I love games, and I love my Blackberry. So when I heard about the OpenGL ES support coming to a Blackberry near you, I was very excited. Then I heard that this was only coming to Qualcomm based BBs (Storm 2 particularly), my hopes were shattered.
I understand the technical reasons of why my phone will not be getting support (after doing a lot of research on the processors and even contacting RIM), but I don't understand the decision to put a 3D capable CPU/GPU in one line of phones and ignore the others. The brand new Bold 9700 isn't capable of anything more than mine either... I would have to switch to a CDMA carrier to be able to get a Blackberry capable of running OpenGL ES. I wouldn't mind doing that, except that I'm locked into a 2 year contract at the moment...
So, until then, I've been looking around and trying to find games that the Bold can run. I was pleasantly surprised to find a gem of game called "Addictive Tower Defense".
This strategy game lives up to it's name. I think I put in nearly 3.5 hours playing it off and on yesterday evening. The game is not free, in case you are wondering. I found it on sale for $3.99 on mobihand.com, and it is the first app/game I've ever bought for a cell-phone. I'm extremely happy with my purchase.
There seems to be a community for making maps for the game, so the scenarios are probably endless, the gameplay is smooth, and the graphics are probably the best you'll ever see on an AT&T Blackberry. The only negative things that I could say about the game are that it has no sound (could be a plus depending on your environment, and it probably helps to keep the size of the app down), and that it works the Bold hard. It chewed through my battery, and at one point I thought it had melted the CPU as my screen faded to completely white and the BB stopped responding (wouldn't turn back on even after a battery pull), but hooking up the charger brought it back to life so I'm guessing the battery just died without warning. Either way, I'm going to try to start limiting my sessions with the game to less than an hour and half :O
I also found another game I am seriously considering as my next purchase. It is called "3D Super Stunt G". It's a game similar to Pilot Wings where you fly through rings to score and the environments look very well done. It's on sale now for $6.99 until Dec 31st.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Monday, March 2, 2009
Knee Problems
It's been a while since I posted anything, so I figured I'd hop on and post about my current situation.
The other day I was walking around the track at work and my knee just started hurting unexpectedly. I have had pains in my knee before, but they were usually just a little temporary thing that went away after a few minutes. This is something different. The more I walked the worse it hurt. It's now been 5 days and I'm still not able to walk like I did before. I plan on calling the Dr. today to see if they can take a look at it.
While talking to a friend about my knee problems, he happened to mention having knee problems after switching to New Balance shoes. What a coincidence...I thought to myself, I just recently started wearing New Balance shoes while walking around the track. So, when I got back to my desk I did a google search on "New Balance" and "Knee Problems" and found this blog with the author complaining of leg pains caused by these shoes, and a commentor who specifically mentions knee problems with them as well: http://blog.omnux.com/index.php/2005/10/30/new-balance-shoes/
I'm not sure if the shoes are the problem. I hope they aren't because I find them comfortable to walk in, but I can't think of anything that I've done to hurt my knee like this!
The other day I was walking around the track at work and my knee just started hurting unexpectedly. I have had pains in my knee before, but they were usually just a little temporary thing that went away after a few minutes. This is something different. The more I walked the worse it hurt. It's now been 5 days and I'm still not able to walk like I did before. I plan on calling the Dr. today to see if they can take a look at it.
While talking to a friend about my knee problems, he happened to mention having knee problems after switching to New Balance shoes. What a coincidence...I thought to myself, I just recently started wearing New Balance shoes while walking around the track. So, when I got back to my desk I did a google search on "New Balance" and "Knee Problems" and found this blog with the author complaining of leg pains caused by these shoes, and a commentor who specifically mentions knee problems with them as well: http://blog.omnux.com/index.php/2005/10/30/new-balance-shoes/
I'm not sure if the shoes are the problem. I hope they aren't because I find them comfortable to walk in, but I can't think of anything that I've done to hurt my knee like this!
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Forget Ethanol, give me Green Gasoline
This new (well, maybe not new, but revived) process of turning plants/sugar/refuse into a type of gasoline that has as much energy as regular dino-fuel and can be used in gasoline engine automobiles without any modifications has me pretty excited. Ethanol requires more effort/energy to create and offers less efficiency. This catalyst based process just might be the answer to our oil woes.
You can read more about it here at Foxnews.com
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Mandate only affecting BP this time around?
I think I finally have found some information that may explain why the local BP said that they were being required to switch to E-10. It's from a Knoxville News Sentinel article from July about BP adding to their distribution site.
The important line:
Take from that what you will. It gives me hope that there is still time and that gas stations other than BP may not be switching over just yet.
