Monday, September 17, 2012

Samsung and the Galaxy S4??

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Galaxy S4 in the near future?
It's unofficially-official, that Samsung is expected to unveil the next in it's line of Galaxy phones in February 2013.  Is this Samsung's way of trying to sucker punch Apple.  Within recent weeks Samsung has gotten into heaps of hurt with Apple of their intentional copying of the iPhone design (which they admitted too by the way).  And only mere days after Apple releases the iPhone 5, Samsung basically teases us with their new phone.

I know these manufacturers like to stay ahead of the game and they are all in direct competition with each other, but common Samsung.  People are just now learning the in's and out's of the Galaxy S3.  And some of us are still loving out S2's (me included).  But here is the kicker, what changes will be made to the S4 that still make it great.  Or even can changes be added to make it greater than the iPhone itself?

And it gets even better, not only is Samsung no doubt trying to put the bug in people's ear who may be looking to upgrade their phone with their provider.  But also those who may be coming due for an upgrade between the end of 2012 and February.  Because buzz on the interwebs is that even though they are unveiling the phone in February, the phone is expected to hit the wild no more than a month later.  Making it available sometime in March.

As always, I'll be keeping watch on future developments.  Even though I am not due for another phone for a year still, at this rate by the time I am due for an upgrade maybe the S6 will be out. lol

Android App: Box for Android

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Box for Android
This week our Android App Pick of the Week is Box!  I'm sure you have heard of Box before.  Commonly referred to as Box.com it is a sweet service that allows you to store your data and files online or "in the cloud".  Cloud backup and online file storage has turned into big business these days.  As devices become even more mobile than ever before, so do we.  People are always on the go.  And a lot of us need access to certain files while we are out and about in life's adventures. That is what Box can do for us.

Sure, Box isn't the only service that gives us this type of file mobility.  But it is the one I prefer.  Basically, here is how it works.  You sign up for the service on their website at Box.com.  In return you get 5GB's of online storage for free.You are limited to uploading files 100 MB's or less with a free account.  You can upgrade you plan if you like for a monthly fee:
- 5GB's / max file size is 100 MB's = Free
- 25 GB's / max file size is 1 GB    =  $9.99 per month.
- 50 GB's / amx file size is 1 GB    =  $19.99 per month.

Earlier in the year, Box gave it's Android App user's 50 GB's of storage for life for free.  That's why I use them.  Using the app on both my phone and tablet make it a perfect way to share pictures and pdf files among several devices.  And the files are accessible on any PC that has an internet connection.  Always remember, the limitations of cloud storage services like these are based on your network speed and bandwidth.  Obviously,  a slower connection will mean longer upload times.  However, unless you are uploading crazy large files, it should work just fine for you.

The service and the app are free.
Visit: Google Play- Box App
Visit: Box.com for more information on the service itself and to sign up.

Ubuntu 11.04 Nearing It's "End of Life"

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Ubuntu
Well, it's that time again.  Another Operating System is nearing it's end of life.  And nope, I'm not talking about the April 2013 Doomsday for Windows XP users.  This time it is Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal".  For those are are unfamiliar with the "Natty" it was the first time user's saw the Unity Desktop.  From that day forward Canonical would either have people who loved Unity or those who didn't care at all for it.  Some of us use it and have become somewhat fond of it, but still care for the traditional look of the Gnome/Ubuntu desktop environment.

Either way, if you are still using the 11.04 release of Ubuntu it is time to upgrade.  No need to panic, as "Natty Narwhal" will continue to get it's updates and security patches until October 28th, 2012.  You can still use 11.04 past the 28th if you like.  However, you will not be able to get any updates and this leaves an open security issue that you definitely don't want.  You can use the system updater from within Ubuntu to upgrade your installation.

It is suggested for the best upgrade experience, that if you are still running Ubuntu 11.04, unless you are going to do a clean install of Ubuntu 12.04.1 it will not matter.  Just backup your files and install away.  However, if you are upgrading from 11.04 here is the path you need to take.
-First, upgrade to Ubuntu 11.10.
-Then upgrade the installation to 12.04.1.

