Make Your Own Digital Mix Tape

from Rhino Entertainment:

Remember when love was as simple as a tape full of slow jams and a six-pack? The long lost days of making a mix for your baby are back again and they’ve been upgraded. Pick up our groovy cassette* USB in black, blue, purple or pink, and we’ll help you fill it up with 20% off your choice of our digital collection**.

*Free Ground Shipping offer valid through 11:59pm, February 10, 2010 for U.S. Addresses only. **20% off Digital Tracks valid only in the same cart and purchase as the USB Cassette. You must add your digital tracks to the same cart and purchase as the USB Cassette to receive the discount, which is automatic at checkout. Rhino reserves the right to extend, modify, or discontinue these offers any time without notice.

Tweet for a Chance to Win @R4D: Hobs End CD

Requiem for Delinquency: Hobs End
Requiem for Delinquency: Hobs End

In the gift-giving spirit of Christmas, we’re giving away 2 copies of the Requiem for Delinquency CD Hobs End.

Back in August, I discovered R4D, fell in love and told you about it here at ÜberSciFiGeek.

Some elements of Hobs End remind me of Bill Leeb projects such as Delerium and Fauxliage… Requiem for Delinquency is the kind of electronica music you might find on a Six Degrees or Nettwerk label… Some tracks are similar to but have more synth than Robert Miles and Enigma compositions, but are not as heavily reliant on synth as Tangerine Dream or Vangelis tend to be. (For the full review click here.)

Now we’re giving you a chance to win your own copy of R4D’s Hobs End. Beginning Christmas Eve, Thursday December 24th, and running through New Year’s Eve, Thursday December 31st, all tweets of this article (just click “Tweet This Post”) or retweets from Twitter will be entered into a random drawing to receive a copy of R4D’s Hobs End CD.

You can check out a preview of their music at RequiemForDelinquency.com and then tweet to enter!

Merry Christmas from all of us at ÜberSciFiGeek!

Tonight’s the night! RiffTrax Live: Christmas Shorts-Stravaganza!

from RiffTrax:

RiffTrax Live: Christmas Shorts-Stravaganza is here! Join Mike, Kevin, Bill and Special Guest “Weird Al” Yankovic for a hilarious night of live riffing in theatres nationwide!

Tickets are selling out!!! Don’t miss your chance to see the show — go to the RiffTrax page on Fathom and purchase tickets for either the Live (December 16th) or Encore (December 17th) shows.

And don’t forget: all event attendees will receive FIVE FREE DIGITAL GOODIES!

Bring a friend and share the holiday joy!

RiffTrax Live: Christmas Shorts-Stravaganza is less than two weeks away!

from RiffTrax:

RiffTrax Live: Christmas Shorts-Stravaganza is less than two weeks away! Get your tickets now before it’s too late! Mike, Kevin and Bill are back on the big screen, riffing a wonderfully warped collection of Christmas shorts! Our Special Guest is the hilarious “Weird Al” Yankovic!

All event attendees will receive 5 FREE digital goodies: a holiday song by the RiffTones, two downloadable shorts, an autographed digital photo of Mike, Kevin and Bill, and a Christmas desktop wallpaper!

Don’t miss the Comedy Event of the Season — only two nights, in over 480 theatres nationwide: Live on Wednesday December 16th, with an Encore on Thursday December 17th!!! Bring your friends and share the holiday cheer, with RiffTrax Live: Christmas Shorts-Stravaganza!

And don’t forget, you could win a FREE TRIP FOR TWO to sunny San Diego to see the show live and MEET THE STARS!

Buy tickets now.

Enter to win VIP airfare and tickets to the show in San Diego.

