Windows Vista

I bought a new laptop over the weekend (woohoo) . Its nothing too exciting, just a more modern version of my "work" (eg. grown up) laptop. It has all the usual improvements: faster processor, more RAM (after I added it in), and a bright new widescreen display (thank god for widescreen).

It also has Windows Vista. If you've been listening to the tech babble over the last year or so, you've probably been left with the idea that Vista is going to ruin your life: destroying your credit rating, ending long-term personal relationships, and bringing the wrath of the federal government down upon you.

Well, my experience was a little different. I will preface this by saying that I've only had my laptop for 48 hours, so I may discover new delightful "insights" about Vista as I go. Having said that I have to say I kind of like the fact that Vista gives the user new ways to organize content. The various menus and submenus of the "Start" button no longer sprawl across the page. It has built in support for widgets meaning I don't necessarily jave to have Google Desktop installed. The folder system presents a lo of information on the page without overwhelming me (someone used to digesting a lot of information at once, granted).

Everything looks slick and is fun to use. The old windows sound effects are gone in favor of ones that are less jarring and irritating. The "my pictures" folder does a good job of letting the user get an idea of what's in the folder.

Vista does require some more computing muscle than XP, which is irksome, but not too much. The base version of Vista really doesn't ask much of a system. The appearant speed of my new computer isn't that much faster as a result of the higher requirements for Vista, but it does run better, crashing altogether with far less frequency.

Well, thats all for now. As I learn things of note I'll share.

Yippie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Check out the link below for an explaination of my undignified outburst above.

Library Journal

Nostalgia Moment

For those who haven't seen it, check out the new Pontiac commercial shown below. Its inspired by the classic game Spy Hunter. "Classic" in this case means that its as old as I am, and was already a classic when I finally got to play a port of it on original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES).

A fun game and a fun commerical. It really shows the shift in advertising emphasis in recent years.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl...

...is it really that good?!

Yes!!!

Super Smash Bros.: Brawl is good old fashioned fun. It is in every way an improvement on the previous games. The graphics are crisp and reasonably well detailed without causing the framerate to bog down in the most frantic fights. These fights are ridiculously fun and get downright manic when for characters get involved. There are, of course tons of powerups and special weapons for players to use, and if you really don't like one, you can turn it off in some cases.

It includes all kinds of "collectables" and things to do, so many that I honestly haven't done everything there is to do. The solo modes include the "classic" mode and the new Adventure Mode called "Subspace Emmisary". The classic mode pits players against a series of battles against one or more opponents, throwing in special conditions like battleing a giant version of a foe or "teams" where a swarm of weaker versions of a given character attack the player. This is good old fashioned single player SSB at its best.

The Subspace Emmissary is an attempt to infuse the game with a story and a little mild platforming. To be honest, SE isn't much to get excited about. The story is a little obtuse. The play is kind of boring for streches and the characteristics of certain characters make them, at best, awkward to use in this platforming style of play. Its not so bad that it takes away from the game (it can be ignored entirely if you want), its just very obviously not the focus.

The focus is on the "multiplayer" options, and boy does Brawl deliver on this count. Why quotes? Well, this is for two reasons. First, the multiplayer set of selections is where you go to set up a standalone brawl and this can be done with only one player against computer opponents. Second, you don't need multiple players to play against other players. Yes, SSB has joined the internet age and its done so in a big way. With an exchange of friend codes, you can play against all your friends whether they're on the other side of town or the other side of the planet. Bigger than this (in my humble opinion) is the ability to jump in and play against annonymous opponents on an ad hoc basis. No friend codes, no obnoxious pre play chatting, just brawling. You pick a character, a stage, and then go to a training area where you can practice against a punching bag until the network pairs you up with your opponents then you have a delightful time beating the crap out of eachother. I've never been a big fan of online games, but I think Brawl has made a converter out of me. It is a ball to playing with other folks, all without the fuss that so often takes the fun out of it for me.

As I alluded to, there's all kind of things to collect including the familar trophies and new "stickers". There's also a whole slew of hidden characters and stages. You can unlock new music and other stuff as well. I won't get into all these mechanics, just understand that its fun and a "completionists" dream. There is also a stage builder included that allows the player to make their own stages. I haven't played with this yet but it looks like it could add a lot to the long term replayability.

Public Libraries (because this is a Librarian's blog) with teen gaming programs would be well advised to get ahold of this game as it is sure to "pack 'em in". Just be sure you have enough consoles and TVs for your probable attendance because noone's going to want to be on the sidelines for to long with this one.

Enjoy the intro movie:

Twittering away the hours...

Okay ya'll,

Apparently bloging, chating, and IMing is soooooooo yesterday! The new tool for the compulsively in touch is Twitter, a social networking site designed to keep tabs on friend and loved ones. It allows users to stay in touch with people to perhaps an unhealthy (even downright diseased) level of minutia. Nonetheless, this is the new mode of communication.

One thing I can say is that, yes, it is addictive. I've only had an account for two hours and I'm already thinking "Ooo, I could twitter(?) that!" I can't help but feel that this is going to be bigger than blogging in the mainstream. Most people just don't like to (or shouldn't, to be honest) write that much, so Twitter is perfect as it actually limits you to 140 characters, so you can keep in touch without being a great wordsmith. As "Grammar Girl" puts it in her Unofficial Twitter Style Guide:

If you can't say it in 140 characters, reevaluate whether you should be posting it at Twitter.

So take a look at the site and maybe start an account (let me know if you do and we can swap usernames, if your interested in obsessively following my movements). You may also want to check out the wikipedia article and the Twitter Blog.

Is user-generated content loosing its luster?

Appearently. Check out this article from newsweek. It discusses new attempts to reign in the bohemian, democratic world of Web 2.0. Yes, my librarian friends, authority is enjoying an upswing! (Best not ditch those reference desks just yet).

This comes as welcome, if unsurprising, news. After all, inaccurate information is as valuable as no information. The only thing that suprises me is how long it took...