Year: 2007

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Mostly Everything

5,000 games being developed for the Wii!!!


Bonus Video: Tomb Raider Wii Edition

A new service called Knibble is currently on beta test stage. This company founded by CEO Sashi Chimala offers 5,000++ games ready to play off the Internet Channel of your Nintendo Wii. Purchasing the Wii Internet Channel from the Wii Shop will set you back 500 points which is roughly equivalent to $10.00.

Sashi Chimala is the chief executive officer and Knibble Wii Founder. He remarked, “We are very excited to offer Wii users with an entirely new and broad set of games, all easily reached from their Wii console. The success of the Wii has completely opened up the casual gaming market. We are very happy to be a part of it and look forward to the future of online casual games.” [source]

This statement is actually loaded. Chimala is saying that the casual game market can extend to the console industry, allowing developers to create games that can retail for free or for a mere price of $5.00 to $10.00 per game in the future. This market was once a PC-only model but now the Wii has opened the doors to developers eyeing console games (still the casual players at that) for their products.

If you don’t own a Wii, you can point your browser to the same website, www.wii.knibble.com and play some of the casual games in company’s beta stage.

Does this give people more reason to buy a Wii? You can basically play over 5,000 new games apart from Wii Sports after the Internet Channel is downloaded — and surf the Internet as well.

Categories
Mostly Everything

Buy a car, hug a tree!

The b5media Technology Channel launched Eco Friendly Driver just moments ago. As b5media is a global new media network, we’re keen on launching a series of “green” blogs to spread the awareness and give some lovin’ back to mama Earth. Eco Friendly Driver is written by Hilary Evans.

In our effort to promote the clean and green lovin’ worldwide, the Technology Channel is proud to launch Eco Friendly Driver, our first “green blog” written by Hilary Evans. Hilary’s interests cover a wide spectrum but she is particularly keen on an advocacy of informing people about the benefits of electric cars, plug-ins and hybrids, and other autos that don’t eat up gasoline.

Buy a car, hug a tree today! Check out Eco Friendly Driver!

Also, we’ve had some reorganization in the Technology Channel. I am lucky to have Clair Ching aboard New Linux User and Jerome Locson over at Office Tweaks.

Categories
Mostly Everything

Why is Alex Vergara being crucified? And why aren’t lifestyle journalists taken seriously?

It appears that Inquirer lifestyle reporter Alex Vergara is under a lot of heat from several architects in the Philippines. After he released an article titled Architectonic debate on the 5th of August, he is now being sued by a joint collaboration of architects for this expose.

Although most people, including a number of lifestyle journalists familiar with their works, assume that Calma and Mendoza are licensed and registered architects in the Philippines, it turns out they are not.

As such, says Alli, they have no right to be called architects. Nor can they pass themselves off as architects under such a benign job description as “designer.”

“It’s called solicitation-once you project yourself as an architect or offer yourself as capable of performing the work of an architect,” Alli explains. “Such a practice is prohibited under the law.” [source]

If you read the article, I honestly don’t see any hint of libel. I see it more as journalism at work and Vergara, as a journalist, was the messenger – he got shot down as is the case in these dramatic times. Lest this blog starts to delve into the niche of law and politics, I just have one question: If all that is in question is a license exam, why haven’t these architects in question taken the test? It should be easy for them to pass a license exam given their vast experience already.

On another note, lifestyle writer Bianca has an added view to the matter – why aren’t lifestyle writers taken seriously?

The problem is, despite exposing issues such as that, lifestyle journalists still aren’t taken seriously. When I was in Hong Kong over a month ago, someone told our dinner group, “You guys have it easy in lifestyle. All you have to do is write about yourselves!”

Not all lifestyle journalists should be likened to the Malu Fernandez type. In fact, a lot of them have the caliber of a PCIJ reporter.

Disclaimer: Everything written above are my own opinion and do not reflect that of INQUIRER.net in any way.

Categories
Mostly Everything

Talk WITH the hand!

For the longest time I’ve held on to the premise that video podcasts should only be done when you have something value-added to show off that can’t be conveyed through a regular audio podcast. On a more practical note, audio podcasts are also much easier to download and can be utilized for a more flexible listening experience while in transit. If your video show is composed of talking head(s), why not just extract the audio and you’ll most likely get the same result?

Lately though, I feel like taking that statement back. I’ve started to become more interested in these “talking heads” shows where you see one, two or more people propped on chairs deep in an avid discussion. Notice the facial expressions of people on video who are very passionate and enthusiastic. Look at the hand gestures and movements they make to and from their seats. Notice the rapport that develops as they face one another.

These small changes in body language contribute to an inflection you do not notice on audio. Which is why I feel it would always be good to do video podcasts with people who are very expressive and restless. Body language can convey other feelings such as sincerity, concern and sadness. Have you been watching Darren Rowse’s weekly Problogger videos? He’s always pleasant – which is on tangent to his online writing personality.

The Mystery of the Giant Lego Man

lego_man.jpg

Zoiks! This is a perfect mystery candidate for Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy and Scooby Doo. All roads seem to point to a Reuters article that says that a giant lego man was found floating in the Netherlands and now stands at the Zandvoort beach.

Could this have come from Lego? Because it could seem very likely too. Brings back the whole sense of wonder and mystery with marketing. I wonder if it would have worked with McDonald’s … a washed up guy in a McDonald’s clown suit is rather disturbing.