If you’ve kept up with the history of video games, and Star Wars then you’d know that its mostly been a pleasurable journey. From flight sims, to FPS’s, to even capturing the strategy behind Star Wars. This is a tribute to the greatness of Star Wars video games through out the years. I hope you enjoy it.

Star Wars Tie Fighter — X-Wing — X-wing vs. TIE Fighter — X-Wing Alliance

You could take your pick of any of the games featured above, and you’d be playing one of the greatest flight sim games of all time. When LucasArts first released X-Wing (1993), they could have easily just rested on the laurels of letting gamers man the cockpit of a Rebel Alliance starfighter. Instead, they came out guns blazing and provided an experience that when you first played; you couldn’t believe it. The game started just before the events in ‘A New Hope’ and had you on a mission for delivering the Death Star plans to Princess Leia. Later, the game would act as a parallel to the events that occured in A New Hope. This pseudo-side story really immersed Star Wars fan further into the struggle found in the movies.

The gameplay was pretty advanced, and even with a flight stick there were plenty of buttons you had to remember. It wasn’t just about ship battles. You had escort missions, scanning missions. The game truly offered a varied experience, all the while with smooth and accurate controls.

A year later, Tie Fighter would be released and is the game that a majority of gamers believe is the best of the Star Wars flight sim games. Instead of directly following the original trilogy storyline, the game offered a more independent mythos. It started just after the Battle of Hoth, and ended just before the Battle of Endor. The game had you interacting mainly with Grand Admiral Thrawn, a fan boy favorite. But there were options for side missions with the Emperor, Darth Vader, and even a shady conspirator.

X-Wing vs. Tie Fighter would take the spirit of the first two, and bring it to the multi-player arena. It was one of the first games to ever offer 8-player online co-op , with the Balance of Power expansion pack. If you didn’t have the Balance of Power expansion, all you really had was a multi-player fest.

X-Wing Alliance would be the culmination of pretty much everything that was great about the three games prior to it. It had the same engaging gameplay. Only this time you piloted the Millenium Falcon. The largest addition of Alliance, was the ability to create custom battle scenarios. The game allowed for the inclusion of a numerous amount of starships.

Dark Forces — Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II — Star Wars Jedi Knight: Mysteries Of The Sith — Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast — Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy

Since the original Star Wars trilogy, there have been very few Star Wars stories worth telling on the big screen. Yes, I’m including Episodes 1, 2, and half of 3. One storyline that does the Star Wars universe justice is the Dark Forces series. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that the Dark Forces series is the best Star Wars story told besides the original trilogy.

The gameplay behind the Dark Forces series has evolved, and has really changed from the original all the way through Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy. In the original Dark Forces, gamers were subject to a standard FPS. The game didn’t come out much later than Doom, and in many ways evolved the FPS genre. This game implemented the ability to have full viewing available to the gamer. You could run, jump, swim, and look around fully which might simple but was revolutionary at the time.

After the original Dark Forces game, we received Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight. This is the game in the series that really set it off, and became a classic in the eyes of most PC gamers. It expanded upon the original Dark Forces, by including well put together FMV sequences. A much updated graphics engine, and most importantly brought us lightsaber combat. Kyle Kataran’s story really fleshed out and brought story telling elements to the FPS genre that really weren’t seen before it. The expansion pack “Mysteries of the Sith” brought a character that has gone down in legend as a cult classic, Mara Jade. This feisty saber wielding vixen was a lot to handle, and really deserved her own spin off series.

Jedi Outcast, which is my favorite game in the entire series took the ideas in Jedi Knight and heavily enhanced upon them. The graphics made a huge leap, and the effects given off by the saber were stunning to say the least. The animations, and move set that Kyle Katarn was given really took Jedi combat to the next level. There were three different stances for saber combat, each with different moves that really added a depth of strategy to saber duels. The online aspect of the game is what really set it off, as you’ll find your most dedicated gamers lurking in the still running Jedi Outcast servers. Jedi Academy was kind of an off-shoot of Jedi Outcast, in that the game no longer followed Kyle Katarn but a jedi apprentice. This game featured Luke Skywalker, Kyle Katarn, Lando Calrissian, and Chewbacca. Billy Dee Willaims, and Mark Hammill both provided voices for their characters. Jedi Academy was pretty weak on the story side, as the game felt very divided in terms of how the levels were laid out. Very little continuity. It more than made up with this by offering a very robust multiplayer experience. On top of the three standard light saber stances, the jedi staff, and dual wield sabers were added. Of course, any JA vet will tell you that the trust single saber is the way to go.

Super Star Wars — Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back — Super Star Wars: Return of the Jedi

Before the Dark Forces series, and the flight sims, there was the “Super” Star Wars series on the SNES. This line of games has a special place in my heart, and was an important part of my gaming history in the early 90′s. More important than that though, is that this series of games is the only other representation of the original trilogy other than the movies. What’s funny is that the games actually do the source material justice, which was possible during the 16-bit era. Which makes you wonder why they can’t get it right now.

