Episode 7: Epoxy This!

Podcast Episode 7 Show Notes:

Soapbox:

• Stupid winter tires
• Global Economy and effect on the home front
• Construction industry taking a real hit
• Spending will be low this year
• It’s not confidence in market since it’s not about investments, it’s protecting your own hide, if analysts are wrong, they aren’t going to be paying your mortgage
• Changing Careers
• Stats say you change careers 3-4 times in your life now
• Contemplating a 4 day work week
• What I learned while I was off for 6 weeks

Around the Net:

• Warhammer release
• Beta experience
• Robber gets away on an inner tube
• Uses craigslist to enlist 14 people to serve as decoy
• Smart thieves and institutional drones (police)
• How to encourage innovation: a place like google VS. MS
• Spore/EA gets sued
• DRM again at the forefront
• Mass Effect had it, why I still played it
• Android gets released
• T-Mobile exclusive
• Engadget video – lagging screen
• Open source VS. Apple
• Nokia 5800 XpressMusic announced
• Will ship with one year free music from nokia store
• Looks to be the very first direct competitor to iphone
• Good to see manufactures are standing up to apple and not trying to just clone

• Grand opening of first Calgary Apple Store

• First 1000 people gets a free T-shirt
• Apple as a lifestyle

• New DSi announced

• Dec 8 release in Japan
• 2009 in North America
• Do we really need another?

• Wii mod stopped with epoxy

• Old school protection against modders
• Ballsy move - impressed with Nintendo

Impressionistic:

• Force Unleashed
• Easy as pie
• Unlimited health - dynasty warriors with stormtroopers - less deep
• Good story though - better than Clone Wars
• Heroes Season Premier
• Too many stories lines
• Had to rewatch the last 2 seasons to even remember what the hell happened
• I hate that they don't use their powers properly
• Knight Rider 2008
• So bad it’s good?
• It takes itself too seriously, tries too hard
• So far, 2 episodes of fan service only
• Smallville
• Messing up the Superman mythos
• doomsday in title credits but doesn't show up

Happy Anniversary

It’s been just over one year since I started this blog and lots have happened since then.  There’s been a controversial Halo opinion, a GTA4 head to head, and my most treasured addition – the podcast.  I’ve tried to keep the updates regular and mostly they have been so, but lately it’s been slacking again.  The podcast takes quite of planning since I don’t have a co-host (of which I’m still working on) but it’s still a lot of fun to do. 

I wanted to celebrate with a special podcast this weekend.  It’s going to have a brand new segment for the ladies that listen (read: my wife!) and it’s going to be “Fashionable Tech”.  Even the manliest man still has to satisfy the women in their lives and this new segment will showcase some interesting tech that has to do with fashion/appearance/accessories.  Admit it, the inner geek in you wants to know what new, hip, cool, fancy, accessory can be used with your latest toy! 

Look for the podcast to be available on iTunes and here on Sunday night/Monday morning. 

Keep the comments and suggestions coming, I’m quite enjoying the responses!

 

Episode 6: The Birthday Episode

Episode 6: On my Birthday SOAPBOX: Apple Innovation

• Still innovative?
• Compared to RIM certainly but needs to step up
• Lots of tech that still needs reimagining
• Star Trek Apple Data Pad anyone??

DRM Gone Wild

• iTunes and Nike+ Patent
• Spore limits accounts to one per CD KEY
• EA and Red Alert 3 - I'm not buying

AROUND THE NET: Wireless Communication in Football Helmet (EDIT: Winnipeg, not Edmonton)

• Minor League Football coach caught communicating with player through BT headset
• Unfair Advantage?
• Beijing Olympics as an example - if you got the tech, use it

Queens University in Belfast offering Jedi courses

• Feel the Force: How to Train in the Jedi Way
• Do you want your doctor to have on his resume that he's a certified Jedi Knight?
• Pop Culture collision
• The full sci-fi story isn't even complete or agreed upon and you teach it??
• University of Calgary offering Virus writting class - same thing?

New Microsoft Ads

• Seinfeld ads made no sense but at least got the conversation going
• New "I'm A PC" ads are directly targeted, at least that's something
• Could learn a bit from beer commercials - public responds to humor - WOW! That's new!

