Chris Maddalena's Blog

Lets Talk Microtransactions: Solforge vs. Hearthstone

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 10 Feb 2014 17:34:00 +0000

I think about microtransactions a lot. I am cognizant of the dichotomy of my thoughts on the subject, too; I'll throw money at something that brings me joy, and without question, but if I'm doing it on a mobile device, I feel weird about it. I got to thinking more about this while playing Hearthstone. I recognize and appreciate that this game can be played and enjoyed without paying a cent. However, as a fan of card games, I wanted to dive into the deckbuilding. I spent a week playing it every day, so I spent $10 to buy 7 packs to get started.

A week later, I spent another $10. And another $10 a week after that. At this point I started wondering why I'd never gotten around to buying some packs for another card game I enjoy, Solforge. Solforge is similar to Hearthstone and also a free-to-play CCG on PC and iOS, although Hearthstone isn't available on iOS yet. I've played Solforge daily on my iPad for the past 8 months or so. I expect the iOS version of Hearthstone will make me play a lot less, so I decided to spend $10 for the time I've spent with it.

Then I remembered why I had never spent any money: gold. I had to buy a fake digital currency called Gold. Then I had to use my fake Gold to buy packs of cards, but only after performing a lot of division and/or multiplication to figure out which tier of Gold I needed to buy to get the specific packs I wanted. There are several tiers of Gold purchases and three type of card packs. You can't just give them money and receive packs of cards. Everything is incredibly obfuscated. Such is the way of bad microtransactions.

Before continuing, let me say I realize that Stoneblade Entertainment, the creator of Solforge, has to give Apple a cut of in-app purchases, so this roundabout purchase process helps them charge a little more to make-up the difference. That just passes the overhead onto the consumer, but I'm sympathetic.

When I buy a pack of cards in Hearthstone, I know each pack is valued at about $1.50. I know this because I give Blizzard $2.99 and I receive 2 packs. If I spend $9.99, I receive 7 packs, and so on. I don't buy Hearthstone Gold to buy packs. I just spend USD and I don't end up with a balance in fake currency.

Solforge's microtransactions are an example of what is wrong with this model. Now, hang on. I know there are apps with some truly awful in-app purchases out there, especially in the games category. If you're thinking about one of these apps, then you know those apps are abusive. The microtransaction model itself is not bad, but it must be done well or it is exploitive and silly.

At the time of this writing*, Solforge charges:

70 Gold for a Basic pack
560 Gold for a Normal pack
3,250 Gold for a Premium pack
$4.99 for 1300 Gold (base tier)
$9.99 for 2750 Gold (5% bonus)
$19.99 for 5600 Gold (7.5% bonus)
$49.99 for 14400 Gold (10% bonus)
$99.99 for 30000 Gold (15% bonus)

*There is a "Winter Sale" going on where all prices for things you buy with Gold are 50% off, so all prices in Gold have been doubled.

Lets acknowledge the typical, sort of sleazy strategies employed here. The prices don't increase at the same rate (no $14.99 option). Each tier advertises a % bonus in Gold. The ridiculous $99.99 tier is a huge button in a different color and advertised as "THE BEST VALUE". OK, now lets ignore that trash. This is all par for the course that is microtransactions. I want to discuss the economy that this idea of Gold is hiding.

Hearthstone packs are well balanced because there is one type of pack that contains the same number of cards and chances of containing something rare as every other pack. Solforge's card packs are already unbalanced because of the tiered model they use. Basic packs only grant you three cards (one guaranteed rare) and it'll probably always be something you have after you've been playing the game for a while. A Normal pack grant you 8 cards (two rare cards and one heroic guaranteed). A Premium pack grants you 10 cards, but it's the king of packs; you are guaranteed to receive one legendary card, three heroic cards, and three rare cards.

The Solforge community has also determined that, while any pack can contain a legendary card, Premium packs have a higher chance of spitting them out. So spend more money and get ore bang for your buck. This breaks the traditional CCG model: buy a pack of cards and cross your fingers; the old ways keep every competitor on even ground.

Solforge also offers you 4 chances to get one of these packs for free every day. The chance of getting a Premium pack is very low, but you often get a free Basic pack and some Silver. Oh, no, another currency. Yes, there is also Silver, which can be used to buy some things, like Basic packs. Silver will be discussed later.

This is already getting complicated. Prices can't be directly compared because each pack is different. But we can use the base Gold tier to figure our the USD price of Gold. $1.00 gets you 260 Gold. That means:

Basic packs are $0.27
Normal packs are $2.15
Premium packs are $12.50

Wow. OK, so you get a guaranteed legendary and all that, but $12.50 for 10 cards? Remember, this might be awesome if you download the game and dive in by buying some Premium packs, but if you wait, you'll probably get duplicate cards. It's a $12.50 gamble. Compared to the Hearthstone model (or physical card games), this seems ludicrous.

I wanted to give Stoneblade Entertainment $10, so I had to figure out what this meant. We know that got me 2,750 Gold. Normally that would not get me a Premium pack, but that Winter Sale business enabled me to buy one for 1,625 Gold. That left me with 1,125 Gold. I was then able to buy four Normal packs for 280 each. I was left with a maddening 4 Gold.

As a fan of the game, Normal packs are next to worthless for me. Slightly more efficient than Basic packs, but full of cards I probably don't need anymore, and this turned out to be the case with my purchases. It hardly mattered, though. My aim was really to "buy" the game and support it. It still left a sour taste.

Then I started looking at the other things for sale. A skin for the gameplay area is 15,000 Silver or 140 Gold, which comes to about $0.54. That should make 1,000 Silver equal to $0.04. A Basic card pack is the only pack you can buy with Silver and it carries a 900 Silver price. But that means you can either spend $0.27 USD or $0.03 in Silver.

But this changes based on how you choose to calculate the cost of Silver. If we base it off a Basic pack, 1000 Silver is worth $0.30. A Basic pack costs 900 Silver or $0.27 in Gold, so this seems to be Stoneblade's intended exchange rate. That makes the price of a skin $4.50 in Silver. See how quickly this goes off the rails? Either way the balance between Silver and Gold is terribly skewed.

Additional deck slots for custom card decks can be purchased for 25,000 Silver or 140 Gold. Wait. That's the same Gold price as a skin, but the Silver price is 10,000 higher. That's $7.50 in Silver and $0.54 in Gold/USD. None of this makes any sense, but it only gets worse.

To truly understand how this is so bad, I have to explain Silver. You can get Silver as a reward for playing. You can get tiny amount of a few hundred Silver or over 2,000 just from signing-in each day. Every prize after that, gained by winning 5 games, can also reward Silver, but sometimes you get a draft or event ticket, a card pack, or a single card. Your reward and its value is completely random. If we assume you can gain at least 5,000 Silver every day, that means 3-5 days to earn what could be purchased for $0.54.

This is a typical reward. It's generous to assume 5,000 Silver /day.

Tickets are truly broken. Both Hearthstone and Solforge have a card draft mode. Hearthstone calls it The Arena and a player can pay their entry fee with a single day's worth of in-game currency or $1.99 USD. Solforge calls it a Draft Tournament and charges the player 7 tickets, a third currency.

You can buy a ticket for 20,000 Silver or 130 Gold, but you need seven. Why even do the math? We already know the result will only make us all sad. You need 7 tickets to enter a Draft Tournament. That means--assuming a player doesn't get lucky with their daily rewards--the entry fee is one or some combination of:

35 days collecting 5,000 Silver/day
$3.50 in Gold
$42 in Silver

Solforge values their Draft mode as 2x what Hearthstone values its Arena mode. That might be a value might be as high as 35x that of Hearthstone's if a player is only spending in-game currency. To be fair, entry into the Arena requires 2-3 days worth of currency, but Hearthstone doles out currency via Quests, which you can build up for 3 days and complete all at once.

This entire piece has actually gone a completely different direction than I expected, mostly because I had not anticipated the math to be so ridiculous. My quick mental math painted a slightly more balanced picture, which might be the point of all this obfuscation. But it does help shed some light onto why I shy away from spending money on my iPad when I'd probably throw money at my PC monitor if I thought it'd be a faster way to give my money away.

It's because of all this trash between me and the people I want to pay. If I had started playing Hearthstone on my iPad and never touched the PC version, I wonder if I'd have ever spent any money, or spent it so quickly. I think it might have not made any difference. We'll see what Blizzard chooses to do with in-app purchases when that app is released for iOS.

Figuring out how to balance an economy of Silver, Gold, and USD is hard, but maybe you just shouldn't try to do it. At the best of times you get some version of this mess, but it's jut insulting and abusive at its worst. Solforge is somewhere between and I sincerely hope they can fix it.

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The Philips Wake-up Alarm Clock

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 10 Feb 2014 15:54:00 +0000

This thing looks like something from space or Tony Stark's bedroom. Philips says it will imitate the rising and setting sun and that's a spot on description. It's fair to call this an alarm clock/bedside lamp, but it uses light to wake you up. Sitting 16-20" from your face (the recommended distance for it to work), you feel like you're looking into the sun. You can lower the maximum intensity of the light (or light sensitivity, as Philips calls it) from 0-20, but I keep it at 20 for the full effect. It's a lot like looking at 5000K LED lightbulb without a lampshade.

The idea is the alarm clock turns the light on to wake you up. Thankfully it does this over a period of 30 minutes, instead of just going from dark to LED light in your face. The initial setup is very simple. The clock uses touch buttons along the bottom for Select, +, -, and Menu. It's simple to set the clock and your alarm with just these buttons. If you've ever used a TV that uses touch-sensitive buttons instead of physical buttons, you might have groaned when you read that, but these buttons are surprisingly responsive.

There are additional physical buttons around the top of the clock that serve their own special functions. The Alarm button is convenient, but also a reminder of the clock's biggest negative: you can only have one alarm set at a time. That's typical, but if you've been using a phone app for your alarm for a while, you're probably used to having several alarms for different days and times. On the upside, when you press the Alarm button you toggle the alarm on and off. When you toggle it on, you have the opportunity to set a new time. if you want to change the light intensity, though, you do need to go through the menu. That means you can't easily change the intensity and time for the weekend, but you're supposed to find the light level that works best for you and stick to it.

The clock also has two special buttons: a light button and a Fall Asleep button. The light button turns the light on and off so it can be used as a lamp. There are also two + and - buttons for increasing and decreasing the brightness for the lamp. That doesn't affect your alarm, though.

If you're interested in the clock then you're probably going to be interested in the Fall Asleep button. It's basically the clock's function in reverse: the light turns on and slowly gets dimmer. You press Fall Asleep and use the front controls to set a time (00, 5, 10, 15, 30, 45, or 60 minutes). The light comes on at the same intensity level you have set for your alarm and slowly dims over the course of the time you entered. The button icon is a little man reading a book and the idea is this is your sleep timer for reading at night. The light gets very dim, so you know it's time to put away your book and (possibly) you're feeling sleepy because the tiny sun next to your bed has "set". The few times I tried it, it seemed to have some relaxing effects, but who knows if it was really the clock or allowing my eyes to rest for an hour without looking at a computer screen. It's a neat feature, at least, a sleep timer for your book reading.

The other buttons are typical. There's a snooze button that'll mute the clock's sound (if one is setup) for 9 minutes, but leaves the light on, and a contrast button for clicking through the four brightness levels for the digital clock display. The clock also has an FM radio function for listening and for use as an alarm sound. There's an FM radio button to turn it on and off and two seek buttons.

The reason you would buy this is the alarm function, so lets talk about that. Everything else is really superfluous--smart, but unnecessary. I've been using the alarm for about a month now.

The light is meant to wake you up naturally without needing loud sounds that jolt you awake. You can add sound to the alarm, but it only plays at the time you have set and the built-in sound options are light and pleasant. There are birds chirping, the sound of water and the outdoors, and a little piano tune. You can use the FM radio for sound if you want music or something a little more jarring to get you up and moving.

I mention the sound only starts playing at the alarm time because the light portion of the alarm begins 30 minutes before the time you have set. The light gradually increases in brightness to mimic the sun rising and lighting the room. Like I said earlier, at level 20, the light gets seriously bright. I found that the light would wake me up about 10 minutes early and it would be a pleasant light, like a lamp with a heavy lampshade. But, of course, I'd try to fight it. That's when the really bright light was useful. By my alarm time, the light would be too much to just ignore and then the little tune would begin to play. At this point I would be forced to turn off the light or get up, so I'd get out of bed.

The light does not shut-off at the alarm time. This is good. If you're a heavy sleeper or turned away from the light, you want it to remain on to rouse you. That's where the sounds come in handy, too. If your face is buried in a pillow (or a cat or dog has laid across your face), the sound should get your attention and the light will take it from there. I found the wake-up experience to be pleasant.

