Period.
I can read your mind! Well, mostly anyway.
A company called Emotiv has taken the first step towards making me feel like a Jedi! They have developed a peripheral called EPOC which functions as a controller. It doesn't use buttons, or a touchpad, or Kinect. This new "headset" reads the thoughts you project at it to do what you want in your games.
I can also vouch for this personally, because one of my good friends who goes to Rolla (okay, MS&T now, I still call us CMSU sometimes) has one. He owns a headset which can read everything from thoughts to facial expression to head movement.
My mind was totally blown when I first heard about this, I hope yours is too. For lots more information, check out their website: emotiv.com
I can also vouch for this personally, because one of my good friends who goes to Rolla (okay, MS&T now, I still call us CMSU sometimes) has one. He owns a headset which can read everything from thoughts to facial expression to head movement.
My mind was totally blown when I first heard about this, I hope yours is too. For lots more information, check out their website: emotiv.com
Wednesday, February 16, 2011 Android 3.0 Tablet vs iPad: Why I like Android
LifeHacker posted a great article on this, and I'd like to summarize their points and add a few of my own. For those who don't know, Google is going to release a tablet with a new Android OS (3.0 Honeycomb) that is specialized for tablets.
1. Along the bottom of the screen, the new OS has a great notifications bar, which is non-intrusive, unlike the iPad's pop-ups.
2. The new tablet will have front and rear facing cameras, for google talk and taking pictures and video. Also, the camera app has become almost a digital camera OS of its own. Seriously feature-packed
3. WIDGETS!!! The iPad has such a huge screen, but you can only use square, static icons to represent apps! There's not even a weather widget, on apple's tablet. Check out the gmail widget, or the book reading widget in this video! Imagine the facebook, or even an embedded youtube widget!
4. Youtube. I've seen the youtube on iPad, and while it's nice to see the screen, it's not that great. The new Android will have a redesigned youtube, as shown.
5. You can multitask. Not a huge thing for me, especially since I still see no sign of side by side or (gasp) grid apps, but it's still nice to play music while you're browsing, if you're of the type. While we're on that, you'll be able to control your music pretty easily without switching, similar to windows 7's live previews.
6. The browser is awesome, and if it's not awesome enough for you, mozilla is developing for android (They already have a firefox for android 2.x) Tabs, better highlighting, easy copy and paste with soft keys, better websites (like gmail and youtube).
7. Options. This is more personal preference, and can be a bad thing if manufacturers release crappy hardware, but I really like having choices and competition when I'm buying a device. Android runs on nearly everything these days, and being able to buy a cheap tablet (sans camera perhaps?) or Google's latest batch of awesomeness will be nice.
8. Updates. On iOS, you usually wait until the next device releases before you get an update. Google's update schedule is every six months. Also on the update side, why is it that a device that is wireless for EVERYTHING else has to connect via sync cable to a computer to even download apps? Grow up, Apple, it's the 21st century.
Now, I must be fair, and point out a few places where Apple still wins, however much I dislike their company.
First, Apple was first. They released the iPad a long time before anyone else started thinking tablets. Innovation has always been a strong suit of theirs.
Also, the iPad inevitably will have better battery life than the Android. Apple's hardware is the best, simply because they make all of it in house.
Finally, AirPlay's wireless media streaming is the best in the business, and Google can't really compete without going hardware.
1. Along the bottom of the screen, the new OS has a great notifications bar, which is non-intrusive, unlike the iPad's pop-ups.
2. The new tablet will have front and rear facing cameras, for google talk and taking pictures and video. Also, the camera app has become almost a digital camera OS of its own. Seriously feature-packed
3. WIDGETS!!! The iPad has such a huge screen, but you can only use square, static icons to represent apps! There's not even a weather widget, on apple's tablet. Check out the gmail widget, or the book reading widget in this video! Imagine the facebook, or even an embedded youtube widget!
4. Youtube. I've seen the youtube on iPad, and while it's nice to see the screen, it's not that great. The new Android will have a redesigned youtube, as shown.
