The Drill Down is a roundtable-style audio podcast where we discuss the most important issues of the week, in tech and on the web and how they affect us all.

Hosts are Geeks of Doom contributor Andrew Sorcini (Mr. BabyMan), VentureBeat editor Devindra Hardawar, marketing research analyst Dwayne De Freitas & Startup Digest CTO Christopher Burnor. Occasionally joining them are Geeks of Doom contributor/VentureBeat columnist Tom Cheredar & Techmeme editor Lidija Davis. [...]

Star Trek legend Leonard Nimoy made an appearance at the DEMO Enterprise Disruption event last night in San Francisco, where the actor talked in length about his career, his early fan encounters, space travel, first contact, and the SETI program, as well as Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (the one with the whales).

You can watch the 24-minute video of Nimoy on stage here below.

The actor, who’s best known for his role as Spock in the original Star Trek television series and movies, was the special guest speaker at the Technology & Innovation Talk, hosted by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, who later joined Nimoy on stage [...]

Marvel Comics announced this week that the popular comics company would be bringing collected digital editions of their line of graphic novels to both the upcoming Barnes and Noble Nook tablet, as well as the Nook Color.

With the release of Barnes and Noble’s Nook tablet hitting stores (and digital storefronts) next week, considering the success of digital comics, it was only a matter of time before we heard some news regarding comics on the device. Do you remember when DC Comics took their digital collections exclusively to Amazon’s Kindle line, and then how Barnes and Noble got all mad that they didn’t get to play with DC’s toys? Well, it looks like Marvel has stepped in to fill the hole in Barnes and Noble’s heart [...]

Age of Bronze: Seen #1 (for iPad)
By Eric Shanower
Colors by John Dallaire
Reader’s Guide by Thomas Beasley
Published by Throwaway Horse and Hungry Tiger Press
Release Date: October 14, 2011
Price: $.99

Eric Shanower’s epic Eisner-Award-winning series Age of Bronze has been praised by comic book fans, historians, and educators alike. Currently at 31 issues (and counting), the title began in 1989 with an ambitious goal: merge literary sources and historical/archaeological data on the Trojan War into a singular cohesive story. The fact that it’s an entertaining read on top of that is just icing on the cake.

Now the team at Throwaway Horse has brought Age of Bronze into the digital age by combining the original stories with a comprehensive reader’s guide by Yale classics scholar Thomas Beasley. The result is an even more in-depth look at the Trojan War that includes maps, character guides, internet resources, and even a reader’s commentary forum… all without leaving the app (helpful hint: the forum can be reached by tapping “Reader’s Guide” when it’s active). [...]

Take a look at the two images above. Go ahead, study them a bit…I’ll wait here. All set? OK then—what do you think? If someone were to ask you which of these two images was an actual photograph and which of the two was a demonstration of what the future of video games might look like, would you be able to answer correctly?

Some of you may unleash your eagle–eye skills and be able to tell, but for the vast majority of us (myself included), it’s very, very difficult to discern the difference between the two.

Video game company Square Enix, publisher of the excellent Deus Ex: Human Revolution, was in Japan recently for a press conference where they showed off a tech demo for their Luminous Engine, which they hope will become the future of gaming as we know it.

Continue reading for more and to see a few side–by–side comparisons! [...]

At the end of August, many were stunned when it was revealed that Apple co-founder Steve Jobs was stepping down as CEO, and that Tim Cook would be taking his place. It wasn’t the first time that Jobs had stepped away, and many feared the worst given that he had battled numerous health problems, including pancreatic cancer and a liver transplant.

Now those fears have become a reality, as Apple has announced via a short statement on their website that Steve Jobs has passed away at the age of 56.

The statement read:

Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple. [...]

DC Comics announced last week that they will be bringing at least 100 collected works exclusively to Amazon‘s brand new Kindle Fire eReader.

Contrary to the thoughts in my head, the Kindle Fire is not an unfortunate malfunction of the popular eReader. It is, in fact, a brand new model that allows full-color appreciation of digital media. And with this new device’s announcement, it was only a matter of time until we started seeing information about comics. The interesting thing about this, though, is that DC will be offering these 100 books exclusively to the Kindle Fire. This sounds like a really big deal as it abandons the comiXology model and the extremely iOS devices from Apple. Well, at least it sounds like it’s interesting [...]

Today Amazon.com has announced the release of four new models of their Kindle e-Reader: the all-new Kindle; the Kindle Touch; the Kindle Touch 3G; and the Kindle Fire.

The Kindle is lighter, smaller, and faster than previous models with a weight less than 6 ounces. The E-Ink display is the most advanced yet and reads like actual paper. New features on the Kindle include built-in Wi-Fi, a book selection of more than 800,000 titles retailing for $9.99 or less, and a feature that allows you to borrow Kindle books from your local public library. The price for the new Kindle is $79 [...]

