Ian Hanomansing from CBC’s The National was working on a story about Siri, the new voice-activated software launched on Apple’s iPhone 4S.

In the piece, I explain to him how we’ll soon be able to talk to our ovens and thermostats, now that Apple has established not only how to make the software work best, but how it can be used to make our life easier.

This week marked my return to the pages of Calgary’s Fast Forward weekly magazine. The Joystuck column re-debuted with a longer look at the new Batman game.

Batman’s back, and he’s better — or is that badder? — than ever. Arkham City is the sequel to 2009’s Arkham Asylum, which stranded the Dark Knight among criminally insane prison inmates.

Recently published in the Georgia Straight were reviews of some of the big-ticket games being released this fall.

Here’s Uncharted 3:

One word describes the Uncharted games better than anything: peril. While becoming Nathan Drake, the Indiana Jones–like explorer, you’ll find yourself in constant danger. And just when you think you’ve escaped, you’ll find the floor—sometimes literally—falls out from under you.

And Dead Rising 2: Off the Record, from Capcom Vancouver:

If you played 2010’s Dead Rising 2, you’ll find much that is familiar in Capcom Vancouver’s Off the Record.

Finally, Batman: Arkham City, Battlefield 3, and Dark Souls:

This week is all about doing things over again. Start by becoming Batman. Then get your friends together for some military-shooter multiplayer. Finally, prepare to play the same levels over and over again in the most difficult game ever made.

I’m reeling with the possibilities this permits.

Thanks to @stephenhui for the link

In this week’s edition of the Georgia Straight is a round-up of reviews of some recent releases.

Ahhh, alliteration, how I love you.

You can make geography your major this week with the latest video-game releases. Spend time in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, embark on a road trip across America, sail the streets of San Francisco, roll around environments inspired by the artwork of ancient history, and zoom through the outer reaches of space.