Inside CamInside CamA confused college student with a passion for web and graphic design, as well as web development, who is usually distracted by videogames. Articles
The Downfall of Mainstream Media
2008-02-01 02:40:00 I spend a lot of my time on Digg, a website in which you submit news and other online articles and then vote them to the front page by “digging” them if you feel they are worthy of it, or conversely “burying” them if you feel like they are a complete waste of electronic space. It’s an interesting, democratic style of viewing online articles. If a story makes it to the front page, it will be because a lot of people found it to be interesting. More often than not, a video from Fox News Channel – or as Digg members refer to it, “Faux News Channel” – shows up. Countless other members, myself included, often treat anything coming from Fox News as an “entertainment” piece, because we all commonly accept that Fox News Channel offers little to no journalistic integrity in the “news” that they report despite their laughable “Fair and Balanced” moniker. This shared (dis)interest in Fox News Channel is part of the demographic that makes up Digg. And that’s abso... More About: Media , Mainstream Media
Digg Revolt 2007
2007-05-02 03:42:00 I've never before witnessed the Digg community at large behave so passionately. Although the HD-DVD AACS processing key may only seem like a number, we're really fighting for our freedom of speech in a way.UPDATE: This is insane. Literally every story on the front page is a story related to this HD DVD fiasco. How will the Digg administrators react? Surely they won't go so far as to go on a mass banning spree.Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe this has EVER happened before.Digg user aywwts4 sums it up nicely: "Now we know for a fact that digg is not about the people run by the people. Digg admins feel no shame in bringing down the admin hammer against anyone who even speaks out against digg, Many users were banned just for talking about the censorship, many stories were removed before they even had a chance to start, just because they spoke ill of digg. and even more, numerous stories got suspiciously buried despite the fact that they would currently be some of the m... More About: Revolt
The Dark Side of Oz
2007-03-10 02:09:00 This video is the Wizard of Oz with Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" used as a score. It synchronizes and complements the movie pretty well. More About: The Dark , The D , The Dark Side
Tech Hindsight - 18 February 2007
2007-02-19 04:05:00 Tech Hindsight is my little experiment of seeing how much of the tech news I've been wasting time reading over the past week I can actually remember. This first edition is somewhat special because I had my wisdom teeth taken out Thursday morning, and the initial period after waking up involved me hugging a security guard and a few other things I don't really remember due to the drugs required to put me asleep. Moving on...Today the "always accurate" Inquirer dispelled a rumor surrounding a "drunk Nintendo employee" revealing the Wii does in fact have the capability of displaying HD graphics. Apparently, the PS2 could also display HD graphics, although the 1-frame/second result wouldn't be as astonishing as most people would like it to be. Let's just understand one thing before we move on: the Wii cannot display HD graphics. Get over it.Although I feel jipped having already bought it at least once - and I'm sure there are others out there who feel the same - the Orange edition o... More About: Tech , February 2007 , Sigh , Sight , February
For Those Who Were Wondering...
