Gadgets Blog » Movies

The Legacy of “Tron”: Bringing a New Face to Gaming

brock — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 18:52:53 +0000

In was but a wee one when the original “Tron” came out in 1982, but I was mesmerized by the amazing graphics and cool special effects. It has action and light cycles, and it involved computers, something not many movies were doing at that time.

Almost 30 years later, a much-anticipated follow-up movie premieres today, and the video game Tron: Evolution is already in stories. It got me thinking about when “Tron” first came out and the arcade game that was developed to follow the movie. I frequented a lot of arcades back then, and that game got me hooked far more than Donkey Kong or Pac Man.

Perhaps the most fun about it was that it was four games in one. It wasn’t just the same game over and over again with maybe a new terrain or faster enemies; there were four completely different games. While that may pale in comparison to the Mario Party and Carnival Games of today, back then, it was unheard of.

Everybody had their favorite game, and the one that they couldn’t stand but played anyway because it was the only way to beat the game. The arcade game featured black lights and fluorescent lights, and it just looked amazing on the arcade floor.

You have to remember that arcades of the ’80s were nothing like the arcades of today. They were loud and dark and filled to the brim with people. For teens and younger, the arcade was the only place to go and play for cheap. All you needed was a few dollars in quarters.

Tron was a far departure from other video games of that time, but it soon became something of a revolutionary for mini games. Developers finally realized that people wanted more than just the same gameplay over and over again, and this led to many of the characteristics of today’s games.

Imagine how games would be different if they didn’t incorporate the changes that “Tron” started. Imagine no games within a game, or no bonus rounds, and how boring things would be. I am not putting “Tron” up on a gaming pedestal or saying that is was single-handedly responsible for the changes, but it did have a major impact.

I doubt the new “Tron” will have the impact of the old one, but it will be nice to get in the light cycles again.

Image Source: flickr.com/photos/revgeorge/26149731

Location-Based Social Networking On the Rise

Dan Evans — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 20:57:00 +0000

This Friday, The Social Network, a film detailing the rise of Facebook and its online empire, hits theaters everywhere. While some of the early reviews have been touting it as an excellent film, with Rolling Stone even granting the flick four out of four stars, the quality of the acting and directing are secondary to the remarkable nature of the story. Facebook has become a defining part of the 21st century, with millions of users utilizing the service to stay in touch with friends and family. But what if, in addition to your pictures and status updates, your network was also capable of knowing where you were at any given moment? This question, it seems, is no longer hypothetical. Facebook Places provides information to your friend list on your location, something that has some users excited and others understandably nervous.

Facebook isn’t the first company to jump on board this type of social networking. Google Latitude has been on the market for the last year for free. A Latitude-enabled smartphone kept track of your location using a GPS, broadcasting it at any given point to others in your friend group also using Latitude. While the idea had potential, the small number of users turned it into another obscure Google service offered up by the company. Additional ventures into the area have been made by startups such as FourSquare. The service, which currently has about 3,000,000 users, incorporates elements of location-based social networking as well as reviews of local businesses and hot spots. Thus far, however, only 4% of Americans have even tried such a service, according to an article at Safe and Savvy.

Facebook Places presents some concerns that might not be found with these other, more obscure services. First and foremost, there’s the sheer size of Facebook’s user base. With so many people having access to this type of location-based sharing, security and privacy concerns are likely to be more prevalent. Places isn’t currently in use for default Facebook settings, but a small number of people are beginning to adopt the program. If you intend on using Places, you should take some additional steps to keep your information safe. This includes taking a close look at your friends list and eliminating any people you wouldn’t be comfortable with having your information. Furthermore, limiting your privacy settings so that only your close friends are able to see your location-based updates is a must. It remains to be seen if Facebook’s program will have more staying power than others, but be on the lookout for Places to be both a positive and negative factor in Facebook’s popularity.

Image Source: flickr.com/photos/88526923@N00/2114874155/

Gadget of the Week: Epson PowerLite 700 Home Cinema Projector

Dan Evans — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 18:26:04 +0000

In the world of televisions, bigger doesn’t always mean better. As the dimensions on a high-definition screen increase, the price tag can become enormous, making many larger models unaffordable for most consumers. Larger television screens also are bulky and hard to transport, and their size can make arranging a watching area around a screen more difficult. It’s too bad, really, because it becomes all-too-costly to imitate a movie-theater type experience in a living room, without using some ingenuity. That’s where the Epson PowerLite 700 Home Cinema Projector comes in. It’s a powerful unit, capable of transforming any room into a full-fledged theater.

The PowerLite projector may come as a surprise to those who have been skeptical of projector units in the past. The specifications on the unit are impressive, and situating it to work in your house is far easier than you might think. Sporting a 3LCD, three chip optical engine, the colors are bright and clear, provided you have a proper viewing space. This is the toughest part of using a projector like the PowerLite 700, finding a proper surface for viewing use, but this projector unit is highly portable and has easy-to-use focus controls. Whether you’re looking for a permanent watching area or wanting to get some travel use out of the projector, you’ll be able to use the PowerLite 700 with few focus issues.

A major concern for projectors is how they look in a lighted room, but the PowerLite 700 performs better than more expensive projectors in this category. While optimal viewing is still achieved by cutting out some of the light in the room, the colors still remain bright even under less-than-ideal conditions. Capable of projecting in 720p, the unit can spit out high definition images that are impressive for a projector in this price range. In fact, price is one of the greatest assets for this Epson projector. At only $689.88 through Smarter, it’s a great deal, costing less than most mid-sized televisions and far less than high-end projector models.

