The Pokemon Company and Nintendo have released the first trailer for Pokemon X and Y for Nintendo 3DS. These will be the first fully 3D portable games in the insanely popular and awesome series. In addition to the new graphics, Pokemon X and Y will feature over 700 Pokemon. The trailer shows the three new starters (Chespin, Fennekin, and Froakie), as well as two new legendary types (Xerneas and Yveltal).
When I first saw the game’s name, I mistook it for Pokemon X/Y and feared that it was a Pokemon/Coldplay crossover. Thankfully, that’s not the case. As an ardent Pokemon fan, I can’t wait to play this game when it’s released in October 2013. I’m sure it will be another excellent installment of the Pokemon series with new twists on the deep battle system.
For the record, I choose Chespin. I’ve always been partial to grass Pokemon…though Fennekin looks pretty cool too. Any of you excited for the game? Which starter looks best to you?
In the quest to increase revenue, sports uniforms have gotten stupid. There are alternate uniforms, alternate road uniforms, practice jerseys, batting practice jerseys, warmup uniforms, throwback caps, commemorative caps, World Series caps, and more. Hell, the NBA recently had special edition Christmas uniforms for the teams that played on Christmas 2012. The latest batch of tasteless greed comes from Major League Baseball in the form of “interview caps.” According to Uni Watch, MLB will have interview caps for all of its teams. While not mandatory, players will be “encouraged” to wear them during interviews and off-the-field functions like charity events.
Clearly, tradition isn’t sacred to sports commissions.
A lot of people hate on the New York Yankees (somewhat understandably), but one of the reasons I love the team is that is has maintained the traditional variety of uniforms: home and away. It makes the organization seem classier and less desperate than other ball clubs. (To my good friend Justin Killian: your Mets sold out bro!)
I hate the look of most alternate uniforms (thought admit the NBA variants are better than most MLB alternates). I hate that they’re pure money-grabs. The MLB interview cap is just more of the same. I wish commissioner Bud Selig would settle down with the greed and add things like, oh I don’t know, effective instant replay.
While I was in Hawaii for holiday break, I stopped by Volcano Vapor Cafe in the Kapahulu section of Honolulu. My brother mentioned the place to me, as it’s just down the road from his condo. Naturally, I had to stop by. What I found was a fun place where you can check out e-cigs and e-liquids, as well as hop on the Internet, grab some coffee, enjoy a sandwich, watch TV, and play some console games. Check out the video above for a tour of the cafe.
The cafe’s staff are a nice bunch of people that are friendly and knowledgable about vaping. Similar to my experience with The Vapor Spot in Los Angeles, they’re a cut above the employees you find at most retail shops. As many of you know, I generally hate the retail experience; I rather slam my fingers in a door repeatedly than deal with some of the people I’ve encountered at Best Buy and GameStop. After watching the staff at Volcano Vapor Cafe for a few hours, I was reminded that the retail experience can be a pleasant one.
The customers were a diverse group of people. Most of them were locals that were stopping in to get new cartomizers or juice. They seemed proud to be supporting a local company (Volcano HQ is in Oahu, near my beloved Lanikai Beach). It was cool seeing people quickly to stop in to get cartos, similar to how they’d drop by a convenience store to get tobacco cigarettes. Naturally, there were a lot of people that were inquiring about the LavaTube Version 2, one of the hottest products on the market today. Lastly, there were some tourists (Kapahulu is minutes from Waikiki) that were picking up e-cig kits to bring back to their countries. Whatever their needs were, the staff took care of them in a polite and friendly manner.
While I was filming, some of the patrons noticed my Ovale USA eVic. It was cool that other vapers were immediately able to identify new gear. Of course they had lots of questions about the mod and the software it works with. And of course, I had to let them try it. Soon enough, a bunch of people got out their drip tips and tried my eVic. After that, we talked about the different tanks I had on me (Cirrus Vapes and Valley View Vapes). This led to other conversations about different gear and e-liquids, showing the community aspect of Volcano Vapor Cafe. It’s awesome that vapers have a place to hang out, meet fellow vapers, and share experiences.
By the time you watch this video and read this article, Volcano will have a second cafe. I was told that the new cafe will be bigger and feature a stage for live music. Coincidentally, it will be in Ewa Beach, which is where my parents recently moved to. I’m pretty sure that there are cosmic forces at work, placing vaping cafes near where my brother and parents live, respectively.
If you’re a vaper that’s vacationing in Oahu then I highly recommend stopping by Volcano Vapor Cafe. It’s just a fun place to hang out, vape, grab a snack, and meet fellow vapers. While there are many Internet vendors that I love dealing with, it’s awesome that there are more physical locations where vapers can shop and socialize too. Hopefully more and more vaping cafes will open in the future. With some luck, perhaps a Volcano Vapor Cafe will open up in your town!
At CES 2013, Valve CEO Gabe Newell unveiled details on the company’s “Steam Box” console. In an exclusive interview with The Verge (great read), Newell said that the Steam Box will run a Linux-based OS, come in various configurations (good, better, best), and have biometric features. Unlike traditional gaming consoles, the Steam Box will act as a server that allows a household to play games on a number of screens. Steam Box owners will be able to play games on whatever television screens and PC monitors are in wireless range.
