Apple Black Friday Deals

Yes, you heard right! Apple is actually running sales on their products. Here are some of the discounts you can find on their website.

8gb iPod Touch: $209 (original $229)
16gb wifi iPad: $458 (original $499)
13 inch Macbook Pro: $1098 (original $1199)
13 inch Macbook Air: $1198 (original $1299)
21.5 inch iMac: $1098 (original $1199)

And plenty of other deals at: http://store.apple.com/us

Pokemon Black and White Starters

Here are the new starters for Pokemon Black and White. The English names for all three were just recently released. Look for both versions to be released in the US around spring 2011. They sure have come a long way from charmander and squirtle...

New iPad Game: Rage

Today John Carmack, the co-creator of Doom, released what appears to be the most graphically stunning iPad game to date. Rage is an on-rails first person shooter developed specifically for iOS and the iPad.

Rage is a standard zombie shooter, with a tap to shoot interface, using your left hand to aim. It offers one of the best, and most familiar first person shooter experiences on the iPad and iPhone.

The main reason Rage was put on rails was to keep the file size of the game down, the HD version already exceeds 1gb. However, control wise the automated walking benefits the game as the iPad has poor controls, and is very limited compared to a dual-analog or mouse and keyboard system.

Carmack explains that this game doesn't reach the full potential of the iPad, despite it's crisp appearance, and he hopes to develop further games to challenge even console gaming.

Here's a video demo I found, showing off both the iPad and iPhone versions.

Welcome Starcraft 2

I've finally caved! I decided Starcraft 2 was too great of a game to resist buying due to it's selfish $60 price tag.

Add me, my SC2 name is: Oleg
code: 706

Here's a little something to wet your taste buds, from the last Starcraft 2 GSL Tournament in Korea.

Two of the great Starcraft players: SlayerS_`BoxeR` and Fruitdealer

The iPad Dilemma

Yes, I am considering buying an Apple iPad. I already own an iPhone 3g. Despite going to college full time, I also manage 30-40 hour work weeks; this allows some disposable income every once in a while. I'm also selling my PS3 on ebay >_>

To begin, I am a devout PC gaming and computer enthusiast. I build all my own computers as many people do today, but the iPad has shown a few things which I covet in a portable media platform. I often look at a mac's specs and think overpriced, trendy, Starbucks going bullshit; with things like $200 for a 1gb ram upgrade coming to mind. But here, with the iPad, I see a platform that is not comparable to an Asus, HP or Dell device, and is reasonably priced at the lower models. Sure tablet PCs have been around for years, but in terms of the sheer usefulness to price/portability ratio, the iPad offers something new. Many people have argued it's simply a larger iPhone or iPod Touch, which in essence it is, but that's exactly what was needed to boost the value to the next level and invade netbook/laptop territory.

As someone with a powerful desktop which I already use for photoshop, illustrator, video editing and gaming, I need a portable device for the web and getting work done on campus or around the house. The iPhone is great in a pinch, but for extended work sessions away from home, the battery life runs thin and you run the risk of being without a phone (something we take for granted far too often).

Here are the pros and cons I have found when comparing an iPad to a laptop for mobile work.

Dell XPS M1530 Laptop -

Cons.

1. 15.6 inches, somewhat large
2. Is awkward to balance on lap and type
3. Burns my legs (almost)
4. Battery lasts 3-4 hours with regular usage (web, videos music)
5. Current battery I have doesn't even charge after 1 year of use. (longevity is weak)
6. My model's retail: $970

Pros.

1. Processing/video power and speed (Intel core 2 duo, 4gb ram, 8600m gt)
2. Full desktop workstation abilities
3. Mouse/touchpad/keyboard
4. USB ports, larger HDD storage


The iPad -

Cons.

1. Weak, single core processor
2. No raw file management system
3. Limited connection ports (actually only 1, the stupid charging port)
4. Apps limit full range of a normal computer's abilities


Pros.

1. Touch interface for quick actions
2. Book-like portability
3. amazing battery life (~10 hours of web browsing, more for music)
4. Expansive application list create ease of use
5. 16gb model's retail: $599

What experiences have other people had with the iPad?

The Future of FPS Gaming

First off: The preceding few days have been hectic in my work and school life, sorry for a lack of posts.
Now, here is something I hope to receive a little discussion about.


Today marks the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops. With the addition of yet another modern first person shooter to the gaming market; what can one expect going forward with the FPS genre?

Games like the Battlefield, Call of Duty and Medal of Honor installments have all brought popular periods of war to the home gamer, but the future of this product seems a mystery to me. How long will the rehashed, recycled first person war game dominate the FPS genre? Does anyone else wonder how long this trend will continue?
Personally, I satisfied my lust for war games just playing the battlefield series (1942, Vietnam, 2), and yet games continue to be released which replicate the same experiences(MoH and CoD: MW2 etc.). I understand the slightly different play styles of each game; vehicles vs. running, or large maps vs. small and concise. However, I still can't shake the idea that this cash cow is on it's last stand, particularly with the recent failure of reviving the Medal of Honor franchise.

Call of Duty: Black Ops will hopefully bring something new to the war FPS market, which has seen little innovation in the last few years. I'm looking forward to trying the game and reading reviews. Feel free to comment with your experiences on this subject.

More Digital Fun

A funky sig/image I made. Drew that squid all by myself in illustrator :D

Static Couch logo alternate one.
Alternate number two of the Static Couch logo. It's currently the one I decided on for the official site. Check it out at http://www.staticcouch.com/home

New Logo Design

Continuing with my recent Photoshop learning, here is the current logo design I've made for the website static couch. Tell me your questions, comments, concerns. Visit the hyperlink to see it in action!

A New Direction for Static Couch

Here is something I did up for Static Couch. I've been considering making the site into a weekly (or every few days) episode series. If anyone knows about G4's canceled TV show Cinematech, then this may look familiar to you. I would like to continue on the spirit of a show which I liked so much growing up. So enjoy, and leave some feedback on what I can do to make the episodes better if you can.

The initial load time may take a bit, but give it a minute. It's a big file, but the quality is still sub par. If this were to become a continual thing, I would invest in a higher quality video host.

1,000 Page Views!!!

Congratulations to Tangelo's Pizza Shop for getting 1,000 page views today at 8:12pm!

I'd like to say thank-you to all the repeat visitors and fans of the site. Hopefully the success will continue, and I'll be able to bring more news and entertainment to the shop. Keep coming, and don't forget about the greatest electronic blog on the web!




Here's a little something in return.

Some fun

Hacker Bullshit

I want to make a program or virus that has this when you try to access it.



p.s.
Jurassic Park is one of my favorite movies of all time.