Tretakoff Musings
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Back on the air
Been a little more quite than I anticipated. First, the holidays, mixed with an office move, then followed by a trip to Tucson to visit the family. Pix are on Flickr; they should be Picnik'ed mostly later today. Bonus: my mother unearthed some classic child photos of me,and I'll be posting them to Flickr, as well.
Some random comments:
- For those who have been following my Twitters, I'm sure you've had enough of my complaints about US Air, but for those who missed them, I advise avoiding them at all costs. Even though I had significant frequent flier miles with them, I will avoid flying them, ever again, if possible. Atrocious service,substandard aircraft, and their Phoenix hub is like a third world country. We ran a bit late, got to the counter 44 minutes before the flight, and were denied boarding becuase we had luggage to check. Result? An unplanned overnight stay inthe stunning airport La Quinta,at our cost.
- Dude, I got my Dell. A sweet Inspiron desktop from the Dell Outlet. Dual core processor, huge hard drive, extra 128MB video card and more, for less than $350. Man, is this thing QUIET, and stylish. One surprise: why the complaints about Vista? After all the hype about how bad it is, I expected horror, but I have been very pleased. The Aero interface is great, and it recognized all of my peripherals upon just plugging them in, or linked me directly to the driver site for those I needed to download.
- With the Dell installed, the technology train moved down: Amy got my old P4 2.4 GHZ machine. We moved the ultrasmall HP Windows Media Center to the kitchen, turning the LCD TV into a ginormous monitor for watching movies, tv shows, playing music, etc. The networked DVD player headed to the living room, allowing us to watch the movies on the PC's on the big screen, as well as stream music to the stereo. All in all, a totally networked house.
- Some great holiday gifts, including the aformentioned USB Doomsday Hub. Red Steel for the Wii, as well as two Wiimote chargers (pictured), to keep us from investing in endless AA batteries. And some great clothes and an REI shopping spree, to boot!
Next up: a trip to Hawaii (our first) for a mix of work and pleasure.
Some random comments:
- For those who have been following my Twitters, I'm sure you've had enough of my complaints about US Air, but for those who missed them, I advise avoiding them at all costs. Even though I had significant frequent flier miles with them, I will avoid flying them, ever again, if possible. Atrocious service,substandard aircraft, and their Phoenix hub is like a third world country. We ran a bit late, got to the counter 44 minutes before the flight, and were denied boarding becuase we had luggage to check. Result? An unplanned overnight stay inthe stunning airport La Quinta,at our cost.
- Dude, I got my Dell. A sweet Inspiron desktop from the Dell Outlet. Dual core processor, huge hard drive, extra 128MB video card and more, for less than $350. Man, is this thing QUIET, and stylish. One surprise: why the complaints about Vista? After all the hype about how bad it is, I expected horror, but I have been very pleased. The Aero interface is great, and it recognized all of my peripherals upon just plugging them in, or linked me directly to the driver site for those I needed to download.
- With the Dell installed, the technology train moved down: Amy got my old P4 2.4 GHZ machine. We moved the ultrasmall HP Windows Media Center to the kitchen, turning the LCD TV into a ginormous monitor for watching movies, tv shows, playing music, etc. The networked DVD player headed to the living room, allowing us to watch the movies on the PC's on the big screen, as well as stream music to the stereo. All in all, a totally networked house.
- Some great holiday gifts, including the aformentioned USB Doomsday Hub. Red Steel for the Wii, as well as two Wiimote chargers (pictured), to keep us from investing in endless AA batteries. And some great clothes and an REI shopping spree, to boot!Next up: a trip to Hawaii (our first) for a mix of work and pleasure.
Thursday, October 04, 2007
I'm Not Dead
It only looks that way. Work has been brutal, but the end is nigh: I have hired two new staff members, and one has already started. With trips to Chicago and NY coming up, the extra help could not have come at a better time. I've also been logging a lot of biking and other fun exercise, so blogging (and calls to my mother, father and friends) have suffered. I've been reduced to Facebook status updates and occasional snippets...but hopefully, I'll be back in a regular publishing groove soon.