20th Century Fox has tapped into the works of the great science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov twice before — Fantastic Voyage (1966) and I, Robot (2004). Hoping that the third time will be the charm the studio is turning the author’s 1954 novel The Caves of Steel into a major motion picture and have already hired newcomers Henry Hobson and John Scott 3 to respectively direct and write the film [...]

Area 51
An Uncensored History of America’s Top Secret Military Base
Hardcover | Kindle
Written by Annie Jacobsen
Little, Brown and Company
Release date: May 17, 2011

Area 51: An Uncensored History of America’s Top Secret Military Base is an interesting read, as it provides an abundant history of the invention of nuclear weapons and spy planes, most of which took place at a military base that technically never existed: Area 51 in Nevada.

Annie Jacobsen provides fascinating insight and thorough history into the motives of the world’s most powerful men before, during and after the Cold War, that ends in the present day by explaining how unmanned drones save the lives of our many service members in the Middle East and, ultimately, every one of us back home on relatively safe ground.

Okay, so now we know the truth: The United States government does things we don’t know about in places that don’t officially exist. Revelation! Not so much. I’m sure by 2011, most Americans are aware that our government engages in all manner of secret shenanigans in the name of national security. And that sits just fine with me; I don’t have a “need-to-know” about exactly how the CIA, the U.S. Armed Forces, and all the President’s men (and women, but, let’s face it, mostly men) keep one step (and hopefully more) ahead of anyone who may wish to do us harm any more than I have a need-to-know about which fabric softener my favorite rock star uses. But way back in 1951 when Area 51 was created, though certainly not the first top secret government playground, the public had unlimited trust and faith that their leaders always told them the truth. Thanks to Watergate, of course, now we know different [...]

In one of the more shocking and unexpected announcements in recent memory, Steve Jobs has stepped down as CEO of Apple Inc.—the company he established in 1976 along with Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne—leading many to grow worrisome of his decreasing health.

Jobs has battled pancreatic cancer and other health issues over the years, one leading to a liver transplant in 2009. It’s unclear whether his health issues are in fact directly responsible for his departure as the head of Apple, but he has been on medical leave since January 17, which he said was so that he could concentrate on his health. It is for this reason that those involved with Apple and its many fans and consumers are understandably worried for the well–being of Jobs.

The man who stepped in as the CEO of Apple over the course of Jobs’ various medical leaves, Tim Cook, has once again been named the new man in charge. Jobs, however, isn’t completely stepping away from the company he’s led in making many incredible technological advancements over the years, including the iPhone and iPad, both of which are the industry standard. Jobs will remain involved with the company as a chairman of the board. [...]

Gene Roddenberry is a name synonymous with science fiction. The former Los Angeles police officer is responsible for creating one of the biggest sci–fi franchises known to mankind, Star Trek, which continues to thrive to this very day, well over four decades after its initial premiere.

Roddenberry created many other things in his life along with Star Trek, but he also started a production company called Roddenberry Entertainment, which to this day strives to find revolutionary ways to bring science fiction to the masses.

In keeping with that goal, today it was announced that Roddenberry Entertainment will be teaming up with technology lab Social Animal to create the first–ever 360° film titled White Room: 02B3. The movie will see six strangers forced to take part in an experiment that could change the face of humanity as we know it.

Continue reading for more and to see a video demonstrating how the technology works. [...]

A student at Chicago’s University of Illinois’ Electronic Visualization Laboratory named Arthur Nishimoto has developed a pretty impressive new Star Wars strategy game called Fleet Commander, but unfortunately it’s not one you’ll get to play anytime soon. Unless you’re friends with Arthur, of course. Which I am, despite the fact that Arthur does not yet know it yet.

Basically the game is like Angry Birds on your iPhone, except the fact that there are no birds, it’s played on a touch screen big enough to take up a large wall (I can’t WAIT until every home has a wall–sized touch screen for movies and gaming!), and that it’s really not like Angry Birds at all.

If confused, the best way to see what the game looks like is to just continue on below now and see it for yourself. Once there, you’ll find two videos: the first is the latest version of the game on said gigantic touch screen; while the second video is an earlier version on a tabletop–like touch screen. [...]

It’s no secret that use of the word “geek” has evolved from being somewhat derogatory into something of a medal of honor without and specific meaning. Many think of it as someone who’s very much into science fiction and fantasy genre movies, TV shows, and games. But we here at Geeks of Doom like to think being a geek now means that an individual is incredibly passionate and knowledgeable about something. You can be the traditional geek, a tech geek, a heavy metal geek, a food geek, and the list goes on and on and on. It’s surely come a long way since its time as a high school clique consisting of computer nerds, this much is for sure.

