1.  In your opinion, what was the purpose of this blogging activity? (Why did I choose to do blogging instead of more traditional writing activities?)

Answer: I think Ms. Rumford chose to do this blogging activity because it was more interesting than the other traditional writing activities we are used to be doing. I suppose she wanted to develop more interest in the people who were lacking concentration in Language Arts. As you get older, classes get more boring. In 8^th grade Language Arts, I really wasn’t having that much fun and excitement I used to have in 7^th grade. Everyone started to lose their excitement they had for learning at this particular stage in life. It just wasn’t the same, until the blogging activity was introduced. At first, when Ms. Rumford told us that we were going to be working with blogs, I thought it was going to just be one of those other tedious and time-consuming activities we usually do. However, I was very exhilarated after I started to make my own blog. All this blogging was very electrifying and kind of made me more interested into Language Arts. Frankly speaking, Language Arts was by far, one of my most tiresome classes. I just found it really boring, that’s all. Although, after Ms. Rumford, told us about blogging, I got real excited and developed more interest for Language Arts. I assume that Ms. Rumford wanted us to have fun while learning and I believe she has accomplished her goal.

Another reason why I think Ms. Rumford decided to do this blogging activity is because it was really fun and enjoyable. I was taking pleasure in every moment working with blogs. When I opened up my blog for the first time, I didn’t know where to start playing around with the unique features and customizable options, Edublogs provided. The layout and design of my blog was the one option I played around with the most. I kept on experimenting with the designs, countless times. There were just so many to choose from and they were all really attractive and appealing. In the end, I did choose one design, which looked good and also fitted in with my blog topic, technology. I fooled around with the widgets option as well, but unfortunately I couldn’t get many widgets on there, except for the calendar and Clustr Maps thing. However, I would still like to know how to put up cool widgets like Vokis and stuff.

This new blogging activity was fun AND exceptionally, a unique learning experience. I believe Ms. Rumford has done fabulous job introducing blogs to us and and I thank her for that. 

2.  What have you accomplished during your blogging?

Answer: I have accomplished many things during this blogging activity. One of the first things I accomplished was that I pushed myself beyond my normal comfort zone. I’m that kind of person who doesn’t like telling his opinions and thoughts in public. I just don’t feel comfortable stating my views, especially when it comes to video games. Video games are something that you may like, but your friend might not. You might have reasons to support why you’re right and your friend might have reasons to support why he or she’s right. For this reason, I tend to stay away from arguing about video games. Though, this blogging activity has given me the self-confidence to state my opinions about certain topics/issues. This for me is a major accomplishment.

I have also accomplished the most important task of all, which was to become a better writer. I know I have become a better writer for several reasons. Firstly, my vocabulary has greatly improved. That week where we focused on vocabulary is the reason why my vocabulary has enhanced. Secondly, my sentences in writing have also improved than before. I learned about the four sentence types in great detail and now I can write and identify each one of those sentences without a problem. As for this, my sentence structure has improved.

Last but not least, I have now started to develop more interest in Language Arts. All throughout the year, I was kind of getting bored of the traditional activities we are used to be doing, though, this blogging activity has really got me all excited and energetic again.

3.  What key concepts have you learned while blogging? (This can be about writing, research or technology etc.)

Answer: I have mainly learnt about blogs themselves and the technology required in order to operate them. When Ms. Rumford first told us that we’re going to be working with blogs, I was completely clueless. I was just sitting there, scratching my head, and thinking, “What in the world is a BLOG”. I think most people in my class, knew at least what a blog was, but I was one of the few who had no clue whatsoever about this. I learnt many things when I fired up the Edublogs website for the first time. This is what the front page said:

“ Blogging for teachers and students, made easy

• Effortlessly create and manage students blogs

• Packed with useful features and customizable themes

• Ready made for podcasting, videos, photos and more
• Step by step support with our helpful video tutorials ”

The website helped me get a good overview of what blogs really were. I learnt that blogs were helping teachers in teaching their students all over the world. I also read some comments of the people who have used Edublogs and I’m telling you, ALL of them were positive. Everyone who commented had a good response about Edublogs. My excitement really developed when it was time to create our blog. I didn’t know how to make a blog and that’s also something I learnt how to do. Creating a blog is pretty simple. I bet I can make one in less than 5 minutes! I was actually amazed at how simple it was to create your own blog. The next few things I learned were about customizing a blog. The page that came up with a picture of a house was just BORING! I needed some more excitement in my blog, but I didn’t know how to change stuff around. Therefore, I went to the Edublogs website and watched a couple of videos. These short clips on Edublogs are extremely helpful and have guided me all throughout this blogging activity. After watching these videos, I was ready to modify my blog with some exhilaration. I learnt that your dashboard, was your main work place and that’s where you made all your changes. This was where you wrote all your stuff and managed it, as well. The dashboard provides a variety of options to customize your blog. Another thing I learned was how to have links to your friends’ blogs on your blog. I really wanted to have my friends’ blog links like Ms. Rumford has her students’ blog links, on the side. One day Ms. Rumford finally taught us how to do this and I’m glad she did. Instead of just memorizing your friend’s domain address or going on rumfordwriters.edublogs.org, I can just click on my friends name and ZAP, I’m on his blog. As you can see, I haven’t added that many friends, yet. Guess, I’m too lazy to that, right now. Although, I am planning on adding more friends, as soon as I get a break from school.

