Redneckpoet's Intrigue

NuTouch Gloves

2012-01-28T22:02:00.001-08:00

Sometimes you just have to put on the gloves to get the job done. Newer Technology has a pair that just may be right for your cold hands and your tablet. Don’t smudge that screen and catch the review after the break.

The NuTouch Gloves are a simple charcoal color pair of gloves designed to keep your hands warm while using your tablet or other touch screen device. The gloves are 52% Cotton, 24% Rayon, 14% Conductive Fiber, 10% Spandex. This gives them the the right material to keep your hands warm, stretch a little, and the Conductive Fiber on each finger tip for working with that touch screen device.

First I was curious as to how well they keep your hands warm. A tricky test when your in sunny San Diego, CA. Nevertheless, I devised a plan to use my refrigerator and freezer. First I put on the glove and stuck my hand in the fridge for 10 minutes and I noticed no chill in any finger or the hand. Pretty good for mildly cold weather, but what about colder weather. I then stuck the other hand in the freezer with the other glove on, of course, and after 10 minutes I could feel a slight chill even though the fan was blowing that cold air right at my hand. Still not bad at all for a snug fitting pair of gloves.

And the moment you’ve all been waiting for the test with a touch. I put on both gloves, picked up my HP Touchpad and for the next hour I surfed the web, played games, and even did some typing. The results were spot on with no issues navigating, swiping, or gesturing. I’m amazed how well they work, it’s almost like having a stylus on each finger. If your tired of cold hands while using your touch screen device-I suggest you give NuTouch Gloves a try! MSRP is $19.99.

Mass Effect 3 Preview

2012-01-15T17:24:00.001-08:00

This past week I was one of the first to play Mass Effect 3 in Las Vegas. We were only allowed to play a short section, but it shows a lot about the quality of the game. It is also worth noting that the game is still in development so a few things may change and be improved upon.

Commander Shepard returns with many familiar faces on both sides of the line. As for the story, I can’t say much. However, if you played the first two games you may like to know that Shepard and Mordin do find a female Krogan, whose race was reduces to just males due to a bio-engineered disease. Just a tease!

That was the goal of the mission we played. Rescue this female Krogan which took us through a few areas fighting mech and a larger boss mech. The graphics were amazingly detailed and way better than Mass Effect 2. Sound effects and vocals were spot on and the controls were friendly and familiar.

What’s new? Kinect voice commands allow us to open doors, research items, switch weapons, control your squad, in game conversations and perform attacks all with a simple voice command. This actually makes playing the game more fluid as you don’t have to pause the game to pick an ability. It works very well and I was a little skeptical about talking to the game. But after a few minutes it just seemed normal and even more fun.

Mass Effect 3 is looking great, I am very excited with what I have experience and I am even more so looking forward to the final release. It cannot come soon enough! Bioware is set to release another top notch Mass Effect game this march.

Blue Microphones at CES 2012

2012-01-15T11:31:00.001-08:00

We had the pleasure of stopping by Blue Microphones Booth at CES 2012 to take a look at their new products. They did have quite a bit displayed including the Snowball and Yeti microphones that we have used and found to be of excellent quality.

First up is the Tiki, a small portable microphone solution for communications or recording. I must say this looks pretty sweet at about the size of a USB drive and no cables needed. It has noise cancellation technology, which mimic human hearing, to filter out unwanted noise. In Speech Mode it will soft mute the mic when you stop speaking allowing you to type or continue another task without extra noise being picked up. Start talking again and your being picked up once again.

Tiki also features a Natural Recording Mode which is designed for podcasters and musicians. It effectively turns off the advanced features you would use in Speech Mode to provide you with CD quality recording. The Tiki looks awesome and has a great potential in this diverse audio market.

One of the better mics out there just got the digital treatment. The Spark Digital features both USB and iPad connections for a greater flexibility. It still has all the great features of the original Spark.

And for the road warrior, the Mikey Digital provides high quality audio recording on your iOS device. This is great for just about everything and even works when recording video. It also features a 3.5mm jack for inputs like your guitar.

Blue continues to innovate and produce exceptional products and these new mics look to be the same. The Mikey Digital set to sell for $99, the Spark Digital for $199 and the Tiki for $59.

Security Matters

2011-12-30T19:22:00.001-08:00

Security on your computer has become crucial in today’s high tech world. I see enough computers with viruses, Trojans, and hijacks each week that I wonder why so many people are not proactive in trying to prevent these infections. Based on my experience and that of my colleagues in the PC repair field, it seems over ninety percent of the infected machines we see have either one of the free anti-virus products or none at all.

Is there something wrong with a free anti-virus program? Yes and no. Why I would rather see someone use one of these as a last resort (if circumstances prevent them from purchasing a better product) than to go without any protection. However, keep in mind these free anti-virus protects are not full featured, updated regularly, or feature support. They also tend to focus solely on preventing viruses while ignoring other types on malware.

Let’s say you have a solid paid security suite installed and you still get an infection. Yes, this does happen. This is mostly due to holes and backdoors in software that was not updated. That’s right, if you don’t update Windows and your software- your computer may be at risk. It’s a lot of work, but with the right tools it can be almost painless.

First you need world class protection against all types of malware. Eset Smart Security fits that need perfectly and is frankly the best security suite you can buy. Not only does it protect your system from infection from those nasty files but it can also block unwanted programs. As a bonus it will also keep tabs on Windows Update and remind you if any updates need to installed. Norton and McAfee, while not as effective as Eset, also make very good security software.

Now that you have security software and you are keeping Windows updated, what about all the other software installed on your system? Secunia has a few options for you. From the home user to corporations they have a solution to help you keep your software up to date. If you work in a corporate or business, please visit www.secunia.com for more information on the products they offer for you. As for the home user who is using their computer for personal use, Secunia PSI is the right one for you.

Secunia PSI is free in a none commercial system. Once installed it scans your system and alerts you if any detected program is not updated. It also provides a link to download the patch or updater. Another great featuring in the latest release is auto updating. It can auto update a few applications without user interaction. One warning, there is an infinite number of application software titles you can install and there is no way Secunia PSI can recognize every single one. So be cautious, check the scan results to see if any program is missing and if so, manually check for updates and manually add it to Secunia PSI.

By following this steps along with careful internet browsing habits you can eliminate almost all chances of becoming infected. Granted, just as the flu shot does not guarantee you cannot get the flu- there is no way to completing prevent an infection on any computer. It may only be a small chance, but there is always a chance of infection.

So remember, buy a solid Internet Security suite and keep it updated. I recommend Eset Smart Security. Next be sure to keep Windows and your software up to date. Eset will remind you if Windows needs an update and Secunia PSI can help you keep your software up to date. Visit www.eset.com and www.secunia.com for more information.

NuScribe

2011-12-26T23:07:00.001-08:00

With the rise of touch screen devices we often find a few inconveniences. First those ugly fingerprints and smudges. Secondly would be accuracy. We have all been there, replying to text message or trying to type when we keep getting the wrong letter. Maybe we want to watch a movie or view a picture only to see those darn smudges? Enter Newer Technology whose latest product would definitely seem aimed at these. NuScribe is a 2-in-1 stylus and pen for your touch screen devices. It comes in silver or pink and MSRP is $19.99, although it can currently be found at OWC for $10.00. Sounds like another stylus, right? So what’s the difference and how does it perform?

It has a nice light weight feel and writes well on paper after a simple twist of the barrel. It is approximately the same size as a standard ballpoint pen. At the top of the stylus is where our fun begins as you can see the soft rubber nib. I must say I like the simple and yet eloquent design.

Performances, yes plural. The first device I tested on was my Asus Eee PC convertible Netbook which I have running the developer preview version of Windows 8. I start navigating around windows and then the internet and found it to be spot on accurate. Next I tapped the Start Menu followed by tapping the search bar. This allowed me to bring up the stylus input panel and I was able to write the word ‘paint’ very easily. With Paint ready and waiting to be tapped into play I launch it and drew a small sketch(below). Not being a graphics artists, I must admit I can’t draw very well. Despite my skills I was able to come up with this little bit of art very easily using NuScribe. Not bad at all, this worked extremely well.Next I fired up my HP Touchpad and started browsing the internet and moving through Apps with relative ease. I did have to apply a bit more pressure in some cases. Next was Angry Birds. Wow, that was fun! The responsiveness and accuracy was spot on. Looks like that’s two devices it works great on!

