tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92165880106044527142024-03-13T21:38:10.986-07:00Tech-NicheTechnology, Videgames, and life experiences.oAurAohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873901989545364166noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9216588010604452714.post-67128363616867407862012-04-19T00:24:00.000-07:002012-04-19T00:27:07.265-07:00How to take apart a Blackberry Bold 9000 (for Cleaning, Fun, or Destructive Purposes)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCNsIJpQ3w4Bsr8wGgh9XHm5jYwDd8rd_vo93Uiy1IC8HoJBwa6Mtah1s_H4yiRwlg7e367GBrgw5ru2dX4ynR5mMYN0MT0vnLs-dG-gJZ664MPbXCNI-6xIXE2rCvAaeh2RKqmWSLG57f/s1600/IMG_0222.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCNsIJpQ3w4Bsr8wGgh9XHm5jYwDd8rd_vo93Uiy1IC8HoJBwa6Mtah1s_H4yiRwlg7e367GBrgw5ru2dX4ynR5mMYN0MT0vnLs-dG-gJZ664MPbXCNI-6xIXE2rCvAaeh2RKqmWSLG57f/s200/IMG_0222.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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So I have this old blackberry that is now obsolete. Its not worth anything (50$ maybe), I cant seem to install apps on it without having a data plan (yet) so its useless. So, out of boredom, I decide to take it apart and see what its made of. It turns out to be a very easy little adventure. So kiss your warranties goodbye and get out our your pocketknife.<br />
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Here's what its made of:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbYXTRkmP0YpWMioIdNZ_xaU0Py4EMR8411-yNmcKtMIByWmtdcOf2J1OMZIYehVGAhIxj0FSd8cDGasIkAglsp7_MOimGzCykKTAP-Xg_D9XS3OD0OiVwLAe-voU2jmxod0e6fVMtfdJF/s1600/IMG_0230.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbYXTRkmP0YpWMioIdNZ_xaU0Py4EMR8411-yNmcKtMIByWmtdcOf2J1OMZIYehVGAhIxj0FSd8cDGasIkAglsp7_MOimGzCykKTAP-Xg_D9XS3OD0OiVwLAe-voU2jmxod0e6fVMtfdJF/s320/IMG_0230.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tools I used (mostly the screwdriver)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Really that easy. You don't have to worry about connected wires on the motherboard because they are all contact only.<br />
Also there was a black sticker covering most of what you see here. That can simply be peeled off (leaves annoying stickiness though). It might be a good idea to put something back where the sticker was, between the battery and the EM shields, if you are going to use the phone much afterwards. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/Q8zQS.jpg?1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://i.imgur.com/Q8zQS.jpg?1" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Why don't I remove the ER shields and get a look at the CPU? well I'm using a pocketknife, I figure my chances are not great.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEniPDWYT54mgh6I7YZfMPKmFO2JKZ_RsOt1ZhwGKIaQUr3jQygA-LeQYS6gECaH0WTWnl53HboUS3upVpXZWcGLlBhKxNjgzscIwC34mH5rjF_a-Own-NUUtSjTC-uh8TIxU0o1jcjylk/s1600/bbtear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEniPDWYT54mgh6I7YZfMPKmFO2JKZ_RsOt1ZhwGKIaQUr3jQygA-LeQYS6gECaH0WTWnl53HboUS3upVpXZWcGLlBhKxNjgzscIwC34mH5rjF_a-Own-NUUtSjTC-uh8TIxU0o1jcjylk/s400/bbtear.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty Simple...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That clip is all that hold the trackball in. You can now remove and clean it.</td></tr>
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Putting it back together is pretty much as simple. I was able to get everything back to how it was. The buttons now feel better after removing all the dust, and the trackball its a little better too.</div>oAurAohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873901989545364166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9216588010604452714.post-39937631916007745992012-04-12T13:54:00.003-07:002012-04-12T14:13:12.710-07:00What a Journey<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://thatgamecompany.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/journey.jpg" alt="project3" /> </div><span ><span style="font-size: 100%;">I listene to a lot of podcast's, and most of them have recently been talking about how amazing this small downloadable game called Journey is. Games like this justify why I bought my PS3. Journey is a PS3 exclusive title that was created by That Game Company, the team behind Flow and Flower. This was my first experience with the one of their games and I was blown away with how much enjoyment and pleasure I took away from the mere two hours it took my to complete my play through. </span></span><div><span ><span style="font-size: 100%;">Journey is one of the most </span>beautiful and simple games I have played in a long time. You simply control a unnamed character and are pointed towards a mountain with a glow emitting from its peak. For the next two hours I explored the world of Journey passing through deserts, underground forgotten cities, and snow covered cliffs. </span></div><div><span >If your PS3 is connected to the internet you will meet travelers on the way, you can simply ignore them or join up and continue your adventure together. There is no voice chat, only a simple chirping technique which allows a interesting amount communication between both parties. I enjoyed not being told by 12 year old I was a idiot for not following or listening to his poor directions instead the cheeps and chirps pointed me towards hidden objects and collectibles throughout my adventure. </span></div><div><span >Journey while short is a game that if you have the means to play is one you should enjoy. It is the perfect length and no game mechanic that is introduced throughout the story overstays its welcome or feels like it was placed in the game to increase the games length. At fifteen dollars it is more expensive then a regular downloadable title, but when compared to a 2 hr movie or playing Journey for 2 hrs I would take the game hands down.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><br /></div>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15685312056574123882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9216588010604452714.post-23430799787229004822012-04-11T17:45:00.001-07:002012-04-11T17:47:51.686-07:00How to remove the popup ads on GOM playerGOM Media Player is by far my favorite video player. Its very minimalist looking, but just by right clicking brings up a huge menu of very useful options. However in a recent update they have added pop-up adds that show up every time you exit, or finish a video. Its very annoying, and just makes the player feel cheap. But there is a very easy workaround that I expect was left this way on purpose so more tech savy people could fix this issue without much problem.<br />
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So in order to remove adds all you have to do is remove "popup.exe" from the GOM player directory. To find the GOM player directory you just open the folder where you installed it, by defualt its here: C:\Program Files (x86)\GRETECH\GomPlayer. If its not try Program Files, instead of Program Files (x86)<br />
You also have to be logged on as an administrator on your computer.</div>
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One last thing. If you use this fix just make sure to make a backup before updating GOM player. Just in case they decide to build the pop-ups into the main application.</div>
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<br /></div>oAurAohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873901989545364166noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9216588010604452714.post-85098003645172094422012-04-07T13:48:00.001-07:002012-04-07T13:53:43.411-07:00How to Set up Gmail to Push Instead of Fetch Your EmailsI find it pretty annoying to have to manually sync Gmail or wait the 15 minutes for the iPhone to automatically fetch the data. The native Gmail account setup on the iPhone does not allow push notifications for whatever reason, and I don't want a separate app just for my Gmail account.<br />
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So here's how to set up Gmail as a push instead of fetch service via "Microsoft Exchange"<br />
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1. Set up a new email account using microsoft exchange<br />
2. -Enter you Gmail account<br />
-Enter Domain as m.google.com<br />
-Enter you gmail account again for username<br />
-Enter your Gmail password<br />
-Put in a description (Gmail perhaps...)<br />
3. Press next, to get to the next screen<br />
4. On this screen enter Server as m.google.com (just like the picture)<br />
5. Authenticating...<br />
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5. your done! you can now choose if you want to sync contacts, calenders, or reminders.<br />
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6. You can manually chose specific folders to push by going to "Folders to push" at the bottom.<br />
7. I would also recommend you delete the old Gmail account, because then you will just get 2 copies of every email.<br />
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<br />oAurAohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873901989545364166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9216588010604452714.post-70264736367136696392012-04-05T15:54:00.000-07:002012-04-05T16:08:41.218-07:00Pictures from around Regina. (and a quick bit on the iPhone 4s' HDR Camera)Some pictures I took around the city today on my bike ride. I had HDR turned on for all of the pictures I took. The iPhone automatically makes 2 pictures 1 with HDR and 1 without. I find that the HDR works best in poor light conditions. In low light conditions is brightens up the picture and for overexposed shots it tones down the brightness and even brings out more detail in the picture. Sometimes the HDR looks better and sometimes the colors look a little too bright and washed out. <br />
