I'm sure there are still quite a few non-iTunes users out there, and that's not a bad thing. Some people just don't dig it; for a long time I didn't. Now, though, I honestly think it's the best media player. For me, at least. With Apple releasing the newest iteration of it yesterday at their "Lets Rock" event, there was a lot to look forward to. I was expecting a full-fledged update, it being iTunes 8, not iTunes 7.8. If its given a new, single-digit number, it had better be quite an update. How does it fare?
For the most part, it's same thing. I'm honestly quite surprised at how little has been changed from the previous release (7.7.1) to iTunes 8. The main interface is literally exactly the same. The only difference aesthetically is the new grid view, which I have to admit is amazing. Grid view is a fantastic alternative for cover flow; in fact, it's almost a perfect middle-man between list view and cover flow. Grid view sorts albums, artists, genres, and composers as tiles in a... well, grid. While browsing albums, artists, and composers, album art is displayed. Browsing genres displays the cool little pictures Apple made instead of album art for each genre. One of the reasons grid view is really cool is that it makes iTunes darker. The background in grid view is dark gray, and the scrollbar turns to shades of gray, too. Not only that, but it enhances browsing as well, by letting you control iTunes predominantly with the keyboard, instead of with a mouse/trackpad. It's very reminiscent of controlling finder in column view, which I find particularly pleasant. You can change the size of each tile in grid view from very small to very large, a large range that is sure to please anybody. In short, grid view makes using iTunes more fun.
Another new feature in iTunes 8 is the "Genius" feature. It has two functions: first, to get you to buy songs from the iTunes store; second, it's a playlist maker. The first function turns on a Genius sidebar. It'll show you songs that are like the song you're currently listening to that you can buy from the iTunes store. Or, you could hit the Genius button while listening to a song, which will create a playlist of similar songs from your library. This feature also appears on new iPods. The Genius button and sidebar are both great little enhancers to a tired application, and also serve to make iTunes more enjoyable to use.
The last new upgrade is the new iTunes visualizer, which used to be Flight 404's Magnetosphere visualizer. While the new visualizer is undeniably entertaining, fascinating, and "trippy" (nice one, Kevin Rose), a detailed look at it reveals that it's slightly lacking in variety. There are a noticeable, set number of different animations that the new visualizer is able to produce. Sure, with the color difference, the variety is boosted a bit, but with this visualizer you will definitely recognize some repeated patterns, and that's just if you watch like fifteen songs. This is a problem that happened pretty much never with the previous visualizer, but fortunately Apple seems to have predicted that and has included all of the old visualizers ("classic", "lathe", "jelly", and "stix"). Though it's slightly limited, the new visualizer is seriously impressive and fun to watch.
While I'm still disappointed that it looks the same besides grid view, iTunes 8 is a worthwhile and refreshing update to an aging (but remarkably encompassing and functional) entity. Amongst the aforementioned updates, the information "get info" or "properties" fields for songs are Each user has his/her favorite period of iTunes, but iTunes 8 is likely to be a new favorite for probably a majority of fans.
6/7
9.10.2008
9.06.2008
Spore Creatures (DS)
I'm sure most of you know by now that the version of Spore released on the Nintendo DS is not the full version. And for those of you that didn't know, where've you been? While the full-fledged version of Spore follows your creature through all the phases of evolution, from single-celled fella to spacefaring explorer, Spore Creatures, the DS version, focuses primarily on the creature phase of the game, meaning that you're a somewhat evolved, capable little creature, and it's up to you to work your way toward different types of body parts by socializing with and defeating the different creatures you meet along the way. Spore Creatures also has an innate plot, unlike its "massively single-player online" brother, which is rather open-ended. So
Upon starting the game, we're informed that an alien is spreading an infection that is mutating the different creatures that inhabit this particular galaxy. His target is a planet named Tapti, but you are the snag in his plan, one little spore creature that won't go down so easily. You see yourself bust out of your egg in the ocean and immediately get ashore, surprised that you've survived this far. Two of you made it out alive, and together you make a "protection pact," to ensure that you both stay alive, but wouldn't ya know it, your little buddy gets abducted by a spaceship. So basically the whole plot of the game is to amongst various side goals, save your friend, Little Oogie.
In order to do this, you have to interact with the other creatures you meet along the way. Some of them will like you; these are the ones you cuddle and dance with in an effort to get them to fully trust you, at which point they'll follow you into battle, or let you use their nest. Nests are the areas you go to change your character around. Like I said earlier, you gain various body parts from all the creatures you encounter, through accomplishing side missions, killing things, and making friends. Once in a nest, all you have to do is tap yourself, then tap the egg icon that pops up, and you'll be in edit mode. It's a far cry from what the full PC game's creature editor can do, but I think it's safe to say that this version of the editor is definitely full and unique enough to provide some laughs, as well as a satisfactory RPG feel to the game. You can mess around with your creature's eyes, mouth, arms, body, legs, tail, and... back shingles? You can change your creature's color or add a texture to it, too. Luckily for me, there's an undo button. Comes in handy when you accidentally hit the trash can and toss away your whole creature. As you level up, you get more body points, which allows you to use more and more body parts. As you progress, you'll find a good variety of parts for each specific category. Some parts come equipped with what the game calls bio-powers, which give you the ability to do special actions, like shoot fire or heal yourself in battle. As well as bio-powers, some body parts allow you to do stuff that you normally can't do, like swim in deep water, walk on thorns and ice, etc. Normally, walking on these surfaces would very quickly deplete one's health, but with the right parts equipped, it will slowly drain your energy, rather than killing you within a few seconds.
