The Geekdads

HipTrax isn't fun, of course, but it's no Mass Effect 3. Thankfully, the amazing musicians from the OverClocked ReMix community at least make it sound as if I'm in my favorite video game world: "The Sound of the Galaxy" by Mattias Häggström Gerdt This is currently the only Mass Effect 2 remix available at OCR, but it's easily strong enough to stand on its own. Built upon motifs from many of the original soundtrack selections, it's a suitably epic musical introduction to this episode. "Nova Siberia" by Big Giant Circles Big Giant Circles lives up to this name with the big sounds of this tribute to the original Mass Effect. It's important to note that this incredibly talented artist also went on to help compose the soundtrack to smash follow-up Mass Effect 2! "Uncharted Depths" by Hy Bound This remix from Hy Bound actually didn't make an OCR appearance 2011, but it may sound oddly familiar to gamers; it's actually based on the music from Mass Effect's galaxy map.

Video killed the radio star, but the internet trumps 'em both! This edition of GeekDad HipTrax features a trio of new nerdy singles that also boast some truly inspired videos. Enjoy the musical madness of: "Stoop Sale" by MC Frontalot Frontalot's Solved purported to answer the pressing questions of our day, but the video for "Stoop Sale" certainly confirms one thing I've suspected for years; Damian Hess is part Muppet. "Tech Support" by Sci-Fried Only the fierce geek rockers of Sci-Fried could turn a call for computer assistance into an opportunity for romance. The video for this track similarly features delightful puppets. "I Wanna Live in a World Full of Heros" by Kirby Krackle Kirby Krackle's Super Powered Love was likely my favorite release of 2011. It's an amazing collection of songs centered firmly in the fictional worlds of comic books and animation, but this track—and its accompanying video—brings it all home.

The Science Channel is featuring its "Are We Alone" week all this week, and one piece of the programming pie is a special episode of Through the Wormhole, with host Morgan Freeman. The episode, titled "Will We Survive First Contact?" talks to a number of scientists about what the possibilities of communicating with extra-terrestrial intelligences really are, and what a first contact scenario might really be like. The episode airs Tuesday, March 6th at 10pm Pacific and Eastern, but we got an early look, and (even better) had the chance to chat with host Morgan Freeman about the show. You can listen to the conversation in the podcast below, or subscribe to our podcast feed.

Ken, Matt, Jonathan, and Chuck talk about the upcoming Apple announcements, the "Machete Sequence" for showing the Star Wars movies to our kids, and the awesome archer in the "Brave" trailer from Pixar. Enjoy! GeekDad.com is the parenting blog at Wired.com, edited by Ken Denmead, Matt Blum, Jonathan Liu, Z 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 biweekly discussion of anything and everything that impacts us as geeks and parents.

After a brief hiatus GeekDad HipTrax is back with songs to entertain and enlighten! Relish the musical madness of: "The Year 100,000" by R_Garcia When not manning the helm at the Nophi Music Co., Atlanta-based Randy Garcia lays down his own amazing tracks. His latest release Resurgens breaks down the barriers between DIY punk rock, lo-fi electronica and danceable pop, blending them all into gorgeous, almost dreamlike soundscapes. "Hopes Fall to Water" by DragonAvenger and Level 99 The most recent special project from the always impressive OverClocked ReMix community pays tribute to the RPGs you forgot you loved. Unsung Heroes reimagines atmospheric songs from the soundtracks lesser-known games, and among its many inspiring selections is this gem from assistant project directors DragonAvenger and Level 99. "Snoopy The Dogg" by the great Luke Ski This stand-out track from Luke's Be Amused By Me album came in at the top of Dr. Demento's Funny 25 of 2011, but the song's roots run much deeper. Discovered un

Ken, Matt, and special guest Stephen Toulouse (aka Stepto) talk all about online gaming with kids, and then geek out about some awesome movies. Enjoy! GeekDad.com is the parenting blog at Wired.com, edited by Ken Denmead, Matt Blum, Jonathan Liu, Z 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 biweekly discussion of anything and everything that impacts us as geeks and parents.

