Author: Dave

Jurassic World Evolution, 9 out of 10 Goldblums!

The Feebled Dream of a Mad Man

Frontier Inc., the creators of Planet Coaster have a rebellious nature and a real passion for sandbox games. The founders of the company previously worked under the developers of Roller Tycoon but eventually realized that the company had lost its passion, so they departed from RCT and embarked to create their own theme park simulator. The result was the astounding, addicting, and intricate game known as Planet Coaster. After the release and success of Planet Coaster in 2016, much was expected of Frontier’s next project. So the developers had to come up with a big idea. And like all great ideas, it starts with an ember…or in this case an Amber. (See what I did there)

It’s DINOmite!

Frontier’s passion for gaming shows through from the moment you launch Jurassic World Evolution. With John Williams original score and Jeff Goldblum narrating you the tutorial, you’re immediately drawn in to what we all know and love. A user-friendly interface and smooth mechanics make picking the game up a breeze. Then comes the scenery…The landscaping and environment is absolutely incredible. There is so much intricate detail everywhere you look. The water, the mountains, and the grasslands truly transport you to Isla Nubar (Ultra High settings of course). But the games true graphics feat is the dinosaurs themselves. Frontier was able to partner up with the original designers of Spielberg’s Jurassic Park (1993) dinosaurs in an attempt to create the most realistic dinosaurs in a game to date. You can literally see every muscle fiber move when the animal runs, eats, and even attacks…It’s truly a work of art.

Running a Jurassic Park

Once your park is up and running, you have to do everything you think you would need to do when running a theme park filled with man eating dinosaurs. Keep power sources on and fences electrified, feed guests and dinos alike, Animal containment units on constant patrol, etc. After about an hour of playtime, my favorite aspect of the game is taking your ACU jeep on free roam through the park. With an open world feel, you can enter habitats for a up close encounters with Mr. T-Rex, explore the mountains and really take in the games amazing scenery.

To keep attractions and guest numbers high, you constantly have to be adding new dinosaurs and genetically modifying new breeds. You send crews on dig sites around the world who return with the highly coveted DINO-DNA. Also since you are on a chain of islands off Costa Rica, weather plays a big factor in the game. Hurricanes, tornados, severe rains can affect your habitats and fences. If a Dino gets out of a perimeter and eats the guests, then…well let’s just say that mountains that surround you will pale in comparison the mountains of lawsuits you’ll have.

The summary

Jurassic World Evolution is a very compelling and immersive gaming experience. For a long time JP fan boy such as myself, I am just over the moon that there is finally a game that the captures awe and admiration of these dinosaurs that the first film did. They game could have more content when it comes to buildings and amenities, but I’m sure Frontier is purposely holding that stuff back for future expansions to keep gamers coming back for more. In my opinion, it’s a game that’s hard not to love.

June 12, 2018
The Genesis Essentia Takes the Cake.

NEW YORK—The New York International Auto Show was chalk full when it came to concept cars. Jaguars debuted the anticipated I-Pace and Hyundai’s Kona Electric vehicles created quite the buzz. But the star of the show was the jaw dropping, strictly protoype car, Genesis Essentia.

The Essentials.

The Essentia has a lightweight carbon-fiber body and a multi-motor electric powertrain engine. The grille is an “evolution of the Genesis Crest” and the clear hood allows for an glitsy and impressive view of the pushrod suspension. It gets “quad lights,” similar to what Genesis premiered on the Air outlets behind the front wheels reduce drag. The sleek body matches the extremely slim, borderline dangerous head and tail lamps. The body’s perfectly ergonomic frame almost completely eliminates undercarriage turbulence. “Slim lights are difficult because it’s hard to get them bright enough with the given surface area,” a designer stated, “But this will be a Genesis signature, driven by tech.” He alluded to the fact that South Korea has become a world leader in LED technology, adding to the cultural DNA of the car.