5. You can multitask. Not a huge thing for me, especially since I still see no sign of side by side or (gasp) grid apps, but it's still nice to play music while you're browsing, if you're of the type. While we're on that, you'll be able to control your music pretty easily without switching, similar to windows 7's live previews.
6. The browser is awesome, and if it's not awesome enough for you, mozilla is developing for android (They already have a firefox for android 2.x) Tabs, better highlighting, easy copy and paste with soft keys, better websites (like gmail and youtube).
7. Options. This is more personal preference, and can be a bad thing if manufacturers release crappy hardware, but I really like having choices and competition when I'm buying a device. Android runs on nearly everything these days, and being able to buy a cheap tablet (sans camera perhaps?) or Google's latest batch of awesomeness will be nice.
8. Updates. On iOS, you usually wait until the next device releases before you get an update. Google's update schedule is every six months. Also on the update side, why is it that a device that is wireless for EVERYTHING else has to connect via sync cable to a computer to even download apps? Grow up, Apple, it's the 21st century.
Now, I must be fair, and point out a few places where Apple still wins, however much I dislike their company.
First, Apple was first. They released the iPad a long time before anyone else started thinking tablets. Innovation has always been a strong suit of theirs.
Also, the iPad inevitably will have better battery life than the Android. Apple's hardware is the best, simply because they make all of it in house.
Finally, AirPlay's wireless media streaming is the best in the business, and Google can't really compete without going hardware.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011 A Little Online Resumé Help
So, I was reading on LifeHacker a little while ago, and I found something that is interesting and could be useful. There is a program (webapp, really) on the internet that will give your resumé a grade. It doesn't replace people, but it can give you some good advice about words you use too often, or the overall tone of your resumé.
With the Career Fair next week (Wednesday 16th) this is a great way to make some improvements before you head over to Career Services. Enjoy!
Here are the links to the article and the website:
http://lifehacker.com/#!5719489/rezscore-grades-your-resumes-and-offers-free-advice
http://rezscore.com/
With the Career Fair next week (Wednesday 16th) this is a great way to make some improvements before you head over to Career Services. Enjoy!
Here are the links to the article and the website:
http://lifehacker.com/#!5719489/rezscore-grades-your-resumes-and-offers-free-advice
http://rezscore.com/
Wednesday, February 2, 2011 3DS vs. NGP, has Sony finally caught up?
I've always been a bit of a nintendo fan. (Okay fanboy, let's be honest here) My first console was a SNES, my first handheld a GameBoy Advance. The Mario Series is awesome, the Zelda Series continues to impress, and up until the latest installment, the Metroid series has been my all-time favorite. And the new 3DS looks to be up to the standards: solid feel, new 3D without glasses technology, and of course all the things you love about the DSi. My single concern is the games. I already have a Wii which can play games from any Nintendo console (and a few Sega ones, as well). I like the idea of refreshed (3D!!!!) games from my past, like StarFox 64, and perhaps Ocarina of Time. But where are the new series? Games today can accomplish feats that would have been impossible on earlier hardware, but Nintendo is rereleasing their same games that we've seen before. I'll be waiting on the 3DS for just this reason.
However, Sony has done some crazy technological innovation of its own. The new Next Generation Portable (NGP for short) has two analog sticks for console style shooters, the regular D-Pad and 4 buttons, 2 shoulder buttons, 6-Axis motion detection... and touchscreens. That's right folks. Touchscreens. Front and Back. You can use the back touchscreen intuitively for games such as Uncharted 2, which will be ported from the PS3. That's the other thing about the NGP. It's been announced that it will be as powerful as a PS3. The screen will feature a resolution similar to the iPad. If Sony can deliver on all these features at a decent price, this will be the handheld to have this holiday season.
The Bottom Line: If Nintendo can get some new games on the market, the 3DS has the 3D to make them awesome. If Sony keeps the price down, the NGP may well be a must-buy this holiday season.
Info for this came from:
http://psp.ign.com/articles/114/1146585p1.html
http://gizmodo.com/5744521/sony-ngp-an-oled+equipped-dual-analog-touch+sensitive-portable-powerhouse
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