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(06/15/11 10:28pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>My name is Ryan Dagley and I am a functioning gamer. Since the age of five I have involved myself in the playing, perfection and understanding of games in every form achievable.Coming hot off the heels of E3 Expo, it was very clear to me who took the cake. Always innovators, the “Big N” has done it again, creating a new device that is the best thing since the Rumble Pak.The Nintendo Rumble Pak was one of the first force feedback, or “shock” vibrational accessories. It seemed profoundly simple, almost pointless, but it opened a door to immersion with the game that has become standard. The Wii U controller is much more revolutionary than a shaking box. So what can it really do? In a video presentation, it is versatile and capable of switching your game to the controller at any time. The screen on the controller can be used to play major games, tablet games, browse the web and use the “Channel” service Nintendo uses to streamline entertainment. How about some real games, though. Let’s look as some beloved genres. First Person Shooters could gain much from the use of the controller as a kind of scope for targeting in vehicles or even on the field.Strategy games like “The Sims” could use the controller as a sort of magic remote, letting you aim anywhere on screen and zoom in, get info, control people and alter the game world.The controller knows what direction it’s facing, where in the room it is and where the television sits. This can be utilized for all sorts of immersion, in adventure games, casual augmented reality titles or even conceptual works of art. There’s almost too much to do, and we’ll be seeing more of it soon enough. All in all, you are going to want one.— tdagley@indiana.edu
(06/12/11 8:56pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>You may ask yourself, what’s big this week? You can also ask me, if you know what’s good for you. Last week we were reminded of our community’s compassion in a time of great sadness. This week we should remember our responsibility not just to our neighbors, but our families across the world. That responsibility starts with listening to the wind and spreading the word. To get a head start, here is some good news. Tell your friends.Smashing many pessimistic predictions, the stalemate in Libya has cracked after less than two months, and the rebel forces are on the move toward Tripoli and the seat of power. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization strikes and Gaddafi‘s bombardments that have cast the past two months of fighting in gloom seemed like an endless game of battleship. But while the Colonel’s tanks clumsily pounded civilian homes, fiercely accurate bombing by NATO forces picked away at the loyal war machine. NATO continues to avoid civilian casualties while weakening the dictatorship and inspiring defections from the ruling party’s command line.Less than 10 loyal generals continue to command. Dictator and life size Play-Doh sculpture, Muammar Gaddafi, retains control of the country’s capital, Tripoli, but hiding behind his people won’t be an option for as long as civilians evacuate and downtown brawls are being reported on Twitter.The Rebel Forces are moving west and starting to surround the old regime.When we think of Libya, it is important not to generalize or assume based on our limited understanding of eastern politics. When we think something is old hat, we tend to allow ourselves to forget it.But Libya is not Afghanistan, it is not Yemen, Iraq, Syria or even Egypt.This struggle has a unique identity that should be appreciated by every human on this planet. It is the beginning of an exchange of power similar to that of our own American Revolution, but with modern morality and the power of the Internet. While the Rebel Forces have no leading figure and little fighting experience, they make up for it with a desire for freedom and self-governance they are willing to die for. If they had a leader, they might be like Cuba. Nearly 60 years ago, Cubans overthrew their leader under the leadership of Fidel Castro, a socialist that promised prosperity and freedom. But as Che Guevara once wrote, “Cruel leaders are replaced only to have new leaders turn cruel.” Long ago, Libya also required a strong core of leadership for political change. It is why Gaddafi has been Libya’s president for 41 years. A cruel reign is again being challenged, but this time not by a popular sociopath, a snappy dresser or a well armed militant. It is being challenged by all capable citizens connected in their desire for freedom, their bravery and their ability to negotiate. Libya is similar to Egypt as a true social revolution, but the soon to be titled war criminal Muammar Gaddafi has required his people to take up arms to earn their freedom, unlike the peaceful end to the Mubarak regime. With the help of NATO and the peace loving nations of the world, the Libyan rebels may soon find themselves at Gaddafi’s front door. Listen for it; this will mark the beginning of the end of the dictatorship.Anyone can follow the movement on Twitter under #Libya and I challenge you all; be the Libyan beacon for your social group. Read enough to pick out the truth from the propaganda. Everyone should be a journalist. The more people who are up to date, the more power any movement can have.These simple global conversations can encourage more generals to defect, more humanitarian aid missions to begin, more nations to rise up against tyranny.If you procrastinate online, and I know you do, take a minute to check up on our friends and see how they are doing. By spreading news, you could save a life without even knowing it.If that isn’t worth your time, nothing is.— tdagley@indiana.edu
(06/05/11 10:06pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>I’ve been following the ring of budding presidential contenders develop and it’s become apparent that politicians tend to talk in circles. I’m not sure if their debates are anything more than a beauty contest. Consequently, I’ve been so saturated in political non-answers that I think its starting to rub off on me.So to those I hold political debates with, I would like to say this: I apologize. Last time we spoke, I said some pretty crazy things and it wasn’t fair to treat you the way I did. Can we ever go back to the way things were? I don’t want you to brood over it. If you feel that you were unfairly declared the loser this time, please send your complaints directly to my inbox: tdagley@indiana.edu.It’s hard to resist ignoring facts when you’re already winning the good fight, like Bill O’Reilly or Keith Olbermann. What is the need to stop and reformulate when onlookers are on your side? That far in it would be suicide to stop and say “Correct my friend, I wasn’t entirely right about that. Let me rephrase.” Who wants to admit they’re wrong? I have stopped myself before to point out my mistakes, but it did me no favors and placed me that much further from my presidential candidacy. Honestly, the whole argument system is unfair. I may have gotten the last word, but I wonder if it really was the right word. Should we start a wiki? I’m glad you can tell something was wrong. Sometimes I wonder if my screw-ups go completely unnoticed; but I certainly saw that burning rage in your eyes this time, for I am no stranger to it.Remember what I have to say next time we talk and look it up afterwards if you’re not sure what I mean. Some things fly over your head. I’m not mad at you for not getting it, or even when you still declared victory. I am, however, a little angry that you told the other guys about my “argument fail” and that you called me a “moron.” Forgive and forget. You should check out this page on the American presidents through http://tinyurl.com/3evonrk. You will find that FDR did in fact collect birds. I told you so. Note: not intended to be a factual statement.So really, bring it on. Respond on your own time, free from the stress of the moment and your limited portable vocabulary. The most impassioned speech frequently seems to win in verbal communication, leaving those with no need to shout in the dust. Email and instant messaging can balance the battlefield. So if you find yourself more factually inclined, I suggest you look into the written word. I’d love to see what you think. And if I can glean some wisdom from your words, then aren’t we both winners? Note: this is also not factual; only one participant can actually be the winner and it will likely be me.— tdagley@indiana.edu
(06/01/11 10:02pm)
KhanAcademy.org, ResearchGate.com and Kickstarter.com are all great tools for using the Internet for good.