The super futuristic-looking interior features an oversized and almost panoramic display stretching the length of the dash and hand sewn seats that match the interior doors and footwell. That main widescreen in front of the driver is operated by a central rotary controller. Genesis commented on all the expected technology that comes with the car and it’s pretty impressive…vehicle-to-vehicle connectivity, pairs with smarthomes, features voice recognition, etc.. According to the car designers, “The last thing we want to do is create a retro design, even though we talked about which cars meant a lot to us, and the Cobra Daytona Coupe as well as the Ferrari Lusso came into the discussion, but modernism is just as important, plus we use unique design solutions that make this a modern car,” Selipanov told Ars. “We’ve recently launched concept cars here at NY, so we decided to show something even more special and inspirational indicating strong brand direction. We also had the idea this should be an electric GT, but overall, our guiding theme of athletic elegance would be foremost.”

The Summary.

Even though the Genesis Essentia is likely to stay the prototype car of our dreams, the design efforts made will not be in vein. These prototypes often set precedents and create so much influence on mainstream car manufactures. I hope to see it’s impressive designs and features resounding through companies for years to come.

April 7, 2018
Google’s Wear OS Watch Previewed.

Weeks after Google changed the name from Android Wear to Wear Os, a developer preview for Wear OS is out. One of the major changes that the preview brings to Android wearables is it’s efforts to preserve battery life. Until now, Wear OS, had no battery consumption patterns or give the user ability to manual preserve the battery. However, that’s all soon to change with the upcoming update.

The New News.

Google unveiled the first preview of its new Wear OS wearables which is set to replace the Android Wear brand mentioned earlier this month. Along with preserving device battery life, the re-brand also brings the software in line with the new functions of Android P, the newest update to Google’s MOS, coming in later 2018. Other major changes include restricted Wi-Fi while the watch is not connected to any Bluetooth device. The new update also features Limited background activity along with Low-power mode. With the Wear OS, the background activity of apps will be restricted. In its developers’ blog, Google explains, “To improve power, apps will no longer be allowed to run in the background unless the watch is on the charger.” This is all an effort to increase and extend the battery life a little longer.

Having cell/data connection or Bluetooth switched on over extended period can also lower the battery on smartwatches. After the new update, Wear OS will automatically turn off Bluetooth, WiFi, and cellular connection when users are not wearing the smartwatch. The watch is programmed to know when it is not being worn by the consumer and will automatically shutdown after a short period. Google has not specified the exact time lapse before the feature kicks in, but we can probably assume within a few minutes or less. The Wear OS will restrict smartwatches from immediately switching on WiFi connection after Bluetooth is switched off by users. It will connect to WiFi only if users want to or when it is being charged. This is actually a great little feature to further assist the lazy consumer or the one who forgets to be attentive to such things.

The Summary.

Google will release the finalized version of the Wear OS in the fourth quarter of 2018 and hopefully all the kinks and issues can be resolved by then. Im interested to see exactly how user friendly can get the software. Who knows, could be a real home run for the company on this ambitious new endeavor.

March 31, 2018
Nokia 8 Sirocco Brings Welcomed News.

At Mobile World Congress today, the Nokia 8 Sirocco made news of its release and the unexpected upgrades it got. The resulting looks are impressive to say the least, and the fingerprint reader has been moved to the rear to reduce the bezels at the front. The entire phone has curved points at the edges, with a design that hides the usual antenna lines. The changes and upgrades appear to make the phone sleek, light, and comfortable.

The Specs

The Nokia 8 Sirocco is equipped with Qualcomm’s 835 processor, 6GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage. At the center is a 5.5-inch OLED display (2560 x 1440). HMD is also using a dual-camera system at the rear with a 12-megapixel primary camera and ZEISS optics. The front-facing 5-megapixel camera also has a wide-angle (84-degree) lens. The software will support HMD’s “bothie” mode. As HMD has switched to a glass device, there’s also wireless charging on the Nokia 8 Sirocco. Unfortunately, HMD removed the headphone jack. You’ll need to use USB-C or Bluetooth headphones, or make use of the USB-C to 3.5mm headset adapter in the box.