The aforementioned health and energy bars work just like they do in most other RPGs; you get hit, you lose health. Your energy is for those nifty bio-powers. The higher your level (raised by socializing, fighting, and doing missions), the more health and energy you get. Fighting is one of the aspects of the game I didn't enjoy as much as I could've. When it comes down to it, the fighting system in Spore Creatures is extremely simplistic; slash your way to a victory, hoping the parts you've attached to yourself make you stronger than the other creature(s). A vertical slash is a slower, more powerful hit, and a horizontal slash is faster but a bit weaker. You can heal yourself with bio-powers, but there's only so much that can do. You really just have to slash as much as possible and hope for the best. However, you'll find that dying doesn't make much of a difference in this game, as you'll come back immediately in the nearest nest you've used, with slightly less health and energy. Make sure to make note of the fact that you aren't limited to one part per category, for example, it's usually good to have two mouths on, one that eats meat and one that eats fruit, otherwise it gets annoying to only be able to eat one type of food. Then again, there are mouths that eat both types of food. But remember that it is possible to have more than one of a body part, and is often-times advantageous.
Speaking of food, your metabolism will make a big difference in the game. Your metabolism is altered by the different mouths you put on. If you have a high metabolism, the things you eat will count for more health and energy. Low metabolism, the opposite. This is something you should take advantage of, because once you level up a lot and your total health is a few hundred points, eating stuff that raises your health about twenty points at a time starts to get annoying.
As far as the nests go, the developers of this game have included an incredibly convenient way of dealing with them. They've included a "burrow" button, which will take you back to your last used nest. Not only that, but if you hit it again after you're done customizing in the nest, you'll go back to exactly where you were when you first hit it. Like I said, incredibly convenient.
Socializing to make friends is the opposite of fighting with them, but it often leads to the same outcome. Whether you kill or befriend a creature, you're probably going to get one of their body parts, and if you kill/befriend enough of them, you can use their nest. The game has a cool way of adapting to your dark desires too, if you choose to just kill everyone. If you start killing a group that was friendly toward you, they'll fight back, and it changes your goals and the dialogue to reflect the fact that, oh well, they're mad at you now, might as well kill the rest of 'em anyway. If you decide to socialize with them, it can be fun. There are two ways to socialize with creatures, both brought on by calling to them: first, smiley faces will float up from the creature you called to, at which point you're supposed to drag them down and basically pet the creature with them; second, a flower will float up, and you drag it on top of the creature to start the dancing mini-game. It's a rhythm game, there are flowers across the screen, and from the bottom-middle of the screen, little glowing balls shoot out. You have to tap them with the stylus when they get to the middle of the flower. This is a deceptive little game, as it starts out as easy as possible, but eventually, it can get so hard you have no idea what to do. It doesn't get that hard till very late in the game, but rest assured, it does. And that's one thing that I found to be universal in this game; it's sort of a hard game, ostensibly disguised as a kids game. As cartoony and easy as it looks, it does present some challenging parts, especially if you don't know how to set up your character to fight.
You can walk with the D-Pad (or the A, B, X, and Y buttons if you're a leftie), but most of the control is done with the stylus, and you can use it to walk if you so choose. To get things done, you tap them. Tap a tree to shake it to get the fruit down, tap a creature to fight with it, have it follow you, or stop following you, tap an infected nest to cure it once you've befriended or killed all the inhabitants. The walking system is hard to use and annoying at certain points because of the 2D graphical nature of the characters, but it's a minor issue. Also, sometimes the stylus is a bit inaccurate, which I think is due to the game, not the DS itself because I re-calibrated my touch screen and continued having the issue. It's not that big of a deal, though.
The characters are 2D while the background and background objects are 3D, so it's kinda like a more basic Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword graphical configuration. And I think it was the most logical type of animation for this game, but every so often you come across a specific type of creature, or body part, that just does not render well in 2D; you can't tell what it is and it just looks like a jumbled mess. Also a minor issue, but it may pull you out of the Spore world a bit once in a while.
As you move from area to area, you have to do missions along the way. Missions can be simple, like race a creature from one area to another, or they can be complex, like when you're timed to break gigantic boulders in a certain order in a volcano whose pressure is rapidly rising. Sometimes if you fail the mission, you'll have to advance without completing it, while other times you can go back and redo it. The game contains some nifty little cutscenes after completing some of these missions.
I think if Spore Creatures has taught me anything, it's that you should cuddle and dance with as many people as possible; it might just get them on your side in a fight one day. I have to admit, I thoroughly enjoyed this version of Spore. Though it's not nearly as expansive as its older sibling, I found this game to be satisfying and full in many ways. The adventure in the game is the perfect length, slightly long for a DS game, but in general a very solid, 12-level experience. I've gotta admit, this game feels a lot like a Pokémon game. Even the Sporepedia, your method of keeping track and finding info on the creatures you've encountered, severely reminds me of the Pokédex, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. It definitely has a few downsides, it's inaccurate sometimes, walking can be difficult in a few situations because of your 2D-ness, a couple characters don't translate well to 2D, and I absolutely loved how the final boss just sat there and told me his weakness. That was great. Overall, though, I thought this game was fantastic, and I would totally play through it again. And maybe once after that, too. Don't pass this by because it looks like a kids game.
6/7
Upon starting the game, we're informed that an alien is spreading an infection that is mutating the different creatures that inhabit this particular galaxy. His target is a planet named Tapti, but you are the snag in his plan, one little spore creature that won't go down so easily. You see yourself bust out of your egg in the ocean and immediately get ashore, surprised that you've survived this far. Two of you made it out alive, and together you make a "protection pact," to ensure that you both stay alive, but wouldn't ya know it, your little buddy gets abducted by a spaceship. So basically the whole plot of the game is to amongst various side goals, save your friend, Little Oogie.
