The Gamer’s Creed

The gaming community – a powerful and enjoyable group of brothers and sisters who cannot put down the controller, cannot stop pressing the keyboards and cannot stop click their mice. It’s this group of faithful and loyal ‘Defenders of the Lost Art’ that will surely stay strong through the years, no matter how much the media itself has tried to kill it.

We’ve strived for the best and only for the best because we know we are the best. Gamers are dedicated, genius in precision, creative in thinking and knowledgable in the field. We can no longer suffer with such undignified wrath from naysayers and haters, because all we do is get coins, pull down flags and win. That’s it.

I’d like to propose a Gamer’s Creed, similar to the idea of an “Assassin’s Creed” or an “Apostle’s Creed.”

I am a gamer.

I rule kingdoms. I kill the undead. I murder the merciless. I fight hordes of aliens. I take down flags. I assassinate evil men. I push through the battlefields. I answer the call to duty. I stand strong in the midst of impossiblity. I stand firm in a world of hate and despair.

I live a life of lives.

I am a gamer.

And I’m damn proud to be one.

I feel that this creed, as simple as it may be, truly speaks about what a gamer really is. I personally wrote this from my heart and my personal experiences (of course). I hope that this creed is sufficient enough. I don’t think it’ll be considered an “official” creed at some point in the future, but it’s a nice inspiration point.

Gaming is not just a hobby. It’s a lifestyle.

Keep Chewing!

Apple Refunds $33 Million!

Apple’s been in a tight situation lately. Just three days ago, it has been reported that Apple will be refunding $33 million worth of applications from the iTunes store because they were bought by children. Many customers have complained about unknown purchases from the iTunes store. This initiated Apple to refund the large amount of money. Also, the case is with the FTC, so the legal side to this is exceptional.

It’s true that as technology grows, so do we. This is solid evidence. Children are getting “smarter and smarter” while the parents are clueless to what is actually happening. It’s a scary fact that a 10 year old kid can get through payment options and buy applications (it’s not difficult, but seriously). We need to buckle down on the kids when it comes to electronic devices. It’s good for them to learn and adapt to the technology, but of course with that, discipline must come also.

Also, Apple lauched an store in Beijing, China and only had about a dozen customers show up. Could this be a sign of Apple’s downfall? It could be, but maybe it was just a bad start for Apple. Considering their expensive prices on smartphones that lack so many things, it can only be considered results — or facts.

They’re also planning to expand their market to India. India, being a third-world country, don’t care for expensive, “luxury” phones like the iPhone, so Apple plans to drop the prices on certain devices. India is mostly known to have third party electronics because of the price. For Apple to try and attack India on the market front? I don’t think they’ll win, or achieve anything for that matter.

Honestly, I don’t even know why Apple is still trying so hard. I mean, they know they’re going to die. It’s just the matter of when.

Keep Chewing!

 

LINKS:

• Apple to refund $32.5M in FTC case about kids buying apps
• A muted start for Apple’s latest foray into China

The Windows 9 Possibility

Prepare yourselves.

According to reliable sources, Microsoft will be releasing Windows 9 in 2015, thus skipping Windows 8.2. What does this say about Microsoft?

It’s bleeding out after shooting itself in the foot numerous times.

It’s an act of resilience. It’s another leap of faith (like Windows 8 was) towards the possible failure or success of the company. When all else fails, you cheat, right?

To be honest, it’s not really a bad decision. In fact, I personally admire their decision (if any of this is even true) because it shows that they are not planning to give up anytime soon. I can tell that they won’t be flying the white flag like Apple will in the near future.

Nonetheless, these are still rumours. The source, Paul Thurrott, seems to be quite welcomed in the community with his so called “leaks.” According to him, Microsoft will be doing an April’s Build conference (guess when), mostly about the tablets and the XBOX One. There is a supposedly planned vision announcement which can only lead to an announcement about Windows 9.

Take a look at this “coincidental” and interesting history for Microsoft and their operating systems:

All we can hope for Windows 9 is that it will have what we actually want. We didn’t ask for a tablet friendly user interface. We didn’t want the Metro tiles interface – that’s meant for Windows Phones and tablets!

We want actual usability. Oh, and the Windows Start Menu. That was revolutionary!

Keep Chewing!

LINKS

• Windows 9 coming in 2015, will try its hardest to distance itself from the Windows 8 train wreck
• Threshold to be called “Windows 9”, Ships in April 2015

The Strength of Sony

Sony: the company that changed (and continues to change) the world. It has been well known throughout the continents that Sony is an electronic Goliath. What started off as a small company turned into a massive, oversized monster that can eat other companies alive.

But, in the story of Goliath, there has to be a David — or in Sony’s case, Davids.

Companies like Microsoft, Nintendo, Samsung and Panasonic are always trying to topple the giant to its downfall, and much to avail, has failed through the years.

In my honest opinion, Sony, is probably (and this may sound controversial) the most powerful company in the gaming industry. Do you know why Sony is the king?

Sony is powerful in TWO different countries.