I have also learned many things about writing, through this blogging activity. The first thing I want to talk about that I have enhanced my knowledge, is vocabulary. When writing, I don’t think my vocabulary’s that good. I just blab out words that come to my mind. However, this blogging activity has helped me improve my vocabulary. On one of the blogs, we were asked to focus on vocabulary. This was when I really payed attention on my words. I had a dictionary and thesaurus opened up right next to me, while writing. I learned what big words like potent, vivid, and strident meant. I learnt the definitions of many other words that I included in my blog entry that week.

I also learned about sentences. I think there were two or three weeks where we were supposed to focus on our sentence structure. During these weeks, I learned about the four types of sentences. I, honestly just knew what compound and simple sentences were. However, through blogging, I have learned about sentences even more and in detail.

Definition of each sentence:

Simple sentence: contains one main clause and no subordinate clauses.

Compound sentence: contains two or more main clauses and no subordinate clauses.

Complex sentence: has one main clause and at least one subordinate clause.

Compound-complex: has at least two main clauses and at least one subordinate clause.

I learned about main clauses and subordinate clauses, as well. I learnt that a main clause, also known as an independent clause, is a sentence that could stand alone. It’s a sentence that states a complete idea.

Definition for a main clause:

A main clause contains a subject and its verb and expresses a complete idea. It can stand alone as a sentence.

I learned that a subordinate clause was something that could not sytand alone as a sentence and does NOT express a complete idea.

Definition for a subordinate clause:

A subordinate clause contains a subject and its verb but does not express a complete idea. It cannot stand alone as a sentence.

This is all I have learned through this blogging activity.

4. Based on the skills you learned while blogging, how will this benefit you in the future? This maybe inside or outside of school

This will benefit me greatly in the future. If I ever in the future want to discuss about a something broad like video games, I can start a blog. I can ask my friends from all around the world to visit my blog and start adding on to it. This way I can better communicate with my friends and at the same time, discuss about certain topics online. Blogs, in my opinion, are an awesome way to express your thoughts and opinions about something. If you ever feel really overjoyed or angry about something, you can just let out your emotions and let the whole world know how you’re feeling. If I ever happen to become a teacher in the future, I am definitely going to make my students work with blogs. Blogs are an excellent way of teaching your students. They help you learn and have fun at the same time. I have had an outstanding learning experience with blogs and I would recommend teachers all over the world to try to use this miraculous tool.

Thank You Ms. Rumford!

I’ve had an awesome 8^th grade year with you that I’ll never forget!

For an elongated time, Playstation 3 proprietors have been dreaming of an exclusive that would justify the reason for them buying the overpriced Playstation 3 and so far, there haven’t been many games that truly belong to Sony’s highly-advanced system. Immense hits like Resistance: Fall of Man and Heavenly Sword have revealed to us that the PS3 exclusive titles can also be marvelously alluring, but it’s Naughty Dog’s Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune that will make you extremely pleased and glad that you purchased Sony’s Playstation 3.

The most vital aspect you observe in an action-adventure video game is the plot and in Uncharted, it is extremely entertaining and adventurous, especially with the humorous and intrepid central character, Nathan Drake. Quite possibly an inheritor of the famous Sir Francis Drake, this treasure hunter is on the path of his ancestor’s hunt for the treasure of El Dorado. Elena Fisher, a television reporter who senses he is on to something really big, is capturing Nathan’s journey on video and she’s assisting him in finding the fortune. Along with their friend Sullie, the group travels to uncharted areas pursuing for treasure. The journal, of Sir Francis himself, is what directs Nathan in the search for the treasure of El Dorado and it comes in pretty handy along the game. Nathan soon realizes, after considering the journal several times, that this is going to be his most perilous adventure, yet. It isn’t until the influx of Nathan’s vengeance, Gabriel Roman, along with his compilation of ruthless pirates that the adventure really instigates.

The plot of Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune is enhanced by a great number of unforgettable scenes, as well as the engaging of Nathan and Elena, who demonstrate added personality than many characters in the majority of other games. I actually found it very entertaining to watch the response of these two persons, to each startling situation. Even their joking was very realistic and lively, which has brought the qualities of a movie to this video game. Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune is a game packed with some countless surprising moments that just make you jump out of your seat, during the game play. Even the game’s opening has Nathan and Elena skirmishing back pirates, who are trying to board their ship and on the tropical island there are a great deal of unanticipated moments, in which Nathan Drake has to get past some audacious escapes. There are even chapters (the game is divided into a series of chapters), where you will be driving breathtaking vehicles, like watercrafts and jeeps, trying to escape from your enemies, but those come later in the game. All these unexpected and dodgy moments are what make this such a gripping and enjoyable game.

Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune relates to a Tomb Raider-styled game and the leveling on collapsing walls to keeping your equilibrium on flimsy beams is challenging fun. There is some trial-and-error platform jumping, although each time Nathan passes away (whether it’s by a barrage of bullets or falling to your death), he bounces back promptly. Similar to Tomb Raider games, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune is crammed with exigent puzzles to decipher, even when the game’s difficulty is switched to medium. Sometimes when it is taking too long for you to solve a puzzle, then Nathan Drake will automatically turn his attention to certain objects. It may appear like handholding, but this doesn’t mean it resolves the enigma for you.

In Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, the combat and fighting is in fact very concentrated and there will be times when you’ll be overwhelmed by the number of armed pirates, attacking you. Nathan can do a dodge roll to shun bullets, though his best yet, is to lean against an object and only pop out to fire. While there are a great deal of weapons, the shootouts can get slightly repetitive and the enemy AI can sometimes cause enemies to blindly run out into your line of fire. Aside from the pleasurable, yet somewhat flawed combating, there are plenty of extras and the bonuses, which are able to be unlocked, are really worth a look.

When it comes to the visuals, Uncharted is an elegant game and it manages to exhibit some extraordinary backgrounds with authentic-looking character models. The initial time I experienced this game, I couldn’t believe I was playing an actual video game! The graphics are just remarkably gorgeous and the verdant, green environment is better than any I’ve ever seen in a long time. The milieu seems alive with exotic birds and all the other wildlife present in this game. It is also quite impressive to see the players, moving so naturally in the game, making them seem extremely realistic. Nathan Drake not only rolls and runs rationally, but seeing him climb up or down the ladders just impels the feeling, that these characters are cumbersome puppets. It’s also great to find a game where you cannot really tell apart, between when a cut scene finishes and the in-game action commences because it is almost seamless in the game.

The voice acting in the game is superb and is of the key aspects, which make this such an extraordinary and realistic video game. The voice-acting cast has absolutely played an essential role in making good quality dialogue work and it’s one of the motives the characters are so appealing. There are also some adequately comprehensive sound effects which deserve this game to be played on a good sound system. Overall, I’d say that the soundtrack is definitely a masterpiece created by Naughty Dog. I personally wouldn’t even mind buying the soundtrack if they sold it.

Uncharted is amassed with the material that classy Hollywood blockbusters are made of. It has the feeling of a vast production, complete with a likable characters and an imposing story that makes the adventure really worthwhile. The few minor flaws are easy to forgive mainly due to the astounding visuals, striking locales and miscellany in action that will make gamers pleased they bought a PS3.

Quotes praising this incredible game:

“The single most breathtaking game ever created.”

- Play Magazine

“…Most fun I’ve had on a video game this year.”

- IGN.com

Sources:

http://www.us.playstation.com/uncharted/

http://www.gamespot.com/ps3/action/uncharteddrakesfortune/index.html

http://ps3.gamespy.com/playstation-3/naughty-dog-ps3-project/835136p1.html

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Note: In this article, soccer is called football; so don’t get it confused with American football.

These past twelve months were hectic ones for EA Sports, after a release of three games in one year. FIFA 08 was a game that revolutionized the FIFA series by providing a more realistic environment and improved AI, hence, adding much-needed profundity to the game play. Six months later, arrived the UEFA Euro 2008, which further refined the groundwork and extended the features list with even more inimitable game modes. Now amid FIFA 09, the third EA Sports football game this year, developers have sharpened the core game play by adding countless features, and entertaining online essentials to the video game. It all results to an incredible and pragmatic game play, and despite a few performance issues, FIFA 09 is the preeminent football game, yet.

Once passing the miraculous FIFA presentation and promenading right into the pitch for the first time, the improvements are immediately noticeable. The foremost advancement made in the FIFA series is in the movement of players, particularly conspicuous from the defending. In the previous FIFA game (FIFA 08), I was very disappointed by how the defense worked. All the defenders would cluster up and gather around the ball like a bunch of kids in the playground, and thus, leaving the opponent plenty of open space to score. However, this major flaw has been fixed and even greatly improved in the latest FIFA 09. There’s actually some strategy to the positioning of defenders, as now, they have stopped opening up gaps.

Another major improvement made in the all-new FIFA 09 is the general control over players. The management over your team members has remarkably enhanced with a momentous augmentation to the overall volatility of the game; there’s no longer the automatic sentiment that previous FIFA titles suffered from. Now, you act as the manager and coach of the team, with the complete control in your hands. This is particularly observed by me, when players are jumping for high balls, you can either decide to jump for it, lean into the opponent, or drag away slightly to gain possession after the ball drops. EA has made this possible by making everything being run by physics and individual player statistics. Therefore, the distances of a slide tackle and the result of players clashed to the power of a header and the height of a player’s jump are all calculated, instead of relying upon pre-prepared animations. The all new jostling system also enhances the game and it allows the defenders and attackers to fight for the ball. All these vastly improved animations, result to an entertaining and authentic video game.

