Personal computing discussed

Search found 88 matches

by bluepiranha
Sat Mar 16, 2013 10:40 pm
Forum: Mobile Tech
Topic: The Samsung Galaxy SIV
Replies: 52
Views: 12839

Re: The Samsung Galaxy SIV

I'm also rather disappointed that form factors for smartphones have gotten so homogenized over the years. Sony's current lineup is a reflection of this. Where their 2011 lineup was more varied and more experimental (Xperia play, Xperia mini/mini pro, Xperia pro were all either small or had slider c...
by bluepiranha
Sat Mar 16, 2013 9:25 pm
Forum: Mobile Tech
Topic: The Samsung Galaxy SIV
Replies: 52
Views: 12839

Re: The Samsung Galaxy SIV

New high-end cell phone launches are getting to be pretty *meh*, largely for the reason ludi gave. 5 years into the consumer smartphone explosion and the high-end has become pretty much more of the same without huge generational leaps in real-world terms any more. The growth is now in lower-end pho...
by bluepiranha
Sat Mar 16, 2013 9:19 pm
Forum: Mobile Tech
Topic: The Samsung Galaxy SIV
Replies: 52
Views: 12839

Re: The Samsung Galaxy SIV

I thought the SGS3 was big enough a phone as it is...the SGS4 is worse. Seriously, I have friends who complain that using their SGS3s to answer calls is like putting an clothes iron next to their faces - hence their preference for Bluetooth headsets. Maybe I'm a relative dinosaur in believing that p...
by bluepiranha
Sat Mar 16, 2013 9:10 pm
Forum: The Back Porch
Topic: What are you listening to RIGHT NOW?
Replies: 4343
Views: 791006

Re: What are you listening to RIGHT NOW?

Up dharma Down - "Lazy Daisy"
by bluepiranha
Sat Mar 16, 2013 9:06 pm
Forum: Gaming
Topic: Strategy Games
Replies: 43
Views: 9225

Re: Strategy Games

If your PlayStation 2 still works and you can find a copy, I can suggest Front Mission 4. It's a turn-based strategy-RPG where you pit squads of wanzers (mecha) against each other, as with other games in the Front Mission franchise. It's got the deepest strategy elements out of the entire series (I'...
by bluepiranha
Sun Mar 10, 2013 7:21 pm
Forum: Gaming
Topic: Best Video Game soundtrack.
Replies: 34
Views: 5687

Re: Best Video Game soundtrack.

Here's my list...mostly from consoles, though. Metal Gear Solid 1: The Twin Snakes Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (hint: try searching for the hidden, stamina-restoring music tracks via codec/radio...lots of good easy listening jazz) Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (more of MGS3's jazz, ex...
by bluepiranha
Sat Mar 09, 2013 10:27 pm
Forum: Mobile Tech
Topic: Old Macbook new SSD?
Replies: 12
Views: 4019

Re: Old Macbook new SSD?

How big of an SSD are you requiring? If it's a straight capacity swap of your existing hard disk, and if you can still find them, try an Intel X-25M. Yes, yes, it's not the latest and greatest, but in my experience just about any SSD, even older 34nm NAND-packing stuff like the X-25M, will give you ...
by bluepiranha
Fri Mar 08, 2013 1:50 am
Forum: The Back Porch
Topic: What are you listening to RIGHT NOW?
Replies: 4343
Views: 791006

Re: What are you listening to RIGHT NOW?

Dave Rodgers - "Love in the Elevator."

Cheesy Super Eurobeat music FTW hahaha
by bluepiranha
Mon Mar 04, 2013 10:20 pm
Forum: The Back Porch
Topic: Samsung, never again.
Replies: 33
Views: 8493

Re: Samsung, never again.

Samsung's apparent design philosophy is to generate new models faster then older ones fail, so when a model does fail, it is more attractive to "upgrade" it to get it fixed. I am not pleased with their phones either... or their TVs. Phone is constantly on the fritz, and basic software des...
by bluepiranha
Wed Feb 27, 2013 11:30 pm
Forum: The Back Porch
Topic: What are you listening to RIGHT NOW?
Replies: 4343
Views: 791006

Re: What are you listening to RIGHT NOW?

