Release the Kraken!

mets-in-trains: nepetaquest: angelfire93: Alright, if you’re...

Fri, 24 May 2013 23:03:06 -0600

nepetaquest:

angelfire93:

Alright, if you’re a consumer and you’re considering picking up the new Xbox One console, then please, take a moment to listen to me. Before we begin, no, I am not a fanboy or a hater. I have no console Bias. I have a PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, and a Gaming PC. Each has their pros and cons but now onto business.

DO NOT BUY AN XBOX ONE. Why? See the reasons below:

Xbox Requires an internet connection. Here’s how it works: Every 24 hours your Xbox will try to connect to Microsoft’s servers for verification. If it is unable to connect, sucks to be you. You’re blocked from playing even single player games until it can connect.

Source: http://kotaku.com/xbox-one-does-require-internet-connection-cant-play-o-509164109

Do you like renting games, lending them to a friend, or even borrowing them from a friend? No longer possible. Every Xbox One game you get must be registered to your Xbox live account to be played. After that point it will only work for you. No one else can use it unless they pay a fee. Essentially it works like this. You pick up a used Xbox One game from somewhere or someone, pop it into your console. The system verifies it’s been registered to your account. Uh-oh, it isn’t! In order to play it, you have to pay Microsoft a fee, which is currently slated to be full retail price. Doesn’t matter how scratched up it is or how cheap you got it at gamestop or from a friend. You aren’t just buying the physical copies anymore. You’re paying Microsoft for a LICENSE to be allowed to play that game.

It is worth mentioning Microsoft is exploring ways for you to trade in and resell your used games. This is rumored to mean that you can sell your digital license to play the game (registration) back to microsoft, likely for microsoft points. You can then trade in the game at gamespot for some cash if you like. Either way, as it currently stands, the new owner would still have to pay a fee on top of the price of actually buying the physical copy.

Source: http://www.technobuffalo.com/2013/05/21/xbox-one-fee-for-buying-used-games-full-retail-price/

Is it worth mentioning that Microsoft if shafting Indie Developers as well? Where as on Playstation Network or (whatever the Wii has) Indie Developers can self publish their content easily. Playstation even encourages this. Microsoft however forces these Indie Devs to enter publishing deals with them to be allowed to market their content. You don’t go through them, you don’t get to sell what you developed.

Source: http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/05/22/indie-devs-cant-self-publish-on-xbox-one

I’m not quite done yet! Now, I’m sure you heard a lot about “TV TV TV TV SPORTS TV TV SPORTS SPORTS TV.” Yes, the Xbox is slated to be able to stream live tv, live sports, etc. So let me ask you this. You obviously already have something like cable or DirecTV. Do you really want to shell out hundreds of dollars more and pay a monthly subscription fee to have another television provider? Yes, I said hundreds of dollars, and I don’t mean the cost of the console. To view live TV from the Xbox you are required to purchase ANOTHER separate device for it to work. Why would you even consider shelling out more money for something you already have anyway? Even if you didn’t, DirecTV is cheaper. Or you could even subscribe you Hulu.com and watch live tv on your computer. FOR MUCH CHEAPER. You essentially have to buy another cable box if you don’t have one. And if you do… what do you need the Xbox One for?

Source: http://www.vg247.com/2013/05/21/xbox-one-live-tv-available-in-us-only-at-launch-requires-separate-device/

So far we’ve discovered that the Xbox One is not really a gaming console, at least… not a consumer friendly gaming console. It’s being marketed as an all-in-one home entertainment system. Something to replace all of the other devices in your house. But there are drawbacks even to that. Put on your tin foil hats for this part folks. Take from it what you will, all I’ll say is… possibilities…

The Xbox One’s features will not function unless the Kinect is plugged in and active. This is not an optional piece anymore.

Source: http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/05/21/xbox-one-will-not-function-without-kinect-attached

So imagine your Kinect piece breaks? Tough luck, no more Xbox for you. But you know what’s worse?

Pay attention, because this is important. The Kinect is always watching. Always listening. Even when the system is off.