Ken, Matt, Jonathan and special guest Chris Gore (from Attack of the Show and Film Threat) talk about movies, parenting in the digital age, and more. Enjoy! GeekDad.com is the parenting blog at Wired.com, edited by Ken Denmead, Matt Blum, Jonathan Liu, Z 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 biweekly discussion of anything and everything that impacts us as geeks and parents.

In this edition of the podcast we catch up with a trio of GeekDad HipTrax favorites. We uncover new music, reflect on some older material and, of course, look toward the majesty of the near musical future. With the help of: "Apple Core II" by 8 Bit Weapon 8 Bit Weapon and Computeher are back with a brand new album, Bits with Byte. Several songs from this release (along with some of their earlier tracks) will be featured in the forthcoming "The Art of Video Games" exhibition at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. "The Transformers Theme" by John Anealio In addition to providing fans with tons of free music, like this cover of Lion's Transformers theme from last year's Angry Robot E.P., GeekDad John Anealio is also instructing the community in the finer points of music theory via a series of posts focused on the GarageBand app. "So Far, So Good" by Adam WarRock Former lawyer and current professional hip-hopper Adam WarRock had a phenomenal showing last year, and it looks as though 2012 will follow suit.

Ken, Matt, and Jonathan talk about the SOPA blackout, Google+, CES, and more. Enjoy! GeekDad.com is the parenting blog at Wired.com, edited by Ken Denmead, Matt Blum, Jonathan Liu, Z 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 biweekly discussion of anything and everything that impacts us as geeks and parents.

With 2011 now behind us, I can't help but reflect on all the musical goodness that we enjoyed over the course of that year. Sadly, it saw a pair of my longtime favorite artists say goodbye to their previous projects, but it also introduced listeners like me to many amazing new acts only just beginning their meteoric rise! It's the ciiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiircle of liiiiiiiiiiiiife! Um... And now on with the show: "It is Your Turn Now" by Pixelh8 Back in November, famed UK chiptuner Pixelh8 officially retired from the scene. His musical legacy includes a half-dozen phenomenal albums and EPs, not to mention his custom-built music-making software. His parting gift to fans and fellow musicians alike was this inspired (and inspiring) tune. "Mega Man Forever" by Random Similarly, hip-hopper Random has announced that, with the release of his Mega Ran 10 album, he is turning in his helmet and arm cannon. It's a sad day for nerdcore, but let's not forget that Ran has made equally amazing music about many other video gam

Ken, Matt, Jonathan, and James talk about the Hobbit trailer games we got for Christmat, and more. Enjoy! GeekDad.com is the parenting blog at Wired.com, edited by Ken Denmead, Matt Blum, Jonathan Liu, Z 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 biweekly discussion of anything and everything that impacts us as geeks and parents.

At last we have arrived, my friends. It’s our 12th Day of Geekmas, and today’s offerings are even more spectacular than those that came before. Up for grabs is our last Philips Wireless HDMI Net Connect, a device that streams content wirelessly from your desktop or laptop directly to your HDTV. It’s provided by this year’s 12 Days of Geekmas sponsor, Philips. Also included in today’s giveaway are a copy of Book Creator for iPad from Red Jumper Studios, an iPad 2 from the fine folks at Target, a Steel Series gaming bundle (including a SteelSeries Sensei laser mouse, a SteelSeries Siberia v2 headset with Cross-Platform Audio Mixer, a SteelSeries 9HD mousepad and a pair of SteelSeries Desmo glasses), a specially-styled Voltron watch, a Kre-O Transformers set from Hasbro, the Logitech Harmony Link, a Captain America and the Avengers Hallmark keepsake ornament, an iCade iPad arcade cabinet and a bonus $10 off $30 coupon code from our friends at ThinkGeek. Giveaway rules: Open to North American residents only.

