June 2008
Monthly Archive
PS3 2.4 Firmware Update Will Be Huge!
Matt 30 Jun 2008 | : Video Games
The Playstation 3 Blog has announces that PS3 Firmware Upgrade 2.4 will add a bunch of new features including in game XMB support, a clock and trophies. In addition it will allow music to be played from your music collection on your PS3 in certain games. 2.4 will be available for download on July 2 which gives people a wee just under two weeks to talk about these great new features before E3 starts on July 15.
Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix
Matt 27 Jun 2008 | : Video Games
Being a huge Street Fighter II fan, this news excites me enough to the point that I’d consider buying a 360 just for this game. Capcom has already released the Beta version of Street Fighter II HD on XBOX Live for the 360. Now I’m not sure how well the 360 controller will work with the game but the thought of doing hadoken’s in Hi-definition excites me.
Rotating Skyscraper Being Built in Dubai and Moscow
Matt 25 Jun 2008 | : Architecture
Architect David Fisher has designed the first ever rotating skyscraper. Each floor can rotate up to once an hour, changing the overall look of the building daily. According to the plans, the rotation of the floors will be powered by wind turbines placed between the floors.
Each floor will be pre-made and lifted to the top and work its way down, a building method that differs from the usual bottom to top construction method. Make sure your checkbooks are handy because the going rate is $3000/sq foot.
Video of the building in action can be seen here.
Most Memorable Moments in MGS4
Matt 24 Jun 2008 | : Video Games
I am still in Act V but just thought I’d post this now while I have it fresh in my mind. Here are the most memorable moments in Metal Gear Solid 4.
Act II: Laughing Octopus
When Snake battled the first boss of the game, Laughing Octopus, it turned out to be an aweso
me boss fight. She first introduces herself by screaming Snakes name in a Linda Blair type voice which scared the hell out of me since it wasn’t expected at all. She flies in and out of the warehouse where the fight is set and hides in places you wouldn’t expect. When Snake equips solid eye night vision she is much easier to spot. She transforms herself into all types of things. For instance at one point she transforms into Naomi who is who you’re looking for in this part of the game making you not want to hurt her but it’s a trap. She then will transform into a MG MK2 robot. If you follow its path you will get hit by a bob Laughing Octopus set. When she runs out of power you will have to kill her again, this time without her suit on.
Act III: Motorcycle Chase
Act III was pretty boring until the motorcycle chase scene. You ride on a motorcycle with Big Mama and try to protect you two from the enemies. The scene feels like it lasts about 10 minutes and is extremely exciting. There are a couple times where Big Mama will go off a jump and the game turns to slow motion. However you can still shoot the enemies in slow motion.
Act IV: Metal Gear Rex Scene
After you beat Vamp you need to escape Shadow Moses using a playable Metal Gear Rex who is huge in comparison to the Gecko you will be destroying. You have you choice of three weapons but I usually just stick with the machine gun as it’s plenty powerful enough to destroy anything in your path. As you make your way out of Shadow Moses you can switch between first and third person views. When in third person view, you will see how graphically powerful that this game is.
After making your way out of the building you then fight Metal Gear Ray who comes diving out of the water in an impressive scene. Again some of the games most impressive graphics can be seen here. You fight Ray on some sort of dock platform with large pieces of equipment that will get destroyed. Rex is so large that it can’t really turn the whole body left or right but instead he sidesteps left or right while looking straight. This is where I really unloaded my arsenal on Ray. You have missiles to choose from in addition to the machine gun. After an intensive battle you will destroy Ray (if you’re good) and Act IV is over.
OSX 10.6 Snow Leopard Web Applications
Recently Apple announced a mini update to 10.5 Leopard called Snow Leopard. There’s a collection of screenshots from the German Apple site Apfeltalk, one showing a new feature called Save as Web Application. This feature may create an application out of any webpage for offline or ipod/iphone usage.