In order to do this, you have to interact with the other creatures you meet along the way. Some of them will like you; these are the ones you cuddle and dance with in an effort to get them to fully trust you, at which point they'll follow you into battle, or let you use their nest. Nests are the areas you go to change your character around. Like I said earlier, you gain various body parts from all the creatures you encounter, through accomplishing side missions, killing things, and making friends. Once in a nest, all you have to do is tap yourself, then tap the egg icon that pops up, and you'll be in edit mode. It's a far cry from what the full PC game's creature editor can do, but I think it's safe to say that this version of the editor is definitely full and unique enough to provide some laughs, as well as a satisfactory RPG feel to the game. You can mess around with your creature's eyes, mouth, arms, body, legs, tail, and... back shingles? You can change your creature's color or add a texture to it, too. Luckily for me, there's an undo button. Comes in handy when you accidentally hit the trash can and toss away your whole creature. As you level up, you get more body points, which allows you to use more and more body parts. As you progress, you'll find a good variety of parts for each specific category. Some parts come equipped with what the game calls bio-powers, which give you the ability to do special actions, like shoot fire or heal yourself in battle. As well as bio-powers, some body parts allow you to do stuff that you normally can't do, like swim in deep water, walk on thorns and ice, etc. Normally, walking on these surfaces would very quickly deplete one's health, but with the right parts equipped, it will slowly drain your energy, rather than killing you within a few seconds.
The aforementioned health and energy bars work just like they do in most other RPGs; you get hit, you lose health. Your energy is for those nifty bio-powers. The higher your level (raised by socializing, fighting, and doing missions), the more health and energy you get. Fighting is one of the aspects of the game I didn't enjoy as much as I could've. When it comes down to it, the fighting system in Spore Creatures is extremely simplistic; slash your way to a victory, hoping the parts you've attached to yourself make you stronger than the other creature(s). A vertical slash is a slower, more powerful hit, and a horizontal slash is faster but a bit weaker. You can heal yourself with bio-powers, but there's only so much that can do. You really just have to slash as much as possible and hope for the best. However, you'll find that dying doesn't make much of a difference in this game, as you'll come back immediately in the nearest nest you've used, with slightly less health and energy. Make sure to make note of the fact that you aren't limited to one part per category, for example, it's usually good to have two mouths on, one that eats meat and one that eats fruit, otherwise it gets annoying to only be able to eat one type of food. Then again, there are mouths that eat both types of food. But remember that it is possible to have more than one of a body part, and is often-times advantageous.
Speaking of food, your metabolism will make a big difference in the game. Your metabolism is altered by the different mouths you put on. If you have a high metabolism, the things you eat will count for more health and energy. Low metabolism, the opposite. This is something you should take advantage of, because once you level up a lot and your total health is a few hundred points, eating stuff that raises your health about twenty points at a time starts to get annoying.
As far as the nests go, the developers of this game have included an incredibly convenient way of dealing with them. They've included a "burrow" button, which will take you back to your last used nest. Not only that, but if you hit it again after you're done customizing in the nest, you'll go back to exactly where you were when you first hit it. Like I said, incredibly convenient.
Socializing to make friends is the opposite of fighting with them, but it often leads to the same outcome. Whether you kill or befriend a creature, you're probably going to get one of their body parts, and if you kill/befriend enough of them, you can use their nest. The game has a cool way of adapting to your dark desires too, if you choose to just kill everyone. If you start killing a group that was friendly toward you, they'll fight back, and it changes your goals and the dialogue to reflect the fact that, oh well, they're mad at you now, might as well kill the rest of 'em anyway. If you decide to socialize with them, it can be fun. There are two ways to socialize with creatures, both brought on by calling to them: first, smiley faces will float up from the creature you called to, at which point you're supposed to drag them down and basically pet the creature with them; second, a flower will float up, and you drag it on top of the creature to start the dancing mini-game. It's a rhythm game, there are flowers across the screen, and from the bottom-middle of the screen, little glowing balls shoot out. You have to tap them with the stylus when they get to the middle of the flower. This is a deceptive little game, as it starts out as easy as possible, but eventually, it can get so hard you have no idea what to do. It doesn't get that hard till very late in the game, but rest assured, it does. And that's one thing that I found to be universal in this game; it's sort of a hard game, ostensibly disguised as a kids game. As cartoony and easy as it looks, it does present some challenging parts, especially if you don't know how to set up your character to fight.
You can walk with the D-Pad (or the A, B, X, and Y buttons if you're a leftie), but most of the control is done with the stylus, and you can use it to walk if you so choose. To get things done, you tap them. Tap a tree to shake it to get the fruit down, tap a creature to fight with it, have it follow you, or stop following you, tap an infected nest to cure it once you've befriended or killed all the inhabitants. The walking system is hard to use and annoying at certain points because of the 2D graphical nature of the characters, but it's a minor issue. Also, sometimes the stylus is a bit inaccurate, which I think is due to the game, not the DS itself because I re-calibrated my touch screen and continued having the issue. It's not that big of a deal, though.
The characters are 2D while the background and background objects are 3D, so it's kinda like a more basic Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword graphical configuration. And I think it was the most logical type of animation for this game, but every so often you come across a specific type of creature, or body part, that just does not render well in 2D; you can't tell what it is and it just looks like a jumbled mess. Also a minor issue, but it may pull you out of the Spore world a bit once in a while.
As you move from area to area, you have to do missions along the way. Missions can be simple, like race a creature from one area to another, or they can be complex, like when you're timed to break gigantic boulders in a certain order in a volcano whose pressure is rapidly rising. Sometimes if you fail the mission, you'll have to advance without completing it, while other times you can go back and redo it. The game contains some nifty little cutscenes after completing some of these missions.
I think if Spore Creatures has taught me anything, it's that you should cuddle and dance with as many people as possible; it might just get them on your side in a fight one day. I have to admit, I thoroughly enjoyed this version of Spore. Though it's not nearly as expansive as its older sibling, I found this game to be satisfying and full in many ways. The adventure in the game is the perfect length, slightly long for a DS game, but in general a very solid, 12-level experience. I've gotta admit, this game feels a lot like a Pokémon game. Even the Sporepedia, your method of keeping track and finding info on the creatures you've encountered, severely reminds me of the Pokédex, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. It definitely has a few downsides, it's inaccurate sometimes, walking can be difficult in a few situations because of your 2D-ness, a couple characters don't translate well to 2D, and I absolutely loved how the final boss just sat there and told me his weakness. That was great. Overall, though, I thought this game was fantastic, and I would totally play through it again. And maybe once after that, too. Don't pass this by because it looks like a kids game.
