Shmee.Me

January 8, 2014January 8, 2014

CES 2014 Is Here! So What?

January is here, so it is time for another Consumer Electronics Show. CES used to be an event I looked forward to every year. Because it used to be the time all the major companies showed their latest crazy gadgets, but for the most part they all do that at their own shows now, so CES seems like it is more of the same every year. Though I am still keeping an eye on it, so here are my impressions.

More Giant TVs:

If you thought TVs were already huge, then you better look away from CES. 50″ is now the small size with 105″ TVs becoming the show pieces. The major reason for this size increase is that they need a reason to push the new Ultra HD 4K resolution on us. With a smaller TV you could never tell the difference, but on a TV 80″ or over you defiantly can. In five years or so you are going to need a very large wall for your TV set.

Wearable Everything:

Ever since there was rumors that Apple was releasing an iWatch, everybody had to make something to wear. There are watches, glasses, fitness bracelets, and more. Just about everybody has a high tech piece of jewelry for you. Nothing I want or find useful, but it might make you feel more like James Bond.

Steam Boxes:

Valve came out with a new OS built around their popular online store Steam, creatively named SteamOS based on Linux, so this is their year to gain partners to try and get it out there to the public. They are trying to bill this as a console alternative that plays PC games. The only problem is that most of the games in their store only run on Windows, so you wouldn’t be able to use them on your Steam Box. Plus there is no uniform architecture for a Steam box, so it is not any easier on developers to make games for the platform, and it looks like they are going to be way more expensive than the PS4 and Xbox One. Still it will be an interesting idea to watch, but for now I would just spend the money to beef up your PC and hook it up to your TV.

Dual Booting Android And Windows:

This was one of the more interesting ideas at this year’s show, and it is being pushed by Intel. The idea is that people want Android tablets, but they still want their Windows apps, so why not dual boot the two. The problem is that Windows 8 is already kind of confusing in the way that it flips between the desktop and the new Start area, so to now flip again to Android sounds like a mess, but we will see. If they can make so it is like Parallels for Mac, where your Windows apps can run seamlessly in Android, they may be on to something.

That was pretty much all the major trends from CES 2014. There was nothing too exciting, but still, I do love new tech. I just hope CES can find a way to bring back more of the major players from its past, so we can get back to seeing the really good stuff again.

January 7, 2014January 7, 2014

Can Community Come Back From The Gas Leak Year?

To the shock of just about everyone, Community is back on NBC. Last year they kicked out the creator of the show Dan Harmon, so they could make it less weird and more accessible, but all they really did was make it more unwatchable. This year they brought back Dan, and the show is much better with him.

The writers answer the questions about why the study group would all come back to Greendale after graduating, by showing how woefully Greendale prepared them for life outside its walls. It also makes some great Scrubs references along the way. Community has gone back to its roots of showing weird people doing weird things for inexplicable reasons, but it did take on a darker tone. As I stated before the study group was not ready for post Greendale life, and they paid dearly for trying to venture out in to the world beyond. This may truly be the darkest timeline, but for now they are back doing what they do best, being a dysfunctional family/study group.

The group has changed, with Peirce being gone, <Spoiler>Jeff is now a teacher</Spoiler>, and the writers preparing to write Troy off the show. These changes have seemed to work to the show’s benefit for the most part. I will miss Troy, but he was always just a sounding board for Abed, so I think it will be fine.

Community is still not for everybody, but it never was, so when they changed it up last season, now known as the “Gas Leak” year, they just made it so it was for nobody. It is back to being a show for a select audience, but at least we few who watch it are now much happier. If this season is its last (we say that every season), at least it looks like it will be remembered fondly, and not as the less funny “Gas Leak” version.

January 6, 2014January 6, 2014

Why Can’t We All Get Along?!

Image via shirtoid.com, and you can get it on a shirt!

As long as there has been more than one gaming platform, there has always been the argument that one reigns supreme over the others, but instead of discussing it like mature adults, we like to rage against one another on forums. The sad fact is that now more than ever the platforms are very similar to one another, so all this rage is mostly meaningless. Why is it that we can’t all just get along?

