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Image via Google

As geeks, we’re fans of puzzles (indeed, we run a puzzle-a-week here on GeekDad). The challenge these days is that so many puzzles can so easily be solved by simply Googling for the answer, it’s hard to find any really good puzzles. The ease of finding answers to our questions on the internet takes the challenge (and hence the fun) out of the endeavor.

So who better to start putting out puzzles that actually incorporate using Google search than Google itself? But beware: they have a deeper motive than just sating all the polymaths out there.

They want people to learn how to search.

For the next four months or so, there will be a new puzzle posted each weekday to agoogleaday.com. The Monday puzzles will be relatively straightforward. Tuesday’s will be harder, Wednesday’s even harder, and so on. The puzzles get more challenging each day of the week, not unlike the New York Times Crossword. Not coincidentally, the Google-a-Day puzzles will also be printed in good old analog newspapers each day right next to the New York Times Crossword.

The kicker about each puzzle is that not only is it a cool challenge to solve, it will also plumb the depths of your higher-level Google skills. And therein lies the ulterior motive.

Over time, Google has realized that people aren’t using Google to its full potential. Like taking your Lamborghini Miura to the corner store to pick up a lottery ticket, folks haven’t been truly putting the search engine through its paces.

The idea is that each puzzle will also help the puzzlers explore Google search features, like taking advantage of Google search short-cuts, or how Google can even solve complex equations. Did you know that you can include mathematical constants in equations you enter in the Google Search field? You can use “pi” for, well, pi. Or “the answer to life, the universe, and everything” in place of 42. Yes, it really works.

The savvy googlers amongst you may worry that, because of how the internet works, if you go googling to try and solve one of the puzzles, you’ll likely get the answer to the puzzle, posted by someone else somewhere else on the internet, in your search results. Well, Google has thought of that too.

If you do all your googling from the search field at agoogleaday.com, it automatically filters out any site displaying the answer to the puzzle. A rare case when censorship is a good thing?

Image by Phillip Torrone

This is one of those questions that could erupt into the kind of flamewars that shut down message boards. But it’s so hard to resist the debate. There have been so many heroes and heroines in the comics who are, in essence, makers or hackers or builders of awesome gadgets. So Phillip Torrone has opened the issue up over on Makezine, and while he has a great starter list, there are so many more to add. So go take a look, and like the good geeks you are, tell them what the real answer should be — or offer your own ideas in the comments below.

Sneaker by Crocs

Crocs clogs have become well-nigh ubiquitous as a sort of un-fashion statement: lightweight, comfortable, slip-on, colorful fun. But of course every brand has to expand these days, and Crocs is no different. They’re trying out a new line of retro-styled sneakers with their “7-Ounce Bounce” technology, and sent me a pair to review.

I like the look of the Bowen. Feels like a cross between an All-Star and a Hush-Puppy (both reasonably geeky footwear of yore). But what’s most startling about these shoes is how light they are. Most of the week, I wear either casual dress shoes, or boots, that weigh in the 1-2 pound range. These Crocs weigh more like half a pound. The sole material is pretty much the same as goes into the clogs, so the springy, squishy feel you may already be familiar with is there. When you walk in them, it can be hard to remember you have shoes on. It feels more like walking on one of those pads they sell for people who need to stand all day.

My biggest caveat with these shoes is that they feel so lightweight that there’s a sense they may not be durable. Obviously time will tell, but I’d say buy these for casual comfort, not running (or even walking) a half-marathon. On the other hand, go take a look at the Crocs Facebook page, and you’ll see a nifty video they shot of a famous parkour running doing his stuff in some of the sneakers. So, they work for that!

[FYI: Crocs supplied the shoes for this review.]

Image: Walt Disney

We’ve been writing about our love for the Disney animated series Phineas and Ferb for well-nigh three years now. It’s a smart, funny show for kids celebrating a couple geeky half-brothers who think big and have the best summer vacation ever. We’ve even had the lucky break of interviewing the creators of the show, Dan Povenmire and Swampy Marsh. But what happens next is like geek nirvana.

Disney has asked our own Managing Editor, Matt Blum, to act as moderator for the official Phineas and Ferb panel at San Diego Comic-Con this year. We are giddy with geeky joy.

