Category: Today’s Specials

Coffee Talk #30: Will You Ever Be a PC Gamer (Again)?

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, California laying the smack down on electricity-guzzling televisions, sports venues fighting it out for Pacquiao/Mayweather (which hasn’t even been negotiated yet), or Mick Foley’s appearance on The Daily Show, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

In the mid to late ’90s, I played games on every platform I could. It didn’t matter if it was on a console or on a PC — I played. Somewhere along the line, I totally dropped PC gaming. I’m not even sure when it happened, but I definitely know why it happened. I used to play PC games because they offered a wide variety of experiences that was better than most things on a console. That’s just not the case anymore.

PC Gaming tombstone

Console have gotten better and better. The original PlayStation started a tremendous wave of mainstream popularity for home systems. As more and more people started gaming in their living rooms, more and more developers followed them. Meanwhile, PC gaming has stagnated and high-end PCs still carry a premium price tag. Sure, there are a handful of games that offer an experience you can’t get on a console, but to me it’s not worth the cost of admission.

I still remember playing all sorts of cool games on a Commodore 64 with my brother. Much later, I graduated to Civilization II, Baldur’s Gate, Doom, Total Annihilation, Age of Empires, and more. Those were fun times and they’ll be remembered fondly, but I just don’t see myself being a hardcore PC gamer ever again.

How about you? If you’re a lapsed PC gamer, can you see yourself getting back into the scene? If you’ve always been a console player, do you see yourself ever getting serious about PC games?

Five Things You Can Expect From Chrome OS Products

Google is making a bold move in 2010, entering the operating system market with Chrome OS. The product is very different from Windows 7 and Mac OS — it’s much more focused and much more limited. For some users, it will work out great. For others, it might not be what you’re looking for. For consumers that are always connected to the Internet, Chrome will be a fantastic OS that will be available on a variety of inexpensive products. If you still need more info on what Chrome is, be sure to check out this article. Once you’re up to speed, here are five things you can expect from Chrome OS products.

Google Chrome

  1. Chrome OS Products Will Be Cheap — Ever since Asus kicked off the netbook craze with its Eee PC line, consumers have been gobbling up inexpensive laptops. Chrome OS will continue the trend and push prices down further. The most popular netbooks today use Windows XP or Windows 7, which means part of the cost goes to paying Microsoft an OS license. Chrome products will not have that burden. Personally, I rather have a more expensive system that can dual-boot Windows 7 and Chrome OS. Hopefully that will be an option that will complement the flurry of inexpensive Chrome OS products that will hit in 2010.
  2. Chrome OS Netbooks Will Boot Crazy Fast — Since the operating system is being designed with flash memory in mind, Chrome OS products will not be bogged down by hard drives. At its announcement event on Thursday, Google showed a Chrome OS laptop booting up in seven seconds. Keep in mind this is an incomplete version of the OS on unoptimized hardware. Final products should be even faster, allowing for the “instant on” experience. This is awesome and way overdue. I’m annoyed that my Windows Vista machine takes a minute to boot. It’s 2009 for fricks sake. Continue reading “Five Things You Can Expect From Chrome OS Products”

Krista Ranillo Uses Facebook to Discuss Manny Pacquiao Affair

Krista Ranillo

After defeating Miguel Cotto on Saturday, boxing great Manny Pacquiao returned to the Philippines with news of his affair with actress/model Krista Ranillo making almost a big a splash as his historic victory. Pacquiao is huge in the Philippines — I’m talkin’ Elvis huge — so an affair is a tremendous deal. What’s interesting is how social networking has played a part in the whole thing. Showbiz Gossips has reported that Ranillo broke her silence through Facebook:

In last night’s report in 24 Oras, GMA-7 reporter Nelson Canlas was able to talk to Krista Ranillo through Facebook chat. The actress is still in the US with her family and is set to go back to the country by the weekend. Krista revealed that she is aware of the negative issues about her rumored relationship with Manny Pacquiao.

Twitter is getting in on the action too. CNet Asia’s Joey Alarilla wrote about Twitter users sending messages with the hashtag “#teamjinkee”, in support of Manny’s wife, Jinkee Pacquiao. It’s just crazy how social networking services have changed the way we consume information, including 411 on adultery by superstar athletes…or would this be Adultery 2.0?

And yes, even though I’m genuinely interested in this story as a Filipino-American and a social networking junkie, I used the whole thing as an excuse to post a picture of a hot girl on my site. Hit the break for another picture of this sexy home wrecker.