Yes. One of the ways to turn the system on is to audibly say: “Xbox On” while the system is off. The Kinect, which is always on, hears you and turns it on. Now this might seem like a cool feature, but did you know Microsoft patented a feature that would allow the Kinect’s camera (It’s no longer just a sensor, but a camera) to spy on you for the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America?) While they may not actually do this, it is actually possible for them to do this now. It has a camera, and a microphone. The Kinect is always on. It is ALWAYS listening, ALWAYS watching.

An idea has been tossed around that by using this feature, it will allows game developers and movie produces to set a limited amount of how many people can be allowed to view the entertainment. So as a hypothetical example, you and three friends are watching a movie, which is the maximum allowed. A fourth friend enters the room and the Kinect’s sensor registers the fourth individual. The movie stops and you a prompted to pay a fee so that the extra individual may also view the film. Again, that is NOT currently the case, but these are the ideas currently being tossed around with the system’s current capabilities.

Source for listening: http://www.theverge.com/2013/5/21/4352596/the-xbox-one-is-always-listening

Source of spying: http://www.extremetech.com/gaming/139706-microsofts-new-kinect-patent-goes-big-brother-will-spy-on-you-for-the-mpaa

Now, just two more things and I’ll be done here!

This isn’t really a good or bad thing, but it’s annoying. It also explains how they can prevent you from playing a used game if you didn’t pay their fee. Xbox one no longer plays games off the discs, you HAVE to install them to the hard-drive in order to play them. I believe PS3 also has you do this (on a number of games but not always it seems), except that PS3 isn’t trying to Nickle and Dime you at every corner. It also seems according to this article there is something related to the Online portion at the beginning of this post. The option is there for Developers to require the Xbox to always be online to play their particular game. Well, it seems PC gamers and console gamers have one thing in common now… DRM.

(At least pirates on PC can bypass DRM easily. Not an option for Consoles.)

Source: http://www.theverge.com/2013/5/21/4352314/xbox-one-hard-drive-game-installs

And last but not least, another annoyance… Xbox One will not be compatible with any and all current headsets. Nope, companies will either have to make new headsets altogether specifically for the Xbox One, and they have to adhere to what Microsoft wants. Look forward to price gouging.

Source: http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/05/22/xbox-one-incompatible-with-current-gaming-headsets

Oh, one more thing… If you have an Xbox 360, don’t get rid of it. Why? Well if you want to keep playing your old 360 games you’ll need it. The Xbox One isn’t backwards compatible. At all. Not only that, but President of Microsoft’s Xbox Division Don Mattrick insults the very notion of backwards compatibility! He calls it: “Backwards thinking.”

Source: http://www.theverge.com/2013/5/21/4350662/new-xbox-has-no-backwards-compatibilty

Source of insult: http://www.polygon.com/2013/5/22/4355984/xbox-one-backward-compatibility-backwards-thinking-don-mattrick

That is all I have to say currently folks, and I hope you took the time to read this far. I’ll conclude with the following… please… PLEASE do not buy this console. Paying for this supports greedy and anti-consumer business practices. Speak with your wallet, and pass up the Xbox One. No matter what games it might have that you want, even if they are exclusive. Do the right thing and make a statement. Refuse to be nickle and dimed like this. Refuse to be seen as a mindless consumer who will buy anything tossed to them.

We won’t know much else until after E3, but as it stands now, the PS4 or a decent gaming PC is the best way to go.

If you are willing to do so, please spread this post around. Liking is not even remotely necessary, but do please share it if you agree with and acknowledge what you’ve read here. The more people know, the fewer of them waste their money.

Thank you, kindly.

~Dylan Jordan

(Originally posted on Facebook by one of my friends. He brings up many valid points. Mind you, I haven’t been a fan of Xbox in a long time and I will most likely get a PS4. But this confirms further for me that I won’t be getting an Xbox one any time in the foreseeable future.)

TL;DR —The XBOX One is going to be a piece of shit and you really shouldn’t even remotely think about getting one.

I still can’t believe this is a real console that is actually being released by one of the three biggest names in the industry right now. It just all sounds made up. Like one big joke on the community. “Let’s take all of the worst aspects of the last generation of gaming and crank it up to 11!”

RIP Gaming.

parttimeyoutuber: icantbelieveitsalawblog: All of human...

Fri, 24 May 2013 19:24:00 -0600

parttimeyoutuber:

icantbelieveitsalawblog:

All of human history has led us to the moment that we developed the technology to digitally add a top hat to a photo of an adorable miniature octopus.

Just look at how fucking dapper that octopus looks. Look at it.

Finally, where the hell is the monocle though? I believe I requested a top hat AND monocle. http://ninjapastry.tumblr.com/post/14187753549/this-octopus-really-needs-a-top-hat-and-monocle

Photo

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:12:59 -0600

caffeinated-zombie: So, in the middle of everything today, we...

Wed, 22 May 2013 20:12:09 -0600

caffeinated-zombie:

So, in the middle of everything today, we ran across a hellaciously distressed momma mallard and a bunch of her baby ducks that had fallen down a sewer grate. Another guy was already trying to fish them out, so my friend and I called animal control before we tried to fish the rest of them out. When Animal Control got there, we had all of them out and the mother duck quacking very happily. I was surprised - none of us got snapped at or hurt. I was even holding onto a bag at one point that had all of them in it and she just watched me.

My hair this morning, and my hair this afternoon. What a relief...

Wed, 22 May 2013 18:23:01 -0600

My hair this morning, and my hair this afternoon. What a relief finally getting my hair done is!

Photo

Wed, 22 May 2013 18:16:34 -0600

crickets chirping

Tue, 21 May 2013 22:34:00 -0600

wow, my blog is like no man’s newbieland. My action is zilch.

teenwhoops: i’m glad we don’t have to hunt for our food any more.. i don’t even know where...

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:13:30 -0600

teenwhoops:

i’m glad we don’t have to hunt for our food any more.. i don’t even know where Sandwiches live

This is very much like something I’d say.

I bought two solar lights for my tiny garden

Tue, 21 May 2013 17:46:36 -0600

cause I’m cool

Just wondering what others think, Do you think a non-profit organization should post adoptable...

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:05:58 -0600

Just wondering what others think, Do you think a non-profit organization should post adoptable animals on a site like Used Regina or Kijiji. Maybe I’m being overly sensitive, but it seems like they are trying to “sell” people pets. I thought the idea was to promote adoption and the money provided to the foster homes was for care of the animals. Yes or No?

My tiny garden. I love pansies.

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:24:52 -0600

My tiny garden. I love pansies.

I need more blogs to follow.

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:17:18 -0600

Who is your favorite?

Promotion? No, thanks.

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:13:17 -0600

My job wants to promote me to supervisor. The current supervisors don’t even want to be supervisors.

I like being just an average employee. I get paid to show up, work, and go home.

5 years ago becoming a supervisor meant I was going somewhere, I was climbing the ladder, I was…deluding myself. The wage increase for a supervisor at my current job is .50 cents. .50 cents to do my job, and make sure everyone else is doing their job, handle complaints, and be responsible for the store. I’d rather pay you .50 cents to let me show up, work, and go home. I don’t have to care if the cashiers are wearing yoga pants instead of dress pants. I don’t have to care if another staff member cut corners and my half of the store is cleaner than theirs. I don’t have to worry about whether or not the tills balance. I show up on time. I do a good job. I go home and don’t have to worry that I’ll be called in to deal with a problem at the store.

Having a title doesn’t make you happier. It doesn’t make you better at your job. Taking on more responsibility only makes sense if it’s something you want, not just something you are good at. I used to hold so tightly to those titles. Supervisor, Assistant Manager…who cares. Having the title doesn’t even mean you do a good job, it’s not a measurement of worth. The hardest working people in a business are the people at the bottom (In my opinion and experience).

