Raymond Padilla

Sprint HTC Evo 4G Hitting Stores on June 6 for $200?

There’s a chance that the Sprint HTC Evo 4G — America’s first 4G phone — will be on sale sooner than most were expecting. AndroidCentral came across several promotional flyers photographed by a forum user from its sister site. The photos allegedly come from Radio Shack (or as its known in some parts of the country, The Shack). A Radio Shack salesman allegedly said that the phone will be available for $200 with a contract and $600 without. The estimated arrival date for the phone is June 6.

I was expecting the Evo 4G to be available towards the end of the summer. A June 6 release date would be much better for Sprint. Verizon’s HTC Incredible has been getting great reviews and Apple is expected to announced its next iPhone later in June. The sooner Sprint launches the phone — which was recently approved by the FCC, btw — the better. Of course the June release would only make sense if Sprint has completed extensive work on upgrading its WiMax 4G network.

If the phone comes out in June, would any of you make the jump to Sprint and the Evo 4G?

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Lost Planet 2 Party Pictures

Last night I went to an excellent party for Lost Planet 2. In addition to drinks and food, there was an LP2 tournament, custom t-shirts from I Am 8-Bit, a Lost Planet ski-ball machine, tons of celebrities I didn’t know, and that Olivia chick from the Iron Man 2 movie. Here are some pictures and goofy comments.

Here’s a shot from the opening moments of the party, before all the kids arrived.

The Lost Planet ski-ball machine was completely awesome. I want one!!!

Here’s a shot from the red carpet. There was dozens of celebs from television shows that I don’t watch, so I didn’t really recognize anyone.

It’s usually awkward running into your ex-fiance, but I’m always thrilled to see Capcom Melody. *sigh* It never would have worked out….

I Am 8-Bit served up some awesome custom-made t-shirts. You’ll have a chance to win mine soon!

Look, it’s that chick from Attack of the Show and Iron Man 2…Olivia something or another.

Today’s Poll: Icee vs. Slurpee

This is probably the most important question you’ll answer all month — which slush beverage is superior, Icees or Slurpees? I had this argument with a friend yesterday and we almost ended up in a fist fight. I love Icees. I prefer the texture and flavor of them over Slurpees. In my mind it’s not even close. That said, everyone is entitle to their own opinion (even if it’s completely wrong). What say you?

[poll id=”43″]

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

My nemesis Zoe Flower left me a very sweet tweet that reminded me of the many wonderful times we’ve had drinking coffee and playing Scrabble. It also reminded me that I’ve gotten at the game. Perhaps I’m just better at Scrabble when I can see the actual board and arrange my tiles with my own hands, but RPadholics Big Blak and N8R have been making me look silly in Hasbro Family Game Night Scrabble. I need to practice…and it all starts this weekend!

I’m hoping to make some time for Final Fantasy XIII as well, but I’m guessing that competitiveness will win out and I’ll work on raising my Scrabble power levels (it’s like Dragon Ball Z…but you don’t need a scouter).

As always, let me know what you’re playing this weekend!

Coffee Talk #140: What Are You Looking Forward to at E3 2010?

E3 2010 is a little over a month away and I wanted to get your thoughts on the show. I’ll probably ask you this question a couple of more times in the next few weeks so I can see how your answers change as information leaks. For now let me know what you’re jazzed about.

Are you looking forward to PlayStation Move vs. Project Natal? Perhaps you’re more interested in the future of streaming gaming and want to see how Gaikai vs. OnLive plays out. Mobile gaming is growing crazy fast and there will tons of great iPad/iPhone games on display. Perhaps you’re not interested in these new battles and trends. Maybe you just want more info on an exciting console or PC game.

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, your plans for catching Iron Man 2 this weekend, Nutrisystem dumping Lawrence Taylor as a spokesman, or your UFC 113 predictions, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Let me know what you’re looking forward to at this year’s show. It will certainly alter my approach going into it. While I’m not going to write every story you’re interested in — I’m just one guy and have my own angles to play too — you’ll certainly be on my mind as I process story ideas. While I’d love for all of you to attend E3 with me, this is sorta kinda the next best thing, yeah? Use your influence and shape my E3 2010 coverage (please)!

