The Steam Link

This is the Steam Link. The Steam Link is a revolutionary game streaming device made by Valve, creators of the online gaming platform Steam. The idea behind the Steam Link is simple - why complicate living room PC gaming by dragging your computer down to your living room? Why suffer through using a gaming console? The Steam Link solves all of these problems.
     On the outside, the Steam Link is quite simple - 3 USB ports, power in, HDMI OUT, and one ethernet in port. The Steam Link itself is quite small, measuring smaller than its controller counterpart.
     Functionally, the Steam Link is quite basic - it streams games from a user's steam account on their computer to their TV or wherever they have the Steam Link plugged in.
     The Steam Link has forever changed how games will be played in the living room, and I believe it will help bring PC gaming to the mainstream.

A Brief Overview of the Steam Controller

The Steam Controller

The steam controller is made by Valve, creators of the massive online gaming platform Steam. The purpose of the Steam Controller is simple: bring PC gaming to the living room, and make your PC easily accessible from the couch. This has been Valve's goal over the past 3 years, and is supported by SteamOS, valve's attempt at a console-like interface for PC gaming, and the Steam Link, and easy plug-and-play option for streaming games from a users main, heavy-duty gaming PC to their living room TV. 

     The front of the Steam Controller features two circular track pads (one of which doubles as a D-Pad), an analog stick, 4 standard ABXY buttons. On the top, there are 2 shoulder buttons and 2 dual-stage triggers (meaning there is a standard pull, and then a further click which can perform a second action. Around back you will find two grip buttons which can be bound to any key or function.

The front of the steam controller

Technology's Impact on the Upcoming 2016 Presidential Election

     For years, technology has been changing our lives and altering how we perceive the world around us. Advances in mobile technology makes everyone a reporter. Events of peace and love and police brutality are all being recorded and brought to the attention of the public. Social media has changed how we interact with our friends and family and has revolutionized the way we get our news and information. Events like the recent terrorist attacks in Paris were on social media before any major news outlet. Technology, specifically social media, will alter the presidential election forever.

Virtual Reality: A Leap Into the Future

For years, people have dreamed of virtual reality technology. The thought of being in whole other world has boggled the mind of people young and old alike. Virtual reality is seen in movies depicting the future, and it looks different every time. Up until now, virtual reality was just a glimmer in science fiction-loving people's eyes. Now, virtual reality has hit the mainstream, and many consumer-grade units will be available in the coming months.

     Virtual reality (commonly shortened to VR) is actually quite a simple concept. The user wear a device on their head which covers their eyes. Inside the device, there is a screen that displays the virtual world that the user is viewing. With the combination of special lenses aimed at the screens, the images being displayed seem like they are actually in front of the user. The VR headset uses motion tracking, usually through the usage of gyroscopes, to move the image according to the user's head movement.

     One of the first prototypes of a virtual reality headset was made by a small company called Oculus. Oculus began their journey by starting a crowdfunding campaign on the popular platform for doing so, Kickstarter. The campaign was a huge success, raising over $2,000,000. The Oculus Rift CV1 (which stands for consumer version 1) will be available for purchase in Q1 of 2016. This will be the first publicly-available virtual reality device. The Oculus Rift started the VR trend, inspiring companies such as Valve, the PC gaming giant, to make their own VR headset.

     Virtual reality technology could have a huge impact on more than just the gaming community, however. The usage of VR technology could help a doctor perform micro-robotic surgery inside a patients ventricles. Looking around the OR room would allow them to see the robot's surroundings and help the doctor repair said ventricles with ease. A video that is recorded to show 360 degrees of an area could make movie and TV watching an awe inspiring experience.

The Oculus Rift CV1 Prototypes

Google Cardboard, a rudimentary form of VR that uses the user's phone as the display

   

My favorite person in the Information Technology Field

My favorite person in the IT field - Gabe Newell

Background Info

• Born on November 3, 1962 in Seattle, Washington.
• Gabe attended Harvard University, however he dropped out after three years to begin working at Microsoft.
• He became one of the "Microsoft Millionares."
• Newell worked for Microsoft for 13 years until he left with fellow Microsoft employee Mike Harrington. Together they founded Valve in 1996.
• The duo created the popular game "Half-life" to fund Valve.
• Valve is the owner and maintainer of Steam, the largest digital video game distribution.
• His current net worth is 2.2 Billion

What he means to the IT field

     Gabe Newell revolutionized the sales and distribution of video games. Steam, the platform he created for doing so, pushed digital downloads of computer games into the mainstream. Before Steam, most PC games had to be bought from a brick and mortar video game store, taken home, and installed on the user's computer. Very few games were available for download, and those that were had awful download speeds and the servers were incredibly unreliable.
      Enter Steam: The gaming platform for a new generation of gaming. Steam made multiplayer and online games and chatting with friends easier than ever. Many video game publishers started creating games for PC's as well as the current generation of consoles due to the ease of use of Steam. Steam enabled small, budding game development companies to get their content out their and into the ever-expanding world of PC gamers. Independent developers working out of their basements are able to share their amazing creations with the world. Gabe Newell ushered in the era of mainstream PC gaming, and has changed the landscape of video game distribution forever.

What he means to me

      I enjoy playing video games with my friends, and steam allows me to do this with ease. Gone are the days of manually setting up a server to host a game, having your friends connect, and still have lag and issues. Steam has a simple "invite to game" option, making inviting my friends to play a game with me a breeze. Steam also hosts many of the game servers themselves, and provide some of the best and most reliable online games. Valve, the company who made Steam, is owned and created by Gabe Newell. Steam, however, is not all that Valve has done that has impacted me. Valve made the Portal series, one of my favorite game series of all time. This, combined with Counter Strike: Global Offensive, make Valve my third favorite video game publishing company..

Here is his glorious face: 

And here is him as the king of PC gaming and sales:

Citations/Sources:

• "Forbes 400 - #307 Gabe Newell" Retrieved 11/10/15
• Robert Purchase (15 November 2012)"Gabe Newell Named as Next AIAS Hall of Famer". Eurogamer Retrieved 11/10/15