Birthdays are different for me now than they used to be. I didn’t receive a big stack of presents, nor did I expect to receive many, if any. The meaning of the moment has shifted over the years.
This year, my Dad gave me a better present in the form of a surprise family reunion (of sorts). It’s all too rare a thing for any significant subset of our family to be able to get together in one place at one time. I’ve grown to greatly appreciate those few moments when we can all gather for one occasion.
I’ve been interested in exploring the link between blogging and photography for a little while now. I’ve been borrowing cameras from others up until now on an as-needed basis to shoot any of the few older photos you’ll find on this site. Getting a digital camera of my own was the logical first step toward getting more serious about photography.
I picked out the Canon S2 IS ultra-zoom camera after several weeks of research at various community and manufacturer websites. The S2 strikes me as pretty well rounded, but the image stabilization or “IS” that gives the S2 its name intrigued me the most.
I’ve had the camera for about two days now, and I’ve taken almost 100 pictures and I’ve also shot a few short videos. It’s too early to make any broad conclusions about the capability of the image stabilization system on the camera. I got some blurry photos out of the first batch of pictures, but the pictures I took this afternoon came out much better on the whole that those I took yesterday. On the other hand, some of the short videos I’ve shot with the camera look exceptionally good. Unfortunately, they’re a tad too large for me to archive on my blog, but you can head over to Jeff Keller’s review at the DCRP for a nice sample. Digital cameras really have come a long way in terms of their video capabilities.
Apple announced on Monday that it would begin a two year transition to Intel X86 processors. This is big news in the world of tech. The PowerPC was very much a part of Apple’s aura of being different. Naturally, everyone has their own opinions about why the move was made and where it will ultimately take the Mac. Here’s my take.
This is the move that makes the most sense for Apple to remain performance competitive across their entire product line. Two years ago, Steve Jobs promised a 3GHz G5 within a year of seeing the first G5 PowerMacs; two years later, we’re still waiting. There were high hopes for a G5 PowerBook as well. Development of the PowerPC simply wasn’t progressing at the pace Apple needs to stay competitive. With Intel, Apple should get a reliable roadmap and new chips to give their entire line a refresh.
The long term implications of Apple’s shift should prove to be interesting, to say the last. I’m going to hold high hopes for two things: more Mac software and Windows compatibility.
OS X running on Intel could make the Mac a more attractive target for cross-platform developers. For example, I see three barriers to Mac game development: (1) porting DirectX code; (2) making changes for OS X; (3) making changes for the PowerPC. With Intel Macs, one of these should disappear. I say "should" because it’s not clear what measures Apple is taking to keep their Intel solution proprietary or how it will affect developers. Now, one could make a similar argument for Linux game development, which we haven’t really seen take off. While OS X and Linux have similar market share figures, I would wager that a significant portion of the installed Linux base can be attributed to servers, rather than actual desktops. So, I’m saying that there are effectively fewer Linux gamers to target than with the Mac
I also mentioned Windows compatibility. There’s already speculation that the new Intel Macs will be able to run Windows. Indeed, I think they should. Windows compatibility could be a great boon for Apple. It would make it that much easier for potential switchers to toss the beige box in favor of a Mac. Most potential users will be attracted to a polished OS X solution, but there are plenty of folks who are hesitant to leave Windows completely behind. A box that can run Windows, OS X, and Linux could become a new selling point for Apple. But again, it remains to be seen just how compatible a proprietary Intel X86 box can be.
All that said, I expect good things to come out of the Apple-Intel deal. An X86 Mac solution could spark some new development for the platform and it should also bring in more users.
We gathered in Walled Lake, Michigan, on the Links at Pinewood to see Lesa Koslakiewicz and Amit Chopra join hands in marriage. It was a very nice wedding. The two make a very cute couple.
Unfortunately, I only managed to get a couple good shots out of our digital before the batteries went out. Enjoy.
I picked up the first US release of the Battle Royale manga under the impression that I would be treated to the many of the same quality literary elements found in the original novel. Unfortunately, I found the manga lacking in comparison to the novel.
As I mentioned in my last post covering the novel, Koushun Takami’s Battle Royale novel spawned a feature film and a manga series in Japan. While the movie doesn’t seem to have made it to the US, Tokyopop picked up the distribution for the manga series. A quick glance at their Battle Royale lineup shows that the series is still ongoing and it looks like new releases could continue into early 2006. Tokyopop hired experienced comic book artist and writer Keith Giffen to handle their English adaptation. More on his contribution later.
The first thing to really catch my attention when leafing through the first volume was the artwork. Illustrator Masayuki Taguchi’s applies an odd caricature-like style to most of his character designs that I found jarringly at odds with my own perceptions drawn from the novel. I found the cartoonish style impressing a derisive slant on the entire first volume that seems out of character coming from the novel.
English writer Keith Giffen lends his dialogue to Taguchi’s imagery. Battle Royale is clearly intended for an adults, but Giffen inexplicably seems to be writing below his audience. Volume 1 is full of hackneyed lines that range from merely annoying to downright grating. There’s also some question as to the extent to which Giffen altered the dialogue. An Amazon reviewer provides an example were a student says, "It was you or me," which becomes, "Red isn’t your color," in Giffen’s alteration. The scene comes easily to mind and it’s an excellent example of how the writing gives the manga an unfortunate "dumbed-down" feeling.
Tokyopop’s first release of the Battle Royale manga series comes as a great disappointment for me following the excellent novel. I imagine that Keith Giffen was probably first exposed to the series through the manga. He might have had the novel as a reference, but it was likely as an afterthought. I would further surmise that Giffen would probably have handled the writing for Battle Royale differently if his initially impressions were grounded in the novel. If I hadn’t read the book first, I would probably find more sense in his interpretations. As it is, I am hesitant to continue any further with the series.
