Today in Redmond Washington, the next generation Xbox was finally revealed. With all of it's glory, the box has been deemed simply, "Xbox One". The sleek design is unlike any previous Xbox model. Being quite rectangular, the top is half  "liquid black", a smooth gloss with half matte airflow vents that create in my opinion, a sophisticated yet rugged look that I imagine consoles to be.

The Guts

Let us first take a look at the hardware. The tasty internals.

• 8 Core CPU
• 8 GB System Memory
• 500 GBN HDD
• Blu-Ray Drive
• 802.11n Wireless with Wi-Fi Direct
• HDMI In/Out
• USBN 3.0

With all of this beefyness going on, the system is sure to be a literal hot mess right? Or maybe loud as all hell with all those fans running constantly trying to cool it down. Wrong! Those crafty developers have minimized the size of nearly every component in the system making for better airflow and having the box operate as cool and quiet as a cucumber. Added freshly to the system is a 500 GB hard drive encased with a sought after custom built Blu-Ray player. A single chip containing both CPU and GPU that's actually less than half the size of even one of the two separate chips placed in the 360.  Needless to say, the graphics on games will be stunning and hours of gaming wont over heat your system.

I remember playing Donkey Kong Country and thinking "This is it. Graphics can go no further." Boy was I wrong. We have been told that the graphic performance will be 8 times greater than that of the 360. 512 MB of memory to the Xbox one's 8 GB is a huge jump.

Ze Controller

A big fear I had was the developers messing with the grand design of the controller. The Xbox has always been ahead in the controller designs making it comfortable for everyone and versatile for all different platforms of gaming. luckily, it hasn't changed much. The battery pack is now integrated so there is no large hump in the back, which I'm hoping wont take away from the weight to the previous controller. Holding my current model without the pack has an awkwardly airy feel to it. Some gamer friendly tweeks have been added however, they have improved response triggers, and the over all ergonomics have been upgraded. Even the D-Pad has been refined. Seems promising thus far.

Kinnect

I was a fan of the kinnect when it was released in 2010. Controller free and voice activated? Yes. The more technology makes me feel like I'm in "Minority  Report" the more I'm on board. Of course there were the initial issues being a first gen, such as different body types, delayed and sometimes no response and the fact that you had to move around your furniture to play games like Kinectamals and Zumba ( which I so did) was a little underwhelming. The new new however, has brought it's A-game. The system can send out an infrared light that measure not just the room, but anything in it to create a 3D map of it's surrounding for optimal tracking, tracking so precise in fact, it can even monitor your pulse. Even in a dark room, the responsiveness is impressive.

The Kinnect can be utilized for multiple applications. turning your console, TV , or even your cable box on with just your voice. Xbox One even monitors it's own frequencies, it consumes more power when needed and backs off when smaller tasks like watching a movie are being performed. While doing so, it multitasks, updating when less power is being used.

With a 1080p camera and capturing 60 fps, Kinnect now has Skype connectivity. Capturing precise skeletal movements and differentiating between hand and controllers is just, beyond impressive. You go Kinnect.

Home Entertainment

Integrating your Xbox with your everyday television at first, to me at least, didn't seem impressive. I didn't quite see the accessibility  after hearing, seeing and reading about the possibilities, I'm more open to the idea. Simply stating " Watch Science channel " or " Watch Gremlins" is soon going to be a reality. Perhaps gremlins isn't on at that moment, well the system will quickly inform you of this minor problem and give you options for recording or tuning into next time it's showing. ( which is like, all the time luckily) You can browse stations or just look for something specific with either your remote, controller, or voice.

A task switching system has been added being deemed "snapping in". This my friends, is multi-tasking at it's finest.  Running internet browsing, TV, and even gaming simultaneously is definitely possible. Here's an example. you are well into Bungie's new baby Destiny. The soundtrack isn't your favorite so you snap to Pandora and play your favorite smash mouth channel then go back yo game. Uh oh, you are stuck! Better snap to the browser and find the solution. Maybe you want to Skype while watching "what not to wear" . Echo-cancellation tech cancels all noises from what you are playing or watching for optimal Skyping sessions.