More News

“The Nokia 8 Sirocco will be available in April priced at 749 euros ($920). Alongside the Nokia 8 Sirocco, HMD is also launching two mid-range devices. The Nokia 7 Plus has the same camera system as the Nokia 8 Sirocco, but it swaps the exterior for a ceramic coating. The Nokia 7 Plus includes Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 660 processor, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage. The 6-inch LCD display (2160 x 1080) on the 7 Plus is 18:9 so it’s extra-tall. The bezels look similar to Google’s Pixel 2 XL display, and HMD has placed the fingerprint reader at the rear to help with that. HMD plans to make the Nokia 7 Plus available in April for 399 euros ($490). HMD is also introducing a refreshed Nokia 6. The new Nokia 6 runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 630 processor, with 3GB of 4GB of RAM, and 32GB or 64GB of storage. HMD has moved the fingerprint reader to the back of the 5.5-inch (1920 x 1080) device. Additionally they added a 16-megapixel camera at the rear with ZEISS optics. The updated Nokia 6 will be available in April priced at 279 euros ($343).”

The Summary

With all the welcomed upgrades and tech going into the Sirocco, Nokia may be making moves to enter the ring with the big “smart phone” dogs. The companies almost novelty strength of their phones, has kept them relevant for this long so lets see what they got. I am eager to see how this new phone operates and competes against Apple and Samsung.

March 1, 2018
Amazon Buys Ring Doorbell Company

News broke today that Amazon has purchased the Ring Co., best known for their smart doorbell system. The terms of the deal are still unknown, but it’s expected that Amazon will likely keep the product as is with an upgraded Amazon Ecosystem. Ring already supports Alexa voice control and I would imagine we can expect more upgrades to come. The rumored purchase price was for $1 Billion dollars, but this is not confirmed.

What the Sale Means for Ring?

The two companies aren’t specific about their plans. In a statement, Amazon told Engadget it was “excited” to work with Ring and aid in its “mission to keep homes safe and secure.” the company said it could “achieve even more” by allying itself with Amazon as it focuses on its “vision for safer neighborhoods.” With this purchase in addition to Blink, Amazon now own two major companies that produce doorbells and wireless security cameras. Amazon’s apparent mission is find a cornerstone in the home safety market.

This purchase should help Amazon have the hardware to rival the GoogleNest System. Nest partnered up with Google and has been expanding their presence most recently with the Hello Video Doorbell. We can all imagine that Amazon will make a similar addition to the Ring especially after they recently changed their policy to state the following:

The Policy Change

“Where permitted by applicable law, you may choose to use additional functionality in your Ring product that, through video data from your device, can recognize facial characteristics of familiar visitors. For example, you may want to receive different notifications from your Ring Doorbell depending on whether a visitor is a stranger or a member of your household. If you choose to activate this feature, we obtain certain facial feature information about the visitors you ask your Ring product to recognize. We require your explicit consent before you can take advantage of this feature.”

The Summary

This recent purchase could mean big things for Amazon and the smart doorbell company. Because of the Google and Nest partnership, Amazon could feel threatened and need to make moves to stay atop the voice activated and video world. Never the less, Amazon should increase the doorbell’s capability and features. I await to see what upgrades the company gets.

March 1, 2018
Fitbit’s New Smart Watch Unveiled

Recently Fitbit’s CEO James Park, said that the company is working on a “mass appeal smartwatch” following fading sales of its Iconic line. As of today, the company unveiled it’s new smartwatch at the MWC in Barcelona, Spain.

First Looks

Early images were obtained of the company’s upcoming smartwatch, and it doesn’t look bad! The unnamed watch still has some work and fine tuning ahead of it, but Fitbit appears excited for its upcoming launch.

Similar to the Ionic, this new smartwatch will run the new Fitbit OS platform that allows for app support, notifications, and more in addition to Fitbit’s standard fitness-tracking suite. The new watch is expected to be quite a bit smaller than the Ionic, and it’ll come in black, silver, rose gold, and matte colors with an assortment of different bands. As the product is released, I’m sure we’ll see all sorts of bands and special addition color schemes.

It’s expected that the smartwatch will be water-resistant up to 50m and comes with the Ionic’s SpO2 sensor that can eventually track and monitor your sleeping habits and nighttime issues such as Sleep Apnea. At the moment it does not appear that the watch will come with GPS. We can likely expect the watches to come with NFC so Fitbit can keep pushing its Fitbit Pay platform, but there’s no word on this just yet.

Additionally, Fitbit want to expand and “appeal to a larger, more general smartwatch audience”, Wareable’s source says that this watch will also come with a lower price than the Ionic which currently retails for $299. At a cost significantly lower than the Apple Watch, this one is definitely worth trying on.

