God Bless,

Blessed are the Geeks

If you missed it before I gave my pre-use feelings on Google+ just about a week ago. Now, I am in (thanks to Jeffery). I am using it, inviting friends and family and trying to get a good feel for it. You know what?… it’s a lot like Facebook, just without all the clutter… and without the people. I mean, the interface is really clean and I like the Circles idea. See with Circles I can post that I’m not feeling well and that I could really use prayer and/or chicken soup  for only my family and friends that I want to see the post , so it doesn’t sound like I’m just complaining to the open masses of students, acquaintances, and long lost high school chums that I have accumulated. Also to my joy, it uses Google Chat inside Plus, and G-Chat will always run laps around Facebook chat (even if they added video… that G-Chat had like 2 years ago). I am still trying to figure a couple things out… like Sparks… not quite sure on that yet. Also, they only have apps for Android out currently and are not releasing the IOS apps until after the beta testing. So that’s a bit of a bummer for any of us who are IOS users. But on a whole, as a first impression after use… I like it.

If you have Netflix (and really if you don’t, what kind of geek are you?) you can now stream most of the Star Trek movies and television series’ all into your favorite device. Whether it be a PADD, your ships main computer, or even your android best friend, that is if his positronic brain or other any device can play Netlfix, it can be turned into a portal Galaxy Roddenberry. The only thing that seesm to be missing from the Smörgåsbord of Star Fleet’s finest on watch it now is Captain Sisko and  all those abord Deep Space Nine (along with a few of the Next Generation movies). There is enough to enjoy though, for anyones pallet. So, what your favorite episode? How many times do you think you can watch it before it is no loger you favorite episode? All this to be unfolded over these next summery weeks. The one think I ask, do try and turn of the Trek at some point and go outside… you don’t want to be known as that guy! Plus you’d be as pastier than an Andorian.

Google + is a new social networking paradigm. It’s an attempt at undermining Facebook and integrating the rest of your social networking fun with the World Wide inter-webs. The big question that everyone is asking is… do we really need more social networking online?  I mean with Facebook, Linkdin, Flickr, Twitter, SpringForm, then there is that Classmate one that always spamming me, and many more, is there really room for a new kid on the block… so to speak. I mean Wikipedia lists over 100+ social networking sites! Is the death of MySpace leaving that big of a void google? I saw this on XKCD and really liked it (then it was linked on another gadgety blog)

Google plus has a kind of mysterious feel to it. I’m sure it can’t be as bad as Google Wave (::shudder::) or Google Buzz (:: double shudder::) but at the moment I am awaiting an invite (usually I get one kinda early being a long time Gmail user). The name kinda says a good bit about what it’s suppose to feel like… It’s Google, but more than Google. Google has been making a full frontal attack on vying for your attention and data for a while now, branching out from search engine to internet demi-god, Google still holds publicly to their moto “Don’t Be Evil.” And from where I’m sitting, if they can keep the privacy of their user in Google+ they will start off being viewed as less evil than the forerunner Facebook, who often fails at reaming view as a hero.

So what does Google+ do?

Probably what you think it would. Well, what I mean is it will probably blur the lines between real life interaction and online interaction. You will probably be able to post embarrassing information and pictures for your friends and coworkers to mock you with, and I guarantee there will be a way to get some sort of spam through it. But outside that there is only a bit of information of the Google+  site. Here is a bit of what they give as a peek into Google+.

Circles

This seems a way to clump friends into small groups so that you can share the correct information with the correct people.

Hangouts

A place where you can set up “organic” online groupings. This sounds like a chat room… with video. I don’t know if that what I was really pining for. But maybe it’s really cool.

Instant Upload

Well, this is really what you think it would be, it instantly updates your Google+ account with picture that upload from your phone.

Sparks

This is a recommendation service based of the thinks you enjoy.  This reminds me of Netflix’s “if you liked Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, might we recommend Surf Ninjas”

Huddles

This is a chat room for your friends from your phone. It was likend to mass texting in real time. Maybe cool, if everyone has Google+.

All in all, I reserve judgement until I used it, but I am finding it hard to imagine dumping Facebook, that  is established and has most of the connection already in it, for something that has had it’s 2 predecessor fail miserably… I don’t know. Google+ here is you challenge…. impress me.

info from Google+

I’m sorry if I offend you if you have been guilty of committing this act before. It’s ok to be corrected though, that’s how we learn to be better geeks. So, know that I mean it with all the love in my heart when I say that IT’S NOT HACKING when someone leaves up their Facebook and then the next person writes a funny message. Don’t get me wrong, it’s normally funny, obvious and worth a good chuckle. Seeing a new status as  ”: Bob is my favorite person. All others pale in comparison and his awesomeness makes my earlobes recoil in respect”   is both out of context, self incriminating and hysterical, plus, we all love it. It’s just not, by any means of the word, defined as “hacking” or ” being hacked”. Because a Hacker is defined as; A person who enjoys exploring the details of programmable systems and how to stretch their capabilities, as opposed to most users, who prefer to learn only the minimum necessary. One who programs enthusiastically (even obsessively) or who enjoys programming rather than just theorizing about programming. A person capable of appreciating hack value. A person who is good at programming quickly. So unless there was any program trickery or what-not, what was done was not hacking… sorry. Good news though, you still made someone smile. Also note, that when someone has been wit by a spambot and all sort of weird random stuff is coming up on their computer, also not hacking… its just a spam virus. Carry on with your day!

