Technically Speaking
April 28, 2005

With a deluge of new A-list games coming out lately and the excitement building over the new consoles from Sony and Microsoft it is indeed a great time to be a gamer. Both the console and PC gaming world is growing by leaps and bounds and the quality of the games is amazing.

Microsoft and Sony continue to battle over who will show and release their new consoles first. The hype machine is in full gear and Microsoft has even started a website. http://www.ourcolony.net/, that if you play their online game offers sneak peeks at parts of the console. Microsoft will be showing the new console on MTV on May 12th. Both consoles will be on display in mid May at this years’ Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles. While the one-upmanship continues between Sony and Microsoft, Nintendo is being very quiet about their new console and seems to want to avoid fighting in the hype wars.

God of War (PlayStation 2) shows how much life there is still left in the Playstation 2. It is a fabulous game and technical achievement. It is one of the few games where you really feel in control of the character, it is that intuitive. While there are some puzzles they do not get in the way of the action. The fixed camera works well, and presents a cinematic view of the action. While the game is a bit short, it is well worth it. God of War is an outstanding action game that delights in a visceral way. Reviews of the game are very complimentary and it garners an average score of 98%.

Last week, for the Xbox, Unreal Championship: The Liandri Conflict came out. This is a great game that puts a whole new spin on the Unreal Universe. Much better than the UC1, the graphics are very crisp, and the play is fluid and intuitive. The online play is satisfying also. Garnering an average score in the 90% range it is defiantly a must buy. I don’t just say that because a personal friend of mine Ryan Brucks is one of the level designers.This edition’s question regards you next Personal Computer purchase. Are you brave enough to build your own, will you buy it from a store, or buy it online? Send your answers to mat@muw.edu.

As always send your tech questions or comments to mat@muw.edu. They will be answered in a future column or with a personal reply.

Mark Taylor, a senior in communication at MUW, was previously an information systems trainer for the US Air Force and a technical support technician for an internet service provider. A game and consumer electronics reporter during the Dot Com boom, he now owns Fanfare Media Services in Columbus.

Howdy, just a quick note about a new music program that one of you guys pointed out to me (Thanks Matt).

It is called Quintessential Player and I find it to be great! It can play all kinds of music formats, and I am using instead of WinAmp now. I really like to built in stream recorder..yea, you can stream from ShoutCast or similar and have it record the stream to your HD!

Give it a try, it has a lot of extras you can install too. Oh, it is Free too!

QCD is all about the music. It aches to play great songs and visually entertain. If a feature wasn't about the music or enjoyment, we didn't add it.

QCD is all about you. With its freeform skinning and plentiful choices of plugins QCD can be as simple or feature rich as you like. It knows its place and won't try to take over your system. QCD is as user friendly as we can make it, but still hardcore enough for the pros.

This is the GREAT 80's station I listen to at work! They play in several formats so no one is left behind!



Check them out! If you like them ... Donate!

Oh and I found this little Union Jack (British Flag).. I like it so I shall fly it here!

Technically Speaking
21 April 2005

The Sony Playstation Portable (PSP) was released on 24 March 2005. Essentially a Playstation 2 in a handheld unit, Sony hopes to compete with Nintendo DS released last fall. The powerful PSP has a gorgeous screen, the ability to play movies and MP3s, has WiFi , and of course plays games. The $249 “Value” package contains a 32MB memory card, all the cords needed, the movie Spiderman 2, a disc that shows off many of the features, and ear buds.

I had the opportunity to play with a unit for about a week and fell in love with it. The screen is so clear that watching Spiderman 2 was enjoyable. I also played Wipeout Pure (racing game), Lumines (puzzle game), and Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Blade (action rpg). All three are very well made and have great graphics, Wipeout Pure and Lumines have garnered great reviews but Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Blade has not faired so well. I tend to agree with other reviewers but feel they have been a bit harsh on Untold Legends.

The games, like the movies, come on tiny UMD disks that are loaded into the back of the unit. These mini DVDs mean that load time for games is longer than the cartridge based Nintendo DS, but they are not unbearable. The great graphics and game play are worth the wait. The battery life, from a rechargeable battery, is shorter than the Nintendo DS but it still allows for plenty of game play time.