I owe a big post on Plaxo, as they worked through my issues to get me fully working. And man, is it sweet. Look for it shortly. I also need to point out the best PC deals ever in the Dell Outlet; top of the line PC's for under $400. Plus my recent solution for podcasts on the Treo, syncing with iTunes. And that's not mentioning my recent transition to Skype. And finally, a review of Madden 08 on the Wii: the results will surprise you.
For now, I leave you with an image of the coolest steampunk PC mod ever, courtesy of Brass Goggles. Look for the above posts soon!
I owe a big post on Plaxo, as they worked through my issues to get me fully working. And man, is it sweet. Look for it shortly. I also need to point out the best PC deals ever in the Dell Outlet; top of the line PC's for under $400. Plus my recent solution for podcasts on the Treo, syncing with iTunes. And that's not mentioning my recent transition to Skype. And finally, a review of Madden 08 on the Wii: the results will surprise you.
For now, I leave you with an image of the coolest steampunk PC mod ever, courtesy of Brass Goggles. Look for the above posts soon!Labels: blogs, Facebook, games, lifehacks, Madden, Plaxo, steampunk, VOIP, Wii, work
Saturday, September 01, 2007
Take a Flight with Google Earth
The headlines scream every day: although Google will deny it, they are clearly taking aim at Microsoft's desktop dominance by releasing free versions of traditionally paid software. Word? Hell, check out Google Docs. Excel? Um, there's this Google Spreadsheet. But now, Google has really upped the ante on Microsoft's monopolistic hold on a segment of desktop software: Google Earth now has a Flight Simulator mode.
Yep, it's true. Just download the latest version of Google Earth, fire it up, and hit Ctrl+Alt+A. Voila, you're ready to fly. No, this not just a flythrough: takeoffs, landings, but with Googlicious real maps and terrain. Want to take a spin with a prop pusher? Gotcha. Looking for a racier challenge? How about an F-16 Viper? And yes, it's FREE. Oh, Mac users? Yeah, you get in on Air Google, too. Someone's just gotta add in a real-time audio layer for United's Channel 9, mapped to the location you are flying, and we've got a whole new entry into killer app land.
No word yet on the keyboard shortcuts that open the bomb bay doors and drop ordinance, but I'm guessing you might find them if your flightpath takes you over Redmond, WA. ;-)
Yep, it's true. Just download the latest version of Google Earth, fire it up, and hit Ctrl+Alt+A. Voila, you're ready to fly. No, this not just a flythrough: takeoffs, landings, but with Googlicious real maps and terrain. Want to take a spin with a prop pusher? Gotcha. Looking for a racier challenge? How about an F-16 Viper? And yes, it's FREE. Oh, Mac users? Yeah, you get in on Air Google, too. Someone's just gotta add in a real-time audio layer for United's Channel 9, mapped to the location you are flying, and we've got a whole new entry into killer app land.No word yet on the keyboard shortcuts that open the bomb bay doors and drop ordinance, but I'm guessing you might find them if your flightpath takes you over Redmond, WA. ;-)
Sunday, June 17, 2007
A Bizarre Challenger to the Madden Throne
Why do hot dogs come in packages of 10, but buns in packages of 8? Why do gas stations display their prices in 9/10 of a cent? Why do major airlines insist on charging more money for a one-way ticket than a round trip? These are some of the major annoyances in life, but none tops one of my personal pet peeves:
Why do the makers of football games for consoles (PS, XBox, etc.) not make the rosters able to be updated over the Internet?
The answers to all of the above, of course, is to make more money. In the case of the last example, it's particularly galling. Electronic Arts, makers of the venerable Madden franchise of football video games, has been doing this since 1988. See, Madden costs about $60. Every August, video gamers who are football fans (like myself) pony up the bucks. What do we get in return? Gee-whiz new features, like NFL Network play by play, or a new and improved "build your own superstar" subplot. But what we all really are paying for is the updated rosters: we all want to play as our favorite teams, with the right rankings of the breakout stars from last season (Marques Colston, anyone?), and the new hot rookies who are sure to make an impact (hello, JaMarcus Russell).