Fire Up Computers with “The Holiday Yule Log”

The Holiday Yule Log

The Holiday Yule Log: Everything You [i.e., Tech-Oriented Geeks] Need to Enjoy Home, Hearth, and Family for the Holidays

Nothing brings the winter holiday season to life like a festive fire crackling in the hearth. It’s the perfect complement to stockings hung by the chimney with care, and the sound of Christmas carols echoing in the chilly air… but what about those who live in apartments, college dorms, or hot southern climates — the fireplaceless among us? Now they too can bask in the cozy glow of a seasonal blaze with this clever book-plus-DVD set. Any computer screen is transformed into the holiday hearth, while the 50 page book provides such read-aloud favorites as The Night Before Christmas and the O. Henry classic The Gift of the Magi. Four sing-along lyric sheets for popular Christmas carols, and a great fruitcake recipe, complete this fun gift package.

Order now at Amazon.com:
The Holiday Yule Log

The Holiday Yule Log is distributed by Cider Mill Press Book Publishers, an independent publisher distributed by Simon & Schuster.

Geeky Goodness, Gadgets and Great Gift Ideas

Trying to figure out what the perfect gift will be for your favorite geek? Check out some of these awesome gift ideas.

Electronic Gadgets:

The Kindle Wireless Reading Device is presently the #1 Bestselling, #1 most wished for and #1 most gifted item on Amazon.com. At just over 1/3 of an inch thick it’s thinner than most magazines and weighs less then a paperback book. With wireless 3G technology, you can download your new books digitally in under 60 seconds from anywhere in the world! It reads like real paper without a glare (even in strong sunlight) and holds up to 1,500 books at a time. With over 360,000 books now available for download, Kindle will keep any book lover happy for years to come!

This 8 GB MP4/MP3 Player from Pyrus Electronics includes an FM radio, camera, voice recorder and features a 2.8 inch touchscreen. They also have a 4 GB version and for under $10 you can get an MP3 FM Transmitter (with remote) that plugs right into your cigarette lighter and transmits your favorite MP3s to your radio. It uses an SD card so your only limit is how big the card memory is.

The Electronic Lab 130-in-One Project is a fun way to learn about electronics and study the wonders of science. This kit will give you a jump-start on a great hobby with no prior electronics knowledge needed. Project components are assembled on a built-in breadboard by connection to spring terminals — no soldering needed — and use safe, low-voltage batteries. Comes with built-in speaker, 7-segment LED digital display, integrated circuits, rotary controls and clearly written instructions with schematics/diagrams.

The Genius PenSketch is a brilliant drawing and graphic editing tool. I’ve owned the previous model of this 9×12 tablet for almost three years and it’s been incredibly helpful and easy to use with any artistic project I’ve worked on. It has a USB connection and includes a wireless mouse, rubber-coated pen and software. This handy tablet includes lots of customizable features that I haven’t even begun to explore yet. While everyone dreams of having the massive, professional graphic tablets, Genius has provided an affordable, high-quality product that will help you master your digital graphic arts skills before spending the really big bucks on a professional set-up.

DVD Goodies:

Farscape: The Complete Series
Probably the best news I’ve had in years, Farscape is finally out on DVD at an incredible low price. Remember when IF you were lucky enough to find it at your local store, it had a hefty $120 per season price tag? Even online sources like eBay charged an average of $80 per season. Now, to celebrate the 10th Anniversary, Jim Henson’s Creature Shop and A&E Home Video have partnered to bring you the complete series for under $100! Tack on Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars and you’ve got a complete set! Still need more Farscape? Check out the books and comics that complete the back-story and fill us in on events since The Peacekeeper Wars.

Jim Henson’s The Storyteller: The Definitive Collection
One of Jim Henson’s finest works is The Storyteller series, originally airing on HBO in 1987. The Definitive Collection includes 13 stories, 9 based on European fables, and 4 slightly grittier takes on Greek myths.

Jim Henson’s Fantasy Film Collection includes three of Henson’s best fantasy films: Labyrinth, MirrorMask and The Dark Crystal, all for one great, low price.

Pushing Daisies: The Complete First and Second Seasons is a MUST-have for anyone who loved other Bryan Fuller productions such as Wonderfalls and Dead Like Me.

Other great film ideas:

V: The Original TV Miniseries and V: The Complete Series
See where it all started with the original series!

