mikeszekely

Prowl?

YDL has been a PPC Linux distro aimed at running on old Macintosh hardware long before the PS3 (first release in 1999). Terrasoft, the makers of YDL, officially support the PS3 and YDL may be more optimized for the PS3's hardware than other Linux distros, but YDL for PS3 is still basically a port of YDL 5. YDL is, I guess, the easiest version of Linux to install on the PS3, because since it is officially supported, there's plenty of directions for how to install it. It's been a long time since I did it myself, but IIRC you need to back up your PS3, then tell the PS3 to format itself to make room for another OS. Unfortunately, you're only options are 10 for the Other OS and the rest for the PS3, or 10 for the PS3 and the rest for the Other OS, but that shouldn't be a big deal if all you really want to do is browse the net. In fact, YDL will install Firefox by default when you install it. Oh, yeah, you'll also need a bootloader. You put it on a USB memory stick or what not, and it lets the PS3 boot the Other OS before it's installed (once YDL is installed, you won't need it anymore). In fact, the trickiest thing I remember about installing Linux is that, by default, once YDL is installed, it will become the default OS, and YDL doesn't make it clear how to boot back into the XMB. What I did was use the tools in YDL to write a little program that basically put a button on the panel (that's YDL's version of the Mac OS dock), complete with PS logo, that when click runs a Terminal script to reboot the PS3 in the XMB. I'd be happy to post directions for what I did if anyone wants them, but I should point out that I did it maybe a year ago. I know after I downloaded the YDL distro and installed it, it used one script, but after I updated YDL, it used a different script, so I had to change it. I'm not sure if the actual distro is updated now, or after you install it and update it if it's current with mine or not, so mileage may vary. Oh, and for the record, yes, Ubuntu can run on the PS3, as long as you get the PPC version and not the Intel version. You'll also need a bootloader. I have no idea how to do it, but I'm sure it should be similar and there are probably directions on an Ubuntu forum or something. I know a friend of mine installed Kubuntu on his. (Kubuntu is Ubuntu with the KDE desktop instead of the GNOME desktop. It seems less popular, but I found it to be much more user-friendly, especially if you're not familiar with Linux.) One final thing to note... unless you leave YDL/Ubuntu/whatever Linux distro you choose as your default OS, booting into it will involve starting the PS3, navigating to the Other OS menu in the PS3's settings, then directing it to start the Other OS, at which point the PS3 will reboot, then boot Linux. Booting Linux takes as long, if not longer, than booting Windows. You might find it easier to just use the ol' computer (or, if you've got the money to burn, an iPod touch). As far as Sony updating their web browser, there's no reason why they couldn't via a firmware update, but whether they will or not is another story. I haven't heard anything about it. I'll let you in on a little secret (one that's sure to get me branded as a Nintendo/Microsoft/Apple fanboy, which seems to happen whenever I express the slightest displeasure with Sony, but I digress)... Sony's web browser sucks. Big time. I sucked on the PSP, and it's no better on the PS3. I'd say use Opera on the Wii if you have it, as it's slightly better, but certainly not enough to warrant paying for it. In fact, the only browser I've ever used that wasn't a computer's that I actually liked is Safari mobile in the iPhone/iPod touch. Safari mobile is almost worth the cost of the hardware by itself, but it works by not making the same crappy compromises that the Sony browser, or Opera Wii, or IE for Windows Mobile make.

What kind of Linux box are you running? I've got Xandros 4 on my backup computer (P4 2.6GHz, 1.5GB RAM, GeForce 6200), and not only is it faster than YDL on my PS3, it's like the difference between a Corvette and a Cobalt. I don't think that YDL is optimized for Cell; it's a PPC port. I suspect they might be using one or two of the Cell's SPUs to render video, since Sony restricted access to the RSX. Maybe YDL can use the RSX's VRAM for video, but it still only has 256MB for the system RAM. That's probably plenty for gaming, but minimal for even a lot of Linux distros.

I'm kind of the opposite. I played the heck out of GT3, but I didn't care for GT4, since it the biggest change between 3 and 4 was the addition of way too many old used Honda Civics and what not. It didn't help that Forza was everything I wanted GT4 to be. Even though I haven't really played Forza 2 (I'm more into arcadey racing games that realistic ones), I'll probably check out GT5 when it comes out, but I really have no interest in GT5 Prologue.

AFAIK? Yes it's a $40 demo, and no, I think they'll charge you full price for GT5 when it hits.