AT&T iPhone Exclusivity Extended Thanks to iPad Deal?

To borrow The Rock’s schtick, the millions — and millions — of people wishing for an Apple iPhone on Verizon will have to wait a little longer. At least that’s the word according to BroadPoint AmTech analyst Brian Marshall. According to him, AT&T’s flexibility on iPad data plans has extended the company’s time as the exclusive iPhone carrier in America. He told ComputerWorld:

For that pricing [on the iPad], AT&T was able to negotiate a six-month extension on the iPhone exclusive.

If Marshall is correct, that’s brilliant news for AT&T and crappy news for the rest of the country (I’m exaggerating). The speculation was that Verizon was gunning hard for an LTE iPhone to help kick off the launch of its 4G LTE network in Q4 2010. The buzz on that scenario has been dying. Now kindly excuse me as I go weep on my pillow.

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Virgin Mobile (Sprint) Announces Aggressive Prepaid Plans

Sprint has announced several prepaid plans for its Virgin Mobile brand. Dubbed “Beyond Talk”, these plans look like a great option for consumers that want the reliability of Sprint’s network, but also want to save money and/or don’t want to commit to a contract. Here are some highlights from the press release:

The revolutionary $25 plan is the industry’s lowest price point for unlimited messaging, email, data and web with 300 minutes of voice per month, ideal for high-end device users seeking an unbeatable price to enable the text and data services they need.
The $40 plan includes unlimited messaging, email, data and web with 1,200 minutes of voice per month — the perfect value for those seeking an affordable plan with everything they need.
The $60 plan includes unlimited messaging, email, data and web with unlimited voice to offer great value for high-end smartphone users expecting an unlimited plan to cost much more.
For the first time, Virgin Mobile customers can add Blackberry data service to any of these plans for just $10 more, enabling an unprecedented $35 plan consisting of both voice calling and Blackberry data service.

The press release mentions that the Virgin Mobile will offer RIM’s BlackBerry 8530 phone at the end of May. While it’s not the most advanced handset in RIM’s catalog, it’s capable enough. Combined with Beyond Talk’s aggressive pricing, it’s a compelling choice for people looking for a smartphone on the cheap.

Any of you interested in Virgin Mobile’s Beyond Talk plans?

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Darkspawn Chronicles Lets You Play Dragon Age as a Baddie

Just in case you’ve been wondering what goes through the mind of a lonely genlock, the Darkspawn Chronicles DLC pack for Dragon Age: Origins lets you experience a brief portion of the game from the darkspawn’s perspective. The DLC will be available on May 18, 2010 for $4.99 on PS3, 400 BioWare Points on PC, and 400 Microsoft Points on Xbox 360. Here are some highlights from the press release:

Imagine a world without heroes, where the greatest among you never became a Grey Warden
Play through the Fall of Denerim from the perspective of the darkspawn
Complete the module and unlock an epic darkspawn item for use in Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age: Origins — Awakening
Use the “Enthrall” ability – recruit any darkspawn you encounter into your party

As a huge Dragon Age nerd, I’m certainly going to play this batch of DLC, but I’m not super excited for it. As I mentioned in Coffee Talk #36, I just don’t enjoy playing as the villain.

Any of you planning to pick up this Dragon Age: Darkspawn Chronicles?

Coffee Talk #139: Do You Break Videogame Controllers?

I love watching my friend James play videogames. He gets angry. He curses out the television. And inevitably, he flings his controller. Sometimes it’s more fun watching his reactions than watching the game itself.

I’m usually pretty calm when I play games. There are a few things that can drive me into a controller-throwing rage. Cheap deaths and cheap boss fights immediately come to mind. Last year I was playing Street Fighter IV while dealing with a malfunctioning Xbox 360 that often made the screen impossible to see. This made beating Seth — one of the cheapest bosses ever — even more irritating. This also made my hand hurt from punching my arcade stick.

