Zune matches iPod pricing

Microsoft has announced Zune pricing and availability. 
Gear Factor has more...

---

Zune Pricing Announced

Finally, Microsoft has disclosed the salient details about the Zune music player. It will be released Nov. 14 and will cost $249.99, matching the price of Apple's 30GB video iPod. Similarly, when Zune Marketplace goes live on the same day, it will charge $.99 per song, just like iTunes.

Since a price war won't be waged as some expected, it seems Microsoft is relying on Zune's limited music-sharing capability, as well as the Zune Pass subscription -- which will let users listen to any of the Marketplace's approximately 2 million songs for $14.99 per month -- to drive people to the new music player. Users will also have the option of purchasing tracks with Microsoft Points, which lets them add money to an account, a system that's already used in the Xbox Live Marketplace.

[Via Yahoo!] 

 

---

News Feed Source
    Home Page: http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/
    Feed Title: Gear Factor
    Feed URL: http://wiredblogs.tripod.com/gadgets/rss.xml

Article
    Title: Zune Pricing Announced
    Link: http://feeds.wired.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/29076372/index.blog
    Author: ~
    Publication Date:

---

Brought to you by Attensa for Outlook (download it here)

iPod vs. Zune SMACKDOWN!

Found this on Digg. I'm kinda rooting for the Zune :-)

---

iPod vs. Zune SMACKDOWN!

BBSpot takes it to the streets, throwing Chuck Norris, a Ford Excursion, and promises of everlasting health against the reigning champion of MP3 players and its scrappy challenger from a small company known as Microsoft. Lets get rrrreeeaaaady toooooooooooo rrrrruuuummmmbbblllleee!

---

News Feed Source
    Home Page: http://digg.com/
    Feed Title: digg
    Feed URL: http://digg.com/rss/index.xml

Article
    Title: iPod vs. Zune SMACKDOWN!
    Link: http://digg.com/apple/iPod_vs_Zune_SMACKDOWN
    Author: ~
    Publication Date:

---

Brought to you by Attensa for Outlook (download it here)

Funniest Weird Al video in years!

Attensa...RSS done right

If you're like most tech geeks I know, you spend the better part of your morning reading your favorite blogs and RSS feeds (including, of course, this one). Until now, I've simply been going to my Google homepage to read my favorite feeds, then opening my Outlook to get my email.

Well now, Attensa has converted me to using their wonderful FREE reader...because it integrates fully with Outlook, and includes an IE toolbar and Firefox plugin for easy feed management. And now I can get my news just like I get my email...all in the same client, with pictures and links all intact. Yay!

Need a job? Here's the top 10 programming languages you should know

eWeek posted an article called 10 Programming Languages You Should Learn Right Now, based on "picking the brains of Web developers and IT recruiters". So if you're looking for a Web job, peruse this list and pick up some books.

With the new buzzword being "Web 2.0", it's no surprise that AJAX and JavaScript are both on the list, even though the J in AJAX stands for JavaScript.

At least I've dabbled in a handful of the languages listed (PHP, C#, AJAX, JavaScript, and VB.Net)

Add this Zazzle gadget to Google!

So I created my first Google Gadget today. It's a Flash Panel for the most popular Zazzle products. This is it below:





Click the button above to automatically add it to your Google homepage!

Coming Zune...but I want it NOW!

I want one. It's cool. It's hi-tech. It's coming Zune! Microsoft's new Zune specs out better than iPods (built in Wi-Fi, FM radio, social music sharing, supports MP3, AAC, h.264, and WMA). Engadget posted information about Microsoft's Zune announcement today. Is this an iPod killer?

Zazzle vs. CafePress

Let's vote, people! If you like Zazzle and have an eBay account, you know what to do!

Of course, if you prefer CafePress, well, then, you don't really HAVE to vote if you don't want to ;-)

Six degrees of...well just about everything!

WARNING: Time-waster Web site! So just how does Monty Python relate to Albert Einstein? Do bananas and network attached storage have anything in common? How can you link zits with airplanes?

Omnipelagos can tell you! Just enter two search terms, and the site finds how they can be linked. Even the most obscure terms usually comes up with a connection.

And yes, it can find links to Kevin Bacon, too.

Firefox-like search for IE!

Ever wish you could search web pages inline, like Firefox does, when using Internet Explorer? Well, with Inline Search, by Core-Services, you can! This nifty little add-on provides IE users with a much more useful search facility, and it works for IE5.5 and higher. Now I'm suddenly not so jealous of my Firefox colleagues :-)

How much is that Vista in the Window?

C|NET News announced today that Microsoft has published its pricing for Windows Vista, and expands testing to over 5 million "tech enthusiasts".

Pricing for full retail versions of the software will be Windows Vista Ultimate, $399; Windows Vista Business, $299; Windows Vista Home Premium, $239; and Windows Vista Home Basic, $199. Start saving up now!

Wolfblood - My senior thesis short movie

I just uploaded my senior thesis movie to Google Videos. It was made in 1992 at Syracuse University, Newhouse School of Public Communications, and is based on a short story by Angela Carter. This video is 11 minutes long.

Just force the browser on us, please!

As a web developer, I understand the headaches of having to adjust code to properly function or display across several browsers. It's the nature of the beast. It's better now than it used to be, as standards compliance keeps getting better across the board. But when a new version of a browser comes out, why keep the old one around? Just force the browser on us, please!

Ok, I know that forced upgrades can also cause support problems, especially when it causes more bugs than it fixes, or breaks functionality which could potentially break an entire web site.

But, by doing so, developers would be more apt to stick to well known standards, which leads to more solid code, and less chance of breakage.

I'm ranting because IEBlog says IE7 will be optional and IE6 will continue to be supported and patched until the lifetime of the OS it runs on is over. A quote:

Everywhere that IE6SP1 is supported today, IE6SP1 will continue to be supported until the OS it ships with expires. Are you running IE6SP1 on Windows 2000 SP4? You will continue to get support for IE6SP1 until Windows 2000 expires (slated expiration: 2010).

2010? I hope people are not still running Windows 2000 in 2010. So the days where one standard codebase renders exactly the same on all browsers and platforms is still a way away. Although today's most modern browsers are converging, it's the old ones that are still around that hurt us the most.