The ‘Super’ series at its core was nothing more than a side-scrolling platformer. What it lacked in graphical prowess it made up with solid gameplay, and a certain charm. All three games allowed you to play through as multiple characters. The original Super Star Wars allowed you to play as Luke, Han Solo, and Chewbacca. And they returned as the cast for Empire Strikes Back, which would allow for the first use of force powers in a Star Wars game. Super Star Wars: Return of the Jedi expanded upon the roster by allowing you to play as Princess Leia, and Wicket the Ewok.

I really can’t say a whole lot about the series other than it’s a very worthy side scrolling platform. Its most impressive feat was staying so close to the original stories of the trilogy even when the limited technology of the SNES might have detracted from it. If you have a SNES, and happen to live near a vintage game shop, then do yourself a favor and try to find these games.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR) — Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: Sith Lords

I should preface this by saying that I’m a huge Bioware fanboy. I’m really not a fanboy of any other entertainment entity other than Bioware. Of course as they’ve only released quality games throughout the years, it’s kind of hard not to be. Anyway, this leads up to what could be considered an even greater story than the Dark Forces series.

When the news hit that KOTOR would be coming to the PC, and Xbox I was skeptical. I really didn’t think that the Star Wars universe was a right fit for a RPG. The reason is that most of the combat is based on moving, and covering from blaster fire, and the kinetic light saber duels. Then I heard that Bioware would be the dev studio behind the game. I couldn’t believe it, because up until then they only dealt with D&D properties. My skepticism turned to optimism, and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the game.

I received the game as a Christmas present, and I played it the entire week of my break. I couldn’t stop. The story, combat, and immersive world were utterly addictive. I believe it took me about four days to beat the game, and that was with me exploring all of the side content I could get my hands on.

The story takes place 4,000 years before the original trilogy. When the Jedi, and Sith were plentiful and locked in a grueling battle for control of the force. The game follows an unnamed character, who is linked to a strong sith lord named, Darth Malak. The game progresses as you find out more about this character, because in the beginning he/she starts out with memory loss. I can’t really go into much more for fear of giving away too many spoilers.

The gameplay of KOTOR should be familiar if you’ve played a Bioware RPG before. They adopted the D20 style combat, and brought it to the Star Wars universe. For the most part it worked, and it added a strategy to combat not seen in any Star Wars game before. My only gripe is that like any RPG, the gameplay feels slower compared to the Star Wars action titles.

If you’re a fan of RPGs, and Star Wars then you need to do yourself a favor and pick up the KOTOR series. With an epic storyline, wonderfully detailed world, and some open-ended strategic gameplay, there’s a whole lot to get involved with.

Honorable Mentions

This is a list of the games that while of good quality aren’t quite as recommended as the ones above. Therefore, not as worthy of a write-up, but if you come across them you might want to try them out.

Conclusion

It’s quite amazing how the quality of Star Wars games has kept up throughout the years. Sure there have been a few clunkers here and there, but for the most part its been a wonderful ride. Even some of the honorable mentions I listed still hold special place in my heart.

If you’ve never played any of the Star Wars games I’ve mentioned then do yourself a favor and check them out. Even if you don’t like Star Wars, these games are worthy to play because they’re fun and of real high quality.

The art of hacking in a technological world is generally a negative thing. To hack into something, usually means a breach in security and some form of data altered. However, hacking, and being particularly skilled at it, can pay off – if the skills are used appropriately.

Shane Kelly, age 16, became the world’s youngest person to pass the Certified Ethical Hacker course. Because of his dedication and precision, there are some big people very interested in utilizing his mad skills.

Hacks can be used for good! Programming something to “hack” into a problem you’re encountering, like with say your website development or network. Hacking can be viewed as a positive thing, and quite frankly, the biggest networks and programs are developed by hackers. You have to know how to get into it to be able to prevent access to it, right?

Now, by no means am I saying that it is okay to hack into someone else’s property, or copyrighted works like programs and applications, but hacking should not always be viewed as illegal. Take those skills and go work for someone who can really benefit from them. Internet companies, software companies, police departments. Fight crime! Slip into your bat-suit and get involved in the criminal investigation sector of a police department. After all, they are likely to more fully utilize your hacking super-powers (and you’d get paid for it).

We here at ArsGeek want to know what YOU think about this announcement.  Are you excited?  Pensive?  Will this get you to build a new gaming rig or could you care less?  Here’s what I loved about the previous versions and what I’m hoping for in the new one.

1. Lots of hacking and slashing.
2. Super easy interface.  You can pretty much play the whole game using your mouse.
3. Dynamic play – levels are never the same, multiplayer is free and fun, neat items, the ability to mod your own items in D2.
4. I get to crush demons like they were over ripe tomatos.  Seriously, that’s fun!

That’s why this video has my heart beating faster and my wife getting worried.

I’ve watched it a number of times and I’ve gotten that old feeling again.  For the first time in a long time I’m really anticipating the release of a new game.  Anticipating it in my bones.   This has the potential to be one of the greatest games of whenever the heck it’s launched.  Even better than Duke Nukem Forever.  If Blizzard sticks to their successful format and doesn’t change the game beyond all recognition.

Diablo was really my first good multiplayer experience, set up in a rental house I shared with a couple of other gamers.  Here was Moria (Nethack) with a beautiful skin!  It was my gaming dream.   When Diablo 2 arrived, and later with the LOD expansion I was again in heaven.  Even my wife, who’s not really a gamer, enjoyed the hell out of it.  We’ve played several characters into the upper 60s and had lots of fun with this game.

