Monster Mash

You guys should already know that I can't resist a good cyptid story. In case you haven't seen this yet, a new monster recently washed ashore on the east coast. Pretty strange looking if you ask me. Is that a beak?

Going Blu

After waiting many months for a decent Blu-ray player to be available (PS3 notwithstanding), Sony finally released the new BDP-S350 model as promised and I ended up buying it just a few days after it was released. I know I said I was going to get the BDP-S550 model, but I just couldn't wait another few months for it too arrive. The only thing I'm not getting is the ability to internally decode the DTS HD HR/MA codecs so I will end up upgrading my AV receiver at a later date to a HDMI model.

So far the BDP-S350 is great, the picture quality is awesome (equally good as my HD DVD Xbox 360 add-on) and is whisper quiet (something lacking on the 360). The unit is currently Profile 1.1 (Bonus View) but will be upgradable to 2.0 via firmware update by the end of this year. There is a USB port that will allow you to upgrade the storage to a 2.0 compliant 1GB capacity or larger if you like. Loading of BD discs is very fast, especially compared to previous models.

The Sony Xcross Media Bar looks just like the Sony PlayStation 3 interface (from what I've been told) and is a breeze to use. Years ahead of the Samsung DVD interface I had before. The physical size of the unit it much smaller than my second generation Sony DVD player I bought years ago and is comparable to the Samsung.

The player cost $399 but I used a $100 credit by applying for a Sony credit card so my net cost was "only" $299. I know that seems like a lot but it's still cheaper than the $500 I paid for my Sony DVD player when it was brand new.

I only bought a few BD movies for the kids (mostly Pixar titles). After looking at my DVD collection, I realized I almost never re-watch a movie a second time so I'm trying to put my NetFlix account to good use and just rent them. Also at an average price of $30 a pop, it's not cheap buying them. So far NetFlix hasn't started charging more for them as rumored.

Rob asked me why I didn't go with the PS3, since it's essentially the same price and I would get the gaming aspect for free. Basically here are my reasons:

1. The PS3 will not natively work with my Harmony universal remote. Since the PS3 uses Bluetooth, I would have to use a third party adapter to control the unit. A popular one called IR2BT had issues with the latest PS3 firmware update which required owners to ship the adapter back for the fix. Not good.
2. Although quiet for a next gen console, the PS3 makes more noise than a standalone unit. This annoys me when watching a quiet scene on the 360.
3. The PS3 uses more electricity, even when "powered" off.
4. The PS3, due to it's rounded design, is not stackable in my AV rack.
5. The PS3 doesn't bitstream any of the HD audio codecs, nor does it have any analog audio outputs. Not this is a big deal for me, but it is for some audiophiles.
6. I already own the Nintendo Wii and Xbox 360 for gaming. I don't need another console as much as I wouldn't mind playing MGS4 or Resistance, it's just not worth it for me.

Does this mean the PS3 isn't a good Blu-ray player? Absolutely not, as I've said before, its one of the best on the market. Since it contains multiple fast processors its more than capable of running the latest Java based BD's at very high speeds. It loads BD's faster than most standalone discs and was the first player to become Profile 2.0. I seriously considered getting it before I decided on the Xbox for gaming. Nonetheless I love the standalone BSD-S350 and look forward to many years of wonderful 1080P movie viewing on it.

Diablo is Dead

After several weeks of sporaidic game playing, I finally beat Diablo. After getting beat down more times than my original run with the Butcher I figured out how to survive his constant smackdown. Since his primary attach was fire based, I simply changed to a fire resistant armor, along with a shield/sword combo. Pretty much throughout the entire game I was using a battle axe which required both hands. Since it was a premium axe it served me well up until I reached my final quest.

I loved the blood squirting animation he makes after defeating him. Now I'm ready to install and play Diablo II, finally 800x600 resolution. Woo hoo!

Best Apple Rumor Ever!

I think I completely believe this rumor! It only makes logical sense considering it's Apple, the tech of the iPhone and just the overall coolness of it all:

MacBook Touch!


I think it's time for me to really and seriously make my way to MacWorld San Fran 2009!

