Category: Geek Stuff

Amazon Kindle Gets Better and Cheaper

Amazon has announced an updated version of its popular Kindle e-reader. While the performance gains are certainly noteworthy, what’s really interesting is the price of the WiFi-only version: $139. Before I get to the ramifications of that price point, let me hit you up with some bullet points on the new Kindle:

  • 21 percent smaller
  • 15 percent lighter design
  • 50 percent better contrast
  • 20 percent faster page turns
  • Up to one month of battery life
  • Double the storage

I’m a big fan of the Kindle and think it’s a fantastic line of products. That said, I readily admit that it’s facing stiff competition from other e-readers (like the Nook) and tablet computers (like the iPad). The e-reader market is crowded and the tablet market will be full by this time next year. One of the ways the Kindle can beat out the competition is by being the first to achieve the magical $99 price point. The $139 WiFi-only model is practically there.

Are any of you interested in the new Kindle? Are you tempted by the $139 price point?

Coffee Talk #189: How Often Do You Change PCs?

RPadholic smartguy brought up an interesting conversation starter yesterday: how often do you change PCs? Some of my friends get new machines every year. Others have had the same system for more than five years. It’s really all over the place with the people I know and I’m sure it’s the same for you guys.

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, Eric Roberts entering rehab for marijuana dependency, American Idol possibly going with all-new judges, or Kaval rocking it on NXT, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

RPadholic smartguy brought up an interesting conversation starter yesterday: how often do you change PCs? Some of my friends get new machines every year. Others have had the same system for more than five years. It’s really all over the place with the people I know and I’m sure it’s the same for you guys.

As for me, I usually stick with a two-year plan. For the first six months I’m very happy with my PCs performance. That changes into bland satisfaction for the next year. The final six months are when I get jealous of all the new features and performance gains found in new products. Due to my work situation, I’m actually several months overdue in my two-year plan, but hopefully I’ll be able to save up for one of those new iMacs soon!

Now it’s your turn! How often do you change PCs?

Coffee Talk #188: Has Technology Ever Gotten You Out of a Jam?

Last night I was at Ralph’s buying some groceries and the Motorola Droid X helped me save $5. You see, I love taking advantage of promotions. Ralph’s currently has this deal that lets you save $5 for buying 10 participating items. I diligently found sale items that were eligible for the promotion. Getting an additional $5 off items that are already on sale is awesome. As I was walking out the grocery, I noticed that two of the items didn’t register for the promotion and I didn’t get my $5 savings.

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 the media is out to get Dez Bryant, spicy BBQ sauce recommendations, or the desktop vs. laptop argument, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Last night I was at Ralph’s buying some groceries and the Motorola Droid X helped me save $5. You see, I love taking advantage of promotions. Ralph’s currently has this deal that lets you save $5 for buying 10 participating items. I diligently found sale items that were eligible for the promotion. Getting an additional $5 off items that are already on sale is awesome. As I was walking out the grocery, I noticed that two of the items didn’t register for the promotion and I didn’t get my $5 savings.

Naturally I turned around and went to the service desk. Next I was directed to a manager. As she was checking out customers, I explained my situation and showed her my receipt. She insisted that the two tubes of toothpaste I selected were not part of the promotion and that I needed to buy two more items. Annoyed, I went back to the toothpaste aisle, snapped a picture of the toothpaste that showed it was part of the promotion and returned to the manager. For some reason, this wasn’t enough proof for her and she went to check it out for herself (as if I could doctor photos on a phone in two minutes). After seeing she was wrong (and stupid), she gave my my $5.

So yay for the Droid X for saving me $5!!! Too bad it couldn’t get back the 15 minutes I wasted on the situation. I missed a train home and my ice cream got a little melty. Ha! Today I’d like to know if you have any stories of technology getting you out of a jam. It doesn’t matter if it’s big or small. I’m just curious to see if gadgets or tech have helped you catch a break or get out of a silly situation.

Apple Launches Magical Battery Charger (and New iMacs, Trackpad)

Remember those “amazing products” Apple promised when it announced its Q3 earnings? They’re here! Leading the way is an incredible new battery charger that…uh…recharges batteries! This $29 product comes with six rechargeable batteries and features extremely low “vampire drain” when the AAs are full. Okay, that wasn’t the really exciting product announcement today. Here’s a clip from the press release on the new iMacs and Magic Trackpad:

Starting at $1,199, the new iMac line is the fastest ever with dual-core processor speeds up to 3.6 GHz, quad-core speeds up to 2.93 GHz and discrete graphics including the powerful ATI Radeon HD 5750. The new Magic Trackpad, with a smooth glass and aluminum design, gives iMac users the same intuitive Multi-Touch gestures that Mac notebook customers have come to love and is available separately for $69.

iMac displays feature IPS technology to deliver a brilliant image across a wide 178 degree viewing angle. The SD card slot on the iMac now supports the SDXC format to handle the latest high-capacity storage cards. Customers of the 27-inch iMac have the option to order a 256GB solid state drive (SSD) as a primary or secondary drive. The iMac SSD supports up to 215 MB/s data transfer rates for faster startup and application launch times.