With the astonishing game play, FIFA 09 also possesses a variety of new game modes that take the series to a new height. Beyond the expected Friendlies and various tournaments, EA has made a prolonged return to the Be A Pro – Seasons, which limits your control to just one player and alters the camera accordingly. This time you’ll have four seasons to guide the career of a player, and will play the definitive objective of getting into the national team and winning the International Cup. A variety of goals are set across the course of the season, and by finishing these objectives you can experience the points in an RPG manner to advance your player’s skills. These enhancements have developed this video game into a fully-fledged game mode and has truly made this an alternative way, we’ve been playing football games for the last decade.

The advancements in the Be A Pro – Seasons and the new control system is not everything EA has brought to us. The 10v10 online play and FIFA 09 Clubs has also arrived with all these key enhancements. The idea of full online teams has been argued about for a number of years, but FIFA has now made this a reality. FIFA 09 Club takes this concept even further by allowing you to vie against others in a proper league setting and at the same time is exceptionally entertaining. If all this isn’t enough for you, FIFA 09 also includes an Adidas Live Season that allows you to experience the troughs and peaks of real-world players and teams. It also keeps you updated with the recent performances and matches going on around the world.

FIFA 09 is truly a dream come true for all those football fans out there. It’s much closer to the ebb and flow of a factual game of football, with the superb graphics, complete control over players, and the variety of enjoyable game modes. FIFA 09 has made football come to life and has given a sense of realism and authenticity to its gamers.

Here are two quotes expressing the glory of FIFA 09:

“…the package is so vast and offers so much, it’s hard not to be impressed.”

– IGN

“FIFA 09 is again the champ, for another year in a row.”

– Gamespy

Sources:

http://www.fifa09.ea.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA_09

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/fifa-09-review

The world’s thinnest laptop 8”, the 1.4-pound VAIO P Series Lifestyle PC, does more than you can imagine with its impeccable style. This diminutive computer is packed with exciting, streamlined features of entertainment and gives an individual a sense of modern and futuristic machinery. Sony has exceeded everyone’s expectations with this Lifestyle PC and has brought the world of portable computers to a new level with its highly-advanced technology.

When it comes to Intel-Atom powered systems, this computer is no different. It’s a very simple and straightforward to use PC, especially if you have experienced Windows before. The latest Sony mini laptop shares many similarities with the Dell Mini9 or Asus Eee PC and the processors inputted are pretty much alike. However, the Lifestyle PC still, without a doubt, distinguishes from the crowd amid its marvelous design, distinct features, and contemporary advancement.

The latest and paramount improvement made in the laptop is the minuscule size, which proves to be extremely lightweight, especially in traveling. About as slender as a deck of cards, the P-Series Lifestyle PC has roughly the same dimensions as a standard white business envelope and occupies very little space in your carry-on bag or briefcase. The computer is very comfortable when holding, as well. With the feather like weight, you won’t even feel the presence of this system in your hands. The PC is both an engineering achievement and a laptop that will work best for highly specific users.

The P-Series Lifestyle PC is one of the pettiest laptops I have ever seen; it also reminds me of a UMPC (such as Sony’s own UX series,) although with an even better and ebullient design. The PC’s refined, polished design offers a range of crystal-inspired colors, including the garnet red, emerald green, onyx black, crystal white. With the unique design, the laptop is also powered with a Linux, instant on environment resembling the menu used on Sony’s PSP and Playstation 3 gaming consoles. It provides a decent, unforgettable Web-Surfing experience while helping save battery life, which is important, as the default battery is small.

To fit a fully-featured Windows processor into a framework this petite, some sacrifices had to be made to this laptop. One of them is that instead of a typical touch pad, there’s a ThinkPad-like pointing stick, making fine control difficult. The pointing stick’s sensitivity has to be taken out to move across the wide screen easily, which is a negative factor, blocking the P-Series form being as useful and handy as it could’ve been. One can also optionally tap on the pointing stick for a left-click, although you’ll perpetually end up with a bunch of false left-clicks that way.

Another disappointment in the P-series is the 2GB of RAM, which is practically a minimum requirement, with Vista. The OS has also been felt lethargic and freezes frequently, even with the graphics options set to Vista Basic. Sony, as its custom, has included plenty of its proprietary media and networking software, which you can either choose to use, uninstall, or ignore. The price is also a concern many people are facing. The majority of Netbooks cost around four to five hundred dollars, but this one has crossed the limits, with its disdainful price tag of nine-hundred dollars.

