Coffee Talk #568: If You Could Decimate One Band….

On Valentine’s Day, I was having a fun drunken conversation about bands and musical artists that you wished were erased from existence. A lot of the candidates brought up were whiny male singer/songwriters. For some reason, on this day of love there was a lot of hate for Jason Mraz. Partially for his music and partially for being a man-whore, John Mayer was brought up a lot. I actually don’t mind either of those guys. “I’m Yours” is a cute and catchy song, while I totally admire Mayer’s man-whore prowess. My choice for the band that I wished were erased from existence was easy: Ace of Base…more

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, NBA All-Star Weekend, the glorious start of MLB spring training, or Oscar Pistorius allegedly shooting his girlfriend, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

On Valentine’s Day, I was having a fun drunken conversation about bands and musical artists that you wished were erased from existence. A lot of the candidates brought up were whiny male singer/songwriters. For some reason, on this day of love there was a lot of hate for Jason Mraz. Partially for his music and partially for being a man-whore, John Mayer was brought up a lot. I actually don’t mind either of those guys. “I’m Yours” is a cute and catchy song, while I totally admire Mayer’s man-whore prowess. My choice for the band that I wished were erased from existence was easy: Ace of Base.

I love Sweden. It’s a beautiful country that has produced many fine things. The number of gorgeous Swedish models is mind boggling. The country birthed three of my favorite tennis players of all time: Bjorn Borg, Mats Wilander, and Stefan Edberg. Ikea has furnished the homes of many young people that can’t afford “real” furniture. I’ve always loved the look and quality of Volvo automobiles. One of the best times of my life was hanging out in Oslo with clients, sledding down a short hill that ended in a hot spring. With all of that in mind, it’s disheartening that such a wonderful country — one that gave us the glorious Abba! — produced a band that scores millions of nightmares.

I hate everything about Ace of Base. The music is grating. The image is artificial. “All That She Wants” and “The Sign” are rumored to be used in Guantanamo Bay torture sessions. If I had the power of time travel, one of the first things I would do is prevent the formation of this horrendous band. I’m certain that it would snag me a Novel Peace Prize.

How about you? If you could eradicate one band or musical act from the face of existence, who would it be and why?

Vaping Diaries #40: Ahlusion Review III

Here’s a review of three fantastic e-liquids from Ahlusion: Vurley, Wipeout Honeydew with Breeze, and Maple House Blend. Like the other Ahlusion juices I’ve reviewed, these are three high-quality e-liquids. The review also includes a shot of the stellar packaging job the company does with its products. I thought one of the flavors was very good, while two were outstanding. Here are the breakdowns and steeping notes:

Vurley: This is a relatively new release in Ahlusion’s aromatic line. I was excited to try this flavor because Blue Grass Burley is currently my favorite tobacco-flavored e-liquid. While Vurley is definitely a superior e-liquid, it was a little bit different from what I was expecting. Like BGB, the tobacco flavor is rich and extremely flavorful. I was expecting just a hint of vanilla, but Vurley delivers a really rich and sweet vanilla flavor. The flavors blend together perfectly. I was expecting BGB’s hot sister, but Vurley ended up being BGB’s hot cousin. This is a phenomenal juice, but I like BGB just a tiny bit more.

Wipeout Honeydew with Breeze: Like the other fruit flavors I’ve tried from Ahlusion, Wipeout delivers a natural taste that’s spot-on. The honeydew sweetness is fantastic — as good as the Organic Honeydew from Orb Vapor that I enjoyed, but a little bit different. Perhaps it was because of the “Breeze” menthol I added to the mix. Originally, I was going to order a stronger level of menthol, but Wlad from Ahlusion suggested Breeze (the lowest level). I’m happy that I went with his suggestion. The menthol is definitely noticeable and complements the honeydew nicely, without overpowering it. It was tough picking a favorite in this bunch, but because I like BGB slightly more than Vurley, I’m going with Wipeout Honeydew as my choice.

