Technology Themed Thursday! MINECRAFT

When one thinks of video games these days, they automatically think of the PS3’s and Xbox360’s of the world. Or maybe even the handheld devices like the DS or PSP. With those systems, thoughts of ‘state of the art graphics’ come to mind with ‘realistic’ game play and ‘seamless’ transitions. Well, I want to introduce you to a different kind of game.

Minecraft.

This little masterpiece has blown up in the computer game area of video games (both PC and Mac can run it, fully downloadable after purchase). Overall, it is considered a sandbox game where you play as a person who has to ‘survive’ day and night, mining for materials and building things from said materials. As there are no goals to the game, you can play as much or as little as you want with no obligation. However, it gets extremely addictive.

In terms of little kid cartoons, I am more of a Dora (an explorer) than a Bob (a builder). I like to look for different biomes for different plants, I like to dig deep into the earth in hopes of finding diamond, and I like to slay any mobs along the way (cows, pigs, sheep and chickens are out during the day, zombies, skeletons, spiders, and “creepers” are out at night). But the problem with collecting all these resources is then I never have any ideas to put them to use.

For example, on usual mining occasions, a player will end up with loads and loads of cobblestone blocks. What one can do with said cobblestone blocks is build structures. The limit is your imagination (and how exactly the game will allow you to place certain blocks). I have seen castles, space ships, statues, pyramids, shacks, pretty much anything you can think of. Because you don’t just have to build with cobblestone. There’s also wood, wool, sand, gravel, dirt, and other ‘craftable’ blocks.

And then, there is still so much more to this game than mining and building. Having the right combination of materials can give you better weapons, better foodstuffs (to replenish health), better tools; can create different coloured wool blocks (including red, blue, lime green and the like), paintings to be put on walls, signs to instruct fellow players (there is a single player mode and a multiplayer mode). A lot. And the game is still only in Beta, meaning the team who is creating the game is continuously updating it with bug fixes and more craftable and natural items.

I really like Minecraft. It’s great to play by myself or someone who can help build things to make the construction go faster. Some people complain about its lack of graphics, but that’s the beauty of it to begin with. It gives the game an overall old-school feel. Plus, if you really wanted the look of the game to be more detailed or beautiful, there are ‘texture packs’ that change the aesthetics of the individual blocks, animals, etc. making them all look more cartoony or more realistic or what have you, entirely based on your own tastes.

The cost of the game is around $20 American right now (it is being made in Sweden). The price will be bumped to about 25 or 30 dollars once the final product is released. But that still shouldn’t be for awhile. The website, minecraft.net, is linked through Paypal for easy checkout or you can just use a credit card. Once you pay, you can download the game and start your own adventure.

I want to thank Cristina Valdez for introducing me to such an amazing game. <3

Image of the Moment

Before reading any more of my own words, I would like for you to look at the image below and really think about what you see.

What does this mean to you?

What I see is the spread of information at its best. I see Twitter functioning as the way it was intended. Information to and from Libya and Egypt are possible because of a widely used service like Twitter, where updates come straight to your mobile phone. This is information revolution, and we all know information is power. None of the tweets we make or retweet is particularly activism, but it's a step in the right direction.

The more I see about these revolutions around the world, the more I get worried about my own country: not because I see parallels to the violent protests, but because I don't see much of any similarities in the people's ultimate action. We are at an impasse and nothing is working because nobody is willing to consider the 'other side.' The keys are education and balance, but we need to do something to get to the point where we can rationally and clear minded-ly cooperate and talk about these things.

Unfortunately with how our society works, a real revolution will never happen again on American soil (so long as we're not invaded and taken over [which I doubt, considering we spend over ten times as much on defense than we do education {source}]). Majority of the population is too lost in their fantasy worlds, either through money or through television, to be willing to go out in hopes of making a difference. We are not willing to band together because we view ourselves as too different, and it would take a great deal of discomfort in order to make it happen (and we value individuality, and comfort/luxury over all). A people's revolution would require us to destroy our schedules and do something "dangerous." Practically nobody is willing to do it, not even myself (especially if I'm the only one).

At what point will we become so desperate that our only choice is to fight back? Or at that point, will it just be learned helplessness? Are we really just going to roll over and take it?

I, for one, love all the protests that are going on in Wisconsin. Totally barring unions is unnecessary in solving economic issues. People's jobs, their only means of survival in the land of the rich, are at stake. They are taking a stand. And it's beautiful. I want this momentum to keep going. We need real change and we need it now.