Let the public adjust their habits to forced upgrades. It won't take long before most people get used to the idea that the browser they are currently running is always the latest and greatest. Other software does this, why not browsers?

Blu-ray or HD DVD? Choose your side.

The high definition DVD format war rages on. Choose your side and show your true colors! Partial to Blu-ray? Or would you rather throw your hat in for HD DVD?

Zazzle Adds Third Party API

Zazzle has added a new API that allows software developers to connect into their customization services and products. Check out current implementations, such as License-Plate-Shirts.com, as well as my very own Hello My Name Is... t-shirt site!

read more | digg story

IE7 fix list

IEBlog lists all the changes, bug fixes, CSS fixes/additions in Internet Explorer 7. This looks to be a new era for Microsoft when it comes to standards compliance. Well, at least a stepping stone in the right direction.

I have been using beta 3 of IE7 on my laptop, and yes, it is way better than IE6, although there are still some minor quirks and the occasional crash. But when it comes to CSS (and transparent PNG support) it is leaps ahead.

Perpetual motion machine challenge...hoax?

A company by the name of Steorn claims it thinks it may have stumbled upon "free energy", a.k.a. perpetual motion. Of course, this has been claimed by many in the past, only to be proven hoaxes, scams, or just plain bad math.

The difference here is that Steorn is challenging all scientists to try to prove, one way or the other, whether their device works. And they say they won't take moeny until AFTER the scientific community has released their findings.

According to the company, they stumbled upon this accidentally, and now want the scientific community to verify what they believe to be a perpetual motion machine. And if scientists find that it is not the case, so be it.

At face value, this seems very legitimate...why would a hoaxer go through this kind of scrutiny? But since a perpetual motion machine is widely regarded as impossible according to the first law of thermodynamics, one must think what else could this be?

My thoughts? It could be one of three things:

1. Legitimate claim, bad math. Steorn thinks they did it, but miscalculated energy input/output.
   
2. A big social experiment. Let's see how many scientists are suckered into throwing away the basis of their beliefs on the remote chance this cold be real. Or what is the current public reaction to claims of this nature when money is removed from the equation.
   
3. Someone finally reverse engineered alien technology and got it to work. Everyone knows that flying saucers are powered by magnetic forces.
   

agámi Systems receives $11 Million in funding from Hercules!

A press release has been released today announcing agámi's latest round of funding by Hercules Technology Growth Capital for a tidy $11 Million. This is great news for the NAS company known for it's...well...kick butt user interface :-)

Ok, I am biased since I used to work there and built their user interface, but now it is in the trusted hands of a fellow colleague who does great work (also known as the co-founder of SLDogs.com)

Congratulations agámi! Well done!

Second Life forums closing...

Yes, it looks like Linden Labs is phasing out the community forums in favor of blogs and in-world forms of communication. This has, of course, started an outcry from some residents, while others are praising the decision.

Personally, I think this could be a good thing if newer forms of communication make it easier for residents. Discussion boards are one of the first community driven communications mediums used widely on the Web. With Web 2.0 sites pushing the envelope on social networking and communication, I think it may be time to update and move into the new century for many sites.

Second Life has a huge social aspect to it, and using a dated out-of-game discussion platform feels a bit odd to me. Let's hope newer and more interactive forms of discussion are in the works!

P.S. I think there is still a place for discussion forums, but more along the 3rd party route. Fan sites, help sites, group sites, etc, are the perfect place for niche discussions. Just sayin'.

How Evil Are You?

Surprisingly, I found this link in one of the Internet Explorer team member blogs :-) Just ask yourself, how evil are you?

AOL: Another Obtuse Lapse

I don't know what the people at America Online are smoking, but maybe they should start selling whatever it is, because they may need to look for a new business model soon. These people released massive amounts of user search data to the public, tied to individual users!

Ok, so the user names are not used. Instead, they use randomized numbers, but you can track a user's searches and navigation by this number, and pretty easily find out who they are by analyzing their search terms. Ego searching is very common.

So imagine seeing that user "1297734" seached for his name, for example "Ted Samplename", then this same user later searches for "Seattle prostitutes". Well, suddenly we can start assuming that Mr. Ted Samplename, of Seattle, is looking for a little on-the-side action. Talk about invasion of privacy!

AOL has since removed the data, but the damaqge is done. It's being mirrored all over the place. I'm just glad I'm not an AOL user, and I feel bad for anyone who is.

Meet the Zazzlers and join the BBQ!

Lunch 2.0 is an interesting concept...Web 2.0 companies sponsor a BBQ at their offices open to the public! And this coming Wednesday, August 9th at noon, it's Zazzle's turn to host!

Come meet the Zazzle team (including yours truly) and enjoy food, food, and more food! Simply RSVP by clicking here and entering a comment! See ya there!

Be a star with SingShot!

SingShot is a new site for karaoke lovers. Sign up, choose a song, plug in your mic, and sing. Not only is that fun, but you can record your renditions for all to hear.

Now here is where the real fun begins. It's like a train wreck...you can't stop looking, no matter how bad the scene. I'm amazed at how truly bad some people's recordings are! As Simon Cowell would say, "Appalling". There are some truly talented people on there, however.

So in general, I like the site. It's fun. But to record songs and actually be a star, you have to pay (after your 2 week free trial ends). Subscription plans are $9.95/month (billed monthly), $7.95/month ($23.85 billed every three months), or $4.95/month ($59.40 billed once a year).

Free members can only play member recordings, create a profile page, and rate and comment on other member performances. If you don't want to be the American Idol, but rather play Randy, Paula, or Simon, then the free membership is perfect. But if you want to be the next Clay Aiken (and who doesn't?) be ready to pony up some cash.

Quick mention: Family Guy collection!

One of my all time favorite TV shows is Family Guy. And now you can get customized Family Guy merchandise on Zazzle! YAY!

IE7 to be distributed via Windows Update!

This was announced on the Internet Explorer Blog today! So this is both good and bad. It's good because the adoption of IE7 will be much faster than if it was left to users to download proactively. It's bad because us web developers will now have to support IE7, as well as IE6, Firefox, Mozilla, Opera, etc. It's just one more browser to think about.

Of course, it SHOULD be more standards compliant, and therefore more cross browser friendly. Let's hope for a solid launch!

Hybrid HOV stickers!