Soundjaw.com / Kickstarter.com

Unboxing and review of the PadPivot from Thomas Quicksell on Vimeo.

PadPivot.com / Kickstarter.com

I am a Green Lantern fan, really, the comic made GL into a hero for anyone with an overactive imagination. Being able to see your thoughts come to life by the power of your will is the coolest power in the DC universe, as far as I’m concerned. So I set the bar pretty high for this movie walking in, but knowing that I had high expectation for Superman Returns… and really regretted that, I tamped down my excitement and held my breath a little. You know what though? I had a lot of fun at Green Lantern.

Plot:

Green Lantern carries a moral that I like. The whole movie scream the fact that yes, you are broken, but it’s not to late to fix that. Charged with the task of providing the background info for a hero that should be a household name (but isn’t) Green Lantern tried to carry a lot of plot into the viewer. While I’m sad to say they did fail a bit, in my opinion, the movie was still informative, fun, and a great set up for the sequel.

Acting:

I don’t think I have ever seen an instance of Ryan Reynold’s acting that didn’t make him seem charming and approachable. Green Lantern is no exception. He is the perfect Hal Jordan from the comics. Cocky, stubborn, a ladies man, and still crazy about his family he does a solid job about carrying the weight of this seasoned hero from ink to film. His supporting cast is somewhat so-so. The CGI creations that give life to his off-world adventures are sometimes hard to believe, but still tolerable for the most part. They are by no means the least life like acting found in this film, that award goes to Blake Lively, who does her best to portray a women who inexplicably doesn’t need a man and needs a man, all at the same time.The constant contractition ends up drawing away from the character of Carol Ferris instead of adding complexity. The villans were weak but there was a light that shined thought the fog of Parallax. That light was the acting of  Mark Strong as Sinestro.  Destined to fall from glory, he made you both realize that his fall was inevitable and regret that fall all at the same time. Well done Mister Strong.

Visuals and Effects:

Here was the biggest draw back. They made a poor, Star Wars Episode 1-3 choice in making all off-world experiences into green screened worlds. This took away from believability and made it feel like the movie was out of sync with it’s “on Earth” bits. I will say that Sinestro looked great but all other non-terrestrial creatures were… lacking. They also chose poorly with making the entire GL suit CGI… and it looked it too. What I can say though is it always felt like maybe it just poped right out of a cimic page with a whimsical charm and a flighty fantastic feel. The Will Power creation were fun. While some younger viewers thought there should have been more extreme creations, I feel that if they had done any more ring craziness they would have been lost to the campy side for good.

Overall the movie wasn’t serious, but it didn’t try to be. It was fun and a precursor for whats to come.

I give Green Lantern a

B

I went and saw Cars 2 today with my wife and 3 year old son. We had just had a great lunch (for free) at the new Red Robin, so we figured a movie would top of the afternoon nicely. I was excited yet hesitant because while I love spy movies… a Cars spy movie seemed so … unnecessary.

Plot:

Pixar has a history of creating movies I question in concept and love in execution. Despite having a few movies that the premis did not stir me at all, Pixar had never let me down. That is, prior to today. The good things I can say about the plot of Cars 2… well there is …. no, Oh what about… no thats not a good thing…., there was that one… nah thats in the first movie. In reality the plot of this movie from start to finished felt like the equivalent of the first episode of a over produced made for disney channel animated series from 10 years ago. You know the ones, taking your favorite characters and stuffing them in some ridiculous plot so far removed from their natural habitat that they can stuff gags in instead of character development. In fact, the spy concept may have had a beter chance for success in a half hour format, because it was about 30 minutes in when I wanted to leave, and that almost never happens to me. My wife and I felt like there where a few genuinely funny moments, but neither of us could remember what they where while leaving the movie theater. What really bothered us is (SPOILER) the race didn’t even matter in the movie. IT WAS A CARS MOVIE and the race doesn’t matter ?!?!? Yup, that’s what I said, we were shocked too. The only praise I can give is that it entertained my three year old. That is something at least… but normally Pixar has a broader target demographic.

Acting:

The voice actors for Cars 2 is still the star studded cast, but somehow they seemed flat and 2 dimensional even in in this 3d movie. We saw it in 2d for the boy’s sake. The dialogue was flat and often mis-timed. Really it all felt and sounded like it  was phoned in.

Visuals and Effects:

Here is the one place I have positive things to say. Cars 2 Looks amazing. There is one scene that has a water fall and some splashing and it was, dare I say beautiful. Pixar really stepped up this round one it’s detail and it really shows. Since the plot wasn’t keeping my attention I turned my attention to the Visuals and there I found a reason to sit though the movie. It wasn’t enough to make the movie enjoyable, but just enough to make it bearable.

I give Cars 2 a

D+

That’s right it is time again to those crazy guys to stay up for a godforsaken amount of time playing the best known game franchise on earth… for charity! The guys over at the Mario Marathon do countless challenges and runs of the Mario Bros. games to raise some funds for and awareness of Child’s Play. Child’s Play is a organization that gets video game entertainment into the hands of  kids at children’s hospitals, giving them something fun to do to pass the time and get their minds off of the very grown-up stress they have (what a great group!) so head over to a the Mario Marathon, this year in it’s 4th year, and watch and donate! It’s is really entertaining and a great cause. Tune in over at their website starting June 24th at 11am EDT

Mario Marathon / Child’s Play Charity

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