From the sound of it, they won’t depart to far from their original blueprint, while updating the game enough to give me some other reason to play it than just having shiny new graphics.  It’s still tied to Battle.net – which can be good and bad, but I’ll take it.  Just please, please don’t saddle this thing with some uber-intrusive  DRM crap Blizzard, that and good game play is all I ask!

They’ll be launching with 5 character classes (including a revamped Barbarian and the Witch Doctor who looks to be a Necromancer replacement) which will be customizable.  I’m assuming they’ll have something like or better than the gems and jewels of D2 to upgrade items.  DETAILS!  I need them!

If you haven’t checked out the Diablo universe yet, you can grab the whole series for $30 from Amazon.  It’s very much worth it.  It’s something to say that a game that came out years ago is still playable, and still ranks up there with my favorite titles that I’m currently playing.

If you’d like to get even deeper into it than that – Blizzard is hiring a whole horde of people to make this game.   Now’s your chance to get in on this franchise if you have 3D artistry skills or are a coding guru.

Technorati Tags: diablo, blizzard, itchy mouse fingers, can’t wait, computers, games, video games, WOW can go blow

Here’s the official press release:

StreamMyGame.com announced today that its software now enables 2D applications as such as Microsoft Office as well as 3D games to be used remotely on low spec Windows notebooks, Linux devices and the PlayStation 3.

StreamMyGame.com offers its members the flexibility to use their 2D applications installed on a main PC on any other PC or Linux device in their home or home office. The application does not need to be installed on the remote PC/device. Their applications can be viewed at HDTV resolution and two people can simultaneously use the same application making it easy to collaborate.

All 2D applications can be used including Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, XP Media Center and even Photoshop along with commercial applications such as MYSQL Administrator and SAP’s Database Manager.

Gamers who use Valve’s Steam network can now use StreamMyGame to remotely see Steam’s 2D launcher. They can start games such as Half Life 2, Counter Strike Source and Team Fortress and then record, broadcast and stream them, even to the PlayStation 3.

“Our members wanted to be able to launch and play their Steam games remotely,” said Richard Faria CEO. “We have delivered that and provided them with the ability to access email and use other office applications as if they were in front of their PC,” he said. “Now they can play games and use applications anywhere around the home”.

StreamMyGame will extend its services in late March 2008 to enable games and applications to be used remotely over broadband networks and will release an office version of its technology later this year.

“Our new Linux player contains many optimisations including the use of the Cell’s multi-core architecture. It has improved video playback with a higher gamut and deeper blacks to provide high quality HDTV streaming,” said Richard.

StreamMyGame software is available free by simply registering at http://www.StreamMyGame.com/

Customers can use the free service or subscribe for $9.99 per year for resolutions up to HDTV 720p or $19.99 per year for higher resolutions.

Technorati Tags: streammygames, windows, linux, technology, computers, applications, office, ps3, playstation, neato

1. Increased graphics performance is needed.
2. You should move out of your parent’s basement.
3. Less power consumption is a good thing.

Two out of three ain’t bad for this giant video card creating group.

They’ve created something called Gforce Boost. This technology works by “combining the processing power of the traditional NVIDIA GeForce-based graphics card with that of the second GPU integrated into the motherboard core logic. ”

The power consumption angle is worked by allowing the computer to switch from using one or, if you have an SLI setup, multiple GPUs to the onboard GPU sitting on your mobo. If you’re just tooling around on the web or writing up a nasty retort to your guild members in word, you won’t be using your “discreet” GPUs (the onese you plug into slots) but only the onboard GPU, allowing your computer to suck down less power.

This tech works with the Gforce 8400, 8500 or 8800 series GPUs, and currently the nForce 7 series or GeForce 8200 mGPU mobos, with some Intel manufactured names to be dropped shortly.

Read on for the official press release.

NVIDIA Corporation (Nasdaq: NVDA), the world leader in visual computing technologies, today announced the industry’s first hybrid technology for PC platforms — Hybrid SLI — that addresses two critical issues: increasing graphics performance and reducing power consumption. NVIDIA Hybrid SLI technology will be incorporated into a wide variety of graphics and motherboard desktop and notebook products that the Company is rolling out for both AMD and Intel desktop and notebook computing platforms throughout 2008.

“From the introduction of programmable GPUs to the rapid adoption of our multi-GPU SLI technology, NVIDIA has repeatedly pioneered and innovated to solve difficult problems for the industry. We believe Hybrid SLI technology is one of the most important innovations we’ve come up with to date,” said Jen-Hsun Huang, CEO of NVIDIA. “Hybrid SLI delivers new multi-GPU technology to a large segment of the PC market, delivering consumers a level of PC graphics performance and power efficiency never before seen.”

First disclosed in June 2007, NVIDIA Hybrid SLI technology is based on the Company’s market-leading GeForce graphics processor units (GPUs) and SLI multi-GPU technology. Hybrid SLI enables NVIDIA motherboard GPUs (mGPUs) to work cooperatively with discrete NVIDIA GPUs (dGPUs) when paired in the same PC platform. Hybrid SLI provides two new technologies — GeForce Boost and HybridPower — that allow the PC to deliver graphics performance for today’s applications and games when 3D graphics horsepower is required, or transition to a lower-powered operating state when not.

For lower energy consumption and quieter PC operation, HybridPower allows the PC to switch processing from a single GPU or multiple GPUs in SLI configuration to the onboard motherboard GPU. HybridPower is most useful in situations where graphics horsepower is not required, such as high definition movie playback on a notebook platform or simple e-mail or Internet browsing on a desktop. It is also beneficial for those users who want a quiet operating state with reduced thermals and noise. For notebooks, HybridPower can also dramatically extend battery life by up to 3 hours. When a game or application is started that requires the additional 3D horsepower, the PC can automatically transition back to the discrete graphics cards and power up the 3D capabilities all transparent to the end useri.

For applications where 3D performance is required, GeForce Boost turbo-charges 3D operation by combining the processing power of the traditional NVIDIA GeForce-based graphics card with that of the second GPU integrated into the motherboard core logic. In media-rich applications, both GPUs work in tandem to render the combined images with the end user benefiting from the increase in performance and frame rate. For typical games and 3D applications, GeForce Boost can kick in automatically, resulting in a greatly enhanced consumer experience.

NVIDIA is the recognised market leader for GPU desktop and notebook solutions for both Intel and AMD platforms and has a full lineup of Hybrid SLI-capable graphics and motherboard products planned for 2008. New Hybrid SLI-capable products include the upcoming NVIDIA nForce 780a, nForce 750a, nForce 730a media and communication processors (MCPs) for AMD CPUs, which will be released later this month, as well as the new GeForce 8200 — the industry’s first micro-ATX motherboard solution with an onboard Microsoft® DirectX® 10-compliant motherboard GPU. NVIDIA Hybrid SLI notebooks as well as desktop products designed for Intel CPUs will be available next quarter.

For more information on Hybrid SLI technologies, including GeForce Boost and HybridPower, please visit http://www.nvidia.com/object/hybrid_sli.html

Technorati Tags: nvidia, sli, hybrid, gaming, gpu, 3d, high end, computers, technology, video games

I’d like to introduce the newest bit of computing that we’re going to be taking a look at here at ArsGeek.  It just arrived today – the VyePC S37. 

This little computer sports an 800Mhz Intel processor, an Intel 945GU onboard graphics processor, 2 GB of RAM, a 32GB solid state hard drive, wireless, touchscreen tablet goodness and weighs in at about 2.2 pounds (with the battery). 

There will be a full review of this UMPC in a few weeks once I’ve had a chance to put it through it’s paces.  Here’s a picture with a standard USB keyboard and a 17″ LCD behind the S37.

Blogged with Flock

Tags: vyepc, umpc, mini computers, mini-v, vista, 7 inches of fury, touch screen, mobile power

I just had a chance to download and start using Flock and I am loving it. Yes, it’s a tad slower than Firefox but the tools and integration it comes with are great!

It allows you to upload photos to flickr directly, drop videos into YouTube, check on the status of your Twitter account, see who’s online that you’re friendly with on any of these sites and more.

In fact, I’m posting this to ArsGeek via the Flock blogging tool. It’s not perfect – I can’t upload images directly to the blog but I’m still enjoying it. And best of all, it’s native to Linux, Windows and OSX.

If you’re interested in trying it out on your Ubuntu install (or any other distro) just download it, copy the compressed file to your home directory, right click on it and uncompress and then double click on the script file called ‘flock’.

Blogged with Flock

Tags: flock, social websites, web 9.0

Goozex,

The site looks pretty sweet, with games available for just about every platform out there.  100 points will get you on mid-demand game.  Plus you pay $1 per trade to Goozex itself. Here’s more:

New members simply need to register with Goozex and activate their account to receive the free 100 Goozex points. After joining, members can search and request the nearly 4,000 titles available at that point price. The Goozex game trading system will match the requests and new members can start receiving games in a matter of days depending on the supply and demand of titles.

“We are excited to introduce Goozex in a new way that benefits everyone in our community,” said Valerio Zanini, CEO of Goozex, Inc. Valerio continued, “We have one of the fastest growing gaming communities and we want to start to reach out to a broader audience of gamers who are ready to start trading games. And because you can do so much more on Goozex besides trading, we expect our new members to really value the services we offer.”

The promotion will run from November 5 through November 31, 2007.

Kudos Phoenix, it’s about time.

Technorati Tags: bloodspell, nwn, movies, awesome

I can certainly see myself tooling around in a Caddy like this, the wind buffeting my hair as I do a cool 22 MPH, my scarf blowing behind me as I startle horses and humans alike.

After removing those, I found two psuedo tupperware containers with the remains of some ancient sandwiches. Ouch, those can go.

This is good, right?  I’ve removed about 1/10th of a pound worth of plastic so far.

Okay, two thumb drives, gotta keep those to transfer files.  Two LED mini-flashlights, useful in black outs or surviving zombie uprisings.  My paperback. . . nope, going to keep that too.

Two pens, a first aid kit, a plastic baggie with some tylenol and cold medicine, chapstick, 17 cents.  Okay, the pennies can go.  An old gum wrapper can go as well.

So, after sorting out my entire bag I’ve removed a few bits of plastic and made room for one new DS game, and space in case I happen to receive any new gadgets, like say a largish laser.

How much tech is too much tech?

Technorati Tags: tech, too much, gadgets, backpacks, 36 pounds of crap

There’s an unrepresented minority amongst gamers – folks who love video games but have difficulties playing them because of their bodies. COGAIN – COmmunication by GAze INteraction is bringing together scientists, game designers and universities to address the needs of these players.

A quick sampling of papers being presented looks very interesting.

• ‘Gamepad and Eye Tracker Input in FPS Games: Data for the First 50 Minutes’
• ‘Magic Eye Control’
• ‘Dwell time free eye typing approaches’
• ‘Hands Free Interaction with Virtual Information in a Real Environment’

From their site:
The conference is the third COGAIN conference. It is dedicated to gaze-based communication with computer systems by anyone, but primarily by people who have different types of disability.

Paper submissions are invited on all aspects of gaze-based communications. This year’s special theme, however, is using gaze to interact with games and virtual on-line communities, as well as with applications to express creativity. Gaze can add considerable interaction bandwidth for able-bodied or mainstream users, if measuring gaze position is not intrusive. Profoundly disabled people may find great enjoyment from participation in virtual communities as their disability need no longer be a barrier between them and the able-bodied world. Gaze-based interaction techniques can enable this. There is then the added challenge of fast real-time interaction if this user group is to participate in a world or game on an equal footing with able-bodied participants. Computer games have become such a large part of the entertainment culture, and making use of where the player is looking has yet to be exploited. Disabled users too should be able to fully engage with this form of entertainment and gaze communication offers a means to realise this. Attentive gaze responsive interfaces and applications are the focus of increasing attention. Different electronic forms of creativity and artistic expression for both disabled and able bodied people alike can benefit from the knowledge of where the user is currently looking.

COGAIN (COmmunication by GAze INteraction) is a European Union funded research Network of Excellence, which comprises 25 universities, manufacturers and end-user organizations from across the European Union together with partners from across the globe. More information about the COGAIN network can be found at www.cogain.org.

Technorati Tags: cogain, eye tracking, gaze tracking, games, video games, gaming, gamers, disabilities

From the official Google blog:

• We’re giving a full refund — as a credit card refund — to everyone who ever bought a video. We’ll need you to make sure we have your most recent credit card information, but once we know where to send the money, you’ll get it.

• You can still keep the Google Checkout credit that you’ve received already. Think of it as an additional ‘we’re sorry we goofed’ credit.

• We’re going to continue to support playing your videos for another six months. We won’t be offering the ability to buy additional videos, but what you’ve already downloaded will remain playable on your computer.

Technorati Tags: google, video, oops, refund, credit, no evil

He’s grateful that he got the device, as it’s allowed him to not only continue living, but live a full and extremely active life traveling the world, walking long distances and doing pretty much everything he did before 2000.

The one thing he has a problem with is that it appears to have changed his emotions – or more precisely, his ability to empathize with other human beings. He describes himself as “coldhearted” — “less sympathetic in some ways.”

This leads me to wonder about the upcoming age of the Cyborg. Think it’s not going to happen? Well think again, replacement body parts made out of non-organic materials and under their own power are here, and they’re here to stay.

Way back in the past when I was in high school and for a short time afterwards, I used to play an RPG called Cyberpunk. One of the tenets of this game was that you can replace all the body parts you want with wizbang neato cyborg doohickeys. But every time you shave off a bit of yourself, you also lose a bit of your humanity.

Will this be true? What are the implications for people and their feelings when they’ve replaced something organic with something inorganic. In Houghton’s case, is it simply psychology? Or can it be chalked up to the heart he was born with no longer manufacturing hormones his system was used to? Maybe it’s that our human brains are wired to go with the unconscious beat of the heart and when that’s removed and replaced with a titanium turbine, something gets left behind.

In our very near future, we’re going to see humanity faced with a number of technologies that have never been introduced into any society, anywhere. Artificial parts are just the tip of the iceberg. We’re looking at artificial worlds, the ability to interact with other people using all of our senses without physically being present. Amplification for our memories and our capacity to learn. All kinds of wonderful new things – but will they all come with a price? I have no doubt that our societies will adjust to these changes as they’ve necessarily adjusted to every prior change. We’ve got to keep in mind however that these adjustments can take forms that are not beneficial to us and are not fun to live through.

Technorati Tags: cyborg, emotions, feelings, society, rise of the machines

When I’m on a mission nothing can get in my way, including reality. I disassembled my desk (with force), threw away the pieces I couldn’t salvage and turned the rest into shelving units. I wanted to make sure I would not change my mind on this, so I made it impossible to reconstruct.

Rendered without a desk, I placed my monitor and tower in the back of my bedroom closet and set the laptop in front of me.

The first thought that went through my head after I sat down to write was, “Dang this is awkward.”

I hated the keyboard. Although the laptop was useful when I am away, I never used it as my primary computer at home. Not only did I hate the keyboard, it grew rather hot to the touch as well.

In the kitchen I had a wrought iron cook book holder that seemed to fit my equipment perfectly, so I placed it on dark oak tv tray stand and tried to write again. GR! It was still awkward and I was not happy. One wireless keyboard and mouse later, I attempted to befriend my decision to rid of desktop once more.