I've found yet another article mirroring our experiences with significantly lower MPG while using E-10. The Honda Insight Hybrid gets a whopping 10.4 less miles per gallon on E-10. That's nearly a 19% loss! Click the following link to read about it:
Does more ethanol mean less mileage?
The important line:
"A couple of things are driving the demand, but the biggest is the federal mandate for ethanol. Companies like mine are required to sell X amount of ethanol each year depending on what the market percentage is," Kumpf said. "That mandate keeps ratcheting up from the federal side."
Take from that what you will. It gives me hope that there is still time and that gas stations other than BP may not be switching over just yet.
I've found yet another article mirroring our experiences with significantly lower MPG while using E-10. The Honda Insight Hybrid gets a whopping 10.4 less miles per gallon on E-10. That's nearly a 19% loss! Click the following link to read about it:
Does more ethanol mean less mileage?
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Maybe I spoke too soon...
I just drove by the BP on Callahan Rd and their 100% gasoline sign was gone. I will try to check some of the other known ethanol free gas stations and update this post with my findings. Maybe I'll even get some more specifics about this new law and what it really means.
Update:
Unless my hunch is wrong, I have more bad news. I just went by the Citgo and Connoco on Kingston Pike that have signs advertising 100% gasoline... Both were completely out of gas. I'm afraid that when they do fill up again, it will be E-10. I'm still running on the same tank of gas, but my fuel light is on, and I've gone 368 miles so far on 100% gasoline. I was going to try to fill up again on 100%, but it is starting to look like that is going to be impossible. There is only one more station within 5-10 miles that I am aware of that may possibly have 100% gasoline, and it's in the opposite direction that I need to drive after work...and it's in an inconvenient location as well. I may make an attempt to fill up there after work for the sake of my experiment, wish me luck...I might be walking part of the way, haha.
Here are some other people who have started to catch on:
Toyota Nation Forums
International Herald Tribune
Lawnsite.com
Why is there nothing official about what is going on??
Update (9/23/08 8:05 pm):
I paid a visit to the Shell in Oak Ridge, and they were completely out of gas, so I had to drive to a station that only had E-10. I drove 378.3 miles on 16.57 gallons of 100% gasoline. That works out to 22.83 mpg. Not quite a 10% boost in mpg, but I only got to run 1 tank full, and that means there was probably some lingering ethanol in my tank.
I don't think there are any stations left in Knoxville with 100% gas left in their tanks...
Update:
Unless my hunch is wrong, I have more bad news. I just went by the Citgo and Connoco on Kingston Pike that have signs advertising 100% gasoline... Both were completely out of gas. I'm afraid that when they do fill up again, it will be E-10. I'm still running on the same tank of gas, but my fuel light is on, and I've gone 368 miles so far on 100% gasoline. I was going to try to fill up again on 100%, but it is starting to look like that is going to be impossible. There is only one more station within 5-10 miles that I am aware of that may possibly have 100% gasoline, and it's in the opposite direction that I need to drive after work...and it's in an inconvenient location as well. I may make an attempt to fill up there after work for the sake of my experiment, wish me luck...I might be walking part of the way, haha.
Here are some other people who have started to catch on:
Toyota Nation Forums
International Herald Tribune
Lawnsite.com
Why is there nothing official about what is going on??
Update (9/23/08 8:05 pm):
I paid a visit to the Shell in Oak Ridge, and they were completely out of gas, so I had to drive to a station that only had E-10. I drove 378.3 miles on 16.57 gallons of 100% gasoline. That works out to 22.83 mpg. Not quite a 10% boost in mpg, but I only got to run 1 tank full, and that means there was probably some lingering ethanol in my tank.
I don't think there are any stations left in Knoxville with 100% gas left in their tanks...
Thursday, September 18, 2008
100% gas still available
Anyways, since 100% gasoline is still available for now, I will get to complete the test that I started to find out the difference in mileage between E-10 and E-0 in my Mazda 6. I will post my results from my first tank on pure gasoline, though I've heard it may take a few fill-ups before I start to see a noticeable difference.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
E-10 Mandate in Tennessee?
This is my first blog, and I'm not sure where this will lead, but I heard something today and I feel like I just have to try and get the word out somehow.
I suppose I should start with a little introduction. I've been talking with a friend who made me aware that Ethanol can do damage to a car's engine when it isn't designed to handle it. I had no idea it was harmful, and still do not know how much damage it can cause, but that is just one of the negatives with Ethanol. The other thing I wasn't aware of was that ethanol gives 0 energy, and possibly even reduces the efficiency of the entire fuel mix when used in vehicles that are not designed to run on it. My friend's car actually gets 2-3 mpg less when he runs E-10 (10% ethanol, 90% gas) instead of 100% gas. The scary thing is that his car only gets about 15-17 miles per gallon normally, so that 10% of ethanol mixed in with his 90% gas is causing his car to get at least 12% fewer miles per gallon. To quote him: "I would be able to drive further if I filled my tank 90% full with 100% gas than 100% full with 10% ethanol + 90% gas."