Gaming

Unfortunately we didnt get to see much in what games will be released other than out of 15 games being released initially, and 9 will be brand spanking new franchises. We saw a bit from EA sports demonstrating the mechanics and ridiculously responsive characters brawling it out in UFC, Basketball and familiar EA titles. We saw Forza 5 with incredible detailing and realistic dents and scratches that happen with street racing. I was impressed with the trailer for "Quantum Break" which was created by the developers of Alan Wake. I've been a fan of the cinematicly dramatic games Sony has put out, and a little jealous Xbox has  not yet made an equivalent.

I've never been a fan of Call of Duty for some reason, there's never been a reason but that's just how it's been. Call of Duty Ghosts however, is going to be the bee's knees. The developers compared what I thought were pretty flawless graphics  from the most current CoD to Ghosts, and my goodness. The detail has gotten so realistic you can now see the dirt under the soldiers fingernails. The environment artists have really outdone themselves, the shots were so lifelike it didn't seem like game play. Also, you now have a dog companion modeled from an actual soldier pooch complete with scratches and bullet proof dog vest. It's hard to say if I'm sold on the game because of the pup or the graphics, wither way, I'm super on board.

I'm sure we'll get more on games in a few weeks when E3 airs. Until then, let's hope more bad-assery is in store for us.

So overall, I was impressed with the system. Sony and Microsoft and practically neck and neck with their new releases, so it's really about the games and preferences now. We don't have  a release date other than "some time later this year" or even a price. Of course, a few questions have not been answered. The rumors of not being able to play used games or even 360 games still remains a mystery. With E3 being only a few weeks away, lets hope we will not be left disappointed.

XX

While I'm usually using Spotify to listen to new releases for review, I will be buying the albums that I enjoy as directly as possible. From what I understand, the royalties that musicians see from the online streaming services (including Spotify) is pretty much at the 'work for peanuts' level. I think artists should use these streaming services in the same way radio was in the past century of recorded music: discovery. Encourage fans to buy digital and physical copies directly from you. Point new folks in the direction of music streaming services where they can sample as deeply as they desire. Engage in honest conversations with those listening and talking about your music.

Some have adopted these streaming platforms as their personal jukebox. Rather than dealing with transferring MP3s or transcoding FLACs, people just use Spotify. This provides a new revenue stream, however small it may be, from existing customers. Someone like me might buy an album directly ($10+ gross revenue into the pocket of the artist), and then stream the same tracks for months and months via Spotify across desktop and mobile systems. I've scrobbled over 88,000 tracks to Last.FM - how many of those plays will directly result in revenue? Nearly none. Now that I'm using Spotify, the musicians will get a cut of the revenue generated by surrounding their music with advertisements.

As much as I like Spotify, it needs seriously help in the design and organization departments. Spotify is the franken-monster cousin to iTunes. It feels like more and more features were added over time. It appears as if there was no logical reasoning behind what was built.

It is a poem about how I came to poetry, and I think it's an appropriate introduction to me as a writer.

Feel free to follow along:

"I remember childhood summers
like they were propaganda films for boredom.
The sun was always too high from my spot
on the sidewalk, as I chalked silhouettes
for an entire cult of shadows cast against the asphalt.

I clung to my outline until the eighth grade,
didn't know how to outrun my shape. Gangly
and in grayscale, I spent my days tetherball
pole dancing to the patron saint of evasion.

Spacing out was my favorite sport.
In 1999, I set the record for keeping track of time.
The clock always struck me as the most sincere face
in the room, so I counted 4,200,000 ticks that year.
My brain spun about like a pirouetting asterisk.

At sixteen I became detached at the hips.
Too tangled up in mangrove, I deforested
my Lord of the Flies until I could memorize
the sky for what it said about the clouds:
Now comes the flood.

My bones were once sap-filled
and weather-proofed. I always knew
how to keep my crossed arms from rusting.
With an extra coat of wax, the water rolled
right off all the "not for sale" signs.