I finally got my Hybrid HOV Stickers! It was a painful ride getting these. First, I had to renew my license since it was expired and I had moved. Next, I had to renew my registration for the same reasons. Then, I had to sign up for FasTrak. Of course, I end up signing up for the non-hybrid FasTrak, so then I had to contact them to get the right one. And like an idiot, I fax them my application and everything except for a copy of my registration. I had to wait almost 2 weeks to get a letter in the mail saying they needed a copy of my registration.

Well, bottom line is, I got 'em.

New license plate designs

Since joining Zazzle.com, I've been busy creating designs for shirts, mugs, stamps, etc. For all of you who dig Web 2.0 topics, here's one of my California License Plate designs for shirts.

Many more available in my gallery!

My new digs...

Today was my first day at my new job. After almost three years, I left agámi Systems to go work at Zazzle.com. This was a tough choice to make, since agámi has been great for me. But in looking at where my career is headed, I decided I needed to be surrounded by more artistic and creative types that I can learn from, and work in a more consumer-centric company.

Zazzle fits me...and I fit Zazzle. After only one day, I already feel very comfortable with my coworkers, and I can tell this is going to be great fun! Have a look at the site and you'll see why I'm excited :-)

Make your own South Park avatar with South Park Studio

This is just cool. If you like South Park, make your own South Park style avatar using this nifty little Flash program.


You can add all sorts of clothing, body parts, and accessories.
Check me out!

Web 2.0 Watch: Connected Innovators - The Supernova 12

According to the Supernova Conference web site, "the Connected Innovators program brings together the creators of exciting emerging technologies with the industry's top technology and business influencers."

Below is the list of the Supernova 12 - twelve Web 2.0 companies chosen as "connected innovators" for the conference.

Attensa	Ether	lifeio
Netvibes	PostApp	PROTOMOBL
Sharpcast	SoonR	StumbleUpon
Vpod.tv	Webaroo	ZiXXo

This is scaring me a bit. I'm getting that old "dot-bomb" feeling again. How many of these companies will make it? Most likely, not many if history is a guage. What is more troubling to me, though, is that out of all the new Web 2.0 companies out there, these 12 don't all strike me as revolutionary in any real way.

Some have very interesting ideas, but is it enough to build a company on? Well, apparently, this time around, most companies are not really out to be independently profitable...they are looking to get bought out by one of the big boys.

The big boys (Google, MSN, Yahoo, etc) are scared to miss the next big thing, and it is easier for them to buy out one of these startups and integrate their offerings than to build it all from scratch.

So this may be a new dot-com bubble, but this time, at least their is an exit strategy. There will be many deaths along the way, but hopefully not a huge nuclear explosion that takes them all out at once.

Let's hear it for progress.

IE7 Beta 3 available for download!

Microsoft just announced the availability of Internet Explorer 7 Beta 3. Here's what you can expect in this release:

• Tab Reordering!


• New Icons


• Authenticated FTP


• Email button added back to toolbar


• Magnify images with a simple magnifying glass icon


• Refresh all feeds


• Mark feeds as read


• Keyboard shortcuts


• Security fixes


• Improved printing

Microsoft reccomends uninstalling any previous beta release of IE7 before installing this version.

Web 2.0 Watch: Create your own Social Web Apps with Ning

For many, Web 2.0 is based on community and sharing online. Ning provides a platform to create your own social Web application in minutes. Ning promises that you can create:

• Your own photo or video sharing website (like Flickr, Shutterfly or YouTube)
  
• Your own group or social network (for your friends or school)
  
• Your own reviews site for anything (like Citysearch or IGN )
  
• Your own ratings or voting site (like Hot-or-Not™)
  
• Your own marketplace (like Craigslist for your own group)

All this can be achieved by cloning and modifying existing Ning apps, or, for the developers out there, delving deeper into writing some code.

I browsed around some apps on Ning, and although very compelling, they all looked virtually identical. Sure, the tools may be there to modify to your liking, but it doesn't seem to be the norm right now.

With maturity, Ning could become a great launching pad for some good social Web ideas, but they must first make it even more accessible for non-developers and provide easy to use customization tools to allow each app to stand on its own. This is one to keep an eye on.

Second Life's creator answers protesters

Philip Rosedale, Linden Lab CEO and creator of online virtual world Second Life, writes in his blog about SL's third birthday, the protesters, and the future. He makes some interesting points, which make me think he's either a true visionary, or a little bit on the crazy side. Probably a bit of both.

Second Life turns 3 today...amidst protests from residents

The online virtual world of Second Life turns 3 years old today. Unfortunately, in-world protesters promise to bring the festivities down a notch.

Recently, Linden Lab, the makers of Second Life, changed their policy of requiring a credit card as age verification to sign up. Many residents are concerned that this is going to let in a rash of griefers and script kiddies that frequently cause problems by scamming people and causing grid crashes.

The protests today are designed to get Linden Lab to rethink their new "no credit card" policy to minimize the influx of teen sign ons. Linden Lab also runs a teen only grid for Second Life, and that's where the teens belong, according to the protesters.

To me, this is a case of art imitating real life. When large groups of people get together, there are always conflicts, and the vocal protest. In this case, they may just have a point, but I will not support the protests during SL's birthday. It's supposed to be a celebration. Let's make it one and save the whales another day.

10,000 Miles!

My 2005 Honda Civic Hybrid just reached 10,000 miles! My average MPG since I bought the car is just under 50. Not bad!

Now I have to do something about that "maintenance required" light that came on. I'm thinking duct tape.

Low usability = high annoyance. Duh!

Sandra Rossi of Computerworld Today (Australia) mentions in her article, What Users Hate Most About Web Sites, that a web site that is hard to use causes people to get annoyed and leave the site.

So what do users hate? Ads, complexity, confusion, distractions, wordiness...you know, the things that everyone hates about anything. What I find interesting is that articles like this make good design principles seem like a revelation. It's not brain surgery, people. It's common sense. If you don't like a wordy, ad-filled web site, there's a good chance many others feel the same way.

Flock browser beta launches...raises more dough

Flock is a Mozilla based browser with additional features, including photo integration with Flickr or photobucket, social bookmarking integration with Del.icio.us or Shadows, a blogging tool, enhanced search and an RSS reader.

