Tony Hawk HD

This is something that I hope becomes a continuing trend... recently, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD was released on XBox Live Arcade for 1200 points (I think that's like $15 or so.) This is definitely a beautiful and much requested release that brings life back into the Tony Hawk Pro Skater series.

The Tony Hawk series was a massive success when it first came out and remained so for many of it's sequels. In the later years it started to get very watered down as it attempted to out-do itself with every game. By the time they created a Tony Hawk skateboard controller, many fans were already long gone from the series and wishing for the times of old.

Hope seemed lost until this game was announced for XBox Live... and when it was finally released, many Tony Hawk fans were breathing sighs of relief. This game gives the fans of the earlier Tony Hawk games exactly what they wanted (although I still would like a few things added back in, such as stepping off your board, etc...) but overall, this is a return to what made Tony Hawk games fun. The levels are pretty much straight out of the classic games, which is OK, and the hope is that they will begin releasing more and more of these games, potentially with new levels and moves, etc...

Anyway... I wanna stop typing and play some more... booyah! Oh yea... so far I've played through 3 levels and would rate the game a 4 out of 5.

My Introduction to The Beastie Boys

I know that most people don't care to read these kinds of posts, but on the dusk of Adam Yauch's passing, I am reflecting back on just how much the Beastie Boys have been a part of my life and how I was first lured in by their music and humor.

It was 1986, and I was only 5 years old, which seems crazy that I would remember things from such a young age, but it is still quite clear in my mind. My first taste of Beastie was much like everyone else's first experience, watching the 'Fight for your Right (to Party)' music video on MTV. It didn't hurt either that my older brother was a huge hip hop fan (and DJ) who played the first Beastie Boys album ad nauseam.

Even at the young age of 5, it was the humor of the FFYR video that hooked me. Everything from the nerds planning a party to the pie fight was hilarious to me, even if I didn't know at that time what a 'porno mag' was and why their mom would throw it away (not to mention why their 'mom' was a fat, balding older man in a wife beater,) but regardless, there was no turning back.

It might have been the next year or maybe a couple years later that my brother purchased the 'License to Ill' VHS tape, and let me just tell you this, I probably snuck and watched it more times than I could count on all the Beasties fingers and toes. It was a great collection of videos and behind the scenes antics, but at the time one of the biggest reasons I watched it was because during the live performance of 'She's Crafty' there was one shot when a girl in the audience pulled up her shirt, and this was probably my first glimpse of women's breasts, so naturally I watched it over and over again. Other favorite parts of the video included the 'No Sleep till Brooklyn' video, the 'She's on it' video, the behind the scenes trip to White Castle, and of course the prank where the Boys dumped a bucket of water on a sleeping journalist.

These are my earliest B-Boys memories, and I have followed them ever since, at times quite obsessively. I used to jokingly say that my religion was Beastie Boys, and although at first a joke, in a way it was true. The Beastie Boys went from wild punk rockers to self-conscious and politically active humanitarians, and I certainly feel like I evolved right along with them and learned so much through their music and through the way they lived.

I don't know what will become of The Beastie Boys after Adam Yauch's passing, I honestly can't see the Beastie Boys as just Mike D and Adrock, but regardless, the impression that they have made is something I will carry along with me for the rest of my life. I always felt like The Beastie Boys were to me like The Beatles were for my parent's generation and with this current tragedy, it feels even moreso.

In conclusion, I am grateful for all that The Beastie Boys, and MCA in particular, have done for this world and the legacy that they are leaving behind. They are, and have been, my favorite band of all time...they have transcended almost all musical genres...and they have changed my life for the better! For this I give my heartfelt thanks.

Yauch, you will never be forgotten! #RIPMCA

RIP MCA

Today is truly a sad day. It was just announced that MCA, aka Adam Yauch has passed away from cancer at 47 years of age.

There isn't enough I can say about The Beastie Boys' influence on my entire life and learning this news has absolutely broke my heart. Since 1986 when they first broke into the mainstream, I remember listening to the B-Boys (courtesy of my brother) and ever since I have followed their career and loved every musical minute of it. They evolved and grew and paved the way for many, and I can't say enough about them all, especially MCA.

