Here’s a nice “spy” video of the Sony Ericcson Z1 — the PlayStation Portable phone powered by Google Android. This video is much better than the one I posted earlier in the week. The user slides out the controls, revealing a d-pad and face buttons. You can also spot a PlayStation app in the menus. Check it out and let me know what you think (please)!
Author: RPadTV
https://rpad.tv
Sony Engineer Critiques Kinect for Xbox 360
Sony Computer Entertainment engineer Anton Mikhailov recently gave an interesting critique of Kinect for Xbox 360. Obviously he has a vested interest in PlayStation Move succeeding, but his critique was more interesting than the typical pissing contest between sales-and-marketing executives. He are some of the things he told Videogamer.com:
We feel like Move has more applicability across more genres so it fits better with what we try to do.
Also I think the tech is a bit, not so much immature, but not quite up to spec in what we think. Like the PlayStation Eye camera runs at 60 frames per second so it can track you very quickly whereas the Kinect and other depth camera are only 30 frames per second. So they are more suited for slower motions. Dancing is still kind of okay and then the yoga stuff that they were doing, it fits that very well, whereas if you want to do quick punches it’s harder to do that just because you can’t see the player as quickly.
The fact that it runs at 30 frames per second instead of 60, that’s a common problem with all those cameras. It’s actually hard to fix because you have a lot of data to transport. Sort of working with that image is expensive computationally-wise. I think they quoted something like 10-15 per cent of the Xbox resources, plus like 50 megs of memory or something like that. The Move takes less than 1%, and like 1 megabyte. So, you know, that’s just a bunch of numbers but to developers that means like Killzone 3 can just put in Move and not have to worry about it, whereas something like Kinect you have to make significant game changes to actually fit that into your game.
Whether you believe him or not, superior technology doesn’t necessarily win console wars. Look at the Nintendo Wii, for example. Furthermore, from what I’ve gathered, Microsoft’s marketing budget for Kinect makes Sony’s Move budget look like lunch money. People will buy into hype and purchase products that seem different.
What do you think of Mikhailov’s views on Kinect? Are they honest and legitimate? Or is he just touting his product’s technological superiority over one that’s outselling his?
I Want These Green Lantern Converse All-Stars!
Like most Filipinos, I have more shoes than I ought to. I absolutely don’t need another pair and I really shouldn’t spend the money…but I totally want these Green Lantern Converse! I can’t find any online (in my size), but there are some Journeys stores in SoCal that claim to have them in stock. I really shouldn’t…but they’re so cool!
What do you think of these GL kicks?
What Are You Playing This Weekend?
I’m holding off on Golden Sun: Dark Dawn for now (thanks Paul!). It will be my travel game next week. This weekend will be brought to me by Namco-Bandai! I’ve played a bit of Splatterhouse and I’m not sure I’ll keep with it due to annoying technical glitches. I definitely want to play some Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom and hope to get some Enslaved in too.
How about you? What’s on your weekend playlist?
Tammy Banovac Protests TSA in Bra and Panties
I’m not sure what’s more impressive — Ms. Tammy Banovac’s protest or that she looks pretty hot for a 52-year old. Kindly check out the video and decide for yourself!
Coffee Talk #259: Is Wikileaks Useful or Evil?
Is Wikileaks a useful way for people to get information they wouldn’t normally have access to? Or is it an irresponsible site that endangers lives and international relationships? Or is Wikileaks simply a tool that can be used for good and evil?
Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Britney Spears possibly getting physically abused, Kanye’s new album, or your favorite board game, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
The recent United States diplomatic cables leak by Wikileaks shook up the world (like Muhammad Ali). There’s a global manhunt for Wikileaks founder and editor-in-chief Julian Assange and no matter what anyone says, it stems from the cable leaks. Some are hailing Assange as the Robin Hood of information, while others are calling him an irresponsible anarchist. What do you think of Assange and Wikileaks?
The reason I find the situation so fascinating is that this is the biggest Internet controversy I can recall. Sure, documents have been leaked, phone calls have been recorded, and secrets have been spilled in the past, but I don’t recall anything this big spreading through the Internet. Is Wikileaks a useful way for people to get information they wouldn’t normally have access to? Or is it an irresponsible site that endangers lives and international relationships? Perhaps Wikileaks is simply a tool that can be used for good and evil? I’m super looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this. Shout it out (please)!
