Long before Nintendo had the idea of having its characters jump around platform deathtraps shooting each other in the face and hitting each other with bats, Namco had the same plan. The difference is that their implementation of it was way, way more awesome.
The Outfoxies is a simple tale: a group of assassins is pitted against one another, and only one can survive. Players must navigate levels based on real-world environments and use their wits and an arsenal of weapons to kill each other deader than cow pies. Its how this is achieved that makes Outfoxies remarkable. Players not only shoot, stab, and grenade one another, they can use everything in their environment as well. For instance, as you fight your opponent on top of a building, the roof gives way. You fall into a restaurant and fling scalding soup and champagne bottles at one another. Meanwhile, the building is flooding, and electrified water is rising toward you. In the circus level, you can machine-gun clowns and circus elephants, knock you enemy into the tiger pen, or sucker-punch the ringmaster and take his bullwhip. If your adversary counters you, you can escape via trampoline, and of course, the clown-launching cannon is fully functional. Perhaps the most amazing level is an airplane, with mannable gun turrets and a pilot's chair from which you can actually control the pitch of the level- sending your enemy hurtling to an early death if you're lucky. As you battle, bits of the plane give way, creating deadly pitfalls. The cargo hold is even full of sliding crates that can crush the unwary.
As awesome as having bloody gunfights while destroying vast maps full of destroyable environment and helpless animals is, Outfoxies has some problems. Hit detection with level elements, especially in the rotating airplane level, can be dodgy. The game also pans out to show more of the level as the players get further apart, and its scaling engine scrambles the screen pretty bad. That said, this game contains possibly more mayhem and undirected carnage than any game ever made and is totally worth your (and a friend's) time.
7/10
Thursday, April 30, 2009
J.K. Scrumpy Cider
JK Scrumpy has a sweet overtone that suggests a fruity wine. It lacks the beeriness of an American cider; you might initially think you're drinking a french brew. However, Scrumpy is a bit different. As you drink you'll notice a discernible cidery flavor, like the brown fall cider you get in stores. The flavor of soft cider is actually rare in hard ciders, which often have a harder apple taste, and the bite of alcohol merged with this taste give this cider a crisp, fall flavor that is unique and refreshing. It's also noticeably less fizzy than most hard ciders, but that's not really an issue for me.
The ingredients list tells the tale: Apple juice and yeast, nothing else. J.K. Scrumpy is a satisfying, refreshing cider with a unique character and great taste. An excellent break-in drink for soft-cider fans looking to try the hard stuff, this cider won't let you down.
7/10
The ingredients list tells the tale: Apple juice and yeast, nothing else. J.K. Scrumpy is a satisfying, refreshing cider with a unique character and great taste. An excellent break-in drink for soft-cider fans looking to try the hard stuff, this cider won't let you down.
7/10
Monday, April 27, 2009
Dell's slow ass shipping
Dell: "Hi, we're Dell. We build your laptop and desktop as you order it to benefit you."
You: "Oh? That sounds really neat, what kind of benefits do I get for having my PC built to order?"
Dell: "Well, it has everything in it that you wanted like that extra stick of ram and bigger hard drive... but you'll have to wait another two weeks to get it... even if you pay extra for next day shipping"
You: "Wait.. WTF?! So I get everything I was shopping for in the first place and my package is now delayed? I'm going to newegg.. later."
Dell, you fucking piece of shit. I could care less if you are building my PC as I order it. This does not benefit the consumer at all, it benefits you and your pockets. You save money by cutting costs on holding on to inventory and possibly buying too much of one product at a time. Then, you try and market this as if it it's something special. You don't even give the consumer many options to begin with. Maybe if you had a decent list of different types of video cards etc. then this may be more justifiable but it's not, so screw you.
I just recently purchased a dell mini 9 for myself (my wife already has one) and I'm going to attempt to put OSX on it (more on that later when I get it). This is about the fifth time I've purchased something from Dell and about the fifth time I've been extremely frustrated and disappointed by their slowness in shipping the product. Three weeks!? That's right, I'm not exaggerating... three weeks. I ordered my dell mini 9 and got a delivery date of three weeks from the time that I ordered it. I added some extra ram and a bigger hard drive. I mean come on, does it really take THREE WEEKS to add an extra stick of ram and a bigger hard drive into a laptop? No. I know it doesn't, not even with the large amount of orders that Dell goes through.
It's ridiculous and Dell needs to do something about it. Don't get me wrong, Dell has some pretty good prices and products overall, and their customer service is not that bad (if you can understand their accents). However, shipping is your first impression of a company and if you just dropped down a large chunk of change on a new laptop, and paid an extra fifty bucks for next day shipping, only to find out you're getting your laptop next month... I think you are going to be a bit miffed. Do you walk into a store to buy something, bring it up to the counter, hand the lady your money, and then say "See you in three weeks"? No. If you are purchasing something (and I know this is not just me) you want it now, not later. You are giving up your hard earned cash in trade for goods or services. The cash leaves your hands long before you get your final product in Dell's case.
I also have to argue how this can be beneficial to the consumer. Is there really that many different configurations for a laptop? Would anyone really want that many different configuration options? The choice of whether you want to add that web cam or extra stick of ram is not that far off from the standard build that it would take that much longer. Dell knows this, and I wager that this can't go on much longer. Especially as more and more people start to move all of their shopping online, the average joe is not going to just deal with this. They need to include some options for those that choose a semi-standard build. A choice between extreme customization that takes three weeks to build and deliver, or a pre-built system with some specs that the majority of the masses would choose with standard 3-5 day shipping, or next day, etc.