Ultimate Sci-Fi Collection
This 20-disc set includes: Escape From NYMad MaxRollerballThe Abyss, Alien, AliensThe Day the Earth Stood Still, Fantastic VoyageThe Fly, Independence DayJourney to the Center of the Earth, The Neptune FactorPlanet of the Apes (1968), and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.

Babylon 5: The Complete Television Series and the follow-up Crusade: The Complete Series.

Sanctuary: The Complete First Season
The little web series that could! Sanctuary made its jump from the web to television. This 4-disc set includes the entire first season plus many extras, including the original web series.

Earth 2: The Complete Series
A great show that ended too soon. Definitely worth adding to your sci-fi collection.

The Ray Bradbury Theater: Complete Series includes all 65 episodes of this wonderful show.

Some of my other all-time favorites that your favorite geek might like: KrullTin ManWillowThe Philadelphia ExperimentThe Final CountdownTime After TimeStargate SG-1: The Complete Series Collection and Young Frankenstein.

Board and Card Games:

Fluxx 4.0
Looney Labs produces lots of great games that are fun to play. One of their most popular, Fluxx, has been updated with a new release and new art work, but the same great fun. Additional versions of Fluxx include: Martian FluxxMonty Python FluxxZombie FluxxEcoFluxx and Family Fluxx.

Battlestar Galactica, based on the hugely popular recent series, is a semi-cooperative board game for 3-6 players.

The Dread Pirate Bookshelf Game is played on a wonderfully illustrated and aged treasure map with cast metal playing pieces, replica doubloons, wooden dice, treasure bags and pirate treasure. This attractive Bookshelf Edition comes packaged in an aged wooden book that will look great displayed in any room of the house.

World of Warcraft: The Adventure Game
Can’t talk your friends into playing World of Warcraft online with you? Maybe they’ll enjoy an exciting and fast-paced journey through the world of Azeroth with this awesome board game based on the popular online game.

Starcraft: The Board Game
Whether you choose to lead the versatile Terran, mysterious Protoss, or voracious Zerg, in Starcraft: The Board Game you’ll command an army like no other in the universe. Based on the popular computer game, here’s a fun way to get your friends hooked on another game classic!

Music:

Battlestar Galactica: Season OneSeason TwoSeason Three and Season Four soundtracks feature the mesmerizing music of Bear McCreary.

Requiem for Delinquency: Hob’s End is a great electronica album in the vein of Delerium and Enigma, with hints of Dead Can Dance.

The Best of Delerium features some classic cuts from one of my all-time favorite groups.

Pure Chill Out is a collection of chill, electronica and ambient music. This is another CD that is always in my CD wallet when I travel.

Café del Mar, Vol. 15 is the latest entry from this great music anthology. It’s perfect for playing games online, drawing or whatever else you find yourself geeking out with.

Final Fantasy XI Premium Box features 7 discs of the beautiful in-game music from the Final Fantasy series.

What would be on your wishlist? Feel free to comment!

Shout! Factory’s Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sale

from Shout! Factory:

Buy any two DVD or CD Box Sets (over 120 to choose from) and get one FREE!

Whether you’re shopping for yourself or planning your holiday gift guide, Shout! Factory has the perfect purchases for you.

This sale only lasts until Monday, so start shopping today!

Lumina Jumps from the Little Screen to the Big Screen at the Clockenflap Music & Multi-Media Arts Festival

Lumina Poster

from Lumina:

Hong Kong’s original fantasy web series Lumina jumps from the little screen to the big screen at this past weekend’s Clockenflap Music & Multi-Media Arts Festival held at Hong Kong’s Cyberport. An estimated 3,500 festival attendees had the opportunity to view the Saturday and Sunday screenings of the first Lumina webisode, which to date has been available exclusively online.

“Clockenflap is a huge supporter of local artists and filmmakers and it’s great to see the bar being raised on independent production here year after year,” says Lindsay Robertson, Film Programmer, Clockenflap. “The film tent has grown enormously since last year’s festival — with 80 films screened this year — and we were thrilled to be screening such a diverse range of quality content from Hong Kong as well as from around the world. Screening films as part of a music festival environment allows a wider demographic to watch films they may not otherwise get to see.”

