infocalypse

Granada on Main

Originally uploaded by Eric Rice

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Nevermind why I actually have two versions of Grand Theft Auto 4– one for each console, the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360– instead, let’s note some very simple differences I’ve experienced about a month into this world.

Disclaimer: I don’t have that raging fanboy religion about console vs. console. Honestly, I think I like the PS3 better than the 360, however, I have more games and more friends on the 360, so I play it more.

What I’ve noticed about GTA 4 on the PS3:
1. Helicopters: I love vehicles (who doesn’t?), and helicopters are no exception. I’ve worked hard to perfect the skill of driving blades into other players and/or vehicles, as well as street-level flying and health pack swooping. While more miles have been flown on my 360, the response time in turning the helicopter in place seems nearly instant. I’m a far better flyer on the PS3 than the 360. (I do not use SIXAXIS steering)

2. Bullet trails. Is it my imagination or can you see the trails behind bullets on the PS3 and NOT on the 360? The game is installed on the hard drive of the PS3, which may have resulted in subtle details like this being added. Response time and loading seem to be faster.

3. Voice, or rather, lack of voice. I have a Logitech headset for the PS3 and well, there’s no mute button. The mic, if plugged in, is ON, and that’s nice and awkward. Every sniff, snort, cough, background noise– it’s all there. So, I do what appears to be the norm: I unplug it. This makes for a desolate, lonely experience even in a full room. Sure, on Xbox Live we get assaulted by a heavy, constant flow of the lame idiotic ‘your mom’s a faggot, nigger’ -styled rantings of underage suburban wannabe gangstas, however once in a while, there’s good shit talking to be found. This is seemingly all but non-existent on the Playstation network.

4. The ghost town. At various times of day when I swing by Liberty City on the PS3, the multiplayer seems sparse. I theorize this is because of one of two reasons (maybe both). First, there’s no achievement system like on the 360. Sure, I can gain money and increase rank so I can be better styled to gouranga you, but nothing yet like the achievement system on the other side. Supposedly Sony Home is the place where this will be addressed. Second, the PS3 does not have the marketshare here in North America as the Xbox 360. The PS3 network suffered some problems which Rockstar patched, but generally, I don’t believe momentary problems like that kill the experience. (In fact, I’ve heard from more people that they don’t even care about the story/single player mode– they jump right into multiplayer). Regardless, Liberty City can be rather lonely unless you bring your own entourage.

What say you? Have you played both versions and noticed the difference, or, are you of PS3 heritage only? Add your comments below or send me a note on either system: Spin Martin (XBL) / SpinMartin (PSN).

Several months ago, when Apple released the iPhone, many in the early adopter circle spent countless hours comparing the high-end Nokia N95 with Apple’s new phone. In fact, N95 vs. iPhone has been the number one search term that brings people to my site here.

I had not been aware of the N95 until the chatter became a roar. I investigated and wanted an N95 badly. I thought that it was the better phone. It’s dangerous to proclaim something ‘better’– would you say that a convertible sports car is better than a 4wd truck– regardless of the fundamental different utilities of each? It’s not that fine of a line.

Anyway, here I sit now, months later, with both an iPhone and an N95, with substantial mileage on both.

The new iPhone with the high-speed data network and GPS is a big sell for me, as well as allowed software that can be installed (some programs are free, others not). Both phones are amazing, with each having some excellent features the other doesn’t have (that 5 MP camera on the Nokia is divine, although, miserably slow to focus and respond)

Which phone works better for me? The iPhone. Here’s why:

Maybe because I’m a bit older, maybe because I’m not European, but the concept of text messaging (SMS) came to me late. My first experience texting was with a full keyboard. The idea of repeatedly hitting a key on a numeric keypad feels absolutely prehistoric. With the iPhone (and I imagine some Blackberries and Treos), this isn’t the case. I’ve used plenty of applications on the Nokia– mostly things that allow me to capture and broadcast– little on the interaction side. If you are someone who communicates with me, you know when I’ve done the SIM card swap (the most irritating thing of owning both), because I won’t respond by text. I’ll call or do something else. Text comes from the iPhone. On the iPhone, I interact. On the Nokia, I broadcast. (Interestingly, I -talk- more on my Nokia than on my iPhone.)

