As an interesting coda to my prior post, I had to call Verizon today for another issue. Not only were they able to clear up yesterday's problem, but the customer care rep was extremely polite and friendly, unlike the two women I talked to yesterday.
So I guess sometimes the quality of the help you get really is based on who you talk to.
So in short, Thank you, Verizon. Even though I was no longer a customer, you still came through for me.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Friday, August 5, 2011
How can Verizon mess with you, even after you leave?
So I jumped ship from Verizon Wireless last weekend. The new Motorola Photon finally showed up on Sprint, and I decided to pick one up. Sprint also had a wonderful deal that gives you $125 in credit if you port your number in from another carrier. However, Verizon Wireless has insane "customer retention" polices that make leaving their service an ordeal worthy of the efforts of Hercules.
I took Sprint up on the offer, and i kept my existing phone number. I figured that I'd sell my Droid X2, and after getting a couple hundred dollars on EBay and the $125 credit, I'd end up money ahead.
I listed the phone on EBay on Sunday night. Someone bought it within a few hours of it going active, and I immediately packed the phone up and shipped it out the next day.
Fast-forward to Friday. The buyer, who was eager to activate his new Droid, wan't able to turn the phone on. Verizon told him that I needed to release the phone. I called Verizon, and was treated to some of the worst customer service I've ever had...
"I'm sorry, sir, I'm afraid I can't do that. The computer won't let me."
I talked to 2 representatives for a total of maybe half an hour, and both of them told me that my phone would be locked, unable to be transferred off of my closed account, until my next billing date.
So now, I am in the unenviable position of telling my customer that he can't use a new phone that he just bought because Verizon Wireless has some inane policy that won't let me transfer a device I already own.
Let me be clear on this: I OWN THE PHONE. The device was paid for in full, and I did not have to pay an ETF when I closed the account. That device is fully mine, and I should have the right to sell it, use it for a doorstop, or re-activate it if I so chose... instead, they are holding my phone hostage for 19 days for something as simple as "that's the way we do it."
So here's the kicker. If I had called them before I left for Sprint, they would have released my phone, and none of this would have happened.
I asked the rep how I was supposed to know that.
"There's no way you could have known that," she told me.
The real twist of the knife? At the end of the call, she tells me "Thank you for being the best part of Verizon Wireless."
I took Sprint up on the offer, and i kept my existing phone number. I figured that I'd sell my Droid X2, and after getting a couple hundred dollars on EBay and the $125 credit, I'd end up money ahead.
I listed the phone on EBay on Sunday night. Someone bought it within a few hours of it going active, and I immediately packed the phone up and shipped it out the next day.
Fast-forward to Friday. The buyer, who was eager to activate his new Droid, wan't able to turn the phone on. Verizon told him that I needed to release the phone. I called Verizon, and was treated to some of the worst customer service I've ever had...
"I'm sorry, sir, I'm afraid I can't do that. The computer won't let me."
I talked to 2 representatives for a total of maybe half an hour, and both of them told me that my phone would be locked, unable to be transferred off of my closed account, until my next billing date.
So now, I am in the unenviable position of telling my customer that he can't use a new phone that he just bought because Verizon Wireless has some inane policy that won't let me transfer a device I already own.
Let me be clear on this: I OWN THE PHONE. The device was paid for in full, and I did not have to pay an ETF when I closed the account. That device is fully mine, and I should have the right to sell it, use it for a doorstop, or re-activate it if I so chose... instead, they are holding my phone hostage for 19 days for something as simple as "that's the way we do it."
So here's the kicker. If I had called them before I left for Sprint, they would have released my phone, and none of this would have happened.
I asked the rep how I was supposed to know that.
"There's no way you could have known that," she told me.
The real twist of the knife? At the end of the call, she tells me "Thank you for being the best part of Verizon Wireless."
Monday, February 22, 2010
Censorship in the mobile marketplace, or "Welcome to the Nerf Phone"
An interesting article came up this morning on the Phandroid blog: Enjoy Your iPhone, prudes!
I’ve been thinking about this a lot, lately. As a software engineer, this topic hits close to home. It’s time we start treating smartphones like the computers they are, and give users full control over their environment. All devices should have sideload capabilities, and no user or seller should be denied an app he or she wants or needs because some reviewer got up on the wrong side of his bed that morning.
Any app store needs to be open to any app, as long as the software doesn’t harm the user, the phone or the network.