“It’s an honor to be invited to the Clockenflap festival and to be part of this exciting time in Hong Kong indie cinema,” says Lumina writer/director Jennifer Thym. “We’re excited about expanding our audience worldwide.” With over 30,000 views online from word of mouth and grassroots marketing, Lumina’s viewership is growing strong, especially with the young female set. In the last month, 30% of all Lumina viewers on YouTube were females between the ages of 13 and 17; the next largest demographic (15%) were males between the ages of 25 and 34.

The entire nine part first season of Lumina is now available to view on luminaseries.com as well as on Lumina’s American distribution partner’s website, koldcast.tv. A special DVD release with behind the scenes footage and bonus material is on the way.

About Lumina the Web Series:

Written and directed by first time Asian American director Jennifer Thym, Lumina the Web Series is a dark densely woven fantasy series set against the sparkling backdrop of Hong Kong. Lumina stars actress and model JuJu Chan, who also starred in the recent RTHK reality show on poverty and is the winner of Miss United Nation International Ambassador 2009, Miss United Nation China, Miss Congeniality and Miss TVB People’s Choice for Miss Chinatown USA Pageant 2009. Michael Chan, star of the viral hit Wall Street Fighter IV, and Vince Matthew Chung, winner of The Amazing Race Asia 3, co-star.

The series features music from around the world, including songs from groundbreaking music collective The Enigmatic Army, American college circuit favorite Tim Be Told and China Global Battle of the Bands winner Killer Soap. “Good music is integral to drawing viewers into the story, and I’m honored to have collaborated with such talented musicians,” says Jennifer Thym.

Lumina the Web Series is signed for distribution by American Web TV Channel KoldCast TV to join their award-winning slate of original online content.

About the Clockenflap Music & Multi-Media Arts Festival:

Clockenflap is a pioneering outdoor music and multimedia arts festival held over two days with over 3,500 attendees. It is currently the largest outdoor music and arts festival in Hong Kong. The festival provides a platform for both internationally and locally sourced live music, film, installation art, digital arts and animation, brought together as a great weekend out for all ages. The Clockenflap festival aims to support local artists by providing a large-scale event to showcase their talent, and to inspire others to become active through exposure to high quality international and local artists. It is the organisers’ view that a thriving art scene, across varied media, is critical for the social well-being of a large city. In addition, Clockenflap actively pursues the objective of making a profit with a view to nurturing the festival in Hong Kong and expanding the event into neighboring cities throughout the region.

RiffTrax Live Christmas Tickets

from RiffTrax:

You demanded it! You got it! RiffTrax is back on the big screen with RiffTrax Live Christmas Shorts-Stravaganza! Join Mike, Kevin and Bill for an evening of riffing on a wonderfully warped collection of Christmas shorts! Our Special Guest is “Weird Al” Yankovic!

The Live show is on Wednesday December 16th, and the Encore is on Thursday December 17th. So come along and bring a friend! Bring ALL your friends! Get your tickets now before they sell out!

All event-attendees will receive 5 FREE digital goodies including a holiday song by the RiffTones, two downloadable shorts, an autographed digital photo of the guys, and a Christmas desktop wallpaper!

Get your advance tickets to the live show here.

Get your advance tickets to the ENCORE show here.

The Essential “Weird Al” Yankovic is Out NOW!

from “Weird Al” Yankovic:

That’s right — you can pick up your own copy of The Essential “Weird Al” Yankovic today! This jam-packed 2-CD collection features Al’s best work from his 12 studio albums, including hits like “White & Nerdy,” “Eat It,” “Amish Paradise,” “Like A Surgeon,” and “Smells Like Nirvana”! You’ll get 38 classic songs (hand-picked by Al himself) — over 2 1/2 hours of music — all beautifully remastered — plus a full-color 24-page booklet — and all for one amazing low price!

