F.E.A.R. review

Well I finally finished F.E.A.R. a few weeks ago -thanks Mark! I'll give it back to you this weekend. I thought I would add to Mark's first thoughts from way back in November.

For the first half of the game, I played maybe for an hour a week on average because the story never captured my interest. I even threatened to uninstall the game on multiple occasions. There were endless answering machines on each level with their blinking red lights in an apparent attempt to tell the gamer the back story. After listening to the first few messages I started to hope for only one message per machine (some had as much as three). Later I played the messages but completely ignored what they had to say altogether.

Another part of the game that had me scratching my head was the occasional use of swearing from some of the characters. I don't mind it on TV and movies when it's a part of the context of the story but it really sounded akward in this game. As if the developers were trying to give the game some "street cred".

Well all was not lost when I finally got to meet the portly, Cheesy-poo loving, IT guy. This was when things started getting interesting. Finally a character to care (or hate) about! I think his name was Norman.

Anyways, the hallucinatory/dream sequences were cool, the action as the game progressed got fierce, and the ending was one of the best I've seen for a FPS.

One little detail that I liked was in the Interval 09: Incursion level. Entering a room with a radio you can listen to a DJ talking and then cut into a full 3 minute version of a real J-Pop song. Never did find out who the singer was but I'm curious if the developers got permission to use it or were just fans and threw it in as an easter egg. I'm sure they must be influenced by J-Pop culture to some degree considering the use of the Sadako/Ring character in the game.

In any case I give F.E.A.R. a B+ grade.

Now that I'm finished with F.E.A.R. I decided to install the full version of Far Cry that was bundled with my BFG GeForce 7800 card. It's a 3-year old game and it definitely shows when comparing it to today's Doom3/Half-Life 2 technology, but I always wanted to give it another try after failing to escape enemy detection in the demo version. Plus it has native widescreen support!

Torn about Kong!

Hello there again! So, did anyone buy the Kong DVD yet? I had pre-oredered it, so no probs picking it up here! I am still somewhat torn though. Yes the visuals are awesome, and it actually is a great story. And the acting is top notch in my opinion as well. On a whole, the movie to me is an epic picture. So, why am I torn? If you didn't read my blog at the Kruddler, then I'll briefly reiterate it here.

I'm torn about it because of the blaspheming of Christ's name. It happened numerous times throughout the movie. I also find it interesting there was no profanity considering how much Jackson used Christ's name so much. On the one hand I'm happy there was no other profanity, but still torn about the blaspheming.

In any case, I still do like the movie for the acting, cinematography, sound, effects and story. To me, it would have been one of the finest pictures made, but it left me torn for the above mentioned reason. Any opinions?

OH! One final note! I noticed that there were some changes in the DVD. Some scenes were different than the theatrical release. Very intersting. Dunno why, but interesting. And yes, I'm watching it as I write this! I more than likely will see it again on my trip to Penn. to see if I can catch what exactly is different.

College Hoops

I was watching UCLA advance to the Final Four yesterday with their win over Memphis and for some reason noticed how different college basketball is vs. Pro ball. It seems like college ball is more fast pace, but the players aren't the best shooters. Both teams kept missing their free throws and very few made any 3's. I guess that's why pros are called pros.

King Kong on DVD

Can you guys believe that King Kong is already going to be released on DVD this Tuesday? It only seems like the other week that Rob and I saw it at the Pacific Culver Stadium 12. The visual effects alone are worth making this a purchase, rather than just renting it. Plus I already own three of Peter Jackson's other movies, I just need to get Bad Taste to round out my collection.

Millennium Falcon Mod

I caught this on Apple's website. Where do these people get all this free time?

New NVIDIA GPU part II

It looks like NVIDIA's "new" GPU is really just a lower cost version of their 7 series GeForce called the NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GS. I really thought it was going to be a next generation GPU, but I guess it is too soon for that.

Anyways it's at the $129 - $149 price point and the reviews look good. The frame rates aren't too bad considering what you pay for it, plus it only uses a single slot and is super quiet due to the fact it doesn't have a cooling fan. Personally I would pay a bit more and get the higher performing GT version if I was looking for a budget card.

Dell buys Alienware

Looks like Dell has just purchased Alienware. Interesting considering Dell spent big bucks trying to get into the high end gamers market with their XPS line of PC's (one which I bought last year).

One of the cofounders, Nelson Gonzalez seems to be a big fan of the X-Files series. I wonder what he would think of our new creation, Flukitos.

Gonzalez, 40, envisioned a big market for these PCs when he came up with the idea for Alienware, so named because of his interest in UFOs, science fiction and "The X Files" television series.