So, if you’re going to SDCC this year (it’s July 21-24, but if you don’t have your tix or hotel now, it’s probably too late), and especially if you’re bringing your kid(s), please go see Matt live out a little geek dream, and celebrate a great show. (Note: date and time of the panel will be announced closer to the con.)

From the dawn of time to the end of the universe, the one thing Man (as in humanity) can depend upon is his best friend, the dog. A dog’s devotion is unwavering, their loyalty unfaltering (except, perhaps, in the presence of steak), and the value of their friendship cannot be overstated. And so, to honor all the great dogs from the books, movies and television shows we love, here is our list of the best ten of them:

10. Einstein – Doc Brown’s sheepdog in the Back to the Future movies is, of course, the first of any of the characters who actually travels in time. A true pioneer!

9. Gaspode - this intelligent, talking dog from Terry Pratchett’s Discworld books has a an interesting curse: because people know full well that dogs can’t talk, they tend to interpret his speech has their own inner thoughts, resulting in may amusing situations.

Brain Wants You!

8. Brain – master of disguise, faithful friend to Penny, and unfailing savior to his master, Inspector Gadget, Brain lives up to the canine archetype as few can. And what does he get for it? More often than not, a scratch on the back with a robotic hand.

7. Blood – from the film A Boy and His Dog, based on a novella by Harlan Ellison. Blood is telepathic, and acts as a guide and father-figure to Vic, a young man trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. One of the few cases in geek culture where the smarter of the species actually gets to be top dog.

6. Courage – fantastic, terrifying things always seem to happen to Courage, and while he is easily and spectacularly terrified (they don’t call him Courage the Cowardly Dog for nothing), he risks his life over and over to save his family, which is, in the end, the best any dog can hope to do.

Ruh-Roh!

5. Scooby Doo – Perhaps the most chicken-hearted, and yet loyal, dog ever, Scooby has helped solve more mysteries (and eaten more jars of hot peppers) than any three other sleuths put together.

4. Gromit – Wallace may be the idea man, but Gromit is the quick-witted Maker we all yearn to be. Whether it’s a quick jaunt to the moon for some cheese, or chasing after robotic pants, Gromit can be depended upon to save the day. And he can lay track with the best of them (no, that is not a euphemism).

3. Krypto – Superman’s faithful companion (don’t call him a sidekick!), the big “K” may be the most even-tempered and self-controlled dog in the universe. Consider, he has all of Superman’s powers, but restrains himself from eradicating the feline species. Amazing!

Hello, my name is Dug. I think you- SQUIRREL!

2. Dug – he may be the Johnny-come-lately, but Dug the talking dog from Up! has done more to advance canine-human relations (as well as to point out the threat that the squirrels pose) than any other furry friend we can think of.

There's always time to save the universe.

1. K-9 – Of all the Doctor’s companions, K-9 probably qualifies as the smartest (sorry Mickey) and longest-lasting. His penchant for saving all reality while the Doctor goes off to taunt Daleks or blow up Cybermen earns him our top spot. GOOD BOY!

Ken, Matt, John, and Russ chat about the “Hop” press junket and how to cook a perfect steak in a cooler. Enjoy!

Special thanks to our sponsor Maphook, the location-based social network for geeks!

GeekDad.com is the parenting blog at Wired.com, edited by Ken Denmead, Matt Blum, Jonathan Liu and Chris Anderson. It is a community of like-minded geeky parents writing about our experiences raising our kids in the digital age, and about our obsessions with technology, family-friendly projects, and pop-culture. The GeekDads podcast is a bi-weekly discussion of anything and everything that impacts us as geeks and parents.

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As we posted yesterday, geek artist Len Peralta has a new project: 50 Heros and 50 Villains drawn based on the buyer’s choice of name, power, and weakness. Well, we at GeekDad could not let such an opportunity pass us by, and so we commissioned our own GeekDad superhero. Enjoy!

"GeekDad" by Len Peralta

Len Peralta's 50 vs. 50

One of our favorite geeky artists, Len Peralta (of Geek-a-Week collectable card fame) has been invited to the San Diego Comic-Con, and to pay his way, he’s started an awesome new project: 50 vs. 50. For the low price of $50, you send him the name of your imagined hero or villain (must be an original, no Marvel, DC or other existing characters), their primary power and their primary weakness. In return, Len will send you an original piece of art (as a digital file, or for $25 more the actual signed illustration) based on your description. It’s a great way to get a cool, geeky gift for yourself or someone else (remember, GeekMom’s Day and GeekDad’s Day are both coming up fast!).

