Technology
Points of Parity and Touchscreen Devices
Jun 10th
It was late Monday evening at JFK International Airport when I had an unexpected encounter. As I walked towards the British Airways lounge, I noticed a store advertising the Blackberry Playbook. The mounds of scathing reviews for the device had me wondering – “What is so bad about the Playbook?” Interested, I decided to pop into the store for a quick look.
Before I continue, I must admit that I wield an Android smartphone, iPad and PC laptop (although I did have a Macbook Pro when it first came out). I consider myself well versed in new technology products and am More >
Essential Microsoft Office Shortcuts
May 31st
By now, it is likely that over a half a billion people use Office worldwide (according to Microsoft, anyway). Unfortunately, not many people know the plethora of shortcuts that Microsoft makes available either through the application or in general. It simply pains me to think of all the wasted time and mouse-clicks. In this post, I will outline some easy to use shortcuts that will hopefully make your life a bit easier. Please note, these shortcuts are very basic (but essential). If you are looking for something more advanced, I have included the relevant links at the bottom of the post. As always, More >
Advertising in Games: Only the Beginning
May 30th
It is both interesting, yet not surprising that advertising within games has become so prevalent. I have been a gamer all of my life – ever since Nintendo (regular, not super). I couldn’t help but chuckle when World of Warcraft was mentioned in a recent lecture that I attended, because I have also played – not only as a “player”, but also as a “guild master” who has “led” dozens of players into “battle”. My wife, Kelly, also a gamer and aspiring PHD student, also encountered a situation similar to yours at a conference at which she presented (every person More >
iPad=iSad
Jan 28th
Well, the day has come and gone. Apple showed us the new and miraculous thing that BGR claimed “changes the course of history.”
Bull, I say.
Now I know I’m probably going to get ripped to shreds by the iFans, but stick with me here. I have some honest concerns about the iPad, and if anyone can, with certainty, correct my claims or alleviate my concerns, then go ahead. But I highly doubt you’ll be able to.
There’s a reason it’s not called the iSlate
Slates and tablets are meant for one super special thing: writing. A handwriting-to-text software is something that could take the iPad from More >
The “Gamer” Tag
Jan 12th
A couple months ago, I was with some of my English buddies and I used the word “ninja.” I did not use it as a noun, I used it as a verb–meaning “to steal,” saying something along the lines of “I totally ninja-ed that cupcake.” I gasped and covered my mouth.
My gamer girl was out.
I apologized, saying that my gamer lingo came out, and a friend asked, “Who do you know that games?” I looked around a bit sheepishly, pointed to myself and said, “Me?” At that point, it was her turn to gasp, and cry out, “Kelly! Don’t tell me More >
RPGs vs. MMORPGs: A Quest to Find a Satisfying Ending
Jan 6th
I was having a mini-discussion with my ex-co-lead from Warhammer Alliance about his new blog and a post he was working on, which discusses endings in various forms of media. Ironically enough, this is a topic I bitch about incessantly to my husband, particularly when we play MMOs.
In an MMORPG, you are not the hero. You will not be saving the day. And whatever good deeds you do accomplish will be undone and redone by someone else. You’re just another warrior in a large army. You’re trained to do as everyone else does. As “unique” and special as we like to make ourselves More >
So…What IS a Geek Anyway?
Oct 28th
A friend linked a PHD comic strip in Facebook today, and, having never seen or heard of the comic before, I spent a decent amount of time reading them. Nothing like a new webcomic for me to add to my list
As I went through the comic, I found a strip that defined “geek” versus “dork,” and I was interested in seeing what it said. Please note in a previous strip, the character mentioned the contention involved with the words “geek” and “dork.” Here’s the strip:
Courtesy of www.phdcomics.com.
This made me go back to Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks by Ethan Gilsdorf. More >
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