Mighty Mouse Farewell

Well I had enough use of my Mighty Mouse. Although it has some nice features like the horizontal scroll wheel, its just too small of a shape to fit my hand properly. Also the 2 side buttons are really just one big button. In the end, its a nice mouse to have included with your new Mac hardware but I feel that more advanced users like myself need something more.

I hate to go back to my Microsoft Explorer mouse, although it was much more ergonomic. I think I might finally go wireless with this new Logitech keyboard/mouse combo that just came out. The keyboard has an integrated wrist rest with all the special Apple keys. I'm only a little gun shy because it requires batteries to operate. I sure hope they last at least a few months.

MagSafe on Fire

Let's hope this doesn't happen to Kruddler's new MacBook Pro's MagSafe connector. Here's another article with some possible theories on what happened but I think it's either a hoax or just an isolated incident. Since the owner wasn't around when it happened, we may never know the cause.

iSight Specs

I mentioned to Krud and Mark last night while iChatting that the iSight built into the new iMac and MacBook Pro's have twice the resolution of the original, stand-alone $149 iSight camera. But I started to question that after Krud sent me a screen capture from his new MacBook Pro that was 640x480 pixels in resolution. Was the original iSight resolution set at 320x240 or is the new integrated iSight supposed to be a whopping 1280x960 now? If that were true, I'm sure the ambitious Apple marketing machine would be all over that spec in its marketing ads.

The fact is that the resolution has always been 640x480 VGA.

So where did I get that number? I'm not exactly sure, comments on Mac forums refer to the integrated iSight as having better specs, but while researching, I found this interesting tidbit on the iMac/iSight product page:

Multi-way Chat
With support(1) for video chats between up to four people and a stunning, three-dimensional view, with four times the resolution of previous iSight, iChat AV practically puts your friends and family in the room with you.

Four times the resolution? I think Apple might be referring to the size of the iChat AV 3 window, but I would think that the new H.264 video codec would be responsible for that, not the hardware in iSight. But the iChat page states that H.264 is responsible for a sharper picture and improved color accuracy, not increased resolution.

So if anyone knows what Apple actually means with 4x the res, please drop me a note!

New NVIDIA Driver and GPU

NVIDIA just released a new WHQL Certified driver (version 84.21) yesterday for their GeForce series card.

Some of the new features include increased performance in F.E.A.R. and the following:

WHQL Certified
Adds support for GeForce 7900 GTX, GeForce 7900 GT, and GeForce 7600 GT
New NVIDIA PureVideo features and enhancements. Please visit the NVIDIA PureVideo website for more information on PureVideo technology and system requirements.
Support for high definition H.264 hardware decode acceleration on GeForce 6 and 7 series GPUs.
Support for high definition MPEG-2 inverse telecine.
Support for high definition MPEG-2 spatial temporal de-interlacing.
Adds mixed vendor support for NVIDIA SLI.
TV-Out/HD-out support for NVIDIA SLI.
Added support for VSync on Direct3D games when running NVIDIA SLI.
Microsoft® DirectX® 9.0c and OpenGL® 2.0 support
For a full list of fixed and known issues please view the Release Notes.

What's also interesting is that they have a counter on their home page which counts down to when their new GeForce GPU is going to be released. According to the link, its due in 3 days. I didn't even know a version was around the corner! Wasn't the 7 series just introduced?

iChat Wars

I actually forgot to do a Friday blog, so I'm sneaking this one in with a false date...

Dave missed out on some great iChat wars, made even more fun but the Kruddler showing off pictures taken from his brand new MacBook Pro with integrated iSight. The included Photo Booth software can make those pics really creepy!

We also did a 2 way video chat with myself and the Krudd. This was our very first video chat and I was amazed at the great quality. It easily looked like it was running at 30 fps. Unfortunately Rob couldn't participate due to lack of a camera although I just read from Apple's website that you can initiate a one way chat by doing the following:

One-way Video Chat
Even if the person you want to chat with doesn't have an iSight camera (lucky you),you can still wave hello with a one-way video chat. Just hold down the Control button as you choose a name from your buddy list and select Invite to Video Chat.

My only problem was that my Sony video camera kept thinking it was idle after a few minutes and would turn itself off thus killing our chat window. I may just have to get the standalone iSight that attaches to my Apple Display with a magnet. I've only been holding out on one because I don't want Steve to announce iSight 2.0 for a lower price right after I get mine.

Disney's Magic Express

Not sure if you heard about this one, but Disney has a relatively new service for it's Walt Disney World travelers called Disney's Magic Express. Basically they provide an express shuttle service that takes you directly from the Orlando International Airport straight to your Disney hotel room, all without having to wait for your check in luggage (which they send automatically to your hotel). Of course the rental car companies and taxi drivers hate this, but I think it's a great service, especially if you have kids and the best part is that this service is free as long as you stay in a qualified Disney hotel.

