Art Center new Surface blades ideas

     Windows 8.1, Surface 2.0, and now cool new Surface touch cover ideas (blades), with the help of the Art Center. Another busy year, and great concepts, in my opinion. Also, there is a chance that Microsoft could make this open to 3rd parties and developers. Anyway, great ideas and I hope that this will put them in the right direction.

Interview with the creator of The Awkward Yeti Nick Seluk!

Overview
     Nick Seluk is an artist/illustrator/baller who is the designer of The Awkward Yeti webcomic featuring Lars the Awkward Yeti now available in print! The happy/proud owner of a Webcomic with 50,000 + likes on Facebook, 1,233 followers on Twitter, and various other strong social media presentations. Surprisingly the webcomic is actually FUNNY unlike some other people who make some really weird stuff that doesn't make sense and looks subpar.

Interview

Me: How long have you been doing artwork/illustrating?
Nick:  I've been drawing comics since I was a kid. I used to make full-length nonsensical comics with characters I had made up during middle school classes. Even in college when getting my degree in Psychology, I was doing freelance comics on the side for fun. I could never quite figure out how to make a living with it, but I have always loved doing it so it never really mattered.
Me: What was your inspiration/what got you started in comic book illustration?
Nick:  I have always had a fascination with comics since reading The Far Side and Calvin & Hobbes as a kid, and growing up during the golden age of the Simpsons. My grandpa was also a cartoonist - he did comics for the local school board, for his naval ship in WWII, and always incorporated his cartoons into greeting cards and letters to family and friends. 
Me:  What is your drawing process? As in do you have a certain soundtrack, routine, or does inspiration bless you randomly?
Nick: I find that I get my best ideas when I'm relaxed, unplugged, and things are quiet. Some of my most popular comics were thought up while taking a 15 minute break from technology in my backyard. When I get take my idea to the computer, I always have Pandora playing to keep me focused.
Me: Where did you get Lars the Awkward Yeti from?
Nick: . Lars was based on an acrylic painting I did several years ago. I tried my hand at the art scene quite unsuccessfully, but the painting of this awkward yeti always intrigued me. One day a friend and I were discussing it and I decided the yeti would be a unique subject for a children's book. I spent a few months developing a very simple children's book starring The Awkward Yeti, then made a Facebook page where I shared the book and a few of my old illustrations and The Awkward Yeti webcomic. What was originally intended for kids ended up being a character for all ages, but that's why the page still follows a "G-Rated" format now. 
Me: What are your thoughts on your recent Kickstarter? 
Nick:  The Kickstarter was a great experience. I was amazed by the support from family, friends and fans. Now that most rewards have been sent out, I look forward to seeing how I can use the new resources to grow awareness for The Awkward Yeti, and hopefully sell a few books at comic conventions and on amazon.com.

We'll you heard it from the illustrators mouth now it's time for you to (hopefully) support the man by buying the book or even just giving him a like on FB or follow on Twitter. All info is below. 
The Awkward Yeti
Facebook
@TheAwkwardYeti
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Book on Amazon

Super Born: Seduction of Being

Overview
      The B.I.B exists! A super hero born during halftime with special powers in Scranton, PA with well some other females rises to the occasion. Let's just say the book was filled with vivid scenes of what a super hero that is real and female would look like.

Review
     After an unnormally short overview I really wanted to just jump into the review. Let's just say the book will keep you hooked. Just that it's long. A looonnngg book. I expected to finish it in like two days but hey no worries right? Couple things was I really liked the tie in of the book and the real world (always like that). Second the main character the B.I.B felt so real to life besides her superpowers. I mean she well (spoiler!) almost dies because she got attacked by the mafia! Characters like that are really attractive to me because I hate people who are invincible. Couple things wasn't too happy bout 1) Vivid scenes and profanity, 2) Website wasn't the best looking 3) Book cover feels copy and paste. Cover picture is great just the rest brings it down for me.

Rating
 4/5 Good book that has a great storyline. It read a bit like a feminist novel so I was surprised a white man wrote it. Love the portrayal of women as superheroes and how well it was done.
http://www.amazon.com/Super-Born-Seduction-Keith-Kornell/dp/0982645201
https://www.facebook.com/SuperBorn
http://thebib.org/

American Alligator

Overview
     Fan of Swamp People? Really like or are intrigued by essential living dinos known as alligators? Then this a wonderful book for you. Filled with bunches of facts, observations, and things your probably don't know about an elusive but highly popularized species of reptile written in a way not to bore you like the book you read for your Doctorate thesis. Written by a retired biologist who spent 30 years in the outdoors seeing this fascinating subject of fame up close and personal.

Review
     As a fan of the uber popular Swamp People reality TV show on History channel and a cryptozoologist enthusiast this struck several chords inside of me. I highly enjoyed the way he told the story of the alligator in a way where it didn't feel like reading the boring section of the newspaper or a really boring bibliography. It felt to me like a feature article (i.e Rick Bragg) something with some flair but highly informational. Book was great if you don't get offended easily (i.e strong Creationist, Cryptozoologist, or take offense to any even if light to non criticism of Swamp People) even if you do it still makes its points.

Rating
     5/5 Loved the book and the vast amount of information involved. It really expanded what little I knew about the history of alligators. I really love zoology/paleontology plus Swamp People really expanded my love for the highly armored Apex predator so this just fed into something I already enjoyed. High Recommendation. If I had an award on the site I'd give it one. Or several.

Redemption

Overview
      I'm dead serious: someone somewhere needs to send me a crappy book so I don't look like a free 5 star giver. I don't know if I am too easy on books, am not critical enough, or I just somehow get excellent books all the time. Well Redemption (as seen on the beautiful cover) is the added tales of excellent classic characters Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer. Now older, better writers, and more mature they go from the Confederate army to different paths ultimately to meet up in Redemption, Colorado for 1 goal. Book sound amazing? Well probably because it is.

Review
     From the cover to the story the book was amazing. It flowed well, it read easily, and I loved the angle it came from. The book came alive, but felt more than a typical Western novel. It had a really good story to it and felt like a true Mark Twain story. It just felt so authentic I forgot Mark Twain has been dead a LONG time.

Rating
    5/5 Really loved the book and couldn't fine one thing wrong with it! I'm sorry people that I haven't been on some epic rant about why a book is bad because well authors are churning out great content.

Xbox One tech

Xbox One’s Powerful New Time-Of-Flight Sensing Camera

 

     I recently installed Visual Studio Pro for our robotics at school and one of the things we chose to add was the Kinect Software Development Kit (SDK). I have no clue if we will get to experiment with Kinect but we are very eager to try it out. I mean our class would have a hay-day figuring this thing out. It looks like it has the potential of also replacing our expensive and slow 3D scanner. With many features, this device is definitely on our wish list and to do list. Kinect would not only be educational, but also a fun way to experiment, problem solve, and even beef up on programming!