PCWorld Goes Hands-on with Intel's Skull Canyon NUC →
How much performance does that add up to? On one Skull Canyon NUC we played the new game Just Cause 3 at 1920x1080 resolution, with frame rates in the low- to mid-30s. For PC gamers that’s, well, not great, but for integrated graphics, that’s actually pretty impressive.
If you really want more power, you can hook up external graphics cabinets such as this Razer Core with a Radeon GPU inside of it using the Thunderbolt 3.0 port.
This might just be the PC that I've been waiting for. FYI: I haven't owned a Windows based PC since 2005 and at that time, I was already running concurrently with my Powerbook Titanium followed by a MacBook Pro in 2008 virtually dropping all PC/Windows related computing. The biggest problem I have is that I am well divested into the Mac / OS X ecosystem but then again, the PC would be primarily for gaming.
Paired with Razer's new Core Graphics external add-on for $500 (graphics card NOT included), this could shape up to be a lean, mean, portable gaming machine which is also less expensive than the Razer Blade Core combo.
Sidenote: When the heck is the new Apple MacBook Pro going to be released? I've been stuck on a 2010 MacBook Air Core 2 Duo and it's becoming a drag! (this post written on that 2010 MBA)
Star Wars: Battlefront Falling Out of Favor Quickly →
With only a handful of maps and guns to play around with, it's hard not to raise eyebrows at the luxury $50 price tag of Battlefront's Season Pass DLC—with the small quantity of repetitive content on offer drawing some parallels with 2014's Destiny. The key difference here is quality and timescale—Bungie's shooter nailed the gunplay so hard that doing the same thing over and over wasn't galling for many, but Battlefront loses most of its appeal after just one or two hours.
So what is this, then? It's gorgeous and far more fun to watch than play, so it's fantastic for anyone who wants to show off a new telly. Apart from that, it's fundamentally just a very expensive way to immerse yourself in Star Wars. The mileage on this magic will certainly vary, and when it fades you're in for a very boring ride.
After a few matches with friends, it definitely falls off short of what could have been a much better game. I'm already friends move t Call of Duty Black Ops 3 or back to Destiny's The Taken King. Too bad. I still enjoy it a bit here and there but for $59.99 then another $49.99 for the DLC pack, sorry. I'm not buying it.
It's a Nintendo Game...no wait, it's a Flask!
If you're a Gen X'er, you have fond memories of blowing into NES cartridges, sliding them into the system at various angles and even wiping the gold plates along the opening. Now, why not just use one as your flask?!
From Ink Whiskey LLC, introducing the Concealable Entertainment Flask on Kickstarter! Priced at an awesome entry level $15 for the Drunk-Hunt flask and various "games" at $20, all the way to $50 for the Gold "cartridge" Legend of Drink, you can own some awesome alcohol paraphernalia. You know I'm in!
Here's the catch. You have to jump on it now! You have less than 30 hours to go! The project has met it's funding by over 300% and ends tomorrow, November 23rd at 7:25pm PST!
Minimalism Doesn't Favor Nintendo
Jon Gruber of Daring Fireball brought up valuable points in his latest rebuttal in the ongoing Nintendo vs. RIM Blackberry saga. I'd like to highlight these two sentences where I agree heavily.
Today, though, someone deciding to buy a dedicated handheld game device is, more likely than not, deciding whether to buy something to carry in addition to the mobile device they already carry everywhere.The App Store is, practically speaking, an infinite source of new games.
I bought Nintendo's Wii U out of impulse and somewhat regretfully so. I haven't powered up the system since the initial update and have yet to buy any games. The last time I felt that way about a console was Playstation's PSP. It was deemed "portable" but I found it bulky when it came to bringing more than a few games plus extra batteries. Fast forward just a few months later, I ended up only bringing a single game, no battery, then eventually only used it as a media device until I purchased Apple's iPhone 3G. Prior to that, I was using both my Palm Treo 650 and PSP. Chargers in tote, it was a lot to bring on my person especially when I would only access the PSP at the hotels or on the plane commuting back and forth.
I have yet to buy a Nintendo 3DS/3DSXL (I wouldn't actually consider the 2DS) only because, when it comes down to it, I don't want to carry anything more than I already do. I've been considering it for a while now but my current lifestyle of being an airline pilot who commutes from San Diego to Atlanta Dallas on a weekly basis is best when paired with minimalism. Two bags; one for lunch the other for clothing. To further establish the fact that I don't need one, 75% of my gaming is on an iOS device. It's on me, it's with me wherever I go, and it's quick and dirty. No power-up loading times or lag. It's instant gratification. I wish only the best for Nintendo and I truly am rooting for them.
Jumping thoughts, when it comes to consoles / dedicated gaming, I don't foresee any regret in the near future with Sony's latest Playstation 4. Heck, I might even get a Vita (not sure on the OLED version vs. the LCD one) if it means I can play remotely and have access to my PS4! Yea, I reserved one and will be there at midnight at the local Best Buy.