I was dead-end real estate, manicuring
a mine field for a lawn. I would just stand there,
contrapposto like a crack in a Roman column.
My jaw would unhinge itself at the sight of passer-bys
refusing to slalom between the tent poles of my mind.
 
So I juggled a beehive in my mouth
to try and outgrow the monotony.
My tongue regrets nothing,
but for the week that I could not speak,
I wrote a dedication to my teeth for grinding
the enamel off what was left of my caution.

My first poem was published inside
of a bathroom stall. It read like Saturday morning
cartoon smiles: a little too big to be honest,
a bit too thin to be balanced, like building
gallows humor from used toothpicks.

It could not possibly have held together,
but I hung my boredom there until its feet
two-stepped their way back to the sun."

Matthew recorded this as a finalist in Write Bloody Publishing's 2013 Book Contest. As you might know, Write Bloody takes submissions for this contest and narrows it down to 25 finalists.

No easy task. Hundreds and hundreds of submissions this year to join our family. These 24 or so advance into the final round where they submit a video of a poem read via youtube (can be creative) and a full 40 poem manuscript. Deadline May 15.

14 editors choose and decide what is the best of the best, where just a handful of these finalists win a book deal and distribution with write bloody.

From what I understand, as part of the selection process for the winner, the judges take into consideration the views and 'likes' the video has. Thus Matthew's appeal:

If selected, I will earn a publishing deal and a spring 2014 book release. But I need your help!! I need as many viewers as possible to "like" this video. I truly appreciate your support, and I'd ask that you share "Asterisk" with others!!

The Antidote EP, the soon to be released EP from The Knitted Cap Club, is haunting, beautiful, and leaves me yearning for more. Fortunately, there's a nice selection of music from the band on their official website, and Facebook, Bandcamp, and Soundcloud pages to provide ample selection for our ears.

The Antidote EP is due out May 13th, 2013 and is well worth the $2.99. The EP contains three songs: Eight Thirteen, Tarot Cards and Tea Leaves, and Antidote. I particularly enjoyed Antidote, as my Last.FM scrobbles testify, but all three songs showcase the vocal talent of Meagan Amanda Zahora. I'm reminded of Esperanza Spalding's early work with Noise For Pretend (which I loved) as I click over from single play to put the EP on repeat.

Here are the release notes from the label Posters On The Wall Records:

The Knitted Cap Club turns new tides with their latest release, The Antidote EP. Discovering new territory while rehashing some old grounds helps the group break through to a substantially beautiful new style of music. With the help of a couple new additions to the group, the band has found itself dancing on soulful piano lines and tasteful drum grooves while holding on to their traditional folky/indie roots. The three track EP includes two old favorites from their debut album, remixed and re-mastered, as well as the brand new track Antidote.

Here's Antidote performed live at The Castle Theatre in Bloomington, IL on 4/3/2013:

Here's a little bit about the band, courtesy of their website:

The Knitted Cap Club is TJ Fulfer and Meagan Zahora. The couple met in Illinois in 2009 and began making music together in 2011.

Creating music with each other had been years in the making and was fully realized in the first half of 2012 while performing and recording their debut release The Weeping Tree. The most honest projects often fall into place organically and this is no exception.

Classically trained and with chops that do their songwriting justice they are a brave and original voice in modern indie folk.

TJ’s production holds your attention like a carefully written love letter and Meagan’s voice whispers every detail like a tragic goodbye.

While a review copy of the EP was provided for this review, I will be purchasing a copy upon release, as should you.

Overall, this film is worth paying to see in theaters. If you're not a fan of Tom Cruise it might be wise to check out the film during matinee prices, but it is worth seeing. If you don't have time in the next two weeks, don't rush - everyone will be talking about Gatsby and Iron Man 3 soon enough and you won't have to worry about being spoiled unless you go out of your way to learn the plot details.

