I know it’s been a while since my last post and I really don’t have any excuse for it. Sorry? A couple of weeks ago I joined the iPhone Developer Program and have been playing around with it ever since. I pretty much have zero programming experience so I’ve just been doing some simple stuff while I try to teach myself how to do this. The reason I bring it up now is because my first app was released in the app store today (here). It’s a simple guitar tuner that I made mostly as a test app. I would greatly appreciate it if you check it out and let me know what you think.
All the rumors about Google’s ‘Chrome OS’ release date being sometime this week turned out to be partially true. Google revealed Chrome OS wednesday, but not in the form of a launch. They announced that from here on out the entire project will be open source, which you can check out here. The scheduled launch date is sometime in late 2010, but you can currently download a free VMware image (for use with VMware). For more on how to download/install Chrome OS watch the video tutorial below.
My first impressions of Chrome OS are not very good. I understand that it’s supposed to be a web based operating system and that’s where they’re putting all their focus, but I think they’re focusing a little too much on it. Since it is currently only in a beta state I can understand why it would be slow and buggy, but the overall OS just doesn’t impress me. First of all it doesn’t even look like an OS, it looks exactly like the Chrome browser, which I would be ok with if it actually functioned differently then the Chrome Browser.
Look familiar?
The only difference I can tell so far is the ‘Applications’ tab on the far left. This isn’t so much as an applications tab so much as it is a quick links tab. This is also understandable because google stated that every app on Chrome OS is going to be a web app. I’m not really thrilled about the idea because I just don’t see how it can be implemented without holding back tons of features that can’t be created in web apps. Maybe after it’s launched the ‘App’ developers will come by the thousands and create something as awesome as the iPhone app store. But right now there’s nothing like that and all I see in this beta version of Chrome OS is a slow and buggy Chrome web browser. I would definitely recommend trying it out though, so let me know what you think.
It’s been one of the most hyped games of all time…was it worth the wait? Yesterday the newest installment in the Call of Duty series, Modern Warfare 2, was released to millions of eagerly awaiting fans. After Infinity Ward’s Modern Warfare was released in 2007 it got nothing but great reception. It changed the way people perceived the Call of Duty series, switching from a WWII shooter to a cutting edge and action packed FPS. Now the only question is, can they possibly deliver a sequel that can surpass Modern Warfare? I’m here to answer that question.
CAMPAIGN
Not only was the first Modern Warfare known for its great multiplayer, but also its amazing storytelling in the campaign mode. Modern Warfare 2 continues the story from the first game, which I think was definitely a good move. There are some big differences between the two though. While the first game had you going around the middle east hunting down terrorists, MW2 brings the battle a little bit closer. The game starts off in Russia, but the action is then carried over to the United States. I think this is a nice change from all the other Call of Duty games on foreign soil. It adds a new depth of realism to the game and really makes it feel like a war. Although I’m not finished with the campaign yet, I’m enjoying it for the most part so far. One of my biggest complaints is the lack of strategic moments in the game. Most of what I’ve played has me going through a level killing as many terrorists as I can, wave after wave, and shooting down helicopters with missiles. While there are still some strategic levels, it’s just not implemented enough.
MULTIPLAYER
With a game like Modern Warfare 2, I think multiplayer is a huge making or breaking point. With the success of Modern Warfare’s multiplayer, it seems like nothing can top it. Well, welcome to Modern Warfare 2. The new multiplayer includes all new game modes, all new weapons, all new challenges, and a whole bunch of other all new stuff. At first I was a bit overwhelmed with all of the new features and unlocks, but as I progressed through the challenges and ranks I knew it could only be a good thing. When you’re in the middle of a game it’s quite rewarding to see three challenges unlocked without even trying. I’m pleased with the weapon selection, as well as the game types. Capture the flag, 3rd person mode, and others have been added. Beneath all of these new features is the Modern Warfare multiplayer you know and love. If you were a fan of the last game then you wont be disappointed.
UPDATE 11/9/09: MacHeist has released another free app today. It’s an anti-virus application called ‘VirusBarrier’. More info here.
If you’re currently running OS X, then you want to be a part of the latest MacHeist. If you don’t know what MacHeist is then you’re missing out on one of the greatest deals in OS X application history. MacHeist gives away a bundle of apps (this time it includes 6) worth hundreds of dollars for free. It seems too good to be true but their reasoning behind it is that it gives developers access to hundreds of thousands of consumers. At the time of writing this there have already been over 115,000 people who have downloaded the 6 app bundle. All you have to do is head over to MacHeist.com, register, and download it! And you’re not just downloading trials, all of the apps come with serials, allowing you to capture their full power. The six apps are ShoveBox, WriteRoom, Twitterrific, TinyGrap, Hordes of Orcs, and Mariner Write. In my opinion all 6 of these apps are absolutely fantastic, and extremely useful for day to day tasks. Mariner Write is the special app this time which means the serial numbers are released once 500,000 people have signed up for MacHeist, so help the cause and go join!
If you’ve been waiting for an iPhone unlock, wait no longer. BlackRa1n (created by GeoHot) has been updated to support the installation of BlackSn0w, which will unlock your phone to be used on any carrier. Instructions for installing BlackSn0w below…
As I was looking around on the web I found myself going to thepiratebay.org…or at least trying. The site popular for torrenting appears to have been shut down. This is coming just days after they were ordered to shut down or face fines. This isn’t the first time The Pirate Bay has gone offline and I believe that it’s only a matter of time before they resurface. More updates to come…
UPDATE: As expected, The Pirate Bay is back online. It’s unclear at the moment exactly why it was down or how it got back up, but you can go back to filesharing once again.
These are my five favorite themes for WordPress, all of which are free. If you don’t know what WordPress is then go to WordPress.org for more information.
If you’ve been anticipating the release Modern Warfare 2 as much as I have then you probably already heard about the video that was leaked online yesterday. It depicts the first level of the campaign, in which you play as an undercover CIA agent trying to gather intel from terrorists. Controversy is generating over this video because the mission has you kill innocent civilians in a crowded airport. When I first saw the clip my jaw dropped. I never would have expected something like this out of Infinity Ward. It’s only a matter of time before news networks pick it up and parents start complaining, but I just hope it doesn’t get to the point where they are forced to take it out of the game. The game takes place in the middle of a war and I’m glad they’re taking realism to a new level. At least your not running around San Andreas running over cops, right?
As it seems like Activison isn’t too happy about this clip being leaked, I’m not going to embed the video into this post, but as of 3:40PM the video is still up on the link I posted. If that video gets removed I’ll post a new link later. Your thoughts on the clip?
As you can tell, Control Mod has been given a complete makeover. I wanted it to be simple, beautiful, and filled with features. I’m proud to say I’ve accomplished all three. I’ll give you a quick rundown of the site. On the very top I will have my four most recent posts so you can easily see if there have been any updates since the last time you visited. In the header you can subscribe by RSS or email, and you can also find my twitter page. Below that are the pages (currently only ‘Home’ and ‘Downloads’) and the main news feed with everything thats posted to the site. In the sidebar you can find the featured articles, popular posts, archive, and about us. Thanks for the support and I look forward to hearing your feedback.
As you probably already know, Windows’ newest operating system was released today. I can only assume the same creativity that went into the name went into the OS. If you haven’t figured it out by now I’m mainly an Apple person, but I always have an open mind to windows and one day maybe they’ll get it right. Windows 7 is supposed to be much better than Vista, but that’s honestly not saying much. Everybody knows the headaches that came with Vista, and any other Windows operating system. So of course current Vista users will upgrade and XP users will upgrade just because they’re tired of using the same OS for 8 years. Pretty much all of the reviews I’ve heard about Windows 7 have been on the positive side, but the core of Windows hasn’t changed and I really don’t see it changing anytime soon. I don’t want to seem too much like a fanboy, but I love all the Apple commercials because they’re all true. I especially like the one below because it highlights the exact reason I stick to Macs. Microsoft makes things more complicated and calls it innovation. Innovation is making everything simpler and easy to use. It seems like Windows is starting to slowly inch in this direction, but I don’t seem them making any drastic changes anytime soon. If you’re a Windows fan then I’m sorry…that Windows is awful.
Control Mod is an all tech, all the time blog. This site delivers news from a hands on perspective. I’m Michael Dearworth, the creator of Control Mod, and through this site I will blog about what new tech I’m dealing with and the gadgets I’m fooling around with. If you want to get real news from a real person, then stay tuned…
Look familiar?
As I was looking around on the web I found myself going to 
As you can tell, Control Mod has been given a complete makeover. I wanted it to be simple, beautiful, and filled with features. I’m proud to say I’ve accomplished all three. I’ll give you a quick rundown of the site. On the very top I will have my four most recent posts so you can easily see if there have been any updates since the last time you visited. In the header you can subscribe by RSS or email, and you can also find my twitter page. Below that are the pages (currently only ‘Home’ and ‘Downloads’) and the main news feed with everything thats posted to the site. In the sidebar you can find the featured articles, popular posts, archive, and about us. Thanks for the support and I look forward to hearing your feedback.
As you probably already know, Windows’ newest operating system was released today. I can only assume the same creativity that went into the name went into the OS. If you haven’t figured it out by now I’m mainly an Apple person, but I always have an open mind to windows and one day maybe they’ll get it right. Windows 7 is supposed to be much better than Vista, but that’s honestly not saying much. Everybody knows the headaches that came with Vista, and any other Windows operating system. So of course current Vista users will upgrade and XP users will upgrade just because they’re tired of using the same OS for 8 years. Pretty much all of the reviews I’ve heard about Windows 7 have been on the positive side, but the core of Windows hasn’t changed and I really don’t see it changing anytime soon. I don’t want to seem too much like a fanboy, but I love all the Apple commercials because they’re all true. I especially like the one below because it highlights the exact reason I stick to Macs. Microsoft makes things more complicated and calls it innovation. Innovation is making everything simpler and easy to use. It seems like Windows is starting to slowly inch in this direction, but I don’t seem them making any drastic changes anytime soon. If you’re a Windows fan then I’m sorry…that Windows is awful. 
