Geek Strand: Another Exciting Edition of Bits & Bytes
I know you all love my Bits & Bytes segments. I do, too. However, to be honest, I just couldn’t think of anything to write long about, so I am throwing out some of the cool little things that I have seen out into the ether.
Gotham’s gone mad and the Bat is tangled up with the Cat. Can this be the end? Find out Same Bat-Time, Same Bat-sequel (That would be Fall 2011, Batman: Arkham City)
Gotham Goes Nuts
Despite the fact that everyone even slightly aware of the video game market and the dynamic success of Batman: Arkham Asylum has known for months that a sequel was coming (Heck, there has been a teaser trailer out there for most of the year), everybody has gone gaga over the recent and official Time Warner announcement. Of course the big news was the name: Batman: Arkham City.
As the name, and the teaser trailer, hints at, the madness of Arkham has spread beyond the walls of the asylum and escaped into Gotham itself, along with Joker and a host of other cronies.
Teasers and hidden clues abound, but nothing from this spat of hype over the Fall 2011 release is cooler than the awesome Batman and Catwoman images released for the announcement.
The only disappointment is the one-year plus wait for the game. I hope that Rockstar Studios and WB will use that time wisely.
Geeking Out on the Beach
So, where do you get your geek on at the beach? Well, places vary, but if you want to hook up with the geek-like-minded on the strand, you need to head over to MBGeekOut.com. While the site is simple, the group is worth checking out. With interest and professions ranging from real estate to video games, the Geek Out celebrates their diversity with monthly get-togethers ranging from baseball games to trivia nights at area pubs.
So, if you are a geek feeling alone in a sea of frantic tourists and crazy locals, look them up. You can also find them on Twitter and Facebook at #mbgeekout. (Yes, use the “#” when searching Facebook for them, too).
Starcraft II: Wings of Commerce
Just for the record, Blizzard’s Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty, the long-awaited (12 years!) sequel to the hit sci-fi strategy game sold 1 million units in 24 hours.
Other game designers should take note of this, because Blizzard produces two of the most successful brands of computer games (Starcraft and Warcraft) and when they release a product, they do it for BOTH computer systems – Windows and Mac – at the SAME TIME.
That’s right. There is no whining about no market for games on Apple computers or that it’s too hard to do both. Blizzard does it, and they are consistently among the top computer game earners every year.
Just thinking…
So…just thinking here–on immigration.
If the DoJ’s argument against the Az. immigration enforcement law is that immigration is a federal crime and the states have no right to “help” enforce those laws, then State law enforcement should stop assisting with federal BOLOs, DEA investigations, Homeland Security, etc. because they are Federal jurisdictions?
Second thought: It is, as I understand it, a federal misdemeanor to enter the US without proper documentation. However, it is a felony to abet, employ, sell/rent goods or property, feed, shelter or otherwise aid a illegal alien. Ergo, would that not make a officer not investigating illegal activity he has witnessed a criminal?
Finally: Wouldn’t be much easier to just open the board, say, “Hey, come over here; ID, please, thank you–you have no criminal record, walk through this scanner–no drugs or guns. Ok, here’s your entry ticket have a nice day working; remember to file your taxes and obey our laws.”?
Think. It would cut down on coyote traffic, save lives, reduce a network asset for smugglers and criminals and we would still get to have our works wanting to do the jobs we don’t want to do. Do that and declare open season on anyone trying to cross illegally, because the honest people looking for work are going to be using the legal, pleasant, safe entry points, right?
Holy XXX, Batman!
Warning: This episode of Geek Strand contains content of an adult nature and should be read only by mature readers.
(Of course, Really? How mature and adult can we be in a column about a Batman parody?)
Holy Peepshow Batman, “Batman XXX” really shows the size of the Caped Crusader’s Batarang...among other things.
There comes a time in a young boys life when thoughts start to turn from comic books to girls and the possibility that they might have something to offer other than cooties. During the time these two separate worlds co-mingle. Debates on whether Wonder Woman or Catwoman was hotter or if Robin and Batgirl were hooking up were quietly discussed outside of adults’ hearing range. Read more »
Wally World Madness!
I don’t understand Wal Mart…They overload inventory, get stuck with the crap figures nobody wants anymore, then refuse to stock the new stuff (my wal marts have missed the last two releases) until the old stuff is sold out, and then “Roll Back” the prices, see pic for latest Roll Back!
While other stores are putting old GI Joes on the clearance rack, Wal Mart has taken a decidedly different approach: doubling the price of figures they couldn't sell for $5.
Now, I understand what they are trying to do. They want a jacked up price out there so they can “roll back” the price when the Pursuit of Cobra hit the shelves. I have seen them do things like this, putting out a RB sign claiming some crazy price that was never on the shelves.
