Biggs' Zone

A Geek's Cogitations, Conjectures and other Cortical Experiences

Soapbox: Looney Thin-skins!

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On October 14, 2013

In Fulmination, Soapbox

soapbox_webI cannot believe we are still having a spat over the name of the Washington Redskins! The team has been known as the Redskins since 1933! Since you’re probably too obtuse to do the math, that’s 80 years folks!! Are we really still hoping to change the name of a team that has been around for 8 decades? The thing that really grinds my last nerve about this, its not even the Native Americans that are relentlessly bitching about this!

People are too damn sensitive these days! I feel like we’re all walking on eggshells because the slightest innuendo or phrase can be misconstrued to offend someone. Maybe we need to regress back to how cavemen spoke so our reduced vocabulary and guttural noises will keep everyone happy. Obviously we’re not all intelligent enough to know the difference between intentionally offending someone and the fact that its just a damn team name!

People are too thin-skinned! Maybe we should legalize marijuana because 50 years ago the people that would protest such minutia were the potheads but they were too stoned to be taken seriously. Today, through the power of Internet and the antagonist media, they are more obnoxious then ever! If you don’t like the team name, fine! Don’t be a Washington Redskins fan. Hell, I don’t care if you hate the NFL, then go watch a Curling match, I just don’t want to hear you spew your disgusting ignorance!

On a final note, shame on you Bob Costas! You ignorant turncoat!

/end soapbox

Biggs On: iOS7 Impressions

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On October 7, 2013

In Apple, Biggs On, Mobile, Technology

apple_logo-263x300The new iOS 7 has been live for a few weeks now and over 200 million devices have made the switch. I updated both of my devices (an iPad 2 and an iPhone 4S – before I upgraded to the 5S). I heard mixed reactions while iOS 7 was in beta, but for the most part people liked it. I didn’t get a chance to try it out when it was in beta so I experienced it with the rest of the world the day after it went live.

Overall, I really like it. In my opinion, it seems cleaner, more modern and edgy. It’s easy on the eyes (unlike some other OSs whose “lively tiles”, according to some experts, may induce diarrhea). I’ll admit, it did seem a little sluggish on my 4S and I had to go in and make a few changes under the hood (as it were) so I could get a little more out of my battery. Honestly, that’s pretty typical of Apple. The latest iOS always seems to zap your battery and you have to go in and turn several background features off if you want your device to last longer than a day. In fact the first day I had my iPhone 5S the battery was nearly gone by the end of the day, which shouldn’t happen with a new phone. After turning off several features (such as Background App Refresh and Automatic App Updates) the phone battery performed much better.

On the other hand, the battery on my iPad 2, since updating to iOS 7, doesn’t seem to have been affected at all. With that said, I like iOS 7 more on the iPad then I do on the iPhone. Perhaps its because the screen is bigger and therefore easier to notice the subtle design changes in some of the icons and overall picture quality. Or maybe I’m just strange (which we all know has always been true, regardless).

I freaking love the Control Center. It’s so nice that I can just swipe up and toggle DND, WiFi, Airplane Mode, and several other Settings and Utility apps (such as calculator, camera, stop watch, flashlight). I’m a lot less likely to get caught looking at my phone in church when I forget to turn on DND because it can be toggled so much faster now. I know, I know. Android did it first, and I’m glad Android users have had that luxury longer, but its nice to finally have it on an Apple device.

If you haven’t updated your devices yet, I am going to encourage you to do it. Make sure you read about some of the tips folks have posted for improving your battery life, especially on older devices (and by older I mean pre-iPhone 5). If you have already updated, what do you think? What things do you like about it? If you don’t like it, I encourage you to share that as well.

/cheers

The MMO Times: Oktoberfest *burp* Edition

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On October 2, 2013

In Gaming, MMO Times, MMORPG

mmotimesheaderIIIssue 90: Guten Tag! I hope all of you have had a safe and fun Oktoberfest this year! I know here we had a visit from Star Trek’s Captain Sulu to lead off our local brewfest. Anyone else have any interesting Oktoberfest stories? Hopefully you didn’t stay indoors and play GTAV the whole time. While you will always be able to come back and wreck havoc in Los Santos, you won’t always be able to go out and enjoy some awesome beer until next year. Be that as it may, here are some headlines that you may have missed as a result of your drunken stupor.

