Archive for the 'Technology' Category

Pandora’s Music Recommendations have Improved

Published
by
Jason Mosley
on June 24, 2009
in Technology
. 2 Comments

pandora

I am sure everyone knows about Pandora radio by now, if not you’re living under a rock (or you’re just not into music). If you need a refresher here is the first post I did about the service back in 2006.

Sometime in 2006 after listening to Pandora nonstop, I realized it sucked. It just played the same no name bands over and over and over again. Only playing what you wanted to hear once every five to ten songs. I grew tired of this and moved on to better things.

Recently while at work I ran out of music I wanted to play on LaLa or my iPhone. I then noticed a few people were using Pandora. Remembering the boredom this caused the last time I used it 3 years ago I reluctantly downloaded their iPhone app.

I typed in a few bands I liked and Pandora created a station for me. To my surprise Pandora really had a handle on what I wanted to hear. Almost every song was something I heard before with a few new songs sprinkled in. It was the perfect mix!

So when did this happen? When did Pandora actually start to work like it says it does? Since I ignored it for three years I have no idea. It may have something to do with more artists distributing their music digitally. Whatever it is, it’s working. Pandora is now on my iPhone to stay.

Let me know if you agree or disagree with my Pandora observation. I might just be on a lucky streak right now with Pandora playing good music.

OnLive: Fight the Future, Protect the Past.

Published
by
Sean Brett
on March 27, 2009
in Technology
. 0 Comments

onlive

Years ago, the public was introduced to something called the SEGA channel. It was a connection that hooked up to the SEGA Genesis and for a monthly fee you could load games to your console through the cable line. It failed hard. It seemed that people didn’t like the idea of paying for games that they didn’t get to own. But now with the digital age, (where people seem perfectly fine with paying money for products they never hold) the concept is coming back.

For the past seven years WebTV founder Steve Perlman and former Eidos CEO Mike McGarvey have been working on what they believe is the future of video games. It’s called OnLive and it’s a way of streaming video games right into your home. Using Windows XP, Vista , or a converter box for your TV, you can play top notch games from Electronic Arts, Take-Two, Ubisoft, and Atari.

All you need is a broadband connection (1.5 Mbps for normal play 5 Mbps for HD), the willingness to pay an as of yet disclosed monthly fee, and to give up your rights as a consumer to own hard copies of the games you buy.

With the newest video game consoles offering the ability to download content directly to your hard drive, it seems the next logical step is to go all digital. That means cutting out the retail stores like Bestbuy, Walmart, and Target out of the game. One of the problems I have with this is, the developers all claim that this will be good for the consumer. They say, by not having to print boxes or produce DVDs the savings will be passed onto the buyer. If that’s true, then why is it that a digital download of a new movie cost the same as buying it a store?

This is really a way to increase their profit margin by selling you a game without you having the pleasure of actually owning it. I know this is the future, but nobody ever said I have to like it. I still have many major issues with the whole online product thing. What happens when my hard drive crashes and I lose all the music, movies, and games I paid for? What happens when the online game I love gets old and it’s no longer cost affective to run a server for it? And what happens to stores like Gamestop and the Exchange that thrive on the resell of these products?

I guess I’m just old fashion and stuck in the 90’s but I just feel that if I’m going to dish out 60 of my hard earned dollars I should get something for it that I can put on my book shelf.

By Sean Brett

Stevie Wonders About the Future of Technology

Published
by
Sean Brett
on February 16, 2009
in Technology
. 1 Comment

wonders

I’ll admit it. Being blind must suck, but it’s about to get a whole lot worse.

More and more products are coming out with touch screens. That might be fine and dandy for me and you, but blind people are being left behind.

Stevie Wonder went to the world’s biggest gadget fair, the annual Consumer Electronics show in Las Vegas (at least that’s where he was told he was at).

He wanted developers to include the needs of the blind into their products. Some of the examples he gave were a Sirius XM radio that he could operate and a car that he could drive.

Hey Stevie, as long as you’re making a list of impossible inventions that can help the blind, I got one for you: How about some new f***ing eyes.

