “ports” are accurate. Decals on the system make references to old NES games and classic geek jokes. Personally, I'm a fan of the “I Got Slimed” decal, myself. The back of the mini magazine has a pop out, cardboard NES controller to go with the system (not pictured due to need of tape/glue to make it stay together.

Now we're playing with power!

The Whole Shebang

An action shot of me, donning some of my new gear. This shirt is very slimming, and the glasses are totally geeky and cool, even if they start to hurt my nose after a few minutes.

So, this is the part where I mention an upcoming giveaway of some of the featured items in this article, since I got TWO of these bad boys this month.

Keep An Eye Out On Graphic Policy and Right On Chime for details!


Original Post on: Graphic Policy

BREAKING: CLUB NINTENDO BEING DISCONTINUED, REPLACED WITH SUCCESSOR

Unfortunate news has just been posted by Nintendo of Europe, and then by Nintendo of America soon after, for all Club Nintendo members. Club Nintendo is being discontinued as of June 30th, 2015 in America and September 30th in Europe and Japan.

These gray skies come with a bit of silver lining as they are working on a new program that will replace Club Nintendo and “launch later this year”, according to NoE.

American Club members will receive a free download code for Flipnote Studio 3D (For Nintendo 3DS) in February as a thank you, whereas Europe Club members will obtain it as a free sign up bonus during the launch period of the new program later this year.

Points will need to be used prior to the cut off dates below, with an assortment of rewards in their catalog being redeemable until June 30th, 2015.

UPDATE: During the writing of this article, Nintendo of America posted their official release, as well as a change to the prizes being offered on their rewards catalog. This article has been changed to reflect this.

Below are both of the press releases that have both appeared within the hour on Nintendo’s official websites.

Posted to the American Club Nintendo‘s main page:

Dear Club Nintendo Members,

 

Thank you for your continued loyalty to Nintendo.

 

We launched Club Nintendo 6 years ago in North America, and we’re grateful for all of the feedback that our members have provided on their experiences with our products.

In order to focus on planning for a new customer loyalty program for our fans, we’ve decided to wind-down the Club Nintendo program. We are deeply thankful to our members for being a part of Club Nintendo for all of these years.

We will share details about our new program at a later date. For now, please see the schedule below for information on the discontinuation timeframe for Club Nintendo.

All Coins will be deleted when Club Nintendo accounts are closed on July 1, 2015. As a result, to give our members the best opportunity to use their Coins, we will add dozens of downloadable games and a limited quantity of exclusive reward items to the rewards catalog in February. In addition, as a small token of appreciation for your loyalty, all Club Nintendo members will receive a free download code for Flipnote Studio 3D in February 2015. Please visit here for information on the software and how to get the download code.

Club Nintendo program discontinuation schedule

1/20/2015

Products released after this date are not eligible for registration with Club Nintendo

3/31/2015

Last day to earn Coins, register products with Club Nintendo, and sign up for new Club Nintendo membership

6/30/2015

Last day to redeem Coins or access you account on the Club Nintendo website. Club Nintendo program shuts down at 11:59pm PT on 6/30/2015.

Your Account and Coin Balance

The information in your Club Nintendo account will not be transferred to the new loyalty program. We are adding multiple items to our reward catalog, so please be sure to redeem your Coins before the deadline on June 30, 2015. Unused Coins will be deleted as of July 1, 2015.

2015 Elite Status

In order to reach Elite Status, you must earn 300 Coins (for Gold Status) or 600 Coins (for Platinum Status) between July 1, 2014 and March 31, 2015. Members who reach Elite Status will be able to choose a downloadable game from a wide selection of Nintendo 3DS and Wii U titles. Your free Elite Status gift will be available between April 1 and April 30, 2015. A list of the Elite Status 2015 gifts will be posted here once announced.

FAQs about Club Nintendo program discontinuation

1. How long can I keep earning Coins?
   1. The last day to register products with Club Nintendo, take surveys, or earn Coins is March 31, 2015. Surveys in your To-Do list will be deleted after March 31, 2015, so please be sure to register products or take surveys by that date. Please note that products released after January 20, 2015 cannot be registered at Club Nintendo, and will not be eligible for surveys or Coins.
2. But I have Club Nintendo PIN # that is valid past March 31, 2015.
   1. Products cannot be registered after March 31, 2015, regardless of the expiration date written on the PIN card.
3. Will the games I download still be registered with Club Nintendo?
   1. Club Nintendo-eligible games that you download will continue to be registered to your account automatically until March 31, 2015 if your Nintendo eShop account is linked to your Club Nintendo account. After that date, games will no longer be registered with Club Nintendo. To find out which games you can register, please see Eligible Products. Click here to learn how to link your Nintendo eShop account to your Club Nintendo account.
4. When is the last day to join Club Nintendo?
   1. You can join Club Nintendo until March 31, 2015.
5. When is the last day to redeem Coins on Club Nintendo?
   1. The last day to redeem your Coins is June 30, 2015. Any unused Coins will be deleted on July 1, 2015. We are offering a large number of digital games, and select physical rewards, so we are sure you can find something you like. Limited quantities are available for the physical rewards, so please be sure to check out our Get Games & Rewards page for each item’s availability.
6. What happens to my Coins if I don’t use them all?
   1. Any unused Coins in your Club Nintendo account will be deleted on July 1, 2015.
7. When is the last day to get the download code for the digital games I chose?
   1. The last day to access your Club Nintendo account is June 30, 2015, so please be sure to get your 16-digit download code(s) for any games you’ve received before that date.
8. Will the download code ever expire?
   1. Yes, all download codes redeemed from Club Nintendo will expire on July 31, 2015, so please be sure to download your game from the Nintendo eShop before that date.
9. Do I need to cancel my membership?
   1. No, your account will automatically be cancelled on July 1, 2015, so there is no need for you to cancel your account.