"The Smoking Podcast" episode 59 - brought to you by Matt Farah, Zack Klapman and the crew of "The Smoking Tire." TST pretty much makes the most enjoyable podcast I listen to these days. The funny, authentic, and pretty honest talk about cars and car culture makes the daily slog ...
by bluepiranha
Wed Feb 27, 2013 10:02 pm
Forum: Gaming
Topic: RPG recomendations
Replies: 59
Views: 10577

Re: RPG recomendations

If you like jrpg style games, Septerra Core's interesting (for a while) if a little old. It'd be some variety in your game diet, anyway! I remember playing this back in the day. The concept is interesting and the story's okay, but for its time, it showed that Western developers still had a ways to ...
by bluepiranha
Wed Feb 27, 2013 4:08 am
Forum: The Back Porch
Topic: What are you listening to RIGHT NOW?
Replies: 4343
Views: 791006

Re: What are you listening to RIGHT NOW?

Mostly podcasts.

I'm listening to "NSFW" and "The Tech Report Podcast" - interesting discussion on the PS4 innards. :)
by bluepiranha
Wed Dec 12, 2012 3:39 am
Forum: Echo Vale
Topic: Recommend me some IEM's
Replies: 8
Views: 4564

Re: Recommend me some IEM's

The Brainwavz M2s are a pretty good deal all around - good sound, aluminum construction, thick sturdy cable, and quite affordable.

The rubber strain reliefs are known to have weak glue, though...but nothing a drop of your common cyanoacrylate superglue can't fix.
by bluepiranha
Sun Nov 25, 2012 7:22 pm
Forum: Processors
Topic: New CPU cooler question
Replies: 13
Views: 3614

Re: New CPU cooler question

Another vote for the Hyper TX3. Very cheap, and pretty effective. It does use a smaller fan than is usual for HSFs (92mm I believe) - but that's also the reason why it will add only ~130mm to the motherboard height and not the more usual ~160. If you're so inclined, the kit comes with a secondary se...
by bluepiranha
Sat Jun 09, 2012 7:01 am
Forum: The Back Porch
Topic: Your first R-rated movie?
Replies: 49
Views: 6646

Re: Your first R-rated movie?

"Romy and Michele's High School Reunion."

Looking back I don't see why it was rated R.

Edit: Oh, "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" should've also been my first. Watched it on LaserDisc with my mom, dad and sister. Back then I had no idea it was rated R.
by bluepiranha
Sat Jun 09, 2012 6:57 am
Forum: The Back Porch
Topic: What are you driving RIGHT NOW?
Replies: 458
Views: 211236

Re: What are you driving RIGHT NOW?

This was from my last trackday at Clark International Speedway - Short Course, just one week ago. https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/303640_10150837919832751_1057074962_n.jpg I'd like grippier tires, but I gotta wait until my Kumho Ecsta SPTs have worn down enough. I also have some...
by bluepiranha
Thu Mar 08, 2012 2:49 am
Forum: Graphics
Topic: A Few Dumb Questions
Replies: 5
Views: 1993

Re: A Few Dumb Questions

2. What features do graphics cards actually have? I read a lot of marketing mumbo-jumbo, and some pretty cool stuff about OpenCL and the like, but not terribly much that I've managed to understand. I guess the most important one is display output, and it'll depend on your monitor. Third-party vendo...
by bluepiranha
Mon Aug 01, 2011 1:26 am
Forum: General Hardware
Topic: Troubleshooting: eMachines T5026 P4 rig restarts on its own
Replies: 15
Views: 2163

Re: Troubleshooting: eMachines T5026 P4 rig restarts on its

Okay got an update, sorry it took so long. I tore the whole rig down, removed the old thermal grease, and replaced it with some leftover Cooler Master TIM I had from a Hyper TX3 HSF. At first it seemed to run pretty fine while playing windowed video, but when I cranked it up to full-screen mode it w...
by bluepiranha
Wed Jul 13, 2011 5:40 am
Forum: General Software
Topic: Your favourite browser's most hated design point
Replies: 31
Views: 5450

Re: Your favourite browser's most hated design point

I've used Safari, Opera, IE, Chrome and Firefox in varying degrees at work, but Firefox 5 is my personal browser at home. That said, while FF5 has gotten a little better at cleaning up after itself, I don't like how inconsistently the features of FF5 are implemented - they somewhat seem dependent on...
by bluepiranha
Mon Jul 11, 2011 8:25 pm
Forum: TR Sports
Topic: Formula 1 2011
Replies: 17
Views: 6561

Re: Formula 1 2011

Did anybody watch the British Grand Prix? Best one I've seen in years, thanks to the revised circuit layout. Unfortunately many of the reasons why it was good got DNFs. Button and Kobayashi were putting out gutsy moves but had to retire due to no fault of their own. Hamilton was amazing though. Afte...
by bluepiranha
Mon Jul 11, 2011 6:52 pm
Forum: Cases and Power Supplies
Topic: I know I'm not the only one looking for usb3 panels
Replies: 15
Views: 6359

Re: I know I'm not the only one looking for usb3 panels

On a related note, ASRock has been doing this for quite a while now. A number of their motherboards come bundled with a USB3.0 two-port cluster you can mount as a 3.5"-bay front panel (by default) or on a rear expansion slot (an adapter is bundled for this purpose). The cluster connects to a US...
by bluepiranha
Mon Jul 11, 2011 8:08 am
Forum: The Back Porch
Topic: What are you drinking RIGHT NOW?
Replies: 4088
Views: 787980

Re: What are you drinking RIGHT NOW?