By making it impossible for users to side-load apps (at least without a $99 developer subscription and a Macintosh computer), Apple has basically become the only one who can decide what software is run on the iPhone. They can (and do) pull or refuse to approve apps on pretty arbitrary grounds. My biggest gripe was when a podcast download app got denied; we still don’t have a real podcast aggregator on the iPhone; the one built in to the iTunes store doesn’t let you browse any URL, doesn't allow you to subscribe to podcasts, and it’s limited to 10 MB. The app itself didn't break any rules, and yet it was rejected. It turns out that Apple was going to introduce the ability to download single podcast episodes in a future update of the iPhone OS, one that wouldn't be available to consumers until several months later.
To add insult to injury, there is now a podcast downloader in the app store, much too late to help the guy who was originally rejected over a year ago: http://www.nextdayoff.com/
How can you form a business strategy around a product when the product can get yanked at any time? How can consumers rely on a platform when the sole vendor for that platform can suddenly make software unavailable? How can corporations deploy that device internally when some app they depend on could suddenly be rejected from the app store?
A more fair approach is to do three things:
- Allow any safe app in the store, period. The only apps that should be rejected are apps that either lie to users about what they do, spy on users, or somehow harm the device. For example, a game that contains zombie code that could performs DOS attacks would be prohibited.
- Categories apps based on adult content: we should have 3 levels of “consenting adult” apps. Level 1 should be for apps that may contain “incidental” content, such as browser apps or apps like Craigslist. This is an app that could still be used by a kid or a teenager, as long as they’re careful. Level 2 should be for anything with explicit content that wouldn’t make it in to the current app store.
- Allow for tagging and filtering of apps. Developers and users should be able to tag apps for quicker sorting and searching. There are other problem areas in the app store besides sex and violence: obnoxious ad-ware products are the top of my hit list right now, and a well managed tagging system would go a long way toward mitigating that problem. I think all apps should also have either a free trial or a simple to use 24 hour no questions asked return window. I’m not the only person who’s been ripped off by a crappy app that doesn’t really do what it promises (or doesn’t even work at all.)
- No Adware: or at least allow users to pay a couple of dollars for a no-ad version. If the app makes 50 cents in ads, why not let the user pay a dollar and ditch the ads?
- No chat or IM apps: those compete with SMS, and AT&T can't charge 20 cents a message!
- No browser apps: after all, a web browser might link to a site somewhere with naughty pictures.
- No games: we don't want kids wasting their time playing games when they should be studying or playing outdoors in the sunshine.
- No downloading video or audio content from your PC. Those might have bad words or dirty pictures.
- No MMS or SMS. Too many kids are sexting these days. We need to put a stop that.
- No phone calls: we couldn't have people talking dirty to each other on the phone, can we?
As you can see, if Apple really cared about the safety its users, they would turn their expensive phone in to a brick. But wait, bricks can be used to bash in people's heads. So Apple must immediately recall all iPhones and replace them with Nerf toys that can't actually hurt anyone.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Craigslist hoax...
People are just sick.
http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/03/25/man-loses-stuff-fake-craigslist
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004302237_webhoax24m.html
If you ever see a post to the effect of "I'm giving it all away", flag it. Don't let this happen to someone else.
http://www.theinquirer.net/gb
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004302237_webhoax24m.html
If you ever see a post to the effect of "I'm giving it all away", flag it. Don't let this happen to someone else.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Podcast test
This post is just a test. Try subscribing with iTunes and see if you get the attached music file.
So is free speech dead?
Let me get this straight: if I want to create an anti-Christian web ring, that's perfectly acceptable. After all, free speech rules on the Internet.
If I want to accuse our government of being complicit in the 9/11 attacks, that's also allowed.
But if I speak out against Islam, I will have my web site shut down and be sued to suppress my views? To all those Iranians and Pakistanis who wrote to Network Solutions to complain about this site: If you're so insecure in your faith that you have to sue someone in order to prevent him from having his say, maybe you need to re-evaluate your own beliefs, because obviously you feel threatened.
Of course, with all the censorship in both Iran and Pakistan, the source of the complaints that shut down the Fitna web site, they probably wouldn't see this little note anyway.
If I want to accuse our government of being complicit in the 9/11 attacks, that's also allowed.
But if I speak out against Islam, I will have my web site shut down and be sued to suppress my views? To all those Iranians and Pakistanis who wrote to Network Solutions to complain about this site: If you're so insecure in your faith that you have to sue someone in order to prevent him from having his say, maybe you need to re-evaluate your own beliefs, because obviously you feel threatened.
Of course, with all the censorship in both Iran and Pakistan, the source of the complaints that shut down the Fitna web site, they probably wouldn't see this little note anyway.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Bye bye, forums.
My forum software got hacked. I wasn't using it for much anyway, so I took it down. Future discussion will be done by way of Google groups.
Everything that's wrong with the music industry....
In an article on the New York Post, we learn that the music industry really doesn't care about the people who create the music.