On a sidenote, it may be a good time to announce the next all new destop at the Jan 2009 conference. However, knowing Apple, they may not mention one if they think it's thunder will be stolen by the MacBook Touch. On the other hand, if they make a new monitor that is designed for the new desktop which also utilizes Touch, it's not only gonna be thundering in there, but a full blown storm!

I'll be keeping a wide eye the next few months and see how far and how big this rumor gets as it nears MacWorld!

Comic Con 2008

It was a long long drive to San Diego as a big rig filled with meat exploded near Camp Pendleton. I don't know the details, but my trip took me about 6-7 hours. Yes, I still went all the way to San Diego, but mostly because once you pass a certain point, there is no way to turn back if the freeway stops. Which it did.

Anyway, even though I didn't stay long at Comic Con, I did walk the floor once to try and take in the chaos. I'll write a better opinion after Sunday when I'm not tired from the drive and get a better feel for what the con is like. From what I did see, though, there was some cool stuff to be bought, though I'm not buying anything, and really neat things to see in more detail.

trueSpace is set free

I previously questioned the future of Caligari's trueSpace after the recent buyout from Microsoft but yesterday I received an announcement that trueSpace has been upgraded to 7.6 and is now free to all users.

With this move, Microsoft seems to really be pushing for content to support their Virtual Earth platform. Considering that Caligari's flagship product previously retailed for $595, it appears to be a win for existing users but I wonder how many people will be motivated to support Virtual Earth, trueSpace users or otherwise. Time will tell I guess.

Padawans?

I forgot how much fun it was to play with lightsabers!

The other night we had a staycation and slept in the backyard which I had planned with the kids the prior week. They were of course excited to be sleeping outside, even though it was still only in the backyard. Actually, so was I as it's not a common practice of ours! :)

We started the night with a BBQ, hamburgers and hot dogs, with the side dishes of chili, fresh vegies and watermelon for dessert. My sis invited a couple of friends for the food and the kids had a couple of friends the whole night.

We capped off the night with a long session of swordplay and what a workout it can be! We had 6 sabers out at one time, 7 if you count when I split Darth Maul's dual bladed saber in 2! Even Cynthia got into the act and played with us!

The hum of all those blades and the clashing sounds when struck were awesome, I can't believe it would make me feel like a little kid! Even I didn't want to stop playing with the kids when it was time to go to bed! But I did promise we'd see a movie outside on my MacBook Pro when we would go to bed, so our saber fight had to end.

It only leads me to one question: when will the next staycation night be?

iPod Touch 2.0

I have to agree with Krudd's last post. The latest 2.0 firmware for the iPod Touch and iPhone is simply awesome. Updated scientific calculator aside, the killer app is the new App Store. Rob, pointed me to the latest Joy of Tech's which absolutely nailed it here and here. I love being able to browse, purchase and download any of the apps without having to use my computer.

Plenty of free apps are available but I couldn't resist purchasing Super Monkey Ball. For the kids of course! My only gripe (and it's very minor at that) is that most of the developers seem to think the latest update is only for the iPhone, thus you never see the words iPod Touch in any of the descriptions. Perhaps there will be some app in the future that absolutely requires the true GPS functionality of the second rev iPhone, but until that comes out everything works perfectly with the Touch (and 1st gen iPhone according to Krudd).

I never did blog about me getting the iPod but its been the best MP3 player I've ever used (although I only used my free Dell DJ Ditty, Annel's 3rd gen white iPod and the kid's Shuffle for comparison). I initially bought it (after many years of not seeing the point of all the iPod hype) just to listen to my podcasts but the slick interface, the ease of use, the ability to watch quality movies and the upgradability sold me.

iPhone 2.0

By far one of the best updates I have ever had! The Apps store is awesome, the new Google maps is way better and more precise and the apps you can now get are great products!

Sure, 3G is faster, but all in all, this update satisfies me more than enough to hold out till the next gen iPhone! Will that be July 2009? Doesn't matter! I'm doing great now! Slow? Eh, I can live with it! Apple FTW!

Sometimes it's the littlest things

I found a great little gem of a product from a completely unheard of company (to me that is).

Here I was searching for something better than those expensive bluetooth headsets/earpieces, all of which were either too big or if small, very expensive. One requirement that was a must, and the main reason for me, was that it had to fit in the ear without the "hook" that wraps around over the top. I've tried and wasted good money on a couple of earpieces only to have them irritate my ears a great deal.