Moving along to my iPod Touch I did the exact test as I performed on the HP Touchpad. Guess What? The results were very much the same. The only problem I ran into was while playing Angry Birds I would sometimes move the stylus down past the screen while aim and lose control. Not a fault of the stylus, just an observation. I suppose that would be three devices that work well with it.

Shall I test one more? I think so! I grabbed my HTC Surround Windows Phone 7. Navigating through apps, e-mail and the hubs works beautifully. Angry Birds worked well with only a little more pressure needed. Shuffle Party also worked very well. That makes four devices that work very, very well with NuScribe.

NuScribe has exceeded my expectations in performance on all my devices. It’s light and feels great while writing and while using as a Stylus. It does have an almost cheap feel to it, but other than the pocket clip and where the two parts of the barrel meet-it seems pretty solid. I wouldn’t want to try and put too much force on it. It would also appear that the ink is not replaceable for the pen function. Despite the aforementioned, I found NuScribe to eloquently designed and functions great with all sorts of Touch Screen devices, from phones, tablets, and convertible computers. I’m impressed. Enough Said!

RAAM’S Shadow

2011-12-15T23:01:00.001-08:00

Gears of War fans rejoice this Christmas as we get more campaign action! I think the Gears of War website sums of the general statement of what to expect.

“Set in the chaos of post-Emergence Day Sera, RAAM’s Shadow drops players into a new team of Gears known as Zeta Squad, as they attempt to evacuate Ilima City and protect the citizens against a Locust Kryllstorm. Taking on the infamous Locust leader General RAAM from the original Gears of War, Zeta features the familiar faces of Michael Barrick (from Gears of War comics fame), Lt. Minh Young Kim (Gears of War), Tai Kaliso (Gears of War 2), and introduces a new female comrade, Alicia Valera.

In addition to fighting as a new squad of Gears, players will step into the boots of RAAM himself and do the unthinkable: storm a human stronghold from the perspective of one of the series’ most legendary bosses.” - http://gearsofwar.xbox.com

Sounds fun right? Well you would be correct! I just finished this little over 3 hour escapade down memory lane along with new sights and well yeah sights! This brings back memories of playing the first Gears especially with the Kryll. It feels like your back playing the old school Gears of War and yet it has all the updated elements of the latest-giving us a truly emerged experience. While I don’t want to spoil the plot and story arcs, I must say it was pleasantly surprising to run into one character, whom I shall not name for spoiler sake, before he joins the COG and this shows us why I picks up the Lancer. Also on the fun side is playing as RAAM! Wow, it’s like your darn near invincible (Sorry Stark) and tearing through COG defenses and their stronghold like a stroll through the park. Seriously, you don’t move that fast as RAAM and you only have the Kryll as a long range weapon and a gnarly looking knife to impale those that get close! And that last chapter gets to be very dark and I’m not just talking about the ambience! This is worth downloading for 1200 MS Points. And let’s not forget you get the option of standard campaign or Arcade with just yourself or up 4 player co op.

Wait! That’s not all? We also get more achievements worth another 250g. Six new multiplayer characters that are featured in the campaign and a chocolate weapon skin pack. Yummy! And for the multiplayer madness the Gear’s team has their ongoing 12 days of Gearsmas with special playlists and events along with some giveaways. Check out all the details at http://epicgames.com/community/2011/12/twelve-days-of-gearsmas-giveaways-day-three/

Xbox Companion

2011-12-14T23:47:00.001-08:00

Windows Phone 7 users got a nice treat with the launch of the new Xbox Companion App. It’s a pretty simple app that allows us to view some content, play it on the Xbox 360 and we can also use it to navigate the dashboard. I think that is very useful, especially if I’m going to watch a movie instead of playing a game.

It’s free on the marketplace and easy to get setup and ready to use. First download the app, then go to the Console Settings on your Xbox 360 and tell it the companion is available. That’s it! The app will log on and you can use it any time your Xbox 360 is turned on with you logged in.

We have a few screens that we swipe our finger to get to. The main screen is the home screen which shows us the game we are playing and or recent games. We can get more info on the games here and also update our beacon. Under the info for that game you can swipe to the left to give us the friends screen and like the same screen on the Xbox 360 dashboard, it shows who’s playing. Swipe again to view your achievements for the title and tapping each achievement icon shows more detail. This can be helpful if you need to view your achievements real quick to determine what your missing.

If we then tap the button in the lower left that looks like a house, we get transported back to the home screen and swiping left get’s us to the featured screen. A great way to browse for the latest content available with all the info needed right there. There is also an option to search via Bing for content. But then again, my favorite feature is the little button in the lower right. Tap it to bring up a directional pad with the A button directly below and below the A is you X Y B button. This let’s us tap away on the phone and move about the dashboard on the big screen.

While it may seem to come up short on features, the Xbox Companion does indeed do a great job of showing us content, achievements, and giving us some control. Yes, this is a worthy app for users of both Xbox 360 and WP7!

Press Shuffle and Play

2011-12-14T10:23:00.001-08:00

Shuffle Party is the latest free game from Microsoft Studios available on the Windows Phone 7 App Marketplace. It is based around the old school Shuffle Board game that it real life I have only seen in a couple of Trailer Parks. Shuffle Board is a challenging game and likewise so is this Shuffle Party and this time they mix thing up a bit.

The first thing that you should know is that is uses Bing ads and the logical side of my brain says this is to compensate for being a free game. As for the game itself it is comprised four game modes from bowling to challenge mode and then our classic shuffleboard in either single our two player mode. Bowling is straight forward bowling with a puck instead of a ball. All rules from bowling seem to apply. So give it a go and get that strike or three! Next in Challenge mode you must go through several stages trying to earn enough points to continue. Again with four pucks you must rack up as many points by gathering coins and landing that puck in either the five, ten, or fifteen point area. With three stages each featuring eleven levels that get increasing harder with more and more obstacles. It’s fun but frustrating. And the the classic Shuffleboard where we must simply land our four pucks in the point zones and try for a high score.

As we progress we earn in game money that we can spend in the Pro Shop. Here we can buy and change the appearance of the puck, table, pins, or frames. To purchase them all is going to take a lot of gameplay, but for those achievement hunters out there-I’m sure your up to the challenge. The achievements come from all game modes except the two player option. The hardest of the bunch is to get three stars on all the challenge levels. The stars are based on your score, 45 points equals 3 stars. Most you should achieve simply by playing but others like the Hanger will require some skill. While playing Shuffleboard hang a puck off the end of the table. Also getting a score of over 175 in bowling with get you another 5g. Not too shabby on the achievement side.

Gameplay, it’s what really matters. Each mode plays the same. Move the puck left or right then angle it and use your finger to slide it down the table. Sounds easy right? Yes and No. The game does work on that basic principal, but I found that it often mistook the force at which I swiped my finger on screen. This made it difficult, but not impossible to play. There really isn’t much more to it. While I do see this as a fun challenging game, it is also frustrating too. Be warned but go get this freebie and have a little fun.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

2011-12-04T18:30:00.000-08:00

"The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword". Just another Zelda game with more confusing puzzle dungeons all tying together the same story from all the previous Zelda games, right? Actually, you couldn't be more wrong. "Skyward Sword" is Nintendo's Ace in the Hole, and is exactly how they plan to bring a whole new hand to the table. Let's begin with the aspect that had the fans clamoring since it was first announced; the Motion Control. If you've ever played any Wii game that was dependent on the motion of the player, and was disappointed in the end ('Red Steel' instantly comes to mind), then fans rejoice at the mastery of the motion control in LoZ: SS. All that you could imagine you would want to do in a submersive game such as the Zelda franchise, is instantly possible in this gaming masterpiece. From directional slashes, jabs, and shield blocks, to finishing blows and the signature sword spin attack. It's all at your fingertips to turn Link's fighting moves into your own concoction of maneuvers, and honestly, it's mindblowing how smooth it is with the Wii Motion Plus. Moving on to the dungeons, they are laid out to start off as easier at the beginning, then progressively getting harder as the game progresses. They force you the think outside of the normal video game cliches in terms of puzzles, but that's to be expected from any Zelda game. So what makes the dungeons and levels here any different from the other games in the series? Three words: The Silent Realm. Meant to make you feel the stresses of being detected by an enemy, and think in a different way you already were, which was more-than-likely the "run up and slash the crap out of any nearby enemies" tactic. Link is item-less throughout the 'Trial', and there are Guardians strewn throughout the familiar landscape that want you dead. Thinking back to "Twilight Princess", the tear container makes a triumphant return in "Skyward Sword". If you have ever played any stealth games, then you will instantly understand what you need to do in these 'Trials'. The catch is to actually do it. New items and more unique characters that you will come to know in the world of Zelda await anyone willing enough to take on the challenges of the Hero. With cellshaded graphics reminiscent of "Wind Waker" in place to offset the dark nature of the game, and a story line set to predate the events of all other Zelda games, this addition to the already sterling series is a must-have for any Zelda fan's collection. My Final Verdict? 10 out of 10.

