12.30.2005: If you didn't get a new Xbox 360 or computer for Christmas, then here you are looking for something to play on the internet. Even with the stickmen, it's tricky to be a Tactical Assassin.

12.28.2005: Usually, you have to search through the haystack of the internet to find the needle of information you need. But it would be hard to find something not on this list of Windows XP How To's.

12.26.2005: A regular guy, his apartment, an overbearing landlord, and some clever two-dimensional "cutout" animation combine, bringing to life the supposedly true tales of It's Jerry Time.

12.23.2005: It's almost Christmas, but unless you live in a warm climate, you're probably not too likely to be playing any miniature golf. Unless it's this seasonal Christmas Putt-Putt game.

12.21.2005: Data is interesting: its results can be changed based upon how you interpret it. The world looks a little different when countries are drawn based upon their relative population size.

12.19.2005: Whether multinational corporation or your corner coffee cafe, baristas are not just latte-makers but artists in their own right. And the proof is in the foam at the Latte Art Championship.

12.16.2005: If there's one thing Windows has proved with Hearts, it's that people like to play multiplayer card games on their computers. It doesn't take long to learn the rules of Aquarius.

12.14.2005: Do you have the desire to make personalized presents, a copy of Photoshop, and no artistic talent whatsoever? Relax, you can create unique portraits following this tutorial.

12.12.2005: With all the USB-powered gadgets you can buy for your computer, it's amazing that people even need old-fashioned electrical outlets any more. Like this cozy, fuzzy USB footwarmer.

12.09.2005: If you spent time in a video game arcade in the 80s, then you remember the classic Arkanoid. Here's a new version that captures the flavor of the original with a new twist: Star Ball.

12.07.2005: You've got to admire the Japanese. They can take a basic idea and really improve upon it, sometimes taking it to the extreme. Like the variety of these Japanese vending machines.

12.05.2005: If you're a browncoat, and maybe even if you aren't, you know about the television show Firefly and the recent follow-on movie Serenity. See the movie retold with hand puppets.

12.02.2005: It may not take a long time to finish, and it's hardly a brain-bender, but there's something unique and interesting about the different places you visit while playing The Phone.

11.30.2005: Geeks tend to like more scholarly pursuits. They also like beautiful women. How to combine the one they're good at with the women? By having the first World Chess Beauty Contest.

11.28.2005: Someone is always trying to find the next new thing, especially when the accepted standards are getting a bit boring. Don't work out inside when you can ride the treadmill bicycle.

11.25.2005: Most people with old school Nokia phones have played Snake. Here's a version that introduces a bit of physics and an order to the pickups, with sound. It's tricky; it's circlefish.

11.23.2005: Take a geeky knowledge of obscure comic book superheroes, and combine it images captured from teen/goth webcams, and you get The First Annual Myspace Stupid Haircut Awards.

11.21.2005: In spite of the RIAA's fear of downloading music, cell phone ring tones are a huge industry. But don't settle for a popular tune when you can have your own custom composition.

11.18.2005: It's a classic concept with a touch of the Orient. Fruit, bamboo, even ninjas and monkeys. What do you mean, you can't read the instructions? You know what to do! Panda Bounce!

11.16.2005: Our modern fast-paced lifestyles don't allow much time to eat everyone's favorite childhood breakfast, a bowl of cereal. Unless you combine them into the convenient Liquid Cereal.

11.14.2005: Today's busy hi-tech workplace has spawned a trend where monitors are framed by squares of paper. Now some clever programming brings the interactive vitual reality of Sticky Notes.

11.11.2005: They say that men can turn anything into a competition; all you have to do is bounce cans off their heads. And you think you're doing good, until you see the scoreboard of Babycal.

11.09.2005: Everybody has a cell phone now, and they keep getting smaller and smaller. But if you want to stand out and go retro at the same time, you really need a portable rotary phone.

11.07.2005: Many sites on the internet beg you to ask the question, "Why would anyone do that?" The answer usually seems to be just because they can. Like the interesting but bizarre coin shrinker.

11.04.2005: Most games can be played by anybody, but not this one. Epileptics beware! It might even induce spasms in those not so inclined. How long can you stand the Flashing Button game?

11.02.2005: Parents today are faced with many difficulties when raising their children. How do adults keep their offspring safe and also instill discipline? It's easy when you have a BabyCage.

