Crap-Crap-Crap Tech in Spring/Summer 2006

Spring and early summer tends to be bit lackluster in the technology department. Consumers and technology pundits alike tend to have little to inspire them in the second quarter. Everyone is out enjoying their boats and barbeques since there is little to keep them indoors at this time of the year. Other than rehash all the cool stuff we are waiting for in the coming months, let’s review some of the crap from this year so far. Okay, so I don’t have enough room to go over all of the crap instead I’ll concentrate on some of the items that were underwhelming or should’ve been better than it turned out.

-Unexciting Format War

Long gone are the glory days of format wars. When titans of industry fight for consumer dominance with conflicting proprietary products. Sony seems always to be in the center of the arena- this time is no different. Except for the lack of excitement, even with early adopters. There are distinct camps in this war, Blu-ray and HD-DVD. Each is supported by entertainment and technology companies.

There is clearly defined difference between the two. However, at the end of the day consumers don’t care enough to make a difference. Few seem to notice their new HD televisions lacks HD content. So, these releases are only for early adopters who are willing to pay excessively and who care about the quality of what they watch. Something average consumers have again and again shown to the negative. Ease of use will always win out over quality. (MP3’s anyone.) And with the dual format VHS/DVD players on the market most consumers know it is only a matter of time before a 3^rd party vendor releases a machine with both Blu-Ray and HD-DVD. That is if both formats survive long enough to matter. It’s a huge case of hurry up and wait since as HD sets penetrate the market eventually consumers will be wondering where to find HD movies. Until then be prepared to be underwhelmed by this lackluster fight.

There are those detractors who say consumers will be reluctant to convert their DVD libraries to the next gen-HD after already going from VHS to DVD. While this conversion may not come at the brisk pace with which DVD took over the video world, DVD’s will begin to show their age and lack of resolution in years to come. As new releases come readily to the HD world and DVD sales begin to wane, the public will have little choice but adopt High Def. It’s only a matter of speed, availability, and price.

Newly added original Xbox titles for the 360

Original Xbox compatible titles for the Xbox 360---Newly added as of August 2006

Aggressive Inline

All-Star Baseball 2003 updated

All-Star Baseball 2005

Aquaman: Battle of Atlantis

Burnout 3: Takedown

Call of Cthulu: Dark Corners of the Earth Updated

Catwoman

Counter-Strike

Crash Nitro Kart 2 Updated

Dead to Rights

Digimon Rumble Arena 2 Updated

ESPN Major League Baseball

Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Director’s Cut

Ford vs. Chevy Updated

Freaky Flyers

Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows

Half-Life 2 Updated

IndyCar Series 2005

Kabuki Warriors Updated

LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy

Links 2004

Magatama Updated

Maximum Chase

Mortal Kombat Deception Updated

MTX: Mototrax

MX vs. ATV Unleashed

Namco Museum 50^th Anniversary Arcade Collection

Outlaw Tennis

Over the Hedge

Richard Burns Rally

Rogue Trooper

Serious Sam

Shincho Mahjong

Sid Meier’s Pirates

Smashing Drive

Sneakers 5 Updated

Spy Hunter: Nowhere to Run

Taz Wanted

The Incredibles: Rise of the Underminer Updated

The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning

The Suffering

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Island Thunder

Torino 2006 Winter Olympics

Trigger Man

True Crime:Streets of LA

Vietcong: Purple Haze

Wrath Unleashed

X2 Wolverine’s Revenge

For a complete list of titles compatible on the Xbox 360 head to Xbox.com

PC purchase remorse

Regularly I receive phone calls asking, “Did I get a good deal on this computer?”. After hearing the specs they usually ask how much I think it cost them. Only because I follow such things, I usually pick the price within $50 to $100. The disappointment on the other end of the phone is nearly heartbreaking. People don’t like to think they didn’t receive a good deal and there is nothing worse then a person picking the price you paid or thinking it should’ve been lower. Computers, in my estimation require a practical understanding for consumers that used to be needed only for cars, homes, and large appliances.

