Feb 26, 2007

Can Shim

I felt like this needed some attention. How to make a Can Shim to unlock combination locks. Use this only if you can not remember your combination.

Jan 22, 2007

VC vs SNES emulation on XBox ...fight!

Today big N released Zelda: A Link to the Past which we all know is a awesome game. So I buy it and play with it, looks great and plays the way I remember. But how does it compare to say SNES emulation on a XBox. Well I bought the game on VC and I own it for GBA so I should have the right to download it and emulate it any time I want, because I own it...twice. Anyways ;-D

I loaded up Zelda on VC and put link in the dungeons near his dying friend and did the same for the XBox. Now at first I seen that the XBox version was brighter.. so I went into the options and seen what was wrong, it wasn't at 480p (like the Wii version) and the screen is off..so I fixed the screen position. And I went back and forth for 15 minutes and the only difference I seen was that the screen position was slightly off but nothing I can't easily fix.

What about the sound...here is where the VC has the advantage over the XBox emulation. So who emulates better.. At first it sounds the same by listening to the music and slashing the sword. But when Link opened a keyed door, I heard a clunk for the XBox version, on the VC version, you here a clink. Granted I don't have a SNES with me, but I think it suppose to go clink not clunk. Sounds like a pitch problem.

As for controls, I prefer the Wii classic controller anytime over the XBox controller. It just seems more realistic to me than a over sized controller and the buttons are miss placed.. But you have to consider that the classic controller was designed for VC's games.

Winner?? Well if you want the same exact experience as you got with your SNES, obviously the VC version with the Classic Controller... If you don't care what controls you are using(XBox Controller or keyboard) and really don't have a ear for a clunk instead of a clink. (I really never noticed till I compared) and you already own the game for GBA and don't like looking at a little screen, then the XBox.

Jan 10, 2007

iPhone

As we all know the iPhone was announced recently. Excited that Job's said it had OSX running on it and with that, I had hopes of running OSX Software on a Phone which basically took on the ultra mini PC's, Phones, PDA's and handheld gaming all in one device. But my hopes were struck down when I heard that the iPhone would not run 3rd party software, meaning only apple apps and whatever they release to the public. I now see the iPhone as a overpriced phone because Apple won't let the general public develop for this device without apples approval. Nice idea, but one simple little idea will kill it ultimately IMO.


As for the AppleTV, same problem in a sense. When I first heard about it, I was thinking "Alright! Something to replace the XBox" Because I use the xbox as a media center for the living room. Connected from the xbox is a 1TB raid 5 system filled with movies, tv shows, music, a few games, emulated games for multiple system. So, ok, it'll replace the XBox awesome..wait.. does it play Xvid or Divx? NOPE!! After some people asked Apple, Apple said it'll play what the iPod will play and that is all.. Meaning no xvid or divx support.... bummer... I could just easily go to my favorite bit torrent website and download many movies and shows for the ipod that other people compiled... but I have over 500gbs of tv shows and movies and i DON'T plan to recompile it to mp4... Over hyped items? Maybe, but apple is missing the point, the idea. Maybe they don't want to pay the company divx for licensing maybe.. Even then, open up the device for development to the general public so we can at least do it our self. MS isn't getting sued because of hackers hacking the xbox and making a media center out of it and playing DVD's, DIVX, etc. etc. etc. Why not do the same thing apple? Open Source, Open development to anyone so we can better the device and show you what we want. Last I remember apple was getting the money for the hardware, not the software.... Let the public deal with the software for these devices, just provide the hardware, we'll take care of the rest.