Not only is the PSP really anal about what the video is called, but also about where it's at on the memory stick. IIRC, unless this is something they changed with a firmware update (sorry, I'm more of an iPod video guy, especially since I got the touch), there wasn't a VIDEOS folder. If you're browsing your PSP's memory stick, let's say it shows up as drive P in Windows Explorer, you have folders like SAVEDATA and PHOTO and what not inside a folder called PSP (P:\PSP\SAVEDATA, P:\PSP\PHOTO, etc.). Videos don't go in the PSP folder, but in a different folder in the PSP's root directory called MP_ROOT (P:\MP_ROOT). Inside that folder should be another folder, 100MNV01 (P:\PSP\MP_ROOT\100MNV01). Video files go here, but the PSP is still bound by its pain-in-the-bum naming restrictions. All video files need to be named M4Vxxxxx.mp4, where xxxxx is can be any number from 00001 to 99999. These rules might not apply to to H.264 encoded mp4 files. That as a feature added to the PSP long after I stopped using it for video. One final thing to note, even if you follow all those rules, the PSP could be finicky and still decide it doesn't like it. If you're into PSP videos, do check out PSP Video 9. It'll convert pretty much any common video format into an mp4 file encoded just the way the PSP likes, and it'll even name the mp4 file it creates according to the PSP's naming conventions. It remembers what the last one it created was, too, so if you converted episodes 1 and 2 of Frontier as M4V00001.mp4 and M4V00002.mp4, assuming you don't convert any other videos in the meantime, it'll create episode 3 as M4V00003.mp4 later on. Another nice thing about it is that it'll create a corresponding thumbnail file, since the PSP can't do it itself. And while it is freeware, don't think that it's no good. I used it back when I was into video on the PSP, and I continue to use a related product, Videora iPod Converter, for making iPod videos.

Well as long as I'm good, nope, I don't mind at all! Sigh and lay as much smack-down as you like.

Mind what? That sighs not for me, is it?

You could try something like iSquint.. Since the subs are hardsubbed, re-encoding the video at a lower resolution in a format that your Mac likes better might help. In the long run, though, it might be time to upgrade. Even the entry-level Intel MacBooks were designed with media playback in mind.

Oh... but she hasn't really been in the anime yet, has she? I'd be more familiar with the Lieutenant who was trying to recruit Alto.

Until we have clearer information on the topic, it's an assumption that the entirety of Frontier 1 is operating under 0.75G. The lower gravity zone might only apply to a transitional area. With that in mind, the armored VF-25 might very well have been flying in Gerwalk mode under full gravity. In-continuity, yes. What Kawamori actually designed first is open for debate. The Macross Design Works indicates that the earliest sketches for what would become the VF-1 were from January of '80, but doesn't give a date for the Dragon II. From what little I can glean from the Japanese text, it does mention the F-14 as the design inspiration for the VF-1, and the F-15 as the inspiration for the Dragon II. I would imagine, although only Kawamori could say for sure, that the VF-1's design was completed first, and that he worked backward to create the Dragon II later when they decided to do an episode about Roy and Claudia's past. In any case, it might be easy to see how, in-continuity, the F203 evolved from the F-15, and the VF-1 evolved from the F203, but I believe sketchley was quoting the real-world planes that influenced Kawamori's VF designs. The F203 would be disqualified for not being a real-world plane.

Who?

Sorry it took so long to get back to you on this one, but my PSP's L button was always registering as pressed when it wasn't. Finally broke down, took the thing apart, cleaned it, put it back together, saw that the L button was working fine, only to have issues with the analog stick always pulling down. After taking the analog stick assembly apart, finding no apparent reason why it should be malfunctioning, overstretching the spring, and slapping it all back together, I'm left with a PSP that might not play God of War anymore, but seems okay for Gundam. I ordered a new analog stick assembly, and I'm kinda thinking about getting a new faceplate, but I digress... Forgive me if this comes across as condescending, but I want to be thorough so you can get on with enjoying your game! Now, if you did the training, it sounds like you can obviously get to the mission select screen. On the mission select screen, it should say Training, with a smaller 0079 under it. Push R to move over to the 0079 missions. Select the mission you want, and you're taken to the screen were, on the left, there are two columns, one for player and one for partner. Highlight Player and push circle. You can push left or right on the d-pad to select a mobile suit. When you're on the suit you want, pressing circle will take you to the tuning menu for that suit. Push X to exit the tuning menu, then push down on the d-pad. Pushing left or right here will allow you to select a pilot, once you unlock more of them. You can't push circle here, because pilots gain experience through combat, not tuning. Push down one more time. A mission panel will appear on the right, with a picture of the field. When you see that picture, push circle. A message will pop up. The gist of the message is something like "okay to go into battle with these settings?" The choice on the left is yes, and the choice on the right (highlighted by default) is no. Highlight yes, press circle, and you're off to shoot some enemy mobile suits! If there's any other trouble you have with the game, feel free to PM me. I started a notebook where I wrote down what everything was in the menus and what not.