Bundaberg's Apple Ale this time around.

Hmmm. Not bad, but I prefer the ginger beer.
by bluepiranha
Sun Jul 10, 2011 11:12 pm
Forum: The Back Porch
Topic: Ok car people........which one should I consider?
Replies: 104
Views: 10421

Re: Ok car people........which one should I consider?

So it looks like the Eclipse is the winner. I know a lot of you are gonna be moaning, but hey.........it's my decision right. Congratulations on the car! No moaning here either, for the same reasons JAE mentioned. A million pages of pros/cons/recommendations on this thread won't replace an actual t...
by bluepiranha
Sun Jul 10, 2011 7:50 pm
Forum: The Back Porch
Topic: What are you drinking RIGHT NOW?
Replies: 4088
Views: 787980

Re: What are you drinking RIGHT NOW?

Bundaberg Ginger Beer, an import from Australia. No, not alcoholic I'm afraid, but it sure tastes good. Is this the same as ginger ale in the Americas? Not sure -- maybe one of the Aussies can answer that. Ginger ale in the US is a sweet, carbonated soft drink; imagine 7-Up with ginger flavoring in...
by bluepiranha
Sun Jul 10, 2011 6:33 am
Forum: The Back Porch
Topic: What are you drinking RIGHT NOW?
Replies: 4088
Views: 787980

Re: What are you drinking RIGHT NOW?

Bundaberg Ginger Beer, an import from Australia. No, not alcoholic I'm afraid, but it sure tastes good.

Is this the same as ginger ale in the Americas?
by bluepiranha
Fri Jul 08, 2011 1:20 am
Forum: General Hardware
Topic: Troubleshooting: eMachines T5026 P4 rig restarts on its own
Replies: 15
Views: 2163

Re: Troubleshooting: eMachines T5026 P4 rig restarts on its

Ludi:
Definitely no smokers or tobacco in the household. I'll try to look into the chipset HSFs.
by bluepiranha
Thu Jul 07, 2011 10:09 pm
Forum: The Back Porch
Topic: What are you listening to RIGHT NOW?
Replies: 4343
Views: 791006

Re: What are you listening to RIGHT NOW?

The original soundtrack of "TRON: Legacy" by Daft Punk. One of the better soundtracks recently. I spent a lot of time chilling out to it. Oh yes. For all my love of gaudy electronica and high-BPM trance, it's the slower and more mellow stuff I like best on the album. "Solar Sailer&qu...
by bluepiranha
Thu Jul 07, 2011 7:57 pm
Forum: The Back Porch
Topic: dymt reloaded
Replies: 26465
Views: 2520870

Re: dymt reloaded

On password complexity, I read a great article fairly recently about how passwords like "this is fun" are of comparable security and a hell of a lot easier to remember than passwords like "1R56!@#&". http://www.baekdal.com/tips/password-security-usability Great read, thanks!...
by bluepiranha
Thu Jul 07, 2011 7:47 pm
Forum: Gaming
Topic: Cinematics & CutScenes enough is enough
Replies: 21
Views: 3932

Re: Cinematics & CutScenes enough is enough

I think "Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty" is a good example of what the OP was trying to point out. While, like all MGS games, you can skip through the FMVs by pressing [Start], MGS2's FMVs were pretty poor in terms of actually moving the story along - which is why they were/should be ...
by bluepiranha
Thu Jul 07, 2011 7:29 pm
Forum: General Hardware
Topic: Troubleshooting: eMachines T5026 P4 rig restarts on its own
Replies: 15
Views: 2163

Re: Troubleshooting: eMachines T5026 P4 rig restarts on its

Okay guys, here's an update: HWMonitor says current operating temperatures on the P4 519 are 52-59 degC, prior to doing anything short of playing video. I got a rear exhaust fan hooked up. I tested the rig by simultaneously playing a DVD on CyberLink PowerDVD and AVI videos on Zoom Media Player (bun...
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