This is actually more useful than you might imagine, so it's good that Philips designed the light to stay on until you press the lamp button. I have had experiences where the alarm sound roused me and prompted me to rollover to investigate--while still very much asleep. Then I would be woken up by the light already at full intensity. So, great, that works, but what about actually leaving bed? Yes, we so often wake-up, turn-off our alarms, and say we just need a moment... before we fall asleep again. When I did this, I found the light would keep bringing me back from sleep again (and again and again). In this way the clock manages to help you get out of bed even on a cold winter morning in Michigan.

After the first two weeks, I found I started resisting the alarm. I would wake-up at 6:30 and fall back asleep listening to the piano tune. I switched to the bird songs and had the same problem. I have now switched to the FM radio to at least encourage myself to interact with the alarm when I wake-up. It's still the most successful alarm clock I've ever owned.

The only complaint I have is the price. My clock was purchased for $60 on a Woot.com sale. They're normally $120. That seems like a lot for an alarm clock, and it is, but I'm happy with it for $60. I will say this, though, the build quality is solid. This isn't the average cheap, plastic clock that you replace every so often. This is much more of an investment. It's a proper appliance and Philips has priced it with that in mind. They packed-in additional features like the Fall Asleep function, radio, and lamp options, but I really only ever found the alarm clock function very useful. My Kindle Paperwhite has its own backlight, so I read in the dark at night, although I have been testing the Fall Asleep function. I don't listen to the radio or have many options around here for radio stations I'd like to wake-up to, so I only used it once to listen to it. It would be great if a less expensive model was available somehow, maybe without these additional features.

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New Year's Resolutions

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 09 Jan 2014 16:35:00 +0000

It's a new year and that always makes me think about the idea of new year resolutions. I like to spend the weeks around Christmas and New Year cleaning-up things, like my email inbox, finances, and work schedule and planning for the new year. But I do this not because it's a new year. I do it because my work-life is slower around the holidays and it makes me feel better knowing everything remains in order while my personal life gets busier for a few weeks.

I don't make new year resolutions because they're bullshit. It's six years ago this week that I resolved to get into shape and lose a lot of weight. A few weeks before Christmas, I declared a new year resolution: lose 80 pounds in 2008. But what I did leading up to January 1st revealed what a sham this was. I devoured all of the cookies, fudge, and pie. I snacked on Christmas themed chocolates. I ate a lot of cheese and wings on New Year's Eve while throwing back drinks. I told myself I deserved this because, come January 1st, I would have to swear-off it all for a good long time.

The problem with that was I could have started adjusting my food intake and planning the changes in my life as soon as I decided to lose the weight. I put it off because it was the end of the year. What a great, if cliché, resolution for 2008 I had here. And wouldn't it be cool to track the weight loss starting with month #1? How even and clean! I told myself a lot of lies to explain why I was having second slice of pie at Thanksgiving when I wanted to lose almost 1/3 of my body weight.

Then came 2008 and I was unprepared. I didn't know where to start. I didn't know how much I should eat or was currently eating on a daily basis. I didn't even know how to begin an exercise routine for my fitness level. And so I decided I would spend a week learning the basics, which included eating regularly for a few days so I could track what I was eating to maintain my 260 pounds. I felt my self-esteem plummet. After the first day this seemed like another excuse to put-off changing my ways. That was until I actually looked at my data and realized I had had a solid idea.

It wasn't the most scientific study, but averaged out over three days, I found I was eating almost 4,000 calories each day. That was just over the caloric intake necessary to maintain my weight, so that explained how I had raced towards 260 and then kept on steadily gaining weight each month. Then I did some push-ups. I managed three. I was never able to bang-out dozens of push-ups, but three was heartbreaking. I realized I had ruined myself and that was what I truly needed.

My new year resolution was a failure from conception. When I found my motivation, that was when things changed. I threw myself into learning all I could about what my body needed from me. I learned I could do a lot of simple things to improve my health if I could just muster the self-discipline to stick with the decisions. I gave myself easy goals: lose 50 pounds by June 22nd (my birthday, and I could enjoy some cake as a reward) and lose 80 pounds by Thanksgiving. I lose 100 pounds by the end of May.

So I don't believe in new year resolutions. I believe in making resolutions at any time. If you want to change something, prepare yourself with whatever you need (knowledge, gear, money--whatever) and make the change. A new year sucks for health-related resolutions anyway. It's cold and dark outside. You can't enjoy a nice walk or a job. You have to join a gym or wear layers and go outside. It's all inconvenient, expensive, and not fun. Spend the winter tweaking your diet, shoveling snow for some cardio and exercise, and learning. Then apply your new knowledge in the spring. Whatever you want to do, don't wait for a new year to do it. Who knows if it'll be possible in a month, three months, or six. Start on your goals right away.

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My Top Ten Games of the Year 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 20 Dec 2013 17:55:00 +0000

I set out to make my top 10 list of games 2013 and I thought I had it all sewn up. Then I started cataloging the games I needed to consider, the games from 2013 that I played. I was wrong. I had a top 16+ and a few other games I wouldn't include in a top 10 but would highly recommend. My strategy then was to write a short paragraph for each game explaining why I had enjoyed it. I figured I'd come to games I couldn't really remember or I would have memories that would make it obvious it shouldn't be in my top 10. I guess I forgot how good 2013 was to me for games. Well, here it is:

Metro Last Light
The Last of Us
Bioshock Infinite
Saints Row IV
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
Fire Emblem Awakening
Papers, Please
Year Walk
The Swapper
Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag

1. Metro Last Light

Everyone should try the Metro games. Exploring the metro systems of post-apocalyptic Russia is exciting, tense, and strangely enjoyable. I prefer to play them in Ranger mode where there is no HUD and I have to glance at my gun's clip to know how little ammunition I have. Everything from hoarding ammunition for survival, paying for essential equipment with that ammunition, and using a hand crank to keep my flashlight powered adds to this gritty world in some great and unique ways. Even the story behind the game's development is incredible. Look it up.

2. The Last of Us

This was one of those rare games that managed to really satisfy me. The narrative and character arcs were great, it looked terrific, and I enjoyed the tension a great deal. I'm tired of zombies at this point, but The Last of Us made it work by doing what Robert Kirkman does with The Walking Dead books: it focused on characters and human drama to build tension , dread, and excitement. I'm looking forward to the DLC and in a time where I have less time to play games and so much else to look forward to, that says something for me.

3. Bioshock Infinite

I finished Infinite just before leaving on a business trip for Seattle. I was so enjoying picking the story apart the story in my head that I was thrilled when a friend called me while I was waiting for my plane. We talked for about an hour and even that was only the start of a larger conversation we would have later. I reveled in exploring every inch of Columbia, this grand city in the sky. I've read the critiques of the story and they have merit, but Ken Levine still succeeded at creating something only a select few are even trying, telling a complex narrative. The only thing keeping this from topping my list is the actual gameplay, a damning criticism for a game to be sure. The loose shooting and bullet sponge enemies--that are often engaged in obvious arena-style combat sections--were less and less fun as I moved forward. However, I wanted to see and hear more of what Columbia had to offer--those old time classic songs!--so I paid my dues and pushed onward.

4. Saints Row IV

Oh, Saints Row. Such a video game of a video game. I've never had this much fun exploring a cityscape. The game had everything I needed for dumb fun: stupid jokes, ridiculous radio stations in my head, the ability to jump over buildings and fly, and a lot of silly weapons and things to shoot at. I won't spend a breath trying to defend the story, but then again I can barely remember it. The memory of this game makes me smile and that's really what Saints Row is all about.

5. Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate

I never thought I'd ever play a Monster Hunter game, but I wanted to test the waters of different genres and game types. It turns out I really, really like Monster Hunter. I played it on the Wii U, carried it with me on my 3DS, and went way out of my way to develop strategies and different sets of armor and weapons. After over 100 hours I realized why I liked it. It was scratching my MMO itch without requiring me to find dozens of other people to work with to hunt a grand beast. The big disappointment for me was I was deep into the late game and still HR2. When I went to try to level-up I had to take on quests from 80 or 90 hours ago and I couldn't bring myself to do that. This eventually led to me playing less and less, but I'm ready for the next game.

6. Fire Emblem Awakening

Last year's XCOM: Enemy Unknown primed me for this game. I wanted to avoid playing too much XCOM so wouldn't be tired of it when the expansion was released, so Fire Emblem Awakening came at a perfect time. I played through it on Hard + Classic. It was brutal and a lot of fun.

7. Papers, Please

Lucas Pope created Papers, Please. I owe Lucas Pope a thank you for some of the most bureaucratic fun I've had all year. I was constantly stopping to remind myself that the game I was playing was basically a re-skinned version of the least enjoyable parts of my own job and yet I was still having fun. The way the story played out was interesting, if a little depressing. But that's the balance of Papers, Please: there's fun here, but you can't put on your finger on why stamping passports is fun and then you're making some terrible decisions about strangers and your own family all while dealing with some funny and ridiculous individuals. Somehow this came together to keep me engaged and interested. Papers, Please is a singular game that was a highlight of 2013. Glory to Arstotzka!

8. Year Walk & the Year Walk Companion App

I tried to play this game exclusively with headphones and in the dark. The crunch crunch crunch of the snow as you walked, diorama-like art style, and creepy atmosphere made me want to lean into the game. Part puzzler, part horror game, Year Walk is an outstanding game. The game doesn't even end at the end. You can switch over to the Year Walk Companion app, your introduction and study aid to the Swedish folklore referenced in the game, and enter a code to unlock even more of the game. Playing it on an iPad actually adds to the experience because it allows for the jump scares to really get at you. When you have to have your hands holding the screen you can't back away. It's amazing the Simogo managed to release Year Walk and another great original game this year, Device 6.

9. The Swapper

I think I must have played a lot of The Swapper slack-jawed and dead to the world. The oppressive art style, environments, audio, and story really played well in my headphones and dark office. The puzzles weren't always the most difficult, but the game makes up for it the the occasional head-scratcher that makes you stop and rethink your strategy. Too much of that might have detracted from the game. It's a game I'm still trying to get my wife to play.

10. Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag

I bought this game because I bought a PS4 and I wanted to see what it was like to buy a digital game on this new console. I figured I'd have some fun being a pirate for a while and then lose interest. What started out as a truly dumb financial decision turned into something I would not regret. The Assassins v. Templars story is exhausting me by now (I loved the early games and Brotherhood was near perfect), but that storyline is mercifully downplayed for most of the game. I did have fun with the entire game, but what kept bringing me back was the naval combat. I sailed around with hunter ships chasing me most of the game because if I was in my ship I wanted something to fight.

So there you have it. I'm locking it in. My top 10 list. I have a few games I want to remember here, though.

2013's 2012 Game: Dark Souls

I nearly completed Demon's Souls. I never got back to it because after several months away I found I couldn't hack it. That was OK, though, Dark Souls was coming. Then I didn't play it. I finally played Prepare to Die Edition on the PC. Something clicked this time and I barrelled through it with glee. I even started a New Game+ and collected the Lord's Vessel before stopping. I may even go back to prepare for Dark Souls 2.

My runner-ups and other favorites:

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons

The storybook art of this game was a joy. The dual-stick controls for moving the two brothers simultaneously for puzzles was frustrating in the best ways possible. It didn't always work, but it was a challenge. However, what carries the game is the story and the emotions it tries to extract from the player. If it fails to grip your heart with it's story the last third of the game sort of falls flat. That's not to say it's not worth playing, even if you have a heart of ice.

Gunpoint

This game is so good. I just wish it was longer. The incredibly simple, but powerful, mechanics make it a lot of fun to play even just for a few minutes. I want to get back to it at some point and try replaying it by following a different path.

Gone Home

Spooky and touching. Usually those two words don't go together. It's sort of unintentionally spooky, I guess. Silent empty houses and stormy nights are just inherently spooky. But this game is about more than the setting. I have memories of the 90's references throughout the house and the game, but I have never experienced the emotions the characters in this game have endured. For that reason I feel as if I missed out on something special, which is quite strange. So for me *Gone Home* is special because the main character, the player, turns out to be hardly the most interesting character or really the main character. If you're willing to explore and read into the story you will learn some of the darkest secrets of your father, mother, and younger sister. You lift the veil and learn things that should leave your character crying in the corner until her parents return home. But you don't see that. Your character is a blank and almost never reacts in any way you can hear or see. I was left wondering what happens next and dealing with the discoveries myself.

Animal Crossing

I'm an awful mayor. I haven't visited Arkham for weeks, and even then that was my first visit in over a month. I'll check-in at Christmas. In a way that's what makes Animal Crossing New Leaf so wonderful. I want to check-in with my town over the holidays to see what's up. Will I be able to decorate the town? I don't know! The game is a mystery box, a really adorable cutesy mystery box. I've sunk a lot of time into this game by building up my town, visiting my wife's game, and interacting with distant towns and residents. There always seems to be something new that I can stumble upon and each time I'm sort of amazed there is still one more thing in this game.