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There are some comparison shots at the bottom. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8NGan12F0tLg4SJ89Cb5zSBn0TnAei7QFPAp63bkT6hneBicPYkzQ9x_6ZiEGaVIZKM2pg1eOft5Zh0UEktmlzPe0XdyHLc8IA0kDZxtj7XT2-8-R549_Z93d4eiuxKx_KPF4lzSOjDlS/s1600/IMG_0164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8NGan12F0tLg4SJ89Cb5zSBn0TnAei7QFPAp63bkT6hneBicPYkzQ9x_6ZiEGaVIZKM2pg1eOft5Zh0UEktmlzPe0XdyHLc8IA0kDZxtj7XT2-8-R549_Z93d4eiuxKx_KPF4lzSOjDlS/s320/IMG_0164.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Mosaic Potash Tower, under construction</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpfNBYznad9TdfdyESEcYlXteQT8Yc4NE5azd07MDPrIbzKSDCkstg3QiwvlR-GRIxs7gU_lgqlUa7e1u1AUhuSeaBjUM-gEdLTWXdBtPCz3w2PJDT6v4JToH2yOArrHHVFc2oYZiMsDor/s1600/IMG_0202.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpfNBYznad9TdfdyESEcYlXteQT8Yc4NE5azd07MDPrIbzKSDCkstg3QiwvlR-GRIxs7gU_lgqlUa7e1u1AUhuSeaBjUM-gEdLTWXdBtPCz3w2PJDT6v4JToH2yOArrHHVFc2oYZiMsDor/s320/IMG_0202.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wascana Lake</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcxDVGPRwR9ytopqkD6poMfoQImNP3gOAQujN9NT2-5EwCTZm2QM5re43W_wQ7sl1fhhCJucjOPi0Sqg9vvotiZxd5TaMWi8Vag5RRQZ2OMpSD2qx8yVeR7auI6MR1bDs0wTZW9IefGNJf/s1600/IMG_0205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcxDVGPRwR9ytopqkD6poMfoQImNP3gOAQujN9NT2-5EwCTZm2QM5re43W_wQ7sl1fhhCJucjOPi0Sqg9vvotiZxd5TaMWi8Vag5RRQZ2OMpSD2qx8yVeR7auI6MR1bDs0wTZW9IefGNJf/s320/IMG_0205.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Capitol Building</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSQpZukMpqgOrYyVZmrIst8tRT2gMAEnxFnnWHaHBgDz75YEijJMhXRlANac_oyCehU3yGiGWq4zbzdYZjv0fawYbf9I5ULFuN7LCdbXw-63grMn42N_LjsLFHeA2GSPJ3WAQz913jH7m5/s1600/IMG_0191.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSQpZukMpqgOrYyVZmrIst8tRT2gMAEnxFnnWHaHBgDz75YEijJMhXRlANac_oyCehU3yGiGWq4zbzdYZjv0fawYbf9I5ULFuN7LCdbXw-63grMn42N_LjsLFHeA2GSPJ3WAQz913jH7m5/s320/IMG_0191.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quaint houses</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr_meomi7jGZxJy_5GSA3_5eBgdpE_4wzMo_SdOIyWpHMkFae-j7kOhvA13y4aHEN5EEw6G_SihcFitBXptR2wBFiXtX9NdJd3EtS21J1N2R8XC-NTTgN2NBYb-4D4g87pccLaj4OP4ctf/s1600/IMG_0195.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr_meomi7jGZxJy_5GSA3_5eBgdpE_4wzMo_SdOIyWpHMkFae-j7kOhvA13y4aHEN5EEw6G_SihcFitBXptR2wBFiXtX9NdJd3EtS21J1N2R8XC-NTTgN2NBYb-4D4g87pccLaj4OP4ctf/s320/IMG_0195.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quite Quaint</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy3TZ-M7aEN2Bpkwtzqg3aJ_3z0eHZzP0-r9la3LtJ1PDp5fRDmGHztfl7Yjp2vzHGJzfj-doGE8b6WX2oyihSVFvkFF9EenyAfNgvsPWXoYC-sijdwQRrIdpbJYXKXUEtBnS-KWF177hl/s1600/IMG_0197.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy3TZ-M7aEN2Bpkwtzqg3aJ_3z0eHZzP0-r9la3LtJ1PDp5fRDmGHztfl7Yjp2vzHGJzfj-doGE8b6WX2oyihSVFvkFF9EenyAfNgvsPWXoYC-sijdwQRrIdpbJYXKXUEtBnS-KWF177hl/s320/IMG_0197.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That fence will not defend you from zombies sir!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp0Em_bj94ohvWQpeZzK_DIgYjocuHzRbMGJGKSgqTIa1rpG9hXGdrDLkv-I4mL6ys76SEHIL74KvvcPzuwMBtCpVbnfvvYfzCH5uvGawen5swGGI3FamesjbQJZmJCabp4kCS_adEkVV-/s1600/IMG_0168.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp0Em_bj94ohvWQpeZzK_DIgYjocuHzRbMGJGKSgqTIa1rpG9hXGdrDLkv-I4mL6ys76SEHIL74KvvcPzuwMBtCpVbnfvvYfzCH5uvGawen5swGGI3FamesjbQJZmJCabp4kCS_adEkVV-/s320/IMG_0168.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another view of the Mosaic Potash Tower. It shows the crane and the cable which was just a couple meters above my head.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8G704bmLjrT16Jt77sBcxb8Gstv5G6j2GV6ZhlkIV8iGRwRZ-iQaOYz_sAhpdtTBr3F8kIACq76P1x5uzZwvDKBx6KqMcZ0jeE8Pytusb-HOwCdIoCv4DO11jGi7gbPMu2WQE-WxQsZOw/s1600/IMG_0170.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8G704bmLjrT16Jt77sBcxb8Gstv5G6j2GV6ZhlkIV8iGRwRZ-iQaOYz_sAhpdtTBr3F8kIACq76P1x5uzZwvDKBx6KqMcZ0jeE8Pytusb-HOwCdIoCv4DO11jGi7gbPMu2WQE-WxQsZOw/s320/IMG_0170.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SGI building with the sun shining on it. The reflection from the tower lights up the street bellow in an orange hue.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEm8KDsuYFoGX0dPUffNZpgnFreiKCc6OQ4NrMFFjA6PqaP0EP9339DcwERuRunzevoJdYIMb1V9ZN5hKd0c5FfX5v9WhdWKCLnC6aAKhHuALylu2A4mr_SciwbD5es_6UlWYLX3Dnlai6/s1600/IMG_0171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEm8KDsuYFoGX0dPUffNZpgnFreiKCc6OQ4NrMFFjA6PqaP0EP9339DcwERuRunzevoJdYIMb1V9ZN5hKd0c5FfX5v9WhdWKCLnC6aAKhHuALylu2A4mr_SciwbD5es_6UlWYLX3Dnlai6/s320/IMG_0171.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A plaza in downtown Regina. Just to the right is Victoria Park.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRFtoU0_RI5aqgc4rZpaWOA05z5NvUk_a8lXGdoG7ObhVoB4TqJtOYoXjDRkj-8Zzijp7FL3x9bpsVSdD2Tn9runKncHKcsOp19IQBUAsbaAHjCSU31dbCYrBA8nSTAlJQ5B_ToGGRsZQs/s1600/IMG_0174.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRFtoU0_RI5aqgc4rZpaWOA05z5NvUk_a8lXGdoG7ObhVoB4TqJtOYoXjDRkj-8Zzijp7FL3x9bpsVSdD2Tn9runKncHKcsOp19IQBUAsbaAHjCSU31dbCYrBA8nSTAlJQ5B_ToGGRsZQs/s320/IMG_0174.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">McCallum Hill Center Buildings (I and II) as seen from Victoria Park. The construction crane from the picture above can also be seen.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOX9xdlGtRchmBvw_nK_nUVWg9cycR1IPF705YVhTQdtFT8TxUg9MGL-oMGWGVW-q5SlqCLKds6yDAqiIhnAw3clgk-5MIDJ2QyKbHda2DwWGKoUs14FFPSDaLFij61IPRG8PwBIzYDL8g/s1600/IMG_0182.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOX9xdlGtRchmBvw_nK_nUVWg9cycR1IPF705YVhTQdtFT8TxUg9MGL-oMGWGVW-q5SlqCLKds6yDAqiIhnAw3clgk-5MIDJ2QyKbHda2DwWGKoUs14FFPSDaLFij61IPRG8PwBIzYDL8g/s320/IMG_0182.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another construction crane. I believe that this is going to be the Center Square Place. But i'm not sure</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
HDR Comparison Shots<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwYw2ikqXGE4872yfQ98sIf2AuyIN_6I18rH3oc2H5ftb27HxGy-ek8dnk6aYb8jgN-2-pgqn6mt9Bc31HWC_h7714gnJdbBNgpe1TdSBN_jRfX8KUzYhXAE_XKNiJBtDDv7DuYWjpbQVb/s1600/IMG_0173.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwYw2ikqXGE4872yfQ98sIf2AuyIN_6I18rH3oc2H5ftb27HxGy-ek8dnk6aYb8jgN-2-pgqn6mt9Bc31HWC_h7714gnJdbBNgpe1TdSBN_jRfX8KUzYhXAE_XKNiJBtDDv7DuYWjpbQVb/s640/IMG_0173.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The is an example where HDR is great to have. The sun is reflecting off the glass wall and totally washing out part of the building. With HDR you can get a lot more detail. (HDR is on the Right)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiYiOPbITO4NRCUEqgdBCVeqXWmGjlng_Jh5et9Jmcgkh_7b7rUQP7v_iNrXx3lAEOxlI2WXSyUwtvX-749CMi0v7o7B14r4HF2JJsHrY8GjHNgJKyXRgG85YBnTnoBguixoN8iRN9A-SI/s1600/IMG_0190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiYiOPbITO4NRCUEqgdBCVeqXWmGjlng_Jh5et9Jmcgkh_7b7rUQP7v_iNrXx3lAEOxlI2WXSyUwtvX-749CMi0v7o7B14r4HF2JJsHrY8GjHNgJKyXRgG85YBnTnoBguixoN8iRN9A-SI/s640/IMG_0190.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another really nice example of good HDR. The colors are much more saturated, the lighting is better, and the picture overall looks much nicer.</td></tr>
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</div>oAurAohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873901989545364166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9216588010604452714.post-21161176156660765552012-04-01T20:38:00.000-07:002012-04-01T20:38:46.726-07:00New Tech: Seagate GoFlex 1.5TB (STAA1500100)The Specs:<br />
1.5 TB storage<br />
USB 3.0, and USB powered<br />
5000 RPM<br />
16MB data buffer<br />
For PC and MAC<br />
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<a href="http://www.bestbuy.ca/multimedia/Products/300x300/101/10154/10154954.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.bestbuy.ca/multimedia/Products/300x300/101/10154/10154954.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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I got this as my birthday present. Parents gave the perfect gift, a gift card to a tech store. I was in need of an external drive because I have no backups. I wanted something that was USB powered so I would not have to bring another power adapter when I travel, had at least 1 TB of storage, used USB 3.0, and was less than 150$.<br />
<br />
I got everything I wanted out of it, except the price which was a little<br />
above 150, but I still think its a great deal at 150-170$ This is the first device I've had that works on USB 3.0, which is faster and can carry more current then 2.0. Its been awhile since I've had to move a ton of data but overall it went faster then expected. I was able to move about 300GBs in about an hour. <br />
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One thing that annoyed me when looking up specs about this device is that I could not find a picture or specs on exactly what ports they used. I saw a lot of hard drives that had a "USB 3.0 adapter" or did not explicitly say if it was USB powered or not. So here's a picture of exactly what this device uses.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzgdVWwtfAxzi8Wl3B7hedRYhbDNdfcGs8Ce-1kppqwNdQAVyMHl2k-C42Qa4z3W7Y3BAVY6i0uCT0v9lLgnCMEeNjPBuxPmMDP6KfKVZ78B8kVK7U_alB777bSJPAWPNEb6EW6XJVQ4vg/s1600/IMG_0152.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzgdVWwtfAxzi8Wl3B7hedRYhbDNdfcGs8Ce-1kppqwNdQAVyMHl2k-C42Qa4z3W7Y3BAVY6i0uCT0v9lLgnCMEeNjPBuxPmMDP6KfKVZ78B8kVK7U_alB777bSJPAWPNEb6EW6XJVQ4vg/s400/IMG_0152.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Overall very happy with this convenient little thing. Another thing to note is that it's kind of tough getting the USB 3.0 connection into the socket. takes a lot more force than 2.0 connections. Makes sense given there are more physical connections (and therefore more friction) but thought it was worth noting.oAurAohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873901989545364166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9216588010604452714.post-24857397735463298802012-04-01T17:33:00.000-07:002012-04-01T17:47:41.275-07:00How to type like a teenage Japanese girl on the iPhoneFirst you might ask "But I don't know anything about Japanese how could I possibly type in Japanese?" Well that's not a problem because all you need to do is use a lot of emoticons like the ones featured below.<br />
