Nature Does Require Her Times Of Preservation

I’m never off-grid.  I like it that way, and won’t change for a long time.  The internet is full of laments of how constant connection is wearing thin.  Strange, really, considering that without the internet one would never have that forum for their lamentations.  Look around you for a minute.  The internet’s not the problem (it is the answer, but I’ll get to that in a minute).  The problem is those stacks of paper on your desk; the drawers full of software; boxes in the basement stuffed with old books, pictures and music CD’s; magazines piled on a shelf; and DVD’s and Blu-rays cluttering your family room.  Every Christmas and every birthday, it just gets worse.

No, the problem isn’t about being connected.  The problem lies in the piles of shit we surround ourselves with, so it’s not really any wonder we feel shitty a lot of the time.  I wanted to write a post to get you thinking about your environment (both at a micro and macro level), and how employing technology can actually help it… And your mood.

• Go Digital – For everything… Period.  Buy (or steal) all your music and movies online.  Pretty obvious, I know, but here’s a few others you need to consider.  First is digitized magazines.  There’s the popular Apple Newsstand, but you can always subscribe via coverleaf as well.  You get access to the pdf the moment it’s off the press, and can download a copy and store them right on your computer.  Secondly, don’t develop any more pictures.  Ever.  Keep them digital.  Digital albums are easier to search; take a fraction of the storage space and cost, and with digital frames, portable to anywhere in the house.
• Mobility & Tablets -  When I first got my iPad, I actually had trouble incorporating it into my daily routine, but now I find it’s with me all the time (that I’m not in front of my PC).  If you don’t have a tablet, just go get one.  Blogging about iPad’s and Android’s has been done to death.  There’s a reason we’re moving into the post-PC era…  If you’re going to really go digital, you need a tablet.
• Cloud Storage – You can get to your content anytime and anywhere you’re connected.  You either need to subscribe to a cloud service, like iCloud; or buy a NAS device that allows you to setup your own cloud service.  I’ve done both, so I’m pretty much set, although I use my own NAS much more heavily than iCloud.  Bottom-line: digitally storing your media is cheaper; easier to index and search; and doesn’t even take up any physical space.

Digitizing media is far greener than manfacturing, shipping/distributing and storing physical copies.  I used to think that to own something, it needed to be physical.  Over time, I’ve opened my eyes, and actually enjoy the freedom that comes with digitial content much more than stacks of CD’s, etc.  It’s the new year.  Think about a simple change or two to help your environment.  Maybe switch all your bills to e-post, or buy an e-reader, or rip all your CD’s and move them to the cloud (then sell them).  For me, all those stacks of paper are gone from my desk now, and the boxes and shelves slowly getting emptier.  It feels amazing.

More Matter With Less Art

I suppose the easiest posts are those when you slam something.  Criticism comes pretty naturally to many of us (myself included), but I think this time I’ll buck the trend.  My past few posts have hit on some pretty deep topics.  Video game violence, Google’s data-monopoly, Web 3.0, etc.  I wanted to kick it old school, for a change, with a simple product review.  Over the past few years, my router has arguably become the most important piece of hardware in my home.  Someone, or something, is always connected.  Unfortunately, for the past few years my router has also been one of the crappiest pieces of hardware in my home.

A couple of months ago, that all changed.  After years of my better-half complaining about the shoddy wireless range, strength and stability, I decided it was time to invest.  The debate was between the Apple Airport Extreme and the Linksys E4200 Maximum Performance Dual-Band router.  After checking out gdgt and cnet, I decided to give the E4200 a shot.  Turns out, I had chosen wisely.

I suppose when you live with a shoddy router for a long enough period, perhaps one’s standards begin to erode.  Frankly, this is not the case with this router.

Ultimate speed & range: This router connects and can stream 720p video at well over 100 feet, with walls, mirrors, a microwave, and all sorts of other bullshit in the way.  The range is unparalleled, and if you own a larger house, and range is an issue, this is definitely the router for you.

Idiot-proof software: On July 19, 2011, DRYNET launched…  The new “Cisco Connect” software that’s bundled with the E4200 is leagues apart from that old “LELA” offal they employed with their previous generation of routers.  The interface is simple and intuitive.  It allows you setup your wifi network, plus a guest network in a matter of clicks.  If you want to go with more advanced stuff like QoS and setting wifi channels, etc, you won’t do it from Cisco Connect.  Most people, myself included, don’t need to.

