Book Trailer Contest at TobiasBuckell.com

Tobias Buckell, author of Crystal Rain and Ragamuffin is currently holding a contest to find music for the trailer promoting his new novel Sly Mongoose. He shares his recommendation for listening as,

My dream layover track would be the first 1.39 of Trent Razner of Nine Inch Nails “Just Like You Imagined” (if you have it then just play that along with this video), or even the instrumental version of “Hyperpower” that he has (and you can download for free) at remix.nin.com.

The winner of the sound contest gets a $50 Amazon gift card and an early copy of Sly Mongoose!

I embedded the video below

My entries are from Derek K. Miller’s Penmachine album which features podsafe music.  All of these tracks work well when played from the beginning.  I am extremely partial to Fresh Snow in the Valley, Deep Cycle Discharge, Cold Cloth and an Icepack, and The Burning Moon. They are available for download from the Penmachine demos page.

More information on the contest.  Get crack’n it looks like the contest is already drawing several entries.

I Am THE Halo 3 Supergeek

Halo 3 SuperGeek

A few months ago I shared that I had entered the “WIRED Magazine Halo 3 Supergeek Contest”. I was lucky enough to be the Grand Prize Winner of the contest!! Since we already have one 360 and the blanket was hand made by my wife the new Halo 3 edition Xbox 360 is essentially hers though it will get use by both of us. I am already putting the awesome headset to use and charging up the controllers. We were both really excited to see this especially after the hard work she put into the blanket which we share. The award also mentions the study I performed on Halo 2 profanity on Xbox live which has been featured in Electronic Gaming Monthly.

From the winners announcement:

Josh Smith — the ultimate Halo 3 Supergeek. When he’s not valiantly defending his state of Ohio from towering Hunters and lumbering Brutes, studying online Halo profanity or diverting traffic to this very contest, you can find him wrapped up in his entry, the gorgeous, handcrafted, bright orange Master Chief Fleece Blanket shown at right.

Yes, that’s correct: Master Chief keeps him warm at night. While we won’t delve into the implications of that statement too deeply, the thought alone makes him our Grand Prize Winner.

You can check out unboxing pictures below!

A Mysterious Package

Amber with our new Halo 3 Xbox 360

The “Loot” spread out on our Master Chief Blanket.

We are both excited and are already making use of our prizes!

Halo 3 Supergeek Contest at WIRED

Halo 3 Supergeek Contest at WIRED

WIRED is having a Halo 3 Supergeek contest right now and as you may have guessed I have entered. The contest has some sweet prizes and runs through late October.

• Grand Prize: one Halo 3 Special Edition Xbox 360 Game Console, one limited edition Xbox 360 controller, one limited edition Halo 3 wireless headset, and one Xbox Live gold 12 month subscription card.
• First Runner Up: one limited edition Halo 3 Xbox 360 wireless controller, one Xbox Live 1600 point card, one Xbox Live Gold 12 month subscription, and one Army-style MRE.
• Second Runner Up: One Xbox Live 1600 point card, one Mini first aid kit, and one Army-style MRE.

My entry revolves around my Master Chief Fleece Blanket, which was hand made by my wife for Christmas ‘05.

Unfortunately I couldn’t fit a link to my NSFW Halo 2 Profanity Study in the description field in the form which despite its 500 character note is actually limited to 100.

Though the survey has user voting (VOTE FOR ME! /subliminal) the actual contest is voted on by, “a panel of judges comprised of Wired editors. The judges will score entries based on the following criteria: geekiness (50%) and creativity (50%). The entry with the highest overall score will be declared the potential winner.”. I am worried my blanket will falter on the geekiness factor, which is why I hoped to include info on my Xbox Live Profanity Study and the Actionclix and action figures I have. Admit it you read that last sentence and thought, “Damn thats Geeky!”