In short: the RIAA has been filing dozens of music piracy lawsuits, targeting guilty and innocent alike. Suing for hundreds of thousands of dollars, they literally ruin people's lives over sharing a couple of CD's worth of music.
So what do they do with all this money? They give it to the artists who were pirated, right? Wrong.
"What's more, these sources said that after the labels recouped their legal expenses, there wasn't much left to pass along to the artists.", the article says.
So, in this new world, does this mean that only the lawyers win?
Increasingly, record companies are becoming an anachronism in today's society, and it's becoming more and more apparent that the RIAA doesn't have the musician's best interests at heart. It's time to end the music business as we know it. Give the artists control over their own works and let them sell through places like iTunes and Amazon.
In short: the RIAA has been filing dozens of music piracy lawsuits, targeting guilty and innocent alike. Suing for hundreds of thousands of dollars, they literally ruin people's lives over sharing a couple of CD's worth of music.
So what do they do with all this money? They give it to the artists who were pirated, right? Wrong.
"What's more, these sources said that after the labels recouped their legal expenses, there wasn't much left to pass along to the artists.", the article says.
So, in this new world, does this mean that only the lawyers win?
Increasingly, record companies are becoming an anachronism in today's society, and it's becoming more and more apparent that the RIAA doesn't have the musician's best interests at heart. It's time to end the music business as we know it. Give the artists control over their own works and let them sell through places like iTunes and Amazon.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
New wiki (CR users only)
I'm working on a new addition to the site. By using Google's Sites feature, I can create a kind of Wiki, this will allow me to quickly set up and edit my site.
the first page is a download page here:
http://sites.google.com/a/compiledreality.com/aviation/Home
the first page is a download page here:
http://sites.google.com/a/compiledreality.com/aviation/Home
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Sunday, February 17, 2008
On flying model planes...
Those of you who know me know that I've been interested in airplane flight.... for a long time.
I can't afford to fly a real plane, so I've taken up the hobby of radio controlled flight. The first challenge? Buying the right first plane!
I considered 2 planes: The Hangar 9 Alpha, and the Hobbico NexStar. Both aircraft are aimed squarely at the new flier, and both are about the same price.
What interested me about the NexStar was the hi-tech wing. It has leading edge droops and fixed-position flaps, which act as half speedbrake and half lift-inducing flaps. The Alpha, on the other hand, is traditionally configured aerodynamically, but has a 3-bladed prop with a very flat pitch.
Other than that, the two planes serve the same market: the new pilot. Both planes are .40 size They both have a wing span of somewhere around 5 feet, are powered by a .4 cubic inch engine, (That's right: 4 tenths of a cubic inch.) and weigh in at around 6 pounds.
However, a wrinkle worked its way in to my plan: I came across a used plane for sale. And the guy was selling everything: radio, field kit... everything. The catch was, the plane wasn't a NexStar or an Alpha. It was this thing called a Giant Kadet Senior.
The Giant Kadet is a .60 sized plane, with a 6.75 foot wing span, but it weighs the same as the NexStar. So where the NexStar goes for drag & gimmicks on the wing to keep the speed down and the lift high, the Kadet does it by just having HUGE wings. Of course, the tailplane is huge, too. The elevator and rudder account for about 1/3 of the tail surface, so you get a ton of control authority.
On my first flight with this thing, which was my first flight in any nitro powered plane, I greased it in... the landing was perfect. Half of that was the fact that I've spent a lot of time on the computer, but a lot of that was due to the fact this plane glides very well. Because the wing is so large, you can cut the power while still on the downwind leg in the pattern, and you just kind of float in to the runway. I actually ran it out of fuel yesterday, and I just kind of tootled back to the runway, made a left turn, and set it down. Basically, you point this plane at the runway, kill the engine, and it just kind of floats above the ground, slowly settling in.
Now, I did say that this was my first nitro plane. It is also my first plane with landing gear. I actually started on an Easy Star, which is a fun plane to fly. In fact, I recommend that everyone who wants to fly buy an Easy Star, fly it for a couple of weeks until they learn to land without crashing, and then jump in to Nitro... but not without spending some time at a simulator first. (FMS is a good sim to practice with if you don't want to spend the money for RealFlight.)
So back to the Kadet: This plane is versatile. Because it's so light, you can power it with an engine designed for a smaller plane. You can use it to carry payloads or to tow gliders. You can even do some aerobatics... at much slower speeds than the sport planes out there.
Of course, now that I've gotten used to flying on fuel, it's time to get in to something more interesting. Pics of my first "assembled by me" plane coming soon....
I can't afford to fly a real plane, so I've taken up the hobby of radio controlled flight. The first challenge? Buying the right first plane!
