PlayStation VR: Sony’s October “Surprise” Is A Must Have For PS4 Owners

Posted on March 15, 2016 by geelw

Well, it looks as if the console world (or at least the PlayStation 4) is getting its big VR headset at a surprisingly small price point of 399.00. Granted, many industry insiders (and thoughtful dopes like me) figured Sony wasn’t going to break gamer wallets too much. Let’s see now, A PS4 is about $280 or so depending on the model you buy, a PS Camera is $59.99 and with that PS VR headset, you still come in way under the price point of a gaming PC upgrade and one of the pricier VR solutions. Granted, PC gamers are scoffing at PS VR because they have scalable rigs thy can tweak to no end and most likely higher frame rates with overclocked systems burning holes into wherever they’re placed. Still, Sony promises a plug and play experience with frame rates up to 120fps, so we’ll see what’s what soon enough as the games roll out.

As for games, some 230 are in the works for PS4 from first and third party developers. My current favorite just so happens to be the return of a classic arcade and home game, this time coming from the folks at Rebellion:

Yes indeed, this one will be awesome even if it’s not running in VR (and yep, it’s playable without the headset, folks). Hokay, off to start saving those pennies.

Pranking Robots Go Both Ways: Prizes + Doom Assured for All

Posted on March 10, 2016 by geelw

Given that we’re merrily spinning into the abyss thanks to too many tech innovations getting out of hand once the wrong people get their paws on assorted digital keys to the kingdom, the robot apocalypse is rushing ahead full steam and right on schedule with the assistance of some humans who should know better. Still, it’s nice when one is rewarded for one’s curiosity about our future metal and plastic overlords.

Video call service Oovoo dropped off a few interesting robots around NYC a little while back as a test to see if people would react to them correctly and as you an see, only a few nailed the proper responses and were rewarded handsomely for their bravery. Nice. Be kind to that not so immobile human-shaped mechanical being and you get some nifty prizes. I kind of wish I was around Manhattan when this happened as I know the robot playbook to a T at this point and would have won something fun while realizing we’re one step closer to that technical takeover.

On the other hand, Boston Dynamics? You’re starting to scare me more than ever. BigDog was bad enough, but your new and improved Atlas robot is speeding up the nightmares of many on a few fronts. As you can see from this video, it can walk across uneven terrain with little trouble other than looking like a drunken sailor on leave which will fool and lure some fat cop right up to it in time for a disarming surprise. I bet it’s somewhat bullet resistant and has an unhealthy craving for a phased plasma rifle in the 40-watt range.

I’m also betting it remembers stuff like some jerk knocking it around with a freakin’ hockey stick while it’s just trying to do the job of a soon to be out of work American (who’ll no doubt mistakenly blame Mexico for all this job-stealing technology hen they should blame who they work for for saving money by ending those jobs over the border). I’m also betting that jerk with the hockey stick sleeps in a home with quintuple locks on the doors and a laser fence around his property. You know how that abusing your workers stuff ends up, right?

Ah, Robots… you just kill me sometimes. Um, wait – that came out wrong. Eeep.

Toydriver: Screwy Idea’s A Time-saver For Your Toolbox

Posted on February 10, 2016 by geelw

Toydriver

Ha. Toy Fair 2016 hasn’t even begun and I’ve already found one of my favorite items that’s not a toy. If you’re a parental unit with active kids (or kids you’d like to be more active), you’ve probably dealt with the dreaded battery change in that favorite toy or electronic something or other where screws needed to be removed. Those old days of lost battery covers has been replaced with trying to find the right screwdriver or finding one but needing an extra bit of force you may not have to get that cover off, dealing with recessed screws and some kid(s) waiting impatiently to get their game or whatever back on. Well, Toydriver is here to the rescue!

And yep, that’s the second best use of a Prince song clip that one an get away with legally I’ve ever heard. Nice. Anyway, I’ll see if I can give one of those Toydrivers a test drive when I scoot by their booth over the weekend. If it’s sturdy enough, I can see it as a great multi-tasker that only needs extra bits for things like game consoles and other devices. Hey, I’m all about making cool stuff like this work even better.

Adlens Interface: Buy-Focals for Screen Geeks & Movie Freaks

Posted on January 27, 2016 by geelw

Adlens_Int-Black-View-01bcropped-786x400

If you’re a heavy computer user or TV watcher who suffers for eyestrain or someone looking for an inexpensive adjustable focus eyewear option, you may want to consider Adlens Interface ($49.99) as an option. While they’re not made to replace your current prescription, they’re an excellent choice for light to moderate use if you’re the sort stuck in front of a screen for work or play. I tend to only wear glasses when watching movies from a distance at home or in a theater, so I was curious to see if Adlens would work for my own needs. Let’s just say I was quite pleased when the opportunity arose to check out a pair and see for myself. Okay, two slight puns in a single sentence normally means some sort of sentence from a pun-hating judge, but I think I’ll be forgiven this time.