Design & Function: Is pretty elegant.  No, it’s not designed by those hipsters at Apple, but I’ll take function over fashion anyday, when it comes to a router.  The E4200 no longer employs the array of flashing blue and green lights, but opted for a softer white Cisco logo that glows when the router is on, and functioning normally.  In terms of stability, many people need to boot their router every week or so.  Not this one.  I’ve had it running non-stop with over 9 devices connected and it has never quit once.

I’ve noticed only two issues.  One, it didn’t come with a wall mounting bracket, and two, it’s expensive.  Perhaps the most expensive home-grade router available right now.  Your call on whether you’d be prepared to pony-up nearly $200 for a router, but if you’re anything like me, and you have numerous computers, a tablet, a couple of phones, your tv’s and gaming consoles hooked up to the internet, all of a sudden a decent N-router becomes a priority.  Any questions, feel free to post!

Let’s Kill All The Lawyers

So California tries to ban the sale of violent video games to minors.  Odd really.  I mean, the gangs plaguing Los Angeles have existed for decades, and many of them probably grew up playing Pac Man and Space Invaders at the local South Central arcade.  Perhaps their state government should worry more about managing the proliferation of physical guns and violence, over their virtual counterparts.  Of course, their argument is that the virtual can lead to the physical, right?  Well, that’s debatable, I think, but for a moment I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt.

In fact, I’ll say this.  The video games I play tend to be pretty violent.  Actually, the ones I play now are universally over-the-top violent.  They’re games I don’t want my kids to play at their age, and so I don’t let them.  Let’s face it.  Companies are going to produce violent games.  Just like authors scribe violent literature and production companies film violent movies.  You know what?  It’s all okay.  Government need not be involved, and luckily the US Supreme Court showed some common sense, and erred on the side of the First Amendment, overturning the proposed ban.

Here’s the bottom line.  Parents must be involved in their children’s play.  To expect video game developers, retailers, or for Christ’s sake, the Government, to manage this above and beyond the institutionalization of a standard rating system, is not only absurd, it speaks to the ignorance people have of both their children and their pasttimes.  It also speaks to how they may be unwittingly supporting the suppression of speech and free expression in so many other types of media (supposing you agree with California’s overturned ban).  In fact, if you have kids, buy them games.  Buy them games suitable for their age.  Video games are really nothing more than relatively complex problem solving programs, and provided parents expose kids to games that are suitable for their age, they’ll see how quickly truly interactive media can help with a child’s development.  Scientists, not lawyers, have already proven the following:

• Video games improve strategy and decision-making skills
• Multi-player games teach team play and hone social skills
• Video games can teach children about resource management, logistics, multi-tasking and tracking many shifting variables at once.
• The obvious (and proven many times over) video games improve hand-eye coordination, peripheral sensory acuteness and awareness

There are many other benefits, as well as dangers, parents need to manage.  As a gamer and a parent, I can’t wait to play the games I like to play with my kids.  In the meantime, I’ll play theirs.  I’ll even let them win sometimes.  I’ll just be happy I get to play with them at all.

Suspicion Always Haunts The Guilty Mind

Just Google it.  Google’s a verb now.  It’s the Oracle at Delphi for the modern day.  Search, and you shall find.  I suppose, however, Google is a hell of a lot more than a search engine.  It’s the cloud: Gmail, Google Maps (with Streetview).  They’ve launched a crappy browser and OS (Chrome), and a pretty decent mobile OS (Android); albeit a tad lax on the security.  Who cares though?  The point is Google is an increasingly essential service in many of our lives, and that’s exactly what makes them one of the most powerful companies in the world.

Don’t get me wrong.  I didn’t say the biggest, or the one with the highest profit or revenue.  Cash isn’t king anymore… Anyone in business today knows data is.  That gives Google diety-like stature among their counterparts.  Google knows.  They know what you like; where you are (ie. live, work, travel); who you talk to; the stuff you tend to buy; and the services you tend to consume.  When you search for that jerk chicken recipe, they probably have a good idea of what you’re having for supper tonight.  I suppose that’s bad, right?  I dunno.  I mean, in the longrun it could mean that we get nice tailored experiences when we’re online.  Just like the post I wrote below, right?  Let’s face it, if Google can finding people and things I want to find way easier, and save me time and money doing it, there’s some sort of payoff in the scary prospect of the company knowing so much about us.

The main problem with that is that Google decides.  They may claim to be basing their decisions on my past habits or purchases, but it’s still them deciding.  They’ll decide what services to expose to you, what products to hi-lite, and news you get to read.  Sure, you can spread the wealth.  Use Bing to search.  Use MSN to get your news.  Or Windows Phone 7 on your mobile… Oh yeah… then Microsoft wins.  Wait, there’s the iPhone, iTunes, Apple TV… So, you get the point.