10.31.2005: Thanks to the internet, obscure interests and passing fads can refuse to fade into oblivion, living on for all who stop by the site. Such is the case with the hit 70s pop song "Popcorn".

10.28.2005: Sometimes you see a game and know that you've played it before, in some form or another. Yet it doesn't matter, because some games never get old. Games like Robot Maze.

10.26.2005: Fractals are best known as images, animations, and screensavers of infinite, multi-colored, symmetrical bubbles. But they're not just for looking at: you can eat a fractal vegetable.

10.24.2005: Today's technology allows displays and video devices to create personalized, non-static displays. But how? With an invention called I/O Brush. Read the info and watch the demo.

10.21.2005: A good game has replayability (like changing every week) and has all the coolness of a collaborative internet meme that lets you participate or just watch. It's Phoneswarm.

10.19.2005: The Turing machine is an abstract concept of a mechanical computer that is often the subject of undergraduate software projects. Leave it to a geek to build a Turing machine out of Legos.

10.17.2005: Advertising is a black art that constantly innovates to find new ways to get "the message" to you. As advertising evolves to be everywhere, it can even be found on the beach.

10.14.2005: In chess, many pieces move in ways that most others cannot duplicate, except for the all-powerful queen. But even she can't mimic the unique knight. Use your knight to solve Troyis.

10.12.2005: In the 1960s, Bell Labs invented dual tone multifrequency (DTMF). In the 1970s, geeks created algorithmic compositions using two-note chords. They may own your telephone number.

10.10.2005: French fries are a staple of the American diet, found in many variations with almost any type of meal. But they have not been available from a vending machine, until now.

10.07.2005: You have to endure an ad first, and the rotation and movement control can be tricky to master, but you're rewarded with a mega cool 3D color matching maze puzzle game: Hyper Frame.

10.05.2005: Most geeks know what "MST3K" is, and who Joel, Tom Servo and Crow are. You've seen the movies, you've laughed at the quips, now check out the original movie posters.

10.03.2005: Geek watches can contain all sorts of gadgets, from calculators to USB flash memory. Here's one that combines 21st century cool with cold war practicality: a working Geiger counter.

09.28.2005: Everyone has encountered the situation where you want to get off the phone, but not bad enough to be rude about it. Luckily there are "interruptions" that scream sorry, gotta go.

09.26.2005: Many people dream of having their own private jet. And geeks enjoy mod/conversion projects. Combine the two, and you have the guy turning a Boeing 727-200 into an airplane home.

09.23.2005: For many geeks, the best games aren't about reflexes or strategy, but using their cognitive skills to solve puzzles. Try your hand at the hardest riddle on the internet: not pron.

09.21.2005: You've likely heard of the Yakuza. And hurricanes. But did you know one caused the other, with the help of the KGB? Scalar technology operates on the new battleground: weather wars.

09.19.2005: Amazing as it seems, sometimes geeks reproduce. It's easy to hook "version 2.0"s on digital toys and sci-fi, but true geeklings learn basic skills with a tactile analog interface: c-jump.

09.16.2005: Regardless of what type of music you like, everyone has a favorite band. Of course you know their music, but how well do you know their albums? Find out with Crop of the Pops.

09.14.2005: There are many different varieties of ergonomic keyboards available these days. Some have been featured here. Leave it to a fellow geek to compile the alternative keyboard gallery.

09.12.2005: Google Maps has an interface one can use for all sorts of mapping applications. One geek uses it to ask a question: If you dig a very deep hole, where in the world is the hole's exit?

09.09.2005: Like most games featured here, this one is simple and easy to play. Yet it requires a bit of forward thinking to solve on the first attempt. Stay on the grid and you'll be the master of Tilox.

09.07.2005: People really love their pets; some people just love them more than others. Although even pet owners can wonder how someone can love something like the world's ugliest dog: Sam.

09.05.2005: It's Labor Day, and that means relaxing... or playing! The classic arcade game Asteroids was great because of realistic spaceflight physics. Try your hand at Monkeys in Space.

09.02.2005: Ninjas, besides their legendary martial arts skills, are practioners of often mysterious powers of stealthly and nimble movement. Master the way of the ninja in "n".