Despite my lengthy absence from posting the next issue, there doesn’t seem to be a lot happening anyway. BlizzCon is the next most notable conference coming up so theories and whispers have begun to float around regarding Blizzards current and upcoming titles. Some sad news about Warhammer Online, another Blizzard trademark foreshadowing, and other patch and expansion news for our favorite games.

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WoW: Timeless Isle Unimpressive

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On October 1, 2013

In Gaming, MMORPG, World of Warcraft

timeless-isleWe are about two weeks into WoW’s last big content patch for the current expansion. This patch included a new island called the Timeless Isle which is littered with elites and rare mobs. I have been actively completing the daily/weekly quests and killing rare mobs often on two toons since the patch dropped and I’ve got to say, I’m unimpressed.

The final reputation to farm is Emperor Shaohao and its a brutal grind! There is a daily question to kill 20 elites, a weekly quest to kill 5 rares and gather 50 epoch stones. It’s brutal! I think the worst part is that there’s nothing that makes it worth the grind. You can gather a ton of Timeless Coins and Valor Points, but there’s nothing to spend them on. There isn’t any new rep gear that’s higher than 500. It’s just a bunch of commodity crap (as if we don’t have enough commodity items taking up space in our bags already)! The BoA pieces are kinda nice, and with Burden’s of Eternity you might be able to upgrade your gear to 535 but after you are finished finally killing 20 mobs, you are pretty burnt out.

So why do I keep going out there?? I don’t get it. I know how much of an awful grind-fest this island is but I still find myself going out there daily and killing mobs. Granted its a great way to gear up alts since you can mail all the BoA pieces to any toon on the same server and upgrade straight to a 496 ilevel. As far as my main raiding toon is concerned, I don’t think there is really anything that island has to offer that is of any use to my character’s advancement.

I don’t know. I feel like the Isle of the Thunder King had more to offer.

/shrug

Book Review: Mockingjay

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On September 23, 2013

In Book Review

Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, #3)Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

My Rating: [rating=4]
Click here to see the review on Goodreads.

Personally, I think this book has more twists than M. Night Shyamalan and more character surprises than George R. R. Martin! Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that like its a bad thing. I knew when I reached a specific point (which I won’t mention for purposes of sparing folks from spoilers) that I knew I wouldn’t be putting the book down until I finished it.

This book is completely different then the previous two. I assure you that you won’t be able to stop reading and the only reason it took me so long is work life. This book had me shaking with anxiety, even choked up at times, and by the end it left my mind reeling for hours.

View all my reviews

Why I’m Getting The New iPhone

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On September 18, 2013

In Apple, General Cogitation, Google/Android, Mobile, Technology

applesamsungIt’s not a secret that I predominately prefer Apple mobile devices. I’ve been using an iPhone since the 4 and prior to that I’ve been using an iPod since the first version. I’m not an Apple fanboy, though many have teased me that I am. I do not think the iPhone is a superior product over any comparable Android device. If I had to absolutely stop using the iPhone I would have no qualms about picking up an Android.

Windows Phone … well, that’s a different story. I would probably prefer two cans on a string next to a Windows Phone.

My contract is up; actually its been up since May. I knew a new Apple phone would be released this year so I’ve been holding off on renewing my contract until Apple decided to launch it. Obviously that wait is over. This Friday I will make a brazen attempt to get the iPhone 5S as part of my contract renewal. I’m getting the new iPhone because the iPhone is what I’m most comfortable with; that and I don’t want to spend the time reformatting all my music. I don’t bash any Android device because I’ve played around with one and they are really slick devices (unlike a Windows Phone where I was done using it within 30 seconds).

Generally I’ve been trying to only update my phone every-other-version of the iPhone. It saves on money and it feels like a more noticeable upgrade. My advice, if you are deciding which phone to get, don’t ask anyone that strongly prefers one or the other, just go to your carrier’s store and try out each phone. Choose the one that feels most comfortable and less likely to cause you any confusion when trying to complete all of your normal tasks.There are plenty of guru’s out there for Android and Apple phones to help you with any support issues you might encounter. Granted Apple has a bigger advantage with brick-and-mortar locations for quick, hands-on service and support but my understanding is most service techs at carrier stores are fairly knowledgeable of Android devices.

/cheers

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