I considered 2 planes: The Hangar 9 Alpha, and the Hobbico NexStar. Both aircraft are aimed squarely at the new flier, and both are about the same price.
What interested me about the NexStar was the hi-tech wing. It has leading edge droops and fixed-position flaps, which act as half speedbrake and half lift-inducing flaps. The Alpha, on the other hand, is traditionally configured aerodynamically, but has a 3-bladed prop with a very flat pitch.
Other than that, the two planes serve the same market: the new pilot. Both planes are .40 size They both have a wing span of somewhere around 5 feet, are powered by a .4 cubic inch engine, (That's right: 4 tenths of a cubic inch.) and weigh in at around 6 pounds.
However, a wrinkle worked its way in to my plan: I came across a used plane for sale. And the guy was selling everything: radio, field kit... everything. The catch was, the plane wasn't a NexStar or an Alpha. It was this thing called a Giant Kadet Senior.
The Giant Kadet is a .60 sized plane, with a 6.75 foot wing span, but it weighs the same as the NexStar. So where the NexStar goes for drag & gimmicks on the wing to keep the speed down and the lift high, the Kadet does it by just having HUGE wings. Of course, the tailplane is huge, too. The elevator and rudder account for about 1/3 of the tail surface, so you get a ton of control authority.
On my first flight with this thing, which was my first flight in any nitro powered plane, I greased it in... the landing was perfect. Half of that was the fact that I've spent a lot of time on the computer, but a lot of that was due to the fact this plane glides very well. Because the wing is so large, you can cut the power while still on the downwind leg in the pattern, and you just kind of float in to the runway. I actually ran it out of fuel yesterday, and I just kind of tootled back to the runway, made a left turn, and set it down. Basically, you point this plane at the runway, kill the engine, and it just kind of floats above the ground, slowly settling in.
Now, I did say that this was my first nitro plane. It is also my first plane with landing gear. I actually started on an Easy Star, which is a fun plane to fly. In fact, I recommend that everyone who wants to fly buy an Easy Star, fly it for a couple of weeks until they learn to land without crashing, and then jump in to Nitro... but not without spending some time at a simulator first. (FMS is a good sim to practice with if you don't want to spend the money for RealFlight.)
So back to the Kadet: This plane is versatile. Because it's so light, you can power it with an engine designed for a smaller plane. You can use it to carry payloads or to tow gliders. You can even do some aerobatics... at much slower speeds than the sport planes out there.
Of course, now that I've gotten used to flying on fuel, it's time to get in to something more interesting. Pics of my first "assembled by me" plane coming soon....
Monday, December 17, 2007
I dumped MySpace
For those of you who might be wondering where my MySpace profile went... it's gone. I am tired of getting spam of all kinds from MySpace: porn sites trying to friend me, bands looking for new fans, and even the occasional bad comic trying to get me to go see his show.
However, the final nail in the coffin was when someone hijacked the account of someone I know and started using it to send spam. I tried to tell her to change her password, but it apparently didn't work... I kept getting spam after spam from her MySpace account.
Yes, I have had some good experience with MySpace: a couple of friends I haven't talked to in a long time found me through there, but the down side is that with all the spam I get now, I would have missed their "hello" letters or friend invites anyway.
Maybe I'll re-connect. I don't know. But for now, no social networking sites for me.
However, the final nail in the coffin was when someone hijacked the account of someone I know and started using it to send spam. I tried to tell her to change her password, but it apparently didn't work... I kept getting spam after spam from her MySpace account.
Yes, I have had some good experience with MySpace: a couple of friends I haven't talked to in a long time found me through there, but the down side is that with all the spam I get now, I would have missed their "hello" letters or friend invites anyway.
Maybe I'll re-connect. I don't know. But for now, no social networking sites for me.
Friday, November 16, 2007
On iTunes and DVR's...
I'm not sure, but I think this is a first: Snapstream Beyond TV has a DVD burining/iTunes plugin for their DVR software.
The cool thing about this? I can now dump my tv shows to DVD AND to my iPod. The cooler part is that the iTunes integration is totally hands-off, so I can just plug the iPod in to my comptuer, and while it charges at night, it grabs the latest shows off my DVR, saves them to my iTunes library, and dumps them to the iPod.
Oh, and with Beyond TV Link, I can use the tuners on my HTPC to record a show while I watch a different show on the main PC and my daughter watches something else on another computer. The cool thing about this is that instead of running coax to every room, I just run a home run to the room with the HTPC, and my tuners and my cable modem all plug in there. Much cleaner. True, it means I need a computer to watch TV anywhere but the living room, but it also means that I can take my video with me anywhere.
