Android's Cupcake is first step to rivaling the iPhone's cheesecake

Late last week I began waiting for my Cupcake. I heard a rumor that T-Mobile had began distributing Cupcake at random to people over-the-air. I waited for my turn to receive my Cupcake. When I became impatient, I took drastic measures in order to force my Cupcake to come to me. It turned out my Cupcake was too smart for that. Now it is 5 days later, and I am still without my Cupcake.
This is no ordinary Cupcake, though it is likely just as decadent. The Cupcake I am referring to is the software update to Google's software baby, the Android mobile phone operating system. The first Android phone, the HTC G1, is distributed by T-Mobile in the United States. I have been a patient T-Mobile customer for years, and now I am finally reaping the benefits.

I was one of the first adopters of the G1. I love Google (right, Blogger?). I tolerate G1. Going from an Apple iPod Touch to an Android phone was a huge leap. I expected a similar operating system to the iPod/iPhone's gimped OS X version -- just more "open" since it's all Linux-y and stuff. I was wrong.

The G1 has been a disappointment as an iPhone killer thus far. The G1 is very slow compared to the iPhone, and the design of both the phone and the Android OS is... well, ugly by comparison. Even still, I love my little phone, for all of its flaws. Android has the potential to be an iPhone killer. I believe Cupcake is the first step.

Cupcake, named after a Google executive's sweet-tooth, brings several improvements to the operating system. First and foremost, this update brings a much-needed soft keyboard -- the days of opening up my phone to do even minor typing are gone. The update also brings a handful of new applications, design tweaks, and changes to make things a bit *easier*. This updates will make the phone sexier and more efficient -- so hopefully it will no longer hemorrhage battery power.


The update has reportedly been released in the UK, and for Android dev phones. There are options for "rooting" your phone to update it, but I want to do this naturally -- for sentimental reasons, and since the rooting process isn't yet completely fool-proof. (Therefore, I are fool!)

I will continue to wait.

Sandbox games: Make your own fun

With the release of Bully: Scholarship Edition for both my Wii and my 360, I found it was time to wax poetic about the type of game it is. You see, games like Bully and Grand Theft Auto (both made by Rockstar) have been criticized for being games dubbed as "making your own fun." I'm in the other camp, believing that "make your own fun" is an excellent type of game.

Other than Grand Theft Auto, perhaps the biggest and best example of MYOF would be The Sims. You can get your Sims jobs... or don't. You can fulfill their personality requirements... or don't. You can get them married... or don't. You can kill them off... but that takes a while.



Grand Theft Auto, and now Bully, are exactly the same way. You see, in both games there are things called "missions" that you must complete in order to move on through the game. They can range from making an errand to killing (or beating up in Bully's case) a specific foe. While in Bully I find myself inclined to complete the missions and beat the game, I have never felt that way for Grand Theft Auto. Perhaps it is because the killing and stealing in Grand Theft Auto are more fun than in Bully.


That isn't to say anything bad about bully. GTA is for mature audiences, and Bully is for teens. I just found a huge appeal and stealing people's cars. It's not as if I don't randomly go around beating people up in Bully for the heck of it... I just focus on the missions as well. In GTA, however, I find most of the missions tedious. But even without them... I've never had any trouble having fun -- making my own fun.


I think I have this appeal in both games because of Rockstar's use of witty dialog. I find myself laughing out loud at the things the characters say when I am fighting them. There's a whole city (or region in GTA's case) to explore, and most of the time 99% of it has nothing to do with your mission at hand. It's just fun to explore.

While games like Halo and The Legend of Zelda without these sandbox qualities will always be my favorites (though Zelda does have the "go where you want" and "take the game at your own pace" qualities, there's just less to do), I will always enjoy The Sims, GTA, and now Bully for their unique quality.

The winner, and still champion......

THE PEOPLE OF NEW YORK! AND THE CROWD GOES WILD.

What am I talking about, you ask? Think about it for a second: New Yorkers... champions... you almost got it. Yes, I'm talking about sports. No, not the Yankees, they're chokers, not winners (lately). I'm referring to the only New York sports team in the major three to win a title in this century: the New York (football) Giants.

And what title am I referring to? Yes, yes, you can have your Super Bowl title (begrudedly). I am talking about the title of most obnoxious city (or region). Not only does upsetting the Patriots in the Super Bowl stop Boston (and New England) from becoming the most obnoxious place when it comes to sports due to sheer ego, it fuels the New Yorkers ego by giving them at least ONE other team that isn't horrible at the present more.

You see, had the Patriots scored 4 more points (or prevented the final 7) they would've been crowned as the new champion of the obnoxious sports fan universe. It wasn't hard to foresee: the Red Sox winning their 2nd title in four seasons, the resurgence of the most storied franchise in NBA history (who look to be on their way to hanging up banner 16 ANTIJINX), and on top of that, the most dominant sports franchise of the new millenium putting up only the 2nd undefeated football season in NFL history? That's more than enough to do it right there: and the Sox and Patriots had saved up enough good will to do it on their own in the 6 years prior to this one.


But history was averted. Doc Brown and Marty went forward in their De Lorean and convinced Ellis Hobbs to leave Burress open, convinced Dean Pees to blitz on their own goal line, and told Bill to go for it on 4th and 13. That's how I'd like to remember it anyway.

It's not even about the Super Bowl loss, and all the shame that's bound to come with it next season (deservedly). That's fine... two months ago to this day. We're over it (sniff sniff), regardless of me choosing to write about it today.

No, it's much more than that. It's about all the obnoxious Giants fans I see out now. In a way it's like tasting our own medicine... the Red Sox have the "pink hat" fans who go to the game because it's stylish. We have the casual Patriots fan who could only name HALF the Patriots with the last name of Brady (now they can since Kyle Brady is gone). But this all came after 86 years of paying our dues. New York fans were obnoxious as recently as 2003, and rightfully so. They're back, and with a vengence.



Just a month ago I went to go see Will Ferrell at the Ryan Center at URI. Leaving in pouring snow, I walked by a group of visibly drunk girls. One noted my Patriots sweatshirt, waited until I was a safe distance away (but still within earshot) to yell "YOU CHOKED!" It's the bevvy of Giants hats that I see out and about now... with the wearers of said hats shooting me shit-eating grins when I wear my Patriots sweatshirt. The faces are familiar... the hats are not. I want to ask.... "Where was that hat in December?"

You see, the day after last year's AFC Championship Game loss to (Professor Pennell's) Colts, I wore my throwback Rodney Harrison jersey. I did the same the Monday after the crushing Super Bowl loss. I wore it... with pride. During a class last semester, there was one guy who would wear a ratty Yankees leather jacket to class every week. When the Yankees made their run in early September, he added a hat to the mix.

He even got a bit obnoxious, despite their continued position of 2nd place in the standings. He predicted future victories should the Red Sox be "lucky enough" to survive to meet them in the ALCS. Once the Yankees fell victim to the Cleveland Indians, the hat and the jacket, disappeared. Part of me wanted to razz him about the weather getting colder and him maybe needing a leather jacket to warm up... but I didn't force the issue -- for fear of his mental state. Even after the Red Sox won the World Series I stayed mum... I didn't have to, but I did.

So enjoy it now, Giants fans. The world is yours for 10 more months. Don't waste the opportunity.

Don't touch me you open-source freak.

Has it happened? Yes, I've been using Linux for quite some time now... but I never thought I would turn into one of those people.... and I think I still haven't... yet.

If you don't know what I'm talking about -- I'm talking about those hippies who use Linux to "fight the power," and to work against the "establishment." You know those people in the Apple commercials who obnoxiously claim they "think different?" These people are 100 times worse, and would make commercials railing against those Apple hippies.... if commercials didn't cost money.



Yes, I use Linux because it's free. I have no qualms about Windows costing money. This is a dirty little secret that most Linux fans don't want you to know.... some Linux distributions cost money as well! Ahhhhhhhhh!!!! It's not about that.

I use Linux. I've used Windows. It doesn't deeply offend me that you still use Windows. I could care less. I use Linux because I'm a control freak and love being able to customize every pixel of my desktop. That's not for everyone, and that's fine.

I recently reformatted my girlfriend's laptop for her and, with her blessing, installed Ubuntu. She loves how her window borders are pink and "cute." She, like most people, is a blank slate. She may get lost using Linux, but she would get just as lost using Windows.

In fact, while setting up her internet, I had her run "ipconfig" on her Windows machine (which confused her as well, as she couldn't find the "Windows machine" on her Ubuntu desktop). When she ran it, I asked her what the number for her "default gateway" was. She informed me that her computer wasn't a Gateway, but was a Toshiba. I was dismayed. This, my friends, is a fellow Linux user, but hardly a hippie... just virus-prone and needed to be protected from herself.

So please don't group me, or her, into the demographic of Linux hippie. I am not, nor will I ever be, a Linux hippie.... and that is relieving. I just like customizing my stuff... and doding viruses no matter how promiscuous my laptop wishes to be.

Super Smash Bros Brawl: I'm not mad, I'm just...... disappointed

Don't take this the wrong way SSB Brawl... it isn't your fault. It's just that Super Smash Bros Melee, your predecessor for the Nintendo Gamecube... was just so... perfect. There was bound to be a letdown. Maybe I'm jus the only one I know not wearing Nintendo-colored glasses and can see this game for what it is -- a step backwards from Melee.

Like I said Brawl... it isn't your fault. Melee just did so many things so well. And as is the case with many Nintendo series... if things aren't changed, Nintendo gets criticized for standing pat. Nintendo critics probably aren't familiar with the expression "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."


Yes, I'm aware that this game has more characters than any other Smash title before... including outsiders like Snake and Sonic.... but there are also trash characters like Ice Climbers, who make a re-appearance though being abhored by.. EVERYONE.... with new additions to the crap character list like Wolf, Olimar, and Lucas. Speaking of crap characters... there are three, count them, THREE, Kirby characters. I have no problem with having three characters (okay I do), but all three are unlocked from the beginning.... yes, 3 of the some odd 18 starting characters are Kirby'd. Yes, I know HAL makes both Kirby and Brawl... but jeez.

I would go into, at length, why the different control schemes actually hurts the game... but all it would do is hurt me as well. You see... I tried to like this game.... HARD. I had every reason to. I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

Don't mind me... I'll just be in the corner weeping and mourning what could have been.

Don't tell my girlfriend: I'm in love with my DVR

Sure, sure, as with most subject matter I write about on this blog, it's not exactly fresh. Sorry to be tardy to the party. But I just cannot deny it anymore... I love my DVR.

Yes, it's true I've only had the thing for less than a month, but it makes no difference. It was love at first recording. It does help having more channels than I previously had to choose from, but I'd love my DVR even without them.

This is my first successful acquisition of a DVR, but not my first attempt. Two Christmases ago I was slated to get a TiVo from my aforementioned girlfriend. Things fell through and I got a poker table instead. I love that table, and it's a good thing I didn't get a TiVo. Now with an HDTV to go with my box, and my new channels... I'm in heaven. (And my Cable bill is lower? .....only in America.)



Back on the stone age if you had two things on you wanted to watch, you either had to tape one or go half fulfilled (unless you were some nerd with a multi-VCR setup... then God help you). Now with my DVR, I can tape things, without having to manually set every recording... and it's tape-less! My goodness!

That's not even the best part. I can stockpile my obscure shows for the lull on weekend afternoons while I slug through homework... that's more Rocko's Modern Life, Grounded for Life, The Riches, The OC, and South Park than one human is meant to enjoy. And enjoy it I do. And if something I want is on HBO (also new to the family) but I don't want to stay up until 4am watching it, tape-a-roo. Voila!

I sound like a schoolgirl talking about my DVR. And I don't care.

Dear diary,

I'm sure everyone waits for this moment in their life.... but... but... (take a deep breath) I think I'm in love. No, I KNOW I'm in love! I can't believe it, diary, it's happening to me!

His name is Motorola DCH3416. And he's everything I want in a DVR. He's not just any DVR, he's an HD-DVR. He can record two shows at once, and knows everything I like (after I told him of course). He's so dreamy

Best regards,

Rob

PS: Don't tell my little brother.

I don't even have a little brother.

But seriously... this is wonderful.

On a more serious note... I believe this not just because of my personal shows that I love. I think that this, along with On Demand, is the future of television. I mean, it's already starting to happen. No longer will it be "this place, this time" to watch shows. Once a show is "released," it will be available forever to download and view at your leisure.

I mean... that's the case for some people right now anyway... though the legality of that is a hot topic. I won't get into that right now and the COUNTLESS reasons why it should be legal for free TV to be free to download... but it will be the norm in about a decade, I believe.

Until then... let the lovefest continue.

(RDP+DVR 4EVER)

Please stop complaining about the Wii.

Don't get me wrong: there are plenty of reasons to complain about the Wii. It has last-generation graphics, 70% of the games for it are utter trash, and it being a success is going to "kill" gaming. While not all of these reasons are valid (or, in the case of some writers, coherent), they all have been beaten to death already.

The release of the Nintendo Wii and its subsequent success was a great thing for video gaming. It wasn't a "shot in the arm," or really a "breath of fresh air," or any of that other bullshit. It was just different. It was exactly what Nintendo needed after their previous two home consoles were downgrades from their predecessors (Super Nintendo was awesome, Nintendo 64 was okay, and Gamecube will forever be a flop). If the "Revolution" was released without motion sensing controls, would it have been a colossal failure? YES. But because it was, it hardly makes it a revolution.

The fact of the matter is that Nintendo is always the leader when it comes to goofy peripherals and funky new ways to play games. Some would even argue (Luke Smith) that the Wii itself is just a glorified Gamecube peripheral. Hmm... let's see, there was the Power Glove for the NES, R.O.B., the useless robot (who's resurgence in first-party titles lately has left me nauseous), Virtual Boy, and a little device called the Nintendo Dual Screen which was slated to be an ugly failure to the PSP... and how did that one turn out?



My point is that Nintendo has been doing this for years. While the Wii was the first commercially successful attempt on a home console doesn't mean it's anything new. It fell right into Nintendo's reputation. Surely it changed gaming, but there's a good side and a bad side to it.

Just from a titles perspective, it appears that it's about 70% bad as of right now. But there are more than just titles factored into it -- though it plays a huge role. If you're like me and have a Wii and another home console (Xbox 360), you couldn't wait to run out and try a game like Madden for the Wii. If the "like me" parallel continues, you were bored within 10 minutes and vowed never to play another multi-platform title on the Wii again.

Simply put, there are games that play perfectly on the Wii -- Zelda is a great example. But other games like Madden feel completely unnatural, and the trade off of poor graphics for innovative controls is just not worth it. That says nothing about Madden as a title... just Madden on the Wii.

No, no, the Wii has plenty of other horrid titles to worry about. Sure there is just about every Playstation 2 port in the world, as well as gimpy movie titles such as Spongebob and Cars... but I'm talking the fluke games made especially for Wii. Sure, some of them are fun (Cooking Mama, Trauma Center), but most of them should never see the light of day. And those that are multi-platform for current generation consoles are usually a huge downgrade due to the poor graphics and unnatural controls.

This is not to say that I don't love my Wii. I do... to death. But most of the time it is my exclusive "Wii Sports" machine... used for very little else. Sure it has ancillary channels such as news and weather, but they will never be my main sources for it. I commend Nintendo for its other channels like "Check Mii Out" and "Everybody Votes."

Am I forgetting something? Ah yes, the Virtual Console. Sure, the first time you start up Donkey Kong you feel all nostalgic... but the second time you crank up Donkey Kong you regret having bought it. Most other games are chalked up to a crapshoot of patience. You cannot wait to purchase Super Marios 1-3 for $15, fully knowing that Super Mario All-Stars (which includes all three titles) will be out in the future at some point, for $8. At the end of the day, it's not worth it.



But to say that the Wii being successful will kill gaming is ludicrous. Games will not suddenly be backscaled in graphics... advances will continue to be made. Graphics are almost as far as they can go for realism... and those who complain are just splitting hairs. There will always be those who want one or the other... I wouldn't trade my 360 OR my Wii, for very different reasons. If anything, it'll just force Sony and Microsoft to lower prices if they wish to COMPETE WITH NINTENDO.


Yes, I just said that. While it is a valid argument that Nintendo is in its own niche this generation, it's still a home console. They said so themselves. I scoffed at the thought of a Wii60 or a PSWii, and now I have one. But it's not as if Sony and Microsoft are fully embracing and aligning with the Wii, they're just not naive enough to deny its success. Even though they are the top selling console, I could see arguments that they cannot win this generation... though I can see people saying that they cannot lose it at this point.

Regardless of winning or losing the generation, Nintendo can't truly lose at all. They're back on the map, after being an afterthought for the past decade. And with titles like Zelda, Mario, Smash Bros, and Mario Kart bound to fly off the shelves quicker than they can be released... the future looks bright. But I bet that future would be a lot brighter and clearer in HD.