Mango, Mango, Mango, It’s A Windows Phone

2011-11-23T22:45:00.001-08:00

When Microsoft first announced the update to Windows Phone 7 would be code named Mango, well I couldn’t help but think of that Weebl’s Animation and Song. Ah it may be stuck in your head now too, but while Mango is a catchy name it was all the talk of improvements that got me excited. I’ve now updated to 7.5 Mango and have had time enough to see what it can do and what’s better.

First, I should remind you that I am using the classy HTC Surround and as a music lover that built in speaker is sweet! Before Mango I could go to work for eight hours and maybe a few pit stops or shops along the way. However, by the time I got home I had to charge this phone in the worst way. And I had Wi-Fi turned off most of that time and data is always turned off. Now with Data still off, but Wi-Fi turned on all the time as well as Bluetooth-I can go 24 hours on a single charge. I found this out while doing Extra-Life in October where I played video games for 24 hours. During that 24 hours I was using my phone to update Facebook and Twitter, check e-mail and play the occasional game.

Now with better battery, I was stoked. Meanwhile at work we have a hidden Wi-Fi network and before Mango I could not connect to them. This made it difficult to stay up to date with all these wonderful e-mail messages and terrifying Spam. Now with Mango I was able to add hidden networks with ease. I was also now able to directly connect other social networks to my phone in the People Hub. I no longer needed an app for Twitter and LinkedIn, while I rarely use it, is nice to have on the go once in awhile. Now I have all the Social and all my e-mail accounts on the go and ready for action. And as a side note, I was even able to add my Apple Mobile Me mail account with ease!

A funny thing happened on my way to work one day. As always I have a Bluetooth Speaker phone that auto connects to my phone when I get into my car. However, this time I was driving to work and all of a sudden it says something to the tune of “Incoming text from Becky, would you like to read it or ignore?” And of course being adventurous I told it to read it and it did just that, it read me my text message. That is a sweet feature and helps encourage people not to physically txt and drive. Furthermore if you have Data turned on, you can reply to that message via voice!

These are just a few on the changes, these are the ones that stand out to me. I must admit it is obvious they made some serious improvements to core of Windows Phone 7. My phone is more responsive, it works better with Xbox live, Office, SkyDrive and it’s tailored to fit. I think their idea to design a phone for people was an awesome choice and now with Mango making this a much more personal experience that is also enjoyable-great job Microsoft! I love this Phone! I can’t even think about switching to any other phone now. It’d be like going to get an Ice Cream and being served a double chocolate fudge sundae and coming back for just a single scoop of plain vanilla.

Modern Warfare 3

2011-11-15T23:10:00.001-08:00

Modern Warfare 3’s campaign starts us right smack in the middle of World War 3 which is also where Modern Warfare 2 ended. Of Course, we also get a multiplayer experience and the return of Special Ops. I will cover each in this review.

Let’s start with the campaign. We are reacquainted with Price and Soap along with some new characters. This is one thing that draws people in, characters who actually drive you and are not just random soldiers. It helps immerse you into the story. And the story does not disappoint, in fact it was very well written and ties things off very well. The gameplay controls and mechanics are back and familiar. The graphics looks better and the sound is spot on with no disappearing acts (thankfully). As far as the difficulty and enjoyment of the game I can say it was a fun ride and a good challenge. Not overwhelming, but challenging. We do have along the story a scene that may be disturbing to some and you get the option to skip. This is smart and help widen the appeal and acceptance of the game. It took roughly 6 hours to complete the campaign.

Special Ops is another challenge, but luckily we can bring a friend! Here we have some timed and objective based missions that fit along side the story of the campaign. These missions play like the campaign and offer three difficulties. They are indeed fun and challenging, too! Along with those mission we get a new option. This is survival mode and the easiest way to describe it is by comparing it with horde of Gears Of War or zombie mode of the previous Call Of Duty games. The differences being that you face off against waves of military enemies and can purchase weapons, equipment and aerial support as you earn points/monies by killing said enemies. This is one that you want a friend as it gets very challenging. All of the game modes in Special Ops also have a ranking system that is separate from multiplayer, but otherwise the same concept.

Big bad Multiplayer is back with 16 maps at launch and more coming via DLC. Quite frankly multiplayer is everything we know and love from Modern Warfare 2 with a few changes. We now have strike packages which we can alter the way are kill streaks work. Assault Strike Package works in the traditional sense while Support Strike Package works in, well, a supporting role. Not only does dying not count against your Strike Package, these kill streak options provide much needed support on the battlefield. An example being ballistic vests that you can earn then drop for your team. Another addition is the Weapon Rank system. Choose your weapon as as you get kills with it, it ranks the weapon up and unlocks proficiencies and attachments. Proficiencies allow things like less recoil, multiple attachments, stability, and less flinching when hit-just to name a few. Jumping in to multiplayer was rush, the graphical change blew me away. It looks great and feels much more responsive and faster, too!

And last but not least let’s talk about Elite. Elite is a new service both paid and free that allows you to get stats, change load outs, improve your skill and even compete with others for prizes. Those of us that paid for the yearly membership at $49.99 or 4000 MS points get even more access and a years worth of DLC included. A few other things to point out is that the service integrates into the game and in accessible on the Xbox 360 (or PS3) as well as online and even as a smartphone app (iPhone and android). This is a way to extend the community of MW3 and future Call Of Duty titles and help create an more immersive experience. It was unfortunate that the service was not available on launch do to some server issues, but Activision is giving all of us that paid for it an extra month free. Not bad at all.

All in all, I am impressed with Modern Warfare 3. It provided a fun, challenging, and frustration free campaign. A immersive and fun multiplayer experience along with the new Special Ops that are just as fun as the campaign. In my plays through (yes more than once) I encountered no glitches and in multiplayer I can only see the usual lag or AT&T DSL connection problems I get with most online games. Based on my experience playing this game and the fact that I will be returning to multiplayer again and again, I hereby give Modern Warfare 3 a score of 9 of 10. It’s not perfect but it sure comes close. Wink, Wink.

Back To The Real World After Battlefield 3

2011-11-06T19:39:00.001-08:00

EA and Dice teamed up to bring us the “most realistic combat experience” and they fell short. There are three playable options with BF3. The first is the campaign, then co-op and finally the multiplayer experience. When I receive a game that has all of these options the last thing I do is jump into multiplayer. Sure it’s usually a blast, but I want the most gratifying experience, I want to experience everything the game has to offer. With that concept in mind, let us break off and talk about the campaign.

This time around, like most games I play, I opted for Hard as my difficulty of choice. Upon starting the game and after a few missions we get the gist of the story and by the time you beat the game, well let’s just say I should have had a V8! The story as it turns out is not a page turner, it is very close to being a rip from Call Of Duty: Black Ops and Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. The nukes and missions in MW2 flash back as I ran through these missions and who can forget the interrogations in Black Ops?

Okay, so the story wasn’t exactly original but what about the gameplay and difficulty. The gameplay was fluid and worked quite well and wasn’t much different than I’m used to in Call Of Duty. The Difficulty was something unexpected. If it weren’t for the glitches, freezes, and enemy irregularities it would have been normal, maybe even easy. The Ai in this game was all over the place. One minute your putting 40 rounds into one enemy who is not dead yet, the next it’s one bullet to kill him. The Ai was also able to shoot through buildings, rocks, dumpsters and other solid objects-killing me quicker than the game would load that mission. And cover wasn’t cover, they always knew my location. However, with glitches there were points where I could shoot without being shot when I should have died and others that were the opposite. Just a few other glitches include game ending freezing on certain missions like Thunder Run and little staggered freezing that prevents you from moving correctly or making it to the next area without being shot. And truth be told 2-3 shots and I’m dead is fine with me, I like a challenge. But this game just did not feel right.