My problem is that my ears are overly sensitive where if even I touch them, they get hot and uncomfortable. Prolonged touching makes my ears burn and they turn very red.

So I did try some lightweight items, but the darn wraparound was just too much for me. Thus my search for the in ear style, which I found a couple of nice ones, but so very expensive.

So last night after work, I wandered into Frank & Son toys and hobbies in Industry as I wanted to see what was new since I hadn't been since Christmas I believe. Low and behold as I wandered through the aisles where I came upon a booth that sold headsets. Never heard of the company(ies), but one caught my eye and as I know that sometimes you can get good to great deals on unknown items at Frank & Son, I wasn't expecting this one.

So far, it seems to work nicely. I say so far because who knows how long a cheap product can last! Now when I say cheap, it's because this thing is soooo light, plastic, and the price oh so very low! However, you can barely feel any weight in the ear and best of all, no wraparound! No brainer!

The price? I payed $20! The company is Bae-Bini or BlueAction, I can't tell. And though it does come with a hook if you want to use it for more stability and not lose the near weightless thing, no way no how will I be using it! I'm only going to wear it while I drive anyway. I'm satisfied for $20!

E3 2008

Well, E3 is here once again and this time I've not heard as much buzz as in previous years. Last years biggest news, to me, was the changed format of the actual event itself. I haven't checked the format for this year, but I'm guessing it's back to normal at the convention center.

What I'm hoping for are hard release dates for upcoming titles, like The Force Unleashed, GOW2, Little Big Planet etc.. I do hope Blizzard makes a showing as they had mentioned they were no longer going to attend E3 as they could accomplish the same goal at Blizzcon.

In any case, I hope the 3 console makers have big announcements today and can't wait to see if some gem is waiting to be discovered this week!

This blog was done using my still fabulous 1st gen iPhone.

11:34am Just took a look at the latest on the MS conference. Interesting about the new dashboard layout. I'm also glad to hear about the several games with do-op play though.

3:47pm Wow! I got home a little while ago, saw some of the vids up on the E3 site and wow, some really incredible looking cinematics and gameplay vids! And hard release dates to boot! It's gonna be a tough end of the year with the titles coming out!

MetaTools

While researching some info for another post I noticed that MetaTools is back online. Is the long defunct multimedia company from the '90s back from the grave?

Well, kind of. Now they are developing games for Mac OS X and the iPhone. My two minute investigation revealed that the domain is registered to John Wilczak, the former CEO of HSC Software/MetaTools/MetaCreations. I guess after the dot.com implosion, John decided to stay in the Santa Barbara area and ended up retaining the rights to the MetaTools name and MetaSquares game. I always liked the MetaTools name and logo more than MetaCreations. You can read more about the history of the MetaSquares game here and the company's multiple mergers and acquisitions here.

Saint Interactive 2.0

Last night I finally finished the second revision of Saint Interactive, my portfolio website using standards based XHTML and CSS. It was long overdue- the last time I updated the old site was in 2005. I'm not sure which was more difficult, learning CSS or learning Flash with ActionScripting. In any case, I'm glad I can start concentrating on the 3D stuff again, yay!

I designed the new site to be as simple as possible, with users having to click as little as possible while browsing. Let me know what you guys think when you get a chance, I can always use some constructive criticism.

I intend to pull some of the weaker pieces from time to time as I bring fresher ones in. I have a lot more 3d projects to post but they are unfinished in various degrees. Time to get busy...

The Butcher

Rob's latest blog made me nostalgic for the original Diablo so I reinstalled it on my somewhat more modern PC. I was surprised to see it run well on Vista, albeit with the original 640x480 graphics. Back in the day I never got past the Butcher but I intend to defeat him now that I'm a much older and slightly more experienced gamer.

Diablo III

Blizzard officially announced Diablo III over the weekend, and I have to say it looks pretty awesome. I only played about 10 minutes of the original Diablo back in the day because I could never get past the first boss, "the Butcher", but the graphics and gameplay were amazing back then.

Nothing is announced in regards to the release date, price or system requirements but I'm glad to hear that the Mac will be fully supported and share the same release date as the PC.