Articles by Michael Anderson

Wii Game Review: Hasbro Family Game Night 3

Over Thanksgiving my wife’s sister and her family visited, with kids in their early 20’s, nearly a decade older than ours. Yet when the eight of us sat around the kitchen table playing Apples to Apples, all differences disappeared and we had an absolute blast. So when we went to visit them for Christmas, I brought along the Wii version of Hasbro Family Game Night 3 to see if we could have a similar night of fun. The Hype: Hasbro Family Game Night 3 is a classic board game compilation for Wii that allows players both new and an experienced…

Music Diary, Reviews

Music Diary Reviews: All New Stuff Only!

Recently I have been mixing in reissues with new releases in these review articles … but this time around there is just way too much new stuff to step back in time. But don’t worry, I’ll be doing a separate look at some re-releases … and a separate look at some late 2010 pop & rock stuff … and also a focus article on a couple of truly superlative recent releases! Another thing – in the past I have tended to simply list the reviews randomly … but no more. You can be assured that if a CD is first…

News & Features

Rumor: iOS 4.3 to Solve ‘Rotation Lock-Gate’?

About six weeks ago we had a GearChat on ‘Rotation LockGate’, which discussed the change Apple made in the behavior of the side switch from rotation lock to mute switch. I voiced my displeasure about the lack of ANY communication from Apple, and also the inefficiency of the ‘work-around’, saying: As for the difference in action, there are *FOUR* extra steps now: before you slid a switch and were done. Now: double tap home, slide at least one time to the left, tap the unlabeled orientation icon, and then click home again to get back to what you were doing….

Game Diary, Reviews

Nintendo DS Game Review: Call of Duty Black Ops

Alongside the juggernaut console versions of Call of Duty Black Ops that have led the sales charts since release comes a version for the Nintendo DS. This one didn’t get the attention of its console brethren, which is too bad because it is a better game. The Hype: – Seventh installment of the Call of Duty series, based on the live fire conflicts of the Cold War era – Diverse variety of play settings ranging from urban air and ground combat in SE Asia, to snow combat in Soviet region and jungle combat – Blending of traditional COD, and new…

News & Features

Amazon Releases ‘Deals’ App to Track Gold Box and Lightning Deals

Do you check Amazon more or less daily for their great Gold Box or Lightning deals? Me too! But way too may times I have been away from my laptop when I knew a deal was going on and missed out. So I was thrilled when I saw today that Amazon had created a small app to help track their daily deals! Here is their description: Stay up-to-date with Amazon Gold Box Deals wherever you go and never miss another deal. Amazon Deals for iPhone lets you check availability of current offers, schedule reminders, and purchase Lightning Deals and Gold…

Game Diary, Reviews

PSP Game Review: CLADUN: This is an RPG

I am just going to warn you in advance … some of the text of this review will make you wonder if I messed up at the end with my positive recommendation. No – the rating is correct: CLADUN: This is an RPG is a game with plenty of flaws … but one that offers a great overall experience in spite of those flaws, and is very much worth buying. The Hype: Cladun is a retro style dungeon crawler game. Players can create their own main character from scratch using a graphics editor and the dungeons that you will be…

News & Features

Toyota Appears Near Top of Both Brand Perception Survey and ‘Most Hated Company’ List

David Goodspeed writes amazing articles about cars and the automotive industry for Gear Diary, and I love reading them. Personally I am fairly utilitarian in my auto pursuits, but my statistician avocation makes me sit up and take notice when what looks like inherently contradictory data comes along. In this case it is Toyota and their public image. First off they find themselves along BP, airlines and others on the ’15 most hated companies’ list. Toyota had what could be described as a ‘rough’ 2010 in terms of public relations, to the point where the former leader of product quality…