Graphics look good, but not great and after all the hype that we would get some amazing graphics fell short. But don’t get me wrong they did look good, but with the colors of the H.U.D. it just looked off and not as realistic as they hyped. Now I do understand that the PC version looks better, but that’s a whole other story. As for the sound it sounded awesome when it worked. The sound would cut out at points leaving no sound at all or in some cases we lost only dialogue, only music, or only sound effects. Not very friendly when you listening for gun fire or footsteps or maybe the roar of a tank! What they did do right here was the waves of the ocean, lighting and facial expressions and the lens flare made a few places look very good.

I would also like to point out how idiotic some of the ways we completed objectives. We have missions where we are in a tank and could easily complete the task in that tank, but no the mission requires us to get out and fight on the ground. This is unrealistic and there are many places where such nonsense occurs. Also those weapons didn’t seem to make a whole lot of difference between each other, other than the type of scope! With the glitches and irregularities along with rehashed story and unrealistic warfare, I seriously did not enjoy much of the campaign. To be honest I had more fun playing Duke Nukem Forever on hard than I did with Battlefield 3 and I take serious insult to the explicit nature of Duke Nukem’s latest portrayal.

Next let’s look at the co-op section. Here we can progress through only six, yes six, missions. They play much like the campaign only you must rely on a partner to succeed. This partner can be a friend online or a random individual. If you want the few co-op achievements choose a friend! There is not much more to say other than what was said about the campaign, though I must admit I found fewer glitches here. But they are way too short for any real enjoyment.

Multiplayer is what the game was built for, as if my review so far hasn’t indicated, and they succeed. The online gameplay runs mostly smooth with a large playing field and is actually fun. It also looks better and sound better than the campaign. You also get to operate tanks, helicopters, and fighter jets online and they operate ok. One thing missing is locale multiplayer. You can expect many to be playing this game online for quite some time, but as for me it’s being traded in.

After all is said and done, EA and Dice should have stuck to their strong points and made just a multiplayer game and left the campaign and co-op out. It’s such a stark contrast between the two that it leaves you stunned and baffled. I feel like this was rushed and with the amount of frustration from the single player, I have had enough. I am no where near compelled to keep playing online, not even for the Mass Effect 3 Beta!

Well that’s going to wrap it up here. I can recommend this game at $59.99, maybe when it reaches $20. Oh what’s that? You want a score between 1 and 10? Okay, let’s take a look at that. Single Player was a huge disappointment and didn’t get very much right. The same for Co-op, but multiplayer certainly shines. That’s 3 parts of 10. So I would have to say that each part represents a possible 3.33 of 10, thus my score would be 4 out of 10. Better luck next time EA and Dice, up next is MW3 and I wonder how they will fare?

Two Spideys, One Cataclysmic Event

2011-10-26T00:18:00.001-07:00

As far back as I can recall I’ve always held Spider Man as my favorite super hero. Maybe it’s because I can relate to the Peter Parker as the higher IQ than normal, but not quite Reed Richards level, or the hazing and being picked on in school (not quite as much as Parker) or maybe it’s because we both like to dress up and fight crime. Well, I guess that last one is a stretch. I’ve also always liked spiders in general. With this mindset I’m usually willing to give a Spider Man game a chance. I found last years Shattered Dimensions fun and challenging. And based on my experience with Shattered Dimensions I was excited to pick up Spider Man Edge of Time.

And over the past few weeks when time permitted, I played through the campaign. First I must commend them on the story. The story is well written even though you can’t help but see where a few things were headed. On the other hand, we get some twists and turns that just about made my head spin! Without giving any spoilers, the basic premise is to try and save the world from a time paradox or disturbance that takes place with both our friendly neighborhood Peter Parker and the futuristic Spider Man 2099. They have to work together and you play one then switch to the other and then back again and again throughout. That’s after saving Peter Parker at the beginning of the game.

The controls are fluid and work almost perfect, much as they did in Shattered Dimensions. Crawling on walls is my only major problem here as it is too easy to get turned around or stuck. It was also easy to be running along and find your self starting to climb up a wall. The web swinging works very well and the combat system us still pretty sweet.

How does it look and sound? It looks good, I can’t complain. The in game graphics look good with only a few rough areas here and there. It’s not super realistic, but it does have a good cartoonish/comic feel. The cut scene animations on the other hand are stunning! Almost life-like and at a glance could be mistaken for live action. The voice acting was fair, with both Spider Men sounding almost too much alike. You can hear the difference when they speak to each other, but it other parts of the game you have to think about who is speaking. Sound effects and soundtrack blended perfectly.

Starting the game sets you on normal by default and this will give most of us a challenge. Once you beat it on normal, you can try hard. Easy on the other hand was too easy. I would suggest playing on normal unless you have trouble. Most villains in this game, save for bosses, are fairly easy to defeat as long a you don’t get hit. The bosses on the other hand require a little more skill and timing. Levels range from running through levels defeated bad guys, collecting orbs, spiders and keys to free falling through buildings trying to avoid getting hit. The latter can be very challenging.

As you progress and earn orbs and gold spiders you can upgrade both Spider Men’s Combat skills and health. Each Spidey has a different special ability you can use and different fighting moves. Even so it’s not difficult to remember most of the moves. We also can unlock alternate costumes and news paper articles throughout the game.

As normal I played this on the Xbox 360 and most of the achievements are story based and combat based. You should be able to unlock quite a few just by beating the game. There are a few tough ones, like completing the game on hard and collecting all the golden spiders. That last one just takes time to look everywhere, but otherwise shouldn’t be too rough.

All in all the game is fun and challenging, but the fighting system does get tedious and I did run into a few glitches. One that required me to restart a checkpoint. Somehow I was able to get into a small room without disabling the shield, thus once inside I could not get back out. It did give me several hours of gameplay, I would estimate about 8 hours total including all those times I died. And then we do have challenges you can complete in each level as well. It’s not a bad game, but unless you’re a big Spidey fan like me – I would suggest renting it first. $59.99 isn’t exactly worth it this time around.

A Little More Speed, Wireless Style

2011-10-25T22:56:00.001-07:00

I took a few hours, well actually more like four, to give Microsoft’s Wireless Speed Wheel for the Xbox 360 a good solid test drive. With testing in mind I fired up Forza 4 which is proving to be even more awesome than the previous title, but more on that another day. I also happen to have the wireless racing wheel Microsoft released quite some time ago and while that works well, it is bulky and requires a table. The new wireless Speed Wheel is much smaller and only requires two hands. It has almost all the same buttons as the standard Xbox 360 control except that it is missing your RB and LB. I can live without that, although Forza does use those buttons for the menus when you enter the Inbox and in the expert racing options can be necessary for shifting or your clutch. It works with an Accelerometer which means I can sit back on the couch and be a little more comfortable. And one other thing Microsoft threw into the package was flashing green lights at the top of each end of the “U”. Yes, that’s right it’s not round, more like a flight yoke than a steering wheel.

It looks nice and is designed for the casual racer, but how does it perform? It a nutshell, pretty darn good. For someone like me who has been using the standard Xbox 360 controller for the majority of my racing it does give me better accuracy, but it’s not going to give me as good of an experience as the old Steering wheel. Then again, that guy was huge and I had to unpack it and set it up every time I wanted to use it. with this new Speed Wheel I can easily just grab and play. It did take me a few races to get the hang of the motion controlled steering and it’s not far from the feel of the Wii’s steering wheel accessory in that they both feel small. But Microsoft does the better job and with Rumble built in we can feel a lot more, too. You will find that if you are going to be using a headset that you’ll need a wireless model. And despite lack of shoulder buttons, I would easily recommend the Speed Wheel for the Casual racing fan. If you want full control your better off with a full on Steering wheel with pedals and the works. The Wireless Speed Wheel retails for only $60 giving it an affordable way to upgrade from the standard controller.

The many waves of Chuck Testa

2011-10-23T12:05:00.001-07:00

If you head on over to YouTube and do a search for Chuck Testa, you will get tons and tons of results. Chuck Testa is a Taxidermist and posted a commercial that just sticks out like a sore thumb, yes a “sore” thumb. With the revelations of this awkward commercial making it’s rounds it was decided by many of us to tap into it and make fun of this crazy commercial. A spoof was born very quickly and then many, many more soon followed. I even added a few to the mix, because well it’s a easy way to get a laugh. And before we take a look at these video I must say Thank You to Becky for introducing me to the world of Chuck Testa.

This is the original Chuck Testa commercial that set the online world a thunder. As you watch you’ll pick up on a few things and most likely chuckle a little.

This is the first spoof I created. Simple and to the point. They is also a version 2 of this same video on YouTube, but this one seems to be getting more hits!