He will be greatly missed but not forgotten and his legacy is cemented for all time.

R.I.P. MCA...

GTA V in October 2012?!?

A Scottish Character Animator for Rockstar Games who was working on GTA V may have let it slip that the game's release is due this upcoming October. Whether this is true or not, only time will tell, and with Rockstar themselves being hush hush, it's hard to say if this seems credible or not.

We did already get the first trailer, that's a step in the right direction, but Rockstar is releasing Max Payne 3 at the end of May... and apparently they do not normally release two big games in the same year, so that may be a step back. October is usually the month that GTA games are released, with the exception being GTA IV (which was orginally scheduled for October, but delayed,) this could be a good sign. Also, the next next generation consoles are purported to be released in Fall of 2013, which means if GTA V was held back until next year, they would either be cutting the life of the game short since new consoles would be released, or they might actually be making this game for the new consoles... but that's less likely since it appears the game is largely complete already (judging by the trailer.)

In my opinion, it makes sense that it will be released October of this year, I imagine that they are holding off on releasing too much information until early June, after Max Payne gets released. I doubt they want to cannibalize any of their products, so this seems logical to me. This would give Rockstar a good 5 months to whet our appetites with trailers and promotion.

I'll be crossing my fingers!

Leisure Suit Larry Kickstarter

Earlier in the year I talked about how excited I am because they will be releasing HD remakes of the Leisure Suit Larry series... starting with LSL1 and eventually going all the way up to LSL7... well, they must have hit a bit of a snag when trying to find a backer that was willing to fund this project, and now it is seemingly, in the hands of the fans.

That's right folks, Replay Games has extended an invitation to anybody and everybody willing, to throw some money into a Leisure Suit Larry Kickstarter campaign. They are requiring $500,000 in donations due by May 2nd, in order to make this remake a reality. The good news is that they are almost halfway to their goal already ($233,000 as I write this,) with about 21 days remaining. Here is the link if you want to donate!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/leisuresuitlarry/make-leisure-suit-larry-come-again?ref=live

They have tierred rewards for various amounts of donations that fans make, and so far, I have donated $15 which is the minimal, but will entitle me to a free copy of the remake when it is released. The futher up the donation ladder you go will get you things such as a huge LSL remake art book, the ability to beta-test the game, and for those with a lot of cash to blow (we're talking thousands,) you could even have your name included in the game, or maybe even your dog.

I am crossing my fingers and toes that they do get all the funds they need to make this game a reality and I hope it does well and that they do indeed end up remaking the entire series.

The Tale of 8 (or maybe 9) iPads

My last post was a review for my new iPad, and in the conclusion I mentioned that I have owned 8 iPads... (technically 9) that's kind of crazy... let me take this post to explain each one.

1) [iPad 32GB, Wi-Fi Only] April 2010 - My first iPad was bought on the initial launch day (which was a Saturday.) My wife and I went to Best Buy and grabbed one with no hassle. I Loved it! This iPad got sold to a co-worker during the initial week of release.

2) [iPad 64GB, 3G AT&T] April 2010 - About 2 weeks after the first iPad was released, Apple announced a 3G iPad, wanting cellular service (just in case,) I decided to sell my iPad and then I took off work so I could stand in line for the 3G iPad. The line was long, but I managed to get the iPad I wanted... whew. This iPad ended up going to my Mom.

3) [iPad 2, 32GB, White, 3G Verizon] March 2011 - I missed the initial launch because it was 5 p.m. on Friday and I couldn't get off work, so I went the next day to the closest Apple store and waited early. Options were slim, and this was the only iPad 2 I could get, I couldn't resist even though it was the opposite of what I wanted, which was a 64 GB, Black AT&T... oh well. This iPad ended up being returned to the Apple Store.

4) [iPad 2, 64GB, Black Wi-Fi Only] March 2011 - I went back to the Apple store a week later to exchange my White iPad for a Black one (I couldn't get used to the white bezel no matter how I tried.) This time, supply was limited again, so I got the iPad I wanted, except it didn't have 3G...ugh... oh well. This iPad ended up being returned to the Apple Store.