Continue reading “Krista Ranillo Uses Facebook to Discuss Manny Pacquiao Affair”

Coffee Talk #29: How Many Gaming Consoles Have Died on You?

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, the continuation of Showtime’s “Super Six” super-middleweight tournament, bisexual elf assassins, or the rise of Kofi Kingston, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

On Tuesday, I wrote about a recent CNet UK poll that showed some nasty numbers on the Xbox 360’s failure rate. I found your comments on the article interesting. My experience with console failures is limited to my Xbox 360 Elite. Every other console I’ve had has worked fine until it was retired for a next-gen system. Sure, I’ve had to blow on my fair share of cartridges (did that really do anything?), but I haven’t had a gaming system die on me until my Elite.

[poll id=”10″]

Magneto Was RightI was surprise by how many of you had multiple console failures. Nightshade386’s comment was particularly alarming — dude had seven consoles die on him! Either he’s one of the unluckiest gamers in America or he’s really Magneto. While my experience of one dead console might be unusual, his situation is on the other end of the spectrum…or so I think.

Today I’d like to know how many consoles have died on you. Leave the number in today’s poll and elaborate in the comments section. I’m curious to learn which systems failed you. While today’s consoles are more advanced than ever, they also seem to be far more fragile. Maybe it’s because the parts they’re using are so complex and delicate. Or maybe they don’t make ’em like they used to. Either way, I can’t wait to see your comments today!

Sony Updates PSP and PS3 Firmware — Prepare For Comics!!!

Sony has updated the firmware for its PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable products. First up is firmware version 3.10 for PS3. The big deal here is Facebook integration, which I know most of you don’t care about, so I won’t talk about it further. Besides, PSP firmware 6.20 is much more interesting. In addition to adding some new photo and video functionality, it also adds a digital comic book reader!

The PSP is about to get invaded by the heroes and villains from the Marvel Universe. Set to launch in December, some of Marvel’s best stories will be brought to a life on the PSP with a little motion and a lot of voice. From The Astonishing X-Men to Civil War, there are all sorts of great books that will be available for download.

Marvel Civil War

I’m psyched and nervous for these digital comics. On one hand, it’s a new way to experience some great stories. On the other hand, I know it will totally weird me out when characters sound way different from how they do in my head.

What’s your take on digital comics for PSP? Are you anxious to turn your PSP into a cosmic cube? Or will you not have your precious handheld gaming system dirtied up by Skrulls?

Source

Nokia N900 Available Now!

Nokia has announced that the Nokia N900 is available through its flagship stores and will soon be available through retailers. It’s an important product for Nokia and the Maemo operating system. While Nokia is still the global leader in mobile phones, its Symbian S60 OS seems primitive compared to Apple’s iPhone OS, Google’s Android, and Palm’s WebOS. The company has been losing market share in the high-end smartphone market for years. Rumors indicate that Nokia will drop Symbian S60 for Maemo in all its high-end phones by 2012.

The N900 is an exciting product, but it’s definitely for tech enthusiasts and not for mainstream users. Maemo is extremely powerful and versatile, but it’s not (yet) as smooth as competing operating systems. I’m awfully tempted to pick this phone up. The web browsing experience, through the N900’s Mozilla browser, is purported to be the best one out there. The keyboard and screen are supposed to be excellent. Nokia has always had some of the best camera phones out there. There’s a lot I’m loving about this power-user phone.

Nokia N900

The N900 costs $649 through Nokia, but Amazon currently has it for $559. Here are the bullet points from the Amazon listing:

Continue reading “Nokia N900 Available Now!”

Coffee Talk #28: What Would You Do in a 24-Hour Blackout?

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, Brock Lesnar’s strange and severe sickness, preparing for the impending (awful) Twilight madness, or the DC Universe’s Blackest Night, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Blackouts scare me. The thought of not being able to play on my consoles or use my PC for an extended and unknown period of time is just…chilling. Sure, it’s more than a bit ridiculous, but I totally admit it. Technology — powered by electricity, of course — is a huge part of how I keep myself entertained. I wouldn’t know what to do with myself during an extended power outage.

Blue LanternFortunately, that’s not really a problem, since I live in a major city in a first-world country. That said, I started thinking about what I would do if such a catastrophe struck (yes, I’m exaggerating). Would I bust out a board game? Would I enjoy an extended round of bedroom activities? Or would I geek it up in another way?

