Biggs' Zone

A Geek's Cogitations, Conjectures and other Cortical Experiences

Bent Over And Got Screwed

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On September 30, 2014

In Apple, Fulmination, Technology

gus_facepalmSo here is my chance to berate and belittle Apple and their latest foray into product stupidity. This is probably going to be a bit of a soapbox not only about how you screw something up like manufacturing a phone that has such weak physical integrity but also to those folks that think phones should be impervious no matter where you keep them on your body.

Let me start by saying that if you keep your phone in your back pocket as if it were a wallet then you deserve a busted phone. Your phone doesn’t belong in your back pocket and if you buy the larger phone then don’t treat it like its a small phone. I really don’t understand how the iPhone 6 Plus can fit comfortably in any pants pocket.

People! Use some FRAKKING COMMON SENSE!!!!

Ok, now I’m not just going to blame the idiots out there that think all phones should be indestructible because Apple should have known better when they engineer something to be so thin and MADE OF ALUMINIUM!! As stated in Wikipedia, aluminium “is a silvery white, soft, ductile metal”. Notice the emphasis on the word “soft” (oh, and by the way “ductile” means “pliable”!!). You must engineer for the troglodytes that will put their phones in their back pockets or store items of any dimension in their pockets; you can’t assume people are smart … you know, design to the lowest common denominator (because not everyone buying smart phones are intelligent – ex: Steve Ballmer – who suddenly reminds me of Frankenstein from Young Frankenstein – sorry Peter Boyle, may he rest in peace).

Apple alleges that all phones and tablets are put through rigorous durability tests to ensure the integrity of their products; obviously their tests weren’t rigorous enough. They also claim that of the 10 million iPhones that were sold, only 9 people have come forward complaining of a bent phone. It doesn’t matter if it was 9 people, or 3 people, or 500,000 people, the fact is that it made headlines and even earned a damn hashtag (#BendGate). I will say the same thing for Apple as I said for Microsoft, I expect a lot more from a company that has been in business for so long.

Again, I’m so glad I’m on the “S-cycle” of iPhones so my next phone will have had these silly mistakes corrected … in theory …

</end soapbox>

The MMO Times: When Titans Fall

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On September 30, 2014

In Gaming, MMO Times, MMORPG

Titan-Blizzard-01Issue 108: Well, summer is officially over and we welcome the fall of 2014; though it seems bizarre that fall is already upon us. The burning daystar will be in the sky for a shorter period of time over the next several months, however the temperatures will still keep us inside our various hovels. Granted, most of us don’t seem to mind our sequester as it just means “MOAR GAMING!!”

I don’t know if any of you have been trying out ArcheAge, I have downloaded it but I haven’t logged in yet. I hear that there is a nasty queue to endure when you try to log into the game so I guess that has been a pretty big negative about the game. I’ve also heard that once you do get past the queue that the game is pretty fun. Destiny has also launched, I’ve heard it feels like an MMO, I’ve heard otherwise. Is anyone trying it out? What do you think (besides the frustrations of the queue)?

I don’t think I can really beat around the bush that the biggest news to report with this issue is Blizzard’s sudden decision to cancel Titan. It may not be sudden for Blizzard, but it certainly came out of the blue for all of us. Regardless, all the major news hubs have a story regarding the announcement. So I guess then the title of this issue covers both the changing of the season and the biggest announcement. Would you believe me if I told you that wasn’t intentional until after I typed the words in the box? Anyway, lots of Blzzard stuff again (the WoD expansion is about 6 weeks away now), but there is other things to read about too.

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Why I’m Hard On Microsoft

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On September 19, 2014

In Apple, General Cogitation, Microsoft, Technology

borgYou can ask anyone and they will tell you that I rarely cut Microsoft any slack. I have been working in Microsoft technologies for over 10 years now, and I’m pretty good at .NET development. People generally assume that if you make a career working in a technology then you should give the appropriate, unrelenting respect but that’s not how I work. I won’t swoon over every product Microsoft produces because I don’t agree that everything that comes out of Redmond is made of gold. (Also, for what its worth, I don’t swoon over Apple products either. I’m not getting online at 4 in the morning or standing in line outside the Apple store to buy the new iPhone just to have the new iPhone; that’s just not economically sane or reasonable. I swoon for no one … well, maybe except for Nathan Fillion but, come on, he’s Malcolm Reynolds!