5) [iPad 2, 64GB, Black 3G AT&T] March 2011 - Finally I was able to find the exact iPad 2 I wanted on a random trip to Target (about 2 weeks after its release,) so I scooped it up immediately and took back my Wi-Fi Only unit. Yay... success. This iPad eventually ended up going to my Dad.

6) [iPad 2, 32GB, White 3G Verizon] April 2011 - Easter was approaching and I was becoming quite obsessed with iPad-Hunting, so I wanted to get one for Jen. It took about 2 weeks before I found another one at Target and I grabbed it and gave it to her for Easter. This iPad ended up selling on eBay because Jen used it less than she thought she would.

7) [iPad 3rd Generation, 64GB, Black, 3G AT&T] March 2012 - Instead of obsessing with iPad-Hunting, this time I simply pre-ordered, and it was quick and painless to have it delivered (to my Parent's, since I wouldn't be home to sign.) This iPad is my current love...ur...i mean... my current iPad.

8) [iPad, 64GB, 3G AT&T] March 2012 - This iPad was my Dad's that he purchased after seeing how awesome the iPad is when my Mom got my old one...and since I just gave him my iPad 2 when I got the iPad 3rd generation, he gave this one to Jen. This iPad is Jen's current iPad.

9) [iPad, 64GB, 3G AT&T] March 2012 - This iPad was my Mom's, which was originally mine... since she got the new iPad, she gave me this one back to sell. This iPad will be listed on eBay within a week or so.

And the saga continues...

New iPad... A Week In

It's been a little over a week since I ripped the plastic off of the latest and greatest iPad... dubbed simply... iPad. This beauty sports the 'Retina' display as well as 4G/LTE cellular connectivity and a few other minor bump-ups on the internal specs. Overall, this is definitely an iPad, largely similar to the the iPad 2 with the same functionality and purpose, just a bit prettier and faster.

The first thing that I did once I got the new iPad (besides delicately opening the box and removing the plastic,) was restoring from the backup of my iPad 2, the method I chose was via iCloud, which I found to be a lot longer process than I figured. This was likely due to the fact it was the new iPad's launch day and Apple's servers were probably getting slammed by people like me, updating their devices. Nonetheless, I would say that most of my apps and settings were restored within about 2 hours, if not less (I left the unit alone for a bit while I did some chores around the house.)

Once I finally got my grubby little hands on this device, the resolution didn't immediately blow me away... I mean, I could tell it looked more clear, but I wasn't in shock at how amazingly brilliant the display looked... that is, at first. I updated some apps that started offering retina graphics, and I changed my background to a more HD graphic, and then things started making sense. When I put my wife's iPad 1 next the new iPad, the difference is clear as day. It's true what they say, once you go 'Retina' you won't go back. The old iPad display now looks quite blurry.

That's pretty much the jist of my review, simply because it is largely the exact same device, and I've been using it the exact same way... it's just more pleasant to look at.

I haven't used the 4G/LTE as of yet, simply because we don't have AT&T LTE in our area yet, and I haven't really taken it away from wi-fi at all. This upcoming Summer I'm sure I will end up using it at the beach, so I can review that in depth then.

Well, that's it... This is something like the 8th iPad I've owned, and I love this one just as much as I did when I got my first iPad :)

iPad Next

'The New iPad' was announced yesterday in a typical Apple Press Event and it is a big step up for tablets everywhere, although it's not really a revolutionary change, it IS (as Apple puts it,) A Resolutionary change... and that title is very fitting.

The main difference between the new iPad and the iPad 2 is the display itself. The new iPad will feature a display that is considered 'Retina' quality, meaning that even at an extremely close viewing distances, the pixels will be practically indistinguishable. Just as the the iPhone 4 display was a drastic change from the iPhone 3GS, this iPad will do the same for the iPad lineup.