But good old Stevie does have a point. The menus on products like the iPhone are impossible to navigate without the ability to see. And yes, if Apple really cared about cornering the sight impaired market they would make a blind friendly version. I don’t think that will ever happen because Apple must hate blind people. They even name their products in a mocking fashion, the iPhone and the iMac. Come on Apple, it’s the 21st century, a little tolerance please.

By Sean Brett

World Golf Tour: Play Golf, Enjoy Bacon

Published
by
Jason Mosley
on November 4, 2008
in Technology
. 0 Comments

Last month I was asked to beta test an online golf game called, World Golf Tour (WGT). They told me that if I would write about my experience with the game, they would sponsor a blog post on my site. I hope after you read this post you will be able to tell that my opinions were not swayed by the sponsorship.

Now that I got the disclaimer out of the way, it’s time to talk about that game. WGT is a multiplayer flash game that you play in your browser (IE or Firefox). It also has a social network site that goes along with the game that keeps track of your scores and standings in tournaments.

The game is very solid and it feels like hybrid between an arcade and a simulation. The graphics and interface look impressive and they are on par with the other golf games you know and love. The swing controls are decent but I found putting to be difficult (it just takes practice). If you like other golf games you should be satisfied with the gameplay.

Here is a video of the swing controls:

Since the game is still in beta there have been a few bugs that I came across. The biggest one I found was that the games doesn’t launch in Safari, so if you’re a Mac user you will to have to download Firefox to play. The only other major bug I found was the game would intermittently fail to load the next hole. This was frustrating because it wouldn’t save your progress when it happened. These bugs are to be expected and once its passes beta they should be fixed.

Closing Comments:
Would Golf Tour is the best looking and playing online golf game I have seen in a long time. It’s just like playing a game you have installed on your computer, it has all the gameplay options you expect to see in a retail version. I only have two complains: the lack of Safari support and the lack of sound effects. I would like to hear a few more sounds like birds, wind, and clapping when you make a good shot while I am playing the game (I am sure they are coming in the future). Once this game is complete, it will set the standard for all of online golf games that come after it.

Be sure to give the game and try and share your thoughts about it via comments. I would like to know if you’re just as impressed as I was about the game.

Five iPhone Apps I use everyday

Published
by
Jason Mosley
on September 30, 2008
in Technology
. 3 Comments

I have had my iPhone for a few months now, so I think it’s time for me to share my most used apps. This list only includes the apps that I have downloaded from the App Store.

Facebook – I really enjoy this app. I know I could just go to the site with the browser, but I feel the new version is a lot faster and smoother. I was a casual user of this site, now thanks to this app, I am a power user (MySpace who?).

AIM – It’s so nice not having to fire up the laptop to chat with your friends. Also, since I don’t have unlimited text messaging if my buddies are online I can save myself a text or two.

Twinkle – I love twitter and this app makes me love it that much more. It lets you updated and read your tweets and adds a location feature. You are able to see what other people in a 5-50 mile radius are saying on twitter. I know it sounds stupid, but you will love it once it helps you avoid a traffic accident on the parkway.

NetNewWire – I cannot live without a feed reader, this was the first app I downloaded. Again, just like with AIM it’s nice to not have to fire up the laptop to check my feeds.

Aurora Feint – This is a fun puzzle/RPG game. It has a slick design and it’s surprisingly addictive. When I am at the laundry mat this is what I play, it’s a good time killer.

Honorable Mention:
After making this short list, there were two that I just couldn’t leave off. The first one is Remote, it lets you control iTunes from anywhere in the house. The second is Cube Runner, this is a game were you fly your ship though a maze of cubes (it sounds boring but just give it a try).

There are so many applications that I could have listed, but those are the ones I used multiple times a day. Let me know what your top five apps are.

Print custom skateboard decks at Zazzle

Published
by
Jason Mosley
on August 27, 2008
in Technology
. 0 Comments

A few months ago I got a blank skateboard deck and hand painted it to look like bacon. Everyone thought it was a cool idea and told me I should sell them. The problem is I hand painted it, so making more would be a chore.

