Fan Expo Vancouver 2012

I am a self-described professional gadget geek and I have zero issue with being called out as a geek. While the term was perceived as being derogatory in the past, it has almost become a badge of honor for people who are particularly enthusiastic about their hobbies and interests. And so, we turn to the geeky edition of What’s Up Wednesdays this week.

We start off with John Biehler who attended Fan Expo Vancouver over the weekend. This smaller version of Comic-Con made its way into town, providing a venue for cosplayers and a marketplace for fans of comics, movies, video games, and more. Stephen Fung was also there for MEGATechNews, shooting a highlight video of the festivities.

Next, we have Tris Hussey on the subject of techie travel. Rather than lugging around his MacBook Pro on the road, Tris relies solely on his iPad for doing the things he needs to do while away from home. While I still feel inclined to bring a laptop with me, for photo and video editing mostly, I can certainly appreciate the value of traveling lighter. A tablet is more than adequate for most folks.

Speaking of traveling, we have Om Malik telling us everything we need to know about Google Drive. This Google-fueled alternative to SugarSync and Dropbox provides you with five gigabytes of free cloud storage. It will integrate with other Google products, like Google Docs, to provide an even better user experience. This is a great way to keep up with your files on the go.

Moving on to a different kind of geekery, we find Ed Lau giving his review of Jiro Dreams of Sushi, a documentary on one of the best sushi chefs this planet has ever seen. The Japanese art of raw fish on rice may seem simple, but there’s so much more to it. I didn’t have a chance to visit Jiro when I was in Japan, unfortunately, so I’ll have to live vicariously through the movie.

Last but not least, we have Mark Nichol with something for the word geeks in the audience. He lists ten metals and minerals that can be used metaphorically for more interesting writing. Do you know what it means to be flinty, golden, or brassy? What about references to a steely gaze or leaden skies?

UPDATE: As you may already know, Ed Lau is in the running for the Richmond 365 Food Blogger Job. Go vote for him on Facebook once every 24 hours!