Archive: June, 2008
New Stuff Monday
This has been the best Monday morning! I was expecting two packages to arrive for me at work, Friday, and it seems the both arrived after I left, so I waited until today to go in and get them (it costs $12 in gas for a round trip to work — bleh).
One of the items was a replacement. I originally ordered a pair of Skullcandy Earbuds for my iPhone for a couple of reasons:
- The stock Apple earbuds sound like butt and the wire frayed/split at the headphone jack within about 3 months of buying the phone. Jeers to you, Apple. Your earbuds are crap.
- They have an integrated mic for handsfree phone use, just like the stock Apple earbuds.
- They have the click controller just like the stock earbuds, meaning I can play/pause and skip tracks, and answer/hang up phone calls without taking the iphone out of my pocket.
- I was really, really tired of the Shure iPhone headphone adapter that brings all of this functionality to every pair of headphones. The Skullcandy set doesn’t require an adapter at all.
Interestingly enough, the Amazon page for the Skullcandy earbuds advertise an adapter, even though they work perfectly without them. I hope no-one buys the adapter thinking they still need it.
That said, this was a replacement. The first pair Amazon sent me didn’t work. The clicker and mic were completely inoperative. The Amazon replacement policy and procedure were fantastic. I’m completely satisfied. I clicked on my account, clicked a link stating that I wanted to return an item and they gave me printable return bar codes and address slips.
Great job, Amazon.
I was going to buy the V-Moda Vibe Duo Earbuds, which offer the exact same functionality as the Skullcandys, but every rating I’ve seen online talks about poor workmanship and the fact that they stop working after a few short months. The internet saved me :)
So next, I got my Kenneth Cole laptop bag. I’ve had one that I’ve been using for over eight years, now. When I first left the military and started consulting, I wanted a nice bag, and paid about $400 for the first bag I got. That works out to just over $4/month, which is pretty good value, I think. It’s a little worn out and I just wanted a new one. This one was on sale and only cost me $100, which is amazing, I think.
Surprise! Rock Band 2 announced – Joystiq
Now THIS is the way to do a sequel!!!!
THANK YOU, Harmonix!
Check this out:
- Rock Band 1 DLC is compatible. This means that the 50 songs I’ve bought are going to work. Makes sense, right? I’m looking at you, Guitar Hero. Individual game discs for say, the 80′s or Aerosmith suck ass.
- Rock Band 1 instruments are compatible. Awesome! Not as big a deal as the DLC, but this means my investment in the original instruments isn’t going to waste, either.
You guys win: I’ll surely buy RB2.
Surprise! Rock Band 2 announced – Joystiq:
by Ross Miller Jun 30th 2008 3:33AMOne of gaming’s worst-kept secrets is now official: Rock Band 2 is coming. IGN has the scoop and an interview with lead designer Dan Teasdale, who reveals that all the current and future DLC will be compatible with both versions of Rock Band, as well as the same instrument controllers.
While details were scarce, Teasdale said to expect improvements for band and character customization as well as the navigation system and Band World Tour. Citing the current issues with random set lists, Teasdale said, “Nobody wants to play Green Grass and High Tides in their first random set list.” Visually, the few images seen show the game has changed very little from its predecessor (and yes, it turns out the box art from a leaked survey was accurate).
As for what songs to expect, Teasdale said, “we’ve also secured what I can easily say is the best set list I’ve ever seen in a music game.” He provided no examples, although we wonder if The Beatles fall onto that list. Rock Band 2 is set to debut at E3 next month.
Video: In-game XMB demonstrated on PS3 v2.40 – Engadget
Wow. It’s only taken them two years to get it, but the in-game cross media bar (XMB) is officially coming to firmware 2.4.
PS3 launched on 11.17.2006 in the US (and a day earlier in Japan), and without these features, you actually had to leave your games to see any messages your friends sent you. That may not seem like a big deal, but most of the time those messages consist of “Wanna play <some game>?” The inability to read those invites without first quitting your game pretty much kills any chance of ad-hoc online gaming sessions.
Also notable: custom game soundtracks. I don’t use it often, but when a game’s included soundtrack starts to get on my nerves, this is a welcome feature.
Edit: I forgot to mention XMB access to Google. This’ll be handy for access to FAQs and walkthroughs. Nice :)
I would thank and congratulate you Sony, but the fact that it took you 21 months to bring it out tells me that your priorities lie elsewhere and makes me feel unloved.
Who Knew Censorship had a sense of humor? « The NERD of HER!
Who Knew Censorship had a sense of humor? « The NERD of HER!
Likely nsfw, but haha :)
Police: Man Stabs Mom, Assaults Another Woman With Chicken – Detroit News Story
I know I’m an evil man for laughing at this, but c’MON: he hit a woman w/ a chicken!
Anyone? C’monnnn… I know you wanna laugh.
Police: Man Stabs Mom, Assaults Another Woman With Chicken – Detroit News Story – WDIV Detroit:
POSTED: 9:29 am EDT June 26, 2008
UPDATED: 12:57 pm EDT June 26, 2008YPSILANTI, Mich. — Police said an Ypsilanti man is accused of stabbing his mother with a fork and hitting another woman over the head with a frozen chicken.
Frederick McKaney, 40, was arraigned in a Jackson courtroom on Thursday on two felony assault charges, one count of assault and battery and one count of resisting an officer.
“He stabbed his mother in the back of the neck when she refused to give him money, and then, an hour later, he attacked a neighbor woman with a chicken,” Jackson County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Mark Blumer told the Ann Arbor news.
Police said McKaney went to his mother’s house and demanded money. When she refused, he stabbed her and took off on his bicycle, police said.
A short time later, he encountered two other women talking on the sidewalk on Woodbridge Street.
The woman said he said something nasty to them and hit one of them over the head with 10 pounds of frozen chicken.
The woman went to the hospital and got stitches in her head.
McKaney’s mother suffered minor injuries from the stabbing.
Man punches gunman and takes weapon in attempted robbery — baltimoresun.com
Every once in a while, there’s a story that you come across that restores your faith in humanity.
Man punches gunman and takes weapon in attempted robbery — baltimoresun.com:
By a Sun reporter
10:09 AM EDT, June 27, 2008A 25-year-old man walking with his father in Pasadena last night thwarted what could have been an armed robbery by punching the gunman in the face and stealing his .380 caliber handgun, Anne Arundel County police said this morning.
The armed man and an accomplice then drove away, but police said they later found the two suspects and a third person and charged them with trying to rob the man in Pasadena and with trying to rob a woman in Glen Burnie earlier last night.
Authorities said the first attack occurred about 10:50 p.m. in the 7800 block of Americana Circle in Glen Burnie when a 39-year-old woman reported being attacked as she walked from her parked car to her apartment. She told police a person pointed a gun at her and demanded her car keys.
The woman ran and yelled and the gunman ran away, police said. The woman reported seeing a silver Dodge Stratus in the area at the time.
Shortly after 11 p.m., police said the 25-year-old man was walking with his father in the 8100 block of Elmberry Court in Pasadena when, they said, two people approached them and one pointed a handgun at them and demanded money and car keys.
“The 25-year-old punched the armed suspect in the face and took the handgun from him,” police said in a statement. The suspects were seen getting away in a silver Dodge Stratus, and the 25-year-old man got into his car and followed the Stratus onto Ritchie Highway while talking with police on his cell phone.
Police said they stopped the Stratus on Ritchie Highway and Arnold Road and arrested three occupants.
MacDork
