ZUGZWANG n pl. -S a situation in chess that forces a disadvantageous move 81 points (31 points without the bingo) You may not ever get a chance to play zugzwang on the Scrabble board, since it requires two G tiles and two Z tiles (obviously one Z being a blank), but you've p ...more
What's harder than returning Nadal's serve, hitting a Clemens fastball or tossing a Manning bros. level touchdown pass? The scientist prove, no matter how you slice it, saving a penalty kick save in soccer may be the most improbable feat in all of sports. The numbers don't al ...more
My father recently suffered a stroke. Now in Neuro Rehab at Cedars Sinai, he is enduring daily physical therapy, recreational therapy and occupational therapy sessions to help improve his balance, mobility and fine motor skills. I was initially worried about how I could incorp ...more
Being able to spell a seven-letter word on the board is one of the most enjoyable things about playing Scrabble. It's even better when those seven letters are all from your rack, giving you a bingo—those 50 bonus points in addition to your regular score. But just because you ...more
For some, adrenaline beats out every time. Though I've seen countless videos of base jumping, the sport never ceases to amaze. The video below, Last Walk Around Mirror Lake – Boom Bip (Boards of Canada Remix), is no exception to the rule. Shot in Norway, FroschYankee's footag ...more
The board does not always look like this: occasionally the nearby capacitors aren't present. Also, Pin 4 is the 4th pin from the L on the bottom. This is the side closest to where the cartridge loads, also, the writing on the chip should be right-side up. Please note this is a ...more
Unfortunately, no one seems to have, or willing to share, the science of making a real teleportation chamber. That doesn't mean you can't make a prop one though. Parker put together this video to show us how. You will need foam core poster board, a hot glue gun, duct tape, a p ...more
HOOSGOW 64 points (14 points without the bingo) Definition: a jail [n] Actually, it's slang for jail. You may not believe that slang is allowed on the Scrabble board, but it most definitely is when the word in question is used by a good majority of the people out there. Mer ...more
This is my first game using the Lazy Brain method, I have to say, it ain’t bad at all. The graphics are sweet and the gameplay is something farmiliar with a few of my own twists. Also features an online highscore board.
It's not just for playing video games! Strap a Kinect to a Roomba and wire it together with an embedded wireless-N computer, a range finder, voltage distribution board and an external Li-Poly battery. And voila, you have your own custom made robot!
If you usually wind up playing Warhammer 40k on the same type of board pretty consistently, you should consider spicing up your pieces by giving them bases that look like the sort of terrain your favor. This video will show you how to make an urban environment base for Warhamm ...more
Making your way into an online community can be really exciting. Some life-long friendships and lasting romances begin in humble chat rooms and message boards. But for the novice internet user, one of the biggest hurdles can be trying to figure out just what people are saying ...more
PHONEYS 64 points (14 points without the bingo) Definition: to phony, i.e. alters so as to make appear genuine [v] Phoneys (or phonies) is a word for altering something to make it appear legit, like turning a cheap handbag into a Louis Vuitton. It also simply means not genui ...more
When it comes to graphing and comparing functions, the TI-83 graphing calculator is the end-all device for math and science students. But one of the most entertaining aspects of Texas Instruments' powerful algebraic and trigonometric calculator is not the equations themselves, ...more
Know your way around sector space when you're playing Star Trek Online. This tutorial shows you how to interact with the sector map in the game and get to where you're trying to go, and what you might find as you travel through space. Go where no man has gone before in Star T ...more
Crafting is someting you can do in Star Trek Online after you complete the Scientific Mandate mission at level 4. Once you do, you'll gain the ability to craft items. This tutorial shows you what to do once you acquire this ability. Go where no man has gone before in Star Tre ...more
Don't be just another red shirt! Here's a detailed tutorial showing you how to engage in ground combat when exploring a planet. Make sure you've equipped the right weapons and know how to use their expose and exploit functions! Go where no man has gone before in Star Trek Onl ...more
If you want to tool around in the user interface of Star Trek Online and modify your client, this video shows you how. Do note that Cryptic doesn't support modding, and it could break your system. But if you want to alter the mouse pointer or your camera point of view, here's ...more
This video explains one of the newer features of Star Trek Online and how to use it - the Accolade System. Also covered are the mechanics behind your ship's shields, and how to use that math to your character's advantage. Go where no man has gone before in Star Trek Online. B ...more
It's entirely likely to encounter hostile natives when exploring a new planet in Star Trek Online. Fortunately, you can easily outflank your enemy and triumph over the odds by using your Away Team. This video shows you a few strategy tips to decrease casualties. Go where no m ...more
