Fascinating article from Slate magazine concerning wrong headed predictions about the future, and why they might be made. Particularly interesting are the thoughts on Clifford Stroll's 1995 prediction that the internet wouldn't amount to anything: http://www.slate.com/id/2246515/pagenum/all
According to Entertainment Weekly: http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20336031_20342707,00.htmlUnlike movies, it appears that sequels to video games are just made to be "built upon". You have all the general ideas and, in some cases, sophisticated enough graphics that can be reused or simply tweaked (such as characters, scenarios, etc). A focus can be made, therefore, on expanding your original ideas. This is unlike the movies, where you essentially start from scratch with each new film. (Btw, I'm enjoying Mass Effect 2. Never played the original, but love the sequel. Same goes with Uncharted in all respects...never played the original but loved the sequel. On the other hand, wasn't that big of a fan of BioShock and therefore am not so interested in the sequel. The visuals were stunning, but the game itself just didn't grab me. To each their own!). (Btw Part 2: Some of the best "sequels" I ever played were the Ultima games. Thought the first (yes, I AM that old) was decent enough, but Ultima II, which I played in high school, absolutely blew me away. Years later, at which point they were up to Ultima VI or so, I revisited that game and couldn't believe how...primitive it was compared to what was out there. I know Ultima became an online experience, but haven't really followed it since that point).
I generally love her articles for Salon.com (her reviews of TV shows are never less than very clever...and sometimes brutally devastating). Here, she ponders our current information age: http://www.salon.com/entertainment/tv/frontline/index.html?story=/ent/tv/iltw/2010/01/30/frontline_digital_nationSomewhat off topic, but it is something that's eating at me: A few days ago Apple introduced the (very unfortunately named) IPad. There was much rejoicing among those present at Mr. Job's announcement, even if many critics subsequently found reason to complain about the machine's deficits. But the thing that sent shivers down my spine was that Steven Jobs felt this machine would be a rival to other e-readers. Those who read this blog, and I know the number vary wildly from day to day, do so, I hope, because I offer interesting links to interesting articles. I am also an author of, to date, five works available on amazon.com (the link to them can be found on the upper right of this page). For my latest novel, Mechanic, I decided to release it both in regular print and through Amazon's Kindle. I figured that would open up the possibilities of wider readership. What I didn't realize was that it also opened me up... possibly...to the dreaded reality of illegal downloading. One day, either a google or bing search by me found one of those file sharing sites that allegedly had the book (in four different versions) there for download, and, according to the site, the novel was downloaded a little over 26,000 times. At $5.99 a pop for the legal download at Amazon, a purposely low price, it nonetheless means I'm out an awful large amount of money... ...if this is indeed the case. I haven't downloaded the files and can't help but wonder if indeed it is my book there, or someone simply labeled a file as such and posted who knows what in its place. So, as I near completion of my latest novel (I'm hoping to finish it up in the next month) and will soon enough post it on Amazon, I'm left wondering if its worthwhile to offer the book via its Kindle services, or if by doing so I'm essentially slitting my own wrists. Like the music industry, it appears the book market is also facing off against the juggernaut that is the internet.
I suppose it was only a matter of time... http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/01/01/ebook.piracy/index.htmlIn many ways, its a terribly depressing time to be someone trying to make a living via creative endeavors such as music, art, or writing. While the internet and the technology related to it has afforded authors/musicians/artists a means of getting the word out about their works in a way that was impossible before (check out my very own ertorre.com for information about my books or art or whathaveyou!), the fact is that internet piracy and file sharing have also cost the same creative individuals plenty of residuals they should be making but are not. I recall back in the stone age, ie at the dawn of the CD, when people noted how Pink Floyd's album The Dark Side of the Moon was a regular heavy hitting seller via records. Why? Because records eventually got scratched or developed hisses and pops and those who loved the album had no choice but to buy it over and over again to hear it as it was intended to be. When the CDs took over, word of continuing sales of that album all but ended, I suspect because now people were able to buy the beloved album once and not have to return to their local music store (remember those?!) to pick up a new, "clean" copy. But with the internet and piracy, you don't even have to buy that album, or any album, should you be of the mind to simply "get it" free. Movies have been appearing online, even before they reached the theaters (see the Wolverine film) and it comes as little surprise, given the rising popularity of e-books, that now novels are starting to show up. My own novel Mechanic is available as an e-book via Kindle, but I've been reluctant to make my other novels available as well. And I've been debating whether to go that route with my new novel, which should be ready in the next couple of months. The world changes quickly, and I suspect that this problem will only get bigger with time. The only real solution is for the authors/artists/musicians to find alternative ways to make up for the lost revenue...or hope for some future, better protection of their copyright material.
