Tuesday, November 30, 2004
Updates....
Now, i got this email about an article from a former TechTv intern. It's worth a read.
Go get it.
Thanks go out to Jonathon, check out his blog.
Also from Jonathon.
"Today, on the first new episode of TSS, they flashed a picture of Kevin
Mitnick in the old San Francisco studio, when he did his first web
surf. If you notice, the TechTV logo on the bottom right corner on the
wallpaper on the monitor has a white box on top of it."
hmmm.
Sunday, November 28, 2004
Proof of name change?
Wednesday, November 24, 2004
Athlon 64 4000 and the Athlon FX-55.
recently released the Athlon 64 4000 and the Athlon 64 FX-55. The
Athlon 64 4000 runs at a clock speed of 2.4GHz-the same as the Athlon
64 FX-53, but benchmarks at the equivelant of a Pentium 4, 4GHz. Since
a Pentium 4 4GHz processor does not yet exist, AMD starts to pull
ahead in the processor race. Even more exciting is the Athlon 64
FX-55. It runs at 2.6GHz and benchmarks quite a bit higher than the
Athlon 64 4000. These processors are not for the average consumer
though. The Athlon 64 4000 Retail Box will run you $779.00, while the
Athlon 64 FX-55 Retail Box will run you $888.00. So, these processors
may not be inexpensive, but they will give you the best performance
possible.
Athlon 64 FX-55
Athlon 64 4000
3.4GHz EE
Toms Hardware has a review of these two processors. And Intels 3.4GHz
Extreme Edition for $995, doesn't even compare in the gaming
benchmarks.
Thanks to fragger 1191 from the forums.
Logitech MX1000 Laser Cordless Mouse.
CNet Review
Tom's Hardware Review
by fragger1191
Here is an example.
Get it here.
The glass toilet!
Seems normal enough.
I don't think i would be that desperate, though.
Just lose it available for download.
Enjoy!
In 1999 Star Ocean: The Second Story, was released. It
quickly become one of the Playstation's best RPG games. The game
featured a unique action based battle system, memorable side events
(The Cave of Trials), an innovative skill option, and a great story.
Since then, fans have been waiting for another addition to the series.
In 2004, fans (in the USA) of the series have been given the chance to
play the latest addition to the Star Ocean series. Star Ocean: Till
The End Of Time is the third game in the series, and maybe the last.
So is this game a worthy addition to the series? Yes! Yes it is.
Story: The game opens with the main character Fayt Leingod on vacation
on the planet Hyda, with his both of his parents and along with a
family friend Sophia Esteed. Fayt is an enthusiastic character who
seeks excitement through the Battle Simulator. Although his childhood
friend Sophia wants to spend more time him. Suddenly, Hyda is attacked
by an alien force known as the Vendeeni. Very few inhabitants of Hyda
escape into space. As Fayt and the rest of the survivors are relieved
that they escaped, it is short lived. Because survivors must then
escape the Vendeeni yet again. The main character is separated from
his family and Sophia, who are captured by the alien force. From then
on, he must find a way to reunite with his family and answer the
questions plaguing him. Why did the Vendeeni attack Hyda, and why do
they want his family. His adventure will take him to numerous planets
and areas, near the edge of the universe and beyond! If you think this
game sounds generic, then you are in for many surprises. Though some
of the plot twists are a little cliché, this game has one plot twist
that many people will try to incorporate in real life. Bottom Line, I
found the story to be quite good, not extremely original, but still
good.. 8/10
Gameplay: This is where Star Ocean excels. This battle system is
action based, meaning movement of all characters and enemies are in
real-time. This allows you to move away from enemies, either
recovering/casting magic/items, or to plan out strategies with other
teammates. Each character is fully playable and they each possess
their own battle skills and fighting style. Fayt is basically the all
around good character, who is capable of doing almost anything. Cliff
is more of an "In your face" kind of character. Now the Battles are
fun and intense, but there is much more to be done in the game. In
addition to battles, there are Trophies to be won. These trophies can
be gained from doing certain tasks during battle; such as beating a
certain number of enemies or reaching a certain character level. If
enough trophies are gained, a player will have access to extra
costumes for characters, higher difficulties, and much more. Another
side-task in the game is inventing. It is based on the skills option
in Star Ocean: The Second Story. Characters are able to synthesize
items, create minerals for weapons and armour, make weapons, armor,
accessories, and items, and also cooking. With these options the
possibilities are endless. That's not enough for you? How about 3
different optional dungeons and numerous side events. Still not
enough? How about 12 different endings! Seriously, completing most of
these tasks will fetch in over 300+ hours of gameplay. And if you want
more then try getting all the Battle Trophies. 10/10
Graphics: To put it simply, the graphics are great. The character
designs are based on Anime. They are greatly detailed and show good
animation during battle and cut scenes. The animation they show
completely match the character as well. Also the characters show a lot
of individuality. The environments are detailed as well. In a rich
luscious that is just plain enjoyable to look at. Overall the
Graphics, especially on a HD TV, are great. 9/10
Controls: Well, this game is an action based RPG, and it does have a
pretty tight control setup. Holding the circle button makes the
character walk during movement in towns and dungeons. The controls
during battle work well, although performing battle skills and
learning the fundamentals will take some time to understand. The
camera is adjustable, there is a menu button, and of course a cancel
and Accept/Examine button. It is nothing to serious or complicated,
but it works fine. 9/10
Sound: This is where the game slips up. First the good news. The
character voice-overs are a kind of mixed bag. Some characters sound
great, while others sound downright annoying. The music in my opinion
is excellent. There is a mix of J-Pop, Rock, and orchestrated themes,
although it is sort of disappointing to have dungeon and town music
repeated in several places. Now the bad news. During cut scenes, music
and background noises are way to loud. Because of this, voice-overs
become extremely hard to hear. Unfortunately this does happen often
(mostly during the first disc). Overall the sound work is decent, but
could have used alot more work. I really like the music, but the voice
work could have been better. 7/10
Replay Value: Like I said earlier, There are a lot of things to do in
the game. There are the Extra Costumes, Harder Difficulties, Multiple
endings, Optional Events and Dungeons, and the Battle Trophies. Or You
can play through the story and game all over again. If you plan on
taking this game seriously, then this game will last over 300+ plus
hours. It is that fun and intense. 10/10
OVERALL: Star Ocean: Till the End of Time is an incredible game in my
opinion. I found the Story to be quite good (while it is a little
cliché) a certain plot twist makes up for it. The gameplay is
excellent! The graphics are great, the characters are memorable, The
Sound Work could have been a lot better. Overall, this Game is A-Okay
in my book. 9/10
Submitted by ezekial45
Remember, we want you to submit reviews of movies, video games, music or whatever. Submit to
tekstop@gmail.com
Game Reiview: Star Ocean: Till the End of Time
In 1999 Star Ocean: The Second Story, was released. It
quickly become one of the Playstation's best RPG games. The game
featured a unique action based battle system, memorable side events
(The Cave of Trials), an innovative skill option, and a great story.