Tomb Raider

I've never played a Tomb Raider game. They had no appeal to me and then I saw the movies. Lara Croft was not for me and I dismissed the entire franchise. Like my foray into the world of Grand Theft Auto this year, I picked up Tomb Raider because I just wanted to experience one of these games. It turned out to be a highlight of 2013. I wrung every bit of gameplay I could get out of it because I so enjoyed exploring the world. I agree that Lara's arc from scared shipwrecked archaeologist to cold and successful mass murderer was a little too quick, but I appreciated everything else this game tried and accomplished.

Tearaway

A competent Mario-style platformer. What makes it special is it's like a glimpse of what a Paper Mario 3D Land could be. The game uses the Vita's hardware so well and looks so good that it makes you smile. I had a lot of fun playing around with this papercraft world, and knowing that it all could be created with paper made it even better. I plan to make some of the papercraft models (a great idea for a collectible for a game like this).

Rayman Legends

Platformers came back for me in a big way this year, but I might've burned-out on them shortly after receiving this game. I played Rayman Origins on the Vita last year and loved it, so I picked-up Legends for the Wii U. I haven't finished it yet, but it's a game I've enjoyed picking up and playing for short periods of time in the evenings. It's also nifty that I can play it just on the gamepad while my wife watches TV. I'm sure I'll keep coming back to it.

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I'm making a game (!?)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 04 Sep 2013 17:37:00 +0000

I am making a game. I do not know what this game will be, but I have a few ideas and have finally taken the steps to download, install, and begin using Game Maker. I have always had a love for programming and working out problems in code, but I always felt designing and coding a game was well outside of my abilities. Game Maker seems to have my weaknesses covered.

All I know right now is I am working through Derek Yu's wonderful tutorials and having a lot of fun with them. If I spend too much time thinking about how Derek Yu and Tom Francis used Game Maker to make Spelunky and Gunpoint, my mind explodes. If I make a finished product, then I will have made a thing with the same tools that were used to make these fantastic games. It's intimidating, but also exciting.

I do not expect my game will be pretty. I don't know where I would even begin to try to find someone who would develop art or compose music for me. I fully expect to have pixels on a screen with royalty free music. Maybe it'll just be me humming in the background. If I think I've made something interesting that I could sell for a small profit, I'd consider paying someone something for art. But that's a long ways off. If anything comes of this endeavour, it will be a labor of love for several years.

So join me as I catalogue my time as a fledgling game developer. Perhaps these records will be priceless in a few years when I've made the next Braid or whatever.

I Played To the Moon

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 02 Jun 2013 18:03:00 +0000

The idea behind To the Moon's story is wonderful. A machine exists that can be used to modify a dying a persons memories to let them die happy, having fulfilled their life's greatest dream. It's both sad (the memories are a total fabrication) and wonderful.

The game itself is an accomplishment. I spent many hours futzing around with RPG Maker in middle school, but I never made much of anything. My time was spent trying to emulate Dragon Quest. Freebird Games made To the Moon with it. The downside of this accomplishment is you have to deal with old controls you might have left behind long ago. Slowly moving through environments with only your mouse or arrow keys, getting stuck on tree branches that you thought you could walk behind, and navigating NPCs. It can be frustrating, but as the story opens up, it becomes less of a bother. It's really great to see someone making a fine game like this with these tools.

The story, though, is the real accomplishment. It's a beautiful tale of an old man who just wants to go to the moon before he dies and how his life's decisions and events prevented him from obtaining his dream in his lifetime. The story and the game starts out slow, but quickly builds momentum. Freebird says the game takes about 4.5 hours to complete. I made the mistake of starting the game and walking away after about 45 minutes. I had not given the game a chance to hook me, and so it remained unfinished for weeks. I regret this not because I didn't give the game a fair shake at the start, but because I missed out on seeing this story through to the end sooner--like walking out of a movie with the plot setup but never finding out how it unfolds for two months.

I can't say much more about it without ruining what makes this game special. My only complaint is the length of the game seems inflated. The game often asks you to fetch things by slowly moving your character to some other map and returning or to complete very simple puzzles. However, none of this detracts from the story, which is why you're playing To the Moon to begin with. Most everything you do serves to fill-in a story detail or two. Everyone should play this game.

To the Moon, Freebird Games--$9.99

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My 45 Minutes with Dear Ester

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 18:40:00 +0000

Some of the textures are muddy, but still beautiful.

I have just finished Dear Ester--not beat, finished. There is no winning, no victory. There is only a whole mess of thoughts swimming around my head as I stare at this black screen while peaceful sounds of waves play in my headphones. Dear Ester just ends like this, with waves. It's a fitting end for a game that has affected me in a way I did not expect.

Dear Ester has sat in my backlog since I heard about last year. I recently came into possession of a Steam key, so I finally set aside time to play it--if one really plays Dear Ester, I'm not sure. The story that unfolds is murky in my mind. I plan to look into this, but for now this serves as a record of my reaction and understanding. The story is narrated by you, but there is no exposition. The narration is very much a flow of consciousness. There are long stretches of exploration that contain no thoughts whatsoever. There is only music and sounds of gulls, waves, and water. But sometimes your character reacts to the environment or relives memories. Names and places are thrown out to you (the player), but it is difficult to follow who is who or how they are connected.

At the beginning of the game, your character is going over a letter in his mind. It tells Ester about how he has been shipwrecked and you find yourself crawling out of the water to a lighthouse. You can see the lighthouse and a radio aerial, which is clearly your goal. Things appear to be simple. You are shipwrecked, but clearly you are not far from people. On the other hand, this lighthouse is in bad shape and no one seems to be looking for you. I took a moment to review the scenery (it's a gorgeous game) and poke around the lighthouse. I was immediately frustrated by the lack of a sprint key, or any way to walk faster. Then I slipped off the path and had to spend a few minutes walking back. There I was, walking in silence and wishing I could press a key to see a waypoint or to run.

Dear Ester does a great job giving you these cinematic views.

It wasn't until the second chapter that the game started to grab me. A story was beginning to form. There was a car wreck. I didn't want to be rescued. Was I sick? Wounded in the shipwreck? It is revealed I know an awful lot about this old house I have moved into. Has time passed, or have I been on this island for a while at this point? The game started me thinking and I no longer cared how fast I was moving or whether or not I knew my true goal.

The narration slowly becomes more passionate, angry at times. I must mention it is splendidly written. The thoughts become unnerving and more unhinged as you get closer to your (the narrator's) goal. The number 21 takes on an importance in the story that is frightening and the environment starts helping you (the player) understand what exactly has been going on on this island. By the end, I was uncomfortable and anxious. I understood just enough to be affected, dragged onto this island. It was unexpected, which made it that much more exciting.

The caves were just awesome. This bit (chapter 3)
really held my attention.

It felt like I had stared at the black screen for 5 or 10 minutes. I checked my watch and figured I must have been playing Dear Ester for 90 minutes or more. But no, I had only been playing for about 45 minutes. The game had consumed me, and I knew it would continue to distract me more long after I had closed the program.

Dear Ester could have easily been a horror game. That would completely destroy this experience. The spookiness is in the narration, music, and atmosphere. It's in the roaming the green hills at sunset before leaping head first into a hole, exploring bioluminescent caves, and emerging into the dark of night with a full moon and crashing waves all around you. All the while items in environment are telling you a story that isn't happy, but isn't quite sad either. I went into Dear Ester not knowing what I would think of it, but now I have no trouble recommending it. It was absolutely a fine way to spend 45 minutes. But if you can, you might try starting it just before sunset with your lights off and headphones on.

I half expected the moon to come crashing into the
island, à la Majora's Mask.

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My Top Ten Games of the Year 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 19:31:00 +0000

This year I decided to put together a top ten list for my favorite games of 2012. Some tough cuts had to be made, but I was curious where I would have to draw that line. We've had a good year for games -- although 2012 wasn't really been too kind to the developers -- but how did I spend my free time? I decided to reflect on the past year and find out what I still remembered most fondly.

The results were actually surprising. A Kickstarter game for PC? Three XBLA games? I played games on a PC? My 2011 self would be baffled.

#1: XCOM: Enemy Unknown (Xbox 360)

I never played the original X-COM, but I have always been a fan of strategy games. I didn't realize just how starved I was for a good turn-based strategy game until this came along. I invested so much time into this game. I left it running while working just so I could walk by and play a turn or two during the day. I min/maxed my squad members, carefully planned out research assignments, and crafted clever (I thought) traps for my alien foes (and then watched as it all exploded in my face).

I had so much fun that I delayed the final mission for days, real days. I just scanned for UFOs and went on council missions. Finally, I had to finish it, but I rolled right into a new game on Classic difficulty mode. I tried my hand at Ironman mode (the memories still sting). It's a game I'll keep coming back to.

#2: Mark of the Ninja (Xbox 360 Arcade)

Klei made something just for me with Mark of the Ninja. The 2D stealth/combat, the art, and the crazy story all blend together so perfectly. I couldn't put it down. After I completed the game, I had to go right into New Game+. Even that didn't satisfy my need for more. I just had to go back through levels with different suits and equipment. This game was a joy to play and something I know I’ll probably play again some day soon. If there’s ever a Steam sale for the PC version, I’m sure I’ll buy it again and use that as an excuse to play it all over again from the start.

#3: The Walking Dead (Xbox 360 Arcade)

This game was a contender for the #1 slot. It may have dropped a few pegs, but don’t think for a second that means this game isn't something special. The numbering on this list was more of a small challenge for myself than a comment on a game's qualities. I took down to #3 because I just spent so much time this year with the above games. But TWD is very different from those games. It's more of an animated choose your own adventure book -- and that’s rad! Even the ill conceived action sequences can't ruin it.

I’m a reader/collector of The Walking Dead books and I watch the TV show as a sort of curiosity. When Tell Tale announced this game, I was skeptical. Following their shot at Jurassic Park, I assumed this would be a not-so-great cash-in on The Walking Dead’s recent explosion in popularity. For $5 I was ready to try the first episode, though -- and then all I wanted was episode 2.

The story these guys put together is excellent. The art takes its cues from books pencil sketch art style, but with color. The characters fit so well into the world that you’d assume Robert Kirkman had written them for the books (some of them are from the books, too). The bond I formed between myself and the characters was startling. I couldn't explain why I cared about these characters, but I did, a lot. Each new development, near miss, or death created one hell of an interactive experience. There were times I had to walk away and contemplate what had happened. You can't get much more invested into a game than that.

It’s a game I actively try to encourage people to play, but I admit it’s for selfish reasons. I want to watch other people play this game so I can see how all the different choices play out without cheapening my own experience by forcing myself to choose different options. I’m also really curious what people will think of it when they can play it all back-to-back. The month long waits were a keystone of the experience for me.

#4: Mass Effect 3 (Xbox 360)

Oh, Mass Effect. This game should have taken the #1 slot without any question, but as just about everyone now knows, the ending was brain scrambling, in a bad way. If you play the game with all of the DLC and the extended cut ending, I've heard the experience is quite different, but that's terrible for so many reasons I won't discuss here.

However, even with its problems, the journey to that ending was fantastic. I’m not referring to the other two games and DLC either (more on that later). That would almost be unfair to the other games up for consideration. Mass Effect 3 was just a good game. The best of the three? Hardly. But it was excellent. There are moments in this game that I’ll always remember. It just didn't stick the landing.

I can’t tell you how Mass Effect 3 stands on its own. That’s impossible for me. EA claimed this was a perfect jumping on point for new players, but I've always thought that was hogwash. The journey to the end of Mass Effect 3 was epic. I’m extremely invested in the universe at this point. I've played all three games, all of the DLC, read the comics, and I even have some of the books waiting for me on my shelf. I've heard the books are just above readable as far as quality goes and I'll still read them. I just want to take more trips to the Mass Effect universe. Ask me about Mass Effect 4 and I'll scoff and huff, but I'll pre-order that thing.

I know the love I have for this universe is blinding me, but I can almost forgive the way things have ended. How could Bioware have known Mass Effect would turn-out so well or gather such a following? They were almost setup to fail. They probably would have been better served by giving everyone the same ending while incorporating some of the player’s choices as small changes. But they tried for something bigger and failed. On the other hand, there are some signs that suggest there may have been some meddling on EA’s part. The series took some crazy turns shortly after EA bought Bioware and Mass Effect. That’s neither here nor there, though -- and certainly not something I can substantiate. This game was great and it’s my #4 pick.