...at least what happened the past year: http://www.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/2009-12-29-vidgames200929_ST_N.htmLike the article I just posted regarding music in the past decade (you can assess it here), this article focuses on the general trends for the video game industry in the past year, where things were good and where things fell off. Most fascinating to me is the fact that video games seem to be moving closer and closer to becoming "interactive movies". Batman: Arkham Asylum and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 were essentially first person movies (although the plot of Batman was a little easier to follow, IMHO, to that of Call of Duty, which veered into truly odd areas...did the airport scene really have to be there? And what's with all those betrayals...what were the characters' endgame?!). Regardless of the quibbles, video games keep pushing the boundaries, and I'm certainly curious to see what comes next.
Now and again I try to catch Attack of the Show on G4. Its a breezy, fun show, mostly focused on new technology and/or entertainment with occasional forays into other topics. The hosts, Olivia Munn (not featured in this particular clip) and Kevin Periera are a delightful duo, and often make me laugh out loud during their (deliberately) cheesy skits. This past week, Mr. Periera and Morgan Webb (co-host of X-Play on the same channel, a show devoted to reviewing video games), did a very funny trashing of Tony Hawk Ride, which, given this review, appears to be a pretty lame video game available for the holiday season. Sometimes, the sadist in me loves a good skewering:
Fascinating article by Bob Sullivan: http://redtape.msnbc.com/2009/12/laptop-computers-examined-by-border-guards-looking-for-pirated-software-ipods-seized-at-airport-security-lines-on-mere-suspi.htmlOn the one hand, I can understand the need to do something about copyright piracy. The fact is that right now, to many there is no reason at all to bother legally buying any music, and movie piracy is certainly on the rise. The amount of money both music and movie companies lose as a result of this is astronomical and, worse, may lead to less investment in future products and, thus, less for consumers to enjoy. I think I've said this before: Imagine if a new band with the potential to be, as the cliche goes, the "next" Beatles comes around, but because their initial album sells poorly, perhaps in part because of illegal downloading, the company supporting them decides to release them. Similarly, why would a movie company invest millions of dollars into a film when profits diminish because people can illegally download the film often on the very day it is released into theaters? Worse, some films ( Wolverine or the Ang Lee Hulk film) found their way online even before their official release! HOWEVER, having said all that, some of the proposals being floated in the article linked above are, frankly, scary. I worry when agencies that are not in law enforcement are granted law enforcement privileges. While I doubt that there will be a "laptop and iPod" check at the borders (there are simply too many people with said items traveling each day), some of the other possibilities are no less chilling. Then again, one is reminded of the myth of Pandora's Box. Once opened, its so very hard to close it again...
Very scary stuff, this article, from msnbc.com: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33778733/ns/technology_and_science-security/As if we don't have enough to worry about with regard to viruses or other malicious code on the net. Now one must be very careful that their computers don't pick up viruses whose function is to make it appear you're visiting and downloading child porn from the internet. The end result can be, as it was for Michael and Robin Fiola (they're mentioned in the article) quite devastating.
Rafe Needleman at CNET offers some great comments regarding all the upgrades that hit computer users every few years. He's prompted to write this article, of course, because of the brand new Windows 7. Thus far I've upgraded several computers, mine and other family members (legally!!!) with the new Windows 7 and have had only one major/minor problem thus far. I'm happy with Windows 7, although I've noted before that Vista, at least to me, was never quite the clunky OS that others seemed to so intensely dislike. On the other hand, Windows 7 operates quicker and has a few interesting new features (my favorite is their much improved search function). But, having said that, I'd be lying if I said that this version of Windows is some radically improved operating system. It is an improved, perhaps even much improved, version of Vista, but an improvement (not a complete reworking) nonetheless. So why force us to pay for an upgrade? And this is the crux of Mr. Needleman's article, which also goes after OS X Snow Leopard. http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/10/30/upgrade.pricing/index.html
Rather short article that talks (briefly) about Windows 7, the latest version of the Windows operating system: http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/10/24/windows7.tips/index.htmlI upgrades my computers with the new system, and it was pretty easy. Only real problem was that my wireless HP printer driver had to be re-loaded. Because the software I had was outdated (it was for Vista but not Windows 7), I had to go to the HP website and download the latest driver software and then install it. However, once that was done, all worked well.