After hearing his experience with this stuff that we've all been nearly forced to use in our vehicles for the last few years, I decided I would do a test myself. My car was already full on E-10, and I managed to drive 330 miles before the light came on. That works out to 21.33 miles per gallon (it took 15.47 gallons to fill it back up with 100% gasoline). This time I planned to calculate my MPG on pure gasoline, and after filling up my tank I just happened to think about going inside to talk to the people working there at the BP on Callahan Rd (off of the I-75 exit). I asked them how long they had been selling 100% gasoline and they said that they have never sold E-10, but that on September 16th (just 5 days from now) they will be forced by law to convert to E-10.
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. So I scoured the web and could not find any mention of it. My only hope is that I can spread the word about what is happening and that enough of us will complain to the appropriate people in time for us to put a stop to this.
This has already happened in Missouri if I understand this article: Missouri E-10 Mandate
Some other articles about the problems with Ethanol:
What can we do? Something I hope... My first thought is to contact our Senator here:
Contact Senator Lamar Alexander
Contact Senator Bob Corker
If I think of other potential ways for us to take action, I will update this post and if anyone has any suggestions, I will gladly take them.
Update:
Some more information that might point to this being true, if you can understand it. They made up so many terms in this thing I can't follow it without having to look up every other phrase to see what it refers to. It is pretty old though, so it may be completely unrelated.
EPA Document
This seems to be related and more recent:
2004 Article about Ethanol and Non-attainment regions
This letter to the EPA from Senator Bob Corker is also very relevant:
Bob Corker Urges EPA to Consider Ethanol Mandate Relief
I suppose I should start with a little introduction. I've been talking with a friend who made me aware that Ethanol can do damage to a car's engine when it isn't designed to handle it. I had no idea it was harmful, and still do not know how much damage it can cause, but that is just one of the negatives with Ethanol. The other thing I wasn't aware of was that ethanol gives 0 energy, and possibly even reduces the efficiency of the entire fuel mix when used in vehicles that are not designed to run on it. My friend's car actually gets 2-3 mpg less when he runs E-10 (10% ethanol, 90% gas) instead of 100% gas. The scary thing is that his car only gets about 15-17 miles per gallon normally, so that 10% of ethanol mixed in with his 90% gas is causing his car to get at least 12% fewer miles per gallon. To quote him: "I would be able to drive further if I filled my tank 90% full with 100% gas than 100% full with 10% ethanol + 90% gas."
After hearing his experience with this stuff that we've all been nearly forced to use in our vehicles for the last few years, I decided I would do a test myself. My car was already full on E-10, and I managed to drive 330 miles before the light came on. That works out to 21.33 miles per gallon (it took 15.47 gallons to fill it back up with 100% gasoline). This time I planned to calculate my MPG on pure gasoline, and after filling up my tank I just happened to think about going inside to talk to the people working there at the BP on Callahan Rd (off of the I-75 exit). I asked them how long they had been selling 100% gasoline and they said that they have never sold E-10, but that on September 16th (just 5 days from now) they will be forced by law to convert to E-10.
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. So I scoured the web and could not find any mention of it. My only hope is that I can spread the word about what is happening and that enough of us will complain to the appropriate people in time for us to put a stop to this.
This has already happened in Missouri if I understand this article: Missouri E-10 Mandate
Some other articles about the problems with Ethanol:
- Small engines (lawnmowers, boat motors) are being damaged
- E-20 coming in the near future, and what it means for all of us
- Disadvantages and potential problems
- Evinrude's recommended steps to prevent your engine from being damaged by Ethanol
- Another article discussing the problems with E-10 in Minnesota where it was mandated last year.
- Conservatively Speaking - Blog about Ethanol, mandates, etc.
What can we do? Something I hope... My first thought is to contact our Senator here:
Contact Senator Lamar Alexander
Contact Senator Bob Corker
If I think of other potential ways for us to take action, I will update this post and if anyone has any suggestions, I will gladly take them.
Update:
Some more information that might point to this being true, if you can understand it. They made up so many terms in this thing I can't follow it without having to look up every other phrase to see what it refers to. It is pretty old though, so it may be completely unrelated.
EPA Document
This seems to be related and more recent:
2004 Article about Ethanol and Non-attainment regions
This letter to the EPA from Senator Bob Corker is also very relevant:
Bob Corker Urges EPA to Consider Ethanol Mandate Relief
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