But no matter what your own definition of the word might be, as “geek” continues to evolve and gain popularity in everyday usage, it was only a matter of time before it also attracted some not-so-pleasant attention in the process.

Be sure to keep reading for much more and to see a video related to the discussion! [...]

Publishers have been trying for a while now to find a way to survive the onslaught of free information available on the web. Many magazines and newspapers have folded, for good, and others have been able to survive as websites, and still others continue to straddle the line both in print and on the internet.

Some publishers see the new tablet craze as a potential way to survive, or better yet to reinvent themselves. Up to now the most popular attempt has come from a company called Zinio. Zinio offers up digital versions of many of the most popular magazines that were once exclusives to magazine racks. The price is lower than their print counterparts and the digital experience offers a slick and cool way to read magazines as well as the ability to carry many magazines on the go all inside a tablet. Media magnate Rupert Mrudoch has jumped into the this new frontier in a big way with his new daily digital newspaper called aptly enough, The Daily. [...]

The very talented creator of Major League Modders, Mark Bongo, has built what could be one of the ultimate geek treasures ever constructed.

Bongo took an R2-D2 of decent size, which should already have geek ears perking. He then added two very entertaining new elements to the Star Wars droid: an Xbox 360 and a projector. These brilliant additions allow for an Xbox-playing R2-D2 who can project your game onto any flat surface you want it to from 15″ to 50″ in size.

You can check out this insanely cool modded R2-D2 in the form of a video by clicking on over to the other side now, and there’s plenty of pictures at his Facebook page. If you’re much more wealthy than I am, you can even purchase it at the link provided above for $2,500. [...]

An interesting video is making its way around the ‘net, and we want to hear your opinions on its legitimacy.

The video in question shows a man with a very cool trick. He’s created a little transmitter device that plugs into his iPhone, and when a second device is held near a video screen it automatically takes over the screen with the video playing on the phone. To prove this, he starts by recording a little video of himself shot by a friend in New York City’s Time Square of all places (where better to show off such a thing?) and then goes to prove it works.

So has this guy created something incredible, or is the entire thing a complete joke? Be sure to click on over to the other side now and see the video for yourself!

The first stop they make is a small screen where they play the video while the gizmo’s creator holds the second device right next to the video that’s currently playing. [...]

Every once in a while a video comes around showing off the latest advancements in robot technology and human-like androids being created every day. For we geeks, it can’t be helped but to assume such advancements are just another step toward the machines rising up, taking over, and killing us all much like we saw in Battlestar Galactica with the Cylons or in The Terminator movies.

Over the past couple of years we’ve seen some pretty ridiculous androids that looked way too realistic for our own comfort, but today we have one that puts them ALL to shame.

Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce Geminoid DK, an android modeled after Associate Professor Henrik Scharfe of Aalborg University in Denmark. What you’re about to see will likely do one of two things: explode your brain or cause you to weep uncontrollably in the fetal position. Mine was the latter.

Click on over to the other side now to see some videos of Geminoid DK. [...]

Apple announced details of the latest version of its popular tablet computing gadget, the iPad 2, at a special press event hosted by CEO Steve Jobs (much to the surprise of the crowd).

Notable upgrades include a new A5 chip, faster CPU, both front and rear cameras, a gyroscope, 33 percent thinner design (8.8 mm), support for both CDMA and GSM cellular networks (AT&T and Verizon), and it comes in white or black. The iPad 2′s battery life remains at 10-hours as well as their pricing structure that begins at $499 for wi-fi only.

Additionally, Apple debuted support for two new accessories, including HDMI Mirrored Video Output via a dock cable, which offers up to 1080p to computer monitors and HD televisions, and a new smart cover that acts as a protective screen/microfiber cleaner when on the iPad and props up the device when taken off [...]

Today is a special day, folks. Today is a day where we find out that one of those things we’ve always dreamed about but never actually thought was possible is revealed to be a reality.

That’s right, ladies and gentlemen, Smell-O-Vision is here! We’ve all heard of it, and all wished it were real: movies, TV shows, video games, and more that allow you to smell various settings or things you’re seeing on the screen. Such a thing would make home entertainment more immersive and interactive than it’s ever been before, and has the potential to be an endlessly amusing sensory experience if done correctly.

At the recent Consumer Electronics Show (which featured some jaw-dropping new technologies that are fast on their way to every day usage) a product called the ScentScape was presented by creator Scent Sciences. The device is synchronized with whatever you’re watching or playing and at certain points throughout, a specific scent is triggered and sent out to nearby nostrils. [...]