Raymond Padilla

Are You Ready For WWE Network? Would You Subscribe?

WWE has revealed more details on the upcoming WWE Network. The most recent teaser video shows that programming will be a mix of live events, classic matches, and reality shows. I’m especially excited by the prospect of watching legendary matches from the NWA, WCW, and WCCW days. Sports Business Journal Daily claims that WWE Network will launch on April 1, 2012 — the same day as WrestleMania XXVIII — and that most PPV shows will be moving to the network.

Although I’m not into reality television and I was never too into Tough Enough, I’m intrigued by the Legends’ House show. In my head, making anyone live with the Iron Sheik will result in hilarity. Abdullah the Butcher would also be an interesting roommate. Mae Young would be the den mother, of course. Making WWE Legends live with each other and filming it sounds like it could be fun, especially if the show focuses on Iron Sheik ranting about making people humble.

I’m also curious about the pricing. Will it be part of a channel bundle? Or will it be a premium network? Let’s assume the latter. As an example, my crap-bag provider Time Warner Cable charges $20 a month for every flavor of HBO and Cinemax combined. Let’s say WWE is in that price range and it costs $10 to $15 per month. Even though that’s only one channel, it’s still cheaper than paying $45 a month for PPVs.

I’m still waiting for more details, but I’m pretty sure I’m on the hook for WWE Network. Between the classic matches and “most” PPV events, the cost will be worth it to me. Legends’ House could end up being a pleasant surprise. How about you? Are you interested in the channel? Are you a potential WWE Network subscriber?

Cello Wars (Star Wars Parody) Lightsaber Duel Rules!!!

This Star Wars musical parody by The Piano Guys is one of the best Internet videos I’ve seen in 2011. It’s funny, creative, and awesome all the same time. The music is great. The costumes are great. The comedy is fantastic. I completely love this video! If I wasn’t poor, I’d donate money to The Piano Guys just for making this highly entertaining video.

How about you? Check it out and let me know what you think (please!).

Coffee Talk #427: Beats by Dre is the New Bose — Overrated

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, Verve’s Sumatra Lake Tawar, impatiently waiting for Verizon’s Galaxy Nexus, or your favorite Christmas cartoon, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

I almost always see someone wearing Bose QuietComfort headphones when I fly. I almost always laugh at those people. Bose QuietComfort headphones are overpriced and overrated. You can get headphones — in-ear or cans — that cost the same or less and sound way better. I’ll take a pair of Etymotic, Shure, Grado, or UltimateEars headphones over Bose any day of the week and twice on Sunday.

In the last year or so, I’ve been spotting a lot of Beats by Dre headphones on airplanes. They’re pretty much Bose for the hipster crowd. They’re overpriced, overrated, and feature exaggerated bass. People think they’re cool and good because of their sharp style, great marketing, and fantastic distribution. I’m not saying that Bose and Beats make bad products; they make good stuff, but you can get much better for your money.

Today I was wondering if there are any brands or products that make you scoff. Do you automatically think “lamer!” when you see someone with Bose QuietComforts? Does your hipster-douche sensor go off when you see someone with an iPad at a coffeehouse? I can’t wait to read your comments! Fire away (please)!!!

Are You Concerned About Carrier IQ Privacy Issues?

Trevor Eckhart recently posted an alarming video and some scary results on Carrier IQ. The software is found on millions of phones and is used by three out of the four major American mobile carriers. According to Eckhart, Carrier IQ can track a crazy amount of information, including individual keystrokes. The company, of course, denies that the program presents a security risk. While the amount of information and what’s being done with it is still being debated, the bottom line is that carriers and phone makers do not provide a way for customers to opt out of the tracking.

While Carrier IQ is potentially evil, I don’t believe carriers and phone manufacturers are using it for malicious purposes. That would be suicidal. Any company caught compromising or selling information gathered by Carrier IQ would be sued to high heaven (is there a low heaven?) and would become a pariah. That said, I believe there’s a risk there. What if your phone is lost or stolen? Would a hacker be able to extract tons of information through Carrier IQ? If you’ve entered credit card or password information on your phone, would Carrier IQ present a backdoor for hackers to access it?

There’s a lot of misinformation floating around and a lot of information that has yet to be confirmed on Carrier IQ. Personally, I’m alarmed by the whole thing. Fortunately, I plan on switching to a Galaxy Nexus on Verizon in the near future. The phone and the carrier do not use Carrier IQ.

Are you concerned about Carrier IQ privacy issues?

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

After getting back from a harrowing trip that had me flying from Boston to Washington D.C. to Denver to Los Angeles, I’m back on the road this weekend. This time it’s Chicago and Boston. I want to be playing Infinity Blade II on my iPad 2. I’m sure I’ll start. I’m also sure that I won’t play it nearly as much as I’d like because I’m frickin’ tired. So this weekend’s gameplay will be a mix of Infinity Blade II and sleeping on (5) airplanes.

How about you? What’s on your weekend playlist?

How Do You Feel About the NBA Post-Lockout?

After months of grueling negotiations, the NBA lockout is over and the regular season will begin on December 25, 2011. Now that NBA basketball is nearly here, I wanted to see if the lockout has changed your view on the sport. I’m already psyched by all the trade rumors (Chris Paul, Rajon Rondo, Dwight Howard, etc.), but I’m still bitter about the lockout. Hearing millionaires argue about billions of dollars in revenue is…unattractive — especially when you’re not making a lot of money and the economy is crap.

The end of the last NBA season was brilliant, but for me that buzz was mostly killed by the lockout. How about you? Has the lockout made you bitter about the NBA? Or are you excited for the season to start?

Coffee Talk #426: Games You’ve Lost Interest In

Are there any game genres, videogame series, or gaming platforms you used to love, but have lost interest in? Perhaps you used to be a Final Fantasy mark, but haven’t enjoyed the last few releases. Maybe you used to be into sports sims…

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, Cafecito Organico’s Guatemala El Carmen Estate, if the Rajon Rondo trade rumors will motivate him or crush his psyche, or Bryan Danielson getting a big push in 2012, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Are there any game genres, videogame series, or gaming platforms you used to love, but have lost interest in? Perhaps you used to be a Final Fantasy mark, but haven’t enjoyed the last few releases. Maybe you used to be into sports simulations, but have found that the never-ending march towards supreme realism has killed some of the fun. Whatever the case may be, I want to hear your story!

As for me, my interest in portable game consoles is definitely waning. Part of it is that the PSP is nearing the end of its lifespan. Part of it is that the Nintendo 3DS has one of the most underwhelming launches I can remember. The really big part of it is that my iPad 2 is just a brilliant entertainment device that gives me great gaming and so much more. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll still play my portables for Japanese RPGs and first-party games from Nintendo, but I won’t carry them with me everywhere I go. That used to be the case. The iPad 2 has changed that.

Now it’s your turn! Please let me know what games, series, and consoles you’ve lost interest in.

Read My Review of The Black Eyed Peas Experience (Please!)

Kindly check out my review of The Black Eyed Peas Experience over at Machinima.com if you have a chance. It’s a fun dance game for B.E.P. fans and it encourages party play. As a Filipino-American, I felt obligated to give it a whirl and support B.E.P.’s apl.de.ap. He’s arguably the most famous Pinoy in America (until I surpass him) and I’m proud of his success. As for the game, let me quote myself (it never gets old):

The Black Eyed Peas Experience is a good dance game that uses solid gameplay mechanics. While the visuals are distinct, they’re lacking on a technical level. The music favors the band’s recent releases, completely ignores their earliest work, and leaves out one of their biggest hits. Obviously this game is for B.E.P. fans only, but even the band’s fans will find the graphics and the song selection lacking. Having said that, there’s plenty for B.E.P. fans to enjoy, especially with if they play the game with their friends.

The game awards bonus score multipliers if you play with friends. That makes it easier to unlock items and get high scores if you have friends that are willing to play dance games with you. If not, things are a bit harder. That’s cool and unfair at the same time.

Anyway, check out the review and leave a comment over at Machinima if you have a chance. Thanks in advance!

Source

FFXIII-2 Noel Kreiss Getting Ezio Auditore DLC Costume

Square Enix has announced that Final Fantasy XIII-2’s Noel Kreiss will be getting a special Assassin’s Creed costume. Through the magic of DLC, you can make Noel look just like renowned videogame assassin Ezio Auditore da Firenze. The price and release date for this DLC has not yet been revealed.

I’m not sure how I feel about this. Ezio is super cool, but Ubisoft has been whoring him out to other companies. It’s weird that he’s going to be in Soulcalibur V and Final Fantasy XIII-2. This whole French-Japanese connection is bugging me out…but of course I’m going to download the costume. Crossovers are cool.

How do you feel about FFXIII-2 having Assassin’s Creed DLC?

The Lord of the Rings Nerd Logic Problem

I posted this important (and silly) question about The Lord of the Rings on my Facebook page and thought you guys might have fun with it too. “Say Aragorn was a lvl. 12 ranger at the start of The Fellowship of the Ring. What level and class was he at the end of The Return of the King?” I got some really cool and really nerdy answers from a few of my Facebook friends and I’m sure you guys can top it, so have at it (please)!

And also, just because I love these videos: