No HD for Comcast's MLB Extra Innings

Today I received an email from Comcast comfirming my fear that the MLB Extra Innings package will still not be broadcast in HD. I know showing 80 games each week in HD would comsume a lot of bandwith but it is unacceptable that they cannot even show a couple of games each night in HD. So once again I am stuck out here in Boston not being able to watch my Yankees in HD. Maybe next year....

Dell's Mini 10 now with 720p screen

The Dell Mini 10 now has a 720p screen option! This should have been the ONLY option when they launched the Mini 10 but for some reason Dell launched with the lower res screen from the Mini 9. I am not sure I can recommend anyone buying the Mini 10 though. With the higher res screen, upgraded atom processor and bluetooth the Mini 10 goes for over 500 dollars! That is just too much for a netbook. You can get better netbooks out there with the same or more features for about 400 bucks.

Sony says no price cut on the PS3 tomorrow

According to the latest from Sony their big announcement set for tomorrow has nothing to do with a PS3 price drop. What is with these guys? Yeah, the system is selling ok but not as well as it should. They should knock off 50 or 100 bucks from the price. A price drop now could really spur some great sales. I may even buy one if they dropped the price by a hundred bucks!

Apple using jailbroken iphones?

Well this is certainly interesting. It looks as though Apple is using jailbroken iPhones when creating their schematics for new patents. These images are from their patent filing. Notice anything odd in the red circle? Yup, those are the Installer.app and SMBPrefs, both only available on a jailbroken iPhone.

Click here for more info from Engadget!

Microsoft's new anti-apple commercial

Check out the video below. Microsoft has a new commercial that is actually really GOOD. Their past efforts have left much to be desired but I think this one is a winner. The star of the commercial seems very genuine which really makes this commercial work.

Check it out here!

iPhone - Wolfenstein 3D

Wow! How cool is this??? ID Software released Wolfenstein 3D for the iPhone!! It costs $4.99 and from what I have seen so far it is worth every penny. The game controls so well and the graphics look great. The game includes all six original episodes with over 60 levels to play!

For more information on Wolfenstein 3D click here!.

Dell Coupon Code - XPS 1330 and 1530

Use coupon code GGCNF3XZ9X6?VT at checkout to get 25% off the configured price of an XPS M1330 or M1530 that's over $1,599. Coupon expires 3/30/2009. I bought the XPS 1530 last year and it is a great system. It is heavy and the battery does not last very long but it does have a lot of power!

Will Windows 7 be the end for Linux on netbooks?

A Product Manager for Samsung recently stated that after Windows 7 is released that "it was now unlikely the company would make a Linux netbook".

I like Windows 7 A LOT. I have been beta testing it since January. I am not sure that when the final release comes that it will be as snappy as Linux is on a netbook. Plus, a netbook maker can shave 50-70 dollars off the price of a netbook by using Linux and in this economy every dollar counts.

Check out the full article on techradar.

Netflix coming to PS3?

Take a look at this screenshot. It appears that Netflix is at least thinking about it. This also could just be a manipulated screenshot. Hard to trust any news around April 1st.

If this is indeed true then Microsoft better rethink their 50 bucks a year for Live because spending $9.99 a year to watch Netflix is a much better deal.

iPhone - Undead Live! Vampire Family Codes

Here are some Vampire codes for Undead Live! Let's grow our family!! Remember, only Vampires can add other Vampires. I will keep adding to this list as I find more codes.

501 890 475        212 592 210
145 856 593        337 546 391
142 746 618        210 272 622
162 231 403        238 037 141
172 468 150        314 439 327
172 468 150        114 135 184
748 521 479        274 354 335
227 777 347        102 959 177
269 152 701        512 193 692
116 117 264        445 085 959
157 616 801        234 714 427
238 282 105        103 502 303
747 077 467        299 138 015
208 596 488        210 272 622
295 594 935       
      
      
      

iPhone - Undead Live

The folks that brought us Mafia Live have just released Undead Live! It is free until 3-29-09 and then it will go up to $4.99 so get to the app store and download it today! The game plays just like Mafia Live but this time you can choose between being a werewolf, vampire or overlord. The names of all the different sections are all different of course. You have Land Conquests, Underworld Market, Dark Lord and My Bloodline just to name a few. You will also participate in quests and rampages which is the Undead equivalent of missions and fights.

