Gift-giving can be so hard. But thanks to this scoop from Gizmodo, it can be awkward, too! Comes in several versions, including America vs. Taliban and Britain vs. Iraqi insurgents. The best part? It's made by a Canadian toy company. (via gizmodo.com)
Culture Buzz I'd certainly shell out all the rupees in my Giant's Wallet for this. (via reddit.com)
Culture Buzz People have always been trying to sneak things onto amusement park rides to snap a photo with - funny vacation photos are nothing new. Ever since the XKCD roller coaster comic a few years ago, however, board games on park rides have become a hit. It's old, but it's still fairly awesome.
Designer Marco Marcovici is working on a “democratic” chess set where all the pieces are equipped with little cameras, and they can look around the board and discuss strategy with each other, and the player. I love this idea because a) it's so needlessly futuristic and cool b) it's like real-life Wizard Chess from Harry Potter! and c) I don't know how to play chess, so advice from tiny robots could only help.
Sports Buzz Brawn and brains combine in a hybrid sport that is equal parts aggression and strategy. This is officially the most awesome sport ever: Five rounds of boxing are interspersed between 6 rounds of chess. It’s our favorite new take on chess since Wu Chess.