I think it all comes down to money. Gaming can be an expensive hobby. By the time people get the hardware, the peripherals, and the games, you can be several hundred dollars, if not thousands, in the hole. A person just wants to feel justified in their purchase, so when someone makes a different choice then them it is like they are saying “you were wrong”. Buying a console or PC is not a test. There is no wrong answer. Are you having fun on the platform you purchased? Yes? Good you made the right choice. That is all there is too it. People are reading in to the current console hardware sales, and trying to use them to prove that one console is better than the other, but the console race will last for years to come.

Plus we do not really want a winner. If there was only one platform, there would be no competition, so games would cost even more, and the lone console would be pretty crappy. For those of you that are old enough, look what happened to the Atari. The Atari 2600 came out, and it was the only game in town, so when they made a follow up, the 5200, it was a giant pile of dung. It was so bad it almost destroyed video games, but luckily the Nintendo Entertainment System saved the day.

The new consoles are all selling well, and there is a resurgence in the PC market due to the rise in indie development. We as gamers should all be happy about that. As an Xbox One owner, I want the PS4 to do well, and as a PC owner, I want there to be strength in the console market. We are all part of the same hobby, and it is something we enjoy greatly, so we should be happy for one another. Though I am sure we can all agree that mobile gaming is the WORST! 😉

January 3, 2014January 3, 2014

Futurama Goes Out With A Bang!

Netflix finally got the last season of Futurama for streaming, and I of course gobbled it up. It is hard to see another great show end its run, but this last season was one of the best. The last episode “Meanwhile” in particular was an excellent way to wrap up the series and say farewell to Fry and Leela. It was funny and showed real heart and emotion. Most live action shows can’t do that.

I am now torn since there are rumors that Netflix wants to buy the show and develop more episodes, but it is nice to see Futurama go out on a high note like Breaking Bad, and not limp out of retirement like Arrested Development. No matter what the future holds for this show, at least season 7B (10 on Netflix) gave the fans everything they loved and wanted plus a little extra.

If you haven’t seen the show, you really should, and you need to give it until the second season because that is when it finds its footing and really takes off.

January 2, 2014January 2, 2014

Battlefield 4 Is Worth The Perseverance!

Battlefield 4 is a first person shooter developed by EA’s DICE studio. If you have not heard about Battlefield by now, that means you have been living under a rock somewhere. It is one of the most recognizable brands in the video game world. It has been a rocky start for the game, but it is still fun, and worth a look.

Much like the last game, Battlefield 4 features a single-player campaign, and in it you take the role of Sgt. Daniel “Reck” Recker. He is part of an elite squad called “Tombstone”. You have been called in to stop a Chinese general from starting World War III, and to do that you pretty much have to shoot everyone in China.

The whole elite squad thing is kind of a misnomer since they can’t seem to shoot anything until you tell them too, and you can only tell them to shoot stuff that you are looking at and shooting anyway, but it is fun to be part of a group instead of all by yourself. The campaign was really fun, and I was almost done with it when Battlefield 4 destroyed my save game file. This apparently is a widespread problem, and an inexcusable one. There have been game saves for as long as there have been video games, so to not be able to keep them from getting lost or corrupted is crazy.

All that being said the reason you will get Battlefield 4 is for the multiplayer, and that is still fantastic. There is nothing more fun than flying a helicopter, having it almost blow up on you, so you parachute down to a skyscraper, and then having the skyscraper collapse. You parachute down to the ground and grab a tank, and then lay waste to all that oppose you. These sorts of moments make this game great, and they happen a lot. Sadly EA is having trouble with its matchmaking, so getting in to games can be a little rough at the moment, but it is worth the trouble.

This game feels like it was rushed to the market to be in time for Christmas and the new console launches, and it is a shame. If it were to have come out next month, I bet it would have been a smoother launch. Still when you can play it, Battlefield 4 is one of the best things going right now, but I would wait another few weeks before picking it up, or just be like me and use the perseverance to build character.