Since then, fans have been waiting for another addition to the series.
In 2004, fans (in the USA) of the series have been given the chance to
play the latest addition to the Star Ocean series. Star Ocean: Till
The End Of Time is the third game in the series, and maybe the last.
So is this game a worthy addition to the series? Yes! Yes it is.
Story: The game opens with the main character Fayt Leingod on vacation
on the planet Hyda, with his both of his parents and along with a
family friend Sophia Esteed. Fayt is an enthusiastic character who
seeks excitement through the Battle Simulator. Although his childhood
friend Sophia wants to spend more time him. Suddenly, Hyda is attacked
by an alien force known as the Vendeeni. Very few inhabitants of Hyda
escape into space. As Fayt and the rest of the survivors are relieved
that they escaped, it is short lived. Because survivors must then
escape the Vendeeni yet again. The main character is separated from
his family and Sophia, who are captured by the alien force. From then
on, he must find a way to reunite with his family and answer the
questions plaguing him. Why did the Vendeeni attack Hyda, and why do
they want his family. His adventure will take him to numerous planets
and areas, near the edge of the universe and beyond! If you think this
game sounds generic, then you are in for many surprises. Though some
of the plot twists are a little cliché, this game has one plot twist
that many people will try to incorporate in real life. Bottom Line, I
found the story to be quite good, not extremely original, but still
good.. 8/10
Gameplay: This is where Star Ocean excels. This battle system is
action based, meaning movement of all characters and enemies are in
real-time. This allows you to move away from enemies, either
recovering/casting magic/items, or to plan out strategies with other
teammates. Each character is fully playable and they each possess
their own battle skills and fighting style. Fayt is basically the all
around good character, who is capable of doing almost anything. Cliff
is more of an "In your face" kind of character. Now the Battles are
fun and intense, but there is much more to be done in the game. In
addition to battles, there are Trophies to be won. These trophies can
be gained from doing certain tasks during battle; such as beating a
certain number of enemies or reaching a certain character level. If
enough trophies are gained, a player will have access to extra
costumes for characters, higher difficulties, and much more. Another
side-task in the game is inventing. It is based on the skills option
in Star Ocean: The Second Story. Characters are able to synthesize
items, create minerals for weapons and armour, make weapons, armor,
accessories, and items, and also cooking. With these options the
possibilities are endless. That's not enough for you? How about 3
different optional dungeons and numerous side events. Still not
enough? How about 12 different endings! Seriously, completing most of
these tasks will fetch in over 300+ hours of gameplay. And if you want
more then try getting all the Battle Trophies. 10/10
Graphics: To put it simply, the graphics are great. The character
designs are based on Anime. They are greatly detailed and show good
animation during battle and cut scenes. The animation they show
completely match the character as well. Also the characters show a lot
of individuality. The environments are detailed as well. In a rich
luscious that is just plain enjoyable to look at. Overall the
Graphics, especially on a HD TV, are great. 9/10
Controls: Well, this game is an action based RPG, and it does have a
pretty tight control setup. Holding the circle button makes the
character walk during movement in towns and dungeons. The controls
during battle work well, although performing battle skills and
learning the fundamentals will take some time to understand. The
camera is adjustable, there is a menu button, and of course a cancel
and Accept/Examine button. It is nothing to serious or complicated,
but it works fine. 9/10
Sound: This is where the game slips up. First the good news. The
character voice-overs are a kind of mixed bag. Some characters sound
great, while others sound downright annoying. The music in my opinion
is excellent. There is a mix of J-Pop, Rock, and orchestrated themes,
although it is sort of disappointing to have dungeon and town music
repeated in several places. Now the bad news. During cut scenes, music
and background noises are way to loud. Because of this, voice-overs
become extremely hard to hear. Unfortunately this does happen often
(mostly during the first disc). Overall the sound work is decent, but
could have used alot more work. I really like the music, but the voice
work could have been better. 7/10
Replay Value: Like I said earlier, There are a lot of things to do in
the game. There are the Extra Costumes, Harder Difficulties, Multiple
endings, Optional Events and Dungeons, and the Battle Trophies. Or You
can play through the story and game all over again. If you plan on
taking this game seriously, then this game will last over 300+ plus
hours. It is that fun and intense. 10/10
OVERALL: Star Ocean: Till the End of Time is an incredible game in my
opinion. I found the Story to be quite good (while it is a little
cliché) a certain plot twist makes up for it. The gameplay is
excellent! The graphics are great, the characters are memorable, The
Sound Work could have been a lot better. Overall, this Game is A-Okay
in my book. 9/10
Submitted by ezekial45
Remember, we want you to submit reviews of movies, video games, music or whatever. Submit to
tekstop@gmail.com
The internet turns 35.