Summary

With a sleek and polished look, I’m eager to see what the watch will look like at the time of it’s release. I am hoping that there is some upgrades regarding battery life as well. As for now looks like im sticking with my 1985 Casio, but when Fitbit releases there new awaited watch, I may have to upgrade.

March 1, 2018
The Home of Tomorrow is Here…

Smart Home communities are beginning to pop up in the United States. Home builders are starting to recognize the potential in creating a fully functional smart home form the ground up. These homes of tomorrow come fully equipped with voice activation of every switch and appliance throughout the home.

What can these Smart Homes do?

One Smart Home Community, Brookfield Homes in Washington D.C. has partnered up with Amazon to have the home fully controlled by Alexa. From turning on the stove to drawing the shades. All can be done with a simple voice command through Alexa. The home also comes with a Smart Home app that let’s you control lighting, music, and appliances even when you’re not home. These homes have the ability to learn the owners work, sleep, and daily habits to better assist the owner. The home can make simple automation task such as turning the A/C down before you arrive home form work. These homes usually come with a higher price tag, but can save big on energy bills and efficiency.

So it has Alexa, what else?

These smart homes, also come with energy efficient roofs and solar panels to keep your carbon footprint to a minimum. Also these homes are starting to come equipped with Telsa Powerwalls, which is a solar charged lithium battery that can power your whole house. This battery can basically eliminate your monthly electric bill when utilized properly. From voice control lights to automated vacuum systems, these homes are truly designed to improve your life.

Summary

Smart Home Communities are a new endeavor in the housing market that are just now beginning to be explored. But with all the tech advances as of late, these smart homes are extremely convenient for a reasonable price tag. Years ago, an automated robot vacuum sounded made up and pricey but now you can get one online for $200.00. These new communities will continue to grow and advance. Their sole purpose is to facilitate our daily needs and make our homes functional and modern.

February 26, 2018
Hyperloop One, the Train of Tomorrow…Today

In 2017, Virgin Mobile purchased the Hyperloop One company and unveiled its concept for the train of tomorrow. Hyperloop One chose 10 cities around the world to introduce it’s high speed commuter trains and plan to grow from there. This underground train travel up to 7oo MPH in a vacuum sealed tube. Making long distance travels or work commutes obsolete.

How it Works

For the first time in over 100 years, someone has created a completely new form of travel. The idea started with putting the train’s engine not in the train itself, but on the track. Hyperloop one has created a linear motor using electromagnets that lays on the track while propelling the train car at high speeds with minimal effort. The track is encased in a vacuum sealed tube so the train can travel at very high speed with little-to-no resistance. The airless tubes mock a plane traveling in the stratosphere at 200,000 feet. This makes for a very smooth ride, giving the passenger the feeling as if they’re floating. Achieving incredible speeds while simultaneously creating noiseless and comfortable environment, has fundamentally changed travel as we know it.

One area that was chosen for a Hyperloop One system was Central Florida. The Hyperloop line is expected to run from Orlando to Miami and can carry passengers to and from the two cities in only 26 minutes. Being able to work in Miami and live in Orlando with a 30 minute commute has never been a possibility. The adverse effects of this commuting system are just now being realized. In this writers opinion, this will terra-form all areas surrounding the Hyperloop One line. There are also plans to place this system in many other countries such as India, Mexico, United Kingdom, and Canada. The trains will eventually carry freight cars completely revolutionizing how we ship goods and resources.

Summary

Hyperloop One has done something that will change the way we live and travel forever. With any new groundbreaking technology it is hard to image how it will change our lives, but it will. We are on the eve of something here. As long as we keep the safety and practicality of it at the foundation, it will only be a benefit for mankind. I don’t know what the future holds for Hyperloop One, but I eagerly await its arrival.

February 25, 2018
5 Great Mobile Gaming Apps

We all love the mobile games and we all need them to pass a little time here and there. Some are duds, some are expensive, some are just too addicting. Here are some great games that keep you entertained and casually having you coming back for more!

5. Marvel’s Contest of Champions

With a long list of all your favorite Marvel Universe characters, this “Arcade-Fighter” game has a lot to offer. It’s visually pleasing animations, smooth fighting mechanics, and fully customizable Marvel superheros will have you playing at length and loving it. Because of its constant additions and challenges, you’ll have this game on your mobile device for quite some time.

