Biggs' Zone

A Geek's Cogitations, Conjectures and other Cortical Experiences

Biggs On: Windows 8

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On September 13, 2011

In Biggs On

Microsoft officially unveiled the new Windows 8 operating system today and WTF??!! Its horrible! Words cannot describe how asinine Windows 8 is going to be! If you haven’t seen it, Engadget has a few blog posts about it. If you use or have seen the Windows Phone 7 OS, well, that is what Windows 8 is going to be. Yes, there is no desktop, you get nice big, bright tiles as your desktop. Apparently its designed to work on Microsoft tablets and on desktop PCs.

*scratches head* What Microsoft Tablets?!?!

Oh! You mean the one they plan on releasing in 2012 … after there have been 3 versions of the iPad and at least 2 versions of the Galaxy and Xoom! Yea, I’m sure that’s going to be successful!

I don’t understand how someone could possibly think that a touch style OS was going to be useful on a keyboard and mouse style PC! What primate thought this was a good idea?!? And why the hell did everyone else agree with him. There is some serious narcotics in the drinking water in Redmond!

The ONE thing Microsoft was good at (sort of) was the operating system. The Zune is/was garbage, Bing is garbage, MSN is/was garbage, Windows Phone is garbage; every market Microsoft has tried to get into, that isn’t operating system, has been nothing but garbage!

Someone, either a co-worker or a blog comment I read somewhere, said “Every even version of Windows has been crap” and I completely agree and Windows 8 is continuing that motif.

Get a fracking brain, then get a fracking clue Steve Balmer!!

No Gimmicks, Just Discipline

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On August 13, 2011

In General Cogitation

No Jenny Craig. No Weight Watchers. I didn’t count calories, I didn’t count carbs and I didn’t use any kind of diet pills or elixirs. So far I have nearly lost 15 pounds and all I have been doing is exercising regularly, making sure to push my body when it was necessary and managing my meal portions. I even still go to a pizza buffet once a week with co-workers.

I’m not going to say that all of those other gimmicks don’t work, everyone’s body chemistry is different; however if they don’t seem to be working for you then try plain old self discipline and routine.

Everyday, when I get home from work, I ride the recumbent bike using a preset program. The intensity of the program will depend on what I have eaten during the day and the pain scale of my knees. After the bike I will do some sit-ups, up to 70 now, with a 10 lb medicine ball. Every other day I will add some free weights into the routine. I have been doing it regularly long enough now that it has become a full routine for me.

My ultimate goal is to lose 40 pounds but I have set milestones for myself. I have already reached my first milestone. Two months ago I bought a new belt that was smaller then my normal belt. I have been wearing it now for two weeks. My new milestone is to fit into a new pair of shorts I bought while on vacation. I probably won’t be able to wear them this summer, but I should definitely fit in them by next summer.

Once I have lost the 40 pounds I will most likely push for another 10.

Biggs On: Google+

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On August 5, 2011

In General Cogitation

Google has thrown their hat into the social networking competition with their latest program Google+. I know several people that are trying it out, some really love it, some really hate it; so today I’m here to share my thoughts on it as I have been using it for about 2-3 weeks now.

It is definitely not as feature rich as Facebook, and when I say “feature rich” I really mean it doesn’t have any apps. There aren’t any games, there aren’t any surveys, its just a social dashboard. I really like the concept of “circles” where you can group your good friends, blah friends, family, acquaintances, co-workers, etc. You can post status messages to just a particular group that way your boss didn’t see that you were playing X-Box when you were “home sick” that day or that your parents won’t see that you went out drinking Friday night and woke up next to someone you never met before.

I’m not sure what the big deal has been with this whole “real name” issue I have seen scattered across the tech articles. I think the responsibility falls to the user, not to Google, to manage who will see your real name. Anyone who accuses Google of violating privacy because you don’t think _your friends_ should see your real name, well you are clearly a tool.

I would recommend giving Google+ a try, especially if you are tired of the overzealous presentation of Facebook. The one caveat I would keep in mind is that Google+ is still in beta so it will have bugs, it will misbehave, things may work differently from iteration to iteration.

