BACKAYARD

  • BACKAYARD MAGAZINE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE


    GAMES
    Rock Band 3, www.rockband.com
    PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, DS
    Harmonix raises the bar on music gaming once again with Rock Band 3.  The game ships with 80+ songs, plus there’s a downloadable library of 2000 more (and growing).  BAY readers will be happy to see some Marley on the set list.  The new pro mode bridges the gap between player and musician with training and realistic game play – it’s like reading tablature rather than simply pushing color coded button.  There’s now up to three-part harmony and a new keyboard controller – you can have seven people in a single band.   There’s even Twitter and Facebook connectivity so you can keep all your fans up to date with your progress.

    DJ Hero 2
    Activision (www.djhero.com)
    Xbox 360, PS3, Wii
    Tap your inner DJ with 83 new songs and two turntables and a microphone!  It’s the ultimate social multiplayer beat box experience – two players at a time can mix, scratch and sample while a third grabs the mic and sings.  New in this version are a bunch of multiplayer modes so you don’t have to scratch alone anymore.  Party Play is a ton of fun as players can jump-in and jump-out of game play whenever they want.  Really roll out the creativity in Freestyle mode where you can mash, scratch, cross-fade, and sample to your heart’s content.  It’s dub dancehall, baby, and you’re the DJ!

    Call of Duty: Black Ops
    Activision, www.callofduty.com/blackops
    PC, Xbox 360, PS3, Wii
    Get in on the most successful video game launch in history as the military first person shooter franchise returns.  There’s a mix of action, ranging from stealthy night time infiltrations to all out assaults on enemy trenches.  Multiplayer reaches new highs with unprecedented player customization and a variety of ways to play with (or against) your friends (or enemies).  A sinister story line will suck you in deeper and deeper and propel you through the game.  Some levels are truly engaging, like when you pilot a boat up the Mekong River while the Rolling Stones play in the background, or when you are forced to play Russian roulette against your best friend.  And let’s not forget the two crazy zombie levels that are non-stop gore.


    Gran Turismo 5
    Sony Computer Entertainment America, www.gran-turismo.com
    The wait is finally over!  The racing game that revolutionized a genre when it launched on PS1 back in 1997 is back.  Sony baited us with GT5 Prologue, and the full version will blow your socks off.  Full 1080p high definition and Dolby Digital Surround Sound make the experience feel so real that you’ll swear the wind is blowing through your hair as you downshift and throw your Lamborghini Murcielago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce into a hairpin turn at Deep Forest Raceway.  With over 1,000 cars, each custom tunable, you’d better quit your job so you have time to play through it. 


    FIFA Soccer 11
    EA Sports, www.fifa.easports.com
    PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC, PS2, DS, PSP, mobile
    EA Sports spent two years ripping FIFA apart and rebuilding it – and it shows.  Game play is now physics based so you get more freedom on the pitch with individuality of player control and movement, sophisticated ball touches, and physical interaction between players.  You can actually see players jostle for position and hand-check.  It’s not just a bunch of uncontrollable animations anymore.  The new 360 degree dribbling system gives you complete control over the ball so you can make a hard lateral cut and go around a defender.  Plus, you get goalie control so you don’t have to sit there and watch during breakaways. 


    RiiFlex Weights
    Power Play, www.riiflex.com
    $29.95
    Why waste time playing WiiFit or The Biggest Loser with a simple Wii controller?  Add these 2lb dumbbells to a Wii remote and get a real workout.  They’re ruggedly constructed of non-slip rubberized material and the Wii-mote snaps solidly into them.  They feel like real dumbbells, not like the usual plastic toy-like fitness peripherals other companies sell.  Two pounds may not sound like a lot, but try playing a game of tennis with them and you’ll think differently.  Couple them with a balance board and you’re sure to get your heart pumping.


    GEAR
    Astro A30 & Mixamp 5.8 Bundle
    Astro Gaming, AstroGaming.com
    $199.95 until 1/11/11
    Astro is known for making high end gaming audio equipment.  Their original Mixamp is the de facto standard of the pro gaming circuit.  So it made sense to make a wireless gaming amp and headphones.  Everything installed in about a minute and the system sounds great.  There’s a built-in mic or I could use a boom mic for voice chat.  Turn on bass expander and get rumbling bass – good for a game’s soundtrack.  Turn on surround sound and get accurate in-game sound.  Hear the bastards sneaking up behind you and take them down!

    OpenIt
    Zibra, www.enjoyzibra.com
    $9.99
    What’s the best way to have a good holiday season?  Ok, maybe we’ve covered that in the GANJA gift guide, but I’m talking about getting a lot of presents.  Sure giving is great, don’t get me wrong.  Start your holiday season off right with this plastic cutting, zip tie snipping, wrapper slicing marvel.  You’ll be ready for whatever you get.  There’s a bottle opener in case you get something to drink.  Open anything and everything with OpenIt.  Then new green color is way cooler than the orange was and the tool is sturdier – you could cut through wire if you had to. 


    Orb TV
    Orb Networks, www.orb.com
    $99
    If you’re like me, then you get more music and video off the Internet than from CD’s and TV.  It’s great that you have 25,000 songs in your collection, but once you walk away from your PC how can you listen to them?  Orb TV lets you stream music, videos, and photos from your PC or Mac to any TV.  Plus stream thousands of TV shows from Hulu, ESPN3, Comedy Central, YouTube, and more over the Internet to your TV. You’ll never have to pay for cable again.  What’s even cooler is that included software lets you use your iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch or Android phone as a remote control.

