Archive for March, 2010

Facebook is at it again, more changes in the works. They will be changing the wording for “Become a fan” and instead make it the same as “like”. So no more will you have to declare to everyone that you are a “FAN”, now you can simply say you just like it. Of course this brings some side effects.

…in fact, people click “Like” almost two times more than they click “Become a Fan” everyday.” … it means that the change could make it easier for brand advertisers to accumulate fans quickly. But it also means that users might not totally understand what they’re opting in to. After all, becoming a fan means that you’ll start receiving updates from the brand in your News Feed.

I was unable to find an ETA for this, so you can expect it sometime soon.

What do you think of the change? Is it welcomed or just another thing to add to your reasons why Facebook sucks? In my opinion, it’s a step forward and backward. Twitter’s “follow” wording makes much more sense than either fan or like. If only Facebook would just copy their competitors like everyone else.

[Mashable]

Spotify, replacement for Pandora, iTunes, Zune, Napster, BitTorrent, and anything else. Already launched in the UK, Spotify looks to be my hopes for a perfect music service. It is a music streaming service which offers a wide range of music to choose from which you can listen to free of charge. The only drawback is that you must listen to a commercial every so often that relates to the music you are listening to, which in turn helps you identify even more music you might want.

Don’t get me wrong, the Zune Pass is a pretty amazing service but it lacks the portability of being on the iPhone which is what I, and from what I have seen, most people have. Yes Pandora works on the iPhone but I cannot tell it to play specific songs that I want to listen to. iTunes is an absolute joke on the PC so that’s out of the question already, plus you still have to purchase the songs. Same issues can apply to other services as well including the illegal use of BitTorrent for songs.

Spotify instead fixes all these issues by providing the ability to stream all the music you want while also allowing the discovery of new music. And if you decide to pay for the service (for about $14) you gain the ability to stream on mobile devices and can ditch the commercials.

So what does it do, and why have I not touched iTunes once (ok, once in a blue moon) since downloading it?

Simply put, the music streaming service lets you choose from the millions of tracks in the database (all legal, since the Swedish company has gone to great lengths to get permission from all the major record labels), so you can create playlists galore. When you get the urge to listen to a particular song, it’s there—and you don’t need to jump through any hoops to get it. You can listen to complete albums (usually Spotify has them the day of release), individual songs—whatever you want.

It is scheduled to to be released in the US in the third quarter of 2010.

[Gizmodo]

There is now a mini-blog on the site where I will post short thoughts and links to pages I think would be interesting. This is actually a feed of my Twitter page, so if you prefer just follow me on Twitter. If you already are, be assured that I will be posting there more frequently. So if you are interested in my short thoughts, be sure to check the site often or my Twitter page directly.

Well I can’t say finally because it isn’t out yet, but the game SpyParty is exactly what I have been hoping games would end up like. Most “spy” games give you a couple options; either you need to stay undercover to get your mission complete or you could just use the thousands of bullets at your disposal to destroy everything in your path, which tends to be the route most taken.

This is not how SpyParty works thank goodness. Instead you are either a spy or a sniper. The spy has specific objectives such as meeting with a double agent, and you must do so without looking suspicious. If you start walking in circles then you will be caught. On the other hand you have the role of sniper who’s sole purpose is to shoot the spy with a single bullet. If you happen to miss your target then game over. The sniper must figure out who the spy is by paying attention to who might be acting suspicious.

This truly is the strategic game play that I have been waiting for ever since Metal Gear Solid on the original Playstation. Unfortunately I must wait as this is simply a prototype right now and won’t be ready for some time. Hopefully it comes out with a better name by then.

Head over to Destructoid where there is a full review of the game based on the author’s experience playing the prototype.

Even in the early build I played with just one map and only four possible spy objectives, no two rounds ever played out the same way. Far as I can tell, SpyParty isn’t a game about memorizing map layouts or nailing an optimum strategy. It’s about improvisation, and reaction, and reading your opponent, and behaving unpredictably. Despite being two years away from completion, the early version I saw still remains one of the most subtle, enjoyable, and surprisingly playful multiplayer games I’ve yet played

[Destructoid]

I never was a big fan of wildlife photography considering they are mostly all the same thing. However the photos by Nick Brandt are truly inspiring and certainly worth a look! These are the type that I would love to have a giant print of for the living room.

My images are unashamedly idyllic and romantic, a kind of enchanted Africa.

I’ve always thought this something of a wasted opportunity. The wild animals of Africa lend themselves to photographs that extend aesthetically beyond the norm of 35mm-color telephoto wildlife photography. And so it is, that in my own way, I would like to yank the subject matter of wildlife into the arena of fine art photography. To take photographs that transcend what has been a largely documentative genre.

[StumpleUpon via Young Gallery]

First let me say that I VERY RARELY EVER send along the email forwards whether it be something funny or something telling me I will die tomorrow if I don’t send it. But this here is priceless so I couldn’t resist but to post it here. Plus I feel better about it going here instead of filling up my friends’ inboxes.

If you ever wondered what side of the fence you sit on, this is a great test!  Pretty much says it all for me.

- If a conservative doesn’t like guns, he doesn’t buy one.
- If a liberal doesn’t like guns, he wants all guns outlawed.

- If a conservative is a vegetarian, he doesn’t eat meat.
- If a liberal is a vegetarian, he wants all meat products banned for everyone.

- If a conservative is homosexual, he quietly leads his life.
- If a liberal is homosexual, he demands legislated respect.

- If a conservative is down-and-out, he thinks about how to better his situation.
- A liberal wonders who is going to take care of him.

- If a conservative doesn’t like a talk show host, he switches channels.
- Liberals demand that those they don’t like be shut down.

- If a conservative is a non-believer, he doesn’t go to church.
- A liberal non-believer wants any mention of God and religion silenced.
(Unless it’s a foreign religion, of course!)

- If a conservative decides he needs health care, he goes about shopping for it, or may choose a job that provides it.
- A liberal demands that the rest of us pay for his.

- If a conservative reads this, he’ll forward it so his friends can have a good laugh.
- A liberal will delete it because he’s “offended”.

Do you love Halo 2? Do you despise Halo 3? Well I’m sorry to say that now you must toss your beloved Halo 2 in the trash. But wait! Don’t get all bent out of shape because you don’t want to play Halo 3, because you don’t have to. That’s right folks, you can skip Halo 3 and go straight to the BETA of Halo: Reach!

Microsoft has deemed you Halo 2 users worthy enough to train your skills on a game that is still in BETA, though in turn cares little to keep allowing you to play your precious Halo 2. So congratulations! You now can stop playing the game you loved and gain 400 MS points and a three-month Xbox Live membership to spend on a still-buggy game that might be comparable to the always-buggy Halo 3 which you hate. Thank you Microsoft for being so generous!

Disclaimer: I do not play any Halo, the only knowledge I have about it is from other articles. Nor do I have Xbox Live, though I was paying for it for a year without realizing it…

On April 15, 2010, we will discontinue the Xbox LIVE service for original Xbox games playable on Xbox v1 and Xbox 360. In our continuing efforts to evolve the service, we need to make changes to the LIVE service that are not compatible with original Xbox v1 games.

What does this change mean for you?

• It does not affect your ability to play original Xbox v1 games offline, but does remove LIVE connectivity and support for online multiplayer, leader boards, and other online features of these games.
• We realize that you are an avid Halo 2 fan. Unfortunately, with this change, you will not be able to play Halo 2 on Xbox LIVE going forward.

[Microsoft via Engadget]