Shouting Grounds

Using Photographs to Enhance Videos of a Static Scene from pro on Vimeo.

The potential uses, and more importantly the abuses, of this technology are astounding.

This sucks dick. Big time.

The Space X III launch vehicle was lost during launch, and so was the final remains of Scotty

Space X hasn’t just lost a rocket, though. The flight was carrying a trio of small satellites belonging to NASA and the DoD. Perhaps less seriously, but probably more newsworthy, the ashes of over 200 people were also on board, including a pair of rather well known astronauts, one actual, one fictional. They were Gordon Cooper, one of the original Mercury 7, and “Scotty” himself, James Doohan.

The Angry Video Game Nerd from Screwattack reviews a series of video games from the Batman franchise.

Fucking awesome!

The drum solo, and when miyamoto comes out makes me want to cut my ears out….but it might be fun…

Tags: wii, wii music, games

It looks like a new game will be coming out for the iPhone, and judging from the video it looks like it still needs a bit of work, and hopefully won’t be too terrible. Obviously this is a different breed from the console versions, and meant to focus on taking advantage of the iPhone’s touch, and motion interface (for lack of anything else). Hopefully there will be some actual lightsaber swordplay at some point. Due for a September ’08 release.

Tags: StarWars, Force Unleashed, iPhone, Apple, App Store

Those with iPhones or iPod Touch devices might be wondering, “if I buy a program on the App Store, what happens if a new version comes out?”

Well luckily that’s all been worked out.  Anyone who has downloaded the free New York Times app and been immediately disappointed by the performance and quality of it have probably noticed the App Store icon on the home screen showing a little number badge on top of it.

If you go to the App Store and follow that notification a similar badge appears in the updates section, allowing you to download the new version of whatever application needs updating.  If you are away from your sync computer, it will install and prompt you to copy the new version over to your sync computer when the phone is connected.  Very slick. 

Nothing like a little som’n som’m to look forward too every now and again.

Tags: AppStore, itunes, iPhone, iPod Touch, updates

Well…Friday I waited in line for over 2 hours to finally give ‘ol Steve some of my hard-earned dosh. I’ve bought Apple products before, but unless I’ve given them as gifts, never kept the fucking thing. This is the first Apple product that I bought for MJS exclusively… I’ll recount the experience before I weigh in on my first 72 hours with the product.

The cats in Cupertino decreed that the new 3G iPhone could only be bought in Apple and AT&T stores starting at 8a on Friday. Guaranteed lines of zealots at the Apple stores…prompting me to think that I’d be safe arriving an hour early to an AT&T store mere miles from an Apple store. Not so much. At 7a there were 35 people in front of me…and every single fuck around me had an EDGE iPhone. I’m not exaggerating. Every goddamn person had a 1-year old, perfect-working-condition iPhone.

Now…I’m moving up from a Samsung a900 on Sprint, so the iPhone is whole milk to me. But I’ve spent some time with the EDGE iPhone and don’t find it to be incredibly handicapped compared to the 3G. The web access is faster, but all iPhones will get the 2.0 software…so we’ll be on a nearly-level playing field from what I can see. The most obvious advantage being that my phone was “only” $199, whereas the earliest adopters got horn-fucked last year.

Back to the lines. AT&T had deployed some Zealot Wranglers to keep the natives in czech, trained in the fine art of counter-intel. The agent for our portion of line was particularly vicious…claiming illogically that she was incapable of counting how many iPhones were available for purchase and beckoning everyone to eschew their jobs and stay in line no matter what happened. Luckily I was able to forward the trouble phone to my cell and remain away from the office until I had blown my wad…others were not so lucky. Two seething and sweaty IT pro’s in line behind me couldn’t handle the pressure and rolled out of the firing line mere minutes before I secured my prize.

With regards to the process, Apple screwed the pooch in my opinion. Last year some anti-zealots hacked their phones and whatever…so this year’s plan was to activate at the store on purchase. That plan will probably be fine after a few weeks…no so much on Friday. The entire central time zone was struggling to activate through iTunes starting at 8a. Case in point, it took the first guy in line over 30 minutes to reemerge with his activated phone. Luckily for us, the AT&T order-takers quickly decided to dump the activate procedure and I got my phone activation-free. And thus the activation process took about 3 minutes later on in the day.

So…you’re saying “MJS, how’s the fuckin phone?”

Pretty goddamn swell. I tried to give it a well rounded rinse over the weekend: making some long-distance calls, listening to a podcast (thousand cuts, y’all), watching a trailer, downloading some free apps from the new apps store, using google maps to find a Panera Bread, etc. Good shit. About half of my interweb browsing was done via my home wifi, but I was most impressed by how quickly the phone hopped from wifi to 3G to Edge when the signal strength demanded it. Definitely some quality there.

I’m impressed so far, and I’m certainly finding every reason to use the thing. However, I vow not to become the asshat zealot that will whip out the phone to counter a pilot when he claims our plane is delayed due to weather. Fuck him.