This is the latest in my Chuck Testa spoofs and I figured if someone out there was using Star Wars, then I could use the original coolsville gang, Scooby Doo!

As you can see with the top video being the original and the last two being my spoofs, this is a great way to bring about some laughter. And that’s really the reason so many people have created spoofs, it’s also a great way to play with video and audio and just be creative. This is what I have to share and I encourage you to go forth and be creative too!

And while the Chuck Testa craze is strong at the moment, I somehow don’t see it lasting nearly as long as some of the other human related crazes going on. Such as The most interesting man in the world and Chuck Norris, but that is yet to be seen. After all Chuck Norris once stubbed his toe…Nope, Chuck Testa. And if you have had to pleasure of listening the Game Grind podcast you may recall we sometimes make use Chuck Testa jokes. So be cool and enjoy!

Should I ask, or just snap away?

2011-10-15T07:29:00.000-07:00

Con-etiquette, do you have any? I can't stress it enough; there are numerous articles out there on this, why not add another? It might inform just a few more people of the dos and don'ts at their first con, maybe not even their first! It may be a convention, but it's still real life; you're not in an anime or a video game so you still need to use your manners.

ALWAYS ASK. Do you want a picture? Ask. Do you want to talk to them about their costume? Ask. Do you have the sudden urge to glomp them? For Christ's sake, ASK! Now some of you may ask, "Why do I need their permission? They're in costume, I mean should they expect it?" No. No one expects any of this, do you just happen to have a sixth sense for spotting photographers that want your picture, or rabid fangirls/boys, or fellow cosplayers that want your attention? I don't believe anyone does. Let's go into detail of why this is important:

Asking for photos:

Why should I ask for photos?

This person may be busy; they might be discussing something with a friend that might be important (such as losing a friend in the mass of geekiness), they might need to run off for something they really need to do (even cosplayers need to use the restroom), they might just possibly be on the phone, maybe they're late for something like a panel or a photoshoot or a contest. Regardless of what the case is, it's best to ask as you don't want to alarm the cosplayer with a flash and a click.
Posing! If you find a character you like, don't you want to see them in an epic pose rather than standing there chatting away or staring blankly? I'd much rather see a keyblade wielder ready for battle instead of one batting with the blade's keychain.
"Business cards"; some cosplayers carry around cards with their name, website, group name, etc on them. Why do they do this? They want to see the pictures taken of them! They put a lot of work into these costumes and they want to see other perspectives of their fine work. Plus, you can link back to them if someone wants to know who they are and you can follow their work as well.

Can I touch?

No! Ask before anything!

Just because they're cosplayers, it doesn't mean they aren't real people. Do you always just hug people that walk by? Honestly, this can be considered a safety issue. There are some people who freak out over physical contact, and a running glomp will not do any justice.
Personal space, people like theirs, let them have it.
Cosplays are very precious if they're made, and touching/swatting/glomping without permission can lead to something breaking and a very angry cosplayer. I'm very protective of my props and cosplays (though they aren't all that great), because I made them all on my own. I make hair accessories too and let me just say, when even the clip of the mini top hat I was wearing/made was destroyed due to someone hitting it (on purpose) and running off, I was very pissed off to the point I was going to hurt them. Sure it can be easily replaced, but when you break something from something someone put so much time into making, expect anger and lots of it. I even told them specifically NOT to touch it and look what they happened... Listen to what the cosplayer says.

Rabid Fans:

This is the only time I suggest you put your props to good use.

NO FAN WARS. Geez, you may think it's funny but there are people who think it's annoying. So moving back to that cosplay contest I mentioned in my last post...A Kingdom Hearts Riku happened upon the stage. Two girls. It only took TWO GIRLS to cause a minute long pause in the contest (sure a minute isn't a lot but...) "I LOVE YOU RIKU." "RIKU IS MINE!" "NO HE'S MINE." I do believe one of these girls was that Maka fangirl behind me...It went on far too long and everyone felt so awkward and the MC didn't even know how to recover from it...
Insane Rabid fans...I've heard some horror stories on this, but the one that really got to me was (I'd link, but the site has been taken down due to angering so many rabid fans)I don't watch Hetalia anymore, so excuse any incorrect info. One of the characters that wields a lead pipe (I think it's Russia?) is, of course in a group with other Hetalia cosplayers, and has an actual LEAD pipe. They seem to think they really "are" Russia as they encounter someone as Belarus (from what I've found on the wiki, is the sister of Russia in the series with some brother complex). Guess what they did? They hit the girl over the head with the lead pipe and laughed about it while the girl was crying. Lesson of the story: DON'T TAKE THINGS SERIOUSLY COSPLAY IS SUPPOSED TO BE FUN FOR EVERYONE.
Fan service is Ok sometimes, but not all the time. Don't try to force two characters to pose for your pleasure if they are't comfortable. If you do, they have all the right to call con security on you and get you kicked out.

General Don'ts:

All the things that you just shouldn't do.

Be nice. Please, just do. I'll admit I can be very judgmental (that's why my sister recommended I join in on this), but don't say it outloud, and if you have a problem, don't be rude about it unless it's about someone being rude to you.
If you don't like something, deal with it. Too many Vocaloids? Don't look. Too many Kingdom Hearts cosplayers? Get over it. Too much Pokemon? There's not that much there. Too much Naruto? Someone has been using his Shadow Clone Juutsu too much. People all have different tastes, and if you don't like it, get over it. You can't change it. It's like trying to make me white because "I'm not a real Asian" (Feh, you're just mad because you're not Asian but think you are; true story). You can do all you want with it on the outside, but genetically I'll still be Asian. You can take the Narutos and put them in different cosplays, but they'll always be Naruto fans until they grow out of it or when the series ends in 50 years.
"Your wig sucks." Yeah...don't say things like that. The first time I used a wig, it was terrible for so many reasons. I hated it and felt embarrassed to wear it, hell even when my friends judged it, I wanted to cry. Just don't be so blunt and judgmental. You can point a few mistakes out or give suggestions when you're just talking to them about their cosplay.
Again, it's cosplay, you're not in the anime/game, so please don't be too serious. You can be in character, but I don't advise it all the time. If you're character is snobby and you act like that the whole time, people will really think you are an ass and you'll draw away any attention that was headed your way. And if your character is a moe type, be warned that there are people who might take advantage of that, and trust me, that's not something you'd ever want.
Don't harass a cosplayer. If they decline a picture, telling you how they made something, poses, a date, or whatever, accept it and move on. Now don't move on to another cosplayer and do the same, just move on to do something else that isn't a nuisance to others around you.

And so for now my list ends here; it probably will expand further on, and closer to MTAC, but for now consider these ideas and keep them in mind when you're at a con, even in public. At the Zombie Walk, my sister and I found 10+ photos of us we don't remember ever taking as well as numerous candid shots. So please, don't forget to ask and to be nice, or else you can ruin your reputation even at a con.

Gravity Guy WP7

2011-09-30T21:22:00.001-07:00

Gravity Guy has made his way to Windows Phone 7. It is a highly addictive, fun, challenging, and sometime frustrating. I mean that in a good way. So what is Gravity Guy? The story is that Gravity Guy was held captive for breaking the laws of gravity. However, he escaped and is running for his life from the gravity troops (robot cops, anyone?). Your goal to escape and keep running using gravity by flipping it to get through each checkpoint. In Story you get 30 levels and 3 worlds and you can choose an endless option that keeps going longer than the Energizer Bunny, well maybe. Being an Xbox Live on Windows Phone 7 we get achievements and there are leaderboards. You also get 4 player Multiplayer for a challenge amongst friends.

Gameplay and controls are pretty sweet and easy. Simply tapping the screen with the right timing to flip gravity and progress through the stage. That’s really it. Simple but fun. The levels get harder and faster as we go and that darn Gravity Troop is always right behind you. One wrong move and your either falling out of screen or caught by the trooper.

Graphics on this game a crisp and clear and just look amazing. The frame rate appears to be moving at a good speed. The soundtrack is perfect as it gets you pumped and is very energetic. It sounds like a game that would be too simple to enjoy, but once you start playing don’t expect to put it down too quickly. At $2.99 it is a reasonable price for on the go fun.

Windows 8 Preview

2011-09-30T16:07:00.001-07:00

Windows 8 Developer preview was released for download just a few weeks ago. This time around they are trying to make things even more intuitive and easier to use by implementing the Metro interface as opposed to the classic and well loved Start Menu. Metro is also the interface you’ll find on Windows Phone 7 and on touch screen devices it is simply wonderful. But how about a regular desktop or laptop computer?