Other changes included bumps in most of the internals. For the processor, they are using the quad-core (I think it's quad-core, I'm not that good at remembering these kind of things,) A5X, and they will supposedly have 1 GB Ram instead of 512 MB that the iPad 2 currently has. The back camera will make a huge jump from .7 mp to 5 mp (although the front facing camera is still the same crappy one from iPad 2.) The battery has also increased to accommodate all the internal changes and the new display, and it will reportedly carry the same battery length. Oh, it is also slightly thicker than the iPad 2 and a bit heavier, but according to some early 'hands-on' reviews, this is insignificant and they couldn't really tell a difference at all.

Another big change is that the cellular data getting a big boost. This will be the first mobile device that Apple is releasing that has 4G/LTE capabilities (as long as your area supports 4G, that is.) This is potentially quite huge, as 4G speeds can sometimes hover above those of broadband.

I think that's pretty much it about the device itself, although one thing I didn't mention was the name... it looks like Apple is forgoing the use of numbers for iPad, because this is Not the iPad 3, Nor is this the iPad HD, it is simply 'The New iPad.' Which makes sense to me because you don't have an iMac 6 or an AirBook 4 or whatever. I imagine that when the new iPhone is released later this year it will also be dropping the numeral suffix.

The other items from the press event were an updated AppleTV, which mostly just brings support for 1080p, plus a slew of new apps and updates to other apps. All of the iWork apps will be enhanced for the new display, and Garageband will be getting some new features (including the long awaited 'note editing'... woohoo.) A new app is also making it's way from OSX, iPhoto, which will bring a nice bit of photo editing ability to the iPad. Oh and iMovie is getting updated somehow too.

In conclusion... This iPad makes a Usain Bolt type of run, leaving all the rest of the tablets of the world in the dust. I know I want one... Bad... and I will get one!... in fact my order is already in and will be delivered next Friday. That's it.

Super Day XLVI Part 2: Commercials

Well, since I already posted my comments about the Super Bowl itself on my Cowboys blog (that's at www.anothercowboysblog.blogspot.com if you didn't know...) I will talk about the commercials here...

In all honesty, I really only remember a handful of commercials, which doesn't say much about them... I remember some of the Coca-Cola polar bear commercials, but I didn't really like any of them... I just remember them.

I did like the Ferris Bueller/Mathew Broderick commercial, and there was a Fiat commercial with a spanish-speaking woman that I really liked (the commercial, not the woman... ok maybe the woman too,) but other than that, I didn't really like them.

I'm trying to reach in my mind to see if there's any others... maybe the one with Flavor Flav at the end, but I only liked the end and the rest was 'eh'.. The Seinfeld commercial was a little better than the rest, but still not great... And I sort of liked the apocalypse truck commercial.

I honestly and truly can't even recall the rest of the commercials, so that means they sucked... Next!

**UPDATE**

A couple other commercials that I did finally remember that I liked were a Doritos one where a dog killed a cat or something and he bribed his owner with bags of Doritos... another was a shoe commercial with a little dog that ran all fast and then did the moon-walk... that was hilarious...

Wake Up Woodchuck Chuckers... it's Groundhog Day!!

February 2nd brings about yet another Groundhog Day for that furry little rodent to excite the nation and let us know how much more winter we're going to be getting.

Well, as he usually does, the little pipsqueak saw his shadow this morning and therefore has condemned us all to 6 more weeks of brutal 40/50 degree winter... I guess I can live with that, but for heavens sake, when was the last time this bastard didn't see his shadow... I don't think I can even recall once.

Oh well...

Leisure Suit Larry RETURNS!!!

The news has been out since October, but I have just today discovered that a small game publishing company called Replay Games, has acquired the rights to the Leisure Suit Larry franchise. Apparently they are led by a former Sierra On-Line beta tester, which means that they love the games and not just the potential cash flow they may receive from the franchise (ah hem... Magna Cum Laude and Box Office Bust.)

Their first step is to remake an HD version of 'Leisure Suit Larry 1: In The Land Of The Lounge Lizards'. They are planning to release it on as many formats as possible... including XBox Marketplace and iOS devices. They also plan to give each game of the series a similar remake (except for Magna Cum Laude and Box Office Bust, that is.)

