Appleappears to be investigating the possibility of powering their Macbooks using fuel cells, which could lead to laptops that could be lighter and smaller than the Macbook Air, which is itself already less than an inch thick. The US Patent and Trademark Office published two patent applications last December 22, 2011 that indicated Apple’s intent on “coupling” fuel cells to a “portable computing device” to power it.
In the patent applications, Apple states that fuel cell powered portable computers can potentially last days or weeks without recharging, or in this case, refueling. The fuel cell system being proposed can power and receive power from a separate rechargeable battery. The most significant implication, however, is the possibility of completely replacing batteries with fuel cells. This would make portable devices much more portable than they already are, making them not just lighter and smaller, but also possibly less costly – not to mention it could allow them to operate longer without having to refuel.
Fuel cells in the form of fossil fuels are the predominant power source for automobiles and other devices, though its use in laptops is unprecedented. A fuel cell turns chemical reaction energy into electrical power. Today’s modern hydrogen-powered fuel cells can combine oxygen and hydrogen in a chemical reaction that can power cars and leave by-products similar in constitution to plain water.
Apple filed one patent application as far back as August 2010, and the other just April of this year.
Welcome to Capsule Computers’ weekly anime segment, Anime Say! Each week I will be diving into some of the biggest anime related topic of the week and having my say on anything that matters in the anime world. To top it off each episode will conclude with a recommendation from your’s truly of an anime or manga that you should check out.
This week, you all get an episode early. It’s a Christmas miracle! In this episode, I continue my discussion from episode 3 on Penguindrum, this time as a retrospective on the series after taking into account all that nonsense, known as the Penguindrum finale. You can check out this week’s Anime Say! below.
Got any questions for Anime Say? Send all your queries to [email protected] and I will do my best to answer anything you can throw at me.
What do you think of the sixth episode of Anime Say? Let us know in the shoutbox and comments section.
Microprocessor manufacturing giant Intel recently showcased its “reference design” prototypes of a smartphone and tablet running on its latest mobile chip called Medfield. Reference design models are intended to give manufacturers an idea of how tablets and smartphones running on Intel’s Medfield can be designed. It also previews the capabilities of Intel’s newest Atom mobile chip in action, which the company will be pitting against mobile and tablet pioneers like Apple.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology tested both smartphone and tablet prototypes from Intel. The smartphone ran on Gingerbread, the Google Android version before the current ice Cream Sandwich, and “was powerful and pleasing to use.” It also sported a camera feature called “burst mode” that can potentially rival the iPhone 4S’s popular new camera. Burst mode takes 15 sets of 10 full-size images (at 8 megapixels) every second. The tablet ran on Ice Cream Sandwich, and in a limited trial proved to be more than a match for older tablet models in the market today.
The core of the reference designs, the Atom chip Medfield, is a significant step towards making Intel mobile chips more competitive in the 2012 market as it is the first to do away with the power consumption handicap that has been holding Intel down in the mobile device race. Intel architecture group Vice President Stephen Smith claims that the reference smartphone performed better in the areas of browsing, power consumption, and graphics compared to today’s three leading phones currently available in the market. Actual Intel microchip-based smartphones and tablets are expected to become available anytime within the first half of 2012.
Bah Humbug. Here is a bit of news that will probably not effect many, but it certainly is a questionable move. Epic Games recently announced via their forums that both the Hammerburst and Lancer avatar props would be pulled from the Xbox Live Marketplace on January 1st of 2012. Why you may ask? Because Microsoft are enforcing a no guns for avatars policy as of that date. If you happened to have purchased a prop from the online store before the first, you are fine and will be able to keep your merch.
I have kind of mixed feelings on the issue honestly. On one side, I understand Microsoft is trying to be more family accessible as it is. On the other front though, this is a video game system and how else can fans of Gears or Halo become their favorite character without that treasured Lancer or Plasma Pistol? As I said, this won’t effect too many as I have around 100 friends right now and I never see too many gun props donned, but I do believe we are going to see even more family friendly changes on the marketplace as we head into the new year.
Ready for Tennis anyone? Electronic Arts SPORTS has released a ballin’ new trailer for Grand Slam Tennis 2 showcasing various memorable and notable tennis matches throughout the 125 year history of the Wimbledon Championships that players will be able to relive for themselves from the comfort of their own couch. But don’t listen to all my racket, go and check out the video below and see for yourself!
