iPhone 5 Review - iOS there for iAM
Posted on Wednesday, September 26 2012 @ 14:37:50 Eastern


[Don't worry, guys. This won't be in Vox Pop proper. But it's a fun review we thought would be good for the box. ~Ed. Nick]

It was the summer of... ****, what year was that? I honestly don't remember at this point. This is the iPhone 5, but there have actually been like... 9 or 10 of these things right? And then all that iPod crap. Whatever, it's the original iPhone launch, and I'm eagerly waiting in line to buy the original handset from the makers of all things Mac... for $600. Yes, I'm the early adoption sucker. You think Anthony is a chronic early-adopter? I had the bad habit beaten out of me that day in June.

But I was staring at my iPhone 4, just shy of a year and 6 months old last Friday and I just wasn't happy. Whenever an "S" type iPhone comes out, I'm OK without an upgrade. That doesn't mean they can't get me with even the slightest facelift.

That's what the iPhone 5 appears to be at first. It's a little longer, a little skinnier, a little lighter. One of my favorite new... "things" about the 5 is the way it returns to a metal back. My original iPhone was a tank, mostly thanks to the nearly complete metal backing. While that was a pain for the attenae to work though, it meant I didn't have to worry about cases. Pfffft... cases!

What's more, the black metal (at least on the black model) has a very welcome cobalt color, more midnight than true black. Combine the finely textured feel of the metal back with the diamond cut edge and it can feel like you're holding some sort of black monolith in your hands.

Woah, woah, woah. There's still a ways to go on the whole evolutionary ladder. One unfortunate change in the iOS 6 software is the loss of native Google Maps. Apple has ousted its Silicon Valley rival in favor of their own 3D, flyover, invasion of privacy maps service. Unfortunately, the loss means you'll no longer carry the public transportation map and schedule you used to. Yes, Google has a maps website formatted for iPhones, but this is an inconvenience.

Oh, and AT&T will charge you for every single neat thing you iPhone can do, if they can. Wanna share your phone service connection with your laptop? Hope you have the right data plan. The same goes for over-the-air Facetime.

Luckily, much of that is forgotten thanks to the newly extended screen. It seems silly, but the extra real estate is an effective, if odd, choice. While other handsets are expanding their screens both vertically and horizontally, the iPhone 5 sticks to a little extra length. This is actually of great benefit to a number of apps.

Notably enough, games manage to claim a number of improvements. Of the small selection that supports the new screen size, many have a cleaner play space where more information can be delivered to the end user. My thumbs are huge. I couldn't see **** before. Now Jetpack Joyride is just that.... A joyride. I'm coming for your score, Used.

I'm quite pleased with my iPhone 5. You obviously know if you're in the market for one. Will you be upgrading?

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Summer...
Posted on Tuesday, June 26 2012 @ 15:13:53 Eastern

Now that E3 is over, it seems like video games have settled into hibernation for the summer... or whatever, everyone is out at the beach or something. It's funny: working in this industry, you get an odd feeling at this time every year.

It's like nothing is happening, nothing is going on, it feels like your very life is stagnating. Sure, I could clear my backlog or review that shitty summer release, but so much of my day is focused on what's new, what's just been announced, what people said. There's nothing. It's dead.

Still, that gives us a bit more time to focus on other things, like how the GameRevolution is readying itself for the onslaught of games through the Fall, Winter, and Spring seasons. There's a ton to speculate about, projects to prepare, and work to get ready for, but in the mean time, what are we to do with ourselves?

This is crunch time for so much of the industry, but we're here twiddling our thumbs waiting for some goddam news.

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I Beat Persona 3!
Posted on Thursday, June 21 2012 @ 10:58:44 Eastern

SPOILER WARNING

The last JRPG I finished... and I mean, completely finished, end credits and all.... had to be... Final Fantasy VII. There were later games before that, but it feels like over a decade since I last played a JRPG to completion.

That changed last night when I saw the credits roll on Persona 3 Portable. I bought the game the same week I got my PlayStation Vita and have been chipping away at it sporadically when I had time. The airport, the bathroom, the couch. I can't believe how engrossed I was with the title. It's rare a game can hold my attention for 10 hours much less the 70 P3P got out of me.

So the credits rolled, I felt really good, and then I read some stuff online that suggested the protagonist actually dies at the end. What the **** is that ****? I'm just going to ignore that and say that I just closed my eyes and then opened them and partied with my friends. OK?

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E3 2012 Is A Wrap
Posted on Wednesday, June 13 2012 @ 16:31:25 Eastern

I love working from home. It's exceedingly comfortable, the schedule is really flexible, and I find that I'm not distracted as readily as if I were in an office.

All that said, I was so happy to see and hang out with my fellow ...   read more...

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