    MinoHD 2 Hour
    Flip Video, www.theflip.com
    $229.99


    Ballistic SG iPhone 4 Case
    Ballistic Cases, www.goballisticcase.com
    $29.99
    This is one tough ass iPhone case!  Designed to use the protection of four layers this case essentially wraps your precious baby up in Fort Knox.  The outer layer is Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) which is shock resistant.  This is molded to a middle layer which is impact resistant polycarbonate.  Then the innermost layer is soft silicone with hardened cores, and there’s a screen cover.  This is a no-nonsense look for your iPhone that will protect it if dropped for sure.  It’s available in black/black and black/red.

     

    Atrio Special Edition Professional Earphones
    Future Sonics
    $229
    These earphones are a worthy upgrade to any portable audio rig.  Future Sonics uses a proprietary dynamic drive to produce lower frequencies more effectively than other headphones.  The result is that you get full booming bass and unmatched music clarity at low volume.  They’re lightweight and come with a bunch of different sleeves so you can pick the one that’s most comfortable and gives the best seal.  They are sold in eco friendly packaging and come with a case made from reclaimed rubber taken from old inner tube truck tires. 

    GANJA

    The burning question is what to get for ganjaheads this holiday season that isn’t ganja.  It’s too easy to give the gift of ganja because it is a given that they’ll love it!  And yet knowing them as we do, the best gifts are those that go with ganja.  We’ve looked far and wide to come up with a few ways to partake of the holiday spirit.  Here are a few gifts that will enhance our relationship with the green goodness. 

    Volcano
    Storz and Bickel
    This is far and away the most elegant way to enjoy ganja’s greatness.  The ceramic heater vaporizes the THC off your buds and into a big balloon.  Remove the balloon, let it cool, and enjoy with far fewer carcinogens and a much purer taste.  Most people are surprised when they truly taste Mary Jane without that burnt taste.  It’s fruity, spicy, or plain sweet green tasting  - whatever it is you are getting it unadulterated.  Sure, it’s a lot of money, but for a regular smoker, think of it as a long term investment and it’ll pay for itself.

    Top 10 City Apps
    DK Eyewitness Travel Guides, us.dk.com/travel
    $6.99
    If you’re like me, then you like to travel, and when the opportunity to celebrate 420 appears, you’ll take it.  Guide books are an essential tool for travel, although they usually don’t provide much help with the topics we’re after, plus they sit on the book shelf for years gathering dust when you’re done with them.  Or maybe a better way to head to the latest reggae festival.  Either way, the Top 10 City Apps replace and enhance guide books with iPhone/iPad/iPod optimized info for New York City, Barcelona, London, Paris, San Francisco, and Rome.  Each one contains a full city map with geocoding that shows you where you are.  Maps are available offline so you don’t have to pay international roaming.  Plus, the top 10 lists of restaurants, sights, hotels, and clubs will get you in the fun in no time.

    Divine Chocolate Advent Calendar
    www.divinechocolateusa.com
    $5.99
    I have never seen a trippier advent calendar than this one produced by the Kuapa Kokoo cooperative of cocoa farmers in Ghana.  I have a pretty good idea what these guys are farming when they’re not farming cocoa.  Fair trade milk chocolate hearts are behind doors along the path that tells the story of the nativity.  All natural and vegetarian, the chocolate is enough to be a good gift, but man this trippy nativity story is awesome.  Enjoy how the Advent Calendar brings out the Bad Santa in all of us.  . 

    Stay Puft Caffeinated Gourmet Marshmallows
    www.thinkgeek.com
    $19.99
    Speaking of psychedelic food, do your part to save NYC by joining the Ghostbusters as they take down the Stay Puft marshmallow man.  The Destroyer of Worlds tastes just fantastic and turns out to be packed with caffeine also.  You get a sweet treat, a jolt of energy, and you’re saving the universe.

    Legalize It Dog T-Shirt
    Zazzle.com, $21.35
    Help your pooch convey his political beliefs with this stylish 100% ringspun baby-rib cotton t-shirt.  A big green marijuana leaf with the words “Legalize It” emblazoned across a light blue shirt makes a dramatic statement.  It’s double-needle stitched for sturdiness and slips on over his head.  It’s time to replay sit and lay down with Get up, stand up!

    4:20 Wall Clock
    www.cafepress.com
    Ask any stoner what time it is and he knows it’s 4:20.  Now there’s a clock to prove it!  It’s always the right time when you’ve got this clock on the wall.  Battery powered, and yes, it actually does tell time.  Hang it right next to the one that says no drinking before 5.

    Mahony Percolator
    Weedstar
    This 50cm tall 5mm thick water pipe produces some damn sweet smoke.  The removable percolator mechanism bubbles the smoke through the water to filter it more.  You end up with a cooler and smoother smoke.  Just look at it, you know it’s not your garden variety bong.  Smoking coming up through streams of bubbles makes for some awesome eye candy!  The unit comes with a 20mm bowl and all the parts are standard size so they’re replaceable and swappable. 

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