Magic 2013

I believe I've mentioned Games with Gold before, and I've diligently at least purchased every single title (whether I've actually downloaded/played it yet or not). So far, they've been an ok mix of things I've known about and other things I'd not considered, but this month, they've got me.

Stepping into the wayback machine, you may be aware that from 1993-95, I was in the U.S. Army Band as a trombone player (MOS Specialty 02E), and while I was in, I got hooked on a collectible card game called Magic: The Gathering. I played the crap out of this game and spent a ton of money on it. Thing is, Wizards of the Coast wasn't the recipient of most of my money. Instead, it was other players and card shops who got my hard earned cash because I wanted to get the coolest and rarest cards to complete my dream decks. My claim to fame was the ultimate discard deck that took down just about everyone it touched (except that one guy who played protection from black, though he conceded the first round when I made him discard his key card). Ah, those were the days.

Since then, I discarded every Magic card I owned (with the exception of some I placed in a binder as mementos such as a complete set of the Revised (otherwise known as the 3rd) Edition), declaring it far too expensive to play any longer. Time passed, but as time tends to do, old memories fade and sometimes, old friends come back. It worked for Doctor Who when I revisited that old friend a few years back, and now, Magic is back when it came up as a freebie in Games With Gold. I downloaded it and immediately set my completion percentage back 20 achievements (25 with the DLC I'll probably spring for).

The first thing it asked was how much Magic you've played: None, a little, or a lot. Well, I played a lot from 1994-1997, but none since, so I said a little. Overnight, I remembered how to play, learned the new terminology, and picked up 9 achievements. I've been pretty handily stomping the computer, and I'll have to take on those "beat a player on xBox Live" achievements here eventually. I figure I'll beat the campaigns and other "versus the computer" stuff first, and then hit up other players. Should be fun, and I'm kind of excited by the prospect. Since this is a free game to all Gold players, there should also be a ton of people out there playing it.

Where does that leave me on the original card game? Well, back in the day, the game was sold in starter decks of 60 cards and booster packs of 15. "Starter deck" is really a misnomer, since while you can play a game with a starter deck, it would be a royal mess of an attempt since the cards and lands are completely random. I've learned that modern magic is sold in intro decks, which are a complete pre-built decks that are immediately playable and require no real deck-building skill to just start. That was what always got people in the beginning. How do I start? How do I build a deck? Now that I have a zillion cards, what do I do with them?

Deck-building is a skill acquired through trial and error. You throw a bunch of like-minded cards together and hope for the best. When you're playing and find a card you hate staring back at you, you toss it and put in something else. The goal is to get a collection where you always have a card you like in your hand. Wizards of the Coast took care of that first, most difficult, step of the like-minded cards, and from there, it's up to you to change them out to make it your own.

Will I play the card game again? I'm tempted. I figured out while playing this computer version that I went about it the wrong way all those years ago. I obsessed over buying the best cards without playing the game for the fun factor and collecting whatever happened to be in the packs you can buy. Granted, I grabbed my share of random mixes, and oh yes, I bought entire boxes of boosters, but I was going for quantity as well as those precious rares instead of just using what I had on-hand to just play. If I went into playing again, I'd probably grab a couple pre-made decks of new cards, pick up some bulk randoms (Amazon has them in droves - 1000 cards for $20 and that sort of thing), and then set myself a periodic spending limit to not surpass for whatever else I wanted.

Who would I play? Same people I play all my other games with. Got the Princesses, the Queen, and the Engineer at the very least. I have my own CCG that I've been developing, and I know I'll need to take it into the world to show off, so having another game to tote with me to fit in would be useful. This is all musings at present, and I'm just playing the Xbox version for the moment, but the future is out there.

Covert USB Drives

Today, I want to mention a couple of fascinating items that kind of fall under my love for the James Bond stories. Gotta love that spy stuff, right? Now, the James Bond tales are one part gritty espionage action and in a lot of the movies more than the books, it involves some complex and not-so-complex gadgetry (and in some of the movies, a ridiculous amount of gadgetry). But the two items here not only provide some awesome storage, but they do it in a clever little package.

Take this, for instance.

Why, that's a bit of frayed USB cable, right? Someone had some rotten luck with the dog, I would guess. And why wouldn't you guess any different? Anyone who has enough cables laying around their house (like I do, just listen to the Queen complain about them -- love you, honey) will know that one of them ends up like this eventually if you're not careful (well, mine don't end up like this -- actually, I've never shredded one like this on accident...yes, I said on accident). 

This thing is actually a 2Gb flash drive. That's space a plenty for your important files, and it's very doubtful anyone would steal this bit of cable or even ask to borrow it for their own RAZR hacking purposes. No, your data is probably safer here than on a standard USB drive that looks suspicious like a...well, a USB drive. I think the best picture to paint with something like this is to imagine yourself in McDonald's, happily enjoying the free wi-fi access with your frayed USB cable sticking out the side of your laptop, and catching the looks of the strangers concerned about your sanity as they steal glances at your broken cable while you laugh inside knowing they don't know the truth.

Here's the link.

http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/drives/ab63/

The other covert drive just might end up in someone else's pocket, if you're not careful, but it will make you popular in the smoke hole...oh wait, my building doesn't have a smoke hole anymore. But you know, those people bring their cigarettes, but forget their lighters. Ah, but you're the hero! For some reason unbeknownst to your smoking friends, you carry a lighter, and assist them in their unhealthy habit with this classy little job:

But wait. That doesn't make sense. Why would someone who isn't smoking be carrying around a lighter? Impromptu fires? Afraid of being caught in an ice storm unawares? Going camping over the weekend? Truly disposing of your trade secrets most effectively? And then, with a glance left and right, you sit down to your computer and pop your lighter into the side of it.

Oh yes, for 8 Gb of storage, I would definitely keep my lighter on me at all times. I mean, a lot of good gossip passes in the smoke holes. I was told at one job that the best way to find out what was really going on in the business was to hang out with the smokers outside, since they talk while they smoke. Not sure what other purpose a lighter would have in todays world... But hey, it's cool.

Here's the link to this one.

http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/electronic/aacd/

Finally, we have this little job:

Ah yes, now theres something truly useful. If you aren't using your cell phone for the time, you can keep time on this handy watch. The watch has been used for some time to keep time on one's own wrist. This was apparently before we had the time displayed in the lower right hand corner of our screens.

But this particular watch, like our other items, is special. You see, this watch has either 2 or 4 Gb of storage on it in the same USB drive format as the other items:

Who saw that coming right? So like James Bond, your watch would have a secret in it. No, it isn't lasers or a bomb detonator, but it could hold secret files for the communists plan to take over the world. Just break into said communist leader's office, plug in your watch and start downloading. When done, make your way back to the party in the other room, and no one will be the wiser. It's a lot easier than carrying some 3.5" floppy around.

Here's that link:

http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/watches/9771/

Cool Looking Keyboards

I'm not sure there's been a cooler keyboard than this one...ever. It's hard to make out in the picture, but this is a keyboard just like you have plugged into your computer right now. It has 113 keys that help you make your emails, access the web, order your online movies, and hack government web sites, but this has something that yours doesn't (unless you already possess this keyboard, and then you're just cooler than I am).

Every single key has its own screen. That's right. 113 tiny screens display what each key does based on whatever you're doing right now. Your keyboard has its letters in uppercase all the time. Well, this keyboard has them in lower cae unless you hold down the shift key, at which time it changes them all to uppercase. It has a series of customizable keys that have maybe the temperature or time, or the song you're playing through iTunes at the moment.

You can even change the look of the keyboard through the software on the computer. It has some USB ports to plug in extra stuff (because a PC never has enough USB ports). You can customize each key to do something and the screen will reflect that function.

What's that? Why don't I have one? Well, that the only downside. If you want this beauty, it'll cost you. Cost you dearly. This baby is nearly $1600.

Hey, don't look so sad. You can drool over it more if you go here:

http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/input/9836/

The other item I want to mention is also a keyboard, but this one is way non-traditional. Check this out:

Yeah, it's projecting the keyboard with a laser onto a solid surface. You use it by typing into the projection. It's intent is for use in bluetooth enabled devices like palmtops or blackberrys where there is an interface for an external keyboard. It even has simulated clicking sounds as you type, and it can handle speeds approahing that of a traditional keyboard. No denying this is one cool little toy.

This one won't totally break the bank though. It'll only run you $150. Hey, it's on sale!

Another link to drool over if you want to:

http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/input/8193/

Electronic Drum Kit Shirt

I don't know how many of you out there visit ThinkGeek.com, but I get a kick out of some of the stuff they have on there. In the spirit of cool stuff, I dedicate Thursday to cool geeky products, and would like to talk about cool things I've seen (probably on ThinkGeek). Here's today's to kick it off:

It's the electronic drum kit shirt. The idea behind this ingenius shirt is that it has seven playable drums that sound off when you touch them. Apparently, instead of making a shirt with a picture of drums and referencing Rock Band to see if you'll buy it, they decided to make you a walking drum solo instead.

The only problem I could see with this is...um, well, actually I can't see any problem with this. It would be pretty sweet to walk around tapping your chest and having drum sounds come out. I guess a woman wouldn't find that as fun, since people would be wanting to play her drums for her. I could see that as being frowned upon depite the fun level involved.

No, I don't have one. Don't have the $29.99 plus shipping to spare at the moment to throw down on it. Doesn't make it any less cool though.

Here's the link:

http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts-apparel/unisex/generic/ac0b/