There are so many other problems I want to tackle, but I have to stop now. I get much too angry and, for my mentality's sake, I cannot handle anymore. All I can hope is that others will start thinking. And after some enlightenment, they will take action.

About This Blog

I am a Mass Communication major. I get angry about American society a lot. Thus, this blog was born.

I got into Mass Communications after I started getting into filming and editing videos. I may have been "Undecided" in my college career at that time, but I was taking English and Communication courses. After realizing the potential of my videos and an education in Mass Communication, I changed my major to such after transferring to Indiana University South Bend.

The problem with getting an education in the 'fine' media that floods the United States of America is that I learn about the ugly truths behind advertising, propaganda and politics. This makes me upset. I want other people to know about the corruption and injustices in hopes of making them angry like me. The point of this anger is to then ultimately do something about the system. Maybe not a revolution... but something.

I also recognize that college usually has this profound effect on people my age, that it is normal to feel and act this way. But I don't feel that such a fact makes this any less important.

Aside from communications, I'm also big on reuse (a better alternative to recycling) and dabbling in nutrition (I get upset about our food in this country, too). I may occasionally post about the evils of sugar or about some sweet and cheap clothes I got from Salvation Army. In my brain, it is all related to one another.

So, if the Communication Arts is your thing, or you get upset about the state of the world, or if you're similar to me, I am confident that this blog is the place for you.

Oh, yeah: I like Pokemon, too.

Technology Themed Thursday! SMARTPHONES

The HTC Dream AKA T-Mobile G1

The first Android phone to hit the market back in 2008

I now have one.

By today's standards, it is nothing particularly special.

But by my own standards, it is amazing.

I got my first cellphone at age 18. A standard LG model. No texting.

Two years later I got my second phone. Standard LG. Unlimited texting. No data.

A little over a year after that I got my third. A Motorola. Standard. Piece of shit.

I got sick of it fast... so I jumped and bought this used phone.
BECAUSE I COULDN'T STAND BEING BEHIND THE TIMES ANYMORE.

It does enough to keep me happy. I still have no data, but I connect to wifi everywhere.

I have Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and whatever other apps.

I also have Game Boy emulators to play some Pokemon on the go (like REALLY on the go).

It lags... but I also haven't rooted it yet (to unlock and put a different interface on).

I just ordered a new case for it. It will be orange and black soon.

And I have the headphone adapter so I can play music in my car.

I like it.

Since then, the iPhone 4 is coming out, Windows has a phone, the G2 is coming out, Sony leaked a Playstation phone, THE 3DS IS SO CLOSE. It's whatev.

I'm still completely lost and drowned in all of the current technology.
But I hold onto other older technologies.
VHS and cassettes, Zip disk, the Virtual Boy....

Vintage. Retro. Classic. Nostalgia.

I have no way to wrap this post up.
I like my phone.

Technology Themed Thursday! TWITTER

I use Twitter, yes I do;

I use Twitter, how 'bout you?

A lot of people use twitter for microblogging or jotting down quick thoughts. A lot of other people use twitter to stay in contact with people and have active conversations. Still more people use twitter to describe every hour of their mundane lives. Some people hate twitter because of that. And some other people don't understand why twitter exists or how it could possibly be important.

Well, I am an advocate of twitter. I occasionally update with very mundane things ("going to class") but oftentimes I use it to talk to people, discover people, and really speak my mind, poetically or not ("Bruised up the ol' writing arm. I'm a pro"). I have complained on twitter and have been told to stop complaining on twitter. But there really is more to the picture than that.

What makes twitter revolutionary is the compatibility with almost any cell phone. If one doesn't have internet access on their phone, they can set options to get updates to and to send updates from one's phone via text message. This makes the spread of information increase tenfold in comparison to television or even web news. As soon as something happens and someone sends a quick tweet, a mass text or notification is sent to anyone following the individual and instantly they possess the same information.

How is this important?

A perfect example is the use of Twitter in Iran about a year ago. Countries like Iran and China have censorship on the kind of information that goes in and out of the country; it is controlled. But when stuff went down and people were demonstrating, what the government would have rather kept a secret, those who were involved or witnessed the event tweeted about it. The truth got out fast and there was nothing the country could have done to stop it.

