Breaking Windows

In 1975, people around the country refused to go near the water. By 1987, they were laughing hysterically. After a so-so second film, the Jaws series nose-dived with one of the most laughable sequels of all time, Jaws 3-D. Then, for whatever reason, some exec over at Universal thought a 4th film was in order. Though not as bad as Jaws 3-D, Jaws: The Revenge has little to recommended. Ellen Brody (played for the third time by Lorraine Gray) is now a widow after her husband, Martin Brody, passes on from a heart attack. Right around Christmas, her son Sean (Mitchell Anderson) is brutally attacked by a great white. Her other son Michael (Lance Guest) invites her down to the Bahamas to try and calm her down. However, Ellen feels that the shark is following and knows it won't stop until it kills off the entire family. Jaws: The Revenge might have been a decent sequel. The direction is fair, acting on par, and the scenery is gorgeous. A few nice, gory death sequences and some mild tension make this somewhat tolerable as well. What ruins the entire experience is the notion that the shark and Ellen have some sort of "connection." Yes, this giant great white shark really does have it in for the Brody family and no explanation is ever given for its actions (though the book places the blame on a voodoo curse). As if that wasn't laughable enough, the shark itself looks incredibly cheap and nowhere near the original creation of the first film. Far too much screen time is given to the beast and there are more than a few moments where you can see the track that leads the monster around. Then, it gets even more asinine at the end when the shark suddenly produces some vocal cords and lets out a cheesy roar (brought over from countless 50's monster films) and explodes when impaled by the boat. The ending is actually a small piece of movie history. The original script had the shark simply get impaled but a few of the Universal higher-ups didn't believe this would work with the audience (or they may have responded during test screenings). They ordered a new ending with a shoestring budget and what came out was a cheap miniature and stock footage from the first film. Either way, it's a sad end to what should have been a classic series. (** out of *****) Amazingly, this is the second time Jaws: The Revenge has made its way onto DVD. The first disc, from Goodtimes, included extra footage, a decent (though unspectacular) transfer, and occasionally scratchy audio. This new disc from Universal themselves is a large improvement, though the extra footage has not been included. This new 2.35:1 transfer is beautiful, bursting with bright colors that really bring out the islands natural beauty. Indoor sequences suffer from some extremely heavy grain, which does bring the overall package down a notch, but the vast majority of the film takes place in broad daylight anyway. Nearly all specks and scratches have been cleaned up as well. (****) The audio package here is presented in Dolby Pro-Logic. A few instances of rear speaker usage are evident, but these are few and far between. Most of the audio is centered with some minor bass. The hissing of the old Goodtimes disc has been cleaned up and all the dialogue comes through clear. (***) Sadly, even with the extra ending and alternate scenes, this disc is barren. None of the extra footage has been included here. All viewers get is a ghastly full frame trailer and some recommendations (which include Jaws 1, 2, and 3 as if people couldn't figure this out on their own). Not that the film actually deserves a full-blown special edition, but if the footage is out there, why NOT include it? (*) This is a film for completists only. It's not the worst in the series nor is it the worst shark movie ever made (See Shark Attack 3 or Red Water and you'll see my point), but it is still a disgrace to the classic original. Hopefully the series will die a peaceful death with this rotten entry, but rumors are abound that a fifth film may still surface.

Since Mac OS X v10.2's release, Apple has promoted a zero-configuration networking technology it calls Rendezvous. Now Apple is further promoting the standard more with the release of Rendezvous technology for Java clients, POSIX platforms including Linux, Solaris and FreeBSD, and a "technology preview" for Windows. Developers for those platforms interested in finding out more can do so on Apple's Developer Web site... Most of the software available for download from Apple's developer Web site is primarily intended for developers who can then incorporate the source code into their projects to make them Rendezvous-aware, but the Windows preview release also provides a Microsoft Internet Explorer plug-in and printer setup wizard for end users. Source: MacCentral It is true that this is not the first zero-configuration solution for Java or even Windows, but we all know how Apple can popularize a technology. Can anyone say Firewire? I could name others, but Firewire seems to jump to the top. It will be see if Microsoft does anything with Rendezvous.

Patrick Norton will be leaving The Screen Savers after July 2nd. I must congratulate him on the choice of using his common sense unlike some former TechTV hosts looking to make a name of themselves. (Leo excluded for obvious reasons). I hope they can live with themselves. More soon. Source: Warlock Radio Newsbytes Dave posted a comment, so I had to google. Well this sements it for me, I am glad I am no longer paying for G4TechTV. But I agree with this source, I think he has done the right thing. At least when Leo was there Patrick had someone to relate to. What a shameful end to such a great tech show. We need a good tech channel.