Are you passionate about both Star Trek and Apple products? It's indeed possible to run Star Trek Online on an Apple Mac! This shows you how to download two separate mods that will allow you to play Star Trek Online on your Mac. Go where no man has gone before in Star Trek On ...more
Kits are something your character might come across while playing Star Trek Online - special items which will augment or improve your character's specific skill set. This short video explains what kits do and how you find and use them. Go where no man has gone before in Star ...more
In Star Trek Online, not only do you play an individual character, you can also play your own ship while on space missions! And just as the characters are customizable, so are the ships! This tutorial shows you how to customize your ship to get it just the way you want it. Go ...more
This is a follow up to my last post on watching games in 3D. My main concern (because apparently I'm something of a technical snob, since no one else I went with considered it an issue), was that I perceived a lack of definition for a theater presentation. Apparently, Brazil ...more
Tutti a Bordo: This mission is a whopper, so be careful. You get transported to Forli, a new city. To the far, far northeast corner you'll find Leonardo, who's ready to board a ship with you. But before you can join, you get interrupted with this mission to save a woman who go ...more
Want the highest score on Bouncing Balls out of all of your friends? First step is to get Cheat Engine 5.5. Second step is to check out this video. Watch this video tutorial to learn how to get the highest score in Bouncing Balls (10/23/09). Download Cheat Engine 5.5 then you ...more
Sudoku is a one-rule puzzle game that can be either satisfyingly simple or deceptively difficult. Step 1 Cells where an individual number goes are called squares; squares are then sectioned off in groups of nine to create boxes.They create a three-box-by-three-box grid. Step ...more
In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to checkmate an opponent in four moves in Chess. This task is very easy, simple and fast to do. Begin by moving your pawn to E4. Then on your next turn move the bishop to C4 to attack F7. Now move the queen to A5, which also attacks F7 ...more
The video details which pieces you will use to win a game of chess quickly and by surprise. First off he explains the basic setup of the chess piece you will be defeating which is the weakest spot on the opponents side. He explains what moves you will be making on your side by ...more
Park Skateboarding: Show Off Your Skills The first skateparks appeared in the 1970s, and nowadays, they're the epicenter of the skateboarding world, a place to see and be seen. That being the case, you don't want to show up to the park without your "A" game. Let our trick gui ...more
Park Skateboarding: Show Off Your Skills The first skateparks appeared in the 1970s, and nowadays, they're the epicenter of the skateboarding world, a place to see and be seen. That being the case, you don't want to show up to the park without your "A" game. Let our trick gui ...more
This is an interesting chess game presented by Serguei Vorojtsov. Mate this king in only three moves! Samuel Loyd (January 31, 1841--April 10, 1911), born in Philadelphia and raised in New York, was an American chess player, chess composer, puzzle author, and recreational mat ...more
We'll base the project around a digital clock radio and a light gun for gaming; huge selections of both of these are available inexpensively second-hand, with many beautiful and well-designed examples. To enable our FPSI (First Person Shooter Interface), we'll outfit the gun w ...more
Do you think humans are the only ones who like the challenge of a good word game? Well, think again, because homo sapiens aren't the only ones up for stimulating their brains. Other species on planet Earth like to play Scrabble, too, and they're the ones most likely to actuall ...more
A couple months ago, the world was supposed to end. It didn't. But that didn't stop the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from warning citizens of one global possibility besides complete destruction—ZOMBIES. They used the farcical flesh-eating living dead as an ...more
We've all done it. You're sick. You don't want to go to the doctor so you just Google it. Soon, you've perused dozens of websites with conflicting information, you're no better informed than when you started, and your confusion makes you feel worse about your predicament. Woul ...more
Yes, they are May numbers, NPD is late by a month due to "IT" problems. They might have well blamed it only oil spill crisis. System Sales: PlayStation 3 154.5K PSP 59.4K Xbox 360 194.6K Wii 334.8K Nintendo DS 383.7K Last May for comparison: Wii - 289,500 Xbox 360 - 175,00 ...more
JUAREZ. PH33R. SUX0R. If you know what these mean, then you probably spend way too much time on the internet. If you're as bewildered as I was, these words actually mean something in leetspeak. JUAREZ n warez (pirated software) PH33R v -S fear SUX0R v -S the leet way to say ...more
WonderHowTo is a how-to website made up of niche communities called Worlds, with topics ranging from Minecraft to science experiments to Scrabble and everything in-between. Check in every Wednesday evening for a roundup of user-run activities and how-to projects from the most ...more
Most of your who visit Fear of Lightning are probably well familiar with laser weaponry, thanks to Christopher's three-part series covering carbon dioxide, flashlamp, and semiconductor lasers. Another type of laser currently being developed as a weapon is the fiber laser, whic ...more
