Computer & Network Upgrades

Being an IT savant, I enjoy enhancing and upgrading my computers and home network, which is exactly what I started doing this summer. My first upgrade was a Westinghouse 47 inch LCD HDTV which is being used as the monitor for my Media-PC, Xbox 360, Wii, and Playstation 3. Yes, I do have them all. Not only is it a great screen to game on, but it is also great for watching online and locally stored videos. My next major upgrade was a Cisco Wireless N router, which not only gave our network a wider wifi radius, but it also enhanced our networks transfer rates significantly. That is what I have done so far. Continue reading to find out about my upcoming projects!

What I’m Playing: Mirrors Edge (PS3)

If you are a fan of action or adventure games, you really should check out Mirror’s Edge since it is such a unique and amazing game. It’s uniqueness comes from its style of gameplay, in that the entire game is played in the first-person perspective. Being a fan of First-Person Shooters (FPS’s), I was already comfortable with this view. However, what I did not expect was the minimal use of guns in this game, and that by no means is a bad thing. In fact, the game encourages the player to disarm enemies, and not shoot them with their own weapons. Another interesting thing about this game is the lack of any type of heads-up display (HUD). The only thing that you see on the screen, other than the surrounding level and enemies, is a tiny reticle. No health meter, no maps, nothing because none of that is even needed in this game. When you get hurt your vision will get blurry. To get around the level, look for objects or items marked in red “runner vision.” When you run into an enemy, you can either avoid them or disarm them if you have good timing. The gameplay is also really fun since it is based on free-running and has you running, jumping, and climbing around huge cities.

Click this articles title to see the games trailer!

How To: Stream Internet Video & Downloaded Media To TV

Times are tough. Workers are losing their jobs and getting laid like never before. If you find yourself in this position and need to cut costs where ever possible, I would suggest ditching your cable company and/or Tivo in favor of online television. These days, most popular shows that come on TV can also be viewed online. Sites like Hulu.com, CBS.com, and ESPN.com make it possible with their huge libraries of content that feature full-length TV shows and movies. However, it’s the update rate that makes these sites even better. Usually new episodes of TV shows will be uploaded the day after they air. So, there’s really no need for Tivo’s anymore since you can now watch your favorite shows online. Another way you can catch these shows is to download them using an application like iTunes. Doing so would allow you to watch said show on your iPod.

But what if you want to watch these shows on your nice, big HDTV? It’s easy, just stream it! If you want to watch Internet-based video from sites likes Hulu.com on your TV, you should use the PlayOn! video streamer. This software is ridiculously easy to setup and use. All you do is download and install its server client onto your home computer and then navigate to the Video section on the media player that is connected to your TV. PlayOn can stream video content to any DLNA media-rendering device that is connected to your network. What makes it even cooler is that the service converts the videos while they are streaming, so you don’t have to deal with any format issues.

Now, what if you want to watch video content that is stored on your PC? Maybe you have a home movie or a film that you downloaded from iTunes and want to watch it on the big screen with a group of friends. For this, you can use Orb. Orb works similarly to the previously mentioned PlayOn, converting videos during the streaming process. However, Orb is meant to be used to watch, listen, or view your locally stored media over your network. Setup is also similar to that of PlayOn. Download and install the server software on your PC, point it to your media folders, and and your media will be ready for viewing on your big screen.

Both of these services can be streamed to the Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and most network-connected set top boxes.

If I may quote Stewie Griffin, “Well that’s my plan, where’s yours?” If you have your own streaming media solution let me know in the comments!

For more information or to download the software mentioned in this article, please click logos above.

Greetings From the Future!

I just read online that Jon Favreau is planning not only and Iron Man 2, but but 3 and 4 as well. In the next Iron Man flick, Rhodey (Terrance Howard) may become the new War Machine. In the subsequent films, The Mandarin, Iron Mans arch-nemesis from the comics, will become the series main protagonist, ala The Emperor from Star Wars. Also in the next few movies, we may see some tie-ins to The Hulk and Captain America which could serve to build towards the Avengers movie. Also, Jon Favreau’s character Happy Hogan will have a larger role in the next few films. 

More Info: http://www.darkhorizons.com/news08/080912k.php

As a futurist and an avid gamer, I really enjoyed a recent article on TechRadar that explores what the Playstation 4 may be like. Author Dean Evans points out that under the hood we’ll see an improved version of Sony’s current Cell processor similar to those found in IBM’s latest blade servers. In my opinion, this does seem plausible. Oftentimes, components that start off in expensive, high-end hardware tend to trickle down into consumer-grade products within a few years. According to Mr. Evans, we’ll also likely see a chipset upgrade to the 802.11n standard, external power supply, a much larger HDD, improved graphics processor, and more onboard memory. Also, the Playstaion 4 may be Sony’s first console to forgo an optical drive, meaning that all its games will be downloadable to its high-capacity (at least 3-5 TB) hard disk drive. As for when this new machine may be released, Kaz Hirai states that, “If you look at the history of the way we’ve managed our console business, we always try to hit a 10-year life cycle.” Taking that into consideration, the Playstation 2 was released in October of 2000, putting it’s end date sometime in 2010. However, the Playstation 3 overlapped it’s predecessor’s life cycle by 4 years. If this happens again, we can look forward to the Playstation 4 being released during the holiday season of 2012.  

More Info: http://www.techradar.com/news/gaming/consoles/playstation-4-everything-you-need-to-know-464657