My 360 hasn’t exactly been a model of high-tech gadgetry. In fact, it’s almost surprising it worked despite a number of scary ailments:
1) It liked to freeze and make clicking noises. This happened both at certain points (loading Treasury in GRAW) and randomly (about 1/2 the time during a Madden game).
2) The drive tray wouldn’t close by pushing the button - the tray itself needed to be pushed gently, so it began to close, then once it reversed itself and opened again you could push the button to close it.
3) On rare occasions, you might get a black screen and the infamous RRoD (Red Ring of Death), which would be fixed upon rebooting.

Needless to say, it’s days were numbered. Here is the story of the end:

5.29.2008 - My 360 dies.

Continue reading The Day My Xbox 360 Died

Filed under: Toys | Games, Video Games — Max @ 7:47 am

Get Smart has been getting some pretty mediocre reviews, but I really liked the movie. Maybe it’s because I have the comedic tastes of a 5 year old, or maybe it’s that I grew up watching Get Smart on Nick-at-Night. Possibly I have a huge crush on Anne Hathaway, and the fact that no matter what I see him in I always enjoy Steve Carell certainly helps, but I really found this to be an entertaining movie. It’s a simple movie. Simple comedy. Fairly impressive action scenes. Nothing more. But it accomplishes what I want summer blockbuster’s to accomplish: entertain me at a level comparable to that of my ticket price. If you’re looking for the best of Steve Carell’s comedic abilities, look elsewhere. If you’re looking for a faithful recreation of the original Get Smart series, look elsewhere. But if you want to plop your butt into a nice air-conditioned theater this summer and have fun watching a simple action packed comedy, then this is your movie. I laughed my ass off and had a great time watching the movie, so it’s got my seal of approval!

By the way, if you haven’t ever seen the original series, you’re seriously missing out. I highly recommend heading to amazon.com to grab a few old episodes.

Filed under: Media | Entertainment, Movies — Santi @ 7:32 am

Flipping through the back of Dwell Magazine, I ran across an ad for some familiar-looking art; the familiarity was born in high-school biology class when we did a gel electrophoresis experiment. Gel electrophoresis is commonly used for analysis of DNA and other proteins. DNA 11 on the other hand, will do this analysis on a DNA sample you send them and prepare a work of art based on the results - artistic license seems to be minimal here, with the customer specifying size, color, and other options. In a very real sense, however, this is both a family and self portrait - it’s a picture of the blueprint from which you were built. If that’s a little too much to advertise, they also create portraits from fingerprints and lips; both with striking and less-abstract results. And with prices starting from $190 ($390 for DNA), it’s probably cheaper than commissioning a more traditional work of art to fill that blank spot on the wall.

Check out the gallery at www.dna11.com.

Filed under: Art | Design — Max @ 6:29 pm

Girl Talk’s new album dropped today. But don’t go looking for it at your local record store; it is only available on the interwebs (until September 23rd, that is). Following the footsteps of Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails and a few others, Girl Talk is making the album available for a price of your choosing. There is, however, an incentive (other than the salvation of your mortal soul) to paying for the album. A $5 contribution nets you the sweet, sweet nectar of the album in lossless FLAC format and the whole album in one, unbroken file (Those familiar with Girl Talk know this to be a desirable item). A $10 contribution gets you all the above and the physical CD package when it hits brick and mortar stores on the 23rd day of September.

For those not paying, you still have access to 320kbps MP3 audio, albeit after some careful questioning regarding the ostensible music theft in progress.

For the unfamiliar, Girl Talk is a mash-up artist who takes samples from literally dozens of songs and remixes them into one song. A Girl Talk album will easily have hundreds of samples on it, laying track over track for some very unexpected successes. Imagine Notorious B.I.G.’s first verse from Juicy over the music to Elton John’s Tiny Dancer. Or Three 6 Mafia’s Stay Fly over Fleetwood Mac’s Little Lies. It’s kind of like the Matrix, you have to experience it.

Go get the album. You can always pick it up, listen to it and go back and pay what you think is appropriate. Can’t really beat that.

Also, previous albums are on Amazon. Night Ripper is the place to start. It’s hot.

Filed under: Music — Roy @ 9:25 pm

If you’re not familiar with Etón, they make cool portable radios that are powered via battery, crank, and solar power. Radios have FM, AM, and NOAA (weather) tuners. They also include cables to attach your phone to the device, so you can use the solar cells or hand crank to charge up. Some of the fancier models have flashlights, sirens, and two-way walkie-talkies built in as well.