Yeah I know Disney wants you to completely avoid any chance of visiting a non-Disney hotel, or attraction (like Universal) and this is one way to keep you in their parks but I still like the convenience factor and will definitely consider it on my next WDW trip. Now only if I can finish the 2000 WDW video...

Jury is still out on this one...

Well, I got Empire at War the first day it came out, almost got into it, got a little bored, played it again a week later, almost got into it, will try to start it over again hopefully this week.

I wan to like this one because it's Star Wars, but so far, it's taking me some time. Maybe it's just because I'm still trying to get used to the gameplay, or maybe it's because I'm not too impressed by the graphics, but whatever the reason may be, I have yet to get into this game and have any real fun playing it.

Getting back to the gameplay, I'm not a good multitasker as you know, and the way the gameplay switches back and forth between galaxy view, which is sorta an overview of the galaxy and you move your "pieces" so to speak, then to ground assault, or to space battles, I guess it just exploits my weakness in the multitasking area. I can see how it may appeal to guys who might like the micromanagement and all, the feel of controlling your pawns, but since I'm more a simplistic player, it's a little much for me. Controlling the galaxy takes time and peeps below you to help dominate it, but since you have no one below you here... I can't manage a galaxy I guess , LOL!

As for the graphics, well, for some reason was expecting more? I guess I'm just overly critical. Some of the stuff is cool, like when you see a walker or such, but overall, I personally was hoping for something more. A kinda neat feature is the camera ability to move into a battle scene up close, like you were in the battle, as in a movie view, which if I can remember, that's what it's called. However, if you need to control your battles, it's hardly functional.

I still hope to continue the game soon enough and give it a little more time to get used to, and hopefully enjoy, but as of this moment, I only recommend it for someone like me who just wants it because it's from the original trilogy. Other than that, the jury's still out on this one for me.

krudd

Quake 4 Review

Another Kruddler recommendation was to play Quake 4. I was apprehensive about getting it, especially since I was turned off by the grisly demo I saw at last years E3 Expo but the Krudd was so right on with his F.E.A.R. recommendation, I decided to give it a try.

I'm happy to report that it was one of the more enjoyable games I've played this year. Think the awesome graphics of Doom 3 but with a much better story line. The best part is that this game features bosses, something that Doom 3 was missing. It also has some cool vehicles that you get to destroy things with, a la Half Life 2 and Halo. My only complaint was the rather lame cut scene at the end when you finish the game. It just didn't look quite right graphically speaking but everything else was top notch.

This was the also the first game I've played with my new 5.1 speaker setup. I'll provide a review of that in a future blog.

Motorola DVR Arrives

Just as promised, Adelphia installed my very first DVR today. It's the Motorola BMC9012 with the Moxi interface. It is good looking, intutive to use and full featured (supports native HDTV). I've only used it for about an hour but I don't know how I ever watched TV without it. I even removed my VCR that I never got to work right when it came to taping shows. Apparently the BMC9012 has a Media Center big brother which includes a DVD/CD player but both systems are essentially PC's (they even have USB ports). I don't know why Apple hasn't got into this game yet but I'm still hoping something like this gets introduced on April 1st. I'm only renting the DVR so I'm still open to an even better product from my favorite computer company.

Cars Trailer

I realized that Apple's QuickTime website recently posted the official trailer for Pixar's Cars. I have to admit that after viewing the teaser trailer a while back, I was a little less than enthusiastic about it (mainly due to the character designs) and was wondering if Pixar was finally due for a "flop". Glad to say that after today, I'm now looking forward to it. Oh the eye candy! I still think the story is of primary importance but at least they recaptured my interest. Check out the HD sizes.

This should also remind audiences what great art design and animation is supposed to look like as opposed to this.

A thing of beauty!

Ok, this is part 2.

While I may have been in a daze writing my original post, at thekruddler.blogspot.com, this go round is a lil more, shall we say grounded? :)

Ok, maybe not, because it really is an awesome machine! OMG!

It's simple to use, like any other mac, but what gets yer attention is the power! It has way more juice than my iMac G5! How did I notice the raw power of it, you may ask? In the simplest way to gauge these things: games! Yes, that's right!

First, I had to install a game of course, and so, the only game I have on my iMac is WoW. Needless to say, I did not find the prospect of installing it on my new Pro, because along with that comes the countless minutes (hours?) of downloading all the patches that comes along with it. And believe me, there were a lot of em over the past year!

So, what did I do? Why, the easy thing of course! I connected my 2 macs and dragged the folder from one to the other, and in a matter of minutes, it was complete! However, would it work? I wasn't actually supposed to do that, as far as the literature went, but I wasn't ready to let my new Pro sit there for the next couple of days downloading when I wanted to use the darn thing!