All in all, yes I'm frustrated with Dell, yes I'm taking this a bit too far, yes I know that this probably won't change (at least anytime soon), but I know I'm not the only one who feels this way. Everyone I have talked to, or the several stories I have read online all point to the same frustrating scenario... that Dell has some slow ass shipping. nuff said.
You: "Oh? That sounds really neat, what kind of benefits do I get for having my PC built to order?"
Dell: "Well, it has everything in it that you wanted like that extra stick of ram and bigger hard drive... but you'll have to wait another two weeks to get it... even if you pay extra for next day shipping"
You: "Wait.. WTF?! So I get everything I was shopping for in the first place and my package is now delayed? I'm going to newegg.. later."
Dell, you fucking piece of shit. I could care less if you are building my PC as I order it. This does not benefit the consumer at all, it benefits you and your pockets. You save money by cutting costs on holding on to inventory and possibly buying too much of one product at a time. Then, you try and market this as if it it's something special. You don't even give the consumer many options to begin with. Maybe if you had a decent list of different types of video cards etc. then this may be more justifiable but it's not, so screw you.
I just recently purchased a dell mini 9 for myself (my wife already has one) and I'm going to attempt to put OSX on it (more on that later when I get it). This is about the fifth time I've purchased something from Dell and about the fifth time I've been extremely frustrated and disappointed by their slowness in shipping the product. Three weeks!? That's right, I'm not exaggerating... three weeks. I ordered my dell mini 9 and got a delivery date of three weeks from the time that I ordered it. I added some extra ram and a bigger hard drive. I mean come on, does it really take THREE WEEKS to add an extra stick of ram and a bigger hard drive into a laptop? No. I know it doesn't, not even with the large amount of orders that Dell goes through.
It's ridiculous and Dell needs to do something about it. Don't get me wrong, Dell has some pretty good prices and products overall, and their customer service is not that bad (if you can understand their accents). However, shipping is your first impression of a company and if you just dropped down a large chunk of change on a new laptop, and paid an extra fifty bucks for next day shipping, only to find out you're getting your laptop next month... I think you are going to be a bit miffed. Do you walk into a store to buy something, bring it up to the counter, hand the lady your money, and then say "See you in three weeks"? No. If you are purchasing something (and I know this is not just me) you want it now, not later. You are giving up your hard earned cash in trade for goods or services. The cash leaves your hands long before you get your final product in Dell's case.
I also have to argue how this can be beneficial to the consumer. Is there really that many different configurations for a laptop? Would anyone really want that many different configuration options? The choice of whether you want to add that web cam or extra stick of ram is not that far off from the standard build that it would take that much longer. Dell knows this, and I wager that this can't go on much longer. Especially as more and more people start to move all of their shopping online, the average joe is not going to just deal with this. They need to include some options for those that choose a semi-standard build. A choice between extreme customization that takes three weeks to build and deliver, or a pre-built system with some specs that the majority of the masses would choose with standard 3-5 day shipping, or next day, etc.
All in all, yes I'm frustrated with Dell, yes I'm taking this a bit too far, yes I know that this probably won't change (at least anytime soon), but I know I'm not the only one who feels this way. Everyone I have talked to, or the several stories I have read online all point to the same frustrating scenario... that Dell has some slow ass shipping. nuff said.
Dell's slow ass shipping
Dell: "Hi, we're Dell. We build your laptop and desktop as you order it to benefit you."
You: "Oh? That sounds really neat, what kind of benefits do I get for having my PC built to order?"
Dell: "Well, it has everything in it that you wanted like that extra stick of ram and bigger hard drive... but you'll have to wait another two weeks to get it... even if you pay extra for next day shipping"
You: "Wait.. WTF?! So I get everything I was shopping for in the first place and my package is now delayed? I'm going to newegg.. later."
Dell, you fucking piece of shit. I could care less if you are building my PC as I order it. This does not benefit the consumer at all, it benefits you and your pockets. You save money by cutting costs on holding on to inventory and possibly buying too much of one product at a time. Then, you try and market this as if it it's something special. You don't even give the consumer many options to begin with. Maybe if you had a decent list of different types of video cards etc. then this may be more justifiable but it's not, so screw you.
I just recently purchased a dell mini 9 for myself (my wife already has one) and I'm going to attempt to put OSX on it (more on that later when I get it). This is about the fifth time I've purchased something from Dell and about the fifth time I've been extremely frustrated and disappointed by their slowness in shipping the product. Three weeks!? That's right, I'm not exaggerating... three weeks. I ordered my dell mini 9 and got a delivery date of three weeks from the time that I ordered it. I added some extra ram and a bigger hard drive. I mean come on, does it really take THREE WEEKS to add an extra stick of ram and a bigger hard drive into a laptop? No. I know it doesn't, not even with the large amount of orders that Dell goes through.
It's ridiculous and Dell needs to do something about it. Don't get me wrong, Dell has some pretty good prices and products overall, and their customer service is not that bad (if you can understand their accents). However, shipping is your first impression of a company and if you just dropped down a large chunk of change on a new laptop, and paid an extra fifty bucks for next day shipping, only to find out you're getting your laptop next month... I think you are going to be a bit miffed. Do you walk into a store to buy something, bring it up to the counter, hand the lady your money, and then say "See you in three weeks"? No. If you are purchasing something (and I know this is not just me) you want it now, not later. You are giving up your hard earned cash in trade for goods or services. The cash leaves your hands long before you get your final product in Dell's case.
I also have to argue how this can be beneficial to the consumer. Is there really that many different configurations for a laptop? Would anyone really want that many different configuration options? The choice of whether you want to add that web cam or extra stick of ram is not that far off from the standard build that it would take that much longer. Dell knows this, and I wager that this can't go on much longer. Especially as more and more people start to move all of their shopping online, the average joe is not going to just deal with this. They need to include some options for those that choose a semi-standard build. A choice between extreme customization that takes three weeks to build and deliver, or a pre-built system with some specs that the majority of the masses would choose with standard 3-5 day shipping, or next day, etc.