I wonder if WM got busted for their roll back bs, or what, but $10 bucks for year old figures is just Madness.
GEEK STRAND: Bits and Bytes
Notifying the Next of Kin
Working in the office is becoming a thing of the past as devices like the iPad and Smartphone put desktop tools anywhere you want.
Microsoft has announced the death of it’s social-networking phone, the Kin. After less than two month’s on the market, the social-networking device targeted at tweens to college drop outs. The alleged iPhone killer neglected little things the kiddies wanted like, customization, apps and some level of coolness. What kid wants a phone called “Kin?” Sounds like your talking to your hillbilly cousin in West Virginia.
Just for the record:
Apple iPhone 4, 3 days, 1.7 million sold. VS. MS Kin & Kin II (Yes, two models), six weeks, <10,000 units sold (according to MS insiders via endgaget.com)
Crime in 3D
The biggest failing of “Avatar: The Airbender” is not the bad acting, M. Night’s directing or scripting massacre of the popular anime story or the terrible martial arts choreography.
The real crime is the marketing of the movie in the 3D format.
I have complained about 3D effects being slapped on movies–most notably the recent Wonderland debauchery–tend only to make the movie darker and generally unwatchable in order to throw a couple of beach balls at the audience. I was worried that this would happen to Avatar, especially since the early trailers did not mention 3D.
However, “Avatar” does something even worse than this.
There were no 3D effects in the movie! The trailers were in 3D. The beginning title sequence and all the production houses’ logos had 3D. The credits had 3D. During the actual movie, none. I am not talking about effects that were really bad. I am saying that not a single fireball, ice ball or earth clod that came out of the screen. No arrows, spears or swords threatened the goggled eyes of the audience. Nevertheless, glasses were still required to reintegrate the separated colors of the film, which is doubly annoying when you already have to wear glasses.
So, not only was this movie bad, but fraudulent as well. The studios, producers, director, special effects companies and the movie theaters should be sued for misrepresentation, false advertisement and anything else a smart lawyer can think of.
Changing the Way We Work
As an experiment, I wrote this weeks column on my iPad, and the overall experience was pleasant. While not perfect, Pages for the iPad worked quite well and getting use to the touchscreen keyboard was not difficult. The hardest parts were the change in layout, with symbols and numbers being on different “screens”, and adapting to the word-suggestion tool.
The iPad’s size was no hindrance. In fact, it worked quite well in my lap or on the table.
In addition, the picture of me working was taken on my MyTouch Slide and edited on the Android smartphone with Photoshop Mobile. However to be honest, the pic will probably have to run through regular Photoshop to be converted into the proper format. I did crop and color correct it on my phone though.
This is just a test of the changing ways we can work. I am finishing this article while in between matches during a pool tournament at a local biker bar. Making boredom productive, or wasting valuable free time working…depending on how you look at it.
3D Fraud make Last Airbender not only bad, but criminal.
The biggest failing of “Avatar: The Airbender” is not the bad acting, M. Night’s directing or scripting massacre of the popular anime story or the terrible martial arts choreography.
The real crime is the marketing of the movie in the 3D format.
I have complained about 3D effects being slapped on movies…most notably the recent Wonderland debacle…which tend only to make the movie darker and generally unwatchable in order to throw a couple of beach balls at the audience. I was worried that this would happen to Avatar, especially since the early trailers did not mention 3D.
However, “Avatar” does something even worse than this.
There was no 3D effects in the movie! The trailers were in 3D. The beginning title sequence and all the production houses’ logos had 3D. The credits had 3D. During the actual movie, none. I am not talking about effects that were really bad. I am saying that not a single fireball, ice ball or earth clod that came out of the screen. No arrows, spears or swords threatened the goggled eyes of the audience. Nevertheless, glasses were still required to reintegrate the separated colors of the film, which i s doubly annoying when you already have to wear glasses.
So, not only was this movie bad, but fraudulent as well. The studios, producers, director, special effects companies and the movie theaters should be sued for misrepresentation, false advertisement and anything else a smart lawyer can think of.
Geek Strand: From the Enterprise to the Everyday
Every since I was a youngling back in the pre-home computer days, I wanted an iPad.
Trek PADDs - The fictional (future) relative of the iPad obviously inspired the Apple device.
Okay. Perhaps I never called it an iPad, but that was pretty much what I wanted. Every calculator, watch, pocket radio or any other portable electronic device I came in contact with became a tricorder-like device to help me search out strange new worlds like Mr. Spock.
As I grew up, I continued in my quest for that elusive device that inspired my imagination. I had the most advanced digital watches, with calculators, computer games and digital phone books. I had scientific calculators you could program. I bought nearly every kind of digital assistant they came out with. When “Pocket PCs” came out, I was right on the cutting edge using the latest models to work and play.
Ipad - The touchscreen device puts a bit of the Enterprise into your hands.
