Once the darling photo service of the digerati, Flickr has languished under Yahoo!’s ownership…until now. When Marissa Mayer took over as Yahoo! CEO, one of her first goals was to make Flickr relevant again. She has done that with 1TB of storage, a new UI that emphasizes photos, and a lovely new Android app. Here’s a snippet from the official announcement:

Today, we’re thrilled to take Flickr even further with a beautiful, completely re-imagined experience that puts photos front and center. When it comes to photography, technology and

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[Seinfeld Mode] Did you ever notice that some comic book, movie, and television bad guys have names that make it completely obvious that they’re bad guys? [/Seinfeld Mode] What’s up with that? Are these guys and gals predestined to be evildoers? Or did they legally change their names while sufferings delusions of grandeur (see Hellwig, Jim). Star Wars is especially guilty of this, particularly The Clone Wars cartoons. Look at some of the villains that threatened the universe a long time ago in a galaxy far far away: General Whorm Loathsom, Savage Opress, Moralo Eval, Cad Bane, etc. There might as well be a Star Wars baddie name Evel McEvelson.

One of my favorite villains with a villainous name is…more

Star Trek Into Darkness is easily the best movie I’ve seen in theaters this year. Granted, the other films I’ve seen for review were Iron Man 3, Pain & Gain, Oblivion, and GI Joe: Retaliation (hardly a cinematic murderers’ row). I loved the movie and can’t wait to see it again, but I understand why certain people have issues with it. As a summer blockbuster, it has everything you could want — thrilling action, fantastic special effects, witty dialogue, and half-naked Alice Eve. If you’re looking for … more

Yesterday, I dropped by the newest vape shop in Los Angeles — Viper Vapor LA. Located in Koreatown, the store has been opened for a few weeks and is off to a promising start.

Mod choices include the venerable ProVape ProVari, the Joyetech eVic, and the Kamry K100, as well as various eGo models for those looking for “standard” e-cigs. The sexy and sturdy Vape Affinity glass tanks are available for carto/tank fans. The store will be adding additional hardware, including rebuildable atomizers, in the near future.

The store’s … more

Kingdom Come is one of my all-time favorite comic books. Mark Waid wrote a spectacular story that was complemented by Alex Ross’ unforgettable art. Many consider it the pinnacle of both mens’ careers. With all of that in mind, I was curious when a fellow fanboy (thanks Dan!) sent me a link to this Kingdom Come fan film trailer. While some of the costumes aren’t the best, the tone is spot-on and some of the scenes look just like the comic book panels.

Ideally, I would love an animated movie … more

Okay. My heel pain has been downgraded to heel soreness. That nasty surprise attack from food poisoning has been vanquished. I still have some remnants of a cold, but it’s not as bad as it was earlier in the week. That means it’s time to play Packing II! Yeah, moving a few weeks before E3 2013…isn’t the best, but it’s time to leave lovely Wilshire Vermont Station and the silly rent hikes. Despite my weakened condition, I’ve managed to get a lot done. Most of my games and CDs … more

My friend and socio-political crush Tara Reed wrote an excellent and insightful blog post on the perils of crowdfunding. She has been using indiegogo to acquire funds for her book Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda: A Novel Approach to Dating. Her first experience with indiegogo…wasn’t the best. While some of the company’s practices are clearly stated, some of them are vague and a potential roadblock for creators trying to get funding for a book, game, project, etc. Tara’s story will help creators understand indiegogo’s system, help them understand how to … more