Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, the curse of the Los Angeles Clippers, what the hell was inside Chewbacca’s bandolier, or what you can do to help out Haiti, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
I’m tired of seeing Luke Wilson in those crappy AT&T commercials. Most of you know that I detest AT&T Wireless. Seeing Wilson in commercials for the company makes me think less of him. He’s annoying. The message he’s conveying isn’t accurate. And most importantly, his nose isn’t nearly as funny as his brother’s. Having said that, the commercials did get me thinking about the features AT&T users like to boast about and how little they matter to me.
The first one is the ability to talk and web surf at the same time. Due to the limitations of CDMA, this can’t be done on Sprint and Verizon. My phone is capable of this feature and I’ve never used it. Perhaps it’s my inability to multitask or maybe I’m being overly courteous (it’s rude to web browse while talking to someone!), but I really don’t care about this feature. The only time I can see it being handy is when talking to a friend and using Google Maps to help him or her with directions.
Iphone users love to talk about how multitouch is a huge feature that makes their phone superior to anything in the known universe. Again, I just don’t care. Pinch-to-zoom isn’t that useful to me. I’m perfectly happy to scroll to the area I want to see and double tap. Maybe, I’m just weird with how I use my (Sim-less) iPhone, but that’s how it is. One area where multitouch clearly helps is with the virtual keyboard, but I really rather have a physical keyboard so this isn’t a big deal to me.
I know a lot of people will disagree with me on the usefulness of the two aforementioned features, but I wanted to see if they’re important to you. Also, I wanted to see if you also think Luke Wilson is the inferior Wilson brother. Discuss!
ok, heres a story for you guys that you might have missed
at the mlg event in orlando, there was a halo tournament…so team "triggers down" had the event won, and were literally seconds from advancing, but the team they were playing was hosting the game, and their xbox froze and rroded. So the flag got reset and they had to start the game over. Triggers down ended up losing the game after the restart. This isnt a flame bait story at all from me, what i wanted to bring up was the fact that the mlg website is banning any user who goes to their site and posts a comment or asks a question about it. I just find this gaffe to be hysterical, and for anyone who takes "mlg" seriously….well, this may make you reconsider
heres the video:
and heres part of the video description:
The moderators have chosen to take an all-out fascist approach to handling the situation, they have deleted every single thread discussing this and banned many users for even posting about it. So if you want to discuss it, you're going to have to do it here. I won't delete any comments on this video.
one more thing, this game was for a MINIMUM of 40000 bucks, could have been worth 100k if triggers down had won the following game
I always thought Luke was the better brother. They are both pretty funny, but Luke has a low key vibe going for him that really fits with the rest of the craziness in the Frat Pack. I think the commercials are brilliant too, if just because they are just as spin-y as the Verizon ones. Overall, it's fun to see two companies jabbing each other in the face from the opposite end of the ring because they are scared of a full on melee.
On a side note, my apartment caught fire yesterday. Luckily, no one was home at the time, and the firefighters/property folks were able to rescue my dog. On the unlucky side, I don't have a home at the moment. My wife and I are waiting on the fire marshall's report to actually tell us what started it, but everyone was convinced that it was caused by the a/c unit and some faulty wiring.
What I find absolutely appauling about the whole thing is that no one talks to you while you are standing outside your home, except to ask you what happened, which you don't know because no has talked to you yet. I know they have to investigate, and I wasn't about to sprint into the apartment and get in their way, but having to pull a firefighter aside once everything had died down just to get the basics is a bit unacceptable. We were congratulated for being one of the few apparently with Renter's Insurance. Now we get to see what it's worth.
Secondly, Restoration Groups are fucking vultures. Our burning home was decended upon by at least 3 different "Fire Restoration" services. It's one thing to feign caring, but I never understood people who seek to profit from others misfortunes. I said the same thing about the funeral industry when my dad died; it's a scam and everyone who participates is the worst kind of crook.
