Category Archives: digital pity


digital pity

Da Bronx!

Leave a comment

I’m skipping my usual Friday visit to the gym today. Why? INHD is carrying the YES Network broadcast of the Mets vs the Yankees. You don’t understand… I usually only get to catch the game via MLB radio. And, well, that’s got Suzyn. Pft. INHD carries Yankees games from time to time, but the YES Network feed only comes through once or twice a season and I simply can’t afford to miss it, cardio or not. Screw it. I’ll make up for it tomorrow. In the meantime, my ass is staying in this virtual-box seat to the Bronx for the next six innings.

w00t!

digital pity

Yeah, There’s Something Wrong With Me

5 Comments

I just got back from buying a Nintendo DS Lite.

Why? I dunno. I was originally repulsed by the DS and the touch screen (too many years of PocketPC’s) but it eventually tempted me, and now the Lite is 1/3 smaller… more like the SP which I liked the design of. Maybe just cuz it looks neat.

What I did do, though, was turn in my GameBoy Color, GameBoy Advance, and GameBoy Advance SP along with five games and two AC adapters… kept Pokémon Yellow for old time sake. Turned out being under $90 for the DS Lite and the latest generation of Super Mario Bros.

Will I sell off the PSP? Nah – it’s still the best mobile video device that I’ve got right now. That isn’t a PC, that is. The iPod screen is too small for video and I don’t think the DS can play media – besides their screen isn’t all that big either. Keep it for gaming? Why not, I guess… I just sorta miss having Mario games around to play. The touch screen stuff? Still not too kean on that, but we’ll see how it goes… games designers seem to have started to make use of it, rather than it being a gimmick thing.

*sigh* At least it’s sorta cute!

digital pity

Some Days, I Just Don’t Understand People: Updated Thrice Over

3 Comments

Yesterday I posted a mini-incident that happened to me and threw out a lil digital homage to the artist of a web comic that I’ve read for a long, long while now. One that I’ve so enjoyed that I’ve passed it on to other manga fans, to help support it. I’ve bought stuff from their merchandising site – obviously – because I know that that’s the best way to keep the project going. My jaw dropped when I saw some of his work used by Waldenbooks a while back, not only because it supported his work but because it also was showcased as the poster child for manga at the store; meant all this stuff was going mainstream! When the hardcopy of MegaTokyo Volume 4 hits the shelves this year, I’ll buy a copy even though I’ve already read everything that’s in there, for free.

Yes, I’m a fan.

So after posting my episode on my little corner of the digital world here, I said “huh… lemme go throw this up at the forums to share the story.” I had to have my password reset there; I haven’t posted but two other times before, most recently in Jan, and I posted a blurb and a URL…

That’s when the drama started.
Continue reading Some Days, I Just Don’t Understand People: Updated Thrice Over →

digital pity

Oof!

Leave a comment

The real problem with beta testing software? Not the testing. Nor the quirks and hoops you have to jump thru, to get it working, no sir! It’s when you see something really cool that already works and then realizing that you can’t talk about it to other people.

At least that’s what happened to be last night, when I flipped on the 360. And that’s about all I can say about it right now.

Boo.

digital pity

Why, Apple, Why?

Leave a comment

InformationWeek: Apple Fixes Firmware, Leaves Users Confused […] Apple Computer Inc. quietly issued a firmware update Tuesday for its Intel-based systems that users said fixed overheating problems in the MacBook Pro notebook, which has been plagued with heat and noise issues since it was introduced in February.

Why? Why does Apple have to act like a group of Nazi hording stolen gold, when it comes to this stuff? Can’t they see how it harms the customer?
Continue reading Why, Apple, Why? →

digital pity

Star Wars? On DVD?

6 Comments

The Digital Bits: So check this out Force fans. This is no joke and we’ve bent over backwards to confirm it’s the real deal. Our very best industry sources have been checking in over the last couple of days – independently, I might add – with word that Lucasfilm and 20th Century Fox are finally going to be releasing the original theatrical versions of the Star Wars films on DVD… good old regular DVD… sometime in the second half of this year. You read that right – the original THEATRICAL versions. THIS year. The ones that George Lucas for a time insisted no longer existed. Look for the films to be sold as individual 2-disc sets (there may be a box set as well), and look for the official announcement to come soon, likely in the next week.

Call it irresponsible for me to repeat “news” from a page called “Rumor Mill” but I couldn’t help myself. Especially for something like this. After all, I did take the time to back up my VHS version of the original series to DVD…

Update: It’s official – September 12th. Each movie is coming out as a two-disc release: uber-modded and original. Limited time release, but anyone that cares would have it on that first week. That and the new LEGO Star Wars II game.