Full text of the story can be found here.
Also, this is my first post as a contributor for the site...hope you all like!
From -Omegaone-
Out tunes.
Check it out and let me know if it is usefull.
Go get it.
Alex on "the announcement"
-------------
Hey everyone,
Well I've been waiting for Kevin to make an announcement about who will be hosting the new TSS before I told you all. As most of you know Kevin (Rose) will not be hosting the show anymore. He was given the chance to take a smaller role and develop more content for his Dark Tips or host and he chose the former. The new hosts will be Kevin Pereira and Chi-Lan Lieu... the premier episode of the new TSS will be on the 29th. They're not changing the name, the set, or the opening... I'll be watching the first show.
- Alex
--------------------
I personally think they should change the intro, but we'll see. THat would really look bad if Mr. Albrecht was still in the intro.
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
Hah! I was right!
-------------
Well my friends – TSS has evolved once again. This coming Monday the 29th, you’ll see a brand new cast take the helm. We’ve had a lot of talented hosts as part of the TSS family, and now we have two new additions: Kevin Pereira, and Chi-Lan Lieu.
After the most recent changes to the show, I was given a choice - either host the new show, or create content. I decided to go back to what I love most, and that’s creating content. Now that I’m freed up from my hosting duties, I’ll spend my free time working on DarkTips and other great tech segments – which I’m very excited about. Expect to see me (and my partner in crime Sarah Lane) on every show, doing what we do best.
I’m off to Vegas – everyone have a great Thanksgiving, and see you on Monday!---------------------------------------
So KP and Chi-Lan Lieu are the new hosts? I won't say a thing until i see this with my own eyes. Until then, remember to blab about it at the tekstop forums.
Rememeber to submit questions for my interview with Joey the intern. samureye@gmail.com
Comments Welcome!
Monday, November 22, 2004
I've been having fun..
Check it out.
Don't forget tekstop.
Tekstop forums.
^^^Please comment when you read.
Martin speaks....
From the forums.
------------
Blingo--
Thank you, Unscrewed Army, for being such proud soldiers, such strong Americans. I greatly appreciate your kind words and fiery demeanors on these boards of messages, and in your daily lives as keepers and evangelists of the Unscrewed spirit, but know that Martin Sargent is not unhappy. Nay, I feel liberated. Unleashed, like a phoenix or that Prometheus dude or somebody they thought did something bad but DNA said he didn't and now he's out eating a Whopper for the first time in a while, or something. And I'm confident you'll be seeing me and the spirit of Unscrewed on a television screen in the not too distant future, this time a little lower down the dial, where there's a better understanding and appreciation of what we're trying to accomplish. But if not, I'll just keep honing my woodworking skills, as the bird house business is really picking up, even though many of my best customers have already started flying south! Ha ha!!! Lol. (I just made one that's kind of a replica of The Alamo. It's pretty cool. I might give it to Tony Danza at his birthday party next week. It's at a water park!)
Anyways, Cops is coming on, so I have to split. But let me just say: I'm lucky to have been able to do this ridiculous job for so long and meet so many cool TV friends, extremely lucky for having the opportunity to work with a baker's dozen or so of the smartest, most talented writers and producers I've ever encountered, and unbelievably lucky for the support of you, the Unscrewed Army. You guys are the best.
Thanks, and see you at the bar.
Television's Martin Sargent
------------
We'll miss ya buddy!
Intern Joey Confirms!
Well, someone had posted the link on intern Joey's site and he confirmed that it is true..everything!
Read it yourself.
You guys are freaks!
Sunday, November 21, 2004
I'm getting to interview Joey The intern.
-sam
We've been hoodwinked!
--------------------------
Hey all – Just wanted to let you all know that as soon as we lock down the new configuration for the show, I’ll be the first to let you know what’s going on. It seems I have a few trouble makers in my comments section that have been posting false information under my name. Don’t believe it unless it’s in a post.
Daily thought: It’s the weekend - go outside and get some fresh air.
+krose
------------
Okay then :P
Saturday, November 20, 2004
Leo speaks!
----------
I haven't had anything to say about this because I haven't talked to any of the principals yet. I just got back from the cruise late Sunday and left for Toronto Monday AM. I have been trying to reach David Prager to find out what's going on.
My initial (uninformed) reaction is sorrow for all the good people who took jobs in LA, moved down there, and find themselves out of work so soon. And relief for those, like Roger Chang, who smelled a rat and decided not to sign G4's apallingly one-sided contracts.
I expected this, but not so soon. G4 has been very clear all along that they bought TechTV for the subs not the programming. The only champion of the TechTV programming was fired last month. Ratings have undoubtedly been abysmal. The company plans to rebrand in December. They were shopping the "TechTV" name and assets all summer. The signs were there.