The 8-inch, wide-screen, LED-backlit, as mentioned earlier, offers a 1,600×768 resolution display; the highest I have ever seen in an Atom-powered laptop. Conversely, because of this, the text and icons appear small on the screen, and some may find them complicated to read. The zoom button helps, but if you have trouble with the tiny text onscreen, the P-Series will drive you nuts!

It would be wise not to except too much from this mini PC. Affirmed to be a “Netbook”, it falls behind systems with Windows XP, such as Hp’s new Mini2140. When looked at it as an ultraportable laptop, it seems to be even worse, although it’s an unfair fight against more expensive 11-inch systems with Intel’s ULV dual-core processors. Even though the P-Series may have some flaws, its impressive range of additional features make it stand out from the mediocre Net book PC’s. Some of these notable features include the built-in GPS technology (no internet required), Bluetooth, and even the Wi-Fi of the faster 802.11n variety.

Generally, I believe that the P-Series Lifestyle PC is a magnificent creation by Sony, with its entertaining features, superb display, and best of all marvelous design and weight. If Sony just lowered the price a bit and fixed some flaws here and there, this would’ve been the perfect laptop for the 21’s century; an ideal companion for the lives of mankind, as Sony stated:

“Designed for the fashionista in all of us, it’s the ideal companion…”
- Sony Computer Entertainment

Tech Specs:

• 8-inch screen; device is 4.72 x 9.65 inches (HxW) with screen open
• 1.4 pounds with standard battery
• 1.33GHz Intel® processor
• Windows Vista® (Home Premium recommended)
• 2GB DDR2 SDRAM
• Storage options range from a 60GB hard drive to a 128GB solid-state drive
• Verizon Wireless 3G mobile broadband; Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n); Stereo A2DP Bluetooth®
• Memory Stick PRO™ (Standard/Duo), MMC, and SD™ memory card slots

Sources:

http://laptoping.com/sony-vaio-p-series.html

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&categoryId=8198552921644608896

http://www.techradar.com/news/mobile-computing/hands-on-sony-vaio-p-series-review-501155

http://www.pctoday.com/editorial/article.asp?article=articles%2F2009%2Ft0706%2F58t06%2F58t06.asp&guid=

The Playstation 3 (commonly abbreviated as the PS3) is a console that completely modified the gaming world with its superb advancements in technology and entertainment. This video game system is the kind I’ve been waiting for all my life. It is truly a next generation console that competes with the Nintendo Wii and Xbox 360.

General Information: The PS3 is the third video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment, after the huge success of Playstation 2. The PlayStation 3 is powered by the “Cell processor”, which is boasted to be 35 times more powerful than the PS2. It was first released on November 11, 2006 in North America and on March 23, 2007 in Europe and Oceania.

Check out the specifications of the Playstation 3 by clicking on this link: http://reviews.digitaltrends.com/review/2604-4/sony-playstation-3-review-specs

This highly advanced and sophisticated machine is as modern from the outside as it is from the inside. Weighing about 11 pounds and measuring 12.8 inches wide by 3.86 inches high by 10.89 inches long, the Playstation 3 gives a unique glossy look. The burnished exterior just appears marvelous, especially with the original black shade. The PS3 can be oriented vertically or horizontally, with the latest design. I personally like it standing up vertically because then the system expresses more of its splendor and grandeur at this alignment. Whether the PS3 is laid down flat or is leaning up, its striking design is certainly glorious and eye-catching.

Another positive factor I’ve noticed about the PS3 is that it’s astoundingly silent. At first, it might seem from the size that it’s going to be terribly strident, but its not. The console is extremely quiet, especially when compared to that thunderous Xbox 360 (not trying to be mean for all those 360 fans out there). Sometimes I can’t even tell whether my PS3’s turned ON or not. I remember just from the past week that I forgot to turn the power off on my Playstation 3. It was so hushed that I didn’t even know that the power was turned ON until my eye caught a glimpse of that bright green light on my PS3. I was amazed at how silent this video game console really is. Usually, gaming systems are pretty loud, but ‘Thank God’ Sony made a quiet one. Well, now that I’ve conferred about the outside design of the Playstation 3, it’s time for the imperative parts of a video game system, which are the graphics, controller, etc.

Let’s first start with the picture quality and graphics of the PS3. The graphics have significantly enhanced with the outstanding new look and is one of the key improvements that separates the Playstation 3 from the Playstation 2. The superb resolutions of the PS3 are powered by an NVidia graphics chip called an RSX (”Reality Synthesizer”) which operates at 550 MHz core clock with over 300 million transistors. The Reality Synthesizer GPU has the power to create realistic environments. It is asserted to be more dominant than two GeForce 6800 Ultra cards put together. The majority of the PS3 games run at a 720p resolution. You will be startled at how tremendous the images of HD gaming really are. The initial time I experienced the extraordinary gaming of the PS3, I could not believe that I was playing a video game. The fresh resolutions were so superbly done that it was almost impossible to differentiate between real or fake. My point is that the PS3 is enormously sturdy and potent, and especially when compared with the Xbox 360. The gleaming and vivid images give you a sense of pragmatism and inculcate you to the authentic world. The Blue-Ray player also plays a huge role when it comes to the graphics because of its highly advanced technology.