We know that Sony is a Japanese based corporation. They started their Japan and their HQ is in Japan. Simple enough, right? How about we take one product from Sony’s arsenal that has always been a big seller and a record holder: the Playstation. Sony, with respect to Sony of America, continually conquers the gaming world. They are bestsellers both in Japan and the United States. Of course, Microsoft has no chance in Japan, but the fact that Sony is seriously competing with Microsoft in their own home turf? That sends a statement.

Also, let’s not forget about Nintendo – another gaming company. You can argue that Nintendo and Sony have their horns locked in place, but I assure you, Playstation sales are far better than the WiiU sales. However, Nintendo does have Sony on a choke hold when it comes to portable devices (Nintendo’s 3DS and 2DS, only because of Pokémon). Nonetheless, Sony is strong in Japan.

However you want to look at Sony, behind the curtain of failures lies their success — and there’s no one stopping them now.

Except for, you know, Samsung in the smartphone game…

Keep Chewing!

Math Jokes

In celebration of Math, here are a few math jokes that’ll surely make you giggle. If, for some unexplainable reason, you don’t get it, Numberphile has a great video explaining them.

1. A man walks into a bar and asks for an order 10 times more drinks than everyone else. The bar man says, “now that’s an order of magnitude.
2. An infinite number of mathematicians walk into a bar. The first mathematician orders one pint, the second ordered one-half a pint. The third ordered one-fourth of a pint. The fourth ordered one-eighth of a pint. Eventually, the bar man gives two pints and says, “you mathematicians, you just don’t know your limits.”
3. Why is six afraid of seven? Because seven eight nine.
4. How do you make seven even? Remove the s.
5. Two cats are standing on a roof. Which one falls off first? The one with the smallest mu.
6. What did zero say to eight? “Nice belt.”
7. What do you get if you cross a mosquito and mountain climber? Nothing, because you can’t cross a vector and a scalar.

I’ll be honest, before I even watched the explained portion (I basically skipped each explanation and went through the jokes first before actually watching the video in full), I didn’t quite get most of them (especially numbers 2 and 7). After the video, I laughed and continued on with my day.

Here’s the video from Numberphile:

Keep Chewing!

Tech Highlights of CES 2014

CES 2014 was amazing! I can’t believe that it’s already over!

There are so many things to talk about from CES 2014, much of it being about the technology leaps that each powerhouse company took on their products. Here are my favourites from the show.

4K TVs, UHDTVs and Curved Display

Seriously, we cannot seem to get enough of this. Television sets are once again becoming significant in the living room. Remember when there was a downfall in television sales because the Internet took the world by storm (I don’t remember either, but it felt like it). At some point, people were less likely to watch and use their TVs and much rather just sit down and use their PCs. Of course, that doesn’t mean TV is dead. With the latest display resolutions, possible future standards and other unique capabilities TVs will get (I’m talking about Smart TVs), I’m sure we’ll be back sitting on our couch watching the latest episode of the Big Bang Theory.

GAMING

I can’t stop talking about gaming! CES 2014 became a gaming hub this week, with companies like Sony and Valve showing up at the party. Sony revealed Playstation Now, a game stream service for their consoles and Valve opens up the information about the Steam Box, specifically about all the companies that will be making their own Steam Box with their own specifications and modifications. Razer also revealed Project Christine. It’s a modular design PC that makes it easy for the average consumer to change and switch out any hardware. Oculus Rift also made a big splash at CES 2014 with other makes of their already awesome device. 2014 will definitely be a gaming year. Definitely!

Wearables

Wearable technology also took off this year. Although wearables like the Samsung Galaxy Gear and the Pebble came out last year, the attention towards the idea has only increased a during CES 2014. Intel and Sony are getting into the game, with Intel’s idea of wearables already in the works and Sony’s Core revealed in their keynote. Although the presence of wearables in this year’s CES was weak and disappointing, the technology surely has gotten a lot more attention than before.

Google Chromebook

I didn’t really talk much about the Google Chromebook only because I’m not really a big fan of it, but nonetheless they made a statement at CES. Dell and Toshiba wanted to tell the world that they’re putting their full support on this young project. The Chromebooks are nothing compared to what we currently have, but I guess that’s the point. It’s not for everyone, but it can be for someone.

Playstation Now

I’ve been waiting for Sony to talk about their plans for Gaikai since they bought it. Playstation Now is their online cloud streaming service for the Playstation consoles. They’re planning to start a closed beta and hoping to open the service this coming summer. I can’t wait!

The Consumer Electronic Show was a success! Everyone enjoyed the information, previews, sneak peeks and reveals. It was a great way to celebrate technology at its finest.

Keep Chewing!

The Presence of PC Gaming at CES 2014

PC gaming has always been an interesting topic. This year at CES 2014, it became even more interesting. Companies like Alienware and GIGABYTE are making their own Steam Boxes and making a name for the flag of PC gaming. The Steam OS is getting high praises for its implementation of gaming into the modern PC gamer’s arsenal.

There are a few interesting concepts that have been introduced in CES. All of them are related to PC gaming.

“Project Christine”

 

A suitable name, really.