Verizon 4G LTE Launch Cities and Airports
Verizon has announced that its 4G LTE network will launch on December 5, 2010 in 38 cities and 60 airports. According to the company’s press release, the network will achieve data rates in “real-world, loaded network environments” from five to 12 megabits per second (Mbps) on the downlink and two to five Mbps on the uplink. Most mobile companies post theoretical maximum rates. The network will launch with two data modems, with LTE phones expected to be announced at CES 2011.
The 38 launch cities are:
- Akron, Ohio
- Athens, Georgia
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Baltimore, Maryland
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Charlotte, North Carolina
- Chicago, Illinois
- Cincinnati, Ohio
- Cleveland, Ohio
- Columbus, Ohio
- Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex, Dallas, Texas
- Denver, Colorado
- Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
- Houston, Texas
- Jacksonville, Florida
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- Los Angeles, California
- Miami, Florida
- Minneapolis/Saint Paul, Minnesota
- Nashville, Tennessee
- New Orleans, Louisiana
- New York, New York
- Oakland, California
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Orlando, Florida
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Phoenix, Arizona
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Rochester, New York
- San Antonio, Texas
- San Diego, California
- San Francisco, California
- San Jose, California
- Seattle/Tacoma, Washington
- St. Louis, Missouri
- Tampa, Florida
- Washington, D.C.
- West Lafayette, Indiana
- West Palm Beach, Florida
The launch airports are:
- Austin-Bergstrom International, Austin, Texas
- Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshal, Glen Burnie, Maryland
- Bob Hope, Burbank, California
- Boeing Field/King County International, Seattle, Washington
- Charlotte/Douglas International, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Chicago Midway International, Chicago, Illinois
- Chicago O’Hare International, Chicago, Illinois
- Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International, Covington, Kentucky
- Cleveland-Hopkins International, Cleveland, Ohio
- Dallas Love Field, Dallas, Texas
- Dallas/Fort Worth International, Fort Worth, Texas
- Denver International, Denver, Colorado
- Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- George Bush Intercontinental/Houston, Houston, Texas
- Greater Rochester International, Rochester, New York
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, Atlanta, Georgia
- Honolulu International, Honolulu, Hawaii
- Jacksonville International, Jacksonville, Florida
- John F. Kennedy International, New York, New York
- John Wayne Airport-Orange County, Santa Ana, California
- Kansas City International, Kansas City, Missouri
- La Guardia, New York, New York
- Lambert-St. Louis International, St. Louis, Missouri
- Laurence G. Hanscom Field, Bedford, Massachusetts
- Long Beach/Daugherty Field, Long Beach, California
- Los Angeles International, Los Angeles, California
- Louis Armstrong New Orleans International, Metairie, Louisiana
- McCarran International, Las Vegas, Nevada
- Memphis International, Memphis, Tennessee
- Metropolitan Oakland International, Oakland, California
- Miami International, Miami, Florida
- Minneapolis-St. Paul International/Wold-Chamberlain, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Nashville International, Nashville, Tennessee
- New Castle, Wilmington, Delaware
- Newark Liberty International, Newark, New Jersey
- Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International, San Jose, California
- North Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada
- Orlando International, Orlando, Florida
- Orlando Sanford International, Sanford, Florida
- Palm Beach International, West Palm Beach, Florida
- Philadelphia International, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International, Phoenix, Arizona
- Phoenix-Mesa Gateway, Mesa, Arizona
- Pittsburgh International, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Port Columbus International, Columbus, Ohio
- Portland International, Portland, Oregon
- Rickenbacker International, Columbus, Ohio
- Ronald Reagan Washington National, Arlington, Virginia
- Sacramento International, Sacramento, California
- Salt Lake City International, Salt Lake City, Utah
- San Antonio International, San Antonio, Texas
- San Diego International, San Diego, California
- San Francisco International, San Francisco, California
- Seattle-Tacoma International, Seattle, Washington
- St. Augustine, Saint Augustine, Florida
- St. Petersburg-Clearwater International, Clearwater, Florida
- Tampa International, Tampa, Florida
- Teterboro, Teterboro, New Jersey
- Trenton Mercer, Trenton, New Jersey
- Washington Dulles International, Dulles International Airport, Washington, D.C.
