Matt Ryan's Blog (24)

That New Puppy Smell

A new puppy smells nothing like a new car, but given enough trips they start to smell the same. The photo you see was taken today as I made my weekly trip to the local Petco for hamster supplies. The Elgin Humane Society had their sweetest d… Continue

Added by Matt Ryan on February 4, 2009 at 1:36pm — 2 Comments

Inkheart Game for the DS Reviewed

Though the Inkheart the game is only loosely based on the movie, it appears the game is getting the same sort of grief from gaming reviewers as the movie is receiving from critics. It is refreshing to see an old Sierra Online style game on the newer Nintendo DS platform, though it doesn't appear to… Continue

Added by Matt Ryan on January 24, 2009 at 2:30pm — No Comments

Shapeways Helps 3D Artists Bring their Creations to Life

Are you in to designing 3D models and have always thought about actually getting a real life version of your digital art, then Shapeways might be the answer you have been looking for. This site is still in beta, but currently allows you to open your own store where browsers can purchase fabricated copies of your 3D models. Model printing is limited to 20"x20"x15" and prices vary depending on density of the model and the material you choose… Continue

Added by Matt Ryan on January 11, 2009 at 12:00pm — No Comments

Shaiya Online Falls Short

Today we’re taking a look at Shaiya Online. It’s a 3D Fantasy MMORPG and it’s absolutely free to download and play. This makes it an instant hit among frugal geeks, so we’re taking a close look as to how it compares to other MMOs of its class. Download and sign up is forwar… Continue

Added by Matt Ryan on January 8, 2009 at 3:30pm — 1 Comment

Geek Sauce

My father once told me, "Son, if you want to know the easy way to win a woman's heart, learn how to cook one thing very well and cook it on an important date." This advice was quite true, and has proven itself time and time again. His special recipe is a lasagna that weighs in at between ten and fifteen pounds depending on how big the pan is. I learned how he makes it, but decided that this would not be my special recipe. I thought long and hard about how exactly I would win a woman's heart when… Continue

Added by Matt Ryan on January 8, 2009 at 3:30pm — 4 Comments

ScribeFire Works

I'm doing this blog post using a plug-in for Firefox called ScribeFire. This allows you to basically post from anywhere without having the hassle of surfing over to your website, logging in, and heading over to the admin section to get the job done. This will allow me to post on the fly as I find an interesting website and set up a review.

This is a great addition to Firefox.
This post was originally written for… Continue

Added by Matt Ryan on January 8, 2009 at 2:59pm — 1 Comment

Dungeons & Dragons Dice Roller

Dungeons & Dragons Dice Roller is a great tool hosted by Wizards of the Coast. It's a really simple and to the point HTML page featuring a series of dice that can be utilized not only for Dungeons and Dragons, but for any number of paper and pencil role-playing games.

This is a nifty tool for anyone tired of losing dice.
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Added by Matt Ryan on January 8, 2009 at 2:55pm — No Comments

Circuit City Stay Up All Night Kit 4 Gamers

Circuit City has long had a place in my heart as one of the few remaining dedicated electronics stores out there that provides some level of customer service with your hardware or software experie… Continue

Added by Matt Ryan on January 8, 2009 at 2:52pm — No Comments

7 Days Magic Bakery

A very dear friend of mine, Grace Buford, is a musician that has travelled to many interesting places to play her music in front of audiences. She has travelled around the Unit… Continue

Added by Matt Ryan on January 8, 2009 at 5:35am — No Comments

Foosh Energy Mints Reviewed

We’ve all experienced moments where we just don’t have the energy to enjoy the things we do. Whether you’re in the middle of an extended gaming session, fighting your way through a midterm exam, or just surfing the web, there’s no denying the impact low energy can hav… Continue

Added by Matt Ryan on January 8, 2009 at 5:31am — No Comments

A Social Network For Geeks By Geeks

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When Chris Pirillo announced t… Continue

