The Rev. Rob Times - Science and Technology
Wepolls.com â A Social Poling Network With Something For Everyone
Written by Jeff Lopez Thursday, 13 October 2011 21:06
What is Wepolls.com? It's a social network centeralized around one simple concept: polling. I guess that explains the name "we + polls."
Stumbling across Wepollsâ Spartan homepage doesnât reveal
the depth beneath the surface. Itâs an elegantly simple list of trending polls
similar to the presentation of Reddit or Digg, where the most popular items
float to the surface. But unlike those social sites where videos, articles, and
pictures are shared, Wepolls users ask a question to find out what people
think.
Sonic Generations Preview: A Hedgehogâs Redemption
Written by Rev. Robert A. Vinciguerra Sunday, 12 June 2011 00:50
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Sonic is one of the most widely recognized gaming icons in history, sandwiched between Mario and Pacman in terms of fame and notoriety. Over the past decade, however, heâs become something of a joke. No matter how hard they tried, reboot after reboot, Sega couldnât make a good Sonic game. Even 2010âs Sonic the Hedgehog 4, which saw the long awaited return of the series to its 2D roots, was an incoherent mess.
Going into E3 2011 I had no faith that Sonic Generations could be good; not given Segaâs recent track record of ruining the reputation of their iconic mascot. However, as a lifelong Sonic fan, I was pleasantly surprised by what theyâve accomplished.
POLL: Are you looking forward to Sonic Generations?
Add a commentProduct Review: CraigRep.com â A Free Reputation System for craigslist
Written by Rev. Robert A. Vinciguerra Monday, 14 March 2011 00:38
Launched in 1995 and continually expanding, craigslist has become the premier web destination for buying, selling, and giving away items locally, particularly large items, surpassing even eBay.
However, even though it has been widespread for a decade, it still feels somewhat shading. Thatâs because what craigslist lacks is a reputation system that is found on giants like Amazon.com. Now CraigRep.com (cregrep) aims to change all of that.
Add a commentTen Great Dreamcast Games That Most People Never Played
Written by Rev. Robert A. Vinciguerra Thursday, 09 September 2010 04:51
To celebrate the closing of the tenth year of Dreamcast gaming in the United States, The Rev. Rob Times proudly presents a synopsis of ten great Dreamcast games that most people never played. Theyâre not the ten best, but far from the ten worst. The thing they all have in common is style; the originality and quirkiness that defined Dreamcast. That, and none of them were big sellers.
RCA Studio II: The 'Real' Worst Video Game Console Ever
Written by Rev. Robert A. Vinciguerra Wednesday, 01 September 2010 21:23
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Itâs January 1977. RCA had watched as rival TV manufacture Magnavox successfully released the world's first video game console, Odyssey, five years earlier. RCA executives also saw numerous "pong" systems that came to the market and were met with success and acclaim in the years in between, most notably Atariâs Pong in 1975.
This was particularly upsetting to some folks at RCA because they had turned away the inventor of the home videogame console, Ralph Baer, who had approached RCA with his idea before doing business with Magnavox.
In an effort to enter into a new and lucrative market, RCA decided to counter the popular dedicated consoles that dominated the marketplace by releasing a system that is programmable. The idea was revolutionary. Game programs could be placed on cartridges and sold separately from the console. Cartridges could be sold cheap, and consumers would only need to buy one just one machine to have a platform that could potentially play an unlimited number of games.
An excellent idea, but unfortunately, despite an attempt rush the Studio II to retail shelves, Fairchild, a maker of semiconductors and camera parts, beat RCA to the punch in 1976 by releasing their vastly more powerful Video Entertainment System (VES), which later became known as Channel F.
Upon its release, the Studio II was immediately rendered obsolete. The controllers were integrated into the console; no cords, no wires. The sound came from a speaker on the unit, not from the TV. The color was only in black and white. The Channel F had almost none of these shortcomings.
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Sega Activator: Full Body Motion Controller
Written by Rev. Robert A. Vinciguerra Tuesday, 17 August 2010 09:07
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With the success of the Nintendo Wii and the impending launch of the PlayStation Move and Microsoft Kinect, motion control is becoming all the rage, a fad, if you will. And everyone wants to jump on board.
In 1993 Sega had a similar idea. They invited gamers to âJump Into the Actionâ with their new and amazing peripheral: Activator.