#5: Persona 4: Golden (PS Vita)

I was going to break the rules and give this game the #11 slot because it’s really a PS2 game from 2008, but damn, it deserves to be in the proper top 10. This version is a 2012 release with some new features and it made my Vita purchase feel justified. I played it for over 60 hours on my first run through. I've already started my New Game+, but I am taking a break for a bit first.

I’m having a hard time coming up with words to write here that can express why I feel this game is so great. It’s a JRPG, so that will turn a lot of people away, but it’s more than that. If you really dig into the game and spend time with the characters developing social links and relationships, fighting Shadows and bosses actually becomes a very minor part of the game.

I spent only a fraction of my time in dungeons. Sure, I spent some time grinding for yen and EXP, but those hours were but a fraction of my total gameplay. The rest was spent spending time with my friends, attending school, and spending time with my uncle Dojima and little cousin Nanako. That’s the magic of Persona 4. I cared about these characters. As I increased their social links, I learned more about them and I really wanted to know their stories. It’s a game worth experiencing and I

#6: Dishonored (Xbox 360)

British Bioshock? It definitely evokes the right atmosphere. I loved every moment of this game. At first, I agonized over the stealth. I wanted to be a ghost, a spectre in the night. But that's not how Dishonored is meant to be played. Arkane Studios made a game where you can be "good" and play stealthy without feeling bad if you have to whack a few guards along the way. Once I realized that, everything clicked into place. I found myself telling my wife (or anyone who would listen) all about my crazy stunts and capers Corso and I were pulling-off.

I'll always remember my daring abduction of a mistress from her own soirée. Without raising a single eyebrow. I will recall how, in the middle of the dining hall, I froze time, choked her into unconsciousness, threw her over my shoulder, and teleported my way into her cellar. Blinking past her last few guards and house staff, I delivered her to an unsettling gentleman with a hairy mask who whisked her away in his boat to, I am told, a private island where she will be happy to the end of her days.

#7: FTL (PC)

Like the Kobayashi Maru, but you can win -- or so I am told. I certainly can't win, but that hasn't stopped me from clicking the retry button dozens of times for "just one more game." Harried by the rebel fleet, you alone are left to deliver important documents that could turn the tide of the war. The music, the lovely 8-bit art, and the cold uncaring atmosphere of space come together to make this Rogue-like/spaceship sim a hell of a lot of fun. No other game has made me want to retry so badly after experiencing crushing defeat.

#8: Fez (XBLA)

I almost cut Fez, but then I remembered my notebook. My madman's notebook full of tetrominos and ciphers. I destroyed them after I finished with Fez. I did it out of fear that they could be used to get me committed.

Fez looks like a beautiful 8-bit platformer with a fun gimmick, the 2D world is really 3D, but it becomes much more. Changing perspectives is fun for a while and the world is gorgeous. The music is also wonderful and I still listen to it today.

Sadly, you eventually meet some of the game's bugs and oversights. Frame rate drops into single digits in some areas. The game crashes and forces you to re-solve some puzzles. That awful, terrible map. It can be infuriating.

But I stopped caring about the bugs after a while because I was spiraling into the abyss. I was caught inside my own conspiracy theory inside the game. Were the animals in the first world the key? Does that platform look like to tetromino to you? Where is the anti-cube here? What does it all mean!?

If I played Fez today, I might not find it as enjoyable. I played Fez when it was released. I got caught up in the zeitgeist and wanted to solve puzzles and discuss theories on the internet. Getting caught-up in the internet's craze to solve the same mysteries was a big part of Fez for me. It's a memorable experience and not many games can offer me that.

#9: Far Cry 3 (PC)

This one came out of nowhere for me. Ubisoft PR did everything they could to turn me off. Trailers with nothing but naked ladies? Giving people tattoos at PAX for free pre-orders? Ugh. They did this game a huge disservice, but eventually world of mouth about the graphics and gameplay hooked me. I saw a video of opening sequence with M.I.A.'s Paper Planes and Vaas and knew I had to try it. That opening sequence is easily one of the greatest and most memorable moments of the game. It may even be one of the best moments in video games in recent memory. However, it also reminds you the game never quite matches that same high throughout the rest of the game.

Still, for all its stumbling with the story (Why'd you have to do Vaas like that, Ubisoft?), Far Cry 3 is a very enjoyable game. The shooting felt great, hunting was a lot of fun, and I got to punch a shark and knife an crocodile (multiple times!). Yeah, we don't really know why Jason can do these things, but the power fantasy was compelling enough to make me stop caring about that. And the graphics -- wow. Even on my 5 year old PC with a Direct X 10 Radeon HD 4000 series card, I was impressed. It may have even lured me back to PC gaming. 60FPS and gorgeous scenery is compelling bait. There's a lot to appreciate in this game.

#10: Diablo 3 (PC)

This was a tough call. Diablo 3 was fun, but I didn't/don’t love it. However, I have to acknowledge the dozens of hours I sunk into it this year. All of my close friends bought Diablo 3 and we grouped together a lot. When we weren't grouping together, we were on Skype while we played. We traded equipment, we farmed together, and we all pushed through Inferno together. The experience as a whole was greater than the game itself.

That wasn't all, though. When I, as my mighty Barbarian, defeated Diablo on Inferno, solo & pre-nerf, I was on a high for the next 24 hours. I really, really wish I could have had this experience with Borderlands 1/2, but my group chose Diablo 3 and Planetside 2 for our cooperative experiences this year. While it may not be too close to my heart, it was a blast and I enjoyed it. But had I played it alone, I probably never would have replayed it so many times through different difficulties. Solo grinding gear for Inferno is not something I would recommend to someone looking for a fun time.

RUNNER-UPS:

Hotline: Miami (PC)

With a soundtrack and bloody, visceral 8-bit art (as in 8-bit arterial spray) that makes you feel like you're on some bad drugs, this game delivers. What it delivers is strange and difficult to describe. So much death. Just put on your rubber mask, kill the men in the white suits, and steep yourself in the 80's. I must play more of this game.

Dust: An Elysian Tail (XBLA)

This game was beautiful, humorous, and a joy to play. The weird thing about this game is I both enjoy and dislike how this game looks. The hand animated art is just lovely and everything flows so smoothly. It's an achievement. But I don't really like the talking animals. The story is interesting and the combat was fun, but it all sort of feels cheapened by by the animals. I'm not counted among the crowd that lost their minds with "Furry hate"; I just didn't care much for it.

Still, the story tackles genocide in a very serious way and the story behind the game is also inspiring. It's worth a play and it's one of those games that blurs the old line between disc games and downloadables just a bit further.

Darksiders 2 (Xbox 360)

I fell in love with the first Darksiders long after it was released. It revitalized my desire for a Zelda-like game and the ending is perfect. Darksiders 2 was absolutely enjoyable and I respect it. I can't wait to see more games to come out of Vigil Games. However, I was very disappointed when I found out the game ran parallel to the story of the first game. I wanted to wage war with the Council alongside my horsemen brothers. The ending also felt flat compared to the inspired ending of Darksiders. I had to go watch that ending again after I finished Darksiders 2 to boost my mood.

Journey (PSN)

This tops a lot of GOTY lists this year. The game is very pretty, unique (incredibly so), and moving. However, it just didn't stick with me like it did fr some people. It's not something I'll easily forget, but it's also not a game I'm going to think back on again and again. It was still a fantastic, special experience that I cherish.

HONORABLE MENTIONS!

Don't' Starve (PC)

Klei's new experimental game. I'm having a lot of fun with it. It would have been a runner-up, maybe even a top 10 game, but it's still in beta. It will be released in March. On the other hand, I did pay $12 for it, so is it a beta? I could have played it for free as a game in my Chrome browser. Lets call it a 2013 game that gets an honorable mention for being awesome in 2012.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning (Xbox 360)

Lets not discuss the fate of Big Huge Studios or this game. This game was great. I really liked their twist on the Jesus/lone savior destined to save the world routine with the player's "fateless" character. I think it's clever and it made for some really fun missions. The only reason it wasn't one of my top games of this year is the balancing issues. I really wanted to experience everything the game had to offer. Some of the side missions were awesome, so I did them all. This made my character way too powerful for the areas that followed and, eventually, I reached a point where I was overpowered for the entire game. It even made some achievements difficult to get. This really killed the combat for me, and thus, a big chunk of the gameplay.

Tokyo Jungle (PS3)

This game good fun. I didn't spend enough time playing it say it was one of the best of this year, but it brought me so much joy. My Pomeranian's short rule over Tokyo was grand, but the Pomeranian dynasty ended with the invasion of the crocodiles and tigers. It was inevitable and a highlight of 2012.

Crashmo (Nintendo 3DS)

I loved Pushmo. It's one of the greatest games you can download on a 3DS. Crashmo is more Pushmo, but things crash and there are colorful birds. That's it. I really like it.

MY 2012 GAMES FOR 2013

Spec Ops: The Line (PC)

A third-person cover-based shooter that mimics Call of Duty/Modern Warfare and tackles PTSD probably deserves my attention. I picked it up for $10 on Steam and I hear it can be had for about that price from Amazon for PC and consoles. I'll definitely be checking it out.

Legends of Grimrock (PC)

Everything I hear about this game makes me think it's my kind of game. it just so happens I basically got it for free from Humble Indie Bundle #7, so it's installed and ready to go.

Snapshot (PC)

I met the developers of this cute puzzler at PAX. The art is adorable and the camera mechanic is fun. I spent a few hours with it already on PC, but I'm excited for their Vita port.

Lone Survivor

I hear good things, so I picked it up for $5 on Steam. It's an apocalyptic/zombie mystery/adventure game. It sounds unique enough to piqué my interests.

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My Batman Pilgrimage

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 04:36:00 +0000

Batman fighting the inmate of Arkham on the cover of Batman #1 - Wonderful.

Getting into comic books can be hard work. You need to be willing to ask questions and do some research. To dive-in blind is to invite destruction and confusion. I stayed away from comics for a long time because I thought I would be too lost to enjoy myself. However, that is, after all, the reason DC launched their New 52 initiative last September: to give newcomers a new place to start with fresh stories and new creative teams.

But what if you're interested in the older issues that you hear everyone rave about?

I wanted to learn about the Batman. As a kid, I watched everything from Adam West to Kevin Conroy and Val Kilmer. I thought it was time I gave the New 52 a try. Scott Snyder's new Batman series sucked me in and I knew I had to go deeper.

With the advent of ComiXology and digital comics, I decided to jump into the deep end and explore the world of The Goddamn Bat-Man for myself.

Guess what? There is a lot of Batman. Even just between Detective Comics and Batman, there is enough Batman to break your brain. Lets not even begin discussing the annuals, the cross-overs, the other Batman series, the Justice League, or the rest of the DC Universe.

To begin, I looked to the internet. I was surprised to find that you can find some consistent recommendations. Oh, there is plenty of debate (Snyder did not ruin Mr. Freeze, but he did fix Mr. Freeze, guys), but you'll find a lot of love for certain works and writers.

I found a terrific list of the top 100 Batman story arcs on Comic Vine. They collected nominations from 21 individuals (5 story arcs each) and then 36 people submitted 5 votes each to create the rankings. It's a good start. I cross-referenced it with other websites, reviews, and various forum topics to make sure I had everything that was frequently recommended.

It became clear that if I read only one thing then it had to be Grant Morrison's grand Bat-Epic, Batman R.I.P. There were also several graphic novels that were highly recommended. But where to start? I wanted the best experience possible.

That's when I lost my mind.

Morrison loves to reference other great Batman works and I agree with everyone who says you can't miss Frank Miller's Year One and The Dark Night Returns and The Dark Night Strikes Again. In fact, if you skip them you might be confused by some of Damian Wayne's stories later on. Jason Todd plays a big role in the epic, so you should really read A Death in the Family to understand a pivotal event in Batman's career and the man at the center of it all, Jason Todd.

While you're at it, The Killing Joke, Alan Moore's now infamous graphic novel, is essential reading material, if you want to understand more of Morrison's references. The list can go on. You can see how this can become overwhelming.

The mistake I made was biting off all of this at once. I nearly went mad. Digital comics made it so easy. I craved the next issue and I could have it, instantly. I did not re-read an issue. I did not ruminate on the events. I devoured it all. Many days and $1.99 payments later, I was nearly comatose.

I didn't stop to enjoy it because I felt driven to "catch-up" all so I could read the new issues from New 52. i.e. I spent a lot of time and money doing my very best to defeat DC's entire New 52 initiative. I'm a monster.

So, I'm here to tell you what I think of this (mis)adventure of mine. I loved it all. I have developed a real affection for Grant Morrison's crazy stories and wonderful writing style. I am convinced Scott Snyder is maybe the best man to ever pen a Batman script. I have seen the art of penciling and color work change. I have learned to appreciate different techniques, the placement of panels, and everything that goes into these stories.