It probably doesn’t help that from 1998 to about 2002 I was full blown anti-Microsoft. I would only use Windows if I absolutely had to. My first computer was configured for dual boot which gave me the option to use Linux or Windows and I used Linux 90% of the time I was actively using my computer. Eventually I began to cut Microsoft some slack and when Windows 7 came out, it was a turning point for me. Microsoft has been in business for nearly 40 years so I expect a lot from a company that has been around since the mid-70’s. Is it wrong for me to set the bar that high? Lately I feel as though Microsoft thinks they can throw their weight around and still get their way but this isn’t the 90’s anymore. The vendor no longer controls the market; the users are now dictating what they want and what they expect (I blame social media). If you’re not willing to listen to your users and consumers then you’ll never deliver what the people really want and you’ll get left behind by those that really do respond to criticism and feedback (hence why Apple and Google have been far more successful).

I think a lot of my harsh criticism stems from frustration. I feel like Microsoft has been extremely obtuse and out of touch with the modern world. How do you release something as wonderful as Windows 7 only to turn around and release something as odious as the Metro UI and Windows 8? I get that the industry has become more mobile where gestures and touch enabled devices are paramount for new products but Microsoft’s interpretation of a mobile UI was just awful. I also think that the Windows Phone and the Surface tablet was a terrible idea because the market was already saturated with several successful devices. It’s very disappointing because they made some very poor decisions; but I guess if anyone has the money to throw around its Microsoft. They have never really been afraid to take risks, no matter how terribly they pan out.

I’ve already seen a few rumors swirling around about Windows 9, code named “Threshold” and the early indicators are that they are going to separate the standard computer desktop user from the touch enabled user. Despite all the mud slinging I have been doing lately about Windows 8, I am excited for Windows 9 and to see if Microsoft has learned their lesson. I’m still not interested in either of their mobile devices (until they become less of an eye-sore) however futile it is to resist 😉

The MMO Times: Mi_ _ _ _ _ft

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On September 17, 2014

In Gaming, MMO Times, MMORPG

minecraft-clippyIssue 107: Hello again, gamers!!! A million voices cried out in terror this week when the news officially broke that Microsoft purchased Mojang, the maker of Minecraft. The title comes from this humorous tweet sent out after the purchase was announced. I’m not a Minecraft player, and now the odds are even less likely that I will be. Farewell Minecraft, we knew thee well.  

As summer sadly draws to a close, we will all get ready to spend a few months indoors as the weather becomes colder and colder (and allegedly its supposed to be a pretty cold and snowy winter), although most of us are pretty accustomed to being indoors all day anyway. I think the big news is the launch of ArcheAge  which should be available for everyone this week. I know a few folks who were in the beta and said it was actually pretty good. Are you checking it out?

The next WoW expansion is approaching fast so more news about the upcoming 6.0 expansion pre-patch and expansions details are becoming more available. If you are done with the whole WoW-thing then there are still other things to read about. A familiar face has come to Marvel Heroes, Age of Wushu is giving your toons some companionship, and another title has jumped on the player housing bandwagon (though not very successfully). Have fun pwning the newbs!

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Is Apple Pulling A Microsoft?

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On September 16, 2014

In Apple, General Cogitation, Microsoft, Mobile, Technology

Apple-MicrosoftLast week Apple unveiled the next iteration of their iPhone, which had the usual fanfare. Most of us, even those of us that are iPhone users, weren’t terribly blown away by the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus features. It was all pretty standard (bigger screen, faster processor, better camera, etc). I think the best feature of the new iPhone is the addition of NFC technology (which apparently Samsung already had in their phones). I guess that’s the first sign that Apple is looking a lot like Microsoft this year, playing catch up. If you are not familiar with NFC, it stands for “near-field communication”, which means it basically allows you to use your phone to interact with other systems simply by its proximity (or waving in front of a reader of some sort).