Justin Daniels' new EP Potential is aptly named. Late last year I interviewed him about his experience in an evolving music industry. In preparation for that interview, I dug through the various places that he had uploaded demos and listened to them all. I wasn't incredibly impressed with the music, but I was impressed with the aura of passion, ambition, and potential this young musician had. He promised and told the sounds of a new EP. Unlike Third Eye Blind's much fabled but never released Symphony of Decay, Justin Daniels' Potential will be released on April 30th, 2013 through BandCamp.

Potential represents half a decade of experiences, as Justin writes in the liner notes for the EP:

Potential is a themed collection of songs. They cover the deteriorating stages of a relationship, the crash, and the smoldering of the wreckage. It's rough and raw production, because the most beautiful parts of these songs & scenes are the rough edges. It's inspired by anger and sadness, fueled by a large amount of whiskey, and teaches that mistakes are made.

As I listened to the EP, I was reminded of the early Dashboard Confessional and Death Cab For Cutie recordings. If you're a fan of either of the early days of those two bands, definitely give Potential a listen.

In terms of growth, the EP represents not an incremental change, but a dramatic one. While cellphone videos of acoustic shows will never compare to a studio recordings, I think this is a set of songs that are pretty snappy. The lyrics are carefully clever. The EP shows incredible growth in terms of songwriting and musical ability. If this is what is possible with a shoestring budget, imagine the potential for increasingly better music in the years to come.

While a preview copy of Potential was provided for this review, I intend to purchase it on release as is Waking Ideas policy.

We're using TeeSpring, a fantastic website that allows fine individuals like you or me to create a preorder campaign for a t-shirt design that we would like to get made. If there's enough demand, the shirt is made and everyone's shirts are shipped out. If there isn't enough demand, no one is charged and we go back to the drawing board to figure out what the shirt design needs more of. More bacon? More cats? You be the judge. Preorder your first TCN shirt today.

Also, word to the wise: if you have a shirt, Kickstarter, or other similar campaign going right now, send it our way and we'll check it out. Chances are, we'll probably dig it, throw down a few bucks, and feature it on Waking Ideas and The Cultured Nerd.

Update: Thanks to your feedback, I was able to quickly update the font styles on the shirt to reflect the same ones on the site. Thank you!

I partly take offense because they're filmed where I grew up. Why should anyone trust him? It's like the guys in the white van that try to sell you 'really good' sound systems out of the back of their van. I'm sorry, but if you've got a microphone and a camera and you're out walking the street, you're probably staging some stunt to try to make me look stupid. There's very little reason to trust you. So the last thing I want is to do business with you on camera.

All these videos prove is that the average person on the street has more common sense than the people watching them on youtube.

In his review, Ken Rockwell sings high praises for the X-Pro1:

Real shooters shoot LEICAs because of their simplicity, small size and fantastic optics, and the X-Pro1 does all this even better. The X-Pro1 is ergonomically superior to LEICA, the optics are at least as good, for a fraction of the price.

The X-Pro1 is what you get when you take the image and lens quality of the LEICA M9, put it in the ergonomically superior Contax G2, and then add the world's only combination optical and electronic finder from the X100. The X-Pro1 is also worlds better at high ISOs than the LEICA M9.

The X-Pro1 is probably the best camera ever introduced for actual photographers, as opposed to computer hobbyists or vidiots, in years. The Nikon D800 and Canon 5D Mark III are simply more of the same old thing, while the X-Pro1 is uniquely excellent.

From the DPReview writeup by Andy Westlake:

The X100 may have looked very traditional but it housed some very modern technologies - foremost amongst which was its hybrid optical/electronic viewfinder. This design not only allowed the choice of a rangefinder-style optical view or a fully electronic view, but was also able to overlay electronic data over the optical viewfinder. It was a masterpiece of engineering, but appeared to be a design very much dependent on its use with an integrated prime lens.

With the X100's success and the increasing popularity of mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras, it seemed only a matter of time before Fujifilm would introduce a higher-end model with exchangeable lenses. That camera has now arrived in the shape of the X-Pro1, whose name leaves absolutely no doubt as to its intended market: it becomes the first of its type specifically aimed at professional photographers.

