The Hobbit Part 1

The Hobbit Part 1 by Legendary Frog
 (picture is Property of Legendary Frog)

The Hobbit Part 1 is a flash short from about 5 or so years ago.  It was one of Legendary Frog’s last projects before starting Toonwerks.  The hobbit part 1 is a comedic movie that is about a Hobbit Bilbo Baggins who like other hobbits likes to smoke Pipe Weed.  It parodies the book the Hobbit very well and makes fun of its shortcomings like the fact that Golem and Bilbo play a strange game of riddles where if Golem wins he gets to eat Bilbo.  The video is worth the 10 minutes of your time it will take to watch it however it only covers half of the book and ends in the middle of Bilbo and Golem’s game of Riddles.

In a similar sense The Hobbit an Unexpected Journey covers the Journey of Bilbo Baggins about 2/3 through the book (basically up to Mirkwood) it is a well-made  movie with lots of action, humor, and follows closely to Tolkien’s original story.  Unlike most movies this movie has extra characters and parts added.  While some would find this annoying I would say that it only adds to the movie as Peter Jackson tries to make the movie not only the story of 13 dwarves and Bilbo Baggins but also a prequel to the Lord of the Rings series.  In addition to the book there is a white orc in the movie and also the character Radaghast the Brown makes a few appearances but instead of distracting from the main story the added portions make sense for the most part and add to the story line.  Overall if they were to have made the Hobbit into a one-part movie that was as good as this first part of three it would have had to have been at least a 5 hour movie so the Hobbit an Unexpected Journey as an Unexpectly good movie and is well worth your time.

Mazda 3

Shopping for a new car can be a hassle.  Dealing with Salesmen, reviews and opinions can cause quite a big hassle.  There are some good resources and everyone has an opinion about what car to buy and who to get it from.  This review isn’t about buying a car however, if I get enough requests I could write a review on that in the future.  Instead this is a review of the 2012 Mazda 3 i touring with Skyactive technology.

Perhaps the biggest selling point of the Mazda 3 is the available Skyactive technology.  There is a lot that goes into this technology however suffice it to say the car is lighter and averages about 36MPG according to its onboard dash. (See http://www.mazda.com/mazdaspirit/skyactiv/ for more information).  The car gets this mileage using new engine technology which makes it more efficient without a hybrid engine.

While the exterior of the car is sporty what really matters the most is the interior.  The Mazda 3 comes with what seems to be a high quality cloth material.  While it may not have the greatest technology it is easy and fun to drive.  There are controls on the steering wheel for radio, and Bluetooth and space for optional navigation.  One of the biggest supposed downsides to the Mazda 3 is the legroom for the backseat.  While this may be a problem for some the car seems to offer a better interior, and more legroom in the back than the highly popular Toyota Corolla.  There is some road noise but it is not to the point of being bothersome.

While everyone has different tastes for vehicles the Mazda 3 is fun to drive, gets excellent gas mileage and is an overall great car.  If anything the one downside is that the car does not come with built a built in USB port for MP3 players (the 2013 model does have this feature though).  However I have not found this to be a problem because one can simply play music over the Bluetooth system. 

For anyone in the market for a midsized sedan I highly recommend considering the Mazda 3.  While it may not be the best car in its class according to reviews the people at Mazda took great car to create a good car that gives the competition a good run for its money.

Online Resources

This week I am going to review some resources available online.  Most of the below resources require a subscription so go to your library and check them out.  I have tried to highlight databases/ features that not many people are familiar with.  Do you have a favorite database?  Share it in the comments below.

As many people know most libraries have online databases available for use by their patrons.  However, these databases are not widely used in many cases because people don’t know what they have to offer.

For instance did you know that many library systems will allow you to download music for free?  Some libraries subscribe to a service called Freegal which allows individuals to download three songs per week for free.  Some of the artists in their selection include former American idol winners, popular groups like Train and also YouTube artists like the Piano Guys.  Not only can you use this on your computer but you can also use it on any android or ios phone.  Note that while Freegal is a new service and did have a rocky start they are growing their selection rapidly and while they don't have all the music you may like to listen to they have a lot and are worth looking into if they are available at your library.