Anyway, Adlens uses Alvarez Dual Lens Technology with two polycarbonate plates per eye that slide at the twist of a dial located on each side of the plastic frame. Right out of the case all you do is slip the specs on, shut one eye and adjust the lens for the open eye and repeat the process for that previously closed eye. The Interface adjusts between -6 to +3 diopter range on each lens, which should do well for a wide range of users. A week of testing showed that Adlens does quite well at making extended work and play sessions in front of the computer as well as a bit of binge watching a lot more comfortable. Yes, you’ll need to readjust the lenses when you go from about 18 inches or so away from a monitor to a TV a few feet away. But that’s not a bad trade off at all. Besides, you can consider that dial turning some actual exercise if you’re a total couch potato type.

While the glasses are lightweight and comfortable, I could see some users griping that they feel “cheap” because of that all-plastic construction. My only issue is with the dials feeling a bit too loose by default. I suppose if Adlens manufactured them to slowly click each adjustment into place would add a bit to the cost of producing them (and add to the cost of buying a pair). But I’m neither an engineer nor a bean-counter, just a regular guy with a brain full of suggestions (and a site to sometimes post those things on). The nice thing about Adlens is if you just need some go-to temporary specs, they have a few models priced between $30 and $70 all ready to ship.

Marvel Comics Fans: Uncle Milton (Stark?) Needs Your Aid

Posted on January 13, 2016 by geelw

If you’re a Marvel Comics fan, your Uncle Milton needs your assistance with a new project, stat! “Who’s your Uncle, now?” NO, not that Uncle Milton. The other one who’s still around that makes all those cool science-themed gadgets and gizmos that sometimes pop up as usefully educational gifts from time to time. That’s who! Anyway, Uncle Milton is going to be introducing the Marvel Avengers Tesseract 20Q game this coming fall and they want Marvel fans from anywhere on the planet to go HERE and help out with the artificial intelligence by playing a few games that will help the 20Q become a smarter product. Your heroic efforts will not go unrewarded, as smarter toys and games is something that makes for endless reply value.

Now, you KNOW you can trust your Uncle Milton, right? Sure, the Tesseract 20Q may seem as if it’s somewhat *sinister*, but that’s actually part of its appeal. Hey, if it does happen to have cosmic powers after all, the worst thing that could happen is you beat it once and get a free trip to Asgard. Well, provided that Tesseract hasn’t been *borrowed* (again!) and is in the hands of some nefarious would-be world eating alien presence. Which would most likely mean you may want the Avengers HQ phone number in your speed dial. Just in case.

Anyway, go test out that 20Q and make sure to follow Uncle Milton at the links below:

Uncle Milton Social Media Channels:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/unclemilton

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/unclemiltontoys

YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/UncleMilton1

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/unclemilton

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/unclemilton

-GW

There’s A(nother) Rift Coming To The Gaming Scene…

Posted on January 9, 2016 by geelw

The “big” news to some in gaming this past week was the announcement of the final price and launch date for the consumer model of the Oculus Rift, one of a few virtual reality devices that look to be the next big thing in entertainment. $599 (not including shipping, sales tax or customs fees where those are charged) gets you the headset with built-in headphones and mic, sensor, an Xbox One controller and one Oculus Remote plus two games, Lucky’s Tale and access to the online multiplayer space combat game EVE: Valkyrie. Oculus plans another 100 games by the end of 2016 including at least 20 games exclusive to the Rift, but as with any new platform promising the moon too regularly to its rabid early adopters, those numbers are subject to change.

