Category: Coffee Talk

Coffee Talk #218: The Case of the Missing Samsung Epic 4G

As some of you know, I’ve been having a devil of a time tracking down the Samsung Epic 4G that was sent to me for review. Hopefully one of you can use your Batman-like detective skills and help me figure it out. Now let’s rewind a bit. The phone arrived on August 23rd while I was in Asia. I have a FedEx door tag that says that the package was left with my building’s security desk. From there, it gets all kinds of fuzzy.

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, Powerfox & Ponymane, using a Canon Eos 60D to film developer interviews, or if there’s any video editing software for Windows that’s worth a damn, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

As some of you know, I’ve been having a devil of a time tracking down the Samsung Epic 4G that was sent to me for review. Hopefully one of you can use your Batman-like detective skills and help me figure it out. Now let’s rewind a bit. The phone arrived on August 23rd while I was in Asia. I have a FedEx door tag that says that the package was left with my building’s security desk. From there, it gets all kinds of fuzzy.

The security desk, staffed by California Protection Security Services, has the package logged in as received. The security guards keep a woefully unorganized binder that sometimes contains package information. Unfortunately, the box wasn’t in the storage room where packages are left. I checked on five different occasions and none of the security guards were able to find it.

I called and emailed FedEx for assistance. A CSR contacted the driver that delivered the package. The driver wasn’t certain, but he thought that he left the box in front of my door. Yet the FedEx door tag clearly states that the box was left with security (remember, it’s also logged as received by security). If that was the case then someone had to sign for it. For some strange reason, the tracking number says that the box was left at my front door. I asked the FedEx CSR to explain why the door tag says that the box was left with security while the tracking information says it was left at my door. She said that she would investigate further, but I haven’t heard from the company since Friday.

The management at Wilshire Vermont Station Apartments wasn’t helpful either. The first time I brought up the matter, an older lady totally brushed me off and said that they had nothing to do with packages. The second time I went, a younger lady made an effort to look for the package. After she couldn’t find it, she said that there was nothing she could do and that I should call FedEx.

I’ve yet to contact Sprint PR about this because it looks bad on my part. If Sprint tracked the package, they would see that it was left at my door (who knows if that’s what really happened). The company might think that I’m trying to pull a fast one on them. Having said that, I’m probably going to call them today and explain the situation (I wonder if the PR rep will believe me). For now, I want to know what you think happened. Please vote in the poll and explain your case in the comments section.

[poll id=”71″]

Coffee Talk #217: Who’s Your Favorite Videogame Voice Actor?

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, Intelligentsia’s El Salvador El Ausol Honeyed Pacamara, Golden Boy Promotions suing Top Rank Promotions, or how the lawsuit is horrible for (the already messed up) sport of boxing, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Today’s column was inspired by RPadholic bsukenyan’s wish for more Judi Dench in videogames. While I was terribly amused by his wish, I also wondered about your favorite videogame voice actors and actresses. At the very least, strong performances can cover up some weak scriptwriting. At best, great voice acting can truly bring a game’s story to life. As for my favorite, it’s definitely the legendary Cam Clarke.

I became a Cam Clarke fan from his work as Maximillian Sterling and (especially) Lance “Lancer” Belmont in the Robotech cartoons. As I started paying attention to acting in videogames, I noticed that his name popped up…a lot. The man has performed in more than 100 games! From Metal Gear Solid to Baldur’s Gate to God of War to World of Warcraft to Assassin’s Creed, chances are you’ve played dozens of games Clarke has acted in.

Now it’s your turn! Who are some of your favorite videogame voice actors and actresses?

Coffee Talk #216: What Was Your Favorite TGS News?

Tokyo Game Show 2010 is over and there were so many interesting happenings at the show. What was your favorite bit of TGS 2010 news? As for me, I was thrilled with Team Ico’s announcements. The new trailer for The Last Guardian is fantastic — I think I’ve watched it around 43 times already. I’m also super psyched that Ico and Shadow of the Colossus are being re-released in HD (not so interested in 3D though).