The fact is, you’re gonna need to get in bed with one of these megaliths soon enough.  You’re not going to just unplug, and go off-grid.  I guess the only real question is whether these guys know what they’re doing, and whether they can be trusted.

I Will Buy With You, Sell With You, Talk With You

Imagine walking into a mall.  Awful, I know, but imagine something different for a moment.  A mall made by you and for you.  A mall with all your favourite stores; all your friends and family are usually there; your favourite movies are at the cinemas and playing on-demand; and any personal business you need to conduct is right there in front of you.  Now, that might be a pretty decent place to have around… But it would be even better if you could take that mall with you wherever you went, and entered it whenever you wanted.  Of course, this sort of a mall could only exist virtually.

The world is still mired in our Web 2.0 framework, and it’s a safe bet we’ll be here for a good long while.  That’s not a bad thing.  Web 2.0 brought online consumerism to the forefront with sites and services like Amazon, eBay and even iTunes.  We all have the sites we like to buy from.  Social media changed the way we connect with each other.  LinkedIn for professionals, Facebook for friends, and Twitter for realtime messaging.  TV, music, movies and most other forms of entertainment that can be digitized are available for purchase or theft, and only a few clicks away.  For most of us now, our work is online; our games are online; and for bloggers, our thoughts are online.

But what comes next.  I’m no soothsayer, but I believe we have a glimpse of what’s to come already.  Look at the technology as it exists today.  You have all your frequented sites tagged as favourites; sites like Amazon already remember your buying habits and showcase the items that may interest you; your internet is now on TV with your Apple TV or your PS3, allowing you to watch or rent on demand; and UI’s are getting sleeker and more interative daily – just look at iPad and Android tablets.  Put it all together.  What do you get?  The mall I wrote about above.  The way you’ll navigate (surf) may be like you’re controlling an avatar.  The stores that will appear will be all based on where you’ve shopped before, and they’ll know exactly what you want to see in the windows.  The people there will be your friends.  It’s hard to explain, but imagine (if you’re familiar with it) the entire internet in the mall in Playstation Home, but tailored for you.  Like I said, this is nothing that I can really predict with any degree of accuracy, but I’m writing it down now.  Who knows what will come to pass?

There’s Not A Note Of Mine Worth The Noting

Looking back over my past posts, I am proud of what I’ve shared; however, I write about gaming and technology.  By its nature, transient and ever-changing domains.  What was once new information becomes quickly dated and obscure.  It is for that reason, perhaps, that I haven’t written for so long.  Where can one find inspiration on a great idea or topic, bearing in mind that it will be antiquated in a matter of weeks?  That feeling possessed me for a long time.  So what am I doing back on Standing Stones?

You see, just before Christmas, my wife and I attended our first parent-teacher interview for our son, Alex.  From a strictly academic standpoint, I suppose he’s not the most engaged in his class.  Not entirely surprising, since he was born on Hallowe’en, and many of the kids have upwards of 10 months on him.  But he’s a kind and gentle soul, and the most important thing is that I notice he continually makes progress.  Finally, I asked whether she noticed if he tended to gravitate to any subject or if he had a particular strength.  And she said this, “Well, he sure likes to spend his time on the classroom computer.”   Pretty much tuned her out after that… My mind was racing.

I always knew Alex loved technology, like his old man, but I never took the time to find out why.  I thought it was because early in life, he was never allowed to touch it.  But for a long while now, I’ve let him play.  Don’t get me wrong, watching a four-year-old trying to ride Ezio Auditore around Renaissance-era Florence on horseback is frustrating as hell.  But I did my best to teach him, without yanking the controller out of his hands.  I teach him how to use the education apps on the iPad, and show him how to navigate with a mouse.  Maybe one of the reasons he loves technology so much is because we always use it together.

I guess I found my inspiration again.  I guess I realized the best things about technology (and I daresay, just about anything else) is teaching and sharing it with others.  I guess I know why I started blogging in the first place.

That Way Madness Lies

March 19, 2009 was a very memorable day.  My wife and I, primarily my wife, had twins.  Like I said, a very memorable day.  Up until a few weeks ago, it was also the last day I logged in to World of Warcraft.  Taking a (very long) break from that game was probably one of the best decisions of my life.  First of all, I didn’t have the time in those first hazy months following their birth to play anything, let alone a highly addicting game.  Secondly, I really didn’t enjoy it anymore.  The no end-game grind was really starting to wear on me, and I didn’t even know it.