I don't know what's left yet, I don't know what we are going to be able to save, but damn it all to hell if I don't feel lost right now. It's like walking through a thick haze (of smoke!) and knowing that eventually you'll make it to the other side, but dreading the journey the whole way.
There needs to be a manual for shit like this. Something written by someone who isn't trying to profit from your mess, but can give you a road map on how to proceed through all the bullshit. It's all just Mind Bottling (did you say mind bottling?)
@larcenous
i feel for you dude, im sorry to hear about your loss. My twin brother had the exact same thing happen to him, except he wasnt smart enough to have renters insurance, so he lost everything. He said he felt like edward norton in fight club, where he just became numb to the "stuff" he lost. Im glad you and your family are ok, and i know things will work out.Also, I hope you get fully compensated for the 3 picassos you had in there….. (sorry, i shouldnt joke, but you may need to lie in order to get what your stuff was worth, because they WILL try to low ball you)
@Ray
Talking and surfing is very nice when you are a cynic and kept Iphone OS 3.0 so you can tether. It's nice to surf on my Mac and take a call when it comes in. I think that is the only benefit of being able to do both. I couldn't surf on my phone and talk at the same time. Unless maybe I had a headset.
I think ATT sees its EDGE network as a viable solution for data services. I have to disagree. I mostly disagree with the fact that they charge $30 for EDGE if it is all you can get in your zipcode. Verizon is no better with their BS fees. They have pretty much made it impossible for any user to have a bill lower than $75 per month with their mandatory data on everything now. No, I will not count the two crap phones that can only send or receive a call. Some people like QWERTY for doing txt messaging or using Email where there is WIFI. Neither one of the companies are a lesser of two evils.
@Renters Insurance – I think I ended up paying about $10 a month plus got a discount on my car insurance from State Farm for having renters insurance through them as well. Right now it's looking like a pretty solid investment.
@Larcenous
Man, I am so glad they rescued your dog. What kind is it? Losing your pup in a home fire would have been devastating.
I lost my home after Katrina, I know what you mean about the vultures who want to "help". Here's some advice, do what you used to do as much as possible and wait for the insurance that you were wise enough to invest in to come through. You naturally of course can't replace everything that was lost, but you can't dwell on that. The hard part is over.
forget the jackson pollock, you need to say you had a detective comics 27
it must be fuckin torture to not know what you lost though, at least you and your wifey are ok, and i just want to extend my most sincere condolonces, you are a good dude.
I think i would miss the corny stuff the most, my girlfriend and i went to a movie on our first date (the animal) and i still have the stub. Corny as it may sound, its one of my most prized possessions. Just little shit like that….
@smartguy
you are prolly the only one here who truly can give advice through experience. If i were larcenous, i think id appreciate any advice you could give.
@Smartguy – Thanks dude. That's one of the reasons why we went to work today. No use just sitting around looking at stuff until we can actually take an inventory.
We have a Pembroke Welsh Corgi. Adorably cute, and it would have been a real shame to have lost him. We had a cat and a sugar glider too. Cat naturally is no where to be found, so he's either hiding in the downstairs or chilling with the outdoor cats after being involved in some sort of cat fight club hazing ritual. The glider wasn't so lucky. He was in the room that was right next to the fire, and the property manager said he didnt make it. Sad, but if that was the worse that happened, then we came out ok.
How did you possibly do normal after that hurricane? We're lucky in that we spent the night at some friends, and probably will for the next few days as we get stuff sorted, but your whole city took a dive. How did you stay normal in that? And I can't imagine the vultures you had to deal with.
@thunder – the worst part is not knowing. At least if we knew, I could categorize stuff in my head and start prioritizing things.