Most individuals who went to college are in some sense familiar with EBSCO host; however one feature that most people are not familiar with is the visual search function.  Visual search is fairly new to EBSCO however it is immensely helpful in finding quality resource.  While a regular search will give you quantity visual search allows the individual to break their search down using keywords that they may have not thought of previously.

While more common in a college library another favorite database is Natural Standard.  This database has lots of pieces of information about different dietary supplements, including research information, usages, and drug facts.  While it is hard to find it in a public library I would highly recommend this website for anyone who is interested in essential oils and their effectiveness and proven by doctors and scientists.

The above databases are available only with a subscription which in many cases a library will have however, there are also many free tools available as well:

Are you looking for a book?  Do you like to read classics? Project Gutenberg has lots of classic books that are in the public domain.  The public domain is a term used to describe books where the copyright on the book has expired and so it is now available to any individual for free.  There are thousands if not millions of free books available on project Gutenberg as well as in the Google play store.

What do you get when you cross all the good parts of the Hunger Games, Inheritance Saga?

A really really good book.  The book in mind is Orson Scott Card's Pathfinder, the first book in a new series.  This is the seventh book I have read in the past couple of years by Card however, and while the writing style does have some of the juvenile humor of some of his previous series this book is drastically different than any of his previous books I have read.

Pathfinder center's around one year in the life of Rigg who is a young boy from a small community in a larger empire.  Rigg has the special ability to view the paths of animals and individuals.  Rigg's fathers last request is for him to go meet up with his sister in the empire's capital city.  With this instruction and his inheritance Rigg sets out on an adventure not only to the capital city but also through time itself.

One of the more interesting points in this novel is the time travel that happens.  instead of focusing on the problems that time Paradoxes create and many other Science Fiction time travel novels/ movies to Pathfinder embraces those to show how small or large parts of the future can be changed.  The book also embraces the idea of inherited magical abilities with all of the main characters having a unique "magical" ability.

Another likable point about this book is the introductions at the beginning of every chapter that explain the founding of the planet garden.  the adventures and mystery surrounding the colonization of garden are not only intriguing but also interesting and easy to follow.

As the introduction hints at I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Young Adult Science Fiction/ Fantasy.  Plus it is a much more interesting read than the books mentioned in the title of this review as it cuts out a lot of the unnecessary travel dialog or monologue that they have.  I give this book an overall rating of 8/10.

Windows 8

Previously I have reviewed the Release Preview version of Windows 8 however this review is for the full, actual version of the operating system, and might repeat some stuff stated in the previous review.

To make mention I will not be writing much about the security upgrades to Windows 8 they are present and useful however, they run behind the scenes and have not been visible my last week of using the OS.

To move on first I will mention that similar to early versions of windows there is a duality of Operating systems as Microsoft moves from the common desktop to their new UI there are lots of changes and lots of confusion, similar to how early versions of windows relied on MS-DOS as part of their code and in order to run many programs.

Because of this factor I am separating this review into a review of the desktop and then a review of the new UI. but first I will review some general changes.

CHANGES

If you install Windows 8 from 7 one of the first things that you will notice is how the OS does not want to use all your software that is "system built" on my Samsung laptop this means all the volume and screen brightness control software that came pre-installed had to be uninstalled.  This however, is not a problem because Windows 8 has all of this software built into its system which means better use of hardware resources.

Another noticeable improvement came while I was playing Skyrim on the new OS.  often times while playing this game on Windows 7 my laptop would get extremely hot up towards the fan vent, and while it will get warm using 8 the computer does not seem to run near as hot.

THE DESKTOP

The "Desktop is not a new idea, and has really not changed since windows 95, sure the graphics have gotten better but the overall design has stayed the same.  Windows 8 gets rid of the "Aero" graphics that bogged down windows Vista and 7 and has instead gone to a more basic layout without the 3D effects that the previous operating systems had because of this it runs using less memory.

One important thing missing from the desktop as can be seen from this picture is the presence of a start button.  Instead of using these buttons Windows 8 relies on your putting your mouse in different corners to get different effects.  This can at times be obnoxious as the OS does not seem to sense the corners immediately or if you are trying to exit out of a window and the charms bar comes up.

Other than the aesthetics and lack of start menu it would be very difficult to tell the difference between Windows 7 and 8 by looking at the desktop.