Grand Slam Tennis 2 is the only tennis game where plays can participate in all four major championships, and will be available for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, Grand Slam Tennis 2 will be available on the 9th February.
With the series conclusion of Un-Go this past week, Sentai Filmworks (the U.S. license holder for Un-Go), have confirmed that their license for the series includes the prequel film that played in Japanese theatres for 2 weeks in November.
The film runs at a length of 45 minutes and details the past of Un-Go’s two protagonists; Shinjurou and Inga, whilst giving such more details surrounding the world of Un-Go.
It is presumed that Australian distributor Siren Visual hold the very same license as Sentai Filmworks, given their history or releasing Sentai dubbed products in the Australian region. However, no official word has come from them regarding the matter.
Fighting game noobs beware: your button-mashing days are over…probably.
With Street Fighter X Tekken just over two months shy of its debut across major gaming platforms, gamers around the world are already taking sides – it’s an unofficial Team Tekken versus Team Street Fighter fanboy faceoff. The merger of the two iconic fighting titles isn’t the only thing Capcom’s upcoming game has going for it, however, as it also boasts the potential to one-up the entire fighting game genre with the GEM system.
Revamping the fighting game standard might be a bit of an overstatement, but the GEM system can at least leave its mark in the genre. While not an entirely original concept, Street Fighter X Tekken’s GEM system is unique in how it’s used. Among 57 standard gems, 5 are Assist GEMs that constantly provide assistance to the players using them in exchange for a handicap in other areas of gameplay, and 52 are Boost GEMs that boost one of five statistics like attack or defence if the characters encounter the conditions that trigger them. Players can choose three different GEMs to equip before a fight.
That doesn’t sound like much in theory, but in practice it might make all the difference. Take the standard Assist GEM “Easy Input” for instance. It allows players to make use of their characters’ special moves with fewer controls than they would otherwise have to combine. So instead of a down + forward + X + O, all a player has to do is a forward + X (this is not a specific move example, noobs).
In contrast, all of the Boost GEMs increase points in certain statistics of characters. With Boost GEMs, the player needs to clear a condition for the GEMs to be triggered. Let’s say you have a defence Boost GEM equipped and it is triggered when your character is hit a certain number of times. If while playing you are cornered into a multiple hit combo and your defence Boost GEM kicks in, it increases defence points for your character by a certain amount, reducing damage incurred.
The premise is simple enough; it’s the strategic element that adds depth to an otherwise straightforward fighting game. It also provides real world assistance (as with the Easy Input Assist GEM)and in-game fighting boosts at the same time. Will this take away from the simplistic allure of the genre? It depends.
Personally I’ve found it refreshing to bash demons in Devil May Cry right after a ridiculously difficult level in Splinter Cell. The run and gun (and slash) gameplay in Devil May Cry reflects the unassuming game formula of most fighting titles, Street Fighter and Tekken especially. The problem is – and I’ve encountered this many times before myself – is when button-mashing noobs can chain accidentally awesome combos on you despite your “mastery” of the fighting game you’re playing.
“Mastery” of a fighting game or game character is itself a dubious concept, especially if the game lacks certain technical depth and digresses into a competition of repetition and cheap shots. I loved Mortal Kombat 3 on the SNES, and I could wipe the floor with anyone using Noob Saibot, but after endless fights where I use three to four variations of the same old moves and specials, it just gets old.
This is the case, I’ve found, with a number of fighting games with few exceptions. This is exactly why Street Fighter X Tekken might be the next biggest thing in fighting games not only because you can finally get to match Ryu against Kazuya, but also because it incorporates technical depth lacking in most of the previous Street Fighter and Tekken titles. The GEM system could potentially launch both titular fighting games into the ranks of cult-hits-turned-mainstream-trends like Guilty Gear and technically masterful fighting games like the Soul Series.