The other key issue with the iPhone is something that is happening right now– the copycats. Good for them! Input technology hasn’t evolved much– and being someone who watches how young kids and senior citizens interact with technology, I find it’s ALL about touching the screen. FINALLY, we are seeing advances in input devices. The screen and the pointing. The more copycats the better, if only just to advance the entire landscape.

I’ll admit that for a while, I appreciated the Nokia not having a touch screen, because I didn’t need to pause when grabbing the phone to consider where I might accidentally touch or click. Over time, the benefit of touching the iPhone screen outweighed the rare accidental touch.

As for the rest, I’m simply not pedantically religious about things like resolution or standards support. Some people may actually find that the Nokia is far more complex of a UI when compared to Apple’s, however, the selection of mobile phones on the market already have a variety of goofy, inconsistent interfaces (other example: I prefer Moto UI to Sony UI, personally). And while I might think that yes, the iPhone should have some Flash support, I have to question myself and ask: is it something I work around because of the environment I’m in? Neither phone will play World of Warcraft as a desktop can, but it’s the context of where I am. Flash in the browser was an add-on that was spotty in its presence. Now? No big deal. It will happen soon enough.

Bottom line: two of the most unsuspecting features/differences (touch and QWERTY) are what led me to prefer the iPhone over the N95; both phones are amazing (sadly, a bit higher priced than I’d like) and hopefully give a glimpse of what the future of mobile devices (not phones) might contain.

I’m excited.

Asked of me at Stanford, 2008, Metaverse Summit, where I shared some opening remarks before the conference.

This is where we’ve all been for the past week:

Today I asked a very simple question.

“When you aren’t blogging and talking about social media and software, what do you actually DO in life? Tell me something echo-free.”

The answers are awesome. And normal. And human. People play guitar, paint, do some fairly interesting jobs; ride BMX, sketch, read books (wtf!), run, sell bicycles and even build robots! Which shouldn’t be surprising. But it is.

I am learning things about people I’ve known for a while. Did it never occur to us not to ask? If we aren’t part of a solution, we’re part of the problem.

As a human, a brother, sister, mother or father. A son or daughter. Outside the echo chamber of web geeks chattering about web geek things, what do you do?

Pink Skull
“U.g.uo.aaaahhhhh” (mp3)
from “Zeppelin 3″
(Free News Projects)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
More On This Album

Found a 64 minute documentary on Cyberpunk, complete with interviews with William Gibson, Timothy Leary, Jaron Lanier and more.

Even though I’m in the middle of a personal exodus from this particular virtual world, I found MacNN’s headline, Will Apple open a store in Second Life?, a bit misleading. Sure the article discusses Second Life, however, its main focus is on a patent filed by Apple Computer that resembles a virtual world with avatars and a shopping experience. As expected, eWorld (a predecessor to AOL), is noted in the article.

Long time readers know that I exist in many virtual worlds and game worlds, and am far more patient than my fellow avatars when it comes to dealing with early prototypes and concepts.

I figured I’d write a misleading headline as well, but only to illustrate how my brain works.

In the upcoming release of Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto IV, is a utility that enables a player to tag a song in the game, and later purchase it from Amazon.com. Both the Playstation 3 and Xbox have stores to purchase media such as songs and videos.

Could Apple’s’virtual shopping’ patent lead to this?

It wouldn’t be hard to fantasize that Apple could take the patent and explore things like making the iTunes Store part of something that lives on the Nintendo Wii– perhaps relating to any fitness title; Wii Sports or the upcoming Wii Fit. Apple already has a relationship with Nike, and the dots aren’t that hard to connect to see an iTMS + Wii + Nike -styled ‘virtual’ interface in a seemingly normal environment.

Generally, we all know how Second Life has been hyped and criticized, from success and failed corporate initiatives, to the silly social commentary people make about furries, flying penises, and of course, ‘getting a first life’. An Apple Store inside of Second Life wouldn’t be an Apple experience at all– in fact, I can only run Second Life on my Windows machines now, as its performance on Apple is the worst.

However, imagining a place (with avatars or not), directly tying together my fitness, my shoes, and some non-’weird’ and well-performing environment (a Nintendo is quite normal and understood), is not so terribly hard to do.

MacNN, I dig you guys, but that headline sucked.

What say you, infocalyptics?