The minute you drive it off the lot the value drops 10%. The same applies to computers when you crack open that box and power it up. It not only loses value PC’s are outdated the minute it walks out the door. (Actually, they are outdated before they hit the store shelves.) To find value in this purchase, and not feel like a sucker you have to walk into the purchase with a realistic set of expectations. It isn’t about speed of the processor, the size of the hard drive or how many GB of RAM is loaded into it. Those are fun specs for geeks. For the average user it only matters if it runs the programs you need.

Again, for the average buyer computers need to be about whether it fills the need in your household. Can it do all the things you expect of it? And frankly speaking, most people are buying much more computer then they need. Even the aspects of upgrading are ludicrous for most people who will buy a completely new machine before they can gain any benefits from upgrades.

I’ve come up with a handy buyers guide for computers. If you stick to these few principles, you should have the least amount of buyer’s remorse at the end of the day.

At the end of the day the only way to make sure you got a good deal on your recent computer purchase is to do your research, know what you need, and keep realistic expectations. Then once you’ve bought it, quite looking at the ads and don’t tell anyone your specs. If someone asks, say, ‘it’s paid for and it does everything I could ask of it.’ When buying a PC that’s the best anyone can say.

Gadgets

There are more bad products out there than good. My mission to find those products worthwhile and useful in the right hands is tireless. However, once and a while I come across something that really makes me scratch my head. --Because the idea is so stupid or the execution seems like it was completed by monkeys-- there are some so bad I just can’t keep my mouth shut.

Take the Drive Alert Master II. Designed to wake up sleepy drivers as they nod off at the wheel this simple device doesn’t even sound as if it will do the trick. Sure, a loud noise in the ear will wake you up, for a second. No better than loud static on the radio, or rolling the windows down and pumping up the AC. The problem is drivers fall asleep at the wheel because they are tired. No device is going to fix that. Once a person realizes they are too tired to drive, they need to pull over. And again, this thing won’t solve that.

Save your 24.95 and pick up another couple of espressos.

http://www.gadgetuniverse.com/product_detail.asp?SRC=25EM060801&rsource=EMAIL&keywd=25EM060801&SKU=TE+332+S

Here’s one from the Shaper Image with an idea that I love. Reality on the other hand. -Spion™ Orbitor™ Electronic Listening Device. A spy movie listening dish with earphones and the ability to record up to 120 seconds of sound from as far away as 300’. Point it at the neighbors across the street and listen as they argue their way into divorce court. The problem being this thing doesn’t work. You can hear sounds from across the room. However, it has a terrible time distinguishing between ambient sound and someone speaking. The clarity is nowhere what it should be for $60. The distance is nowhere near the 300’, at least not with any true distinguishing of sounds. I wanted to like this thing. It left me disappointed. Best thing to do-Skip it. If you can’t then test one out in a Sharper Image store.

http://www.sharperimage.com/us/en/catalog/product/sku__AR006

¶ 2:40 PM (0) comments links to this post

Circuit City to break the law, for a price. They will convert your DVD’s for use on your IPOD for $10 a pop. For years, low-tech hackers have had access to inexpensive tools for cracking the encryption for DVD burning. What makes this interesting is it is the first time a major company has been willing flagrantly to flout the law. Odds are Circuit City will be discontinuing this service as soon as they receive a cease and desist order from the MPAA or the studios. It would be strange for a big company to risk losing their rights to sell DVD’s because of violating the Digital Millennia Act.

There has been some wiggle room on the legality of this issue with past legislation allowing fair use for owners to make a single copy of a movie. Where it comes to odds is with the DMAA’s forbidding of breaking the copy-protection encryption on any digital media. Of course, all this leads us once again into the gigantic issue at the heart of digital ownership in the 21^st century. (A debate we won’t get into for the sake of this writers sanity.)

While this service by Circuit City isn’t groundbreaking it will make an interesting story to watch unfold. And while many applaud Circuit City’s willingness to break the law to make a buck, most are still left wondering why anyone would spend $10 to do what they could do at home for free.