This may be my personal preference, but Guilty Gear, particularly games after Guilty Gear XX (or X2), presented a lot of technical fighting with Tension Attacks and Teching. While Street Fighter enthusiasts were chaining together repetitive Hadukens, Guilty Gear X2 players were mastering Selective Teching and Instant Kills. Tekken could have gotten to the next level, but the depth of technical gameplay remained subpar, at least compared to the weapon-based unique techniques in Soul Calibur titles. Soul Calibur is the closest you can get to a Devil May Cry two-player versus mode, minus the demonic speed. I recall some of my gaming buddies staring each other’s characters down for a full minute, feeling each other out and sometimes even feinting moves, and then unleashing hits, grabs, counters, and critical finishes in a few seconds.
It’s undeniable that Street Fighter X Tekken is already a highly anticipated game owing to its combination of characters alone (despite some griping from hardcore gamers about the character lineup announcements), but can the game go beyond that and become intensely involving and technically challenging? Is the GEM system even worth the hype?
I would say yes, it is. It is neither a novel feature nor an exceedingly bold one, and many players would probably even ignore it completely at first, but it’s one buzzing trend that’s worth keeping an eye on. In the end it will meet one of two fates: fighting game fame or lame.
Here’s to hoping it doesn’t fizzle out into oblivion.
It has been reported that action hero Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo will be getting a video game adaptation for retail release next year, as UK-based publisher Reef Entertainment has recently secured game rights to the first three films (First Blood, Rambo: First Blood Part II and Rambo III) which have grossed over 6 million dollars collectively. The game is set for a PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC release, and will contain a gritty atmosphere much like the films.
“I am a big fan of Sylvester Stallone movies, and when we had the opportunity to secure the video game rights from StudioCanal for the Rambo franchise, we had to grab it with both hands” says Reef Entertainment CEO Peter Rezon.
No man, no law and no war can stop this game from hitting store shelves! Unless of coarse, it gets a R18+ rating, then it most likely won’t be coming to Australian stores.
Street Fighter X Tekken may of seemed like just Street Fighter IV with new characters to some at first, but those people are going to take it all back once they hear about the new innovative GEM system, which adds an extra layer of depth to the game itself and will change the way players experience the game.
A total of 57 GEMs (5 Assist and 52 Boost) come standard in Street Fighter X Tekken, and combatants equip three different GEMs to improve upon their strengths and/or weaknesses depending on their style of play. There are two types of GEMs; Assist and Boost, and each have specific advantages and disadvantages. The GEM system is sure to make Street Fighter X Tekken one of the most personalised fighters to date, allowing players to give their styles of play more balanced and to set their own custom handicap.
For an in-depth explaination with examples of the new GEM system check out this episode of Capcom’s online show promoting the game, “X the Line” below!
Street Fighter X Tekken for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 is set to release in North America on March 6, 2012 and March 9, 2012 in Europe. PlayStation Vita and PC versions will be announced in the near future.
Housos Studio: SBS Publisher: Madman Platform: DVD (Reviewed) Release Date: 30/11/2011 Price: $29.95 Available Here
Overview
We’ve fallen on harsh economic times, and governments worldwide really need to man up before we all end up like a bunch of bloody Housos! Housos is the latest project from Paul Fenech, mastermind behind Aussie hit SBS TV stoner-comedy shows such as Fat Pizza and Swift & Shift. Like Fenech, I too am a Maltese/Australian citizen, and while I personally haven’t grown up in housing commission, I’ve been brought up pretty close by to a lot of um…economically-challanged areas so I can personally relate a lot to this show. Hell, it’s filmed only a few towns over from where I live! That being said however, anyone who is aware of Fenech’s previous works should know what they’re in for: adolescent sex, drugs and violence jokes of very poor taste, most of which we’ve already seen in Fat Pizza. But with a new unique setting and a whole bunch of new characters, does Housos have enough to pull the weight alongand make it a series worth watching? Let’s find out!
Story & Characters
Housos documents the tales of a town called Sunnyvale, more specifically it’s small housing commission zone who’s residents are known as the Housos. The Housos are all a bunch of slackers who are willing to work very hard to well…not work by any means necessary! This means all these immoral alcoholic junkie slackers must find new and inventive ways to pay for their thrills, and that usually comes down to theft, but being uneducated often means they’ll screw up a lot resulting in hilarious failures.
