To all the beer lovers around the Tampa area I have a treat for you. The annual Craft Beer Expo scheduled for July 18 at the Mahaffey Theater near downtown St. Petersburg's waterfront.

The venue is part of the Progress Energy Center for the Arts, 400 First St. S. This year's festival is from 2-7 p.m.

Just go to the Web site at www.craftbeerexpo.org, and follow instructions

Tickets are $30 for the main beer tasting event and access to seminars on subjects like beer and food pairings and homebrewing demonstrations. A VIP ticket for $60 will get you all that plus access to pairing parties featuring cheeses, chocolate and main dishes like barbecue.

You can also follow this expo on Facebook and maybe even win a free ticket to the expo. They will be giving away one more free ticket soon.


Resource: Craft Beer Expo, The Ledger

Sony PlayStation 3 owners used to have the ability to watch Hulu content through their video game consoles, due to Playstation adding flash browser capabilities. This is not the case anymore due to users are now reporting that they are getting errors when trying to access Hulu content. The error message is as followed: "Unfortunately, this video is not available on your platform. We apologize for any inconvenience."

The problem occurred hopefully due to the 2.80 firmware update -- if not, however, it's possible PS3 users are being intentionally blocked if Hulu no longer wants its content available through the PS3. In the June 26th PS3 system update, there doesn't appear to be any terms of service changes related to Hulu TOS update.

Sony has apparently been silent about the entire issue, with no public statements made by the company. Hulu has not made any public statement either. So at this time we only have speculations of what might have happened.

In the meantime, their are a couple different ways to get around the issue of no Hulu. The first would be to add a media server that offers Hulu as a service. The one I currently just added was PlayOn . What is PlayOn you ask? PlayOn is software that you can purchase for $40 that allows you to watch movies in your Netflix Instant queue, Hulu videos, Youtube, some ESPN videos, CBS shows and newly added Amazon Video on Demand on your PS3. There are other video plugins that can be added as well.

Go here for more information and a 14 day free trial:

The second options is to trick Hulu. Some clever users have figured out how to workaround the issue. You're going to need a computer running Linux or Windows and some third-party software, however.

The hack involves using a proxy server to trick Hulu into thinking that your PS3 is a Windows machine running Firefox. You can find the instructions here, but honestly, it's probably not worth doing all of this for Hulu on your TV.

Resources: G4TV
CDFreaks.com
PlayOn

That's right people, the Zune HD is real, and it's coming this Fall. Here are some of the features that Microsoft has added to the new Zune HD.

Touch Screen
Get quick and instant access to your content with multi-touch navigation. With a 3.3-inch screen and vivid 16:9 OLED display (480x272 resolution), premium entertainment is at your fingertips.*

HD Radio
Tune into all your favorite stations with crystal-clear reception. With an integrated HD Radio receiver, you can access a variety of HD Radio stations at no additional cost. Plus, tag the songs you like for later purchase.

HD Video Out
Watch supported 720p HD movies, TV shows and videos in high definition on your HDTV through the Zune HD & AV Dock (sold separately). Or take them with you for premium entertainment on the go. Additional dock and HDTV are required.*

Wireless
Connect, update, and buy content wirelessly from Wi-Fi hot spots. Stream millions of songs over Wi-Fi directly to your Zune HD and turn it into a portable digital jukebox.

Web Browser
Surf the web anytime, anywhere you have a Wi-Fi connection. Enjoy your favorite websites with a full-featured web browser including tap-to-zoom technology, built-in accelerometer, and touchscreen QWERTY keyboard.

Handheld games have grown over the years to become more advanced and more complex. Let's take a look back on the gold old days of simpler handhelds of the past. Tomy was a company who made electromechanical games back in the day. I can remember playing the Turbo Turnin Dashboard when I was a kid. That is when things were so much easier and less complex. Here are a couple of Tomy toys.

Tomy Turnin' Turbo Dashboard (1983, Lights, 4 D Batteries)





Driving simulator, table-top design. Lights and mechanical parts.

Tomy Blip / Blip-o-Mat (1977, LED/Mechanical, 2 AA Batteries)



Blip... This is a mechanical Pong-type game. All of the game play is mechanical, powered by a wind-up timer mechanism. The batteries are only there to light up the single red LED light that represents the ball. (You can actually play the game with no batteries in a bright enough setting).

Tomy Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Pocket Games (1982, None, None, wind-up)

Wind up games, part of the Pocket Arcade series (also called Technoboy series in Japan). This was a sub-series of 4 games based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, one game for each of the turtles (they were sold seperately). Donatello's Sewer Seltzer Canon, Leonardo's Pizza Vault, Michaelangelo's Tunnel Trap and Raphael's Sewer Battle.

Tomy Digital Derby (1978, Lights/Mechanical, 2 C Batteries)

Another one of Tomy's electro-mechanical games. The battery does power the mechanism via a small motor. The lights in the game are normal, flash-light style light bulbs. (Foreign release called Black Racer, Demon Driver and Formula 1.) (Check out Drive Yourself Crazy...)

Gary Duke has written a simulator for this game that works on Palm OS PDAs, check it out here.

Tomy Attack In Space (1982, None, Wind-up)

Wind up game, part of the Pocket Arcade series (also called Technoboy series in Japan).

Here are some free Grunge Textures that I found on Deviant Art. In being a Photoshop user I'm always looking for different resources to use or manipulate in my graphic work. So with this being said I would like to share it with others so that they may do the same.