Next was the test! Will it work?! It was an easy answer. Of course it worked! I plugged into the internet and ran the app, and there I was, standing in Ironforge with no frame loss like I get on my iMac! Oh, the sweet victory of living and running thru IF without any choppiness! And at a higher resolution to boot!

I can say , truly, what a thing of beauty! Thank you Apple and thank you Steverino! Woot!

Krudd

Front Row Review

Based on my previous post you might think I'm a Front Row hater. Not true, but I think Apple missed the boat on creating what potentially could be a TiVo killer product.

In case you don't know, Front Row is a software interface for playing music, viewing photos, and watching videos and DVD's on the Mac platform. The problem is that Apple won't officially let you purchase or download it for your existing Mac hardware, it only comes bundled with the latest Mac hardware. Another negative is that its really tailored made for viewing on your Mac's display, it's not very easy to view the content on your home theatre system without some serious effort.

There is a nice and simple 6 button remote that comes with it and the interface is very iPodish in design (which is a good thing) but I still wish Apple came out with a real made for your home living room product that will allow you to do all the things Front Row does in addition to ripping your library of DVD's as well as record TV shows commercial free.

Yes that's the infamous Chocoman video on my system!

DVR

I finally ordered a DVR from Adelphia today. It's 9 bucks a month and comes with 50 hours of recording space. I figure I'll give it a try and see how I like it before I commit to purchasing something else like a Tivo. Personally I wish Apple would produce a Tivo killer product for the living room that will also rip DVD's. Come on Steve, I know you're listening! Front Row just doesn't cut it.

Quake II Review

Yes, you read right... I wanted to give my impressions of a game I just finished last month called Quake II. I know its old but it came bundled with the special DVD version of Quake IV that I purchased on GoGamer's famous 48 Hour Madness sale for $29.99. Since Quake IV story line takes off from the ending of Quake II I figure I would start the series right by playing the "prequel" first.

As you can imagine, a modern PC based system can easily handle the meager recommended hardware requirements of the game (Pentium 133, 24MB of RAM) so I was able to crank up the eye candy and the resolution to the max with no apparent slowdown. I was even able to play the game in windowed mode with no drop in frame rate. Another benefit of system overkill was that the game loaded in about 4 seconds. The graphics were suprisingly good considering the game came out in November of 1997. The only keyboard modification I had to make was to enable mouse look. Using the keyboard to change the POV was just to archaic for me.

The game itself was very enjoyable. I can't remember why I never got around to playing it when it first came out. I think it might have been because I was turned off by the lack of gameplay in the original Quake demo (which doesn't share any of the storyline of Quake II or IV) or perhaps I was still playing the ever popular Duke Nukem 3D. Either way I was glad to have finally experience Quake II. It had some cool Easter Eggs at the end including a level where you can see the id developers in a sort of hall of fame level.

Tiger Screensaver

Well I appreciate that you guys started the coffee pot 'a brewin' so I figure I'll start another blog flood. First one today is going to be short until I find some more java beans.

I found this cool (and free) OS X screensaver called Sparkly Screensaver on Apple's download page. It uses Quartz technology but requires Tiger to run.

Japan Trip

I finally was able to find an online album generator, Porta, that I like. At least for the time being. ;) The templates generated by Adobe Photoshop or GoLive were pretty weak IMO.

Well here it is.

Enjoy!

Hello and stuff...

Hello, all! First, thanks for the invite to the cafe! Where's me cup o' joe?

Second: Now that the new mactell mini is out, how long do you think it will be for the new mactell towers to debut? My thoughts are for this summer at MacExpo NY, or sooner. Yes, I know there is no big official Apple presence over there anymore, but this is a new age with the biggest news for Apple this year! Come on, I can't be the only one still pumped up and in disbelief over using Intel chips, am I?!

That being said, I'm still trying to save up for a last sec Florida trip with the Penn cousins, and also save for my MacBook Pro. Obviously, I'll not be going and buying this year. It's one or the other, and I can't really see buying the Pro at this particular time due to insufficient funds. Boooooo!

Lastly, I had a chance to work at the stockholders meeting coming up, but since it was a shorter shift, I was unable to get scheduled for that event. On the other hand, I may get to go on an upcoming tour if things work out well at work. There are also internal changes happening at the Magic Kingdom which may affect everyone at the park. It may not, but who knows atm? I'm guessing all the reorg-ing will not really hit me at all, but I've been wrong before. For an off season, this has been a very busy time at the park. I even saw long ( as in DL long ) lines at DPA!

Well, I've rattled about not much stuff, so I'm outta here!

~Krudd