I'm trying not to feel any schadenfreude - many of my good friends were affected by this - but it's hard not to feel some vindication in the death throes of a network that treated so many of us so badly. And I do see this as the beginning of the end. I just hope someone can seize this opportunity to create a channel that truly reflects the excitement and historic importance of the tech revolution that is happening all around us.
----------
hmmm.
From +Krose
^^^ A comment he made on his blog. Boy, what will this show be, i mean really!
Friday, November 19, 2004
Have wallpapers?
samureye@gmail.com
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
Monday, November 15, 2004
Alex Update!
In his post, he also says "
Thanks again for everything. And don't worry things are in the works...
- Alex"
I can't wait to see what he means.
Here are two wallpapers a fan made of Yoshi because of current events. Actually, i think only one is a wallpaper but what the heck, they made it and i'll post it up here. I don't claim these as my own so to the owner, if you see this, Good Job! Also, i am collecting any and everything AntiG4, so send in all the sigs and avatars and images in general that you can find to me, tekstop@gmail.com
Yoshi speaks.
Yoshi's Profile.
On the 11/11 he says
----------------------------------------------
But yes I have been fired.
I most likely will close this section in the future as I really dont want to be reminded about this constantly.
The next day he says:
-----------------------------------------
Thanks a lot everyone!
Means a lot to hear from you.
I tell you what Im not sure what my schedule is going to be like. I am going to go home for a couple weeks, its thanksgiving time anyway.
But when I get back I will post about going out to a bar.
I'll post where I'll be and whoever wants can come down and have drink.
I think it would be cool to have a meetup for the forums people in LA area.
Maybe we should do the same in SF.
Makes me think that since these forums have become a pretty good sized community, I bet there are a decent amount of us in our areas. This makes it hard for those under 21 though.... Have to work on that one.
-------------------------------------------
Visit Yoshi's Forums.
If you have any info on anyone else who was fired or who works at G4, please pass the info on to me. Send to
tekstop@gmail.com
Also, feel free to ask questions! Check out my tech blog, www.tekstop.blogspot.com
and please, comment!
I will post some wallpapers later.
-sam-
Sunday, November 14, 2004
Taxi was good!
1)Spongebob Squarepants Movie
2)The incredibles
3)Fat Albert
I also saw a preview for around the bend, looks like crap. There was also Flight of the Pheonix. Looks like crap. Last thing was the new Fat Albert movie, again, ME LIKE! It stars Kenan Thompson and i can't wait to see it.
Alex will keep the site up*whew*
tekstop.blogspot.com
Well, earlier today i noticed that Alex said he was going to discontinue the site but decided not to because of everyone's well wishes. Good news to hear man!
alexalbrecht.com
Friday, November 12, 2004
Speaking of cancelled T.V.....
The URL is www.tekstop.tk
Email:tekstop@gmail.com
Forum: Tekstop Forums
G4 owns you?
Yesterday, i noticed that kevinrose had commented about the whole lay-off and revamping thing. Here is what Kevin posted, but i wonder, if you work for G4, do they control what you can say???
-------------------------
Television is a crazy business - when you start a new show, you know one day that show will be canceled, and you will be out of work. Some shows last 6 episodes, others last 6 years. That’s just the way it is..
Today many of my friends were let go as the network made changes to revamp for new shows. Unscrewed was canceled, and The Screen Savers is being revamped.
The Screen Savers -
As I’m sure many of you have heard, we lost Alex, Dan, Yoshi, and several behind the scene producers… I know you all have tons of questions, and I don’t know much at this point. I’ve been told there are going to be more darktips, and that the show will still have a tech focus. That’s about it. The new show will continue after the Thanksgiving break. I’ll keep you posted as more develops – it’s time to go drink.
UPDATE: I’ve gotten a ton of “you should leave”, or “you’ve sold out” posts and emails. In moving down here, all of us signed multi-year contracts with G4. The only way we are released of these contracts is if we are fired. I can’t just leave. That said, my goal has always been to create solid tech content on TV. That’s what I still want to do. I love The Screen Savers and it’s been my life for the last four years. I’m going to give it another shot. If it doesn’t work and they let me go, I will move on to other things.
Listening to: Kings Cossing - Elliot Smith
-----------------------
But going on today, i see that the post has been edited. This is all it says.
------------------
Today many of my friends were let go as the network made changes to revamp for new shows. Unscrewed was canceled, and The Screen Savers is being revamped. More to come soon…
---------
What do you have to say to that?
G4 FAQ.
I heard unscrewed was cancelled, is that true?
Yes, Unscrewed has been cancelled, it ran for nearly 18 months
Is/Are The Screen Savers cancelled?
Yes and no. The show will go on hiatus, returning after the Thanksgiving break. When the show returns there will bemajor changes in the show
What changes will there be?
For one thing, the new co-host, Alex Albrecht has been laid off, along with Dan "Foo" Huard and Joshua "Yoshi" DeHerrera. Most, if not all people from behind the scenes were also laid off, including Paul Block who also worked on Unscrewed. The rumor is that The Screen Savers will be merged with Pulse. According to KevinRose's site people were laid off from 3 other shows. He also states that the show will have more dark tips and still have a tech focus. He says the network wants to "revamp for new shows".
F*** G4, F*** Comcast, why are they doing this?
It seems that G4/Comcast wants to appeal to a larger demographic, or they just want to lost the TechTV image and be more original, that is, more G4-like.
