Tech Blog

I had some trouble on EA's stand at E3--let's just say some people conspired to be unhelpful--but I braved it for a second time after this earlier disappointment because I knew I couldn't give up the chance to play EA's take on the NBA Jam. Read more...

I got up extra early on the last day of E3 to try and get into see the 3DS "properly" after a short taste of it in the Nintendo media briefing. Each day the wait had reached up to three hours to get into the large section of Nintendo's booth where you were allowed twenty minutes to try a variety of titles, and after waiting for about half an hour for E3's doors to open with a large crowd of (obvious) Nintendo fans, I walked over to the booth. Read more...

Crackdown was a sleeper hit. Bundled with the Halo 3 beta, many gamers assumed that it wouldn’t be very good and passed it by. If you’re one of those gamers, go dig it out and get back to me in a week when you’re finally able to put it down for a few minutes. The premise of both Crackdown and Crackdown 2 is that you’re a super-powered Agent of (predictably) The Agency. In the second game you’re up against two major forces: The Cell, a terrorist group bent on anarchy, and The Freaks, mutated zombie-like things that are out to convert or kill anything that isn’t like them. Crackdown 2 has an exclusive invite-only window on the demo for this weekend, so I got a first look at what the new game has in-store. The demo has a 30-minute time limit that we ran down several times in succession. You’ll have to start again after each clock reset, but it’s worth it just to get a look at the world of Crackdown 2. Read more...

In which I discuss Jean-Pierre Juenet's new film, and take yet another cheap shot at BP. Read more...

Danielle Laboissier Parr published an article in the Calgary Herald on June 19th, 2010 that can’t be called news. It has more in common with a paid political advertisement than it does with anything factual. The article is titled “Why gamers should love copyright bill”. Read more...

TThe post apocalyptic world of The Book of Eli will be familiar to those who have played the classic videogame series Fallout. Denzel Washington plays Eli, a lone walker carrying a book that is precious to him, on a mission that only he knows about. It is a world where the sky has been torn open by nuclear war, leaving the Earth desolate and empty. Bandits and thieves harass and murder innocents on the road for basic supplies; Eli is clearly a tough individual to have survived. Read more...

Amid all the hype at E3 this year, the unveiling of not one, but two new interactive motion-sensored platforms made me think about the increased interactivity we’ve been seeing in gaming, particularly as it relates to fitness. Video games have long been stigmatized for being the pastime of those relegated to imprinted couches in basements, away from the prying eyes of the mainstream. But it’s clear now that the couch is a mere prop in a bigger game.

So, Twitter's been a little flakey lately. Earlier today Twitter said I had sent about 880 tweets. Which is a little off the mark of the 25,000+ that I've actually sent. Sure the number is back now (and honestly I don't really care), but Twitter's issues while they improve things kinda reminds me of hiring the Three Stooges to renovate your house. In theory, they are supposed to make things better, but in the process they might burn the whole place down. From where I sit I have to wonder if Twitter has something really awesome up their sleeve (that requires tearing the place down to pull off) or if they've all just gotten in over their head. Read more...

For the past few years of E3 Bethesda Softworks has had a significant presence, but as it's been behind "closed doors" I haven't had the chance to check out what they've been showing. This year, with Fallout: New Vegas on show, I just had to get back there. And I did! Read more...

Is it possible to have a blog that requires just 2 hours or less of your daily attention, yet consistently bills $40 000 a month in ad revenue? For John Chow it's possible. The self-made money maker is one of the stars of blogosphere and he's condensed the tips from his blog into a new book, Make Money Online: Roadmap of a dot com mogul. Read more...

Bill C-32 is a much needed update to our copyright legislation - but if you're like me and you stream DVDs you own around your house or make copies so your kids can't destroy the originals you could be on the hook for $5000 per disc. Watch the video after the link to learn more. Read more...

When is the last time you cleaned your computer? Did you know that a clean computer runs more effeciently and is less likely to overheat and have hardware problems? The following article will give you a rundown on one of the easiest ways to help keep your computer running smooth and ensure it lasts as long as possible. Read more...

I think one measure of how people use a device like an iPhone, iPad or Android device is looking at their "homescreen". What's the default that greats you? Looking at my homescreen (and I have several pages of more apps, mind you) can give you some insight into how I use the device. Looking at the suggestions from WebWorkerDaily you can see that I follow a similar path as they do.I know that I'm not even an "edge case" in how I use my iPad, since I use DropBox just like the example from MakeUseOf. Read more...

