All Entries in the "Tech/Gamers" Category

Something Silver, Something Gold – Pokemon Heartgold/Soulsilver

By Taylor Bock

Many of us have fond memories of our days when we collected Pokémon cards and played the video games. We could tell you the names of all the original 150 Pokémons, give you their types and number, describe their strengths and weaknesses. Hell, some of us can still do that.

Some Pokémon veterans have been disappointed with the last few games. Each is relatively the same as the last.

Collect, battle, go through the thin plotline and eventually become the reigning champ. The formula doesn’t change, and the Pokémon you pick up never really holds the same charm as that original generation we grew up with.

Well my friends, “Soul Silver” and “Heart Gold” give us a chance to go back to those original generations that obsessed us so.

Both games come with the new Pokéwalker accessory. This is basically a pedometer that you can load a Pokémon into and walk with.

The more you walk with your Pokémon, the more it begins to love and respect you. This may not be important to everyone, but if you’re the type with an active imagination, it can be fun.

Be forewarned: buying the game new will run you nearly 40 bucks. So, if that Pokéwalker isn’t really that interesting to you, you might as well wait to find the game used. Or, just grab an old Gameboy and play one of the older games.

I won’t lie to you, this is pretty much the exact same game you’ve played a hundred times before.

New features include an improved battle system, better graphics and animations, plus an entire other region to explore when you defeat the Elite Four. In addition, the Pokémon in your first slot will follow you around in the game world, just like in the original “Gold and Silver.”

If you haven’t played the game in a while and you’re looking to revisit the old school, then give the game a shot. If you’re just looking for a quick Pokémon fix, you’d be better off just getting a used copy of Diamond, Pearl or one of the older GBA games.

Chatroulette latest Internet fad

By Mike Hawkins

Internet fads sweep across the Web like a tornado in the Texas panhandle. Appearing out of nowhere, they tear across the pop culture landscape leaving hapless onlookers in their wake. Before you know it, your parents are calling to ask if you saw it.

Chatroulette.com may be the next big storm on the Internet’s horizon.

The site can be described as Internet speed dating. Your webcam broadcasts your image to some random person and vice-versa. You can chat like you normally would on the Web or, occasionally, actually speak.

When you’re done, you click ‘next’ and repeat the process with another random person.

You can access the site without a webcam, but I wouldn’t advise it because everyone will just ignore you.

In case you’re new to the whole business, I should make one thing explicitly clear: Chatroulette will expose you to all the penis you can handle. Erect or flaccid, constrained by briefs or out in the open, lonely or being lovingly stroked, this site always seems to offer another phallus.

If you’re into that sort of thing, you may as well stop reading now and get after it. If you’re feeling repulsed, Chatroulette is definitely not for you. If it doesn’t matter to you one way or the other, you may be able to gain an interesting experience from the site.

The main thing that happens on Chatroulette is that new people get flashed up. Sometimes they skip you for whatever reason and sometimes you’ll skip them because you can’t see the feed from their webcam. Some people just look too funny to converse with. If you like people watching, you’ll probably enjoy Chatroulette.

After that, the most common thing you’ll see is a penis. I’m not exaggerating about this and you shouldn’t underestimate the sheer number of guys who want you to see what they have.

You’ll see more wieners on Chatroulette than a Fourth of July cookout. You’ll see more wangs than a Chinese phone book. More dongs than a doorbell. I could do this all day and still not overstate it.

But every now and then, the chat gods will smile down from on high and bestow upon you an interesting person to converse with. I’ve chatted with people from all over the United States, as well as folks from Australia, Greece, Germany and quite a few more countries.

These occasions are where Chatroulette is at its best. More personal than a traditional chat room, but still anonymous, it’s a completely different experience than any other I’ve had on the Net.

In case you get tired of all the penis, or if someone is berating you, there is a handy ‘report’ button. If someone gets reported enough, the site bans them for a few minutes.

The problem is that you too will be banned and Chatroulette won’t give a good explanation as to why.

I’ve been banned three times in the last couple of days and I wasn’t doing anything outrageous. Perhaps that’s the problem. Maybe if I had unsheathed Excalibur, I would have garnered more positive responses.

It could be that penile exhibition is the life blood of Chatroulette and I’m just not showing off enough.

That’s what Choatroulette does to hook you: it gets you thinking about nonsense. It supplies you with more “wtf” moments than you know what to do with, and just when you’re ready to give up on it a worthwhile person salvages the experience.

Whoever runs the site is going to have to make a few changes before Chatroulette can really take off, but it could turn out to be the next YouTube. Or, it could vanish like AOL.

Vigilante sites promote real-life crime fighting

By Taylor Bock

We’ve all had exposure to superheroes, growing up with Superman, Spider-man, Batman and countless others.

Some people wish they could suit up and fight crime too. Today’s your lucky day, true believers, because an obscure Internet subculture wants you to slap on some spandex and join up.

Web sites like worldsuperheroregistry.com and reallifesuperheroes.org keep track of active vigilantes around the world.

As “Citizen Prime” says in a history of RLSH, “Today, the world needs heroes more than ever.”

When you visit the sites, you’ll see a gallery of pictures, masks and aliases. You can read up on where they are and what they do. While some look silly and some are downright impossible to take seriously, they’re all real people.

You might be disappointed when you read the bios in the registry. Names like “Phantom Zero,” “Scavenger” and “Silver Sentinel” conjure images of tough crime fighters. What you get are very committed people who watch over their communities and help whenever they reasonably can.

Most carry items like stun guns, zip ties, flashlights and pepper spray. They tend to help homeless people, break up fights and stop vandalism.