6/7
9.04.2008
Vampire Weekend - Self-Titled
After getting sick to death of hearing glowing praise on assorted blogs (mostly Stereogum - you'd think they paid them or something), I finally decided to check out the much revered Vampire Weekend. Listening through their self-titled debut album, I couldn't find much to grab onto. A second time through it, I understood it a bit better, but it didn't do much to bring me closer to actually liking them.
Vampire Weekend is composed (get it? composed, like music? cause they're in a band? little pun for ya.) of four guys from Brooklyn. The band's name is taken from an amateur film that their lead singer, Ezra Koenig, made when he was younger. Apparently it was just him fighting vampires to protect his virginity. A humorous notion. Important to note about this band is their African influences, as well as classical music influences, both of which shine through in many of their songs. All in all, it makes for a very strange blend of styles.
The music has a sort of slinky feel at times, if that makes any sense. There's a good variety of musical styles on this album; "A-Punk" sounds like Assorted Jellybeans on downers; "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" (voted one of the best songs of 2007 by Rolling Stone) definitely reflects the African influences; M79 is one of the better songs, providing one of the more classical-inspired tracks on the album. "Campus" is a new-wavey piece that asks a question most of us have asked ourselves in our time, "How am I supposed to pretent / I never want to see you again?" "I Stand Corrected" uses synth-strings and Strokes-esque drums to help Ezra admit he was wrong: "You've been double checking on my facts / And I admit I have been lax."
If there's one thing positive I can say about this band, it's that they definitely have personality. In fact, every song is basically dripping with it. The band has interesting ideas about how to use their instruments, as they often come through in unconventional ways. At certain points, the instruments in the band all seem to be at odds with each other, playing seemingly contradictory parts, but Vampire Weekend manages to make them work. The classical influence is very apparent on many songs, a harpsichord often playing parts that sound like they're straight out of a Wes Anderson film. The guitar is isn't really used in any traditional way; it's more of a melodic, driving force in most songs, which often leaves the song sounding empty, due to lack of a rhythm guitar. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it does take some getting used to.
Maybe that's what it is about this band that has eluded me so far: they're an extremely acquired taste, unless you wanna join the ranks of the Stereogum commenters and let us know how much you get it and how awesome you are for liking them. This band does seemingly succumb to Fall Out Boy syndrome. You know, like three years ago when you couldn't go anywhere without people ranting about how great FOB is, and their fans would ostracize you if you didn't absolutely love them. One of the commenters on Stereogum put it well, I think, when he said that this band's hype is more about their image than how good their music is. Throw around some unorthodox influences like Congolese soukous music, refer to your band as "Upper West Side Soweto" (an African town), and before you know it, you're an indie kid's (or blog's) wet dream. A few songs have some catchy parts, some funny and clever lyrics, but for some reason this music doesn't do much for me. That's the strange thing; I know their music isn't really bad, most of the songs are good in their own right, but I can't get into it for reasons unknown.
I guess it would be fair to say that Vampire Weekend is the USA's version of the Arctic Monkeys; some people think they're totally overrated, some people think they're undoubtedly the next big thing. I think I find myself leaning more toward the overrated side, but a part of me gets why people like the band so much. Like I said before, they definitely have personality, and nowadays, that can potentially carry you pretty far. "Oxford Comma" is bound to be a hipster anthem for years to come, so you better just get used to hearing it now.
4/7
Vampire Weekend is composed (get it? composed, like music? cause they're in a band? little pun for ya.) of four guys from Brooklyn. The band's name is taken from an amateur film that their lead singer, Ezra Koenig, made when he was younger. Apparently it was just him fighting vampires to protect his virginity. A humorous notion. Important to note about this band is their African influences, as well as classical music influences, both of which shine through in many of their songs. All in all, it makes for a very strange blend of styles.
The music has a sort of slinky feel at times, if that makes any sense. There's a good variety of musical styles on this album; "A-Punk" sounds like Assorted Jellybeans on downers; "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" (voted one of the best songs of 2007 by Rolling Stone) definitely reflects the African influences; M79 is one of the better songs, providing one of the more classical-inspired tracks on the album. "Campus" is a new-wavey piece that asks a question most of us have asked ourselves in our time, "How am I supposed to pretent / I never want to see you again?" "I Stand Corrected" uses synth-strings and Strokes-esque drums to help Ezra admit he was wrong: "You've been double checking on my facts / And I admit I have been lax."
If there's one thing positive I can say about this band, it's that they definitely have personality. In fact, every song is basically dripping with it. The band has interesting ideas about how to use their instruments, as they often come through in unconventional ways. At certain points, the instruments in the band all seem to be at odds with each other, playing seemingly contradictory parts, but Vampire Weekend manages to make them work. The classical influence is very apparent on many songs, a harpsichord often playing parts that sound like they're straight out of a Wes Anderson film. The guitar is isn't really used in any traditional way; it's more of a melodic, driving force in most songs, which often leaves the song sounding empty, due to lack of a rhythm guitar. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it does take some getting used to.
Maybe that's what it is about this band that has eluded me so far: they're an extremely acquired taste, unless you wanna join the ranks of the Stereogum commenters and let us know how much you get it and how awesome you are for liking them. This band does seemingly succumb to Fall Out Boy syndrome. You know, like three years ago when you couldn't go anywhere without people ranting about how great FOB is, and their fans would ostracize you if you didn't absolutely love them. One of the commenters on Stereogum put it well, I think, when he said that this band's hype is more about their image than how good their music is. Throw around some unorthodox influences like Congolese soukous music, refer to your band as "Upper West Side Soweto" (an African town), and before you know it, you're an indie kid's (or blog's) wet dream. A few songs have some catchy parts, some funny and clever lyrics, but for some reason this music doesn't do much for me. That's the strange thing; I know their music isn't really bad, most of the songs are good in their own right, but I can't get into it for reasons unknown.