The Magic Trackpad is a pretty interesting device. First of all, it’s magical, which is always impressive. For work purposes, I think mice are stupid and inefficient. I prefer working with a Kensington Trackball; I love the cursor control and that my hand never gets too far from the keyboard. The gesture capability of the Magic Trackpad has the potential to speed up workflow. It’s kind of crap that it’s not included with the new iMacs.

Speaking of which, the new iMacs have me drooling and crying at the same time. I really want to start doing video on the site and need a Mac to edit on. A 27-inch iMac with an i7 processor, an SSD drive for apps, and a 1TB drive for scratch space sounds like a brilliant video-editing machine for my purposes. That’s why I’m drooling. I’m crying because there’s no way I can afford one right now. Ha!

Any of you excited by Apple’s new products?

Star Wars Reenacted on a NYC Subway

Here’s an excellent video by Matt Adams that takes a scene from Star Wars: A New Hope (the real first movie) and changes the setting to a New York City subway car. It’s pretty funny and makes me miss New York…until I remember that it’s July and it’s disgustingly humid over there. Anyway, check out the clip. It’s good stuff.

E3 2010 Party Pics: B4 by 47 Communications

47 Communications’ B4 party is truly the best way to kick off E3. It’s a very chill event that serves as the calm before the storm (you know, when E3 explodes in all our faces). The party is kind of like the first day of summer camp. Everyone is just getting in and you get to catch up with old friends that you haven’t seen in a long time. It’s also unique for E3 since this is the one time during the week when you’re allowed to get drunk in the daytime. Enjoy my party pics!

I’ve know three of these people for 10+ years. I feel old….

Overhead shot!

My favorite lady at the party — the tavern wench!

IGN Dana and @Gamer Wil are awesome people.

Three people that left games journalism. Thankfully Andy Eddy was there to keep it real!

Another random crowd shot.

AOL Libe and PR goddess Andrea made sure it wasn’t a total sausage fest.

Giant Bomb Jeff and Giant Bomb Brad are super cool. Ask him!!!

Ignition Shane, Wired Chris, and super freelancer Gus kept cool inside. Very smart.

Super legend Perrin, VentureBeat Dean, and G4 Abbie.

Universal Pete was paying of Marvel Chris for unknown reasons.

Yeah, most of these parties are comprised of nerdy guys standing around and talking about geek stuff. In other words, they’re cool. :P

Coffee Talk #159: The Stereoscopic 3D Conspiracy

During my lunch meeting yesterday, one of my friends dropped this conspiracy theory on the big push behind 3D movies and 3D gaming. He said that television technology has gotten so good that early adopters have nothing to adopt. Televisions purchased in the last year or so will be good for at least another four. Considering there are some people that buy new televisions every two years, this is unacceptable for TV manufacturers. Ergo, the push for stereoscopic 3D content.

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 Mix Me In2 Taylor Swift iPhone app, AT&T giving out your email, or Malfoy vs. Edward, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

During my lunch meeting yesterday, one of my friends dropped this conspiracy theory on the big push behind 3D movies and 3D gaming. He said that television technology has gotten so good that early adopters have nothing to adopt. Televisions purchased in the last year or so will be good for at least another four. Considering there are some people that buy new televisions every two years, this is unacceptable for TV manufacturers. Ergo, the push for stereoscopic 3D content.

I’m usually not big on conspiracy theories…but this one actually makes sense. It’s getting harder and harder for TV manufacturers to entice consumers with new products. In the last year, it seems like biggest differentiating factor was whether a television ran at 60Hz, 120Hz, or 240Hz — a factor that most general consumers don’t understand or can’t even discern. 3D?!? That’s easy to understand! Look at Avatar. Look at all the cool games Sony will be showing at E3 2010.

What do you think of the big stereoscopic 3D conspiracy? Is it really a push towards the future? Or is it a gimmick being exploited by consumer electronics companies in order to sell more televisions?

Apple Safari 5 is Available Now

In other Apple news, the company has released version five of its Safari web browser. Here are the bullet points on its new features:

  • Safari Reader: Read online articles in a continuous, clutter-free view.
  • Even Greater HTML5 Support: Safari now offers even more support for HTML5 features.
  • Better Performance: An enhanced Nitro Engine lets you browse the web at blazing speeds.
  • Bing Search: Safari gives you another search option with built-in Bing search.
  • Safari Developer Program: Customize Safari with extensions you create using web standards.

I’m totally content with Google Chrome as my main browser and Firefox as my secondary. I’ll give Safari a shot, but probably won’t keep it. If any of you try Safari 5, please let me know what you think.