Well get to that but let’s take a look at the install and use of Windows 8 as it is now and I should point out this is pre beta and not everything is included. First I chose the computer to test this on, my Asus netbook with a swivel tablet screen. I figured this would be the best option, best of both world so to speak. It was running Windows 7 32bit so I decided to try an upgrade install. Everything looked like it was right on track for an easy install with everything working like a charm, however once Windows 8 booted up I noticed that only one software program transferred, Mozilla Firefox. Thus Office 2010, Adobe CS4, iTunes, VLC, and others would have to be reinstalled.

Luckily while poking around the system I noticed that the installation of Windows 8 created a windows.old directory, so everything was still there but not associated with the OS and registry. I did create an image of the drive before installing Windows 8 as well. Thinking about these two gave me an idea. Would PC Mover work on Windows 8 and would I be able to bring over the software applications from windows.old or the image I created? Yes, like a charm! Using the image assistant feature of PCMover I selected the windows.old directory and bam I had all my programs back after a few hours.

And with that I have only had issues with Acrobat Reader and Acrobat pro CS4. Neither work correctly and constantly run an installer that is of course all automated, I may just have to remove and reinstall them. But that is not a main concern.

Now that I was up and running, I had to play with the system and one thing bugged me. There was no start menu, no easy way to reach all those software programs I had just migrated in! Luckily someone else found this to be annoying and found the registry key to toggle back and even created a small app to do it for you. Windows 8 start menu toggle is the name I believe. With this I was able to get the start menu back, but I haven’t been successful in toggling back to metro.

With Metro on my Windows Phone 7 I am extremely satisfied and find it a breath of fresh air, but on my desktop I found, at least in this build, it was almost useless. I couldn’t launch Internet Explorer nor many of the apps. I could access the control panel or the desktop without a start menu. I also found no easy way to turn off my computer. I had to select my account on the metro screen, log off, and then I could choose to shut down. Also just like Windows Phone 7 you have a home screen. Slide it up and now you can log on or shut down the pc.

In conclusion I think Microsoft is on the right track, but they are a long way from the train station. While the Metro interface has potential even on non-touch enabled computers-they must compromise and give users the option to choose or give users both the metro and start menu. Performance is pretty good and I found it to run pretty fast on this netbook with an Atom N570 cpu. It did slow a little after migrating my software back over, but not by much. There are numerous little improvements they had made under the hood and a few visual differences but nothing that stands out as ground breaking just yet.

At this point don’t go off planning to run this on any primary machine and I would recommend waiting a awhile. It’s good right now, but far from perfect and I expect to find many bugs and incompatibilities as I continue testing. One last odd note is that HP’s Officejet 8000 printer software would not install and just run a loop of doing nothing, but migrating it in with PCMover allowed it to work as it should. I can’t wait to see where they go with Windows 8!

Movie Rants FTW!

2011-09-26T22:54:00.000-07:00

Oh snap people, here we are again, time for another of Darryl's angry rants. So I'm watching Avatar right, I'm down with the super tall, blue Africans and ultra acid trippy forest. The movies is pretty sick, sick enough for me to see it more than once every now and then. However comma, like everyone else who watches movies there's an assload of crap you'd have done differently and a buncha stuff that makes no sense. I'm gonna hit several movies and anime in this rant so get ready to use those skills you learned in the third grade.

AVATAR

Ah James Cameron, you made a good movie out of a book. But sadly I have to question your logic though broski. First and foremost...with all this futuristic technology why didn't they just build a mine under the Ultra Kids Next Door Treehouse base? I mean we tunnel under mountains all the time why not a giant tree? But Darryl the tree's stability... Kindly shut your face until I'm done jackass. Yes the trees might...shift if we dig too much too fast (which we will cause humans are greedy assholes) BUT if we slow the mining to a slow pace and take from the top the shifting might be minimal thanks to those big ass ultra roots. Another thing being ex military, I know crazy and I know stupid people are put in charge of shit most of the time, but that guy was NOT the dude you send to help a research team he'd fit in as a Gear in a second though. Had the Na'vi been openly hostile from the start then yes he's your exterminator but they weren't and he had a hard on for killin'. On a side note, after having mated with one of their huntresses (yup, I'd have tore me up some blue African booty don't even lie and say you wouldn't) anyway, I'd have been like "Oh...F*#K ME!" You just got married for life bro, but oh, wait a tic YOUR A HUMAN ON A DECEPTIVE MISSION IN A FAKE BODY! You just got compromised by a woman...again proving that they are somehow more powerful then dudes...dammit. Ah and don't get me on the arrow logic...it's obvious that this is DEEP in the future so how the hell were their twigs breaching military grade glass? Exactly I don't know either. Oh and quite frankly Miss Weaver could've killed everyone herself , she's a beast and everyone who's seen Alien knows it

Sailor Moon.

They look exactly the same before and after their transformation...just end em' at school or something. Cripes some all-mighty evil badguys YOU are. I mean really not only do they look the same they take forever and a day to transform from horney schoolgirls to horney schoolgirls in slutty outfits. Sorry I may have a huge thing for Asian women but if it's me or them I'm droppin' all of em, especially you Usagi...your too stupid to be alive, Ami will be the only one to live, mostly because it'd ba waste of a smart mind and she's not really a threat anyway.

Every Jason/Micheal Myers movie

This is a no brainer...DON"T INVESTIGATE HIS F*!#IN' HOUSE! If some mute giant is slicing my stupid friends I'm grabbin a gun and some more hapless lackeys to get hunted first. I'm sorry but a tall dude in a stupid mask and some dirty ass coveralls isn't scary to me, that's just an ugly machinist mate on the carrier as far as I'm concerned. Why they hell can't these grown women run without snapping an ankle? If you trip you roll with it and keep going or die. But Darryl what about their teleporting? You try not to run through a damn forest alone! If you somehow kill him don't go investigate his body, double tap his ass and keep watchin' him from a distance in case he needs more persuasion to stay down.

Theres a whole list of stuff I could jump on but I'll do that another time, OH and Japan...I see one more anime that has the US president literally pissing himself we're gonna have words.

HP DV6-6135DX Real World Review

2011-09-23T18:28:00.001-07:00

Technology is changing fast in the world of computers and with the latest AMD APU based systems and Intel Sandy Bridge processors we have to take a step back and reconsider how we measure the value of the computer. Gone are the days when one could look at the Processor speed and choose a computer on that alone. So it is with these in mind I review HP’s DV6-6135DX laptop which retails for around $699.99.

Everyone always wants to know the specifications and for good reason. The combination of parts gives us a good indicator of performance. This modest 15.6in laptops comes with the AMD A8-3500 series APU. Yes this a quad-core with a base clock speed of 1.5GHz and can increase via Turbo Speed to 2.4Ghz. We also get 6GB of ram and a 640GB hard drive. The optical drive is a sweet little Blu-Ray player and DVD Burner. And to sweeten that even further we get Beats Audio with Quad-Speakers. Now this also features switchable graphics with the HD 6620G built into the APU and the dedicated HD 6750M to give you that extra edge. Also included are a few standard options such as Wireless N, Gigabit Ethernet, Multi card reader slot, 2 USB 2.0 ports, HDMI, VGA, and a fingerprint reader. On the newer side of tech life we get 2 USB 3.0 ports, HP TrueVision HD Webcam with microphone. Also to not that we have 1 Microphone in and two Headphone out ports. All weighing at a cozy 6.01 lbs.

It’s definitely heavier than my HP DM4, but it should be with a larger screen. However between the two this has the brighter more vivid screen. The keyboard is Chiclet and quite comfortable to type on. It’s full size with a number pad to the right. The touchpad supports multi gesture and is big enough for anyone to be comfortable. It is also outlined with a thin LED light. Nice appearance and compliments the Black Brushed aluminum design. Yes this thing looks sharp!

As I mentioned I review this based on real world results. Which means I had to take a few weeks to break it in, install my software and remove the unnecessary software that comes preinstalled. Which by the way is not all bad, you just have to choose what you will use or not and adjust your startup programs accordingly. For me Wild Tangent has always bugged me and I never play those games, thus I uninstalled all the HP Games. The first thing I did was uninstall Norton 60 days trial and install Eset Smart Security 5. There is no sense in having a solid laptop without the best security! Next I install Office 2010 which is preinstalled and just required my Product Key. It’s a great time saver that is found on almost al new PCs. Next I made sure Flash and Adobe Reader were up to date along with all the drivers and HP’s Support Assistant. Next a few things to help with my Multimedia Enjoyment. I installed Digiarty’s WinX Blu-Ray Decrypter, Gimp, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, iTunes, and VLC. This are the main things I need for a laptop that I see primarily to use as a Multimedia machine and compliments the Blu-Ray player software that is already installed.