During that time, Star Trek: The Next Generation redefined these portable devices, labeling them PADDs (Personal Access Data Displays). Just as the previous generation of Trek had inspired so many of our advancements, this new Enterprise brought forth a new era of high-tech design, bringing the idea of touch screen surfaces, customizable work stations and even eBooks to popular consumer’s desires.
Just as Kirk’s Enterprise gave birth cell phones (particularly flip-phones), Lazy-Boys and large screen TVs, Picard’s devices, like the PADD, inspired generations of devices like the Palm, Casio PocketPCs, and tablet PCs.
However, it wasn’t until Apple’s success with multi-touch input and the iPhone did things start to really look and feel like what we all saw on Trek.
Then came the iPad. The flat, touch screen device looked like it was smuggled out of the prop archives at Universal Studios, and preformed much the same way as the PADD. Linking wirelessly to networks, it provides personal access to entertainment, communications and even work files. Some people may have mocked Apple for using the “iPad” name, but to anyone who has seen Star Trek, it was obvious what they were going for.
Other naysayers complained that the device didn’t have a market; there was no use for the device. My response was always simple: “Look at Star Trek.”
My iPad fit right into my daily routine. In the mornings, instead of bringing out my 17-inch MacBook Pro, I pick up my iPad, drink my morning caffeine and browse news and e-mails. Throughout the day, I keep up with e-mails and play a few games while waiting for an appointment. In the evening, I can google or access IMDB.com for some bit of trivia as my girlfriend and I watch TV. At bedtime, it turns into an eBook reader (with access to all the major bookstore and eBook services). It can even be my alarm clock, if I wasn’t already using my smartphone for that.
This is not to say that the iPad is going to replace my MacBook Pro (which has replaced my desktop computer), or that I couldn’t (or didn’t) use the laptop for everything I am using the iPad for now. But the iPad does fit in a little better, and even helps as I sit here writing on the MacBook Pro while my e-mails feed onto the iPad.
The iPad is something new that truly fills the technological hole that most (except for us Trek fans) didn’t even realize existed.
Android the sequel: A quick look at the MyTouch 3G Slide
Finally an upgraded Android phone worthy of replacing my venerable T-Mobile G1.
A few years ago, I started this column with a rave review of my T-Mobile G1 smartphone. The first handset to use Google’s Android operating system, it was just plain cool. Of course, back then, everyone was all iGaga over Apple’s phone, and not many were paying attention to the little G1 and its meager apps store. Today, Android is everywhere and is nipping on the heels of the iPhone for its share of the smart phone market.
The G1 set the standard for me on smartphones, particularly with the combination of a touchscreen and slide-out keyboard. Virtual keyboards are nice, but I have a 13-1/2 ring size that doesn’t adapt well to the small on-screen keys. With practice, I can get by, but having that slide-out keyboard is so much nicer.
After years of use, the G1’s flaws became apparent. The built-in memory was painfully inadequate once you started adding new applications and widgets. With apps being stored on the internal 256mb of flash memory, and only 128mb of RAM, even T-Mobile’s suggested apps, like an improved dialer and visual voicemail made the unit drag it’s feet at even simple tasks like answering the phone. All too soon, the G1 was left behind as T-Mobile introduced new Android units like the MyTouch.
While I was frustrated by the G1’s lack of power, the MyTouch and it’s ensuing variants all lacked a keyboard, and while the Moto Blur had a keyboard, it was hamstrung with Motorola’s social networking overlay that limited the Blur’s adaptability. The Verizon got the Droid, and I was tempted to convert, but Verizon struck a bad note with me when they told me that only being able to use ringtones purchased from their store was to protect copyrights and not to rip users off for an extra buck.
I waited patiently. Google’s own Nexus looked nice, but again, no physical keyboard. More MyTouch variants came out with not much changing other than colors.
Until finally, the MyTouch 3G Slide. With a slide-out keyboard like its grandfather, the Slide offered me everything I wanted in an upgrade and more.
The Slide has 512mb Flash and RAM each, a 5mp camera with LED flash and the most current Android operating system (as of writing this). It also came with an 8gb MicroSD card.
However, there is so much more. More than I expected. More than I can probably go into here in this space.
And a lot of it is the little touches that I am just beginning to appreciate. Things like the track pad replacing the track ball, and how the phone turns off the touchscreen when raised upright (like to your ear for a call) and then back on again when you bring it down to end the call or enter account numbers or some other use. No locked screen requiring awkward manipulations to regain access.
In addition, an integrated contact system brings contacts together from different networks, such as your Google address book, your Facebook account and phone’s directory, and bringing them together under one entry on one list. (Probably an aspect of the Moto Blur’s modifications that proved useful.)
Overall, the Slide is bigger, stronger and faster than the old G1 and any other Android I have seen yet…At least for another couple months.
Christopher Huff is an unrepentant geek living, writing and playing on the Grand Strand. You can learn more about him and his writing at www.piratejournalism.com. Comments can be sent to chris@alternatives.sc
Geek Strand: Summer Movie Briefs, Part 2
Before we were interrupted with that important message on 3D viewing pleasures (And if you missed the last Geek Strand, go on-line to catch up on that breaking 3D DD news), I promised to continue my briefs on geeky summer movies, so lets get back to it.
Predators (July 7)
Ever since Arnie took on these ugly aliens come to earth for a hunting vacation, Hollywood has been trying to recover the excitement of that original. This has met with varying success, ranging from the forgettable incident in LA with Danny Glover to the latest duke-out between the predators and their “Alien” nemesis.
This time, instead of visiting Earth, the Predators have sent out for take out. A group of kidnapped humans (with no actors worth mentioning) find themselves hunted on an alien planet.
My prediction: mild amusement, but the same old crap we saw Arnie and Jessie Ventura do much better back in the 80s.
The Last Airbender (July 2)
Based on the popular anime, this live action movie promises to be a faithful adaptation. However, we all know to take that with a pound of salt. Interestingly enough, the trailers look pretty good, and even my non-geek, hates-cartoons girlfriend said she might like to see the movie.
Of course, the hook is that M. Night Shyamalan is directing and that is a big danger sign. Despite his early success, his last few movies have failed to impress anyone.
My prediction: Kids will drag their parents. Anime fans will nit-pick it to death. Forgotten by the next weekend.
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (June 30)
First movie: Oh, I love Edward. He is a Vampire and sparkles in the sun.
Second movie: Maybe I love Jacob. He’s all ripped and turns into a real animal at night.
Third movie (this one): Hey, where did this plot come from? Someone is creating an army of vampires and plans to take over Seattle.
My prediction: Despite an original idea in the vampire genre (the vamp army not sparkling in the sunlight), this will be more teen angst and boredom for anyone other than teen age girls and those Twilight cougars who lust after the teen vampires and werewolves.
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (July 14)
Disney producing a movie about a single segment of their animated masterpiece “Fantasia?” Wow! That sounds like it could be as successful as a movie about a theme park ride.
However, they did do it with the “Pirates of the Caribbean,” and the same team plus the director of the historical “National Treasure” series (Not to mention Nick Cage) is working to bring this battle between modern day wizards to life on the streets of Manhattan might not be too bad.
My prediction: I was skeptical, but the trailers of made a favorable impression on me. This might be the sleeper hit of the summer.
Well, that is it for now. I’ll bring you a summer films wrap up later in the season to discuss the late bloomers of August and September.
Christopher Huff is an unrepentant geek living, writing and playing on the Grand Strand. You can learn more about him and his writing at www.piratejournalism.com. Comments can be sent to chris@alternatives.sc
3D DDs!
We interrupt your regularly scheduled Geek Strand for this important expose on naked women in 3D.
Playboy jumps on the bandwagon with some 3D DDs. Unfortunately, the 60s-style technology does little to enhance the 2010 Playmate of the Year's assets. But, hey, it is still a collectible. Go out and buy one.
3D has been the “in” word for technology. Any movie that can even slightly justify it (“Step Up 3D”? Come on, are you serious) is trying to use the third dimension to sell some extra tickets (not to mention the extra $3-$5 bucks for the special glasses). Cell phones and computer screens are trying the same thing, and then, if you just spent a couple grand on a new HDTV, you had better go do it again for the 3DHDTV they are marketing this year. Finally, Playboy has jumped on the bandwagon with a 3D centerfold for the 2010 Playmate of the Year. However, just the centerfold, and the “True Blood” ad that wraps it are in 3D. All the rest of the book is your garden-variety 2D nudie pics.
Hef said he wanted to do a 3D centerfold ever since he started Playboy and the technology is finally good enough. However, the June Playboy 3D issue uses the old 3D technology from back in the 60s.
Now, back in the 90s, there was a comic boo called “Solar,” and it released a 3D gimmick with some new glasses (somewhere half way between the red/blue paper ones and the REAL3D ones you get in theaters now.) Now, not only did this work spectacularly on the comics made for it, but it worked, to a slightly lesser extent, on any comic book or image. More over, there was no red/blue ghosts on the image, so you could view the 3D issues of “Solar” without the glasses just fine. One has to wonder why this or a better technology wasn’t used? (Of course, the 3D effect does help the lady’s assets stand out well enough).
Christopher Huff is an unrepentant geek living, writing and playing on the Grand Strand. You can learn more about him and his writing at www.piratejournalism.com. Comments can be sent to chris@alternatives.sc
About
“Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and start slitting throats.”
– H.L. Mencken
Direct Email: Christopher@PirateJournalism.com
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