Kevin Rose should leave G4
Kevin himself said he likes doing the show. He can't just leave in any case as they signed multi-year contracts
What about Call-For-Help 2.0? Will it be on in America?
Leo himself says that there is a good possibility
Is X-Play changing
As of yet, no, but don't be surprised if something does happen in the future
What else does Comcrap have in store?
Well according to Wicked-Kitty, who was there to see the final taping of Unscrewed, plenty. For starters, there is supposedly going to be a new show called "Gone Wired, and if it sounds farmiliar, it is. It was a segment from Unscrewed.Also, it's been said the network will be doing a relaunch in January dropping the TechTV name to be known as just G4TV.
An extract from what Wicked-Kitty said:
*First of all, Unscrewed was NOT cancelled due to poor ratings or low viewing numbers. It was taken off the air because that was G4's plan. They bought Tech TV simply to get it's viewership and some of it's properties. Since taking it over they've assimilated Tech TV, stripped it, stolen it's soul, and turned it into all gaming all the time.. so basically they bought Tech TV, killed it, and turned it into G4.
*This is backed up subtle changes that you could notice even around the studio. When we went to our first Unscrewed taping in LA, the sign on the door said "G4 / Tech TV Studios".. now it just reads "G4 Studios". Why you may ask? In January the station will be doing a re-launch and then will cease to be known as G4 Tech TV and will simply be G4. Yes, Tech TV, for all intensive purposes, is gone...
*In addition to Unscrewed being killed, The Screen Savers is also being altered. After today's taping of TSS, the studio will go dark until they start filming again... and when they do, TSS will be very different, if even recognizable. From what I heard they are basically merging Pulse and TSS. Many cast members from G4's Pulse will be taking a spot on the show and what hosts from the current / old school TSS will be left is debateable. I've heard Kevin and Sarah are staying.. but then again Unscrewed was supposedly in the clear too. As for anyone else, it's up in the air. Also, it was speculated from different sources that the title may be changed.
*Completing the raping and pillaging of Tech TV, while Unscrewed WAS cancelled, it is also rumored that one of G4's "new and original series" to be debuting soon will be entited "GIRLS GONE WIRED".. yes you heard right. Cancel the show it came from and then steal the segment.. really classy
It's been said that you shouldn't believe this but i believe it all. Posted this earlier yesterday, everyone was only talking about Unscrewed, then later on, long after this was posted, evberyone found out that it is pretty much true and that Wicked-Kitty had been able to tell us about the "revamping" of TSS well before anyone from the show said so on their blogs. So watc our for January....
That's the FAQ for now. Any questions, simply email me, tekstop@gmail.com Want to add more questions and answers, you do the same. Don't fprget to comment.
He's really gone.
We feel for you man!:(
Good luck with your future endeavours!
Alex, TSS and others fall victim to network changes.
So without further adieu....
Alex Albrecht, the new co-host of TheScreen Savers has been let go. This is truly sad news. Alex was new to the show and was just finding his niche. To make matters worse, Dan Huard and Joshua "Yoshi" DeHerrera were also let go, along with some, if not all the behinf the scenes people. So many conflicting reports are coming in and i'm doing my best to gather the correct information from various sources. Here you have it straight from the horse's mouth. You read this and come to your own conclusions. I will make tell you what i think a little later.
From Alex's site.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well I've officially been let go... along with a bunch of other people from TSS and three other shows. Kevin and Sarah are the only ones left on screen and I don't know what they are planning to do with them. The Screen Savers as you know it is GONE! We were rounded up today at 11am and told to be out of the office at 3pm... very smooth... So I wanted to take this time to say, Thank you... thank you to all of you who gave me the chance to enter your living rooms five days a week and try my best to make you smile. You, the fans of TSS, really made me feel like a million bucks. I know it was hard for some of you to see Patrick go, but I really appreciate you all giving me a chance. I just wish I could have more time to get to know you all...
It has been one of the best experiences of my life... Thank you...
- Alex Albrecht
PS - I love you all... Kevin, Sarah, Dan, Yoshi, Joshua, Scott, Robert "the man", Tom, Teresa, Sean, Prager, Jeff, Adam, Paul, Ron, The Crew and everyone else involved in the show...
This is what Kevin Rose had to say.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Television is a crazy business - when you start a new show, you know one day that show will be canceled, and you will be out of work. Some shows last 6 episodes, others last 6 years. That’s just the way it is..
Today many of my friends were let go as the network made changes to revamp for new shows. Unscrewed was canceled, and The Screen Savers is being revamped.
The Screen Savers -
As I’m sure many of you have heard, we lost Alex, Dan, Yoshi, and several behind the scene producers… I know you all have tons of questions, and I don’t know much at this point. I’ve been told there are going to be more darktips, and that the show will still have a tech focus. That’s about it. The new show will continue after the Thanksgiving break. I’ll keep you posted as more develops – it’s time to go drink.
UPDATE: I’ve gotten a ton of “you should leave”, or “you’ve sold out” posts and emails. In moving down here, all of us signed multi-year contracts with G4. The only way we are released of these contracts is if we are fired. I can’t just leave. That said, my goal has always been to create solid tech content on TV. That’s what I still want to do. I love The Screen Savers and it’s been my life for the last four years. I’m going to give it another shot. If it doesn’t work and they let me go, I will move on to other things.
Listening to: Kings Cossing - Elliot Smith
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Comments that Sarah Lane made on her site.