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To type like a real Japanese person you may need animated emoticons. Ones that blink, and flash and what not like the ones on <a href="http://ameblo.jp/tanakareina-blog/entry-11210510535.html">Tanaka Reina's Blog</a>. You may also need to actually know Japanese. However these emoticons are a good way to start.<br />
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<br />
Step 1: Active the Japanese keyboard on your iOS device<br />
<div>
-Go to Settings, General, Keyboard, International Keyboards.</div>
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-Add New Keyboard, Japanese(Kana)</div>
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Step 2: When the keyboard is in use switch between languages by touching the globe symbol</div>
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Step 3: Open The emoticon section ( The "^_^" button )</div>
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Step 4: Begin expressing your situation and emotions through complex emoticons<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioXh8QqQtUShWfGJxTsoGaKSx1dnPIfrDmpkHKnlk-dB3XBTsmdeZDz1-kOpSeGUMPcbymjLeiwgUPPFZOAJS0yW9oPcJjIr0ej93dV15hHkJ5hEKmX6Ny4MdN0DwUJ9XHLEjN5jFKKF8J/s1600/IMG_0146.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioXh8QqQtUShWfGJxTsoGaKSx1dnPIfrDmpkHKnlk-dB3XBTsmdeZDz1-kOpSeGUMPcbymjLeiwgUPPFZOAJS0yW9oPcJjIr0ej93dV15hHkJ5hEKmX6Ny4MdN0DwUJ9XHLEjN5jFKKF8J/s400/IMG_0146.PNG" width="266" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0s5wGbh8_5vg-IF0tzDpBekkiJiF17SYLZKdy0D1ojCqJlZu01tY-IGjftEzvpmyB-SE_N2ttM-XAR0pqhiAyryujNGfDvjvmnccVTkLMugan0UiQnnXgfG5wBeEQH97HNqw3P4x8-LJL/s1600/IMG_0147.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0s5wGbh8_5vg-IF0tzDpBekkiJiF17SYLZKdy0D1ojCqJlZu01tY-IGjftEzvpmyB-SE_N2ttM-XAR0pqhiAyryujNGfDvjvmnccVTkLMugan0UiQnnXgfG5wBeEQH97HNqw3P4x8-LJL/s400/IMG_0147.PNG" width="266" /></a></div>oAurAohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873901989545364166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9216588010604452714.post-31010843629598045502012-03-10T11:22:00.001-08:002012-03-10T11:39:44.137-08:00Minecraft Space Battleship<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1yLP5oiKtwIK7-KCAzXZk_2cVA795ZhAzl7isml_MxnPy_6OXWa7_SZ1RCI2TallivjNGjCPAjss3IyvYeI6ZEuHLuGMx3-PrLSWXlikzkSIrAwS03cUeWoh1SE3_0HbMSXdd-cR9Ju_l/s1600/2012-03-10_13.27.43.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1yLP5oiKtwIK7-KCAzXZk_2cVA795ZhAzl7isml_MxnPy_6OXWa7_SZ1RCI2TallivjNGjCPAjss3IyvYeI6ZEuHLuGMx3-PrLSWXlikzkSIrAwS03cUeWoh1SE3_0HbMSXdd-cR9Ju_l/s320/2012-03-10_13.27.43.png" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
I started working in minecraft again after the 1.2 update. I was really pleased to hear they increased the maximum height. Doubled it actually. I wanted to build maybe not as big as other project I have done but more complicated. Involving redstone circuits that are more impressive than doors. So I built a spaceship with a bunch of dispensers that shoot arrows. There are over a hundred guns and they can fire between 6000-10700 arrows every minute. All of the circuits lead back to the control room where they can be started and stopped. There is also a parallel circuit for each one that controls a light in the control room where you can see if the circuits are active. So the light will blink when the guns are firing, and the blinking is synced with the timing of the shoots. Meaning the light will also tell you how fast you are shooting.<br />
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There are a few circuits that control lights throughout the ship. On the top floor there are lights in every room that can be set from the control room to blink on and off, this is a kind of "Red alert" state. The other interesting circuit is the landing lights on the landing deck. They blink in order leading you out of the landing bay, just like you would see on a real airstrip.<br />
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For the most part the circuts are hidden in the walls, and ceiling. there are maintenance doors on the lower level that let you access all of the guns, and circuits for reloading.<br />
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The engine does not do anything other than look cool. Its just a bunch of pistons working in sync to move water. I thought I would add it for aesthetic purposes.<br />
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A copy of the Map can be found <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/home/Public/New%20World-">Here</a>. Installation is simple 1. open the start menu and type %appdata% (yes with the %s) then open .minecraft, then saves, then paste the newworld folder and your done. (you must have the most up to date version of minecraft to open)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVsiwwaBssJOG1A4cv0K1-tWg7DYjbRqbNoHM-Qth7a96qj3il5jNmMFjK8DADivq8Cto1tusGpuQZMTCDBwO1hm-X9xNKRd9qlwKu5CNgr7_jarJgk094NtJrtpSifRrA91GAImHBXqg0/s1600/2012-03-10_13.27.02.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVsiwwaBssJOG1A4cv0K1-tWg7DYjbRqbNoHM-Qth7a96qj3il5jNmMFjK8DADivq8Cto1tusGpuQZMTCDBwO1hm-X9xNKRd9qlwKu5CNgr7_jarJgk094NtJrtpSifRrA91GAImHBXqg0/s320/2012-03-10_13.27.02.png" width="320" /></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiy2yX08BjEYub6C_mzVxO2pElp9MiS3CBkKdRkcdYM0XU0fmn2jGoB_chyMZdKDGt11aUhWyyeiTl8jHohCGjY8Tv-YYxr9X-Gy7H_GPH-7pTBvkREIpzD8oNMttsi_IeDWEgbi4bRYlo/s1600/2012-03-10_12.50.39.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiy2yX08BjEYub6C_mzVxO2pElp9MiS3CBkKdRkcdYM0XU0fmn2jGoB_chyMZdKDGt11aUhWyyeiTl8jHohCGjY8Tv-YYxr9X-Gy7H_GPH-7pTBvkREIpzD8oNMttsi_IeDWEgbi4bRYlo/s320/2012-03-10_12.50.39.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Engine room</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqgaxdcyBIZL4gX5AIsBo7IAwWPhGr64G33ShJnt4pHFYPhbphoBGLn6HQbynCVccQfZ1AymIHfo4iiQ13JrQcF5fubI8UAFzJMYkvn6IHtEvABydgfQ3QxBOM6KspHY7uksEMgib1bIgc/s1600/2012-03-10_12.51.12.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqgaxdcyBIZL4gX5AIsBo7IAwWPhGr64G33ShJnt4pHFYPhbphoBGLn6HQbynCVccQfZ1AymIHfo4iiQ13JrQcF5fubI8UAFzJMYkvn6IHtEvABydgfQ3QxBOM6KspHY7uksEMgib1bIgc/s320/2012-03-10_12.51.12.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back of the ship, showing the landing deck</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTA4bSLKOamoyjkHttqZM0FShuuJidALJru1Aykg-IA1Do5a62_GBF4usTLzTuv9y-bVljTLqcmWl-uulVJzsO2zv0_xelAMkJslTfnN-F5hrAl9IgUYxIu9g9iaG0xRYdN6ONHvgvP-tC/s1600/2012-03-10_12.51.36.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTA4bSLKOamoyjkHttqZM0FShuuJidALJru1Aykg-IA1Do5a62_GBF4usTLzTuv9y-bVljTLqcmWl-uulVJzsO2zv0_xelAMkJslTfnN-F5hrAl9IgUYxIu9g9iaG0xRYdN6ONHvgvP-tC/s320/2012-03-10_12.51.36.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front of the ship. Showing the Guns, and Observation deck</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJcE7HYpfbMsFpYlobbT-_e5Bsjm4DZzfEj7b4VaHPCHYEcFSeiBZxh1TAnBIoi-QoBNUl3Svq9nNQ6Z8-skrhxdG0xJf5No-e2FsPC_xOGkW5L2PuNg0G8ApaGdq23zIgajZJ-YkvgpX-/s1600/2012-03-10_12.51.49.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJcE7HYpfbMsFpYlobbT-_e5Bsjm4DZzfEj7b4VaHPCHYEcFSeiBZxh1TAnBIoi-QoBNUl3Svq9nNQ6Z8-skrhxdG0xJf5No-e2FsPC_xOGkW5L2PuNg0G8ApaGdq23zIgajZJ-YkvgpX-/s320/2012-03-10_12.51.49.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The right side, showing the side guns and wings</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl8diqlFmn_J23LmcWH7gFZKTnfZH95el9PR1vsI9z5pH-ecjgl4lQIsivogl0yj8B_mpKGWF8ZkOAg9L5Eg_adEDTHC2VVRopEeV_E5L3iozw-5wJBnz6qSWnv78jNeQlylFg4miWyfxA/s1600/2012-03-10_12.50.09.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl8diqlFmn_J23LmcWH7gFZKTnfZH95el9PR1vsI9z5pH-ecjgl4lQIsivogl0yj8B_mpKGWF8ZkOAg9L5Eg_adEDTHC2VVRopEeV_E5L3iozw-5wJBnz6qSWnv78jNeQlylFg4miWyfxA/s320/2012-03-10_12.50.09.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The command centre. The guns, lights, and engine<br />
can all be started and stopped from this room</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK8rl2kSgytfqBYGckf0dukCIC2y599QVao3zUQi1Ujg0IWGpQwNQNKguo8equH2nRh4u0yRehZA9rxURxJY43_bTSu0RTIbprsVD8-LlYt4-QwiWlYIXDClyv2451QuU0lzsypoIw22rm/s1600/2012-03-10_12.54.53.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK8rl2kSgytfqBYGckf0dukCIC2y599QVao3zUQi1Ujg0IWGpQwNQNKguo8equH2nRh4u0yRehZA9rxURxJY43_bTSu0RTIbprsVD8-LlYt4-QwiWlYIXDClyv2451QuU0lzsypoIw22rm/s320/2012-03-10_12.54.53.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The rear, showing the propulsion system (water)</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijBeO8Nj0P6HLc_a5H_UlYSMl3BSHbktYw6mRQqa2kC65pRVBZvLbQMrPPJ2ifzMer3r9ifwomoGf5dCc5Lj3cTcjGy9RxCtJ_DEPscls1lK9ZyFXfOsDxbR40CMTJHIQwHQ8gaknO54h8/s1600/2012-03-09_15.26.02.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijBeO8Nj0P6HLc_a5H_UlYSMl3BSHbktYw6mRQqa2kC65pRVBZvLbQMrPPJ2ifzMer3r9ifwomoGf5dCc5Lj3cTcjGy9RxCtJ_DEPscls1lK9ZyFXfOsDxbR40CMTJHIQwHQ8gaknO54h8/s320/2012-03-09_15.26.02.png" width="320" /></a></div>oAurAohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873901989545364166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9216588010604452714.post-44787953111271539232012-03-10T07:13:00.001-08:002012-03-10T07:55:03.311-08:00New Software: iOS 5.1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLlnb_ikQR8lAKOmGHSFlSOHYCrIcBb6_sraty73Q_0j6zMQUEDGChM6aozwQ2xCjtimkOmSLQmG_yDSHtqSyD3QqSosoBqP4NYsjqnFNCmChxWL297iMFdi4TAZY8p1Q9Fx8uKjY9WPcO/s640/blogger-image-2117682163.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLlnb_ikQR8lAKOmGHSFlSOHYCrIcBb6_sraty73Q_0j6zMQUEDGChM6aozwQ2xCjtimkOmSLQmG_yDSHtqSyD3QqSosoBqP4NYsjqnFNCmChxWL297iMFdi4TAZY8p1Q9Fx8uKjY9WPcO/s320/blogger-image-2117682163.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