I have finished Morrison's R.I.P. arc and I'm ready to move onto Batman, Incorporated (old issues and New 52). But first, I plan to make another trek into Batman's past (some more recent than others) and read Flashpoint: Batman Knight of Vengeance, The Long Halloween and Hush. I have so much more I want to read, though. Gotham By Gaslight, Red Rain, No Man's Land, and Kingdom Come to name only a few. However, I want to savor these.

My appetite is too great at the moment. I can't squander these classics. I can't allow them to be caught-up in my frenzy. I already really need to re-read the others. For now, I'll turn my attention to the New 52 Batman & Robin, Detective Comics, Nightwing, and maybe some of the others. When there's a long break with some free time, I'll be back for the big epics, like Knightfall. Until then, I'll post my complete reading list in Part II of this post. I created a spreadsheet of the recommendations with a checklist and a full reading list for Batman R.I.P., which I will discuss.

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Siri Bypasses Passcode Prompt with Timer App

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 22 May 2012 18:25:00 +0000

Update: Initially, Apple disregarded it as a non-issue. A few weeks later, I received an email asking for a video and more information. They asked me not to talk about it while it was being investigated, so it seems they took this seriously. However, they eventually stated it was working as intended and reiterated that I should use the "Immediately" setting if I was concerned. I was disappointed, but I can no longer reproduce this after iOS 6 was released.

When the iPhone 4S was released, there was some complaints about Siri allowing a user to use the service without the passcode. You can check your calendar, make a phone call, etc. even while the phone is locked. That's not good, but at least Siri can't show anyone your files or give them access to your apps. Apple also provides you with the option to disable Siri when the phone is locked.

I stumbled across a slightly different issue today. By using Siri, I was able to bypass my passcode prompt and get to my homescreen. I reported the issue to Apple via email. Here is that email.

Greetings,

It is possible to get beyond the passcode lock without the code by using Siri and the timer app. While the iPhone 4S is locked, hold the home button to activate Siri. Instruct Siri to set a timer for two minutes (the minimum for this to work) and wait. While waiting, let the phone turn off the screen and lock. You can use a kitchen timer when the screen turns off.

Once the timer is almost to zero:

1. Turn the phone on

2. At the last second, swipe to unlock

When the timer is complete, the pop-up notification takes you to the homescreen, bypassing the passcode lock.
Here are the conditions I had to use to reproduce it:

1. The phone must turn itself off during the timer's duration, so my phone was set to turn off after 1 minute.
2. The phone must lock itself, so the passcode was set to 1 minute.
3. You have to swipe at the last second, so an external timer is necessary.

I'm not 100% certain the phone has to turn itself off, but I can confirm that setting the passcode lock to lock "Immediately" resolves the issue.

This can be easily reproduced using an iPhone 4S running iOS 5.1.1.

I stumbled into this by making coffee. I had Siri set a two minute timer for my Aeropress. When I went to unlock the phone to check the timer, it had just hit zero and I was surprised to see the phone kick me to the homescreen. I had to reproduce this madness immediately.

Normally I let my phone lock itself after 15 minutes, but that was too long to wait. I set the phone to lock after one minute and shut-off after one minute. I then set a timer for two minutes, from the lock screen, using Siri. I let the phone turn-off itself and watched my microwave's timer to see the rest of the countdown.

Every single time, the phone would kick me to the homescreen if I swiped to unlock as the timer ended.

Instead of the regular lockscreen notification, you see the full iOS bubble alert with the OK button. You are then taken to the homescreen

I have not done any extensive testing to see if the phone must lock itself, or to see if any other variables can be changed or dropped. I can say that setting the passcode to lock 'Immediately" seems to fix it.

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Street Pass Magic

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 05:37:00 +0000

Panels were great for Street Pass

Lets talk Street Pass. I spent the past five days in Boston at PAX East 2012. It was there that I experienced the magic of Street Passing for the first time. When I first learned about Nintendo's Street Pass for the 3DS, I agreed with a lot of the critics, i.e. it seemed like a really dumb way to waste time. Sure, I could collect puzzle pieces and funny hats for my Mii, but so what? After all, the puzzles assemble themselves once you select the piece you want to collect and Find Mii is not the deepest RPG around. The magic is in the Street Pass itself.

As soon as I arrived at the airport, I collected ten passes that demanded my attention. By the time I reached the hotel, I had another ten. As soon as I cleared them, I had another ten... and another ten. I cursed the little green light, at first. Then I started to really dig it. The magic moment was when I started passing two, three, or four times with the same people. I eventually met some of these people for games of Resistance, Bang!, Zombie Dice, and Fluxx. That first night we experienced another magic moment as a group - our first international pass with an attendee from Tokyo.

I was giddy. I unlocked the challenge for meeting someone from another country and I learned a little something about a stranger. It was fascinating to me. Over the course of the convention, I would Street Pass with more people from Tokyo, a few Aussies, a collection of folks from all over Canada, and a few parts of the UK. I even passed someone from New Guinea. This was all on top of collecting passes from other U.S. states. I became obsessed with filling in the map. When my wife collected Alaska and I found out my 3DS had missed them, I was legitimately bummed out. I really wanted to meet these people.

I believe Street Passing was a strong motivator that pushed me to be more social at PAX. It was only reinforced by strangers asking me how many passes I had collected that day or what countries and states I had collected. Did I have all of my puzzle pieces? I did, all 345. Had I beaten Find Mii? Of course, but now I needed some powerful Miis for Find Mii II.

I also noticed Street Passing seemed to make us all take notice of people around us - no, really. Even with our eyes so often fixated on the glow of our 3DS' dual screens, PAX attendees seemed to take a real interest in matching Miis to real faces. When I passed someone for a second or third time I would look around for old faces. This worked more than you might imagine. When I thought I was a minority, I was surprised when strangers approached me to ask what my Mii's nickname was.

You may never see more 3DSs in one place than you will at PAX East or PAX Prime. I collected over 800 Street Passes and over 777 Miis (unlocked the 777 challenge). I'm still missing Alaska, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, North Dakota, Ireland, and 99% of Japan - and everywhere else. Even with all of the rad stuff I saw at PAX, I can honestly say I will remember Street Passing as being an integral part of my PAX experience.

Perhaps you, too, may now understand why people get excited about Street Pass. I do not speak for everyone, but it is a unique thing that can, if you let it, be very special.

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Testing the Nest: Thermostat of the Future?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 21:21:00 +0000

The Nest is a really neat idea. It's a thermostat that learns your preferences and routines so it can adjust your home's temperature for comfort and energy savings. It's only available from nest.com right now. You have to sign-up and receive an invitation (I received mine within a few days). You can buy up to five at once for $250 a pop. That's pricey for a thermostat, but the device looks very nice and I figure, if it does its job, it will pay for itself eventually. Also, I love playing with new technology.

Normally I wouldn't spend time talking about the ordering process or packaging, but these guys do something really special. Before you can order a Nest, you are required to do a test to make sure your house is compatible. It's a simple checklist for all of the wires you see connected to your thermostat. The website tells you if you can use a Nest or not. If you have trouble you can even take a picture of your thermostat and send it to their support team. Send it in an email from your phone and call them.

Now you know you can use the Nest and you complete your order. Once the Nest is shipped, you will receive an email with links to their YouTube videos (also available on their website) demonstrating installation. You have the option to order an installation service, but it's dead simple (more on that later).

Look at the tiny screwdriver!

Once the nest arrives, you will find all kinds of goodies in the box. The box's highlights include:

A little screwdriver with a cap that hides four bits
The two pieces of the Nest
Labels for your thermostat's wires
An optional mounting kits

They really considered multiple scenarios when putting this together. If you're like me, you have the tools necessary to drill a hole in the wall and your thermostat is connected to your wall instead of in your wall. But if that doesn't describe you, Nest gives you this little screwdriver and a mounting kit that covers the gaping hole in your wall. It's worth noting I still needed to use my own tools. Wires needed to be trimmed and straightened and I needed to drill two holes.

The Nest itself is really impressive. I love the design. Instead of screwing in the wires, they clip in when you push the button.

No need to use screws to secure the wires

Installing the Nest's base is easy. Kill the power, label your wires, remove the old thermostat, and bolt the Nest to the wall. You use the level at the top to make sure it's positioned correctly and use the included screws to secure it to the wall. Once it's secured, slide the wires into the right holes and punch the buttons. Finally, you clip the front piece to the base. It just slides into that connector at the bottom.

Once you turn the power back on the rest of the setup procedure is a little strange, but not in a bad way. You've probably never had your thermostat ask you questions before. You'll answer questions about what type of heating you have (gas/oil or electric), if you used forced air, what your zip code is, and a few other things. Oh, you also setup the Nest's WiFi connection because thermostats do that now. This thing checked for a software update when I connected it!

It doesn't use a touch interface or for input. You rotate the dial to select letters and push the face to select. This would be awful if the Nest were something I would have to fiddle with everyday, but it isn't.

It glows blue when it's cooling, red when it's heating

I set the Nest to heat the house to 65F and cool it to 80F. Since it was 82F, it went right to work. It's worth noting that the Nest shuts off the display after a few seconds of inactivity, so don't worry about it glowing red or blue all day.

Perhaps the best part of the setup was linking it to my Nest account. I do not know how Nest did it, but I have to think they linked the serial number to my email address ahead of time. As soon as I completed setup it asked me if I would also like to link it to my email address and Nest account. You might be wondering why you need a Nest account. Well, your thermostat has its own apps now.

The Nest responds immediately to the app

There is a slick web app on nest.com and a nice iOS app. The app lets you control the temperature and tell the Nest when you are home or away. The web app is more full featured, though. You can use the website to change settings, check your model and software versions, and even rename the Nest (in case you have more than one or want to get silly). The iOS app offers minimal functionality, so don't expect to do much with it except change the temperature a bit.

Like the iOS app, you can check energy, schedule, and temperature.

UPDATE: A big update was released for the app. It now parities the website, so you can review information and have complete control of the Nest while on the go or away from a PC.

The Nest can be set to Celsius or Fahrenheit, you can setup a schedule, and it tries to let you know when you have made a good decision for the target temperature. The screen displays a leaf icon to let you know the Nest approves.

One of its biggest features is motion sensing. If the Nest is in a highly trafficked area (like my main hallway), it will eventually get a good idea of when I am not at home or sleeping. It will then try to save energy using this information.

So all of this is for what? The idea is to save energy and look good while doing it. That's my impression of the Nest. I love data and I love saving money, so the Nest's tracking and graphs should help me craft a schedule that is as energy efficient as possible. The Nest will try to take it even a little bit farther by trying to learn our (my wife and I) routine and I can help by using the app or website to let the Nest know when we'll be gone for a while and when we come home.

I work from home, so it's sort of a gamble for me. I won't see any big changes in my energy bill, but I have a good feeling about it in the long run. If you are in the market for a new thermostat and the Nest's extras interest you, then this may be the right choice for you. I am most excited to see what comes next. For now I'm content with the Nest. I'll have to give it two or three months and compare it. The Nest's true test approaches as we get closer to A/C weather.

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Protect Your Phone Without the Cost

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 19:12:00 +0000

This amounts to less than $10

You just bought a new phone and spent $200-300. You want to protect your investment, so you breakdown and decide to buy a case. After paying $30-50 for a case, you're unhappy. It's bulky, it's heavy, it's ugly, and now your sleek new phone feels funny in your hand. Cases can be a gamble, so why spend the money when the case will probably just cause you more strife than a few nicks or scratches? Just reduce the risk.

Monoprice.com has built-up a name for itself as being the place to go for reasonably priced cables, but they also make other things: like phone cases. When I bought my iPhone 4S I did not want to compromise the design and size with a bulky case, but I also wanted to protect the glass from my clumsiness. My philosophy is if I drop the phone, I mean really drop it, it's probably done anyway. I just needed something to protect it from bumps in my pocket. Monoprice offered just what I wanted for ~$1.30 a piece.

I picked out five cases that caught my attention and paid a little over $9.15 for the cases (plus shipping). The first one was too thick. The next one was too flimsy and flopped around when I would swipe into the edges. The third one was slim, but dust and dirt kept getting under it. The next one was almost perfect, but the power button was difficult to press. Finally, the fifth case was just right.

Here it is:

Black iPhone 4/4S Bumper with Clear Polycarbonate Case

It's basically an iPhone 4 bumper with a clear plastic back (Link). The sides are slightly raised in order to protect the screen if you lay it face down. It cost me $1.94.