Not knowing does have it's perks though. As of right now, I have nothing, so anything saved is only going to be a plus.
would renters insurance pay you for time missed from work?
im pretty sure they would….maybe
@Larcenous
The day after was incredible weather. The day before Katrina hit, I had left NOLA to go to a friend's place across Lake Pontchartrain. Eventhough it wasn't in NOLA itself, the whole area was silent and inaccessible. So we did naturally what a few people from this area will do when you don't have to go to work..we drank a lot of our beers and grilled a lot of food. Otherwise the beer would get hot and the food would spoil. :)
By the 2nd day though I was focused on helping remove fallen trees in the driveway and road. Close to two weeks later I was finally able to get a text message out to friends and family as well as some coworkers. It took about 3 weeks before I could get to my home (or what was left). Whatever I didn't bring with me was unsalvageable. I made a decision then not to rebuild in the area. It wasn't me being lazy and deciding I didn't want the hassle…but I really enjoyed being closer to my friends. Long and short of it, try to resume as soon as possible.
Those dogs are great looking. Glad you have him still.
I agree with Rpad, i think that at&t should've used the more talented brother owen for their commercials. I'm not a big fan of luke. I'm thinking he needed the money. I haven't seen that guy in a movie lately.
@larcenous I'm happy to read that you and your family are okay. I've never had something like this happen to me but i've seen what a disaster does. Back in 1998 while i was stationed in Korea they had a monsoon and all the little shops around the base where basically affected by this because they couldn't be open and bring in the money from us G.I's. I'm sure they had insurance but some of them were pretty shook up and i felt bad for them. so as soon as they got their shops open i tried to purchase a lot more things at their shops rather than on post. I hope everything works out for you and your family.
@Ray – I think the big problem is that you hate AT&T, lol
some of the features on the iphone are crazy cool like multi-touch. personally, unless Verizon gets the ability to talk/use data at the same time, I'll probably stick to AT&T. that's huge for my phone.
@tokz – Thanks dude.
@Smartguy – Yeah that's not lazy at all. And besides, the beer would have gotten warm, and there's no need for a double tragedy!
The only people that talk crap about being able to surf the web and talk are the ones that can't do it. It is one of the nicest features ever. And until recently I had no idea there were people out there without that ability.
My friend uses his Palm pre to tether to his pc. It works great unless he gets a call then it kicks him. Sounds kinda like dial-up back in the day.
Also I have been thoroughly enjoying those Luke Wilson commercials.
How's the message he is conveying inaccurate? It is doing nothing more than the same thing Verizon did by trying to show people a 3-G coverage map and saying you can't use your phone in any other areas. Like the one where the guy pretends not to be able to contact his family because he isn't in a 3-G area and he just has to show up at home unannounced. I am pretty sure AT&T phones still work when they are in: GSM, edge, EDGE,3g & 3G. (wonder why there are upper and lower case signals)
@larcenous….you're welcome.
@slickyfats….i agree everytime i talk to one of my friends that does not have at&t he always asks me to look up traffic or something up for him while we are talking about something. Also, i think the difference between the lower case and upper case is that one is 3g – good and the other is 3G-Great. j/k. i couldn't resist making a corny joke.
I'm with Slicky on the data+voice. I use it to check emails, send emails, check traffic, give directions, and many other things. if you don't have it you don't know what you're missing.
I also don't think the commercials are inaccurate, no more so than Verizon's. it's the truth just bended in a way that benefits the cell company
My mom calls me when she is driving and needs direction because I can look them up and tell her from my cell phone easier than she look them up herself while driving. She is on Sprint. I google things while on the phone with people who need help with homework or just what something means. The AT&T commercial with Luke Wilson using his phone to look up the game show answer is exactly how it works and it works well.
I am a wikipedia whore, so I tend to constantly look things up and research stuff whenever it's referenced, whether on a phone call or not. I didn't know that you couldn't do both on other plans. It honestly seems kinda silly when you think about it.
@Larcenous – that's a crap deal man. even if I got all my money back from my electronic equipment (by the way, check your renters because some crap plans only cover like $4k total for your place) I'd still be pissed, saved games, computer files, you'll have to keep us updated.