The website Zazzle must have been reading my mind. They now offer custom printed skateboards for a base price of $60. All you have to do is upload your design and they will have it out the door in 24 hours. You can choose from a verity of deck styles. So there is something for everyone.

I am going to get one made and see if I like the quality. If I do, I may open up a bacon store and start selling my bacon creations. I have a lot of prototypes for bacon products laying around my house. I think its about time I start doing something with them.

Make your own Action Figures with ShapeWays

Published
by
Jason Mosley
on August 26, 2008
in Technology
. 0 Comments

I was reading CrunchGear.com and saw a story about ShapeWays, a company that allows you to print 3D objects. Companies have been printing 3D models and prototypes for years now, but this is the first time an average Joe like me gets a chance to try it.

You can either personalize a stock item, like a candle holder, or upload your own design. Once your design is ready, it’s printed and shipped in ten days. The pricing for each print varies, but they will let you know up front, shipping is included.

After looking at the gallery of things people have gotten printed it makes me want to try this. I really think I should try to create a Mr. Baconpants action figure. That would bring new meaning to the phrase, “playing with yourself”! Anyway… what would you get 3D printed?

OpenStomp Coyote 1, open source guitar pedal

Published
by
Jason Mosley
on August 26, 2008
in Technology
. 0 Comments

There are only a few things that would make me consider installing Windows on my Macbook, and this is one of them. It’s an open source effects pedal for guitars, called Coyote 1. It’s made by a company called OpenStomp and sells for 350 bucks. I have yet to hear what his sounds like, so I don’t know if it’s worth the price or not.

The Coyote-1 will let you create custom audio effects (distortion, echo, chorus, etc.), to mix into what they call “patches”. You can then trade those patches with other users online. Here is the sad part; the software you use to make the effects is Windows only. Other than that, it looks intuitive to use since it has a nice graphic interface.

Since its open source you are allowed to hack it and encouraged to open it up, to create custom solutions. The hardware and software are fully documented, so figuring things out should be easy. I bet in a few months a Mac user will have this ported over to OSX.

I mostly play bass, so before I drop my $350, I am going to wait and see if they come out with a bass version. The last time I tried to play my bass out of something that was made for a guitar I blew it up (oops).

Head Spa Massager makes you look like an idiot

Published
by
Jason Mosley
on August 26, 2008
in Technology
. 2 Comments

I don’t know what’s worse, this product or the fact that it was featured on the Montel show. I thought all that show talked about was paternity tests and teen pregnancy. Who knew it’s also marketed questionable products.

The Head Spa Massager looks like a $29.95 piece of junk. It claims that it can massage your troubles away. The website that sells it says it’s like a thousand tiny fingers (creepy) massaging your scalp. They want you to use it on your commute to work or at your desk at work (if you like looking like an idiot in public).

Instead of wasting your money on a massager, invest that money in bacon. Nothing takes my troubles away like a BLT or bacon wrapped shrimp. I almost forgot, for the really bad days you can add a nice Belgium beer to the mix, my favorite is Corsendonk.

Be more productive, cook bacon at your desk

Published
by
Jason Mosley
on August 14, 2008
in Bacon and Technology
. 8 Comments

Today I was having a hard time sitting at my desk at work. I don’t know what it was, but I just couldn’t get satisfied. First I wanted a cup of coffee, then a bag of chips, then a paper towel, then a glass of water… the list goes on and on.

I wasn’t being very productive, so I started to brainstorm ways I could make my desk the place I want to be. It didn’t take long for me to remember that they make a USB George Foreman Grill, called the iGrill.

If I were to have an iGrill, I could cook bacon right at my desk! There is nothing better then a freshly made BLT, just ask Michael Phelps. Since I would need a drink with my BLT, I will also get a USB fridge, it keeps one can of pop (or beer) cold. With these desk upgrades, I shouldn’t have many reasons so wander away from my work.

If you know any other neat additions I can add to my desk, let me know via comments. They don’t all have to be USB devices.