If you loved Mafia Live and have an interest in the underworld then this game is perfect for you. I cant recommend it enough. This is great stuff and just what I expected from a great developer like this.

Remeber to post what species you are when leaving people your family code as vampires can only add vampires, werewolfs can only add werewolfs and overlords can only add overlords.

I am a Vampire!! Add me to your bloodline: 305 664 314

Dell entering smartphone market

We heard a few weeks back that Dell was rumored to be making a Dell branded smartphone. It appears now that this may be more than a rumor. Digitmes has some interesting news that basically has Michael Dell confirming their entry into the smartphone market.

Read Digitimes.

Dell Adamo's battery not user replaceable

Well, this certainly is not good news. At least for those that were waiting to get one of Dell's new Adamo laptops. The information that I received today is that the battery is not user replaceable. This also means that you cannot carry a spare with you while on the go which makes no sense at all. This is not a good move Dell, not a good move at all.

XBOX - RROD!!!!

Well, it happened AGAIN! I went to turn on my xbox last night to watch a movie and was greeted with the nasty RED RING OF DEATH! This will be the THIRD time I am returning this xbox for repair. This is getting ridiculus Microsoft! Give me a NEW system instead of just fixing this old one because it is obvious that this one is FUBAR!

iPhone - Invaders from Outer Space

Check out the app store this morning as Invaders from Outer Space in now a free app! It normally goes for $1.99. Now this game is not going to blow you away but it is a solid title, especially for FREE! It is a take on the classic game of Space Invaders. The graphics are solid and include some truly beautiful backgrounds of space images captured by NASA and the Hubble telescope.

Man vomits on Google

Check this out! Google Street View caught this guy vomiting on the side of the street. They have since replaced the picture but not before it was captured forever on the internet!

iPhone - Let's Golf!

I am currently playing Let's Golf by Gameloft for the iPhone. I will post a full review later today. My first impressions are that this game is a winner! Think Hot Shots Golf for the iPhone. Great graphics, sound and animation.

iPhone 3G outages in Boston??

I received a couple of emails from iPhone users stating that they are experiencing
3G outages in the Boston area. I too, am experiencing the same thing and I am currently in Boston. Send me an email if you are also experiencing 3G issues.

Dell Adamo

Dell's officially announced the first machine in what will be called the Adamo line. The 13.4-inch model has a 1.2GHz Core 2 Duo U9300 with integrated Intel X4500 graphics, 2GB of RAM, and a 128GB SSD, and weighs about 4 pounds.

Sorry Dell, but for $1,999 I expect A LOT more than this. Hopefully we will see a significant price drop or discounting for this line in the near future. In this economy Dell will have a hard time convincing people that this laptop is worth the asking price.

iPhone finally gets copy and paste

It took long enough but the iPhone finally got copy and paste!! It will work in almost all major applications including Safari!! A double-tap selects the text you want with movable grab points and then a pop-up edit bar displays the buttons for cut, copy, and paste. To undo you simply shake the iPhone. Pretty cool.

iPhone OS 3.0

Apple will reveal the new iPhone OS 3.0 today at 1 pm EST. Check back then for all the latest info from todays event. Hopefully we will get copy an paste and tethering!!

iPhone - Zombieville USA

Wow! Now this game is a perfect example of just how fun games can be on the iPhone. With its simple controls, solid side scrolling graphics and exceptional sound track this is most definitely my favorite iPhone game to date.

The zombie apocalypse, that we all know will eventually come, has struck your home town and you are the only one left. What do you do? Gun up and kill the bastards of course! That is all you do in this game and that is exactly what makes it such a perfect game for the iPhone.

The controls are very simple. There is an arrow on the bottom of each side of the screen which you press to move in that direction. To shoot you just tap your finger anywhere between those two arrows. To enter a safe house, where you collect money and ammo, you just tap your finger on the door.

The graphics are real nice. They have a great cartoon look to them and are very well drawn. The zombies heads explode into great gobs red goo and brain matter when you shoot them. The sound effects for the 15 weapons are great and they all feel very satisfying when used against the zombies.

I highly recommend that you go get this game right now. For a $1.99 it is a complete steal! If you do not want to take my word for how great this game is the developers have been kind enough to include a free demo on the app store as well. Check this game as out soon as you can! 5 out 5 stars!