I've been looking for a camera that is smaller than my D90 but without the shutterlag that still plagues point and shoot cameras. The X-Pro1 appears so be right up that alley.

The camera won Photoxels Editor’s Choice 2012 - Interchangeable Lens Camera. Here is the beginning and end of that review:

The Fujifilm X-Pro1 is beautifully constructed and designed. Build quality is excellent with a quality and precise feel to all the controls. The lens locks in place smoothly and positively. It is beautifully finished.
...
The Fujifilm FinePix X-Pro1 redefines what a mirrorless DSLR can be and sets the bar high for its competitors, including the traditional mirrored DSLRs. Its blend of retro design and modern digital electronics makes it a delightful camera to use.

In the next few weeks I'll be looking for one to try out and see how I like it - but if these reviews are any indication, this is my next camera.

On paper, the Mac Pro may no longer be a viable product, but it would be a mistake for Apple to abandon the concept that it embodies. Like the Power Mac before it, the Mac Pro was designed to be the most powerful personal computer Apple knows how to make. That goal should be maintained, even as the individual products that aim to achieve it evolve.

...

The Mac Pro is Apple’s halo car. It’s a chance for Apple to make the fastest, most powerful computer it can, besting its own past efforts and the efforts of its competitors, year after year. This is Apple’s space program, its moonshot. It’s a venue for new technologies to be explored.

Unfortunately, I don't see Apple continuing it's Mac Pro line. Apple cares little for their high end line of products anymore. They've abandoned the previous concepts of a personal computer. To Apple, a personal computer is something that fits within the Phone-Tablet-Laptop triumvirate. Intimate personal computing is done on the iPhone. Casual personal computing is done on an iPad. Business personal computing is done on the Macbook. This is the roadmap for a company that believes that the days of a tower computer are over.

My next computer is a linux tower because the previous benefits of having a company willing to best their previous efforts to make the most powerful personal computer are gone. I'd previously thought of keeping my hardware compatible with OS X and building a hackintosh (as they are called in these parts), but with the virtualization software today, I won't need to. I will probably keep a bootable Windows partition for games and other system intensive Windows-only software. By building my own tower system, I will be able to make minor upgrades to keep the system up to date for years.

I will also save a ton of money compared to buying a similar tower from Apple, and save myself hours of headaches compared to buying a prebuilt tower from one of the larger companies (like Dell or Lenovo). I will also be able to implement a local backup and data duplication solution that isn't dependent on external drives.

While some people might think that the game jumps the shark half way through, it stays true to the crazy ideas of the original. It's not intended to be completely realistic, I mean, -spoiler alert- there are dinosaurs in the original Tomb Raider.

Are they running their dairies in such a manner that they really don't care about their product, but only what they can get away with? Maximum production, quality of milk be damned, health of their customers be damned, anything to increase their profit?

Contrary to propaganda, it is possible to run a clean dairy - one that provides clean milk, that isn't full of harmful bacteria, that doesn't make your customers sick - without having to pasteurize the milk. It just requires that the board of directors take a slice of a smaller bonus pool at the end of the year, and spend the money required to have clean milk. It requires the company to have local customers that can hold them accountable for any lapses in the quality of their product.

If you can find a source of clean, raw milk from a local provider, and you can afford it - do it. The benefits far outweigh any imagined dangers.

I can buy raw milk right now because thankfully I live in one of the few states that doesn't want to completely control every single aspect of the population living in it. There are a number of dairies that sell raw milk and have for quite some time. How is this possible?!! Surely the crippling famine, global scarcity, increased cost, and increased illness must catch up to the folks living here in this cold hell... sometime.

I don't want to force anyone to do anything. More than enough of people still buy the pasteurized milk to keep those dairies in business. More than enough people buy the raw milk to keep those dairies in business too. I'd just rather not have the federal or state government busting down the doors of people trying to enjoying a cold glass of fresh milk.

From the Little Brother wikipedia article introduction:

The novel is about four teenagers in San Francisco who, in the aftermath of a terrorist attack on the San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge and BART system, defend themselves against the Department of Homeland Security's attacks on the Bill of Rights.