I guess it would be fair to say that Vampire Weekend is the USA's version of the Arctic Monkeys; some people think they're totally overrated, some people think they're undoubtedly the next big thing. I think I find myself leaning more toward the overrated side, but a part of me gets why people like the band so much. Like I said before, they definitely have personality, and nowadays, that can potentially carry you pretty far. "Oxford Comma" is bound to be a hipster anthem for years to come, so you better just get used to hearing it now.
4/7
9.03.2008
Google Chrome beta
Everybody's been talking about Google's new browser, Chrome, for the past few days. I was disappointed to find out it was Windows-only so far, but access to a PC isn't exactly sparse. So I downloaded the beta version of Chrome, and I was pleasantly surprised. Chrome is not only the fastest, most efficient browser for Windows, it's innovative and makes browsing your favorite websites even better.
The first thing I noticed about Chrome is the interface. For the most part the interface is fantastic, but it has its downsides too. I can't get over how Windows XP-ish the tab bar of the browser looks; it's Windows blue and looks like something that would've been native to XP. Blech. Another thing that irked me a bit was that the tab bar is above the browser controls (back, forward, refresh, etc.). I know Google is trying to make Chrome new and different from other browsers, but I really can't see how this would increase productivity or comfort. However, putting that out of my mind, the rest of the interface is minimalist and efficient. Google stated that they wanted the browser to do its job and "get out of your way" while browsing the net, and I'm not sure they could've done a better job at it. They've perfectly crafted a browser interface that is a mix between full-screen browsing and normal browsing, allowing you to keep the address bar and controls, but pretty much nothing else. Viewing sites in Chrome lets you see far more of the page than any other browser, unless it's in full screen mode. When downloading something, a downloads bar spans the screen at the bottom of the browser, which tells you how much of the file has been downloaded. You can right click the download for options, and when the download is done, click the X on the side to remove the bar. Other options like preferences are on-screen in the form of graphics, the preferences option being the magnifying glass.
Another thing Google wanted to do with Chrome was improve speed -- not just browsing speed, but the speed of the application itself. In this regard, they have completely succeeded. On a computer with Windows XP with nothing running, I clicked Firefox, and three seconds later clicked Chrome. Guess which popped up first. It was indeed Chrome, a full four seconds faster than Firefox, and that was AFTER opening Firefox first. Alright, that's pretty awesome, but did they increase browsing speed? The short answer is yes. And the long answer is also pretty much yes. With nothing but Chrome running, webpages loaded unbelievably fast. I'm talking faster than any browser I've used on Mac or Windows. With even one program running, though, the speed dramatically slows down. Though the change is dramatic, I found that Chrome still loaded pages faster than Firefox with apps open. So Chrome definitely delivers as far as speed goes.
Although Chrome is currently only a beta, I would use it before any other "full" browser were I to switch back to Windows. That's saying a lot. As good as Chrome is in beta, one can only imagine what will come with the full release. It's not the prettiest browser, but like I said before, that's not what Google was going for. Chrome is the perfect browser if you disregard what it looks like, if you're a person who uses a browser to specifically BROWSE, or if you like a minimalist interface. I can only wait patiently for Chrome for Mac, and only time will tell whether it'll trump Safari as my browser of choice, but honestly, after using Chrome beta (for Windows, nonetheless), I wouldn't be too surprised.
6/7
The first thing I noticed about Chrome is the interface. For the most part the interface is fantastic, but it has its downsides too. I can't get over how Windows XP-ish the tab bar of the browser looks; it's Windows blue and looks like something that would've been native to XP. Blech. Another thing that irked me a bit was that the tab bar is above the browser controls (back, forward, refresh, etc.). I know Google is trying to make Chrome new and different from other browsers, but I really can't see how this would increase productivity or comfort. However, putting that out of my mind, the rest of the interface is minimalist and efficient. Google stated that they wanted the browser to do its job and "get out of your way" while browsing the net, and I'm not sure they could've done a better job at it. They've perfectly crafted a browser interface that is a mix between full-screen browsing and normal browsing, allowing you to keep the address bar and controls, but pretty much nothing else. Viewing sites in Chrome lets you see far more of the page than any other browser, unless it's in full screen mode. When downloading something, a downloads bar spans the screen at the bottom of the browser, which tells you how much of the file has been downloaded. You can right click the download for options, and when the download is done, click the X on the side to remove the bar. Other options like preferences are on-screen in the form of graphics, the preferences option being the magnifying glass.
Another thing Google wanted to do with Chrome was improve speed -- not just browsing speed, but the speed of the application itself. In this regard, they have completely succeeded. On a computer with Windows XP with nothing running, I clicked Firefox, and three seconds later clicked Chrome. Guess which popped up first. It was indeed Chrome, a full four seconds faster than Firefox, and that was AFTER opening Firefox first. Alright, that's pretty awesome, but did they increase browsing speed? The short answer is yes. And the long answer is also pretty much yes. With nothing but Chrome running, webpages loaded unbelievably fast. I'm talking faster than any browser I've used on Mac or Windows. With even one program running, though, the speed dramatically slows down. Though the change is dramatic, I found that Chrome still loaded pages faster than Firefox with apps open. So Chrome definitely delivers as far as speed goes.
Although Chrome is currently only a beta, I would use it before any other "full" browser were I to switch back to Windows. That's saying a lot. As good as Chrome is in beta, one can only imagine what will come with the full release. It's not the prettiest browser, but like I said before, that's not what Google was going for. Chrome is the perfect browser if you disregard what it looks like, if you're a person who uses a browser to specifically BROWSE, or if you like a minimalist interface. I can only wait patiently for Chrome for Mac, and only time will tell whether it'll trump Safari as my browser of choice, but honestly, after using Chrome beta (for Windows, nonetheless), I wouldn't be too surprised.