Palm Pre Browser

Cruising the internet on the iPhone is a very pleasurable experience. The Safari browser is by far the best mobile browser I have ever used and I have used them all. Now it looks like Safari and iPhone may have some real competition! The Palm Pre browser looks to be a real winner and is reportedly 4x faster thamn Safari on the iPhone. Check out the link for more details.

Check it out here!.

Windows Mobile 6.5

I am not sure I am liking the looks of the new Windows Mobile 6.5. I am also not pleased that it cant run on current gen phones. Why is it that MS always has to make their software so bloated???? I am holding out hope that they pull this off. I miss my Windows Mobile 6.1 moto q9c and am looking forward to checking out the new hardware that 6.5 will run on,

iPhone - OS 3.0

Apple announced this morning that on March 17th they will preview OS 3.0 for the iPhone. No details as of yet to what we can expect but hopefully this will be a major update. Tethering perhaps?

I will let you know as soon as I have more information.

iPhone - BlogPress

So I have had a bit of time to play around with BlogPress and for the most part I am pleased. You really can't go wrong for the 99 cent sale price. The app is normally quite a bit pricier. I think the most I would pay for this app is 2.99.

It does what it is intended to do. I did notice some sluggishnes when going from portrait to landscape. On two occasions the app froze and I had to exit and come back in which was very frustrating.

It does seem that the developers care about their product and they do plan on updates. If you are a blogger and are looking for a way to blog on the go using your iPhone then check this app out. At 99 cents you cannot go wrong!

iPhone - BlogPress

This morning I downloaded BlogPress from the app store. It is on sale for just .99 cents. I am writing this blog from my iPhone to see how well this works with blogger. The first thing that i immediately liked was the ability to write in landscape.

I will continue to check this out to see if I can recommend this app.

Dell Mini 10 Review

Laptopmag.com has reviewd Dell's new mini 10. Overall they seem to like it quite a bit. I have been using the Dell Mini 9 since it was released last year so I am glad to see some of the shortcommings on the 9 fixed on the 10. The biggest change, besides screen size, is the keyboard is now very close to a full size keyboard and appears to be a lot easier to type on.

The configurations are limited at this time but Dell has stated that in the near future customers will have more options.

Anyone want to buy my Mini 9? Send me an email is you are interested. I certainly am not getting rich from the ads on my site and I really want to get a Mini 10 so I can give a more personal review

Check out laptopmag.com's review here!.

iPhone Kindle - UR

I have been using the iPhone Kindle software over the past few days to read a novella entitled UR by Stephen King. The story was written specifically for the Kindle and is about the Kindle. This is Stephen King so of course there is something special about the Kindle in the story. I will not say anything else because I do not want to ruin it for anyone but it it is definitely worth the purchase at just $2.99.

Trade in your used games to Amazon!

On Thursday Amazon anounced a new program where customers can trade in used games for store credit. They currently have about 1500 titles that they will accept. What is really nice is that you can clearly see how much they are going to give you for you game so there are no suprises. You simply go thorugh the list and select the titles you want to trade in, go through the checkout process and print a prepaid mailing label. When Amazon receives the games it takes about 2 days for them to examine the titles and credit your account.

The program only gives you credit that can be used on Amazon's site so if you are looking for cash this is not the program for you. As stated earlier it also takes some time for the entire process to be completed so there is no instant gratification to be had. Amazon's trade in prices are a couple of dollars higher per game than what you would get at Gamestop. If you trade in games over the next two weeks you will also receive a coupon for 10 percent off your next game puchase which is nice.

Overall I like this program quite a bit. I am going to send some game in this week and I will let you know how it goes.

Is this the end for the Wii?

There is no doubt that Nintendo's Wii is the best selling next-gen console. Some claim that the Wii's incredible sales are irrelevant because the real players in the console war are Microsoft and Sony. Whatever your thoughts on the Wii's success are the fact is that Nintendo owns the casual gamer market and has made the next-gen war a race for second place.

The playing field has definitely changed now. The global recession is getting worse and more people are eliminating unnecessary items. Whether it be that 4 dollar latte or going out to dinner, people all across the globe are cutting back. The game industry so far has been immune to the recession. True hardcore gamers are dedicated individuals who will go to the end of the Earth to get their gaming fix. This is where the Wii will face its first major challenge. Will casual gamers continue to spend money on the Wii? I say no.