Amazingly, one of the best and most successful video games in history, very nearly turned me off gaming all together.

Refocusing on things that truly matter is important.  Things like family and friends, my career, and Modern Warfare 2 really helped me realize that there are more things in life than dailies and farming rep with the Wyrmrest Accord.  I’m glad I stopped playing, and now… I’m glad to tell you I started again.  Seems odd, doesn’t it?

First, the very fact that I’m sitting in front of a PC blogging, and not doing a random dungeon tells me that this time around it’s way more casual.  I don’t login every night.  Not even every other night.  More like a couple of times per week.  Plus, I’m not in it to impress a bunch of people I don’t even know by grinding away for epic end-game heroic gear.  I’m having fun playing a low level Shaman, and taking the time to explore many of the things I missed the first time around in my mad rush to level 80.  My wife and I still watch a few movies over the course of the week, and spending my evenings with her and the kids beats Northrend any day.

Cry “Havoc!” And Let Slip The Dogs Of War

“In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war”… Hopefully, that will be in maybe 2011 or 2012.  Vigil Games has been silent for years after they initially announced they were making a Warhammer 40,000 MMO.  Finally, at this year’s E3 Expo in June, we got a glimpse of an actual gameplay trailer for Dark Millennium Online.  I have to say, this will probably be the one game that will draw me away from my PS3, and back to my long-neglected PC.

DISCLAIMER: I’m not a Warhammer 40,000 table-top gamer.  Love the books, and the setting, but I could never get into all that painting and collecting.  Still, I’ve spent my share of time in MMO’s, and know a thing-or-two about gaming.  Anyhow, I really have no clue about where Vigil actually is insofar as development goes, but if they want me (and others who have been done with WoW for awhile, but are still waiting for the next killer app) to actually buy the game and start paying subs for monthly playtime, I thought I’d give them some ideas.

• More Grim Please: I know this is a stretch, but I’d love to see a “M” rating from the ESRB for this game.  The reality is that the Warhammer 40,000 universe is mature.  It’s dark, bloody, and horrific.  If the gameplay is cartooned-up like WoW, sorry, I’m not going to buy it.  All the books speak of the brutality of the warriors, and the scale and bedlam of their battles…  The hopelessness of the Imperium and humanity, contrasted against the rising tide of Chaos needs to be felt and experienced.  Anything less, and players will drop like flies.
• People Want Options: I know this will be a little tough, but if I want to be a Black Templar or a Space Wolf  or an Imperial Fist, then I better damned-well be able to create one.  Same thing on the chaos side as well… The Emperor’s Children, Alpha Legion or World Eater’s should all be options.  The trailer freaked me out a bit here.  I couldn’t tell how many races and legions were actually showcased.  I saw Orks, and a Black Templar, and I believe some chaos marines, but I didn’t see any Eldar, Dark Eldar, Tau, Necrons or Tyranids.  I know making necrons or tyranids playable has some challenges, but don’t be too limiting.
• Learn From Blizzard: Both the good and the bad.  WoW has it’s problems, but it’s wildly popular for many good reasons.  People like the idea of building a truly unique character, and watching them become more powerful and achieve goals as gameplay progresses.  People like guilds (chapters, maybe, in your case?) and contributing to a greater group.  What don’t people like (and why I plan to never renew my subscription)?  The ‘no end-game’ grind for gear was way too tedious, and the raid system inherently flawed in many ways.  Character development needs to continue beyond the level cap, and that involves more than just new gear with better buffs.
• It’s All About Content: And not just expansions.  Time-to-market is key, of course, so set a date and stick to it.  Delivery is great for both players and shareholders.  That doesn’t mean things in mid-development go to the wayside.  Keep releasing fresh content in patches and service packs.  I probably don’t need to tell Vigil this, but the most successful software company in the world (Microsoft) never has a finished product.  It’s the perpetual beta, and they are continually updating and refreshing their code.  Get the product to market, and fast, but keep that new material flowing to keep us players engaged

Vigil has got the opportunity from THQ to build a MMO based on an amazing franchise.  This is going to really represent a departure from the swords-and-sorcery settings that most MMO’s really adhere to, and as a result, they should have license to get creative beyond just the setting.  Looking forward to it, guys, and I hope new screenshots and trailers get released soon!