It seems most reviews have been kind regarding the upcoming (October 22nd!) release of the latest version of Windows, Windows 7. MSNBC offers a list of 10 things they feel still need improvement: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33335161/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/As I've said before, I might be one of the only people out there who hasn't had many problems at all with Vista. Nonetheless, I purchased Windows 7 a few months ago when it was being offered for the ridiculously low price of $49.99. Now that its coming my way, I admit I'm a little nervous about upgrading my whole system. Gotta make sure to backup everything!  We'll see how it goes...
Fascinating piece here regarding the recent spate of lawsuits against Electronic Arts, particularly involving their various sport games, which feature likenesses of various people who apparently didn't offer permission for the company to use them...
Interesting article from CNN, although I suspect the subject matter is rather obvious: http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/10/05/computers.bootup.speed/index.htmlYes, believe it or not, computer manufacturers are trying to cut down on the initial boot up time for computers. You know, the time between turning the computer on and being able to actually use it. Myself, I don't mind the wait. It runs to maybe a minute or so and I'm a fairly patient man. Still, I can see others who want to get on right now, and sit impatiently before their computer while it works through its routines. I suspect that minor wait will eventually be gone, just as the article notes.
Interesting video via CNN about Wikipedia's attempt to legitimize its information. A note: I like Wikipedia, but I've heard the horror stories so when I use the website, I try to make sure the information I'm looking for is more "dry" and hopefully, less prone to mischief. However, considering the vast amount of information offered relatively easily, I hope the service cleans up the kinks and makes itself even better than it already is as a source of general information.
A while back Amazon.com came under some fire for soliciting/selling illegal copies of legitimate books through their electronic Kindle service and, more importantly, the way they dealt with the problem. They dealt with the problem by remotely "deleting" copies of the books in all the users Kindle machines (those, obviously, that paid and downloaded the surely unknown to them illegal copies). Anyway, Amazon is making restitution. Better late then never: http://scitech.blogs.cnn.com/2009/09/04/amazon-returns-deleted-kindle-books/
Based on the Amazon.com reviews (check them out here), I seem to be in the majority regarding my delight with the new Batman: Arkham Asylum video game. It's been a while since I bought any computer games, and in the past two weeks I've purchased two: Wolfenstein (two weeks ago) and Batman: Arkham Asylum (last week). Wolfenstein comes from the company that once electrified the gaming world with their DOOM games. Alas, Wolfenstein, while fun, is more of the same, without much new (at least that I've stumbled upon). B:AA, on the other hand, is everything the hype lead you to believe it would be. This is a MASSIVE game, with games within games within games, and a storyline that would make any comic book fan happy. If there is one quibble, it is this: The game seems to want desperately to be an "R" rated version of Batman. However, its obvious that editorial decisions were made to not go quite that far, but at times the boundary is skirted, and it is jarring. Now, I could be wrong, but didn't one of the characters at one point referred to Harley Quinn as a "bitch"? Not the worst word in the vocabulary, but still... Also, there's a segment where Dr. Zsasz holds a female doctor hostage. He has a knife to her neck and, if as Batman you don't take him out the right way, the game abruptly shifts to the Joker laughing and noting Dr. Zsasz killed his hostage. But the graphic shift is so abrupt that I can't help but wonder if the programmers made that grisly death sequence, then wisely chose to...uh...cut it out. Granted, this sequence (if indeed it ever existed) may have been removed, but you're still left to imagine the gory details of what just occurred. Only seconds later, when you successfully get past this point, the same hostage character meets an explosive end, and this one is presented visually. Further, there are many dead people on the grounds (police) as well and a fitting sense of horror given that we're trapped in an asylum. So, I recommend the game, but would caution parents regarding allowing their younger ones to play. This is most certainly not the Batman animated show come to life.