All in all, yes I'm frustrated with Dell, yes I'm taking this a bit too far, yes I know that this probably won't change (at least anytime soon), but I know I'm not the only one who feels this way. Everyone I have talked to, or the several stories I have read online all point to the same frustrating scenario... that Dell has some slow ass shipping. nuff said.
You: "Oh? That sounds really neat, what kind of benefits do I get for having my PC built to order?"
Dell: "Well, it has everything in it that you wanted like that extra stick of ram and bigger hard drive... but you'll have to wait another two weeks to get it... even if you pay extra for next day shipping"
You: "Wait.. WTF?! So I get everything I was shopping for in the first place and my package is now delayed? I'm going to newegg.. later."
Dell, you fucking piece of shit. I could care less if you are building my PC as I order it. This does not benefit the consumer at all, it benefits you and your pockets. You save money by cutting costs on holding on to inventory and possibly buying too much of one product at a time. Then, you try and market this as if it it's something special. You don't even give the consumer many options to begin with. Maybe if you had a decent list of different types of video cards etc. then this may be more justifiable but it's not, so screw you.
I just recently purchased a dell mini 9 for myself (my wife already has one) and I'm going to attempt to put OSX on it (more on that later when I get it). This is about the fifth time I've purchased something from Dell and about the fifth time I've been extremely frustrated and disappointed by their slowness in shipping the product. Three weeks!? That's right, I'm not exaggerating... three weeks. I ordered my dell mini 9 and got a delivery date of three weeks from the time that I ordered it. I added some extra ram and a bigger hard drive. I mean come on, does it really take THREE WEEKS to add an extra stick of ram and a bigger hard drive into a laptop? No. I know it doesn't, not even with the large amount of orders that Dell goes through.
It's ridiculous and Dell needs to do something about it. Don't get me wrong, Dell has some pretty good prices and products overall, and their customer service is not that bad (if you can understand their accents). However, shipping is your first impression of a company and if you just dropped down a large chunk of change on a new laptop, and paid an extra fifty bucks for next day shipping, only to find out you're getting your laptop next month... I think you are going to be a bit miffed. Do you walk into a store to buy something, bring it up to the counter, hand the lady your money, and then say "See you in three weeks"? No. If you are purchasing something (and I know this is not just me) you want it now, not later. You are giving up your hard earned cash in trade for goods or services. The cash leaves your hands long before you get your final product in Dell's case.
I also have to argue how this can be beneficial to the consumer. Is there really that many different configurations for a laptop? Would anyone really want that many different configuration options? The choice of whether you want to add that web cam or extra stick of ram is not that far off from the standard build that it would take that much longer. Dell knows this, and I wager that this can't go on much longer. Especially as more and more people start to move all of their shopping online, the average joe is not going to just deal with this. They need to include some options for those that choose a semi-standard build. A choice between extreme customization that takes three weeks to build and deliver, or a pre-built system with some specs that the majority of the masses would choose with standard 3-5 day shipping, or next day, etc.
All in all, yes I'm frustrated with Dell, yes I'm taking this a bit too far, yes I know that this probably won't change (at least anytime soon), but I know I'm not the only one who feels this way. Everyone I have talked to, or the several stories I have read online all point to the same frustrating scenario... that Dell has some slow ass shipping. nuff said.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Apogee Duet Firewire Recording Interface
This one is for the musicians out there. By day I'm a geek, but by night
and on the weekends I write, play, and produce music. Since this is one of
my primary uses of technology, I have spent a boatload of time and money on
the right gear for the job. Not so long ago I had the need for a small
recording interface I could use with my MacBook Pro to get rough cuts of
guitar parts I've written. I find that I have trouble remembering
EVERYTHING I come up with, so recording is a good way to jog my memory if I
need to. Since my practice space isn't at home and my recording studio
is...I had to find something mobile that would fit in my laptop bag and not
take up too much space.
The Apogee Duet is a 2 channel Firewire recording interface for Mac. Sorry
Windows users, this one's not for you. I'll have a review of some Windows
compatible gear soon. It has 2 balanced XLR inputs for microphones or DI
boxes, 2 Unbalanced 1/4" inch inputs for instruments such as guitar,
keyboards, bass, etc., and 2 unbalanced 1/4" outputs to connect to your
studio monitors, monitor management system, or amplifier. All of the I/O is
provided via a breakout cable and the entire interface matches the Macintosh
aesthetic well. It provides phantom power on the XLR inputs and is host
powered so you don't need a power adapter. I won't go into installation of
the driver and software here, but rest assured, it's a painless process.
The first time I monitored a mix with the Duet I was blown away. I was
using a Presonus FireStudio as my primary interface which sounded good, but
the Duet sounded clearer and seems to have a flatter frequency response than
the Presonus. I could hear such a difference that I could pick out flaws in
a recording I had already mixed within the first few minues. Since then,
I've also replaced my studio monitors with MUCH nicer monitors and I'm
reviewing the mixes again. I'll review those monitors soon.
I've used all of the inputs on the Duet. To be clear, you can't use both
the XLR and 1/4" inputs simultaneously on the same channel. You can use
different connectors on separate channels, though. I've used each
configuration available on both channels. The frequency response and
headroom are very good. Recording guitar from my Line6 Spider Valve
amplifier couldn't have been easier. There is a balanced XLR output on the
amplifier which sounds superb when connected directly to one of the XLR
inputs. I use this for quick recordings at least once a week and am quite
pleased. Plugging microphones into these inputs works very well. Also,
recording dry guitar signal to re-amp works nicely with the 1/4" inputs.