Editorials, Game Diary

SpiderWeb Games Founder Jeff Vogel On Why He Avoids His Own Forums

Many actors claim to avoid reading reviews of their own work, for a variety of reasons. Likewise, if you go on video game forums, you will either see absolutely no official contact or it will be through ‘community managers’ like on the Bioware forums. Ever wonder why that is? SpiderWeb Games Founder Jeff Vogel (who has run his own ‘indie’ game company where he is the head programmer, designer, writer, and so on, since 1994) wrote an entry on his ‘Bottom Feeder’ blog about just that. Here is a quote: It’s a little different on my company’s forums. But only…

Reviews

iPad App Review: Korg iMS-20

I recently reviewed Korg DS-10 Plus, the analog synthesizer for the Nintendo DS that emulated a Korg MS-10 analog synthesizer. Now Korg is back – this time with the iMS-20, a full translation of the classic Korg MS-20 for the iPad. The Hype: KORG iMS-20: Transform your iPad into a complete analog synth studio! Product Highlights: – A complete recreation of the legendary Korg MS-20 analog synth – Built-in 16-step analog sequencer to control the sound – Music production studio with the MS-20 mono synth, a six-part drum machine, and a mixer – Kaoss Pad function allows intuitive performance and…

Game Diary, Reviews

iPhone/iPad Review: Rock Band Reloaded

The original Rock Band for the iPhone was a decent hit in spite of trading real-feel instruments for tapping on a screen. This is because it was designed to look and feel like the console game and had a good selection of songs to go along with a well designed and functional interface. Now Electronic Arts is back with the next entry in the series … Rock Band Reloaded! Let’s see how they did, and whether it is worth paying again for the new game. The Hype: – PLAY 33 SONGS! Instantly launch into 15 legendary tracks, with additional FREE…

Events, News & Features

Corning Gorilla Glass: Not Just For Smartphones Anymore!

Corning’s Gorilla Glass has become the industry standard in just a few short years for an obvious reason: people don’t like their phones to shatter. While the glass isn’t completely indestructible, it has shown an unprecedented ability to resist scratches and breaks in normal use. The list of devices using the glass is impressive, and that is with some (ahem) well known users left off the list. Here is just a sampling: Handheld Devices * Dell: Aero, Streak, Venue Pro * LG: LG Mini, Arena TV, Ophone, Ally, Optimus 7 * Motorola: BACKFLIP, BRAVO, CHARM, CLIQ, CLIQ XT, DEFY, DEVOUR,…

Editorials, Game Diary

Nintendo Touts Record 2010 DS Sales … Can’t Spin Away Bad Wii Sales Trends

Yesterday I got an email from Nintendo titled “Nintendo DS and Wii Set New U.S. Sales Records in 2010”. The email touted a few figures, and here is a snippet: According to Nintendo’s internal sales figures, the Nintendo DS™ family of portable video game systems has sold more than 47 million in the United States since the original model launched in November 2004. That tally makes Nintendo DS the nation’s best-selling video game system of all time. For the second major milestone of 2010, Nintendo’s internal figures show that the Wii™ home console marked its third consecutive calendar year with…

News & Features

Cool Tech Stuff: Next Mars Rover to Use Laser Spectrometer for ‘Real Time’ Decision-Making

Image courtesy of Wired One of the big problems with remote exploration using automated systems is figuring out what is important and using that information to make decisions that will allow you to alter your collection plans to gain more information during the study. When sending an automated exploration vehicle to Mars, those problems are amplified enormously – space and power become a huge issue. Look at this example from a new article at PhotonicsOnline: After NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover Spirit examined an outcrop called “Comanche” in 2005, it took years of analyzing indirect evidence before the team could confidently…

News & Features

Mac App Store Now Live With >1,000 Apps, Requires OS X 10.6.6 Update

This morning I got a couple of emails from Apple, but the one that immediately grabbed my attention was “The Mac App Store. Grand opening today.” There isn’t much to tell as of yet – there are over 1,000 apps loaded up and ready to go, and the process of checking everything out is as simple as using the iTunes App Store! I haven’t bought anything yet, as I took care of iLife, MS Office and MobileMe before the holidays. One thing to note: as stated in the press release below, to get the App Store you need to grab…