Along with the announcement of the iPad 3, or what apple is simply calling "the new iPad", a software update for iOS was also released. This update added a couple of things. There is a camera button always on the lock screen, some enhancements to make battery life better, and some other improvements. One interesting update for AT&T users is that the iPhone can connect to AT&T's HSPA+ network. HSPA+ is commonly known as 3.5G because it's faster than a 3G network but not as fast as an LTE (4G) network. However the iPhone shows the HSPA+ network as 4G so it would look like the iPhone magically became a 4G device, but its not. But a little extra speed is a always a good thing.<br />
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Now for my favorite update. Japanese language support for Siri. I've played around with it a bit and got it to do the basic Siri commands like setting a timer or playing a song. I don't use Siri all too often, but this update makes me use it more often just because I like to practice, and I feel smart using another language. Dictation is pretty good in japanese. Most of the mistakes are just my bad pronunciation.<br />
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Heres a translation of the picture above:<br />
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Me: Morning<br />
Siri: good morning Mackenzie!<br />
Me: I want to listen to "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAy_ZbN4RP8">Onna to otoko no lullaby game</a>"<br />
Siri: ok I will play "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAy_ZbN4RP8">Onna to otoko no lullaby game</a>"<br />
Me: Thanks<br />
Siri: I am happy that you are delighted.oAurAohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873901989545364166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9216588010604452714.post-89542676608932635572012-03-06T19:42:00.001-08:002012-03-06T19:42:24.350-08:00New Tech: Klipsch KW-100 10" powered subwoofer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<img alt="Klipsch KW-100 10" Down-Firing 225-Watt Subwoofer Speaker (Single, Black)" height="320" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31N25DY-JKL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" width="320" />
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I picked up this speaker from someone selling it online. It was still in the package when I bought it, seemed the seller did not need it. So I was able to get a nice deal on this sub. This is the first sub woofer I've owned so I'm learning about things like "frequency response"(the frequency level that the sub kicks in). A couple more specs on this device; its down firing. Down firing is pretty self explaining, meaning the speaker is aimed downward to send the low frequency sounds into the floor. Unfortunately because I'm in the basement, and have carpet this does not shake the floor like it would if I were on the ground floor. Its powered to 225 watts. The wattage of a sub basically means how much sounds It can produce. More power more bass. Overall I am impressed with the amount of sounds this device makes.<br />
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Even on the lowest power settings (2-3 out of 10) the bass can be heard at the far corners of the house. Meaning I have not had many chances to play the speaker really loud as it would disturb other people living here. The loudest I have heard so far was around 6. <br />
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For music the sub is great. Right now I only use a couple of computer speakers, which get the job done, but they are not a great match for such a powerful sub. The extra bass add a lot to music, but the sound travels a lot farther then the smaller speakers.<br />
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Its also good for movies or video games. A lot of ambient sounds are at a lower frequency and the sub is perfect for bring those sounds to life. Explosions, gunshots, and magic fireballs all sounds much cooler with the sub.oAurAohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873901989545364166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9216588010604452714.post-81693586367843543292012-02-25T14:20:00.000-08:002012-02-25T14:20:09.386-08:00New App: Luko Remote (playbook)So a remote app let's you use your phone or tablet as a mouse for your computer. Most with,let also let you use the devices virtual keyboard to type things on your computer. I got this remote app for my playbook and it's really nice. <br />
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There's the basic mouse and keyboard stuff. There's separate buttons fir right and left clicks, as well as the middle mouse buttons. There's also arrow keys, control, and although buttons. Probably the most useful part of this app is the file browser. The file browser let's you open files on the pLaybook so that it reads in the computer. For people with one monitor this could be really useful. You could be browsing files or videos and use the playbook as the playlist to easily move through files.<br />
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The app cost three dollars. I feel it's easily worth that. When I buy apps I usually compare the price of the app to the same dollar amount of food. In this case I would rather have an app I can useeveryday then a large fries.<br />
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Im thinking about trying out a remote desktop app next.</div>oAurAohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873901989545364166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9216588010604452714.post-60850302156819054562012-02-25T14:16:00.000-08:002012-02-25T14:16:33.386-08:00New software: blackberry playbook OS 2.0It has been.a couple days since the release of RIM's new OS. Savy consumers should have taken advantage of the huge price drop on the playbook. The new os brings all the things people wanted at the device's launch, such as the mail client, calender, and contacts. It also add android app emulation. This is primarily for the gaming apps. <br />
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Another really neat feature is the new virtual keyboard. I always find the iPhones auto correct a little intrusive. I would rather tap the correction to opt-in then opt-out. RIM does well on this keyboard giving you several choices of words they think your trying to use. and then tries to anticipate the next word. This can be fairly useful and time saving.<br />
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<img height="218" src="http://mobilesyrup.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Playbook20keyboard-e1329841858259.png" width="320" />
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There was a problem that I had with the old OS were the browser would not load pages. This doesn't seem to be a wide spread problem but its gone now with the new OS anyway.<br />
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There are a bunch of other improvements to some apps that I don't use regularly like the "docs to go app" as well as blackberry bridge. which now that I have an iPhone is not all too useful.<br />
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This new OS is a welcome advancement to the under appreciated tablet.oAurAohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873901989545364166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9216588010604452714.post-43523715966611448302012-02-03T22:30:00.001-08:002012-02-03T22:44:16.582-08:00Mobile app for bloggerThis Is a simple test, and review of the features offered by google blogger's mobile app for iOS. I will be travelling to Japan in the spring and will be blogging here about all of the interesting things I come across. As my laptop is far to heavy to bring on this trip I will be using either my phone or the hostel's computers.<br />
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Probably the most important thing I need in this mobile app is the ability to add pictures. At the moment it looks like the pictures are in the labels tray at the bottom of the screen. I don't think I can add them into the text the way I want to.<br />
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The app won't let me resize the pictures individually, but I can choose the default size. I also cannot move the pictures around in the app. A bit of a let down, But I can make drafts in the app then go back to a computer for some final editing.<br />
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The picture on the right shows the app. I three icons let you write a post, view the blog, and some basic options. Overall the app is very simple. I think It would be better with a lot more features, especially being able to move photos around.<br />
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Also the picture on the left is just a picture of the street by my house.<br />
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<br /></div>oAurAohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873901989545364166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9216588010604452714.post-85325573995699286102012-01-21T14:14:00.000-08:002012-01-23T07:28:44.120-08:00Skyrim Mods Issue 4 (last before CK)Its almost the end of January and bethesda has confirmed that the Creation Kit along with the skyrim patch 1.4 will be out before the end of the month. Meaning the Internet will explode with tonnes more skyrim mods and much more substantial game changing mods. So this will be the last post before the CK comes out. To be honest I have not played too much of skyrim, I personally just did not enjoy it as much as I expected. Its no ones fault but my own though. I had very high and specific expectations that were not entirely fulfilled. I'm not sure if I'm going to be modding skyrim as much as I first intended, but I will still be trying out lots of interesting mods and hopefully I find the ones that make the game just what I want it to be.<br />
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Mods I'm using: <br />
For the most part this has not changed from the last Issue, simply updates. See the previous Issue if you want to know more about the mods I'm using.<br />
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NEW: Skyrim.ini settings:<br />
