Shmee.Me

December 2, 2015

Checking Out The Surface Book!

It has been awhile since I have given a tech review, so here we go! Work has seen fit to pair me with Microsoft’s latest computer the Surface Book, and I have to say it is the best laptop I have ever used. That doesn’t mean it isn’t without its flaws, but it is a fantastic device.

The screen is gorgeous. It is bright, and the 3000×2000 resolution makes everything crisp and clear. With the great PPI (pixels per inch), I am able to read very small fonts without issue, and that is a bigger deal than you would think. With most laptops with a high resolution you usually have to zoom the in screen in order to read anything, but that costs lot of App real estate. With the Surface Book’s excellent readability you can keep the zoom to a minimum.

The Surface Book is screaming fast as well. I have an i7 and the dedicated GPU, so it should be fast, but it is nice to know that it lives up to its potential. Apps and videos load and play almost instantaneously. I have heard that it is not great for high end gaming, but it is more than powerful enough for everything else. Plus the fit and finish is amongst the best out there. It will go toe to toe with the high end Samsungs and Apples.

There are a couple of issues though. After upgrading to the November 2015 Update for Windows 10 my screen would blink every time a video would load in a browser, and then tell me that my Intel graphics card had failed and then recovered. Not a deal breaker, but annoying. I was able to fix it with the beta driver from Intel, so I am sure that it will be on Windows Update soon, but no one likes their new toy acting up.

Also the fact that the Surface Book doesn’t close all the way is odd. I understand it is due to its cool hinge, but stuff gets between the keyboard and the screen when it is in my bag. While the screen does come off, it is simply too big to be a tablet. When holding it my thumbs can’t get to the middle of the screen, and I have big hands. If you are going to use the pen and draw on it, it is fine, but you would think for that you would want the dGPU in the keyboard, so you would simply flip the screen around and lay it flat that way. It is neat that you can do it, but impractical.

Those minor issues aside, The Surface Book is still a wonderful device, and one that Microsoft should be proud of. If they can get that Intel driver out fast to clear up the issue with the November Update that would get rid of my one hesitation with recommending the Surface Book. Well that and the price. You really do pay for quality. Though in this case maybe slightly too much. I think it is worth it, you may not, and I would totally understand.

November 30, 2015November 30, 2015

The Mockingjay Comes Back For Part 2!

The Hunger Games series has finally come to an end with the Mockingjay Part 2. It is crazy to think that a series I was so hyped for after the end of Catching Fire, I almost forgot about this year. Some of that is because of a movie involving space ninjas with laser swords, but most of it is because of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 almost ends the series on a high note, but being half of a movie definitely hurt it.

The Mockingjay Part 2 picks up exactly where Part 1 left off with Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) recovering from her attack by the brainwashed Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson). She then sets out to help the rebellion finish the war with The Capital, and take out her own personal vengeance on President Snow. Though it will be complicated with cameras in her face, and as she has to deal with District 13’s harsh methods.

The narrative arch in the first act of the movie really suffers because all of the build up is in Part 1, so they have to try and build up again in Part 2, but with far less material to use. It also makes the two hour and fifteen minute running time of the Mockingjay Part 2 feel stretched out. It was one thing for Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows to be split up. Its series’ epic scaled and loved characters earned its second bow. Even then Part 1 of the Deathly Hallows is one of the weakest movies in the series. With the Hunger Games, splitting up the final book was simply a naked cash grab that hurt their franchise’s legacy. Thankfully once Mockingjay Part 2 does get moving it almost makes up for the weak start.

The actors all continued their good work. Jennifer Lawrence plays Katniss to perfection. She is suffering from severe trauma, PTSD, and more than a little survivors guilt, but she still finds the strength to do what needs to be done. The rest of the actors are all wonderful as well, but this movie more than any of the others is about Katniss, so Lawrence’s wonderful portrayal makes this movie work.

The Hunger Game: Mockingjay was always going to be hard movie to get right thanks to the oppression of its characters, and its divisive ending, but splitting it up made it even harder. If it had been one movie with this cast and creative team I think they could have nailed it, and given the brilliant Catching Fire the sequel that it deserved. Still, as it is the Mockingjay Part 2 is a good movie, very good even, but it could have been great, and that is disappointing.

November 25, 2015

The Trailer For Avengers, Err No, Captain America: Civil War Is Here!

Wow this movie looks pretty great. The face-off between Captain America and Iron Man promises to be thrilling. I can see now that they are indeed going for a more Captain America based story, but the whole gang is here to fight! We will see how long the movie goes before they become friends again. I am guessing an hour and a half, and then forty-five minutes with some new villain. We will see, but that is my guess.

November 24, 2015

Let’s Go Back In Time And Talk About That Warcraft Trailer!

I was going to talk about the Warcraft trailer when it came out awhile ago, but I got distracted by a Pen. I am very confused by this movie. On one hand the CG orcs look pretty good, but on the other, the humans look like a bunch of guys doing cosplay (actually the cosplay guys may look better). I get keeping the look of the game, but the armor is just odd looking when on real people.

I don’t know that I am on board with the story either. I know that it is based on the first Warcraft game Humans and Orcs that came out in 1995, but it just seems odd. Orcs invade the human world from another planet, and the two races square off. Plus a lot of people know Warcraft from the MMO, but none of the other races are in this movie, so there are going to be a lot of disappointed elf fans, and the MMO is also sort of light hearted and playful, yet the tone of this movie seems deadly serious.

What I am getting at is that Warcraft looks like it is going to have a bunch of guys in goofy armor fighting alien orcs while spouting dialog like it is Shakespeare, and I am not sure that is a recipe for success. Unless they are trying to get on the new MST3K series.

November 23, 2015November 23, 2015

Spending The Weekend With Jessica Jones!

Netflix and Marvel have launched their second attack on my free time, Jessica Jones. It amazes me to say it, but so far I like Jessica Jones more than their previous outing Daredevil. Which I loved. It is because it is so different than anything else on TV. Daredevil was Marvel’s take on what the CW has been doing well for awhile now, and that is the standard superhero TV show, but a little darker and with a slightly bigger budget. Jessica Jones on the other hand is a completely different beast all together.

The show is about the titular Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) as she runs her Alias private investigation firm, but mostly as she tries to track down the crazy evil Kilgrave (David Tennant). It starts off normal enough until you start to learn more about their powers. Jessica is super strong and can jump really far (she calls it controlled falling), and Kilgrave can make anyone do anything he wants if tells them to do it in person.

Kilgrave’s power makes him one of the scariest bad guys Marvel has unleased. Sure Loki could control people’s minds, but Loki had a certain charm to him that made his deviousness more palatable. Kilgrave however is pure nightmare fuel. He doesn’t care about anyone but himself, and his obsession with Jones. Once a person has served their purpose they are lucky if they are left to go about their normal lives. He is a spoiled child, and no one can tell him ‘no’.

The acting is top notch. Krysten Ritter’s Jessica Jones is a very broken woman, but she insures that you see her inner strength pushing through it all and matching her outer strength. David Tennant is putting the world on notice that he is not The Doctor anymore. Kilgrave is one screwed up dude, and it will be hard to see Tennant any other way for awhile. Mike Colter’s Luke Cage has me excited for his new show coming next year. The Unbreakable Man should be a lot of fun to watch.

Jessica Jones may be Marvel’s darkest and most twisted tale. It is living up to its TV MA rating, but it is great to see that Marvel has more up its sleeves than just dudes in costumes. In this case a little sociological horror and some gumshoeing. Netflix and Marvel have been really knocking these shows out of the park, and as long as they keep releasing them, I will be renewing my Netflix subscription.