All in all, the interface is solidly built. There's tons of headroom in the
Mic Preamps. The frequency response is superb. For anyone who uses a Mac
to record and needs either a solid 2 channel interface or something small
that can be packed away in a laptop bag, the Duet is at the top of the list.
I give the Apogee Duet a perfect 10 out of 10
and on the weekends I write, play, and produce music. Since this is one of
my primary uses of technology, I have spent a boatload of time and money on
the right gear for the job. Not so long ago I had the need for a small
recording interface I could use with my MacBook Pro to get rough cuts of
guitar parts I've written. I find that I have trouble remembering
EVERYTHING I come up with, so recording is a good way to jog my memory if I
need to. Since my practice space isn't at home and my recording studio
is...I had to find something mobile that would fit in my laptop bag and not
take up too much space.
The Apogee Duet is a 2 channel Firewire recording interface for Mac. Sorry
Windows users, this one's not for you. I'll have a review of some Windows
compatible gear soon. It has 2 balanced XLR inputs for microphones or DI
boxes, 2 Unbalanced 1/4" inch inputs for instruments such as guitar,
keyboards, bass, etc., and 2 unbalanced 1/4" outputs to connect to your
studio monitors, monitor management system, or amplifier. All of the I/O is
provided via a breakout cable and the entire interface matches the Macintosh
aesthetic well. It provides phantom power on the XLR inputs and is host
powered so you don't need a power adapter. I won't go into installation of
the driver and software here, but rest assured, it's a painless process.
The first time I monitored a mix with the Duet I was blown away. I was
using a Presonus FireStudio as my primary interface which sounded good, but
the Duet sounded clearer and seems to have a flatter frequency response than
the Presonus. I could hear such a difference that I could pick out flaws in
a recording I had already mixed within the first few minues. Since then,
I've also replaced my studio monitors with MUCH nicer monitors and I'm
reviewing the mixes again. I'll review those monitors soon.
I've used all of the inputs on the Duet. To be clear, you can't use both
the XLR and 1/4" inputs simultaneously on the same channel. You can use
different connectors on separate channels, though. I've used each
configuration available on both channels. The frequency response and
headroom are very good. Recording guitar from my Line6 Spider Valve
amplifier couldn't have been easier. There is a balanced XLR output on the
amplifier which sounds superb when connected directly to one of the XLR
inputs. I use this for quick recordings at least once a week and am quite
pleased. Plugging microphones into these inputs works very well. Also,
recording dry guitar signal to re-amp works nicely with the 1/4" inputs.
All in all, the interface is solidly built. There's tons of headroom in the
Mic Preamps. The frequency response is superb. For anyone who uses a Mac
to record and needs either a solid 2 channel interface or something small
that can be packed away in a laptop bag, the Duet is at the top of the list.
I give the Apogee Duet a perfect 10 out of 10
Amazon.com WidgetsApogee Duet Firewire Recording Interface
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Kindle app for iPhone and iPod touch
I'm not the most avid reader, but I did find some interest in the Amazon
Kindle. The Kindle itself seemed too expensive to me, so when I heard about
the Kindle app for iPhone and iPod touch I tried it out.
Let me start by saying that the Kindle app for iPhone is definitely not mean
to be your primary reading device. It's really meant to be a companion to a
real Kindle. This being said, the iPhone app really does leave a bit to be
desired.
You get all the same books as you would on a "real" Kindle as well as
periodicals you subscribe to. You get super-fast downloads straight to your
iPhone or iPod touch. I swear it took like 30 seconds to download 4 books
to my iPhone 3G while on the 3G network. It would probably be faster on
Wi-Fi. That's more than acceptable for downloading an entire BOOK to your
mobile phone.
The disappointments abound, however. The screen size of the iPhone is just
too small to read from. I know this isn't really a fault of the
application, but it's disappointing nonetheless. Also, because the iPhone
has an LCD display instead of the super-pleasant E-Ink display of the
Kindle, there can be some pretty hefty eye strain after reading for a
while. There's no Landscape support, though I don't think this is an open
API in the 2.2 SDK for the iPhone so hopefully we'll see it on the next
version. There is no purchasing from the application, or even from the
Amazon mobile app. This is a deal-breaker for many iPhone users, I'm sure.
All in all, the application is OK. I can't say that I would have paid for
it had it not been free. Once the iPhone 3.0 update goes live, we'll see if
Amazon can add some of the missing functionality. I'm hoping to see all of
the application specific issues get fixed at this point.
Overall I give the Kindle iPhone app a 5 out of 10.
Kindle. The Kindle itself seemed too expensive to me, so when I heard about
the Kindle app for iPhone and iPod touch I tried it out.
Let me start by saying that the Kindle app for iPhone is definitely not mean
to be your primary reading device. It's really meant to be a companion to a
real Kindle. This being said, the iPhone app really does leave a bit to be
desired.
You get all the same books as you would on a "real" Kindle as well as
periodicals you subscribe to. You get super-fast downloads straight to your
iPhone or iPod touch. I swear it took like 30 seconds to download 4 books
to my iPhone 3G while on the 3G network. It would probably be faster on
Wi-Fi. That's more than acceptable for downloading an entire BOOK to your
mobile phone.
The disappointments abound, however. The screen size of the iPhone is just
too small to read from. I know this isn't really a fault of the
application, but it's disappointing nonetheless. Also, because the iPhone
has an LCD display instead of the super-pleasant E-Ink display of the
Kindle, there can be some pretty hefty eye strain after reading for a
while. There's no Landscape support, though I don't think this is an open
API in the 2.2 SDK for the iPhone so hopefully we'll see it on the next
version. There is no purchasing from the application, or even from the
Amazon mobile app. This is a deal-breaker for many iPhone users, I'm sure.