- Will Rogers World, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- William P. Hobby, Houston, Texas
I’m impressed with Verizon’s thorough rollout. It’s much more impressive than how Sprint started its WiMax network and how T-Mobile launched HSPA+. Anyone interested in a Verizon LTE data modem? Or are you strictly interested in phones?
TPB Review: Batman & Robin and Red Robin
Two weekends ago I devoured the comic-book trade-paperbacks: Batman & Robin volume 1: Batman Reborn, Red Robin: The Grail, and Red Robin: Collision. I read each one at least three times. Here are some random thoughts on these three books.
Batman & Robin: I absolutely love Frank Quitely’s art. It’s so distinct and full of character. His pencils are consistently great in this Batman & Robin run. Too bad I can’t same the same thing about Grant Morrison’s writing. I really don’t understand what happened to him. He used to be one of best and most consistent writers out there. For the last few years he’s had outstanding moments mixed with ones that leave you thinking, “What the f*ck was he thinking?!?”
Anyway, I was drawn to this book because I’m a big Nightwing fan and I wanted to see how Dick Grayson would do as Batman. I’m also fascinated by Damian Wayne, the new Robin. Damian is the son of Bryce Wayne and Talia al Ghul (Ra’s daughter). He was genetically bread for physical and mental perfection, but he’s also arrogant and harshly warped (being raised by the League of Assassins will do that to you). This version of Batman and Robin is fun because Batman is the light character and Robin is the dark one.
The first half of the book is kind of mess thanks to a really lame villain. The second half is infinitely better thanks to the return of the Red Hood (Jason Todd, the second Robin). It’s fun watching the Red Hood try to modernize vigilantism with a brutal sense of justice and using social media tools like Twitter. The second half of the book is really good, combining a sharp story, excellent action, and great art.
Red Robin: First off, it was hard to read these books without thinking of endless fries at Red Robin. Getting past that, this was the most pleasant comic-book surprise I’ve had in 2010. As I mentioned in this Coffee Talk, I love “tweener” characters — heroes that are no longer sidekicks, but aren’t the primary heroes just yet. These two books trace Tim Wayne’s (formerly Drake) path from being a sidekick as Robin to becoming his own man a Red Robin.
I absolutely loved Chris Yost’s writing in these books (you really need both trade paperbacks for the full effect). It blends action, mystery, a global chase, coming-of-age, romantic tension, and more. The story is well paced; it does a fantastic job of alternating the fight scenes with Tim’s cerebral stuff and fun banter between the various characters. The two books culminate in a plot by Ra’s al Ghul against Red Robin and it’s so completely awesome to see how Tim outsmarts one of Batman’s sharpest foes. [Minor Spoiler Alert!!!] I totally marked out when Ra’s called Tim “Detective” right before kicking him out a window. Ra’s usually reserves that title for Batman and using it on Tim shows how his respect for the former Boy Wonder has grown.
Like most Bat Books, the story begins and ends in Gotham. In between, Red Robin travels the world on an impossible quest. Of course he emerges triumphant, but it’s one hell of a ride to the end. While I can’t fully recommend Batman & Robin volume 1, I highly suggest picking up these two Red Robin books. I expected to enjoy them, but I was surprised that they were among my favorite reads of 2010. Excellent stuff.
The Princess Bride…With Lightsabers!!!
I can’t believe I’ve never seen this outstanding video of The Princess Bride with lightsabers! It takes one of my favorite theatrical sword fights (Dread Pirate Roberts/Westley vs. Inigo Montoya) and adds an elegant weapon from a more civilized age. It’s crazy how special effects can turn a thrilling scene into one that’s completely hilarious. Big thanks to Joe and Dan for posting this!
What Will Happen When LeBron James Returns to Cleveland?
I’m so psyched for the Miami Heat vs. Cleveland Cavaliers NBA game tonight — the first time LeBron James will play against his old team since “The Decision“. It’s kind of like anticipating a car wreck or a natural disaster — you know something bad is going to happen.
The Cavs’ front has hired extra security for tonight’s game and claimed that it will confiscate anti-LeBron t-shirts (lame). The precautions will just add to what’s sure to be a charged arena. What do you think will happen? Will the fans give LeBron hell for all four quarters or will they calm down after the first five minutes of the game? Will LeBron do his famous powder toss? Will there be violence? Will people get arrested? Will an idiot make it to the floor in an attempt to tackle James? Will Sniper Wolf tag LeBron from the rafters?!? There are so many possibilities! What do you think will happen?