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 latest American Idol elimination, Milton Bradley being stressed out by earning millions of dollars playing baseball, or 61* being in the HBO rotation again, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

I’m usually pretty calm when I play games, but there are a few things that can drive me into a controller-throwing rage. Cheap deaths and cheap boss fights immediately come to mind. Last year I was playing Street Fighter IV while dealing with a malfunctioning Xbox 360 that often made the screen impossible to see. This made beating Seth — one of the cheapest bosses ever — even more irritating. This also made my hand hurt from punching my arcade stick.

Do any of you throw or break your controllers? What drives you into that zone? Consider today’s Coffee Talk therapy and release your videogame rage!

Random Thoughts (Not a Review) on Iron Man 2

I just came back from a screening of Iron Man 2 (the movie, not the game) and absolutely loved it. I enjoyed 75 percent of the first movie (I thought the last fight was lame) and had high expectations going in. For me, the sequel was better than the original simply because I enjoyed the whole thing. Here are some random thoughts (not a review!) on Iron Man 2. Spoilers ahead!

– Robert Downey, Jr. owns in this movie. He truly is the perfect Tony Stark. He’s charming, smart, sarcastic, suave, and flawed enough for moviegoers to identify with. As charming as he was in the first movie, he’s even more so in the sequel. His interplay with Gwyneth Paltrow, Jon Favreau, Sam Rockwell, and Scarlett Johannson was so entertaining. The interaction and humor felt organic.

– I missed Terrence Howard as James “Rhodey” Rhodes. Don’t get me wrong, Don Cheadle is a fantastic actor, but I loved the chemistry that Downey and Howard had. Cheadle did a good job in the movie, but there were times that made me feel like he wasn’t really trying. He also didn’t have the same rapport with Downey.

– Mickey Rourke was mildly disappointing as Whiplash/Ivan Vanko. He was kind of threatening, kind of brilliant, and kind of maniacal, but he was mostly just a dirty Russian guy. Dude needed to take a shower but never got around to it. After his awesome performance in The Wrestler, I was hoping for more. I suppose the flat feeling I had was due to the writing and not Rourke’s performance.

– Sam Rockwell was very cool as Justin Hammer, save for a completely unnecessary dance scene. He was a great foil for Tony Stark and played his role well. The buzz that the Tony Stark/Justin Hammer relationship is eerily similar to the Steve Jobs/Bill Gates relationship is completely overblown. Don’t believe the hype!

– I loved that Iron Man and Tony Stark had separate villains. That was one of my problems with the original movie. Jeff Bridges (or as I call him, Starman) was a great business rival as Obadiah Stane. I thought he absolutely sucked as Iron Monger. I didn’t find him threatening at all. I liked having two villains with different angles in Iron Man 2.

– Scarlett Johansson was surprisingly good as the Black Widow. She’s one of the sexiest women on the planet, so I was expecting her to be around for decorative purposes, but she totally kicked ass in her fight scene. She had enough screen time to shine, but not enough so that it felt like her face and body were being exploited.

– Sam Jackson went a little overboard as Nick Fury. He was too Snakes on a Plane for me. Yeah, Fury can be fiery, but he’s also cool and always in total control. Jackson had the cool part down but did a little too much screaming for me.

– The action is excellent. The last third of the movie has some awesome fighting sequences. You really get the “heavy metal” feeling from the combat.

– I loved that most of the movie took place in Los Angeles and Queens. Considering where I live and where I grew up, it felt comfortable. A movie hasn’t made me feel that way since Coming to America. Ha!

– I heard that the preview prints didn’t have the post-credit teaser…but I saw it and loved it! I already warned you about spoilers in the opening paragraph, so I have no problem telling you that it’s hammer time!

– Update: Totally forgot to write about the cameos. Stan Lee as Larry King was cute. Larry Ellison as Larry Ellison was cool! Tony Stark would totally rub elbows with people like Ellison, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Eric Schmidt, etc.