As part of a very vibrant SoCal tech, media and entertainment community, Twiistup is proud to announce it’s support of GeekOut ‘09.

On Monday, May 11, 2009, join Tubefilter and The Society for Geek Advancement for the first ever GeekOut at the W Los Angeles – Westwood’s Whiskey Blue from 7-10pm. GeekOut is a celebration of the geek in you — and whether you geek out about software development or movie-making, you’re invited to join in the fun.

Hosted by longtime Twiistup friend and hostess Shira Lazar, GeekOut celebrates what it really means to be passionate about the things we do and the people we do them with. Get a chance to sip on tasty Geektinis, and hang out to the mellow vibes of Dublab’s streaming DJ sponsored by Honda. Sponsors include Tubefilter, NerdyShirts, 12seconds, Polite in Public, and Marx&Trotsky.

The best part about the whole evening? They’re raising money to benefit Room To Read, a non-profit organization that is building schools and libraries for children in developing countries the world over.

So, what are you waiting for? Get your tickets to GeekOut now!

GirlGamer, a community, digital magazine and video game review Web site focused on serving the female gaming demographic, is sponsoring the arcade. GirlGamer provides a space for female gamers to contribute, interact and connect with each other

Bring your corporate logo on a flash stick and get it custom laser engraved onto your Blackberry or Moleskine!  Etchstar will be customizing phones, dog tags and more during the entire event.  Etchstar recently launched sites for custom laser etched notebooks at JournalEngraver.com and custom military products at CustomMilitaryGear.com.  You can also find limited edition series of Simpsons and Family Guy iPods at FoxShop.com and CSI and TAR collectables at CBSStore.com.  Etchstar can laser engrave on just about anything as evidenced by this experiment in Laser vs. Food on YouTube.  Learn more about Etchstar and laser etching & engraving at Etchstar.com/blog.  Thru August, Twiistup fans & friends get free standard shipping at Etchstar.com by entering the code Twiist4 at checkout.

TechZulu and Compulsion

TechZulu interview with Bigstage’s Jonathan Strietzel

You may remember Walter Day from the movie King of Kong. Day opened an arcade in 1981 in Ottumwa, Iowa called Twin Galaxies. Day later became the rule setter for gameplay on hundreds of games. Twin Galaxies is considered the first organizer of professional gaming and has the largest database of competitive high scores.

When Walter caught wind of Steve Wiebe’s planned record breaking attempt of the Donkey Kong high score at Twiistup, he reached out to us immediately. As it turns out a new Donkey Kong high score will only be an official score if a high ranking Twin Galaxies referee is present and we’re using a certified board. We’ve booked his flight and he’ll be joining us at Twiistup 4.

There’s been a lot of controversy surrounding the circumstances by which someone can attain a high score as documented in the popular documentary. Video taped score achievements, mystery substances found on boards and of course, Billy Mitchell have all contributed to this compelling saga. All that said, we’re going to make sure there’s a legitimate environment for Steve to get his game on. We’re also very excited to have Walter Day and Twin Galaxies represented as they’re part of gaming history no matter how you see it.

If you haven’t seen the movie yet, you really should before Twiistup 4.

In 2007, Steve Wiebe’s quest to take the world high score from then Donkey Kong champion Billy Mitchell was documented in the film ‘The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters’. This time, Wiebe will compete for the highest score of record at the Twiistup 4 arcade, giving attendees the chance to put their video game skills to the test, as well as learn more about the ups and downs of Wiebe’s world record holder mission.

We are ecstatic to welcome our guest of honor Steve Wiebe. His journey to conquer a seemingly impossible goal is an inspiration to us all. Many parallels can be drawn from his attitude, perseverance and heart to the start-ups that attend Twiistup. These individuals continue to tackle their challenges head on as they aim to embark toward successful futures in an increasingly competitive environment.

“I am thrilled to take part in such an exciting event like Twiistup,” said arcade king Steve Wiebe. “Not only does this give me an opportunity to break the Donkey Kong top score, but I also get the chance to meet some of the brightest and innovative minds in Southern California.”

The Bristol Room inside the Viceroy Hotel will be transformed into an 80s arcade, complete with games such as Donkey Kong, Ms. Pacman, Centipede and Space Invaders. GirlGamer, a community, digital magazine and video game review Web site focused on serving the female gaming demographic, is sponsoring the arcade. GirlGamer provides a space for female gamers to contribute, interact and connect with each other.

“Everyone at GirlGamer is excited about the GirlGamer Arcade at Twiistup. It’s a great opportunity at a great event. This year is going to be legendary, especially with Steve Wiebe from King of Kong joining us. We hope you all enjoy it and look forward to seeing you there!” – Alexandra Mokh, Co-Founder, GirlGamer.com

If you attended Twiistup 1 you probably remember Joe Kosinski speaking about the tech behind his commercials for Halo 3 and Gears of War. Since then, Joe has signed on to direct the remakes of Tron and Logan’s Run. Disney’s Tron remake is is being described as “the next chapter” of the 1982 cult classic. Logan’s Run will be made for Warner Bros Pictures and will be written by “Lost” scribes Eddie Kitsis and Adam Horowitz. Congrats to Joe for taking his tech huge and we’ll hope to see him at Twiistup 3.