Super Mario Bros. 3 Fanpage Created
Matt 20 Jun 2008 | : Video Games
I created a Super Mario Bros. 3 fanpage which features a walkthrough, cheats, secrets, images and a map with all of the overworlds. Super Mario Bros. 3 is if not my favorite video game of all time, definetly one of my top 3.
The fanpage can be found here.
Rock Around The Clock With Lexon
Matt 20 Jun 2008 | : Inventions
Technically, this one is more of an innovation than an invention but it’s definetly worth checking out. The concept of the Lexon Around Clock is pretty simple. The clock rotates twelve hours a day and the red wire sits stationary and tells you the current time. See when this photo was taken it was 10:45ish. They come in your choice of white or black colors and you can buy them here.
Metal Gear Solid 4 Database Downloadable Tomorrow
Matt 19 Jun 2008 | : Video Games
A post on the Playstation Blog reveals that tomorrow the PlayStation Store will be releasing the Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Database. The MGS4 Database is a free, downloadable interactive application that contains the official knowledge base of everything that is Metal Gear. Reaching all the way back to the very beginning of the franchise, the database includes complete storylines, character profiles, relationship diagrams and more. I’m currently playing through MGS4 and it is the best games I’ve played in a while.
We Review The Wii
Matt 18 Jun 2008 | : Video Games
Well I review the Wii. I only had to wait 3.5 hours in line at a Wal-Mart in Charles Town, WV to buy one. Here is a video of me opening my Wii:
The controls of this are amazing. Instead of a controller you control the screen with something called a Wii-mote which is similar to a remote that you point to your screen only this one has a sensor that shows you exactly where your pointing similar to a mouse cursor. Well this is the first and I’d say biggest update for the system.
The new Wii menu Operating System is pretty nice too. There are a number of channels on it and you can download new ones. One of the neat things is the Virtual Console channel which lets you download video games from old systems from Nintendo, Sega and Neo Geo. The games cost a minimum of $5 or 500 Wii points which can be bought online or in stores.
The games I’ve tried are Wii Sports, Wii Play and Super Smash Bros. Brawl. I’d say that I see Wii Sports being one of the best games on the system. Good thing is that Wii Sports comes with the system. The two-player mode in Wii Sports is a lot of fun. You battle your friends to a game of tennis, boxing, baseball, golf or bowling. Some games are more fun than others with baseball being the most fun out of all of the.
PlayStation 3 Dualshock 3 Wireless Controller
Matt 17 Jun 2008 | : Video Games
I finally got my hands on a Dualshock. The rumble adds a little extra weight to the controller. Although it feels more solid it was nice to have the super lightweight original Sixaxis. The addition of rumble though is great and works well in Grand Theft Auto IV. Not sure of the battery life but beware that the Dualshock 3 does NOT come with the USB charger cable. I kept my old one for my original Sixaxis to use with the Dualshock 3. With Metal Gear Solid 4 just out, I figured it was time for this upgrade.
Package design looks strikingly similar to previous Dualshock packaging.
The controller looks the exact same other than the DUALSHOCK 3 text on the top.
Metal Gear Solid 2 Review
Matt 17 Jun 2008 | : Video Games
Introduction
Tactical Espionage Action. I first played this game back in ‘02 and I wasn’t sure what that meant or what to expect. I was going through a stage where I was trying out the best PS2 games and 
judging the games by their ratings. Who knew that I would be in for such a tasty treat. A game such as this only comes around once every few years. Not to get off subject but the last time I remember being sucked into a game like this was back in ‘96 with LOZ:Oot on N64. I don’t know if it’s just me and my preferences in the gaming scene but to me this game is almost perfect. Just watch the amazing intro to the game and you’ll be instantly interested in starting a new game.
