I don’t know how this could be any more apt.

» Continue reading “The Analogy to End All Analogies”

Now, while you probably think I’m crazy, Google Buzz could be important to someone at some point in the future.  Whenever that moment happens, lets hope that this page is available or the code is still valid.  That way, we can get an inkling of the mood of the masses.

» Continue reading “The Mood of Google Buzz”

Acrobatics in a bullfight ring

After reading this David Pogue post I have a slightly new appreciation for my cell phone carrier.  » Continue reading “AT&T Messaging Options”

After reading this post from one of my favorite places to read posts, I realized that my gaming has changed.  I am older now than I have ever been before and I still play video games.  I plan when I play video games.  The fact that I use the phrase ‘video games’ means I’m old enough to plan my day around them.  Back to my point, which is, I don’t use my Playstation 2 anymore.  I used to play FFX and SSX3 like it was going out of style and then…it went out of style.  Jackie Chan’s Stuntmaster is one of the most exciting games I’ve ever played and its on the PS2 as well.  I never pick up these games anymore because they don’t allow me to broadcast my achievements to the ‘net.  Gaming achievement rewards have utterly changed the way I play.  I deliberately searched for a SSX3 replacement on the XBox360 and found Pure.  Totally fun and addictive, I’m liking it a lot right now.  Its not quite SSX3, nor is it SSX Tricky, but its an XBox equivalent that gives me the gratification that I crave, those stupid XBox Gamer Points and Game Achievements.  Anyone on XBox Live can see my achievements per game and see my total Gamer Points.  They don’t translate into cash or change the initial game strategy in any way, but they affect my play all the same.  I deliberately fail at a task several times within a specific timeframe to get the achievement.  I will change my strategy in a game to gain a virtual merit badge and I think I’m OK with that.  As we come to the holiday season, wait we are in the middle of it, I expect that post-Xmas sales will draw me to pick up some newer games, but they will be for XBox360 only.  I still like SSX and FFX, but beyond bragging about the games on this page, I have no impetus to pop the game in.  Fable 2 has expansions that offer additional Game Achievements that draw me in and make me plan to buy them in the future.  Its compelling that I check the total points and achievements I can get on a game before I buy it.  I never thought I would turn into a social-type of gamer, but I care about it.  I almost can’t help it.  It gives me a great sense of pride when I achieve a goal without knowing it and I see the achievement badge pop up on the screen.  It connects me to the programmers who made the game and it broadcasts to others that I am worthy of existing in the digital world of gaming.

I’ve been on WoW for a couple years now and I can’t tell you how many times I check the Achievements section to see if I could gather just one more before I log off.

Shameful.

Want 50Mbps Internet in your town? Threaten to roll out your own – Ars Technica.

Of course, this wouldn’t happen if corporations thought they would have some kind of backlash.  But who has time to ‘police’ corporate actions?  Just the same way politicians say that if people got more involved with politics and told politicians what they wanted, then politicians wouldn’t have to make all the decisions on their own or listen to lobbyists or special interests or large donors.  Right, I have all the time in the world to call my senator (assuming its a federal issue), which, by the way, can’t happen.  You call (members of congress get a free 800 number) and get a staffer, they listen, thank you for your comments, send you a canned letter (members of congress get free postage) and you are forgotten.   Unless you have the clout of cash or an inoperable brain disease, it doesn’t benefit a politician to take their time to listen when they have all that money to collect so they can continue to say, “Where are all the people and what do they think?”

After searching for inspiration for a town name, I stumbled upon this page that takes random naming to a new level.  Not only can you choose criteria that boggles the mind, but the actual generation process and result is quite entertaining.  Take a moment and throw some variables around.  I was impressed and entertained, a rare combination in this day and age.

RaToNaGe – The Random Town City, Village or Place Name Generator

I finally found the window guards on my Prius that I can never describe accurately to anyone:

PriusChat Shop : Weathertech Toyota Prius Side Window Deflectors [W2472357] – $110.95.

let me get this straight…Apple knows how many iPhones have been sold from the very beginning to now…down to the digit…and they didn’t plan for EVERY ONE to try and download the 3.0 update at the same time?

Bullshit. They knew this was going to happen. How could they not? I’m clicking on Check for Update every five minutes or so and constantly getting the “server could not be contacted” bullshit right now. If they knew this was going to happen, why not just send out updates via disk or ask you to come into the store or both or download, store, disk? They knew this would happen…how could they not?

Google Apps Outlook Sync for Microsoft Outlook…while you migrate your users from Exchange to Google Apps…

Yep, we heard that right.  Google is taking on Microsoft and the Office wars are officially on.  How do you, as Google, get a foothold in the corporate world dominated by MS brands/tools/stuff?  Charge businesses $50/per user/per year for almost the same tools as Microsoft charges oodles more for.  I say almost because

» Continue reading “Google’s Latest Shot Across the Bow”