Personally, I like to take the time to do a fresh install of my Operating Systems rather than upgrading.  It not only gives you a fresh start.  It also gives you back a lot of used storage space that you probably weren't utilizing anyways.  I mean, we all install packages and after a few uses, we move on to something else.  Then these packages are left behind taking up space.

The choice is yours, but either way.  To stay secure, you need to upgrade.

For more visit: Ubuntu.com

A Week in Guild Wars 2

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Guild Wars 2
As I mentioned a week ago, I finally made the leap from Guild Wars to Guild Wars 2.  I have also been able to log in to the game and play some almost everyday (with the exception of Monday, that day sucked).  And I have some initial thoughts on my time spent in the game thus far.  My stats as of this writing is a level 16 Necromancer with a focus on minions (build 1) and a focus on AoE attacks (build2).  Let me say first hand, I absolutely love this game. Now read on and find out why.

Probably my first half hour to forty-five minutes of playtime were a little familiar yet a little confusing for me as well. The character creation portion of the game is pretty awesome. The character is pretty much customizable from head to toe. You pick from a set of preconfigured parts and can tweak them from there. For example, you pick from a set of faces for your toon. Then you can make adjustments to things like the chin size and angle of the eyebrows, etc. This system allows for a greater range of design than Guild Wars offered.

The confusing thing for me had to be the way the skill system works. In Guild Wars, you would unlock skills by gaining experience points (like a traditional RPG). Then you would visit NPC characters and purchase more skills. Elite skills were often captured from instanced bosses during your adventures using a Signet of Capture right after the battle. Not in Guild Wars 2.
Guild Wars 2 Necro

Here is the just, you do unlock Utility Skills using Skill Points earned during play. You gain skill points by completing Skill Challenges and from leveling up. Your Combat skills are directly tied to your weapon set. Meaning if you happen to pickup and equip a new Ax or Mace, they new weapon will equip your character with a different set of skills for combat. And without equipping a particular weapon, you never know what skills you will get.

If the skills have not been used yet on a particular weapon, only one skill for that weapon will be available. As you use that skill, the second skill in the set will slowly unlock. This unlocking happens across three of the four combat skills. It's not a bad system, but it takes a little getting used too. I am used to picking what skills I want in my builds. Instead of "micro-managing" skills you will mange your inventory. Because obviously, if you had a nice skill set that you liked; you'd not want to discard or sell that weapon.

You Utility Skills cover things like buffs, healing skills, and in my case summoning minions and other Necrosis based monsters. These skills can be swapped on the fly as long as you aren't engaged in combat. Remember in Guild Wars, to make any skill or weapon changes you would have to map travel back to a city and make the necessary changes and swaps. Not both gear and skills can be swapped any time other than when in combat.

Speaking of gear, we can now swap between weapon sets. We three sets of weapons (2 slots for land based and three slots a piece for water based). This covers a primary and off hand weapon in each set. Which gives you additional options when trying out new skills. I like to use new weapons on one skill bar that I am unlocking. And my primary bar has a full, working set of skills. That way I am never stuck with just one skill on each bar.

The majority of the game world is no longer instanced. Meaning you take part in dynamic events that happen in real-time with other players. Kind of like Warhammer Online has. These events often become daily tasks as they pop up frequently and are a lot of fun to play.

Let's chat about loot. In the first Guild Wars, it seemed that I didn't come by crafting materials in loot drops from combat quite like it does in GW2. From my first fight, I have been collecting things like leather squares and Iron Cores. Which is nice, because crafting feels much more fleshed out in GW2. Forgive my ignorance on crafting, as I have only been at it for about two days now. Essentially you get the crafting recipe and the crafting materials and craft away. Unlike my brief time Aion where you could special d forever trying to successfully craft a single, simple item. So far I have bee  crafting in the leather working g profession to  make my 8 slot bags. And it has been a blast.

Guild Wars 2 ShopThe Trading Post is another endeavor I have just started playing with. I have purchased some crafting materials with in-game gold with much success. And I have sold probably 50 or 60 silver worth of the items with success. And I love it. It's like a virtual eBay for your unwanted items and loot and craft materials. Included as part of the Trading Post is the Gem Store. Admittedly, I was concerned when I first heard about this. But it seems to be a nice complement to the core game. Essentially the Gem Store is for the much dreaded microtransactions we have seen in other games. But this one reminds me of "Lord of The Rings Online" and "Runes of Magic" in that you don't have to use real world money for the microtransactions. In LoTRO you could gain Turbine Points to make purchases by doing tasks in the game or buying the Turbine Cards and using those.