The most expensive case I bought was the red one in the picture. It was $3.55 and the one I felt was too thick and bulky. These cases are simple, but they do their job. If I had purchased any of these cases at Verizon or Best Buy, I would have $12-30 each. For less money, you can get a few cases to try and compare. The only thing some people may take issue with is the branding. A few of these cases (the bumper included) say "Monoprice" on the back. However, if it bothers you, you can scratch it off with some sugar.

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What's in an Ending?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 03:25:00 +0000

I finished Mass Effect 3 and Darksiders this week. For this article, I will assume some familiarity with the controversy over the ending of Mass Effect 3. Darksiders was released in 2010, but I still hear about the ending - it was supposed to be one of the best in recent years. Even with the hype, it did not disappoint me. Darksiders tells a great story and it ends with a bang. It's the kind of ending that makes you sit-up and think (or shout), "Fuck yeah!"

I have not heard the same thing said about the end of Mass Effect 3. However, they offer very different stories and experiences. Darksiders tells a story over about 10 hours. I spent ten times the number of hours, easily over 100, following Shepard's story through Mass Effect. I developed attachments to Tali, Liara, Garrus, and the others. They were my crew and we were saving the galaxy together. During Mass Effect 2's suicide mission, I had to hold my breath before every cutscene and seriously consider every decision I made. After ~60 hours, I really cared about the outcome and wanted to get my crew out of there alive. In Darksiders, I only had War, the main protagonist, to care about and I knew I would make it to the end of the story.

One hundred hours is a lot of time. The average film is 90 minutes. The average reader can consume a Stephen King novel over one or two days of avid reading. However, games offer unique possibilities the storyteller can use to pad the experience. Combat, traveling, and side quests all add time to the experience, but that time still counts. Perhaps not all of it, but combat banter and side missions (good ones, anyway) develop characters and give the player time to grow attached to them. Even if you cut-out a lot of the extras, Mass Effect's story still requires a more significant investment than most trilogies, movies or books.

Mass Effect complicates its story further by factoring in the decisions made by the players. Anyone who talks to a few players who have followed Shepard's tale since Mass Effect 1 will hear very different retellings of events. How can a storyteller satisfy everyone when they all have such different experiences and expectations? They might choose to cater to popular ideas or, perhaps, fabricate a big twist that makes it easier to end the story on the storyteller's terms. Many games opt for closing out the story with loose ends to hint at sequels, even if they do not expect one to be coming. It leaves the player wanting more and, if done well, satisfied at the end. In fact, Darksiders does this to great effect.

Furthermore, I always considered Shepard's tale to be a sad one. I started Mass Effect 3 fully expecting Shepard to die by the end. I even suspected Bioware might attempt a cop-out by killing Shepard a bit before the final battle to make it easier to wrap-up the story. I think it is fair to say most games do not tell sad stories, especially sad space operas, so Mass Effect's story is very unique. I recommend reading this article: Why Mass Effect is the Most Important Science Fiction of Our Generation

I can understand some of the anger around Mass Effect's ending - I have mixed feelings myself. However, I take offense to some of the more dramatic complaints. Mass Effect 3 was the end, not just the game's final 10 minutes. I might rank Mass Effect 3 below Mass Effect 2 as a game, but it was still a good game. I will not call it excellent, but I confess I have only a few gameplay gripes. Most of my disappointment is due to the ending. I am both sad the trilogy has come to a close and sad the ending did not make me jump out of my chair and cheer. I did save the galaxy after all.

However, I have been unable to create an ending of my own that I feel is satisfactory. A happy ending would make me wonder where my Shepard's story would go, but I do not want a Mass Effect 4. The ending of Darksiders got me to think about how I react to endings. I want a game to be fun and exciting, so a good ending for me usually ends on a high note with a lot of "Fuck yeah!" moments. That isn't right for Mass Effect, though. I must accept that Mass Effect is much more than an ordinary video game and entertain the idea that the ending was appropriate. I just wish they had included a more exposition to explain what was going on. Whatever your opinion of Mass Effect's ending, I hope you can respect that it was able to become this thing you care so much about.

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Switching from Android to iOS

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 16:01:00 +0000

I finally had enough of my HTC Thunderbolt and went out to find my new phone. When I purchased the Thunderbolt I was very happy with it, but then some of Thunderbolt's quirks started to bug me. Battery life was terrible, so I had to shut-off 4G more often than not. It hurt to sacrifice such a big feature. I thought I would adore the 4.3" screen, but sometimes it just seemed too big and clunky. I do not agree it was the worst phone of 2011 (an honor given to the phone by so many others), but I was not happy with it. I tried to fix the issues with Android and the hardware by trying ROMs and different kernels, but nothing helped.

My wife and I both bought iPad 2s about 8 months ago and we really enjoy them, so the iPhone 4S was on my mind. I am not invested in the Apple ecosystem or iTunes beyond the apps on my iPad 2. I also have Android apps, so it evens out. I am, however, heavily invested in Google with Gmail and Google Calendar, but that is easily synced to the iPhone thanks to Google's support for iOS devices.

It was easy to chop down the contenders to the iPhone 4S, Nexus, and Droid RAZR MAXX (I hate that name, so lets just call it the Maxx). The Nexus has a massive 4.63" screen, so it seemed an unusual choice if I was after a smaller screen. It also seems to be a very divisive product because of Android ICS and the battery life (which is still better than the Thunderbolt's). The Maxx has incredible battery life, but I was unimpressed with it. I knew I could change the Motorola Blur software with a ROM, but that required research and work, which was/is something I was/am tired of.

I do not want to chase after ROMs and tweaks and changes in hopes of finding the one that helps me use the Android keyboard or fixes the graphical hesitations and hitches. All of that was a beloved hobby for over 3 years until I became tired of having to work to get my phone functioning in a way that pleased me. I like to leave my tinkering at home.

I have now had the iPhone 4S for 2 weeks and I do not think I will be returning it to try the Nexus or Maxx. I could make a snap decision at the 11th hour, but I am doubtful that will happen. I think it is a phone I can commit to for 2 years. Here is what I lost and gained:

Tethering
I really lost tethering a long time ago. It was flawless on my Motorola Droid, but flaky and unreliable on the Thunderbolt. I tried CyanogenMod 7, MIUI, other AOSP ROMs, and more with a variety of tethering apps. The Thunderbolt would eventually fail and require me to reset the radio. Yes, I even experimented with different radios. At least it worked sometimes.

I have to jailbreak the iPhone for tethering, and maybe I will one day, but I am content without it, for now. Then again, I can always go back to using PDANet like the old days. This does not help my iPad, but maybe my next iPad will have 4G.

Customization
Of course Android will take this. I cannot theme my iPhone or change icons for an app. I cannot even hide apps I do not want on my homescreen. I found a solution that makes me happy, though. Like on my Thunderbolt, I have only one homescreen with all of the apps I use. The only difference now is I grouped them in folders by actions.

I might miss the hours I would spend fiddling with the phone to customize everything down to the icons and colors, but a big part of me thinks I have better things to do.

Email
I miss the elegant Gmail app. The Gmail app on iOS is really great, but it lacks integration with iOS 5's Notification Center. That integration may never come, so I must use the iOS Mail app. It is not a horrible app, but it is not quite the Gmail app either. However, it works perfectly well for reading emails and that is all I will typically do with my phone. I do not need easy access to archived email or even search.

Backup
Titanium Backup is one of my favorite apps for Android. It automatically backed up everything for me to Dropbox. Simply wonderful. I thought I would miss it, and I do miss some of the control I had over the backup, but Apple added iCloud backups to iOS 5.

The phone automatically sends a backup to iCloud whenever it is plugged in and connected to WiFi. That's really great. The only drawback is I cannot restore just one app or just restore the data from a specific app. I did that rarely, though. Usually it was right after switching to a new ROM, so I may never miss it.

Camera
The new Android ICS camera app may be improved, but my Thunderbolt's camera was awful. The iPhone 4S has a fantastic camera and the new iOS 5.1 changes make it even better and easier to use. I just swipe up on the lock screen to launch the camera.

I could launch the camera app from my Thunderbolt's homescreen if I used the right MIUI theme or ROM, but the camera still sucked and it still took a bit too long to load the app sometimes.

Phone Automation
Perhaps the one feature I will truly miss. I used two apps for easy automation, Tasker and Shush. Tasker would silence my phone from 11PM to 6AM (except for phone calls). It would disable GPS while I was at home. It would enable Bluetooth during hours when I had a conference call and disable it afterwards. My iPhone cannot do any of this and Apple will never grant an app so much control.

Shush would activate when I held the Volume Down button. A prompt would ask me how long the phone should be silenced for and then, after that amount of time, Shush would reset my volume. It was great for movies, dinners, or just any time I needed to avoid my ringer causing a disturbance. The iPhone has a switch on the side that lets me easily silence the phone without having to adjust the volume at all, but I still have to remember to flip the switch back.

Dictation
I have had a lot of fun with Siri and I have been impressed with her accuracy. I could never use the voice dictation on my Thunderbolt. I think my phone had a bad microphone, but I also found myself waiting as long as 5 seconds for the *ding* to indicate I could start speaking. I would often send inaccurate text messages just because it was easier than typing it.

I have not encountered any trouble with Apple's servers. Siri has never been unavailable for me, but she really needs to learn to ignore the TV. if only that were possible. The only time I have had Siri really fail is when I have been watching TV or when someone starts talking to me.

I could go on feature-by-feature, but we can just sum-up some of the lesser changes.

Things I Will Not Miss
Android has some quirks that really got to me after a while. I am aware that ICS fixed some of these issues and some of it may have been hardware related, but they should not have been an issue for so long:

Graphical hitches creating delays in the UI
Graphical hitches creating typos or delays long enough to miss entire words when typing
Cluttered notification bar (icons for apps that I wanted to keep running in the background, e.g. Tasker)

Things I Am Glad I Have Now

The iPhone has also added some nice new features that I really enjoy:

Picking up games on my phone after playing on my iPad thanks to iCloud saves
Displaying messages on the lock screen and swiping to view them
I have grown to like the bubble counters on app icons for notifications
A Calendar app that displays the day and date on the icon
Weather updates in the notifications*

*I realize this is possible on Android, but only if you clutter the notifications bar with an icon or have an app or widget running that runs a persistent notification (e.g. Beautiful Widgets).

I like the 3.5" display, the calls are clear, the speakers are nice and loud when I need them, and the keyboard works very well. I do not have any complaints. The phone just works as expected. Over the next two years I might wish I had NFC, a larger screen, or 4G, but these are quibbles. The next model might have all of these things. A lot will change in that time. Maybe I will switch back to Android next time. Of course that is the nice thing about all of this - I have the choice.

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Do What You Love and Make it Rewarding and Meaningful, Help Others Do the Same

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 19:33:00 +0000

Gina Trapani, of Smarterware.org, Lifehacker, and This Week in Google fame, wrote a great article about doing what you love and not settling for anything short of meaningful work. You can read the article on Smarterware.org, here.

I feel compelled to write something that has been stirring around in my brain for quite some time. In a way, it's very much related to her article, but it also carries a different message. I leave reading Gina's article up to you and I also recommend reading the articles she links to as well.

To come right out with it: As consumers, everyone owes it to themselves and their fellow human beings to encourage innovation and meaningful works by just being nice people. It's that easy, I promise.

Something truly interesting should capture an audience and draw attention. However, that attention isn't always easy to handle. Our world has no shortage of companies that tried to shoot for the stars and couldn't manage the consumer demand or couldn't quite figure out the problem fast enough before people forgot them. The demand for new things is high because they're new and interesting, but patience must also be plentiful while it is developed and refined.

On the other hand, the low hanging fruit is tempting because consumers eat it up. The demand may not be as high, but it's cheaper and requires less testing and support. It's just easy. That's why we have so many calculator apps for your iPhone and only one Instapaper.

When a developer tries their hand at something new and a bit more difficult they need support and constructive feedback. Too often people forget small companies exist. The average consumer seems to expect every tech company is an Apple or a Microsoft. The reality is these small companies will try to tackle something big, new, and exciting with a handful of developers. Heck, it might just be one or two or three guys. They might very well succeed, but their work will need time to evolve and mature. In the meantime, while they wait, the consumers must remember that technology can be a fickle mistress.

Technology is infinitely complex. Every computer is unique, no two smartphones are 100% equal, your home network is not your neighbor's home network, and so-on-and-so-forth. For something to "just work" a great deal of time and effort must be devoted to it. Don't be fooled. Even the most solid product acts up for someone out there and it can be for the most simple reasons that no one ever suspects.

I'm not saying consumers should accept poor solutions. No, no, and no. I'm saying you may not have personally asked Company X to fill some technological gap, but if their work is really interesting to you then support them. That doesn't mean giving them your money, not unless you want to. You can support them just by participating in beta testing, offering feedback, or even just following their progress.