So how about that performance? Well I noticed right away that by boot time into Windows was much faster than my HP DM4, which has a Dual-Core Core i7. Granted the DM4 is older and has more production software on it. Still that is impressive. Next I like to have movies available without having to swap discs. Not needing a disc also saves battery from spinning said disc. So I tossed in my Blu-Ray copy of Law Abiding Citizen and using WinX Blu-Ray decrypter was able to have a playable digital copy in 50 minutes while on battery, plugged it should save a few minutes. But this is a laptop and is meant to be used on battery. I also for good measure played the Disc in Cyberlink PowerDVD and let’s just say it was a great looking picture and the sound is sweet, sweet, sweet full sound! Now I will point out that the Blu-ray drive was quite noisy while spinning up, but once it got going it was almost dead silent.

Microsoft Word launches in under 3 seconds and I have no delay while typing. That’s an A+ right there. Copying that 28.5GB video file I created was done in just over 10 minutes. And a complete scan with Eset Smart Security took about the same. All this while on battery. And running this tasks while typing has left me with just 45% battery life, and I should point out that I have my power settings set to high performance. This also shows that it can handle multitasking with ease.

The bottom line is this is a beautiful laptop with a powerful APU from AMD that handles multimedia very well. It’s great for Music, Movies, and pictures and can handle everyday tasks. It’s performance in modest for content creation, but still has enough power to get the job done. If your looking for a solid built laptop to handle your entertainment needs, this is it. Battery life is fair and if needed you can save power by keeping the HP Recommended power setting. But I get enough juice on High Performance, with close to 3 hours of demanding workload. Yes, this is a very well rounded laptop and worth the $699 price tag.

From Launch To E-Day And Beyond: GOW3

2011-09-23T02:59:00.001-07:00

Gears of War 3 people, that’s what I just finished today. I completed the Campaign on Hardcore after a rough estimate of about 8-10 hours. Truly, a fun experience and quite challenging. However, before I dig into the game, let’s first talk about the launch.

I was there at The Fashion Valley Mall in the Microsoft Store at 10pm on Monday September 19th for their epic (No pun intended) launch party for Gears Of War 3. They opened the doors for all of us to grab some NOS, Vitamin Water, and POP Chips. Nothing like a snack before a long night of gaming. We also got to jump right in and play some Gears on one of many 360s that had setup for us. And along with the raffles and prizes they handed out a goody bag with a t-shirt, lanyards, Xbox 360 skin and more just for being one of the first one hundred people in the door. And then we had a a Wingman tournament, not a bad way to usher in the final chapter of Gears! I for one was lucky enough to win the grand prize in their raffle, a Gears of War 2 Marcus Fenix Bust by Triforce. It is sweet! And I must say the Microsoft Store was the place to be, it was jumping with excited fans who waited until midnight to get their copy.

Anyway, now on to the game. I played the beta and was not entirely impressed. I then got to play Horde 2.0 at E3 and that alone was enough to get me pumped. But having played the previous two, I just had to jump into campaign first-I wanted to know how this ends. In fact it ends…. Who am I kidding, I won’t spoil you so easily. So what can I tell you? The story is well written and it is honestly moving, if you are an emotional person you may just shed a tear here and there and then maybe over there.

Yes, the story arc is complete. Although a few questions will remain, maybe forever locked on that disc. Anyway, let’s talk about the graphics. Very well rendered and stunning. The gameplay and cut scenes both run smooth with a few minor exceptions. I had a couple of load scenes that wanted to stutter and once early on the frame rate seemed to struggle. But with the size of a game like this, it’s fine. We are not talking anything earth shattering.

The gameplay and controls are much as I remember from Gears one and two, but more natural. I found it very easy to jump right back into the game. And with the simplicity, I think we just might have a game that almost anyone could pick up and play. And lastly, I have to say the soundtrack was perfect!

I am very impressed with the game, and truly this is enjoyable as far as the campaign goes. I played through on hardcore and it was tough, but not “I’m going to pull out my hair” because of frustration hard. I got through most of the game without much trouble, but that last Act, especially the last chapter is a tough one indeed! I died more in that one last boss fight than I did throughout the entire campaign! All in all you’ll find new enemies and old, some that go down easy and others that will make you fight like you wouldn’t believe.

The inclusion of graffiti throughout the game adds character and realism but at the same time your so focused on the fight in front of you- you may miss it. The story is epic in many ways and will through you only a few curves. The cut scenes are perfectly placed and provide just enough info. There is some language and while I don’t believe it is necessary, it’s not quite too much-but very close to being so.

When you hop online to play with your friends you can choose the normal Deathmatch options and all, but we also get to play 4 player co op in the campaign. That is pretty sweet and will come in handy when I go back and play through on Insane. We also get Beast Mode which is much like Horde, however this time you are the locust or lambent and you must survive wave after wave of humans. I found it difficult to get into as in not as enjoyable. But still it is a challenge to survive even one round! I think the concept of killing humans like that just bugs me a little. Horde on the other hand is just too much fun. Especially with the new money system which allows you to earn money as you kill and progress and but defenses and upgrades, ammo and weapons. Both play much the same just the opposite of each other in basic terms.

In Conclusion, if you love gears or are just getting into it-you should enjoy this. It is a very well rounded and well made game with a story that you want to follow. Is it worth the $60 price tag? Absolutely! I am enjoying the game and will be playing online for quite some time. Sorry Call of Duty: Black Ops, I have something better to play for the time being!

redneckpoet

Woolly Bully

2011-09-22T22:58:00.001-07:00

The worse of them are amongst us, like the wolf in sheeps clothing.

In the light of the most recent bullying related suicide the Mother Monster [Lady Gaga to the rest of you] has decided she's had enough and wants reform and a law passed making it so that bullying carries the same weight as a hate crime. Wikipedia states the following on hate crimes:

In crime and law, hate crimes (also known as bias-motivated crimes) occur when a perpetrator targets a victim because of his or her perceived membership in a certain social group, usually defined by racial group, religion, sexual orientation, disability, class, ethnicity, nationality, age, gender,gender identity, social status or political affiliation.^[1]

On bullying it states this:

Bullying is a form of aggressive behavior, which may manifest as abusive treatment, the use of force or coercion to affect others,^[2] particularly when habitual and involving an imbalance of power. It may involve verbal harassment, physical assault or coercion and may be directed persistently towards particular victims, perhaps on grounds of race, religion, gender, sexuality, or ability

There are many parallels to both behaviors. Whether bullying is the same as hate crimes or whether they are truly two separate behaviors is a very volatile and debatable argument. Regardless of your opinion on the matter we as a society need to be more aware and active about the abuse.

Earlier this year at a White House conference on bullying prevention Obama said that he hoped to "dispel the myth that bullying is just a harmless rite of passage or an inevitable part of growing up, its not." At this conference it was also stated that bullying affects about 1/3 of school kids. I feel that the number should be higher, in fact another source says that 77% of students have been bullied and that cyber bullying just increases the numbers. It makes me sick to my stomach that a society and culture that many kill to be a part of chooses to neglect such a serious topic.

Yeah every couple of years a situation occurs and it becomes the trendy topic and everyone just sits there and points fingers. From Columbine even up to last years trail of Gay suicides it just shows that nothings changed but the names and faces. Maybe the motives for the bullying is different, but its peanuts, cashews and almonds... its all nuts in the end.

But back my intended point. I was browsing through comments about Mother Monsters call to action and was appalled by the amount of stupid on my screen. While I totally agree with her that when bullying escalates and becomes a motive of death that it should absolutely carry some weight like a hate crime. I think we as a society need to understand what is happening.

The problem with being "American" is that we're too absorbed of our culture to the point where we start to shutter ourselves back into this safe bubble. Anything and everything that is different or unique has somehow become the enemy and a threat. Those very traits are the reason this country was even founded, its what we're fighting for isn't it? The right to be free? The right to be different?

Apparently not. One comment struck me in my core and is the reason I sit here writing this.
One reader stated

Lady Gag-me is a freak. She's the last person that should be standing up for bullying. No one takes her seriously and its not like her fans are the problem. We need to target the "gangstas" and the "metal" kids.