Razer unveiled “Project Christine on the first day of CES 2014. It’s a modular design for a PC. It looks sleek, yet over top considering how the design is “out of this world.” I really like the performance screen on the front. It will be useful, especially for me who is obsessed on the perfomance of my PCs.

To be fair, the idea is genius. It targets the typical consumer who knows nothing about computers. They can simply buy a some sort of capsule and simply switch out their hardware with a different one. Of course, this would call upon the term “proprietary” in the hardware department, but nonetheless, a great idea

14 Companies To Make Steam Machines

Whatever you call it, a Steam Box or Steam Machine, this is exciting news!

There are 14 companies (and probably more in the future) that have revealed that they will be making their own Steam Box/Steam Machine hardware packed with the Steam OS. Here are the 14 companies:

• Alienware
• Alternate
• CyberPowerPC
• Digital Storm
• Falcon NW
• GigaByte
• iBuyPower
• Maingear
• Material.net
• Next Spa
• Origin PC
• Scan
• Webhallen
• Zotac

Interesting, Razer isn’t in the list. I guess they’re too busy working on crazy projects like Christine.

CES 2014 ends tomorrow, January 10, 2014. Who do you think will have a last minute “breaking news” moment? Which company do you think will reveal something on the last day to “save the best for last” and show some amazing innovation? Maybe a 12 day battery?

CommitStrip: The real Innovation that we’re wating for at CES

Keep Chewing!

TVs at CES 2014

CES 2014 features some of the best looking TV sets I’ve ever laid my eyes on — specifically from Samsung and LG. Both of these companies are well known in the industry, and are making remarkable leaps of faith into the future.

LG’s Controllable Curve OLED 4K TV

When I first saw this, I thought “wow, who needs this?” Then, after a good minute or so of thinking, I realised that “I need this!” LG says that having a curved TV allows a more “immersive experience” for the viewers. Not only are these TVs curved, they are also controllable. With a simple press of a button, you can simply turn the TV from its curved design to the classic flat layout. It will definitely change the way the we look at TVs and how we experience watching moving pictures in an isolated rectangular space.

Samsung’s Curved Ultra HDTV

Samsung also entered the curved TV competition with their Ultra HDTV. They also have the same vision as LG does, giving you a “cinematic feel” to in your own home. The curve display also acts like an anti-reflection mechanism so that light does not have to be concentrated. Say goodbye to those annoying window reflections! They also boast their largest display yet — a 105” UHDTV curved display.

What we can extract from this is that the product will not be cheap and will not be accessible to the majority of people. It’s a concept worth talking about and a concept that will definitely revolutionize the way we watch.

Keep Chewing!

 

The New Samsung NotePro is New

Samsung showcased their new Samsung Galaxy NotePro. It’s a tablet with, in a lack of better terminology, freakin’ amazing specifications. Here they are 12.2 inch Super Clear LCD screen with a 2560×1600 resolution

• LTE Version: 2.3 GHz Quad Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor
• 3G Version: 1.9 GHz Exynos 5 Octa processor
• RAM: 3 GB
• 32/64 GB storage
• Up to 64 GB microSD storage
• 8 MP back camera with LED flash; full HD video recording and Zero Shutter lag
• 2 MP front camera
• Bluetooth 4.0
• USB 3.0
• WiFi ready: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac; MIMO technology
• GPS and GLONASS enabled
• 9500 mAh battery
• Android 4.4 KitKat
• S-Pen Stylus; dedicated software such as Remote PC, Samsung e-Meeting etc.

The OS is Android KitKat 4.4 running, what Samsung calls it, a “Magazine UX” environment. The GUI is different with the typical Android GUI. It feels very much like Windows with stacked tiles of up to six gathered and organized. The leather backing gives it a nice, professional look. The stylus is proprietary, meaning other S-Pen styluses will not work. Notice that there are two versions of the tablet: a 3G version and an LTE version. The LTE version has a more powerful processor compared to the 3G version, but both offer tremendous processing. There are other screen sizes of the Samsung Galaxy NotePro: a 10.1 inch and 8 inch display – both bragging a sharper display. The price has not yet been announced, but it’s projected to be around the $300 – $400 range.

I’m sure Samsung has more up their sleeve, and I cannot wait to hear more.

Keep Chewing!

Playstation Now

Sony has been teasing their cloud service since the announcement of the Playstation 4. After a long wait, Sony finally announced Playstation Now at CES 2014. It’s functionality is quite superb, letting users to stream games “across multiple platforms.”

This allows Sony Entertainment Network users to have the following uses:

• Stream your video games onto any device.
• Stream full games between Playstation and non-Playstation devices.
• Play games on the cloud.

Does this mean that the Playstation 4 can play Playstation 3 games and vice versa? We know that the Playstation Vita can play Playstation 4 games, but can the Playstation 3 do so as well?

It’s a great deal for Sony and it was worth waiting for.

A closed beta is set to begin in the US at the end of January. They will be implementing the service this coming Summer 2014.

Are you excited? Is it just me or did they get the name idea from Google Now? I don’t know. Two different services, similar names. Well played, Sony.

Keep Chewing!