Remember: The first attempt may not deliver on every hope or expectation. There are a lot of examples out there of one company falling short while proving a concept for another company to run with. But if you don't support the first company then it's less likely another company will take notice. Interest might appear low, or negative, and that won't foster interest among other companies that might buy the product, hire the developers to give them new resources, or try their hand at it from scratch.

As someone who works in a small company trying to do something new, I see/live the ups and downs of this every day. Every day I read emails full of expletives, threats, insults, etc. all because something didn't work for someone. I've rad everything from spiteful comments about our developers to outrageous claims that our software downloaded viruses to their PC.

It's not fun when something doesn't work, but that's technology. Investigate the problem and see what's going on. Developers that care about their work will fix a bug if you find one, but you have to work with them and tell them what happened - not throw an email tantrum. Don't overreact and lash out at someone. Sending an email is not the same as trolling some backwater forum as an anonymous user. You will not receive love from any developer with that kind of attitude.

All you will do is make their day a little less enjoyable. If that is your goal then you are part of the problem.

There is one simple rule I want everyone to remember: You contacted them for help and support using their product. Yes, you may have paid a fee to use their product so they may owe you support. Yes, bad technical support exists. Yes, it can be frustrating to work with the "stereotypical tech support guy" who seems to never understand your problem and you think is reading from a script. However, none of that changes the rule. Trust that the person you contacted and asked for help knows their business. Provide a clear explanation and listen to their questions and suggestions. Even if you think something won't help or has already been done. Just listen. Ask questions if you really, really believe step X is a waste of time. Chances are there is a very good reason for it.

We want to help you, really. Please do not assume I, or any of my counterparts at any company, are automatically terrible people because that one time you called that one company and had a really bad experience.

If you're made it this far, then I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I, and people like me, are trying to do something to make your world a little bit more awesome. Please help us do that by helping us help you. Tell us what you want and we will do our damnedest to accommodate you. Help encourage the development of new, exciting stuff by giving feedback, offering ideas, and just talking about it. Stir the pot (in a nice way) and I bet you'll be pleased with the results. That's what I want you to take away from this.

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Why I Bought an iPad: Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 24 May 2011 18:29:00 +0000

When I set out to buy a tablet I had a specific goal in mind. I wanted a device that would allow me to consume information. Entertainment was a distant priority. I watched a lot of iPad Today on the TWiT network to get an idea of what I would be getting and made a list of apps I thought would suit my needs. Those apps now dominate my homescreens and my quick launch bar.

Flipboard: My #1 used app. I use it to read my Google Reader subscriptions, The Guardian, CNET, Wired, Flipboard's Science News, and All Things D. I even use it to read my Twitter lists, such as my News list with NPR's @acarvin, Al Jazeera English, and Boing Boing. Everything is presented in a very snappy, pretty way and it makes it possible for me to interact with my articles.

Price: Free

Zite: Following closely behind Flipboard is Zite. It's the app that lets me enter my curated bubble of news. I give stories a thumbs up or thumbs down and Zite tries to curate stories for me (a la Pandora). It has introduced me to new websites and authors and, of course, to stories and views I might have missed otherwise.

Price: Free

Instapaper: The Instapaper app is amazing. When I'm browsing on my laptop or just don't have time for a particularly long article I save it to Instapaper. Later, I'll pick it up using my Kindle or this iPad app. It doesn't stop there, though. Instapaper also includes an "Editor's Picks" section where you can find new articles. My favorite is to use the "Give Me Something to Read" option. It usually returns very long, very interesting articles covering a variety of topics and events.

Price $4.99

TWiT Pad: It's just a really nice app for watching the live stream of shows on the TWiT network and accessing their archives. It includes the chat room, multiple video options (uStream and Justin.tv), supports an audio only option, and supports a toggle for turning on and off streaming in the background while you use the iPad.

Price: $0.99

iBooks and Kindle: I love eInk displays and won't abandon my Kindle, but the iPad app is great for reading books in the dark. It's sort of my Kindle DX. The big highlight for me is iBooks, though. This was actually very unexpected. I found out my local newspaper offers an electronic edition that is really quite good. Not only that, but I can also download it as a PDF or an eBook for just about any format (PC, Kindle, iBooks Nook, Sony, and others). Downloading a book for iBooks is really simple. I just click the link and Safari will ask if I'd like to save it or add it to m iBooks library. Even better yet, the paper includes a very slick thumbnail of the front page of the paper with the date, so it even looks really good on the bookshelf. My iPad is becoming an archive of daily papers and local news.

Price: iBooks is pre-installed and the Kindle app is free

These apps gave me a big head start on my information consumption. I also enjoy the USA Today app (Price: Free). It's very well done and the price is right. The official Twitter app is also really nice and I still use that for some of my less informative lists and follows (Price: Free). Wikipanion, Qwiki, and NASA HD (Price: All Free) are fantastic reference apps for Wikipedia and NASA's massive database of space facts. I also really like the NHL GameCenter app for watching games, following scores, and checking stats(Price: Free, or $4.99 for video).

The iPad has very strong Email, Calendar, and Contacts apps as well. Google makes it easy to use these with their services (Gmail, Google Cal, and Contacts) in a few different ways. The iPad is like my phone in this regard. I might answer the occasional email or edit my calendar, but I mostly leave that for my laptop.

http://www.google.com/support/mobile/bin/answer.py?answer=151674
http://www.google.com/support/mobile/bin/topic.py?topic=14252

Consuming content was great, but once I had the iPad I started to think about being productive.

Autodesk Sketchbook: I love to draw and sketch and the iPad is actually really great. I purchased a Targus stylus for $12.99 and have really enjoyed using it to sketch pictures. Sketchbook has an awesome collection of pencils, pens, brushes, and other tools. It's not a complete replacement for a good pencil and paper, but the Undo button, colors, and overall ease of use makes it a killer digital art app.

Price: $4.99

Evernote, Dropbox, and Carbonite: Each great service has an equally great app designed for the iPad's screen. You can stream video or view pictures stored on Dropbox or access your files inside a Carbonite backup very easily. Evernote is just as useful. I'm still adapting to the idea of Evernote, but I think I like it and it's proven useful as a repository for picture notes.

Price: All free

Penultimate: After seeing how much I liked the combination of Sketchbook and my Targus stylus I bought Penultimate. It's a simple notebook app for written notes. It has become my go to notebook for meetings and research. I can create notebooks for each topic, swap colors for diagrams or different notes, and even change the style f paper for a page (lined, graph, storyboard, wide rule, etc.).

Price: $1.99

Notability: I also use Notability. It doesn't support handwritten notes, but it does let me insert audio notes, videos, pictures, and web clips. It is possible to insert what Notability calls "Figures". Figures let you draw on the screen (think diagrams), crop them, and insert them with captions. It's a versatile option that includes some solid tools and support for pens of multiple colors and sizes. Notability is, at its heart, an app for typing notes. Penultimate and Notability can serve very different purposes. The biggest strength here is the support for lists, fonts, and formatting that you can't make yourself too easily with a stylus or finger.

Price: $1.99

I have many, many more apps beyond this list. Some of the other "obvious" ones are Netflix, Pandora, and a wide selection of puzzle and action games. I also have my employer's PlayOn Mobile app, which I use daily for Hulu, CBS, BBC, Al Jazeera, and other videos. The iPad definitely excels as a media consumption device, for entertainment or news. However, it's great for productivity, too. You won't hear about me purchasing Pages and writing reports on the thing, but it's great as my high tech notebook.

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Why I Bought an iPad 2

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 18 May 2011 14:58:00 +0000

I scoffed at tablets for a long time, but, in my defense, I associated tablets with Windows Tablet Edition, small laptops trying to be "tablets", styluses, and clunky tablet/touch controls. Since then I've had three different phones (HTC Touch Pro, Motorola Droid, and the HTC Thunderbolt) and, like everyone else, I've become accustomed to using my fingers to play games, browse apps, read email, etc. I realized that technology had silently seduced me without making me aware of it.

I didn't want to have to fetch my laptop for web browsing and light work while in bed or on the couch and my phone just wasn't fun to use for prolonged periods of time or good for reading, even with the larger 4.3" screen on the Thunderbolt. I wanted something that would allow me to answer emails, manage my calendar, browse the web, and entertain myself without excessive scrolling and tiny text.

As an Android phone user I immediately starting looking at the Motorola Xoom and upcoming Samsung Galaxy tablets, but, as many reviews will tell you, Honeycomb failed to impress. I went to the local best Buy to play with some different models. A Best Buy employee told us (my wife and I) how amazing she thought her Galaxy Tab was and wanted to steer us away from looking at the iPads. She kept it in her back pocket and kept showing it to us. I had to start playing with the Galaxy display model before she left us alone, and I didn't enjoy it. I didn't like the 7" screen. It felt like I was using a really big phone and I knew the lack of apps for that screen would be irritating, at least a little. The Galaxy wasn't for me.

Next came the de facto Android flagship - The Xoom. Much to my dismay it felt "off". I knew the hardware was fast, but Honeycomb felt clunky. It chopped when I switched home screens and Angry Birds seemed to run at a lower FPS. My phone didn't feel so slow, so why did Honeycomb? Was it the Xoom? No. Google's recent treatment of Honeycomb suggests it's the OS, at least in part. I just wasn't pleased by what I was seeing and I knew the Xoom wasn't perfect in a variety of other ways. I didn't want to wait another year for Android tablets to mature, so I moved on. Honeycomb was out.

The iPad 2 was impressive. I don't think anyone can deny that, but I also recognized it's imperfections and problems.

I hate iTunes. I use a Microsoft Zune HD and Google web services. My phone syncs to the Google cloud and my Zune syncs to the Zune software. That's one application on my PC that has all of my purchased videos and music and my Zune Pass. iTunes would serve no purpose except to backup and sync my tablet. Had I chosen to use an iPod as my main media player a few years ago this might have been different, but iTunes is still slow and not very fun to use.

The closed App Store also bothered me. I'm not disillusioned, though. The Android marketplace is chock full of terrible apps and plagued by a myriad of other issues for developers. I don't blame developers for wanting to avoid Android in favor of iOS, but I also use some Android apps that would never make it into the Apple App Store. WiFi Tether and Titanium Backup being at the top of that list. I wouldn't need apps like that on any tablet I bought, but the hacker in me does enjoy the custom ROMs, root access, and all the fun (and horrors) that can bring. I knew I wouldn't jailbreak the iPad and I wondered what might I be missing (app-wise) by going with Apple.

Even with my reservations I couldn't see any reason to choose Honeycomb. Yes, I had already written off the BlackBerry PlayBook and the Barnes & Noble Nook as options before even beginning my search. The nook showed potential and the price was tempting, but my eyes were on the big players. I'd pay the premium prices if it would satisfy my needs.

The biggest factor was I didn't want to wait. You can spend your whole life waiting for something to improve. If you do that you will never buy any technology.

The iPad 2 is a second generation product. iOS has matured quite a bit and the App Store is full of apps like Flipboard, Zite, Instapaper, and Penultimate. I really wanted to get my hands on apps like that. I made my decision and I ordered my Black 16GB WiFi iPad 2 a couple of days later.

I have yet to regret that decision after a month of using it. It's a constant companion. I went with 16GB WiFi only model because I didn't need more storage. The price helped, too. I stream all of my movies from a media server and all of my music resides elsewhere (the iPad is only used for podcasts), so 16GBs is plenty. Adding a 3G antenna was tempting, but the price was too high. Adding $120 to the iPad's price tag and $20 a month to my Verizon bill was unacceptable. I almost never lack a WiFi connection when using my iPad anyway. Whenever I do I have tethering on my phone.

I'm very happy with the purchase. There isn't much more to say for now. Maybe I'll switch to an Android tablet is a few years, but first I'll have to see Ice Cream Sandwich and beyond. Next up I'll tell you why I'm happy with it and discuss the apps I use daily.

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Sony VAIO F-series USB Wireless Mouse Issues

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 13:57:00 +0000

I use a Microsoft Arc mouse with my VAIO F-series laptop. I never had any problems with it until recently when I started moving very large files across my network. When moving 20-30GB files from my laptop to my NAS my network utilization would spike and the mouse would become jumpy and just plain bad. The strange thing is the touchpad would work just fine and a wired USB mouse would have the same problem but would be much less annoying.

I sometimes use the eSATA port on the left side of the VAIO, so I commonly keep the USB plug on the right side. It occurred to me there could be a problem with that port, so I switched it to the second USB port on the right only to experience the same problem. I tried switching to the left side to the eSATA port and found the problem was nearly gone. There were only some slight hiccups when moving the mouse a lot.

The only assumption I have is there is some interference between the wireless card and the wireless mouse during times of very high network usage. The wireless card is installed alongside the USB ports on the right, so this seems possible. However, it seems so unlikely that I can't say this for sure.

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New SIG P6/225: Restoration and Improvements

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 22:41:00 +0000

I ordered a new (to me) SIG P6 from J&G Sales out of Arizona. For $320 I received the P6 with a single magazine and the Akah leather holster known to come with these pistols. If you don't know about the holster or the history behind the P6 I'll discuss it briefly.

The SIG P6 is a variation of the SIG P225 that was available in the U.S. These handguns were made specifically for the German police in the 60's. Various German eagle and other markings make these guns very unique. When they were retired from service a few years ago, a lot of these were imported to the U.S. for resale. They were sold for ~$250, an amazing bargain for a SIG. They came in the old style SIG Sauer blue lunchbox with two magazines, but the condition of the handgun could be a gamble.

I gambled and I was very lucky. My P6 was clearly babied. It shows only slight holster wear along the slide and some wear on the barrel from shooting. The magazine is a bit beat up, but that's not a big deal. In fact, cosmetic details aren't very important - function is. But we'll get to that soon. I was a bit disappointed that I received only one magazine. I admit I am a bit suspicious about this since J&G also offers used P6 magazines for $42, which indicates to me that they swiped one from each gun for a little extra money. I can forgive that, though. I purchased it for $320 and seem to have snagged their very last one. I was lucky just to get one, period.

The slide is stamped with an import mark from C.A.I. Georgia, VT. On the opposite side, there are some interesting markings. You can see "P6", "NW", and "9/80". That all means this handgun is a P6 (of course) manufactured in September 1980 (9/80) and then issued to the North Rhine-Westphalia police (NW). Below the barrel and on the right side of the grip behind the trigger are three German eagles. The hammer is also notched at the bottom, which is the last unique feature of these handguns.

As soon as I got it I had to spend some time cleaning and greasing it because it was absolutely dripping with preservative oil. The first day I tried it at the range I experienced a few issues. The first issue was loading a magazine with 8 rounds. I had to slam the magazine in if I wanted it to click into place. I suspected this was a bad magazine spring. The spring wouldn't give way without a good push. The next problem was the recoil spring. During cleaning, maybe 1 in 5 times the slide would fail to return to battery without a little push. After greasing the slide a bit more the issue was resolved, but I didn't consider it fixed.

I took it to the range and fired two boxes of Remington UMC. The P6 did not disappoint me. However, I found out I had some adjustments to make with the slimmer grip. I usually shoot a P226 and found I was a little sloppy with the slimmer P6. But there were no problems, though. Feeding was reliable and everything worked as expected.

When I got home I ordered a new recoil spring, magazine spring, spare magazine, and Hogue Handall rubber slide-on grip from Top Gun Supply. The magazine was $42 for a brand new P225 magazine (pictured left), the grip was $8, and the springs were $5 and $3.

I swapped out the magazine spring and resolved the issue with the magazine instantly. I can now easily insert a magazine with 8 rounds. The Hogue grip fit perfectly and made the grip a bit fatter and easier to hold in my hands. It could be a problem for carrying, though. However, it should be better for the range. Finally, the recoil spring was installed. When I compared the new spring and the old spring I noticed the new spring was 1/2" longer! The old spring had become noticeably compressed over time. Once installed the change in the feel of the slide and the vibration from releasing the slide lock was noticeable. I ordered SIG springs after reading about Wolf springs and how they might be inadequate.

This is a fine handgun. It has easily surpassed all of my expectations both cosmetically and functionally. For a little more than $400 I have a fantastic SIG Sauer 9mm and you can't beat that.

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Sony VAIO F-series Keyboard Cover

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 16:47:00 +0000

When I was deciding between the F-series and some of the VAIO offerings I was temporarily captivated by the custom color options for the body and keyboard skins offered by other models. The F-series eventually trumped such trivial options with raw power and the larger screen, but I was disappointed at the lack of a keyboard protector.

I have been trying to find one and finally came across one on eBay sold by a seller named "greatwall_dragon" for $9.99. Here's the link to the item in his shop:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320634783474

If that link dies here are the details from the packaging and the shop:

Professional TPU Laptop Keyboard Cover for Sony F11

Shanghai Cooskin Trading Co., Ltd.

Model #: NS035

Material: Durable High-grade TPU( Thermoplastic Polyurethane ), Non-toxic

Thickness: 0.2MM, Ultra thin and high transparent, does not affect typing

CE certification, SGS ROHS passed

Waterproof and dustproof, protect your laptop against spills, dust,and other contaminants

Removable and washable, the free cleaning without affecting the effectiveness of their use

Mute-Typing, diminishes keystroke sound in libraries and conference room etc.

There is a logo of Coolskin on the keyboard cover spacekey.

For $9.99 (+ $2.00 S&H)I thought it was worth a shot. I wanted something that would both protect the keyboard from coffee, water, grease, oils, etc. My keys were getting awfully shiny and, I admit, it bothered me. I also had one or two close calls involving dogs and cups of coffee, but I had the backlit keys to consider, too. I needed something that would fit snugly over the F11/F12/F13 keyboard, allow the backlight to be seen, and not make typing frustrating. I have been really impressed thus far.

First, "greatwall_dragon" exceeded my expectations by shipping the cover immediately and getting it to me from Hong Kong to Michigan in only 6 days (estimate was 10-14). Some credit is probably due to USPS and the China Post, but Ill let "dragon" have it all.

The keyboard cover itself is definitely made specifically for the Sony VAIO F-series. It fits wells with no extra gaps. It lays right over the keys leaving no space between the cover and the top or sides of the keys. The edges of the cover do not go beyond the keyboard, i.e. the cover stops at the cracks in the body. It comes with 6 strips of double-sided tape to stick it to the keyboard, but it stays on well all by itself if you don't want to mess with that or think you'll take it off frequently.

It is 100% transparent and the backlight shines through very well. There is no extra glare from the cover. This is probably do to the material and how well it fits over the keys. In fact, the cover even killed the glare of the stubborn oils on the keys beneath it.

Typing is unobstructed and it really did reduce the noise of the keys, but not too much. The only small issue I have had it is missing keystrokes sometimes if I it the key on the edge instead of near the center. However, take that with a grain of salt - I'm a terrible typist.

It's a great product that is hard to beat at ~$12 with shipping and handling. Then again, since it's the only keyboard cover I have been able to find it can't be beat at all.

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Replacing a Laptop's Rubber Pads

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 03:46:00 +0000

Soft and easy to install replacement feet

This a sad story for Sony that led to me customizing my laptop for the better. Have you ever accidentally torn a rubber foot off of the bottom of a laptop by sliding it on a table or into a bag? In September I noticed my laptop was wobbling when I typed. To run add to the annoyance I was trying to use it on an airplane and it kept sliding off the tray. I had lost one of the rubber feet from the bottom of my VAIO extended battery and it was causing the laptop to bounce whenever I rested my right hand on the laptop or typed on the lower-right of the keyboard.

I called Sony for a replacement part thinking they could send me a sheet of them for a few dollars. It turned out I could get one (that's just a single rubber foot about 1.5" long and 1/4" wide) for $6.82 with shipping. I almost declined, but I'm so particular that I'm afraid I accepted the order. I placed the order on November 12, 2010 and I've never seen that rubber foot.

I called 5 or 6 times to get status updates and each time I was told the order had been sent to a warehouse that didn't carry that item, but the good news was the warehouse that did stock the rubber feet was close by and I would receive it in a few days. I watched as the $6.82 charge appeared and disappeared from my online bank statement. A supervisor called me to apologize once, but that was in the first week of December.

Anyway, my morbid curiosity faded and I was once again annoyed by the wobbling. My search for a replacement came up empty until I got the idea to try the padded felt feet used for furniture legs. I purchased 20 felt strips for $3.52. Each strip is about 3" long and 3/4" wide with self adhesive on the back. That sure makes a $6.82 rubber foot seem really silly.

I peeled off the remaining rubber foot and used it as a pattern. I cut out two long rectangles from the foot, trimmed the corners a little, and stuck them on. They fit perfectly and and the laptop was balanced once more.

Now, the drawback to this is the felt feet aren't meant to grip a surface, they slide. This was great for me. I almost never use my laptop on an angled surface and I often slide it around my desk. The felt feet and rise of the extended battery allow me to lift up the front of the laptop and slide it around without having to pick up the whole thing. It's a nice convenience, but might be a pain if I ever do try to use an angled surface.

If you want the feet to grip the surface then I recommended buying the rubber version of the felt feet. Both types are made for furniture, so you can shop around for the rubber pads instead. You can even coordinate the colors. I was stuck with tan or dark brown, but if I ever come across black pads I will probably pick up a pack of them. You can find these in WalMart, Lowes, Home Depot, or any other store that offers a home improvement section.

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Ubuntu on a VAIO F12: Upgrading to Meerkat 10.10 Might Hose Nvidia, Fixes Audio

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 19:00:00 +0000

As a follow-up to my last post, anyone using an Nvidia graphics card with the Nvidia Linux drivers may want to hold-off on upgrading to Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat. I jumped the gun, did zero research, and found myself stuck with screwed up Nvidia drivers and no graphical interface. Unfortunately, this seems like a common issue right now.

Luckily, I had kept the Nvidia drivers in my Downloads directory, so I was able to remove the bad drivers and reinstall them. That means I'm using the same drivers, but they needed to be reconfigured. The reinstall process fixed it with no hassle. If you're caught without the drivers pre-downloaded then you might be looking at a more complicated or difficult fix. You can also switch back to the vesa drivers before upgrading.

On a side note, upgrading fixed my audio issues. When I finally booted up 10.10 with the graphical login I heard the startup sounds for the first time. At least that was a nice surprise.

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How To: Setup Your VAIO F Series Touchpad in Ubuntu

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 13:42:00 +0000

I recently installed Ubuntu 10.04 alongside Windows on my VAIO F12 and I was pretty happy with it until I tried to use it in the car. The ALPS touchpad wouldn't respond at all and wasn't listed in xinput list. This is obviously very annoying, but the fix is easy. I found this after a lot of searching in the Ubuntu forums, so credit goes to the guys who discovered this fix in their log files.

1. Run sudo gedit /etc/default/grub and you should see GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""
2. Add i8042.nopnp in-between the quotes (GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="i8042.nopnp")
3. Run sudo update-grub
4. Reboot

You may also need to add the touchpad to Xorg.conf. I did this as part of my early troubleshooting and left it there. If updating grub doesn't help then you may need to do this as the final step.

1. Backup Xorg.conf: sudo cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf-backup
2. Run sudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf
3. Add these lines:

Section "InputDevice"
   Identifier "Synaptics Touchpad"
   Driver "Synaptics"
   Option "sendCoreEvents" "true"
   Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"
   Option "Protocol" "auto-dev"
   Option "HorizEdgeScroll" "0"
   Option "SHMConfig" "true"
EndSection

Besides the touchpad, there are a few other annoyances that I think are worth mentioning. Ubuntu enables Bluetooth every single time X server is restarted or the PC is rebooted, but this can be fixed with scripts. The keyboard's backlight stays on constantly, even in the light and the keys can't be held down. I don't have any audio and, finally, the Nvidia graphics card was a real pain to get working. Twice I had to use low-graphics mode to fix the Xorg.conf file, which had become non-existent. I think I have the Bluetooth and Nvidia issues resolved and I'll be working on the other problems later.

I found a nice blog completely devoted to running Ubuntu on a VAIO here (vaioubuntu.wordpress.com). There is some good stuff there, including a script to fix Bluetooth.

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Android App: Remote Notifier

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 05:51:00 +0000

I came across yet another great app on Lifehacker today, Remote Notifier. This handy app makes it possible for you to leave your phone in your pocket or bag or to use your headphones without worrying about missing a call, text message, or notification on your Android phone. The app pushes a notification to your PC or Mac over USB, Bluetooth, or WiFi to let you know who is calling, if your battery is low, if the battery is charging, who sent you a text, etc.

If you choose to use your USB cable or Bluetooth then the setup is pretty straightforward. You either plug in your cable or you pair your phone with your PC/Mac over Bluetooth. If you choose to use WiFi then you have a few different options. Remote Notifier can broadcast to a global broadcast address, DHCP broadcast address, or a specific IP address. If you choose specific IP address then you can even use the app while on 3G/4G when your WiFi is off.

This app is not available in the Android Market and you do need a PC/Mac client running in order to receive the notifications. You can get both the *.apk and the client for both 32 and 64-bit OS here:

http://code.google.com/p/android-notifier/wiki/Setup

You will need to enable "Unknown sources" under Settings > Applications on your phone.

I think this is a great idea and I'm going to continue to use it. It's just infinitely easier than grabbing my phone every time it beeps at me.

Remote Notifier for Android for Android on AppBrain

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