Like so many people I know, I’ve had a Wii for going on two years now but never really used it in anger. (Blame the Xbox and PS3 for that). So this weekend, with little to lose (save for the possiblity of bricking a Wii I barely use anyway) I decided to take the plunge and install some homebrew.
Following GAFS’s Wii Homebrew guide (to the letter) together with a 2 gig SD card I pick up in argos for about €10, a few hours later I was the proud owner of a Wii capable of playing downloaded iso’s directly off a USB-HD plugged in the back. The guide is pretty straightforward and handy enough to follow, though I’d caution against rushing into anything without reading each section in advance in its entirety.
By the end of the guide, with USB Loader installed in the Homebrew channel I was a little lost with regards how to properly format the usb device and load the iso’s onto it. The answer to this turned out to be this handy app which takes care of all those issues.
All six games I loaded onto the usb drive worked perfectly first time.. and so I’ll admit I’m a pretty happy camper (or is that Wii’per?)
|EDIT| If you want to store your games on a drive formatted as FAT rather than WBFS, check out Wii Backup Manager
James Cameron has done his damndest to break the cinematic mold (once again) with his latest movie Avatar. The idea has apparently been rattling around inside his brain for nigh on 15 years, although technological limitations meant that he had to wait before attempting to make it. And now with a reported budget of $300M, 2000 different staffers and 3 and half years in the making…. it’s here. And its amazing.
Avatar tells the story of Jake Sully (Australian actor Sam Worthington), an ex-marine who arrives on Pandora, a distant moon, as part of a giant corporate effort to mine the hugely valuable unobtainium. Standing in the way is the indigenous population of Na’vi, a nature loving race who refuse to cooperate. In an attempt to reach some diplomatic solution to the problem Dr Grace Ausgustine (Weaver) has a developed a program that creates avatars, genetically engineered hybrids between human and Na’vi DNA, basically human minds in Na’vi bodies. Sully is one of these human minds, and sets out on a dual mission of both bonding with the Na’vi and gathering intel for the impending military operation.
What follows is an outrageously beautiful piece of moviemaking which demands to be seen on the big screen. The mix of live-action and cgi is seamless with the Na’vi so realistic that you never question the fact that they are as real as the human characters. The forests of Pandora are alive with a huge array of exotic creatures and wildlife and teeming with an amazing collection of creatures big and small. The 3D is generally understated, never feeling the need to resort the usual cheap tricks we tend to see, but instead simply adding to the overall experience.
The story is not exactly original, drawing on Dances with Wolves amongst others, but its a classic tale which survives retelling. Running time is just over 2 hours and 40 minutes, and does feel a tad sluggish in the middle though that’s easily forgiven thanks to the awesome visuals. Any other criticisms would be nitpicking for the sake of it, and so I won’t bother.
Put simply, you NEED to go see this movie in the cinema. See it on the biggest screen you can and see it soon. Afterwards you’re likely to question the originality of the story-line, though you’ll never question its incredible delivery or indeed your decision to see it.
I’ve long been a fan of usenet for all my downloading needs. I’ve always found torrents a bit fiddly, and a bit hit or miss depending on the age and popularity of what I was looking for.
With more and more torrenting sites coming under fire, I more regularly find myself talking people through the basics of setting up and using usenet. So here’s a basic primer for all