(05/18/11 8:58pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Microsoft is purchasing the video chat company Skype for $8.5 billion, and you should be excited. If you feel that you are not excited, try to relax and continue reading. Skype is a p2p (peer-to-peer communication program capable of world-wide video chat). Its designers were the developers of Kazaa; a program not unlike the genie Kazaam in that it grants all of your wishes, and you do not tell your parents about it no matter where it touched your hard drive. The creators never developed a Shaq skin for Kazaa, but they did use the peer-to-peer idea to run Skype’s chat system which makes calling free, no matter where you live in the world. Not only did these pirates make billions off their creation, they also get to keep their jobs at the helm of Skype .Why does this matter? Well, you now see two of Microsoft’s rivals; Google and Apple each have equivalent programs to handle p2p chat and likely feel waves from this multi-billion dollar deal. With Skype now arming mega corporation Microsoft, the video chat triforce is now complete, and someone is going to make a move to make their program the standard. These tech giants are about to have a battle of wits, a battle of skill, a battle of who can teach computers how to best recognize (unwanted) genitalia. The result of these battles will be known as the future.I don’t imagine we will become dependant on video booths basked in the glow of lasers and spaceship exhaust; we’ll mostly use our spaceship exhaust basked laser phones, game systems and computers for video chat. For smart devices, advanced video chat capabilities may develop. Over the course of the next ten years, Google could standardize the face tracking camera, Microsoft might further improve high performance video streaming and Apple will no doubt cover the whole thing in fancy plastic and chrome.As computers grow ever cheaper, operators of airports, hotels and other public places could realize how awesome video phone booths are, allowing us to enjoy a golden age of videophones on every corner. Estonia, a little country in northern Europe, already began propping Skype booths up in their airports in March.If you are still not excited about talking face to face at any time with anybody in the world, you need to be optimistic and not read the following disclaimer. Alright, so this revolution is not inherently good for humanity, and many video phone futures could be classified as depressingly dystopian. I’m not saying for sure we’re going to end up huddling to the side of our grey living rooms to avoid the unrelenting gaze of our supreme leader as he judges us with ruthless precision through the 200 inch window in all our homes, but our children might just be lucky enough to be comrades. At least Google doesn’t mind if we keep journals, as long as they are written on Google docs.— tdagley@indiana.edu
(05/08/11 10:22pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Facebook: it’s addictive, can be consumed at home, on the go or in the office, and old people don’t understand it. Nothing in the history of the human race has been able to pump our brains full of pointless social factoids at the rate Facebook can. As a race, we need to pay attention to this important tool; it is an asset to our society and perhaps even the savior of humanity. It allows us to do and say anything we want in front of everyone we know without any sense of restraint or control. I had never used Facebook until just recently when I decided to boot up Netscape Navigator and check it out. According to Facebook, one of my friends might be getting a new 22-inch computer monitor for $100. I liked this. It felt worth the button press knowing he’s going to know I’m happy for him. It made me happy doing that. Gee, I’m glad everybody’s happy about all this.The longer I wade through this site, the more I learn about how much free time I have. Turns out I have a lot of free time. Facebook is happy to take up as much time as you have to feed it; and with the advent of smart phones, you’ll always know who woke up at 8 a.m. today for the first time in a year — liked — or who wishes he had a Siberian Husky puppy — aw, totally liked. Doesn’t it just make you warm inside knowing other people do things and want stuff? You never have to do anything ever again now that you can see what everyone is doing or wanting to do. With basic writing skills, you too can contribute to the torrent of pleasantries! It’s sunny out today, aren’t you just really happy about that? Is anybody else going to see that very popular blockbuster movie that was just released? You might as well ask everybody you know, even if you have no interest in it yourself. Now you’re getting the hang of it. But this isn’t just fun, Facebooking is soothing, relaxing, it adds meaning to your existence that you have never felt before.We need to follow Facebook as many do the bible: blindly and without reading most of it. Facebook is the only thing that makes most people happy anymore. This is proven by no statistics, but I saw a group about it and a lot of people were members. I say we organize churches to worship the walls of saints, engage in rituals of like and await the second coming of simulated share cropping. I, for one, can’t wait until we have our first Facebook-inspired war. I’m not talking about some giant slap fight, or a spam based role-playing war; I’m talking countries on fire, bombs blocking the sun, orphans and all that good stuff. When that blue and white flag crests the hill, declaring victory over whatever Google came up with, we will know at last that in a perfect world there is no love or hate, only like.— tdagley@indiana.edu