Sweet Are The Uses Of Adversity

Like most, if not all gamers, I’m extremely competitive.  Not necessarily at the expense of others, unless that’s the inherent nature of the competition, but rather focused on achieving a desired goal or objective, and thereby earning the associated reward.  For example, and the proof is proudly on display below, I finished Assassin’s Creed II (AC2) in late April, and actually managed to earn every PS3 Trophy in the game.  I gained the highly coveted platinum trophy and the lofty title of Master Assassin.  Basically, this involved doing a number of things over-and-above what’s required to just get through the storyline.  It meant mastering certain moves; finding hidden artifacts (in AC2, feathers and glyphs); and completing other challenges and goals.  Bottom line, a lot of time and effort went into earning that title.

You’re probably wondering, quite rightly at this point, why the hell you care.  Well, it occurred to me kind of recently that everyone in business, especially leaders, need to care. Ignore it, and you risk a serious problem motivating your teams.  Most graduates now have likely logged thousands of hours gaming, and they do it for the exact reasons, and within the exact same framework, I outlined above.  Work hard, master the skill, complete the challenge and earn the prestigious reward…. rinse, repeat.  The highly complex algorithm is far too often ignored in business and IT.  Even where I work, there’s no significant correlation between high performance and additional rewards.  I say this not to be disparaging of my company, but because I know performance-based compensation or even recognition is a rarity in IT.  Kind of odd given it’s a natural domain for gamers to gravitate towards.

I was talking about this with a couple of gamers / developers on my team the other day. Wouldn’t it be cool if we aggregated all the metrics from all of our different tracking systems and databases, and actually put together a trophy or achievement system of our own?  Sure, it’s a direct clone of the Playstation trophy model or Xbox achievements, but if it can motivate me to spend hours looking for hidden feathers in Renaissance Italy, I’ll bet it could charge up the staff to focus on their objectives, and gain that same sense of recognition. One of the guys replied that successful organizations take the best aspects of frameworks others have developed and leverage them to create efficiencies and improvements of their own.  He added that a trophy recognition system is the sort of project that if it were done properly, would probably wind up in a business or tech journal.

The business of gaming is one where companies compete to create the most immersive and engaging experience for its consumers, and an industry that has typically showcased the finest developments in software first.  Any company undertaking software development should spend time understanding what’s happening in games, and see what it can do to create such an experience for its customers, and even its employees.  Oh yeah, and if you have any questions about AC2, don’t hesitate to ask!

Gamecrush.com – The Men & Women Merely Players

Most tech bloggers have prattled off over the last month or so about the iPad, Google vs. China, Windows Phone 7, SxSW, or some other well-tweeted topic that need not be discussed here.  Let’s get to something really new, and really nerdy.  Gamecrush.com.  This is perhaps the most humorous web service I’ve read about in, well, I don’t know.  It could damn-well be the funniest.  Many of you reading this post probably have played an online game at some time or another.  But how many of you have really wanted to play online games with nerdly girls, and pay them in the process?  What’s that?  You have?  Well, let’s chat about Gamecrush then, my friend.

Today marks the launch of a service where XBox Live “Players” can pick out ”PlayDates” on Gamecrush, and pay a tidy $8.25 for 10 minutes of one-on-one game time with their date.  The starting games include Modern Warfare 2, Gears Of War 2, Halo 3, and GTA IV.  You can also get video chat for about 6 minutes, and play an online game of checkers or battleship.  Over 1,200 young ladies responded to a Craigslist ad, asking for women interested in playing games and getting paid.  The “PlayDates” keep 60% of the money from the Gamecrush service.  Anyhow, you get the idea.

Gamecrush - Moments After Its Launch

So, I said it was funny, but I didn’t say it’s stupid.  When I first read about the site on Kotaku, I was mildly disturbed, bemused, and thought a little condescendingly about what kind of an idiot would want to use that sort of a service.  I probably play online with all sorts of women all the time and don’t even know it, so why would I need to pay for it?  But then, I think that might only be a pretty narrow view.  Just because I probably won’t use it, especially since it’s not on Playstation yet (PSN and Wii are in the works though), doesn’t mean it won’t be successful.  Let’s face it, eHarmony, Lavalife, and PerfectMatch are all widely used, but one of their main issues is ensuring they match the right people.  At least with Gamecrush, you know you ostensibly have one thing in common, video games.

This may be worth watching…  After all, many of my posts are about social media or gaming.  I wonder if this is simply a manifestation of pent-up demand on both fronts?  Then again, maybe it is the stupidest thing ever.  Regardless, it’s exactly the sort of thing that keeps me blogging.