Game Review: Portal 2

Portal 2 has been much anticipated throughout the country over these last several weeks.  Last night I finally got the chance to sit down and play it myself.  Here are my initial (spoiler-free) thoughts:

Portal 2 is overall just better than the original.  It's funnier, more challenging, and longer.  Both the graphics and the physics are better than in the original, and the single player storyline is great.  The trusty Portal Gun is still your main mode of transportation in both single player and multiplayer, but new challenges have been added such has mirror cubes and tractor beams.  There are times in single-player where you're required to change your portal's location in mid-air and other fun challenges.  Sometimes the solutions are obvious and easy, but there are other times when you'll have to muddle through every single option until suddenly you realize the answer has been staring you in the face all along.

The single player story is great, giving you more insight into Aperature's history.  GLaDOS is even more insane and the character dialog is even more hilarious than in the original.  You're playing as Chell again, dragged back to Aperature and undergoing more testing by the not-dead-or-destroyed GLaDOS.  The facility is quite worse for the wear, however.  The attention to detail in the game is amazing, and the graphics are truly a delight for the eyes.

For me, though, the best part about Portal 2 is the multiplayer, where you and your partner work together through testing challenges.  Portal 2 introduced a gesture system of communication for those who prefer not to use voice chat.  While GLaDOS insists it's not a competition, in her own sadistic way she still tries to pit you and your partner against each other.  Players earn "collaboration" points for figuring things out, and GLaDOS constantly hints that one of you is doing "better" than the other.  She also takes great pleasure when one of you is accidentally destroyed by the other, handing out bonus points for extra cruelty.  With 2 portal entrances and exits in play the multiplayer mode can get especially tricky, but it is super fun to have your partner falling in an endless loop and then suddenly change the portal location to have them rocket off at an angle to land on a seemingly unreachable platform.

To wrap it up - Portal 2 is awesome, and in every way better than the already great original.  The single player story is more in depth and the multiplayer is sure to keep you coming back for more.

Score: 9.5/10

*Disclaimer: I have not been paid by Valve or any other entity for this review.

Artificial Intelligence in the Workplace

.....Good Morning, Dave.......

You science fiction fans out there will recognize that line from 2001: A Space Odyssey. What if we could take HAL 9000 and make it real?  Well, you know, minus the murderous tendencies.

Just imagine: you sit down at your desk, and after a moment for the facial recognition to log you in your virtual assistant asks you how your day is going and what she can help you with. She then reminds you of your schedule, tells you the weather, and reads you a few of your emails.

Sound far-fetched?  Meet Denise, the new virtual assistant from Brazilian company Guile 3D Studios:

Total awesomeness, right?  It gets even better.  The basic version of Denise is available at the Guile 3D website for only $100.  The Platinum and Business editions will run you a bit more, but are still incredibly inexpensive.  All I can say is that I want one.

I have not been paid by Guile 3D Studios for this post.

BYU Students Take Eye Control to the Next Level

Okay, I'm sure you all remember when I posted about the awesome eye-controlled laptop from Tobii a while back, right? If you don't, you can always scroll down a bit and have a look.

Well, now some students from BYU are taking eye-control technology it a step further by adding something that's really needed in the EC market - affordablility.  You see, even Tobii's system, the PCEye is considered to be inexpensive in the EC market, and it costs a whopping $6,900. Let's face it, that's not something most people with the types of disabilities these systems are designed for can afford.

So, the students from BYU partnered up with EyeTech Digital Systems and created a Windows 7 tablet PC using eye tracking software developed by previous students (also partnered with EyeTech Digital). This was all part of their year-long capstone engineering requirement. The tablet is a bit thicker than usual, but only cost them $1,500. When you consider that an ordinary Windows 7 tablet retails for around $750, that's really not bad!

The eye tracking software uses a camera to track where a user is looking. This allows a user to control the cursor simply by moving their gaze around a screen. Blinking will perform a mouse click.  The tablet will run any Windows program, from Solitare to Skype, and EyeTech Digital plans to market the technology as an alternative to the sophisticated systems that are already out there.

And hey, at that price, even tech enthusiasts like me could consider buying one. I can definitely see the possibilities.

Check out the new gadget!

Hey guys!  Just wanted to draw your attention to that handy little gadget labeled "ChaCha Search" on the right hand side of the screen.

ChaCha is a neat mobile app and website that is totally free to use, and will answer any question you have while you're on the go.  You can text your question in to 242242, or call it in to 18002ChaCha.  They also have a mobile smartphone app (available on iTunes).  You can catch them on Twitter or Facebook as well.  Each question is handled by a live human guide and the answers are super fast.  Things like 411 business look ups, movie times, sports scores, etc. are unlimited, while more difficult questions (say... sending in your chemistry homework....) have a limit of questions you can ask.  If you get a message that says something to the effect of "We didn't understand you..." just keep trying, or ask one of the unlimited question.

ChaCha also sends out jokes, pranks, and tons of other stuff.  Definitely worth a look.  Visit their website at www.chacha.com.

(Disclosure: while I am one of the "human guides" that works at ChaCha to answer your questions, I have not been paid to post the gadget or write this post.)