Author: Steve Murray

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Wednesday Link-Off: The Real Point

olivia-garson-rosafaia13-01It’s the middle of the week which means that it’s time for the links. It’s a news heavy set but hopefully you still enjoy. Let’s kick off with South African model Olivia Garson.

The verdict in the George Zimmerman trial certainly brought out some very strong opinions about what this says about race in America. (Gawker)

Is it possible that high levels of news coverage of a trial before it happens could correlate with not guilty verdicts for those defendants. (Washington Post)

A freelance journalist talks about her work in the middle of the Syrian conflict. (Columbia Journalism Review)

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IndyCar – Toronto Indy: Two for the Price of One

This weekend was the second of three doubleheader weekends on the 2013 IndyCar Series schedule and it was the first time that we would see a standing start in the IndyCar Series. It also happened to be the first time that we saw the doubleheader winner bonus handed out as Scott Dixon did the double in Toronto after winning both races.

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Fails of the Week

Every so often, we take a look at the most epic fails from the week that was in the Fails of the Week. This week, we have five pictures, GIFs and videos that we think are the most epic fails of the week.

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Sunday Link-Off: Jurnalizm

kim-cloutier-laredoute13-01It’s the weekend so it’s time for the links. Remember when I called this the Weekend Link-Off? That was the good old days when we had like 30 uniques a week. Good times. No, wait. Those times were simpler but I never felt like I was accomplishing anything. Okay, the top posts still make me fell that way but at least people are reading now.

Anyway, let’s start this post with one of our favourites, Kim Cloutier.

And, yes, I meant to spell the title that way.

Using Edward Snowden’s data, here’s a look at how Microsoft collaborated with the NSA to give them your data. (The Guardian)

A former CNN producer and current journalism professor says that it might be time to stop considering CNN a news network. (Gawker)

Sharknado may have been all the rage on Twitter but it wasn’t SyFy’s highest rated original movie. Maybe that’s because Twitter isn’t a good proxy for the general population. (Slate)

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Caption This: July 6 -12, 2013

Inspired by the Globe and Mail’s caption writing person, we waste our time writing funny picture captions for some of the more interesting photos we come across when blogging. So here are some of the best pictures from the past week with a funny (-ish) caption. Continue reading →

Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Columns, Video Games

Unreal Engine Could Be Next-Gen’s Big Loser

unreal-engine-4-headerWhat do BioShock Infinite, the Mass Effect trilogy, the XCOM series, the Batman: Arkham series, Dishonored and Spec Ops: The Line all have in common? If you read the title of this column, you probably guessed that these are all games made in the Unreal Engine.

Many of this generation’s most popular and most critically acclaimed games were made on Unreal Engine 3. While the next generation of console gaming doesn’t start for another four months, early plans don’t seem to involve Unreal Engine 4 which was the first next-gen engine that was previewed.

While we might give Nintendo a hard time over poor Wii U sales and criticize Microsoft’s former DRM policies, they might not be the big losers of the next generation. When the industry moves on to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, Unreal 4 could be the one who’s left behind.

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The Walking Dead: 400 Days (PC) Review: Long on Stories, Short on Storytelling

the-walking-dead-400-days-box-artLast year’s The Walking Dead by Telltale Games was a real surprise. Not only was it a licensed game that turned out to be spectacular when the TV show based on the comics was struggling but it came from a developer who hadn’t put out a really good game in the previous couple of years. The Walking Dead was the surprise hit of 2012 and walked away with a number of Game of the Year awards.

With the promise of The Walking Dead: Season 2 upcoming, Telltale tided us over with a new series of five short stories from their The Walking Dead universe. Fortunately, all the success hasn’t gone to their head and tiny series of snippets into The Walking Dead play out almost as well as Season 1.

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Wednesday Link-Off: An Inside Look

amber-anderson-simonabarbieri13-01It’s the middle of the week which means that it’s time for the links. I think this set of links is pretty solid given the changes in where we’re getting links from. Yes, I’m still going on about having to switch from Google Reader. Damn you, Google! Damn you to hell!

Since Scotsman Andy Murray (AKA Cuz) won Wimbledon, let’s start with Scottish model Amber Anderson.

A look inside the eerily quiet hospital in Lac Megantic following the train explosion. (Toronto Star)

The former military analyst who released the infamous Pentagon Papers says that Edward Snowden made the right call in fleeing America before blowing the whistle. (Washington Post)

Pakistan had a hold of Osama bin Laden ten years ago in a traffic stop. That was just one of a series of incompetent moves that let bin Laden get away. (Daily Telegraph)

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IndyCar – Pocono 400: A Pair of Returns

For the first time in 24 years, the IndyCar Series made its return to the Pocono Raceway with the second leg of the revived Triple Crown. That wasn’t the only return to happen this weekend. The race saw the return of Ganassi to the top step of the podium after a 13-race winless streak dating back to last season as Scott Dixon took the checkered flag to win the Pocono 400 and give Ganassi Racing its first ever 1-2-3 finish.

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F1 German GP: Home Is Where the Heart Is

Sebastian Vettel came into yesterday’s German Grand Prix having won 29 races in 109 starts. He hadn’t won in only three countries on the calendar: Hungary, America and his homeland of Germany. Until yesterday, that is.

Vettel flew by Lewis Hamilton off the start like he was standing still and held off sustained pressure from the Lotus drivers to pick up his first Grand Prix victory in Germany.

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