As a matter of fact, I am using the beta right now to write this post. Check it out

Blogged with Flock

My new design/usability web site

I figured it was about time to create a site dedicated to my work and professional life. Let's face it, if we don't promote ourselves, don't expect anyone else to!

With the launch of http://ed.caggiani.com/, I have managed to put together my philosophy of good design, which I call the R.A.I.D. Philosophy of Good Design. Visit the site to read what R.A.I.D. is all about.

The site is still very much under construction, so don't expect too much...yet.

Get your Windows Vista today!

Windows Vista, Microsoft's next operating system, is still in beta. But Microsoft just announced that it has opened the beta to the public with its Windows Vista Customer Preview Program (CPP). Are you brave enough to try it?

Stream of photo-consciousness...

A friend at work just sent around this link, and I have to say this is one of the coolest things I've seen.

Imagine a picture...now imagine every pixel in that picture being another picture. Now imagine being able to zoom in and see those smaller pictures, and as they get closer you see that they are made up of more pictures...and now prepare to spend quite a while clicking and clicking and clicking.

Simply cool. Try it yourself (NOTE: Macromedia Shockwave plugin required)

Linux still not ready for desktop primetime

Many people in Silicon Valley tout the benefits of using Linux instead of Windows as their desktop operating system of choice. It's faster, more secure, and way cheaper. So why hasn't it overtaken Microsoft in the desktop OS war?

Mark Golden of The Wall Street Journal
puts several Linux distributions through their paces and tells us why. What does it boil down to? Compatibility...specifically with multimedia hardware and software. Have an iPod? You will have to work extra hard to get it to work on Linux. Want to see online streaming video? Not just a click away.

Something not mentioned in this article is how Linux works with the latest PC games. The short answer: It doesn't. The latest hot games are built for Windows and use DirectX technology, something not easily or successfully emulated. Being a gamer, this immediately negates the option of using Linux for me.

Now don't get me wrong...Linux is a wonderful OS that has its place. That place is in the background, running servers. It wins hands down.

Web 2.0 Watch: Logos galore

While browsing Zimbio portals (see my previous post), I came across this large image of Web 2.0 company logos, which was housed on Flickr.

The discussion around it pointed me to web2logo.com, a site that simply posts linked logos to hundreds of Web 2.0 companies.

In the current climate, like a smarter, more mature version of the '90's dot-com growth period, a living visual map of the growing landscape is a welcome addition.

Plus, the fact that I found this site via the Zimbio : Flickr : Web2logo.com trail, proves that information sharing and self-publishing can lead one down paths of discovery only available to humanity relatively recently.

The Wild West was fun, but it got better when they invented plumbing.

Web 2.0 Watch: Zimbio launches!

Zimbio launches!
What is Zimbio, you ask? They call themselves "...the network of public portals created by people like you."

What does this mean? To put it simply, it's a site where any user (or "guru") can create a Web 2.0 information and communications center for any topic under the sun...complete with a blog, member photos, links, feeds, forums, chat, and more. The best part is that each portal grows with the help of Zimbio's user base.

This is a sign of the times...when technology, communication and social networking are coming together to form exciting new ideas and services. Zimbio has set itself apart from other offerings by integrating many of today's hot Web 2.0 buzzwords into a usable, fun, and potentially informative service. Check it out!

IE7 Beta 2 released

The official IE Blog announced that IE7 Beta 2 is now released. This is a quote from their blog:

We acted on a lot of the feedback and bug reports from the previous public releases. In particular, I feel good about changes we made based on reports from web developers around some CSS behaviors, application compatibility feedback, reliability data (yes, we do analyze the information that comes when you click “Send Error Report”), and user experience feedback. People on the team will post additional details about changes over the next few days.

I think it's definitely worth a look!

I don't need no stinkin' RAZR!

Being Hispanic, I felt it was my obligation...my duty...to carry a blade of some sort. Well Samsung allows me to carry one that is allowed through airport security.

It's the Samsung A900 (affectionately known as "The Blade"). This is Samsung's answer to Motorola's ever popular RAZR. All I have to say is...Joo better don't tek it away from me or I'll cut you, my freng!

The specs are quite similar to the RAZR...same thin profile, bluetooth, 1.2 megapixel camera, etc. But for my personal uses, I see the A900 as the better phone. I am a Sprint customer, so this phone gets me access to Sprint's high speed EV-DO network. This means I can pair my phone to my laptop (bluetoothedly) and surf the 'net at near broadband speeds anywhere Sprint's EV-DO service is available. Lucky for me, it's all around Silicon Valley.

Coupled with a Jabra BT500 bluetooth headset, I can geek out with the best of 'em...or look like a crazy guy mumbling to himself who has a hearing aid. Do I care? Remember, I cut you, mang!

I just discovered that my new phone can take dictation from me and it will write what I say to it!

This is being posted from my new samsung A900 EV-DO mobile phone. More to come!

'Second Life' gets an $11 Million Dollar boost

The online virtual world known as Second Life has just announced an $11 million round of funding. This will allow Linden Lab, the creators of Second Life, to expand deeper into foreign markets, hire more personnel, and improve their infrastructure.

Second Life currently has about 165,000 users, a drop in the bucket compared to other popular MMO's (Blizzard's 'World of Warcraft' has 6 million). But users are passionate, creative, and mature. It's not your typical quest driven fantasy world. It's more of a virtual canvas for creative digital artists, socialites, and programmers to get together and share ideas, talents, and have fun...maybe even making a buck along the way.

I highly suggest visiting Second Life and becoming an active member. It is free to join and you only need to pay if you want to own land. While you're there, checkout our virtual pet dogs :-)

Rare Monty Python interview online

This blog posted a rare 1975 interview with members of Monty python. If you're a fan, you must check it out!

Zombie MMO in the works

Tired of the same old fantasy online games? Well, it looks like a new MMORPG is in the works called Exanimus (Latin for "without life"), which is based on the horror genre. It's still in pre-production, so there are no screenshots or anything, but this is an interesting game to keep an eye on!

Unfolding the Origami mystery

CNET posted some sneak peek pictures of minitablets that Microsoft and Intel are working on as the mysterious Origami project. Very tantalizing!