6/7
9.02.2008
Dream Pinball 3D (DS)
Pinball is one area of gaming that I've spent most of my life ignoring, for whatever reasons. A few games of pinball at my local GameWorks, though, and my outlook changed forever. Not only is it super fun, but if you're good enough at it, you get free games! FREE! You don't get that with your Ski-Ball or your Virtua Fighter.
As I believe every man, woman, and child should never be without a Nintendo DS, I was browsing new DS games and one in particular piqued my interest: Dream Pinball 3D. If pinball is as good on a DS as on a real life, I might have found a way to bring the joys of GameWorks into my own home, and it'll always be free! So I checked it out, and for the most part, I ended up satisfied.
Being a relative noob to pinball, the features that this game offered were more than enough to satiate my pinball desire. However, I feel that most pinball fans, the old and the new, can appreciate what the game brings to the portable pinball table. Dream Pinball 3D is by no means the most advanced, challenging, exciting version of the game you're likely to play, but as a game you can grab any time and start tiltin' tables, it will definitely suffice.
There are three different modes in Dream Pinball 3D: Classic Mode, Mission Mode, and Wireless Multi-Player. Classic mode is just what it says, a good ol' game of pinball. Try to rack up as many points as possible using your 6 allotted balls and all the secrets of the various tables (I'll get to them in a second). Mission mode has five different objectives: Multi-Ball, Extra Ball, Super Combo, 10x Multiplier, and First Mode. You can play Classic mode and Mission mode on any of the six themed tables. "Knight Tournament" is a medieval-style table, particularly filled with armor and horses and knights, as one would probably expect. The "Monster" theme is a cool one, it's filled with portrayals of the creatures and beasts of yesteryear, like Dracula, Frankenstein, the Werewolf, etc. "Dino War" is exactly what it sounds like, but then again, I guess they all kinda are. "Dino War" is definitely a bit more bland than the previous two. "Spinning Rotors" consists of planes, helicopters, and paratroopers, with a stereotypical Pilot's voice for an announcer. "Aquatic" is an ocean-inspired table, with a diving theme, and ocean life sound effects. The last theme is "Amber Moon", which is chock full of goblins and witches and such. It actually looks like the creators just threw the contents of a fantasy novel onto a pinball table.
Each theme has its own sound effects and soundtrack, as well as individual narrator. These things usually enhance the pinball gameplay, except for the themes which have annoying sound effects, which is basically all of them, but specifically "Aquatic" and "Monsters". Often times the sound effects conflict with the soundtrack music, which can get quite frustrating while you're trying to concentrate. Each game you play, no matter what theme/gametype, has multiple difficulties, but they don't really make any difference; your score just goes up in smaller increments as you turn the difficulty up. But the fact that the developers have included all of these features is what matters. It may not be perfect, and you might have to turn down the volume sometimes, but Dream Pinball 3D is enough pinball for 75% of pinballers out there.
5/7
As I believe every man, woman, and child should never be without a Nintendo DS, I was browsing new DS games and one in particular piqued my interest: Dream Pinball 3D. If pinball is as good on a DS as on a real life, I might have found a way to bring the joys of GameWorks into my own home, and it'll always be free! So I checked it out, and for the most part, I ended up satisfied.
Being a relative noob to pinball, the features that this game offered were more than enough to satiate my pinball desire. However, I feel that most pinball fans, the old and the new, can appreciate what the game brings to the portable pinball table. Dream Pinball 3D is by no means the most advanced, challenging, exciting version of the game you're likely to play, but as a game you can grab any time and start tiltin' tables, it will definitely suffice.
There are three different modes in Dream Pinball 3D: Classic Mode, Mission Mode, and Wireless Multi-Player. Classic mode is just what it says, a good ol' game of pinball. Try to rack up as many points as possible using your 6 allotted balls and all the secrets of the various tables (I'll get to them in a second). Mission mode has five different objectives: Multi-Ball, Extra Ball, Super Combo, 10x Multiplier, and First Mode. You can play Classic mode and Mission mode on any of the six themed tables. "Knight Tournament" is a medieval-style table, particularly filled with armor and horses and knights, as one would probably expect. The "Monster" theme is a cool one, it's filled with portrayals of the creatures and beasts of yesteryear, like Dracula, Frankenstein, the Werewolf, etc. "Dino War" is exactly what it sounds like, but then again, I guess they all kinda are. "Dino War" is definitely a bit more bland than the previous two. "Spinning Rotors" consists of planes, helicopters, and paratroopers, with a stereotypical Pilot's voice for an announcer. "Aquatic" is an ocean-inspired table, with a diving theme, and ocean life sound effects. The last theme is "Amber Moon", which is chock full of goblins and witches and such. It actually looks like the creators just threw the contents of a fantasy novel onto a pinball table.
Each theme has its own sound effects and soundtrack, as well as individual narrator. These things usually enhance the pinball gameplay, except for the themes which have annoying sound effects, which is basically all of them, but specifically "Aquatic" and "Monsters". Often times the sound effects conflict with the soundtrack music, which can get quite frustrating while you're trying to concentrate. Each game you play, no matter what theme/gametype, has multiple difficulties, but they don't really make any difference; your score just goes up in smaller increments as you turn the difficulty up. But the fact that the developers have included all of these features is what matters. It may not be perfect, and you might have to turn down the volume sometimes, but Dream Pinball 3D is enough pinball for 75% of pinballers out there.
5/7
The Big Lebowski
The Big Lebowski is a film about crime, corruption, and Creedence. Starring Jeff Bridges as "The Dude," aka Jeffrey Lebowski, he is thrown through an absurdly funny series of events, all sparked by a man urinating on his rug. Which normally wouldn't be that big of a deal, but, that rug really tied the room together, man.