Posted to Nintendo of Europe‘s site:

Important information about the discontinuation of Club Nintendo

20/01/2015

 

Nintendo’s first loyalty programmes, VIP 24:7 and Club Member, started in May 2002, and were combined in December 2007 to become Club Nintendo. Over the years, players have enjoyed the Game Boy Advance, Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo DS, Wii, Nintendo 3DS and Wii U platforms, and countless software titles across them all. We’ve also heard the feedback and opinions of around six million Club Nintendo members across Europe and South Africa, which we have used to help shape our business.

We’re working hard to create a new programme, which we plan to launch later this year. And as a special offer, users who sign up to the new programme during the launch period will be able to download Flipnote Studio 3Dto a Nintendo 3DS system for free. Please stay tuned to the Nintendo website for further details.

This new membership programme will replace Club Nintendo, so we will discontinue Club Nintendo according to the schedule given below. Thank you for all your support.

As Stars in your account will expire on September 30th 2015, please make sure you use them before this date. There are plenty of unique and exclusive items already available in the Stars Catalogue, and we’ll keep adding more over the coming months, so there’s plenty to spend your Stars on before September 30th 2015.

Please stay tuned for more information about the new membership programme, including its launch date.

Club Nintendo Discontinuation Schedule

• April 1st 2015: From this date, Nintendo will no longer include product registration cards with its packaged games, so such products cannot be registered in Club Nintendo. You may still find product registration cards in games that were in stock before this date, however.
• April 20th 2015: Termination of the registration of digital products downloaded from Nintendo eShop. Digital products obtained from Nintendo eShop after this date will no longer appear in the My Registered Games & Systems page in Club Nintendo. In addition, surveys for download software titles will no longer be available.
• September 30th 2015: End of Club Nintendo programme. All Club Nintendo features, such as signing up as a new member, logging in as a registered member, earning Stars, and exchanging Stars for items from the Stars Catalogue will no longer be possible from this date.

New Nintendo 3DS and New Nintendo 3DS XL

These new handheld systems, which will be released on February 13th 2015, are not registerable in Club Nintendo. However, hardware bundles will still include a product registration card for the included software until April 1st 2015, so software bundled with hardware can still be registered until September 30th 2015.

Stars

Please exchange any Stars in your account for items from the Stars Catalogue before September 30th 2015. Any Stars not used by this date will be lost, so be sure to use them as soon as possible. There are plenty of unique and exclusive items already available in the Stars Catalogue, and we’ll keep adding more over the coming months, so there’s plenty to spend your Stars on before September 30th 2015.

 

Seemingly, they are still honoring all prior obligations, including, what appears to be the Mewtwo DLC offer for Super Smash Bros Wii U and 3DS. No word on if final Gold and Platinum gifts are being sent out this holiday, though.

Article published originally on: Graphic Policy

LEGO BATMAN 3: BEYOND GOTHAM DLC ARROW PACK RELEASED TODAY

Right on point (Ha, get it? Point.), Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham released its Arrow Pack DLC today. This pack includes an entire mission segment, as well as an entire host of new character mini-figures for your game play roster.

Set on the abandoned island of Lian Yu, Arrow and his friends must solve puzzles to escape.

Playable characters include:

• Oliver Queen/ “Arrow”
• Slade Wilson
• Roy Harper
• Helena Bertinelli/ “Huntress”
• Diggle
• Felicity Smoak
• Sarah Lance/ “Black Canary”
• Malcolm Merlyn

I, for one, am excited most for the voice acting, as Stephen Amell is voicing his own Arrow mini-figure.

This comes along with 5 other DLC packs included with the Lego Batman 3 Season Pass, but can be picked up individually for $2.99 on their respective consoles.

Playstation 3 and Playstation 4 released today, and XBox 360, XBox One, and PC will be released tomorrow. DLC not available for the Wii U, Nintendo 3DS, or Playstation Vita.

Watch the release trailer below:

Originally Posted at: Graphic Policy

Too slow.

Never enough internets.

AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON TRAILER #2 RELEASES ONLINE!

Marvel just posted their full Trailer #2 for The Avengers: Age of Ultron.