If a blackout struck today, I think I’d read some nerd books. I haven’t really started R.A. Salvatore’s The Ghost King and I’ve totally been digging the various lead-ups to Blackest Night. Candlelight geek reading FTW!!!

How about you? What would you do if you couldn’t touch your consoles, play on the Internet, or “chat” with your fellow RPadholics for 24 hours? How would you spend your time if you didn’t have electricity for 24 hours? (And for the sake of the game, please don’t list playing on your fully charged PSP, Nintendo DS, or iPhone. Ha!)

The Death of Unlimited Internet Will Likely Screw Cloud Gaming

Stacey Higginbotham (no relation to Michael Hickenbottom) wrote an interesting article for GigaOm about the end of all-you-can-eat broadband access. Most Internet providers are working towards tiered plans with set bandwidth caps. Cable companies are being the most aggressive with these practices, since Internet video cuts into their television offerings. Sadly, it looks like “unlimited” Internet will be going the way of the dodo.

The article got me thinking about cloud-based gaming-services like OnLive, Gaikai, and whatever Ken Kutaragi is cooking up. While some of you are fixated on the pricing structure these services will offer (stares at Smartguy), I think that’s a pretty minor problem. Sure, a small and vocal percentage of customers will argue that digital downloads should be much cheaper than retail games and be disappointed when they’re not. Some will complain about not being able to resell games. The majority of consumers will just pay the set price and live with it (see the Xbox 360 wireless adapter, for example).

Comcastic

Getting back to the death of unlimited Internet, I’ve said time and time again that Internet services providers are the biggest obstacles to cloud gaming in America. How can you stream Blu-ray quality graphics when you have a Comcastic bandwidth cap of 250GB? How can you play hours and hours of online games every day with a limited amount of Internet access? The answer is that you can do all these things…but you’ll have to pay a premium price for Internet service. You’ll have to pay for the top speeds and the largest caps, which will surely cost more than whatever you’re paying now and can eliminate some of the inherent “cheapness” cloud gaming has to offer.

I’m all for cloud gaming. I am of the opinion that optical discs and plastic boxes are stupid. I’d gladly trade the stacks and stacks of games that I have for files in a digital locker. The problem is that ISPs are going to make it difficult for me to get to my locker.

CNet UK Poll Shows 60% Failure Rate for Xbox 360

Xbox 360 RROD smallA recent poll by CNet UK showed that Microsoft’s Xbox 360 failed way more than Nintedo’s Wii and Sony’s PlayStation 3. The poll found that “60% of the respondents indicating that their 360 had failed at some point. Sony’s PlayStation 3 broke for 16% of those who took part in the poll, while the Wii stopped working for just 6%.” Here are some other interesting results:

  • 32% said their Xbox 360 console broke twice
  • 19% claimed Xbox 360 broke three or more times
  • The 360 failure rate fell to 34 percent for respondents who had purchased a console since January 2008

It’s important to note that 1,128 people took the poll, with 591 owning a Wii, 562 owning an Xbox 360 and 473 possessing a PS3. The sample is very small and hardly random. While Microsoft has certainly improved the reliability of newer Xbox 360 models, the figures are still pretty severe. Besides, it’s always fun to look at poll results like these.

As some of you know, my Xbox 360 Elite red ringed twice. My other systems have been fine. How about you? Any of your consoles break down?

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Coffee Talk #27: What Are Your Next-Gen Console Dreams?

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, that tool in the Final Fantasy XIII release date announcement video, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper’s return to MSG, or helping me find a new coffee company (part II), Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

There are certain things you can expect each console generation — better graphics, enhanced sound, less money in your bank account, etc. Every now and then, a key feature is introduced that takes consoles to a new level. It seems quaint now, but the inclusion of DVD in the PlayStation 2 was huge — it turned consoles into devices for movies and games. Microsoft revolutionized online console gaming with Xbox Live. Today’s machines stream movies, browse the web, allow for social networking, and more. While this generation is still going strong and still has several years to go, it’s always fun to think about what’s next.

Tivo Gets Me

A few months ago, I wrote about my next-gen console dream: TiVo integration. Consoles are already capable computing machines with hard drives, so adding TiVo to the mix would be a snap. I’d love for one of the “big three” (I don’t care which one) to license TiVo software for their next console. If Microsoft, Nintendo, or Sony announced a partnership with TiVo, I’d cry tears of joy.

I wanted to ask you what your dream features are for the PlayStation 4, Wii 2, and Xbox 720. Do you want more online functionality? Perhaps one-button pizza ordering? A wave motion cannon? Leave a comment and let me know (please)!