The Dude is quite a laid back fella. Known for lightin' up a roach or two from time to time, drinking White Russians, and most importantly, being an avid bowler, one wouldn't normally expect a guy of this caliber to go on a journey through the various underworlds of Los Angeles, and that's part of the reason this movie is hilarious and amazing. Joined by Walter Sobchak (John Goodman), a Vietnam Vet who seems to see everything through the eyes of war, and Donny (Steve Buscemi), a simple man who loved bowling, the ridiculous happenings that these men go through will leave you in tears.
Like I said before, everything that happens in this movie is due to The Dude's favorite rug being peed on by somebody who thinks he's a rich man, a man that owes people money "all over town." The Dude then goes to find the rich man, who is also named Jeffrey Lebowski (thereby fulfilling the role of the "Big Lebowski"), for compensation. After an entertaining conversation, which can be summed up with the phrase "the bums will always lose!", The Dude goes home, but only after meeting The Big Lebowski's wife, Bunny. A while later he's summoned by Brandt (Philip Seymour Hoffman), Jeffrey Lebowski's male-servant. It is explained to The Dude that Bunny has been kidnapped, and the big Lebowski wants The Dude to make the money handoff. So he agrees for some reason, and decides to bring Walter with him. Walter proceeds to ruin the deal by throwing the kidnappers his dirty undies, "the whites", if you will. Without giving away too much, before the whole mess is over The Dude has to deal with a corrupt porn mogul, nihilists, Jeffrey Lebowski's hyper-feminist daughter (Julianne Moore), and so much more.
The Big Lebowski didn't do too great at the box office, but it's since grown into one of the most beloved cult films of all time, with DVD sales far exceeding what it made in theaters. Hell, there's even an annual party held in honor of The Big Lebowski, called Lebowski Fest. Though the original is held in the same city every year, other cities have adopted it and have their own festivals, too. Also, the creators of the festival encourage us to hold our own little Lebowski Fests, so feel free to go all out. Information about Lebowski Fest can be found here. This movie has spawned many catchphrases, some of which you've probably heard: "Fuck it, dude. Let's go bowling," or the classic "Shut the fuck up, Donny!" That's just naming a few. True Lebowski fans will consider pretty much any line in that movie a catchphrase. I would give this movie a 19 out of 7 if it was possible, so I'd definitely say you should check it out. But even if you don't, If you take anything from this review, make it the comforting, applicable words of The Stranger, a cowboy-narrator played by Sam Elliott: "The Dude abides."
1000/7
The Dude is quite a laid back fella. Known for lightin' up a roach or two from time to time, drinking White Russians, and most importantly, being an avid bowler, one wouldn't normally expect a guy of this caliber to go on a journey through the various underworlds of Los Angeles, and that's part of the reason this movie is hilarious and amazing. Joined by Walter Sobchak (John Goodman), a Vietnam Vet who seems to see everything through the eyes of war, and Donny (Steve Buscemi), a simple man who loved bowling, the ridiculous happenings that these men go through will leave you in tears.
Like I said before, everything that happens in this movie is due to The Dude's favorite rug being peed on by somebody who thinks he's a rich man, a man that owes people money "all over town." The Dude then goes to find the rich man, who is also named Jeffrey Lebowski (thereby fulfilling the role of the "Big Lebowski"), for compensation. After an entertaining conversation, which can be summed up with the phrase "the bums will always lose!", The Dude goes home, but only after meeting The Big Lebowski's wife, Bunny. A while later he's summoned by Brandt (Philip Seymour Hoffman), Jeffrey Lebowski's male-servant. It is explained to The Dude that Bunny has been kidnapped, and the big Lebowski wants The Dude to make the money handoff. So he agrees for some reason, and decides to bring Walter with him. Walter proceeds to ruin the deal by throwing the kidnappers his dirty undies, "the whites", if you will. Without giving away too much, before the whole mess is over The Dude has to deal with a corrupt porn mogul, nihilists, Jeffrey Lebowski's hyper-feminist daughter (Julianne Moore), and so much more.
The Big Lebowski didn't do too great at the box office, but it's since grown into one of the most beloved cult films of all time, with DVD sales far exceeding what it made in theaters. Hell, there's even an annual party held in honor of The Big Lebowski, called Lebowski Fest. Though the original is held in the same city every year, other cities have adopted it and have their own festivals, too. Also, the creators of the festival encourage us to hold our own little Lebowski Fests, so feel free to go all out. Information about Lebowski Fest can be found here. This movie has spawned many catchphrases, some of which you've probably heard: "Fuck it, dude. Let's go bowling," or the classic "Shut the fuck up, Donny!" That's just naming a few. True Lebowski fans will consider pretty much any line in that movie a catchphrase. I would give this movie a 19 out of 7 if it was possible, so I'd definitely say you should check it out. But even if you don't, If you take anything from this review, make it the comforting, applicable words of The Stranger, a cowboy-narrator played by Sam Elliott: "The Dude abides."
1000/7
9.01.2008
Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! (S03E05)
Tim and Eric season 3 episode 5 starts with an ad for a new energy drink, called "Turbo Fuel Maximum Energy Soda!" According to them, all you have to do is 1. Suck, 2. Swallow, and 3. Release, accompanied by some long-haired guy pouring excessive amounts of drink into his mouth, swallowing, and regurgitating it back up on the Release step. After that pleasant demonstration, we find that the usual intro of Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job is replaced by a severely trendier, mainstream version of the show, starring Tim (Heckler) and Derrick (Whippler), their lamer, tamer, super-bro alter-egos. They give us a sneak peak of what's to come, and off we go.