The topic of video game violence has been beaten to death. The public is sick of it, gamers are sick of it, and I'm sick of it. However, the accusers are not. Running out of ammo from games like Grand Theft Auto and Manhunt, parental groups have turned their eyes elsewhere: sports games. As seen here, Midway's "MLB Slugfest" and "NBA Ballers" have come under fire for not showing kids true sportsmanship and turning women into objects. This is a truly low blow. The story that ran on ABC failed to make many points, most of which is that Slugfest is not the only baseball game on the market nor is Ballers the only basketball game. The other games are not only played by millions of gamers around the world, but by the players themselves. The uncanny realism this generation of consoles has brought to the table is most likely what sent the industry spiraling upward and brought forth billions of dollars in revenue for the companies. Slugfest and Ballers are what is considered, in the industry, "fantasy sports games." These are not the only games the genre has seen and it goes all the way back to Midway's arcade game called Arch Rivals. Since then, they have released games like NHL 2-on-2 Open Ice Challenge, NBA Hangtime, NFL Blitz, NHL Hitz, and the classic NBA Jam. All of these games are completely over the top with viscous checks, no fouls, and penalties are an after-thought. Funny how no one managed to figure all of this out almost 15 years ago. The story has multiple quotes that are so off base and ridiculous, it's a wonder how anyone can keep a straight face while reading/watching it. The best quote is: "Now that I've seen what's in MLB Slugfest, I'm shocked," she says. "I haven't watched the game before and it really is a slugfest." Hmm...You couldn't figure out it was a "slugfest" from the title? Maybe if you were a decent parent and paid more attention to what your child is playing, you wouldn't have needed a nationally televised news program to tell you. Yes, the game is rated "E" for everyone, but the back of the case clearly states that the game contains violence. I'm sure your 9 year old bought the game in your presence. Maybe you should have asked questions before buying it (or even do some research), but that would mean you were you doing your job as a parent. Her next comment seals her fate: Amy Safar is "concerned that he might mimic the behavior that he sees." Maybe if you established some morals in your child and taught him the difference between right and wrong, this wouldn't be something you would NEED to worry about. Even asking your child if he knows that what is happening in the game is wrong would settle this issue. But, as I've said, that would make you a good parent. Next we have Kimberly Thompson, a Harvard graduate: "I think the message that kids take away from NBA Ballers is, it's all about money," Thompson argues. "Women are objects in this game. They are like the other things that you can acquire a house, a car, a woman." Not only is she completely misled (women, just like men, are added to your "posse," and in no way do you OWN the women nor do you do anything else with them), but what aspiring NBA star isn't thinking about the money? Why did Lebron James jump from high school to the NBA? The money. This is how sports operate now. Yes, it's a sad state of affairs, but this is the real world and it will not take long for any kid to figure this out, video games or not. Finally, we have Phil Mushnick. Though not in the story I have linked to, Mushnick appeared on the ESPN show "Behind the Lines" last night and argued this very same issue against the editor of Game Informer magazine. This is a man who has been in gamers lives since 1993 when he first blasted Sega, EA Sports, and Nintendo saying they "can go straight to hell." Don't believe me? Check out the January 13th, 1993 issue of the New York Post. He also claimed that they "peddled nothing but violence" to children in their hockey games and feature "none of the beauty and skill of hockey" even though the games were praised by every major gaming outlet as being the most realistic sports games ever created (at the time of course). The article was reprinted in the April 1993 issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly as well. Most people thought it was one of the magazines infamous April Fools jokes. Now he's back, bashing video games without a clue. At one point on the show, Mushnick had to fall back on the 1991 release of Mario Lemieux Hockey since he had no other arguments. I'd hate to say this, but hockey is a brutal game. Instead of bashing the game companies who work day and night to make their games as realistic as possible, how about trying to censor the sports themselves? Maybe having the NHL replace sticks with pillows or something would make you happy? If there is anything left to say, it's this: I've grown up with games like Arch Rivals, NBA Jam, and will certainly indulge in games of Slugfest when I have the chance. I played basketball for years and I can say that never once did I ever step over the line and toss a player to the ground like I saw in the game. Why? Because I had parents. Parents who had the common sense to teach their child the difference between reality and fantasy, not to mention right from wrong. We've been looking in the wrong place for far too long. The parents of America have become stupid, lazy, ignorant, and unwilling to take a minute out of their day to read the back of a video game box (or even watch their children play). The average age of the gamer today is somewhere around 18-20 years old. If your going to let your younger child play video games in today's society, learn to get off the couch and ask questions before ABC Nightly News knocks on your door. The again, maybe that is too much to ask. You are ONLY a parent after all.

METHOD 1 put this string in google search: "parent directory " /appz/ -xxx -html -htm -php -shtml -opendivx -md5 -md5sums "parent directory " DVDRip -xxx -html -htm -php -shtml -opendivx -md5 -md5sums "parent directory "Xvid -xxx -html -htm -php -shtml -opendivx -md5 -md5sums "parent directory " Gamez -xxx -html -htm -php -shtml -opendivx -md5 -md5sums "parent directory " MP3 -xxx -html -htm -php -shtml -opendivx -md5 -md5sums "parent directory " Name of Singer or album -xxx -html -htm -php -shtml -opendivx -md5 -md5sums Notice that I am only changing the word after the parent directory, change it to what you want and you will get a lot of stuff. METHOD 2 put this string in google search: ?intitle:index.of? mp3 You only need add the name of the song/artist/singer. Example: ?intitle:index.of? mp3 jackson METHOD 3 put this string in google search: inurl:microsoft filetype:iso You can change the string to watever you want, ex. microsoft to adobe, iso to zip etc...