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Those of you who watch me on G4TechTV will notice some TSS reruns for the next few days. We're busy regrouping, reorganizing, and relaunching, folks. Today we lost some great, great people in the latest phase of our ongoing evolution. This is the reality of the biz, and it never gets any easier.
TSS has not been canceled, but we need a little time before moving forward. A million thanks to all of you for your constant support and encouragment. I'll see you all again soon.
:)
s
PS- I want to add just one more (important) thought here. Alex, Dan, Yoshi, Martin, Laura, and the producers we lost today from TSS and Unscrewed are all amazing, talented, funny, and incredibly bright people. I have no doubt that they are all headed for bigger and better things. Class acts, all y'all.
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Thursday, November 11, 2004
Truth about G4?
From:Wicked-Kitty
I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. Ok, well that's not true.... the sad fact of the matter is that since this merger, or more appropiately deemed "conglomerate corporate buy out" between G4 and Tech TV all of our favorite Tech TV celebs and shows have been getting the axe.. including programs that had been with us since the dawn of ZDTV! (Remember those days?) When I first heard of Comcast / G4 buying out Tech TV the first thing I thought is "uh oh.. Unscrewed is toast..." but alas they fooled us and lulled us all into a false sense of security. And now, just after Laura, Marty, Joey, & the crew moved from San Francisco to LA, evil G4 pulls out the rug from under us all. My dad and I are long time fans of Marty's.. back from his Screen Saver days til now and we've literally seen EVERY episode of Unscrewed. Living in the LA area, we attended the last show taping.. as well as hung out w/ the gang at the bar after the show. This thread's purpose is to share that experience with all you loyal fans who deserve to hear about Unscrewed's sunset.. as well as to clear up a few things other threads on this forum were questioning.
First the sad answer to the main question: Yes Unscrewed has been cancelled by the evil G4 empire. There was some speculation because not much 'proof' was delivered other than moblog pics.. but it's true. Some of you may have read another thread of ours about Laura Swisher being interviewed for and appearing in the pages of Draculina magazine which we write for. We wanted to do the story up big, lending lots of publicity for the show but the G4 publicist continued to decline our request (despite the fact we'd MET Laura at a taping and she said she was interested) stating that G4 couldn't appear in a publication which had mild nudity... (uh.. Girls Gone Wired.. cam whores.. etc etc..?!?!) Now we find out the real truth why G4 didn't want any publicity for the show. When I spoke to Laura last night at the show taping about all of this she informed me that she wasn't even told that we'd contacted the publicist to pursue the interview and wasn't aware that we'd been told no. It seems G4 had Unscrewed's death warrant planned out. We wanted to thank all of you fellow members of the Unscrewed Army for your posts, votes, emails, and support. I talked to Laura and informed her that the story could still be done on HER as opposed to plugging G4 and she said she will be contacting me... so it may still be in the works. All you Swish fans, keep your fingers crossed!
Now onto the taping of the last show and the send off at the bar after. Everyone at the last show taping was informed that 'it was going to be a very special show' but the G4 crew still never let the cat out of the bag that the show had been canned. A small number of us had heard and knew already, but for the most part they were playing dumb. It was announced that the G4 dignitaries would be in the studio (whoopty friggin doo) and many Tech TV (and G4) personalities participated as members of the studio audience including Kevin, Sarah, Dan (Foo), Alex, Yoshi, etc. The show began as normal but there was definitely something in the air.. and that was validated by Marty's many on camera inside bitter jokes and cutting cracks aimed directly at G4. (We Love You Marty!) It was expressed to us later that evening by some crew and Joey that it was almost 99% definite that this episode will NEVER see the light of day and will not be aired on G4 because of all of the anti-G4 cracks, innuendos, bitter-ness, and strong language. Thus, the last episode, which explains it's demise in the Unscrewed fashion, may never be seen... so let me take this opportunity to tell you about it... CAUTION: Spoilers below in bold!
Marty opened the show with a G4 audience jab "Helloooo Gamers!" in a slightly high sarcastic voice. (This is not to say there's anything wrong with gamers or gaming but unfortunately G4 has decided to overtake the tech / computer side of Tech TV with gaming.. thus dividing the tech culture and pitting techies against gamers. Sad really...) From the very opening of the show to the end there was assorted inside jokes and jabs at G4 from Marty's innuendos of lowly third tier cable studios which are destined to be shut down and go dark to mentions of how he should steal a printer as a 'momento' from the show. But the king of slams came at the high crest of the show.. the finale where Marty said his goodbye. During the last segment of the show, following one of their long running gags, Marty made a call to celebrity Michael Cain. During this call 'Michael Cain' stated that he's noticed that Unscrewed hasn't been as good since the change to G4 occurred and that they don't seem to be having as much fun as they used to. (At this slam we started cheering, hooting, and hollering in the audience for the pro-Tech TV comment.. at which time we received the dirtiest b*tch look you could imagine from a G4 camera opperator.) Then Michael Cain suggested that Marty should leave Unscrewed and come live with him on his yacht / estate / etc. Marty asked if he could bring the Swish... then he asked if he could bring Joey the intern.. Ricky Kang... The Ambassador of Gay.. as they all made their way onto set behind Marty. As Michael Cain said "SURE" Marty bid farewell to the Unscrewed Army and said he was off to live in luxury with Michael Cain... during this process he gave a heart felt thank you, salute, and a long sincere look into the camera as he bid farewell to all of us who loved the show so...
