Slashdot Mirror


User: sscroggins

sscroggins's activity in the archive.

Stories
0
Comments
17
First seen
Last seen
Profile
(view on slashdot.org)

Comments · 17

  1. Bad geek, I guess on Ask Slashdot: Best Way To Watch TV In 2012? · · Score: 1

    I've been using a WMC PC for years now and I've been very happy with it. About 90% of what my family had previously watched was regular network programming so I purchased an HD Homerun and use the PC as a DVR, to stream HULU, and to watch the occasional DVD or Blu-ray from Redbox. Both of my kids have Windows 7 laptops so they use WMC to connect to the tuner and watch whatever they need. Sometimes they use the laptop screen, sometimes they connect to their televisions. I dropped to about as basic of a cable plan as I could and I'm saving a pretty significant amount every month. The HD Homerun paid for itself in a few months.

  2. Doesn't quite fit your criteria, but... on Ask Slashdot: Best Headphones, Earbuds, Earphones? · · Score: 1

    I have a pair of LG Tones that I absolutely love. I listen to music and audiobooks a lot when I'm doing things around the house or out jogging and I've screw up several sets of wired headphones. The Tone runs a bit over $50 and it's in-ear, but it's an awesome set of bluetooth headphones. Nice bass, but not crazy. Long battery life. There are a couple minor quirks to get used to (I've bumped the forward button occasionally), but it's worth it. I've listened from techno to thrash metal and they've all sounded good with these headphones. Currently alternating between Five Finger Death Punch, and The Coldfire Trilogy

  3. Re:Supercars on Electromagnetic Automobile Suspension Demonstrated · · Score: 1

    I've actually had a throttle cable snag on a Mustang several years ago. The car was maybe 6 years old at the time. It's pretty terrifying to be going down the street and your car decides to start going faster even though you're foot isn't pushing down on the accelerator. When you pretty much need to stand on the brake to stop the car it opens your eyes to some of the potential problems that can occur from mechanical parts.

  4. Re:Supercars on Electromagnetic Automobile Suspension Demonstrated · · Score: 1

    It is skimpy, but I would think that because they are using accelerometers as part of the loop that it would be pretty easy to have them put into the equivalent of crash test dummies in a passenger seat of a vehicle without the EM suspension. Drive it around a track and chart the results. Install the EM suspension and repeat.

  5. Re:Never read on King's Dark Tower Series To Be Adapted For Film, TV · · Score: 1

    Personally I think that it starts off great, has a pretty so so middle and a decent (though not amazing) end. Definitely read the first two, though. Very good.

  6. Re:lol @ 'finally standing up' on Xbox Live Class Action Being Investigated · · Score: 1

    I'm not sure about the first two, you would access netflix rentals through XBL, so... Denied. Downloading game updates would also use XBL so I guess that violating the TOS also covers them blocking downloadable content.

  7. Seeing things from a different perspective on D&D Co-Creator Gary Gygax Has Passed Away · · Score: 2, Interesting

    As most people that game and grew up in the `80's D&D was my first RPG so, even though I moved away from it to other games, I still get nostalgic thinking about "the good old days".
    I don't remember the site, but several years ago some people were ripping Gygax because, apparently, it was the popular thing to do. I posted, saying that just because you don't like the product that the guy was currently involved with was no reason to slam him personally or to take away from the contribution that he'd made to a hobby that so many of us share. He read it and got back to me, basically saying that it was good to know that there are still some decent people out there. He seemed like a pretty nice guy from the few e-mails that we sent back and forth.
    I work for a pretty huge company now, and I need to communicate with people of diverse backgrounds at all levels of the organization. My gaming experience has helped me do that effectively. Learning to look at things from someone else's perspective is an invaluable skill. Gaming also taught me that not every situation calls for a leader, but sometimes it's definitely helpful.

  8. Does anyone really like D&D rules? on The D&D Designers Answer Your Questions · · Score: 1

    I played from a blue box, from a "magenta" box, and from a Deities and Demigods that had Elric and the Cthulhu mythos. It was great. But then I played some other games starting in the mid-80's that had far more elegant rules. After a while, when I would GM, I'd always use home made rules. I slapped together (OK, it was a bit more time consuming than that sounds) some rules, printed off about 12 pages for each player as reference and off we went. I don't want my players telling me that a troll only has X hit dice. I don't want them being rules lawyers. It takes away from the fun. Yes, sometimes I would cheat them. If a fight that was supposed to be epic was going horribly awry one way or the other because I hadn't planned it correctly, I changed it in mid-stride. It was a great game for it's time, but personally I enjoy the idea of making the players really think about what's going on. Too many dice and books can get in the way of enjoying a good story, and to me that's what it's all about.
    Besides, D4s suck in bare feet.