Tech Blurb

Following the tech blurbs

-New electric car hits 130 MPH-The Tesla Roadster is Silicon Valley’s attempt to make an electric car cool. A sophisticated attempt to challenge Ferrari, Porsche, and Lamborghini with a electric car that goes 0 to 60-mph in four seconds. And it does it silently. The stealthy factor may well save this electric vehicle, if it can find buyers that are looking for speed without the racecar sound. Of course, you could just pump your favorite motor sound though the sound system if you have to hear the power under the hood. Aside from its impressive specs Tesla will still have to succeed where GM and other have failed-popularizing electric automobiles. For now, this is one to watch. It’ll be interesting to see if they can make any headway in an American industry known for its gas guzzling, loud, and large vehicles.

Acer Aspire 9800-quick review

Acer Aspire 9800

The 2.16 GHz Intel Core Duo Processor of the Acer Aspire 9800 gives it healthy amount of power for the laptop category. However, with a 20-inch screen and more than 17 lbs. of heft it sits in the desktop replacement category rather firmly. Add to that the manufacturer’s estimate of 1.5 hours of battery life and you have a laptop that’s screaming for a desktop and an outlet. By desktop replacement standards, the 9800 is a bit underwhelming. While boasting 2 GB of Ram, a PCI Express Chipset and a NVIDIA GeForce Go 7300 graphics card it comes in at a whopping $2650 (average current price on-line). There are a number of other laptops in this price range that can do the job better then the Aspire 9800. Of course its main selling point is the 20-inch screen coupled with it’s HD-DVD drive. (One of only two models currently supporting the new format.) The problem being at its weight and size you won’t be packing it around in any standard laptop bag. If having a portable movie system is your bag then you’re better off either with a smaller laptop or a portable DVD player to hook into a standalone monitor. It’ll cost you less and fit you’re needs better.

What’s good: Big screen, HD-DVD (If you care.), and decent hardware for multimedia use.

What’s bad: Gargantuan size and weight, almost nil-battery life, and a high price tag for a desktop replacement that doesn’t offer many custom configurations from the manufacturer.

Bottom line: If you’re looking at the Acer Aspire 9800 it’s probably because you’ve taken size and the like into mind. As such, it’s a fine desktop replacement if multimedia is your overriding concern and you don’t want to look at cheaper alternatives. Otherwise, there are a lot of other fish in the sea worth spending a few grand on.

Industry first for MI:3 release

On the High Definition news front, Paramount is expect to announce an industry first release of MI: 3 in three formats, traditional DVD, Blue-ray and HD. This is an important milestone in these early days of High Definition disks coming to market. Still, we are a long way from either format declaring a winner. Especially when most analysts are predicting there will be no clear winner rather a merging of these two formats.

What is clear is that those with HD televisions are scrambling for HD content. While the price of these early HD players are astronomical forcing most casual users to wait, many people don’t even realize they aren’t getting the most out of their new set top television. There are a large majority of HD television owners who don’t even realize they are not watching HD unless they are hooked up to an HD signal.

From the sidelines the HD format wars are interesting to watch. Clearly it’s too early to put your money on any of these formats until it matures. Unless you’re an early adopter who can afford instant obsolescence.

No matter how spectacular the MI:3 High Definition picture looks it won’t make up for a lackluster film. MI:3 was clearly not a good enough movie to get most of us excited about HD. Maybe the release of Superman Returns or Aliens, but surly not Mission Impossible 3

Roadwarrior Slingbox--for the rest ---avoid the hype

Sling Media Slingbox

What a great idea. Hook the Slingbox up to your cable or satellite box and watch television while on the road. By using a high-speed broadband connection from your hotel, or wherever, you can watch your Tivo shows or anything stored on your media PC. For those who spend more days of the year on the road then at home this is a great concept. The rest of us?

Try as I might I can’t find a use for this thing, for most people. The use of this technology is conditional on a number of factors. A fast broadband connection being the most important. And you have to have one on both ends, both where the Slingbox is connected and wherever you view it on the road. Something many people will find a challenge unless they are shelling out a lot of money for wireless broadband through the phone or laptop.

Still, I’m left with a problem finding value in this device for most people. Again, it’s a nice idea but one that I believe for most consumers doesn’t have a lot of practical use. Sure, it could be used to bring your recorded content to a spare room or on your back porch. However, there are many other devices specifically made for use in home.