Add a commentSonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I Preview â Half the Hedgehog He Used to Be
Written by Rev. Robert A. Vinciguerra Wednesday, 11 August 2010 08:37
The following preview is based on gameplay at E3 2010 and may not accurately represent previous or future builds of the game.
Sega is a developer that I'll always have affection for, although it may be for purely nostalgic reasons these days. Genesis was the first game console that was bought just for me as a kid, (I had a hand-me-down Atari 2600 from my dad, and my family could never afford the 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System), and with it came Sonic the Hedgehog. I was instantly hooked, and thus began my lifelong love for the fast blue blur.
âOdballâ for Magnavox Odyssey â Official Page
Written by Rev. Robert A. Vinciguerra Wednesday, 04 August 2010 17:09
Odball is the worldâs first homebrew videogame for the worldâs first videogame system. Officially released on December 5th, 2009, it ended the longest drought in videogame history: 36 years. No Odyssey games had be released since 1973.
Pac-Man Battle Royale: Hands-on Review
Written by Rev. Robert A. Vinciguerra Wednesday, 04 August 2010 15:54
I love Pac-Man... and Ms. Pac-Man for that matter. Who doesn't, right? So, I was understandably excited to learn that Namco Bandai has been hard at work on a new Pac-Man game. Not another clunky platformer, or downloadable content, but a real game.
Pac-Man Battle Royale is an old-school arcade tabletop, the kind mostly found in pizza joints these days. The cabinet itself is a beautifully styled and appropriately retro. Up to four players can stand comfortable around its flat surface where they can rest their beers as they shout at each other between bouts. It adds up to an immersive social experience in a real world setting. What a concept.
Discovering the World Through a Sega Saturn NetLink
Written by Rev. Robert A. Vinciguerra Wednesday, 04 August 2010 02:19
In 1996 computers were still expensive and not affordable for every family. New technologies, such as WebTV, were emerging to bring the Internet into the living room even for those without a PC or Mac. One such device was the NetLink.
NetLink was a 28.8kbps dial-up modem sold by Sega for its struggling Sega Saturn videogame console. The initial retail price was $199.99; quite high for a game peripheral, but inexpensive for an Internet device.
This marked the beginning of a broad vision, a world where gamers can sit in their living room and play a game against an opponent half way across the country, or around the world, even. Sega teamed up with a company called Catapult, which years before had limited success in online gaming with their XBAND modem.
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Retro Game Review: Cybermorph (Atari Jaguar)
Written by Rev. Robert A. Vinciguerra Wednesday, 23 January 2008 00:00
Cybermorph. The game that launched the Jaguar is perhaps the most memorable when Atari’s final console comes to mind. It embodied the hopes of a once powerful video game company that was desperately trying to claw its way back to the top of the industry. Unfortunately, Cybermorph fell somewhat short, and so did Jaguar when you do the math.
Add a commentWhere are they now? Nolan Bushnell'Âs Axlon
Written by Rev. Robert A. Vinciguerra Thursday, 17 January 2008 16:23
Axlon was a game developer, amongst other things, that was responsible from some of the last, and best games released for the Atari 2600. The little known company was founded by Atari founder Nolan Bushnell, and designed a never-released console to compete head to head with Sega and Nintendo at the dawn of the 16-bit generation. Who was this interesting little company, and what happened to them?
Add a commentKenji Eno's WARP - Where are they now?
Written by Rev. Robert A. Vinciguerra Sunday, 13 January 2008 18:02
Astronomy Cast  A Podcast Explaining the Universe with Facts
Written by Rev. Robert A. Vinciguerra Thursday, 20 December 2007 03:17
Astronomy Cast (www.astronomycast.com) sends its listeners on a facts-based journey through the universe every week. Sit at your computer as you explore the rings of Saturn. Lay comfortably in bed as your dive feet first into a supermassive black hole, and even learn what one is!
Beginning in September 2006, its first episode dealt with the confusion regarding the IAUâs new definition of what a planet is, leading to Plutoâs demotion. This websiteâs first science article dealt with the same issue. Itâs silly, but I feel a connection there. Since its induction, the show has been produced, without fail, every Monday. At the time of this writing there have been 68 episodes. The topics vary from planets in our solar system to string theory, (my favorite and yours).