Ensemble Studios Closing

• Confirmed closing after Halo Wars
• Age of Empires was one of my favorite RTS games, better than Starcraft in the Fun Factor
• Console RTS can't succeed unless keyboard and mouse support are implemented - if they do, I can almost guarantee that I will be a couch jockey for life!
• Endwar will be a testament for alternative control schemes and if they are viable

IMPRESSIONISTIC: Blackberry 8220 Released:

• WiFi and GPS
• Bigger but nicer to type on
• Suretype is back and better than 2G pearl
• Competition not against Apple but for the young teens who wants fast texting

iPhone 2.1 Firmware

• This really should have been the one that it shipped with
• 3G performance is MUCH better
• switches to EDGE if low signal without losing your call
• backups are fast, 15 minutes down to 3 minutes
• SMS Keyboard lag slightly improved - I didn't have that problem much to begin with
• Battery life is improved - 50% left after a day of normal 3G use compared to 20% before
• Genius feature is fun and easy - except on any Alicia Keys songs

Episode 5: Underachieving with Style!

SoapBox T400 and Why I didn't get it for review:

• Men and women are instinctually different
• Main difference when it comes to tech is the man's need for "Upgrades"
• Women don't understand the need for upgraded toys since you can't really upgrade a purse, you just buy a new one

The Underachiever's Manifesto

• Hilarious satire on the status of our working North American society today
• "Good Enough is Good Enough"
• Very funny and applicable read, check it out here on Amazon.ca

Around The Net Apple September 9th Announcement

• New iPod Nano's announced with a redesign
• iPod Touch redesign and new specs
• New Apple in ear headphones complete with mic and remote MSRP $80, not compatible with iPhone according to Apple's site
• iTunes 8.0 and the new Genius feature - big brother anyone?
• iPhone 2.1 Firmware, maybe this will prevent my 3rd restore in the last month?

Google Chrome

• Fun and "google-esq" but not going to replace my main browser anytime soon
• Large resource footprint
• Download and try here

EA/Crytek/Nvidia/Ultra PC Custom PC

• Interesting concept, a gaming PC capable of running Crysis at 30 FPS for under $700USD
• No word on what OS this ships with
• Specs are here

Spore DRM Crisis...again

• Reviews are firebombed on Amazon and other online retailers
• DRM issue is installation limits, how does EA define a "computer"
• Hardware changes are taken into account for "new" computer installs
• You can see a more detailed article here on Tom's

Impressionistic Force Unleashed Demo

• Fun times and really makes you feel like a powerful Jedi
• Has the potential of being a Dynasty Warrior clone if not done correctly
• Breaks download record with over 1 million downloads
• Hope that this isn't another Too Human where the demo was better than the game

Spore

• Fun but a bit light on deep content in terms of gameplay
• Lots of other games do the parts better but Spore does the god sim the best
• Very deep creature creation

TV Series: BONES

• CSI meets Hardy Boys
• Great cast chemistry
• Takes a bit of getting used to and doesn't really pick up until half way through season 1
• Currently going into Season 4 and I'm only half way done season 2

MAILBAG Letter from KYJELLY:

" Hey, love the podcast and your blog is interesting. Just wondering what you specifically didn't like about Too Human since you spoke about it a bit last week. Keep up the good work. Thanks."

Thanks for the Email KYJELLY, I won't judge your name! I did have enjoyable moments with Too Human but if I were to pin point a few things I didn't like, it would have to be:

• The story was very convoluted and lofty without having any substance. It had some very interesting potential but overall, as a standalone game (I know it's supposed to be a trilogy but so was Shemue) it just didn't cut it.
• The gameplay was too similar to titles such as Dynasty Warriors. There was no real consequence to death, your enemies kept scaling to you, and if you had a dedicated button to "equip best" this game would have been easier than Lego Starwars.

Thanks for your emails and readership, remember to leave an itunes review if you can! Until next time!

Episode 4: The one where I wish I was still using a Mac

Episode 4 Show Notes: SOAPBOX

• Career is going back to the future - I'll be starting my old job again in a few weeks. Unemployment was fun but Money talks.
• Internet Journalism: IGN is slowly following the path of Gamespot and others that are more opinion sites than objective reviews. Check out Gametrailers for a more refreshing take on reviews.
• Mac Switch: Sold my Hackintosh and my Thinkpad and have ordered a new T400 Thinkpad. If Steve Jobs decided to grant my wish of an updated MacBook with dedicated graphics, I'm cancelling the Thinkpad and getting a mac instead. Not an Apple fanboy but I still want one if only it's comparable in specs and price to the Thinkpad. For a review of the T400 that's coming soon, check out notebookreview.

AROUND THE NET

• $1000 iPhone app: Here's a douchbag pretending to have bought the app but gives you a good idea of what I'm complaining about:

• iPhone Mania: iPhone Girl as reported by USAToday. How sad is it that iPhone mania has made a forgotten erase procedure into worldwide headline news!
• BlackBerry Bold: Best multimedia blackberry ever made, but still not an iPhone. For the converted iPhone-nites (yours truly included) it's hard to consider going back but if the bold is an indication of things to come, RIM isn't going to go quietly. Check out a fairly indepth review from APC of the BB Bold.
• Apple Announcement: Rumored by Kevin Rose of Digg.com, before the end of September, shooting for September 9th to be the magic date, there is going to be some pretty big chages to the Apple product line. I'm personally hoping for a Macbook refresh but that may not happen. Check out Kevin's blog to see what he thinks will be announced.
• Stargate Closed: Stargate Atlantis was canceled by Sci-Fi this past week. Boo! I love that show and don't know what will be there to fill the void.