Homeland picks up almost where Little Brother leaves off in terms of narrative but it's a much better book. It's better in part because Doctorow's writing is much more focused. Every book he publishes, it appears that lessons upon lessons have been learned. The other reason I see Homeland as a better book today is that the fight against the violations of our natural rights in the United States has become more public and volatile. The stakes are higher now. In years past, the corporations and politicians pushing for and wantonly violating natural rights were able to buy off the press, kettle the few protestors, and sweep the moment under the rug. The recent public fight against SOPA highlights the stark change in the policial landscape and the adaptation of technology in these battles.

The book might seem like merely a place for the author to preach his political philosophy, but there's far less preaching and more an exciting narrative that (in less than subtle ways) exposes the gross reality that exists today.

“rule of 1900″ – that is, if a food ingredient didn’t exist in 1900 as a food ingredient, it doesn’t belong in my body.”

Read NASA's full March 21, 2013 update on the February event, here's a small slice:

The large fireball (technically, called a "superbolide") observed on the morning of Feb. 15, 2013, in the skies near Chelyabinsk, Russia, was caused by a relatively small asteroid approximately 17 to 20 meters in size (about 18.6 to 21.9 yards) that entered Earth's atmosphere at high speed and at a shallow angle. In doing so, it released a tremendous amount of energy, fragmented at high altitude, and produced a shower of pieces of various sizes that fell to the ground as meteorites.

The fireball was observed not only by video cameras and low-frequency infrasound detectors, but also by U.S. government sensors. Information on the composition of the meteor was also derived from meteorite fragments found in the Chelyabinsk area. With this new data incorporated, the details of the impact have become clearer.

Michael Pryor comments in the Hacker New thread discussing the announcement of the Trello iPad application:

Trello is designed for a high level overview of a project. So if you start to get too many items on your board, either it's not the right tool for what you are trying to do, or you need to think more about what you are adding to Trello. For example, you could use Excel to take notes, or make a todo list, but it's not the right tool for that. Trello really shines when you are using it for group collaboration and either focusing on a high level (and leaving the details to something else) or only focusing on the very top level important details.

Among the newer features, I really like being able to attach images to cards and have them show up as the card image when looking at the board. As Michael Pryor says, Trello was designed for top level organization, and it's not necessarily the best for all the nitty gritty details. Showing card images from the board level reinforces the top down organization emphasis because you can visually scan and sort through the things or projects you are organizing.

The Trello Android application is fantastic. It's great to see a team dedicate the resources necessary to create a set of quality applications so that no matter what platform you're using, you can always have your Trello boards with you.

Spelltower feels like the right mix of Tetris, Boggle, and innovation. It's a word game that makes you think and increase your vocabulary. There are a number of game modes, each with their own difficulties and strategies.

Spelltower is available for Mac OSX, Android, and iOS devices.

The Cultured Nerd is the spinoff Waking Ideas blog you've been waiting for. Or you've been waiting for it to spin off of the main Waking Ideas feed so you don't have to read all the latest about comic books and video games. I'm not exactly sure which is better for you, but take your pick.

Taylor Landine and Neil Fastabend are spearheading the site editorial process, I'll be writing and providing the usual behind the scenes web administration. The site is still a little bit rough, but we're making progress little by little. So stick around and stay for the fireworks.

Taylor writes about a new TCN feature called The Second Opinion:

Instead of running into the chaos with every other website and media outlet, we are going to let them do there thing. Then we are going to comment after the fact with The Second Opinion, giving our readers a more in-depth look at our findings, opinions, and also taking into account the hype, reviews, and opinions of others that helped mold the preconceived view we had going into something, and what we felt after we spent enough time to properly formulate our own opinion.

Now that doesn’t mean we aren’t going to do reviews of current and soon to be releasing movies and games, it means we are simply going to do it in two distinctly different ways.
Stay tuned for The Second Opinion, and let us know what you think.

The first of the series is an article by Tom Mullen covering StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm.