Category Archives: tech

Mar 05 2013
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design, digital, electronics, gadgets, happenings, links, products, reviews, stuff, tech, things

111 Days of Xbox 360

I’ve been an extremely late adopter to the Xbox 360 and 111 days later I can tell you I’m impressed.

I got my Xbox on a whim on eBay for a whopping $40 with literally nothing–no hard drive,  no power cords, no a/v cables et cetera. It took me a couple days to find the 12.1amps power adapter to fit the “Jasper” Xbox I had obtained.

I went to an electronic parts store, bought the power adapter and picked up the original composite cables. I looked up the serial # and found it had a warranty till January 2013 and wasn’t banned. I was overjoyed. I had originally planned to purchase an Xbox at the time of the release of  ”Splinter Cell: Conviction” and the bundle it came with back in April 2010.

 

Then I decided to wait to see if  Ubisoft ported it to the PS3 at a later date. However they didn’t and I argued one game for one console…eh… –but for $40 why not?

I already had “Splinter Cell: Conviction” Collector’s Edition.

 

 

I was fortunate though I had purchased the game via OnLive and had been playing it for a year on the service having logged 137 hours on Splinter Cell. The quality for OnLive games varies on one’s bandwidth and other variables as well however the picture displayed is surprisingly very good. I am not to fond of the keyboard controls–at least for this game and opted to buy a wired Xbox 360 controller to play via OnLive. (I think Microsoft should acquire OnLive and implement it’s infrastructure to the console. They can afterwards polish it up. The subscription playpack would be paid for by Xbox live and the on demand games would truly be on-demand playable within seconds.)

So when I obtained the Xbox 360 I had a controller and one game.

After acquiring it I decided I would play solely the exclusives on the System and that I did. Previously I had desired to Play Fable II and Fable III  having seen the adverts to it…same thing for the Gears of War trilogy–soon to be four.

I have played the Xbox more in 3 months than I have the PS3 in a whole year.

Games I’ve Recently Played:

The multiplayer match-ups, the xbox party features and UI aesthetics have  left me repentant as to why I had not purchased one sooner.

My only gripes would be load times are longer (at least you don’t have the mandatory install thing like PS3)–the pop up/in graphics, the occasional hiccup freezes and how loud the Xbox is in general.

Although these things I have easily accustomed at the beginning were annoying.

Also the achievements make playing video games, games in and of themselves. Yes, PS3 has trophies but they are not as evident or spotlighted.

I am happy to say that in these few short months the Xbox has become my console of choice and I’m looking forward to playing some of the upcoming titles:

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Mar 24 2011
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happenings, internet, links, news, politics, sites, tech, terrorism

Music Industry Wants $75 Trillion

This just proved once again that I was right four years ago.

The music industry is insane. No one should listen to them.

They want anywhere in the range of $400 billion to $75 trillion

But Washington, D.C. has. So has Barack Obama–especially him.

His Copyright Czar  (oh, so illegal I may add) running around along with Homeland Security and ICE shutting down and seizing domains left and right.

Even explaining  why Google hasn’t been seized.

All in the name of copyright. All because of the MPAA and RIAA.

Madonn.

Mar 24 2011
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The iPhone & AT&T…

I can attest to the fact that the iPhone has forever tainted and ruined my image of Apple.

Had the iPhone been my first ever Apple product I don’t think I would ever seek to purchase another one of their products.

However it is not but my likelihood of purchasing another iPhone is null.

In the past, one purchased an Apple product and everything worked in sync. If it didn’t Apple customer service took care of it and you were satisfied.

Either way I am paying for their mistake for their inadequacies
With the iPhone it was not so. The missing link is service. The service is from AT&T and they certainly do not share Apple’s past view of service and quality. In fact Apple’s more recent behavior has been akin to that of AT&T and less a shadow of their former self.

I enjoy my iPhone for all the aspects that don’t involve the phone. For all intents I have an iPod Touch.

One of the main reasons my image of Apple is ruined is because I can’t use my iPhone as a phone. I can’t make a call inside of my house. I can’t use the data connection on my iPhone inside my house. In order to use the iPhone at home I have to step outside on the sidewalk next to my home.

This is unacceptable. If Apple decided AT&T was going to provide the ‘phone’ aspect of the iPhone which they did, then this is their fault–it is their fault. Apple made a product I can’t use.

However my bill is $100+

I don’t cancel my plan because I don’t want to pay the termination fee and lose the deposit I made. In spite that I had never been asked for a deposit from any other cell phone company.

When I complain about the lack of service they offer to sell me a device which uses my home connection to make up for the lapse of my service for a specified fee every month(?!) That’s insane.

Either way I am paying for their mistake–for their inadequacies. Why should I?

The thing that bothers me the most is that I know I am not the only one.

Then there is the other thing. My iPhone reads that it has no service. I call AT&T and they inform me that my phone has been disconnected.

Okay I say.

Yet they still send me a bill. As if I have used their poor excuse for a phone service.

When I call them none of the people I speak to know what to do about it. I’ve spent a literal two hours on the phone with AT&T and all they can tell me is that I need to open another account and do a deposit for $900.

I then tell them that is fine and well but how do I–what do I do to stop getting billed for a phone number that is not even active that I am getting billed as if it were active? Also that is still being billed under the phone number that has now been assigned to another person.

They tell me just to pay this remaining bill and I won’t get billed again.

Guess what…

I got another bill.

Madonn.

 The iPhone has forever tainted and ruined my image of Apple.

Apple has not done anything about it. I say this because they still offer the iPhone through them.

Jun 16 2010
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electronics, stuff, tech, things

I Think I’m Not Getting an iPad 3G + Wi-Fi

Cutting to the chase. There’s no unlimited plan. Capped at 5GBs a month. True other carriers charge more for the same cap (Sprint Mobile Broadband $59.99 on 3G/Unlimited on 4G).

My thing is that there was an unlimited plan. Offer it. I’ll pay $35 for it–possibly $40…maybe. But AT&T has gone screwed it over.

I’m not alone when I say this but AT&T has gone and screwed over Apple. From the fiasco earlier today with the iPhone, and the whole iPad email thing. AT&T has proven not just in the past months but certainly overall, that they suck.

I’m already almost decided that if I don’t continue to have unlimited data on the iPhone after my contract ends–I’m not renewing.

As I mentioned in an earlier post I’d rather purchase a Wi-Fi enabled iPad than purchase an iPhone 4.

I’m not overtly excited about it. It looks nice indeed. But I’m not excited.

I saw the HTC Evo and was impressed. The whole Wi-Fi Hotspot also caught my attention. I liked it.

I’d have to pay for that over at AT&T.

I’ve had Sprint before and I’d prefer them over AT&T. I never had a dropped call with Sprint.

I hadn’t even experienced a drop call till I got an iPhone on AT&T’s network.

I’ve had my share of cell phones on different networks. From Alltel Wireless, Nextel (before Sprint), Sprint (after Nextel), Helio (on Sprint’s Network), T-Mobile, and then finally AT&T.

I’ve had issues with them, mostly regarding billing, overcharges, wrong data plans, voice plans, etc. Which were all corrected.

Yet with AT&T I had the main issue with the actual voice/data service.

I digress however.

My other reason for not yet purchasing an iPad is the whole retina display. I feel that soon. Rather than later. Apple will release a retina display iPad. If I purchase an iPad within the next three months and in a month after my purchase they release a new iPad. I think I’ll be fairly certain I might not buy an Apple product for a long time.

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May 26 2010
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design, digital, electronics, gadgets, happenings, internet, media, stuff, tech, things, tools

I Think I’m Getting an iPad (3G + Wi-Fi)

“Isn’t Everybody getting one?” I don’t know. I guess.

For me it’s a big deal. I haven’t bought anything from Apple that hasn’t been over $300 in almost half a decade.

The last thing I purchased–that I consider a big purchase was back in 2005. I got a PowerBook G4. Although I sorely lamented having not waited; I was and still am thoroughly pleased with my purchase. (Despite it’s current state: unusable and all the ills I had with it. Head over to my Livejournal for more on that)

During that short time–although I must say it actually is a bit of a time. I’ve seen Apple update and update and update both architecture (that was once), hardware, and software a bunch of times. For their laptops and desktops– well, at least for some. Things like Mac Pros and Macbook Airs have been slow to see the light of change.