Thanks to a fantastic <a href="http://www.geforce.com/Optimize/Guides/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-tweak-guide">article</a> by Nvidia I tried messing around with skyrim's configuration or .INI files.<br />
I changed a few graphics performance values. the first one is for the number of cells shown in full detail. I increased the default number 5 to 9. This had significant performance impact of course but to be able to almost double the draw distance is fantastic. I always found it kind of distracting to see the grass and rocks load in while I was walking. having this setting to 9 really makes the games look much better. The second thing I changed was the grass draw distance. I changed the default 7000 max setting to 21000. Tripling the maximum distance the game allows. To my surprise this caused almost no impact on game performance, but the effect is quite nice.<br />
<br />oAurAohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873901989545364166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9216588010604452714.post-18122702221586683062012-01-17T22:21:00.000-08:002012-01-17T22:21:41.371-08:005 Awsome AppsIve had my iPhone for a couple weeks now and I've found some awesome apps that I'm going to showcase here. Some are really common (like camera+) so I will try and focus more on the less known apps.<br />
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5. NHK World Live<br />
I watch the <a href="http://jibtv.com/program/?page=3">NHK world</a> stream all the time. NHK is a television network in Japan very similar to CBC here in Canada. NHK World has all its programs in English and they all focus on Japanese news, culture, and entertainment. I specifically like the Tokyo Eye, and J-mello programs. This app simply streams the TV Chanel to your phone. Its great for wasting time in class, and its free.<br />
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4. Instacast<br />
A great app for listening to podcasts. you can download or stream them on wi-fi or 3G, and you can change your settings if you don't want the app using your 3G data. I listen to a lot of podcasts so this app was well worth the .99$<br />
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3. RemoteMouse<br />
This is a pretty fun app. Its probably most using for people doing presentations and want to use their phone to move to the next slide but its perfectly using just on the desktop. This app lets you use the phone as a mouse and keyboard for your computer. You download the app on the phone and computer then connect through wi-fi. Works pretty well but the 2 finger scrolling doesn't move the page down much on the desktop. This app has a free and paid version. The free version works fine, the only thing the paid version adds is the ability to have a full screen touchpad or keyboard.<br />
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2. Tunein Radio<br />
This is a pretty popular app and for good reason. This app lets you stream radio over the Internet to your phone. They have a lot of different radio stations, from your basic CBC radio to a bunch of Japanese radio stations that can be fun to listen to. Works best on a stable wi-fi connection but can be done over 3G too if you have the data for it.<br />
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1. Kotoba<br />
A Japanese dictionary. It might not be using for everyone but for someone who is studying, or reads a lot of Japanese this is a excellent app. It works in a lot of ways. You can type English and get a translation, or just search for words in either language. But what makes this app really great is the kanji dictionary. You can search for radicals individually and get a list of which characters contain those radicals. You can search by JLPT levels, the SKIP pattern, and just by looking up either reading. This is a really using app for me, and its free. Its a large app though at about 500MB buts I would rather have all that info there instead of transmitting over data or wi-fi.oAurAohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873901989545364166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9216588010604452714.post-52528103777284586752012-01-09T17:34:00.000-08:002012-01-09T19:37:48.889-08:00My Minecraft CityThis is a minecraft project ive been working on for awhile. I built some of it a long time ago (like beta 1.4) in survival mode and imported it to the new location. But a lot of the taller buildings were made in creative mode from version 1.0. I used a map editor to lower the entire map by about 40-50 blocks allowing me to build that many higher, I also used the editor to expand the city to hide all that annoying nature. The only building that goes to max hight right now is the redish 2 circular tower building.<br />
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The first few images will be older ones from an online server I played on for awhile. A lot of what I built there is not shocased here because it was lost :(<br />
I built the volcano block by block without any plan. I think it turned out pretty good. The mansion looked great inside but I dont have any pictures.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaiGwK6k5vzkL-kCLjk2h2n8N1x7R5dLvPlOU2NVfoSNZOLoFNGkduBW0Fefb1LVHmN1MbnwzuY1ksTRTikMAtkZoZvULlioQxlTorlPgFEgE65g7odztrI_b7Zf-qzbrxHFrh6aFet7Ca/s1600/2011-06-26_23.41.38.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="104" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaiGwK6k5vzkL-kCLjk2h2n8N1x7R5dLvPlOU2NVfoSNZOLoFNGkduBW0Fefb1LVHmN1MbnwzuY1ksTRTikMAtkZoZvULlioQxlTorlPgFEgE65g7odztrI_b7Zf-qzbrxHFrh6aFet7Ca/s200/2011-06-26_23.41.38.png" width="200" /></a><br />
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And now the Main Project.<br />
Also as a quick note the small white towers on the tops of the buildings are supposed to be antennas, because I built a lot of those before fences could be stacked.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxBA0Ps9c6_dRZdFVbgG1Qr-nylZpYCBKGcJ2JG_2ePLTNluqlAz52znwbXgaNRlUx-8FBywkbJb5jspS5Hf8hcDvIKZzBLMBpqrKvsRpFth8gndguzHRtR3LeXuld_IFmw-C7S8vqIu9D/s1600/2012-01-09_18.32.44.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxBA0Ps9c6_dRZdFVbgG1Qr-nylZpYCBKGcJ2JG_2ePLTNluqlAz52znwbXgaNRlUx-8FBywkbJb5jspS5Hf8hcDvIKZzBLMBpqrKvsRpFth8gndguzHRtR3LeXuld_IFmw-C7S8vqIu9D/s320/2012-01-09_18.32.44.png" width="320" /></a></div>oAurAohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873901989545364166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9216588010604452714.post-27754660027681654412012-01-09T12:45:00.000-08:002012-01-09T12:45:13.383-08:00New Tech: Logitech wireless keyboard K250<br />
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<img height="200" id="il_fi" src="http://www.logitech.com/assets/30827/4/wireless-keyboard-k250.png" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="182" /></div>
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OK well its not exactly as exciting as an iPhone 4s, but new tech is still fun. But why would I need a new wireless keyboard when I already have a perfectly good one? Simple, this one has a num-pad, and function keys. Also it was only 15$ at walmart (30$ on their website though) and I had to spend my gift card on something.<br />
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Its a nice change to go back to larger keys from the "Chiclet" style I had on my <a href="http://h20386.www2.hp.com/CanadaStore/Product.aspx?hpproduct=XC373AA%23ABC">old one</a>. Ive been thinking about getting a mechanical keyboard, maybe <a href="http://store.razerzone.com/store/razerusa/en_CA/pd/productID.211651300">Razor's,</a> so this logitech one is a good way to get a feel for larger keys again.<br />
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The Keyboard itself is pretty basic. I have extra function keys on the F1-F12 keys for things like music playback, and browser shortcuts. Another reason to get this larger keyboard is because while playing starcraft I like to look around the map with the arrow keys, and the tiny uncomfortable position of those keys on the last keyboard was annoying. oAurAohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873901989545364166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9216588010604452714.post-6228536323392821082012-01-07T20:23:00.000-08:002012-01-07T21:04:26.525-08:00New Tech: iPhone 4s 16GB Black<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I got a iPhone 4s for Christmas. Unlocked, off contract, directly from the apple website. I'm going to write this post mostly as a "first impression" because I don't think I have experienced everything that the iPhone or iOS 5 can do. This is the first time Ive used an iOS device for an extended period of time. I use iTunes with an older 4th Generation Ipod Nano, but overall I don't have a lot of experience with any of apple's operating systems.<br />
<br />
So, first impressions:<br />
Ive always thought that the 3.5" screen would be too small for my smartphone needs, and that the size of the phone overall was too narrow. But after using it for only a short time I found I was mistaken. The screen size is fine for basic browsing, and the ability to easily zoom into text makes it easy to read. The feel of the device is just amazing. The metal feel of the external antenna really makes the phone feel solid, heavy (which is a good thing), and expensive. The glass back gives basically the same feeling and I love that feeling so much that Ive decided, at least for now, to not use a case. I am using a screen protector though. It gives the front of the device a matte finish, and feel. Which I'm ok with because I hate seeing fingerprints on glossy surfaces. Another thing I like about the 3.5" screen is that my thumb is able to reach anywhere on the screen, so I can use the device comfortably with one hand.<br />
<br />
I won't spend too much time on the basic UI because I think most people know how it works, so I will just say that its good. There are a few things on my old blackberry that I definitely miss while using the iPhone. Blackberry is know for its excellent E-mail client, and now I know what they mean. I definitely like how there was a separate "App" for each separate e-mail account on RIM's OS. I could see right on the home screen without having to open anything which account I had mail from. Another good thing RIM does with email is that there is a little indicator on the app icon that tells you when you have new e-mails, that indicator goes away as soon as you open the mail client, whether you read the e-mail or not. So you can read who its from, and the subject, without opening the e-mail and the "new message" indicator still goes away. On iOS you know when you get e-mails but if you don't open them they still show on the mail app Icon. Its not a big difference but I still think its worth mentioning. Another important difference from RIM's OS is that you can easily have different ring tones, or vibrations for different email accounts. I have 2 main e-mail accounts one for newsletters, and fairly unimportant stuff, and a gmail account for important mail like travel information, or student loan messages. On my blackberry my hotmail account did not notify me at all, but the gmail account acted like an SMS message, with 3 vibrations, and an LED indicator light. That kind of high level customisation is something that apple overall seems to ignore, while RIM really lets you personalise how your device works.<br />
<br />
A similar problem on iOS is that you can't "mark all as read" on the mail client. On RIM's OS you could scroll to any point and mark all prior as read, or just scroll to the top to mark all as read. This feature will definatly be missed.<br />
<br />
One way the iPhone is well above the Blackberry is apps. So far I don't use apps all too often, and I don't expect to do very much gaming on this device but there are a lot of useful apps that Ive already found that I would have loved to use on my old phone. I will go into more detail of apps in a later post.<br />
<br />
There are a lot of things on the iPhone that are much better simply because its a newer phone. The blackberry is almost 3 years old at this point and is not nearly as powerful as the dual-core A5. So things like the browser, games, UI, and apps all work much faster and with less problems than the old phone.<br />
<br />
Siri:<br />
Siri is alright. I played around for a little while asking it the meaning of life and whatnot. But this is not a feature I will use very often. Its even less useful in Canada because Siri cannot find locations outside the US. That may change in the future but for now its not too useful to me.<br />
<br />
I had a pretty good experience switching phones mid contract. I did try the whole "Cutting a SIM card to fit a Micro-SIM slot" and It did not seem to work. I didn't destroy the SIM card, I was still able to use it in the blackberry after cutting it but the iPhone did not recognise it for whatever reason. One slight annoyance is that I had to wait until I travelled back home to get my phone activated. There were no Rogers' stores anywhere withing a 5 hour drive of where I was staying. Once I got back home it was not a problem. I had to change my plan because my old plan was specifically for blackberry but that turned out really good. The bill is a little more expensive now, but I get 10x more data (from .5GB to 5GB) and "My10" which allows me to call home over long distance for free. I opted out of the 12$/month for call display, and forwarding because it would not be useful for me. One major annoyance of this experience, while not iPhone related, was that I'm not able to use my old phone. I was planning on giving the old blackberry to my mom so she could use it. I thought that she would still be able to use the device over Wi-fi for e-mails and browsing. But that is not the case. Without a valid SIM card the device was basically useless. No e-mail, browsing, or apps at all. The only thing that seemed to still work was the music, and video apps. <br />
<br />
In conclusion I love this new phone, and can't wait to see what I can do with it.<br />
<br />oAurAohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873901989545364166noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9216588010604452714.post-33211545921633802952012-01-05T16:24:00.000-08:002012-01-05T16:24:05.038-08:00Upcoming Posts<div>
I have not posted anything new lately because of the holiday break. There are a
few things I will write more full stories on when I have the time, such
as: </div>
<ul>
<li>The iPhone 4s first impressions and Review. As well as some
features of the Blackberry OS. </li>
<li>Nigaki Risa's (morning Musume)
Graduation and the future of Morning Musume </li>
<li>My experiences switching
phones while on contract, with an unlocked phone (iPhone 4s) </li>
<li>More
Skyrim Mods posts (The creation Kit should be released soon
too) </li>
</ul>
<div>
Also I would like to do an "Apps I'm Using" segment
describing the IOS apps that I'm using. I will make something like this if I
end up using a lot of apps. </div>oAurAohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873901989545364166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9216588010604452714.post-77596197784329570152011-12-13T13:18:00.000-08:002011-12-13T13:22:36.114-08:00MIT Photographs Light at One Trillion Frames Per SecondUsing a pulsing light source, and a sensor array with 500 sensors, each triggered a trillionth of a second after each other, you get a video that lets you see the light move. Now Its not as simple as pointing a camera and selecting the really really slow motion option, whats really happening is that they are taking pictures of a line across the scene at 1 trillion frames per second, then recreating the entire image by stacking the lines. <br />
<br />
<br />
This video from the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/MITNewsOffice">MIT youtube channel</a> describes how the picture is taken, and shows the result. A pulse of light being scattered through a plastic bottle.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/EtsXgODHMWk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
From the <a href="http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2011/trillion-fps-camera-1213.html">MIT News article</a>:<br />
"After an hour, the researchers accumulate hundreds of thousands of data sets, each of which plots the one-dimensional positions of photons against their times of arrival. Raskar, Velten and other members of Raskar’s Camera Culture group at the Media Lab developed algorithms that can stitch that raw data into a set of sequential two-dimensional images."<br />
The video and article go on to explain how this could be used in medical and chemical engineering processes. Where if you can determine how light scatters through a body, you can make ultrasounds with light pulses.<br />
<br />
Sources:<br />
<a href="http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2011/trillion-fps-camera-1213.html">MIT News Office</a><br />
<a href="http://tested.com/">Tested.com</a><br />
YoutubeoAurAohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873901989545364166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9216588010604452714.post-31527461298165643392011-12-09T18:39:00.001-08:002011-12-09T19:47:43.411-08:00Skyrim Mods Issue 3There isn't much important news about mods right now. Bethesda said the SDK will be out in January sometime. I have not spent too much time lately with modding, because of exams. But I did download and install a bunch of tools to get me started once I have a little more time. I was able to make a simple mod where I changed the colour of the ebony armour, but that's was more of a test of concept then an actual mod. One annoying thing about modding so early after the release of the game is that there are constant updates to mods. Within a day I can be two or three versions out of date. Thankfully the mod manager has a little alert for updates to mods, also installs them automatically sometimes. <br />
<br />
So in this Issue I will just show a bunch of cool/interesting/funny mods that I've seen pop up on the nexus site. Also I have an updated "Mods I'm using" section.<br />
<br />
Mods I'm using:<br />
<a href="http://www.skyrimnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=164">jump 250</a> makes the jump height about 4 times higher<br />
<a href="http://www.skyrimnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=2207">Telthalions Finer Hair</a>: makes the hair textures softer, better appearance<br />
<a href="http://www.skyrimnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=2812">Better females by Bella</a>: Makes females prettier, works on character and NPCs<br />
<a href="http://www.skyrimnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=2896">True Darker nights</a>: This changes the lighting at night. Makes it much much darker.<br />
<a href="http://www.skyrimnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1598">Enhanced Distant Terrain</a>: texture improvement for distance terrain<br />
<a href="http://www.skyrimnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=85">Enhanced night skyrim</a>: Higher resolution night sky. a lot more stars. This mod also includes a "Colour Galaxy" option that makes the galaxy brighter and more colourful.<br />
<a href="http://www.skyrimnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=2785">Saturn as moon with rings</a>: changes the moon to Saturn. Pretty cool to look at.<br />
<a href="http://www.skyrimnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1037">Moon size Tweak</a>: makes the moon up to 3x bigger. I'm using this with the Saturn mod, looks great.<br />
<br />
Cool Mods:<br />
<a href="http://www.skyrimnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=3174">Lightsabers</a> yup lightsabers<br />
<a href="http://www.skyrimnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=2588">Zelda: Link</a> Play as link from zelda. The mod includes clothes, master sword, shield, and bow from the zelda games.<br />
<a href="http://www.skyrimnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=3170">Play Skyrim With Kinect:</a> Not a completed mod yet. Only computer science majors could probably figure out the installation process, still an interesting mod none the less.<br />