The Essential “Weird Al” Yankovic is available at record stores, online retailers… pretty much everywhere that music is sold. Click here for more information and pick up your copy today!

The Jim Henson Company Announces “Fraggle Rock Forever” Collection

Fraggle Rock: The Complete Series Collection

from The Jim Henson Company:

The Jim Henson Company announced that it is launching a new merchandise collection, Fraggle Rock Forever, based on the global fan-favorite brand that is as popular today as it was when it premiered more than 25 years ago. The collection slated for both the specialty and department store market will have a tiered rollout with a selection of product due in store for holiday 2009 with much more to come in spring 2010.

“We have found Fraggle Rock to be an extremely desirable franchise among the hip fashion industry around the world. The property’s appeal is especially strong to many of the young men and women who loved Fraggle Rock as kids and who are now working in the apparel, accessories and retail business,” said Melissa Segal, Senior Vice President of Global Consumer Products for The Jim Henson Company.

The Fraggle Rock Forever collection, which celebrates the whimsy and celebratory spirit of the classic series, will feature product in categories including apparel, tote bags, belt buckles, jewelry and classic plush. In addition, adult Halloween costumes aimed to appeal to Fraggle fanatic men and women will be available in 2010. Deals have been completed in the U.S. with Bioworld Merchandising, Manhattan Toy, and Rasta Impasta and in the UK with Fashion UK as well as with the popular fashion driven chain Zara which will have Fraggle Rock tees available in their stores around the world.

Also bringing the collection to a new level are hot trend driven designers such as Dr. Romanelli based in Los Angeles and Carri Munden of London based Cassette Playa who appeal to fashion influencers. They are collaborating on the creation of a range of high end clothing which will be featured in upscale boutiques this holiday season. Dr. Romanelli will also be interpreting the brand via a micro-site at drdoozer.com which will host not only the collection of tees, hoodies, jackets, and posters but will also house Fraggle Rock music remixes by hot artists plus clips from the series. (An “under construction” teaser page is online now with the full site to go live in November.) Also, part of this boutique designer collection will feature a high end costume jewelry line designed exclusively by Anita Ko in collaboration with jeweler Pascal Mouawad.

Lionsgate is rounding out the Fraggle Rock assortment with the release of Fraggle Rock: The Complete Series Collection. In addition a new DVD special, A Merry Fraggle Holiday, and the much requested Fraggle Rock: The Complete Final Season (Season 4) will be debuting on DVD in time for the holiday 2009 shopping season.

The Jim Henson Company is also launching virtual merchandise including video ring tones and mobile wall paper. The Jim Henson Company has remained an established leader in family entertainment for over 50 years and is recognized worldwide as an innovator in puppetry, animatronics and digital animation.

Best known as creators of the world famous Muppets, Henson has received over 50 Emmy Awards and nine Grammy Awards. Recent credits include Sid the Science Kid, and Pajanimals. Features include The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, MirrorMask, and Unstable Fables. Television productions include Fraggle Rock and the sci-fi cult series Farscape. With additional locations in New York and London, The Jim Henson Company is headquartered in Los Angeles on the historic Charlie Chaplin lot, complete with soundstage and postproduction facilities. Independently owned and operated by the five adult children of founder Jim Henson, the Company is also home to Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, a pre-eminent character-building and visual effects group with international film, television and advertising clients, as well as Henson Recording Studios, one of the music industry’s top recording facilities known for its world-class blend of state of the art and vintage equipment.

The Company is currently in production on 40 episodes of Dinosaur Train, an animated preschool series teaching concepts of natural science and history, set to debut on PBS KIDS in fall 2009. The Company’s Henson Alternative brand continues to produce Puppet Up! — Uncensored, a live puppet improvisational show that runs monthly at the Avalon Hollywood. The Company has also announced the creation of Jim Henson Designs, a merchandise collection inspired by Jim Henson’s earliest sketches, and The Jim Henson Company: Discoveries, an acquisitions banner that celebrates outstanding third party produced independent film, television and video productions from around the globe embodying the Company’s enduring legacy.