All in all, the application is OK. I can't say that I would have paid for
it had it not been free. Once the iPhone 3.0 update goes live, we'll see if
Amazon can add some of the missing functionality. I'm hoping to see all of
the application specific issues get fixed at this point.
Overall I give the Kindle iPhone app a 5 out of 10.
Amazon.com WidgetsKindle app for iPhone and iPod touch
Woodpecker Cider
Woodpecker is possibly the most English American cider I've ever tied. It has a very clear apple flavor without much funk. However, it's also a little less bold- It is to English Ciders what Corona is to Sapporo, if that makes any sense at all. Woodpecker is a great dinner cider but as an experience of its own, it doesn't impress. If it were a little stronger, it'd be a 7/10, but it isn't. As it is, I feel secure marking it above other cheapo US ciders like Woodchuck.
6.5/10
6.5/10
Monday, April 20, 2009
Dragonball Evolution
Someone in Hollywood looked at Dragonball, a goofy cartoon about farting moppets looking for oversized magical marbles. "Hmm," they thought, "this would make a fine live-action film with a bunch of nobodies who can't act! We'll make it deathly serious and cast a bunch of surly teenagers!" Then they gained the presence of mind to stow Chow Yun Fat in there so people would go. I don't know why he did it. I'm guessing he lost all his money somehow and playing an old geezer who reads porn, touches some girls' behinds, then dies seemed easy enough.
It didn't work out, and DBE has been losing money hand over fist. This is because it sucks. The special effects are lousy, the characters uncharismatic, and the script- well, it had to be simple so the cast could read it all off cue card next to the camera, but it's still bad. Fortunately it's short; it ended just as I was getting really mad at it. You may be tempted, as I was, to see this film for trainwreck appeal, but don't bother. It is neither deliberately nor accidentally good, it is only a sad mess that joylessly marches to the minimum length for a five dollar movie than dies abruptly. This movie actually entertained me less than Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. And that's something.
...
Who am I kidding. If you're the kind of freak who reads a twittered micro review blog entry about Dragonball Evolution, you've probably already seen it. Here's some fun stuff to watch for:
Look, I tried to get enjoyment out of Dragonball Evolution, my advice is not to. You won't be rewarded. Just go watch the cartoon. I didn't care for it, but at least it's funny.
0/10
It didn't work out, and DBE has been losing money hand over fist. This is because it sucks. The special effects are lousy, the characters uncharismatic, and the script- well, it had to be simple so the cast could read it all off cue card next to the camera, but it's still bad. Fortunately it's short; it ended just as I was getting really mad at it. You may be tempted, as I was, to see this film for trainwreck appeal, but don't bother. It is neither deliberately nor accidentally good, it is only a sad mess that joylessly marches to the minimum length for a five dollar movie than dies abruptly. This movie actually entertained me less than Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. And that's something.
...
Who am I kidding. If you're the kind of freak who reads a twittered micro review blog entry about Dragonball Evolution, you've probably already seen it. Here's some fun stuff to watch for:
- Every fight scene is in slow motion, Like Zach Snyder came in to co-direct. The ladyfriend suggested that rather like the fictional DarkPlace, slow motion was used to stretch out the film. If so, more was needed, the whole thing is less than 90 minutes long.
- The girl that plays ChiChi is actually pretty hot! Then Goku beats her up and she's out for the final quarter of the film.
- That dude playing Yamcha? His eyebrows are seriously freaky. What's up with that? Look at 'em!
- Wow, the movie's already over!
Look, I tried to get enjoyment out of Dragonball Evolution, my advice is not to. You won't be rewarded. Just go watch the cartoon. I didn't care for it, but at least it's funny.
0/10
HardCore Cider
HardCore cider is a solid American style cider, a bit beeryer than English cider but still enjoyably dry. There's a strong malty flavor to this cider, but an unmistakable pleasant apple tang throughout. I didn't like it as much as a dryer cider, but it's still a good drink. It also has a nice heavy character that a lot of ciders try to avoid. I usually drink ciders with meals, but I would say the strong character of HardCore makes it more of a stand-alone drink.
6/10
6/10
Thursday, April 16, 2009
NETGEAR WNDR3300 RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N Router
All the RangeMax dual band had to do was force internet down a 10-foot hallway. Seriously. Router at one end, computer at the other. A task so simple that wireless was only required to avoid clutter.
I had selected this router because it was the only n router available when I was out shopping- I'd previously owned two NETGEAR g routers, and while they were plagued by tragically short lives, they were functional, if weak. I'd heard this model was a bit sturdier, and I figured that with an n router and a n-capable card in my computer, I'd be able to cop a decent signal, cordless phones and thick walls be damned.
Unfortunately, this router was trouble from day 1. Setting it up was a breeze, but the n band signal was so weak I could barely detect it. Switching to a more specific broadcast mode let me use it, but that very evening, it dropped. Not only could my computer no longer see it, neither could my fiance's laptop. It soon became apparent this was the norm. Cycling the router generally did nothing- rather the signal would lapse in and out, and sometimes would be visible while connection remained impossible.
This is a weak, unreliable router with spotty performance. When I can see other apartments' g networks through the floor and I can't see my own n network down the hall, I feel safe calling my router a failure.
2/10 (I'll give this a bit of a break, because mine might be a lemon)
I had selected this router because it was the only n router available when I was out shopping- I'd previously owned two NETGEAR g routers, and while they were plagued by tragically short lives, they were functional, if weak. I'd heard this model was a bit sturdier, and I figured that with an n router and a n-capable card in my computer, I'd be able to cop a decent signal, cordless phones and thick walls be damned.