<a href="http://www.skyrimnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=3155">High Res Galaxy:</a> Uses a really high texture (8000x4000) for the galaxy. looks great in the pictures.<br />
<a href="http://naks%20magic%20animation%20overhaul/">Naks Magic Animation Overhaul</a> very cool mod that I will probably get myself at some point. This changes the animations used in third person for magic. Watch the videos from the link to see.<br />
<a href="http://www.skyrimnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=3124">Cool Items Pack</a> adds some more weapons to the game. Some are completely new, and some are retextures of two handed weapons that can be used as one hand ones. <br />
<a href="http://www.skyrimnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1632">Laugh Track Mod</a> Causes humiliating laughter when you fail at something(break lockpick, fail to create potion etc)<br />oAurAohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873901989545364166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9216588010604452714.post-23268981940778926342011-12-09T09:01:00.001-08:002011-12-09T16:35:47.487-08:00Jpop: Holiday PVs from H!P are in full swingIts been just under a month since the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Lo7k25-5PI&feature=g-user&list=PLA55ED0211F4D3A98">Busu Ni Naranai Tetsugaku</a> single went on sale, from the collaboration group Mobekimasu. A combination of the current Hello! Project groups Morning Musume, Berryz Koubou, <span style="color: #1e1e1e; font-family: inherit;"><strong>℃</strong>-ute, S/mileage, and soloist Mano Erina. Personally I thought this single was great. The Combinations from some of the best singles of different groups made a great new sound.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs2tPdXwbio_u4eINj5hQqFVNZ911X1Sr5SWVlIkGd6OrGzM1Bnr81GYh64V4ElOjYsnLwqu4j9-U_ZE2a4Uflwb8GlQO71FCLYW6YJPQnudiDq7wKI_Hc61AmchE1unEPikg9OddnzFFQ/s1600/Please-Miniskirt-Postwoman-Regular-Cover-2946.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs2tPdXwbio_u4eINj5hQqFVNZ911X1Sr5SWVlIkGd6OrGzM1Bnr81GYh64V4ElOjYsnLwqu4j9-U_ZE2a4Uflwb8GlQO71FCLYW6YJPQnudiDq7wKI_Hc61AmchE1unEPikg9OddnzFFQ/s200/Please-Miniskirt-Postwoman-Regular-Cover-2946.jpg" width="175" /></a><span style="color: #1e1e1e;">And now H!P is releasing new PVs for the holiday single releases. First up is was S/mileage with their single <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOUi6tndJT0&feature=g-u">Please Miniskirt Postalwoman!</a> Its the first single to feature the new members in a singing role. It sounds like there is a lot of sound effects being done to their voices in this single. I think this is because the new members are not all too great at singing yet, so the effects will help mask that at live performances. There is clear difference in ability between the more experienced members and the new ones, as to be expected. But I think the group would have been better off taking one or two members from Hello! egg and keeping the group size smaller. Rather than finding 5 new people will very little experience. I predict that the Morning Musume will have the same problem after taking on another 5 members so early after the 10th generation was added. There's too much fresh talent in H!P it will take some time before the new members can perform as well as their predecessors.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsnuDpJq4-F6T-f9XOl8gzn5hczKNXsQkhCsaWYaW7yyL2_GIqBB9U159egWOQHyJJsUkSDwdSChDqA8lYI_KPHtY715DoLe4lBnyszRXucCP4b1uKS8pWmkFMmD21EL_mLIUBmvrBxFz6/s1600/img20100512144102897.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsnuDpJq4-F6T-f9XOl8gzn5hczKNXsQkhCsaWYaW7yyL2_GIqBB9U159egWOQHyJJsUkSDwdSChDqA8lYI_KPHtY715DoLe4lBnyszRXucCP4b1uKS8pWmkFMmD21EL_mLIUBmvrBxFz6/s200/img20100512144102897.jpg" width="149" /></a><span style="color: #1e1e1e;">Today(09/12) the PV for Mano Erina's new single <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KTKVmajXZo&feature=g-u">Doki Doki Baby</a> was released. From the first few seconds you could tell that this single is going to be much more popy than <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYzZz4CwfZQ&feature=channel_video_title">My Days For You.</a> As soon as it said "Mano Erina in Akihabara" I could tell. The cute image suits Erina really well, even with her deeper voice. The new single has some interesting points, the first thing I noticed was the cinema like 2.35:1 aspect ratio. The wider screen allows for more to be shown to the sides of the main target, but I hope this new aspect ratio doesn't catch on because I'm not buy a new TV for awhile, and I like how 16x9 looks, and how it fills the screen. Another interesting point is the appearance of the iPad1. Its only on screen for about a second, but it's nice to see two of my interests combined in such a nice way :)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #1e1e1e;">I look forward to the new releases, especially Morning Musume. I'm curious about these new members I've heard so little about.</span>oAurAohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873901989545364166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9216588010604452714.post-81290682220008582692011-12-07T09:25:00.001-08:002011-12-08T09:56:44.999-08:00Why You Don't Need AntialiasingI read a great article on Nvidia's website on the different graphics effects, what they do and how they work. Specifically in Skyrim. This lead me to do my own tests with different settings and trying them out in game. What I found was that antialiasing was not worth the substantial FPS (frames per second) loss. However Anisotropic Filtering was definatly worth buffing up to the highest level.<br />
<br />
Starting with Antialiasing. AA smooths out the jagged edges in games, simple as that. The more samples you use (2x 4x 8x) the more work it its for the GPU.<br />
<br />
This screenshot comparison I made shows the difference between no AA at all, and the max Skyrim setting of 8x samples. Note that the only difference the AA makes is the jaggedness of edges<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc1TJULQNepWTRntN2hnkBgWhtq-S5iOHlwN0TlIyDaI2TIJwane1h1G9dwr2WZpKUUBZqITj2SZqnPDU5SWFl2ZdYPELmT5CfMMtcjBCpucOpj50-SMAQ4tT8b8G5eZlDdVYeZ7XIGA0N/s1600/AA+test.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc1TJULQNepWTRntN2hnkBgWhtq-S5iOHlwN0TlIyDaI2TIJwane1h1G9dwr2WZpKUUBZqITj2SZqnPDU5SWFl2ZdYPELmT5CfMMtcjBCpucOpj50-SMAQ4tT8b8G5eZlDdVYeZ7XIGA0N/s640/AA+test.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
This chart shows the FPS change between the different AA settings on different resolutions (from the Nvidia article)<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZqIhmoporfk2Mp_CFVKrnGY-k7HGMmmhHItm38ozM16PF6f0pstEFZ5d0zmIGNDcqnQK-bh9OWU8sxswhh8SKOJ7X2qkLG3JiFFylXPQ_dZTfh7HvRferPwim65Ro2RkrN-tkylFpJcOU/s1600/Skyrim-PerformanceChart-AntiAliasing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZqIhmoporfk2Mp_CFVKrnGY-k7HGMmmhHItm38ozM16PF6f0pstEFZ5d0zmIGNDcqnQK-bh9OWU8sxswhh8SKOJ7X2qkLG3JiFFylXPQ_dZTfh7HvRferPwim65Ro2RkrN-tkylFpJcOU/s320/Skyrim-PerformanceChart-AntiAliasing.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">almost 20 FPS difference</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Now for Anisotropic Filtering. Anisotropic Filtering improves the clarity of textures, making a noticeable and fantastic difference. This picture comparison is from the Nvidia article, I cut it together and added the thoughtful comparison emotional response indicator.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOo11KOMpFogFVybmvOdZ5YxseyLy5tZq6PEhiROm6cwM5Dq-dfUaDLBc5yMzV-udPB_MPXBzAtBF9xg-dxZIcHciausBu1ApTlDkJi36lZ8D_gJmb_B1bAfwp2R8daaD1nqD15AdQEctQ/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOo11KOMpFogFVybmvOdZ5YxseyLy5tZq6PEhiROm6cwM5Dq-dfUaDLBc5yMzV-udPB_MPXBzAtBF9xg-dxZIcHciausBu1ApTlDkJi36lZ8D_gJmb_B1bAfwp2R8daaD1nqD15AdQEctQ/s640/Untitled-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The difference between no AF and 16x AF</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Now to show the effect on FPS<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfGTM6FWi-c1awjo2Rz5lbuEZkLSwcYP1wMCMzR-A_wQmBYYzZBExal-DUHMKDeSMNoT-klz-0vmGbHGHRaqHy-WQKnBvMHq9IdEQxEvrMtHxi5Wx_cYSLpJADe5sCh29M5gdLzVVP8uGe/s1600/Untitled-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfGTM6FWi-c1awjo2Rz5lbuEZkLSwcYP1wMCMzR-A_wQmBYYzZBExal-DUHMKDeSMNoT-klz-0vmGbHGHRaqHy-WQKnBvMHq9IdEQxEvrMtHxi5Wx_cYSLpJADe5sCh29M5gdLzVVP8uGe/s320/Untitled-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
So there you have it. You can significantly improve your FPS by turning off AA (or putting it to 2x) and pushing up AF to the maximum setting.<br />
<br />
References:<br />
<a href="http://www.geforce.com/Optimize/Guides/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-tweak-guide">http://www.geforce.com/Optimize/Guides/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-tweak-guide</a>oAurAohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873901989545364166noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9216588010604452714.post-36273307701238860232011-12-06T19:40:00.002-08:002011-12-08T09:56:29.097-08:005 Great Anime series of 2011I was planning to do a top ten list of my favourite anime series of all time, but quickly found that there would be too many "Honourable mentions" so instead I'm just going to show 5 anime series from this year that I found particularly good to watch.<br />
<br />
In no particular order:<br />
<br />
1.<br />
Fate Zero <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjliv_94bnbqDHCGWCbnsPWKBJE8m1RM-gUBBch55vkMBE_Pqu6qNyAchOlHRdEtl3UkMwAFCJ3bT3k-P5teEXDu8lhvVtuZMotGtv_N2nKgejJw3zk0QruUmR1FDzehklS4sLd_9QphftX/s1600/2ee05df6e44530437069955b71f09daf1317839234_thumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjliv_94bnbqDHCGWCbnsPWKBJE8m1RM-gUBBch55vkMBE_Pqu6qNyAchOlHRdEtl3UkMwAFCJ3bT3k-P5teEXDu8lhvVtuZMotGtv_N2nKgejJw3zk0QruUmR1FDzehklS4sLd_9QphftX/s1600/2ee05df6e44530437069955b71f09daf1317839234_thumb.jpg" /></a>This is a great new anime that just started a few weeks ago. The animation quality is top notch, especially during the action sequences. The world is very interesting, modern day tokyo where magic exists, and is learned by only the most prestigious families with magic bloodlines. The story is about a war between 5 parties over the holy grail. The holy grail grants 1 wish to the victor. The 5 groups each summon one legendary warrior to fight for the grail.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>well animated violence</li>
