Last November I ordered the new Blackberry Storm, eager to try the new phone. It was my first Blackberry and was serviced by Verizon so I was excited and got one of the first ones out the door. Months later I discovered that it was not all that I had hoped it to be. It was loaded with aggrevating problems.

The first problems that showed up was the fact that when I talked on the phone my face was always pushing the mute or the speaker phone. Very annoying. I found an app and installed it and that problem was solved. Later the phone started locking up and I couldn’t answer it because it was wasn’t listening to me. Lately my voice messages were not being delivered, the texting was difficult due to the touch screen and no one could hear me. They said I was breaking up a lot. Lastly, when turning the phone to change the horizontal to vertical view, it was really really slow. That’s it… this phone had to go.

So, off to the Verizon store I went and set the phone down and said I want to see a Blackberry Curve. The guy didn’t even blink, he knew there were issues with the phone. He said there was a new Blackberry called the Tour, it was better than the Curve and was a global smartphone just like the Storm. So he showed it to me and I liked it. He got me a good deal and within the hour all my information was transferred. So far I love everything about the Tour, I get my messages, people can hear me and no locking up. Texting is much easier and I don’t miss the touch screen at all. I think we got a winner folks.

Over a year ago I admired a cool gadget called a Kindle from Amazon. I even blogged about it because I thought it was a cool idea. At the end of last year one of my friends bought one and showed it to me. Then a family member got one for Christmas. I recently caved and finally bought a Kindle (version 2) from Amazon. The price was high but after using it for a couple of months, I feel I made a good purchase. As an added bonus, I found out my phone charger is the same for the Kindle so I only have to pack one charger. I don’t need to charge it much, the battery holds for weeks.

The cost of Kindle books are much lower than paper books. I can put about a 1,500 books on the one device, not that I ever need that many. It fits in my purse and is so easy to pull out and read on an airplane or in the car. I’ve now finished 3 books since owning it, much more reading than I have done in the past. It takes a few minutes to download books, you can do it through the web on Amazon or through the whispernet service on the Kindle itself. You can also get some newspapers, magazines and blogs delivered daily.

Amazon is now releasing the Kindle DX, a larger version for $150 more than the regular. It holds 3,500 books, has a bigger screen and rotates to read wider articles. I continue to learn new things about this device and it really amazes me. If you’ve been thinking about it, check it out. If you have questions, let me know.

It has been a long time coming but The OneUps have finally released their second album, The OneUps Volume 2. The OneUps specialize in rearranging video game music. At first glance the thought of video game music, let alone playing it live, seems horrifying; however, the secret to The OneUps’ success is that they are able to take these songs (many of which are very basic) and turn them into something that can rival any popular kind of music. Gamers and music lovers alike will find The OneUps to be a ton of fun to listen to and may also discover a whole new appreciation for music. It is rare to find an album that has such a great respect for convention while at the same time flipping it on its head. The OneUps have been able to do the impossible by turning video game music into something that anyone can enjoy.

continue reading "Video Games In MY Music?"

What is a Chumby? It looks like an alarm clock and shows the time but it does so much more. It can become as unique as you make it. Once you create and activate your account, you add widgets to your chumby line up. These include the time, weather, web cams, news, sports, entertainment and more. You can add photos, videos and games. I received mine as a gift (thank you) and I’m having fun adding different widgets. If you want to see it in action, then click here: My Chumby This is my actual chumby in action. What you see is what I see. It will probably change as I add and edit new widgets.

One of the newest and biggest internet phenoms is named Fred. A 15 yr old who plays the part of a fast talking spastic 6 yr old named Fred. He makes short 3 minute episodes on YouTube and each of them have millions of views. It’s also getting him noticed.

He did a commercial for ZipIt, a texting device that also plays music. You can see him use the ZipIt in his short videos. You can also check out his MySpace page with over 45,000 friends.I have to give him credit, he had an idea and went with it and now he is becoming well known with his gimic. I think we’ll be seeing more of Fred to come.

This item comes under really cool things you don’t really need. I was in Best Buy today and this was a total impulse buy.

It’s a portable printer for photos, no computer needed. It uses a special size paper made just for the portable printer in packs of 10. Similar to the old Polaroid packs for the large cameras.  It works one of two ways, you can print photos from your phone via a blue tooth link or you can hook a cable up to your camera and print from the camera files. The print quality isn’t the best but it’s still pretty cool. The paper peels off the back of the photos to make instant stickers! It won’t take the place of a real printer but it does make printing instant phone photos pretty fun!

 I recently picked up a Zoom H2 recorder for several audio projects I’m working on.   This thing is impressive.  It’s light, runs on only 2 AA batteries, records to an SD card in Wave or MP3 and the quality is incredible.  I set it up for a live event and when I listened back to the recording, sounded almost identical to what I was hearing while in the room.  If you’re a podcaster, in a band or just want to have a small recording device, I highly recommend the $199 Zoom H2.  

Let the games begin! The latest rendition of Nintendo’s triple A fighter has finally been unleashed in the West (At least part of it) and it is one heck of a ride. Like Jefe’s plethora of piñatas, Super Smash Bros. Brawl is filled to the brim with wonderful treats that will surprise and amaze you. Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or just stepped off of the boat, Brawl has something for you!

continue reading "Wanna Smash?"

You now have four gaming consoles, an XBox 360, a Wii, a PS2 and a Gamecube. You can’t plug all of them into the TV at the same time so what do you do? You need a Component Video Switcher. In searching for different brands I find that they range in price from about $40 at the local Best Buy up to top of the line $500 and over. I currently have a very cheap end switcher that has four slots and I think it’s time to upgrade.

In one of his recent podcast, Steve Glicker recommended a Zektor HDS4.1 Component Video Switcher. Price $250 for four video component slots. He thinks this is the best brand you can get and will give you the best quality picture. This does sound appealing but do I want to spend that much money?

continue reading "Component Video Switch"

It looks like Wal-Mart to will stop selling HD DVD players and movies by June. When the nation’s largest retailer stops selling the format, it has to be a sign of it’s demise. Then again, are the clientele of Wal-Mart the type of people who are hunting for High Definition DVD formats?

DVD took so long to become an accepted format, I can’t imagine how much time will pass before standard DVD’s go the way of VHS, but narrowing it down to one format is a good start.  Certainly, Blu-Ray movies spend a lot of time spinning in my PS3, so I’m glad to be on the winning side.

You can read more at Engadget.