There are some, however, who get more involved. Some, like “Dark Guardian” in New York City, have confronted drug dealers and other potentially dangerous situations. Others, like “Death’s Head Moth” in Virginia, train in martial arts and really do fight local crime.

The ones who do choose to fight not only risk their lives, but risk arrest as well. Laws for citizen arrests only go so far, and authorities don’t take kindly to random vigilantism.

That may explain why so many on the registry stick to small-scale crime and only carry legal weapons. Most help organize fundraisers, support charities and work toward the general health of their communities.

For example, Mr. Ravenblade says in his registry bio: “I am a RLSH operating in the Seattle metro area, who seeks to organize and participate in charity events, fight crime whenever possible, and above all make my community a better place to live.”

Those who feel like joining the opposite side of the spectrum can explore ROACH, the “Ruthless Organization Against Citizen Heroes.” Visit their Web site, www.joinroach.com, for more information or to check out member profiles.

Fair warning: they make those in the superhero registry look normal in comparison.

Tucson’s ‘Boneyard’ photos seen across globe

By Jacquelyn Montaño

Tucson’s Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group has been put on the map, so to speak.

After a British newspaper found photographs on Google Earth of the Tucson landmark known as the “Boneyard,” news affiliates around the world buzzed about the images.

The aerospace storage and maintenance facility adjoins Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. Google Earth photos show rows and rows of airplanes neatly organized on brown desert dirt.

News reports called the images “never-before released” but Google spokeswoman Kate Hurowitz said the photos were actually taken by the U.S. Geological Survey in 2007.

The photos gave Tucson’s airplane graveyard recognition in places like Britain, Canada, France, Greece, Hungary, India, Italy, Romania, Russia and Vietnam.

The Boneyard is home to more 4,200 military aircraft. Many of the aircrafts are vacuum-packed, waiting to be either restored or recycled.

The F-4 Phantom II and the F-14 Tomcat, seen in the Tom Cruise movie “Top Gun,” are among the historic planes laid to rest. The Boneyard was recently featured in the movie “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.”

Tucson was chosen as the Boneyard’s location because its dry climate leaves planes less vulnerable to corrosion. Six inches of topsoil also make it easy to park and tow the planes.

The Boneyard gets up to 40,000 visitors every year but with the new-found interest, that number is sure to increase.

God of War 3 worth the hype

By D.J. Ochoa

After three years in development and with gamers counting down the days until they can play God of War 3, the wait is finally over.

GOW3 marks the finale in Kratos’ search for vengeance towards the gods and the end of this exciting tale.

With the development team at Sony Santa Monica working countless hours on the trilogy, the big question is if GOW3 was worth the hype? The answer is, absolutely.

This is definitely a GOW game. The development team has not made any drastic alterations in the fighting mechanics, which is a good move on their part.

Like the old saying goes, “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.” GOW3 takes that to the core of their being by polishing the combat system.

If you have picked up any early versions of GOW, you will be happy to know that not much in the fighting sequences has changed.

The same hack-and-slash combos are still relevant, but seeing the Ghost of Sparta dismembering his foes on the Playstation 3 platform is a wonder in itself.

With no computer-generated scenes in the game, GOW3 is profoundly the best looking game to date.

The only game that can measure up to its visual stature would be “Uncharted 2: Among Thieves,” which is also a PS3 exclusive.

For those searching for revolution in the fighting design, you might be sold a little short. However, this latest installment in the franchise will have gamers in sheer amazement.

What has worked brilliantly for the franchise in the past still stands strong and ahead of any other video game. GOW3 has revolutionized the meaning of “scale” and brutality from beginning to end.

There are some moments in the game where Kratos scales titan creatures that are visually larger than any New York City skyscraper. The eye-popping visuals of these moments is nothing short of astonishing.

Playable sequences that take place in real time while riding these enormous creatures is both enjoyable to watch and play.

The first level will surely leave gamers with jaws wide open when the Ghost of Sparta climbs Mount Olympus on the back of the titan Gaia with an entourage of titans by his side. However, it will not be the last time you will be amazed by the game’s visuals.

The brutality gives GOW3 a well-deserved ‘mature’ rating.

Countless scenes of blood, gore, body parts being dismembered and Kratos’ body being stained with his enemies’ blood make this GOW game more gruesome than its predecessors.

The brutality takes a larger leap, as the player can perform moves on enemies that are stunning and will make you want more.

However, the brutality is nowhere near over-the-top because Greek mythology was a time filled with gruesome torment.

Combat in the game will have any action junkie coming back for a second helping.

Kratos has four primary weapons that he acquires down his path, and all of them work very well together. The weapons include his infamous Blades of Exile, the Nemesis Whip, Nemean Cestus and the Claws of Hades.

Each weapon is fully upgradeable and has its own unique magic powers.

The only weapon that works differently from the others is the Nemean Cestus, which looks similar to a pair of boxing gloves carved out of iron in the shape of a lion’s head. The rest of the weapons have different moves and looks, but each work the same.

One attribute that is very handy while dealing with a mob of enemies is the ability to change weapons in real time.

At one moment a player can be slicing and dicing advisories with the Nemesis Whip, and the next can be pummeling them with the Nemean Cestus.

This makes the gameplay extremely enjoyable as the player can rack up combo moves while switching between weapons.

There are also more enemies that appear on the screen for the player to battle against, and it’s very fun to grab one and use it as a battering ram to kill the rest.

With out-of-this-world visuals, a compelling story line and gameplay that will never be forgotten, GOW3 is undoubtedly the most memorable game that has been released this year.

GOW3 will make fans of action games save up their hard-earned money to play this classic fable.