Jet engines combine oxygen from the surrounding air with on-board fuel to burn at very high temperatures and create thrust in the direction of the flame. Rockets, which we will learn about in a later post, are similar but carry oxygen internally and can therefore function in s ...more
No longer do you need to crowd around your tiny smartphone to watch a funny YouTube video with your friends. If you've got a display nearby with a web browser and internet access, you can take control of it with your mobile device for free with the new Clik app. It's simple. ...more
COXSWAIN v -ED, -ING, -S to direct (a crew) as coxwain 70 points (20 points without the bingo) The definition for coxswain could be pretty confusing if you don't know what a coxwain is, but perhaps even more confusing is the fact that coxwain is not an acceptable word in Scr ...more
BEJABERS interj bejesus (used as a mild oath) 69 points (19 points without the bingo) An oath is almost always associated with promises or sworn declarations, but it also has a different meaning as a profane or offensive expression used to convey anger or other strong emotio ...more
EUCAINE n pl. -S an anesthetic 59 points (9 points without the bingo) The first effective local anesthetic ever was cocaine, obtained from the leaves of the coca plant, and it's still legal for medical use. But cocaine tends to cause intense vasoconstrictor activity and some ...more
GUISARD n pl. -S a masker 59 points (9 points without the bingo) This is a pretty simple word to explain. Since the definition states guisard being a masker, then it's easy to tell where this word comes from—guise, which means to disguise, or more specifically to alter the a ...more
APOLOGUE n pl. -S an allegory 61 points (11 points without the bingo) An apologue (or apolog) is an allegorical short story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning or principle, typically a moral or political one. It's very similar to a fable, bu ...more
LEVOGYRE 65 points (15 points without the bingo) Definition: turning toward the left [adj] The basic meaning of levogyre above is correct, since it comes from the Latin words laevus (left) and gyrare (rotate), but it's more common in organic chemistry, referring to a compoun ...more
ZEBRASS 68 points (18 points without the bingo) Definition: the offspring of a zebra and an ass [n] Didn't know they had a name for it, did you? Well, they do, and it's a nice looking portmanteau word that's exactly what it sounds like—a hybrid animal produced by breeding a ...more
BOVINITY 66 points (16 points without the bingo) Definition: the state of being a bovine [n] At first glance, the definition for bovinity seems a bit too obvious… the state of being an ox-like animal. But outside the world of cattle, it's meant more as a disparaging remark t ...more
RHYOLITE 64 points (14 points without the bingo) Definition: a volcanic rock [n] Rhyolite is an igneous rock, which is one of the three main rock types, aside from sedimentary and metamorphic rock. It's also an extrusive volcanic rock, which is formed on the surface through ...more
Bingo! No, this isn't the game where balls fly around in machines and players dab their cards with daubers. In a game of Scrabble, bingo refers to the bonus a player receives when emptying their rack in one turn, which gets them an extra 50 points on top of whatever their play ...more
JUMBUCK 74 points (24 points without the bingo) Definition: a sheep [n] There are many different words for sheep—not sheep breeds, but words separating sheep by ages, sex, and by the use of the animal itself. Some of these words include buck, dam, ewe, ram, hogg, hogget, wet ...more
CYNOSURE 63 points (13 points without the bingo) Definition: a center of attraction [n] A cynosure is something or someone that strongly attracts attention and admiration from others by its allure, brilliance, and interest, and usually is associated with lustrousness and att ...more
POSTICHE 65 points (15 points without the bingo) Definition: an imitation [n] Not to be confused with pastiche, postiche simply means an imitation—a counterfeit of something. It could be anything, but most commonly it's referred to as false hair on the face or head, which in ...more
SHLEMIEL 63 points (11 points without the bingo) Definition: an unlucky bungler [n] Shlemiel is a Yiddish word that describes a clumsy, inept person by Jewish persons. The Yiddish language is a mix of German, Hebrew and Slavic languages, and was very common amongst Jews in c ...more
WANIGAN 61 points (11 points without the bingo) Definition: a supply chest used in a logging camp [n] The most common definition of wanigan (or wannigan) is a small chest which holds supplies for lumberjacks. Some will just call it a lumberjack's trunk, but if you want to ta ...more
DOTTREL 58 points (8 points without the bingo) Definition: dotterel; a shore bird [n] If you're familiar with the dotterel bird, you may think dottrel is a misspelling, but it's just another way of putting it. Hopefully, your opponent will think it's a misspelling, too. A d ...more
ALAMEDA 60 points (10 points without the bingo) Definition: a shaded walkway [n] For those on the west coast, alameda is not just a city in the Harbor Bay or a street in downtown Los Angeles, it's also a legitimate Scrabble word meaning a shady walkway. It's actually a Spani ...more
DIAPSID 61 points (11 points without the bingo) Definition: a reptile with two pairs of temporal openings in the skull [n] Diapsids are "double-arched" reptiles whose skulls possess two developed openings (temporal fenestra) behind each of the eye sockets (above and below) w ...more