Animated films that don't have the Disney logo attached rarely dominate the box office. Case in point: Warners superb Iron Giant. Though it's failure at the box office could be attributed to their horrible marketing of the film (read: none at all), I'm sure if Disney had got a hold of it, this would have fared much better than it did. Hogarth Hughes is a lonely 50's child who's mother is always working late. While home alone one night, watching "The Brain from Planet Auros" (in animated form of course), his TV signal goes out. Turns out a giant, metal eating robot from, well, no one quite knows where from, is the culprit. Hogarth (still can't get over that name) befriends the giant and makes an attempt to hide him in a junkyard. The government is determined to to find this supposed "destructive monster" and bring it down. This is a stunning movie, not only a throwback to a great movie era, but surperbly directed by Brian Bird of Simpsons fame. There are so many in-jokes to the era (the duck and cover video is priceless) with a great story and performances, it's a crying shame this one never caught on. The animation, a mix of CG and hand drawn style, is just awesome. There are some unexplained elements of the film such as what happned to Hogarths father and the who/what/where's of the title creature (who happens to be voiced by Vin Diesel in his only decent performance), but these are minor flaws in an nearly perfect film. (**** out *****) The Iron Giant is a double sided disc with one side in widescreen and the other pan & scam. The widescreen version, presented in 2.35:1, is the only way to go here. The expansiveness and the framing just isn't done justice with the cropping on the pan & scam version. The video quality is just stunning. The colors are almost always solid and are perfect for the format. Compression problems are noticeable if you look, but are very subdued compared to other animated features. Nightime sequences are a bit more obvious as far as compression is concerned, but this is still close to refrence quality video. (****) Audio options are easy: English 5.1 surround. That's it. Though never really using all the speaker available, the thunderous steps of the Giant are wall shaking with their bass. There are some excellent stereo effects during dialouge sequences, giving the film some nice positional sound. The few sequences where the full surround sound effect should be evident isn't used fully to perfection, but it gets the job done. (***) Much like the marketing of the film, the disc is releatively barren. Commentary track? No. In-depth documentary? No. All we get is a made-for-TV documentary that runs a little over 20 minutes. Vin Diesel hosts this ugly piece of promotion that was probably viewed by 10 people whenever it aired on TV. The only other real extra is a music video by Eddie Platt. The usual gauntlet of trailers, filmographies, and animated menus fill out the rest. (**) Warner has announced a special edition of this film packed with extras. It has been announced, then delayed, announced again, then delayed, and then annoucned again. They are most likely now holding out for the release of Brad Birds upcoming "Incredibles," due out later this year. Whether or not you choose to get this disc now is entirely based on your patience, just know a new edition is most likely not far behind. Unless of course they delay it again....

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) -- The war between Michael Moore and his critics has escalated as a Web site targeting the "Fahrenheit 9/11" director posting a link to an illegal "Fahrenheit" file download. In the process, it also attacked the filmmaker's stance on copyright law. Source: CNN I don't know about you but I want to see this movie!

Sony launches portable music player that holds more songs, plays longer and costs less than Apple's. TOKYO (Reuters) - Sony Corp. said Thursday it is launching a Walkman digital music player capable of storing far more songs than Apple Computer Inc.'s market-leading iPod, while also undercutting iPod's price. Source: CNN Money Will the new Walkman run over iPod? Sony is a dinosaur. No. First off - What the heck took so long Sony? Will the ATRAC format kill this new snazzy looking Walkman? Thanks I will take MP3 and AAC.

They're blowing out games. The sale started today. I believe they are open tomorrow. I don't know if you can make a trip to one or not, but every game on this list is $4.99. Yes, only $5. Can't beat the price regardless of the game. GBA Chu Chu Rocket Fire Pro Wrestling Max Payne Mortal Kombat Stuntman Super Monkey Ball Jr. Super Street Fighter II Turbo Revival Zoo Cube GC Beach Spikers Bomberman: Generation Home Run King Ikaruga Kelly Slater Surfing Mario Party 4 Mortal Kombat Deadly Alliance Outlaw Golf Pac-Man Fever Red Faction II RE: Code Veronica X Sega Soccer Slam Simpsons Skateboarding Smugglers Run Warzones Tetris Worlds The Sims Top Gun Ty the Tasmanian Tiger Universal Studios Viewtiful Joe Zoo Cube PS2 Ape Escape 2 Armored Core 2 Black & Bruised Bloodrayne Bloody Roar 4 BOF:DQ Britney's Dance Beat Capcom vs SNK 2 Chaos Legion Clock Tower 3 Dark Cloud 2 Defender Dino Stalker Disaster Report Disgaea DMC 2 Driving Emotion Type-S Dynasty Warriors 4 ESPN NHL Hockey ESPN Winter X Games Snowboarding Fantavision Freaky Flyers Freestyle Metal X Futurama GGX2 Gundam:Federation vs. Zeon Gungrave Haunted Mansion Indiana Jones Jungle Book: Rythm n' Blues Legaia 2 Legends of Wrestling 2 Marvel vs Capcom 2 Maximo Mega Man x7 Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance Metropolismania MIB 2: Alien Escape Minority Report MSG: Encounters in Space Mystic Heroes Okage Okage:Shadow King Onimusha 2 PaRappa the Rapper 2 Pryzm Chapter One RE Dead Aim Red Faction 2 REZ Roadkill Robin Hood: Defender of the Crown Robotech: Battlecry Ridge Racer V Rumble Racing Rygar Secret Weapons over Normandy Sega Sports SF EX3 Shrek Super Party Silpheed Simpsons: Skateboarding Slipheed Smash Court Tennis: Pro Tournament Speed Kings Spy Hunter 2 Street Fighter Ex 3 Stretch Panic Terminator: Dawn of Fate The Bouncer Threads of Fate Vexx War of the Monsters Wheel of Fortune Wild Arms 3 Wipeout Fusion WRC World Rally Championship WWE Crush Hour X Squad ZOE: 2nd Runner XBox Aggressive Inline Crazy Taxi 3 Crimson Sea Dragon's Lair Enclave Futurama Futurama Haunted Mansion Kung Fu Chaos Marvel vs Capcom 2 New Legends NFL 2K3 Panzer Dragoon Orta Pro Race Driver Robin Hood: Defender of the Crown Secret weapons over Normandy Spy Hunter 2 Star Wars: Clone Wars State of Emergency SWAT Vexx Voodoo Vince Wakeboarding Unleashed PSone Threads Of Fate

