Where pop culture meets geek culture and they make out a little.
Gadgetry/Gear
The Staying Power of a Never-Ending Story
Oct 24th
A person’s memories are powerful things. The naturality of aging and maturing forces us into a constant state of change. I read something once about how close to an illusion all of life (as we know it) is. It stated that since the past and the future are not things we are experiencing, and that the present is not a stationary thing, it is very difficult to grasp things that we perceive as important in our lives. Memories are all we have. Being things of the past, memories seem like landmarks for the people we were at those times. Buoys drifting in a vast ocean of forgotten hours, days, and weeks. Memories alone tend to be rather static though. Physical inputs are what really electrifies memories. Movies, books, photos, and songs are some of the most common and easily accessible of these sensory inputs.
Though I remember events that happened in my childhood, what is difficult to remember is exactly how I felt at any given time. A fragment of it might return though, with the right physical input. A good example is the He-Man theme song. I used to watch that show all the time when I was 4 or 5 years old. One day, the show vanished. I didn’t hear or see anything of the original show for about 20 years. Then one day, I looked it up on Youtube and the opening theme was there. It felt weird to see and hear it (to say the least). Even now, just the “Filmation” sound effect at the beginning is like someone poking around in my brain with a popsicle stick. But above all the weirdness, it reminded me of simpler times.
I am not completely mature. I hope I never will be. And I find it unsettling when I see evidence that other people are. I find kids to be the most interesting, genuine, and creative people that exist. To lose all of that by growing is one of the most depressing things I can imagine, but some people can’t seem to help it. This is not to say that adults cannot be these things, but these are aspects commonly sacrificed to better conform to the adult world. They let their inner children die, or lock them away in the forgotten chambers of their hearts, often times becoming perpetual sourpusses.
I didn’t read much as a kid. I suppose I just wasn’t raised that way. I remember reading being encouraged in elementary school, but in a vague, disconnected way. No one told me about a specific book or why reading was a good thing, they just told me that reading was GOOD and reading a LOT was BETTER. So I mostly watched movies. One of the movies I loved the most as a kid was The NeverEnding Story. My family rented it a ton of times and I never got sick of it. So when I was in high school and had finally taken to reading, it was an obvious choice.
Something about watching the movie when I was little and reading the book when I was in high school really intensified the power of the story for me. Since the end of the movie is only the halfway point of the book, I got the opportunity to pick up where I left off with all of these characters I had already loved for years. It was an opportunity that is rarely afforded. It all reminded me of those nights watching the old vhs tape long before the many stress of high school and growing up. And I enjoyed it. On top of the obvious anti-stress memories attached to the story for me, it was really good. I have such a passion for intensely imaginative things, and the book is definitely of that category.
Bastian is a kid that likes to read and finds himself uncharacteristically swiping a book from an old bookstore owner. You read about Bastian, and as he reads The NeverEnding Story, you do too. Atreyu is the book’s protagonist. He is called upon to find a cure for the Childlike Empress, though he doesn’t know what he’s looking for. All he knows is he is to travel in one direction with no weapons and find the answer for himself. As Bastian reads the story, he realizes that certain characters in the book are aware of him, and eventually call upon him to help their world and become a part of the story. It is stated to Bastian that as he has shared the experiences of the characters in his book, others have shared his experiences in their book, and so on. Hence, “NeverEnding Story”.
In the sequel to the movie, Mr. Coreander (the bookstore owner) suggests something that had intrigued me. When Bastian scoffs and says that he has already read the NeverEnding Story, Mr. Coreander smiles and says “Ah, but have you ever read a book twice? Books change each time you read them” When I first saw this, I figured it was just a plot gimmick. I didn’t think about it much at first. Later on though, I understood that it isn’t the book that changes (like it does in the movie) it’s the reader that has changed. Everything seems different because of the changing way that you understand things. It took me a while to really understand how growing and learning changes your perception. Sometimes this can really kill a good sensory input for nostalgia, but it really depends on the amount you have learned and changed. I’ve found that even though I’m a bit different now, I can still remember how I perceived something when I was little.