This trailer features some new shots and scenes not previously revealed. Hulkbuster vs Hulk fight, Andy Serkis's mystery character, and the return of Nick Fury are among the notable aspects in this trailer.

Watch it below:

That background music gets me every time.

Original Post on: Graphic Policy

I Miss My Illiterate Halfling Barbarian...

http://www.whothefuckismydndcharacter.com/ is my amusement tonight.


So far, my favorite is...

You think your character is cool? My character is a fucking passive-aggressive Halfling Sorcerer from an underwater monastery who can't silence the voices.

THIS IS HEAVY! NIKE FINALLY RELEASING BACK TO THE FUTURE SHOES IN 2015!

Great Scott! Fans of the Back To The Future franchise can rejoice and know 2015 couldn’t be complete without self-tying Nike shoes!

Back in 2011, Nike made a limited run of their replica Nike Air MAG line, straight out of BttF2. Now, Tinker Hatfield, VP of Design and Special Projects at Nike (and the designer of the original movie props, themselves), gave the official thumbs up for this year.

Late last year, Hendo Hover finished up a very successful KickStarter to bring us a Hover Board concept. Granted, we’re far off from a Hover Board that can glide over water, it seems everyone is ready to make Back To the Future 2 our true future.

We still have until October to make it all happen. How many Jaws sequels do we need to get to Jaws 19?

Original Post @ Graphic Policy

You know where to find me.

So, I've decided to make it rather easy to follow or contact me, whether you're a fan, or a publication wanting to give me lots of money.

So, here's all of the social networking I've done over the past few days. It's a bunch.

Here, obviously: http://rightonchime.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rightonchime
Twitter: https://twitter.com/The_Geek_Side
Tumblr: http://rightonchime.tumblr.com/
Google+: rightonchime@gmail.com
WordPress: http://rightonchime.wordpress.com/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/rightonchime/
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/rightonchime/
Ello: https://ello.co/rightonchime

I occasionally write for the awesome online publication: www.graphicpolicy.com

And, of course, my e-mail is rightonchime@gmail.com


Now you know how to find me. Feel free to add all of my accounts.

Movie of the Year?

I don't care what anyone says. Guardians of the Galaxy is the best movie of the past year.

Because I'm hooked on a feeling.

One of these things is not like the other...

Yes, I know there's a vacuum brand named Kirby. Still made me laugh.

Cowabunga!

So, I was at work today and something really made me feel good and made me remember my childhood.

Let me start from the beginning. Today was cold. Like, "Holy crap, I'm from Florida, we don't have this kind of cold" cold. So, I opted to wear an extra layer under my work clothes. This included my pajama pants, which happen to have the original cartoon Ninja Turtles and logo all over them. Yeah, I'm that cool.

Early in the morning, my bosses and coworkers were laughing because I mentioned it and showed it on my pant leg. They know I'm a geek, but I always seem to amaze them at how far the rabbit hole really goes.

Later on in the day, a woman came in with her son to shop around. Her son had to be no more than four of five years old; tiny, adorable, wearing huge thick rimmed blue glasses, and was donning a jacket that was too big for him. This jacket was in the appearance of a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle torso and shell.

I passed this kid and his mother and greeted them as I would any normal customer, and proceeded to look down at him and say "Hi! Nice jacket!" He smiled a big grin, missing a couple teeth. His mother explained TMNT was his favorite thing ever, and he doesn't go anywhere without his jacket.

Amused, I leaned down and said "Who's your favorite turtle? Mine's Donny." He smiled again and said "Leonardo!" Big blue glasses, got it.

"Leonardo?! He's the leader! Here, let me show you how big of a fan I am!"

I crouched down to his level, and rolled up the bottom of my pant leg just slightly, explaining how cold it was today and the need for an extra layer. He looked and his look of curiosity turned it to the biggest grin I had ever seen. He laughed and looked up at me and told me that was so cool. He was thoroughly amazed and happy. He spent the rest of the time, albeit short, in the store glancing over at me before they left.

This is why I am the way I am: The little things in life. I made that kid's day and I bet he's going to beg his mom for TMNT pajama pants now.

I like to think I'd make a good father one day.

MAJORA’S MASK 3D LIMITED EDITION ANNOUNCED!

You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you? I hope not!

Announced today on Nintendo's Official Website, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D will be getting a Limited Edition that includes the game, as well as a detailed figurine statue of the infamous Skull Kid, wearing Majora's Mask.

Majora's Mask was originally released in 2000 for the Nintendo 64. It stars Link, the Hero of Time, as well as the previously mentioned antagonist Skull Kid, and a whole cast of other characters. Link's end goal is to save Termina from being crushed by the Moon within three days, by solving puzzles and battling enemies.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D Limited Edition will be USD $49.99, while the Standard Edition of the game will only be USD $39.99. Both will be released for the 3DS, concurrently, but the date has not been announced as of yet.

Images via: Amazon

Originally posted on: Graphic Policy