Is it time for Lost yet?!
It’s so close, i can smell it. Here is a little video to get you even more pumped.
Weekly Blu Review November 6th: Up
Video:
PIXARTASTIC: As you might expect from Pixar, its a BEAUTIFUL transfer. (Vibrant colors, clean images, zero noise, and the textures are great)
Audio: (DTS-HD Master)
PIXARFUN: This is a very interesting soundtrack due to the movie, surrounds are full of action during action sequences, finer details are noticable. (I will have to listen to this track again, I feel like I was enjoying the movie more then paying attention hehe.)
Packaging:
PIXARNORMAL: Typical blu-click case. (A4 Discs this case is no joke. The carboard covers are SO annoying, i wish they would do without them cause they end up in the trash. Also I wish the Luxo box didn’t get cancelled)
Overall Score: 30 + 1 (because hundred of Balloons in HD is LEGENDARY) = 31!
Good Lord......MW2
Like there wasn’t enough fueling this HUGE release in the first place. I must say I’m rather stoked for next week.
The Magic and the Mouse
image via Gearlive
A week of waiting, and finally I have spent my first night with the above piece of awesome. Its funny to be completely stoked for something as simple as a mouse. This one is a game changer, wether people will see it that way or not.
The first thing you will notice is that the Magic Mouse has some weight to it. Very sturdy design, and it looks amazing too. Clear acrylic top (thing early iPod look) and an aluminum belly with some sort of awesome rubber pads for movement. A note, the inside connectors for the batteries aren’t springs, they are solid metal connectors that wont bend or break over time. (Industrial Design much?) Naturally connecting this bad boy was a piece of cake. There was a quick software update, and off we went.
Its fits so well in your hand, the entire surface from the Apple symbol front is touch sensitive so you can pretty much use the entire surface for navigation. Its a smooth surface too, very responsive and precise. The weight of the device is in the back end where your wrist hovers over top, so it keeps itself planted to whatever surface you are using. The new gesture based movements that you get are 360 degree scrolling and a forward backwards two finger gesture.
2 small complaints.
1. There should be more gesture based options, although from the menu in the System Preferences you can see there is plenty of room for future programming.
2. The sides where you can squeeze the mouse are sorta flexible, not sure thats up with that.
Put this pretty mouse next to your old mighty mouse or any other mouse at that and it will put it to shame. Like a Corvette next to a Geo Metro. It a gorgeous addition to your Mac. Do yourself a huge favor and go get yourself one!
Objectified.
Industrial design is always interesting no matter how you look at it. Everything we interact with daily, it has been designed by someone (for better for worse). Being under the Apple umbrella certainly has made me appreciate design more. Simplicity, use-ability, functionality, attractiveness all things that go along with Apple’s design. After viewing the documentary “Objectified” it has made me think, “gee, what things do I take for granted that have been designed”. Something as simple as a tooth brush, or a pencil, or even a tooth pick.
Design is all around us, and when industrial design is concerned, the more thought out design process/ research when interacting with human, the better.
Cutting corners for the sake of cost, can certainly lead to a object/ product that works for 2 years, but the opposite of cutting corners would result in an object keeping functionality for years greater then 2. Thus the better designed object will be more worth your time and investment. Sometimes seeing something as a “current investment” instead of both a current and future investment can be an unforeseen bad decision, leading to further investment.
Objectified, great documentary on Industrial Design with some solid insight and argument. Some really cool focal points, including the piece with Jonny Ives and the MacBook Air. Highly recommended watch.
The Coolest Fan in the world.
Via @ geek.com
A good friend of mine told me about this fan last night and it is rocking my windy world. The Dyson Air Multiplier Fan. Probably the coolest looking fan I have ever seen, and it has some nice features about it to boot. The major difference is the difference between smooth air and choppy air. I know your thinking, who cares. Well you should really take a stroll on over to their website and just get to reading.
Aside from being pleasing to your eyes, its an incredible little piece of technology.
Weekly Blu Review October 11th: Star Trek: First Contact
** One small modification to the review scale, I will include what type of audio track I used for the blu review **
Video:
PRETTYLEGIT: lovers of this movie will appreciate everything thats takes place in space, the end. (Shots with depth + HD = WIN). (The shots that take place on the planet seemed slightly washed out but it could be stylistic, nice transfer tho)
Audio: (Dolby TrueHD)
DECENT: again anything in space is fantastic, my rear channels would have loved some more action though. (Dialogue was clean and crisp, not to shabby but not reference material, sadly the soundtrack was so so as well.)
Packaging:
NORMAL: Typical blu-click case. (Although I did get the whole Next Generation Box Set which matches so nicely next to the Original Movie Collection.)
Overall Score: 23 + 2 (because the Enterprise E in HD is EPIC) = 25!