Video tutorial: unlock iphone

By running Apple Software Update you should see iTunes version 7.7 now available for download.  Even though the App Store doesn’t seem to have a direct link on the iTunes storefront.  A simple search for Super Monkey Ball will let you get to the App Store tab. 

With this single move you can download and purchase a shit tonne of goddamn applications.  Free apps include (finally) AIM, Facebook App, MySpace Mobile App, eBay App, IGN Game reviews, NetNewsWire, Evernote, and all sorts of little games and productivity applications. 

Pay software includes, Bejeweled, Super Monkey Ball, OmniFocus, Band, and christ there’s too much to name.  Seriously, tomorrow is going to kick all forms of ass when the 2.0 software is avaiable.

Or you could just download the 2.0 iPhone update yourself, right now.

Of couse, I can’t guarantee that that update will work properly, and it is known that updating your iPhone or iPod touch with 2.0 software will wipe the phone and attempt to restore from a backup created just before the wipe.  The backup checks what is available and authorized in your iTunes library for the restore so make sure (if you do this) to update using your main iTunes library.

This program is an example of why the App store and iPhone combo is going to be awesome.

Tags: iPhone, iPod, iPod touch, iTunes, Apple, App Store, iPhone 2.0

CNN Reports that there are fighter pilots in the states remote controlling UAV’s in the Afaghani theater. 

Now, this brings us one step closer to tapping the most powerful defense resource available, that being children’s hand-eye coordination, ala Toys.

Imagine, if you will, the same scenario from Toys.  Real-world missions are given to children (unbeknown to them) plugged into ultra-realistic video games to dispatch enemies and accomplish objectives.  If the military can give that kind of control to Air Force pilots 7500 miles away from the battlefield, then why not send out free video game software to gamers, allowing them to control real military aircraft, with safety precautions in place (not allowing the pilot to intentionally crash the aircraft, or harm friendly targets)?  Maybe 10% of “gameplay” would connect “players” to real scenarios, the rest simulated, so only the highest ranked gamers are allowed to contribute to the fight for freedom. 

Tags: UAV, Toys, Humor, Horror

Engadget reports:

So yeah, apparently that whole attempt to “streamline operations” back in April didn’t go over so well, as Syntax-Brillian — you know, that firm neck deep in panel partnerships and responsible for Olevia HDTVs — has just filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

And so another bargin-bin HDTV manufacturer bites the dust.  Hopefully that company that’s assuming their debt continues the brand, but I doubt it. 

Tags: Syntax-Brillian, Olevia, HDTV, Bankruptcy

There is an article from the Washington Times’ website that was linked from Slashdot today, and if it ever comes back online I’ll have more to report.  It is believe from the article description from slashdot that the DHS (Department of Homeland Security) had suggested it be mandatory that every person who flies within the United States wear a shock bracelet.  The benefits, they describe, are two-fold.  One: you, as a threat, can be subdued remotely.  Two:  you, as a threat, can be tortured in-flight for information. 

“The Washington Times is reporting that the DHS wants to replace your boarding pass with a GPS-enabled shock bracelet. Plans for the device include subduing passengers remotely as well as onboard interrogation. There’s even a promotional video.” Perhaps Paul Ruwaldt (the official named in this story) has been watching “The Coneheads” a bit too much, or not actually flying enough. Expressing interest is not quite the same as ordering mass quantities, but it’s scary enough.

This Document, I understand, is the letter that points to DHS’s interest in persuing a contract with Lamperd Less Lethal to obtain bracelets for “the temporary restraint of large numbers of individuals in open area environments by a small number of agents or Law Enforcement Officers”.

The letter is dated 2006.  I wonder at what stage this contact is at currently.

Tags: DHS, Politics, Security, News, Torture

Here’s an awesome article on the few discovered glitches in Grand Theft Auto IV.  The swingset glitch looks the most fun so far.  Red, we have to try some of this stuff.  Apparently it’s better in Multiplayer anyways.

Tags: ps3, GTAIV, glitches, Video Games

The update includes the much sought-after in-game XMB (so you can play custom music from your library and interact with the XMB without quiting your game) and trophy support.  Of course these features have been available on the xbox360 since launch, but it’s nice to have these options on the PS3, knowing how it adds to the palyability and entertainment of the console. 

Tags: ps3, firmware 2.40, XMB

I Just downloaded this browser called Flock.  Remember how Jobe from Lawnmower Man looked after he OD’ed on data.  That was me looking at this browser.  So much information at once…too…intense…

Anyways, you can load it up with all of your social networking info, so that you have access to all of these sites at once.  It’s very “aware” of all of these sites and the normal tasks people take while on the web.  Taking links and adding them to a blog, or sending them to facebook, or even media is a snap.  As long as you can handle a little clutter (we are all used to it), you may find that this browser is exactly the end-all-be-all Internet tool it’s advertised as.

1.2 is available for download now, for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Tags: flock, browser, software, Mac OS X, OS X, Social Networking