Added by Matt Ryan on January 8, 2009 at 5:30am — 2 Comments

How to Save on your Electric Bill

I have spent the last four years of my life helping people save money on their electric bill through my full time job. In that time, I have learned a few tricks that actually work very well in reducing the amount of electricity without disturbing your overall lifestyle. Some of these tips are targeted at geeks in general. 1. Switch to Compact Fluorescent Lights This is possibly the best known tip beyond the old, "Turn off the light when you're not in the room." Compact fluorescent lights… Continue

Added by Matt Ryan on January 6, 2009 at 12:30pm — No Comments

Poem: Juliet

I used to be an avid fan of poetry. I suppose in that way you could say I'm a poem geek. I bought poetrycafe.net and later thepoetrycafe.com in hopes of making a virtual hangout for poets. Sadly, the idea never really panned out, but I figured why not share some of my old scribbles with the world. I am under no delusion that it would be considered good in any regards, but they're gathering dust here and why not give some more content to the community? Juliet Clear as crystal flowi… Continue

Added by Matt Ryan on January 5, 2009 at 9:47pm — 1 Comment

Far Cry 2 Reviewed

Far Cry 2 is a FPS experience of its own. In the game, you are a mercenary hired to kill an arms dealer in the heart of an African civil war. Two opposing factions, the APR and the UFLL are at war with one another and their weapons are being supplied by your target. Stricken with malaria, things become complicated and you find yourself in the heart of the battle taking orders on both sides in order to survive. Our journey begins at the graphics. Stunning graphics that seem to be a great take on… Continue

Added by Matt Ryan on January 5, 2009 at 1:11pm — 2 Comments

Tetris for iPhone Reviewed

Despite being one of the most cloned games in the history of computer gaming, Tetris still has every bit as much appeal as it did when it first hit the scene in June of 1985… Continue

Added by Matt Ryan on January 4, 2009 at 12:18pm — No Comments

Mass Effect Reviewed

Cyberpunk enthusiasts that enjoy a page from the slightly more distant future take note. If you've ever enjoyed anime titles such as Vexille and Appleseed then Mass Effect may be the perfect game for you. No it doesn't take their storylines and bring them to a game form, but it does have striking similarities in regards to style and general approach. In Mass Effect, you play Commander Shepard, a male or female soldier with one of three possible pasts, philosophies, and one of several combat ski… Continue

Added by Matt Ryan on January 1, 2009 at 8:00pm — 4 Comments

Timmy

During my life, I have always enjoyed the company of animals including dogs, cats, fish, and hamsters. Every one of them had a different personality and a new presence as we considered them part of the family. Even the fish seemed to convey their own ways about doing things that set them apart from each other. My better half and I went to the pet store… Continue

Added by Matt Ryan on January 1, 2009 at 8:07am — 2 Comments

Buzz Bites Review

So you enjoy the flavor of chocolate and the boost in energy you get from caffeine? Do you find yourself looking for products that combine the two in a way that makes for a tasty and potent product without spending an arm and a leg? This is where… Continue

Added by Matt Ryan on January 1, 2009 at 8:01am — No Comments

Norton AntiVirus 2009 Gaming Edition Shocks

Symantec has just released a gaming edition of their extremely popular Norton AntiVirus to the wild and for the past few days I have been testing it against my previous favorite antivirus for gaming machines: AVG Internet Security. I’ll start here by saying that though my previous reviews of Norton products have ended on less-than-spectacular tones, I went into this process giving Symantec a clean slate as a new program. This means that I put aside past disappointments and treated this program a… Continue

Added by Matt Ryan on December 31, 2008 at 8:38am — 2 Comments

Metallica Goes Back in Time with Death Magnetic

Since grade school, I have considered myself a Metallica fan. It sounds funny when you look back on it all and remember the controversy declaring yourself a Metallica fan brought up at the time. They were looked upon with disdain by many that considered the music they put out after the release of the Black album to be more pop than metal in its roots. The term “sell out” was commonly uttered as a universal slogan to refer to the band even amongst people that couldn’t name any of their original w… Continue

Added by Matt Ryan on December 31, 2008 at 8:30am — No Comments