Apple added NFC for its new ApplePay system that only the iPhone 6/6 Plus will have. However, I think the big blunder here is that only POS systems (that’s point-of-sale, not the other acronym) which have the proper upgraded firmware will be able to utilize Apple’s NFC features. So, basically they have created a proprietary feature that if POS manufacturers don’t pay to upgrade their equipment, won’t be able to take advantage of it. My understanding is that Samsung uses a more universal NFC technology. I don’t know why Apple made ApplePay proprietary, seems pretty myopic to me. I mean, that didn’t work out so well for Microsoft!

Many people are screaming for Apple’s head over the whole U2 album. I’m not sure I really understand why people are nerd raging. I understand if the album had been something awful, like Eminem or Kanye West, but U2 is a highly respectable and classic rock band. The album was not downloaded directly to my device, it was in my iCloud. I had to explicitly tell iTunes to download the album so unless it was somehow forced onto folks devices, I’m not sure how people could have unknowingly downloaded the album. If, however, the album really was pushed out to everyone’s phones/iPads, well that is a pretty uncouth thing to do. Also, such a power play (i.e. forcing technology onto their users) is another common Microsoft move.

SWTOR: Stronghold Impressions

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On September 16, 2014

In Gaming, SWTOR

my-strongholdSo I have been playing SWTOR with a sub for the past two months to experience the new Strongholds feature added to the game. There seems to be mixed opinions, some say its completely lackluster and a waste of credits (the currency used in SWTOR) others have become completely addicted to customizing their apartment/palace/homestead. As for me … I’m probably pretty close to the latter. I get it why some people dislike it but I wouldn’t say its completely lackluster. Also, its not like you receive any kind of bonus to your character’s stats if you buy a stronghold, its purely cosmetic (and for the minutia addicts … like me). If its not your bag, then don’t spend the money (but I understand that some people just like to be trolls).

When I first tried to figure out how to get my stronghold, I was a little lost but they provide a tutorial for you to follow and all stronghold directories have icons on the fleet maps. They added a strongholds section to both fleets and if you go to one of the planets that has a stronghold, there is a stronghold directory located in the main hanger. You can have up to four strongholds:

  • A Nar Shadaa Palace (which is free – if you signed up during the special back in June/July you got 3 rooms unlocked for free)
  • A Capital City (Coruscant/Dromund Kaas) apartment (which costs 5,000 credits)
  • A Tatooine homestead (which costs 2.5 million credits)

My understanding is that if you are on a Free-2-Play account you can still use strongholds, but you will not be able to buy a Tatooine homestead (as F2P accounts have a credit cap at 350k). You can decorate your stronghold with all your companions, mounts, pets, awards received for completing story lines, etc. I also discovered (while leveling my imperial agent) that decoration items can be rare drops from mobs. You can buy basic decoration items (like couches, beds, lights, rugs, etc) with credits, and the prices aren’t too bad. The more you decorate your stronghold the more you unlock. I haven’t figured out where the first unlock happens (I have reached about 12% on my palace).

Your stronghold is available to all the characters in your legacy. If you have a faction specific apartment, you have to buy a “smuggler’s pass” for your character on the opposing faction. You can invite your friends to your stronghold who can visit any time if you give them a key. I don’t know what giving your friends a key grants you (as I don’t have any friends to give a key to). I think this is pretty cool if it works the way I imagine it so I guess I will have to try to find someone to be friends with me so I can give them a key and try this feature out.

You can instant travel to your stronghold from anywhere in the game and it does not trigger a cooldown, however if you are leveling out in the middle of Hoth and you travel to your stronghold, traveling back will not put you back in the same place. When you return to the planet that you left you will find yourself back in that planets hanger, so keep that in mind when you leave a planet for your stronghold. You can also directly travel to your ship or to the fleet from the stronghold. You cannot use your stronghold as a quick travel between a planet and the fleet. Any time you travel to your stronghold, you may only return to your source (i.e. You cannot go from Hoth-to-Stronghold-to-Fleet then back to Hoth via Fleet-to-Stronghold-to-Hoth) it doesn’t work like that and it makes sense. Your stronghold is a structure in the context of the game, not a mage portal.

If you have SWTOR and haven’t checked it out yet, I would recommend trying it out, even if you find out that you don’t really like it. I, however, really enjoy it and I’m glad that I made the effort to renew my sub in time to receive the Nar Shadaa bonus rooms.

Have you tried out strongholds? What are your thoughts?

/MTFBWY

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