There are, however, some tradeoffs to going with a projector instead of a traditional television unit. The most noticeable sacrifice you’ll make is in the contrast. Darker colors oftentimes blend and bleed into each other, and black colors especially look below average. When there are other sources of light in the room, this problem only becomes magnified. It can be frustrating at times, as the brighter colors on the Epson PowerLite 700 still remain clear and vibrant. This projector, overall, is a great deal, enabling a bit of the magic of the silver screen to come into your living room. You’d be best off to look into the return policy of where you buy it, however, as it might not be a proper match for your entertainment accommodations. If it works out, though, you’ll get a great gadget at an affordable price.

Best Buy Sale: Select Blu-ray Movies $9.99-$14.99

gadgets — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 17:25:53 +0000

After spending all day at the beach or with family at the backyard bbq, summer nights are a great time to relax and catch up on your favorite movies.

Best Buy has a variety of classics to choose from, titles like “The Graduate,” “The 40-year-old Virgin,” and “Road House”… (“I want you to be nice, until it’s time to not be nice!” heheh, sorry, there are some great lines in that one) can be scooped up for under $15.

Or if you’d like to work on your vocabulary and revolutionary tactics, “V for Vendetta” is $9.99. You’ll forgive me if I skip past the “Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” however, “Day of the Dead” is a fun family flick. Okay not really, but you get my point. Maybe Tim Burton’s “Corpse Bride” would be a better choice for the kiddies.

Whatever your liking, this deal is only happening until Saturday so get to gettin’!

Find more Blu-ray movies and other DVDs at Smarter.com.

Swim Safely in a Galaxy, Far Far Way: Star Wars Inflatables

nick — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 16:15:00 +0000

If they ever was a reason I’d be afraid to drown in the kiddy pool, those reasons are all gone now.

And for this reason and one reason only: Star Wars inflatables!

Sure, this thing will help you stay afloat, but it’s the ability to have your own X-Wing that excites me. And sure, all it takes is one dart to put you out of commission, but it’s worth it!

Now if Princess Leia was serving me cocktails in a bikini, I’d never leave poolside.

Some people have told me to grow up, but I tell them, they should stop taking life seriously at 30.

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Bond DVD: James Bond, Quantum of Solace Out Today

nick — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:02:35 +0000

For you James Bond fanatics, today’s your day to add to your James Bond movie collection.

Quantum of Solace has finally hit stores and now you can start drooling over Olga Kurylenko. If you’re having trouble pronouncing the name, just call her “O” for short.

Anyways, that is all. Continue with your life.

To purchase Quantum of Solace, click here.

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Smell Like a Trekkie: Star Trek Fragrances

nick — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 17:48:48 +0000

Have you always wondered about the scent of a Klingon?

I wonder if Captain Kirk smells of rich mahogany with a hint of musk…hmm.

Well, now all your age old questions about the men and women of Star Trek have been answered.

With the new Star Trek movie set to be released in the near future, their marketing campaign is up to full speed. They’re now releasing a line of Star Trek fragrances to be released in April. They’ll range from $30-$40 a bottle with three different scents: “Tiberius”, “Red Shirt” and “Ponn Farr.”

How come Spock is getting no love? I think as a limited offer, they should offer a pair of Vulcan ears with each purchase.

I can see it now: Spock Ears + “Tiberius” aroma = Chick Magnet.

Eat your heart out.

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Golden! AT-AT Walker iPod Dock Painted Gold

nick — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 16:32:35 +0000

For those of you who have been looking for an unconventional iPod dock, or maybe you’re looking for that “different” dock that can also help satisfy that geeky, Star Wars side of you.

Well, look out cause someone has just made your dreams come true. And in gold!

So basically, the only thing special about it is that it’s spray painted gold, so don’t think that this is some commemorative issued iPod dock. The speaker dock is just slapped right there on the tush of the AT-AT. Basically you can make this thing yourself, then again, you’d probably end up painting yourself like a golden fairy, so leave it to the experts.

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Hot Vette: The New Corvette Stingray in Transformers

nick — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 15:43:11 +0000

Remember last year, a lot of people went nuts over the new Chevy Camaro that was Bumble Bee in the movie Transformers?

This year, you won’t be surprised by the sick looking car that’s going to be roaming around the trailers for The new Transformers: Rise of the Fallen.Chevrolet Corvette Stingray was unveiled in Chicago yesterday.

Check out all the photos here.

And to go along with our car theme, here are also some cool pictures for the cars in the upcoming flick, Fast and the Furious. Check them out here.

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Let the Force Be With You: Now You Too Can Become a Jedi

nick — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 16:19:08 +0000

Finally, a toy out there than can help manipulate minds!

Well, it hasn’t been proven yet, but it’s awfully close.

Toy maker Uncle Milton has come up with Force Trainer game. A game that utilizes the Neurosky’s brainwav-controlled gaming technology. Simply the child dons a wireless headset that communicate with a simplified EEG. And if that child concentrates hard enough, the young Jedi can raise a ball in the small 10-inch “training sphere.

Why am I bit intimidated by this toy? Is there soon to be a rebellion of children 12-and-under.

I can see he now:

Dad: “Timmy, eat your vegetables”

Timmy: “No. You will eat the vegetables and bark like a dog.”

Timmy waves his hand.

“Ruff.”

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