Let me know what you think?

Credit Cards

Two friends of mine recently received notice from their Capital One credit cards that their annual rate was increasing to 27 PERCENT!!! Both of them manage their money very well but each carries a balance. This sounds to me like they are just looking to cash in on customers carrying balances. The good thing is that you CAN opt out but you need to contact them to do so. Once you have opted out you must not use that credit card (cut it up!!!) again because if you do you are consenting to the new terms and your interest rate will skyrocket! I always hated Capital one and their stupid viking commercials. At least now I have a better reason to hate the credit card.

I would keep an eye out for these types of notices from other credit cards as well. Bank of America isn't doing so great and I can see them doing something like this too.

iPhone - Amazon Kindle Review

I downloaded Amazon's Kindle software for the iPhone this morning. I do not have an actual kindle so I was excited to now have access to all the great content that Kindle users have. As expected the application is a free download from the app store.

I am a bit disappointed with the software so far. Granted, this is version 1.0 and I am sure this app will be updated often to add additional features but I did expect a little more out of the gate. When you launch the app you are presented with a bare bones main menu with just a couple of available options. The app does not come with any sample books so if you are new to the Kindle experience you must download something to read. A really nice feature called Whispersync gives those who own a Kindle the ability to sync the iPhone Kindle with your already downloaded book collection. The iPhone Kindle software will also sync where you are in a book so regardless of whether you are on the actual Kindle or the iPhone you will not have to go flipping through a book to pick up where you left off. Nice!

Other than Whispersync the iPhone Kindle is a bare bones reader. You can adjust the text size and bookmark pages but you cannot change the font or the color of the "paper". I am sure features like these will be added in future releases, at least I hope.

Now the biggest issue I have with the software is there is no built in ability to search and purchase books from the reader itself. The software recommends that you purchase items using the Amazon store on your PC or MAC. There is a link that takes you to Amazon's website using Safari which I did used to purchase two items but scanning Amazon's large library from Safari is FAR from ideal. Come on Amazon, give us the ability to search and buy directly from the app in the next update.

Overall I would give the IPhone Kindle software a 3 out 5. If you already own a Kindle the Whispersync option is cool but then again, if you are on the road and want to read wouldn't you have your Kindle with you?

Here is cnet's review.

iphone - Amazon Kindle!

Today Amazon released their Kindle software for the iphone! I just downloaded it and will play around with it this morning. As soon as I get a feel for the software I will post a review.

Attention Lazy People!! Let's Get Green!

We all talk about what we can do to be more green but how many of you are like me and are just too damn lazy (selfish) to do anything meaningful. Well, if you are like me then you need to check out this site. They provide you with easy ways each month to get green and show you the difference that your contribution combined with everyone elses can make. It is pretty amazing to say the least. So check these guys out and pledge to make a difference!!

http://www.layzgreenpeople.com/

iphone - Mafia Live!

This is pretty cool.

This morning I reached level 51 and unlocked the ability to play Mafia Live! from a PC.

http://www.mymafialive.com/website/browser

Granted, I usually have my iphone with me all the time but I think this is still a neat feature to have and shows that the developer really cares about their product.

If you want to add me my family code is: 336 782 225

iphone - iMafia

The premise behind iMafia is very similar to Mafia Live! which I reveiwed in an earlier post so I wont go through all the basics of these types of games. iMafia does differ in one big way, you can only purchase mafia members from the Godfather as opposed to inviting other human players from across the world to join you. I have heard a lot of complaints on this idea but I really like it. I just do not have the time to hit every forum looking for new members ID#'s and then punching them into the game. Dom't get me wrong, there is definately something cool about having your reall life friends in your mob but I also really like the fact that iMafia makes you actually play the game and spend the money you earn in order to advance and become a more experienced mobster.

If you read the most current reviews it appears that some players are experiencing issue with the latest update. People are stating that they cannot enter certain buildings in the game and that the game crashes a lot. I have the most updated version and have none of these issues. I am not saying that they do not exist I just wanted to let you know that some people are not having any problems.

iMafia is a FREE app for your iphone!!

iphone game reviews

I hope to have a couple of new reviews up very soon. I have been playing iDracula and Flick Fishing. My early impressions are very positive for both games!