Mad Catz Cyborg R.A.T. 7 Review
Mad cats, cyborgs, rats, and a mouse. Wait, what?
A new mouse has hit my desk - the so-called Cyborg R.A.T. 7. It's not yet available in Australia, it's been shipped straight from Mad Catz themselves! But, they didn't do it because they love me, it's a review unit so I could analyse it. And analyse it I did!
Check out that link to the review, and leave your feedback. :)
Build the Ultimate PC – Q3 2010
Another quarter, another set of builds!
Benchmark Reviews has an article on building a bang-for-buck enthusiast PC, for Q3 2010. If you haven't already heard, I recently joined their team of contributers, and this is my first article there. Here's a short snippet.
Performance is often attributed to expensive objects of desire. In the automobile space, it's generally accepted that a higher performing vehicle will incur a significant markup over the average fuel-efficient family offerings. Computing is much the same. Retail OEM machines are pre-built at predetermined price points, often targeting the humble office/Internet-centric user. Performance isn't a primary concern for these systems, nor are upgradability or customisation. On the other hand, you have the expensive 'gamer' orientated machines which cost several thousands of dollars! This is where Benchmark Reviews steps in. We've sat down and created three enthusiast machines without the dreaded price gauge of many pre-built setups - the 'Enthusiast PC Build' for Q3 2010!
Keep in mind that prices are in USD. You can read the full article here.
Youtube spammed with malicious comment scripts
Hax!
Apparently someone at Google didn't realise that people can use <script> tags to insert scripts in YT comments. Naturally, 4chan and ebaumsworld have discovered this vulnerability, and have spammed all popular videos with lord knows what scripts.
Some videos are redirecting to malicious sites, others have explicit content, or offensive marquee text.
Just thought I'd warn you all. Afterall, scripts are very dangerous. If you have visited YT lately, please ensure your PC hasn't been infected.
If you have an infected video, please disable comments.
Update: Youtube have removed the offending comments.
Tech Netcasts!
What are your favourites?
Netcasts (also known as webcasts) are the new age talkback radio. They're an audio file - sometimes pre-recorded, other times live - which is broadcasted via the Internet. The popular 'podcasts' are a derivative of netcasts, but are typically restricted to the iTunes distribution channel. The term 'podcast' is often abused and used in place of netcasts, much like how the term 'iPod' is used in place of 'MP3 player', despite the brand. From a technical perspective, a netcast is just an ordinary audio file, typically MP3.
I've collated some of my favourite tech netcasts for you all to enjoy!
The elements of horrible tech aesthetics
Free polishing cloth with every purchase!
There's an abundance of utterly hideous equipment on the market, ranging from mobile phones to desktop computers to anything designed by a collection of stale engineers. Sometimes it's a subtle flaw, such as an upside-down logo on your laptop lid. Other times you'll come across something that's so insanely blemished, that you struggle to comprehend the fact that a living human being produced and released this device to the market - at least, not with a straight face.
Elementary, dear Watson
IBM's Watson seeks intelligence, prize money
Not to be outdone by insignificant humans, IBM's Watson supercomputer has made an appearance in a behind the scenes sneak peak video, showcasing its ability to answer complex natural language questions in real-time. Watson is one of IBM's latest projects, designed to push the boundaries of computing hardware/algorithms, and ultimately, produce convincing artificial intelligence. But, IBM aren't aiming to pass the ever conquering Turing test. Instead, they're going to compete during an episode of the American quiz show Jeopardy! using Watson as a contestant. Excited? Watch the video below and bask in its awesomeness!
Project Natal has a name – Kinect!
Tracking your every move has never been easier!
Microsoft have announced a new name for their Xbox 360 motion-tracking peripheral today. The Microsoft Kinect - a play on 'kinetic' and 'connect' - allows users of the XBOX360 console to interact with their games and media without a physical controller.
Portal 2: Rise of the Spams!
Starring, everyone's favourite senator!
I'm sure you've all heard about Australian Senator Stephen Conroy's craziness during a recent press conference. The pro-filter communications minister had a few things to say about the usage of portals, and their habit of being targets of malicious spam.
Building a robot: A worklog – Part 3
Tactics!
Before delving into the software and physical development of BOB++, it's important to get a good idea of the tactics that the robot will perform. Making a sumo bot involves many behaviours which are critical when encountering a dynamic opponent. This worklog encompasses the behaviours which will eventually be implemented using LeJOS and Java Integrated Development Environment (IDE) Eclipse.
Note: You can find the previous worklog here.
Building a robot: A worklog – Part 2
Them's fighting words!
I've been busy, and a robot has emerged from the Lego filled trays that occupy my desk. Usually I'd document the building process as I go, but I decided to build the thing bit by bit between doing uni work, thus documentation was left to last. So, I'll be analysing my first finished prototype as a whole, whilst focusing on individual design choices and implementations. Here we go!
Note: You can read the previous log here.
Building a robot: A worklog – Part 1
Robotics and Lego!
The term 'robotics' brings many thoughts to mind, such as 'cool', 'awesome' and 'intricate'. A robot is often seen as an intelligent biped with humanoid characteristics, which is indeed cool, but if film has said anything to us mere mortals, it's that these things are extremely complicated machines.
Considering the public perception of robotics, if you were to ask someone to help you construct a robot, the chances of them accepting would probably be influenced by their technical enthusiasm. A layperson will likely assume it's beyond their abilities, which is not necessarily the case. This is why I've started this worklog, I want to give people a look at the development of a simple robot. If anything, it'll get more people interested in robotics. :)
Last day for R18+ game classification review submissions!
Hurry!
If you haven't done so already, here's your last chance to tell the Australian government that we need an R18+ rating for games! You can get the appropriate document here.
Don't fret though, it takes 10 minutes to fill out, and the comment section is optional (it's only 250 words anyway). When you're done, it's as simple as e-mailing the document to the provided e-mail address. Get to it!
Microsoft Reveals ‘Windows Phone 7 Series’
A whole new mobile platform has emerged, eager to topple the efforts of Apple and Google.
It's official, Microsoft have released their new mobile OS. It's not Windows Mobile any more, in name nor functionality - it's literally a new OS experience. Playing on their lucky 7 history (read: Windows 7), Microsoft has taken the plunge to deliver a fancy new way to cater to user wants and needs. I've scoured the Internet for information on this new competitor, and have collated the main points of interest.
Mediocre music and the mainstream market
The music you've come to love has been sabotaged.
Not many people realise the degree of degradation music quality has experienced over the years. It has got to the point where the old vinyl records of yesteryear, the same ones that were popular some 100 years ago, provide higher quality dynamic range and clarity than today's CD audio. Remasters of old classics are sounding worse than the originals, and new music is sub-standard from the get go. It begs the question; surely technology has improved since vinyl?
Did Apple miss the boat with the iPad?
A neat little device, but has Apple lost their opportunity?
So, the long hyped Apple tablet has finally been announced. As expected, it very much resembles a larger iPod Touch. A single hardware button, minimal ports, and a screen which consumes most of the device's top surface. It's touted as a new platform, somewhere between the smartphone and the netbook, which is interesting. Of course, it's not exactly a new platform; Apple is essentially entering an existing one with their own offering. Android based tablets have been around for a while, and haven't really taken off. Regardless, there's been much excitement over this particular device for a couple of reasons. It was a long rumoured product, and it's from Apple. But will the hype pay off? Is the device compelling enough to warrant purchase? Let's find out.