Maple House Blend: This is a good choice for people that find Ahlusion’s aromatic line overwhelming. The tobacco is there, but the flavor is mild compared to the aromatics. The maple flavor adds a nice, natural sweetness. This isn’t Aunt Jemima’s maple syrup, but more like a natural maple candy. I was getting a lot of sweetness on the inhale and more tobacco on the exhale. While I enjoyed vaping this juice and thought it was very good, I didn’t like it as much as the other two.

Steeping Notes
On the advice of Wlad from Ahlusion, I’ve been trying a new steeping method. When the e-liquids arrive, I leave them uncapped for five minutes. Previously, I left them uncapped for about two days. After the liquids are given a few minutes to oxidize, the caps are put back on. The bottles are shaken every day for at least two weeks before vaping.

Vurley
70/30 PG/VG ratio, 6mg nicotine
Uncapped: January 1, 2013 2:12PM
Vaped: February 10-16, 2013

Maple House Blend
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 6mg nicotine
Uncapped: January 1, 2013 2:12PM
Vaped: February 10-16, 2013

Wipeout Honeydew (w/breeze)
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 6mg nicotine
Uncapped: November 27, 2012 3:13PM
Recapped: November 29, 2012 4:13PM
Vaped: February 10-16, 2013

Review Process (Updated February 17, 2013): RPad.TV e-liquid reviews focus on the flavor of the e-liquids, since throat hit and vapor production can be altered by the PG/VG ratio and nicotine level selected. Each juice is vaped over a period of days in an atomizer, a cartomizer/tank setup, and a clearomizer. The exception is naturally-extracted tobacco (NET) juices; since those are known to clog up cartomizers quickly, those are vaped in atomizers and clearomizers.

Mortal Kombat Legacy Season 2 Trailer

Here’s the trailer for the second season of Mortal Kombat Legacy. Fans of the MK universe will be thrilled to see several returning characters accompanied by new ones. The real star of the show is Casper Van Dien, of course. The Starship Troopers legend plays an older and grizzled Johnny Cage. While I have no idea how good season two of Mortal Kombat Legacy will be, I know that Van Dien’s scenes will rock.

Check out the trailer below and let me know what you think (please!) Continue reading “Mortal Kombat Legacy Season 2 Trailer”

Jason Momoa to Play Drax the Destroyer?

Jason Momoa (best known as Khal Drogo in Game of Thrones) has allegedly been offered the role of Drax the Destroyer in the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy movie. Latino Review reports that Momoa killed his screen test and was offered the part. The site says that his agents are working on finalizing the terms.

While I loved Momoa in Game of Thrones, a lot of moviegoers thought he was lame in the latest Conan the Barbarian movie. No matter what he brings to the table, I’m certain that Momoa will be exponentially better than former WWE Superstar Dave Batista would have been. Last month it was rumored that Batista was in the running for Drax. Thankfully, comic-book fans will be spared Batista’s acting.

What do you think of Jason Momoa as Drax the Destroyer? Will he bring his Khal Drogo fierceness? Or will he sputter like Conan?

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Coffee Talk #567: Happy Birthday Michael Jordan!

It’s hard to believe that Michael Jordan turns 50 today. It doesn’t feel like it was all that long ago when Jordan thrilled people at NBA All-Star Weekend Slam Dunk Contests, made that shot over Craig Ehlo, amazingly switched hands for a flying layup against the Knicks, and made that other shot over Byron Russell. It’s weird seeing an older Jordan — one with a slight paunch, no less — ruling over the lowly Charlotte Bobcats. To me, he’ll always be that chiseled Adonis that soared over…more

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, dreaming that A-Rod suffers a career-ending injury, vaping with the girl you referred to as your “daughter” during college, or making the case for a Quasar videogame to your friend at Marvel, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

It’s hard to believe that Michael Jordan turns 50 today. It doesn’t feel like it was all that long ago when Jordan thrilled people at NBA All-Star Weekend Slam Dunk Contests, made that shot over Craig Ehlo, amazingly switched hands for a flying layup against the Knicks, and made that other shot over Bryon Russell. It’s weird seeing an older Jordan — one with a slight paunch, no less — ruling over the lowly Charlotte Bobcats. To me, he’ll always be that chiseled Adonis that soared over dozens of NBA basketball courts.

