Coffee Talk #242: China, Neodymium, and You

For gaming and gadget nerds, neodymium is a part of everyday life. It’s found in consoles, speakers, headphones, hard drives, and more. This rare earth metal is…

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 bullsh*t election in Burma (Myanmar), Keith Olbermann’s two-day suspension, or Mickie James in chaps, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

For gaming and gadget nerds, neodymium is a part of everyday life. It’s found in consoles, speakers, headphones, hard drives, and more. This rare earth metal is an integral ingredient in countless consumer electronics devices. Where does most of the world’s neodymium come from? China.

As technology continues to become truly global, neodymium becomes increasingly valuable. China knows this and has engaged in some questionable practices when it comes to trading neodymium. You all know that oil-rich countries have a ton of stroke. Will China become even more powerful than it already is due to the burgeoning growth of consumer electronics and the fact that it’s the world’s leading produce of neodymium? Imagine if China’s continued squabble with Japan lead to dialog like, “You know what? Screw you and your PlayStations and Game Boys. We’re not selling you any more neodymium! And also, your mother dresses you funny.”

Did you ever think that the hard drive in your console, the pickups on your Les Paul, or the speakers in your entertainment center would be part of a global power struggle? Pretty crazy, hey?

Another Reason Kevin Durant is Cooler Than LeBron James

Did you know that Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant played basketball with President Barack Obama in September? Of course not. Durant didn’t publicize “the event”. Here’s the scoop from ESPN:

According to the report, Durant’s agents, brothers Aaron and Eric Goodwin, made a connection with Reggie Love, Obama’s special assistant and personal aide, to get Durant an exclusive invitation to shoot hoops with the president. The visit occurred on Sept. 18, and Durant did not publicize the event.

I’m just blown away that Durant didn’t use the opportunity to get himself more press. If LeBron James played a game of horse with Joe Biden, he’d have it televised on ESPN3.

There’s got to be a catch with this Durant kid. He’s so different from the egomaniacs, punks, thugs, and idiots that make up the majority of NBA rosters. After Allen Iverson and his ilk ruined the NBA for me, a seemingly normal and well behaved young man like Durant is throwing me off.

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Sunday Housekeeping

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! I’m not digging the daylight savings. It’s stupid, it robs me of another hour of glorious sunlight, and it doesn’t actually save energy. Anyway, here are some updates on the site.

– Last week was another strong one for the site. Thank you all for reading, commenting, hanging out, and being cool.

– A bunch of you took advantage of Amazon’s buy-two-get-one-free sale. Thanks so much! I super appreciate every purchase you make. It really helps the site keep going. If you’re doing any shopping for holiday gifts, please consider purchasing from Amazon through my site.

– The video content is off to a fantastic start in terms of traffic — it actually exceeded my expectations. Thanks for watching my videos (and if you’re bored, watch ’em again!). Remember, you can watch high quality versions of my videos on Android, iPhone, iPod, and iPad products through my mobile video site. You can also subscribe to my videos on iTunes.

– It’s been interesting promoting the videos. Of course I want people to come to my site, but it’s more convenient for viewers if I embed the videos instead of linking back here. While I’m getting new video viewers, I’m not necessarily getting new RPad.tv readers.

– Know what makes a brilliant holiday gift? An RPad.tv beer mug or coffee cup! Stanford scientists have determined that beer and coffee is 19 percent tastier when consumed from an RPad.tv mug or cup. It’s true! (And it also helps keep the site going.)

– This week’s videos are going to be very different from the usual content on the site. They won’t be about games, technology, and geek stuff, but they’ll cover something that uses technology in a geeky way…and I’m going to make a game out of the whole thing. Stay tuned!

Emma Watson is the Perfect Woman

Emma Watson is pretty much the perfect woman. She’s beautiful. She has a sexy accent. She attends my dream school (Brown University). And it turns out she’s worth $32-million. According to Vogue UK (via People):

Watson is now said to be worth $32 million, give or take a few pounds sterling.

“By the third or fourth film, the money was starting to get serious,” she told Vogue, according to published reports in the U.K. “I had no idea. I felt sick, very emotional.”

I don’t care that she lopped off all of her hair and got a pixie cut. Watson’s combination of utter hotness is so mind boggling that my brain is on the verge of shutting down. I better stop thinking about it…. Oh yeah, here’s that lovely photo of her in a bathtub.

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Emma Stone Playing Gwen Stacy, Not Mary Jane Watson

The sexy Emma Stone was rumored to be playing Mary Jane Watson in the upcoming Spider-Man reboot. It turns out that she’s slated to play Gwen Stacy, previously portrayed by Opie’s hot daughter Bryce Dallas Howard. According to E!:

After some initial confusion, it was revealed that Emma Stone would not be playing the beloved leading lady. Instead, she’d be playing Gwen Stacy.

I always liked Gwen better anyway. Hmmm, I wonder what Emma Stone would look like with long, luxurious blonde hair….

Update: Check out Emma’s Gwen Stacy hairstyle!

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Dell, Bank of America, and Citibank Ditching BlackBerry

RIM’s BlackBerry platform has been taking a beating in 2010, losing market share to Apple iOS and Google Android. While RIM hoped to change its fortunes with the BlackBerry Torch, the phone is technically unimpressive and the software is still archaic. It looks like the BlackBerry bashing will continue, with corporations like Dell, Bank of America, and Citibank looking to leave the platform.

Right now, Dell is the only company that’s confirmed to be abandoning BlackBerry. According to The Wall Street Journal, Dell is offering its employees Dell Venue Pro phones (Windows Phone 7) to replace their BlackBerry handsets. According to the paper, “The switch begins next week and will save the company about 25% in mobile communication costs.” The cost savings would come from not having to run BlackBerry Enterprise servers.

The Dell move isn’t surprising considering that the company now competes with RIM, offering a variety of Android and Windows Phone 7 handsets. What’s more alarming for RIM is Bloomberg’s report that Bank of America and Citigroup (Citibank) are considering dropping the BlackBerry platform in favor of Apple iOS. Those are two of the biggest banks in America with almost 600,000 employees between them.

If Bank of America and Citigroup join Dell in abandoning the BlackBerry platform then that’s nearly one-million customers lost. Until RIM makes significant improvements to its crusty software, I don’t see things changing for the company. Perhaps I should have called this article “BlackBerry Torched”. *snicker*

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Splatterhouse November 2010 Screens

Here are more screens for the upcoming Splatterhouse for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. I’m totally digging the game’s art — so stylish! I liked the gameplay I saw at E3 2010 and am hoping the game revives this classic franchise. Check ’em out and let me know what you think (please)!

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Hulk Hogan Did Not Flash His Penis for Def Jam Rapstar

Hulk Hogan made quite the stir in a Def Jam Rapstar commercial that shows him allegedly flashing his schlong. While it was censored, it appeared that Hogan whipped out his penis in front of his daughter, Brooke Hogan, and “The Mouth of the South” Jimmy Hart. This video shows that he only teased the lewd act…which is still a freaky thing to do in front of your daughter. I suppose this is better than actually doing it. *shrug*

T-Mobile Has a Branded iPhone Cable Because….

TMoNews has posted a picture of an iPhone cable with T-Mobile USA packaging. Some are speculating that this is a sign that the iPhone 4 is headed to the carrier. Others believe that the company is simply selling lucrative accessories to its customers that use unlocked iPhones. What say you? Is this a sign of things to come? Or is it just a smart cash grab?

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T-Mobile G2 WiFi Calling and Tethering Video

Here’s a video overview of the T-Mobile G2’s WiFi calling and tethering features. WiFi calling is fantastic for areas with poor signal (basements, remote towns), as well as international traveling. Tethering is tethering…but unlike its competitors, T-Mobile isn’t charging (yet) for USB or WiFi hotspot functionality!

Anyway, please, please, please watch the video when you have a chance. At the very least, you can stare at my pal Nutchy some more. She’s a beautiful girl.

(And yes, I didn’t sleep last night because WiFi calling made me so excited that I wanted to make a video about it.)