Link to the 50 vs. 50 website.

Dork Tower #933 by John Kovalic

Read all the Dork Towers that have run on GeekDad.

Find the Dork Tower webcomic archives, DT printed collections, more cool comics, awesome games and a whole lot more at the Dork Tower Website

The Logitech Review w/ Google TV (and a big honkin' remote)

As a proper geek and dad I’ve been looking for the one perfect answer to streaming media to a TV. Indeed, there are at least six different ways to get Netflix to our living room right now that I can think of, so it’s no wonder many nights, that’s what we’re watching (“Buffy” FTW!). But the folks at Boxee were nice enough to send me a review unit of their Boxee Box set-top device. And then the lovely folks at Logitech sent me one of their Google TV-enabled Revue machines. So, I figure it’s my responsibility now to look at them both from the point-of-view of a moderately tech-savvy consumer, and relay my impressions.

And no, I don’t have an Apple TV2, yet. Still have the 1st gen. But I’m pretty up-to-speed on the new model’s features, so I’ll reference that as needed.

The Boxee Box (no, you're not stacking anything on top)

Setup:

Setup on both devices is… not bad. For the Boxee Box, you need to already have, or add, a Boxee account, and get the device set up on your wireless network. The Logitech Revue wants your Gmail account instead. Both will let you fine tune output to your specific TV as well. The ease of all these tasks really comes down to how you like the remotes, which are truly the key to interacting with the machines.

Boxee Remote (not a Blackberry keyboard)

The Boxee remote is small, and imaginatively two-sided. One side is very simple, with directional buttons, a selector, a pause/play button and one for the menu. The other side is a tiny keyboard, not unlike some smart phones. It’s not really useful, but it’s way faster than using the pointer buttons to select letters on a screen keyboard (ahem, Apple).

The Revue remote isn’t really a remote at all; it’s a full keyboard with extra functions. Indeed, it even has a small touch pad. This makes entering long usernames and passwords (and eventually URLs) almost as easy as working on your computer, which is pretty convenient. OTOH, it’s a full keyboard — about 14″ wide. It won’t sit easily on the arm of your Barcalounger (though it probably won’t get lost in the couch, either).

First Use:

Both devices have a plethora of features, most similar, some very distinct to the machines and what they’re trying to be. However a few things are as common as dirt, like movie and music streaming.

Both treat services like Netflix and Pandora as apps you start up in the framework of the machine’s UI. Setup is pretty similar to before, with the Revue remote keyboard making it much easier to enter usernames and passwords. After that, the services work seamlessly.

The biggest difference I see between the two machines is how you get to the apps. The Boxee UI seems a lot more intuitive, making it much easier to get to the offered services. I think there could be more sub-categorization to help find specific services/apps, but it’s better than the Revue environment which seems more scattered and unfocused on what the user experience is supposed to be.

However, the Revue has more available. For example, when we found that the current season of “Bones” wasn’t available on Netflix, but was on Amazon VOD, we had to turn to the Revue. The interesting fact here is that, though Amazon service is accessed as if it were an app, really one is taken to the Revue’s on screen web browser. Which is why the keyboard and touch-pad come in handy.

Basically, you can browse the web on your TV with the Revue, and as far as such capabilities go, it’s decent. Heck, compared to trying it on the Nintendo Wii browser, it’s magic. But it’s light years away from using a computer, and should not be considered a feature that makes the Revue more attractive than the Boxee. And I’ll guarantee the experience will pale in comparison to mirroring an iPad to your TV to browse.

Note: HUGE design flaw of the Revue keyboard — the browser “back” button is located just below the click bar for the touch pad. It is really easy to click it instead. And there is no “forward” button, so you have to re-enter data or URLs to get back to where you were.

Conclusions: Obviously this is just scratching the surface so far, and hopefully I’ll get time to dig much deeper with both devices (next step: getting them both to pull from our home NAS). But from what I see so far, the Boxee Box is the better consumer-level device. The UI is easier to understand, and you can get to what you want faster. But if you’re a tech-head, the Revue box may be more intriguing, because it’s easy to see it will be able to do a lot more as it develops. It’ll just take a bit more work to get there.

Note: You can see Wired’s more formal review of the Revue here, and their take on the Boxee Box here.