Under the Hood: Why Windows Vista Won't Suck

ExtremeTech.com published quite an interesting breakdown of some of the deep, under the hood changes that Windows Vista promises to deliver. Read Why Windows Vista Won't Suck and see for yourself!

The Search for the Holy MMORPG: Part Eight

(Continued from The Search for the Holy MMORPG: Part Seven)

Rediscovering EverQuest II
If you've been following this series, you know that we finally decided on World of Warcraft as our MMO of choice. We've been playing it a few weeks now and we really enjoy it. It's easy to learn, easy to play while still challenging, very open ended but never leaves you wondering what you're supposed to do next. Basically, it takes a lot of the best parts of MMO's and does it right.

But the other day, as I was reading my email on my home PC, I looked on my desktop and saw that I still had EverQuest II installed. I had cancelled my account a while ago because the game was too geared towards groups and raids, was not casual enough for a 3-hour/night gamer like myself, and left me wondering what to do next many times. Curiousity got the better of me, however, and I double-clicked the EQ2 icon on my desktop just to see if it would still work.

Well, the game launched and immediately started downloading all sorts of updates. This was taking quite a while, so I decided to leave it overnight and check it out the next day. In the morning, before work, I saw that it had finished. So I went ahead and clicked the big PLAY button. Lo and behold, I was able to login and my old characters were still there!

Of course, this is most likely Sony Online's way to get players back. I checked my account status and it said my account was good for 7 days, and then I would have to pay to play. Ok, I'll give this a shot just to see how it has changed.

I decided to create a new character to get a feel from the start. I was surprised to see that the limitations of race/class combinations have been lifted, so any race can be any class. I created a Froglok Monk named Redsoul (in memory of my old EQ1 character Redsoul Blackfoot, a shaman).

I'm still in the starter island doing small quests to level up before going into the main game, but I have to say, so far, it is a much improved experience. The interface is not as immediately easy to use as WoW was, but it is infinitely more configurable. The questing system is very similar to WoW, and talking to NPC's can be quite humorous.

I have been able to solo this whole time and just reached level 7. This is where I reached the first "instanced" dungeon encounter, where no one else can come in and interrupt my gameplay unless I was grouped with them. In WoW, I have yet to encounter an instanced dungeon, but I hear rumours that they exist :-)

This is also the first time I died. I was able to complete most of the dungeon until the very end, when the boss and a bunch of her cronies simply overwhelm my poor little froggie. I'll have to try again with different tactics, but so far it has been quite fun.

There are some significant differences between WoW and EQ2. First, the graphics in EQ2 are far superior in my opinion. They are not cartoony like in WoW. Of course, this comes with a significant performance hit. WoW is more approachable from the start because of the simple user interface, but I wonder if EQ2 is infinitely deeper in scope and details. Only time will tell.

Star Trek Online: Another upcoming MMORPG

Perpetual Entertainment is working on a Star Trek MMORPG called Star Trek Online, where you can train at Starfleet and potentially work your way up to becoming captain of your own starship. It will cover all the Star Trek franchises from the original series up to Enterprise. This will be one to keep an eye on.

PBS will debut new Monty Python specials in 2006!

Six new Monty Python specials will debut on PBS this year, one based on each member of the British comedy troupe. The five living Pythons - John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Michael Palin and Terry Jones - will each produce and write their own episode, with all of them collaborating on a sixth special to honor deceased member Graham Chapman.

Word is, Chapman is "feeling better" but still plans on being dead by the time the shows are ready.

Right. Stop that. It's silly.

Top 10 reasons to get Windows Vista

Yahoo News, in conjunction with PC World, published Ten Reasons to Buy Windows Vista. This next version of Windows promises to be more secure, intuitive, functional, and graphically appealing. Yes, it brings Windows that much closer to Mac OS X. Personally, I can't wait for it!

Cheyenne Mountain offers more details on the Stargate MMORPG

This game, based on the popular Stargate TV series, is still in pre-production, but the developers at Cheyenne Mountain speak up about their plans.

Being a fan of the show as well as the MMORPG gaming genre, this is one I will not miss!

Octopus.com was way ahead of its time

I used to work at a company called Octopus.com, which created a nifty technology to be able to "scrape" content from different sources (e.g. web pages), and compile them all together in one page "view". These views were then categorized, shared, and rated.

Well, unfortunately, Octopus went the way of the dodo with the dot-com bust. All assets were sold to Ask Jeeves and put to use on B2B and internal projects I assume.

Now it's 2006, and the latest buzzwords are "Web 2.0" and "Ajax". And lo and behold, what do we see popping up? Yes, sites that do almost exactly what Octopus did way back in 1999. Of course, these sites no longer need to depend on Java applets or IE specific code. They use Ajax technology, which, for all intents and purposes, is built in to all current browser versions.

Check out NetVibes and ProtoPage as two examples that remind me quite a bit of my brush with the dot-com hey day.

EDIT: Co-founder Christoph Janz reminded me about his Web 2.0 Ajax driven service named Pageflakes. He runs a very interesting blog on Web 2.0. Check it out at http://christophjanz.blogspot.com/

The Search for the Holy MMORPG: Part Seven

(Continued from The Search for the Holy MMORPG: Part Six)

Dungeons & Dragons Online BETA
If you've been following this series of postings, you know that my friend Darryl and I have been looking for the perfect Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG). We both used to play EverQuest and EverQuest II, but those got old. Now we were looking to recapture the good ol' days of online gaming when everything was new and exciting.

We tried several demos and betas, and even bought World of Warcraft. What it boils down to is that out of all the demos and betas we tried, Dungeons & Dragons Online was the only one worth considering.

This is not your typical MMO. There are no newbie zones where everyone goes to kill rats to gain experience, you don't get experience for killing one thing, soloing is next to impossible, and quests are very unique and dynamic. This game is focused on group play, and many quests cannot be completed without a well balanced group of players. This is true to the pen and paper D&D, and translates well to online questing.

The graphics are phenomenal. The quests are very interesting and challenging, including puzzles to solve and hidden areas and traps. The combat is real time, and blocking and avoiding an attack is done by YOU, not by a roll of the dice.

The basic structure of D&D Online is a general meeting area (a tavern) where groups can be formed, and several doors leading to quests. This actually makes it feel less MMO and more "small group based online RPG". At first I was put off by this, but in practice, the quests come alive, you are questing with your comrades, and lag is minimal inside a dungeon. Also, the addition of a "dungeon master" voice describing the scene gives the atmosphere a very chilling and suspenseful tone. Well done.