Now here's a conundrum for the (few) among us who are sans-iPhone (but still want one): Telus is slashing prices on their stock of iPhone 3G and 3GS models (via MacLife). Yeah, do you pick up a 32GB 3GS for $199 (yeah still the 3 year contract thing), or wait to have the latest, greatest, and more expensive iPhone 4? I'm sure Telus isn't going to be alone in the iPhone 3G/GS fire sale pricing, so no matter which carrier if bleeding you dry, you might have this same choice. Or even…your current iPhone is in need of replacement, what about save some cash instead of the new and shiny? Read more...

With the tail end of UFC 115 on the way out of Vancouver, it’s a great time to dig into the action with UFC 2010 Undisputed. This was an incredibly easy game to review: if you like UFC you can stop reading now and go buy it. For the rest of you: if you buy UFC 2010 Undisputed, be prepared for a steep learning curve, an insane amount of customization, and more depth than you ever thought could possibly be applied to a game where to men kick the crap out of each other. Read more...

Dads don't really want anything more than the healthy and happiness of their families. At least that's what we put on the outside. On the inside? There are many hidden desires .. Read more...

In which I discuss Toy Story 3, and complain about perfection. Read more...

That title's probably been used by, like, every article on the Scott Pilgrim video game so far, but I don't care. The Toronto-set Scott Pilgrim is near and dear to my heart and I've long worried that the video game adaptation wouldn't live up to my expectations. But it does, and how. Read more...

Let's face it, music games have become stale. Or at least, those ones with plastic instruments. They're still fun to play, but you tend to reach this point of comfort- maybe you like to play drums on normal, guitar on hard, and so on - and it becomes static; it's not about the challenge or even really the note charts, as much as just pretending you're really playing the songs. Well, astonishingly, Rock Band 3 promises you will be playing the songs for real, so is it the change music games needs? Read more...

You, as a consumer, have rights - and there are people working hard to take those rights away. Even worse, they're pretending to be ordinary folks like you and I, when in reality they won't say who they actually are. It's a crucial time for Canadian gadget-lovers and it's up to you to make sure that these people don't succeed. Read more...

Talk to the 60 somethings in your world and they'll tell you about the 60s, man; the hippie era of marching in the streets during the heights of political activism. In 2010 youth are probably more politically active, but instead of marching, they click. Is Facebook activism a legitimate way to seek political change? Read more...

Ubisoft's press conference was the third event at E3 I went to, and I have to say I was feeling terribly worn out (even only by that point) and felt that it was unlikely that I was going to see anything that was going to set me on fire. Read more...

Nintendo is getting ready to unleash the third-dimension after the full unveil of the Nintendo 3DS during the company's E3 press conference earlier today. The glasses-free portable system, first announced by Nintendo three months ago, is the successor to the company's highly successful dual-screen handheld, the Nintendo DS. Read more...

Selecting and using a suite of ‘office productivity’ tools is a very personal experience, based on what has come before; your experience with previous versions and office suites. Heck, they’ve been around since the late ‘80s with appropriately ‘80s styled names; Visi-Calc, WordStar etc. Read more...

In a surprise move that shocked those who watched Sony's E3 2010 press conference today, Valve's President Gabe Newell came on stage and announced that the company is changing its position on developing for the PlayStation 3. The first Valve-developed game to land on the PS3 will be Portal 2, a follow-up title to 2007's unexpected smash hit action/puzzler included in the Orange Box compilation. Portal 2 for the PS3 will drop day-and-date with the Xbox 360 and PC versions, sometime in 2011. Read more...

Nintendo's E3 conference is always a bit different from its competitors, and a lot of that's to do with the feeling in the room. There's this sensation of worship from the (majority of) the audience for the company and its announcements that hit the right buttons (mostly, Mario and Zelda buttons) and it seems to (usually) allow the company to spend a while talking in a vague and corporate fashion about not only their experiences but their sales figures. Read more...

3D is here, whether you’re ready or not. If you’ve got it, gaming is about to get a whole lot cooler for you. With their press event this morning at E32010, Sony wowed gamers with clips from the upcoming Killzone 3 in 3D, promising single-disc versions that will carry 3D components, meaning that whenever you choose to add 3D to your home, you’ll be ready with PlayStation. Read more...

The industry has been hot with speculation, but Sir Richard Branson made it official today: Virgin is bringing gaming into the fold with Virgin Gaming. Calling the move an “online destination for competitive gamer console gamers”, the worldwide press release states that it will help to connect gamers of all skill levels from around the world, letting them play head to head and in tournaments for cash, points, and prizes. Read more...

This may come as a surprise to some, considering Apple’s reputation for keeping most things close to their chest, but the company is opting to start selling unlocked iPhones on its website without any commitment from you to a carrier. Read more...

There's yet another option for those thinking about making the switch to Mac. iPad, iPhone, MacBook, iMac and now a new and refreshed Mac mini. Read more...

