Posted by Kevin Huffman
Tech
Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010
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Just got another care package from Nintendo, and it’s a big one — literally. Nintendo sent us one of its new DSi XL units, and color me impressed. The screens look great, and games look like they should have been on a screen this size in the first place. I don’t even need my reading glasses to play any more! First impressions: It feels larger then a PSP. The screen is clear, and the games really don’t feel stretched out, which was my concern. Web browsing is actually reasonable to do, the experience feels much like the iPod Touch, with the upper screen magnifier helping out for details. As I said before, I haven’t really had a chance to play with it much, but I’m going to make time this evening and tomorrow. It’ll be nice to get a chance to play with the DSi XL, after reading all the reviews .
Posted by Kevin Huffman
Tech
Monday, March 22nd, 2010
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Someone call Pauly Shore, because there’s a new closed environment that’ll need his madcap hijinks to stave off boredom and no doubt save the day. The Mars500 project, located in Moscow, hopes to simulate the experience of a manned mission to Mars. It’s the mission to part that they’re testing, and not the actual Mars part. It takes a long time to get to Mars, and once you start there’s no pitstops. So a lucky group of international astronauts will be working together to see what’s its like to live in 550 cubic meters for the better part of a year. I don’t envy the folks going into the modules: I’m pretty sure I’d go stir crazy within a couple days. But the experiment itself has real-world value, so I applaud everyone’s dedication. I’m particularly impressed that communications with “Earth” (ie: the outside world) will be gradually delayed, to simulate the transmission delay as the craft gets farther and farther from our fair planet. The Mars500 is so called because it simulates the duration of a possible human Mars mission in the future using conventional propulsion: 250 days for the trip to the Red Planet, 30 days on the martian surface and 240 days for the return journey, totalling 520 days (in reality it would probably take a lot longer than this). Via BBC News .
Posted by Kevin Huffman
Tech
Tuesday, March 16th, 2010
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Now that winter is drawing to a close in most of the country (it’s still snowing here in the Sierra Nevadas), it’s time to think about getting out and taking more pictures. As a photography enthusiast, I know there’s a few things that I consider critical whenever I’m out shooting, things are I don’t leave home without. Tripod: If you are concerned about taking tack sharp pictures, don’t trust the vibration reduction on your lens. Personally, I use a travel sized tripod (like the GorillaPod , or an Ultrapod ). Now, some would recommend a larger size tripod, but in my experience there’s a few draw backs. First off, unless you go with carbon fiber and spend upwards of around $300 (for a good one), you’re going to end up packing around something heavy. Second, it’s not always possible to just spread out the legs of a tripod wherever you like. I’ve found that a mini-tripod is much lighter, and more useful in most cases then a full size tripod. Strap: The best camera strap I’ve ever found is the Black Rapid R-Strap . I learned the hard way not to depend on the factory strap, and getting my camera off from around my neck was one of the best things I ever did. Black Rapid has also improved the attachment system between the strap and the camera so you don’t need to depend on a small piece of plastic to keep your camera secure anymore. Bag: Being outside, you need to travel light. The best way to carry your gear (like that tripod, or extra lenses) is in a camera bag. Since you’re going to be outside shooting, I’d say travel light and go with something like the Domke J-5XC . I had a chance to try one out recently, and I found that it’s the ideal size for shooting in the outdoors. It’s also got the best strap I’ve ever seen on a camera bag. The J-5XC is one of Domke’s smaller bags, but you want to travel light when you’re shooting outdoors. I recommend a shoulder bag because in my experience, a backpack is more of a pain in the butt then it’s worth. You have to try and find somewhere to put everything down, remove the backpack, get at your gear, put the pack back on, etc. With a shoulder bag it’s easy access, and I’ve actually rested my camera on my gear bag more then once in order to stabilize for a shot. Storage: I prefer to bring my netbook with me, but there are other storage solutions out there. Regardless of what you use, it’s a good idea to backup your pictures off of your memory card at the end of the day. You never know when your card is going to be corrupted, stolen, or just plain lost. If I’m shooting at multiple locations (say in Yosemite, for example) I’ll back up my shots after coming back to the car. It’s a shame to go on that once in a lifetime trip, and lose everything. It just makes sense to back up, particularly if you are on an extended shoot lasting multiple days. For me, a netbook serves dual purposes, so it’s the ideal solution. If you’re looking for something lighter then a netbook, you might also want check out some of the portable camera backup systems available on the market. Be aware however, that these devices can cost as much as a netbook for the same amount of storage. Incidental Gear: There’s a few things your should carry just for general purposes. Personally, I wear a Suunto Core Light Black (because it warns of inclement weather, and also tells you the sunrise and sunset times), I always carry a multi-tool (like the Leatherman Skeletool ), and I shove all my other stuff (like cellphone, wallet, GPS, etc.) in my Evolution Travel jacket. Of course, the biggest thing is to get out there. You can’t take pictures of that sunset if you are at home sitting on the couch, and you’ll never get that great sunrise shot if you are still in bed. It doesn’t matter what camera you use, what matters is that you have a camera with you. So what gear do you carry? What do you consider to be essential for when you leave the house?
Posted by Kevin Huffman
Tech
Tuesday, March 16th, 2010
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God of War III comes out today (YES!), and with all the hoopla surrounding it, I thought this would actually be a good time to recommend/pay tribute to the other God of War games. I’ll explain. I’ve always considered myself to be a hardcore gamer — up on the big new releases, aware of what’s going on in the industry — but for some reason, I completely missed out on God of War and God of War II . I have no idea why. I hadn’t really slacked off in my gaming at all. (Maybe I was still collecting all those dumb shards in The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker . That took forever.) Yet I didn’t buy them when they were first released, and I didn’t really know anything about them. Anyway, sometime in 2007, the Wii was my current system of choice, and I was making my way through Paper Mario . It was alright: It controlled well, it looked nice, and it was cute. But I’d continually be asking myself, “Am I having fun?” I really was becoming jaded and disinterested in games at that point, I’d realized. One day I found myself at a Best Buy, and saw God of War for PS2, now a Greatest Hits title, priced at $19.99. I still really had no idea what it was about or what type of game it was. I just knew the name. What the hell, I thought. Let’s do this. All hyperbole aside, I was truly blown away. I’d never seen anything like God of War — the music, the graphics, the scale, and the sheer fun of it all. The brilliance of Kratos’ weaponry, combos, and pace gaining new powers. I thought about Paper Mario — and not to throw Nintendo under the bus, because I truly love that company and its games — but this was way ahead of anything the competition was doing, especially something like Paper Mario. And I wasn’t impressed by just the game; the bonus making-of documentary was fascinating and, most importantly, brutally honest. Kudos to Sony for including it. Overall, the experience completely reinvigorated my love of gaming and led me to rethink the possibilities of the medium. I bought God of War II the day after finishing God of War . It was also quite excellent, if slightly weaker and sloppy in the story department, but was still a great entertainment. So yes, I’m excited for God of War III. But if you, like I once was, are unaware of the God of War franchise or what all the hubbub is about, trust me. Pick up the God of War Collection (an HD remastered package of the first two games) for PS3. It’s a great way to get up to speed, and you will be amazed; if you care about games or gaming history — or just want to experince Greek mythology on steroids — it’s essential.