The Linux rumors have been circulating since last year, so that wasn’t a surprise. The server-based gaming is potentially cool, especially for households with multiple gamers or settings like a dorm room. The configuration options are interesting and could help the company reach a wide variety of gamers. Here’s a clip from the interview that expands on the topic:
Good are like these very low-cost streaming solutions that you’re going to see that are using Miracast or Grid. I think we’re talking about in-home solutions where you’ve got low latency. “Better” is to have a dedicated CPU and GPU and that’s the one that’s going to be controlled. Not because our goal is to control it; it’s been surprisingly difficult when we say to people “don’t put an optical media drive in there” and they put an optical media drive in there and you’re like “that makes it hotter, that makes it more expensive, and it makes the box bigger.” Go ahead. You can always sell the Best box, and those are just whatever those guys want to manufacture. [Valve’s position is]: let’s build a thing that’s quiet and focuses on high performance and quiet and appropriate form factors.
The biometric functionality comes from a result of Valve not seeing a way to expand on motion-based gaming. Instead of trying to one-up the Wii, PlayStation Move, and Xbox Kinect, the company will go with biometrics. While I have no idea if gamers will be interested in these features, it’s nice to see a company taking an original approach instead of using a “me too” tactic.
Biometrics on the other hand is essentially adding more communication bandwidth between the game and the person playing it, especially in ways the player isn’t necessarily conscious of. Biometrics gives us more visibility. Also, gaze tracking. we think gaze tracking is gonna turn out to be super important.
While new gaming initiatives like Nvidia’s Project Shield and Valve’s Steam Box are fun topics for me to play with as a verbal entertainer, I’m exponentially more interested in the latter as a consumer. Part of it is that a large part of what gaming — and all of consumer electronics, for that matter — has become boils down to software and services. While Nvidia’s hardware prowess is undeniable, I have more faith in Valve to deliver software and services. While there’s so much that will change before these products are released (and some are questioning if they’ll even be released), as of this writing I’m far more interested in a Steam Box than Project Shield.
How about you? Do you see a Steam Box in your household in the future? What do you think of Valve’s interest in biometrics? Are you more interest in this or Project Shield? Leave a comment and let me know (please!).
Following the fine tradition of games like of Shaq-Fu and Michael Jordan: Chaos in the Windy City, ShaqDown is now available for Android through Google Play. ShaqDown marks Shaquille O’Neal’s triumphant return to the world of videogames. After conquering basketball and movies (Kazaam), it was only a matter of time until Shaq brought back his dominant style to gaming. *snicker*
ShaqDown borrows from several modern and typical videogame conventions — apocalyptic future, bloodthirsty zombies, etc. However, the gameplay is of the old-school side-scrolling variety. The coolest aspect of the game is its art, which was headed up by comic-book and videogame artist Long Vo.
Check out the game’s trailer below and please let me know if you’re interested in slaughtering zombies as Shaquille O’Neal.
Two days ago at CES 2012, Nvidia announced a new gaming device called Project Shield. It’s a bold initiative that combines elements of console, PC, and portable gaming. As a verbal entertainer and a tech nerd, I love it, simply because it’s a conversation starter. That said, I’m not yet convinced that Project Shield is a game-changer. I’ve thought about the device several times over the last couple of days and it’s still more “interesting” than “must have” for me. Naturally, I want to know what you think about Nvidia’s gambit. Let’s go over the pros and cons…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, Intelligentsia’s Sulwesi Toarco Jaya Peaberry, Pau Gasol’s broken face, or Dwight Howard’s torn labrum, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
Two days ago at CES 2013, Nvidia announced a new gaming device called Project Shield. It’s a bold initiative that combines elements of console, PC, and portable gaming. As a verbal entertainer and a tech nerd, I love it, simply because it’s a conversation starter. That said, I’m not yet convinced that Project Shield is a game-changer. I’ve thought about the device several times over the last couple of days and it’s still more “interesting” than “must have” for me. Naturally, I want to know what you think about Nvidia’s gambit. Let’s go over the pros and cons.
On the plus side, Nvidia’s graphics processors and mobile processors are some of the best in the business. From the tech-and-specs standpoint, Project Shield should deliver. It also draws from two diverse gaming libraries: Android Market and Steam. Content shouldn’t be an issue with this device.
Original content, on the other hand, is something Nvidia will have to be more aggressive with. The company has great relationships with Android and PC developers, getting exclusive features or versions of games. I believe the company will have to do more than that to make Project Shield thrive. It will need full games — not just features or optimized versions — exclusive to the platform. While some people believe that exclusive no longer matter, I think they’re in important part of defining a platform, which is especially important for a newcomer.
While being able to stream PC games to a mobile device is very cool, you need a GeForce GTX 600 series GPU (or better, when the time comes) to do so. That makes playing high-quality games expensive. Consoles have thrived because of their simplicity and price. You buy a relatively cheap box, pop a disc in, and go. With Project Shield you have the device itself, a relatively expensive PC, and the potential trouble of trying to connect the two. It’s a more expensive and complicated proposition for many “mainstream” gamers.