THE NEW UI (METRO OR START MENU)

The most radical change with windows 8 is the introduction of the new start menu and while the desktop and start menu work in conjunction with one another they are also very independent of each other.  In a sense newer applications will run in the start menu while older applications or apps without a new UI interface will run on the desktop.

When you first load windows 8 it will come with lots of smart tiles that will automatically update for things like news, E-mail and Calendar. for anyone who uses Microsoft applications for such things these tiles would be very handy however being that I am more Google oriented using Gmail and Google Calendar the smart tiles seemed to have little use to me so i removed them from the start menu.

Although the new UI is not perfect it does have some nice features.  for example all programs run in the it run full screen.  by moving the mouse to the upper left corner you are able to switch between applications however I see no way to close the apps while you are in them other than switching out of them and then right clicking to close them.

Skype in the new UI

Despite the minor annoyance the applications I have used look really nice and function better or the same as an application would on the desktop.  the main problem is that the Microsoft app store does not have many apps available compared to Google Play or legacy apps that will run on the desktop.

Skype on the Desktop

Just to mention on of the major annoyances to me with the start menu on the release preview was that I could not scroll across the menu using the scroll button on my mouse, however this feature has been fixed in this version. this makes the new OS manageable and sometimes even fun to use.

Another interesting point is that switching between the desktop and the start menu or visa verse is almost instantaneous.  Similar to loading a program I expected the new OS to have problems with lagging while changing the screens.

Overall after getting rid of all the junk that came pre-installed on the computer I was easily able to adapt to the new OS

CHARMS BAR

One other difference that I will mention here is the charms bar.  similar to being able to search for programs using the start bar in windows 7 the charms bar allows you to search for programs on your computer and in the windows store however you do not have to bring it up just in the start menu, by dragging to either of the right hand corners the bar will come up.

Along with allowing you the search the bar also has social media options and settings options.

As can be seen in the picture the Charms bar is simple designed however as stated above will sometimes come up when you go to close a program.

LEARNING CURVE AND IS IT WORTH IT?

Over the past couple months the press has really pointed out that there is a steep learning curve for Windows 8.  While this may be true for those who are not "computer literate" the differences in Windows 8 are easy to adapt to and the learning curve is really not as steep as they make it out to be.  the only real differences which are outlined above make sense and while some of annoying most make sense and will easily have future benefits for customers.

Until January 2013 you can buy Windows 8 pro upgrade for $40 as stated in a previous post I stated that this is a good deal especially for those with Windows Vista and XP and I still hold to this ideal however, I might also add that with the performance and security upgrades included with Windows 8 even if you are not set on the new start menu it is well worth the $40 upgrade price.  This new OS is sleek user friendly and functional and I would highly recommend that those considering it at least take the time to test it out it put it on their computer.  Updating from windows 7 was seamless and all of my settings, saved games and documents were carried over seamlessly.

The Nexus

If any of you out there are Trekkie's you know that the Nexus is a place where all your wildest dreams come true and the only limit is yourself.  Although that place seems like a fun waste of time this review is on the Nexus 7 created by Google and Asus.

For those who are not familiar with the Nexus 7 it is the latest 7 inch tablet created to compete in the field.  Although the Amazon Fire might be sweet the Nexus 7 blows its competition out of the water, with its faster processor, major support from Google and pure and clean Jelly Bean Android operating system.

Jelly Bean

Nexus 7 Home screen

First off I have never used Android Ice Cream Sandwich, although I have use older versions like Gingerbread, Jelly Bean is drastically different than previous versions of android.  This is a good thing, the OS seems much more refined and easier to use, at the same time it seems like some of the customization that came with the older OS (the roughness around the edges) is gone.  Also realize that the Nexus 7 is pure android meaning that it does not have any preloaded software from companies like Samsung on it, so some of the features like the stock keyboard are defiantly not refined.  Overall Jelly Bean is an excellent OS but the Nexus 7 is probably not for the individual who wants the easy and quick environment that comes with the Kindle Fire, or Nook Tablet.  However, one of the main reasons I bought the Nexus 7 was to have more freedom in choosing e-books.  As such I currently E-book apps for Google Books, B & N Nook and Deseret Books which you would not be able to get on an amazon kindle or nook.