Without the 1950's around, it's a major gamble to release a giant monster movie unless it has Godzilla. Even then your not guaranteed anything good (reference: Dean Devlin/Roland Emmerich). Q is an interesting low budget take on the genre with ludicrous amounts of gore and only minimal monster. New York City has a criminal problem. Not just the usual car theft problems either. No, some nut has been doing ritualistic sacrifices (gross ones at that) on people and has somehow resurrected an ancient Aztec god called Quetzalcoatl (say it six times fast right now). Seems this feisty bird-reptile creature has the taste for human flesh and window washers. The investigation into the murders leads most of the movie, but since everyone in the theater (or on their couch) knows who's doing it, it's all sort of useless. Michael Moriarty plays a great role, but only slows the pace and it makes a 90-minute movie seem like 3 hours. When the creature does finally make his full, stop motion appearance, it's very impressive. Some of the matte shots are a bit off, but for a 1982 film, it's spectacular. As long as your finger is on fast-forward, you'll be fine. (*** out of *****) Blue Underground released this disc and just like almost all of their releases, this one features a fully restored print. They've done a great job, but the contrast is set far too high. Blindingly high as a matter of fact. The colors are strong and sharp, black levels are nice, scratches have almost all disappeared, but the contrast is hard to bear. Close, but just a bit outside. (***) Again, just like all of their discs, we get a brand new soundtrack including their very popular DTS 6.1 track. Other options include 5.1 EX, Dolby 2.0, and the original mono. The surround tracks are less than adequate, hardly offering any rear speaker effects at all. A few of the segments have some nice ambience, but this is a weak DTS and 5.1 track. The bass never seems to kick in either. Still, it's far better than any mono track. (**) Extras include a commentary track from Larry Cohen, teaser trailer, poster and still gallery, plus some Q memorabilia. Oddly, the memorabilia segment is only available on DVD-ROM that I don't have immediate access to and couldn't view. I don't see why this couldn't have been included as a standard feature. It's nice to a Cohen commentary track and he shows great enthusiasm for the picture, but the DVD-ROM content is stupid and baffling. (**) This is actually the second time Q has been brought out on DVD. The original release was serviceable, but this one blows it away. Even though this one has some problems, fans of this cult classic should be happy. Blue Underground is gaining a great reputation for releasing some great cult films and they get better with every release. This was a fairly early release, but it does a fine job presenting a decent movie on a new format.

I saw Fahrenheit 9/11 last night. I loved it. Even better then Bowling for Columbine. I am so glad that Disney payed for yet did not distribute the film. Go see this film. It does not matter if you are conservative or liberal, you should see this movie. And for crying out loud if you have not registered to vote, register now! With all the eye candy and information in this movie, I feel I must see it again. I think its that good, and worth paying for it a second time. Just like Bowling for Columbine there are refuted facts. If you do enough reading online you will find out that a lot of Fahrenheit 9/11 has a lot to do with the way the information is presented to the viewer, quite ironic isn't it. The thing I like most about Michael Moore movies more then their subject matter is the fact that people are taking a critical look at our society. Without this movie would people be talking about the election in November as much? No. People, specifically college students, do not care enough about politics and voting for their president. I hope this movie pisses people off. I know this movie pisses people off. Do some research for yourself. Michael Moore is not in business to be your researcher. I am not going to write a proper review, rather I think you should read a review at Blogcritics.org. For one they are more informative and better written. Not to mention I do not have the time. My review: Must see!

Thanks to a college friend Justin Winget, I have a great new logo. Thanks Justin! I think they came out great. Tell me what you think.

Bold text are my comments.

In an effort to convert users of Apple's iPod music player to its own Digital Jukebox, or DJ, Dell Inc. on Wednesday announced a US$100 mail-in rebate for DJ buyers who send in their old iPods for "recycling." The rebate nets users a new 15GB Dell DJ for $99.

Source: MacCentral

That sounds like a deal! Not.

Sony Corp. has unveiled its first hard-disk drive-based digital music player to bear the Walkman name. The device was launched on Thursday as the Walkman brand marked its 25th anniversary.

The NW-HD1 features a 20GB hard-disk drive and is, according to the company, the smallest music player at this capacity. It measures 89 millimeters by 62.1 millimeters by 13.8 millimeters and weighs 110 grams.

Source: MacCentral

Sony is gonna sell a ton of those things! I mean ATRAC3 is all the rage. Just like MiniDisc, and MemoryStick.

Okay, so it's been tough, but you've finally managed to stop yourself from taking Dell up on its kind offer to crush your iPod into a thin paste in exchange for $100 off one of its own stellar music players. Good for you. Only now you're finding yourself tempted by those new players that Sony introduced yesterday-- in particular the NW-HD1 Network Walkman. As faithful viewer Mike Scherer pointed out, MacMinute reports that the NW-HD1 (catchy name) has a 20 GB hard drive, but weighs only 4 ounces-- almost thirty percent less than a 20 GB iPod, and only about half an ounce more than a miniPod with a mere 4 GB storage capacity. Trust us, size does matter, as through-the-roof miniPod sales will attest; Dell's player is a clunky slab by comparison, and when we had the misfortune to encounter a 40 GB Nomad Zen last weekend, we mistook the thing for a brick wrapped in tin foil.