In GW2, if you decide you don't want to use your hard earned, real world cash. You can convert your in-game silver and gold into Gems to use instead. So what is for sale in the Gem Store? Mostly things like extra character slots, XP boosts, locked chests, and mini pets. You can also upgrade your copy of the game to the deluxe version and get the special skills and Rytlock mini too. There are also armor skins and cosmetic items up for grabs too. But who needs those right? lol

I have heard some complaints about leveling so far. I haven't had any complaints myself as the leveling feels pretty balanced to me. Not really having to grind much helps this out a lot too. Here is my progress so far:
-Levels 1 - 10: Flew by quick and painlessly.
-Levels 11 - 14: Took a little while longer than the first 10. And a little grind was necessary.
-Currently a Level 16 Necro and should hit level 17 pretty quick at this rate.

Overall, I have no complaints about the game. Is it perfect? No, it's not. Does it feel entirely original? Not 100%, as you can definitely find inspirations gleaned from the likes of WoW, LoTRO, and even Warhammer Online. But it feels seamless and they manage to keep it very interesting. One complaint t I have been following on their forums and in-game is balance within some of the classes (like the Necromancer) where people are complaining that the class feels to weak and unbalanced. Personally, this hasn't been an issue for me. But I'm sure AreaNet will address it in due time. On my second day in the game I had already been invited (and joined) a nice, active guild that is a little shy of 400 people strong as of this writing. It took me months to find a decent guild in Guild Wars. The inclusions of Points of Interest, Skill Challenges, and Vista's are awesome as well.

It looks like AreanNet has done it again. And with sales for Guild Wars 2 breaking the 2 million units sold mark. Looks like the rest of the world likes it too.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Remembering September 11th, 2001

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Today marks the 11th Anniversary of the attacks on September 11th, 2001.  I had the privilege today of riding by the place I was at when I first heard of the attacks in New York.  I was walking into my Trigonometry class at our local community college.  Today just about lunch time, I found myself in my daily travels sitting at an intersection in front of the college campus where I attended.  And it was bitter sweet to see all of the students coming and going about their regular schedules.  And remembering that 11 years ago today, life as we knew it had changed.,  Whether we admitted it or not.  Septemeber 11th, 2001 was a day that we as a nation experienced a pivotal moment in our history that I for one will never forget.

So let's all take a few moments today and remember those who lost their lives, families who lost loved ones, and the firefighters and police who all paid the price to help their fellow Americans eleven years ago today.

"The Cloud" + Gaming = Can it work?

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Cloud Gaming
So this afternoon I read a story concerning a new development in "Cloud Gaming".  Yep, that's right "Cloud Gaming".  If you don't know exactly what that is, let me briefly explain.  A "Cloud Gaming Service" has a bunch of servers that they have their games installed on.  Much like user's stream movies via Netflix, a cloud gaming provider's servers would run the gaming locally on the server side and stream the video output from the game through the internet (aka "The Cloud") to it's customers.

This type of gaming solution gives players access to games without having to be concerned with upgrading their computer's hardware (namely RAM, video card/chipset, and processor) nor purchasing expensive video game consoles that try to be your "entertainment hub" in the living.  Since all the customer is coming into contact with is the video feed and sending back the controls being input back upstream to the game's server.  Sounds pretty awesome, doesn't it?

That's because it is, in theory.  Some time back I wrote a post about OnLive, and I still stand by my original thoughts that they were "before their time".  And that hopefully they could pave the way for a larger market for this type of service.  If you haven't followed the situation with OnLive, there have been reports/rumors of mass layoffs within the company.  And an ill fated financial future doesn't look good for them.

But there may be hope that OnLive can pull through with the help of Vizio & Google who seem to see value in the service as the latest run of Google TV boxes will support the OnLive service.  On top of that, if you have followed the KickStarter project OUYA, which touts to be an Android based game console, it will support OnLive as well.  So all may not be lost with OnLive.