Sony Computer Entertainment has now replaced that old DVD player, with the Blue-Ray. A Blue Ray disc is “an optical disc storage medium designed by Sony to supersede the standard DVD format”, from WIKIPEDIA. Blue- Ray truly advances the world of entertainment with immaculate, high definition pictures. It also provides theater-quality sound and an experience so intense that it resists previous commencements of home entertainment. With the 1080p resolution and theater quality audio, Blue-Ray discs also provide an extreme storage capacity, up to 50 GB! If you’re a fan of watching HD (high definition) movies and playing high definition games this is the system for you.

The graphics and picture quality of a game console are very imperative, but isn’t there something even more vital that we’re forgetting? Well, it’s the controller, of course! What’s a game system without a controller? Now after reading this, you might already know that I’m going to be talking about the SIXAXIS Wireless Controller of the Playstation 3, next.

The new SIXAXIS Wireless Controller for the Playstation 3 enables gamers more comfort and realism. The design is pretty much analogous to the popular original Playstation controller, but with some improvements. When I used to play on my PS2, my hands used to get all sore because of the heavy controller. However, now that’s resolved. The PS3 controller is extremely lightweight and I can barely feel it in my hands. The Wireless Controller now also has a motion-sensing technology to detect natural and intuitive movements for real-time and high precision interactive play, acting as a natural extension of the user’s body. The new controller also utilizes Bluetooth technology for wireless game play. Back on the PS2, I had to sit right in front of the T.V because of the short-wired controller. I had always wished for a controller that allowed me to sit wherever I wanted when I was playing. The Playstation 3’s controller is charged seamlessly and automatically using a USB cable. It only takes about five or ten minutes and then it’ll be charged to play for thirty hours straight. Furthermore, unlike other interactive controllers, the SIXAXIS wireless controller is easy to set-up and is compatible with today’s monitors and televisions.

Another major improvement in the Playstation 3 is the newly developed online facility. One of the main trends of this new generation console is the ability to play games online and visit stores for add on and upgrades. Sony officially announced its unified online service (Playstation Network) on the PlayStation 3 system at the 2006 PlayStation Business Briefing meeting in Tokyo. Sony also confirmed that the service will always be connected, free, and include multiplayer support.

The best thing about the PS3 online service is that it’s free, a positive comparison with the Xbox 360 Live, where you need to pay a £39.99 subscription a year. Internet can be accessed on the internet via an Ethernet cable or with the built in Wi-Fi. With your FREE PlayStation Network account you can get access to online gaming, friends, downloadable games, movies & TV shows, and much more. I believe that the new feature of playing online is just extremely entertaining and compelling. It’s just so cool networking with other people and experiencing the terrific gaming with them. Sometimes you get bored playing all by yourself and so, online play lets you interact more with other people and increases the entertainment exhilaration. Online play just advances the gaming world to a whole new level and is something that gamers all over the world love.

Sony Developers have also launched the Playstation Home which is a virtual community for the Playstation Network. It is a “Second-Life”- like experience that allows PlayStation Network users to interact in a virtual world, and acts as a meeting place for users that want to play multiplayer games with others. It is just truly amazing and I recommend everyone who has a Playstation 3 to download it.

According to me, the Playstation 3 is the best game console, yet. The system has gone beyond gaming with its awesome games, superlative graphics, comfortable controlling, and enlivening online play. The Playstation 3 has highly developed in technology and is truly a seventh generation video game system. Let me end my article with this phrase:

“We have always attempted to do things differently. Our vision has taken us to unprecedented levels of success and innovation. Just keeping up with conventional technology is not enough for us.”
Kaz Hirai, Sony Computer Entertainment America

Sources:

http://www.letsgomobile.org/en/review/0016/sony-playstation-ps3-review/

http://www.trustedreviews.com/gaming/review/2007/03/23/Sony-PlayStation-3/p1

http://us.playstation.comhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_3

Me: I have a Playstation 3

All these pictures were taken by me:

Sorry, but I don’t know how to post something on a certain page yet, so until then I’ll just have to post things up on the front page.

“THE BEST WAY TO SEE LOS ANGELES IS AT 245 MPH”

General Information: Midnight Club Los Angeles is the fourth racing game in the Midnight Club series. It was officially announced for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 on May 16, 2007. This game was developed by Rockstar San Diego and published by Rockstar Games. Midnight Club L.A was released on October 21, 2008 in the U.S and just after three days, all over Europe.

The next upgrade in the Midnight Club Series after Midnight Club II is just a masterpiece. This game is just a surprise packet with its superb graphics and new gaming style. I have always been a die hard Need for Speed fan, but this game really did blow me off. I just couldn’t believe how amazing it was.

