Archive for the 'Information' CategoryPage 3 of 23

…Achievement Farming Servers are lame?

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Cory O'Brien
on June 23, 2008
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TF2 Pyro

Call me an online gaming Newbie, but the concept of an Achievement Farming Server was news to me.

For those of you in the same boat, let me explain: In certain games like Team Fortress 2, items and weapons are unlocked only after a player achieves a certain number of achievements (milestones that mark goals or difficult tasks within the game). For those that can’t just wait to play through the game and earn the achievements like a normal player, Achievement Servers get set up with the express purpose of unlocking certain achievements for everyone playing.

Thus, though there might be two different teams playing, everyone is basically on the same team, and working together to earn achievements.

Need to kill 10 guys in 30 seconds?

Though this might be a tough task on a regular server, it’s easy on an Achievement Server when you have 10 volunteers join one team and then just stand still in a single spot while players on the opposing team take turns slaughtering the 10 opponents in one fell swoop like some sort of communal firing squad. Then, once everyone from one team unlocks that particular achievement, the roles are reversed, and it’s the next team’s turn.

Seem a little…unfair?

I thought so too, but apparently these types of servers are pretty common for games like TF2, as players are anxious to ‘earn’ their new toys and try them out.

Click the link to follow one man as he journeys through an Achievement Server for the first time, and witnesses the power, and the shame, of Achievement Servers firsthand.

[Rock, Paper, Shotgun - Pyro Maniacs: Achieving Nothing In TF2]

…Pilots don’t like delays either?

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Cory O'Brien
on June 19, 2008
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Airplane

Given the chance, what would a pilot say about our current airline/airport ‘situation’?

Probably something like:

    It’s rarely acknowledged that despite recurrent fiscal crises, major staffing and technology problems, and constant criticism from the public, our carriers have managed to maintain a mostly reliable, affordable, and safe transportation system.

Pilot Patrick Smith dropped that and other bits of knowledge upon Reader’s Digest readers, and it’s actually an interesting read for anyone that wonders what’s going on in the heads of the guys on the other side of the locked cockpit door.

(My other favorite gem: “Before we take off, I would like to apologize on behalf of this and every airline for the hassle you just endured at the security checkpoint. As is patently obvious to any reasonable person, the humiliating shoe removals, liquids ban, and pointy-object confiscations do little to make us safer.”)

[Reader's Digest - Airplane Pilot Speaks Out On Flight Delays]

[Photo Via: Haseo]

…The Sopranos ending has an explanation?

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Cory O'Brien
on June 17, 2008
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The Sopranos

When The Sopranos ended abruptly in extended darkness, many fans felt slighted by the lack of…well, anything.

However, the “Master of Sopranos” has published what he’s calling the definitive explanation of “The End”, and if there’s more to it than what he manages to drag out of those few precious seconds, then I don’t think I want to know.

Read through for a very exhaustive explanation of what one fan thinks David Chase’s message was, or read the spoiler below if you’d rather not wade through text to get to the good stuff.

(Spoiler: Tony got shot in the head in Holsten’s, and the blackness was Tony’s point of view shot.)

[Master Of Sopranos - The Sopranos: Definitive Explanation of "The End"]

[Via: Kottke]

…It’s TGI Friday: Camera Toss?

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Cory O'Brien
on June 13, 2008
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Camera Toss

This weekend, grab your camera (or your friend’s camera), set the timer, and toss it in the air for a new style of photography called Camera Tossing.

The results are often a beautiful art piece that is less about documenting a moment, and more about creating an emotional picture that is filled with color and motion.

Check out COLOURlover’s article on Camera Tossing for a brief history of the technique, and some fantastic examples that should give you more than enough inspiration to get going.

[COLOURlovers - The Colorful Art Of Camera Tossing]

[Flickr - Camera Toss]

[Camera Toss (The Blog)]

[Photo Via: Daddy0h]

…Fahrenheit looks scarry?

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Cory O'Brien
on June 12, 2008
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Fahrenheit

The new Fahrenheit coaster at Hershey Park now features the steepest drop of any coaster in the US.

How steep?

Try 97 degrees. (For those of you wondering: Yes, that is PAST vertical.)

The coaster, which features a 121 foot drop, a 107 foot inverted loop, two inverted corkscrew rolls, a Cobra element, an Airborne inverted S roll, two hills called Airtime hill, and two High-speed/banked curves, reaches a maximum speed of 58 mph, and takes 12 riders on an 85 second ride of their life.

Check out Popular Mechanics for a behind the scenes look at how the coaster was made, and hold on to your lunch if you’re going to watch the video.

[Fahrenheit]

[Popular Mechanics - Build A Roller Coaster]

…Movies don’t have to be expensive?

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Cory O'Brien
on June 10, 2008
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Movie Theater

I love summertime movies, but with ticket prices quickly approaching a Jackson, and popcorn prices making you rethink the switch to ethanol, it’s quickly becoming harder and harder to justify the cost.

However, with a bit of planning and some smart savings, Consumerist can show you nine different ways to save at the movies.

From movie ticket coupons and drive-in revivals to bulk ticket purchases and reward programs, it’s a helpful and easy to use guide to saving a few bucks.

[Consumerist - 9 Ways To Save At The Movies]

…You need to go to Scam School?

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Cory O'Brien
on June 6, 2008
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Scam School

Brian Brushwood’s Scam School is a short-format series of online videos that gives you an inside tour of bar tricks, street cons, and scams.

Each episode teaches you a usable bar trick, street con, or scam that you can pull on your friends, and you’ll be entertaining them in no time with these easy to learn tricks.

In the pilot episode, Brian teaches you how to make smoke from out of thin air:

[Scam School]

…Firefox 3 can be tweaked?

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Cory O'Brien
on May 30, 2008
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Firefox Tweak Guide

If you’ve already downloaded Firefox 3’s RC1, and you’d like to get under the hood a bit and tweak some things, then check out CrunchGear’s Firefox Tweak Guide.

They’ll help you adjust settings and add extensions to get everything just right, and you’ll find yourself whipping through web pages like a pro in no time.

[CrunchGear - Firefox Tweak Guide]

…Newegg is crazy on the inside?

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Cory O'Brien
on May 28, 2008
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Newegg

AnandTech recently had a chance to go behind the scenes of Newegg’s newest New Jersey facility, and with a stated goal of getting packages into customers’ hands within two days of ordering, you can bet that there’s a fair bit of automation going on inside of this billion dollar company, which, in my opinion, makes the tour all the more interesting.

From the picker and the peanut gun to the box maker and the wizard, it’s a look at what makes Newegg tick, and also a look at the future of product management.

Plus, haven’t you always wondered what goes on after you click that “Confirm Order” button?

[AnandTech - Inside Newegg NJ]

…Motive will teach you how to shoot?

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Cory O'Brien
on May 20, 2008
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Motive Photography

Getting good car shots is a mix of art and science that few can master. Designers spend countless hours shaping each curve and crease so that it pleases the eye (and the wind tunnel), but without simple techniques and basic knowledge, you’ll never be able to transfer that beauty onto film.

Motive Magazine has been on top lately with their photography style, capturing the fluid lines and sultry speed of the automotive world in a way that is nearly unrivaled. Thankfully, for the automotive artists among us, they have put together a post that shares some of their tips and tricks that they picked up along the way.

From knowing your equipment and picking the proper camera setting to waiting for the right time of day and the rule of thirds, it might not make you a professional overnight, but it’ll definitely help you get closer to the shots you’re envisioning when you press the shutter.

[Motive - Just Shoot Me - Motive's Car Photography Tips]

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