As I had stated in a previous post, the smartphone is taking over as the number one media outlet. With this kind of instantaneous information going to and from these tiny devices, the information age is changing dramatically. Twitter is a very real reason why newspapers are going under. Television is also struggling as the stations can't get to events or get contacted fast enough to air it. Plus, Twitter information is not controlled by the media outlets agenda. Information comes from real people. That's as close to the truth as you can get.

Before I forget: follow me on Twitter! @sMarlo

Image of Interest Today

"Sent From My Blackberry" by Natalie Dee

I just bought myself a used smartphone. My past three cell phones have all been standard, bottom-of-the-line pieces of work and I was just tired of being at the lowest end of the phone chain. Instead of paying hundreds of dollars on an iPhone that I don't even want, I was lucky enough to have a connection. He had the first Android phone marketed and was willing to sell it for fifty bucks. I've been wanting an Android AND it was a steal. It is a T-Mobile G1 (aka HTC Dream), meaning I can't use it with my AT&T sim card until I unlock the phone. I paid for an unlock code and as of right now, I'm still waiting for it... meaning I've no other cool things to say about my stupid smartphone.

Cell phones, specifically this new breed, are becoming increasingly important in the world of media. Where one has to sit and watch tv from their home or sit in front of their computer to surf the internet from some other room in their home, using a phone can happen anywhere. And with 3- and 4G increasing the speeds of internet to such devices, it has become more and more of a priority for advertisers and content creators to make content appropriate for such a tiny screen. Small screens mean many details are lost in the background, so media has to be simple enough to view but memorable enough to be effective.

And people love their technology. If one could do EVERYTHING from their phone and could just plug in various accessories like screens or speakers to it for television, movies, or internet, that would definitely be the path most would want to take. No need in having multiple possessions. Downsize to a one-size-fits-most model. I definitely see this as the future of the smartphone.

But the problem is that it makes for much more media-saturated lives. It's become bad enough that kids these days don't go out as much but rather stay indoors and play video games all the time. It's bad enough that many people aren't developing the proper social skills due to spending most of their lives on the internet. Having a super smartphone could make you go out into the world more, but how much of it would you really be experiencing without tweeting it or seeing what everyone is doing on Facebook? How often would you watch a sunset instead of a brand new YouTube video?

Then again, everything should be in moderation - but not everyone knows how to exercise that. I think with new technology should come a LOT more education for the masses.

America's Obesity Epidemic is a Direct Fault of Capitalism

And SUGAR is America's number one TRUE enemy.

Why?
Because sugar is what actually makes us fat, not consuming foods with x-amount total fat. Sugar is known for its sweetness, a taste we humans love and crave, but unfortunately, because of the health detriments, it should be avoided as often as possible (because if we eat what we're supposed to, ie fruits, sugars may occur natural in them already... making those natural sugars okay in moderation).

But since we crave the flavour, oftentimes making it an addiction as poor diet brings sweet and salty cravings, companies try to capitalize on it by including it in foods more often. Or, to save more money and gain more profit, they use high fructose corn syrup, an artificial sweetener that is worse than plain table sugar. Other sweeteners include Aspartame, Saccharin, and 'regular' Corn Syrup.

Where does this become a problem? Well, with the gap between higher and lower classes increasing, most people try to save as much money as possible. Cheap foods are the ones that utilize HFCS and sugar the most, while organic foods cost much more. If almost all cheap foods contain some sort of sugar (or even worse, trans fat), and sugar leads to obesity and other health problems, yet we as humans like the taste and can become addicted, and companies decide to take advantage of that... it becomes a vicious circle where the only ones who can get out are the ones willing to look at the labels and spend more money on food.

I mentioned trans fat a little while ago. This is the only type of fat that is 100% bad for you (while other fats serve a function in the body). Why? Because it is man made. Most everything that has been artificially modified when it comes to foods means lower quality food and ultimately health issues. Trans fat is made from hydrogenated or hydrolyzed (or a similar adjective) oils which makes them solid and last longer. The problem with that is our bodies don't know how to deal with the chemically altered fat, making it difficult to process and may cause problems if used in excess. Always look at the ingredients for the hydro- buzz words - the loop hole in nutrition labeling is if the trans fat is less than one gram per serving, the manufacturer does NOT have to include it in the trans fats. Messed up.

I would like to thank my Nutrition class and prof for all of this information. It fuels my fire.
Oh, and watch out for corn [products], too.