I use VLC pretty much regardless of OS. That said, I haven't watched MF on my MacBook, only my Windows HTPC. Maybe I'll try it on my Mac later.

Macross 7 was a good show that just had the misfortune of starring Basara.

I like it when a game is announced just a few months before release. I know what I'll be doing this summer! No Zaku-III love?

Yeah, and the reason there's no room for them is because the shelf is clogged with movie scouts. And hey, maybe that is the retailers' faults. Maybe I am being hasty in blaming Hasbro. Either way, the first season of Animated is over, and the toys are still two months away because the shelves are jammed with movie toys that the majority don't seem to be interested in anymore.

Yeah, but they're going to be the first to complain come June when Animated hasn't shown a new episode in a month and everyone's buying Iron Man, Hulk, and Spider-Man toys instead of Transformers. Oh well. Let the kids buy whatever's captivating their ADD attention spans... it'll make it easier for me to get the Transformers I want.

Sorry, we're going to have to agree to disagree. I mean, yeah, I can agree that Zeonic Front was poop on a stick, and that Journey to Jaburo was almost good, but missed the mark. I can agree that True Odyssey was fun, Rengou vs. Zaft 2 was good (the first one was fun, but lacking the dedicated console modes), and the Battle series is probably my favorite. I'll also throw in that I liked Encounters in Space and One Year War, and that Climax UC was good but kind of forgettable. And yes, the Dreamcast game was bad because it played like the controller input was relaying commands to a monkey, who then tried to repeat the commands but failed. A good plot doesn't save a bad game; if I wanted to watch a good Gundam story, I'll put Zeta on. But I'm sorry, Feddie vs. Zeon and AEUG vs. Titans are probably my favorite non-Battle Gundam games (although I'll grant you it's a little harder to go back to them after playing the faster SEED vs games). And I really liked Dynasty Warriors Gundam. It probably helped that I liked Dynasty Warriors sans Gundam, so DWG for me was one of those Reese's "You got chocolate in my peanut butter" things. But even if I didn't like DWG, I'm still pretty sure that I would have liked it better than Crossfire. Strategy? The most important strategy I came up with was to lean my mattress against the wall so I didn't break my SIXAXIS when I threw my controller in frustration at having discovered a Gundam game with worse controls than Zeonic Front or the Dreamcast game. When I was a kid and had to wait 11 months between my birthday and Christmas to get a new Nintendo game, I might have accepted shoddy controls, but now I'm too old and have too many other games to play. Crap controls are a gamebreaker for me. As for cheap games, just check out Target every now and then. They're always putting PS3 games on clearance. So far, I've picked up Need For Speed Carbon, Genji, Folklore, and F-1, each for $15. Orange Box is $30, and even though I heard it plays better on the 360, I'll probably buy it for the PS3 if/when it drops to $15, since only the PS3 version is on clearance.

Considering how many of the damn things are turning up on eBay (and even a few in test markets like Cincinnati), I could see why they didn't have the toys ready in December or in January when the show debuted, but there's no way you could get me to believe that Hasbro couldn't have the toys in stores this month if they really wanted them there.

That'd go a long way toward explaining that circular frame surrounding that scene.

I've actually played it, and you sir, are crazy. The vs. games are some of the best Gundam games to date, with probably the Battle series on the PSP being better. Crossfire is, in fact, possibly one of the Gundam games I disliked WORSE than Zeonic Front (the one on the Dreamcast was pretty bad, too).

I suspect that, in addition to the lag between episodes, it's easier to get more excited for a longer TV show than a shorter OAV. Especially when the TV show is set in the future of the in-continuity universe, where anything is fair game, vs. a prequel, where you can't do much without serious retcons. I mean, we're only two episodes into Frontier, and I'm already liking it a lot better than Zero. And I liked Zero!

Very true, but (in defiance of pretty much every Ace Combat game) real world air combat has become more about shooting one or two missiles from a few miles away, so for now fighter pilots don't have to worry about an Itano circus. ...Yet. But yeah, it makes sense to let the computer track targets faster than than a human pilot can in a fictional universe where swarms of missiles are so common even civilian craft that shoot speakers instead of bullets pack a few missiles.

IIRC, after the YF-22 won the ATF competition it almost immediately was designated the F-22 (and for awhile F/A-22), but Lockheed spent a few years refining the design and testing it before it entered active service.