Source: As the Apple Turns

You would do yourself good to read this scene, "The Temptation Never Ends." The best part is the notion of "songs recorded at 48 kilobits per second" as the measurement of how many songs can fit on that Network Walkman. Thats better then the ATRAC3 format listening test, or the fact that the device doesn't even read MP3 files.

Thanks to Brandon for pointing out yet another wonderful AtAT article.

As I wrote about earlier, OS X does not work well with the MS-DOS (FAT 32) format. OS X will read it, it will even format a disk as MS-DOS, but the real kicker comes in searching and just navigating said volume.

Steve Gehrman (Path Finder developer) told me about OS X and searching non HFS volumes.

If you have a MS-DOS formatted hard drive, and a HFS formatted hard drive, you will see a HUGE difference when you perform a search, and an even bigger difference when you navigate through the drive.

Just take my advice, if you want your hard drive to be readable on both Mac and Windows, just install HFS reading software on your Windows box. You could also just share in it OS X, since you have Samba available to you.

At least OS X is compatible with FAT 32 and NTFS. You cannot say the opposite for Windows. Being compatible and working well are two very different things though.

I cannot tell you how amazed I was at how much faster searching a HFS firewire drive. You live and learn.

Speed is the price you get for compatibility, at least in this case.

As I continue my volunteer work for the Sentinel-Tribune, I am again in a photo illustration on the front page of the paper this week. This time I am not blurred out of the image, so lots of people here in BG recognized me in this one. It helps when you know two of the photographers. And I don't mind making a fool out of myself for the photo ill. Its a lot of fun. Not to mention I can use this photo as stock art. A lot of people asked me if I get migraine headaches, no I do not. I am just the pawn. The photo ill was for a feature on migraine headaches, but my inspiration for the piece was the stress that comes with juggling a part time job, college, and freelance :)

In a joint venture between Meancode Media and Unigraphics this site was started and finished within a week. I am pretty happy about that. Paul, at Unigraphics, has handled all the print work for Robin's campaign. That sure makes the process of building a web site a lot faster. Sure, print graphics need work to be used for the web, but its still great to have the design and typography set. Hopefully I will get more web work in the future from Unigraphics. The old site was framed, and the images were huge and constrained in HTML. So load times were really bad. This site loads pretty good on a dial-up with the exception of the header graphic, but I cannot make that any smaller then it already is. The site also works pretty good to excellent in older browsers. You can view a screen shot of the old home page here. It is a big improvement, and my client is very pleased. For the calendar page of Robin's site I used Calendars.net. I am really impressed with this service, and will have to devote a full post for it. Calendars.net is a great online calendar.

By Michael Cooper So, you have a web cam, but your not sure exactly what the purpose is for having one. Yes, video chatting is nice, but is it really a necessity? I mean what difference does it make if I see you and you see me. Granted, you now know you are talking to a 300-lb man claiming to be a 18 year old virgin when you see the video, but what purpose does it really serve? I've been rather perplexed over what I should do with my web cam. I mean, I'm not really using it. It was a fad at first, but it has seemed to die off. I'd rather sign into Trillian on my PC for a simple text chat, and having all of my buddy lists available, then to have six different programs all attempting to run a video cam, BTW, it is impossible. So, I turned to my trusty friend Google, a web geeks best friend. And lo and behold, what do I find, but a site devoted specifically to web camming with others! Not only that, but you get paid to be an expert in anything you want! Welcome to Imlive.com. Can this be true? Can I get paid to offer advise to someone on any topic of my choosing and get paid? Have I finally found a purposeful use for my web cam. While looks can be deceiving, I decided to give it a whirl. I signed up for an account. Doesn't cost me a dime, I just have to sit in front of my cam whenever possible. And since I'm on my computer for the majority of the time when I'm home, this isn't hard. So, now I'm getting paid to sit in front of my computer. Not quite. You have to attract visitors to your web cam by providing a unique description of what you want to talk about. So, naturally, I sign up as Guy Alone (Straight). Where else am I going to see traffic, right? You think someone would want to web cam to get information on rebuilding a PC or designing a web site? No. So, I go through the entire processes of signing up for an "adult-oriented" account, including emailing a copy of my driver's license to prove I'm over 18. It takes four days for my account to be approved, and now, I'm camming. My face is plastered over three different web sites. Money is just rolling in... Not exactly. In 15 hours of being online, I have seen one guest. Talking with some of the other hosts, this seems to be a similar occurance. However, there is one host category that can't keep them away. Girls Alone. Go figure! I'll keep you up-to-date on whether this camming for profit thing actually works. I'm supposed to get paid on the 15th and 30th of the month, collecting 40% of the profit I generate. Again, I am selling myself for the purpose of science....anyone want to video chat?

A sliding puzzle. A calculator. A clock. A little notepad. Tiny little applets — little pieces of software that are something less than full applications themselves, but which run alongside real apps and are easily accessed at any time. Obviously, Apple ripped off the idea for Dashboard. Stolen wholesale, without even the decency to mention where they took the original idea. Which, of course, would be the desk accessories from the original 1984 Macintosh... Source: Daring Fireball John Gruber has a great look at Dashboard and why it is not a rip of Konfabulator. Sure they are similar. But from reading David Hyatt's blog I see where the differences are.