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 Miz and Bryan Danielson putting on a refreshingly old-school wrestling match last night, “Sugar” Shane Mosley’s horrific fight against Sergio Mora, or The Beatles vs. The Rolling Stones, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Tokyo Game Show 2010 is over and there were so many interesting happenings at the show. What was your favorite bit of TGS 2010 news? As for me, I was thrilled with Team Ico’s announcements. The new trailer for The Last Guardian is fantastic — I think I’ve watched it around 43 times already. I’m also super psyched that Ico and Shadow of the Colossus are being re-released in HD (not so interested in 3D though).

Now it’s your turn! Was there anything at TGS 2010 that made you especially happy, excited, or giddy (special bonus if it made you all three!)?

Coffee Talk #215: Who Are Your Favorite Internet Writers?

Let’s be real — this can’t possibly be the only web site you visit on a daily basis. Don’t worry, I don’t get (too) jealous when you spend time reading other sites. Having said that, I’d love to hear about some of your favorite Internet writers. Whether it’s games, sports, tech, or whatever, let me know who some of your favorite scribes are. Here are some of mine:

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, J.Lo as an American Idol judge, WWE banning Soma (even with a prescription), or Britney Spears’ engagement rumors, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Let’s be real — this can’t possibly be the only web site you visit on a daily basis. Don’t worry, I don’t get (too) jealous when you spend time reading other sites. Having said that, I’d love to hear about some of your favorite Internet writers. Whether it’s games, sports, tech, or whatever, let me know who some of your favorite ‘net scribblers are. Here are some of mine:

  • Games: Christian Nutt (Gamasutra), Chris Kohler (Wired), Brian Leahy (Shacknews), and Dean Takahashi (VentureBeat) [Full disclosure: Kohler and I do a stunning karaoke duet of “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me”, Christian and I used to be roommates, and Leahy…well, most of you know.]
  • Tech: Om Malik (GigaOm), James Kendrick (JKonTheRun), MG Siegler (TechCrunch), and Fake Steve Jobs (FakeSteveJobs)
  • Sports: Bill Simmons (ESPN) and Doug Fischer (The Ring)

Now it’s your turn! Who are some of your favorite Internet writers?

Coffee Talk #214: Five Things I Can’t Wait to See at TGS 2010

I’m so bummed that I’m missing Tokyo Game Show. Part of it is that it’s always incredibly fun hanging out with writer, developer, and PR friends in Tokyo. Part of it is that the karaoke is simply the best (I’ve never seen so many Pixies songs available anywhere else in the world). Lastly, part of it is that my tastes lean towards Japanese games and the announcements are usually super exciting for gamers like me. Here are five things I’m looking forward to hearing more about during TGS 2010.

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, if Nokia’s new Symbian^3 phones will matter, Ricky Hatton’s cocaine use, or the impending demise of WWE NXT, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

I’m so bummed that I’m missing Tokyo Game Show. Part of it is that it’s always incredibly fun hanging out with writer, developer, and PR friends in Tokyo. Part of it is that the karaoke is simply the best (I’ve never seen so many Pixies songs available anywhere else in the world). Lastly, part of it is that my tastes lean towards Japanese games and the announcements are usually super exciting for gamers like me. Here are five things I’m looking forward to hearing more about during TGS 2010.

  1. The Last Guardian — I’ve been high on this game since E3 2009 and was totally bummed that it wasn’t at E3 2010. TGS does seem more appropriate for Team Ico’s next unique adventure.
  2. The 3rd Birthday — I’ve been trying to get you guys and dolls to pay attention to this Parasite Eve (not a) sequel, but it doesn’t appear to be working. It’s going to be cool! I really believe that.
  3. Nintendo 3DS — Obviously I have a professional interest in the 3DS, but after playing with it at E3 2010, I want it now! Honestly, it’s more “magical” than the Apple iPad. On a side note, Satoru Iwata and Steve Jobs need to fight over the “magic” in a steel cage.
  4. Shadows of the Damned — It’s Grasshopper’s Suda 51 and Platinum Games’ Shinji Mikami working together. That’s just sheer awesomeness.
  5. More Square Enix — Yeah, in addition to The 3rd Birthday, I’m starving for more on Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, Ogre Battle, FF Tactics for iPhone, next-gen engine — anything really. I love Square Enix games (especially the ones with Reona Rewis).