The end of the show was very climatic and very emotional... such a shame that the rumor is it'll never be seen. Thus the finale of Unscrewed came to an end and filming was wrapped. Marty came forth and thanked the audience for coming and for all their support. Everyone filtered out as Marty and Laura stuck around to meet everyone, take pics, and sign things. Where did things go from here? Well.. when he said "see you at the bar..." he really did mean it. The Unscrewed cast & crew met up at a bar (as they did nightly) for a little after-drink.. needless to say last night was a little bit more special and a bigger deal than usual.
We made our way to the bar where we were welcomed by everyone we'd met from the Unscrewed battalion. Everyone was great and there was many emotions running rampant varying from sadness to bitterness. We spent most of the night talking to Joey and Marty... who both ROCK. All that can be said is, as a fan of Unscrewed, whatever you imagine the gang would be like at an after party... they definitely were. It was a great experience and something any fan would've enjoyed.. and in a way we felt like we were representing the Unscrewed fans by being there. Throughout the night we found out some interesting facts you guys deserve to know...
*First of all, Unscrewed was NOT cancelled due to poor ratings or low viewing numbers. It was taken off the air because that was G4's plan. They bought Tech TV simply to get it's viewership and some of it's properties. Since taking it over they've assimilated Tech TV, stripped it, stolen it's soul, and turned it into all gaming all the time.. so basically they bought Tech TV, killed it, and turned it into G4.
*This is backed up subtle changes that you could notice even around the studio. When we went to our first Unscrewed taping in LA, the sign on the door said "G4 / Tech TV Studios".. now it just reads "G4 Studios". Why you may ask? In January the station will be doing a re-launch and then will cease to be known as G4 Tech TV and will simply be G4. Yes, Tech TV, for all intensive purposes, is gone...
*In addition to Unscrewed being killed, The Screen Savers is also being altered. After today's taping of TSS, the studio will go dark until they start filming again... and when they do, TSS will be very different, if even recognizable. From what I heard they are basically merging Pulse and TSS. Many cast members from G4's Pulse will be taking a spot on the show and what hosts from the current / old school TSS will be left is debateable. I've heard Kevin and Sarah are staying.. but then again Unscrewed was supposedly in the clear too. As for anyone else, it's up in the air. Also, it was speculated from different sources that the title may be changed.
*Completing the raping and pillaging of Tech TV, while Unscrewed WAS cancelled, it is also rumored that one of G4's "new and original series" to be debuting soon will be entited "GIRLS GONE WIRED".. yes you heard right. Cancel the show it came from and then steal the segment.. really classy. :-(
Everyone from Unscrewed and Tech TV alumni are very upset at the recent happenings.. whether they still have their jobs or not. Joey was a riot at the bar and insisted that "It's not over! IT'S NOT OVER!" Marty had the same thing to say. Since Unscrewed was Marty's brain child to begin with, hopeful chances are that a similar show w/ a diff. name will be picked up by a network somewhere with Marty and his gang at the helm. We can all hope.. and of course keep rallying behind them! I'm sorry, but the highlight of the night was still when someone (who I won't divulge the name of.. but no it's probably not who you're thinking) stood up and yelled "F**k G4".. They've hurt us loyal Tech TV viewers so much that I have to agree I really couldn't have expressed a better sentiment myself. At the end of the night as we left the bar and said our final goodbyes Marty repeatedly thanked us for our loyalty, support, and for watching his show. Despite the fact that it was a joy for us (and is for most Unscrewed fans) he could not let us go without expressing his love and gratitude. Never have I met a man who seemed so sincere when it came to expressing his appreciation and his love for the show and fans... that sentiment is something that I carry with me and hopefully convey to all of you, as I'm sure he'd like to thank each and every viewer if he could've.
We can keep our fingers crossed for a bright future for Marty, Laura, Joey, and the gang... and hopefully we'll see an Unscrewed Jr. pop up on some station somewhere soon, but if not then it was a great journey and one that won't be forgotten. The sad fact is that G4 was and IS power hungry, so they simply bought Tech TV to get what it could out of it.. and in the process stole OUR station. They've assimilated it into one big station with all gaming all the time.. and honestly where would gaming be without computers today? There has to be some kind of balance.. but that doesn't seem to register with them. In their corporate money grubbing scheme of things, all their seeing is dollar signs as some 30 - 40 year old station heads in stuffy suits try to guess what the youth of America wants... which in itself is narrow minded because Tech TV served ALL ages, while G4's demographic is ages 13 to mid-30s... even station veteran Leo LaPorte who we all knew and loved was let go because he wasn't young and trendy enough. What a bunch of bunk. In conclusion, if you're a gamer and you want all gaming, all the time, and no tech.. then welcome to your mecca.. but if you're a veteran Tech TV fan, love the tech side of it all, or are into PC's or aspects of the tech world OTHER than just video games then you might as well leave this site now because G4 doesn't want us around anymore... I know that my family for one is a household they won't have to worry about entertaining with their station anymore.
As the night ended and we drove away to remembrances of Joey & Marty's pledges "It's not over" we felt a little better and filled with some hope.. I hope so guys.. I hope so!
RIP Unscrewed.. and really, RIP Tech TV!
Comment why don't ya?
samureye@gmail.com
Unscrewed Cancelled.
Unscrewed was a failure from the start. I say this because Martin used every oppertunity he got to plug the show. He even made an appearance on X-Play, no to mention recently when he co-hosted TSS.
It had a good run; almost 18 menths.
Good luck guys.