Now, every console on the market is able to be hooked up online. Imagine if you could just download the latest roster and rankings. Cool idea, right? Sure, and that is how it works on the PC version (mostly). But consoles are where the money is: that $60 every year is EA's lifeblood. Imagine how they felt a few years ago when some upstart, 2KSports, started making a worthy competitor to Madden: ESPN 2K5! It had even slicker TV-like graphics, all the NFL teams and players, and even ESPN personalities and presentations. In many ways, the gameplay was simpler, yet slicker, than Madden. If that was not enough, they had the cojones to price it at $20! It FLEW off the shelves. Guess what happened next? EA essentially bribed the NFL into giving them the exclusive rights to the teams, players, and stadiums of the NFL. Why? Same answer: money.
Although 2K5 was a better game in many ways, it was starved to death: no new rosters means no play, Sure, you could laboriously create new players, and move others to new teams, even update their ranking. By that time, you'd have missed the entire season. Sigh. Madden celebrated their complete domination by making their "classic teams" function even lamer: the classic teams would no longer have the names or numbers of the greats, just lame "QB #3." Joe Montana to Jerry Rice? Uh-uh. Aikman hands off to Emmitt? Nope. The Fridge over the goal line? Heck no.
Well, if they can't fight fair, it's time to fight any way you can. 2KSports is making another go of it, with their recently announced All-Pro Football 2K8. The tagline? "Football Resurrected." No you can't play as the Patriots or Broncos. No, you can't see Reggie Bush scamper all over the Superdome. But you CAN create your ultimate dream teams: Johnny Unitas hands off to Walter Payton. Barry Sanders eludes Dick Butkus. And, as you can see from the image, Ronnie Lott and Jerry Rice don uniforms from the same team once again. It's clever, but it's priced in the $60 rarified zone, so it's a hard call on taking a risk. Plus, although they call it "ultimate customization," the lack of NFL logos, uniforms, and stadiums puts it squarely into the realm of the Miami Sharks (Any Given Sunday) and Washington Sentinels (The Replacements): entertaining, but ain't quite the NFL. And even 2K doesn't offer updateable rosters: are they hoping to get us to buy next year's version with Brett Favre and Andre Rison?
Sigh, Makes me think of just biting the bullet and buying a PC to hook to the TV instead.
The answers to all of the above, of course, is to make more money. In the case of the last example, it's particularly galling. Electronic Arts, makers of the venerable Madden franchise of football video games, has been doing this since 1988. See, Madden costs about $60. Every August, video gamers who are football fans (like myself) pony up the bucks. What do we get in return? Gee-whiz new features, like NFL Network play by play, or a new and improved "build your own superstar" subplot. But what we all really are paying for is the updated rosters: we all want to play as our favorite teams, with the right rankings of the breakout stars from last season (Marques Colston, anyone?), and the new hot rookies who are sure to make an impact (hello, JaMarcus Russell).Now, every console on the market is able to be hooked up online. Imagine if you could just download the latest roster and rankings. Cool idea, right? Sure, and that is how it works on the PC version (mostly). But consoles are where the money is: that $60 every year is EA's lifeblood. Imagine how they felt a few years ago when some upstart, 2KSports, started making a worthy competitor to Madden: ESPN 2K5! It had even slicker TV-like graphics, all the NFL teams and players, and even ESPN personalities and presentations. In many ways, the gameplay was simpler, yet slicker, than Madden. If that was not enough, they had the cojones to price it at $20! It FLEW off the shelves. Guess what happened next? EA essentially bribed the NFL into giving them the exclusive rights to the teams, players, and stadiums of the NFL. Why? Same answer: money.
Although 2K5 was a better game in many ways, it was starved to death: no new rosters means no play, Sure, you could laboriously create new players, and move others to new teams, even update their ranking. By that time, you'd have missed the entire season. Sigh. Madden celebrated their complete domination by making their "classic teams" function even lamer: the classic teams would no longer have the names or numbers of the greats, just lame "QB #3." Joe Montana to Jerry Rice? Uh-uh. Aikman hands off to Emmitt? Nope. The Fridge over the goal line? Heck no.
