The 5 Problems with Videogame Journalism

Firingsquad.com has an insightful piece on five things that are wrong with videogame journalism today.

In the last year, a lot has been said about videogame journalism and the problems of the field. There is a belief that gaming reviewers play into the hands of the marketing machine instead of being actual critics who can help to improve the quality of the content such as is the case with the film and music industry. One fundamental problem is that reviewers never get the chance to experience the game the same way you do.

A good read.
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How to Get Great Sleep

Psychology Today has an article that examines sleep and by understanding our sleep cycles, we can make use of methods to help us get a good night sleep. Good for those times when you can't seem to fall asleep.

Delete does not equal erase in an iPod

If you think that deleting the MP3 files off your iPod means that you're throwing them into the limbo and never to be recovered, think again. Apparantly, Apple has built in some features that keep the data in storage, and even features that allow them to dig in and find out where the data came from. Scary eh? You can read more about that on a CNET article that reveals how the hard disk on your fave music player could haunt you, since deleting data doesn't mean that you're removing that same data from your iPod.

Make your own paper Serenity model

Wow... Browncoat rules! This guy has made a paper model of the spacecraft Serenity from the Firefly series. Also on the page are plans of the model so that if you're as fanatic a Firefly fan as he is, you can build your own paper model too.

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Batmobile spotted

Did the Cape Crusader get evicted from the Bat Cave? If so, he must be staying somewhere in the North Beach Road area.

Play with the Google logo

Some guy has come up with a version of the Google logo made with dynamic Java code. You have a logo that is made of sparkling granular-like sand and when you move your mouse pointer over it, it will swirl and then reform. It's simply beautiful and cool.

Looking inside the new Macs

Are you curious what the inside of your Mac looks like? For those interesting in getting to the guts of your machine, this site has pictures of various Macs, including the new Intel iMac, with their guts exposed for the whole world to see. Well, now I can know what's in the inside of my 12" Powerbook G4 without having to perform surgery on it.

SpyMy - a Digg clone?

Digg is great, and when something is as successful as Digg, someone will be looking to clone its success. Well, it seems that some folks from Malaysia has decided to do a Digg clone and it's called SpyMy. Instead of digging a story, you "Spy it". Rip off? You decide.

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15 Tech Concepts You'll Need To Know In 2006

Scienctific and tech breakthroughs won't stop for anyone. To help you keep on the bleeding edge, Popular Mechanics has come up with a piece that you should read if you want to know the tech concepts that you'll be hearing about in the coming year. Don't know about AJAX or Mobile WiMAX? Go read this.

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Hobbit house in miniature

A Tolkien fan has meticulously recreated a dollhouse version of Bilbo and Frodo's house from the Lord of The Rings. Every little detail is there from the bedrooms, to the kitchen, to even the little ornaments the adorn the walls. Amazing.
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How to deal with telemarketers

Nobody likes telemarketers. If that is so, why do we still receive so many unsolicited calls? Well, here is a counterscript that you can use if you get a call from telemarketers. Instead of becoming the victim, be proactive and start asking them questions. Maybe this can help you tip the balance... since telemarketers follow a script anyway.

The Last iPod Video Guide You’ll Ever Need

The folks at Plastic Bugs have put together something that every 5G iPod owner should read. It is a comprehensive guide on almost everything you'd like to know about putting videos on Apple's popular music player. So if you're planning to use your iPod to view videos, this is a guide that you should read. Oh, it's for Mac users only.
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Play with virtual LEGO bricks

Ever wanted to play with LEGO bricks on your computer? Now there's a tool to let you use any number of bricks to virtually do up your creation, without having to worry that you don't have enough bricks. This software is called LEGO Digital Designer and is made by LEGO. Use it to build anything you want, then if you really want to make it real, you can subsequently go ahead to buy the real bricks. For those who don't have enough cash, well, this software will give you hours of virtual LEGO pleasure.
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10 gripes about Mac OS X

After using OS X for some time, I would have to say that Apple's operating system is simply sweet. However, it is not the perfect OS. Perhaps there will never be a perfect OS, some may say. Still, Informit.com has a piece that states 10 items that is annoying about OS X. Some of it is quite true and when you think about it, it is annoying that OS X does some of these things. Read and learn.

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Another Star War LEGO Movie...

It's always great to see LEGO movies. This time, it's one called the Han Solo Affair featuring our fave scoundrel in the galaxy. Fun stuff.

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Behind a Steve Jobs Keynote

With MacWorld coming up next week, Steve Jobs keynote during that event will be the most anticipated event, especially for Mac fans knowning that the head Apple honcho's keynote is akin to a great performance and there will certainly be something interesting that will be announced. But do you know what goes on in the prep for his keynote? On Guardian Unlimited, former Apple employee Mike Evangelist gives you the scoop behind the Steve Jobs show.

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Battle using Google Earth War

Someone once did a Risk-type game using Google Map. However, it was shut down due to some copyright issue with the actual Rish game. Now, some one even more brilliant has come up with another cool battle-type game using tools from Google Earth. Here, players generate revenue to fund their armies and you can also start or join alliance. Great for those diabolical minds with a head for world domination.

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Help to find the Linux distro you need

Finding the right Linux distro for your own use may be a bit of pain if you don't know where to start. This site is here to hep and it uses a series of questions to narrow down and pick the Linux distro that's best for your needs. Useful.

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Learn Japanese with RPG

Learning Japanese is fun if you use this RPG game. This is a game that uses all the familiar RPG conventions that helps you learn the Japanese language. In the game, you play Knuckles from the Sonic universe, and you go on exploring the world an learn Jap. Sounds fun. Apparently, you can learn Indonesian and German with this too. The only cryptic thing is that the game is called "Knuckles in China Land". Going to China and learn Jap? Strange...

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Free online file storage and sending

If you're looking for some ways to store or send files online, this is something that you should check out. The CreativeGuy website has come up with a list of online file storage services and/or large file size email sending services. Everything on the list is free and you can read what features and the kind of restrictions that the services have before you decide what to use. Handy.

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Blog Software Comparison Chart

Thinking of starting a blog in the new year? Well, with all the various blogging software out there, you may wibder which service you would want to use. Here's a handy comparison chart that you can use to check the various features that each of the software has. Great for everyone thinking of registering for a blog. The only gripe I have is that there is no comparison of pricing.

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Free Software for Starving Students

Happy New Year everyone! So what's in store for the new year? Well, maybe the best way to start the new year is to get something free. The link below will bring you to something that's called Software for Starving Students. It's a CD that you can burn and contains a number of freeware that you can use. They are truly useful stuff and versions are available for Windows and Mac. Even if you're not really a starving student, the collection is still great if you're looking for some free, useful software to use. What better way to start a new year by getting something free, or even better, burning it for your friends for free?
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Hack to download tunes from MySpace

Many indie bands put up their tunes on MySpace. You can listen to them using the embedded player, but you can't download them and play it at your own leisure on your MP3 player, if the "download" option is disabled. Now, there's a hack that lets you grab any songs from the site. Nice workaround.

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