It's not often I'm intrigued with video game releases. I tend to enjoy the car racing games ( Paradise City and, more recently, Midnight Club are favorites). But I also enjoy the first person action/adventure type games, and today arrives one that is very anticipated, Batman: Arkham Asylum. http://www.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/2009-08-24-batman-arkham-game_N.htmMy understanding is that the platform version to get is the one for the PS3, for that one features one option the others (XBox, PC) don't have: The ability to play as Batman's nemesis, The Joker. Interestingly enough, after nearly a year or so of not buying any first person games, I'm in the position of buying two in two weeks. Last week I picked up Wolfenstein, the latest version of that old WWII action game (I played the very first version of that game way, way back in the early 1980's on an Apple II. For its time, it was a stunning achievement). So far, that game is pretty good, although I would further add that there's nothing terribly different about it compared to, say, the previous Wolfenstein game that appeared a couple of years back. Then again, I'm still in the early levels!
A while back I posted a link to an article about the most dangerous searches (or some such) one could make online. The results and links presented after the search usually yielded many links to sites that could have either virus or malware waiting to pounce on your computer. I found a similar article this morning, this one focusing on the "celebrity" with the most dangerous search name. ie, look her up on Google or Bing or Yahoo and, as a result, you'll find plenty of potentially dangerous websites presented. The celebrity? Jessica Biel. You've been warned! http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32533198/ns/technology_and_science-security/
The article below offers seven reasons to do so: http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/08/19/microsoft.windows7.pros/index.htmlAs I've noted before, I must be one of the very few people who had practically no problem at all with Microsoft's Vista. However, early word is that Windows 7 is (according to many of those naysayers) a much better system. I'll see in October!
Fascinating article from USA Today regarding a tiny company, Toronto-based i4i (30 employees), who have won a ruling that " Microsoft violated an obscure patent
related to Extensible Markup Language or XML." Further: the judge in the case " order(ed )
Microsoft to pay $290 million in fines and stop selling Word in the
U.S. in 60 days." I suspect there are many Apple users out there cheering any misfortune that falls to Microsoft (seriously, why all the hate? I've used Windows and Apple and the difference between the operating systems used to be noticeable, but now its minimal), but consider this, the final sentences from the article (the emphasis on the very last bit is mine): No one expects Microsoft to actually pull Word off the market. It's a
big company with deep pockets that has faced many legal challenges over
the years. It could win the appeal, settle with i4i, or even buy out
the company.The article follows: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2009-08-12-microsoft-lawsuit_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip
Around the time Myst first appeared, it occurred to me that the technology was finally arriving wherein we could recreate different historical places and immerse viewers in an interactive view of past landmarks. I could see people walking the streets of a digitized ancient Rome or Athens, walking the decks of the Titanic or stepping into the Hindenberg. Perhaps one day I can finally "walk" through the 1939-40 New York World's Fair and even enjoy some of the rides. Afterwards, I might just take a stroll through the streets of 1939 New York... I mention this because a company is laser mapping Mount Rushmore (they have laser mapped other historical areas, and interesting video of their previous work is included in this link) I find the whole thing absolutely fascinating. Granted, the folks involved in this are mapping current conditions, but maybe one day... http://news.aol.com/article/cyark-laser-mapping-of-mount-rushmore/598753?icid=main|htmlws-main|dl1|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fnews.aol.com%2Farticle%2Fcyark-laser-mapping-of-mount-rushmore%2F598753
I must be one of the only people in the world that hasn't had any big (or even little) problems with Microsoft Vista. Nonetheless, the early word on Windows 7 (note how Microsoft is forever banishing the world "Vista" with this title...this operating system, after all, could have been called Vista 2.0, had Vista been popular! ) is a good system that improves on Vista and offers a quicker running platform. I already pre-ordered my copy when it was first available for the cheap price of $50, but if you want it now, you're going to have to pay the full price. Regardless, for those curious about Windows 7, the article follows: http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/07/23/cnet.microsoft.windows/index.html
Interesting article about Facebook, which is now in its fifth year of operation and, in turn, all the other social network type websites. Facebook has an incredible amount of traffic and users. However, the bottom line with this business, as with every business out there, is how much revenue it produces. How much profit has Facebook made to date? Apparently none at all. What are the odds that Facebook still exists five years from now? http://www.newsweek.com/id/207843
It's called Spotify and, as noted in the article below, is only available in England. It sounds really, really good, and may lead to a decline in illegal downloading of music. Maybe. http://www.slate.com/id/2223018/I've used Pandora Radio ( http://www.pandora.com) and found it a fun streaming service. I'm curious about Spotify. But, until it shows up in the U.S...
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