Macbook Air... Apple's best ipod ever?

"One way to look at the MacBook Air is as the largest and most capable iPod in Apple's line - think of it as an iPod touch Extreme with a built in keyboard."

Ars Technica's recent review of the MacBook Air brings up some interesting points that I have not considered regarding Cupertino's latest drool-inducer.

To look at the device as a fully fleshed out iPod is indeed intriguing, for a iPod is only as useful as the information that it has access to. The iPod can be seen as an extension of one's media library when away from home, and without a way to load it with said media, it is indeed useless (except for the touch's wi-fi capabilities).

Although the Air lacks a DVD drive and only has a total of three ports (audio, USB, mini-DVI) when away from home, these items are non essential when trying to do such things as accessing the internet, working on a quick document or email, and/or listening to some music while doing those previously mentioned tasks.

As a portable productivity device, it can hold its own with the Thinkpads of the world - packing a relatively speedy dual core processor, 2 gigs of ram, a large and bright (thanks to the led backlight) 13.3 inch screen, decent battery life, and a form factor that is a joy to regularly carry from destination to destination.

So, for a person on the go, who also has a desktop at home, the Air seems like the perfect addition to one's tech arsenal.

Super Bowl vs. Tecmo Bowl

Using updated rosters, the people over at ArmchairGM have simulated this weekend's Super Bowl match up between the Giants and the Patriots with the NES classic Tecmo Super Bowl. Youtube videos are available at the site of the two halves of the game, so I won't spoil the results - click for the game summary.

This brought back so many memories of playing season after season with the Dolphins, who were much better back when the game was made back in 1991. This is a game which I hope they release for XBLA soon! I need online Tecmo Bowl!!!

More evidence of the slow decline of pc gaming

In a recent interview with Epic Games' Mark Rein (Unreal Tournament, Gears of War), he laments the fact that FPS based games, once a bastion of PC gaming, have now made a near total transition to consoles:

Traditionally the FPS was very much a strong point for PC, but now do you think consoles are catching up?
I'm a real fan of the PC, but yes, consoles are definitely stealing a lot of hardcore gamers from the PC. When Call of Duty 4 came out, I heard some of our guys sitting around talking about the great game they'd had last night and I'm like, 'Hey guys, what server are you playing on? I'd love to come and join you,' and they said, 'Just send us a friends request,' It was at that point I realized they were all playing it on console. Plus, the sales of the console versions are something like ten times the sales of the PC versions.

The advantages that PC games once held over the console market (online multiplayer, amazing 3D graphics, ease of control, high definition displays) are now a thing of the past. Looking at the Xbox 360 in particular, I feel that Xbox Live is far superior to anything available on the PC (Steam comes close), the price is right (vs. shelling out thousands for a PC), the friends list system is intuitive and a cinch to set up and use, and and the ease of connecting the console to an increasingly prolific number of high definition TVs makes the console a very attractive prospect for a gamer.

The last remaining foothold that PC still has against the rising tide of console supremacy is in the realm of the MMORPG. Titles like World of Warcraft, Eve Online, and Everquest I and II still have millions of active users and show no sign of slowing. This is partially due to the mouse/keyboard combo, which lends itself to MMO style game play. Plus, Microsoft still hesitates to allow companies to release games which would require the hard disk to play, a stance that many, including myself believe that they should relax in order to allow for greater flexibility for game developers (you too Xbox Live Arcade space limit!)

I foresee MMOs also eventually coming to consoles, and the PC gaming market to revert back into a enthusiast only industry.

Barack Obama can even unite Bill and Steve

According to Gizmodo, both Bill Gates' father, William and Steve Jobs' wife Laurene have donated to the Obama campaign. I guess they too realize that he is the tech enthusiast's candidate.

An article was written last year at VentureBeat about Obama's ambitious technology plan, including his intention to name a technology czar or "Chief Technology Officer" for the country.

The of the most ambitious parts of his plan is his planned use of the internet to make government totally transparent and interactive, making sure that lawmakers broadcast their meetings over the web, and also requiring that they use blogs and wikis to communicate with voters. Finally a president who thinks of "the internets" as a valuable tool for all sectors of America, both public and private.

Eve Online - a story of espionage, treachery, and taking things way too seriously

EVE Online is a MMORPG set in space with a player driven economy, quests, corporations, manufacturing, trade, etc. The game's economy is indeed so complex that a PhD economist is employed to manage it.

A setting this intricate and interesting leads to some very intriguing events. This Shacknews article examines a covert war between two of the most powerful factions in the game, and it is one of the coolest accounts of any game that I have ever read.

Lifehacker's bittorrent tips

Bittorrent has become an indispensable way to transfer large files over the internet, from game demos and betas to the media files which cause the MPAA/RIAA so much grief. Lifehacker has posted a very informative article on how to get the most out of your bittorrent experience.

RezHD for 360 Arcade!!

Having never played the original Rez (known for its infamous vibro-accessory) for the Dreamcast, I am extremely excited to have the chance to play its updated (HD and 5.1 sound) version, RezHD on Xbox Live Arcade. Rez is the perfect candidate for such an update, as it relies on sight, hearing, and touch to immerse the player in the "experience" of playing the game, all of which are bolstered by the enhanced output available on the 360.

From the 1UP review:

Its designers' objective was to simulate synaesthesia -- which is essentially the union of senses and the stimulation of one sense by another (for example, hearing sound through seeing or imagining color through hearing). Russian painter Wassily Kandinsky, who was affected by this phenomenon and related the act of painting to creating music, served as one of the key inspirations (which is why the game was originally known as K-Project before it was ultimately named Rez).

Rez is one of the most original games out there, you should definitely check it out!