The unit feels sold and well made, but the screen is a bit too hard to see, due to reflection, in direct sunlight. Many companies are making a thin film anti glare cover for the screen. With all of the options available and Logitech releasing a keyboard that doubles as a “case” there seems to be a lot of focus on making it more than just a game machine. With the WiFi and the potential for web surfing and Palm like functions it could become a nice multi use device.

Overall the PSP is a unit with a big future. I personally think that there is enough room for it and the Nintendo DS. The PSP and the DS have different strengths and weaknesses and the type of games on each seem to differ greatly. Sales figures suggest that Sony sold between 500,000 to 600,000 of the million units available at launch. As more uses for the system become evident and Grand Theft Auto comes out, on July 15th, sales should increase. As of this writing Gamestop in Starkville is out of the unit but Wal-Mart in Columbus has about ten in stock. Is it worth the $249, I think so.

Taking up my gaming time for the last week or so has been Doom 3 for the Xbox. It is a great port of the PC version that came out last year. The graphics are top notch and the programmers have managed to wring out a yet more spectacular game on the now ageing Xbox. They have mad a game that really scares and excites, my one gripe: why can’t I have the gun and the flashlight equipped at the same time? I now it is to keep it extra scary but still.

For PC Doom 3 Players two weeks ago saw the release of the Doom 3 Expansion Pack Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil. It seems a bit expensive for an expansion at $34.99 but the reviews for it are quite good garnering an average of 84%.

A couple of interesting purchase this week; game and console retailer Gamestop has bough its former rival EB Games. Gamestop says that this will help them compete internationally. There are EB Games locations in Tupelo and Tuscaloosa, and the nearest Gamestop is in Starkville. How will this affect gamers? It may end some of the price wars between the two and lead to less discounts and special deals.

This editions’ question is about your video game, PC and Console, buying habits. How many console/pc games do you purchase a month? Do you base your purchase on reviews, word of mouth, or commercials/ads? Where do you buy most of your games from online or a bricks and mortar store? Send your answers to me at mat@muw.edu

In order to find the Luxor Casino in Las Vegas, it is the one that is Egyptian themed and has a huge pyramid, type the following address into http://maps.google.com 3925 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, 89119. Zoom in all the way and slide to the left a bit, to see this amazing building. You can tell that the satellite was not directly above the pyramid because the point is not quite in the center. If you slide down and slightly to the right, you will find the airport, and the satellite captured a plane landing, you can tell by the shadow.

As always send your tech questions or comments to mat@muw.edu. They will be answered in a future column or with a personal reply.

Mark Taylor, a senior in communication, was previously an information systems trainer for the US Air Force and a technical support technician for an internet service provider. A game and consumer electronics reporter during the Dot Com boom, he now owns Fanfare Media Services in Columbus.

Technically Speaking
14 April 2004

Since music, in the form of MP3s, is such an important part of the world of personal computing now there is a real need for software that does a good job of not only playing but also organizing users sometimes multi gigabytes of music.

The two most popular free programs are Windows Media Player, http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/default.aspx , and Real Player, http://www.real.com , but there is a third free program for the PC from a somewhat surprising source, Apple.

The Windows Media Player is easy to use and provides some nice features it is also now on version 10 not only does it handle music but it also handles video files and streaming audio. The program integrates well with windows and has some very nice features. In addition to playing both audio and video files it allows the making of play lists, the ripping of music from audio CDs, the burning of CDs, listening to internet radio and TV stations, and supports multiple MP3 and media players. The interface can be a bit confusing, and is not as intuitive as it should be. Often you will find that a menu or feature is hidden and it takes too long to find it or turn it back on. The program will search your hard drive for songs and add them to its library function. I have found it to be hit and miss on occasion. All in all a good program that is free and somewhat easy to read.

Real Player is in many ways identical to Windows Media Player feature wise, the current version is more sleek and streamlined than in the past and it is much easer to use now. You probably have Real Player on your computer because a great many video files, both streaming and downloadable are available only in REAL format. Despite how confusing the download site is you can actually get it for free. I do not sign up for the trial, just dig around a bit and you will find the free version. You also want to pay attention when installing the free version, look closely each time you hit next, there are “other” programs that it will try and install, just uncheck them.

Once the domain of only MAC users now iTunes is available for Windows users. The program, was built to support the iTunes music store where Apple sells songs for 99 cents each but it also supports other music files. ITunes, http://www.itunes.com , is a powerful program that works with one thing and des it well, music. It has the same audio features as Windows Media Player and Real Player, but packaged them in a slick and easy to use package. The interface is intuitive and simple to understand, and the importing of you personal music collection is a snap. There is even an option to disable the iTunes music buying service tab. It is a great free program that while built for the iTunes store will help to organize and play your music collection.

