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Comment: Re:Really? (Score 4, Insightful) 172

by skaet (#35515156) Attached to: Ubisoft Announces Music Game For Real Guitars

They criticise plastic controllers, now they criticise real guitars. Where's the happy in-between?

Those opposed to the music game genre generally believe the lack of realism is holding it back. It doesn't take any sort of musical skill aside from a good sense of beat to push 5 coloured buttons. Yet the instant it requires a real instrument, and real playing ability, it's not about the controller at all - you're still playing a game which immediately destroys any sort of credibility the activity of playing an instrument may have associated with it.

How is this any different to playing along with a CD, the radio, or youtube? It's not. It's arguably better as it will provide feedback on your progress while giving you a genuinely entertaining way to learn (by experiencing true rock and roll culture) rather than the stale "these are chord charts; now play these scales" you get from your local guitar school/tutor. I also hope Ubisoft will include an advanced tutorial for improving your playing technique instead of simply repeating a section of the song until you can perform the require button mashing from muscle memory.



Submitted by skaet
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Comment: Re:How elastic? (Score 1) 213

by skaet (#31804916) Attached to: Scientists Turn T-Shirts Into Body Armor


This may hold more weight if you elaborated on your line of work or hobbies. If nothing in your ordinary routine involves firearms then I could claim this also.

I'm a 26 year old student studying graphic design and multimedia development with no real hobbies outside video gaming. Other than shooting hares with an air rifle on Dad's farm I've had little contact with real firearms, and I've manage to be safe wearing regular t-shirts as protection for almost 30 years!

Comment: Re:Sell it (Score 2, Informative) 416

by skaet (#29677805) Attached to: What To Do With a Free Xbox 360 Pro?

I agree. Streaming network content to the xbox 360 is the easiest media centre I have ever had the pleasure to work with. I also happen to be one of the lucky ones who has bought 2 xbox 360s and never had either of them RROD in 2.5 years.

While the media centre offerings on XP can be a hassle to set up - Vista is only slightly less time consuming - the Win 7 setup is by far the easiest and fastest, even compared with 3rd party options like TVersity. With the appropriate codecs installed, simply add the folder to the Videos libraries and in Media Player click "Stream -> More streaming options...". Give permission for the 360 to access your PCs media library, wait for Media Player to index the files, then navigate to the video library on the 360. A list of network devices with media streaming capabilities will appear after a few seconds and simply follow the folder structure to access the file you want to watch.

While it doesn't allow you to stream internet media, the Netflix service is available for U.S. residents. TVersity will also allow you to subscribe to internet video feeds if local network content is not enough. I am using my desktop PC and a WD My Book World NAS (which natively supports media streaming via PVConnect [TwonkyMedia] and automatically shows up under the xbox video library device list) to download and feed all my music and video, respectively. Any sufficient network should be able to support all types of media, even using the xbox wireless adapter (802.11g) has enough bandwidth to stream 720p HDTV x264 content without waiting to buffer.

For my needs, this setup fits perfectly. Obviously OzPeter has a much narrow focus for what he wants to do but if others have similar requirements as myself then I can't recommend this enough. I never thought we would see the day when a Microsoft product would "just work" but kudos to them for coming this far.

Comment: Re:Dock/Taskbar design (Score 1) 688

by skaet (#29268697) Attached to: OS Performance &mdash; Snow Leopard, Windows 7, and Ubuntu 9.10

And what do I actually get from it, that wasn't available in XP?

DirectX 11. Also not available on Mac or Linux.


I have preview panes in XP, too - not only that, but I have labels in my taskbar!

W7 has labels too, just not on by default (right-click taskbar -> Properties -> Taskbar buttons: [always combine, hide labels/combine when taskbar is full/never combine]). As for XPs preview panes, I shouldn't have to install a bunch of 3rd party programs just to get previews, jump lists, window transparency, search index from the start menu, media sharing to compatible devices (Windows Mobile, Xbox 360, Media Center PCs etc). These features really make a difference to your regular eye-candy suck.. er, consumer. Not as big a difference for the power users, but I've come to appreciate them and genuinely regard them as worthwhile improvements to the Windows platform.

Comment: Re:95% accuracy is pretty awesome. (Score 3, Insightful) 107

by skaet (#28526243) Attached to: Toyota Demonstrates Brain Control of Wheelchair

Additionally, which 5% are we talking about? Does it fail every 57min for 3min reliably? Every 19min for 60sec? Every minute for 3sec? Or every 10sec for half a second?

Breaking it down like that and what do you get? A very small delay between reaction times every few seconds. Perhaps not even a noticeable delay since their optimal response time is 0.125sec

Comment: Re:So... (Score 1) 263

by skaet (#28418825) Attached to: Nvidia Lauds Windows CE Over Android For Smartbooks

Now you're just providing me with free entertainment. I couldn't get value this good from a money tree! You've got some issues, I suggest you post more to get it out of your system. Better yet, keep trying to justify the supposed validity of your arguements to me for my own private amusement, and I promise to keep baiting you with 4-sentence replies!

Comment: Re:So... (Score 1) 263

by skaet (#28407147) Attached to: Nvidia Lauds Windows CE Over Android For Smartbooks

Ha! Let it rest man. I know what I said and this new article still doesn't prove anything that you claimed. It's just another example for the pile of crap but of the thousands - perhaps hundreds of thousands? - of MS articles since the beginning of the year, how many do you suppose were actually paid for either directly or indirectly? Not "all of them" I'll bet. It's this hyperbole that makes people like you no better than the fear-mongering mass media. It's a dirty, despicable tactic which I despise.

Oh, nice to see that you hold grudges too. It's been 3 days, let it go.

Comment: Re:So... (Score 1) 263

by skaet (#28386073) Attached to: Nvidia Lauds Windows CE Over Android For Smartbooks

I understand they have a proven track record for this kind of behaviour - it doesn't mean I do or don't take this article as the word of God Himself - but does that mean every blogger and/or reputable news source since the start of the year has been "paid for either directly or indirectly by MS or a MS cross promotion, back room deal."

This was the point the grand-grand-whatever parent was making and it's that blatant falsification of "fact" that really pisses me off. Yes, they more than certainly paid some manufacturers and publications to give them good publicity in recent history (let's not exclude Apple or nVidia or Intel from doing the same thing), but there is currently no evidence to support it in this case. Until you or I or the original claimant can provide it then by all means, but for now it's pure anecdotal speculation.

Comment: Re:So... (Score 1) 263

by skaet (#28385973) Attached to: Nvidia Lauds Windows CE Over Android For Smartbooks

Oh snap, you got me!

I admit now that I've never read anything negative about Microsoft in my entire life. I blindly use Microsoft products trusting they know what's best for me as a mindless consumer of all things expunged from the brightly shinng, fresh-scented arsehole of a godless mega-corporation.

You've just outed me to the entire world. I am shamed and humiliated. I will now cry in the corner while cutting myself...