It's the 11th Day of Geekmas, the penultimate day of this year's celebration. And do we have fantastic prizes for our next-to-last winner? Yes. Yes we do. Of course we're including the Philips Wireless HDMI Net Connect, which will get you one step closer to a life without cords. It's provided by our sponsor for the 12 Days of Geekmas 2011, Philips. Also included in today's giveaway is a copy of Book Creator for iPad from Red Jumper Studios, the LEGO Collection (containing The LEGO Book and The LEGO Ideas Book ) from DK Publishing, a Kre-O Transformers set from Hasbro, a solar-powered Logitech Wireless Keyboard K750 for Mac, a Thor Hallmark keepsake ornament, a Portal coaster/cookie cutter set and a bonus $10 off $30 coupon code from our friends at ThinkGeek. Giveaway rules: Open to North American residents only. One entry per physical address. Must be 18 or older to enter. Winners will be chosen at random from a given day's entries. Winners will be notified via the email supplied at time of entry, a

It's the 10th Day of Geekmas, and while this year's event may be drawing to a close the prize closet is far from empty. Up for grabs today is the Philips Wireless HDMI Net Connect, a handy device that streams content in the unmatched clarity of 1080P. It's provided by our 12 Days of Geekmas sponsor, Philips. Also included in today's giveaway are a copy of Book Creator for iPad from Red Jumper Studios, a honeycomb ring from Jeff Bare Design, a Kre-O Transformers set from Hasbro, a Logitech Mini Boombox, a Green Lantern Hallmark keepsake ornament and a bonus $10 off $30 coupon code from our friends at ThinkGeek. Giveaway rules: Open to North American residents only. One entry per physical address. Must be 18 or older to enter. Winners will be chosen at random from a given day's entries. Winners will be notified via the email supplied at time of entry, and in the following day’s giveaway post. Prizes are supplied by 3rd parties, and GeekDad.com cannot be held liable for items damaged or lost in shippin

Today marks the 9th Day of Geekmas, and today's prizes combine some of the best we've offered thus far. Of course we start off with the Philips Wireless HDMI Net Connect, a great gadget that's sure to help with your holiday entertaining. It's provided by the sponsor of the 12 Days of Geekmas 2011, Philips. Also included in today's giveaway are a copy of Book Creator for iPad from Red Jumper Studios, a custom kid-size super hero cape from Power Capes, a Kre-O Transformers set from Hasbro, a LEGO Darth Vader Hallmark keepsake ornament, a Yoda Nutcracker, a Lightsaber Candlestick and a bonus $10 off $30 coupon code from our friends at ThinkGeek. Giveaway rules: Open to North American residents only. One entry per physical address. Must be 18 or older to enter. Winners will be chosen at random from a given day's entries. Winners will be notified via the email supplied at time of entry, and in the following day’s giveaway post. Prizes are supplied by 3rd parties, and GeekDad.com cannot be held liable for

It's the 8th Day of Geekmas, and we're helping to ease you back into the work week with another amazing giveaway. Up for grabs today is the Philips Wireless HDMI Net Connect, the perfect holiday gift for that media-minded loved one. It's provided by this year's 12 Days of Geekmas sponsor Philips. Also included in today's giveaway are a copy of Book Creator for iPad from Red Jumper Studios, a LEGO Star Wars Collection (containing the LEGO Star Wars Character Encyclopedia and LEGO Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary ) from DK Publishing, a Kre-O Transformers set from Hasbro, a LEGO Darth Vader Hallmark keepsake ornament, 30 postcards from the innovative Postagram App, a Darth Vader Nutcracker, a Lightsaber Candlestick and a bonus $10 off $30 coupon code from our friends at ThinkGeek. Giveaway rules: Open to North American residents only. One entry per physical address. Must be 18 or older to enter. Winners will be chosen at random from a given day's entries. Winners will be notified via the email supplied