The user interface is, well, complicated at best. The depth of the game shows. This is for die hards, not for casual players. There is a steep learning curve. This may prove to be the downfall for this game, since it is a huge barrier to entry.

All in all, D&D Online can be great fun, with higher peaks of suspense and thrilling action, but at the cost of frustration, confusion, and a basic feeling that there is something you are missing that would make the game simpler. Don't get me wrong...I had an absolute blast running through some of the quests with Darryl, but I don't think I have the time to invest in such a deep game. I wouldn't be able to simply pop on for 30 minutes to an hour to play a little. It's too involved.

How does it stack up against World of Warcraft?
Comparing D&D Online with World of Warcraft is like comparing a Rolex to a sundial. The Rolex is infinitely more complicated in design, but both can tell time. World of Warcraft is so approachable, so easy to get into, casual friendly, and well designed that it is hard not to declare it the winner of the two.

But they both satisfy very different gaming urges, and both do it well. The ultimate decision depends on what you would want to get out of MMO gaming. For me and Darryl right now, we believe it's more about being able to play casually, easily, and still have a deep and enriching experience. So World of Warcraft wins!

In the future, if time restraints change in my life, or D&D evolves enough, I will take another look. It's worth keeping this one on my radar!

The Search for the Holy MMORPG: Part Six

(Continued from The Search for the Holy MMORPG: Part Five)

What's left?
Ok, so we've tried a whole slew of online games, and not one has been able to satisfy our desire to explore and build our characters to über levels. We miss the good ol' days of the original EverQuest, where we would not really know what we were doing and get into trouble by attacking something that simply "looked" small. Here's a tip: size really doesn't matter in MMO's!

Looking at what remains in the MMO landscape, there's really not much more we can do, except sign up for the betas of Dungeons & Dragons Online and Auto Assault. D&D Online looks promising, and we get to try it out tomorrow. Auto Assault is a different twist on MMO's in the vein of Mad Max. Basically you drive around a post-apocalyptic world improving your vehicle and killing things. Interesting, but probably not for long term.

So with all this in mind, we finally broke down and purchased World of Warcraft. Remember, I hesitated to do this because for one thing, it is extremely popular, meaning there may be tons of young kiddies who may ruin gameplay for me, and there was no demo to try. But with nothing else going on in the MMO landscape that looked good, we had no choice.

Now I know why WoW is so popular. One, it has very little competition. Two, it is designed by Blizzard, who knows what they're doing. And three, they did it right. At first we were shocked that there was no tutorial in the game. But after playing for 5 minutes we knew why. The user interface is so simple and approachable, it doesn't need to be taught. You'll just know how to use it if you've ever played any RPG or MMO in the past.

We played for a few hours last night and I think we may have found what we were looking for. Yes, the graphics are cartoony, but the art designer did a phenomenal job making low polygon models actually look good!

Basically, to keep things responsive and hardware requirements fairly low, Blizzard opted to use low polygon 3D models, since they are simpler and faster to render. So instead of trying to make low polygon models look realistic, which would look bad, they worked within the constraints and went for the cartoony look, which doesn't require high polygon models.

The results are amazing. The game is VERY responsive, the interface is brainless, the visuals look good, and so far, the quests have been typical, but fun.

COMING UP...HOW DOES D&D ONLINE COMPARE TO WoW...

The Search for the Holy MMORPG: Part Five

(Continued from The Search for the Holy MMORPG: Part Four)

So after the crap that was Shadowbane, we needed something to get the taste of feces out of our mouths. In walks the beta of RF Online. Now talk about odd theme, this game is part fantasy, part sci-fi, and all anime.

Personally, I am not a huge fan of the anime style, so I was skeptical to begin with. But the screenshots did look nice, and at this point, the choices were pretty slim. So I had to signup with FilePlanet to be able to join the RF Online beta. No biggie since it was only $39.95 for the whole year, and I get tons of downloads at blazingly fast speeds.

Anyway, I installed it and started playing. First off, character creation is limited. Ok, let's move on. Next, the text in all the game dialogs is constantly wrapping in the wrong place, so it just looks messy. I chalked it up to poor localization and the fact that it is still in beta.

So far, nothing huge to make me leave. I start my first quest, a basic kill xx amount of monsters and reach level 3. Cool. I go out to the newbie zone and start killing. Hey, this is kinda fun. The game mechanics make the action feel very responsive, and the anime style graphics are actually done well.

So Darryl downloads it and tries it as well. His impression is not as positive as mine, mostly because the camera control requires you to hold down the right mouse button and drag the mouse around. A bit clunky, yes, but for Darryl, this meant more headaches.

Ultimately, I came to the conclusion that, although fun, I would get bored pretty fast. It's not quite as deep as games like EverQuest as far as character development and customization, plus the quests so far seemed very inane.

Overall conclusion: Fun action, nice graphics, not very deep.

TO BE CONTINUED...

The Search for the Holy MMORPG: Part Four

(Continued from The Search for the Holy MMORPG: Part Three)

Neocron came next. This is a sci-fi MMO, but it differs from EVE Online in that you control your character rather than your ship, and it's more about action and combat than space exploration and trading.

The game client is another big 1.87GB file. Good thing I have a fast connection! So how is it? Well, personally, I enjoyed Neocron...as a matter of fact, I still have the 10 day free trial installed. The graphics are quite good, the user interface, although initially a bit overwhelming, is quite usable after learning it, and the atmosphere it creates is very cyberpunk.

You can easily describe Neocron as a "first person shooter MMO"...because essentially that is exactly what it is. If you like first person shooters, MMO's, and cyberpunk, this is THE game for you. The action is suspenseful, the character development is deep, and the sound and music is actually very impressive.

So why not stop here and say we found the MMO we were looking for? Well, for one, although cyberpunk is cool, it is not the tried and true fantasy setting we were really looking for. The other reason is the big one...my friend Darryl gets headaches and nausea when playing first person shooters. He couldn't make it through the tutorial without risking a cranial explosion, so this game receives a no-go. Although I haven't decided yet whether I will continue on my own yet :-)

Overall opinion: Excellent cyberpunk first person shooter/MMO with a tendency to make Darryl very very sick.

