analogy
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Google announces Caffeine search index, promises '50 percent fresher results'
Google may have a lot of its plate these days, but you can rest assured it's not forgetting what got it where it is today in the first place -- it's just announced its new Caffeine search index, which is not only the largest index of web content Google has offered, but promises to be "50 percent fresher" as well. To do that, Google basically rebuilt its index from the ground up, switching from the old index with different layers that would refresh at different rates, to a crazy new index that analyzes the web in small portions on a continuous basis (as helpfully illustrated above) -- all of which should translate to you being able to find newer content, faster. Of course, this is Google, so they've also provided some analogies, noting that if Caffeine were a pile of paper it would grow three miles taller every second, that it takes up 100 million gigabytes of storage and grows at a rate of hundreds of thousands of gigabytes per day, that you would need 625,000 of the largest iPods to store that much information, and that if those were stacked end-to-end they would stretch more than 40 miles. Now you know.
Breakfast Topic: WoW analogies
I don't know if it's because I blog about WoW, or just because I play a fair amount of it, but analogies between WoW and other parts of life constantly leap into my mind. This happens often enough in everyday conversation that it doesn't even annoy my girlfriend anymore; she's just used to it. Most recently, I was at a large family event, maybe 30 people. I was noticing how hard it was to get the entire group to do anything - waiting for people to get ready, deciding what to do, etc. I immediately thought of 25-man raiding, with its horrendous logistics. By comparison, a group of 10 people, in raids or real life, is much more manageable. What sorts of WoW analogies have occurred to you recently? Or am alone in this particular affliction?
Forum post of the day: If the NBA was like the Arena...
It's pretty clear that despite it's flaws, I love the Arena. I know that a lot of people don't but usually the forums are filled with complaints rather than constructive criticism. I was pleasantly surprised by a post in the PvP forums that was amusing and made a great analogy for the Arena Syatem. Phel of Tichondrius compared arenas to the NBA. I've included his complete list after the break.
The console war summed up in imperfect analogies
Analogies help us make sense of life. They can take a complex, confusing set of variables and couch them in familiar terms. So for instance, when a major publisher compares the Wii to "two Gamecubes duct taped together," the listener gets a clear picture of the unfamiliar system vis a vis the familiar purple box. Complexity simplified!Nintendo's George Harrison has a different analogy in mind to describe his system, though. In an interview with eclectic financial site The Motley Fool, Harrison compared the Wii to a hybrid competing against two SUVs with "big new chrome rims." While all three are technically cars, Harrison argues, the markets for each aren't likely to overlap much. "Two companies are going in one direction, and we're headed in another," Harrison summed up.While he's definitely right on that last point, we're not sure the hybrid/SUV comparison is the most apt analogy to describe the current console wars. Here's a few other contenders we've managed to come up with: A nutritious Apple (the Wii) vs. two heart-clogging double bacon cheeseburgers. A pea-shooter vs. two rocket-propelled grenade launchers. A $99 suit vs. two custom-tailored Giorgio Armanis A Casio digital watch vs. two diamond-encrusted Rolexes. These are just off the top of our heads. We're sure you can do better. Leave us your favorite Wii vs. the world analogies in the comments.[Via Aussie-Nintendo]
The console war in analogies
A quick post over at Nintendo-loving site Infendo compares the next great console war to the battle for supremacy over American roads. The author (an admitted Sony hater) suggests that the PS3 offers overpriced power that consumers don't want, much like an American gas-guzzler, while Nintendo's Wii implicitly resembles an efficient, cheap, and quirky Toyota hybrid.This got us thinking about other competitions to compare to the battle between Sony's pricey powerhouse and Nintendo's pint-sized processor. Here are a few choice examples:Sony's PS3 is to Nintendo's Wii as ... An oversized McMansion is to a starter townhouse. A filet mignon is to a quarter-pounder with cheese. A pair of leather wingtips is to a pair of comfortable sneakers. A first-class flight is to a ride on the bus. A Sony PSP is to a Nintendo DS. OK, that last one might not be from a different industry, but why stray so far when there's a perfect example right here? How would you analogize the coming console wars?
Kojima loves analogies
The latest issue of Official Playstation Monthly featured a short interview with Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima. After comparing the three next-gen systems to food in a rather famous quote a year ago, Hideo now has a new view on the subject."Now, the PlayStation 3 is like a movie theater for people who want to see this movie on the big screen with THX and 5.1 audio, even if they have to pay a high price. The Xbox 360 is DVD. Basically, you don't know what movie you want to see, so you go to the store and see if you can pick up a good one. The Wii is like a TV for when you're home and you don't know what you want to watch but you [want to] have that variety."Yeahhhhh. Not really sure what that means, but Hideo has shown some major love for the Wii in the past, so it must be good. Anyone have some of their own interesting analogies they'd like to share?