Then there’s the form factor. It’s portable, but not really. Although mobile gaming systems have been getting larger (like Leon from Airplane!), it’s still easy enough to slip a Nintendo 3DS or PlayStation Vita into your back pocket or jacket pocket. Project Shield looks like an Xbox 360 controller with a screen attached to it. I’m pretty sure that won’t fit into most pockets. Since the shape isn’t uniform, it won’t be as bag friendly as traditional portables. With mobile phones becoming more powerful every few months and the vast improvement in mobile games, I only bring my portable consoles with me for long airplane flights. I don’t see myself toting around Project Shield much, simply due to its form factor.
There are surely many tech enthusiasts that will pick up Project Shield because it’s bold, different, and powerful. I’m not yet convinced that it will sell big or change the business (much). I have too many concerns about content, complexity, and form factor. How do you feel about Project Shield? Kindly take today’s poll and leave your thoughts on Nvidia’s upcoming portable in the comments section (please!).
One of the biggest differences I’ve experienced during my switch from tobacco cigarettes to vaping e-cigs is that I now I enjoy a wide variety of flavors. When I was smoking tobacco, I’d generally stick to one brand for months or years at a time. Over the years, I’ve alternated between Dunhill International Lights, Nat Sherman MCD, and Camel Turkish Silver. Vaping has been a drastically different experience. Although I started out having one flavor every few days, I now enjoy several different flavors throughout the day. As I’m typing this article, my desk has vaping devices with Blue Grass Burley (tobacco), Boba Tea (Taiwanese dessert beverage), and Poppin’ Peach (fruit, duh) loaded. Vaping has allowed me to trade stinky and harmful tobacco cigarettes for a rainbow of fine flavors.
Part of it is that there’s so much more available. In addition to tobacco-flavored e-liquids, there are plenty of excellent beverage, dessert, and fruit juices out there. There are even strange and unusual ones, like absinthe, bacon, and crab juice. I’ve enjoyed things from Virginia tobacco to peach to rice pudding to cherry cola and more. It’s lots of fun hunting for new juices and trying out new ones. It’s cool being surprised by e-liquids that you didn’t think would translate well to vaping.
Another facet is that there are so many great e-liquid makers out there. Each one has its own style and it’s fun seeing different takes on the same juice. As a big fan of all things peach, I’ve enjoyed trying different takes on the flavor from Ahlusion, Backwoods Brew, and Orb Vapor. It’s interesting seeing what each company does with the peach flavor. Some go for a natural peach, while others go for something similar to a Peach Jolly Rancher.
As someone that grew up in New York, I’m frustrated that it’s so difficult to find a black-and-white cookie in California. I have high hopes that Alice in Vapeland’s B/W Cookie will satisfy that craving (and spare me the calories). Now I just need a vendor to make NY Pizza, NY Knish, and NY Bagel juices. Ha!
For all you lovers vapers out there, kindly share your experience with different flavors of vaping e-liquids. What have you liked? What has surprised you? Was there anything you thought you’d like but didn’t? Shout it out in the comments section (please!).
Artist Casey Edwards is selling prints of Super Mario Bros. characters decked out like X-Men. The complete set runs $30 and consists of four prints that feature two characters each. Here’s the lineup:
Artist Casey Edwards is selling prints of Super Mario Bros. characters decked out like X-Men. The complete set runs $30 and consists of four prints that feature two characters each. Here’s the lineup:
Mario as Wolverine
Princess Peach as Phoenix
Luigi as Cyclops
Yoshi as Rogue
Donkey Kong as Colossus
Diddy Kong as Nightcrawler
Blue Toad as Angel
Yellow Toad as Jubilee
The art is adorable and I hope Edwards does well with these. Check out the image below and let me know what you think (please!).
Did you know that Sean Connery turned down the roles of Gandalf and Morpheus? Imagine the incredible late-career surge he would now be enjoying if he accepted those parts from The Lord of The Rings and The Matrix trilogies. He would have been the hotness! Since those movies are so ingrained into the pop-culture section of our brains, it’s hard to imagine anyone else buy Ian McKellen playing Gandalf and Cowboy Curtis Laurence Fishburne playing Morpheus. Now try to picture Connery in those roles. It pretty tough, hey?
Let’s play a game. How do you think Connery would have fared as Gandalf and Morpheus? What do you think he would have done better or worse than McKellen and Fishburne? How would he have been different? Kindly leave your thoughts on the matter in the comments section. As for me, I tried playing the game but kept thinking of lines from Connery’s portrayal on Saturday Night Live’s “Celebrity Jeopardy.” In my head, he kept talking to Frodo about “anal bum covers” and making lewd jokes about Neo’s mother.
While I was recovering from surgery, I totally missed Anne Hathaway’s wardrobe malfunction. That was almost as painful as my recovery itself. I know that several of you are fans of the GHM game (I’m not judging; I love that we can talk about these things like adults). Anyone care to guess how Anne handles her landscaping? Let’s make it a game (we’re all gamers, after all)! Leave your best guess in the comments section and head on over to The Superficial to see the results.