Music Diary

Random Cool Video: Josh Groban Sings the Tweets of Kanye West

Aside from liking his short stint on Ally McBeal back in the 90’s I have never been a fan of Josh Groban. As for Kanye West, I have been poring over his latest recording and trying to come up with a review that says more than ‘interesting music ruined whenever Mr. West opens his damn mouth’! But put them together? Pure gold! This cool video reminds me of some of the great fake commercials from Saturday Night Live and In Living Color in years past … and is simply worth watching. The overly dramatic tone of Groban’s great voice with…

Reviews

iPad App Review: SPQR

Way back in high school I took four years of Latin. I know, I know – the common wisdom now is ‘why learn a dead language’ unless you are going into medicine? Yet Latin taught me more than a single language – it is the basis of many of the modern languages, and has helped me learn other languages more quickly through the years. So when I saw a full-featured Latin app, I simply HAD to check it out! The Hype: SPQR is the ultimate app for Latin lovers, Latin teachers and Latin students who want to immerse themselves in…

News & Features

On the 25th Anniversary of Rocky IV, Take a Quiz to Remind You of a Time Long Ago …

Just before Christmas Rocky IV was on cable yet again, and I watched the last hour of it with my wife and kids. While it was never what anyone would call a ‘good’ movie, certainly not like the original Rocky, it has often been a guilty pleasure because it executes perfectly on the whole built-up feel-good emotional roller-coaster motif. But watching it with kids who were born after the memory of the Soviet era had exited the cultural mainstream brought just how out-of-date all of the Cold War jingoism has become. I would have to put Rocky IV into the…

Music Diary

Music Diary Notes: ‘Shocking’ Poll Alert – Most Music Fans Want Apple to Price-Match Amazon!

OK, every now and then I see a poll that has me not so much looking at the results as thinking ‘what did the OTHER bunch of people think’? Over at MusicMagazineUK there is a new article with poll results to questions posed last week. There were three questions, and all were Yes/No. Here are the results: 86% of people want a price match with Amazon’s services. 71% of people want Apple to reduce the restrictions on variable song and album pricing. 57% of people are unconcerned about easier integration with third party services. Note that the last result was…

Game Diary, Reviews

iPad Game Review: Puzzle Quest 2

Last August I reviewed the DS and PC versions of Puzzle Quest 2. The quick summary of my review is that “the game made good as a true sequel to the “Casual Meets Hardcore and Loves It!” surprise hit from 2007″. In early December Puzzle Quest 2 arrived on the iTunes App Store in the form of a Universal app with Game Center support. So how did it do in the translation? The Hype: Puzzle Quest 2 marks the return of the world’s leading puzzle adventure series and its trademark blend of match 3 gem-based gameplay and fantasy role-playing. Rewarding…

News & Features

George Lucas and the Misunderstood Genius of the Prequel Trilogy?

Despite growing up only a few miles from the original Dunkin Donuts, I have uniformly disliked the advertisements for the shop since enjoying the original ‘Time to Make the Donuts’ commercial … not the least reason for which was that ‘Fred the Baker’ looked much like the guy I worked for through high school and for several breaks during college! The reason I mention that I find the most recent ads annoying, and my wife tells me to stop thinking so much. Over-analysis of movies is pretty much a given, and over the last year or so we have had…

Music Diary, News & Features

Music Diary Notes: The Smithsonian Institute Challenges You to Test Your Jazz Knowledge

Do you love Jazz? Do you like taking sound quizzes? Do you think you know the history of jazz well enough to take a huge online test? Well, the Smithsonian has a challenge for you! Next March, according to the Smithsonian site, an all-new anthology of jazz music, featuring 111 songs across 6 CDs. There is 80% new material compared with the classic 1973 collection – I had this one tape for years until I wore them out and bought it on CD back in the 90’s. Here are some details on the release: Seven years in the making, ‘JAZZ:…

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