Games on the Nexus

As an introductory offer Google is offering many freebies when you buy an Nexus 7 one of these includes $25 to spend in the Google Play Store, as such I decided to check out some of their games, although most look lame I settled on World of Goo and Osmos.

World of Goo

Both of these games are available for PC however, after playing World of Goo on both I can say that the nice HD screen and the ability to use your fingers adds a nice touch to this game where you build towers and bridges out of Goo.  Even if you have played these games on the PC or Mac I would recommend you try them for a tablet as they are quite fun, and with its excellent hardware, the Nexus 7 is a good choice.

E-Reader

As stated above the I mainly got the Nexus 7 to work as a more advanced e-reader.  Lets face the facts with the advent of e-books not every service has everything. As such I wanted to be able to access more books on one device.

As an E-reader the Nexus works quite well,  the screen is able to automatically brighten or dim depending on what kind of lighting you are in, it also has some nice transition images when you are turning a page using the Google books app or the Nook app.  overall in this area it works just as expected and I really have no complaints.  Plus it also has a good battery so if all you are doing is reading books with it you could probably go for a week or two on one battery charge.

Weaknesses

Just like the Nexus in Star Trek: Generations, this Nexus is not perfect, no the problem isn't that it gives you a false sense of security and leads you into wasting time in a surreal world, instead the problem is in the corners that were cut in creating the product.

Roughing it By Mark Twain

Unlike many tablets a major complaint about the Nexus 7 is that it has not SD slot for storage expansion, However, I am not a big app guy so this doesn't bother me to much but if I did download a lot of apps then this could be a problem as 8GB or 16GB would not be enough.

I have also heard that some of the systems shipping have had issues, although this is not a major problem that I have faced it is something to be aware of.  As such I recommend studying others opinions about the Nexus 7 in making the decision to purchase one.

Despite the weaknesses you CANNOT find a better tablet for $199 or $250 and the Nexus 7 is a great buy for anyone who is look for a handy small form factor tablet.

California zephyr , Amtrack Superliner

 Riding coach on the Zephyr is somewhere between a cheap seat on an airplane and a cruise. The train (#6 anyway) had 1 engine, 3 coach cars, 1 observation car, 1 dining car, and 2 sleepers (in that order).  

Coach Seats

 

Most coach seats are on the second level, the bottom has a couple seats reserved for those who cannot go upstairs, the reminder is full of restrooms. You get large reclining seats with both a short (thigh length) attached leg rest, and a foot rest that is attached to the chair in front of you. The foot rest has 2 positions, low and just right, the attached leg rest can stop anywhere you like, though I found they work best together. The seats did not recline nearly enough for me, but it’s better than nothing. The chairs, like more airliners, come equipped with a small dining tray that slides to you. It was about 6 inches short of being at a comfortable eating position for me.  Plenty of room for medium and smaller baggage is supplied above seats, and a limited amount for large bags is downstairs, though it is not locked and no one is there to stop the first people on from taking up all the limited room. 

The View

 

The observation deck (limited to the top floor) is lined with paneled windows that coat the entire side curve onto the ceiling. This makes for a bright room with great views. Half the car has 2 and 3 person benches facing the windows; the other half is 4 person booths with tables, which are ideal for snacking and board game playing. The viewing benches are smaller, with no head rests, and foot room can be a bit cramped, but they are a nice change after sleeping in a recliner all night.

The view is best seen from (surprise! surprise!) the observation deck, but it’s not too bad in the coach cars either (good size windows all along the sides with curtains for those who want to sleep). The abundance of scenery (We only traveled from Salt Lake City to Chicago, so I can’t speak for the California and Nevada parts) is rocky canyons, sometimes forested. The book cliffs in Utah look right out of a western movie, and the Mancos shale makes for some interesting slopes. The many beautiful canyons that the Colorado river has cut through provide so many opportunities for post-card quality photos it almost becomes hackneyed until you review your photos. The final leg of the journey is pretty flat and lots of corn and soy bean fields, which are beautiful in their own way. Lots of pedestrians and campers waved at us friendly like, but of course they couldn’t see us return the gesture through the heavily tinted windows.