As much as I enjoyed the book, I don’t remember a great deal of it now. I did begin to read it again though. I can only hope that reading it will continue to reawaken all the old memories. And so far, it has.
Review of the MSI Wind U120
Sep 6th
The month of September typically hails the return of students back to school campuses. With this return, comes a bevy of new computers to “help” students with their academic endeavors. I use the term “help” loosely, since my PC in college was mostly used to teach me how to fly X-wings and write the occasional last minute term paper. The back to school season is a geeks dream come true with tech being priced to move off the shelves. This back to school season has seen a newer family of computer hit consumers, known as the “netbook“. For today’s mobile student, a netbook is a great option that won’t break the bank. That is if you’re willing to have some limitations versus the traditional desktop or laptop. Such as forgoing a CD/DVD drive built into the computer.
Right now I’m writing this review on my netbook, the MSI Wind U120. During my research, I looked at the Dell Mini 10/10v, Acer Aspire One and the HP Mini 1137NR. Each of the three “big name” companies were lacking in one area or another versus the MSI netbook. Some of them only had a 3-cell Li-ion battery. Others had smaller hard drives or lacked a couple of USB ports. All three of the large company netbooks also came in at a higher retail price.
So, what comes in the MSI Wind U120? Like most netbooks, it’s powered by Intel’s Atom N270 1.6 GHz processor. (Newer netbooks are now using the N280, but with a higher price.) A 10″ LCD screen capable of 1024×600 resolution. 1 GB of RAM (not upgradeable as the RAM is mounted to the motherboard). 160 GB hard drive, 3x USB 2.0 ports, a 1.3 megapixel webcam, built-in 802.11 b/g wireless card and ethernet port and a 4-in-1 card reader. All for the lightweight of 2.6 lbs and initial retail of $329. Other than the price I really enjoy the portability aspect versus a traditional laptop. It doesn’t take up as much space on a coffee table at Starbucks and has a decent sized screen that won’t institute eye fatigue. The keyboard is of an adequate size and I don’t run into many instances of key mashing. Video streaming from Hulu on my home wireless network is great. In fact, it plays video better than my Dell Inspiron 8200 laptop.
Now, this wouldn’t be a review, if I didn’t go over some of the cons. My first one is that this bad boy gets hot. Kinda like a Macbook. I typically use my netbook when I’m sitting on the couch and want to surf the web during commercials or when I’m half invested in an episode of Jon & Kate Plus 8. But the amount of heat this thing generates is definitely uncomfortable. I highly suggest you invest in a lap desk.
My wifes gripe with the Wind is the built in touchpad. She thinks it’s too sensitive and the buttons aren’t as responsive as they could be. I feel that you just have to have some finesse and/or practice to get used to the touchpad sensitivity.
Sound is another small problem with any netbook. The speakers for the Wind seemed to be a tertiary consideration in the design. There is a distinct lack of bass and it can be hard to hear some Hulu shows unless it’s cranked up to 75% volume. I would just recommend a set of headphones as an acceptable workaround.
Battery power is pretty much middle of the road. I’m able to squeeze about 4.5 hours before I need to get it charged up.
Overall, I would recommend any of the MSI series netbooks since they provide a large amount of options for a reasonable price compared to most of the major manufacturers.

4/5 - Nearly classic!

Keeping cool while carrying all your nerd gear.
Jul 10th
Like many nerds or geeks, I usually carry a lot of stuff in pockets scattered all over my body. I’ve required from my wife that, if she buys me jeans, they need to have the “painter” pocket on the leg. When the jeans are in the wash, I’m usually wearing my standard issue cargo pants or cargo shorts. This puts me in a small dilemma in that all my gear is stashed below the waist line and can be bothersome to always access. Here, in Southern California, I only have a limited weather window when I can wear my gear jacket and not overheat. Also, being a frequent airline traveler has been a pain since I have to empty out my pants pockets to scramble through security and then grab my belongings from the conveyor belt before someone tries to make a grab for my gear.