08.31.2005: The internet continues to prove that people have weird obsessions, especially if they include girls. Fishermen, a group of red-blooded males, appear to appreciate women in waders.

08.29.2005: Richard Horsman is a gamer that was looking for wallpapers of his favorite retro arcade games. When he couldn't find anything decent, he decided to make his own artwork.

08.26.2005: Here's something that isn't a game so much as an interactive exploration. A colorful visual and auditory experience that will pretty much have you saying, "Dude wtf?" It's Boohbah.

08.24.2005: There are hundreds of man-made spacecraft orbiting the Earth. With the internet, not only can you find out exactly where each one is, but you can also see the satellite's view of Earth.

08.22.2005: A ghillie (ghee-lee) suit is arguably the most camouflage one person can wear and still be considered mobile. Now you can hide in plain sight when you construct your own ghillie suit.

08.19.2005: If a kid eats lots of sugar, he'll soon be bouncing off the walls until the inevitable burnout occurs. Combine these facts with the classic arcade action of Breakout for Sugar Crash.

08.17.2005: Everybody knows what a Frisbee is. But you might be surprised at the sheer number of designs for flying discs. Thanks to the internet, you can view many in the Frisbee Collective.

08.15.2005: The internet continues to show us that there are very talented artists in the world. For whatever reason, some choose to focus on unusual subjects. Such as these eggshell babies.

08.12.2005: Satellite photography has changed the way we view the world, spawning many pastimes from casual to obsessive. Time to get competitive. How fast can you Find the Landmark?

08.10.2005: On the internet, the seemingly bottomless pit of information, you can find instructions for building practically anything. Even unusual ones, like a working paper steam engine.

08.08.2005: There's a refrigerator in every home, but the contents differ from person to person like fingerprints. Or do they? View the evidence at the photo of your fridge project.

08.05.2005: How you keep score is anybody's guess, but the mechanics are easy enough once you get the hang of it. All you have to do is see how long you can keep your mouse cursor safe.

08.03.2005: Geeks consume a lot of television, and grew up with the TV fathers they watched every week. But how do they stack up as providers? Compare the salaries of TV dads.

08.01.2005: Geeks often create highly technical gadgets with ordinary, everyday materials. Using Lego components, off-the-shelf technology, and some ingenuity, you get the robotic Lego hand.

07.29.2005: Is it a game? Is it a simulator? Is it an instrument? Once you figure out all the controls and what they do, and all the pieces and how they work, you'll waste lots of time with la pâte á son.

07.27.2005: Geeks are often made fun of or picked on because of what they do best: taking an idea to ridiculous extremes. Like this guy who went to his prom in the homemade Coke can tux.

07.25.2005: Geeks sometimes go to the extreme for fun. Such as combining satellite positioning, a load of high-tech equipment, and a signature game from an 80s computer movie: GPS Tron.

07.22.2005: Take a math puzzle and add the traditional game mechanics (simple concept that gets progressively harder). The first level is easy, but quickly becomes incredibly difficult: Planarity.

07.20.2005: The prefix pico means "very small"; Tux is the mascot for the linux operating system. Put them together and, while you won't be playing Doom 3, it's the world's smallest linux computer.

07.18.2005: Geeks often use their computers in dark rooms and run specialized software. What combines lighted keys, programmability, and keyboard overlays? The coolest keyboard ever.

07.15.2005: This ragdoll physics engine is interesting. Control the model with your mouse, and prepare to be both entertained and unsettled by the eerie, "life-like" movements of Tetka.

07.13.2005: It was a landmark video game. You still know the music by heart. What happens when you convert its concept to furniture? You end up with the amazingly faithful Tetris bookshelves.

07.11.2005: LiveJournal has a well-deserved reputation as the blogspace for angsty teens. But sometimes a gem shines through, as when a teen geek acts out the lyrics to Bohemian Rhapsody.

07.08.2005: Cats like to catch birds. But rather than pounce on them the old-fashioned way, these geeky cats have concocted a technological marvel to better reach their prey. They're bird snatchers.

07.06.2005: Some science fiction fans obsess about the Star Wars universe and try to bring it to life. Many replicate an authentic costume, but real geeks get serious: build your own R2D2.

07.04.2005: Geeks are familiar with Photoshop as a verb for modifying an image, usually for a humorous effect, but here's a step-by-step tutorial on using the software to make a realistic star field.

07.01.2005: Despite the fall of their civilization over a thousand years ago, the Romans' number system is still used to this day. But to use it for math, you need a Roman Numeral Calculator.

06.29.2005: Artists can't always depend on their muse for inspiration. Sometimes it must come from other sources, like... us. Can you provide a name that interesting enough for The Queue?

06.27.2005: Many people use a list when they go grocery shopping, and a number of these people leave them behind afterwards. One man collects, scans and posts them: abandoned shopping lists.

06.24.2005: Back in the old days before hand-held calculators and computers, geeks cranked out math using a slide rule. Return to those high-tech days of yore with Derek's Virtual Slide Rules.

06.22.2005: When you combine the internet staples of oddity, communication and anonymity, you have a recipe for disaster. Or humor. As when strangers ask other strangers, "Am I normal?"

06.20.2005: Your opinion of it aside, the latest movie from George Lucas has spawned an interest in Star Wars that knows almost no bounds. Like this do-it-yourself project for an origami Yoda.

06.17.2005: Take two celebrities, add some morphing software, and you end up with an idea of what their offspring might look like. Can you work backwards to deduce the unholy matrimony?

06.15.2005: Are you a fan of using Google ads to buy stuff on the internet, but are tired of all that pesky text getting in the way while you're trying to shop? Then you need the Google content blocker.

06.13.05: What do you get when you cross an artist, mathematics, and lasers? Some of the coolest and geekiest metal sculptures and 3D glass models around. It's Bathsheba Grossman.

06.10.2005: There aren't any instructions, but it doesn't take too long to figure out how to start eliminating groups of bricks. But be fast, there's a countdown timer! It's happy fun cute brick game.

06.08.2005: Many people own SUVs, 4WD trucks and all-wheel drive cars, even though they never take their vehicles offroad. Display your wild side while remaining surburban with spray-on mud.

06.06.2005: Everyone dreams of being a rock star. But taking it one step further and successfully impersonating one of the world's most famous bands? Faux U2: Even Better Than The Real Thing.

06.03.2005: The internet provides a haven for those with similar interests, no matter how weird. This one is great theater, with nice locations and even some good acting. It's crying while eating.

06.01.2005: The Jedi, like many of today's armies, need a constant supply of new recruits. But how to do that? With a snappy promotional video that will have you singing the Jedi song.

05.30.2005: "All world loves a strong man," says the forward to this 1952 book. But how to become loved as one if you're a weak geek? By learning the tricks you need to perform strong man stunts.

05.27.2005: Many of the sources may be questionable, but you'll no doubt impress your friends with words consisting of only consonants, vowels and single letters: strange dictionaries.

05.25.2005: Geeks often find satisfaction in learning all they can about something, and then displaying their proficiency. In this hunt-and-peck world, be a typing virtuoso with Das Keyboard.

05.23.2005: Sometimes geeks do things because they can, whether it makes sense or not. Such as submerging the innards of a computer in a liquid that's a poor conductor of electricity: vegetable oil.

05.20.2005: It's so simple, you can't believe it's even a game. But as your mind tries to translate, you madly try to guide the mouse to the proper answer in time. Click the colour and not the word.

05.18.2005: It's almost summertime, and that means outdoor activities. Which, in turn, means injuries. But bandages aren't very manly. You need to cover your wounds with bacondages.

05.16.2005: Public signs can make sense when you know what information they convey. But without the proper context, they can by mystifying or downright funny. The gallery of foreign signs.

05.13.2005: It's Friday the 13th, and you need something time-consuming to take your mind off it. Watch it once at normal speed, then single-step through the alphabet of movies in working title.

05.11.2005: The imminent release of George's final episode has geeks consumed with all things Star Wars. Whether Jedi or Sith, you may be interested to learn how lightsabers work.

05.09.2005: For some reason, people like to dress up their pets. But none seem to do so as much, and with an eye for current events, as the owner of the world's most photographed squirrel.

05.06.2005: It may not be the most intellectually stimulating or intensely challenging game, but it can be quite amusing. Use your trampoline to bounce and save the falling plague of kittens.

05.04.2005: Geeks like computer games and board games. But can they convert a digital classic into a tabletop version? Check out the TV commercial link on this page for Tetris Tower.

05.02.2005: Fire is a basic wilderness survival necessity. But without the proper tools, making fire can be a challenge. Learn how using the unlikely combination of a Coke can and chocolate.

04.29.2005: The concept here is pretty simple: control the signal lights to keep the traffic from piling up. Except that the cars and trucks keep coming faster and faster. It's Traffic Control.

04.27.2005: If you use a computer, probability approaches 100% that you've gotten upset with it, enough to suffer computer rage. Take the rage survey, then identify with some choice responses.

04.25.2005: Home theater setups aren't as rare as they used to be; many people have big screens and surround sound. But leave it to a geek to take the title literally, creating an actual home theater.

04.22.2005: Computer science is a technical field so full of jargon that even experts can be misled (and were!). Generate your own important-sounding treatise with the CS Paper Generator.

04.20.2005: So you already have a yacht, a jet, and maybe even your own private island. Yet you still want something that truly says "gazillionaire". You need your own personal luxury submarine.

04.18.2005: Take a used Australian Army vehicle used for firefighting in the bush, re-build it from the frame up to be an all-terrain RV, and you get a Weird Off-Road Truck: the WORT Motorhome.

04.15.2005: Every game has challenges to overcome, but sometimes the first one is determining what you're trying to do. As in life, the object is to keep everything in balance.

04.13.2005: Those of you that own cats know that they sleep. A lot. But sometimes they get so caught up in the sleeping part that they end up amusing us with some pretty funny poses.

04.11.2005: Internet-based tactics such as mail bombs and denial of service attacks take a lot of technical expertise. Now you can select drop-down options to destroy web sites with Netdisaster.

04.08.2005: From surfing to online banking to email, it's no surprise that your browser is the primary door into your computer. Check your vulnerability with the browser security test.

04.06.2005: Legos are popular building blocks (pun intended) for many geek projects. But when Legos and Star Wars cross paths, you can get something amazing like Han Solo in Carbonite.

04.04.2005: The majority of people with pets have cats. But with the good comes the nasty: dealing with the litter box. If you can't teach your cat to use the toilet, then get a toilet for the cat.

04.01.2005: How do you approach a game like this? Try to find a pattern and trigger the proper squares? Or click blindly and hope for the best results? Find your strategy for the chain reaction.

03.30.2005: Geeks like science and optical illusions, especially when it can be applied to everyday life. Such as going through the trouble to create the amazing gravity-defying room.

03.28.2001: When you live in a very cold climate, weather provides an entirely new creative outlet. A true artist (or bored subarctic geeks) do what anyone else would do: build a skyscraper of ice.

03.25.2005: The Incredible Machine was a brilliant PC game that made problem solving fun. This may be an advertisement for a hardware website, but it's still an incredible remake.

03.23.2005: Since Amazon.com exposed an API to their databases, geeks have devised some ingenous ways of using it. By merely changing the text in the URL, you can make words out of books.

03.21.2005: Do you have the urge to wear items made of human skin, but you don't have what it takes to be a serial killer and hide tanner? Now you can finally realize your dreams with Skinbag.

03.18.2005: Grab all the black, miss all the red; you quickly set the rules in your head. The real world recedes, nothing else compares; this focus must mean that you're playing Squares.

03.16.2005: Maybe it's a guy thing, but destroying stuff can be really cool. And it's even more interesting when there's a big machine chewing up unlikely objects. Watch it shred.

03.14.2005: People are fascinated by the possibility of extraterrestrial life, and many projects exist to search for ETs. But why wait? You can use your cell phone to talk to aliens.

03.11.2005: Whether forums, blogs, IM, or chat, keyboard-only input reveals your true skills at communicating. But how good are you really? Find out with the Commonly Confused Words Test.

03.09.2005: The internet is full of uncommon obsessions. Like the one where you take celebrity images and then "deck them out in Celtic colours." Welcome to the (22-page) land of Fantasy Celts.

03.07.2005: Geeks love gadgets, but if they can hack one to do something it wasn't originally designed to do, then all the better. Such as how to make an ordinary webcam work in infrared.

03.04.2005: Suppose you are a supervillain and, regardless of your motivations, you decide to destroy the Earth. You may be surprised to discover that it's harder than you might think.