Dining

 

The train has gas-station to fine dining opportunities. A café car, below the observation deck, has fruit, snacks, small cereal, bagels, hot dogs, and other such tasty treats. The cashier heats up hot dogs and the like for you in a microwave before giving them to you. The prices are roughly double that of most convenience stores, $4.50 for a hot dog, $2.50 for a small cereal bowl, $6.00 for a meat and cheese sandwich, but hot water and a fork for the cup-of-noodles you brought: free. The dining car has booths with tables and serves higher quality food for proportionally higher prices, which can be found on this menu, though the prices given on this menu are a few dollars less than the current costs.

Final tips

 

Taking the train is half the price of the cheapest plane ticket, and much more comfortable, though it takes considerably longer. If you want to enjoy you trip, be sure to have something to do: read a book, watch some movies, bring some work, or whatever you like. The view is often great, and provides a speed tour through the country and the edges of cities. Sleeping can be difficult, bring a little pillow and light jacket or blanket (it gets cold with the AC, even in 90 degree heat outside). Be sure to plan a good menu if you bring your own food because it’s hard to enjoy a nice view or book when you’re hungry. It’s not for everybody, but I think it’s a unique experience worth a try.

Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet

The Title Screen

I'll be perfectly honest, before I got this game I had never even heard of it.  It was originally made for Xbox however, I played it on my PC and I am quite impressed how well this game ran and played on my computer.

To start out with for some reason the artwork in this game and the fact that it was a puzzle/ platform game really caught my attention when I was looking at information about it.  I enjoy games that are slightly different, from the regular blow up this shoot all the bad guy routine.  Although this game is defiantly not as difficult as say Portal 2 its difficulty would probably be on part with Portal.

This game starts out with your home planet being taken over by some shadow alien creatures who then go and block all the light coming from your sun.  So you as the alien dude that you are decide to go into your flying saucer and save they day.  As you progress through the game you gain abilities such as a gun, a laser, a saw, a anti-gravity gun and a claw to pick things up with.  Using these abilities you solve puzzles defeat bad guys and ultimately save the day.  While this game does not break any graphic standards the 2-D graphics were nice and very artistic.  also as the word Shadow, in the title suggests this game is slightly dark so I would not recommend it for children under about 6 or 7 as they might be frightened.

Although this games regular price is $15 which I don't think is worth it as you might get 5 or 6 hours of game play out of the single player campaign I would recommend it if you could get it for under $10 as it is very enjoyable and unlike other games the puzzles are engaging and it will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Screenshot from the Water zone, one of many areas in Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet

Windows 8 is it worth $40?

In Recent news It has been reported that Windows 8 upgrade will cost $39.99 going along with the last review does this make it worth the price?  The answer is it depends.  I still hold to the fact that Windows 7 is a much more functional operating system as of right now.  The fact that Windows 8 is basically 2 operating systems in one body, makes it challenging to use and will lead to frustration by those of us who teach others how to use computers and those of us who need to learn the new OS.  so my suggestion is unless you are a gamer, or need to use software that is proprietary through windows, go with one of Google's operating systems (Android or Chrome OS) or Keep your Windows 7 installation for a couple of years before upgrading.

Windows 8 Release Preview

the Start Screen

On a few occasions some of my co-workers have asked me if I plan to upgrade to windows 8.  I am sure they are not the only ones who find themselves asking this question as I myself have been reading the reviews and wondering if I am going to upgrade when the time comes around. In order to make a more informed decision I decided to download windows 8 Release preview and try it for myself.

SET UP

First off I want to mention that I did not wipe away windows 7 to load windows 8.  Having done things like that when I was younger I decided to do my test on a virtual Machine.  After some failed tries to load up windows on the virtual machine I finally had success.  My recommendation for anyone trying to follow in my footsteps here is to download the install file for windows 8 from Microsoft instead of the ISO.  For some reason the ISO did not seem to work properly.

WINDOWS 8

The first thing that appeared when I got windows 8 up and running and got through all the set-up questions was the start screen pictured above.  This start screen is a replacement to the start-up menu that windows has had since windows 95 and as far as I can see it is the major difference between windows 8 and windows 7.