Without reviewing this device by using it, I question the need for it for the average consumer. Don’t let the hype of what this thing can do force you into buying another piece of technology that sounds great but in reality can’t be integrated into your life.

Like I said, I’m excited by the Slingbox as well, and nearly fell into the trap. Make sure you really explore the market before buying one of these or I suspect you’ll be burdened by overwhelming buyer’s remorse.

Upgrade that Cell phone, or else!

Come September more than four million Cingular Wireless subscribers will be forced to pay a $5 surcharge for using older non-GSM phones. While 92% of Cingular’s customers already have a GSM phone those still using one of the two older technologies are being urged to convert to newer handsets. This move, which will bring in an added 23.5 million a month in revenue to the company, is prompted by a FCC provision that cell phone carriers provide analog service until early 2008 so long as a company still has customers using the service.

This adds one more in a long list of added charges wireless customers are seeing on their monthly bills. These charges coupled with an array of government taxes add an estimated 50% to the advertised rate of most wireless companies. While the cost of wireless service continues to climb, so do the number of users. For all the complaints as to the cost there are more than 110 million subscribers to Verizon and Cingular Wireless services, the top two wireless providers.

Clearly its big business for telecommunications companies. So, why does it still cost so much to have a cell phone and a home phone. While the services have increased over the years the cost of having internet service, phone service and wireless have gone up well beyond the cost attributed to inflation.

Burning up in bed- Targus Notebook Chill Mat

Targus Notebook Chill Mat

-As a long time skeptic of these devices, I’ve been reluctant to add anything to the weight of my laptop. After many a night with singed leg hairs from working with the laptop in bed, I thought I’d try it, at least as a buffer between my skin and the volcanic heat emanating from the laptop undercarriage. Much to my surprise, this laptop cooler has worked remarkably well. The laptop has been running considerably cooler. The twin fans are quiet enough to use in bed with only the occasional squeaking.

The model above this one had additional two-usb ports. A nice idea and one that should be included in every one of these devices. I however, was unwilling to pay double the price just for the added convenience. I already own a four port USB hub that I’ve strapped onto the notebook chiller.

The only annoying part is the cord. While most consumer electronics seem to skimp on the length of cords, this one is exceptionally long for a device that is designed to be with the laptop. (My solution was to use electrical tape to attach it to the edge of the coolers frame. And while it is an additional drain on my laptop battery, there hasn’t been any notable difference in the life of the battery charge.

However, unscientific I almost believe the battery charge has been extended by this device rather than shortening it. I’ll have to conduct a test and do some research on if this is at all possible or just my imagination.

Final word: I’m still skeptical of the need for any of the fancier and expensive versions of the notebook chiller. I would say this Targus model is worth the $19.99 price tag if for no other reason than to avoid bedtime burns.

Passwords

Your mother has one. Your sister has one. Your kid has one. The neighbor next door has one. You guessed it, a password. Statistically speaking you’re likely to have at least five different passwords. From bank accounts to Gmail there are passwords for everything these days. Worse yet, most of them have different password requirement. Four to eight alphanumeric characters, pin numbers, mother’s maiden name and so on and on.

The sad part is these passwords are really only keeping out the casual snoop. True hackers and bonafide thieves have enough tools at their disposal to crack nearly any password every day users utilize. Mostly because users don’t pick the most secure passwords. They pick the most convenient.

I’ve been guilty of it. With so many accounts out there that require passwords it’s difficult to keep up with them all. Let alone typing them into the computer every time you use such and such service. Convenience wins out. And truth be known, most of the time it doesn’t really matter. Odds are you aren’t important enough for any one to hack your Gmail account or your Yahoo cribbage scores.

The problem is most people use the same password for their low priority accounts as they do for their wireless router or online bank account. Here, I think we should all agree is the place where convenience cannot win out over the need for security. The damage that can be done on this level by not only thieves but hackers looking to use your computer, ISP and identity is staggering.

A kid parked out in front of your house can hijack your wireless signal and download a few thousand MP3’s in a couple of hours. All the while it’ll be you the MPAA comes after. When their lawyers subpoena your ISP on where all that supposed illegal traffic came from it’s your address that will pop up. You, not the war driver (hacker who drives from wireless to wireless) will be in court ponying up your kid’s college fund.