2007-02-16 01:49:00 Getting your wisdom teeth extracted through surgery does in fact hurt. A lot. Right now I feel as bright as a trampled daisy, and I currently have hydrocodone, acetaminophen and ibuprofen running through my system. They don't seem to be doing their job the best they could.It was weird going into that office this morning, as I'd never actually had any sort of surgery performed before. I don't really remember falling asleep, which was weird, and the rest of the events surrounding the actual surgery really are a bit murky.Anyway, I just felt this was a necessary update. I know I've lost touch with what was supposed so be a more narrowly-focused blog in order to attract traffic and attention (that's what all bloggers are really doing anyway, right?). Oh well. More About: Ring , Wonder , Those , Hose , Were
A (Late) MySpace Rant
2007-02-13 11:06:00 At this very moment, there are probably hundreds of new start-ups based completely around offering shitty MySpace layouts and animated falling hearts for your page, coded with the worst barely-legitimate, copy-and-pasted examples of CSS I've ever seen. The sad part is that this "demon-spawn offspring" website dedicated to our MySpace-obsessed society isn't even direct from the belly of the beast itself.I hate MySpace. It's a useful tool for when it's absolutely necessary to contact some high school idiot, but I try to avoid it as much as possible. In fact I just used some run-of-the-mill CSS from those very "MySpace Layouts... OMG!!!1" websites I've grown to despise in order to redirect people to my blog, play some music I've been listening to in the hopes of converting the "commercially obsessed"-crowd, and absolutely nothing else. No more pointless messages. No more friend requests from amateur porn stars. No more fighting over who is on whose Top 8 or 420 or whatever. No mo... More About: Myspace , Rant , Pace , Late
Oregon Medical Marijuana Registrants Not Protected
2007-02-10 22:45:00 So let's say you qualify for Oregon 's medical-marijuana program due to back pain or nausea or glaucoma or something similar. You have a legitimate reason to be using it, but your work still holds mandatory drug tests. You would expect to be pardoned as one of the 12,000 Oregon residents with a medical marijuana card, right?A proposed Senate bill under consideration last Wednesday would allow medical-marijuana users to be fired for failing a drug test. It's a tough issue to tackle. On one hand, there are certain industries where a zero-tolerance drug policy is absolutely necessary due to dangerous work environments such as those in construction. On the other hand, the bill "unfairly punishes medical-marijuana users working in Oregon."I think it's more than likely that we can trust those within the bounds of the program to use responsibly if they do work in a potentially dangerous environment. Lorenzo Gonzalez uses marijuana for chronic back pain due to a history of multiple motor... More About: Rants , Medical , Rant , Juan
It's About Time...
2007-02-09 19:46:00 Remember this? It appears Digg has finally managed to notice that the new Blogger exists, so I can finally blog interesting Digg entries after several weeks of going without the feature.The only thing I'm worried about is the tendency for the Digg community to look down on those who take advantage of Digg's "Blog This" feature. Most of those who use it get slammed for greedy self-promotion and the obvious SEO advantages of having your blog linked from a prominent site like Digg.I have mixed feelings towards it. If you are exploiting the system by blogging every semi-interesting news article you find, and you aren't really adding any original content to your posts, then I'd agree with the majority of the Digg users who blasphemize that sort of practice. On the other hand, if you're contributing a valid opinion or stance or adding really anything of your own to the article, then go ahead and take advantage of it. I'll probably end up using it a bit more on the conservative side,... More About: Time , About
Why Am I Still Playing Excite Truck?
2007-02-09 11:27:02 Right now I'm sitting in my friend's apartment watching him school the computer in Excite Truck . My friend hasn't been a gamer since the days of the Sega Genesis, citing motion sickness caused through the newer onslaught of 3D games as his reason for eventually giving up gaming. I also get the feeling the overwhelming complexity of today's games aren't exactly extending him a warm welcome back either.Most of my friends would describe me as a hardcore gamer (or a nerd), but I'm not bold enough to declare it about myself. I enjoy games a lot and probably always will, but I've noticed something peculiar after having my Wii for about two months. Normally by now, I'd get tired of most games and let them sit in a box somewhere, unbeaten for several months with the likelihood of regaining interest almost nonexistent. So it surprises me that I'm still playing Excite Truck - your average racing game - after having it for so long.I thought about how the control elements play a part i... More About: Play , Stil , Still
My Personal Rise to the Top of the Music Industry
2007-02-09 11:27:02 When it comes to music, I find myself constantly amazed at the reason people like or dislike certain artists or type of music. Don't get me wrong, I'm not attacking personal preference. Everyone has their own reasons for liking a particular artist, whether the music they listen to invokes feelings of nostalgia and wonderful memories, whether it just makes them want to dance, or usually in my case, if the music has a conscious message behind it or features a well told story.I guess this is the part where I go into a little episode of personal history. Please be patient, as this is relevant and important to the discussion I will eventually present. I went to Benson Polytechnical high school in Portland, Ore., where we had the opportunity to experience both technical and health-based programs. I chose to focus on the technical side of the curriculum, almost certain I was going to become a graphic designer much like my step father and uncle. I had been exposed to the art since I was a... More About: Personal , Music , Industry , Person , Rise
NES Auction Rockets Back Down
2007-02-09 11:27:02 It appears the NES auction featuring 670 licensed Nintendo games has slid down from an earlier high bid of $240,300 to a mere $25,350. The auction includes 670 licensed Nintendo games in addition to an NES in its original casing and a dozen or so accessories including notables such as the Power Glove and ROB the robot.In the description of the item, the seller mentions the possibility of retracting false bids, which is a great reassurance for those looking to place legitimate bids. However, I didn't expect the amount to fluctuate so quickly. This might end up being an unusually exciting auction after all.I'll be keeping an eye an on this auction, as it still has four days left and the potential to garner some serious cash flow. The seller describes the games to be in "Good-to-mint condition" with no abnormalities included on the games themselves. It will be interesting to see, four days from now, how high the auction ends up getting. I'd especially be wary of fake bidding to thro... More About: Auction , Rock , Back , Rocket , Down
Jack Thompson - Sword Killing Expert?
2007-02-09 11:27:02 Last week a teenager from South Dakota killed his mother, injured three others and was killed by police officers responding to the call. Apparently the teenager was an avid sword collector, which he used to assault his mother and the police officers.Jack Thompson responded immediately, urging the police officers to check the home for violent videogames and claiming he was an expert on such matters. Jack Thompson has a history of stretching the limits of logic in order to connect violence to videogames, but this a new low.Thompson wrote a letter to the police chief citing previously unknown "credentials" in regards to swords. Here is an excerpt:"Re: Sword KillingsDear Chief Schmitt:I am an expert in the above type of attack, as I appeared on 60 Minutes and roughly 80 other national television programs as to such incidents."It appears that Jack Thompson not only studies law, but he is also a sword killing expert. Add that to an already impressive resume and you have yet another factor... More About: Word , Expert
How Much is My Blog Worth?
2007-02-09 11:27:02 I found a cool utility that calculates how much your blog is worth based on "using the same link to dollar ratio as the AOL-Weblogs Inc deal." I was curious how much by blog was worth, especially with the large fluctuation in traffic that occurred recently. Here's what I ended up getting: My blog is worth $564.54.How much is your blog worth?That being said, if anyone is interested in giving me $500 for my blog, I'd be more than happy to oblige. More About: Blog , Worth , Much , Wort , Fakta
Love Challenges Industry
2007-02-09 11:27:02 Generally, most people look at Courtney Love as an emotionally and psychologically unstable piece of work. Over the years she has been through rehab, been referred to as "the most controversial woman in rock" by Rolling Stone magazine and the general consensus seems to reflect just that.In my mind, Courtney Love has always been a wack job with a lot of personal problems. Genius hides in mysterious places. Although her math isn't entirely accurate, nor is it intended to be, she wrote a great article on the state of the music industry and the exploitation of artists by the record labels. I support a lot of what she has to say in this essay, which is actually pretty old and severely long, but its absolutely worth it to read the entire thing. Believe me, or just check it out for yourself.For those of you with attention deficiencies:The article basically goes into some hypothetical math behind the amount the average music artist or band gets paid, including advances and royalties. She g... More About: Industry , Challenge , Hall , Allen
J-Clip Album Concepts
2007-02-09 11:27:02 I've been working on an album cover for a buddy of mine; he goes by the name of J-Clip and he raps. I just thought I'd share a few concept images I'm working on for his name logo. Comments, suggestions, dead babies: all appreciated.Concept 1: Here I started fleshing out the concept. I'd say this is an example of me messing around and trying to find something I like more than anything. I like the 'J', but both the 'J' and the 'L' didn't really go with the rest of the letters.Concept 2: I'm getting closer to the final product. Please take note that the 'j' is more of a filler now than anything; I'm still having trouble finding out exactly what I want to do with it. I took a piece out of the 'i' and made the 'L' go into it in order to give the logo a little more personality. At this point I'd best describe the logo as "goofy." I also took a similar piece out of the dot above the 'i' to further emphasize the pattern. A web designer just came into the Subway where I... More About: Concepts , Album , Once
CameronHermens.com
2007-02-09 11:27:02 Today marks the day I finally went out and bought a domain name. It's "Cameron Herm ens.com," which is my name for those of you who don't already know. I'm looking forward to the next several months, where I'll be embarking on a mission to learn anything and everything about web development.As of right now, I know some HTML and CSS, but not enough to create what I've been envisioning for the past several years. I hope I can keep myself motivated enough to follow through on this project. Maybe buying the domain name is the first step to help me stay focused on this. Hell, it's what I want to do for the rest of my life, so I should be able to stick with it, right?I sure hope so. More About: Men , Amero , Mens
