Gaming, techy stuff, everything else, by Chris Till
I got audioblogging working a little while back. I just got videoblogging going thanks to wpvideo, a plugin for wordpress that allows you to embed google video and youtube videos.
So I’m working on some way to record some stuff, and save me typing.
More updates soon.
OVERLAND PARK, Kansas — Nathan Bales represents a troubling trend for cellular phone carriers. The Kansas City-area countertop installer recently traded in a number of feature-laden phones for a stripped-down model. He said he didn’t like using them to surf the internet, rarely took pictures with them and couldn’t stand scrolling through seemingly endless menus to get the functions to work.
“I want a phone that is tough and easy to use,” said Bales, 30. “I don’t want to listen to music with it. I’m not a cyber-savvy guy.”
But the wireless industry needs him to be comfortable with advanced features and actively use them. As the universe of people who want a cell phone and don’t already have one gets smaller, wireless carriers are counting on advanced services to generate the bulk of new revenue in coming years.
Wired News: Just Give Me a Simple Phone
Ok, reading this reminded me of my views on this stuff.
I have a fancy phone that takes pics. Looking back now it might have been a bad idea, although I do use the camera a lot and it is useful to have it ready to take pics anytime I want or need to. Also because I don’t have a good camera at the moment.
Ok, thats cool, but I have two pockets… so thats a small, light, CHEAP phone in one pocket, and a nice pocket sized camera with loads of megapixels which allow it to take really good quality photos. The phone takes pics at 1.3 megapixels which is ok but nothing really special when compared to 8.0 megapixel ones.
I would say this guy is right, give the people who want a simple phone a simple phone, but maybe for the casual person who occasionally takes pics then put a camera in it.
Then finally, for the people who take a lot of photos and like to have it on them as well as their phone, give them a cheap phone too.
I know, starting to get a little compicated. Simply put, if someone wants a simple phone with no bell’s and whistles, then let them have it. Listen up phone manufacturers.
Slashdot | Microsoft in Talks To Acquire Ebay
You would think that a tie -up between Yahoo and Ebay would stop Microsoft in their tracks. Apparently not.
Heres what I think: yahoo are a cool company for me, Ebay and Microsoft aren’t that cool to me. I would prefer Ebay becoming part of Microsoft rather than Yahoo being associated with it but oh well, as long as Google stays independant and cool I’m ok with anything else.
Why don’t I like Ebay
Everyone likes ebay right? you ask. Yeah I know, but maybe its coming in late and trying to sell stuff and make money when you have a feedback rating of 2 when people with 10000 are selling the same stuff. Yeah, its fun.
I’ve also had a bad experience buying on ebay. I bought a snes (nintendo “classic” games console) which works. I bought new av cables for it and it works perfectly.
Only slight problem was about 5 of the 10 games I got were japanese and didn’t fit the slot in the top, one of the controller cables was chewed through by the former owners rabbit. The power cable was also chewed a bit. And how did you guess, the stuff that was messed up was somehow hidden from view in the images of the item. What a coincidence you say. Yeah, something like that.
I’m a nice guy so I still gave her positive feedback, but still, never again will you take my cash and laugh in my face ebay members.
Conclusion
Ok, so most people on Ebay are genuine and nice folks. However, you have to be so careful to make sure you buy what you want in good condition, and also to not get caught up in winning something. Then regretting it when you get sent it and realising it is crap and not what you need at all.
Erm, happy ebaying then.
Google and Dell said on Thursday that the No. 1 personal computer maker will install Google software on its systems, potentially dealing a blow to Microsoft.Google will incorporate on Dell computers its desktop software, which integrates a number of personal computing applications, a Google tool bar and a co-branded internet home page, officials from both companies said on Thursday.”There’s probably more to come” in the Google-Dell partnership, Google chief executive Eric Schmidt told investors at a Goldman Sachs internet conference. “This is the first” of several agreements.The companies will share revenue from the tie-up, but Schmidt and Dell spokesman Jess Blackburn declined to give details.”We’re doing this because we feel the tools will help the customers search and organize digital information quickly and easily right out of the box,” Blackburn said.Dell will start selling Google-equipped PCs to consumers and small and mid-sized businesses by the end of this month, Blackburn said. The systems will also be offered to some large corporate customers.
