FF: Tiny Wings Rules The Roost

I take pride in the fact that I stayed away from the virtual crack that is Angry Birds. Don't get me wrong: I took a hit from the Rovio Mobile crackpipe. But the game never did its thing for me like it did 50 million other people. Now I see the damned shirts & plushies in Hot Topic, hear talk of it getting its own TV show, and Mattel is working on making a board game version of it. Did you read that? A board game version of an iPhone app.

Last week, though, a little bird told me that there was a new feathered friend on the App Store. Tiny Wings is a story of a little bird who has always dreamed of flying, but has tiny wings (Titular Line!) that prevent him from doing so. But on the islands this unnamed dreamer wanders on, there are beautiful and colorful hills you can use to help the little guy "fly", or as a famous Space Ranger would say "...Falling with style".

The game is ridiculously easy, but addictive like all good apps. You simply touch the screen to bring in your wings and let go to flap. The objective is to slide down hills to build up speed, and flap as you go up and over them, all while racing the setting sun. As soon as night falls, your bird gets sleepy and knocks out after a vigorous day of gliding. That's it. There's no YOU SUCK screen to make you feel stupid, which just adds to the games light tone. The game features procedural generated graphics, so every time you fire up the game, it looks different every time. It runs at a smooth 60fps, even on older iDevices. The islands are gorgeous and are rendered to look watercolor-esque. The music is really great too. With all this, it's really easy to lose yourself in the kinetic motion of your flyer.

There's a small objectives and rewards system. The rewards aren't huge, but they're enough to keep you invested in the game. The objectives aren't nightmarish either. Small little milestones that inch you closer to a new nest. The more goals accomplished, the bigger your score multiplier, and the more "extravagant" you nest is.

Overall, this is an excellent addition to anyone's iPhone Games folder. For 99c, you get hours of endless gameplay. Go download it now!

Still not convinced? I'm gifting one copy of Small Wings to a random commenter below. Just comment using a registered Blogger or Google account (sorry Anon), and you'll automatically be entered. Winner will be announced here on 3/5/11 at noon. Good luck!

TT: The Google Cr-48

I've always felt that I was lucky. Ever since I learned my Chinese Horoscope animal was a rabbit, I seem to attract luck easily. If I'm broke, I come up on money soon after. When I'm driving, I seem to always be ten seconds ahead of a crash. If I have my heart set on something, it's usually soon in my possession. When the chips are down, I somehow get this ungodly streak of luck. Case in point: the package I received two weeks ago. No packing slip. No sender info. Nothing. Where did it come from? Was it for me? What was is?

I left that package in the kitchen. It kept burning a hole in the back of my head. What the hell was it?!? Since I had started participating with Klout, I had received numerous packages that were a bit of a mystery. But Klout typically slapped their stickers all over their shipping boxes. Was it from the now defunct 12seconds crew? An Amazon shipping error? Satan?

Getting a Cr-48 was like hitting a baby lotto. The best part was I had completely forgot that I had signed up for the damned thing in the first place.

Alright. Officially done freaking out. Let's dive into this baby:

So just what is this thing? This is Google's prototype Notebook: The Cr-48. The name is derived from the fact that the device runs Google's new operating system "Chromium". Chromium is also an element. Cr-48 happens to be an unstable isotope of Chromium. So "Cr-48" reflects the unstable stage of the Chrome beta. Neat! But what's this Chrome OS all about? Why would anyone care to replace their current device?

Google has this idea that the future is on the web. In a browser. I couldn't agree more. The only time I'm off my browser is to spank some noobs in Warsong Gulch. The other time spent on my PC is checking email, visiting social sites, watching something on Netflix or YouTube. Google realizes this and has built a light and fast device that will allow us to do all these great things in less time. Let's look at the specs:

• Atom N455 Processor, 1.66 GHz, 512 Cache
• Intel CG82NM10 PCH Chipset
• 2GB DDR3 RAM
• ITE IT8500E Flash ROM
• 16GB SATA Solid-State Drive
• Build in WiFi, 3G, and Bluetooth
• One USB port

The Cr-48 is blazing fast for a notebook. The only thing I've come across that can rival it is the MacBook Air. Then again, an Air is 2k.  I have a good feeling the Cr-48 will sell for much less than that. It's whisper quiet to the point that I doubt it even has a fan inside. The notebook is awesome. The fact that Google decided to sweeten the deal and comp us in the pilot program two years of data service through Verizon is just icing on this already delicious cake. Working on this notebook is a dream. Everyone who's played with it agrees: it's an awesome little book. All in all, a great piece of tech. I'm very excited to see the updates and improvements to it going forward.

Thanks again, Google!

MM: "No One Loves Me & Neither Do I" by Them Crooked Vultures

I listened to TCV all weekend, so I knew I had to share them with you this week for Music Monday. Them Crooked Vultures is a supergroup composed of Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones, Foo Fighters' David Grohl, and Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme. All excellent bands, two of which are personal favorites of mine. To think these gentlemen would come together to melt faces is something I could only have imagined in a fan-fiction... a weird fan-fiction. Why someone would write a fan-fiction about three very talented musicians coming together like some kinda fucking Rock Voltron is beyond me. Then again, there's been weirder shit written by very weird internet denizens.

But I digress...

Them Crooked Vultures is very real. I had heard of them late last year. All I really had heard though was the band's name and the fact that "they rock"ed. I had no knowledge of the band's members or their sound. To my surprise, they were billed under this year's Coachella, a music festival I attend in my hometown every year. Even moments before they took the stage, I still had no knowledge of the band members.

When the trio (accompanied by Alain Johannes who I'm told is with them for live performances only) hit the stage, I was floored. These gentlemen know how to rock and I didn't expect to be disappointed with their set. TCV absolutely brought their A-Game to The Desert that night, and I walked out of the Empire Polo grounds sweaty, exhausted, and a huge fan of their work.

The song I'm highlighting this week is the first track off their self-titled album. It's one of my absolute favorites due to the slick tempo changes and Grohl's fancy drumming. In all honesty, the entire album is great and I've enjoyed it immensely. Pick it up on iTunes if you have some scratch to burn.

MM: "III: The Will of One" by The Protomen

I first found out about The Protomen six years ago during a Google Search for rock covers of Mega Man music. At the time, I was on a Mega Man binge, trying to complete a very respectable collection of the video game catalog. I was missing Mega Man Soccer, which was extremely hard for me to get a hold of at that time. My searching to quench my thirst for chiptune-inspired rock ballads brought me to The Megas (which I will definitely cover another Monday) and The Protomen: a rock band from Nashville, Tennesse who compose original concept albums based on Capcom's Mega Man franchise characters.

Upon initial listen, I was immediately drawn to the lyrics which told the story of Dr. Wily, the horrid dictator of a dystopic city filled with cowardly citizens too afraid to stand up to him, the good Dr. Light who builds Protoman to free the city of Wily's oppression but fails, and Megaman, the second creation of Dr Light who takes up the good fight his brother Protoman once fought. The surprise twist and apocalyptic ending are fantastic, and the entire self-titled album is an absolute joy to rock out to from start to finish.

I finally had the opportunity, after six long grueling years, to see the band perform. Being from Tennessee, the band never comes out to California. Thanks to being invited to this years PAX, The Protomen made their way to Seattle to do battle. Of course, they had to make a stop in the City of Angels to liberate us from Wiley.

I've seen some great bands perform live. The Protomen are definitely in my Top Five. They performed their self-titled album, "The Protomen", in its entirety. One of my favorite songs from that album is "The Will of One", which depicts Megaman racing into the city after being told the story of Protoman by Dr. Light. It's a blood-pumpin', fast-paced single. The performance was amazing and the night only continued to get better afterwards. Hope you enjoy the footage!

The Protomen's first self-titled album is available on iTunes. Their second album, "Act II: The Father Of Death" is also available for your listening pleasure. Check them out at http://theprotomen.com

LTT: Tacos Adobada from Tacos El Gordo

During my recent trip to San Diego for Comic-Con, I wanted to try some new grub I normally didn't have access to. With San Diego's rich Hispanic heritage, I figured Mexican food was going to be the best way to go. Enter Tacos El Gordo in Chula Vista, just about fifteen minutes away from SD.

I was craving authentic tacos, and this place gives you that. If you're not a fan of crossing the border to get your grub on, I can safely say this is the most authentic tacos I've tasted in the States. The choices in meat is the most I've ever seen as well, even rivaling some of the best taco stands in Mexico.

• de Cabeza (Beef Head)
• de Lengua (Beef Tongue)
• de Sesos (Beef Brain)
• de Buche (Pork Esophagus)
• de Adobada (Spicy Pork)
• de Asada (Steak)
• de Tripa (Beef Intestines)

You know, as I plugged in the English definitions for all these beloved tacos, I realized why most places just generalize everything under Pork, Beef, or Chicken: because they wouldn't be able to sell squat! Honestly, it sounds horrible... but it's horribly good.

Authentic TJ tacos like these are very small. They usually consist of your choice meat, salsa, onions, cilantro, and guacamole or guacatillo (a very simple avocado-based salsa), held altogether by a small corn tortilla. It took about six tacos to make me content, so keep that in mind if you hit this place up. That's all they really sell: tacos. There's no burritos or crazy combination plates, which only solidifies this place's authenticity in my eyes. Keep It Simple, Stupid.

The price, in my opinion, is good. It was a buck and change per taco. I had tacos de Adobada, which is what I would recommend to anyone reading this. They're absolutely delicious. "Adobada" is Spanish for "marinated", which describes the cooking technique for these particular tacos which are marinated in a red chili sauce. Spice isn't a huge issue, for those of you concerned. But flavor is! Again, absolutely incredible tacos served up my very talented taqueros.

This has to be my absolute favorite review for LTT so far. It's just so natural and organic. Having a round table discussion with your friends over lunch is as real as it gets. A very special thanks to my buddies Andrew, Edgar, and Ruben for making this one of my best reviews yet.

Events: From The Top Rope!

Living in a small desert town like Indio, we don't get much in the form of entertainment. Hell, we don't even have a freakin' arcade out here. That's ridiculous. Hence why I constantly trek out to Los Angeles to do something on the weekends. Last week, however, was different. The Empire Wrestling Federation, or EWF, made their way to our little hellhole of a town and put on a show of athleticism and strength.

... well, they attempted to, anyways.

My ticket ran me ten bucks. VIP tickets were advertised but when I inquired about upgrading my seat, I was informed that all the VIP section was sold out. Odd, as I had arrived early. I noticed most of the VIP rows were filled with family and friends of the wrestlers, so I was kinda annoyed by that. Anyhow, ten bucks admission got me into the third row. I, of course, had to pick up some nachos and a Coke, which was another three.

I think the VIP ticket issue should've been my first warning that this was a half-assed event. If not that, the location of the event was a dead giveaway: The empty Factory 2-U building nearby our dying sorry excuse for a mall. As the matches progressed, I began to realize this was billed as a Lucha Libre Event, but most of the roster consisted of WWE-hopefuls. I could count the amount of "luchadors" on one hand. The matches that took place also deviated from those advertised on the flyer. Entertainment-wise... you wanna talk cheesy acting? This was Grade A Gouda. The finale was a Battle Royal featuring all the wrestlers that performed that night, pathetically breaking in and out of character the entire time.

The EWF's roster is populated with Triple H and The Rock-wannabes. Mere students of the School of Hard Knocks in San Bernardino. The last good decent wrestler they churned out was "The Masterpiece" Chris Masters, but even he belongs to a generation of WWE wrestlers that no one's watching. With the EWF returning to The Desert on September 26th, the real question is was it worth it? Meh. Ten bucks is nothing to me. I wipe my ass daily with ten bucks on lunch alone. When they do come back, if the price is the same, sure. I'll check 'em out again and see if the roster is any better. If it's any more, I'll sit it out. For those of you expecting some awesome high flying, dragonrana tossing, top rope mayhem: don't hold your breath. This isn't the AAA.

LTT: Korean BBQ Special from Alkobar Grill

LTT: Honey Walnut Shrimp from Panda Express