IMPRESSIONISTIC

• Soul Calibur 4: Worth a rental or a purchase at a discounted price (read: 50% off). Fun for the SC lovers and man-parties. But nothing too new here to warrant a full price purchase except for the diehard fans.
• Too Human: Not Human Enough. It's fun for the first few hours and then the story drags on and loses focus. Clearly this is meant for a sequel but it still feels like a game that was either rushed (which can't be if it's been in development for 10 years!) or that the developers just were good enough. It's a worthy rental since it's about 8 hours long the first time through but there's nothing really there to keep you coming back.
• Burn Notice: This is the perfect reimagining of 80's detective shows. Think of it as a Macguyver, Remington Steele, Magnum P.I., and a bit of Quantum Leap all mixed into a 21st century bowl. YUM!
• Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles: This is a brainless romp through a post 90210 neighbourhood. It's still an entertaining show, lets just hope season 2 picks up right where they left off and gets the juices flowing again.
• iPod Shuffle: Piece of gimped iPod poo! The only thing good about it is the integrated clip and form factor. Can't even sync properly, can only auto fill. Bah! Spend the money and get a good armband for your iPhone instead.

Remember to shoot me off a review if you get the podcast on iTunes, and send your questions and comments to ikeagamer(AT)gmail.com.

Holy Mother of Ikea!

Hey readers and listeners, my sincere apologies for letting my updates totally slide. Firstly, I've taken up a part time gig helping a friend finish up some decking and fencing work he has here in the city while I'm gainfully unemployed. This is keeping my days pretty busy but I still am trying to keep up with the blogging and podcasting. Some of you more astute readers might have noticed that the twitter feed is back (the the right hand side). I'm trying to use twitter (and the power of the iPhone) to keep a mini feed updated, both on the blog status and just my life in general. It's working so far so feel free to follow me if you have twitter yourself. I have recorded, for the third time, podcast episode 4. I lost the first one due to computer failure, and the second one had to be redone as more topics came up. So episode 4 is in the can and should be up this weekend. Show notes will go on right after it's been uploaded so look forward to that. On the work front, I've committed to going back to my old company in two weeks time so that may see a bit of a slow time for the blog as well while I'm trying to get back into the groove. Fear not, as twitter is your friend and I'll be certain to update the blog via email as well. What did we ever do before all this interwebs?? Oh that's right, we played chess through the mail. Cheers and see you on the other side of the mic.

Episode 3: Unemployment

The Official Ikeagamer Podcast Episode 3 should be up this afternoon on iTunes and on gcast so feel free to stream or download. It's currently being down sampled so may take a little bit of time to show up on the site. Here are the show notes for your reading pleasure while you wait for the show to upload. New website URL: www.ikeagamer.com If you guys found me through blogger, it should now redirect you to the new address. Both will continue to work since I'm still hosting it with blogger (I can't afford my own server :P) iPhone 3G quick impressions: Pros: Cost is low if you sign a contract, function and form meshes very well, well thought out design and interface, official apps support through iTunes, location service integration Cons: Battery life (oh god is it bad!), 3G spotty network reception, apps are only 1/2 ready (more like beta), mobile calendar doesn't allow for invites or acceptance unless with exchange, no cut and paste, no good RSS reader with offline mode Job Update: I started my new job, which was a step up from my last one, 2.5 weeks ago and this past Monday, I find out that I was completely lied to about it and in fact it really wasn't a step up at all. The pay was better but it certainly wasn't worth the sacrifice of giving up my tenure and hard work I put into my career since they really wanted me to take a backseat to someone that wasn't even formally educated or trained. Long story so feel free to listen but to sum it up, I'm unemployed and not sure if I want to go back to my old position or move on to something else. Ethics on the Internet: Denis Dyack did a really awesome lecture on the 1Up Yours July 3, 2008 podcast. I urge you all to give it a download and listen to some of the points this guy brings up. It's certainly brain stimulating that's for sure. He touches on some very real points of how the "net" has the false feeling of anonymity to it, leading its patrons into a series of consequence free actions. Give it a listen and make sure you click the links at the bottom of the page to see some of the books he mentioned. I've already ordered a few of them and am quite excited to start reading (I don't get any sponsorship from Amazon so this is purely my own bias) Listener Mail: New segment I'm creatively calling listener mail! The blog has been up for a few months now and the podcast is into its 3 episode. I'm quite excited that there are actually people that listen to me ramble and visit this blog and on top of that, they write in! Totally geeking out here! So a popular question that I'm asked is: Why is this called Ikeagamer? A few reasons, and first is because I find Ikea furniture and the company to be one that's to the point, trim the fat, right down to the meat and bones. I identify with that philosophy in my gaming life. I don't have a ton of time to play games but I still really like to, so the time that I do have, I spend only on quality products or products that gets me into the "relaxed" mode quickest. So, in a nutshell, that's the Ikeagamer philosophy. Why do you do a gaming blog when you don't even play much games? This is sort of a loaded question. But if you have been reading my blog for a while, you will know that I don't devote a lot of time to gaming but it doesn't mean that I don't keep up with the news and updates in the industry. It's still something that highly interests me and gets me excited. I do have lots of opinions about the issue and Ikeagamer isn't just about gaming either. This blog is basically about anything that pops into my life/head so all is fair game! Enjoy Episode 3, look for a new cast next week or the following one.