So what's next? Ok, back to fantasy. I found Shadowbane. They had a 15 day free trial plus an extra 10 days with a coupon code. That's 25 days to try it out! Sweet!

This was only 851MB, so it went fairly quickly. After I installed it, I went right in and started creating my character while Darryl started the download on his computer.

About half an hour later I emailed Darryl telling him to go ahead and cancel the download. This game is crap. Crappy graphics. Crappy movement and camera controls. Crappy everything from what I saw. I mean, my character was walking through a door and the door closed on him, and he got stuck! After 5 minutes I got him unstuck by sitting and standing many times, and trying to select the phantom door during this ridiculous process.

I took a quick look at the online forums for Shadowbane, and I was surprised at how many threads were basically saying how the game sucked. I would agree.

Overall opinion: Crap.

TO BE CONTINUED...

The Search for the Holy MMORPG: Part Three

(Continued from The Search for the Holy MMORPG: Part Two)

The Free Trials
So now came time to download, download, download. The first free trial was for EVE Online. After a 513MB download, I was ready to give it a shot. EVE Online is a sci-fi space MMORPG, so it's a bit different than the traditional fantasy RPG's we're all used to.

Graphics were very cool...but honestly, the interface was too complex, and the gameplay was just too slow. I'm not adverse to sci-fi RPG's, but this was just TOO sci-fi. You control a ship and fly through space, have space battles, improve your ship, dock at planets, trade, etc.

Overall opinion: Slow, complicated, and kinda boring, but nice graphics.

The next game we tried was Dark Age of Camelot. This was a whopping 1.87GB download for the 14-day free trial. Ultimately, this game looked more promising for us since we do prefer the fantasy setting.

After creating our characters and venturing out, we finished a few quests and leveled up. This was more of what we were used to. The starter quests were innovative in that they were creative variations on the FedEx delivery quests and help us kill all these pests quests.

The graphics were merely OK. Nothing to write home about. But here's why we ultimately ended up saying "no" to this game. The user interface is slow. I mean annoyingly so. We even tried lowering all our graphics settings to no avail. Moving things in your inventory was sluggish, and chatting looked like a typewriter.

Overall opinion: Slow interface. A poor man's EverQuest.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Stargate Worlds!

Searching for a good MMO game, I came across this gem. Apparently, a new company named Cheyenne Mountain is developing a game based on the Stargate franchise! Being a huge fan of the franchise, this is a dream come true. I can't tell you how many times I've mentioned that a Stargate MMO would be amazing.

Apparently this company managed to get a licensing agreement from MGM, so it's a go! Of course, they are in pre-production right now, so it's gonna be a while before we see anything...but now at least there is something to look forward to!

The Search for the Holy MMORPG: Part Two

(Continued from The Search for the Holy MMORPG: Part One)

The MMO Landscape
Ok, so how do we decide what MMO to get into? Well the first step is to see what's available. We visited sites like MMORPG.com, Multiplayer Online Gaming Directory, GameSpy, etc. We even Googled "MMORPG".

This search returned too many results to be able to make a choice. We needed to narrow the choices down. So we immediately removed all games that were not 3D and did not have a stand alone client.

The big names always came up (EverQuest 2, World of Warcraft). Well, we had previously subscribed to Everquest 2 and it didn't hook us, so that was off the list. Personally, I hesitated to even try World of Warcraft for a few reasons. I don't like the cartoony look, it's overwhelmingly popular, and most of all, there was no free trial. So we put WoW on hold for now. Best to try all the free demos and betas first.

So here's the short list so far:

- EVE Online
- Dark Age of Camelot
- Shadowbane
- Neocron
- RF Online
- Dungeons & Dragons Online
- Auto Assault

TO BE CONTINUED...

The Search for the Holy MMORPG: Part One

For those who aren't in the know, MMORPG stands for Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game, that new genre of addictive "carrot-and-stick", monster killing, character building, experience treadmill PC game. Made popular by the original EverQuest game, the genre has exploded into many copycat versions, as well as many copyCRAP versions. Most of these games require a monthly fee to play on their servers.

My friend Darryl and I have played many PC games together, from all night Diablo II marathons, to selling virtual pet dogs in Second Life. We even survived our addiction to EverCrack and moved on.

But with being clean and sober of MMO's for a while now, the hankerin' grows, and single player RPG "methodone" just doesn't always cut it. So we decided to check the MMORPG landscape and see what we could find.

TO BE CONTINUED...

AMD and HP to Generate More Than $4 Million for the LAF

My friend Doug, a cancer survivor, sent me this:

AMD and HP have teamed up to develop the HP Special Edition L2000 Notebook PC. Fifty dollars from each notebook sale will benefit LAF public health, advocacy and research initiatives. AMD made a two-year commitment to help generate a minimum of $4 million for the LAF through the sale of Special Edition PCs.

The Special Edition Notebook bears the LIVESTRONG logo and a reproduction of Lance Armstrong's autograph. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of accessories, including a carrying case and mobile mouse, also benefit the LAF.

Read the full article online

Learn more about the HP Special Edition L2000 Notebook PC

Cingular patents emoticons :-(

Engadget reports that Cingular has been granted the patent on using emoticons on mobile devices. Hmmm...reminds me of Unisys and the GIF format.

Create online art with ArtPad

This is an interesting web site for budding young digital artists. Actually, it's fun for anyone! Draw, paint, and share your creations.

Inventor of the mouse gives talk...virtually

Douglas Engelbart, best known for inventing the computer mouse, appeared in the virtual world of Second Life to give a talk about harnessing collective intelligence. It's great to see such notable appearances in Second Life!

Search for pictures by drawing one

An experimental service called retrievr lets you draw a simple sketch with your mouse and it searches for photographs that resemble it. It does seem to work, but it looks like it gives a lot of false positives, meaning the search parameters are too broad. Also, the drawing pad you get is very basic (smallest size brush is like 10 pixels), so no Picasso's here. Still interesting technology though!

It's better to look good...

Wired.com reports about a group of Canadian researchers who determined that users can judge a web site in less than 1/20th of a second...and that initial impression will last throughout their entire visit.

Being a web designer/developer/usability guy, I could have told you that without having to fund a study. But this does lend some credibility to the importance of first impressions, perception, and corporate identity. If you want people to take you seriously as a business online, your web site better be up to snuff.