4. Plague Inc.

Do you need your “Destroy the World” fix? Then look no further. Plague Inc. has a plethora of viruses, bacteria, and world ending organisms at your fingertips and it’s up to you how to use your tools to cause a global catastrophe. The object is to keep your deadly pathogens one step ahead of the world governments and CDC in order to end all life on Earth. With the amount of options and routs of evil to achieve your objective, this mobile game will give you hours of twisted fun.

3. Rusty Lake Roots

This extremely dark and alluring indie-puzzle game is one that you can’t seem to step away from. With intricate puzzles and a twisted plot, Rusty Lake Roots keeps you on the edge of your phone. The animations are simplistic but perfectly capture the creepy factor and suspense that mirrors the dark plot. Follow a man Thomas as he explores his family tree in the abandoned farmhouse that his ancestors left to him.

2. Injustice: God’s Among Us

Quite simply, this is the best arcade-style fighter possibly ever. Mobile, Console, PC or otherwise. The visceral animations, coupled with your favorite DC superheros beating the tar out of each other makes this a very enthralling game. Add on a very simple but sophisticated character upgrading system and, voila! You have an amazing fighter game. I consistently played Injustice for the better part of 2 and half years and never tired of it. I still miss it, but I traded Injustice in for Injustice 2 which is a very good game, but not as good as the original.

1. Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes

Even if you aren’t a huge fan of the Star Wars universe, this is still a very entertaining and great game. But if you are a fan of SW…oh man is this game for you. Find your favorite Star Wars heroes and villains in this turn based fighter game and pair them up to form an elite fighting squad. Each Star Wars character has their own special set of skills that if teamed up with other characters correctly, can form a deadly fighting squad. Training and upgrading the characters of your choosing is very rewarding and the game challenges are difficult but not to the point of frustration. If you enjoy Star Wars, it’s a borderline perfect game.

Summary

All these games are great in their own right and have done amazing work. They have each mastered the concept they were looking to achieve and the end results are so satisfying and entertaining. All are available is the IOS App Store and Android Market. Hope you give them a try!

February 20, 2018
Jibo. He’s not Alexa, but he’s adorable!
The Good
- Jibo’s expressions make him much more human than Siri or Alexa
- Can take photos and store up to 700 images
- Can track flights, scores, daily news
- Can control Phillips Hue and Nest.
The Bad
- Cannot connect to your phone
- No calls, text, music, or streaming
- Is much more expensive than the Alexa or Google assistants
The Conclusion

Jibo is a very charming and helpful assistant to who can do a fair amount of task such a control your homes lighting, thermostat, track schedules and flights, but is limited in comparison to Alexa or Google. Jibo is more focused on being a social robot opposed to just cold services. His friendly movements and disposition make him feel much more human that the other competitors. But at $900.00 is he worth it?

Jibo Arrives

In 2014 the Boston based Jibo Co. released Jibo as a concept and received a lot of buzz. But unfortunately for Jibo, Amazon released Alexa that same year…All of Alexa’s capabilities immediately surpassed Jibo’s and did so from a sleek 8oz can. Jibo’s production slowed but he made it through and is available for purchase now. Unlike Alexa, Jibo is a robust helper, standing at 12 inches tall and weighing 9lbs. With being friendly animations, adorable look, and features such as a camera, Jibo is finding his way into homes as we speak. Jibo is a much more social robot that seems to want to talk to you and has a proactive approach to tasks. Jibo is at sometimes too helpful and can make people well..uneasy. Jibo will likely have all the features that Alexa and Siri have and will eventually have the edge do to his cuteness. He’s a bright entity in the house and children seem really responsive to him. But at $900.00, you may want to wait to get your monies worth.

Final Thoughts

If you’re like me, you might welcome a friendlier robot who can’t do as much as his cold faceless competitors. Jibo is just that. He has limits, but he also has a lot of love…from taking photographs of you and your family at the dinner table or even reading a bedtime story to the kids, Jibo does bring a factor to the table that others cannot. With adorable animations and expressions, the kids sure like him, and he can still control and connect with a lot of the household gadgets such as Nest, and Phillips Hue. But the question is, is he worth $900.00? I’ll leave that to you.
February 12, 2018