....sam
My thumb drive was stolen :(
*sigh*
Now, t he first thing i should have done was tell someone, but hey, i don't like to tell for nothing. I asked around, trying to see if one of my friends took it just for kicks. If that were the case, i knew i would get it back. But that wasn't the case, none of them had it. I was in one of my classes asking a friend if he went in my bag. I said i was missing something. I did not say what that something was, but miraculously, that asshat who took my bag, jumps up and says "what, that little red thing?" I said yes and he said how one of my friends had it. Thing is, my friend did not have it and i trust him. The one who took my bag - he and i aren't friends.
So now i want to know what will happen. I did not say what i was missing and i wasn't talking to him. He hears me and automatically knows what i am talking about. To make me feel more suspicious, i did not tell a soul that i had my thumb drive in my bag.
*sigh*
This happened Tuesday and what's my luck? I have no school from Wednesday (yesterday) to next Tuesday. I guess i will go by my dean. I think that if the guy says that he didn't take it, which i think would be a lie, then he should still have to reimburse me because he took my bag and it went missing, and if you were reading, you would realise that all the evidence points to him.
Wish me luck.
samureye@gmail.com
Home from school.
Wednesday, November 10, 2004
G4TechTV - My Take
G4techtv is a stupid name and some kid must have capitalized on making that name up. His mommy should be proud.
Maybe it's just me, but they should have kept the techtv image. It seems to me that the whole "TV 4 gamers" thing is really isolating people from what they loved. TechTv was bigger, in terms of viewership, and you can't go change what people were accustomed to just like that. People will stop watching, plain and simple. So said, so done. Yes, I know now, because of the merger, G4techTv is now in "50 million homes" but you know what, I bet net even half of those 50 million homes have EVER been logged in to the channel at the same time, much less for the people deliberately watching the channel.
The whole "Look at me, we are trying to be MTV" thing is --- kind of cool, but more lame than anything. TechTv was real and G4 feels so superficial. Yes, the new "G-Spot" is kind of cool, but it seems that all they want to do is appeal the younger people, and I know for a fact that a lot of older people liked to watch TechTv. Especially older people.
This leads me to another thing, Leo Laporte. G4 firing Leo was the worst idea that they ever came up with. I could se the brainstorm session now
"Well, like, Leo is like...older and he like, is way smart...and well, like, he makes us feel that his smart image isn't good for the new MTV wannabe channel we want to be". I hate MTV and what G4 is trying to do. Leo WAS techtv. You can't fire MR. TECHTV, it just isn't done! Call for help was so great and informative that it's horrible that they got rid of such a show. Call for help was the epitome of what a tech channel should be and G4 will never get to that if not only by choice. I don't hate G4 and have nothing against them, but I’m just saying that the decisions they are making are so, well, whacked.
It seems like all they are really attracting is 9 year olds that watch because they see games and "games are cool!"
I'm not saying that 9 year olds aren't the only ones that watch, but they seem like the majority. I'm not making it up, the forums are overrun by idiots who can't type if their life depended on it. I would like to think that they are alternating between typing every other letter with their tongue and buttocks. *sigh* well at least there is some hope for Call For Help. G4TechTv Canada, which is separate from it's American counterpart is showing Call For Help 2.0 (YAY!) and Leo has already signed on to do a second season of it. He also says that prospects of the show Being picked up in the U.S seem good. I can only cross my fingers.
Tommy Tallarico is like a hate symbol of all who loved TechTv, don't ask me why, but he just is. I have nothing against the dude. I think he is cool. A vast majority of people did not like him or his review show and that animosity only worsened with the sacking of Mallys, who used to moderate at the G4techTv forums. I know Mallys, not personally, but from the forums. He is a very cool, well spoken fellow and he basically did what 90% of the X-Play forum inhabitants wanted to do - tell of Mr. Tallarico. One ting lead to another and now Mallys isn't a mod anymore. This lead squeakachu_31 to resign from his post. I respect him for what he did. Now everyone is with the whole "bring back Mallys campaign" but save it. Mallys isn't going to be a mod there and I think he was even banned. From the looks of things, Mallys seemed amused by the whole thing. Me, I could only say good luck to Mallys. I don't know what forums he may be on now, if any.
To all the "Tommyknockers", stop it. You don't know the man and you can't pass judgment on him. Only God can do that. Don't follow the crowd and hate on someone you don't know, that's not right.
The bottom line is that we may not be happy with everything that happens with G4TechTv and life for that matter, you just have to learn to live with it.
Ciao,
\samureye/
About me.
I am fifteen years old and live in the Caribbean. I like gaming, internet and G4techtv. I wouldn't mind the first two digits of that station gone :p.
If you are seeing this blog, then it is most likely that you are visiting because
a)you're very nosey
b)you saw the link in my sig at some forum
Either way, I don't care, you are welcome to come read and comment on here.
I'm back.
This is the site www.tekstop.tk and this is the forum: tekstop.proboards19.com
I haven't update since September 9th is what it looks like. I don't know why I haven't done anything, oh, wait, yes I do. I was unhappy with the blog template that I put there as default and I wanted to edit a bunch of crap. Well, I have found out how to do it. As you can see, I have a really nice template here.
That's it for now, expect to hear from me, as I said, ever so often. This will be my personal blog so any and everything techish will most likely go to tekstop. (www.tekstop.tk or www.tekstop.blogspot.com)
I am looking for more contributors for the tekstop "site" so if you are interested, take a look at it and tell contact me, telling me if you are interested in being a contributor. You must be a member of the forums though.
So, I will see you next time here at samureye's blog.