Google = The New Internet
2007-02-09 11:27:02 Every once in awhile you read something online that strikes you in a way similar to having an epiphany. The realization of something that seems completely obvious under normal circumstances hits you, and then you laugh about it.This just happened to me after considering my own personal necessity in using Google as an address bar. Why type in "digg.com" when I can simply perform a Google search for it to get me where I want to go? It's not that I don't mind typing the extra few characters, but I've grown used to the availability of Google everywhere. It's the most common home page I see pop up when using other people's computers, whose popularity is further fueled since both Firefox 2.0 and the new IE 7 include convenient integrated search fields.Of course I'm going to use Google over the address bar field. URLs are ugly pieces of information that I'd prefer not to utilize based on the syntax alone. I guess that's just too much work for me. Google is slowly taking over the in... More About: Internet , Inter , The N , Intern
Dear Nintendo
2007-02-09 11:27:02 It looks like you're getting popular again. The direction you took with the Nintendo Wii was a good one and I commend you on it, but some people feel you're alienating the Nintendo fans that have stuck with you in good times and in bad in order to attract a new sort of fan base. "Why won't you give us Mother 3?" demands the big N community. As a matter of fact, I've got a few questions and suggestions myself:1. The friend codes are not user-friendly. How has your online strategy evolved and is online gaming any more important to you?Microsoft and Xbox Live have clearly demonstrated that online is what the people want. I am thankful that you decided to include online, even though early reports indicate we'll be in 12-digit friend code hell pretty soon here. Pokemon Battle Revolution - the first online Wii game - features game-specific friend codes independent of my Wii's friend code. I've heard people suggest this may have something to do with connectivity between Battle Revol... More About: Tend , Tendo
Ready to Rock on 360
2007-02-09 11:27:02 I was expecting a minor graphical overhaul for the 360 version of Guitar Hero II. I was not expecting this:He has no nipples...?Harmonix put a lot into improving the graphics rather than just rushing the 360 version and bumping up the resolution. Prepare to shred graciously in the comfort of HD Guitar Hero gaming with improved lighting techniques. Guitar Hero II for Xbox 360 is going to shine brightly and show off the extra work Harmonix put into it.March 2007 can't come quickly enough. I was already looking forward to being able to download new songs off Xbox Live marketplace. I hadn't considered the tremendous increase of replay value through achievements, the sheer amount of time I'll spend just to increase my rank on the leaderboards and the dead sexy design of the new X-Plorer controller.We will also be seeing additional included tracks, which I for one give both RedOctane and Harmonix an ovation for. A lot of publishers are using microtransactions available through the Mark... More About: Rock , Read , Ready
Nothing Rhymes with Orange
2007-02-09 11:27:02 For those who don't have the PC hardware to support it, now you can finally revel in the high definition goodness of the previously inaccessible piece of heaven known as Half-Life 2 . Not only that, but the new console release of the Half-Life 2: Orange (also known as the Orange Box) includes several extras that truly justify the not-so-heavy-on-your-wallet price of $59.99. The Orange Box will include the original Half-Life 2 as well as Half-Life 2: Episodes One and Two, Portal and Team Fortress. The Orange Box will be released for Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and PC.In addition, the Black Box will be released exclusively on PC in Summer 2007. It includes Half-Life 2: Episode Two, Portal, and Team Fortress 2. Valve plans on releasing the Black Box for a price of $39.99.Oh, the possibilities...Many fans are simply anxious to try out Valve's new game Portal, which is similar in nature to Prey in it's use of portals to solve puzzles and fight enemies. You have complete control of how yo... More About: With , Nothing , Thing , Range
Get a Wii for $209!
2007-02-09 11:27:02 It's rumored that this Sunday, Best Buys across the nation will have Wii 's in stock. You can visit the Circuit City website by clicking the image above to print out your own $40 off total purchase of $199 or more coupon to get a shiny new Wii for the amazing price of $209, as if the price weren't attractive already. Make sure you arrive early for this one.My only regret is already picking up my Wii. Then again, I've had enough fun to warrant the $249 price tag many times over. Good luck!
Top 5 Tech Stories You Won't See in 2007
2007-02-09 11:27:02 1. Social porn Ever felt like the experience of sitting at your computer downloading porn just isn't quite the same as you're used to? Introducing social porn, the latest advance in a frantic search for new Web 2.0 applications. Now all your friends can please themselves without the inconvenience of having to leave their mother's basement. It's like the internet equivalent of a circle jerk!2. Apple doesn't release a new iPod in six months. In a stunning and extremely surprising move by Apple, the iPod manufacturer decides flooding the market with another expensive iPod with minimal upgrades isn't an effective marketing strategy. Instead, they focus on advances in production in order to cut the cost of making an iPod down. Not only will this possibly allow the average consumer to be able to stay focused on any given member of the iPod family without being confused by a new model, but now Apple has made the iPod cheap enough that it has increased its target audience to inc... More About: Stories , Tech , Tories , Stor , Tori
Family Sues Station After Wii Contest Fatality
2007-02-09 11:27:02 Well I figured it would happen at some point. The family of Jennifer Strange, the mother of three who died in a "Hold Your Wii for a Wii" contest at Sacramento's KDND-FM, announced they are suing the station responsible. The Entercom-owned station hasn't responded yet because their phone lines have been completely busy since the announcement."The station knew this was a dangerous and potentially deadly stunt, but flippantly dismissed the dangers," their lawyer, Roger Dreyer said in a statement. "Hearing the tape (of the radio show), it's very clear they knew of the dangers and could foresee that this could lead to Jennifer's death."After Jennifer Strange was found dead in her home, where she was suspected to have consumed up to two gallons of water without urinating, the station responded by firing 10 people connected to the contest and canceling the "Morning Rave" show the contest was featured on. The hosts of the Morning Rave show were joking about the possibility of water int... More About: Contest , Family , Fatality , Station
I've Got a Lot of Homework for Tomorrow...
2007-02-09 11:27:02 I'm never leaving my laptop home again. Last night I didn't want to bring it with me because I figured my buddies and I would be busy enough at it is. We headed to the Tech N9NE show at the Roseland, which was my first time seeing him live and being at the Roseland. It was a good show and I was impressed by the amount Tech was actually rapping up there and not just letting the record play on. Lip syncing seems to be a favorite of a lot of big rappers out there; it's pathetic.I ended up working at Subway today. Yes, I work at Subway. I'm looking for a new job, preferably something that has to do with web or graphic design. Honestly however, I don't have quite enough experience yet. At least I'm en route to getting it currently, although I'm definitely interested in learning programming as well. On the positive side, I might have some graphic work coming up. More updates on that as it comes (Wish me luck!).I've got Calculus II and Writing 122 in the morning. I'll update more ... More About: Homework , Home , Work , Tomorrow , Ework
Input Strikes a Nerve
2007-02-09 11:27:02 What started out as a comment on Maunderlust's blog turned into a full-fledged entry. That's what these things are for I suppose, right? I've seen a few articles on how FPS' utilize the motion control capabilities of the Wii today and it seems like it's struck a chord through the blogosphere. Everybody is writing about it now.I believe this is because as soon as gamers laid their eyes on Nintendo's new controller, they almost immediately made the "perfect for first person games" connection. I'll admit the Wiimote has the potential to best mouse and keyboard gaming in first person games. The level of precision I'm already seeing is something I can be extremely comfortable with and these first gen games are nothing compared to what we'll be seeing a year or so down the road, and hopefully sooner.Now we're getting into some of the ideas that expanded my "comment-into-a-blog." I'll just paste what I wrote already because I'm lazy and tired and cranky..."The article I read s... More About: Strike , Input
Halo 3 Beta, Round One.