It’s also funny seeing all these Jordan vs. LeBron and Jordan vs. Kobe arguments. These discussions seem ridiculous to me. I don’t doubt that Bryant and James would have been great players in any era, but as amazingly great as Jordan was, he would have been ridiculous in today’s game. Imagine what Jordan’s stats and ring count would have been like if he didn’t have to deal with the hand-checking and hard fouls that were allowed in his day? He would have terrorized the league! Keep in mind that I’m saying all of this as a Detroit Pistons fan. I frickin’ hate Jordan and loved when the Bad Boys would slam his body into the ground. Even with that perspective, I don’t see how anyone can deny his greatness.

To celebrate Jordan’s birthday, I’d love to hear about your favorite Michael Jordan moment, as well as your take on the Jordan vs. LeBron argument. Please shoot it out in the comments section!

PS4 to Stream PS3 Games Through Gaikai?

The latest PlayStation 4 rumor is that Sony’s upcoming console will stream PlayStation 3 games using Gaikai technology. Some of you will recall that Sony Computer Entertainment purchased Gaikai in July 2012. The Wall Street Journal broke the story, noting that the streaming service will likely be used only for old games. That isn’t to say that new games won’t be available digitally; those will likely require a full download, rather than streaming.

For those of you with large PlayStation 3 videogame libraries, the news is probably disconcerting. The PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 offered backwards compatibility with games from the previous generation. Some pundits believe that the PlayStation 4 will not, since it uses a considerably different AMD architecture and many presume that it won’t include a second chipset to support old games (especially if that $400 price point rumor is on the mark).

The answers to numerous PlayStation 4 questions will (again, presumably) be answered on February 20, when Sony has its big press event. Until then, let’s have fun with the WSJ rumor. What do you think of streaming PS3 games on the new console? Is not having PS3 backwards compatibility a deal-breaker for any of you? Also, can you feel that? That’s the heat from the flames of a brewing console war. Fore!!!

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PlayStation 4 Dual Shock Controller Images Leak

A pair of images of what’s purported to be the PlayStation 4 Dual Shock controller have leaked. The one below is from Destructoid and the one above is from NeoGAF. Both images show a touch sensor between the d-pad and face buttons, a feature that has been rumored for several weeks. The Destructoid image looks more legit, as the controller can be seen in front of a development kit. The GAF image has the controller on a plain background, which has some people doubting it’s authenticity.

Other features include what appears to be a microphone grille and redesigned analog sticks. The former feature seemed inevitable, but I’m a bit wary of the latter. I’ve always loved the feel of Dual Shock controllers and I’m concerned that the new analog sticks could be a change for the worse. The sticks could also be the hotness, but it appears that they’ll feel more like Xbox 360 analogs than the classic Dual Shock analogs I prefer.

Sony Computer Entertainment is expected to reveal PlayStation 4 details on February 20, so it will only be a few days until these photos are proven to be legit or not. For now, let’s talk about the design. What do you think of the touch sensor? Do you see any interesting gameplay applications for it? How about the microphone? Are you excited or worried about the new analog sticks? Leave your PS4 Dual Shock thoughts in the comments section (please!).

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Wargaming Buys Gas Powered Games

Wargaming, the makers of the popular free-to-play World of Tanks and World of Warplanes, has announced an agreement to buy Gas Powered Games, the creators of Demigod, Dungeon Siege, and Supreme Commander. Gas Powered Games recently made some news with its Kickstarter pitch for Wildman. The beleaguered company was facing financial issues and had to let several employees go to stay afloat, while its fate was in the hands of Kickstarter. Gas Powered Games CEO and founder Chris Taylor posted a teary and heartfelt video explaining the situation. Thankfully, the company was able to find a financial backer in Wargaming.