I’m happy where I am. I work because it earns me a pay cheque. If a job were to come up that I loved, you could call me any title you liked and pay me less than minimum wage, but you can’t pay me enough to do what I dislike. I don’t have the time or the energy to give to a job that will never give enough back to me. It might sound selfish, but it’s true.

I’m in this life to be happy.

gummybearenthusiast: Yes. Always reblog. I’m tired of...

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:24:06 -0600

gummybearenthusiast:

Yes.

Always reblog. I’m tired of the argument that one type of woman is more beautiful than another. Ugly people are those who treat cashiers and wait staff like shit. Lets take those people down a peg instead.

explodingdog: three hundred million minutes

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:29:09 -0600

explodingdog:

three hundred million minutes

"Be who you are while you are that person. Things change, but don’t hold yourself to past or..."

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:51:39 -0600

“Be who you are while you are that person. Things change, but don’t hold yourself to past or future ideals because your missing out on the present.”

- Shaunna Ricard

natashakline: For all the artists out there. xoxo

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:29:57 -0600

natashakline:

For all the artists out there. xoxo

sarahseeandersen: The internal monologue that goes on whenever...

Sat, 18 May 2013 21:55:44 -0600

sarahseeandersen:

The internal monologue that goes on whenever I cave to junk food.

GPOY

bobbycaputo: World’s Oldest Flowing Water Found In Canadian...

Fri, 17 May 2013 11:26:56 -0600

bobbycaputo:

World’s Oldest Flowing Water Found In Canadian Mine

Gas that bubbles out of the floor in a deep mine has a chemical composition that can provide the food source for microbes living in deep ancient fluids underground. (Credit: J Telling/Handout)

Scientists have made an amazing discovery deep inside the Canadian Shield - one that goes back billions of years.

It’s a reservoir of water located in a mine in Timmins, Ontario, that is the oldest free-flowing water ever found.

Canadian and British scientists say it’s been trapped there for 1.5 billion to 2.64 billion years (back when oxygen breathing life first appeared on the planet), and hasn’t come into contact with Earth’s atmosphere since.

“It’s exciting on about five different levels,” said Barbara Sherwood Lollar, a professor of earth sciences at the University of Toronto who was involved in the discovery.

“It’s like finding another world,” she told The Globe & Mail.

It’s believed the water was once on the surface, perhaps in an ocean that disappeared, and then seeped through the ground where it became trapped.

Scientists found it 2.4 kilometres underground in a copper and zinc mine. They say the water is rich in dissolved gases such as methane and hydrogen - two elements that support life, and in theory, could have helped some types of micro-organisms survive.

(Continue Reading)

(h/t nturlbruntt)

This is beyond cool.

thepredatorblog: crazyanimalshots: Ouch! An elephant gets a...

Tue, 14 May 2013 17:21:05 -0600

thepredatorblog:

crazyanimalshots:

Ouch! An elephant gets a scare when taking a drink from a river.

Source: Photamateur

I THINK THAT’S PUTTING IT MILDLY

That’s a Just So story, How the elephant got it’s trunk, by Rudyard Kipling

Release the Kraken!

mets-in-trains: nepetaquest: angelfire93: Alright, if you’re...

parttimeyoutuber: icantbelieveitsalawblog: All of human...

Photo

caffeinated-zombie: So, in the middle of everything today, we...

My hair this morning, and my hair this afternoon. What a relief...

Photo

*crickets chirping*

teenwhoops: i’m glad we don’t have to hunt for our food any more.. i don’t even know where...

I bought two solar lights for my tiny garden

Just wondering what others think, Do you think a non-profit organization should post adoptable...

My tiny garden. I love pansies.

I need more blogs to follow.

Promotion? No, thanks.

gummybearenthusiast: Yes. Always reblog. I’m tired of...

explodingdog: three hundred million minutes

"Be who you are while you are that person. Things change, but don’t hold yourself to past or..."

natashakline: For all the artists out there. xoxo

sarahseeandersen: The internal monologue that goes on whenever...

bobbycaputo: World’s Oldest Flowing Water Found In Canadian...

thepredatorblog: crazyanimalshots: Ouch! An elephant gets a...

crickets chirping