Now that you’re convinced you need a stronger password, how do you come up with one. There are a number of ways. The best is to come up with something that you’ll remember while still maintaining a high level of security. Password cracking programs work easily with nearly any alphanumeric combination. Anything is crackable. The point is to make yours enough of a pain as to take the hacker’s computer such a long time as to not be worthwhile, so he’ll move on to someone else.

Use the password you currently have but replace the numbers with the symbols corresponding on your keyboard. Hit the shift key and replace 1 with a ! and 2 with a @ and so on and so forth.

For the word portion of your password use the same word but when you type it move 2 places down the ABC’s. So if BOB is your password it becomes DQD. Thus, slowing down those cracks that rely on recognizable words from the dictionary and language databases.

With any luck this should be easy to remember and still foil most casual hackers looking to break into your computers and bank accounts. If you’re still worried, there are even more high level encryption programs you can pick up. They’ll cost you money and ease of use but you’ll be even safer. In the end, it’s up to you.

Deals for students- Check out before they're gone

Being a consumer electronics reviewer can be great fun when you’re playing with innovative and exciting new products. The only problem is not everything that comes across my desk fits the bill. Most are mediocre and more than a few are just plain horrible. There is no end to the number of new products hitting store shelves on any given day. Looking at my e-mail in-box shows a plethora of companies begging for attention and reviews. There is no way I can review it all, but I do make a good show of it. Here are a few pieces sitting in my e-mail box waiting to get a little attention.

With back-to-school season ramping up advertisers are putting a lot of products for the high school and college kid front and center.

Logitech X-230 - PC Multimedia Speaker System 2.1

Has decent sound for the price. Logitech is a good company that makes quality products with only a few exceptions.

Buy.com was offering this at 19.95 but has since sold out. A good price for a decent two-speaker system, perfect for the college kid where space is a premium and isn’t worried about paying top dollar for overrated speakers. Most speaker systems for computers aren’t that great. With little difference between those costing $100 and up from their low price competitors. If you don’t know about wattage, decibels, or ohms don’t bother paying more than $40 for a these speaker packages. It’s a waste of money.

Again, sound is important but if you don’t own a top of the line sound card paying a lot for computer speakers is insane.

Lexmark X2350 All-In-One Printer, Scanner, Copier

All in ones have been all the rage for some time now. For those working in cramped quarters an all-in-one is the only option. This Lexmark is currently on sale from Walmart for $39.88 with an added bonus of shipping for less than a buck. With only one printer cartridge to replace the busy student won’t be spending precious studying or partying time walking the aisles of Staples searching for printer ink. The scanner is decent for it’s price class providing all the features students should require. Though at only 15 ppm anyone doing intensive printing, more than a few hundred pages a day should pick up one of the cheap sub-$100 laser printers.

Kingston 1GB USB 2.0 DataTraveler - DTI/1GBKR

Here’s another good deal from Buy.com. As long as you don’t mind rebates, this 1GB USB flash drive is a steal at $17.95. For this price, typically, we have to look at off brand memory but prices have been falling and Kingston is a decent company. Every student needs a flash drive. For college students it’s a non-negotiable.

Xbox 360 controller deals

Xbox 360 Wireless Controller

With a search of major online and brick and mortar stores the two lowest prices come from Overstock.com and Buy.com. With a low shipping price from Overstock.com the total comes to 44.35 while Buy.com is 39.99 with free shipping. Both are good deals. Pick them up before the sale is over.

If you own a 360 the wireless controller is the only way to go. Far superior to any branded or off brand Xbox controller of the past, the official Microsoft wireless controller is an all around great product. Simple to use the 360 has built in controls for up to four wireless controllers. They have no signal issues and connect quickly. The crew from Redmond also allowed the controllers to shut down and power up the console. A much-needed upgrade from the original Xbox.

Sound like I’m a fan. That’s because I am. After years of testing nearly every controller on the market for the Xbox it’s nice to see Microsoft making a good controller. It isn’t a bad price for a good controller unless you’re trying to buy enough for your friends to play as well. At the regular retail price that’s makes playing with your friends a couple hundred dollar proposition.