The commenter went on to say that metal kids are trouble makers and that they're all closed minded bullies. Excuse me, but I believe you just called the kettle black. Have we not learned from the West Memphis three?
To speak against bullying yet in the same comments, you go and group music fans as devil worshiping delinquents because of how they look and for what they like? That is what we call counter productive. I think the worst offenders of the "hate" mindset are lying right amongst our herds and sadly they don't even realize that they are the wolf.

Ugh. But anyways, besides the minor rage I wanted to say this:
I've been bullied for most of my life. For reasons ranging from having a cooler lunchbox to not being "Asian" enough to just plain being different. Bullying is a serious thing, and from what I've seen its only gotten more severe as each passing generation. It needs to stop, make them stop, its the only way that it'll get better.

Explain This Nonsense!

2011-09-20T17:23:00.000-07:00

(Touching on the last post "I Will Destroy Everything You Love" )

This new generation of "geeks"...It doesn't add up, not one bit! It's suddenly a fad to be a geek now? Is this what hipsters felt like when they became mainstream? Is it going to be looked down upon, once again, after it passes? It's not big, yet, but I've noticed quite a bit of it in the section of the cosplay community that I'm familiar with, let alone daily life. Why just a few months ago, I heard the worst conversation at an anime convention!

So here's the scenario, I'm sitting in the main panel to see the cosplay contest this year, and to my disappointment, it's worse than the year before. No music, a very nervous, awkward MC, and people who need to get out. Many of them.

*MC walks on stage and introduces herself and tries to make jokes regarding her Maka cosplay*

Girl 1 (behind me): OMG MAKA. I LOVE YOU!!!!!!~

Girl 2 (next to girl 1): Who is she?

G1: Maka, from Soul Eater!

G2: What's that?

G1: An amazing anime!

G2: Oh, I wouldn't know, I hate anime.

What.The. Hell. Why are you here? Are you here just to look cool? Are you wearing a cosplay that your little friend talked you into because it looked cool and people liked it? Have you only ever seen Naruto and the latest episodes of Pokemon or Bleach or something? This is ridiculous. Much like the post before, I will say it's all for attention. Plenty of girls are showing up in slutty cosplays calling them "alternative versions" or "sexy _____" I understand versions of, say, Panty and Stocking, or the like, but there's a broad line between "I put loads of effort into this and I love it no matter what," and "Hurr ai-m sexii."

I won't use visual examples as I'll cite things wrong and piss people off (Screw the MLA Handbook!), but I'll try to paint a mental picture with more examples, this time with Yoko Littner from Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann I'll make it to the point:

Loads of effort to make it look good: nice, reasonable materials are used. It's very

detailed, It's clear how carefully each piece was made and it's not falling apart. Shorts are just the right length, not too short, not too long, and the bikini top is enough to cover your damn chest, not only to make it defy gravity. Posing is very modest, to the point it may just be battle poses from the anime.

Whoring yourself out : The shorts are far too short to the point that panty shots are entirely

possible. The bikini top shows too much. Yes there is underboobage, no that doesn't mean we want to see 70% of your boobs (mostly females wouldn't but still, want a bad rep from us?). The costume is poorly put together and looks like it was just a bunch of underclothes torn up and

thrown on at the last minute. Posing is one of the largest

offenders here. Cleavage shots, slutty poses, "Myspace photos", and so on. If you're

doing this as a joke with friends...it'd be nice if you kept it that way, between friends.

Not everyone wants to see this.

Get my point? It's pretty obvious when you compare side by side, but sometimes it's just that clear. I've seen it a lot lately, I even have friends into anime just for the erm...revealing outfits, and it's absurd; sometimes they haven't even seen the series, they just pick it because they like the look of the outfits. Not saying that's not the way to choose a cosplay, but it'd be a little less awkward if someone called you by your character's name and after taking a picture, chose to talk about the series, and you can actually say something about the series. Something more than "I like the artwork" =w= Before I run off subject....Cosplay is for fun. I won't judge you if you can actually say why you chose the character you cosplayed and what you liked about the character other than you liked the outfit, but if you can't even tell me what series you're cosplaying from, just leave with your "picatchu" before you anger this little Asian girl

"I Will Destroy Everything You Love" or "Countering the Counter Culture"

2011-09-19T22:21:00.000-07:00

Maybe I'm getting too old for this current generation.
Maybe "pop culture" really is a heartless beast.

Regardless, over the past few years I seem to have become an elitist for what was once a sacred sub-culture. Everything that was once uncool to be/do/like is cool, and thanks to the media (social and traditional) and a culture where looks are everything. I am pretty heavy on the whole social media thing, I do have a Facebook, a Tumblr, a Twitter. I Skype/AIM/Stikkam. You name it, I've touched it. One thing that i have noticed a huge rise in, is the popularity of "alternative" culture, specifically "geeks". Its now trendy, fashionable and... sexy?
[side rant: ..could've sworn that when I was younger and gave a damn, being an "alternative geek" just meant I went home in tears from the negative reception]

Unfortunatly there is a large percentage (mostly female) population who feel that the only way to survive is by constantly being on the cutting edge of "trendy, fashionable, and sexy" so lo and behold! Geek is in and there is money to be made! Which now brings me to my original point of disdain... Hot Topic.

Don't get me wrong, once upon a time I LOVED shopping there. Hell, I even did my time working there for a year. I tell ya, the place has changed. For a company built on "everything about the music", they've lost their values. Music is now maybe only 25% of their focus. Maybe. The other 75% has become "everything that is not Hollister, but still cooler than Spencers". That my friend translates to whoring out "pop culture." This in itself is a bittersweet pill. It means that now I can find all the Pikachu shirts in the world and not look like a weirdo wearing it. But it also means that every mall rat will buy it as well so they can be cool and impress that boy or girl who says " OMG PICKACHOO. I REMEMBER THAT CARTOON" [side rant # 2: have you kids even played the damn game? Cause you certainly can't even spell Pikachu right] In short, everything that was once sacred is now easily accessible. That Transformers or Jem shirt you had as a kid? I can buy it at the mall and it'll look twice as worn as your original shirt!! And don't even get me started on piercing and body jewelry, that's a whole 'nother rant. I've already taken up enough of your time.

Bottom line is, while you should be proud of what you love and should hold it sacred, take it for what its worth cause the hype machine will come and steal your precious'.

PS.
The reason for today's rant? I came across this on the Hot Topic FB:

Apparently Sailor Moon is in this fall. Causing much disdain to my generation who loved the mystery of having to visit Japanese import markets for our swag, this also angers cosplayers that spend many hours perfecting their costume just to have it on a shelf at a mall, bastardized in plastic while we shed a giant tear drop for our beloved Queen Serenity and her court of Sailor Stars

Completing the Circle

2011-09-18T18:22:00.000-07:00

In 1994 I was 10 years old.
I also got to experience a movie theater for the first time.
The movie?
None other than the great "Lion King".
I shouldn't have to tell you about the movie, if you don't know message me and we'll discuss this issue in private.
But today, I came full circle with the masterpiece I am thrilled to have experienced in all its glory.

The Lion King has won many awards and remains high in ranks for top grossing films of all time.
Its one of my personal favorites of all time and definitely the peak of the "Disney Renaissance".
It has the perfect balance of stunningly fantastic (hand drawn) visuals and an outstanding score and soundtrack thanks to the fabulous Sir Elton John, Tim Rice and Hans Zimmer. The story is nothing short of what I love about this era of Disney, breathtaking and captivating, just enough action and just the right touch of romance.

But, like I said, I shouldn't have to tell you about the movie.
What I will tell you is how, at 17 years later the movie still took my breath away and had a normally ADHD, fidgety me firmly glued to my seat, staring at the screen in awe. The slight touch of 3D certainly added life to the already vibrant colors of the Serengeti, all the fancy remastering made everything so brand new but so familiar.

Although I haven't seen the movie in years, I knew every line and song, word for word, note for note.
I was very pleased, even with a full theater and the bloody wallet, I was still a kid again.
Better yet, I got to see this with my sister who wasn't even born when this movie first came out and it was still just as magical to relive this masterpiece.

I truly suggest that anyone and everyone should take the time to revisit this film whether in 3d or just 2d its worth the magic. We owe Mufasa's legacy that much, to complete this circle of life and keep this story strong in the eyes of our generation and for the future generations.