What can I say – I like that Han shot Greedo first.

digital pity

Wow: /. On Penguin Snobbery

1 Comment

/.: Linux Snobs, The Real Barriers to Entry — “It’s not Windows. It’s not distro wars. Sometimes it’s just the arrogant attitude that keeps people from switching from Windows. ‘As I spoke to newbies, one Windows user who wanted to learn about Linux shared the encouraging and constructive note (not) he received from one of the project members. The responding note read: ‘Hi jackass, RTFM and stop wasting our time trying to help you children learn.'”

Never, ever thought I’d have a reason to quote Slashdot on my blog, but this post raises valid and almost historic point.
Continue reading Wow: /. On Penguin Snobbery →

digital pity

New In The Company Store

6 Comments

I was in our company store the other day and busted out laughing.

You see, just after Thanksgiving last year a new T-Shirt appeared at the store. The front simply says “geek.” in white on black. The back has a “witty” definition (that I could do without) and Microsoft on the sleeve. I bought one the first day I saw it. The shirt has sold extremely well, judging by how often I’ve seen them around campus and the neighboring towns.

Makes sense then that the company would building on the success of this T-Shirt. There’s a few new ones: “geeks rule” is one. “The first rule about the computer club is to not talk about the computer club!” is another. There was one in binary and hex but I didn’t bother to figure out the ASCII – I think it was another “geeks rule”. The last one was simple and funny enough to buy for someone that would appreciate it:

“geeks do it in front of Windows”

digital pity

I’m At A Loss

27 Comments

FurryGoat: [Apple Boot Camp] More and more people are buying and loving Macs. To make this choice simply irresistible, Apple will include technology in the next major release of Mac OS X, Leopard, that lets you install and run the Windows XP operating system on your Mac. Called Boot Camp (for now), you can download a public beta today.

Honest. Nothing much to say about it. I mean, I’m pretty shocked that Apple did this. I’m somewhat amused by the shots they take at Windows on the page. Surprised that there’s no iSight driver.

And since I’m in the market for a new notebook, I’m furious that Apple refuses to put a right mouse button on their notebooks… wonder if Alt-Click is supported or something. Pft.

digital pity

Shhhh – I’m Hunting Betas

2 Comments

For a while now I’ve been forwarding select addresses from @randyrants.com but I never bothered to change the blog with the new address. After all Hotmail was always convenient because I could access it everywhere – low maintenance and the like. However, while shopping over at the Windows Live beta site, I noticed a beta for “Custom Domains“.

I’ve already got this blog hosted in one place and the DNS in another: Internet magic. What do I need Custom Domains for? Domain-based email routing? I guess, but I could have been doing that already via the DNS hosting people. Well, Hotmail Window Live Mail will play well with Windows Live Custom Domains, sure… so much so that my domain-based address would be a Passport…? !! Well that’s pretty neat actually; I didn’t expect that. Looks like I can use the new addy for IM as well, not that I’m ever logged in with it. Either way, I signed up for the best.

randy@randyrants.com is the “official” email address going forward. For those of you that care about such things.

All two of you. *points* I saw that.

digital pity

Are You A Tester?

1 Comment

I track about 20 different symbols on my stock list. Aside from the two indices, the rest of the symbols are things that I am currently invested in or things that I know other people are invested in. It’s a throw back to when I used to work for a company that delivered real time stock information but I believe it’s always a good idea to keep an eye on your investments… This morning I looked at the list and noticed the entire thing was showing green, meaning that every single symbol was trading at a higher price this morning.

What would you think? Would you instinctively think:

a) “wow I’m rich! How do I spend it?”

b) “Whoa, the markets doing well, that’s good news”

c) “there must be something wrong with the application, lemme check another site and see what they say”
Continue reading Are You A Tester? →

digital pity

You Are Here –> .

4 Comments

I’ve been a Geek for nearly my entire life. I remember fiddling with pinball machines, in the days before Pac-Man hit our shores… and I needed to stand on a milk crate to do it. Throughout the years I’ve always tinkered with technology – leading to Memoirs of an Italian Geek – but it’s not often that you realize just how far back your memory goes…

…and when you do, it feels like a kick in the dick.
Continue reading You Are Here –> . →

digital pity

Envy

Leave a comment

The Best Buy flyer this week has a 12-month Xbox Live Gold Pack priced at $19.99. I figured it was a typo – a quick trip to BestBuy.com confirmed that it was in fact an error: the actual price is supposed to be $69.99.

I do not envy the people that are working at Best Buy this week that will have to deal with the chaos caused by this one glitch.

digital pity

Reality More Fun Than Games?

1 Comment

Game Revolution has a great write up on the drama that is Gizmondo. The flow chart is simply astonishing, if it’s even remotely accurate… I’m betting it’s dead accurate which is funny…

Ironic: the life and death of the Gizmondo gaming system was more fun to watch than their games… go figure.