Taking up my gaming time for the last week or so has been Doom 3 for the Xbox. It is a great port of the PC version that came out last year. The graphics are top notch and the programmers have managed to wring out a yet more spectacular game on the now ageing Xbox. They have mad a game that really scares and excites, my one gripe: why can’t I have the gun and the flashlight equipped at the same time? I now it is to keep it extra scary but still.

For PC Doom 3 Players last week saw the release of the Doom 3 Expansion Pack Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil. It seems a bit expensive for an expansion at $34.99 but the reviews for it are quite good garnering an average of 84%.

Scheduled to come out on April 18th for the Xbox is Unreal Championship 2: The Liandri Conflict. This should be a great game, the demo was amazing. I don’t just say that because a person friend of mine Ryan Brucks is one of the level designers.

Due to space limitations the PSP vs. DS comparison will be in the next edition.

The deadline for interesting locations/landmarks addresses for Google Maps, http://maps.google.com, has been extended to Monday April 18th. Send them in to mat@muw.edu to try and with the $10 Wal-Mart gift card.

As always send your tech questions or comments to mat@muw.edu. They will be answered in a future column or with a personal reply.

Remember when visiting the Spectator website to find clickable links make sure you go to http://www.muw.edu/spectator not http://muw.edu/spectator without the www you will not find it.

Mark Taylor, a senior in communication, was previously an information systems trainer for the US Air Force and a technical support technician for an internet service provider. A game and consumer electronics reporter during the Dot Com boom, he now owns Fanfare Media Services in Columbus.

Technically Speaking
7 April 2004

In yet another effort to keep us glued to our computer screens there is another new useful and interesting service offered by Google. I used to use Yahoo Maps, http://maps.yahoo.com , for all of my driving directions needs now along comes Google with their own solution. Google Maps, http://www.maps.google.com , works in relatively the same way as the Yahoo solution, but the maps are much clearer and with less clutter. In addition to the clearer maps, there is also a link that can be clicked on for every stage of the journey that will zoom into the map for a better reading of the directions.

By far the most exciting feature is the satellite images accessible from the same page. The opening page to Google Maps allows you to look up a specific address while along the top is the option to get driving directions and do a local search. There is one more option for your mapping needs and it is accessed by clicking on the Satellite link to the right of the screen. Clicking the link brings up a satellite image of your chosen “place” to be displayed and on the right side of the map are zoom sliders. The images load very fast and are amazingly and detailed. You can switch back to the regular map view by clicking on the Map link.

While the whole US has been mapped there are areas when the amount of zoom is limited; this depends on how much mapping has been done. I was able to zoom in far enough in Columbus to be able to see my apartment building and even make out my parking space and my neighbors’ car parked next to me. For a peek at the university type in 1100 College St, Columbus, MS 39701 that will take you to the front gate, zoom in all the way, then click on the map and drag down a bit, the Gazebo is easy to pick up it is the circle in the middle of the “W” with the three paths leading up to it.

I have had a chance to play with the new Playstation Portable(PSP), $249.99 and it is a very nice machine. The games look great, the screen is amazingly clear, and watching Spiderman 2 on it was very cool. Due to limited space this week look for a comparison between it and the Nintendo DS $149.99 in the next edition.

This edition’s question is a simple one, see if you can find some of the nation’s landmarks in Google Maps and send me the address to post in a future edition. The person that sends the best address, to be determined by me, wins a $10 gift certificate to Wal-Mart. Deadline is Sunday April 10. Good Luck.

While you may be worried that such a service may be a risk to your privacy, Google says that the maps are six to twelve months old and are not updated daily.

As always send your tech questions or comments to mat@muw.edu. They will be
answered in a future column or with a personal reply.

Remember when visiting the Spectator website to find clickable links make sure
you go to http://www.muw.edu/spectator not http://muw.edu/spectator without the
www you will not find it. Be sure to check out the Spectator online for stories that did not make it into the paper and videos of “W” events.

Mark Taylor, a senior in communication, was previously an information systems
trainer for the US Air Force and a technical support technician for an internet
service provider. A game and consumer electronics reporter during the Dot Com
boom, he now owns Fanfare Media Services in Columbus.