I’m sure there will be plenty of awesome news coming out of TGS 2010. What do you think of my list? What are you looking forward to hearing more about? Man, I’d love to hang out with some of you in Tokyo. If you haven’t been, I’m sure you’d totally dig it. Now get to shouting (not literally, Big Blak) in the comments section (please)!

Coffee Talk #213: My Biggest Gaming Disappointment of 2010

I’ve been meaning to write my (not a) review for the “Witch Hunt” DLC for Dragon Age: Origins since last Thursday. I’ve played it a bunch of times and I’m certainly familiar with it, but for various reasons I haven’t pulled the trigger on my (not a) review. Part of it is that I don’t have much to say about the game. Here’s the short version: it’s incredibly disappointing. Here’s the long version: the gameplay, graphics, and voice acting are what you’d expect from Dragon Age, but the story — which was purported to be a grand finale that dramatically reveals the fate of Morrigan — is a total letdown. There’s nothing grand about “Witch Hunt”; it’s just another piece of good Dragon Age DLC.

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, Chad Ochocinco’s hosting job on WWE Raw, George Michael getting two months in the slammer for driving while high, or Oprah giving away the new Motorola Android phone, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

I’ve been meaning to write my (not a) review for the “Witch Hunt” DLC for Dragon Age: Origins since last Thursday. I’ve played it a bunch of times and I’m certainly familiar with it, but for various reasons I haven’t pulled the trigger on my (not a) review. Part of it is that I don’t have much to say about the game. Here’s the short version: it’s incredibly disappointing. Here’s the long version: the gameplay, graphics, and voice acting are what you’d expect from Dragon Age, but the story — which was purported to be a grand finale that dramatically reveals the fate of Morrigan — is a total letdown. There’s nothing grand about “Witch Hunt”; it’s just another piece of good Dragon Age DLC.

The other part is that I’m…uncomfortable being disappointed in BioWare. I adore the company’s games. Dr. Ray Muzyka and Dr. Greg Zeschuk are fantastic people that I’ve been lucky enough to spend time with. Thankfully, I’m not working for a proper editorial site at the moment, so I don’t have to lie to you and pretend that these factors aren’t creeping around my brain. I just hold BioWare to incredibly high standards (perhaps unfairly so), so when the company releases a decent product that should have been more, it’s disappointing.

Anyway, I’m officially going to blame the whole not-writing-a-(not a)-review thing on jet lag. As for you, I want to hear about your gaming disappointments of 2010 (thus far). Shout it out (please)!

Coffee Talk #212: WWE NXT’s AJ Lee is My Ultimate Woman

Thanks to WWE NXT, I have found my new “ultimate woman” for the next decade — AJ Lee. She’s obviously a beautiful woman that wrestles, but I’ve learned that she loves comic books and videogames. I don’t see how you can beat this combination. She could beat the crap out of baby seals with a baseball bat she made from a tree plucked from a rain forest she decimated and I’d still adore her. She seems to be the perfect combination of beauty, brains, athleticism, and nerdcore.

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, NFL week one, your favorite MTV VMA 2010 moments, or the big HTC/Nokia events this week, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Thanks to WWE NXT, I have found my new “ultimate woman” for the next decade — AJ Lee. She’s obviously a beautiful woman that wrestles, but I’ve learned that she loves comic books and videogames. I don’t see how you can beat this combination. She could beat the crap out of baby seals with a baseball bat she made from a tree plucked from a rain forest she decimated and I’d still adore her. She seems to be the perfect combination of beauty, brains, athleticism, and nerdcore.

In case you were wondering (and even if you weren’t), Zoe Flower, my dearest BB, was my ultimate woman last decade. Now she’s an ultimate mommy. Given her new stage in life and the new decade, it seemed like the perfect time to find a new ultimate woman. May the reign of AJ Lee be a tremendous one!

Naturally, I want to know what you think of AJ. Do you have an ultimate woman? Is there anyone you can think of that can match AJ’s blend of beauty and geekiness?

Coffee Talk #211: Gaming Binds Us Together

Warning: I’m going to get a little sappy on you today. You see, as I was in Asia playing Wordfeud for Android with Big Blak and Slickyfats, I was amazed at how gaming brought us all together. Whether it’s reading the stuff I write, talking it up in the comments section, or playing games together while thousands of miles apart, gaming binds us (like The Force in Star Wars). It’s just a powerful and awesome thing.

