Google+ Confusion?!

Maybe I'm not thinking about it right, but for some strange reason Google+ feels like complete chaos to me.  lol

I had this same feeling when I started a Facebook profile and moved away from MySpace (back in the day).  However, now I have a Google+ account and for the love of me I can't seem to make myself feel comfortable with their layout/interface/site design.  I currently only have two (inactive) friends and am following one other person.  I have had my Google+ account now for several weeks and seem to keep going back to Facebook for any form of real communication.

Is this just my experience, or are others out there finding the same thing?

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Android App Review: Star Legends Beta

I've been eagerly anticipating the release of Star Legends for Android devices.  So much in fact, that it's release into Beta slipped right past me.  It wasn't until a couple of days ago I found an article about the game.  So I had to check it out, and I must say that I am hooked.

Star Legends was created by Spacetime Studios.  If the name sounds familiar that is because they also released Pocket Legends for iOS and Android mobile devices.  The both games are mobile MMO titles.  And they are both awesome.  Pocket Legends is a fantasy world MMO where you play as a bipedal animal is a fantasy kingdom.  Whereas Star Legends is a lot of the same, but set on a space station type ship.

From the start of the game you get to pick your character class.  There are three classes: Commando, Operative, and Engineer.  They each have their own unique uses.  Engineers can repair things, Commando players have access to heavy weapons and armor making a great tank class.  And the Operative class can actually dual wield pistols and firearms.  Personally, I went with a Commando class.  After selecting your class you can customize your character appearance somewhat with a limited selection of hair styles/colors and faces.  You can also switch the gender of your character between male and female.

As you play you'll level up, just as with any other MMO style game.  The early missions have you running around the ship learning where things are and doing some simple missions.  I'm up to level 6 now and am able to pretty well hold my own in a fire fight.  Which is a lot of fun.

The controls are simple, there is a "virtual" joystick on the bottom left of the screen and the combat button and skill buttons are on the bottom right side of the screen.  You can loot storage chests for gear and use enhancers to temporarily give you the upper hand during a mission.  Things like vanity gear and enhancers can be bought with Platinum (which can be bought with real world money).  However, the use of these paid items isn't necessary to enjoy the game.  They do give every new player a one time use, free enhancer.

The missions are fun, but do get a little repetitive after playing for a while.  However, when you take into consideration that this is still a mobile game, and it's intent is to be played on the go.  Chances of someone sitting for 3 hours farming a particular instance probably isn't going to happen that much.  More like jumping in and running a mission for 10 minutes here and there was more of the intent.  With that being said, wiping out a mob with a group of other players is pretty gratifying.

Where this game really shines is in the social department.  It is extremely easy to build a friend's list in this game.  I have been playing Guild Wars for several years now and have about a dozen people in my friend's list.  I have played Star Legends for 2 days and already half 6 people in my buddy list.  All of which I have run other missions with since initially meeting with them in game.

The ability for upgrading your character's skills and abilities is extremely easy and well thought out.  Inventory management is a cinch too, since you start out with 50 free slots.  Items you no longer need or want can be sold directly from your inventory screen, eliminating the need to find a vendor or seller to get rid of low level items you'll pickup during a mission.

I'll have to be honest, I played a little bit of Pocket Legends on my iPod Touch quite some time ago and thought it was a good game.  But couldn't get into it (the smaller screen felt small and cramped to me).  However, on a 10 inch tablet screen, the game is great.  Looks great, sounds great and plays smooth.

I would highly recommend this game to RPG fans, MMO fans, and Space Shooter fans.  It has a little something for everybody.  And to beat it all, the app is free of charge.  If this is the bar that is being set of MMO's on mobile devices, the future is looking sweet!

Star Legends Beta: Download from the Android Market!

I give this Star Legends Beta 5 stars out of 5 stars.

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"Falling Skies" 2 Hour Season Finale Tonight!

Just a quick reminder to everybody.  If you're not going to be home around 9:00p EST be sure to set your DVR or TiVo!  Tonight's episode of "Falling Skies" is the big 2 hour finale!  Be sure to tune in!

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Tablet Q&A

I have received a couple of questions pertaining to tablets.  So I figured there has to be more than one or two people out there who are curious, so here we go.

1- Can you replace the hard drive in a tablet?
A- Currently and officially, no.  With that being said, I know there are sites out there that do offer some maintenance on tablets and similar devices (like iPod Touches and iPhones).  So chances are you MAY be able to find someone who could do the work, but be forewarned chances are good it will void any kind of waranty or coverage you may have on your device.  Most tablets offer a slot for a MicroSD Card to enhance the amount of storage on your device which is the method of "upgrading storage capacity" for most tablet devices.

2- Can you replace the battery in most tablets?
A- Currently, not in most of the tablets available on the market.  Toshiba recently released the Thrive Tablet line which does feature a User Replaceable battery.  Which in my opinion is an extremely nice feature.  But as far as I am aware, that is the first tablet to offer this feature.  In the past Apple has been known to be able to service iPod's and iPod Touches when it comes to battery replacements, so I am assuming they will offer a similar service for the iPad.  However, they usually charge a handsome sum for this service.

3- Can you print from a tablet?
A- Natively, nope.  However there are apps available both in Apple's App Store and the Android Market that allow printing through a wifi connection to either a printer with Wifi capabilities or through a computer with a shared printer.  One thing I like to do is use DropBox to sync important documents with my PC for printing later.  Or you can even use Google Docs and print from a PC when you get near one.

