Zombies

In the world of the walking dead, no one is safe — so tie those shoes, put on headphones, and go on a running adventure with the Zombies, Run! app for iOS, Android, and Windows ($4 on iOS and Android, $2 on Windows; originally $8). Finding the motivation to get fit for 2013 is tough, but throw some zombies into the mix . . . now, that's a different story.

Cocreated with award-winning novelist Naomi Alderman, Zombies, Run! turns workouts into an exciting (and terrifying) game, with 33 different in-ear storytelling missions. Runners — I mean, survivors — must go the distance to collect supplies like medicine, batteries, and ammo, then decide who to distribute the goods to. There's even an online dashboard called Zombielink to track progress and keep record of completed missions.

And if you dreamed a dream of running a 5k, Zombies, Run! has a special training app ($2) just for you. The eight-week program will get beginners race-ready with 25 new workouts.

The only downside? GPS will need to run (no pun intended) in the background in order for the missions to work properly, and that'll drain batteries quickly. But on a full charge, your phone should be good for at least a couple of hours. So, what are you waiting for? The future of the human race depends on you!

They say that you're more famous when you're dead, which is probably the case for the zombies. We're not exactly sure where pop culture's soft spot for those blood-thirsty walking corpses comes from, but we are certain that our love for the living dead spikes during the Halloween season, which, as luck would have it, is happening now. In honor of our creepy affection for all things undead, here are five fun zombie games for iOS to keep you spooked all month long.

• Zombie Farm 2 (free) — Build a farm, grow your own zombies, mutate your new friends, and then invade your friends' farms in this Zombie/Farmville mashup.

Read on for more fun zombie games:

Between Twilight, True Blood, and The Vampire Diaries, the good-looking undead have had their moment. While I don't expect them to retreat to their coffins in 2011, I do think we're headed for a supernatural shift. After years under the glamour of vampires, zombies are overtaking every outlet of pop culture.

• TV: Buzz readers love AMC's new zombie-centric show, The Walking Dead, which gained Mad Men-like traction during its short first season. It's been renewed for a full, 13-episode season two, so you'll only be hearing more about in 2011.
• Books: Banking on the success Pride and Prejudice and Zombies found by mixing literature and the undead, there are more zombie-literature concoctions in the pipeline. Look for I Am Scrooge: A Zombie Story For Christmas, Alice in Zombieland, and (my favorite) The Adventures of Huck Finn and Zombie Jim. Other notable titles include a cookbook (Zombie Cupcakes), a right-wing rant (Obama Zombies), a children's book (Attack of the Zombies, Spongebob Squarepants), and so many more.
• Movies: Stuck in a few years of planning, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is expected to finally start filming, but there are plenty of other zombie flicks to come, including Bollywood Zombie, World of the Dead: The Zombie Diaries, and Zombie Hamlet.
• Art/fashion: Last week Australian artist Jonathan Zawada re-imagined the hottest runway looks for 2011 as zombie drawings.
• Education: This goes back to last Fall, but you can enroll in a zombie class — Zombiemania: 80 Movies to Die For — at the University of Baltimore.

Are you dreading it?

We told you earlier this week that Zombies were attacking the planet, and if you didn't believe us, here's proof: Zombie Reports is a live and interactive website that lets you see where the zombies are popping up, so you can stay far, far away. As you can see, San Francisco (even the Google campus) is crawling with them. Take cover!

As you may have guessed, the website was erected in honor of The Walking Dead, the story of the zombie apocalypse, which premieres on AMC tonight. Me? I'm just dying to see it. Aren't you?

Holy crap — we're under attack by zombies! The first reports came from Taipei and Hong Kong just after daybreak, and more sightings keep coming in: London, Athens, New York, and LA. Yikes — does anyone out there have a lead on a good fallout shelter?

Sorry to get all War of the Worlds/Orson Welles on you, but marketing for The Walking Dead is exactly that. AMC hired an army of actors, dressed them up like zombies, and set them loose in major cities across the world. The zombies took subways, hung out in train stations, and even zombie walked their way pass the Coliseum. This was all leading up to last night's red carpet premiere in Los Angeles where the zombie march came to an end. I can't wait for the show to premiere this Sunday (that's Halloween, y'all!); I've been a fan since The Walking Dead comic book days so I'm excited to see it translated to the screen.

Photo courtesy of AMC

Halloween is less than a week away, and after you've decided on your costume, carved a couple of pumpkins, and changed your Facebook photo to something a little more seasonally appropriate, there's one more funny computer effect you must try!

MakeMeZombie.com does exactly what you think it does . . . it turns you (or anyone else in a photo) into a creepy, full-fledged zombie. It's simple to use; just upload a clear photograph of your face and wait for the results. And, of course, share the resulting image with friends via a host of social networking links or direct link.

What's next? A little gaming action? Or perhaps a shopping trip?

A man dressed as a zombie hangs out on a park bench during the Sydney Zombie Walk on Sunday. Participants traveled a route through the business district beginning and ending at Sydney's Hyde Park.

Just in time for the creepy Halloween festivities, Sears takes things to the next level by launching a zombie-friendly shopping site, where the walking dead can find all the latest fashions, gadgets, and accessories. It's like Zombieland up in here!

Clicking on a banner will take you to Sears' actual site, where humans and zombies alike can shop for home goods or comfy shoes, but this banner here will take you to the store's Halloween page so you can stock up on costumes and decorations before next weekend. You gotta give it up to Sears — this is pretty darn creative!

We had so much fun with our PopSugar Rush Vampire Special, so we're back with more — this time it's all about what makes this Halloween even bigger and better than ever! In part one, we've got our favorite vampires, the TV shows with the best Halloween episodes, the reason that scary movies are everywhere — hint, the Twilight craze helps! — and our favorite celebrity kids all dressed up for trick-or-treating. Watch the 7 Reasons Halloween Is Huge in 2009, Part 1 now, and check out part two on Thursday!