The New Journey

I was reading an incredibly fascinating article in the most recent issue of GQ, about how Journey found their latest lead singer on YouTube.

In a story reminiscent how Judas Priest replaced Rob Halford, you're presented with a story of how a cover band singer from the Phillipines became the lead singer of a band he idolized as a child. If you see any of the videos of Arnel Pineda on YouTube (search for "the zoo"), you'll be amazed at the uncanny resemblance his voice has to the most well known Journey frontman, Steve Perry.

An amazing story.

More Guitar Hero News

Gizmodo has some more news on the new Guitar Hero announcement.

As much as I loved Guitar Hero 3, I honestly don't believe that I'll be buying the new Guitar Hero World Tour. GH has basically sucked with respect to downloadable content (DLC) compared to the likes of other games, including Rock Band and SingStar. Activision missed the boat, and I don't know if the extra bells and whistles are enough to steal people back from the Rock Band franchise.

Rhythm games on today's generation of consoles live and die off the DLC, especially since the pack-in songs can't please everyone. For example, I just picked up Singstar yesterday, and of the 30 pack-in songs, I would say that fewer than 5 are songs that I like. We ended up buying 15 songs online last night just so that we could have songs we recognize and like.

Since Guitar Hero III has been out (fortunately its pack-in songs are actually quite good), the DLC that has come out has failed to impress. I've already spent a pretty penny on new Rock Band songs over the past few months, since EA releases new DLC weekly.

Jonathan Ive Interview

Jonathan Ive, interviewed by the Independent:

It's very unique for the product to be what consumes you completely. And when I say the product I mean the product in its total sense, the hardware and the software, the complete experience that people will have. We push each other, we're very self-critical and we'll take the time to get the product right.

Ziplight: Search Zip Files with Spotlight

Since the title is self-explanatory, here's the link.

Guitar Hero World Tour Trailer

Guitar Hero goes Rock Band.. but with incompatible controllers, of course.

Fake TV Deters Burglars?

From BoingBoing:

The FakeTV is an appropriately named $49 anti-burglary boob tube. It does just one thing: it makes it look like someone is basking in the flickering glow of the television at midnight, simulating the stroboscopic effect of a real television but at a fraction of the real electrical cost.

Outsmarted... by a mouse!

A tiny field mouse has been the bane of my existence for the past week. He (or possibly she) has been slowly and surgically destroying my wife's lilium garden in my back yard in what appears to be an attempt to build a nest.

This little brat seems to have a sixth sense. He avoided the traps I baited with peanut butter, and now seems to be avoiding the glue traps that I set out.

Having made me spend a significant chunk of change on gear that only proves unsuccessful in the attempts to capture him, I have to admit defeat.

'Tis a dark day, for I, Steven Ng, have been outsmarted... by a mouse.