<li>interesting dynamic characters</li>
<li>Interesting world.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
2.<br />
GOSICK<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggQA_78q_okZ-ZPiy4ne3etqPc9eTqFTHaxqUnufj3RhxJwhnYuYr0IPKC82zq2f-GVbdN5iszyxfuVaFspEQ5h7nZne0TibrdMPbAAuB-U0q7Y3MMItWr-MRPLvt2eVPo_sZ_Zssg3aTj/s1600/bdedf12eea93a46ff8fe20bb05c30bae1294963182_thumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggQA_78q_okZ-ZPiy4ne3etqPc9eTqFTHaxqUnufj3RhxJwhnYuYr0IPKC82zq2f-GVbdN5iszyxfuVaFspEQ5h7nZne0TibrdMPbAAuB-U0q7Y3MMItWr-MRPLvt2eVPo_sZ_Zssg3aTj/s1600/bdedf12eea93a46ff8fe20bb05c30bae1294963182_thumb.jpg" /></a>This is a great anime, a mix of serious storyline, subplots, and bits of comedy. The world takes place in the real world just before world war 1, in a made up European country called Sauville (were people speak Japanese for some reason). The main characters (A Japanese exchange student, and a girl with special deductive reasoning powers) go around this country solving mysteries. All of the characters are a lot of fun.<br />
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<ul>
<li>Interesting well realised world</li>
<li>Fun Characters</li>
<li>interesting 1-2 episode sub plots</li>
</ul>
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3.<br />
The World God Only Knows<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnXV9Z8p14ECW-3SrLv2gLYkIqCk6cF1qTu-VnQxkBpwGCNY5js4Yl7CVQfSkd2VmF5EtbwohecumUJBhoMiT3nLQ0SfGTszV-V1ves0edWGcff-AaGRAXXjuwtstrs3iSKXbFVWumrcm8/s1600/7c64a48edf3812a52219287c777bee521301957316_thumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnXV9Z8p14ECW-3SrLv2gLYkIqCk6cF1qTu-VnQxkBpwGCNY5js4Yl7CVQfSkd2VmF5EtbwohecumUJBhoMiT3nLQ0SfGTszV-V1ves0edWGcff-AaGRAXXjuwtstrs3iSKXbFVWumrcm8/s1600/7c64a48edf3812a52219287c777bee521301957316_thumb.jpg" /></a>Despite the strange title, this anime is about a dating simulation game obsessed student, who enters a contract with a demon (see those cute girls in the picture? yup demons) The main character Keima has to get girls to fall in love with him so that the evil soul in their hearts is released, and can be captured. Its a strange story, but its all about the characters, who are lots of fun to watch.<br />
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<ul>
<li>Funny strange characters</li>
<li>Relatable(if you are a gamer) main character</li>
<li>Adorableness</li>
</ul>
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4.<br />
Iroha, and Hanasaku Iroha<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi78hTqmh-aXJEozG2_Fg15sSs7Q7scYbDCBtVqdmFCjri1qFWh05WUif4YGEUU95L6z9Wv7N3g5ZsCpoYhxGJoLQezezCYH8vDGFrZaZ71CcQKW_fel-5B6VgDFbTvx-mHoL9v5FOLzoXl/s1600/28b5360c84140b20177fb9179beaf4e51301519528_thumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi78hTqmh-aXJEozG2_Fg15sSs7Q7scYbDCBtVqdmFCjri1qFWh05WUif4YGEUU95L6z9Wv7N3g5ZsCpoYhxGJoLQezezCYH8vDGFrZaZ71CcQKW_fel-5B6VgDFbTvx-mHoL9v5FOLzoXl/s1600/28b5360c84140b20177fb9179beaf4e51301519528_thumb.jpg" /></a>First non-fantasy anime in this list. This anime is more of a character driven drama. It takes place in a very traditional Japanese style inn (ryokan), and follows the life of Iroha. Iroha moves from Tokyo to a small town to work in her grandmother's Inn. The story is about her life; making friends with the other workers, cooping with a life of hard work while going to school, and dealing her feelings about her friend she left in Tokyo.<br />
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<ul>
<li>Interesting Characters</li>
<li>Good comic moments</li>
<li>Authentic look at Japanese life</li>
</ul>
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5.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq9PignPPlH2jvcN3NRysceJ7zYPhDG_dO7TpR40TfcuNf9WJYWLBoz9JJRwT7Z-xh6Z84UPC_XYFJ9OR06WYTNUY-3OGk5LR0h_J-V-RRukqxF2D8IbZINF1qUVeLEZgycPhN9JqqCPRd/s1600/5a95c19d33136eae26d18a99923032b01317841020_thumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq9PignPPlH2jvcN3NRysceJ7zYPhDG_dO7TpR40TfcuNf9WJYWLBoz9JJRwT7Z-xh6Z84UPC_XYFJ9OR06WYTNUY-3OGk5LR0h_J-V-RRukqxF2D8IbZINF1qUVeLEZgycPhN9JqqCPRd/s1600/5a95c19d33136eae26d18a99923032b01317841020_thumb.jpg" /></a>Wagnaria<br />
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Another non-fantasy anime, somewhat similar to Iroha but less serious, more comedy. This anime is about a bunch of people who work in a restaurant, and how they interact. Each character is strange in their own, funny way. This is a great anime to just jump into and watch an episode just for a good laugh. <br />
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<ul>
<li>Fun characters</li>
<li>Funny situations</li>
</ul>
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Extra Anime<br />
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Oreimo<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha3Q3NdkWnPca0wus8Qqrxd_co8nCJPrV-FWLZCfkTB55I_o7n_eiHaaZ_ORf68r8kyUYq7acRfOcT1ZHS0wXarVlliNZa0NARUUd8QGuQqmPjlbcpkid7nArDj98VePvl-QFDeuCeOnS6/s1600/eff53067d08bb84d3031ba7343c3f1ba1313543917_thumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha3Q3NdkWnPca0wus8Qqrxd_co8nCJPrV-FWLZCfkTB55I_o7n_eiHaaZ_ORf68r8kyUYq7acRfOcT1ZHS0wXarVlliNZa0NARUUd8QGuQqmPjlbcpkid7nArDj98VePvl-QFDeuCeOnS6/s1600/eff53067d08bb84d3031ba7343c3f1ba1313543917_thumb.jpg" /></a>This is another funny anime. The main characters are a middle school girl with an obsession for litter sister eroge (porn video games), and her older brother. The story is about how this girl deals with her embarrassing secret hobby, while trying to keep her social life as a popular middle school girl, and part-time magazine model in tact.<br />
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The Mystic Archives of Dantalian<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1zTZLZtVKQHs3yMDAxoK4wWBv_yNpX7zvplnQBgvod5bmlZRImqvR0TJvR9YgT0UG7FajYjVO7RWGOT3FTJ2jMskUJoeA4aXC-6wmIMyDvCKEHmMZSRoasz_TY-h2t4sl8770ZcReYP_Y/s1600/321da8076272f61da0798d46c89bd5d41310005823_thumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1zTZLZtVKQHs3yMDAxoK4wWBv_yNpX7zvplnQBgvod5bmlZRImqvR0TJvR9YgT0UG7FajYjVO7RWGOT3FTJ2jMskUJoeA4aXC-6wmIMyDvCKEHmMZSRoasz_TY-h2t4sl8770ZcReYP_Y/s1600/321da8076272f61da0798d46c89bd5d41310005823_thumb.jpg" /></a><br />
This anime has a similar artistic style to GOSICK, but more fantasy based. The characters go around killing monsters that are summoned by phantom books. The fighting scenes were a little underdeveloped, but It was still fun to watch. It too bad this anime did not get the second season it needed.<br />
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<br />oAurAohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873901989545364166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9216588010604452714.post-25585481662663053562011-11-29T17:13:00.001-08:002011-11-29T17:36:36.605-08:00Skyrim Mods Issue 2<br />
well still no SDK meaning there's still no serious mods, but there are lots and lots of new HD higher res textures for, well everything. Basically modders take the textures, put them into photoshop, and use image upscaling algorithims to increase the detail of the texture. That's not the case for all the textures though, some are being remade from scratch, by finding photorealistc scenes then applying them cleverly to the texture .dds file. This all means there is a noticeably much better texture. <br />
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On my side of things I've started messing with textures too, downloaded a photoshop trial from their website, got the nvidia <a href="http://developer.nvidia.com/nvidia-texture-tools-adobe-photoshop">plugin</a> for .dds files, and used the <a href="http://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=640">fallout mod manager</a> to extract the .dds files from the skyrim textures.bsa<br />
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unfortunately I had already used my trial and they only let me open photoshop once, so I didn't do much. Been looking at a good way to buy photshop but even with the full education discount its really expensive (around 230$).<br />
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Once the SDK (software development kit, or in bethesda's case the "TES 5 creation kit") is released that will allow modders to create new weapons instead of just replacing the textures of the current ones. That's just the tip of the iceberg though because there is a lot you can do with that kit, from making new spells, to making new continents, and more. Personally I want to create a mod that speeds up all of the weapon swinging animations, and lets you attack while jumping/falling. Also I want to make a few items from the anime Naruto, and play as a ninja :D<br />
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<strong>Mods I'm Using:</strong><br />
amazing smooth females complete, ultra smooth females V3 <br />
The name gives it away, but this mod makes the skin textures for female characters smother<br />
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Enhanced Distant terrain <br />
Uses higher res textures for distant terrain, making it look a lot better<br />
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Enhanced night Skyrim<br />
Higher resolution night sky, adds more stars, makes the night look even better.<br />
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Eyes Skyrim<br />
Higher resolution eye textures<br />
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Jump250<br />
Lets you jump about 4 times higher, lots of fun.oAurAohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873901989545364166noreply@blogger.com0