G.I. Combat #0 Review

G.I. Combat is one of those books that makes you wonder, "Does this really need a dedicated origin issue?" And the answer proves to be, "No, not really." Certainly, there's no real need to showcase what happened before the soldiers in The War That Time Forgot started stabbing and shooting dinosaurs. Acknowledging that, issue #0 shifts the content in favor Palmiotti and Justin Gray's Unknown Soldier story. Luckily, as much as I've been ambivalent about that revamp so far, the writers make good use of the format as far as fleshing out thier new character and the Unknown Soldier mythology.

Rather than turn back the clock to an earlier point in the main character's life, the segment explores the general legacy of the Unknown Soldier in the DCU. Palmiotti and Gray add an Assassin's Creed-style genetic memory element to the character, allowing him to experience the exploits of Unknown Soldiers who fought in Vietnam, the Revolutionary War, and even ancient Rome. It's an interesting wrinkle to the formula that dredges up a healthy slate of new questions about the character. Unfortunately, the script falls apart at the end as the writers steer haphazardly into a new conflict and resulting cliffhanger rather than simply ending this interlude on a more satisfying note.

Though much shorter than usual, J.T. Krul's The War That Tim Forgot portion still offers up a healthy dose of dinosaur carnage. In this case, readers learn more about the veteran dino-slayer who revealed himself in the previous issue. It's a fun read, though Ariel Olivetti's surreal, unnatural backgrounds really work against the story. At this point it would almost be preferable to have soldiers and dinosaurs grappling against blank backgrounds.

It isn't enough for DC to offer traditional war-themed comics. The lackluster sales on this series and its predecessor are proof enough of that. The tales in G.I. Combat need to showcase war as it exists in the DC Universe, reflecting all the colorful characters and concepts that dwell within. Issue #0 does a better job than any issue previous of satisfying that need.

Jesse is a writer for IGN Comics and IGN Movies. He can't wait until he's old enough to feel ways about stuff. Follow Jesse on Twitter, or find him on IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

What is a smart switch?

I was looking at this question which mentions smart switches. What are they? What are there uses?

1 Answer

I believe those are switches that can be controlled remotely. The method varies - some can receive commands through power lines, some use radio, some need a separate cable.

You use these when you want to build a "smart house". That is, all the electrical devices can be controlled remotely. For example you could connect to your house from your work through the Internet and turn off the light in the kitchen that you left on. Or you could switch on the coffee maker before departing for home, so that you have fresh coffee when you arrive. Or maybe have your washing machine send you an SMS when the laundry is done. The possibilities are limitless.

The technology isn't anything new, but such devices are still a lot more expensive than traditional electrical networks. They are trying to make it cheaper of course, but it's nowhere near the point where it could be made ubiquitous.

Also they are not problem free. As always - the more stuff there is, the more something can go wrong. And both radio and power-line based communications suffer heavily from noise. Separate cables don't have this issue, but they are difficult to lay out, not to mention expensive. Naturally, progress has been made here as well over the last decades, so the latest types of devices are already quite reliable.

Last but not least - not only are there different methods for communication, but several different protocols as well for each method. So whichever you choose it will severely limit the devices available to you. Of course you could always use the traditional "dumb" devices, but then you'd loose all the benefits of a smart house.

Source : diy[dot]stackexchange[dot]com