Now here’s the part with all the quotes! Let’s start with with the excellent Chris Taylor:

Wargaming growth in recent years has been tremendous, and we’re looking forward to joining one of the fastest growing gaming companies in the world. I’m sure our experience and expertise will help us contribute even more to Wargaming’s global success.

And here’s one from Wargaming CEO Victor Kislyi:

Gas Powered Games’ heritage and development pedigree shows us just how valuable an addition Chris and his company will make to the Wargaming family. Gas Powered Games has a long track record of providing incredibly engaging AAA gaming experiences and we can’t wait to start working with them.

I’m thrilled that Gas Powered Games was able to find a solution. Hopefully, the developer will be able to rehire everyone that was released. And hopefully the partnership is everything the company needs and wants. I’m a huge fan of the Gas Powered Games and, especially, Chris Taylor.

On the other side of the deal, it’s interesting watching Wargaming move and shake. The company’s purchases include Day 1 Studios and BigWorld Technology. All signs point to bigger and better things from Wargaming, including a console invasion (presumably full of tanks and warplanes).

Now here’s the part where I’m supposed to make a joke about the Belarusian company’s acquisitions being backed by Russian mob money…but I’m much too afraid of the consequences.

Xbox Founder Nat Brown on Why Consoles Will Lose

Nat Brown, one of the founders of Microsoft’s Xbox project, posted a long and excellent rant on the Xbox’s shortcomings. He believes that there are major issues with the system’s user experience and the company’s relationship with independent developers. He believes that these issues are why the Xbox is, “going to lose on in the living room battle with Android & iOS.” I highly recommend giving it a read. Here’s an excerpt:

So, because these two critical issues — user expereince and indie content — are not nearly in order and I see big investments in future interactive content happening, as well as idiotic moves to limit used games or put harder content protection into place than exists in mobile or tablets — i predict massive failure and losses here. And it makes me sad. Because it just doesn’t have to fail, even though it has been punted around poorly for 5 years. xBox just needs somebody with a brain and focus to get the product in order tactically before romping forward to continue the long-term strategic promise of an xBox in every living room, connected to every screen.

I’d love to hear your take on Brown’s argument. While I agree that iOS offers a generally superior user experience than Xbox, I was surprised to see him stress the importance of indie content. While I love and appreciate indie games, so many people — both within the business and consumers in general — pay more attention to the Call of Duties, Maddens, etc. I’m thrilled when developers like Giant Sparrow (The Unfinished Swan) and thatgamecompany (Journey) succeed, but I’m also not sure how big a part companies like that play in determining the future of the industry. Sometimes I get the (sad) feeling that people that write about games care exponentially more about indie developers than Joe Gamer does.

Kindly share your thoughts on Nat Brown’s post when you have a chance.

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SIMPLcase: A Globetrotter’s iPhone 5 Cover

The SIMPLcase Kickstarter project recently caught my eye. This iPhone 5 cover holds three Nano SIMs and a SIM removal tool, making it a fantastic solution for iPhone 5 users that travel around the world and need to quickly switch Nano SIMs (or people that use other numbers to hide their dirty laundry). The back of the case has a slot that accepts a standard credit card or frequent flyer card, allowing the iPhone 5 to stand up in horizontal and vertical orientations. Best of all, at $14 the SIMPLEcase is affordable as well as functional. Check out the video below for more details.

Hopefully the product works as advertised, because the idea is fantastic. I’m surprised that this kind of case doesn’t already exist and pleased to see someone giving it a shot on Kickstarter. It looks like the perfect case for iPhone 5 owners that frequently travel internationally.

Any of you interested in backing SIMPLcase? What do you think of the product’s design?

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