By Cyrris , 3rd May 12:58 am
The past few years have seen me computing on a 17″ LCD from BenQ. It was priced reasonably and for the day it’s 8ms response time meant that it was a decent choice for gaming. Being a budget brand though, it had it’s fair share of problems - it’s viewing angles were terrible, the substandard contrast and colour reproduction meant the images were not fantastic, and most annoyingly for me was the incredibly uneven backlight.
As time progressed, I got used to the nuances of the BenQ, but at the same time I’ve grown more and more aware of the move to widescreen formats. Previously not very well supported by many games, this is now no longer the case. Seeing all of Blizzard’s StarCraft II demos in widescreen format, I knew I’d have to make sure I was able to play it that way by the time it was out. So, I got myself a new monitor.
» Read all of “Wider Pastures - The Samsung 2253BW“…
By Cyrris , 29th March 11:07 pm
Few consumer electronic products are given as little attention as the clock radio. They don’t make for interesting reviews, they’re difficult to get excited about, and unlike plasma TVs or lava lamps, they don’t really add much to the look and feel of a room. It is for this reason, I can only assume, that no-one has bothered to create a perfect clock radio yet.
What irritates me however, is despite the fact that they’ve been hugely common for decades now, you still can’t go out and buy a cheap one which has no glaring issues. Surely manufacturers have had enough experience over the years to iron out the bugs? The only way you can get a product approaching what I would deem an acceptable level of quality is to spend, spend, spend. So, being a very light sleeper and extremely fussy about the things I buy, that’s exactly what I did.
» Read all of “The Perfect Clock Radio - A Pipe Dream?“…
By Cyrris , 2nd December 1:54 pm
The latest controversy over on GameSpot is simply the most recent example of why I no longer visit large all-encompassing game media sites. Back in the day I was a frequent visitor of GameSpy and GameSpot - so much so that I’d often end up typing “gamespoy.com” in to my address bar in a subconcious attempt to go to both at the same time.
I’ve thought about writing this piece for a long time, because I have a lot to say about the current state of the gaming sites I used to love. I didn’t, however, want to drag this site down in to an out-and-out bitch fest. Given the latest happenings on GameSpot, however, I can’t help but let everyone know what happens to a gaming site when the establishment goes from being passionate to being corporate.
» Read all of “Gaming Media: The Suits March On“…
By Cyrris , 1st October 8:59 pm
No, we haven’t been taken over by an army of Barbie dolls. Rather, the change you see on Aelon today is for a cause. While pink isn’t exactly my favourite colour, the cause is a worthy one. Pink for October is the brainchild of Matthew Oliphant, a member of the 9rules Network of which this site is also a part. It is essentially the online version of the pink ribbon, raising awareness of breast cancer, and this year looks to be the biggest one yet.
Given that this type of cancer has affected not only some of my close friends but also my own immediate family, this wasn’t something I felt I could pass up. As well as going pink, I’ll be donating the entirety of Aelon’s advertising income for October. For the purpose of transparency, Text Link Ads Inc. tells me that’s $75.38 US which I would otherwise have used to buy a video game or some other such nonsense.
So if you do run a website of your own, go and read up on going pink.
By Cyrris , 28th October 7:07 pm
Everyone has programs that they like. Naturally I’m not talking about games, but rather those other applications people use. Browsers, music programs, editing apps, communication programs. The list goes on. But how many programs do you have for which you keep a keen eye on their development? I have quite a few now. It always tends to start the same way. I will get the program, I’ll start liking it, I will wonder what the next version will have, and from then on I will regularly check up on any new updates and proposals, as the version numbers tick over. So, without further ado, here is the list of programs which I just can’t help but check up on for news or updates every couple of days.
» Read all of “Keeping Track“…
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