On the 7th Day of Geekmas the GeekDads might just give to you… another amazing selection of prizes. We start off with the Philips Wireless HDMI Net Connect, a simple wireless solution that lets you stream media from your laptop to your HDTV for the whole family to enjoy. It's provided by this year's 12 Days of Geekmas sponsor Philips. Also included in today's giveaway are a copy of Book Creator for iPad from Red Jumper Studios, an Evil Genius pack (containing The Alien Robots Kit and The Science Kit ) from DK Publishing, a Kre-O Transformers set from Hasbro, a Thor Hallmark keepsake ornament, a special TechShop Holiday Sampler, an Air Swimmer Shark and a bonus $10 off $30 coupon code from our friends at ThinkGeek. Giveaway rules: Open to North American residents only. One entry per physical address. Must be 18 or older to enter. Winners will be chosen at random from a given day's entries. Winners will be notified via the email supplied at time of entry, and in the following day’s giveaway post. Priz

The 6th Day of Geekmas marks the halfway point of this year's giveaway, but we still have so many more amazing prizes to reward the luckiest of our readers! Today's offering starts with the Philips Wireless HDMI Net Connect, an incredibly simple way to share your life in high definition. Special thanks go out to 12 Days of Geekmas 2011 sponsor Philips for providing yet another of these great little devices. Also included in today's giveaway are a copy of Book Creator for iPad from Red Jumper Studios, a custom iPad2 wrap from Jeff Bare Design, a Logitech Fold-Up Keyboard for the iPad2, a Kre-O Transformers set from Hasbro, a Captain America and the Avengers Hallmark keepsake ornament and a bonus $10 off $30 coupon code from our friends at ThinkGeek. Giveaway rules: Open to North American residents only. One entry per physical address. Must be 18 or older to enter. Winners will be chosen at random from a given day's entries. Winners will be notified via the email supplied at time of entry, and in the f

It's the 5th Day of Geekmas, and, more to the point, it's Friday. And as you all know, you gotta get down on Friday. It's, like, the law. Now that I've met my annual quota for Rebecca Black references: prizes! We kick it all off with the Philips Wireless HDMI Net Connect, a fast and hassle free way to watch your favorite online shows on your high definition television. Special thanks go out to 12 Days of Geekmas 2011 sponsor Philips for this one. Also included in today's giveaway are a copy of Book Creator for iPad from Red Jumper Studios, a custom kid-size super hero cape from Power Capes, a positively enormous prize pack (featuring four shirts, four posters and two beanies of our winner's choosing) from the crew at 604 Republic, a Kre-O Transformers set from Hasbro, a "Blazing Sword" Voltron action figure, a Green Lantern Hallmark keepsake ornament and a bonus $10 off $30 coupon code from our friends at ThinkGeek. Giveaway rules: Open to North American residents only. One entry per physical address.

As we celebrate the 4th Day of GeekMas, let us pause to marvel at the majesty of days one through three. With that out of the way, on to the prizes! Today's list starts off with the Philips Wireless HDMI Net Connect. This amazing piece of technology allows you to wirelessly project high-definition sound and video content at 1080p from your PC/laptop directly to your HDTV without buffering or signal delays. And of course it's provided by this year's 12 Days of GeekMas sponsor, Philips. Also up for grabs are a copy of Book Creator for iPad from Red Jumper Studios, a signed copy of the epic Halo Encyclopedia from DK Publishing, a pair of Logitech's own Ultimate Ears 500 Noise-Isolating Earphones, a Kre-O Transformers set from Hasbro, a Spider-Man Hallmark keepsake ornament and a bonus $10 off $30 coupon code from our friends at ThinkGeek. Giveaway rules: Open to North American residents only. One entry per physical address. Must be 18 or older to enter. Winners will be chosen at random from a given day's