I haven't personally played the OnLive console.  But I have played around with a couple demo's via the Android tablet app on my Acer Iconia a500 tablet.  I have attempted to the same with the Windows client.  But this is where these services enter some murky waters: bandwidth.  Yep, in order to use the mobile app with much success you need a very decent/stable broadband connection.  My network speed is among one of the upper tiers for my area; yet it is a little slower than a national average.  For me, the mobile app worked but it looked a little fuzzy.  Whereas, the Windows client would only kick up an error that I didn't have enough bandwidth to run their service.  My network speed isn't the greatest, but it handles everything I through at it with ease; with the exception of OnLive.  Even Netflix streams to my 40 inch HD television and looks good.  So why not OnLive?

For a service like this to succeed, it needs to be accessable to lower network speeds.  However, this too is a double edged sword, because bandwidth will also limit the video quality of the stream coming downstream to the client.  Meanwhile maintaining a low latency for quick response via the network.  Although I still believe this type of service could flourish.  I still think it is a little before it's time.

With all of the said (and most of it just my opinions); AMD has invested in a company similar to OnLive by the name of CiiNow.  What do you think?  Will  OnLive's tumultuous past and uncertain future mean a bumpy take off for an AMD backed solution?  Or can AMD help CiiNow take off and flourish?  CiiNow is a little different than OnLive as it is designed to be a turnkey solutions for service providers.  Meaning that more than likely you'll not become a "CiiNow Customer".  But say your ISP could become a service provider and offer a game streaming service to you as part of a bundle or package, etc. while utilizing this technology service as a foundation for that particular service offering.

Whereas, OnLive is much like Netflix. It sells the service to the end user directly.

Time will tell if the world is ready for this type of service.

What do you think?  Drop us a line at the bottom of this post and let us know!

Monday, September 10, 2012

Apple vs Samsung = $1 Billion Bruise for Samsung

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Apple vs Samsung
Before jumping into this, let me first and foremost say that I love my Samsung Galaxy S2.  It is an amazing device, and probably the best phone I have ever owned (and yes, I have used Apple products before).  If you have read any of my posts, you'll know that I am a proponent for Android (mostly because it will built ontop of Linux).  And yes, I will admit that there are striking resemblances between my Galaxy S2 and my wife's Apple iPhone 4S (mostly in terms of interface design).

If you have kept up with any of the news surrounding the Apple/Samsung patent lawsuits you'll know that Apple was recently awarded $1 billion big one's for basically admitting that they copied the iPhone design.  So, I'll have to say I kind of saw this one coming.  And knowing that Samsung is getting hit in the pocketbook for their admitted plagiarism of Apple's hardware, it was no surprise that the patents will be upheld and we will probably be seeing some big changes to some of the basics of even how Android works across the board.

So what is affected by the results of this lawsuit?  For starters, this lawsuit will not just affect Samsung products, but in the end will affect Android at the OS level as well.  As obviously, Google will try to steer clear of Apple patented design traits.  No more dedicated home buttons on Samsung hardware (they were notorious on some of their phones to have a rectangular home button).  Things like app icon design will more than likely change as well just for beginners.  But things like the "swipe to unlock" bars, various multitouch gestures, etc.  This is a big deal people.

So it sounds pretty bad doesn't it?  Let's look at it from a different angle.  Maybe this is a good thing.  Maybe this lawsuit is what it took to get some innovation back into our mobile devices.  Let's admit it, for the last several years the world has laid in wait to see what latest gimmicks Apple's latest phone gives us.  And then you start to see similar things show up in other places.  So we have let Apple be the innovation leader in the mobile device market.  Maybe now is when our mobile devices meet a "theoretical" fork-in-the-road where new interface designs, new product features, and new phone designs in general could pop-up and even succeed.  Let's face it.  A lot of Android user's like and use Android because it is different than Apple.  And because it isn't an Apple product, point blank.  Yet, our devices are starting to look more and more like Apple devices anyways.  Maybe it is a well warranted time for a change.