I have to say, EA knew how to start off a press conference. While Need for Speed doesn't really excite me much (if at all) the appearance of the return of the Hot Pursuit version of the franchise, to the crushingly loud sound of M.I.A's Born Free and capped with the announcement that the game was being worked on by Criterion (behind Burnout Paradise, one of my absolute favourites) excited me despite myself. And despite the fact the game showed a Bugatti Veyron in police livery smashing (intentionally) into another car. I don't know a police force in the world that would be so free and easy with a 1.7 million dollar car. Read more...

Microsoft surprised quite a few people today with the unveiling of a newly redesigned Xbox 360. The thinner, sleeker, glossier console is definitely a departure from what we've seen in the past. I was lucky enough to score a private unboxing of the new console with Xbox's Josh Hutto. Read more...

Since summer is almost here and summer vacations are always better with some great tunes, I thought I’d take a look at a couple of systems I use to build playlists for my iPod Touch; which means that these will work for your iPhone too (or other media device if you can import iTunes playlists). Read more...

Starbucks announced today that starting July 1st (with a US nation-wide rollout by fall) WiFi at its locations will be free. No more two hour limit and only if you have a Starbucks card (etc and so forth). There is a catch, however, Starbucks is doing this in partnership with content providers like Yahoo and the Wall Street Journal. This means that their content will be pushed to your browser (as best as I can understand the limited info available) when you first connect. So it will be one of those "sign in…complete…since you're here you might like to read…". On the plus side, we will get access to content behind pay-walls like at the WSJ. Read more...

A wee play on the famous kitchen sink drama Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, there, except my adventures with Microsoft in LA la land didn't involve me sleeping with a factory worker's wife. However, they did seem to involve me in situations just as foolish. Read more...

It was a few months back that I was beckoned into a side room. The shades were drawn and there was a tall dude in a Microsoft shirt at the door. “You’re aware that anything you see in this room can’t be disclosed until the embargo is lifted, right?” - I had no idea what I was about to see, but I nodded and headed in. On the table before me sat what is now called Kinect, but what was born as “Project Natal” - Microsoft’s bid for the future of our living rooms. Read more...

Wherein I discuss the career of Drake. There will NOT be pictures of him with his shirt off. Sorry. Read more...

The Sanyo Xacti is a great replacement for a point and shoot, but falls short at kicking my Flip Mino out of my bag. Read more...

Okay, it's pretty fair to say that a lot of people in Canada have iPads now. So if you have an iPad, where have you found you use it the most? For example, although I have my iPad with me most of the time and I used it pretty much everywhere, I really use it on the couch. As an ironic "be connected to pay more attention" kind of thing, I've found that I can pick up my iPad to look up something on IMDB (for those "hey isn't that…." during a movie) or check Twitter, then put it back down. It isn't distracting, it's there if I need it. On the other hand if my laptop is upstairs with me, I'll get sucked into something very quickly and then suddenly "together time" has turned into "hey the movie's over?" because both of us have been sucked into the vortex of the Internet. Read more...

Well, I say "World Cup Special" and I mean "two reviews of football games, one of which is a World Cup game, and a couple of other reviews of apps that aren't World Cup related at all, so you don't feel short changed." Read more...

The Entertainment Software Association of Canada (ESAC), the trade organization that serves the business interests of video game companies in Canada, has released new research profiling Canadian gamers. ESAC gave a special sneak preview of the key research data, entitled The Canadian Gamer, at a pre-E3 celebration at their headquarters in Toronto on June 10, 2010. Read more...

I will openly disclaim that not only have I not seen anything Microsoft has planned to show off today but I’m also nowhere near Los Angeles. I did, however, want to summarize and impart some thoughts into what Kinect, the motion control system formerly known as Project Natal, might actually turn out to be now that USA Today started a neverending leakage of news on it. Read more...

With E3 looming all other tech news is about to get pushed off the front page, even some of these huge tech stories...get 'em while they're hot! Read more...

In which I discuss 5 recent films, an Orson Welles movie no one's ever heard of, and Diddy's total and utter laziness. Read more...

There were rumours circulating last month that the Canadian Hockey League and EA were preparing to make an announcement of the inclusion of Q-league teams and players in their next hockey game, NHL 11. The rumour came to light when a CBC reporter published an article stating that all Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) teams were asked to submit photos of their ice rinks and jerseys to EA. Not long thereafter EA confirmed the rumours. Read more...

In which I compare Tom Petty's latest Vancouver show to Ike Turner, and somehow manage to take a shot at BP. Read more...

The los Angeles Convention Center is a bee hive of activity with E3 just around the corner. The event doesn't officially start until Tuesday, but companies are already working around the clock to get their booths and kiosks ready for the gaming event. The show floor isn't open yet but there is plenty to see. I took a quick walk through the center to get a glimpse of what we can expect at this year's show. Read more...