NEW YORK (AP) -- It's been a bad week for many users of Microsoft Corp.'s nearly ubiquitous Internet Explorer browser. A pair of virus attacks exploiting its vulnerabilities had led security experts to recommend that Web surfers consider such alternatives as Mozilla and Opera. Source: CNN A bad week? How about a bad year! Just download Mozilla or Firefox. People won't though, they just cannot ween their self off of their need to use Internet Explorer. I see this in OS X as well. IE is dead on the Mac, not being developed any more. Internet Explorer "is" the internet, just like AOL "is" the internet to so many people. It does not matter that Safari and Firefox are more secure and way faster then Internet Explorer. How do we fix this problem?

Mike Metzger (Bug-Lite.com) took some great photos of the fireworks tonight. I didn't go down to the intramural fields, since I have a great view from the lawn in front of my apartment.

Baby is odd film. On one hand, it could be seen as an inspiration for movie like Jurassic Park. On the other hand, it's not hard to see this is just a simple take on the ancient Lost World story written so many years ago by Sir Arthur Con Doyle. This is a mildly entertaining movie with fair effects, but the abysmal DVD ruins everything. It's a bare bones plot that's been told countless times. A family of brontosaurs has been discovered and the usual evil guy (Patrick McGoohan) wants them to show them off for profit. A group (headed by William Katt and Sean Young) tries to protect them and keep them in their natural habitat, especially the baby that has taken a liking to them. For a movie rated PG, this is a surprisingly violent movie with lots of bloodshed and gunfire. There is also a ton of nudity from the female natives, but the MPAA considers it ok since that's how they live. If Janet Jackson offends you, this is not a movie for you. Anyway, the dinosaur effects are achieved by people inside a rubber suit and are passable for the day. The larger adult brontosaurus' are even more impressive, but still obviously fake. The acting is fair and the brief bits of comedy are hilarious. The story is predictable and the characters back-stories are pretty much meaningless. But, if you're going in ready to see some dinosaurs, you'll be happy. (** out of *****) The video here is presented in full frame, cropped down from 2.35:1. It's hard to bear at times with characters out of frame, talking off screen, and the vast scope of the dinosaurs is lost. Worse yet, the print is actually worse than any VHS copy. The grain and compression artifacts are ludicrous making this one of the worst looking studio releases ever to hit the format. (no stars) The sound is presented in 2-channel stereo. Voices are obscured by sound effects and hard to hear at times. You'll have to fiddle with the volume constantly to understand what is being said or turn on the subtitles. The action sequences are loud, but the obviously low sampling rate means everything sounds washed out. Did they use a 20-year old VHS tape? It's a very real possibility. (*) There are no special features. (no stars) This is as bad as DVD's get. Absolutely no care was taken to present this movie with any quality and it would hardly surprise me if this was just a transfer of a VHS tape. It's really that bad. If my words don't scare you enough, then feel free to try it for yourself. Just remember: You have been warned.

Created in 1987 by Keiji Inafune, Mega Man has truly become one of video gaming's true icons. His image has spawned a cartoon series, action figures, and of course a series of video games that have lasted for 15 years. To celebrate this occasion, Capcom has produced the "Mega Man Anniversary Collection." Holding the 8 games from the original series and 2 bonus games, this is a must own disc for any classic gaming fan and anyone who may not have had the chance to experience these titles before. The entire idea of Mega Man was completely unique upon its launch on the NES. Taking the blue hero into action to combat 6 bosses, players gained their powers once they were defeated. Using one of the other bosses weapons that you earned also easily defeated certain bosses if used correctly. Playing the stages in the correct order was always the key to conquering the games quickly. Once everyone was defeated, players needed to conquer Dr. Wily by playing through his stronghold. Mega Man 2 is widely considered the highlight of the series. Bumping the number of bosses up to eight (where it would stay for the rest of the series), players continued their quest to eradicate Dr. Wily and end his reign of terror. The stage design here is the textbook that every game after it would follow and the challenge for a newcomer is set perfectly. The rest of the series was solid, though many the games hardly differ from each other. Mega Man 3 introduced the slide maneuver; MM4 has the distinction of being the first with the mega-buster, while MM5 and MM6 just coasted along (the sixth sequel was released on the NES by Nintendo themselves as Capcom thought the console was no longer profitable). Mega Man 7 was the only 16-bit entry to get a stateside release and it upgrades everything wonderfully. Some of the robots are a stretch (Spring Man?) but the solid gameplay and challenge the series is known for is still intact. Mega Man 8 was released for both the Saturn and Playstation and was the final game of the series (so far). The version included here is the Playstation rendition (the Saturn had a few extras that were not included on the PS One). Again, this is a solid entry that takes advantage of the hardware but does little separate itself from the rest of the series. The 2 extra games are "The Power Battles" and "The Power Fighters." These are unique arcade titles never before available in the US. Taking a cue from Capcom's hugely popular Street Fighter series, the game drops Mega Man, Bass, and Proto Man into 1-on-1 conflicts with just the bosses. These are a fun ride, but they are probably the weakest games on the disc. The most important aspect of any emulated game disc is how close these games play to the originals. In this case, almost flawlessly. There are a few odd glitches, but these are usually minor graphic hiccups and nothing that will not hinder gameplay. The controls are occasionally spotty (probably due to the pressure sensitive buttons), but a small adjustment period and you'll be on your way. All the little tricks are still intact as well. You can still make the chickens appear in Mega Man 2 and the select trick still does extra damage in Mega Man 1. A save system now replaces the passwords of old, but you can still use the passwords if you want to. All the old ones you remember will still work as well. Adding to the value of the game is the navi mode. This requires players to beat all the games in order. Once you have started the first game in this mode, you cannot play any of the other games in the series until it is beaten. As a bonus, you will have help to guide you through the stages (though the text clues are very poorly translated). Also while playing in this mode, die-hard fans will be pleased to hear re-mixed music for almost every game. Oddly, the first two games have the new music, but only certain stages. Beating specific bosses in the games will reveal loads of extras from a full episode of the original cartoon series (which is also available on DVD), new music, picture sets, and of course the two extra arcade games mention above. For those interested, the Gamecube version contains an interview with the series creator that is not on the PS2 version but not the cartoon. The Gamecube did not get the remixed music either. There has been no graphical upgrade to any of the games to preserve them properly (the navi mode does upgrade the menus and life bars, but that's it). The 8-bit games will look archaic to those who are used to millions of polygons, but the games still have their charm and for the hardware they ran on, they look spectacular in most cases. The 16 and 32-bit entries of course feature an upgrade in this department, re-drawing the title hero both times. The superb animation and luscious backgrounds are a sight to behold still today. This is a series that has long been known for it's spectacular music and this disc proves why. Though you'll always hear it debated, I've always felt that Mega Man 4 produced the best tunes (check out Dive Man and Skull Man's stages). The remixed music brings these games up to new levels (these are the same remixes from a Japanese collection of these games). It is a shame you just can't pop in the game and play with the music since you have to be in navi mode to hear them, but rest assured the challenge of playing the games in order is well worth it. This is a collection of games that every true gamer should own. These are not only some of the most famous games in the industry, but some of the best as well. Even if you own the original carts and either of the CD versions, the meager $29.99 retail on this set is worth it. This is a game that should require an immediate purchase. Note: The Gamecube version has been getting panned due to reversing the A and B buttons. If you have played this series for years with the original controller set, adjusting may very well be impossible. There is no controller config. If you have never played the games previously, you won't even notice the change.