Personally, I feel the growing pains and changes may suck initially.  Hopefully, Samsung won't outright nerf many features; simply reworking them with Google's assistance in a Jelly Bean update would be nice. Being realistic and knowing how the whole Android development/release cycle works, I think I may be living in a dream.  But eventually, we may be seeing the start of an Android rebirth that can once again make us stand back and say "That phone can do that! Amazing!" instead of the now common "Cool Phone!" posts we see on forums today.

Either way, it looks to be an exciting time for Android users.  Whether that exciting is positive or negative remains to be seen.

Now We Know Why Martians Are So Mad...

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So today at lunch I was catching up on some news feeds on my phone.  And I happened by an article from CBS News entitled: "NASA crosses fingers that Mars rover won't find water".  And this caught my attention.  From a very young age, I have always been intrigued by space and the concept of space travel/exploration.  Which opened the gateway to my love of science fiction.  And now that a lot of science fiction is becoming less "fiction" and more science, I just had to read this story.  Feel free to click here and read it yourself : CBS News

In case you didn't read the article, here is a quick one shot of it.  NASA recently dropped a rover on Mars (aka Curiosity).  One of the goal's of the Curiosity rover mission is to further the exploration of the surface of Mars in attempt to find any signs of life (be it ancient or otherwise).  Most people immediately think of little green men wearing glass bubbles on their heads and carrying laser guns.  However, they are looking for any life; meaning microscopic or previous planet tenants.  Part of the Curiosity rover's mission includes it being equipped with a drill and sets of drill bits.  These bits (per the article) were intended to be sealed in a box which the rover would open after landing on the planet's surface.  But for fear of possibly damaging this equipment, a bit was attached to the rover before take off.

Supposedly, this installation opened the possibility of bacteria from Earth coming into contact with Curiosity's  hardware.  What does this mean?  Easy, we could potentially contaminate whatever ecosystem may be viable on Mars with our germs.  Well, that's just fantastic.  Those folks are NASA are pretty sharp (very smart, without a doubt); but to think that something like this was allowed to happen just seems crazy to me.  So knowing that there is a possibility that Curiosity may be carrying bacteria from Earth, NASA is apparently very concerned about "bumping" Curiosity into any water up there Mars.  As contaminating a water supply could be disastrous.

And here is why I find this story so perplexing.  Every one of these missions are extremely expensive.  Knowing the possibility that amazing discoveries could be unlocked via this mission, why would NASA not ensure that this type of contamination was not even a possibility.  Now before you flame me, I understand the undertaking of "space sterilizing" equipment built on Earth may be difficult etc.  This seems like a very basic concern to me (a very non-technical, simple mind).  I will give them the benefit of a doubt, as the article explains that the majority of this bacteria should have been killed during the entry into the Martian atmosphere.  But still, think ahead guys.

So as I sat at Burger King and ate my lunch, I got a great idea for a scene for the Big Bang Theory.  If you remember a previous episode ("The Lizard Spock Expansion" Season: 2 Episode: 8) where Howard Wolowitz accidentally got the Mars rover stuck in a ditch?  Well, why not an episode where Wolowitz gets an intership to help build the new Mars rover and they day he shows up to work, he sneezes on the rover just before launch.  And without time to cleanse the rover, it is blasted off towards Mars carrying what could potentially wipe out any life the would find?  Just a thought.

And then I had another thought.  Remember the whole thing about the Pilgrim's giving small-pox ridden blankets to the Native Americans?  Yep, know we know why all the Martians in the Hollywood movies are so mad.  Our germs wiped out their planet...

Just some of my random thoughts about germs, Mars, rover missions, and possible tv episodes... Enjoy!

Read the article at: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-205_162-57509428/nasa-crosses-fingers-that-mars-rover-wont-find-water/

Friday, September 7, 2012

Guild Wars 2: Eager Anticipation

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Guild Wars 2
So last night my wife and I went on an adventure in our area trying to find the retail copy of Guild Wars 2.  And I was rather surprised that it was pretty difficult to find.  Since the games launch I have found the retail box version of the game at both of our local Walmarts, our local Best Buy, and both of our local Gamestop stores.  However, last night I looked up our local Gamestop stores online (which showed neither had in store stock available - which I know is sometimes not accurate) so I avoided wasting time stopping by those stores.

