I just got a Panasonic GH2 micro four thirds camera, and I need as much practice as I can get taking photos and video with it, so I’ve randomly started photographing all the odds and ends around my house.

A few years ago I was at a library book sale in a small town and I found this 1963 version of Risk in mint condition. I think I paid a dollar for it, mainly because it looked so awesome. I’ve tried learning and playing Risk a few times in the past, but never with much success.

I love the art style and design of this game, from the actual board to the way everything is laid out when you open it up. The pieces are simple painted wooden cubes, an odd combination of bright and dull colors. The pieces, cards, and die are laid out symmetrically underneath the board.

More after the jump.

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Sifteo announced an early access program for its clever game cubes at the Consumer Electronics Show today. The company’s 1.5-inch cubes feature a color display and can interact with each other for games and educational play. The Early Access package includes three Sifteo cubes and USB wireless link for $99 ($50 off the anticipated price).

The starter pack, shipping at some point in the first quarter of 2011, also includes 1,000 game store points, 50% off a future Sifteo purchase, and a limited edition T-shirt. This is the only way you can get your hands on these hot little cubes before their national availability this fall. The first batch of Early Access packs is gone but you can sign up to be notified when they will be available again.

Sifteo was born out of the MIT Media Lab. It got its first big exposure at a TED Talk by CEO David Merrill in 2009. They were then known as Siftables.

I could talk all day long about these fun little devices but the best way is to show you. Head on over to Sifteo.com for a brief video demonstrating this remarkable new game system. Hopefully we can get our hands on a set of these so we can bring you a full review.

Geeks and trivia go hand in hand. Something about obsessing over details more than the average person.

The new social trivia challenge QRANK gives you a venue to show off your geekly prowess. The game can be accessed two ways: via a free iPhone/iPod touch app or Facebook application. Either means gives you equal gameplay.

In QRANK you are presented with a gameboard of 20 tiles representing the four categories du jour. The possible subjects include Science & Nature, Literature, Sports, History & Place, Business & Government, Life, and—my favorite—Entertainment. You select 10 questions to answer in your daily session. Points for each question start at 200, 400, and 1000, depending on difficulty. Point values rapidly decline the longer you wait to answer. To sweeten the pot, there also randomly placed 2X and 3X bonuses.

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The year is coming to an end, and its time to take a look back at the best video games released in 2010. As part of this series we will be looking at all of the year’s releases for consoles and PC, starting with the Nintendo Wii.

The fourth year of Nintendo’s Wii has been one of its best. From Tatsunoko vs. Capcom and Mario Galaxy 2 earlier this year to the just released Epic Mickey and Donkey Kong Country, it’s been a great year to be a Wii owner.

Here are my picks for the top 5 Wii games of 2010:

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I’m sure all you Halo nuts have seen the line of Mega Bloks at the store at some point. I have a set, but I can’t get past the idea that I’d much rather have Halo LEGO sets. Regardless, I’ve always wondered if anyone was animating these. Turns out, someone was.

Even if it’s a Mega Blok/Xbox 360 marketing ploy, it was very well done and it’s cool as hell. Check it out in two parts, and see if you can resist going out and buying some blocky Elites.

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