Add a commentA Complete History of Online Console Gaming in the United States
Written by Rev. Robert A. Vinciguerra Wednesday, 05 December 2007 00:00
The timeline, history and facts of online console gaming goes back farther than most people realize, all of the way to the Atari 2600, over a quarter of a century ago in 1982. When online console gaming is mentioned today, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 are conjured up in the mind, but they have their roots in the 1970âs, 80âs, and 90âs. Explore the history and the people that made modern online videogame consoles possible.
Add a commentMummified Dinosaur Discovery Proves a Young Earth; Dinos and Humans Co-Existed, say Christians
Written by Rev. Robert A. Vinciguerra Tuesday, 04 December 2007 17:46
The last time a dinosaur fossil was discovered that contained “soft tissue” young Earth creationists jumped up and down with joy, claiming that it was proof that not only is planet Earth and the entire universe only 6000 years old, but that 
dinosaurs actually co-existed with human beings. The tissue was found inside of leg bone of a Tyrannosaurus rexm in 2005.
If the thought of an 8 ton T-rex playing with the kids in the back yard isn’t enough to produce a good belly laugh, then I don’t know what is!
Add a commentMilton Bradley Microvision: The World's First Handheld Game Console
Written by Rev. Robert A. Vinciguerra Sunday, 25 November 2007 21:31
In 1979, Milton Bradley, maker of popular board games, released a video game console: Microvision.
Microvision was the world's first handheld portable game console - that is, the first to be "reprogrammable." It would take ten years for a successor, the touted Nintendo Game Boy, to arrive on the scene, making Microvision a concept far ahead if its time. The unit was, and in many ways still is, incredibly innovative and unique.
Add a commentExploring Volcanism in our Solar System: A complete survey of all geologically active bodies
Written by Rev. Robert A. Vinciguerra Friday, 23 November 2007 02:48
Earth has long been known to be geologically active. On Earth, such forces are responsible for continental drift, earthquakes, the rise of mountain ranges, and of course, also volcanoes.
The existence of volcanism on Earth has been known throughout all of history; even to the most primitive humans and almost certainly to human ancestors. However, it is only within the past few decades that mankindâs understanding of volcanic activity outside of Earth has been discovered.
Outside of Earth, there are four worlds where volcanism has been observed, one where it may have been detected, and more that are strongly suspected. Â Beginning with those that are closest to the sun and ending with objects that are far, frigid, frozen and cold, this is a journey to our solar systemâs volcanoes.Â
Game Review: ÂHockey for Channel F - The ÂPong permutation to write home about
Written by Rev. Robert A. Vinciguerra Thursday, 11 October 2007 00:00
The aggressive sport from the Great White North had its earliest faithful digital incarnation from an unlikely source, Fairchildâs Channel F game console.
While it never was able to emulate Atariâs success, sales, developers, or graphics, the Channel F did have the most advanced controller of any console in the world until Nintendo introduced the D-pad.
Add a commentFairchild Channel F Video Entertainment System: The first modern game console
Written by Rev. Robert A. Vinciguerra Thursday, 31 May 2007 01:27
In the 1970s, a company called Fairchild Semiconductor had been watching an emerging market of electronic entertainment. Video arcades had already become wildly popular, and Pong-style games systems that could only play built-in games were amazing sellers and excellent revenue generators for companies like Magnavox, Atari, and Coleco. Fairchild, a Silicon Valley pioneer, was about to break ground in a new territory, one that no other game company had yet entered.
No stranger to innovation, Fairchild Semiconductor was founded in 1957 as a subsidiary of the Fairchild Camera and Instrumentation Company, and led the way in developing semiconductors from a new space-age material called silicon. In 1964 Fairchild introduced the first linear integrated circuit.
In the mid 70s, the company drew up plans to enter the microprocessor market. Research and design began on the F8 chip, a 1.78 MHz 8-bit microprocessor. The first public outing of this design came as Fairchild was poised to make video game history.
Add a commentTruth in Advertizing: Apple's Mac vs. PC Ads
Written by Rev. Robert A. Vinciguerra Thursday, 22 March 2007 09:03
For over a year here, and in several countries, Apple has been running some very witty, clever, and humorous advertisements.
"Hello, I'm a Mac."
"And I'm a PC."
This phrase, now embedded into pop-culture, proceeds some very witty, often times funny, but most of the time not-so-honest advertising.
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