Download (16.1mb) by Princess of Shadows



Download (16.9mb) by Princess of Shadows



Download (45.8mb) by Miscellaneous


Download (23.2mb) by Princess of Shadows

We as people have creative minds. We are always looking for ways to market ourselves when it comes to our business. So whats that first thing that comes to your mind? Well your business card would be one aspect of your business. This is how we market ourselves while we are out and about mingling with others. So what could make your business card stick out. While here are some ideas of creativity for your next business card.


Metal card. Doubles as a cake cutter.


The message is very important if you're going to
bear the extra cost of laser cutting or die-cutting.


Card that grows little plants when placed into water
made for a gardener.


Come up with a fun die-cut.


Make an 3D plastic card

Who doesn't like a business card that turns into a chair.

You can make the holes big enough so you can put
your fingers through to complete the picture, like on
this card for Yoga classes.

This is just funny. Vigra haha!

Lastly watch this video "Your Business Card is Crap".

This weekend I got a chance to see a Nikon S60 camera while at a fashion show. I hadn't seen this camera before. The first eye catcher for me was the full on touch screen. I'm a sucker for technology with touch screens. They have a better ease of use in my view. So I did a little homework about it because I am interested in purchasing one. Here some info on the Nikon S60. Tell me what you guys think. Do you know of any other really cool touch screen cameras? Leave a comment.

10.0 Megapixels for stunning prints as large as 16 x 20 inches. Sharp resolution captures the finest details, crop creatively and produce incredible enlargements.

5x Optical Zoom-NIKKOR Glass Lens NIKKOR optics provide exceptional pictures. NIKKOR lenses are built on a proud heritage of producing precision camera optics that delivers superb color and razor-sharp results.

New, Amazing, Bright 3.5-inch High Resolution TOUCH PANEL LCD offers 160º Wide-Angle of Views enabling easy access to all the camera controls without the conventional buttons to push. The anti-reflection coating applied to the touch panel enhances viewing even in bright light.

Customizable Touch Panel Display enables easy operation with a choice of three different Home displays, and you can even write a personal message on your photos with the included stylus. Conventional buttons, with the exception of the on/off switch and the shutter release, are all accessed via the touch panel making it easier than ever to access all the camera controls.

New HD Pictmotion Slide Shows lets you create slide shows with your music for play back on the camera, your HD LCD or plasma television.

High Quality TV Movies with Sound is now just a press of a button away with your COOLPIX. Record TV-quality movies with sound; duration is limited only by the available space on your SD/SDHC card. Connect your camera to your TV and you have instant home-movies.

Available Colors: Crimson Red, Espresso Black, Arctic White, Burgundy, Champagne Pink and Platinum Bronze.

Much more options and features

I came a crossed an interesting website called reverse graffiti.com. On this site it explains of an artist and a film director coming together to create an environmentally friendly work of art and a film about a philosophy of clean. The artist Paul "Moose" Curtis created his work of art with the use of stencils and water pressure.



____________________________________________________________________
San Francisco’s Broadway tunnel is a highly traveled thoroughfare in the heart of the city. Over 20,000 cars, trucks, and motorized vehicles pass through it per day. Its walls are caked with dirt and soot, and lined with patches of paint covered graffiti from days gone by. It set the perfect canvas to create a beautiful work of art showcasing the talents of reverse graffiti artist “Moose”, and the power of Green Worksplant based cleaner.

So I was playing an intense game of Chess last night with a friend in which I lost. While I was playing this game, I was thinking about some cool chess sets that I have seen online lately. Here is a couple that I have come upon.

Insect Chess Set

Alastair Mackie has made a chess set in which each piece encapsulates a single suspended insect. The white pieces are represented by flying insects.

Platonic Chess Set

Inspired by the chemical elements of carbon molecules, this cool futuristic looking chess set features peices made from the five platonic solids, except for the queen which is made from a spherical fullerenes or buckyball. This a sweet looking Paltonic chess set that I would like to own. (hint: to anyone that wants to get me one)

Glowing Onyx Chess Set

There’s something almost eerie about the Glowing Onyx Chess Table. The table is backlit with a soft glow through translucent onyx creating a hazy checkerboard pattern on the table. To really add to the effect the pieces are glass allowing the light to pass through them as well. Although I don't know a lot of chess players that like to play in the dark. I could be wrong though. It still is a cool chess set.

Chess Set 4000-FM

Flat doesn’t have to mean boring with the stylish planar pieces of the Chess Set 4000-FM. The pieces are made from soft calfskin leather and the board of pear-tree. Distinctly designed, the pieces slide into the board, firmly holding their place as you make each calculated move. $9790

Wobble Chess Set

The Wobble Chess Set allows for more interaction between the board and the pieces. Motion is added to an otherwise still game. A concave landscape stabilizes freely quivering chess pieces, creating a lively interaction between board and pieces.


Alice Chess Set

A chess set that features pieces that “magically turn transparent” when they touch the board.Inspired by the Lewis Carroll's novel ‘Alice through the Looking Glass,' designer Yasmin Sethi developed a chess set that features pieces that "magically turn transparent" when they touch the board.

Carbon Fiber F1 Chess Set

If any Formula One racing fans have never paid any attention to the much slower paced game of chess, they just might after seeing this amazing set. Made from actual parts of the F1 Renault car, the Carbon Fiber Chess Set includes all sorts of parts and materials. Some of the parts used to make this chess set include the suspension, hub caps, wings and more. The set includes a wide range of strong materials like titanium, stainless steel, aircraft grade aluminum, leather and of course carbon fiber. $50000.

Now after checking these out you couldn't tell me that you wouldn't want to play an intense game of chess on one of these chess sets. Let me know what you think. Go ahead and leave a comment.