Another good sign is that the series creator, Al Lowe, is not only putting his stamp of approval on the creation of these games but he is stepping in and getting involved, just to make sure everything is done right... thats almost even better news than knowing remakes are coming out, that Al Lowe is back working again... on games.

The LSL1 remake is set to release sometime this year (which is the 25th anniversary of the original Larry) and that's all we really know about release date, no month or quarter has been given for it's release... i'm hoping for it to be sooner rather than later, but I'll happily wait now that I know the franchise is being handled with care...

They have also hinted at the release of new Larry adventures... maybe we'll finally see 'Lust in Space' or even go back and make Leisure Suit Larry 4: The Missing Floppies, for real... although that's pretty unlikely.

Pictures

Hey, real quick...

I just realized that whenever I create a blog post, whether it be for this blog or my Dallas Cowboys blog (anothercowboysblog.blogspot.com) I need to make sure I ALWAYS include at least one picture.

It's something I noticed about all of the blogs I read... I tend to enjoy the one's who use photos on every post more than the one's who don't.

I dunno, that's all, just saying...

Akai MPC Fly

Thanks to Engadget.com I found out that Akai, the electronics company that produces some of the greatest music productions tools used in the industry, have created an iPad compatible MPC/iPad Case and App.

It is called the MPC Fly and it combines physical pads with an exclusive iPad 2 MPC app. It seems to bring all the MPC goodness right on your iPad.

Sure I have a bunch of music creation apps that work great already on the iPad, but I've always wanted to get an MPC anyway and this seems to be the perfect combination product for me.

The way they promote this, it is supposed to be used 'On The Fly' to get your thoughts down quick, and that can be taken back into the studio to be mastered. Well, I would probably use it for the full production... that's just my style.

Anyway... looks awesome, can't wait to see the pricing and availability... this may be my next major music purchase.

iDucation

Today was an Apple press event regarding Education... there were a few things introduced:

- iBooks 2, which introduces textbooks into the mix that have the ability to have interactive features like swiping sentences to highlight them, bring up dictionary for terms, watch videos or interact with 3D models.

- iBooks Author... A full fledge OS/X app that allows anybody to publish an eBook for any genre and makes it as easy as dragging and dropping content into it to create a fully interactive book. Geared toward education, but it can be used for anything.

- iTunes U update... most don't even know about this part of the iTunes Store, but iTunes U has an abundance of college lectures available to download... they will be expanding and updating this and it will have more K-12 educational material on it as well.

They also have a lot of publishers backing them up on this project including McGraw Hill and other notable textbook publishers... this should provide them with the push they need to get Apple adopted into schools everywhere.

~EDITORIAL~

I think this is great... Sure I'm very biased because I love Apple products, but it was certainly wasn't a matter of 'if' it was just a matter of when this technology would infiltrate schools. For a student of any age, but especially High School and College, having all of your learning materials in an iPad instead of carrying tons of books is a relief, not only on your back but also in keeping things organized.

Apple has made a huge step and made the tools for creation as easy as pie... not unlike the way they created Final Cut Pro or Garageband... they are excellent at creating the tools so that creative and intelligent minds can run with it and create great content. This is Apple's way, and I imagine this will do wonders for the education field as a whole.

Where Are You!?

If there's one thing that I always forget about and never bother with and show no regard to, it's gotta be this blog. I have never been consistent with my posts and even-so, it's always boring 'blah-blah-blah' type of shit.

Whatever...

Just to catch up... it's now 2012, the year of the apocalypse I guess, and so far things are going OK, not great, but that's a whole different tale to spin.

Ok, now that we're caught up... I will say that I tried Burger King's new fries, and they were semi-marginally better, but still not that great, and they had a weird kind of oily aftertaste that was not appreciated by myself or my wife. I will try them once more, perhaps we got a bad batch... but I'm not hopeful. I think I'll stick to good fries, like McDonald's or Five Guys or Friendlys.

OK, now that we're caught up even further... I will say that I am kind of tired, so I'm going to go. That is all... see ya again in another 2 months or something.