Alicia recently got me hooked on the show Better Off Ted, which is a half-hour comedy on ABC now in its second season. It’s a very funny show, surprisingly clever and edgy, and I’ve been wondering why it took me so long to get into it. The thing is, the marketing for this show has been virtually non-existent… and on top of that, the show name is terrible.

“Better Off Ted” sounds like a sitcom about some divorced guy trying to re-enter the dating world (oh wait, that’s Gary Unmarried). It reveals nothing about the show’s main premise, which is that it is a workplace comedy set in a wacky research and development firm called Veridian Dynamics. Fringe meets The Office is the description I’m sticking with, although it’s not in a mockumentary format. Basically it’s what I always hoped Eureka would be, and it’s something that fans of Futurama might dig as well. Series creator Victor Fresco started his career writing for ALF… need I say more?!!

Given how many geek-centric shows there are out there right now, you’d think ABC would want to capitalize on that demographic, but very few geeks seem to know that this show even exists. This week I read some rumours that the show is on the verge of cancellation (apparently not for the first time) and, of course, I’m not surprised. But I still wanted to do my part to get the word out on this show before it’s too late. So if you’re looking for a new half-hour comedy to add to your weekly schedule, give it a try! You can see full episodes and clips on the official site.

And if you’re already a fan, visit SaveBetterOffTed.com, and pre-emptively sign the petition. It probably won’t help, but it will make you feel better!

With today’s revelation of the iPad, the long-rumoured and much-anticipated Apple tablet, everyone and their mother seems to have an opinion on whether or not this device will live up to the hype. And by far the most common opinion seems to be… no way! This immediate dismissal comes as a bit of a surprise to me, especially considering how many Apple fanboys there are out there.

I think it was easy to get caught up in the excitement and expect Steve Jobs to unveil something that would change the world in a heartbeat, but it rarely works like that. I am by no means an expert, but I think that the iPad definitely has a shot at becoming pretty ubiquitous over the next few years. The familiar interface and the fact that it looks like a “giant iPod Touch” are exactly why it will take over.

I’ve heard a lot of people say that they don’t need a device that is somewhere between a mobile phone and a laptop. Well, you might not need it, but that doesn’t mean you won’t buy it. How else do you explain the explosion of the netbook market over the past couple of years? The iPad could very well replace netbooks completely, assuming the price comes down over time. This could become the web surfing device of choice, and the ideal way to watch video content from the web. And if it can do word processing more comfortably than a netbook, then I’m definitely sold.

It’s simple enough that it’s something I could see my parents using around the house all the time. People will use it at work too. I think we’re underestimating the power of touch capabilities on a full-size screen. I’ve played around with touch monitors running Windows 7 and I see a lot of potential there. Writing and drawing should be a lot more possible than they are on an iPhone or a Palm Pilot. And no one seems to be putting much stock in the iBooks store. This really could be the device that changes how most people read books and magazines. The fact that it’s a colour screen leaves the door wide open for digital comic books as well.

I agree that the lack of a camera is a bit of a surprise, and I’m not quite sold on the full-size touch keyboard, but overall I think it has a lot of potential. Not that I’d necessarily run out and buy one tomorrow (even if I could). It’s just that I’ve seen how the iPhone and iPod Touch became such an indispensable item for people in their daily lives, and I think the iPad has a place there too. As a non-Apple die hard, I feel weird saying this but, hey… just give it a chance!

We’re less than a month away from the final season of Lost, which premieres on Tues. February 2nd. I don’t know if I’ve ever anticipated a season of a show quite as much as this one, but I’m just worried it won’t live up to my expectations. I’m constantly struggling with whether or not to read up on clues about what’s in store… case in point, this promo image that was recently released online. Supposedly it contains a few secrets and hidden clues, but I’ve only skimmed through them.

Check out higher quality versions of the picture here and here (yes, there are two versions… and they’re slightly different).

Although I work in the game industry, I have to admit that I generally don’t play as many games as I’d like to (and I certainly don’t finish as many as I probably should). That being said, I started looking back on last year’s releases and realized that I actually played enough to put together a decent top 10 list. This is by no means an exhaustive look at the past year in video games, but merely a chance to give some thoughts on some of the games that I enjoyed most in 2009.

1. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3)

I finally got around to playing the first Uncharted game just a few weeks ago, and I was hooked. But the sequel takes it to a whole other level. It builds on the solid framework of the original and creates something truly amazing. A seamless blend of action and intrigue, exploration and puzzle solving, with no stopping in between. Almost every scene introduces something new and unexpected. Stunning environments and first-rate voice acting help you grow attached to the characters. Definitely deserving of all the Game of the Year Awards that it has been winning, and the #1 must-play game of 2009.

2. Batman: Arkham Asylum (Xbox 360)

There aren’t a ton of great comic book-based video games out there (mostly because they are all cheap tie-ins to movie franchises), but this blows virtually all of them out of the water. It molds Metal Gear Solid stealth mechanics with a violent and innovative combat system. The dark, eerie atmosphere and beautiful art design immerse you in Batman’s world, while the creative bossfights make it a joy to cut through his rogue’s gallery of villains. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that Batman: Arkham Asylum is to Batman video games what The Dark Knight was to Batman movies.

3. Shadow Complex (XBLA)

An unabashed tribute to Super Metroid, this Xbox Live Arcade game is the unofficial 2-D sequel I’ve been waiting for ever since Metroid: Zero Mission. Although the game isn’t the most original thing in the world, it does have a decent story (based on a book by Orson Scott Card) and it adds some 3-D elements to what is otherwise very familiar 2-D gameplay. Plus, as an XBLA release, there aren’t many other 2009 games that offered the same amount of value for the money.

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Live shows from legendary bands that are past their prime can be dicey propositions. However, if you know anything about Devo other than the song “Whip It”, you might have an idea why one of their concerts would be a must-see event. Especially since they haven’t played outside of California much in the past decade.

They were recently touring in support of the re-issues of their classic albums Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo and Freedom of Choice, playing two consecutive nights, one for each album. We were lucky enough to catch the first show in Toronto, which meant a trip back in time all the way to 1978… the year I was born! Yikes.

Opening solo act JP Incorporated was an interesting mix of music, comedy and performance art, sort of a cross between Neil Hamburger and Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!. His schtick involved singing theme songs and commercial jingles for TV shows on a fictional public access station, complete with video accompaniment. It seemed to me like an appropriate pairing for a subversive band like Devo, but apparently the rest of the crowd didn’t see it that way. After a few songs, the hecklers started into the booing and demanded to see Devo. I guess it was too punk rock for the old school punk rockers.

Either way, once Devo finally took the stage, it didn’t really matter because they simply tore the place up. They may have looked a little flabbier and a little less mobile, but they gave 110% for the entire set and they sounded absolutely perfect. Part of this was thanks to The Vandals / A Perfect Circle / Weezer drummer Josh Freese, who kept the complicated rhythms fast and tight, but their voices surprisingly haven’t changed much either. As the sweat poured off of them and they continued to strip down to different outfits, it was clear that they were having the time of their life. And so were we.

One thing has become clear: crusty punks, dirty hippies, aging nerds and twenty-something hipsters alike… we’re all DEVO!

Their new album Fresh will be out in 2010, a full twenty years after their last album, Smooth Noodle Maps. Let’s hope it’s worth the wait.

Check out a few more photos from the show on my Flickr page.