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, Felix Hernandez’s case for the AL Cy Young Award, Shelley Malil accidentally stabbing his girlfriend more than 20 times, or when the hell the MacBook Air will be refreshed, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Warning: I’m going to get a little sappy on you today. You see, as I was in Asia playing Wordfeud for Android with Big Blak and Slickyfats, I was amazed at how gaming brought us all together. Whether it’s reading the stuff I write, talking it up in the comments section, or playing games together while thousands of miles apart, gaming binds us (like The Force in Star Wars). It’s just a powerful and awesome thing.

I “met” most of you while I was at G4tv and for various reasons, we just clicked. I’m incredibly honored that you followed me here and spend part of your day with me. Sure, we talk about sports, pop culture, tech, GHM, and Adam Lambert icons, but at the end of the day we were brought together by our love of games. After all the crazy things that have happened to me in the last year, I’m just amazed by it all and super appreciative of your company/support.

Before I get misty, I’d love to hear some of your stories on how gaming introduced you to friends and loved ones. Hopefully it sets us all up for feel-good weekends!

Coffee Talk #210: How Swype Changed My (Mobile Phone) Life

A year ago, I was all about physical keyboards on mobile phones. While the virtual keyboard on my iPhone 3GS was somewhat acceptable, I greatly preferred the speed and accuracy of my BlackBerry 8900. Virtual keyboards on Android have improved a lot in the last year, but they still aren’t great. Opting for a virtual keyboard over a “real” one seemed crazy to me. Then something happened that totally changed my preference — I discovered Swype.

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, whether Roger Federer is washed up (or not), the Hyundai Equus shaking up the automobile market, or where you get your best t-shirts, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

A year ago, I was all about physical keyboards on mobile phones. While the virtual keyboard on my iPhone 3GS was somewhat acceptable, I greatly preferred the speed and accuracy of my BlackBerry 8900. Virtual keyboards on Android have improved a lot in the last year, but they still aren’t great. Opting for a virtual keyboard over a “real” one seemed crazy to me. Then something happened that totally changed my preference — I discovered Swype.

That’s not entirely true. It would be more accurate to say that I rediscovered Swype. I played around with Swype and Shapewriter on the Nexus One earlier in the year, but didn’t give them enough time. After I reviewed the Motorola Droid X, I randomly decided to give it another go…and I completely fell in love with it. It’s just an awesome input method that’s fast and accurate (once you get used to it). I can actually bust out emails with Swype faster than I ever could on a BlackBerry keyboard. I’m just thoroughly impressed with Swype. To me, it’s one of the most significant pieces of mobile phone software released in the last five years.

I know that some of you are into Swype. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the software. If you’re anti-Swype, I’d love to hear your comments too. Maybe we can convert you. “One of us! One of us!”

Coffee Talk #209: Do You Care About Console Warranties?

While I was in Asia, Sony announced that PlayStation Plus customers are eligible for a discount on the PlayStation Protection Plan. The deal adds a bit of value to PlayStation Plus, but I was wondering how many of you care about console warranties. Certainly console buyers — especially new ones that were burned by the Xbox 360’s red ring of death — are more cautious these days, but does that translate into plopping down cash on something like the PlayStation Protection Plan or a Best Buy warranty?

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, 6′ 9″ Aloisia allegedly getting fired from NXT because of naughty photos, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. seemingly getting a pass for being a racist prick, or your U.S. Open picks, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

While I was in Asia, Sony announced that PlayStation Plus customers are eligible for a discount on the PlayStation Protection Plan. The deal adds a bit of value to PlayStation Plus, but I was wondering how many of you care about console warranties. Certainly console buyers — especially new ones that were burned by the Xbox 360’s red ring of death — are more cautious these days, but does that translate into plopping down cash on something like the PlayStation Protection Plan or a Best Buy warranty?

I’ve had amazing luck with consoles. My Xbox 360 Elite was the first and only console to die on me. With that in mind, I’ve never bought a console warranty — never felt the need to. That said, if the PlayStation 4 cost $600 and the PlayStation Protection Plan is still around…well, I might have to pull the trigger on that one.

Now it’s your turn! Kindly take the poll and share your thoughts on console warranties.

[poll id=”66″]