Well, if they can't fight fair, it's time to fight any way you can. 2KSports is making another go of it, with their recently announced All-Pro Football 2K8. The tagline? "Football Resurrected." No you can't play as the Patriots or Broncos. No, you can't see Reggie Bush scamper all over the Superdome. But you CAN create your ultimate dream teams: Johnny Unitas hands off to Walter Payton. Barry Sanders eludes Dick Butkus. And, as you can see from the image, Ronnie Lott and Jerry Rice don uniforms from the same team once again. It's clever, but it's priced in the $60 rarified zone, so it's a hard call on taking a risk. Plus, although they call it "ultimate customization," the lack of NFL logos, uniforms, and stadiums puts it squarely into the realm of the Miami Sharks (Any Given Sunday) and Washington Sentinels (The Replacements): entertaining, but ain't quite the NFL. And even 2K doesn't offer updateable rosters: are they hoping to get us to buy next year's version with Brett Favre and Andre Rison?Sigh, Makes me think of just biting the bullet and buying a PC to hook to the TV instead.
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Fantasy Sports comes to the Movies
It had to happen. Fantasy Sports is an ever-increasing popular obsession among sports fans, dating back to the Rotisserie Baseball that started in the 1980's. Constructed by bored sportswriters who were looking for ways to amuse themselves, they created a game where an individual player's stats gave him "points." You could assemble a team of players, and the points they earned for their individual achievements would be your total score. Soon, the concept spread from baseball, to football, to basketball...it's now a HUGE business, and, with the arrival of the Web, it became even easier to manage a league, trade, etc.
The problem? For non-sports fans, it's not only boring, it's aggravating. And, for fans of football (like me), who the heck cares about baseball, for instance? Many have tried to look at ways to make fantasy sports more universally appealing, but failed. Others, such as the Sports Guy, have made noble attempts to help, offering his legendary US Magazine Fantasy league for the Sports Gal. But nothing has really captured attention.
Until now.
Fantasy Moguls is open for business. EVERYONE loves the movies, and everyone is a critic. Now's your chance to prove you can run a major studio. Amazon just invested almost $1 million in this, to drive traffic to the IMDB. As Techcrunch had to say:
So, I'm throwing down the gauntlet. Although Lani will, most likely, clean our clock, there are still 6 other slots available in a league I have created. I am inviting readers of this blog to join. If you can't use the link for some reason, it's the Ultimate Mobile league (Lani named it). Yes, you have to sign up (it's free). Winner gets...well, I'm thinking either a bunch of movie tickets or Netflix rentals. You decide.
In any case, I'm looking forward to seeing who plays for 2nd place!
It had to happen. Fantasy Sports is an ever-increasing popular obsession among sports fans, dating back to the Rotisserie Baseball that started in the 1980's. Constructed by bored sportswriters who were looking for ways to amuse themselves, they created a game where an individual player's stats gave him "points." You could assemble a team of players, and the points they earned for their individual achievements would be your total score. Soon, the concept spread from baseball, to football, to basketball...it's now a HUGE business, and, with the arrival of the Web, it became even easier to manage a league, trade, etc.The problem? For non-sports fans, it's not only boring, it's aggravating. And, for fans of football (like me), who the heck cares about baseball, for instance? Many have tried to look at ways to make fantasy sports more universally appealing, but failed. Others, such as the Sports Guy, have made noble attempts to help, offering his legendary US Magazine Fantasy league for the Sports Gal. But nothing has really captured attention.
Until now.
Fantasy Moguls is open for business. EVERYONE loves the movies, and everyone is a critic. Now's your chance to prove you can run a major studio. Amazon just invested almost $1 million in this, to drive traffic to the IMDB. As Techcrunch had to say:You can draft movies and earn points based on how well they do at the box office, number of weeks in the top 5, per-theater average, and their IMDb review score (IMDb is Amazon.com owned). Traditional fantasy sports leagues allow you to draft players and earn points for how well they perform in games.
So, I'm throwing down the gauntlet. Although Lani will, most likely, clean our clock, there are still 6 other slots available in a league I have created. I am inviting readers of this blog to join. If you can't use the link for some reason, it's the Ultimate Mobile league (Lani named it). Yes, you have to sign up (it's free). Winner gets...well, I'm thinking either a bunch of movie tickets or Netflix rentals. You decide.
In any case, I'm looking forward to seeing who plays for 2nd place!