2007-02-09 11:27:02 I received an e-mail in my inbox informing me that the first round of Halo 3 beta testers would be e-mailed within the next two days (1/22 - 1/24). The registration process for phase one of the beta testing is officially closed and now all I have to do is wait, and hope.If you haven't yet registered to participate in the beta testing, which will cover the multiplayer aspect of Halo 3 over Xbox Live and is scheduled to launch in Spring 2007, there are still two ways for you to get in:Rule of Three ProgramThe "Rule of Three" program is currently planned for gamers (17 years and older) in the 50 United States (includes District of Columbia) and Canada who have access to an Xbox 360 Pro console or an Xbox 360 Core console with hard drive, a valid Xbox Live Gold subscription and the Halo 2 game.It is a two-step process:1. Participate in at least three hours of Halo 2 multiplayer sessions on your Xbox 360 console via Xbox Live during the three (3) day period beginning February 1st at 12:... More About: Beta , Round
Japan Finally Gives 360 Some Love
2007-02-09 11:27:02 This is one of the very few times I've seen good news come out of Japan for the Xbox 360. After glowing reviews from Famitsu, Gears of War has sold out across the entire country. Microsoft is scrambling to restock the store shelves. Reports from Japan indicate the game has received lots of attention, with flocks of people gathering around the demo.I find this funny because the tradition is that western-developed games in particular never score high with the gaming public in Japan. First-person shooting games especially are almost nonexistent as it is so commonly the cause of motion sickness and Japanese gamers just usually aren't interested. Gears is a third-person shooter but it has the familiar swinging camera associated with most FPS'.I wonder if the noise surrounding the game coming from the US had any influence on the unexpected success of Gears. To date it has already sold 3 million copies. Microsoft has had a hard time with both the 360 and the original Xbox in Japan, but ... More About: Love , Final , Finally , Give
Lionhead Teases with Fable 2 Goodies
2007-02-09 11:27:02 A post from an administrator on the Lion head Studios message board includes a nice piece of concept art for the upcoming Fable 2, as well as some small hints to go along with it: ... and we would like to add the following 3 points, for you to speculate: This is a castle"Own all the world's property"Located in a city Fable2-TeamI'm not entirely sure, but I believe this is a castle located in a city. In addition, I'm hearing things about being able to own all the world's property. I'm looking forward to hearing more speculation on this as it comes. More About: With , Head , Good
J-Clip Album Concepts
2007-02-07 23:25:02 I've been working on an album cover for a buddy of mine; he goes by the name of J-Clip and he raps. I just thought I'd share a few concept images I'm working on for his name logo. Comments, suggestions, dead babies: all appreciated.Concept 1: Here I started fleshing out the concept. I'd say this is an example of me messing around and trying to find something I like more than anything. I like the 'J', but both the 'J' and the 'L' didn't really go with the rest of the letters.Concept 2: I'm getting closer to the final product. Please take note that the 'j' is more of a filler now than anything; I'm still having trouble finding out exactly what I want to do with it. I took a piece out of the 'i' and made the 'L' go into it in order to give the logo a little more personality. At this point I'd best describe the logo as "goofy." I also took a similar piece out of the dot above the 'i' to further emphasize the pattern. A web designer just came into the Subway where I... More About: Concepts , Album , Once
Love Challenges Industry
More articles from this author:2007-02-07 23:25:02 Generally, most people look at Courtney Love as an emotionally and psychologically unstable piece of work. Over the years she has been through rehab, been referred to as "the most controversial woman in rock" by Rolling Stone magazine and the general consensus seems to reflect just that.In my mind, Courtney Love has always been a wack job with a lot of personal problems. Genius hides in mysterious places. Although her math isn't entirely accurate, nor is it intended to be, she wrote a great article on the state of the music industry and the exploitation of artists by the record labels. I support a lot of what she has to say in this essay, which is actually pretty old and severely long, but its absolutely worth it to read the entire thing. Believe me, or just check it out for yourself.For those of you with attention deficiencies:The article basically goes into some hypothetical math behind the amount the average music artist or band gets paid, including advances and royalties. She g... More About: Industry , Challenge , Hall , Allen 1, 2, 3, 4 |
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