Cerebral Pop's Favorite Things of 2010

Oprah isn't the only one who has favorite things. We here at Cerebral Pop have amassed our own list of things that make us scream in glee like a rabid audience member whose head is about to burst over the last year. In a lot of ways, we're just like Oprah, just not in the way you really hope. Which is to say we aren't giving these things away like she does. Still, you can certainly read and enjoy our list, and maybe buy the things for yourself instead of just expecting us to give it to you in return for an ounce of attention. I mean, we like to think we're interesting enough to pay attention to without having to give away a bunch of meaningless possessions. Right? Oh, just read about our things. I'll be over there, crying. Stupid Oprah.


Tom Heistuman: My favorite trend Of 2010 was the 3D backlash

When Avatar was released it was being heralded as the one movie meant to show the world how movies should be done for the future. George Lucas and James Cameron had been going on for ages about how 3D would change everything and how important it would be. They badgered the public with the best ways to upgrade their theaters (digital is the first step!) and how easy it would be to upgrade in the first place (we'll help subsidize the costs!) I had just seen Coraline in 3D and was absolutely blown away by every aspect of the experience that I had previously dreaded.

I hate having things "thrown" at me, arbitrary and useless actions that are meant to make dummies go, "whoa!" but that I find annoying and not at all effective. Coraline pushed the view inside the frame, expanded the background and made it look like a moving diorama. If this was the future of 3D, I was all for it.

But then it all went downhill, and fast. We got Clash of the Titans with its muddy picture and "look out!" fakeout 3D. When that made 20 times more than it had any right to, I knew I was in trouble. The stage was set for every other studio to start shoehorning in a 3D effect and charge an extra $8 for every ticket. It was like printing money and the studios couldn't resist. I was almost positive that this trent would spiral out of control and it would take years for it to die down. But I was wrong.

Maybe it was the economy that made families force themselves to reevaluate how best to spend their money, or maybe it was that people have actually gotten smarter. Whatever it was, 3D movies started to fall off the charts and fast. Movie critics started calling out the real turkeys. I could barely go two weeks without hearing someone at work complain about "another stupid 3D movie". If I've been aggressively cynical in my approach to the 3D "revolution" then I'm glad that I wasn't the only one. The studios followed through on trying to kill their golden goose and the public surprised me in figuring them out and not playing a part in their plan. Huzzah for 2010!

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Chris Whitehead: KitchenAid Architect Stand Mixer

One of the most significant things I've acquired this year, my 5-quart metallic stand mixer from KitchenAid's new Architect series has made cooking (baking mostly) much more approachable and fun. I can't compare the quality to the former model, Artisan, but my Architect has intense mixing/whisking/kneading power. It is pricey, but they last for decades. A good stand mixer eliminates the most annoying part of baking: the combining of ingredients with muscle. I no longer get tired from cooking; I no longer make ridiculous messes. And the approachability has inspired me to try new things, like the supposedly delicate cheesecake recipe (which turned out great).

Buy one for yourself.

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Jon Cole: Kindle 3rd Generation

My opinion on this device may be premature, but I can't help but think that this extraordinary Christmas present will ultimately be one of the best things I get out of this year. For any number of reasons, I've found it difficult to dive into new books despite the fact that I love reading. Audiobooks proved to be a temporary reprieve from this odd tendency, combining my love of books with a insatiable desire to listen to podcasts on my iPod. Unfortunately, the expense and reading speed of audiobooks ultimately caused me to drop off from these and only pick books back up with my Kindle.

The size of the device ensures that it's practically pocketable in a jacket or cargo pants and very comfortable in the hand. The e-ink screen provides a quite convincing imitation of printed text on a page, removing the unsightly backlight of LCD screens and making my ebooks readable outdoors. The wireless delivery system makes uploading books from Amazon simple and easy. One of the best features is the ability to change text formatting, which can transform the most dense book into something comfortably read by anyone. In a short time, I've already burned through three excellent ebooks and I'm sure I'll read many more throughout 2011.

Buy your own.

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Alex Cronk-Young: Steam

Yeah, I know I'm pretty late to the party, but I didn't download Steam until 2010. It came from the offer of a free copy of Portal, a game I'd always meant to get around to. I knew I couldn't run it on my in-laws 7 year-old computer, but I was already planning on getting a laptop with part of our tax return, so I temporarily signed up with their computer so I could snatch up my free game while it was still available.

Once I got my laptop, I never really expected to use Steam too much as I've never been much of a PC gamer, but that definitely changed. Now that I had a laptop that could actually run most of the games I might want, I started to pay attention to Steam sales and buy games I found interesting. This all culminated in a grand orgy of game purchasing this holiday season. The Thanksgiving and Christmas Steam sales have left me with a full library of games to play. At current count I now own 56 PC games.

Sure, I won some of them, found some free stuff hidden away, was gifted some, and got some from other places on the web, but Steam still made a killing off of that free copy of Portal. They gave me one game, and I bought a ton of others in return. You're a crafty little devil, Steam.

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Luis Alvarez: Films of 2010

The last scene cuts to black and the credits role; I've just finished watching Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan. As I step outside the bulky copper and glass doors I'm greeted by the blinding sun. I slow down to let my eyes adjust to the sunlight, then I notice it. I feel nervous butterflies in my stomach and my body is infected by jitters. I'm feeling extremely anxious, elated and confused all at once.

I realize immediately that I'm experiencing the emotions Aronofsky wanted me to feel. In my excitement of how well the film I just watched was, I tweeted proclaiming it the best film of 2010. Hours later it dawns on me that I was quick in my decision to bestow that title upon Black Swan. I realize this because as I look back on the past 12 months of films I can name a handful of great films.

This year we've seen great strides in animation with How To Train Your Dragon, Toy Story 3, and Tangled. Some amazing blockbusters like Inception, Avatar, Harry Potter, and Tron: Legacy. The industry has also seen great indie films like The Kids Are Alright, Let Me In, The Girl Who Played With Fire, and I Love You Phillip Morris. Whatever genre you prefer, there was something for everyone in 2010 and I'm excited to see what 2011 has in store for us.

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Cosmo: The Western

Growing up, there was always an old John Wayne or Clint Eastwood movie my dad was watching. I miss those days of gun fights and bar brawls playing in the background of my house, and I've always wanted the western to make a comeback. Not that it died, really, but not as many are made for sure.

I was ecstatic when Red Dead Redemption released earlier this year. Finally, a really fantastic western video game. Then the Coen brothers remade one of my favorite John Wayne films, True Grit. The remake is definitely its own movie, and it's definitely worth watching.

My favorite "thing" of 2010? The new westerns. The success of both Red Dead Redemption and True Grit shows promise that people still want that type of genre, whether film or game, and I'm sure we'll be seeing more.

Buy Red Dead Redemption or the original True Grit

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Harold Burnett: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

The reason Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is my thing of the year is simple. Very rarely do I see a movie made for me and me alone. We as nerds sometimes feel as though the things we love are watered down to appeal to the masses. Characters, situations, places, and even plots are changed in order to make a piece of media more acceptable to the uninformed.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World does none of that. While not a shot for shot recreation. This film manages to cram in more nerd references and geeky imagery into it's hundred and twelve minutes than an entire day at San Diego Comic Con. My viewing of Scott Pilgrim was hands down one of the most enjoyable movie experiences of my life.

I saw it in a nerd-packed theater where everyone in attendance were eating up every moment of nerd call backs and video-game sound effects. I felt like I was home. The movie itself help by being incredibly energetic and fun. This felt like a movie made by us, for us. It wasn't focus tested to death or put through so many filters that the end product was unrecognizable. It was a deeply personal and extremely heartfelt movie; one that made me feel OK with being a nerdy guy.

Sometimes a movie can act as a time capsule. And like anything in a time capsule, it is meant to capture the things that were most important to you at a moment. For me Scott Pilgrim vs. The World was the living and breathing embodiment of everything I am right now. Ten or twenty years down the line I will look back on Scott Pilgrim as a film that capture a moment in time so perfectly that viewing will be like looking through a photo album with all your best times capture forever for you to revisit whenever you want.

Buy the DVD/Blu-ray

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Roberto Flores: The return of the Deftones

I've been hooked on the Deftones ever since I heard "Be quiet and drive" came on the radio for the first time back in 1997. They are -- and always will be -- one of my favorite bands. As a young kid making rock music, they opened my ears and mind to the idea of the most agressive, metallic music colliding in beautiful ways with flowing melodies and atmospheres to give way to a sound that can be not only abrasive, but also hypnotic and soothing.

They were the one good thing that came out of the horrible "Nü-Metal" period of hard rock music. They are a band that, within the personal tastes of its members, has always pushed its boundaries -- also, they might be the only modern metal band that can cover Duran Duran, Jawbox, The Smiths and Sade properly and, in the process, sound like they mean it. And, most importantly, they are one of those bands whose passion for their craft and for each other was shown in its never changing line up.

So when founding bass player Chi Cheng fell into a coma after a car accident in the fall of 2008 -- he's currently in a state of semi-conciousness -- it was safe to say I was pretty sad about it. The tragic event made the future of Sacramento, CA's finest seem uncertain for a good while. Work on the then upcoming record (Eros) stopped and, for a moment, it felt -- or at least I felt -- like things were coming to an end.

Still, time passes, wounds heal and life finds its way once again. After recruiting their long time friend Segio Vega (ex-Quicksand), the band started to work from scratch on a new record.

"Diamond eyes", the band's sitxh full-lenght recording, was released on May 4, 2010. A mix of everything that's become part of the Deftone's sound, the record feels, and sounds, like the work of a band who after years, and years of playing together have reached a place where they are more than comfortable with who they are and where they are going. More importanly, it's the loving work of three brothers and a friend who managed to turn the dark tides around after the partial lost of a loved one and brave the seas of their souls with passion and determination.

"Diamond eyes" was one of my favorite records this year.

I'm glad the Deftones are back, and I hope that one day their fallen comrade will once again join them.

Buy the Diamond Eyes album

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Alex Martin: My Android phone

There are plenty of articles out there that’ll tell you how much Google’s share of the mobile-OS market expanded in 2010. I’m more impressed by how the smartphone technology has affected my life, specifically with the Android OS on my HTC Hero.

Whenever my phone is charging, and when it’s connected to WiFi, BeyondPod checks several podcast feeds and downloads new episodes. Then, when I decide to listen, I plug in my headphones and a menu pops with several options; one of these is to “Start Smart Play”, which plays my podcasts in an order I’ve customised.

That menu comes from another application that runs in the background: Tasker. Tasker is like those educational game-makers, such as Kodu, but for your phone’s functions. You give it IF conditions (such as location, WiFi status, or even text in an SMS message) and let it change almost any variable you can think of. Mine turns the screen’s brightness up when I’m out in the sun, switches to silent mode when I’m asleep, and gives me a menu of media apps when I plug in my earphones.

Those apps showcase Android, but smartphones in general are an amazing development; not only do you have access to all of your friends and all of the world’s information almost anywhere you are -- you have an array of sensors at your disposal. My Perfect Egg Timer detects my altitude, measures an egg, and uses that information to calculate boiling time (I still have to tell it what temperature the egg is). I can take a photo of a painting and Google Goggles will link me to a critique of it. There is actually a Tricorder app that is functional. And this is only 2010; I can’t wait to see what will happen in 2011.

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