Housos doesn’t really follow a set storyline, but rather focuses of individual tales of Franky (Paul Fenech), his barely legal girlfriend Kylie (Kiri Schmitt) and their houso friends. The structure of the show is strictly comedy, meaning that all ideas such as character development and emotional depth is buggered off completely in exchange for stories that glorify crime in a comedic manner. The problem with having a cast that are scumbags that never show signs of remorse or consequence for their actions, or any signs of growth in character results in little-to-no care for them. The fact that the show contains some terrible actors doesn’t help the characters either. Most purposely exaggerate a fake bogan Australian accent, and while it can be funny to laugh at it isn’t ever convincing. Also some characters such as Shazza (Elle Dave) scream every line they ever speak. Talk about over-acting!
A huge problem with the show is that it heavily relies on shock-comedy hoping to surprise us, but often fails as it is constantly repeating the same ideas. For example, in almost every episode either a police car or fire truck is stolen and taken for a joy ride and is tried to be passed off as a joke. What the writers don’t seem to notice however, is that the funniest moments of the series is when it relies on observational humour or placing the housos in situations outside their comfort zone such as being around rich government officials or at a foreign holiday resort. Instead, they focus on trying to shock us with jokes about sex and drugs, or by ‘chucking a Dane Cook’ by simply screaming. Here’s a tip to all comedies out there: just because your yelling, doesn’t mean your being funny! That being said, there are funny moments throughout the series, but while your sometimes laughing with the show, sometimes you’ll also just be laughing at the show’s horrible acting, accents and just how much stupid crap they get away with.
There are some really bright moments however, and these are often due to a few good characters that bring different types of humour and jokes into the show preventing it from becoming too repetitive or stale. Examples include a lebanese gang known as the ‘Sunnyvale Assassins’ who steal the spotlight in every scene they appear in, and Kev (Kevin Taumata) who seems to be the only person in Sunnyvale with a positive outlook on life. It’s characters like these (among a few select others) that give the viewer a break from the constant yelling throughout the show as well as keep the repetitive plot interesting. The main issue however is that the show works best when Housos such as Frankie, Kylie, Dazza and Shazza are shown in ‘normal’ society to point out their behaviour through contrast, but this doesn’t happen very often. Instead, the show is forced to rely on placing these characters with little depth and no development in comedic situations, but these situations are often similar if not the same so there isn’t much to keep it going. So while the show is pretty entertaining at first, it all gets very old very quickly.
Audio/Visual
Aside from the constant barrage of screaming and overuse of profanity, Houso’s contains a relatively enjoyable soundtrack. Focusing on a Australian rock and hip hop songs throught the series, the chaotic nature of the selected songs often reflect the mood of each scene really well as well as staying true to the Australian roots of the show. Furthermore, the show’s theme song is really catchy and makes for a great introduction to each episode. Visually speaking on the other hand, Houso’s is clearly on a very low budget. The camera quality is certainly of not a very high standard, although it isn’t terrible. The sets on the other hand have been put together well, creating a very authentic look for the series and making a very believable town for these stories to be told in.
Extras
Housos contains a whole bunch of special features that are actually really entertaining to watch. There’s a whole range of deleted scenes and out-takes that show off a lot of what appears to be improvisation, a tour of the town the show is filmed in and comparing the actors to citizens of the town, and my personal favourite; a guest star appearance from the internet sensation Trent from Punchbowl! As a fan of Trent’s previous work, I was filled with excitement to see him alongside the Housos cast, even if it was for just a few minutes. It’s a shame he wasn’t in any more episodes, as again like the ‘Sunnyvale Assassins’ and Kev, he brings a different style of humour to the show. All in all these extras make a pretty interesting watch and if you enjoy the show you’ll love these as well. Oh yeah and there’s also a credits section in the extras. Awesome!
Overview
Housos, like many of Fenech’s previous efforts relies heavily on shock comedy aiming to be ‘edgy’ and ‘controversial’ but instead falls into simply bad taste. Keep in mind however, this isn’t a show your meant to take seriously, as the show is aiming to be the opposite of classy by using it’s low-income setting as an excuse for immature jokes based on sex, drugs and violence. But there’s something about Housos that can bring out that adolescent boy inside of you and make you just want to see more. The entire show is like a cigarette: you know it’s bad, but you just don’t give a damn because it’s just a bit of fun. And in the end isn’t that what entertainment is meant to do-be fun?