Built using Rockstar’s RAGE engine, the graphics are just tremendous. Los Angeles is just the perfect city, with its beautiful environment, extensive straights, wide freeways, and hills, chosen for this game. The city looks very realistic in the game and even the smallest details are crafted with precision. The world landmarks, those look better than ever, really are implanting gamers into the real world. This video game is to Los Angeles, as GTA IV’s Liberty City is to New York City. The landmarks as said earlier are just perfectly structured and detailed, and even the minor, yet infamous, locations are there. Driving in this splendid has the same thrill and excitement of actually racing on the streets of Los Angeles. The setting in this game is just one of the main features that has arrived form Rockstar San Diego, there is more to this game.

Another improvement that Rockstar has brought to us is the day and night cycles in the game.They have taken the “midnight” out of the game now. The traffic levels are now real-like according to the west coast style, whether it is the morning rush hour or midnight. The mix of stunt ramps and endless amounts of shortcuts are scattered all across the large city. This gives the racers a chance to cut off the vital time from the high speed and tough events they face. The enchanting setting, the realistic traffic, and the intricate roads all make up the fun playground for the automobiles, but what about the important bits of a racing simulation- the cars, the nitrous, the racing, the tuning, etc.?

The first set of wheels given to you during a racing game is very important in a racing game. It’s a little shock to me that even though there was many support from companies like Nissan, Ford, Lamborghini, to name a few, the start vehicle is an early VW Golf GTi. More used on the roads of Europe than perhaps California. This car is what you start with in the career mode. Another disappointment was a group of cars Rockstar left out. There are many remarkable bikes, muscles, cars, tuners and exotics in the Midnight Club showroom, but theirs one set of cars that they left out, the SUV’s. Customizing the SUV’s like the Cadillac Escalade and driving the 4×4’s has all been eliminated. I hope that the game’s possible downloadable content in the future will fill this gap.

For people who have played the old Midnight Club series, playing this one is no different. The career mode of Midnight Club makes a return here, this time with no loading time (but occasional buffering). Cruising along the streets of Los Angeles, you have a variety of races to choose from and make money. The cash earned can then be used in purchasing new cars or upgrading your car with the latest parts. Red light races, high speed and traffic drags down freeways, are just some events offered through the course of the career. Additional races include delivery events where the players have to race a high-speed car to a location in a time limit.

The determined and persisted version of the police in Midnight Club L.A has gotten even harder to get rid of. They offer a stiff competition for racers in the game by chasing players who break the speed limits by 100mph or crash into a number of cars. The longer the chase, the bigger the fine will be. You can pay a small fine before a chase really starts to get going, but where’s the fun with that? The fine of you escaping like crazy would be really satisfying, especially if the police are chasing you down in the middle of a race!

The soundtrack in Midnight club has also improved. Now there’s a wide range of genre’s to choose from. The music really helps give the driver some exhilaration and pleasure along the road. New soundtracks can also available to be downloaded online. The racing experience has greatly enhanced in this series, but there is a new dynamic camera fault. The action camera won’t be everybody’s taste when the nitrous comes into an extreme high speed. Most people would switch to the more well-known ‘classic’ camera for a more visible view.

Overall, the new Career mode is has extended, with the Arcade mode, along with the online game play for up to sixteen players. However, there is more to the Midnight Club than just the need for speed.

Racing through the streets is just one part of the extraordinary Midnight Club experience. The latest Midnight Club video game now has some very deep customizable options, which covers everything from headlights, bumpers, paint jobs, a series of performance upgrades, such as rim size, tire depth, to neon under lighting, seats, and steering wheels. Manufacturer specialists like Bucsher Racing and Turbo XS, bring the customization to a whole new level. Countless amounts of upgrades and options for customization are available. Additional upgrades become unlocked as you advance in your career progress; this also includes new cars and bikes.

Generally, I believe that Midnight Club Los Angeles has brought the Midnight Club series to an extraordinary level. Rockstar has truly created a masterpiece, one of the best racing games ever made. This is a must buy game for everyone, and especially for people who are tenuously interested in cars.

My Score for this game: 9.5/10

Sources:

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/921/921784p1.html

http://www.gamespot.com/ps3/driving/midnightclublosangeles/index.html

http://www.rockstargames.com/midnightclubLA/

Freedom of Speech is the freedom to speak freely without any censorship or in other words control. It allows one to convey his or her opinions, thoughts, and feelings about something. Freedom of Speech gives everyone the opportunity to express themselves. This freedom is protected under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution:

“Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

Even though, the Freedom of Speech does allow anyone to say whatever they want, it also has some restrictions. False or offensive comments are not protected. Remarks that may hurt someone else’s reputation are also not permitted. It is expected for people to stay in these limits and not cross their boundaries. Like the real world this is also disapproved online. The internet is growing each day and with that it is giving its users more and more opportunities to state their views. It allows everyone to have their voices heard. The internet gives a wider opportunity for expression, as well. If there was no Freedom of Speech, I believe that there wouldn’t have been any internet.

However, many people are mistreating this freedom. The internet is crammed with insults and abuses to people such as major political figures and celebrities. One example for this would be the recent 2008 elections. The internet was one of the chief places where these campaigns told good things about their candidate or groused the opposing campaign, using humorous cartoons, games, propaganda, etc. People abused their disliked candidate as much as they possibly could. However, people really did cross the line when it came to Obama. Negative comments and opinions are acceptable, but not racial discrimination. Obama became a terrorist in front of the eyes of many. Some even began calling him “Obama Bin Laden”. This is also some negative and biased propaganda going on here. Just because of the color of his skin, people started to think that he was this terrorist working with Osama Bin Laden.

The Freedom of Speech was created for people to express their opinions, and I agree with that. However, this freedom wasn’t created to disparage other people’s reputation. It wasn’t created to give someone else a bad impression. It wasn’t created for people to say untrue and false information about other people. You can give your perspective and thoughts and say for example that you HATE or DISLIKE THE NEW PRESIDENT, but you’re not allowed to criticize this person. This criticism includes calling someone a terrorist, as mentioned before, or being offensive towards someone’s race, culture, religion, etc. People, who write negative things like I’ve talked about, are usually people who are either irritated at something or just want to make fun of someone. These people are abusing the precious freedom given to them. As said earlier, the Freedom of Speech was created to let someone express their thoughts and feelings, not to harm someone. I say that the Freedom of Speech should be taken away from all these kinds of individuals. This is because it has really become a huge issue. The internet is now packed with odious and distasteful comments. Another thing I want to tell all those people who are misusing the Freedom of Speech, especially on the internet, is that somebody’s probably watching what you do in the cyber world, so be careful. The internet is beginning to be checked by some countries. If some inappropriate or offensive remarks are found, then it will immediately be deleted and you can get in serious trouble, if it was you who wrote that.

After saying all about how some individuals are abusing the Freedom of Speech, there are some good ways in which this liberty is being used on the internet. For example, the internet is this huge discussion board where people can discuss on issues going around in this world, such as poverty, global warming, deforestation, etc. Different people can interact with each other online and share ideas about how they’re making a difference in this world. One of the major discussion boards for global issues that I know is: http://www.global-issues-network.org. We couldn’t have been discussing this freely on the internet without the Freedom of Speech.

This sovereignty present online is also helpful towards companies. People are reviewing every second about something new, which includes new games, cell phones, movies, etc. Reviewing lets the companies know whether their consumers are enjoying their products or not. The people are the ones to really judge the company’s products. Corporations can also figure out what they need to improve on through these reviews. In most reviews, the writers usually say what things they think should be improved. This can help companies in a great way and it couldn’t have been possible without the Freedom of Speech.

Edublogs, were made because of the Freedom of Speech. Without this liberty, there wouldn’t have been any blogs. Whenever you look at a blog, you can see that it’s filled with thoughts and opinions. People also create blogs to express their strong feelings about certain topics. They may also use it to say things of what their unhappy about. Blogs are the main places on the internet where you can convey yourself. If there was no Freedom of Speech, there wouldn’t have been any blogs.

The internet is one of the biggest common areas in our world today. Information that you post on it is being seen by the whole world. I have the right to speak liberally and I like that. It’s my duty to be a responsible citizen and not misuse the Freedom of Speech. As a blogger, I, on my side, will be fully cautious of what I say and will not try to hurt someone. What you read just now is all because of my right to speak freely. Therefore, don’t mistreat this freedom and be extra-careful when writing anything.

My blog is basically going to be about modern entertainment and technology. As the years have passed, the technology has been enhanced with it. In the past, people used to go outside and play for entertainment. People still do, but in a minority. Now, because the technology has improved so much, we have loads of things to do in our free time. These include listening to our iPods, playing video games, playing on the computer, etc. Technology has made our lives more fun and entertaining.

Each week I will be talking about something related to modern entertainment and technology. I have created four pages as you can see. One of them is called Video Games. On this page, I will mainly focus on game consoles, new and upcoming video games, or maybe even reviewing some. Another one is named laptops/computers. Here, I will be writing about the latest laptops and computers, forthcoming ones, reviewing laptops, etc. The third page is called cell phones/ electrical devices. This is where I will talk about any latest cell phones in the market or some other new electrical devices such as iPods. Last but not least, is the Other page. Whenever I find something cool on the internet created because of the highly developed technology such as robots, this is where I’m going to put it.

Every week I will inform you on my home page, what I wrote about that week and which page it is on, so you could check it out. I created these pages, because it becomes way easier to organize things.

Note: I may decide to delete a page or two later on, if they’re not being used.

Hope you enjoy this blog!