14-Year-Old Breaks Guitar Hero III Record

14-Year-Old Breaks Guitar Hero III Record

[via Wired]
Danny Johnson, a 14-year-old from Texas, is the latest gamer to break a world record in Activision's Guitar Hero III, earning himself an endorsement deal in the process.

Johnson managed to pull down 973,954 points on Dragonforce's "Through The Fire And Flames" during a "media-sponsored" event at a Best Buy in New York City, topping the previous record of 899,703 set by Minnesota's Chris Chike, reports The New York Times.

Key to Johnson's success was carefully planned use of the game's Star Power points multiplier and months of strenuous practice, which included the destruction of "about 80 plastic Guitar Hero controllers."

"When you’re hitting that many notes and playing that fast, it just terrorizes the controller," Johnson's father remarked.

His virtual shredding skills (displayed in the below home video) earned Johnson an endorsement deal with "gaming team and event promoter" eMazingGaming.com, not to mention a write up in the New York Times -- a point that should illustrate the growing popularity (or, perhaps, perceived novelty) of competitive gaming.

Leaving a Broken Record (and Guitars) in His Wake [New York Times]

Wired.com's Mr. Know-It-All

[via Wired.com]

Mr. Know-It-All: Hi-Def Etiquette, Facebook Friends-in-Law, Wiki Errors

My only friend without an HDTV has invited me to his Super Bowl party. Hi-def sets have gotten pretty cheap. Is it rude to ask him to upgrade? Building bridges that can withstand anything.

Ask away, but remember that in these financially brutal times, even the gainfully employed are living lean. You might soften your approach and start by inviting your pal over to witness hi-def sports in all their glory. (You do have an HDTV yourself, right?) Maybe he'll see the light and pony up for an HD rig right before the big game. He wouldn't be the first.

But if your friend still resists dropping the cash, don't back out on his shindig. Yes, it's tough to revert to standard-def fuzz if you're accustomed to seeing every blade of grass. But, come on—has the splendor of all those pixels really made you that antisocial? The attraction of the party should be camaraderie, not the quality of the screen.

Joseph Whip of TVPredictions.com puts it well: "While I love HD, I do prefer friendship and human interaction." Plan on soothing the pain by knocking back a few extra beers before kickoff. Once the cheering starts, your technological hang-ups will be quickly forgotten.

When her mother recently friended me on Facebook, my girlfriend freaked and demanded that I defriend Mom at once. Should I comply or hold firm and risk hurting our relationship?

Your darling's dismay seems excessive, but you need to gather some intelligence before taking a stand. There could be a painful backstory here—an instance, perhaps, in which maternal interference ruined a promising romance.

Ask your girlfriend if her reaction is due to past meddling. If she has a tragic tale to relate, reassure her that you won't stand for such shenanigans. Make it clear that you'll instantly defriend Mom if she starts getting up to her old nosy tricks. A Facebook message with the subject line "Wedding Plans?" Buh-bye.

But the request might have less to do with Mom's misdeeds than a feeling that parental presence sucks the fun out of Facebook. "Using Facebook is a little like going to a party, and who wants to go to a party where their mom is standing in the corner?" says E. A. Vander Veer, author of Facebook: The Missing Manual.

By accepting Mrs. Girlfriend into your inner circle, you tacitly agreed to keep things on your profile rated G—or at least PG-13. Your gal simply may not relish the prospect of censoring her Wall posts to you.

If that's the essence of the gripe, gently resist her demand. Explain that preserving your right to Facebook raunchiness isn't worth hurting her mother's feelings. And point out that, hey, it's only Facebook—it's not like you let Mom install a webcam in your bedroom.

There's a serious error in the Wikipedia entry on me—they totally botched my birthplace. I want to correct the mistake, but I know you're not supposed to edit your own entry. What to do?

Congratulations on being deemed notable enough to merit a Wikipedia article. This implies that there are independent news sources out there with biographical information about you. Do these pieces have your birthplace correct? If so, create a note on your entry's Talk page with links to this evidence; with any luck, a Wikipedia contributor will notice it and make the necessary fix. If time is of the essence and you seriously believe the fate of the free world hangs in the balance, go ahead and edit the entry yourself. Just be sure to record everything on the Talk page, to avoid charges of sock puppetry.

Be ready, however, for some back-and-forth if the article's creator has a source for the misinformation. If this contributor won't relent, drop an email to info-en-q@wikimedia.org and explain the situation. Be brief and provide links to reputable sources that have accurate data.