Unfortunately, this router was trouble from day 1. Setting it up was a breeze, but the n band signal was so weak I could barely detect it. Switching to a more specific broadcast mode let me use it, but that very evening, it dropped. Not only could my computer no longer see it, neither could my fiance's laptop. It soon became apparent this was the norm. Cycling the router generally did nothing- rather the signal would lapse in and out, and sometimes would be visible while connection remained impossible.
This is a weak, unreliable router with spotty performance. When I can see other apartments' g networks through the floor and I can't see my own n network down the hall, I feel safe calling my router a failure.
2/10 (I'll give this a bit of a break, because mine might be a lemon)
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Connectland 4 Port Mini USB Hub
When the USB ports on my last computer got a little funny after plugging in my printer, I became worried that the printer itself had damaged them. USB devices do fry ports, although it's really rare. An obvious solution is to hook any powered USB devices to a cheap hub, and let them fry the hub instead of your ports.
This hub is pretty tiny- so small that the jacks on your USB cables won't fit all the way in. They still seem secure, but this may be an issue for some users. The hub can carry power if connected to a powered USB bus, and it lights up really bright blue to indicate this. Fortunately, my computer is already an insane mass of glowing blue stuff, so it fits right in. It's always on (provided your power supply is on) so it kind of acts as a night light to find your workstation by in a dark room. That's cool.
The hub is very light, with a good solid feel. It's probably light enough that you could stick it to a wall or bookcase, and the ability to accommodate up to 4 powered devices makes it ideal for connecting your desktop stuff to a single USB port. Owners of book-profile computers take note. The actual cord that hooks the hub to your computer is pretty short, which is odd for a hub; so I figure it was mostly built with desktop peripheral attachment in mind.
Overall, this hub exceeded my expectations for what it is: ablative armor for my motherboard in the event of a power surge from my printer.
7/10
This hub is pretty tiny- so small that the jacks on your USB cables won't fit all the way in. They still seem secure, but this may be an issue for some users. The hub can carry power if connected to a powered USB bus, and it lights up really bright blue to indicate this. Fortunately, my computer is already an insane mass of glowing blue stuff, so it fits right in. It's always on (provided your power supply is on) so it kind of acts as a night light to find your workstation by in a dark room. That's cool.
The hub is very light, with a good solid feel. It's probably light enough that you could stick it to a wall or bookcase, and the ability to accommodate up to 4 powered devices makes it ideal for connecting your desktop stuff to a single USB port. Owners of book-profile computers take note. The actual cord that hooks the hub to your computer is pretty short, which is odd for a hub; so I figure it was mostly built with desktop peripheral attachment in mind.
Overall, this hub exceeded my expectations for what it is: ablative armor for my motherboard in the event of a power surge from my printer.
7/10
Monday, April 13, 2009
Open Source Roundup: GIMP
As a Photoshop user of the old school I approached GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) with caution. I'd heard a lot of negative press about it- that it was not as feature rich as Photoshop, that it lacked Photoshop's vast reserves of file types, filters, and pizazz, that it was not a worthwhile product. Even the official GIMP website warned me that my Windows install was totally unsupported, in a kind of wet-noodle down-with-Microsoft-and-get-Linux gesture.
Imagine my surprise when GIMP turned out to be pretty awesome.
First the bad stuff. The (unsupported) Windows build is not at all stable. Running in fullscreen can cause your tool palettes to vanish when you switch tasks, sometimes the color tools just crash it, and filter previews area bit dodgy. You have to do some quirky old-fashioned stuff like manually adding alpha channels to layers, and selections are a pain to work with. The save dialog could also use some work.
And that's it for bad stuff. In almost every other respect, GIMP can pull the weight of Photoshop. Blend modes, channel and layer management, a fully-functional history, and an array of filters are all at your disposal. Almost every Photoshop feature can be approximated in GIMP, and personally, I actually like GIMP's pen tool a bit more than Photoshop's. GIMP also supports about as many file types as Photoshop, although not all of the same ones. Would I be using Photoshop if it didn't cost nine hundred million billion dollars? Maybe, but for a free product GIMP is above and beyond.
Caveat: I didn't have much trouble learning GIMP because I'm used to image manipulation programs, but for a first-timer it could be more daunting than Photoshop. Do some tutorials, read some articles, and you'll get the hang of it.
8/10
Imagine my surprise when GIMP turned out to be pretty awesome.
First the bad stuff. The (unsupported) Windows build is not at all stable. Running in fullscreen can cause your tool palettes to vanish when you switch tasks, sometimes the color tools just crash it, and filter previews area bit dodgy. You have to do some quirky old-fashioned stuff like manually adding alpha channels to layers, and selections are a pain to work with. The save dialog could also use some work.
And that's it for bad stuff. In almost every other respect, GIMP can pull the weight of Photoshop. Blend modes, channel and layer management, a fully-functional history, and an array of filters are all at your disposal. Almost every Photoshop feature can be approximated in GIMP, and personally, I actually like GIMP's pen tool a bit more than Photoshop's. GIMP also supports about as many file types as Photoshop, although not all of the same ones. Would I be using Photoshop if it didn't cost nine hundred million billion dollars? Maybe, but for a free product GIMP is above and beyond.
Caveat: I didn't have much trouble learning GIMP because I'm used to image manipulation programs, but for a first-timer it could be more daunting than Photoshop. Do some tutorials, read some articles, and you'll get the hang of it.
8/10
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Zero Tolerance (Genesis)
Last time, I talked about a Genesis FPS that kind of sucked. Amazingly, despite lacking any 3D hardware of any kind and in spite of being generally limited in the graphics department, the Genesis actually had kind of a bunch of FPS games, and this one is actually pretty good.