The cool thing about this? I can now dump my tv shows to DVD AND to my iPod. The cooler part is that the iTunes integration is totally hands-off, so I can just plug the iPod in to my comptuer, and while it charges at night, it grabs the latest shows off my DVR, saves them to my iTunes library, and dumps them to the iPod.
Oh, and with Beyond TV Link, I can use the tuners on my HTPC to record a show while I watch a different show on the main PC and my daughter watches something else on another computer. The cool thing about this is that instead of running coax to every room, I just run a home run to the room with the HTPC, and my tuners and my cable modem all plug in there. Much cleaner. True, it means I need a computer to watch TV anywhere but the living room, but it also means that I can take my video with me anywhere.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
On restaurants and waiting tables...
What's the most important rule in business? If you lose your customers, you don't have a business.
So what's the most important rule in the restaurant business? If you ignore your customers, they won't come back. I was at the Boll Weevil today and got not quite the worst customer service I've ever had at a restaurant. Yes, the service was unexceptional even to the point that it wasn't the very worst.
What was so bad about it? Was the waitress rude? No. Was the place dirty or too loud? No. Was the food bad? No, actually it was very good. But the waitress never once came back to my table after giving me my food. She never filled my iced tea, never asked if I needed anything, never asked if I wanted dessert (which I very much did... until I'd sat there for so long that I was in danger of over-running my lunch hour) and never even brought my check. I had to go find her and get my check so I could go.
I watched her for 10 minutes while trying to get her attention. She took 3 tables' orders, bussed a table, brought drinks to the afore-mentioned tables, but never once even looked my way.
Those of you who own, run, or work at restaurants: the process is simple. Take the order, bring the food, and bring the check with the food. That way I can leave when I'm ready. Then at least come by the table and check in... if I'm reading, don't pester me, but at least see if I'm doing okay. Never, never make the customer feel ignored.
Is that really so hard?
So what's the most important rule in the restaurant business? If you ignore your customers, they won't come back. I was at the Boll Weevil today and got not quite the worst customer service I've ever had at a restaurant. Yes, the service was unexceptional even to the point that it wasn't the very worst.
What was so bad about it? Was the waitress rude? No. Was the place dirty or too loud? No. Was the food bad? No, actually it was very good. But the waitress never once came back to my table after giving me my food. She never filled my iced tea, never asked if I needed anything, never asked if I wanted dessert (which I very much did... until I'd sat there for so long that I was in danger of over-running my lunch hour) and never even brought my check. I had to go find her and get my check so I could go.
I watched her for 10 minutes while trying to get her attention. She took 3 tables' orders, bussed a table, brought drinks to the afore-mentioned tables, but never once even looked my way.
Those of you who own, run, or work at restaurants: the process is simple. Take the order, bring the food, and bring the check with the food. That way I can leave when I'm ready. Then at least come by the table and check in... if I'm reading, don't pester me, but at least see if I'm doing okay. Never, never make the customer feel ignored.
Is that really so hard?
Sunday, October 21, 2007
AutoGroup Editor and Auto Conformer
Without going in to a lot of details, those programs didn't work for me, and the developer refused to provide any technical support.
So I wrote my own utility called Group Helper. This tool will speed the process of creating clothing and accessories for Poser compatible figures. If you use Poser or Daz|Studio and want to use another 3D program to create conforming clothing, go to the forum and grab your own copy.
I know the program isn't perfect, and some morphs don't come over. If someone wants to help develop this figure, you're welcome to help. I plan to donate this to the community as free (as in beer and speech) software.
So I wrote my own utility called Group Helper. This tool will speed the process of creating clothing and accessories for Poser compatible figures. If you use Poser or Daz|Studio and want to use another 3D program to create conforming clothing, go to the forum and grab your own copy.
I know the program isn't perfect, and some morphs don't come over. If someone wants to help develop this figure, you're welcome to help. I plan to donate this to the community as free (as in beer and speech) software.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
My New Project....
I'm working on a new project for school. It's called Doodle. I hope to have a site for it up soon.
In the meantime, check out my first webcomic! (yay!) It's right here....
Tech Support
In the meantime, check out my first webcomic! (yay!) It's right here....
Tech Support
Saturday, July 14, 2007
From iTunes to an MP3 player
I have a Creative Zen Portable Media Center.
I love it.
It plays movies, MP3's, WMA's, and has a 14 hour battery life (playing music) and a 7 hour battery life playing video.
However, I was having a hard time converting iTunes songs to run on the PMC.
Enter two tools: QTFairUse, and Winamp Pro. With QTFairUse, I can remove the protection on the iTunes files. Winamp Pro will play the songs after that (they have a m4a extension). Now I can right-click on a file in Winamp, select "Send To->Format Converter", and select Mp3 as the format. Winamp then happily loads the files on my PMC.
Yes, it's still some work, but with the advent of DRM free music on iTunes, it'll be even easier.
I love it.
It plays movies, MP3's, WMA's, and has a 14 hour battery life (playing music) and a 7 hour battery life playing video.
However, I was having a hard time converting iTunes songs to run on the PMC.
Enter two tools: QTFairUse, and Winamp Pro. With QTFairUse, I can remove the protection on the iTunes files. Winamp Pro will play the songs after that (they have a m4a extension). Now I can right-click on a file in Winamp, select "Send To->Format Converter", and select Mp3 as the format. Winamp then happily loads the files on my PMC.
Yes, it's still some work, but with the advent of DRM free music on iTunes, it'll be even easier.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Speaking of TV
The new Doctor Who premiers a new episode this Friday, July 6. Kyle XY has been good so far this summer, and Eureka is back.
ABC Family is producing several original series this year. I have to say that I'm impressed with their lineup, but dismayed that "a new kind of family" means "shows that are NOT kid safe", such as Austin Powers.
I like that we do have some original programming over the summer; that goes a long way toward relieving my frustration at not having new BSG or Heroes episodes to watch.
ABC Family is producing several original series this year. I have to say that I'm impressed with their lineup, but dismayed that "a new kind of family" means "shows that are NOT kid safe", such as Austin Powers.
I like that we do have some original programming over the summer; that goes a long way toward relieving my frustration at not having new BSG or Heroes episodes to watch.
Summer movie update: Transformers and Fantastic Four
I have decided that film critics get a kick out of saying bad things about a movie - regardless of whether they're true.
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer didnt' suck. However, it needed another half hour for character development and a serious kick to the head for whomever thought a "sky car that splits in to four pieces" was a good idea.
The real gem (so far) this summer is Transformers.
Here's my review:
omigod omigod omigod!!
That was 2 hours and 20 minutes of AWESOME!!
Okay, now for something less fanboyish:
Visually, Dreamworks and ILM are just magic together. Michael Bay did an incredible job directing this thing.
First things first; the corn factor: you expect a movie based on an 80s cartoon series based on toys to be corny. There wasn't any of that. Well, there was a teeny bit when Jazz opened his mouth (but who didn't expect that? He's JAZZ.) But it fit in with the script: "We learned your language from the world wide web." Well, the "searching the house while Autobots wait outside" scene was corny but amusing. It worked for me.
Visuals? This looked even better than the new Star Wars franchise, and that's saying a lot, since the Phantom Menace was the first movie ever to use CGI that was virtually indistinguishable from reality. The giant robots, airplanes, and Other Cool Stuff in this film were also so real that I now take a second look whenever I see semi trucks, yellow Camaros, or even F-22's.
Action? Yes. In fact, it was literally jaw-dropping. Several times, I had to close my mouth to stop catching flies.
Dialog? Well written. Well acted. Never did if feel like a cartoon re-make; it felt original all the way through.
Plot? It's not purist fare: the human characters from the tv series aren't there; instead we have the 16 year old great-grandson of an arctic explorer discovering that we're not alone in the universe in the most dramatic fashion possible: by almost being squished to a pulp by some of that extraterrestrial life. The Cube or Allspark (depending on who talks about it) is lost, and the Deceptacons and Autobots are competing to see who can find it first. The Allspark is what birthed the Transformers in the first place; Megatron wants to use it to birth a new race of robots on the Earth - a race that will be subservient to him. Optimus Prime wants to use it to restore Cybertron, or failing that - destroy it.
You see, the problem with using the Allspark to make new Transformers is that they tend to be destructive when born. Don't ask me why some are good and other aren't, but ALL of the robots seem to have two traits in common: they adapt, and they're STRONG. Even a dog-sized robot (that transforms in to a boombox and later a portable phone) is capable of terrorizing and taking out several well-armed professionals. Imagine the mayhem that ensues when the 50-foot tall variety get in to it.
I think that the screen writers answered all my questions about Transformer life: why "transformers" in the first place? Why are they alive? Why can they be killed (you'd think that a robot, being a mobile computer, could just be downloaded or restored from a backup.) Well, it turns out that the previously mentioned allspark imbues electronic devices with LIFE, and not just the mechanical simulation of life; they are really alive and can be killed. Once their spark goes out, they cannot be reborn - even if their bodies are repaired.
And yes - they did leave the door open for a sequel, which I'm sure will be forthcoming in 2010 or so.
I did notice one continuity lapse... it has to do with worldwide computer viruses and F-22 raptors. But considering the fact that I didn't think about it until the next day, it wasn't glaring. (and it's even explainable... but that's a topic for another day.)