@slicky – exactly, I never do it to be rude, I'm almost always doing it to help the caller in some way
@Topic: I really am not a cell phone "gadget" guy. All I really care about is the ability to make a call without it being dropped. Thus I have Verizon and crappy LG flip phone. And I'm ok with that..
That being said, the current AT&T ads are your typical bait and switch technique. They never really address Verizon's very true claim that AT&T has very limited 3G coverage. Instead, they try to change the subject in every ad. It's what you do when you know you're fighting a losing fight but you know you've got to say something just to be heard. Politicians do that kind of crap all the time.
@larcenous: I'm glad you're ok. Thankfully, everything else can be replaced, even if it is over time.
@Nightshade – Thanks. Everything can and certainly will. Time sucks though lol. /channels Veruca Salt – I want it now!
@Topic – it certainly is spin at it's finest. That's why I refered to them as jabs rather then hard uppercuts.
I guess when they asked over on the feeds site what we would like to see there, my reply of Raymond Padilla returning was a bit touchy. They removed it minutes after I posted it..
@larcenous sorry to hear about the fire, glad to hear all that was damaged were replaceable material items and not an irreplaceable life. I hope everything works out OK for you with the insurance.
@post 22 I also am a wikiwhore, I use it all the time to look up anything and everything that is referenced around me. I actually use it a lot in class when professors start talking about theories and concept that I don't quite remember at the moment or something like that. I feel like I would be worse off without wiki.
@Luke Wilson These commercials mostly just annoy me because I know that they are just picking at small things that they have an advantage over other companies with. At the same time though I find it hilarious that that is all that they can come up with for their commercials, and it tells me that they are struggling more than they let on, and (likely) more than the average consumer realizes.
@ larcenous Damn dude. Im sorry. I wish we could help you in some way. What state are you in?
Off topic: I will boycott Spiderman altogether if this ends up happening!!!!
http://www.postchronicle.com/news/original/articl…
@Hrofl – Florida, Jacksonville specifically. We're real lucky to have a good friends house to stay in while everything get sorted. So far, outside of the charred living area and stuff, we're cool, but thanks for your support.
@bsuke – Thanks dude. Yeah everything was replaceable exceptf or my room mates sugar glider. They found it this morning in its cage. Hopefully it was quick. But appreciate the support and well wishes.
@Hrofl – it doesn't look like they deleted it dude. It's still in the suggestions article.
has anyone tried the Dark Void demo? I thought it was neat but I can't enjoy it totally. I won't to remap the yaw controls and pitch but it won't let me.
@tokz
LOL
@LarcenousLaugh I'm sorry for your loss, but I'm glad to see you're in good spirits.
@Shockwave562 Ha! Remember, I only dislike AT&T Wireless. I'd love to have U-Verse in my building.
@Hrolf That's really funny. Ha!
Here is something to laugh at. I spent this morning "defending" AT&T. Currently I am unable to make or receive calls. I cannot text either. I am only able to use my internet and BB Messenger. When my phone bumps over to EDGE everything works fine. I called tech support from a land line and ALL 3G call service is OUT in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. They said it would be 5-6 if all goes well but didn't have an exact time of repair.
So 3G means no phone, what a POS.
*5-6 hours
@Ray – Thanks. "If any group could keep someone in good spirits, it's the folks at RPad.tv" (feel free to use that for ads and what not). I can't say it's not rough, and not knowing what all the damage is really sucks, but nothing tears (for fears?) is going to do about it.
@SlickyFats That sucks. Do you have yours set to 3G only? I'm shocked it wouldn't work on EDGE.
@LarcenousLaugh Shout. Shout. Let it all out. Or…RPad.tv can go all Robbie Williams on you — let us entertain you!
@slicky – what kind of phone do you have? I know on the iPhone you can turn off 3G
I just heard a commercial on the radio about how AT&T Wireless serves the most people (not area) due to the fact that they cover all major cities. So basically the wording they used was that they have a better service area because the can cover 98% (i think they said that value) of all people in the US. I just found it hilarious that they counter Verizon's "Map" commercials with this commercial that basically says we only cover major cities.
Also, my Droid supports multi touch so don't think you're so special Iphone users! Maybe the basic web browser didn't support it… but the third party browser (something Apple's App Store would never allow) supports it and a ton of other better features.
@NCSULuLu It depends what AT&T means by "covered". Certainly customers in New York and San Francisco do not feel covered by the service.
I have a BB Bold. Is there a way to turn off the 3G? I want to turn it off so my dang phone will work.
@raymond padilla I'm not sure about the Bold, but isn't there a setting under tools? A lot of iPhone users go EDGE only when 3G is being ridiculous.
Nevermind I just found it. I have the option to do 2G only. And what do you freaking know I have call capability again. Only thing is I have crappy internet then and since I am currently tethered doing this I can live without calls, at least i know how to place one now.
@Raymond padilla also
I knew the iPhone had the option. But yes the Bold has the same setting.
@SlickyFats Techmology ftw!!!
@Slicky
3G service was out for about 5 hours in NOLA metro area yesterday. I guess ATT is doing something to their network. It was out from 6am to about 11am yesterday. Then it just popped on.
@ Larcenous
Damn, dude. I truly feel for you. If there's anything I can do over the internetz…. let me know.
@ AT&T service
It's been out for about that long in different parts of the country since the New Year. They're definitely doing something.
@N8R – Thanks dude. I will keep the tubez a flowin!
@Thunder – Honestly, joke away. I have been spending most of the night wondering how I could convince them that my room mate kept an original Jackson Pollock lol.
Yeah the only thing I can really do right now is laugh. The Property Manager couldn’t understand how we were in a semblance of good spirits yesterday while they were fighting everything. There isn’t much you can do once it’s happened, and tears aren’t going to fix it, so we might as well just laugh to keep the emotions in check.
It would be different it had all gone out and not just calling. I don't get why it would just be calls and texts and not internet and email.
I love the AT&T ads because I enjoy the Verizon vs AT&T war and how they're -this- close to calling each other liers when really they're just agreeing with each other very aggressively.
I just think it's hilarious.
Of course maybe that's because I have no personal interest in it. My phone just calls and txts, and I use Sprint.
http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/13/square-enix-cut…
"Square Enix cut a game's worth of content from Final Fantasy XIII"
What do you guys think of this? A whole games worth of content removed?!
@rrod
Thanks for the info, it doesn't mention anything for the PS3 version. It's only going to be one BD disc, right? so that shouldn't be cut? They will probably make that available for DLC eventually.
@tokz_21
No, the PS3 version is cut too. This is all done to get the the Xbox version to fit 3 discs. I read that anything over 2 discs the devs have to pay for themselves. And yes, once again something that should be on the disc will now be sold as DLC for more money.
@ray padilla
the eddie izzard live from wembley torrent is up, it would be totally irresponsible and immoral to download it……..
http://piratebay.org/torrent/5280867/Eddie.Izzard…
@ Thundercracker
I was just looking at that torrent thinking of you guys. How did you know?
@Slicky
Because voice doesn't require a data connection. Text messaging actually costs nothing for a carrier to provide eventhough they charge a fortune for it. Text messaging is sent across the continuous radio connection a cell has with a radio tower. The message itself is part of packets of info that are sent anyway. Amazing that they charge 20 cents or more for something that literally costs nothing.
@RROD and anyone really
That is a damn good reason not to buy FF13. Cutting it and then selling it to you afterward for 15 bucks?? No thanks. Can't do it ever now.
@n8r
vcdq.com man
i check it every day, saw it on there as being new today
@Smartguy One of the reasons I left Sprint was that it started charging higher rates for international text messages. That's just total BS.