Zero Tolerance tells the totally original tale of some military types heading to space to battle an alien invasion. You can choose from a bunch of commandos, all of whom are exactly alike, then you get dumped into a big space station with a bunch of monsters and a metric ton of bullets. The game is pretty good looking- the engine smoothly draws textured walls (ray casting, I assume) and the open view of space above, coupled with big rooms, creates a feeling of being in a pretty open environment. Enemy sprites are pretty sharp looking, and features like opening doors are well realized. Gameplay is pretty rote "find keycard find bullets shoot stuff find exit" material, but it was the 90s so we can forgive that. Controls are smooth and responsive. One nice feature is a persistent minimap which helps you find your way around.
As an aside- this game is pretty tough. But it's a fair kind of tough, unlike Corporation.
7/10
Zero Tolerance tells the totally original tale of some military types heading to space to battle an alien invasion. You can choose from a bunch of commandos, all of whom are exactly alike, then you get dumped into a big space station with a bunch of monsters and a metric ton of bullets. The game is pretty good looking- the engine smoothly draws textured walls (ray casting, I assume) and the open view of space above, coupled with big rooms, creates a feeling of being in a pretty open environment. Enemy sprites are pretty sharp looking, and features like opening doors are well realized. Gameplay is pretty rote "find keycard find bullets shoot stuff find exit" material, but it was the 90s so we can forgive that. Controls are smooth and responsive. One nice feature is a persistent minimap which helps you find your way around.
As an aside- this game is pretty tough. But it's a fair kind of tough, unlike Corporation.
7/10
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Open Source Roundup: OpenOffice.org
I recently rebuilt my computer, and even though I had a copy of Microsoft Office 2003 (the last release I like) sitting around, I decided to try just using OpenOffice instead. For those of you who don't know about OpenOffice but somehow managed to find a blog that reviews it, OpenOffice is an open-source competitor to Microsoft Office providing basically the same features. Don't get too excited, platform vigilantes- while OpenOffice is free and open, all that code forms the base for new releases of Sun's StarOffice. And Sun is at least half as evil as Microsoft.
That said, OpenOffice is one of the best free software suites around. It does just about everything Microsoft Office does, plus extra. For instance, its draw application is capable of more features than Visio, including converting bitmaps to vector art, and OpenOffice applications can output to PDF without the benefit of any free or retail plugins. OpenOffice Writer, the chunk most people will be interested in, does everything Word does and can even open and create Word's .doc files (why you'd ever want to make a .doc file is beyond me). Perhaps the most striking feature of OpenOffice is Spreadsheet, which is almost feature-identical to Excel.
OpenOffice is not perfect. Writer performs noticibly slower than Word, and its spellcheck and autocorrection features feel incomplete and second-rate next to Word's. When working in the .doc format, Writer is vulnerable to the same poor performance as Word, generating errors in long documents and getting genuinely confused with track changes. As files are passed back and forth between Office and OpenOffice, they seem to degrade somewhat as well. This doesn't happen when you open a Word document in Writer, but after your files have bounced between the two several times you may notice a font off or some spacing gone here and there. It's really no worse than what happens when you move files between different versions of Office.
Final verdict: Microsoft Office is a fine suite, but considering it's free, OpenOffice has nothing to be ashamed of. OpenOffice has come a long way and I'd say it's ready for prime time. Its adoption by business may forever be nixed because, frankly, American businesses don't trust open-source applications, but for any user looking to save a few hundred bucks, it's a great alternative. Businesses should consider this: right now, Office Ultimate is retailing for $679.95. Assuming your business has 300 employees, who all need office software, and assuming Microsoft cuts you a whopping 50% discount, you'd still save over a hundred grand by adopting OpenOffice.
Think about it.
8/10 (9/10 if you're too poor for anything else)
That said, OpenOffice is one of the best free software suites around. It does just about everything Microsoft Office does, plus extra. For instance, its draw application is capable of more features than Visio, including converting bitmaps to vector art, and OpenOffice applications can output to PDF without the benefit of any free or retail plugins. OpenOffice Writer, the chunk most people will be interested in, does everything Word does and can even open and create Word's .doc files (why you'd ever want to make a .doc file is beyond me). Perhaps the most striking feature of OpenOffice is Spreadsheet, which is almost feature-identical to Excel.
OpenOffice is not perfect. Writer performs noticibly slower than Word, and its spellcheck and autocorrection features feel incomplete and second-rate next to Word's. When working in the .doc format, Writer is vulnerable to the same poor performance as Word, generating errors in long documents and getting genuinely confused with track changes. As files are passed back and forth between Office and OpenOffice, they seem to degrade somewhat as well. This doesn't happen when you open a Word document in Writer, but after your files have bounced between the two several times you may notice a font off or some spacing gone here and there. It's really no worse than what happens when you move files between different versions of Office.
Final verdict: Microsoft Office is a fine suite, but considering it's free, OpenOffice has nothing to be ashamed of. OpenOffice has come a long way and I'd say it's ready for prime time. Its adoption by business may forever be nixed because, frankly, American businesses don't trust open-source applications, but for any user looking to save a few hundred bucks, it's a great alternative. Businesses should consider this: right now, Office Ultimate is retailing for $679.95. Assuming your business has 300 employees, who all need office software, and assuming Microsoft cuts you a whopping 50% discount, you'd still save over a hundred grand by adopting OpenOffice.
Think about it.
8/10 (9/10 if you're too poor for anything else)
Monday, April 6, 2009
Corporation (Genesis)
Corporation is an innovative FPS that predated Doom, yet contained neato concepts such as an inventory, neutral NPCs, and readable material. The promising gameplay mechanics of Corporation are betrayed by totally godawful graphics and brutal unfairness, but hey, that's what you get when you play old games.
Corporation sees you, the player, busting into a corporate facility with a ton of guns to do... something. I don't know what, the in-game story is really weak, and I'm lacking the novel-length manual I'm sure the DOS release came with. Operating strictly on the cliched guideline that big business = bad, the player must shoot their way through floor after dimly lit floor while hunting mcguffins and occasionally interacting with some source of text there to lull them into thinking the game isn't just about killing.
Corporation certainly looks sharp for a Genesis game, with well-realized sprites and polygonal walls. Unfortunately your dude moves like a brick with wheels, enemies can shoot you from beyond their draw distance, and ammo is scarce, meaning that you die cheaply, a lot. The frustrating gameplay makes it hard to overcome the fact that, while Corporation looks good for its time and hardware, it's all a bit gray and samey, and the crummy Genesis audio isn't doing it any favors. There are a lot of forgotten FPS gems out there, from the crazy-deep Cy-Clones to the witty and surprisingly fun Strife, but there's not much reason to play this one.
3/10 (Don't feel bad, Virgin, your Disney games were good)
Corporation sees you, the player, busting into a corporate facility with a ton of guns to do... something. I don't know what, the in-game story is really weak, and I'm lacking the novel-length manual I'm sure the DOS release came with. Operating strictly on the cliched guideline that big business = bad, the player must shoot their way through floor after dimly lit floor while hunting mcguffins and occasionally interacting with some source of text there to lull them into thinking the game isn't just about killing.
Corporation certainly looks sharp for a Genesis game, with well-realized sprites and polygonal walls. Unfortunately your dude moves like a brick with wheels, enemies can shoot you from beyond their draw distance, and ammo is scarce, meaning that you die cheaply, a lot. The frustrating gameplay makes it hard to overcome the fact that, while Corporation looks good for its time and hardware, it's all a bit gray and samey, and the crummy Genesis audio isn't doing it any favors. There are a lot of forgotten FPS gems out there, from the crazy-deep Cy-Clones to the witty and surprisingly fun Strife, but there's not much reason to play this one.
3/10 (Don't feel bad, Virgin, your Disney games were good)
Woodchuck Granny Smith Cider
The last time I tried Woodchuck I wasn't totally thrilled with it, but after some of the substandard cider I've been saddled with lately, I figured I'd try again. Woodchuck Granny Smith is the counterpart to the Hornsby's I tried a few reviews ago, and it's much better. The flavor is much more natural (a look at the ingredients reveals far fewer, which is good in any drink) and the fizz and taste are just right. As you might expect from an American cider it's kind of beery, but also light and refreshing. It's not quite a Strongbow or a Bulmers, but the difference is that you can find Woodchuck just about everywhere.
7/10
7/10
Friday, April 3, 2009
Enquire Within Upon Everything
Stop me if you've done this before: you're watching TV, and you hear about a person, place, or thing you know nothing about. Wasting not a minute, you run to your computer to hit up Wikipedia. In minutes, you know all about whatever it was you were ignorant about moments ago.
Obviously, this has been happening for much of man's sorry existence, and Wikipedia has only been around to help us for a few years. But before Wikipedia, there was Enquire Within Upon Everything. Not quite an almanac, not quite an encyclopedia, this deceptively small reference guide offered bite-sized instructions to people for years at the turn of the century. From how to do needlework, to how to tell if your bread is adulterated with alum, to how to remove stains from carpet, Enquire addresses pretty much every need people could have in 5 pages or less. I feel pretty confident saying that, provided you could read it, you probably had no problems in life back in the day if you had this book (except possibly World War I and deadly flu epidemics).
As an enthusiast of antique self-help and reference literature, I was pleased as punch to get a copy of this fine book, which has seen mention as a fixture of life in classic literature by authors such as Agatha Christie and P.G. Woodhouse. Collectors should have no trouble getting ahold of this book since about 90 billion copies were printed during its publishing life. However, be aware that the book will most likely be damaged due to the heavy use it probably received (this was not meant to sit on a shelf) and tracking down a specific edition may be a little tricky (as of the edition I own, there had been over fifty previous editions). Enquire Within Upon Everything can be considered the English counterpart to America's seminal Old Farmer's Almanac, and is not only an amusing and historical read, but includes advice which is as prescient today as it was almost a century ago (except for the parts about alum in your bread).
Obviously, this has been happening for much of man's sorry existence, and Wikipedia has only been around to help us for a few years. But before Wikipedia, there was Enquire Within Upon Everything. Not quite an almanac, not quite an encyclopedia, this deceptively small reference guide offered bite-sized instructions to people for years at the turn of the century. From how to do needlework, to how to tell if your bread is adulterated with alum, to how to remove stains from carpet, Enquire addresses pretty much every need people could have in 5 pages or less. I feel pretty confident saying that, provided you could read it, you probably had no problems in life back in the day if you had this book (except possibly World War I and deadly flu epidemics).
As an enthusiast of antique self-help and reference literature, I was pleased as punch to get a copy of this fine book, which has seen mention as a fixture of life in classic literature by authors such as Agatha Christie and P.G. Woodhouse. Collectors should have no trouble getting ahold of this book since about 90 billion copies were printed during its publishing life. However, be aware that the book will most likely be damaged due to the heavy use it probably received (this was not meant to sit on a shelf) and tracking down a specific edition may be a little tricky (as of the edition I own, there had been over fifty previous editions). Enquire Within Upon Everything can be considered the English counterpart to America's seminal Old Farmer's Almanac, and is not only an amusing and historical read, but includes advice which is as prescient today as it was almost a century ago (except for the parts about alum in your bread).
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