  9. Re:100% backwards on Microsoft Wants 360 To Have PS2-Like Lifespan · · Score: 1

    We have 2 360s at home from within the first month of launch and they both work fine. However, our PS2 took a crap after 1 year. I find it hard to imagine that the problems are as extensive as your "close to 100% figure considering that of the people I actually know that own 360s, only 1 of 7 machines has had any kind of problem.

  10. Actually, they do on Interview with 'Anti-Gamer' Senator Leland · · Score: 1

    If you go to a video store that isn't one of the few big chains, you may see a door that says "Adults Only - Must be 18 or older to enter". Not everywhere chooses to rent those movies and the same thing would happen if M-rated games were required to be displayed in a different location than all of the other games. Some stores would just say, "Screw it" and not sell them at all.

  11. Re:Did they fix their console yet? on Microsoft Announces New 360 Bundle Packs · · Score: 1

    I'm still amazed that so many people have had problems. We have 2 systems in our home, 1 from release day and the other from the Christmas right after release. Both run quite a bit and neither has had any overheating issues. Of course, we placed the brick away from the console itself and have plenty of space around the unit itself. We let them have air and they keep breathing.

  12. I remember what it was like before on Microsoft Responds to EU With Another Question · · Score: 1

    Sure, there were other companies that did it earlier and some even better, but Windows brought a gui to the masses. Without that happening (by anyone, Microsoft or not) your computer people of "above average intelligence" would be even more of a fringe society that we are now. And I certainly hope that this is not your first language if you really are above average intelligence. First, anyone that wants to announce their increased intelligence to the world probably has some issues, so maybe you're not so much familiar with "modesty". Second, what the hell is decidedness supposed to mean in your post? If you plan to label someone as a moron you should first do a spell check. It lends a touch more force to your accusations if you don't sound like a moron yourself. I still insist that bundling is not a big deal. How many people do you know that actually use the build in CD burning functionality in XP? None? Because it sucks. What about Media player? Probably a lot more because it's not a bad product. I'm not saying it's great, but it is usable without much fuss. I don't use Paint, because the GIMP is free and works well. I do use Office because it loads fast and it works. And what, exactly, does an electrical utility bundle with the electricity? Nursery rhymes and sunshine? I guess that I've got to go and edit my My Space page now. If I was 13 I might even do that.

  13. Ah, but back to the car stereo example on Microsoft Responds to EU With Another Question · · Score: 1

    I don't think that most people will install their own car stereos either. They take it to a shop and have someone else do it because it's beyond their own realm of expertise. I realize that most of the people posting here don't have these problems with a computer. I had an Atari 400, an Apple IIe, an Amiga 500, and then several different Microsoft based PCs. Most of you can tell the same type of story. So what if most of us can install a different media player or download and install Open Office? The people that can't do that are the ones that you seem concerned about. At least with Microsoft bundling all of these additional features the computer novices will be able to listen to music, or surf the net, or send an e-mail. If the functionality wasn't there with the OS what would they do? Because apparently those people don't know how to add or remove programs so it seems as though they would need to hire or find someone else to do these things for them. A touch inconvenient and potentially much more costly.

  14. Re:Which bounds? on Microsoft Responds to EU With Another Question · · Score: 1

    What I think is funny (in a sad and pathetic way) is that so many people, American or not, have such a rabid hatred of Microsoft. Does this all go back to Microsoft "bundling" a bunch of additional features in the OS? That's anti-competitive? When I purchased my car it came with a sound system that was "bundled" with the purchase. I wanted a different one so I bought it and installed it. No harm. People do this all the time with different types of products, particularly vehicles that cost far more money than an OS. Why is it acceptable for someone to toss out perfectly good parts of a vehicle in favor of something that they want more, but when an OS comes with some perfectly good features it's some kind of big deal to just install and use something else?

  15. Snarf, Phil and Dixie, I'll miss you. on Paizo to Discontinue Dragon and Dungeon Magazines · · Score: 1

    Ah, for the good old days when my mag would come in the mail and it would have tons of advertisements for dice that would cite their statistical accuracy. Back in the days of Greyhawk when the Forgotten Realms couldn't have been forgotten yet because it wasn't around. Oh, well. I've gotten old and my kids talk about leveling up, but there's no paper or pencils or dice (or face to face human contact) involved. I'm not sure that "progress" has actually made things better, come to think of it.

  16. Tempest was great, but N2O was better on Was Videogaming Better Back in the Day? · · Score: 1

    I'm definitely with you to some extent. Some of the old games are amazing and Tempest is one of the best. The speed of that game is outstanding. However, I played a game a handfull of years ago for the PS1 called N2O that was kind of a modern day version of Tempest with a soundtrack by Crystal Method. I don't think that it ever sold that well but it blew the socks off of Tempest. Sometimes the integration of the higher end graphics and good sound onto an otherwise elegant concept can really add a lot to the experience. The problem is adding lots of flash onto a crap idea doesn't stop the crap from stinking.

  17. Hmmm on Wired's Very Short Stories · · Score: 2

    The Iowa landscape relentlessly did nothing.