This week, we here at Geekosystem are starting a little thing called Editors’ Picks, name subject to change to something much punnier in the future. The idea is simple: Every Friday, each of us will provide you with a recommendation of something to check out, something we’ve really been digging on this past week, something to spice up your weekend. You, of course, are free to ignore us, but that would be ill-advised. We like cool things.
James’ pick: Pocket (The App Formerly Known As “Read It Later“)
Formerly known as Read It Later, the newly revamped Pocket is a boon to anyone who owns a smartphone and tends to get stuck in lines or frequently spends too large a part of their day in the middle of some commute. The app does just what the former name suggests: It downloads Internet articles to your phone — pictures and all — and automatically formats it to your tiny phone’s screen.
The main point, though, is that after you connect the app to the Internet once and it updates your reading list, you can then read anything without an Internet connection, which not only helps your battery survive a bit longer, but is indispensable for subway commuters or people in areas with subpar coverage. The new revamp of the app also looks slick, and the best part about the whole experience is that after you install a simple bookmarklet in your web browser of choice, you can beam things over to Pocket when you come across them on your computer. Give it a shot:Â iPeeps, Droidz
Eric’s pick: Dustforce
This week I’ve been playing Dustforce, and it is fantastic. It’s a masocore platformer in the vein of something like Super Meat Boy, but with just the right touch of weight, momentum, and flow, like Mirror’s Edge had at its better parts. It’s got wall running, ceiling running, double jumps, dashes, janitors, and sweeping. All you could ask for really. All I could ask for.
As much as I’m enjoying it, it’s not for the easily frustrated. You can spend an hour or so trying to ace a level, which is the only way to unlock some stages. It’s one of those games where the fun isn’t so much in the hour you’re spending trying to beat a level as it is in the narcotic rush you get when you finally make a perfect run, a perfect performance, if you will. Ten bucks on Steam. Highly recommended if you’re a “just one more try” gamer.
Max’s pick: Locked Down
Once in a great while, two artistic forces will join together to create something truly fantastic. Dan Auerbach, of the Black Keys, seems to have grown confident in his abilities as a producer and a musician and shows it off by producing the latest record from the Legendary Dr. John. The result is Locked Down, a catchy and fascinating listen that shows how curious Auerbach is musically, and that his 71 years of age have not dulled the good Doctor’s funk nor his groove. It’s far from a perfect album — a few of the later tracks drag a bit — but it’s the rare treat of a record that, once heard, grabs your attention and won’t leave your mind. You’ll hum it all day.