The best news in 2006!

In October, I reported on my friend Doug, who found out he had cancer. Well, the good news is that after 3 rounds of chemo, his doctor's say he is clean! More tests to come, but this is the best news, and a great way to start 2006!

Toyota sued for hybrid patent infringement

Apparently, a company is suing Toyota for infringing on their patents with their hybrid Prius and Highlander models. Solomon Technologies, Inc. claims that Toyota hybrids are using technology that is patented under patent #5,067,932, which seems to involve how the drive-train and braking system functions.

The implications here are huge. If Solomon Technologies wins, they could stop Toyota from legally importing hybrids into the US. And what about other hybrids, like my beloved Honda Civic? No word yet as to whether this patent is being infringed upon by other hybrid manufacturers, but it does make me a bit nervous!

Spammer gets fined $11 Billion!

TheInquirer.net reports that a small Iowa ISP has just won one of the largest payouts ever extracted from a spammer. The spammer, James McCalla (from Florida...go figure), allegedly sent 280 million illegal emails, and under the Iowa law, the ISP was entitled to $10 per email.

Apparently this idiot used the ISP's domain as his return address to avoid complaints. He was also ordered not to use a computer for 3 years. I hope this sends a message to all major spammers out there!

2005 Year in Review - The good and the bad

2005 was a year of ups and downs. Here are the highlights from my point of view:

• Good - My wife and I bought our first house
  
• Good - I lost over 30 pounds on Jenny Craig
  
• Bad - My best friend Doug found out he has cancer
  
• Good - Microsoft tries to be more like Apple
  
• Good - My 2005 Civic Hybrid gets stellar gas mileage
  
• Good - agámi launches NAS storage product
  
• Good - We switched to Vonage IP phone service
  
• Good - My brother's company, Carcrafter Engineering, gets a graphic and architecture overhaul, thanks to my friend Darryl (architecture code) and me (design)
  
• Good - D&D Dogs, our online virtual pet dog business in Second Life, continues to do quite well in sales.
  
• Good - Google expands portal services
  
• Bad - Microsoft faces $2.4 Million/Day fine
  

Second Life reaches 100,000 residents!

The online virtual world of Second Life announced today that they have reached 100,000 residents. This is a huge milestone for a "game" where there is no monster killing, level grind, or even plot for that matter.

It is a testament to the fact that there is a niche market for a creative outlet where digital artists, programmers, architects, business people, and socialites can gather together to build a virtual world all their own.

For those of you who know me, I have been involved with Second Life since their early beta in 2003. My blog portrait is actually a picture of my avatar in Second Life. It's nice to see SL grow and mature, and here's hoping to an even better 2006!

My new music/technology blog

I noticed that I kept posting here about how technology and music come together, so I decided to start a blog dedicated to the topic. Come see Silicon Music!

What I got for Christmas!

Well, it's Christmas, and that means there's torn wrapping paper all over the floor in the living room, the cats are trying to eat it, and I'm slowly slipping into a chocolate induced coma. Gotta love this holiday!

So what did I get? Well, here's the list!

• Garmin StreetPilot 2720 GPS for my car! Yay!
  
  
• 2006 Monty Python Trivia Calendar - That's even better than.....a shrubbery!
  
  
• $50 gift certificate to ThinkGeek.com - For the geek in me :-)
  
  
• $100 gift card to Target - Gonna go crazy!
  
  
• A Home Depot gift card - Not sure for how much
  
  
• Enough chocolate to make Jenny Craig roll over in her...well...bed.
  

It's been a good Christmas :-)

Self tuning guitar

Engadget reports on the Transperformance System, which allows for a guitar to tune itself. Quickly change your tuning at the touch of a button! Very interesting!

Microsoft faces $2.4 Million/day fine

This is freakin' ridiculous. The European Commission has threatened to fine Microsoft up to $2.4 million a day if it fails to open up Windows to competitors. Microsoft legal chief Brad Smith says "We've shipped a new version of Windows, we've paid a historic fine, and we've provided unprecedented access to Microsoft technology to promote interoperability with other industry players...In total, we have now responded to more than 100 requests from the Commission."

What ever happened to free enterprise? Why should Microsoft have to bow down to the competition just because they got to be so powerful? Screw that! Microsoft owns Windows and they should be able to do whatever the hell they want with it. Period.

Things like this reek of socialism to me. If Microsoft makes it difficult for rivals to compete, then they are doing their job right. That's business. Competitors need to innovate and think outside the box to try to one up Microsoft. Don't go crying to governments saying they aren't playing fair. Makes you look like big cry babies who can't make a better product or can't market a better product properly.

Stop crying, you little pussies. Start competing the right way. Remember, if you can't stand the heat...

Microsoft trying to be more like Apple?

People who know me know that I have an aversion to Apple, and a soft spot for Microsoft. I know, it seems backwards by today's concensus, but Apple has always proven to be an arrogant, elitist company, which rubs me the wrong way.

That being said, I have always acknowledged Apple's talent for user interface design and style. Sure, it pisses me off that I have to say I like something about them, but I have to be honest. Their designs rock...more than Microsoft's.

Well now, that may all change. ZDNet has announced that Microsoft has hired user interface guru Bill Buxton, a designer known for his work in human-machine interfaces. This is an attempt to bring Microsoft up to speed on better usability for their products, and hopefully add an Apple-ish flair for style.

GO BILL (both Gates and Buxton)!

'Second Life' turns attacker in to FBI

The online virtual world of 'Second Life' is so open ended that the entire world is created and programmed by it's digital citizens. This open-endedness can come at a price, though. It is fairly trivial within the world to create a denial of service attack that can bring down the entire grid. The scripting tools to do so are built right into the environment.

But hackers and script-kiddies take note: C|Net reports that Linden Labs, the creators of Second Life, are coming down hard on the attackers...turning them over to the FBI. Second Life citizens are actualy happy about Linden Labs hard stance...it keeps their world up and running if attackers fear the consequences.

Google expands portal services

Yes, Google keeps adding stuff! This time around they added user created content to their homepage portal. Check it out.

Also, they've added Web Clips to Gmail, which is basically customizable RSS feeds that display over your inbox. More ways to get the info you want!