scattered technology news

Samsung WEP200 (Review) - Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Since the advent of Bluetooth, the sizes of the headset that have accompanied the wireless technology have begun to drastically shrink. This is arguably the greatest strength of Samsung’s WEP200. This is a typical wireless headset for cell phones and other bluetooth compatible devices.

Samsung WEP200 Specs:

• Wireless: Bluetooth 2.0
• Battery: 4hrs talk | 70hrs idle
• Weight: 9 grams
• Size: 1.5 x .75 x .75 inches
• Keys: Multifunction and Volume

The WEP200 has 3 basic buttons: a multifunction on the front and an up/down volume control buttons on the side. The device stays in one’s ear as a typical stereo ear bud, but Samsung includes a unique rubber loop to help prevent it from falling out. The device’s failure to stay secure in one’s ear is quite arguably the unit’s only major downside. As opposed to other headsets which have a piece of plastic that loops around one’s ear, the WEP200’s atypical ear bud design is very cumbersome to fasten properly. However, if it is properly secured, normal movements of one’s head does not seem to disturb its position to any great extent. Read More

Super Paper Mario - (Wii) - Wednesday, April 18, 2007

For many Wii owners, a long drought of quality games has plagued their leisure time as their shiny new white console gathers dust on a shelf. That drought has ended since Nintendo has shipped out “Super Paper Mario,” the latest installment in the Mario franchise which harkens back to the side-scroll/two-dimensional glory days of the NES. Unlike the previous installments of Paper Mario, the latest rendition somewhat withdraws from the turn-based RPG engine and now makes use of the classic platforming action that made Mario what it was over 20 years ago.

While the turn-based system has been removed, several classic RPG features remain such as experience points, health points, and side quests. To further improve upon their game, Nintendo has not only made it a classic side scroller, but also gives Mario the new ability to shift the fabrics of dimension allowing him to see in the third dimension. While this is incredibly innovative and does lead to many thought provoking puzzles and hidden items, it does have one large drawback. The primary reason it fails to please is that while stomping enemies in the 2nd dimension is quite intuitive and almost instinctive, in the 3rd dimension, trying to crush monsters as thin as paper when one is also as thin is paper can become quite frustrating. Despite this, the overall game play is quite enjoyable. Further interesting interactions lie in the ability to switch between Princess Peach, Bowser (he’s not the villain!), and Luigi as each of them has different skills. Along with their unique skills and physical attributes, each character can use a Pixl, a sort of tool which allows the player to perform feats such as bombing, hammering, or even shrinking. Read More