Racing games are the standard that new consoles are judged by. There is no other genre that can really show off the graphical prowess of a new system. Enter Rallisport Challenge, a first party title from Microsoft Game Studios. The game blew people away with scenery like no other game before it. Shame about the slippery controls though. Now we have the sequel that betters the original in practically every regard. Yes, even the graphics. Rallisport Challenge 2 offers up a wide variety of play modes, including much anticipated X-Box Live support. The career mode challenges players in various forms of racing from rally (duh), hill climb, rally cross, ice racing, and the wild crossover. Each of the 90+ courses (some simply do branch off in various areas so the number is not exact) will make an appearance through your career. You'll start in the amateur class and work your way up, unlocking various tracks and cars along the way. Should you not feel like jumping into a career mode, you can jump into any one of the various game modes mentioned above, but only unlocked courses and cars will be available. You can also challenge other players via split screen (2-4) or go all out with the system link (up to 16). X-Box Live support includes tournaments and season play through the XSN service. Playing the first game and then plopping this game in reveals a revelation: The original has some of the slipperiest controls of all time. Most people may not have realized then (I didn't), but playing this new version proves it. The controls are so much tighter, that anyone can pick this game up and play it even if they know nothing about cars (I don't). Taking tight corners still requires skill (as does powersliding), but playing through the amateur ranks should teach you everything you need to know. Thankfully, it is not completely necessary to tweak your car. Car nuts will most likely have a bit more fun (and an easier time on the track) once they have their settings down, but those of us who don't know how to use a clutch will be just fine. The options for tweaking your cars are a bit limited as well, but this is a series that leans toward the arcade style of play anyway. Rallisport really pushes the hardware and really makes a case as to why a next generation of consoles is not needed next year. From the giant forests to the spiraling mountains, everything is modeled with care. The real-time reflection of background objects on the cars is flawless and the lighting easily eclipses that of the first game. Weather effects are jaw dropping, as are the particle effects. This is also a perfect HDTV showcase game. The cars themselves take severe damage and every mistake you made will show through at the finish line. Taking on other cars also provides plenty of opportunity for fantastic damage, though the cars occasionally have flighty physics resembling pinballs more than 1,000 pound super cars. The game's graphics may be the some of the best ever, but the music is not. The grating techno music never seems appropriate and can kill your concentration. Thankfully, the custom soundtrack option the X-Box is so well known for can be used here during the races, though not on the initial menu (not a problem since your only there for seconds at a time). Your co-driver comes through nice and clear however, offering up sound advice on upcoming hazards. The full 5.1 Surround support really livens things up as well. The rain effect is particularly special. This is a series that will likely be with us for some time. Those who prefer deeper sims will likely be more happy with the latest edition of the Colin McRae series (bargain priced at $19.99 which is a steal), but those of us who just want to hit the track and win a few races will be better off staying right here. Your hardware will certainly receive a workout and it will likely take quite some time until the career mode is completely finished and everything has been unlocked. This is a must own for racing fans.

I got this email this morning from ccemployee[at]circuitcity[dot]com.

Just to let you know. That sale does not start until July 11, this Sunday. However Circuit City had accidentally downloaded the ad early. They do not have to honor the price until that ads date. They have stopped selling them at that price until Sunday.

I am guessing they are receiving some bad press for this. You can see Matt's previous post with the game list here: Circuit City $4.99 game sale.