Getting Caught Up

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On July 26, 2011

In General Cogitation

I am a little behind with posting regularly to my blog, primarily because I have been quite busy. I was on vacation for a week in Delaware; my in-laws rented a pretty incredible beach house near Dewey Beach for the 4th of July and the whole family made the trip. It was a fantastic vacation and I wish them both a very happy 60th birthday and hope for many more.

Work is busy, of course, but I’m doing well to keep my wits about myself. I have been learning how to develop iOS apps which is turning out to be pretty fun now that I have adapted to the convoluted syntax and semantics. I do have an app idea that I hope to prototype out by the end of the summer so stay tuned for that.

I have been doing very well to exercise regularly. While the scale doesn’t necessarily collaborate with me but it has been paying off. My clothes are starting to fit differently though the areas where I prefer to see results are taking a very long time to do so.

I’m still playing World of Warcraft and I have been actively beta testing Star Wars: The Old Republic which you may already know if you have been reading some of my other blogs. I wish I could share more about that beta with you but I am obligated under the NDA not to discuss details outside the game unless the information has already been released by Bioware.

I don’t have much else to say at this time but I will have one of my regular posts (ex: The MMO Times, Biggs On, etc) coming very soon.

Cheers.

**This post written and published from my iPad**

Biggs On: The ATM Conspiracy

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On June 17, 2011

In Biggs On

I hate getting political because I get too caught up in it and I start to piss people off but sometimes I read something that I can’t help but comment on (besides I doubt too many people read my mutterings anyway).

Be that as it may, I read something today that, again has me clawing at my head and muttering like a madman. Bubba, er I mean Obama, released a statement claiming that job-stealing ATMs are the reason for slow economic growth. We are approaching the anniversary of his so called “recovery summer” and his excuse for the slow growth is innovation and technology like “job-stealing ATMs”

I’m sorry, what?!?!

First of all innovation is pretty much the only thing Americans have left that we do better than any other country, and even that is slowly dwindling. So now our innovation is causing unemployment?? Hmm, yea, that is probably the most asinine thing I have ever heard.

I know we are inventing machines that can do the jobs of humans. If you are one of those people whose job has been replaced by a machine then do something else instead of whining about it, ya lazy ass!! You are still an expert at the job you use to do so learn about the machine and offer to train others or even learn simple repair and maintenance. Machines don’t run forever, they need maintenance and care.

Whining only irritates the rest of us that are smarter and more successful … Oops, did I say that out loud.

/endsoapbox

**This post written and published from my iPad**

My Bewilderment Leaves Me Speechless

By

On June 16, 2011

In Gaming, General Cogitation

I’m a gamer, most of you already know that. I get just as excited hearing about games that I don’t or won’t play as I do about the games that I have been playing for years. As much as I can’t wait to read the latest headline about the next MMO, there does come a point where I want so smack some people for their stupid ideas.

I mean, not every idea for an MMO is inane but some are down right ridiculous. I chuckled when I heard about Lego Universe and I even got into the beta for it. It was cute, it brought back very fond childhood memories but definitely not something I would play long term. The challenge for many software companies was to dethrone the king, World of Warcraft. I think, however, that companies are taking the MMO thing a little to far. It has become an obnoxious craze.

Here is some words of advice to those aspiring game manufacturers: NOT EVERYTHING NEEDS TO BE AN MMO!!!!!!!!!

When I heard about Transformers Universe I wasn’t too surprised but I did roll my eyes a bit. Then, today, two unveilings had me clawing my head and muttering like an escaped mental patient: Pottermore, a Harry Potter MMO, and Family Guy Online. Now I do like Harry Potter and I love Family Guy but either one of those as an MMO is absolutely absurd! Will somebody please explain to me why someone thought it was a good idea to make an MMO based off of these two pieces of pop culture. It can’t be because they think it will generate ungodly revenue because not everything made into an MMO is a good idea.

Pardon me while I quote Garfield (the next likely candidate to be made into am MMO) but these people need to be dragged into the street and shot!

/endsoapbox

**This post written and published from my iPad**

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