The Nukezilla Sunday Supplement – June 12th 2011

Every Sunday we’re going to post links to articles we think are interesting from the last week. Sundays are usually very quiet around here, so this seems like the best day to do it. We’re going to link to articles on range of subjects, including videogames, technology, movies, geek culture and much, much more.

Videogames

First Look: Skyrim – Rock, Paper, Shotgun. A RPS first look at Skyrim, a game I literally cannot wait a single second longer for. Some interesting details from the floor of E3 and written in RPS‘ playful style.

Star Wars Kinect hands-on: watch the train wreck in action – Ars Technica. Star Wars on Kinect sounds like the single greatest thing ever conceived by a human being. However, Ars destroys that dream showing that right now at least, it’s not up galactic proportions. Sad face.

Saboteurs, Smugglers, And Stowaways – Gamasutra. ”While Easter eggs have been an important part of games for many years, not all are equal in inspiration or execution, and this article looks at some of the more unusual, interesting and subversive hidden in games over the last several decades.”

Technology

Engadget Primed: What is NFC, and why do we care? – Engadget. An interesting look at the history and application of near-field communications, the technology that enables you to pay with things from your phone and other futuristic cool things.

Groupon: The golden nugget – The Guardian. “There’s nothing new in bulk buying and negotiating discounts. But Groupon does it in 47 countries for more than 70 million people. It’s an idea so simple anyone could have thought of it. Unfortunately, Andrew Mason got there first… And now he’s sitting on a company worth $30bn.”

Comedy

Ross Noble’s Tour of Britain – The Guardian. “On his latest tour, the comedian put himself in the hands of his Twitter followers, who led him to tiny pubs, top pies, and an encounter with a very famous dog.”

Science

Are wildfires getting worse? – Slate. With various large fires spreading across America, this article asks whether there’s been an increase in the size of wild fires over the last few years. With drier brush and rising temperatures it looks like it’s true.

The Periodic Table Expands Once Again – The New York Times. The periodic table, a very clever table actually, expanded recently, with two new elements added. Elements “114 and 116″ are the official names, with the more catchy ones being added soon. If you’re interested, this is a fantastic podcast (partly) about why the periodic table is so awesome.