They have found maybe the best possible partner: The American Red Cross. Red Cross provides help to those in need after natural disasters. Etón radios provide the ability to keep up to date on news and announcements even if you have no access to batteries or wall-power.

I played with some of the Etón products when I was at CES, and I think these are solid products. They may be a bit pricey, but they are well constructed and provide features that others simply just don’t have. In addition, when you buy an American Red Cross by Etón product, a portion of your purchase goes to help rebuild communities that have been hit by natural disasters.

You can check out the Etón line at Amazon.com.

Filed under: Gadgets | Technology, Portable Audio — Santi @ 8:06 am

I’m all about breaking records, especially when they involve not choosing Internet Explorer. Tomorrow is Firefox Download Day. They’re releasing version 3.0 of the FF browser and want to break the Guinness World Record for ‘Most Software Downloaded in 24 Hours’. Firefox is a great browser; I switch between it and Safari and I’d like to think my browser situation is pretty well-covered. Anyway, pick it up tomorrow. Unlike most stuff on this site, it’s free. And you’ll be part of history. Just think, years from now, you can tell your grandkids that you and 1,460,148 friends helped break the world record for… Yeah, nevermind, your grandkids will have probably left the room by now.

Link

Filed under: Computers — Roy @ 9:11 pm

I just learned about this new hybrid sportscar, the Scorpion; presumably aimed at the Tesla Electric Roadster. Unlike the Tesla, the Scorpion will use an internal combustion engine that burns a mixture of gasoline and hydrogen. Ronn Motor Company, the Austin-based startup that will manufacture the Scorpion, claims that this will result in lower emissions and improved fuel economy. Even if it doesn’t, they certainly got the styling right - this thing looks hot!

Continue reading A New Kind of Hybrid: The Ronn Motor Company Scorpion

Filed under: Cars | Transportation — Max @ 9:08 pm

I’m a bit of a music nerd. Yeah, band camp and all…

Continue reading The Moog Super-Infinite-Hyper-Sustain-Awesimo Guitar

Filed under: Gadgets | Technology — Santi @ 9:47 pm

I told you there’d be more about this thing and I do not lie. Except when it is convenient for me.

So the hysteria has died down and more details are coming out and its no surprise that Steve Jobs didn’t kick off the keynote with these golden nuggets of info. Far from my initial high at around 10:45am on Monday, three things have me kind of bummed about Apple’s new toy.

1. You cannot activate the new iPhone 3G at home, it must be done in store.
2. The data plan is now $30 as opposed to the $20 price point of the year past.
3. The $199 price announced with much fanfare and applause is with new two year contract. Which makes recent AT&T converts, like myself, most likely ineligible for crazy Steve’s new low prices.

The first point is a letdown because I really hate having AT&T employees putting their hands and fingerprints all over my new phone before I even get to make a call on it. The second point is a letdown because I hardly have any money as it is. The third point is a letdown because I (and a lot of other second generation iPhone holdouts) will end up having to pay some higher unsubsidized price. (reference the previous sentence for why this is an issue)

In the end, I’m a sucker and I’ll probably end up jumping through whatever hoops I need to in order to get this thing. I just wish it weren’t so much trouble. No one talks to me anyway.

Filed under: Phones — Roy @ 9:46 pm

Sorry about the title, it’s been a good morning. Apple’s WWDC keynote was this morning and the news is cause for rejoicing. Right now, inside my heart, it’s like the end scene from Return of the Jedi. Only, instead of Ewoks celebrating a victory in a violent forest battle against a ruthless imperial force, I’m just really happy about the new iPhone. Or should I say, iPhone 3G. That’s right, Apple has finally brought 3G to the iPhone, along with GPS, longer battery life, some cool new apps and the new 2.0 firmware. Oh and best of all, it’s now only $199. Yeah, one hundred ninety-nine dollars. Just for a point of reference: the RAZR2 launched for more than that. The Blackberry Curve used to cost that much not so long ago. Really, once you remove the subsized mail-in rebate, almost every phone carried by one of the big four carriers cost more than $199. For God’s sake, the iPod Touch of the same 8GB capacity is $100 more and it is, most assuredly, not even a phone.

I’ve got more to say on the subject, but I’ll give everyone (myself included) some time to calm down. I keep trying to breathe slowly into a paper bag, but I’ve already tore through six hyperventilating.

Filed under: Phones — Roy @ 12:52 pm