Still by purchasing the additional plug and play rechargeable battery solution, it’ll pay for itself in just under 5 years. Just in time for the next consoles to hit the market.

HDTV prices continue to fall One particular typical in consumer electronics is-- the moment you buy an item you’ll find it for less right after the price match deadline ends at the particular store from which you purchased.

Right now, for televisions that typical is made all the more potent. High Definition television prices have been dropping like mad. Just when you think they can’t fall any farther, they do. This won’t last forever. Soon, the market will fall in-line with consumers. Prices won’t go up but they won’t keep falling because of new products coming to market. Big innovations will slow. The glut of newcomer TV manufactures will dwindle.

I can’t say this is the time to buy a T.V. There are clearly better TV’s on the horizon. Worth waiting for? I really don’t think so. Once you’ve hit the 1080P HD level- there isn’t much left to improve upon. The next step is more features. Better looking pictures through improved black levels and contrast ratios. Cable-card and satellite built in-hook ups, and so on and so forth.

For the casual buyer, this is the time to buy. Besides these T.V aren’t rated to last forever like the one your family owned when you were a kid. Lamp life is an important factor for a number of these TV’s; a spec savvy customers have begun paying attention of late.

Just don’t be suckers. Do your homework? Know what you want before you shop. Make sure what the correct size T.V is for your viewing area. Pay attention to little things if you plan to put it in a bedroom. Such as does it have a bright blue light on the front of it that stays lit when the T.V is not turned on? (There are a few of these offenders. And you’ll be rightfully pissed when you get home and try to go to bed with these blue-eyed Cyclops staring back at you.)

-Listen to salespeople but never trust they have all the facts. Look up the specs on the T.V. Read reviews from the experts and more importantly from people who actually own the T.V.

Then don’t over think it to death. Remember this is supposed to be a fun purchase. It’s an exciting new world for home entertainment.

Such potential in the Fry's brand

I’m addicted to looking at electronics stores I’ve shopped all the majors and stop in any of the minors that I run across. I’m a regular fixture in Best Buy, Circuit City and Fry’s; not to mention CompUSA, Office Max and Staples. Even Costco electronics department gets a once over from me every couple of weeks. So, why is it I love Fry’s but dislike my local Fry’s ever-so-much.

There seems to be a major difference in which Fry’s you visit. In San Diego California I’ve visited a couple that are pristine works of art. The building is immaculate, the aisle makes sense, and there is great customer service.

The one down the street from my house in Wilsonville, OR is converted from a now defunct electronics warehouse. If it weren’t for the name outside you’d never guess it was at all related to the rest of the Fry’s brand. It is plain. Ordinary. I dare say messy looking. The rhyme and reason to the merchandising is non-existent. (An observation from a long time shopper at this store. Anyone not a regular customer must be at a tremendous disadvantage.) Entire product lines are removed from their home to fill endcap-displays. And if you ask one of the myriad salespeople (who always appear to busy to be bothered with any mere mortal) they haven’t a clue where the product has been moved.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m a fan of Fry’s. They have the most potential as an electronics brand to make good on their promises to consumers shopping for electronics. Best Buy never will. Circuit City doesn’t even try. And so on. However, this eyesore in the company must not be a lone mistake in their chain. So why do they tolerate such a ridiculous abstraction of their company model?

Fry’s is one of the few electronic stores where you can actually find nearly every type of electronics and gadget known. (Okay, not quite but their selection is superior to anything you’ll find in any of the other giants of the industry.) If only they could see how close, they are to becoming the ideal for consumer electronics shoppers. A touch of greatness you’ll see if you visit a couple of the stores I’ve seen in California. If those were, the rule rather than the exception there would be no real competition left for this retail mega-chain.

Lackluster Tech Summer

Spring and early summer tends to be bit lackluster in the technology department. Consumers and technology pundits alike tend to have little to inspire them in the second quarter. Everyone is out enjoying their boats and barbeques since there is little to keep them indoors at this time of the year. Other than rehash all the cool stuff we are waiting for in the coming months, let’s review some of the crap from this year so far. Okay, so I don’t have enough room to go over all of the crap instead I’ll concentrate on some of the items that were underwhelming or should’ve been better than it turned out.

-Worst Video Game Tie-in--- X-men the official Video Game

Any title that claims to be official typically turns out to be a dud. With X-men we have a great franchise that falls so far under the mark with this game release as to beg the question, are monkeys running the company? There are other offenders this year, like Over the Hedge and the Da Vinci Code. Still, they don’t hold a candle to the disappointment with this lousy game. There are pieces that could be successful if not for the overall feeling that it was rushed to release. The controls are sloppy and difficult to use. The game play lacks a cohesive point of view and detracts from a couple of fun moments. Moments that could be more plentiful if not for the horrible camera problems plaguing this game. Stay clear of this game and use your time replaying Halo 2 or watching paint dry. Either way you’ll have more fun.

After much thought and deliberation I’ve decided to discontinue a number of blogs I’ve been attached to. Where once I thought I had the time to write more personalized content in the form of blogs my busy schedule has shown me otherwise. Originally, I was rewriting articles I’ve written professionally for magazines. I thought it would be a way I could make use of what I’m already spending time working on and provide a little free content for the few readers who come across the blogs and website. Between the technology reviews and articles, and the demanding schedule on my mystery series I have little time left to manage 6 different blogs.

Now that I’ve learned my lesson I’m owning up to the situation it has placed me in and admitting that I can’t continue. I thought this was important instead of just letting them go and never making another update on them as so many bloggers and website owners seem to.

I want to thank all the people who have taken the time to contact me about postings on these blogs. The good news is I will continue my primary blog and can now focus on providing better content. Thanks again, and who knows what the future will bring.

Laptop security

Laptop theft is skyrocketing. Some crime statistics estimate a laptop is stolen every minute. In the time it took you to boot up your computer and read this message at least two laptops have been stolen. What can you do? Aside from chaining it to your wrist, or buying one of a million devices that seem to deter thieves as well as car alarms seem to, a new service called Computrace may just be the answer.

After signing up for their service, registering your computer and installing the proper software the Computrace system knows your laptop is safe through daily contact. If your notebook computer is stolen, report it to the police and then the Computrace service and they will work with local law enforcement to catch the thieves. Simply, your laptop will contact the Computrace system when it is plugged in to a network or phone line. Computrace even goes so far as to guarantee they will recover your laptop within 30 days or they’ll pay you up to $1000.

http://www.absolute.com/public/main/default.asp

Master Chief Owns November 9th.

Of course everyone in the electronics, technology, and entertainment fields know what today is….Halo 2 release day. Millions of fans have been anxiously awaiting its release since the roll out of the Xbox itself. Halo is in fact one of the chief reasons owners were persuaded to purchase an Xbox in the first place. Singularly, it is Microsoft’s most popular game for the console selling more than 4 million copies since its release. With the arrival of Halo 2, Xbox owners have something to be excited about again.

In all the stores I visited there was only one game on everyone’s mind. There were lines of people who were just getting off work or out of school and running out to pick up their copy of the game. At least all the ones who didn’t go to midnight release parties at some of the larger retailers.

Ignoring the media hype and the excited fans for a second, Halo 2 is a remarkably good game. Not because there is anything so radical and new, as to blow your socks off, but because it builds on everything that made the first a success. Adding improvements that fans asked for like online play, better weapons and vehicles Bungie (developers) has done an excellent job in balancing the needs for this successful game. Clearly, they have pushed the envelope of what this aging console can do paving the way for the next generation of consoles. Until now, few developers have really utilized all the power in an Xbox leaving critics to question the technical merits in coming out with a new system.

Due to some issues always inherit in releasing a game, not all retailers had reserved copies on hand for their customers. These were either issues with the shipping service they used or with Microsoft’s strict adherence to its hard street date of November 9th. As a whole though most retailers had plenty of copies of the game and in the larger markets I’d venture to say anyone who wanted could buy one.

In the coming days look for an in-depth review of Master Chief and his new efforts to save mankind from total annihilation.