The annoyance was still there. I placed it on my coffee table, but the monitor was too far away from me for comfort. I adjusted the resolution, but it still didn’t help. I moved it to the left of the sofa, to the right of the sofa, on book shelf NEAR the sofa and the results were basically me whining continuously.

It still did not flow! I could not creatively write, I could not creatively think, and worse of all- I could barely Google!

I searched high and low for tips and suggestions for laptop placement as this was turning into an obsession! There ARE NO tips OR suggestions. I did read, however, that one must never place a laptop on their lap. Apparently it goes against the new Feng Shui rules (on that site at least).

My search took me to look up laptop pictures so I could see where all the happy smiling people in the pictures were churning out their work… which typically was ON their lap, on the sofa and from my experience- that does not work for me.

Not having WiFi has also limited my placement of my wired life. I have to position myself near a cable outlet.

All of a sudden as I was writing this, it hit me! Swap the areas where the computer and television are.

Four hours later after moving things around, in which at one point I thought I was playing a real life game of Tetris, I’m sitting here content! It worked!

I moved myself off the sofa, placed an antique chair in the corner with a little table by a book case and voila- I have a convenient little work station that’s a quarter size of a desk work station and my sofa is reserved for complete slothing or making out, like it should be.

Basically, try to brave a little rearranging bravery. Sit in different areas in which it’s possible to set up your work station and if it feels good, make it work for you. An evening of inconvenience might be worth months or years of productivity, unless of course you’re like the majority of the population and computer placement doesn’t bother you.

Feel free to share your own Feng Shui for your PC sagas or advice.

-Ghic

Technorati Tags: feng shui, pc, moving, laptop

He was talking about the fine art of spit wads, in which I gave my opinion that spit wads are wrong and germy. He tried to educated me by saying that it was a boy thing. Of course I countered that with “Well boys are wrong and germy.” He brought up how boys play video games and do spit wads- period. I fought back stating that girls play games too… and hence the spiraling into my disbelief that we still live in a gamerverse that’s geared towards men when the statistics are building up to show females are getting right up there in numbers with the Y Chromosomes.

Wrong Germy Boy…you dont look geekie, but you ARE geekie
Ghic Chic I can’t help it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But you did prompt me for my next article, “Girls are Gamers Too” as it shocks me that there’s that misconception.
Wrong Germy Boy…there sure is…cause most gals I’ve hung out with did not enjoy it
Ghic Chic Is there anything they do like other than perhaps clubbing, drinking, and watching stupid reality shows or dramas?
WGB…yes SHOPPING and make-up
Ghic Chic lol See. Those are the societal filler girls; they have no purpose in life other than ambience.

Not only are we playing these games, we’re also designing, developing and producing quite a few of them as well. I on the other hand, just want to play.

Can’t we all just get along?

Not only is there the silly debunking of a myth that women don’t play games, it has to be discredited further by challenging as to whether or not we’re casual gamers and you need to list your titles in order to gain any sort of respect from the gaming community… or you’re scoffed at.

I’m not leaping upon a soapbox wanting to throw equal rights or recognition into a platform that, while a little serious, it’s a fun escape that builds upon imagination and can also sharpen your mind and skills.

I would like to join a focus group or something in which my voice can be heard and seriously listened to. There are a lack of decent games out there with female leads that have interesting characters. Most of the female story lines, although interesting, lack the charm and charisma that leading males characters have, which makes for very bland game play. I want to really like the shoes I’m walking in. While I enjoy playing games regardless of which gender is main character, it does lead to an identity crisis when all is completed- and it explains why I get along with men more than woman… for 4-16 hrs per week (depending), I am one!

Did I jump on a gamer bandwagon?

It may surprise some of you to know that there are some of us out here who have been a part of the gaming world since our introduction of the television set. I recall sitting at my Grandparents house and a little thing called Pong on Odyssey was in front of me. It was a blast. My eyes grew bigger as Atari and Intellivision introduced me to a wider range of games that I was able to play from the comfort of my living room. Although the graphics and game play weren’t nearly as fun as when my brother and I would hop the fence to the arcade- it was an addiction I never gave up. I watched the title changes through out the years and the evolution of the consoles. Most games bored me, while some would occupy my days and nights, even causing me to sneak away from my friends while getting ready to go dancing in order to play Nintendo in the other room with my friends kid brother.

Playstation blew me away and as I tired of games that victimized female characters into crying for a male to rescue her so she could reward him (if one is in the story at all), Tomb Raider hit the shelves. While her appearance annoyed me at first, WOW! The puzzles, exploration, the game taking me to new levels, new visuals, new challenges that I had only mildly experienced before with the titles that came out around that same time. I wanted to BE Lara Croft!

Next there was Xbox and my introduction to Halo. I still marvel as each console generation advances and although I feel “ENOUGH ALREADY” at times because my consoles are starting to pile up from still being in perfect working condition with no new titles, I admit I’m excited to see what’s up ahead.

In the upcoming months I will begin to review various titles on PS2 as I’m still a little overwhelmed about the choices of Wii, Xbox 360, PS3. If I could buy them all, I would, but I spent all of my productive time playing video games… nuff said.

Serious gamers are male and female. Under 35 and over 35. The interest is across the board and growing steadily as developers are doing two things: Dumbing down some of the games to suit mainstream interest (another discussion all together) and creating more titles for all genres in which ANYONE can go out there and find a title to their liking. Hopefully there will be a day when no brows are arched as you state your passions.

I can’t wait for the day when people realize that gaming is a normal part of life that people seem to enjoy regardless of background, life style, religion, gender or age. It keeps you off the street and away from bar room brawls and decreases the risk of pregnancy and STD’s. If you’re gaming can’t be out “playin’”. Well I kind of made that last part up, but wouldn’t the world be a better place if we were all so busy playing video games that we dropped all our social skills all together (until you play The Sims and get those social skills back up), and placed all our frustrations in virtual world? “Grrr you make me so angry!!!! I’m going to go rent Manhunt!!!”

I recall a time in which playing video games was pretty closeted less you subjected yourself to ridicule and being poked with sticks. Now a gamer can live out in the open and free as all the negative focus is on RPG’ers!! Just don’t look in my closet for a manual… or in my night stand for a set of 20 sided die… and if you do find those things, they aren’t mine! The old tenants left them, along with a character book… and cape.

-Ghic

Technorati Tags: gamer, games, girls, geek, chic, ladies, console, psp, ps2, pc

Here’s a link to get you started. Click on the thumbnail as well for a closer look.

From their site:“With Photosynth, we take pictures of an environment and knit them together into an experience that people can move through like a 3-D video game,” said Blaise Aguera y Arcas, architect at Microsoft Live Labs. “NASA provided us with some outstanding images and the result is an experience that will wow anyone wanting to get a closer look at the Endeavour and its travels.”

Technorati Tags: photosynth, microsoft, nasa, shuttle, 3d, wicked cool

Popular Mechanics is running a great online article about the science behind and the construction of boomerangs.  If you’ve ever wanted to make your own and give it a toss, here’s a great article for you.

Dating for me has proved to be a bane. Due to a hectic and confining (yet rewarding) life, it’s difficult to meet people. Even when my life was a little more freeing, I felt overwhelmed. I met men through friends, online, by chance- and I always wound up with the same result- Life experiences and tales to tell amongst friends while ultimately spending my evenings alone.

Online dating was a joke. For every 500 men who’d vulture you, only one was worthwhile. Even with that one I would still ponder, “Life is a numbers game, how many women did HE vulture and I just happened to respond?”

With the online communication you fell into the impersonal communication that is font. It was a running joke that in order to have a fluent conversation face to face on one of the many dates, a keyboard was definitely needed as you reach a point in which verbal conversation just isn’t as articulate and as thought provoking as the many hours of text conversations.

Online also took away the romance of seeing that initial “spark” in someone, the tone of their voice capturing your attention and discovering the little things that online sites display for all the world to see. Getting to know someone becomes less special and exciting. For every little thing you like about a person, you know that hundreds of other people read the same thing, and chances of them being honest about it, let’s just say it’s a whole other numbers game.

When I was going through Reuters I stumbled across “Digital Zap: aka OneKeyAway”. “Before parties, guests register online and complete questionnaires. The answers are then transferred to digital memory devices — red, plastic squares slightly larger than a matchbox — that the guests wear like necklaces.

During a party, people point their devices at one another to check how compatible they are. The devices flash red, yellow or green, depending on their level of compatibility.

Green means go, and red? Stop.”

Unfortunately events aren’t nationwide. They’re currently confined to (shock of all shocks) Southern Cali, San Francisco and NY.

I think the big picture for me would be perhaps creating a device that any single/divorced person could wear when they’re back in the game and “zap” someone any where, any time (having an off/on switch of course for when you really don’t care to look or be bothered). It could really be a good conversation starter or open up possibilities at unlikely places.

If you live in those areas and want to try out an event: onekeyaway.com

Technorati Tags: dating, geek, woman, man, gadget for dating, zap me

Share your most frustrating and/or humorous story so we can all share the pain (and laughter).

This was the third computer my family ever had, having gone through two Atari 400′s previously. I still remember connecting up to Xevious on my 300 Baud modem.

If you look back at the Furby trends of old, those are right out as well. Sure they were disgustingly cute and capable of getting an emotional response from folks, but they were incapable of learning.

What we are seeing however is a series of robotic contraptions entering our lives which are both capable of learning and of convincing us that they’re not just a pile of plastic and silicon. (We’re going to stay away from purely digital entities for the purposes of this little thought piece).

One particular forthcoming robot has caught my interest. A company called UGOBE is behind this and their stated mission is to blur the line between technology and life. UGOBE is a reworking of the phrase “You! Go and be!”. Cogito Ergo Sum for the modern age which embraces the idea of autonomous life.

Their upcoming flagship project is a little robot named Pleo. Pleo looks like a baby dinosaur. But not just a cutsie widdle cudwly dino. UGOBE is striving for a bit more. “With the goal of resurrecting a long-extinct species, UGOBE designers and engineers studied the Camarasaurus, a dinosaur from the Jurassic period, to recreate Pleo, a UGOBE Life Form, from the fossils of the original. Pleo’s height and
weight are consistent with that of a one-week old infant Camarasuarus, a species born and raised in giant fern forests. They evolved camouflage that allowed them to blend in with their environment of ferns, moss, and ruff, the detritus that littered the forest floor.”

Wow. My geek lights are flashing and I’m even tempted to use the blink tag here.  Not only are we talking dinosaurs but robotic dinosaurs capable of reacting to their environment. Here’s where it starts to get better. UGOBE don’t consider themselves toy makers, or robot manufacturers. They consider themselves to be Life Form engineers. Emphasis on the capitals. Why?

“Pleo incorporates all the basic traits of autonomous life and is specifically engineered to mimic life and relate to its owner on a personal level. Pleo will let its user know how it feels at any moment, and he is capable of multiple expressions, including joy, aggression, sorrow, and fear—every Pleo eventually exhibits a unique personality. Pleo can also sigh, sniff, sniffle, snore, cough, hiccup, and sneeze, and when Pleo is tired, he will become drowsy and go to sleep, and sometimes even dream. Pleo is equipped
with sensors for sight, sound and touch. He will begin life with certain tendencies but will learn and change his behavior as he explores his environment, exhibiting genuine reactions to sensory stimuli. Pleo will stretch when he first wakes up, and may cry when frightened or hungry. ”

How does UGOBE go about creating something like this? They’ve engineered their own complex system of tools and software named the Life Form Operating System (Life OS) which is designed specifically to handle input from sensory devices and allow Pleo to react and interact with the world around it. Think sight, sound, touch and perhaps even the other to oft neglected robotic senses, smell and taste. It’s a system that allows their individual units to start of with an inherent set of traits which are modified by their environment. Nature and nurture. This means that no two Pleos will be alike, but will be influenced by their environments as they learn about the world around them and discover different ways to deal with that world. Did I mention that UGOBE isn’t just a group of engineers? Their multi-disciplinary group also contains philosophers, biologists and at a guess cognitive development specialists.

Could it be that the rise of learning machines and that Artificial Intelligence we’ve all heard so much about will come not from the government sector, not from research facilities or universities, but from the private sector. Making what many would classify as toys no less? I’ve often held that good old profit driven business will be the driving force behind many of our next centuries major advances. Space exploration, travel and colonization has seen an incredible boost from the private sector. Same with computing and other electronics. Now we’ve got a ‘toy’ that can learn on it’s own looking to enter the lives of consumers everywhere in the near future.

That is why this little guy has me excited. I view this not only as an amazing looking product I’d love to get my hands on, but as a major step forward in the field of personal robotics and AI. Coming as it usually does out of left field from a small group of people.

I don’t know if I would rightly consider this just a toy. It’s not a pet either but falls into a still nebulous area somewhere in between. The Pleo goes through several life phases right before your eyes. When it’s first turned on and for the first 45 minutes of it’s life it’s an ‘Hatchling’, learning from it’s environment and gaining comfort from interaction. After that it enters its second phase of life, “Infant”. Here the Pleo explores it’s world. Finally the Pleo enters it’s last phase, “Juvenile”. Here’s where the unique personality of each Pleo will really emerge.

What an amazing concept. A fully constructed thing that not only children but most adults will have no problem recognizing as not a thing, but a being. How hard would it be to give your Pleo a name and get to know it’s individual traits and behaviors as it ‘grows up’ in your household? Not hard at all.

Blurring the line indeed. I’m going to be watching the development of the Pleo and of UGOBE closely because I’m personally very excited about what it is they are setting out to achieve. Will people look back at the Pleo and say “That’s where artificial life forms entered our lives”? Only time will tell on that one. I can say for certain that I’d love to get some time with one. UGOBE’s sold me on the idea.

Want some specifics on the Pleo? Here are some technical specs for you.

Every Pleo Life Form includes:
Significant Processing Power

• Two 32-bit Microprocessors – central and image processing
• Four 8-bit Subprocessors – motor control

Highly Articulated Movement

• 14 Motors
• Over 100 Custom-Designed Gears

Complex Sensory Network

• Infrared and camera-based vision system – object and color detection and navigation
• Two Microphones – binaural hearing
• Eight Skin Sensors – head, chin, shoulders, back, legs
• Four Foot Switches – surface detection
• 14 Force-feedback sensors – one per joint
• Orientation Tilt Sensor – body position
• Infrared Mouth Sensor – food detection

Multiple Data Ports

• Mini USBTM port – online downloads
• SDTM card slot – Pleo add-ons
• Infrared transceiver

High-Quality Sound

• Two Speakers – mouth and back

Power Source

• Rechargeable and replaceable NiMH battery pack

Technorati Tags: pleo, ai, artificial intelligence, life os, life form, ugobe, gadget, holy dinosaur batman

For more like it, check out their site and other interesting hacks of all things technical.

That picture up there, the one with the robots, boogers and bloodhound?  It totally made my morning.  I don’t know who’s responsible for it but whoever spent the 10 minutes cobbling it together, you have my thanks.  I was laughing out loud for a good minute at that silly image.

Oh, and some researches have made synthetic snot for robots to smell better.  Or smell more accurately.  More better.  Nicer.  You know what I mean.

Photo and tip off courtesy of the New Scientist and Google.