Hit up my local Best Buy (so I could the last couple points on my rewards card) and there were no copies of the game to be had there.  So as a last resort we dropped by both Walmart stores only to find two copies of the game on the shelf at the last Walmart we stopped at.  Feeling almost as good as if I won a lottery, we ate dinner and went home where I would start the installation process.

Upon cracking open the case, I found little in way of documentation (the original Guild Wars included pretty details booklets on the lore of the game) and there were two game installation DVD's.  Installing from the DVD's took a little bit, but nothing major.  Then the patch process started.  And continued to run... For several hours.  As of this writing, the patches are almost complete so hopefully I'll be in the game soon.

The patching process wasn't unexpected, I just hate that part of the installation of any MMO.  Because it takes so freakin' long.  Don't get me wrong, I love the fact that the game is being improved and updated.  Because in the end, the players benefit from this.  But it has been a while since I had sat through the MMO installation for any game.  And the original Guild Wars seemed to be a fairly quick installation, but the game was setup a little differently from my understanding.

In either way, I have no qualms with how the installation has moved along, and have yet to encounter any errors or issues.  After I get a little time in-game, I'll post some of my initial thoughts.

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Guildies, Daleks, Labor Day Weekend, Oh My!

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Doctor Who
I know, I know...It's been quite a while. I hope everyone has been doing fine. It is by no chance that I am making my first post after somewhat of a hiatus on this very evening. After all with this past week being a huge week in tech, gaming, and nerdism alike; how could I possibly stay away?  Since my last post we have seen all sorts of craziness pop up on the interwebs. Aside from all the political jargon us Americans are having to put up with on Facebook and the general media, we have the "he said, she said" lawsuits between Apple and Samsung (for which it looks link Samsung is in deep bantha fodder over), new iPhone buzz and talk of an iPad Mini?! When does it stop? I always considered my iPod Touch to be a mini iPod... I guess Apple has proved me wrong once again.  Well played Apple... Well played.

In other quick news, my Samsung Galaxy Epic Touch 4G (from here on called the "S2") received it's Ice Cream Sandwhich OTA update a few weeks ago...Yay! Nope, no joy could be expressed.  As it appears my perfectly good S2 with great battery life (would go almost a full day of moderate use on a single charge cycle) is now a fancy phone which lags, screen animations hang up, buttons quit responding, and am lucky to pull a 4 hour life from a full charge... Thanks for breaking my phone!! If anybody knows of a good custom ROM, please leave comment with suggestions.

In better news, this week marked the release of "Guild Wars 2". If you don't know what Guild Wars 2 is.... Then you should be fed to the Char. Just kidding. Guild Wars 2 is a sequel to the much celebrated MMO title "Guild Wars". The original GW managed to survive the development cycle of it's sequel during a time when other MMO titles were being closed down or forced to switch to a "freemium" free-to-play business model.  The appeal to the Guild Wars games for me has to be the fact that there is no monthly charge to play the game; unlike other MMO titles. You purchase the game once and access to play is free from that point forward.  See Blizzard, it can be done!

I certainly hope GW2 is able to garner the same success that it's predecessor has let us long time fans enjoy for years now. The original Guild Wars brought us a total of 3 stand alone campaigns (Prophecies, Factions, and Nightfall) and one expansion that was not a standalone expansion but helped shape the mold for GW2 (Eye of the North).  The original game still has some players left running through it (I have spent some time in-game over the last several days) so don't hesitate to pay us a visit sometime. I do plan on picking up Guild Wars 2. But it may be a few weeks before I get around to it.

Lastly and most importantly, tonight was the premiere of Season 7 of Doctor Who! It aired 9:00pm EST here in America on BBC-America and will be reairing at midnight tonight. It was a fantastic episode with more clever lines from the Doctor, a special cameo that leaves more questions than it answers, and a wild start to the new season.  Even though we now only have four more episodes till we have to wait for the Christmas Special (and a new companion); this season will definitely be a big one with the season premiere focusing on the Doctor's oldest and most feared enemy: The Daleks!

Wow, all of that was a keyboard full. But there you have it. And on that note, I will bid you all a good night. And for those of us in the USA, I hope you all have a great Labor Day weekend!  Allons-y, Geronimo, or maybe even a good old fashioned "Goodnight!" will do.