Now I know out of these three key questions the answer for all 3 happened to be NO.  So what is a tablet good for?  Tablets are designed for computing on the go.  Even more so than a laptop.  Surfing the web, media playback (movies and music), email access, communication, etc.  If you're looking for the ability to replace a failed hard drive, swap battery packs out on the fly, or the stipulation of having the option to print to a local USB based printer, than perhaps a laptop is better suited for your needs.

If you're looking to play games on the go, watch a tv show while sitting in an airport, read a book at lunch, and check your stocks all from the same device.  Than a tablet may be right down you're alley.

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Gaming Deals of The Week: OnLive Specials!

Though I am not currently a customer of the gaming service known as OnLive.  I do have some friends who use the services (and are extremely happy with it).  I do get their newsletters in my inbox every week.  And this week there are several deals that look pretty awesome if you're in the market.  And with several hours of today still to go, you have plenty of time to swing by and check it out.

Today's Special: Darksiders for $5.00.  If you're looking for a reason to romp around as on of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse, this is a great reason to take up your sword for only $5.

If you're looking for a pretty freakin' affordable way to play games, you might want to check into the PlayPack subscription through OnLive.  You get unlimited play of over 70 titles for only $10.00 a month.  If my internet was any faster, I'd jump all over this service.

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Computer Certification Training

This is a little outside of my normal post.  Most of my posts are aimed at your everyday user/gamer/or nerds like me.  However, I'm currently trying to work on some training for the CompTIA A+ certification for work; and thought I'd share a like for other's who may be looking for a good place to start.  Swing by:
Professor Messor's Free Training at: http://da60dbbd.tinylinks.co

His site is chock full of free training videos and materials to help aid in your study time.  I'm currently working through the A Plus information and I have found this site to be an extremely valuable aid to assist with my study time.

Happy Surfing!

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Acer Iconia a500 Tablet = An Awesome Art Tool!

I have always had an affinity for art.  I love to draw, sketch, and when I have time I like to paint.  However, there has always been several determining factors in when I get to take part of this little hobby.  Supplies are big factor, whether or not I have a spare sketch pad or paper laying around to use.  Painting can be rather messy and get out of control pretty quick.  And a lot of times, there just isn't enough time in the day to setup an easel break out the paints and go at it.  I live a pretty busy life.

So here's my solution (and my art fix).  I use my Acer Iconia a500 android tablet.  Why not?  I used to have a Wacom Bamboo Tablet for my PC that was awesome, but required me to stay at the computer to use it.  So I started trying out some of the more Art-centric Android apps in the Google Android Market.  What did I find?

I found 2 apps that really stood out and 1 app that is nice for a quick time wasting doodle.  See below for information on all 3.

2 min. paint of my dog in Fresco Lite

The first app I tried was Fresco Lite.  For free you have access to 2 layers, 2 filters, and 3 brushes.  You can export your drawings into the .PSD format for use in  Gimp or Photoshop.  It's a lot of fun to use and with a little skill could be used to make some cool art.  If you like it you can always purchase the full version to unlock about 30 brushes and more layers.

The second option I found was called dscribble Tablet.  It's functionality is somewhat limited.  However, one neat aspect of this app is that you can post your scribble to their site for others to checkout from within the app.  You can even view other people's scribbles with an in-app viewer.  For a little quick inspiration and the social aspect, dscribble is a neat app.  Plus, it's free.

Finally, the last app I tried out has been the one where I have spend most of my doodling time as of late.  Simply because it is awesome.  Both dscribble and Fresco Lite has the own unique points making them both fun art apps but both bring about the experience in a little different way.  Fresco Lite captures more of a painting aspect.  While dscribble is more like the napkin from lunch that you doodle on during a conference call.

But the app that has become my art-go-to or my tablet's almost equivalent of Photoshop or Gimp is: AutoDesk's SketchBook Mobile Express.  AutoDesk is an industry leader with software such as AutoCad, 3DSMax, Inventor, Maya and SketchBook Pro for the PC/Mac.  So why is SketchBook Mobile Express awesome?  Easy, it allows for multiple layers, has an outstanding amount of usable brushes.  The input tracking is pretty responsive, so depending on your device's specs you should have a pretty smooth experience with it.  The brush effects are so fluid you'll swear you were actually using a pencil and a sketchpad by the time your done with your first "masterpiece".  lol

There is the capability to do freehand or mirrored drawing. You can use an onscreen ruler for measuring, not to mention the control over opacity and color picking is awesome.  They have managed to streamline the UI for the app by hiding it altogether.  There is a small button at the bottom center of the screen.  When you tap that button it will open the user interface and a nice selection wheel will pop up.  You can use this selection wheel to quickly switch brushes, brush sizes, and several other options.

After finding SketchBook Mobile Express in the Android Market I was sold after playing around for just a few minutes.  So I decided to buy the full version, since SketchBook Mobile Express is free.  The full version will set you back $4.99, but in my opinion is well worth it.

My quick doodle in SketchBookPro

After you pick the drawing/sketching/doodling app of your choice, you could always go one more step.  I found drawing with my finger tip just didn't feel right to me.  I wanted to hold something while drawing.  So I picked up a Targus Stylus Pen from Walmart (Best Buy carries them too).  It set me about about $12.00 or so (they are $14.99 at Best Buy).  This completed my drawing toolkit on my Android Tablet.  Plus, I now have a full drawing studio wherever I take my tablet.  Sure beats lugging around a sketchpad and a box of pencils everywhere.  Plus it's a lot of fun even if you're like me and just like to doodle.

Enjoy!

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