Gameplay (9.5/10)
The game is split into 2 chapters. The “Tanker” chapter where you play Snake is about 25% of the total game and the “Plant” chapter where you play Raven makes up the other 75% of the game. The game is filled with cut-scenes, too many at times, (You can skip through them with the X button but may not want to your first time around). So what’s the objective of the game? The cut-scenes will tell you your objective, where to go and what to do. A mission could be taking pictures of Metal Gear, or rescuing someone from a building. To achieve your mission goal you will need to hide in lockers, under tables, in the shadows, from the surveillance cameras, it’s a living environment where everything you see can somehow play a role. How much violence you want in the game is all up to you. You can try to sneak past the gu
ards and not hurt anybody or you can shoot everyone in sight, triggering them to radio for help.
Graphics (9.5/10)
I honestly didn’t know the PS2 was capable of handling this stuff. You can tell that Konami took thousands of man hours into this game to make it as perfect as possible. Some of the most spectacular graphics are in the Tanker mission. You start out on the outside of the ship where it’s pouring down rain. Then after shooting some baddies you make your way inside where you see where the real beauty lies. Right when you walk in you can see the puddles your feet create. You start walking and you leave wet footprints. The attention to detail is amazing. You can be anywhere in the game and hit the “R1? button and you get a first-person view with crisp 
detailed graphics in every direction. Since most of the game you will be hiding or avoiding enemies, the first person view is where you will do most of your shooting. If you shoot a fire extinguisher, smoke will fill the area and possibly reveal nearby laser beams. Whoops, you were trying to shoot the soldier and missed. The bullet broke one of the 100 bottles of liquor in the bar. The detail is amazing and has to be seen to be believed.
Sound/Music (10/10)
One of the best parts of the game was the sound. If a soldier sees footprints or blood left behind by Snake or Raven he will say “Hmm?” or “Who’s There”. If you knock on the wall to get a soldiers attention the soldier will ask “What was that noise just now?” The sound of a soldier walking by while you hide in the shadows is so lifelike it’s scary. I never knew sound could play such a role in a video game. The sound becomes such an essential element of the game; if you play on mute you’re only playing half the game although it does add an interesting challenge to the game. The
music is beautiful in every way. If you get spotted by a soldier the music instantly goes into a thrilling musical score that makes them feel that much more intense.
Replay Value (10/10)
After going through this game once, I couldn’t stop. I’m at the point now where I know where everything is in the tanker chapter and I can practically beat it without weapons but just with snapping of necks and locker stuffing.
Nintendo Decals Puts Mario Fun On Our Walls
Matt 16 Jun 2008 | : Video Games
I had Super Mario Bros. and Legend of Zelda bedsheets when I was a kid but these wall decals bring a whole new level of fun back into the bedroom. The great thing about these decals is that you can create you own design and restick them if you change your mind on a layout, not to mention they have the official Nintendo Seal of Approval. Check out all the Nintendo Blik Wall Graphics here.
Sanyo S1 Sprint Cell Phone Review
Matt 15 Jun 2008 | : Technology
I was in the mall last week and knew I had $150 credit towards a Sprint cell phone to replace my too thick Palm Treo 650, so I decided to stop at the Sprint Kiosk. Right away that sales clerk told me that the most popular cell phones were the new Katana and the S1. The Katana is a flip phone with a camera, and a sleek look. However I never really use cell phone cameras due to poor picture quality and no optical zoom so I thought about my other priorities and kept in mind that I needed a thin phone.
After looking at the new Razr v3 which is an amazing looking phone but too expensive, I decided on the S1 because it was thinner than both the Razr and Katana and only cost me $20 after the $150 two-year contract credit.
The first thing you’ll notice when you pick up the S1 is that it is very light weight but also feels well made. The rubberized profile makes the phone very comfortable to hold. The keypad has a glossy finish which makes sliding across it easy while navigating the menus. The menu interface seems elegant with fancy 3D icons. The menu is simple. Nine categories, most that lead to sub categories which let you perform tasks all controlled by the four-way and enter buttons.