As far as the news goes, that’s all good and well, but if you go into this Rift deal with big eyes as an under-informed sort of modern gamer thinking all you’ll be spending is that $600 (not including shipping, sales tax or customs fees where those are charged), you’ve got another think coming… Continue reading →

The QFX VP-113 Gets It Done With A Retro Touch

Posted on December 24, 2015 by geelw

Thanks to a friend sending me a few PAL format DVD’s earlier this year and my old laptop’s universal media player dying with the old laptop, I needed an inexpensive player of decent quality I could keep next to the console setup that wouldn’t take up a load of room and was a multi-tasker of some sort. While poking around at a few options (there’s a nice Samsung player under $30 that was my initial choice), I stumbled across the QFX VP-113, a budget DVD player that only caught my eye because it not only played DVD, VCD, SVCD, CD, CD-R, and CD-RW formats, it also had a built-in karaoke function, a USB stick reader and much to my surprise, played “games” of some sort. What sort of games, I had zero idea. But the price was right (under $35 where I found it) and my curious collector side was curious about those GAMES. Because, you know that’s what I like (and like writing about). Continue reading →

HIDEit: Get Your Gear In Order But Good

Posted on December 16, 2015 by geelw

I have to go fishing through my spam folder at least once a month because it sometimes catches email that demands to be read and passed on. Case in point: the one I got from HIDEit Mounts a company that makes a number of really awesome storage solutions for gamers, computer owners or anyone else who has to deal with assorted tech with wires that tend to tangle. I actually laughed out loud as I was reading the email and looking at the photos attached because yes, I suffer from the horrible affliction of owning a ton of consoles (at least 25!) and having all those wires dangling in front of, behind, and to the side of my jury-rigged entertainment center. Yeah, it’s pretty bad, folks. Actually, I only keep six systems around my 32″ HDTV at a time while the rest take naps in assorted storage bins until I need to dig the up for research

As you can see (or can’t see because they’re so well hidden) HIDEit makes simple but highly functional wall mounts for current gaming consoles, small form factor PC’s and Macs, cable boxes and more. They also have controller mounts and even an optional theft deterrent solution in case you want that extra security. If you’ve got sturdy walls and a TV mounted on one or more of them, you’re an easy HIDEit customer in the making.

The great thing is installation won’t take a year of carpentry classes or calling up that creepy-looking “handyman” who slid a misspelled flyer under your door as you were opening it to take out the trash last week. Each mount comes complete with hardware = all you need is a good drill and appropriate bits or a good screwdriver. A level and elbow grease are also beneficial for best results, so some of you scrawny-armed types may need an extra strong arm to shift stuff around. Prices range from $11.99 to $59.99 and I’d bet you a hot nickel that your holiday gift list includes at least ONE person (not including YOU) who needs one or more of these mounts.

Okay, you’re up to speed on the HIDEit front, correct? Good. Me, I could use a bunch of them, but I’m in the process of entirely redoing my game cave so I’m still in the “being in awe because I have a ton of games and systems in such a small space and don’t know where to begin” stage. But now that I see what HIDEit can accomplish, it’s a product on my list of things to get once I get myself in gear to tackle a pretty massive project.

Sure, Computer! How About You Work Properly For The Next Week?

Posted on November 30, 2015 by geelw

(Thanks, Technomage116!)

Whee. I finally figured out what was wrong with the laptop, and it was nothing I did but a driver going rogue and mucking up my work life. Boo. Ah, technology… you stink for us less brainy types. Anyway, it’s now a matter of getting somewhere with a speedier connection to fix the issue (albeit temporarily). Blue Screen o’ Death, you can’t stop me! But I’m still buying a new laptop in a few days just because I need to upgrade and this old thing is on its last legs and flaunting that fact HARD. Okay, let me post this before the stupid thing locks up or crashes again. I just did a registry cleaning after uninstalling a bunch of not-needed stuff in order to free up a bit of extra space on the HDD and that seems to be helping a tiny bit. Oh, the backing up of data and reinstalling stuff on the soon to be new computer will be “fun” for sure. Does anyone remember ALL their passwords these days? I thought not.

Having A Steam Link Means Never Having To Say You’re Sorry

Posted on October 17, 2015 by geelw

Trapped for a weekend in a creepy mansion that just so happens to NOT be haunted by anything but stale air but has a rockin’ broadband connection, a TV in every room and you just so happened to bring along your gaming laptop? Or perhaps you’re at home and would like to stretch your gameplay options to other rooms without getting a hernia moving your PC around. Well, the fine folks at Valve have gone and cooked up what’s basically a plug and play router for their Steam digital delivery service called Steam Link.

Headed your way in November, a mere $49.99 gets you instant access to your Steam library and 1080p streaming at 60 frames per second in Big Picture mode on any HDTV (but I’d gather it won’t make old or newer games that run under frame rate that move any faster). Naturally, the more powerful a computer and stronger the connection you have, the better time you’ll have. Valve has certainly been a bunch of busy little bees over the past few years and it’s clear that they want to get Steam even more popular with the masses than it’s become among the mainly gamer crowd that makes the most of it’s assorted services.