In a worst-case scenario, the erroneous birthplace may have been bouncing around the World Wide Echo Chamber for so long that no linkable news articles have it right. "In cases like this, we suggest individuals try to correct the sources rather than insert unsourced information to our project," says Cary Bass, volunteer coordinator for the Wikimedia Foundation. That means your beef isn't with whoever created your Wikipedia entry but with the lazy journalists who've been flubbing your life's story all along. Rain your fury upon them.

Need help navigating life in the 21st century? Email us at mrknowitall@wiredmag.com.

Top 10 Incredible Animal Videos

Taken from Wired.com

Two weeks ago, we gathered 10 amazing animal videos together. In response, readers alerted us to more amazing animals we had missed, including a hedghog, dolphins, dogs, a lion and another hamster. Here are the best of the bunch.

10. Chickens Policing Rabbits


9. The Great Beagle Escape


8. Dolphins Playing With Bubble Rings
Several viewers wondered if this clip could be real, since the big bubbles do not seem to rise toward the top of the tank. Snopes verified that dolphins can make bubble rings by quickly whipping their heads around.


7. Gibbon Taunts Baby Tigers


6. Lion Reunion


5. Hedgehog Eating a Carrot


4. Hamster Eats Popcorn on a Piano


3. Gin the Dancing Dog


2. Transformer Owl


1. Super Smart Dog


Related Links:
Top 10 Amazing Biology Videos

Top 10 Amazing Biology Videos...i'm a science nerd

So I'm a science nerd; I think biology is fascinating (probably the reason I studied it for 4 years). If you are not similar minded and think its terribly boring, this post will put you to sleep. Anyway, check this out, I found it on Wired.com.

Cyborgs, stem cells, glowing mice, and hilarious music videos are great reasons to be excited about biology. Here are some of our favorite clips from the life sciences.

10. Immune Cell Chasing a Bacterium
It may look like the predecessor to Pac Man, but this vintage clip shows a neutrophil wending its way through a crowd of red blood cells to destroy its bacterial nemesis.

9. How High Speed Gene Sequencing Works
Within the next few years, Helicos BioSciences may be able to read an entire human genome for under one thousand dollars. This video explains the science behind their amazing technology.

8. Shrimp Jogging on a Treadmill
While comparing the stamina of sick shrimp to their healthy brethren, David Scholnick filmed this video of a cute little crustacean running on a treadmill. He had no idea that it would be come an internet sensation.

7. El Corazón
An unusual music video about the heart, in Spanish, with English subtitles.

6. The PCR Song
Biochemists often use the polymerase chain reaction to copy DNA molecules. This hilarious music video, tells the history of that technology and makes some jokes about its many uses, including paternity testing.

5. Glowing Mice Shed Some Light on Stem Cells
This year, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry went to three scientists who studied a fluorescent protein from jellyfish. It has become a tremendously important tool for scientific research, because biologists can use it to understand what is going on inside of cells. An experiment with glowing mice led to a major discovery about stem cells.

4. DNA Origami
Using a mix of chemistry, biology, and computer tricks, Paul Rothemund can design DNA molecules that fold up into complicated two-dimensional shapes. In this TED talk, he explains some of the logic behind his work, and how living things operate.

3. Cyborg Monkey Controls Robot Arm
By implanting an array of electrodes directly into the motor area of a monkey's brain, researchers can read some of its thoughts. Their interface is so good that the animal can take control of a robot arm and use it to feed itself. Someday, these brain-computer interfaces could be used to help paralyzed people live normal lives.

2. Evolution and Human Ancestry
Genetic tests are becoming an important part of medicine, but can also tell us about our ancestry. This charming cartoon, made by 23andMe, offers a fantastic overview of how humans evolved.

1. Building Body Parts from Scratch
Last week, regenerative medicine researchers announced that they have grown a new windpipe for a woman who was crippled by tuberculosis. Years ago, other scientists were able to make bladders, from scratch, and implant them in children with malformed urinary tracts. This video shows some amazing footage from two tissue engineering labs.

[taken from Wired Science]

Year's Best Gadgets, Gizmos & Products

Wired.com has tested and reviewed over 100 of the years hottest new and upcoming gadgets, gizmos and products.

Check out the reviews HERE

Geeks Like Ink Too

I recently noticed a piece on Wired.com about the best reader submitted tattoos. There was the best overall Geek tattoos, the best tattoos from Comic Con attendees and even blacklight tattoos. Here are a few notable ones, click the links below to see the rest:



Wired.com Readers' Best Comic Tattoos
Wired.com Readers' Best Geek Tattoos
Blacklight Tattoos