My Google Calendar as it appears in windows 8

The start screen has some very nice features including live tiles for email, calendar, weather, music and games.  For the most part these tiles were compatible with my Google account and I was able to easily get my calendar and e-mail working in the live tiles.  I can easily see how these live tiles can add a new sense of convenience to Windows and also seem as if they would boost productivity.

Google Chrome in Windows 8

Although the live tiles are nice for the most part I did find the new start screen to be inconvenient.  First off I am not a major fan of Internet explorer, so I quickly went to download chrome.  Although Google Chrome is functional in Windows 8 it does not work directly in the new screen (at least not right now) this caused a major inconvenience as in order to use many other apps I had to keep opening and closing the start screen.  Despite this chrome worked fine and seemed to run quite smoothly.

Another minor annoyance to me was how you scroll through the start screen.  I will just face the fact right now that the start screen will probably work better on a tablet or phone than on a regular laptop without a touch screen.  Using a scroll bar on the bottom just seems like a blast from 1995 and I really just wanted to move my mouse to the corner and see the tiles move along with it.

Despite these minor annoyance I do have to say that even for a release preview running on a virtual PC on top of another operating system windows 8 seems to be very snappy, I ran it running 2GB of ram and it work great which is something I cannot always say about Windows 7. 

In looking at recommending upgrading to Windows 8 in the future, my answer is really up in the air to me Windows 8 seems as similar to windows 7 as Office 2010 is to Office 2007.  So in other words it just seems to have more annoying and inconvenient menus but there are basically no major differences between the two versions.

I would also say that it might be worth waiting 6 months to a year to get windows 8 as well.  In a long term perspective Windows 8 will probably have more apps that are usable from their start screen in the future, such as Google Chrome.  

To conclude I think that I would recommend windows 8 to anyone who is still using windows XP or Vista as it is a lot better. However, unless you are a student and can get the student discount on windows 8 I would recommend keeping windows 7 as there doesn't seem to be any major tactical advantage to upgrading as of now.

Gods and Generals

To date this is the fourth book by Jeff Shaara that I have read.  Before this book I read both of his Revolutionary War books and Gone for Soldiers which is about the American-Mexican war.

I realize that this is the first book of this type that he wrote however, I find that it has the same strengths and weaknesses of his other books.  In my opinion Jeff Shaara is an excellent writer when it comes to character development and political fiction however, he lacks quality when writing about battles and attacks which is unfortunate as much of this book revolves around the beginning battles of the Civil War.

His descriptions of Colonial Chamberlain, General Hancock, General Lee, and Jackson truly take the readers into the minds of leaders during the civil war.  At the same time it is hard to grasp the actuality's of war in 350 pages.

Despite the books weaknesses I would recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in Historical Fiction and the Civil War.

Chrome OS version 19

I have never really thought of Chrome OS as an actual competitor to Microsoft Windows or Mac OS until this current update. For those who don't keep up I have been using chrome OS from the very start and currently have a Samsung Series 5 Chromebook. Although there are many negative things about the chromebook (mainly dealing with processing speed) my overall experience has been very positive.

With the new release of the beta version for Chrome OS I noticed perhaps the most major change to the OS since it was released. Instead of having everything inside of a browser window the new version instead looks a little more like a traditional OS by adding a start bar, and an actual non-browser desktop.

Others can give you the technology overview of this new chrome OS, but the thing that really gets this reviewer is the fact that it works a little more like a traditional OS. While there doesn't seem to be any real purpose for the desktop now as everything is still run in a browser window perhaps in the future this new style will make the OS more competitive.

Samsung Galaxy Player 4.0

Lets just face the facts. Apple is overrated and for those of us who don't have smart phones but want the features that they offer there is some good news for you!

The Samsung Galaxy Player, which was released last October is the first good android alternative to the Ipod Touch. This being said it has many similarities and many differences to the touch. The first difference is that it runs android and is made by Samsung. This obvious differences gives a drastically different user experience to the Ipod.

at the same time there are many similarities to the Ipod touch, in that it has a front and rear facing camera, a touch screen and lots of cool android features.

After extensive testing on the Galaxy Player 4.0 for about six months this blog has come to the conclusion that if you are willing to deal with the ads that come along with android this is actually a really good alternative. The screen is bigger than the Ipod touches and with all the awesome features of android minus the monthly 3G or 4G bill how could you go wrong?