03.02.2005: When you combine geek obsessions and the internet, you usually end up with both quality and quantity. Such as the fan site that offers the most obscure Star Trek facts.

02.28.2005: Many geeks are into collecting, spanning a wide range from casual acquisition to full-blown obsession. But most focus on one area, unlike this guy, who seems to collect everything.

02.25.2005: Can you tell the difference between true art and fakes, or famous art from unknowns? Can you discern which is classic prose and which is crap? Test yourself with these highbrow quizzes.

02.23.2005: We often take technology for granted, especially when it seems to continue to accelerate. It's subjective, of course, but here's an interesting list of The Top 100 Gadgets of All Time.

02.21.2005: USB devices are very common, and most geeks would be hard pressed to not own some of these universally pluggable products. Now there's one to enhance your career: Hypnodisk.

02.18.2005: For true geeks, the best games are the ones that provide cognitive challenges, which explains the popularity of Nethack. This one has an extremely steep curve. Decode the URL.

02.16.2005: You might think that it's a puzzle, or that it's a game, or that it's an exercise in art. But mostly, it's a delightful way to spend some time exploring the possibilities that are Vector Park.

02.14.2005: It's Valentine's Day, and what's more romantic than therapy? In order to get you in and out of your evaluation more quickly, here are the true meanings of the Rorschach ink blots.

02.11.2005: Space Invaders is one of the classic arcade games, but it's so old school that there's hardly anything new or exciting about it. Except in this case, the manner in which it is animated.

02.09.2005: In order to paint, an artist needs a vision, and certain amount of skill. But sometimes a painter can amaze you with his or her abilities. Especially if the artist has been blind since birth.

02.07.2005: Pity the poor rock band, trying to come up with an original album cover. Some are obvious parodies, but other bands obviously are quite blatant with their album cover knockoffs.

02.04.2005: Some games are addicting merely because they are so simple. What could be easier than just clicking once? Ah, but the challenge in this one is when to click. It's Chaos Theory.

02.02.2005: Geeks love their electronic gadgets. But when it comes time to recharge them, finding the right cord (or an available outlet) can be tricky, unless you have something like SplashPad.

01.31.2005: There's something you use every day, accepting unquestionably what it does, without considering its inherently false representations. See reality with the True Mirror.

01.28.2005: Here's a game that manages to combine several different challenges: navigation, timing, strategy and collecting. And for added difficulty, there's a timer too. It's High Wheels.

01.26.2005: The wacky world of advertising can be quite entertaining. The products, the fashions, the classic storytelling. Oh, and the language. Enjoy these Hungarian 1980s TV commercials.

01.24.2005: Cellular phones are ubiquitous, to the point that even grade schoolers carry them now. What's the next logical extension for instant voice communication? Cell phones for pets.

01.21.2005: With all the bizarre and downright scary things on the Internet, sometimes you forget about the cuddly and downright adorable. Unless you spend time on the Japanese blog of cute.

01.19.2005: Photoshop is the tool of choice for digitally editing photographs. People love their pets. And people love their soldiers. Put these all together, and the result is Pets in Uniform.

01.17.2005: Most people eat their food without considering the bizarre, unholy, and downright disgusting things food can seem to be. Luckily, we can see them in the Museum of Food Anomalies.

01.14.2005: Sometimes the biggest challenge with a game is simply figuring out how to play it. Especially with an odd concept like completing levels by launching a dog. Time to play Tobby.

01.12.2005: Many people, concerned about purity, filter their tapwater before drinking it. And, practically, the same filtering works for alcohol. Scientific proof in the vodka filtering experiment.

01.10.2005: You've heard the expression, "Built like a house of cards." As with any endeavor, some people can take this task quite seriously, with amazing results. Behold, the cardstacker.

01.07.2005: The internet is that it provides access to all kinds of realtime cameras. This lets you watch the drama unfold almost anywhere in the world, such as this Japanese laundromat.

01.05.2005: When attempting to describe the flavor of exotic meats, you'll most likely hear that it tastes like chicken. But is this true? One scientist experiments to prove that it tastes like tetrapod.

01.03.2005: What do you get when you combine the rising popularity of video culture and the geek penchant for obsessive attention to detail? The exhaustive list of TV and movie "555" numbers.