The speaker is very loud which is great if you’re not always right near your phone like me. It also has a loud speakerphone. The phone is longer than most other phones which I like because it makes it easier to hold and talk into it without compromising any width. It charges extremely fast and lasts longer than other phones due to small screen and efficient energy settings.
The S1 is one of the most basic phones you can buy for a Sprint plan. No camera and no qwerty keyboard can be found here. The screen is small and low-res but plenty big enough for everyday calls. The one thing I’m not happy about with this phone is the speaker when it rings. I downloaded a free ringtone from Sprint.com and the quality sounded so horrible that I decided against using any real songs and sticking with the default simple tone tunes that come with the phone.
Overall I am happy with the S1. For someone who just needs a phone and nothing more, it’s a great choice. Someone who wants an all-in-one phone will have to look elsewhere. Although you may not be happy with the amount of features the S1 has to offer, you will be happy with the size, style and value. The official website of the S1 with a features list and demos can be found here.
Metal Gear Solid 4 Released Today!
Matt 12 Jun 2008 | : Video Games
After a long and difficult wait, Metal Gear Solid 4 was released today. Technically it was released this morning at midnight but I’m not the type of person who is so anxious to play a game that I’d go hang out at a store when I should be sleeping. I’ve been excited to play this game ever since I finished Metal Gear Solid 3 which I liked almost as much as 2. 1 was also good. PS3’s biggest exclusive game to date was really hyped up and doesn’t have many reviews out yet so I’ll see if it was really worth the wait when I play it tonight.
Four Day Trip to Miami Beach, Florida
I went to Miami Beach, FL with my girlfriend a couple weeks ago for four days. We went down there for one of her cousin’s weddings and we had a great time. I’ve been to Florida before but it was Orlando, Florida and it was fifteen years ago. This was my first time in Miami. I got some decent pictures to share. We took off from BWI and landed ahead of schedule, ten minutes early in Ft. Lauderdale. We then rented a car and drove down I-95 towards Miami.
The first thing i noticed besides the palm trees was how tall the buildings were. There was tons of construction going on all over Miami and they build up. I’m from the DC suburbs and there are plenty of buildings around but none really that are this tall and amazing looking. Many of these skyscrapers looked like apartment buildings and they are 50+ stories. Below is a shot I took going over the bay towards Miami Beach.
We made our way to the hotel that we were staying at. I discovered how nice Miami Beach was when we pulled up to the hotel round-about and the valet parker knocked on my window to get out so he could park the car for us. This was my first time with my own personal car parker. The hotel was right up on the beach and the view from out hotel room was of downtown Miami.
The next day we decided to drive to the Everglades with my girlfriends family. It took about 45 minutes to drive there from Miami Beach. On the way we passed the airport we’d be flying out of, Miami Airport. When we got to the Everglades park we learned of a 14 mile path. We decided to rent bikes and ride the trail. Along the way we saw many animals that we wouldn’t see in Maryland including alligators, large turtles and huge birds. After the bike ride I found a friendly grasshopper near the park entrance.
The weather in Florida is different then it is here in Maryland. It would rain for five minutes and then the sun would be out five minutes later. This would be consistent throughout the day some days. After the small rainstorm on the way back from the Everglades, we decided to go on the beach. The water ocean water in This part of Florida is amazing. It’s a much lighter blueish green color and really beautiful. it’s clear and you can see much deeper into the ocean then you can at the beaches around here.
The next morning we decided to visit Coconut Grove, an outdoor mall to do some shopping. They sell a lot of surf apparel in the area. That night we visited South Beach which was a short walk from out hotel. We ate at a fancy restaurant called Grazie. The food there was delicious and food was amazing tasting. After we walked around South Beach but it was dead because we went down about a month before the season really starts.
The wedding went really well on the final day of our trip. We left Miami in the evening and got back to BWI around midnight on 11PM. Miami is an awesome place to visit. I would move down there if it wasn’t for the humidity.