The first sketch is an intentionally terrible one, consisting of Jim and Derrick arguing about the $20 that Derrick owes Jim. First, Derrick says he thought Jim said Bunny instead of money, and some dude in a bunny suit hops out of a telephone booth. Then he thinks he says Honey, and that bunny turns into a bee, suckin' down his own product, followed by Jim declaring "Yo, this is whack." We then see a montage of Jim and Derrick striking poses while the words "Comedy, LOL, Sketch, Funny, HaHa, and Random" are superimposed on the screen. After all that, Jim and Derrick return to the screen to let us know that "Yo, you got sketched!"
Following this, Jim takes us on a "World-Class Tour" of one of his favorite bong shops, letting us know that he might even pick one up for himself. He questions the Latina employee about bong sizes, and "how much you can use" in the small ones, and after some serious delineation, Jim buys a clear bong with a frog on it for himself, and a small blue bong for Derrick, as well as picking up some Turbo Fuel for the chug contest later in the show. Jim walks out and informs us that "You've been bonged! Time to party." and walks away.
Back in Jim and Derrick headquarters, they argue a bit about who is gonna win the chug contest, and inform us to text "DerrickWhippleIsGonnaWinTheChug8452" to 8910255550199 if you think Derrick is gonna win, or send "JimHecklerIsTheWinnerOfTheChugContestForSure5672" if you are of the belief that Jim will win it.
Guest-star time! We're taken to a concert where a guy is holding his girlfriend, dancing, while his friend comes up yelling "Tony!" holding two Turbo-Fuels. Surprise! The guy is none other than John Mayer. Tony responds, "I can't man, my hands are all tied up." The announcer asks "Don't you wish you could spoon your girlfriend, AND be cool with your bros?" He informs us that we can, now thanks to the GF Spooner from Stinko, a set of prosthetic arms with which to hold your girlfriend! We see "Tony" spooning his girl and drinking a Turbo-Fuel at the same time, as well as hitting a pipe. Wow, that GF Spooner sure helps!
Next, Derrick Whipple takes us skating at the Turbo-Fuel Maximum Energy Soda Skatepark. He watches the skaters pull some sick moves, like the "Crete Shred" and the "Parents Suck!" as well as doing some of his own tricks, like the "Tripple Whipple" and "Solid Bros." After telling us that this clip was brought to us by a Turbo Mini, Derrick informs us that "You've just been boarded."
Next we find Jim and Derrick In The Zone with Elisha Cuthbert, where they display a bunch of idiocy in questioning Elisha Cuthbert for like 45 seconds in an entirely unproductive interview. Then, it's time for the Vista Fresh Mobile Viral Clip of the Week! In this parody of David Liebe Hart, Bradley Needlehead sings a song with a puppet about how crazy and unusual he is.
That's not the whole episode, but I figure the more I say here, the less funny it is if you actually see it. This week's episode is one to check out, as it was definitely funnier than most so far this season. The whole episode pretty much parodies white guys with an extreme sports edge to them. John Mayer is a great guest star in his little part, and Elisha Cuthbert is... Elisha Cuthbert.
6/7
The first sketch is an intentionally terrible one, consisting of Jim and Derrick arguing about the $20 that Derrick owes Jim. First, Derrick says he thought Jim said Bunny instead of money, and some dude in a bunny suit hops out of a telephone booth. Then he thinks he says Honey, and that bunny turns into a bee, suckin' down his own product, followed by Jim declaring "Yo, this is whack." We then see a montage of Jim and Derrick striking poses while the words "Comedy, LOL, Sketch, Funny, HaHa, and Random" are superimposed on the screen. After all that, Jim and Derrick return to the screen to let us know that "Yo, you got sketched!"
Following this, Jim takes us on a "World-Class Tour" of one of his favorite bong shops, letting us know that he might even pick one up for himself. He questions the Latina employee about bong sizes, and "how much you can use" in the small ones, and after some serious delineation, Jim buys a clear bong with a frog on it for himself, and a small blue bong for Derrick, as well as picking up some Turbo Fuel for the chug contest later in the show. Jim walks out and informs us that "You've been bonged! Time to party." and walks away.
Back in Jim and Derrick headquarters, they argue a bit about who is gonna win the chug contest, and inform us to text "DerrickWhippleIsGonnaWinTheChug8452" to 8910255550199 if you think Derrick is gonna win, or send "JimHecklerIsTheWinnerOfTheChugContestForSure5672" if you are of the belief that Jim will win it.
Guest-star time! We're taken to a concert where a guy is holding his girlfriend, dancing, while his friend comes up yelling "Tony!" holding two Turbo-Fuels. Surprise! The guy is none other than John Mayer. Tony responds, "I can't man, my hands are all tied up." The announcer asks "Don't you wish you could spoon your girlfriend, AND be cool with your bros?" He informs us that we can, now thanks to the GF Spooner from Stinko, a set of prosthetic arms with which to hold your girlfriend! We see "Tony" spooning his girl and drinking a Turbo-Fuel at the same time, as well as hitting a pipe. Wow, that GF Spooner sure helps!
Next, Derrick Whipple takes us skating at the Turbo-Fuel Maximum Energy Soda Skatepark. He watches the skaters pull some sick moves, like the "Crete Shred" and the "Parents Suck!" as well as doing some of his own tricks, like the "Tripple Whipple" and "Solid Bros." After telling us that this clip was brought to us by a Turbo Mini, Derrick informs us that "You've just been boarded."
Next we find Jim and Derrick In The Zone with Elisha Cuthbert, where they display a bunch of idiocy in questioning Elisha Cuthbert for like 45 seconds in an entirely unproductive interview. Then, it's time for the Vista Fresh Mobile Viral Clip of the Week! In this parody of David Liebe Hart, Bradley Needlehead sings a song with a puppet about how crazy and unusual he is.
That's not the whole episode, but I figure the more I say here, the less funny it is if you actually see it. This week's episode is one to check out, as it was definitely funnier than most so far this season. The whole episode pretty much parodies white guys with an extreme sports edge to them. John Mayer is a great guest star in his little part, and Elisha Cuthbert is... Elisha Cuthbert.
6/7
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