Which was why my inclinations were towards the Air when it came to making another big purchase from Apple.

However it didn’t happen–or hasn’t happened…yet.

Very well seared in my mind was the ill and strange sensation of having purchased something and for it to have it made obsolete whilst it’s new smell still yet lingered. Then for it to become entirely defunct still yet not old.

Guess I’m old school in that aspect. I still have an iMac G3 that works and at the time of my big purchase wasn’t ‘obsolete’.

It had been ‘allowed’ to grow old gracefully and not hastily.

Yes indeed times have changed and are a changin’ but still present somewhere in my mind is a cautionary tale…

Buy when sure, ready and not on impluse, presumptions, or speculation.

In the same manner I feel as if I am experiencing it to some degree with my iPhone 3G. Which I have only recently acquired. Yet due to my experience, I bought when sure and ready. Despite the software and the anticpated hardware changes I don’t feel as then.

So comes the iPad into Play.

I am remotely and slightly gleeful that I haven’t purchased an Apple System (by that a mean that it’s marketed, shown as independent and not as part of something like say an iPhone) in almost half a decade.

I say this as I know not what lies June 7th to be presneted by Mr. Steve Jobs.

I believe the iPad will change and is currently in the process of revolutionizing what we know as the Personal Computer as it did so long in 1984.

Insomuch that I’ve decided to purchase an iPad in the following months.

I’ve opted yet, still debating, however a wee bit sure I shall purchase an iPad 3G + Wi-Fi.

Sure Wi-Fi is more readily available and free of charge in many a places however I’ve grown too acustomed to the connectivity.

Sure there are plenty of ways to make the iPhone as a modem for the iPhone however my goal is to be light.

True an iPhone is light as can be. Although I speak from experience, it’s a cramped out light experience. Heavy on the cramping.

Using the iPhone as your only source–no laptop…at all is slightly grim.

The lack of ‘real estate’ first of all daunting after three months.

Yet with iPad that’s there. The ‘real estate’.

The difference between the Wi-Fi only iPad and one with 3G + Wi-Fi is the difference between an Airstreamer (trailer) and a full fledged RV.

Sure you can be autonomous with the Airstreamer but to an extent. You still need a hitch and a vehicle to accomplish it.

With the RV the autonomy is present from the moment you arrive. The vehicle is optional as it (the RV) is the vehicle.

So I think I’m getting an iPad 3G + Wi-Fi…I’ll see.

Jun 23 2008
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business, internet, links, news, reviews, stuff, tech, things

Skype Unlimited…with Asterisk

I’ve had Skype Unlimited US and Canada for about 7 months now.

I’ve had it understood that unlimited means without limit: not limited; unrestricted; unconfined, boundless; infinite.

Apparently when Unlimited calls is marked with an Asterisk it means 10,000 minutes per month due to a fair usage policy:

that’s 167 hours.

You see the advertised “unlimited calls*” and you think–you believe it won’t have a limit.

Yet there is a limit. That limit is 10,000 minutes/167 hours…

What the freak Skype?!

What now? Those unlimited plans they brought out for cell phones are they also unlimited calls with asterisk too?

Are they limited to 167 hours/10,000 minutes as well?

Why advertise something–label something as unlimited when it’s 10,000 minutes?

Deceptive marketing is what this is.

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Jun 17 2008
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business, internet, links, media, tech, things, tips

Oh No They Didn’t…


…mess up my Google Reader–again!

I am unsure of how many people have encountered this problem when reading Oh No They Didn’t via Google Reader…

It doesn’t matter how fast my internet connection is whether T3, FiOS, or Comcast but when I read Oh No They Didn’t in Google Reader it messes it up. I always get the red notification reading: “Opps…we’ve encountered a problem” either during the reading or after the reading of Oh No They Didn’t.

It really sucks because I’ll have to either close the tab, close the browser, sign out and login to get Google Reader working again.

I’m getting to point now where I am just going to delete Oh No They Didn’t completely from my subscription list in Google Reader and just go to the actual website to read it–if at all.

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