Wired News: Dell Will Google Its PCs
Dell and Google have made an arrangement where Google’s Desktop software will be included on new Dells preinstalled. This is useful, as it provides a Windows alternative to Apple’s Spotlight out of the box in windows xp.
So this deal lasts for 6 months or what? Why bother keeping it going when Vista is released because that will incorporate search into it.
Ok, they will probably add more software before then and remove the desktop tool when it is no longer needed. This deal sounds good for both companies, although I would rather Google were associated with apple more, or linux. Or if you really want to use Windows, why not Sony because their Vaio laptops are seriously nice.
Forget Alienware, its Dell now, remember?
Supermassive Black Hole is an amazing song. I checked the muse site this morning to find they now have the video up. I watched it once and I wasn’t sure, it looks pretty strange.
It’s one of those tracks that grow on you “massively”. It’s seriously addictive, check it out now, and buy the new album when it comes out in july too.
If your a MUSE fan you can’t do without this.
It’s not a full merger between Y! and Ebay but it is a form of alliance coming together to battle the might of Google.
Yahoo and eBay have concluded a broad alliance designed to boost their positions amid growing competition with Google and Microsoft.Under the partnership between Yahoo, the world’s largest internet media company, and eBay, the biggest e-commerce player, Yahoo will be the exclusive provider of graphical, branded advertising throughout eBay’s auction site. In return, Yahoo has chosen eBay’s online payment system PayPal to allow its own customers to pay for Yahoo services.The alliance is a competitive response to the in-roads that Google’s popular web search system has made in both companies’ businesses, which is forcing every major internet player to consider joining forces instead of trying to go it alone.
Wired News: Yahoo, eBay Join Forces
I’m not a big ebay fan but its still good for competition.
Nintendo has announced that the price of Wii, its next-generation video game console, will not exceed $250 in the United States or $220 (25,000 yen) in Japan.Between the fourth quarter of 2006 and March 31, 2007, Nintendo expects to ship 6 million Wii systems worldwide, the company said.While the device lacks the same level of gaming power offered by Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Sony’s PlayStation 3, its unique controller has prompted gamers to mark it as a contender.
Nintendo prices Wii at $250 for U.S. market | Tech News on ZDNet
This sounds good to me, and especially good to kids. Kids being the primary market for nintendo, they want to keep the price as low as possible. I remember being younger and waiting for news of the PS2 or Xbox. When it came, I was bitterly dissapointed because £300 was comepletely out of my reach at the time, and still isn’t exactly affordable now.
The Wii sounds like it will come out for a similar price to the gamecube when it was launched.
Anyway, long live Nintendo, Mario and all that stuff.
The newly announced partnership between Nike and Apple will produce products intended to integrate listening and sport more than ever before.
You will be able to put a sensor in your Nike+ shoes that talks to your ipod nano. You can access information about how far you’ve run, your current pace and some kind of music integration. Maybe it’ll play music that has the same sort of pace that your currenly running at to help motivate you more? Who knows.
Why is this such a good idea?
Heres why. In my opinion, a lot of people buy shoes. The price of these new nike shoes are the same as their current shoes with no ipod integration. Therefore, people without an ipod will still buy them, or even be encouraged to buy one.
People with an ipod already, of which there are a lot, will also need shoes, like everyone else. Why not a pair of nike trainers?
People like pedometers. In this time where there is such an emphesis on getting fit and healthy living, exersize and such, paying $30 for a pedometer isn’t so bad.
Especiailly when you consider most people will want a new pair of shoes at some stage, and might own an ipod already. People will think, oh $30 is cheap. Not $400 or more for a fancy pedometer is a rip off, although there probably are some who take that view.
I need to find out how to post to a drupal blog using flock.
When I downloaded a build of flock a few days back. I noticed they had changed some of the icons, but most were still the same. I liked the new ones but I didn’t like the fact that there weren’t new versions of the blog button, new tab, favourites and a few others.
Today the latest build has all new icons and they look great. Check them out.