I tend to rate movies by "will I buy it on DVD, and will I get the Special Edition?"
F4? I'll get it, along with the first one, but only if I can find them on sale. But I'll buy Transformers the day it comes out, and yes - I'll be getting the Special Edition with all the extra features.
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer didnt' suck. However, it needed another half hour for character development and a serious kick to the head for whomever thought a "sky car that splits in to four pieces" was a good idea.
The real gem (so far) this summer is Transformers.
Here's my review:
omigod omigod omigod!!
That was 2 hours and 20 minutes of AWESOME!!
Okay, now for something less fanboyish:
Visually, Dreamworks and ILM are just magic together. Michael Bay did an incredible job directing this thing.
First things first; the corn factor: you expect a movie based on an 80s cartoon series based on toys to be corny. There wasn't any of that. Well, there was a teeny bit when Jazz opened his mouth (but who didn't expect that? He's JAZZ.) But it fit in with the script: "We learned your language from the world wide web." Well, the "searching the house while Autobots wait outside" scene was corny but amusing. It worked for me.
Visuals? This looked even better than the new Star Wars franchise, and that's saying a lot, since the Phantom Menace was the first movie ever to use CGI that was virtually indistinguishable from reality. The giant robots, airplanes, and Other Cool Stuff in this film were also so real that I now take a second look whenever I see semi trucks, yellow Camaros, or even F-22's.
Action? Yes. In fact, it was literally jaw-dropping. Several times, I had to close my mouth to stop catching flies.
Dialog? Well written. Well acted. Never did if feel like a cartoon re-make; it felt original all the way through.
Plot? It's not purist fare: the human characters from the tv series aren't there; instead we have the 16 year old great-grandson of an arctic explorer discovering that we're not alone in the universe in the most dramatic fashion possible: by almost being squished to a pulp by some of that extraterrestrial life. The Cube or Allspark (depending on who talks about it) is lost, and the Deceptacons and Autobots are competing to see who can find it first. The Allspark is what birthed the Transformers in the first place; Megatron wants to use it to birth a new race of robots on the Earth - a race that will be subservient to him. Optimus Prime wants to use it to restore Cybertron, or failing that - destroy it.
You see, the problem with using the Allspark to make new Transformers is that they tend to be destructive when born. Don't ask me why some are good and other aren't, but ALL of the robots seem to have two traits in common: they adapt, and they're STRONG. Even a dog-sized robot (that transforms in to a boombox and later a portable phone) is capable of terrorizing and taking out several well-armed professionals. Imagine the mayhem that ensues when the 50-foot tall variety get in to it.
I think that the screen writers answered all my questions about Transformer life: why "transformers" in the first place? Why are they alive? Why can they be killed (you'd think that a robot, being a mobile computer, could just be downloaded or restored from a backup.) Well, it turns out that the previously mentioned allspark imbues electronic devices with LIFE, and not just the mechanical simulation of life; they are really alive and can be killed. Once their spark goes out, they cannot be reborn - even if their bodies are repaired.
And yes - they did leave the door open for a sequel, which I'm sure will be forthcoming in 2010 or so.
I did notice one continuity lapse... it has to do with worldwide computer viruses and F-22 raptors. But considering the fact that I didn't think about it until the next day, it wasn't glaring. (and it's even explainable... but that's a topic for another day.)
I tend to rate movies by "will I buy it on DVD, and will I get the Special Edition?"
F4? I'll get it, along with the first one, but only if I can find them on sale. But I'll buy Transformers the day it comes out, and yes - I'll be getting the Special Edition with all the extra features.
Friday, June 1, 2007
Now that summer is here...
...all of my favorite TV series' are on break.
So let's recap.
Heroes: The exploding man was stopped - sort of. I was sitting there, thinking "when Peter uses one power, he can't use another. Why didn't he just fly?" But the writers wanted to end the series with Nathan sacrificing himself, contrasting his selfish actions throughout the rest of the season. Amazingly enough, the plot to blow up New York involved nearly everyone in Peter's life - including his final hospice patient. Possibly my favorite development is that Nikki finally comes to terms with her alter-ego, Jessica, and takes Jessica's power as her own. I'd hoped to see that all season long. And how cool was it to see Mr Sulu in a role where he gets to strut a little? (anybody remember the Star Trek episode where he did some sword fighting?) Hiro's trip to the far past has some VERY intriguing possibilities. I'm looking forward to seeing where they go with that.
Smallville: Bizarro? Interesting. Chloe's dead. Lois is alive because of Chloe's sacrifice. Clark and Lois have been forming a real friendship over the last couple of seasons, so the stage is all set for "Clark, Lois, and Jimmy" next season. We've also seen J'onn J'onzz revealed. That was nicely handled, IMO.
Lost: Jack led the survivors to rescue, but made himself miserable in the process. We also have the mystery death (My guess is that it was Locke). Charlie is dead. But we also find out that the ship who resuces the survivors is not what it claims to be. Ben's comments ("the Island is under attack") makes me wonder if the island is alive somehow. Certainly there are now new questions regarding the island, the inhabitants, and the future of everyone on the island.
So here are my predictions for next season. Once the season is underway, you can come back and tell me what an idiot I am or how much of a sage I am for being right:
Heroes: Peter is not dead. In "Five Years Gone", Peter is alive, despite having been the exploding man. Since the second season is not a continuation of the first season's story, I can't begin to guess what other fun stuff they'll throw in.
Smallville: Clark and Lois will hit their stride together. One or both of them will start working for the Planet, possibly after the current editor leaves and Perry White is hired. Jimmy and Clark will turn to each other for friendship in the wake of Chloe's death. Lois's natural curiosity will get her in to more and more trouble, which Clark will save her from. I'm also guessing that the only way to stop Bizarro will be to re-power the fortress. Remember the "power source" from the beginning of the season?
Lost: The only way I can see to resolve Jack's future dilemma is to change the past. I'm guessing that the first new footage of next season will be the same scene with Jack, Locke, and the sat phone. But instead of talking to the person on the freighter, Jack will hang the phone up. Thus, the future events from the S3 finale will be an alternate future that doesn't happen.
The biggest question that I have at this point is "What's up with the Others?" They can't be Island born, since pregnant women die, and so they can't be true natives. So why, then, do these Others seem to fight with everyone they encounter? So far, they've killed several Oceanic survivors, the entire Dharma project, and possibly other people who have accidentally discovered the island.
So let's recap.
Heroes: The exploding man was stopped - sort of. I was sitting there, thinking "when Peter uses one power, he can't use another. Why didn't he just fly?" But the writers wanted to end the series with Nathan sacrificing himself, contrasting his selfish actions throughout the rest of the season. Amazingly enough, the plot to blow up New York involved nearly everyone in Peter's life - including his final hospice patient. Possibly my favorite development is that Nikki finally comes to terms with her alter-ego, Jessica, and takes Jessica's power as her own. I'd hoped to see that all season long. And how cool was it to see Mr Sulu in a role where he gets to strut a little? (anybody remember the Star Trek episode where he did some sword fighting?) Hiro's trip to the far past has some VERY intriguing possibilities. I'm looking forward to seeing where they go with that.
Smallville: Bizarro? Interesting. Chloe's dead. Lois is alive because of Chloe's sacrifice. Clark and Lois have been forming a real friendship over the last couple of seasons, so the stage is all set for "Clark, Lois, and Jimmy" next season. We've also seen J'onn J'onzz revealed. That was nicely handled, IMO.
Lost: Jack led the survivors to rescue, but made himself miserable in the process. We also have the mystery death (My guess is that it was Locke). Charlie is dead. But we also find out that the ship who resuces the survivors is not what it claims to be. Ben's comments ("the Island is under attack") makes me wonder if the island is alive somehow. Certainly there are now new questions regarding the island, the inhabitants, and the future of everyone on the island.
So here are my predictions for next season. Once the season is underway, you can come back and tell me what an idiot I am or how much of a sage I am for being right:
Heroes: Peter is not dead. In "Five Years Gone", Peter is alive, despite having been the exploding man. Since the second season is not a continuation of the first season's story, I can't begin to guess what other fun stuff they'll throw in.
Smallville: Clark and Lois will hit their stride together. One or both of them will start working for the Planet, possibly after the current editor leaves and Perry White is hired. Jimmy and Clark will turn to each other for friendship in the wake of Chloe's death. Lois's natural curiosity will get her in to more and more trouble, which Clark will save her from. I'm also guessing that the only way to stop Bizarro will be to re-power the fortress. Remember the "power source" from the beginning of the season?
Lost: The only way I can see to resolve Jack's future dilemma is to change the past. I'm guessing that the first new footage of next season will be the same scene with Jack, Locke, and the sat phone. But instead of talking to the person on the freighter, Jack will hang the phone up. Thus, the future events from the S3 finale will be an alternate future that doesn't happen.
The biggest question that I have at this point is "What's up with the Others?" They can't be Island born, since pregnant women die, and so they can't be true natives. So why, then, do these Others seem to fight with everyone they encounter? So far, they've killed several Oceanic survivors, the entire Dharma project, and possibly other people who have accidentally discovered the island.
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