Guns, Devils and Headphones

Hellboy, listening to Iron Maiden's "Number of the Beast".

After a month of searching for the perfect and affordable set of new cans, I've finally decided to get the Audio Technica ATH-30. I just received them today and my initial impression is great. But I have to spend more time with it and do a couple of comparisons before I write a proper review. So, if you're interested, keep an eye for my review in a couple of days.

Similar Posts:
Tech Whore
UE Super.fi 3
Philips SHE-9500

The I in iPod Touch

It's been months since I bought my iPod Touch. But I haven't posted anything to show if off in this blog. The reason being is that I haven't tinkered with it, save for loading it with music and listening to it. It wasn't until the last month that I realized the gadget's capabilities, that it is more than just a music player, that it caters to all my entertainment needs, whether as a music lover, a gamer, or a comic book aficionado.

iRock

My iPod Touch, sitting triumphantly on top of my ZEN Vision and Nintendo DS.

The main reason I bought the iPod Touch was because it plays music. Sure, I could've gone with another brand. In fact, I was gunning for an Archos 5, which is $100 cheaper than the Touch and has an HD space that is 4 times bigger. But it is too cumbersome to carry around. The Touch, however has a sleek and thin design. I can just shove it inside my pocket without bulging. The HD capacity of my Touch is only 64 GB though. But it's sufficient enough to hold all of my mp3s. Right now, I have 4500 songs, in bit rates of 256-320 kbps, on my device and it's taking up 40 GB of my hard drive. Combine that with its 30 hour battery life, I could take and listen to all my music anywhere for long periods of time.

iGame

Plants vs. Zombies, invading the iPhone/iPod Touch.

Another reason that I bought the iPod Touch was because of its apps, mainly the games. I didn't really expect to find good games, however. I just thought it would be nice to be able to play some games, even casual ones, and listen to music without having to take both my Nintendo DS and mp3 player with me. But I did find some really good gaming apps for my Touch, and I could see that gaming has a future in this platform. Zenonia, for example, is a fun RPG that reminds me a lot of SNES games. Then there's the iPhone/iPod Touch version of my favorite defense game, Plants vs. Zombies. But the best thing about these games is that they don't cost a lot at all.

iComics

Spider-Woman, the motion comics.

Even though I went fully digital with my games and music last year, I still plan on staying the hard copy route with my comics and books. However, there are some comics that I really want to read but are just too expensive for me to buy. That's where digital comics come in. They're cheap and don't need any maintenance. Apps such as comiXology has provided me with titles from publishers like Devil's Due and Image for only $1. Then there's also the motion comics, a cross between a comic book and animation. I just recently purchased the Spider-Woman motion comics, and I'm very pleased with it. The voice acting is great and it's only $9 for 5 episodes, which is $6 cheaper than the paper version.

I know a lot of people think I'm an Apple hater. I'm not (but I do have something against nosy Apple fanboys). I just don't feel their products are that special. But the 64 GB iPod Touch is different. It has the capacity to store all my music, it has games that I want to play and it even provides me with cheap comic books. I just feel that this device was made for me. Now, if only Jobs and his crew could focus more on gaming and then release a 64 GB iPhone. That would be great.

Similar Posts:
Early Christmas
fYou: Macs and Pods
E-Budget 2009
I Want An Archos 5
Everything ZEN

Tech Whore

Gadgets and other electronics are worthless investments. But I love them anyways. I even opened a separate savings account -my "E-coffer" as I call it- which I only use to quench my thirst for gadgets and techs.

Last year, there were a lot of doohickeys that I wanted to get for myself. But, due to unexpected events, I have to break my E-coffer and use the money for other things, like buying a new brake and four tires for my car. But I was still able to buy a 64 GB iPod Touch and Logitech PC Speaker System for myself. So it wasn't all that bad.

This year, however, since I'm planning to minimize gaming and only buy used books, I'm hoping that I'd be able to save enough money to afford most of the gadgets I want for 2010.

As for the gadgets, all I want for this year are these:

Headphones

My Ultimate Ears Super-fi. 3, when it comes to sound, still does its job. But it keeps falling off my ears all the time. It's also hard to stow because it gets so tangled up in my pockets. So I decided to try headphones this time. Because I don't think it falls off easily and you can just hang it on your neck when you're not listening to music. I don't know what I'm going to get. But it's definitely not going to be a Grado PS1000. My budget only falls on a Bose Triport.

iPod Dock Player

A portable dock player by Bose is what I really want to have. I heard a demo of it a couple months ago, and the sound coming out from it was just immaculate. It so small too and it even comes with a bag. With it, I can take my music anywhere and share it. Down in the basement when I rock the stationary bike, in the kitchen when I try to cook (emphasis on the try), or when drinking with my friends when I go home to the Philippines.

Graphics Card

My PC turns two this year. It can still handle the latest games with no hiccups -although not in the highest resolutions. So I'm planning to upgrade my hardware, one at a time, starting this year before my rig turns into a coughing hag under my nose. Since I don't really want to touch the motherboard (it's proprietary), I'm just going to skip that and start with the graphics card. Right now, I'm debating between a Radeon HD 5850 or a GeForce GTX 280.

Xbox 360

I'm no console gamer. But, originally, I wanted a Wii for entertaining guests and my godkids when they visit me at home. But now I want an Xbox 360. Because, not only the 360 have a huge library of games that I actually want to play (Brutal Legend and Tekken 6), it can now stream hundreds of movies and TV shows from Netflix. Since I happen to have a Netflix account, an Xbox 360 is a perfect console for entertaining gamer and non-gamer guests.

Well, these are the toys I want for this year. Although, except for the headphones, I'm not gonna start buying them until after summer. Because good deals are always found at the end of the year.

Similar Posts:
Early Christmas
fYou: Macs and Pods
E-Budget 2009
I Want An Archos 5
XPS 630

On The Table

I worked 16 hours on Christmas Eve (6 am to 10 pm) and then went to Church at midnight with my family. Since I'm tired to the bones from working, I decided that I'd rather stay home this Christmas and sleep the whole day than drive an hour to attend a party, hosted by my mom's boss. But, before they left for the party, my mom left me some things on the table: food and gifts.

The food wasn't much. But it was enough for me and it was good. Some garlic mashed potatoes, garlic bread, fresh eggrolls, a quarter of coffee cheesecake, two bottles of Heineken and maybe a pound of honey-baked ham. Because I only ate a slice of deep dish pizza for dinner last night, I devoured the food like a month-starved prisoner. I gave a very loud, very satisfying belch afterwards.

After I finished eating, I opened up my presents and here's what I got: (clockwise from the top right on the picture)

1. Invicta Chronograph Watch - This was from my mom -she knows I'm a watch fiend- and it looks kick-ass. Although its huge, almost like belt buckle than a wrist watch. I'm still gonna wear it though.
2. The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun, Graceling, and Fire - These 3 fantasy books were from my dad. Except for Graceling, which was sitting on my wishlist since last year, I didn't ask for any of these books. Now I got more books to read. Awesome.
   
3. Shin Megam Tensei: The Devil Survivor - This was from my sister. I never bought any NDS game this year. So it's nice that I got one, and this game seems good as well.

Well, that's what I got for Christmas 2009. I couldn't ask for anything better. All in all, I had fun this Christmas. Although I wish the weather was a bit more nicer.

Merry Christmas to all my ardent readers and blog mates.

Similar Posts:
Let It Snow and Spin
Holiday Wishlists
Frankincense, Gold and Myrrh
Secret Santa, Music Spree
Wishes Are Sometimes Granted

Holiday Wishlist

We finally drew names for our Secret Santa at work today. The rules were the same as last year -gifts should be no less than $10 and no more than $15. We also included a list of 10 things we wanted on our names, which was my suggestion from last year. I came up with it simply because it will make shopping a bit easier, not having to run around and guessing what my gift-receiver wants. Of course, it's also a chance to get what I want.

The list that I got have assorted items like make-up, fragrances, iTunes card and even an iPhone protection sleeves. I'm going to give her an iTunes card because it's the most easiest and I love giving music. As for me, I made an Amazon Wishlist (check it here) and forwarded the link to all who participated.

Anyways, here's my list

Music

• Geneva by Russian Circles
• Aim and Ignite by fun.
• 11:11 by Rodrigo Y Gabriela
• Signal Morning by Circulatory System
• Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix by Phoenix
  

Books/Comics

• Air vol. 1
• The Northlanders vol. 1
  
• Graceling
  
• Let the Great World Spin
  

Tech/Gadgetry

• iPod Touch Wall Charger

I'd be a happy man if I get any of these stuff. So, how about you, what's on your wishlist?

Similar Posts:
Frankincense, Gold and Myrrh
Secret Santa, Music Spree
Wishes Are Sometimes Granted

Seven

I know a lot of people don't like Windows Vista that much. Me, having a huge memory on my machine, I don't have problems with it. Nonetheless, I'm excited about the new Windows 7. Why? Well, just check these tests conducted by CNET, because it's kicking some Apple ass. Also, if you're not convinced by the test (and the Family Guy Endorsement), look for articles online that compares Windows 7 and Snow Leopard. Some of these articles may favor one or the other. But it really shows that Microsoft is finally taking the fight to Apple. So, now, as a PC user, I can walk with my head up high, and not having some Mac user sneer at me as if I'm sub-human.

Plus, I'm also excited to see how my gaming PC work on Windows 7. Although I won't be getting the new OS until I secure some vacation days at work. New OS means a clean install and, to me, that's a lot of work.

Similar Posts:
Early Christmas
fYou: Macs and Pods
E-Budget 2009
XPS 630
Everything ZEN

Early Christmas

It already feels like Christmas since I just got myself a 64 GB iPod Touch (Hopefully, this will prove that I'm not an Apple hater). I also got my sister an HP Mini 110 Netbook for her birthday. Now I'm super broke.

Similar Posts:
fYou: Macs and Pods
E-Budget 2009
I Want An Archos 5
XPS 630
Everything ZEN

Fragmented

It's recommended that you should defrag your hard drive before and after you install a software. It's part of achieving a clean installation. I've been doing this, for years, ever since I read about it in TweakGuides. I've also been doing this in an almost ritualistic way. Whenever I have a new game, I'd always uninstall the older ones that I don't play anymore, then I'd update my drivers, defrag, install the new game, and defrag again. So far, unless the game or application is buggy itself, I've experienced minimal crashes (1 crash on my new PC in almost a year).

For the past couple months, however, I've been installing and uninstalling games without defragging my HD. Not that I got lazy but my Windows Disk Defragmenter have been painstakingly slow. Lacking the patience, I usually end the process prematurely at the third or fifth hour. But since there are alot of games coming up this September, and I have to update my closed beta Aion into its open beta client, I decided to defragment my HD again and sit on it as long as it takes. I opened a book and read it the whole day yesterday while defragging my PC, and then I slept through it. 16 hours later, it was still running!

I knew something was wrong, that some how some program have been rebooting the defragmenter. But since I'm using the defragmenter that came with Vista, I had no way of telling what was up or if the process is almost done. So I went to snoop around TweakGuides again and found out about Diskeeper. So I downloaded the demo over at their website, installed the software, and started the defragmentation. After I had a quick breakfast and a shower, the process was done. The job report was also very detailed (the number of fragments left, performance improvment on my HD, and other things I don't understand).

So far, I'm happy with this Diskeeper. I'm going to keep and use the trial version for another 30 days and I'm going to get the real deal.

Similar Posts:
Love and Loathe: My New PC
XPS 630
Of Motherboards and Video Cards
DVDead: PS3 vs. BD30K
Laptop or Desktop?

A Nice, New Egg

A couple months ago I mentioned that I'm planning to buy a new portable media player (mp3 player) this year. So, since we're almost into the holidays, I did my research to find out what's the current "it" in the consumer tech world. Unfortunately, there's no news of a 64GB iPod Touch yet, and the new Zune HD -while it's an awesome device- also have a 32 GB capacity. But a new device by Creative has caught my eye, the Zii EGG.


It is, however, not just a PMP as it boasts of being a stem cell computer. But, yes, its specifications are really impressive. It runs on an Android OS (the same OS running the G1 Phones), it has 32 GB of internal storage and a SDHC card slot for external storage (increasing the storage to a possible total of 64 GB), a HD camera, and a lot more (click here for full specs). If some company shoves a mobile phone chip in it, this device could be a serious competitor for the iPhone.

Sadly, the EGG doesn't have any apps yet. So, as for the moment, it's only available for developers. But I couldn't wait for this thing to hit the tech hungry conusmers. Hopefully, it'll be on the shelves by next year.

Similar Posts:
E-Budget 2009
I want an Archos 5
Ultimate Ears Super.fi 3 In-Earphones
Upcoming Players
Philips SHE-9500

Springing Forward

My request for a week vacation in May have been finally approved. I'm not going anywhere though because I'm saving money for upcoming summer events, a 3rd gen iPod Touch or Zune and an Android G2 Phone. Instead, I'll spend my vacation time doing some home improvement and spring cleaning.

So here's my to do list and schedule:

• Day 1 - Assemble Garden Set

My Mom bought a garden set last month. But since the set comes with a tiled-top table, we can't put it out because it still rains a lot, and even snows sometimes. It's not a hard thing to do. It'll probably take me half a day to do it.

• Day 2 and 3 - Fence Painting

It's been only a year since we put up our backyard fence but it really looks shitty now. So I'm planning to paint it. I've been looking at some tools that'll help me do it faster. But, unfortunately, since I'm out of dough, I've decided to do it manually. Nothing keeps you humble like manual labor.

• Day 4 - Computer Clean-up

Every spring time, I always clean the innards of my computer and free it from dust bunnies. I've missed to clean mine last year so it's probably going to be a handful. Plus, I also got two computers now.

• Day 5 - Shelving

I've been meaning to put some shelves in our garage, basement and my room for organizing things. But I never got around it. I'm not sure yet if I'm going with a shelf case or just mount some boards into the wall. The former would be more expensive but the latter option will be a time sucker.

• Day 6 - Improve Wireless Connection

My wireless connection have been terrible from when we moved in this new house. It's because my PC is at end of wall while my router is at the other end. So I'm going to extend the cable and put my router at the middle of the house. I'm also looking at Wireless Repeaters. They're more expensive but it'll save me from the hassle of "wiring".

• Day 7 - Kick Back

Probably finish a game or a book.

Knowing myself, however, I'd probably finish about only a half of these things. If not for my Mom asking me to do the fence or the garden set, I'd probably won't do it either. Yes, I'm that lazy.

Similar Posts:
Re-Organization
Twitching Eye

OnLive: Future of Gaming

Is this the new face of gaming?

One thing I hate about being a gamer is that you'll constantly have the need to upgrade your rig, whether you're a console gamer, portable gamer, or computer gamer. It's inevitable that your platform and game developers will find ways to up-man the competition by improving their technology. Hence, you always end up throwing your $2000 or $400 rig into the can and replace it with another $2000 or $400 rig that you'll eventually throw in the can. Hopefully, however, OnLive will put an end to that.

OnLive is perhaps the latest craze amongst gamers right now, and with good reason too. Straight from the presses of Game Developers Conference '09 (or GDC 09), OnLive is a Games on Demand service that delivers rented or purchased games to your PC, Mac or TV via high-speed internet. In short, OnLive are for games as YouTube are for video. You're actually streaming games instead of installing them into your PC (kinda like playing flash games except you're playing games like Crysis or BioShock). Which means you won't need high-end video cards or having to deal with Vista to play your game.

Right now, I'm pretty much sold. I like the idea of not having to deal with system requirements anymore. Also, the fact that big name publishers like EA Games, Ubisoft and Atari are supporting it could also mean more games. The only downside to it is that the graphics quality will be really poor. But I don't really care about the graphics. So I'll be watching this thing real close.

Anyways, if you're interested about OnLive, and live in the US, you can participate in their beta testing program. You can sign in here. I already did.

Similar Posts:
Owned! Pawned!
Steaming Snow
A Flash of Armor
A Timeline of Gaming Pt.2
A Timeline of Gaming Pt.1

fYou: Macs and Pods

Alright, before we proceed any further, and before you guys dismiss me as an anti-Apple guy, I just want to say I don't have anything against Apple and their products. But, for some unfortunate reason, I always get into an argument with devout Apple users, who are always trying to convert me into using a Mac or an iPod. While those Apple products are awesome and sleek looking, I just don't have the need for them. To me, Mac or Pc is like choosing between a Gibson or Fender, Coke or Pepsi, Blue or Black. It's all about personal preferences.

PC vs. Mac
"You should've gotten a Mac and a PS3 instead of a Dell Gaming PC."

I admit that Macs are much more sexier and sleeker than a PC, and that Windows Vista is a slug compared to the Mac OS X. But here are the reasons why I use a PC instead of a Mac:

• Gaming is the main reason I use a PC. I know Apple announced that they will focus more on entertainment a few years ago -and they did- but they still have to catch up with gaming.
  
• PC is much cheaper. A lot of Mac users have told me that Macs are as cheap as PC nowadays. But when I checked out the Mac equivalent of my PC (hardware wise), which is the Mac 24": 3.06GHz, it costs $700 more. Oh, and I don't need to buy a $300 PS3 for gaming as well.
• I'm already familiar with Windows and know how to maintain it. I've never had a crash since XP came out. So if you're telling me about your bad experiences with Windows, then it was also your fault and not just the software/hardware.
  

What it takes to convert me into a Mac user:

• Gaming. If Apple becomes more gamer friendly, and maybe run older games that Vista can't, I'll definitely jump right in without looking back.
• Make it more cheaper, of course.
  

iPod vs. other Mp3 Players
"You should've gotten an iPod because it has more accessories than a Creative ZEN."

iPods are probably the prettiest gadgets I've seen. But here are the reasons why I use a Creative ZEN and a Sansa Clip:

• Back then, when 30 GB was the largest capacity of mp3 players, I bought a Creative ZEN because it can play wmv. files, small size but wit decent sound quality. Which means I can store a lot of my music.
• I bought 2 GB Sansa Clip because, during that time, it was so cheap ($35)
• Everybody has an iPod, and I always try to be a non-conformist.

What it takes to convert me into an iPod user:

• If Apple releases a 128 GB iPod Touch, or even a 64 GB, then I'm there.

Well, there, I said my piece. I hope you Mac users will stop heckling me into getting a Mac or an iPod. Because I will never convert to Apple products unless they accommodate my needs.

Similar Posts:
E-Budget 2009
I Want An Archos 5
XPS 630
Everything ZEN

Logitech X-240

Last month, I posted my E-budget for 2009, a list of electronic toys that I'm planning to get this year. The first thing I've mentioned to get was a desktop speaker because the PC that I recently acquired didn't come with any. I've been using the old speakers that came with my previous computer, and a cheap Logitech headset. Both of which produces horrible sounds. But that's maybe because I'm suffering from mild audiophilia. So, since Best Buy sent me a 12% off coupon, I decided that it was high time for some new speakers and got myself a Logitech X-240.

The X-240 is a 2.1 speaker system with a very simple design. It includes two satellite speakers, a sub-woofer, and an iPod dock. The satellite speakers have very simple design, no bells and whistles, but they're sleek and don't take a lot of space. The sub-woofer, like the satellite speakers, is also simply designed and is small enough to be hidden behind my trash basket. The only thing I didn't like about the whole package is the iPod dock that can hold almost every mp3 player except the Creative ZEN. So it's useless to me. What's worse is that the dock is also hardwired. So I can't take it off and stow it away.

As for the X-240's sound quality, I did some tests on it, comparing it with my Ultimate Ears earphones, with different audio and video materials, last night and this afternoon, and I'm very satisfied with the results.

Earphones

• Ultimate Ears Super.fi 3 in-earphones

Video

• Akira (DVD)
• Beck (DVD)
• Afro Samurai: Ressurection (270 kbps)

Audio

• "Ulysses" by Franz Ferdinand (256 kbps)
• "Love Letter to Japan" by the Bird and the Bee (192 kbps)
• "Board Up The House" by Genghis Tron (320 kbps)
• "A Private Death" by Blue Sky Black Death (192 kbps)
• "Better Days Ahead" by Norman Brown (256 kbps)

Games

• Mirror's Edge
• Fallout 3

The first notable change in my new set up is definitely the sub-woofer. It just makes the explosion in my games and movies even more destructive. It also adds more thump to the beats in my music. Especially in "Board Up the House" where it turns the song into a thundering chaos of drumworks. It also delivers crisp and clear sounds. Although not in the level of my Super.fi 3 earphones, it's enough to enjoy the sparkling guitars of Norman Brown in "Better Days Ahead".

Originally, Logitech Z-2300 were my choice speakers, not the X-240, when I made my list. But, for some reason, the Z-2300's price had astronomically increased since then. If not for the available demo at Best Buy, which allowed me to conduct a "sound off" between all the displayed speakers, I would've ended up buying the Z-2300 and regretting it. Not that Z-2300 is a bad speaker. In fact, it is a better system than X-240. Although, price wise, X-240 is more reasonable and practical.

Similar Posts:
E-Budget 2009
XPS 630
Ultimate Ears Super.fi 3
E-Project Budget
Philips SHE-9500

E-Budget 2009

Unlike in 2007, where most of my money went to electronics, I didn't spend a lot on gadgets last year. The reason is that my "E-coffers" (a savings account, where 10% of my paycheck automatically goes into, for my indulgences) got drained for paying the Dell XPS -the gaming rig- that I got myself for my 28th birthday. But this year, now that the new PC is completely paid off, and my "E-coffers" almost replenished, I might be able to get a few tech toys to play with.

Here are some of the things that I want to get this year:

Portable Media Player

My Creative ZEN finally ran out of space. I already knew this was going to happen, it was inevitable. 30 GB of space isn't enough to hold huge music libraries with higher sound quality. So, after two years of servitude, I'm going to retire my ZEN and grab a new player. Initially, Archos 5 was my choice because of its huge space (250 GB). But it's bulky and pricey. So, instead, I'll go with Microsoft Zune. The largest disk space available is only 120 GB, however, but that will suffice me. Although it's the Zune Pass, a $15/month subscription that gives you access to unlimited mp3s, that got me into the Zune groove.

Smart Phone

Admittedly, I don't need a new phone. My sister does, however, because her phone went kaput about a month ago. But since she can't afford to buy a phone, I'll just buy a new one for myself and hand her down my old phone. Since I can't afford an iPhone, T-Mobile G1 is the first phone that comes to mind. My friend owns a G1, and I was able to tinker with it a couple weeks ago. I, instantly, fell in love with it. I never thought I would ever need (actually it's more like "want") a smart phone. But with G1's full web browsing capabilities, I can access maps, check movie schedules, or twit while on the go.

Desktop PC Speakers

Unfortunately, the PC that I bought didn't include any speakers. So I've been using a cheap Logitech headset, instead, when I play games or listen to music. The sound quality is, of course, abysmal. That's why my first buy this year is going to be a desktop speaker. I've decided to go with a Logitech Z-2300. It's a 200-watt, THX certified, 2.1 speaker system that looks really sleek. I was able to demo this baby over at Best Buy and I love its thundering sound. I'm sure it'll turn my PC into a more than decent audio machine. But what I really love about this speaker is that it only cost less than $100.

Guitar Effects

I haven't bought any guitar related doohickeys in these past few years since I stopped playing the guitar. But now that I'm back in the game, or trying to get back in the game, I'm slowly building a guitar rig that is fitting and decent enough for a bedroom guitarist like me. Guitar effects are the first thing that I'm going to get. At this point, however, I don't know what I'm getting. Except that I'm definitely going for a mono effects pedal. I always prefer mono effects over multi effects because they're cheap, durable, and full of character. My amp also delivers great effects. So, instead, I might just buy a foot switch for it.

Gaming Console

I've been thinking of getting a gaming console this year as well. But that depends on whether I get to attend the 2009 Comic-Con, in San Diego, or not. If I can't go, then I'll definitely get a gaming console. My console of choice is the Nintendo Wii. I chose it over the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3 because I already have the PC as my main gaming rig, and so I don't need another platform that is intended for hardcore gamers. The Wii is also designed for everybody, even the ones who aren't into playing games, and it's great to have for entertaining visitors that can't frag players in Gears of War.

These are the tech toys that I have my sights on for this year. My budget for all these is $1000. Although I'll try not to hit that mark, and definitely won't go overboard. Also, since its too early, and nothing really interesting was shown in CES 2009, I'm holding some of these purchases until summer. Because they might announce a newer and better smart phone and/or mp3 player.

Similar Posts:
I want an Archos 5
Loathe and Love: My New PC
XPS 630
Power Shot
New Year, New Phone

Blu on Black

Samsung BD-1500 and other stuff I got from Best Buy.

Today's Black Friday and, despite the horrible deals and the rising unemployment, people were flocking the stores buying stuff like there's no tomorrow. It's a good thing I avoided all the chaos by planning ahead and did half of my shopping online. I did wake up early though (5:30 am) and bought some books (40% off), and an Iron Man BD at Amazon. Then I left the house around 7:30 am, which at this point there would be no lines outside the stores. I went to Toys R' Us first to buy some Lego sets. But all the good ones were gone. Instead, I got some cool Transformers toys for a total of $35. Then I proceeded to Best Buy to pick up my Blu-ray Disc Player, some cheap BD (Kung-Fu Panda and Ratatouille), and a couple games that I wanted.

By 11 am, I was already back in the house to install my BD player. However, the HDMI cable that I bought, which was the second expensive thing I got today [sucks], was too short. I didn't want to go back and get a longer one (costs about $80). So I just drilled a little hole behind our TV stand instead. When I finally got the thing to play, I was mesmerized. The image was just so clear. So clear that you could see boogers on the characters' noses. I didn't move in front of the TV after that, and did a BD/DVD marathon. I watched two of the BD that I bought today and watched a couple of my old DVDs as well.

So far, the BD player worked stupendously and it withstood a nine-hour movie marathon. Plus, with its 1080i upconverter, the image quality of my DVDs improved exponentially. Now, that we have a home movie player in our house, I expect more movie marathons on lazy afternoons around here. The only thing I need right now is that Unlimited, 3 DVD at-a-time, Netflix subscription.

Similar Posts:
Black Friday 2008
DVDead: PS3 vs. BD30K
Fade to Black Friday
Black Friday List

Black Friday 2008

Black Friday, it's almost that day again, the day when The United States celebrates consumerism after Thanksgiving Day. I took a day off at work so I could go this Friday and get my holiday shopping done with. I know, because of the huge sales, the stores will be bedlams. In order to avoid being trampled by rabid mobs of consumers, or getting killed by a mother over a Nintendo DS game, I checked out the leaked Black Friday ads over at BFads, to see what's what, before I head out.

A stampeding horde of Black Friday consumers.

It seems to me that this year's Black Friday is going to be horrible. I thought, since retail sales has plummeted down because of the economy, retailers are going to offer something more enticing so that consumers will pile up outside their doors as early as 3 AM. But the ads just look horrendous. I'm especially disappointed with the lack of deals on newer PC games. The only ones I found, that are worth getting, are Assasin's Creed and BioShock for $10 at Best Buy.

Samsung BD Player.

Nonetheless, there's still some good deals that are worth checking out. Toys R' Us PS2 bundle is very tempting (PS2 with 6 Free Games, "21" DVD and a DVD remote only for $130). Best Buy's Samsung HTDV (40" 1080p LCD for $800), Toshiba Laptop (AMD Turion 64 X2 Dual-Core w/ 3GB Memory and 15" Screen for $380), and Samsung Blu-ray Disc Player for $200 are also worth getting.

As for me, I decided to get a BD player and a Netflix subscription for my parents. We don't have Cable TV anymore and our DVD player died a couple months ago. So, there's little entertainment for my folks in the house. Besides I hate to see that 46" 1080p LCD HDTV they have in our living room go to waste. As for my two godchildren, I'm getting them Lego sets. Can't go wrong with a Lego. Anyways, here's my checklist.

1. Samsung BD Player ($200)
2. The Departed BD ($17)
3. Kung Fu Panda BD ($17)
4. Assorted Lego Sets x2 (40% off)

It's not much because I'm holding out on the stores. I've yet to see what Amazon has to offer. So, that's that. You guys enjoy your Black Friday, and I hope you find some great deals.

Similar Posts:
Fade to Black Friday
Black Friday List

I Want an Archos 5

I'm a big fan of Archos portable media players ever since I found out about them. Unlike other portable media devices (iPod, Zen and Zune) their specs are much better. Bigger and better screens, huge storage capacity, and can play almost any media format. Unfortunately, they were just too thick back then. But when I saw the guided tour of their latest model, the Archos 5, I was sold right away.

The guided tour of Archos 5

Archos 5, unlike its predecessor, is a sleek looking device. It may not be as sleek or sexy as the iPhone or iPod touch. But for a device that can get you the internet, has a huge vibrant touch screen, and a 250 GB hard drive (wow, I really want this), I think it's sleek enough. It's still pricey though (almost $500). So I'll probably just wait for its price to drop down. Besides, my Creative ZEN still works wonderfully. Even though it can't fit all my media.

Similar Posts:
Ultimate Ears Super.fi 3 In-Earphones
Upcoming Players
Philips SHE-9500
Everything ZEN
Gigabeat or ZEN Vision?

Drink N' Drive

Work felt like work today because everybody was breathing down on somebody else's neck. If that happens again, I just wish I have this...

A USB(eer) Drive.

Not only it stores important files, but also contains a sip of restorative potion. I wish it was a bit stronger though. Like a Jack or Johnny maybe.

Similar Posts:
Flashy Flash Drive
Fade to Black Friday
Black Friday List
Crowded and Choked

Loathe and Love: My New PC

I had my new PC for a couple days now, and having it is a double-edge sword since it can be both awesome and irksome. Here are the reasons why I loathe and love my new PC.

Loathe

• Software Deletion

The thing I detest about buying a branded computer are the bloatware, useless and crappy software that you don't need but are already installed in the PC. These software chokes up your hard drive, and some of them are even resource hogs. So I usually spend an eternity removing them from my hard drive and cleaning their traces in the registry files in order for my PC to run smoothly.

Some of the many software and games I installed today.

• Software Installation

Since all the cool and important software are usually not included on a new PC, you'll have to manually install them yourself, one by one. That's what I did the whole day today. I've installed three games (Spore, The Witcher and S.T.A.L.K.E.R.) and a lot of various software such as Ad-Aware and Firefox 3. In addition, I also defraged my computer after each installation to avoid fragmentation of files and reduce the loading time of applications, especially the games.

• Software and Driver Update

Another important, but irksome, part of having a new PC. After you install all your favorite software, you also need to update them to fix all the bugs they have. Updating the drivers of all your hardware will also fix some technical problems and improve the performance of your computer. I had to download a plethora of patches and drivers, since my softwares are newly installed and my drivers are outdated, and install them all. What a pain.

Love

• Better Performance and Storage

What I like about my new PC is that, beside its updated hardware, there's still not much "dirt" to drag it down. I've been running a lot of things, simultaneously (scanning with an anti-spyware, anti-virus and trojan scanner while defragmenting), in this computer and its memory can still stand it. Plus, with my bigger hard drive space, I can also install a lot of my games.

The dilapidated atmosphere of S.T.A.L.K.E.R., in hi-res and max settings.

• Playing Games in Hi-Res and Max Graphics

Perhaps my favorite part, and the reasong why I got a new PC, is to be able to enjoy my games with great graphics. I'm not a graphic whore, mind you, I just like to run my games without hassle. But since I already got the goods, why not use it. That's why I re-installed S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and The Witcher (I'll also install BioShock tomorrow). I've played these games last year but I had to set their graphics to the lowest possible setting. So, now, with my new PC, I'll be able to play and enjoy these games with an invigorated visual experience.

Well, those are my reasons why I loathe and love getting a new PC. A lot of people will probably think me a dork for going through this arduous steps of setting up my computer when I could just plug it n' play it. But ever since I've read the articles at Tweak Guides, doing these procedures just became a habit. Happily enough, I also never had any major crash since I did so.

Similar Posts:
XPS 630
Of Motherboards and Video Cards
DVDead: PS3 vs. BD30K
Laptop or Desktop?
Loathe and Love: Bethesda Softworks

XPS 630

A couple days ago, I made a post about my upcoming PC upgrade. I said that my new rig will be ready sometime in October. Well, it's going to be earlier than that. I mean real early...like now. Because when I went to Best Buy, earlier today, to canvass the components that I needed for my upgrade, I saw a scrumptious Dell XPS package. I just couldn't resist and, as an impulsive buyer, went home with it.

The innards. Lots of space, lots of upgrade potential.

How can I, or anyone else, resist the deal though. The rig packs serious gaming power, almost as much as the rig that I was planning to build, and it's cheap enough. Here's its specs:

• 6 GB of Memory
• Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 (3.o GHz)
  
• GeForce 9800 GT
• 750 Watts Power Supply
• Full Tower Case

The motherboard is also an SLI. So I can just pop another 9800 GT if money allows. The only thing is, its PCI express has only 8 lanes instead of 16. That's fine by me though. Since its price was reasonable enough. The custom rig that I wanted would've cost me around $1,300 to $1,400. But I only paid less than $1,400 for this rig. In addition, the package also includes a Dell 24" monitor and a Canon multi-purpose scanner/printer. So, yeah, I'm really happy with it. Now I probably won't have time for blogging anymore as I have this baby to play with.

Similar Posts:
Of Motherboard & Video Cards
E-Project Budget
Laptop or Desktop?
Dying Machine