In my search of the dark and black magic filled interwebz, I found a bright shining light in the form of Scott Jordan and his SCOTTEVEST/SeV company. Scott makes a travel vest that looks good and provides enough pockets to equip a small team of hackers.
The travel vest has 22 pockets of various shapes, sizes and locations all tailored for a variety of gadgets and sundry goods. Most of the inside pockets have small, out of the way tags, sewn to the pocket with a little universal symbol on them, to help suggest what would best fit inside. An example would be the camera pocket on the interior, right side or the sunglass pocket that comes equipped with a eyeglass chamois and clip. The vest also features SeV’s patented “Personal Area Network” or “PAN” that allows wires to run along the inside of the vest between the outer shell and inner shell layers.
For those that don’t like having water bottles bulge out of their pockets, there’s a very handy elastic band in the right side pocket to keep your bottle upright. Due to the design of the vest itself, there is little “imprinting” when viewed from the outside, thus reducing unsightly bulges. There’s even two interior pockets with a clear material that you can keep your Ipod or cell phone in and still be able to see and manipulate the controls. Along the interior collar, you are able to run your earbud cabling and even tuck it under the collar so you don’t get tangled in the cords as you put on/take off the vest.
Going through airport security is a breeze. All you do is take off the vest, lay it flat and send it through x-ray and then throw it back on after you go through the metal detector. No more rush or hassle to grab loose items and shove them back into your pockets.
The vest comes in three colors currently. Black Lava (which I own), Red Rock and Desert Sand. The vest is very form fitting. Going by their sizing guide, I purchased a small. When fully loaded, there is minimal bulging and it carries the weight well. If you’re not into snug fitting clothing, I recommend you purchase one size larger. It retails for $100, but if you listen to one of the Leo Laporte Youtube videos here, you’ll find out about a 20% off coupon code you can use during check-out. For me, it’s worth the price due to build quality and it makes my life easier by keeping my gear organized.
I give it a unicorn rating of:
5/5 - Punched in the face by AWESOME!

writer
You Shook Me All Night Long-AC/DC
Because every battle needs a soundtrack
Jun 30th
When playing pen and paper RPG’s or tabletop wargames, I’ve always run into the dilemma of finding a suitable delivery system for background music. Most of the areas I’ve gamed at (back patios, garages, side rooms) do not have either the space or equipment to provide the proper “ambiance.” Let’s face it, I would have been more excited when my trollslayers were taking down Unknown Suavo’s bone giant with this soundtrack playing in the background.
Thus, began my quest for a portable speaker system for my IPod. After looking at this, this and this one, I finally discovered these from Pacific Rim
Technologies. Initially I was put off by the low, low price of $9.99. I thought, “Really, can I get quality construction, sound and portability for just over $10 (after shipping)?” For all of you Normalinauts reading this, the answer is a resounding, “YES!” Now, please understand, you aren’t going to be bumping
these at a party or a wedding in lieu of a full stereo system. But if you want some music at your gaming table with a minimal footprint on the gaming surface (always in short supply) or you want to share your favorite speedmetal band with your cubicle mate then these bad boys fit the bill.
For the portability aspect, they fit nicely in a coat pocket or in the confines of your favorite messenger bag. They are powered by 4 AAA batteries, but also co
me with an AC adaptor. For battery run time, I’ve been able to squeeze about 16 hours out of them. Now, my 2nd Gen Nano won’t fit in the docking station that is provided with the speakers. I have mine using the onboard jack built into the rear of the unit. It’s not as aesthetically pleasing like the full size IPod on the website, but that doesn’t bug me.
The construction material is a white plastic that has a gloss finish and it blends well with IPods/MP3 players of various colors. The speakers are on a very durable spring hinge that survived a couple encounters with my 2 year old. Battery installation is a breeze with a latch system that is easily manipulated.
I highly recommend these for those that are budget minded and need portability for their musical needs.
Na Na Na-Theresa Andersson
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