Microsoft Corp. faces a trial over patent infringement charges related to its ergonomic keyboards after a federal appeals court on Tuesday reversed a lower court's decision that invalidated the patents. TypeRight Keyboard Corp. sued Microsoft in July 1998, claiming that Microsoft's ergonomic keyboards violated its patents. The Microsoft Natural keyboards feature V-shaped designs with keys in separate clusters for the left and right hands and have a large wrist rest. Source: MacCentral If its not the EU its something else, isn't it?

I just read a great interview on DrunkenBlog. Thanks to Brian for the link.

For DrunkenBlogs' 300th post I have a special treat for my 12 loyal readers: a chat with Rich Wareham, the creator of Desktop Manager for OSX. I also couldn't resist the gentle irony of putting this up on the 4th of July. Remember kids, cultural differences are meant to be bridged, and the sharing of alcohol and pejorative phrases are generally a good start.

Source: DrunkenBlog Desktop Manager is indeed nice, and faster then CodeTek's VirtualDesktop. Don't be scared off that Desktop Manager is a home grown Source Forge project, it is very easy on the eyes, and it just works(tm).

Destroy All Monsters is widely regarded as the pinnacle of the Japanese Monster genre and one of the last great Godzilla films of the 60's-70's. Featuring almost the entire roster of Toho's creations, this is an all out monster fest and a must see if you have any interest in giant monster flicks. This is the movies second appearance on DVD from ADV and sadly, it's not better than the first one. Set in 1999, an alien race that calls themselves the Kilaaks have come to Earth to destroy it....and they don't even need weapons. They take control of "Monster Land" which houses all the giant monsters that have taken a swipe at Tokyo. The aliens set the creatures free and they begin a rampage through the entire world. Humans scramble to devise a plan to put an end not only to the Kilaaks, but to the monsters as well. Sure the special effects are weak at times, miniatures obvious, and plot a bit out there. Who cares? It's still far more entertaining than most of the CG junk Hollywood throws at us year after year. The imagination put into these films is just great, something that is seriously lacking in so many US movies. This is far from perfect of course and it can be downright boring at times, but of course the destruction scenes make up for everything else. Also, the final battle is an epic that simply can't be matched. If you have never been introduced to the quirky genre, this would be a good place start after the original Japanese version of Godzilla. (*** out of *****) Destroy All Monsters is presented in roughly 2.35:1 widescreen. This print has taken a beating with countless scratches and spots and is the exact same one used in the first release from ADV. The resolution is very low and flickering is a major problem. It almost seems like it has been taken from a laserdisc as times. The colors have moments of brightness and clarity is occasionally brilliant, but these segments are few and far between. This isn't a film that is going to get a full restoration anytime soon of course and this is probably the best it's going to get. (**) Sound is a clear 2.0 mono that does what it should and nothing else. There is no bass and the spectacular Akira Ifukube soundtrack drowns the voices out occasionally. Again, this is the same as the previous release. (**) This one of the stranger DVD releases of all time. Not only are there no extras, but there isn't even a menu! You put the disc in and it plays, much like a VCD. There are no chapter stops either. Yet again, this is the same as the original. The packaging is pretty nice with a foil coating and "newspaper" like back cover. The cover also states that it's the 50th anniversary, which is off. It's Godzilla's 50th, not the films. The only real extra is a CD soundtrack for the film with 30 tracks, included right inside the DVD case. It's a great disc with some of the best work Ifukube ever produced. If that's not a nice extra, I don't know what is. Shame the actual movie is completely void of anything extra. (**) This is one of the worst double dips of all time. This is the exact same disc as the original release with nothing fixed. How hard is it to make a menu? If you're going to a version of the film on the format, this might as well be the one though. For the price, you probably couldn't purchase the soundtrack separately. Regardless, this one is a classic and does deserve a space on your shelf. Shame about the sound and picture though.

Mike and I go back a while. In many ways his college carer tanked very much like mine did. The first time I worked with Mike was for Dr. Molly Laflin on some web site for a grant in Family and Consumer Sciences at BGSU. I then had the chance to work with him again at Student Publications. That second tenure together ended up a lot better then the first. Please welcome Mike to our stab at the blogoshere. And maybe someday he will get his own site back up. Be sure to check out Mike's bio and his initial post, it seems he is a whore to science. [Shameless Plug] If you would like to write for this site, please send me an email, ken [at] meancode [dot] com.

Wow. I really like it. I like it better then normal Coke to be honest. Given to choose between Coke and Pepsi, I choose Dr. Pepper, and Pepsi if no Dr. Pepper. But I really like this Coke C2.

Kevin Rose has a nice roundup of BitTorrent sites as well as clients. His favorite client, as mine, is azureus. Source: kevin rose dot com

Last week a federal appeals court in Boston ruled that federal wiretap laws do not apply to e-mail messages if they are stored, even for a millisecond, on the computers of the Internet providers that process them - meaning that it can be legal for the government or others to read such messages without a court order. The ruling was a surprise to many people, because in 1986 Congress specifically amended the wiretap laws to incorporate new technologies like e-mail. Some argue that the ruling's implications could affect emerging applications like Internet-based phone calls and Gmail, Google's new e-mail service, which shows advertising based on the content of a subscriber's e-mail messages... Source: The New York Times This makes me feel almost as warm and fuzzy inside as the Patriot Act does. I can't believe this stuff. What happened to the Right to Privacy? I don't think this is "much ado about nothing." This might be small now, but it COULD get to be big, big like the Patriot Act.

Ooooh, there is nothing like a good KB article to read :P Power Mac G5 (June 2004) Customer-installable parts Instructions.