Episode 2: Live from Apple!

Episode 2 is live and up.  Go ahead and download from the right or through iTunes.

iPhone Announced in Canada:

Apple announced that the 3G iPhone will be launched here in Canada on July 11th exclusively to the Rogers network.  Pricing is still TBA but sources have said that the basic prices are going to start at $30 for data + Voice plan and then it will just go up from there.

New Job and the likes:

So I'm starting my new job next Monday, this gives me still 6 days to try and go as high as possible on World of Warcraft.  I'm hoping that this new job will give me some more free time in doing the things that I like.

How to build a Hackintosh:

Here are some links to useful guides on how to build your own OSX86 machine:

Newbie FAQ

Perfect MAC Mini Build for less than $250

Install Guide on Asus Motherboards (and compatible ones)

Install Guide on a full featured Gigabyte board

Best Dual Boot guide (Mac OSX86 cannot boot camp so this is the only way)

This is my parts list for the Mac Pro I built and you can find all these parts one www.ncix.com

 (good for both US and Canadian customers):

• Intel Pentium Dual Core E2160 Dual Core Processor LGA775 1.8GHZ 800FSB 1MB Retail ($70)
• Gigabyte GA-945GCM-S2C mATX LGA775 954GC 1PCI-E16 3PCI SATA2 Video Sound LAN Motherboard ($55)
• Buffalo Select D2U800C-2G/BR 2GB 1X2GB PC2-6400 DDR2-800 CL5 240PIN DIMM Memory ($50)
• Pioneer DVR-215DBK DVD+RW 20X8X16 DVD-RW 20X6X16 DL 10X SATA Black OEM DVD Writer No S/W ($23)
• Antec NSK3480 New Solution mATX Mid Tower Case 2X5.25 1X3.5 380W Black Front USB Sound & Firewire ($90)
• Segate 7200.10 320GB SATA2 HDD ($55)
• Total Cost: $343 + Tax

That's compared to over $2000 for a legit Mac Pro.  Granted if you have lots of your own parts, you can usually get an old PC to work well as an OSX86 machine.  Surf the www.insanelymac.com forums and you will find all the help you need.  That Atom machine that I linked to above is perfect for a kitchen PC or a Mac Mini replacement.  

Again, please subscribe to the podcast through iTunes or through the GCast module to your right.  Thanks for listening!

Hacked!

I wasn't hacked. But I did end up building a Hackintosh - a PC running OS X. I won't go into too much detail now as I will be discussing the process and impressions during the next podcast (which will be up this weekend). So check those show notes for links to some excellent tutorials on how to do this yourself. So far, I'm enjoying the Mac OS X. It's simple and to the point for almost everything you want to do. However it's not as flexible as Windows but it's also much more stable. The most noticable thing about it is that it shuts down and boots really fast on my Thinkpad (ironic isn't it, IBM Thinkpad running Mac OSX!) That's it for now, remember to check back this weekend for The Ikea Gamer podcast episode 2. Cheers!

Ikeagamer: Episode 1 The Phantom Business

Ok, podcast episode 1 is live. You can subscribe to it over on the right or you can play it in the embedded player. iTunes will have this podcast up in the next few days. As promised, here is the link to that Mazda 3 crash test in which it received a 4 star rating. MGS4 bundle with the 80GB PS3 will be unboxed this week and I'll post up some impressions of MGS4 as well. I'm going to try and play through MGS2 before jumping to 4 and probably will be skipping 3 all together. As for what the BWM 128i is, you can visit the official BMW site to take a look and I'll post some pictures of the new car this week as well. Thanks everyone for visiting and if you have any suggestions for the podcast, please email to: