Let's not play into stereotype: Nerds can be hot! And if they're out at Comic-Con for the weekend, they deserve to meet other like-minded folk and create a connection that goes beyond a mutual admiration of "Torchwood" or "Afro Samurai."

If you're reading this from your iPhone, air up at these hot spots and we'll see you at a midnight showing of "The Spirit" in December.

Fred's Mexican Cafe :: Find someone to handcuff at the $3 margarita happy hour. 2470 San Diego Ave.

Baja Betty's :: Gorge yourself at the all-you-can-eat Mexican buffet on Saturdays or drink on the patio with a hottie at the self-styled "only gay Mexican restaurant with over 100 tequilas." 1421 University Ave.

Nunu's Cocktail Lounge :: The cheesy '60s rumpus-room decor is more than made up for by the extra-strong drinks and beautiful chatty women. 3537 5th Ave.

Related Stories:
· Geeky Travel: Nerd Out At Comic-Con '08 [Jaunted]
· You Stay Classy, San Diego [HC]
· Missed Connections coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: adam gallardo]]]> egw 2008-07-25T15:00:22-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/24/12315/8664

We're not fooled by your out-of-the-office message about your trip "to California": We know you're as excited about the prospect of bumping into Kevin Smith or Stan Lee at this year's edition of Comic-Con as we are. Don't miss our picks for each day this weekend:

Today: DC Nation Many a day have we walked past DC Comics' headquarters in New York and hoped Batman would walk out. Come and stump DC Senior VP Dan DiDio with your Justice League questions. 6 pm

Friday: "The Spirit," with Frank Miller, Eva Mendes and Samuel L. Jackson All the fanboys will be in the scrum for the "Watchmen" panel, and while the teaser before "The Dark Knight" looked cool, we're more into this Christmas release based on the classic Will Eisner superhero in a suit. 2:30 pm

Saturday: "Starship Troopers 3" Best. Straight-to-DVD. Movie. Ever. 5 pm

Sunday: "Hamlet 2" Panel Preview this offbeat summer comedy, a Sundance favorite, in which a wacky drama teacher (Steve Coogan) decides to write a sequel to a seemingly un-sequel-able Shakespeare play to save the theater. Amy Poehler and Catherine Keener assist. 11:30 am

Related Stories:
· Comic-Con 2008 [Official Site]
· Superhero Fans, Hollywood Execs Flock to Comic Con [Reuters]
· Comic-Con 2007: No Costume For Gwyneth Paltrow [Jaunted]
· Comic Con and Hotel Geeks Unite [HC]

[Photo of the "Harold and Kumar" unicorn at Comic-Con'08: spout-com]]]> egw 2008-07-24T14:00:22-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/23/134629/377

Next time you're in Manila and need a gaming fix, the obvious choice is FriiSpirit, a Wii-focused hangout in Quezon City. Fully stocked with projection screens, beanbag chairs and cheap eats, it's an always-busy student hangout, says PSFK.

After hours things get even more interesting. Friday nights, one of the owners whips up fancy food to serve alongside movies (recent picks included "I'm Not There," "The Godfather" and "Dirty Dancing"), pancake suppers happen every Thursday night and other evenings friends stop in for Rock Band competitions.

To get the full schedule of events, check FriiSpirit's blog, natch.

Related Stories:
· FriiSpirit: Videogames Going Beyond Gaming [PSFK]
· The Nintendo Wii Cruise Sets Sail [Jaunted]
· Geeky Travel coverage [Jaunted]]]> pbb 2008-07-23T14:00:21-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/4/28/14163/7982

As Matt Gross recently reminded us, heading to Japan isn't cheap. So how are we supposed to get our mitts on fun little gizmos and cool presents for our friends? NYC's AC Gears has you covered.

The Greenwich Village shop is a retail outlet for AudioCubes, so half of the space is dedicated to headphones from the tiny to the ultra-pro and pricey. The other side of the store is all about little robots, funky toys, USB gizmos and other assorted stuff. (They basically have everything in Japan.) We of course had our eyes on the travel gear like alarm clocks and flashy jump drives.

New products are always coming in from the shop's home office in Osaka, so you can never be quite sure what you'll dig up. If it doesn't already sound geeky enough, check AC Gears' Flickr page for more intel.

Related Stories:
· AC Gears [Official Site]
· Geeky Philly: Comics de Deux [Jaunted]
· Geeky Travel coverage [Jaunted]
· Shopping coverage [Jaunted]]]> pbb 2008-04-28T15:00:01-05:00 40.730672 -73.992620 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/2/15/121653/143

Geeky Philly: What to do once you've seen the lightsabers and droids at the Star Wars show.

We went sneaker shopping, comic book browsing and yakitori eating, and now we're all geeked out, at least for the next few weeks or so. But Philly's got more to offer if you know where to look.

To keep up on the scene, check in with Geekadelphia, a new-ish site started by two self-proclaimed Philly geeks. (Credentials? One's a blogger and the other recreates Star Wars costumes for fun.) Why'd they start the project?

It's a town full of geeks. We're trying to embrace this often looked over culture dwelling within our city. Independent comic book stores, mom and pop arcades, handmade robot battles, Jedi sword fights in public parks, collectives who build electronics, musicians creating tunes using 8-bit Nintendo cartridges... Philly's got it all.

So, we thought it might be fun to step it up and start our own cityblog that talks about World of Warcraft, Legos, Star Wars and embraces the city's geek culture.

Aside from general geek news--updates on important developments like the Cheeseburger in a can--they've also got a handy map of spots worth seeing in the city. You'll even find a hilarious video tour of the Brave New Worlds comic book shop hosted by one of the blog's editors a Shadow Stormtrooper.

Related Stories:
· Geekadelphia [Official Site]
· Philly for Geeks Map [Jaunted]]]> pbb 2008-02-15T12:32:12-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/2/14/125321/766

Geeky Philly: What to do once you've seen the lightsabers and droids at the Star Wars show.

For some reason, nothing strikes us as more geeky than Japanese food. So when we heard that Yakitori Boy had raw fish, private karaoke rooms and "Japas" (that'd be Japanese tapas), we knew we had a winner.

Downstairs, a yakitori bar is front and center. We pulled up seats in front of the big grill and checked out the skewered offerings which ranged from shrimp and corn to more exotic bits like chicken hearts and quail eggs. You can indeed mix and match your plate tapas-style, and the bar serves up sake, shochu and beer to go with.

Upstairs, the private karaoke rooms are perfect for parties. You can order off the menu and obviously drinks are on tap. If you want to relive your trip to Osaka, there are Japanese songs on the karaoke box, too. You'll pay for the room by the hour, but rates are pretty cheap, about the same as what you'd spend for bowling or shooting pool.

Related Stories:
· Yakitori Boy [Myspace]
· Philly for Geeks Map [Jaunted]
· Karaoke coverage [Jaunted]]]> pbb 2008-02-14T13:00:01-05:00 39.955937 -75.157150 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/2/13/14421/3372

Geeky Philly: What to do once you've seen the lightsabers and droids at the Star Wars show.

It wouldn't be a geeky trip without at least a look inside a comic book shop. Fortunately, Philly has two stores worth a visit, each with its own flavor.

Brave New Worlds in Old City keeps its focus on new releases as well as graphic novels and other alternative works. The shop also has tons of toys and figurines from tiny up to a full-size Darth Vader statue/model. While the amount of stuff seems overwhelming at first, the selection is actually well edited compared to some comic stores we've been to. It all adds up to an easily browsable experience. 45 N. 2nd St.

Fat Jack's Comic Crypt on the other hand seems to have just about every comic ever published. But fear not! The store's not a disorganized den. All the back issues are neatly tucked away in crates toward the back. Newer stuff is up front, along with trading cards and other collectibles. The staff can help you find what you need; the resident cat is just for fun. 2006 Sansom St.

Related Stories:
· Brave New Worlds [Official Site]
· Fat Jack's Comic Crypt [Uwishunu]
· Philly for Geeks Map [Jaunted]]]> pbb 2008-02-13T14:05:30-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/