BestStuff -

Eco-Friendly Married with Luxury

Natalie Gomez — Tue, 13 May 2008 01:35:14 -0500

The impending threat of the melting polar ice caps has people questioning, “What can I do for my environment?” What if there was a way to do your part in luxury? Fairmont Hotels and Lexus have joined forces to unveil two “Lexus Hybrid Living Suites,” the Fairmont San Francisco and Fairmont Washington D.C. The suites have found a way to marry the concept of the “Green Movement” with luxury and offer guests a fully sustainable and organic experience. Every room includes eco-friendly bath amenities, mini-bats with local wines, organic farmstead cheeses and much more.

Visitors are offered complimentary use of a Lexus LS 600h L, a low-emission luxury car while staying in their luxury suite comprised of organic and rapidly renewable resources. Eco-friendly comes at no cost to chic style with interior designs by famed eco-designer Kelly LaPlante, whose designs are based on organic fabrics, mattresses, paint, recycled leather from Lexus vehicles, pillows, towels and robes. Guests also receive a Green Guide and audio podcast that recommends environmentally friendly activities that can also be found on the Lexus Hybrid Living website. And now through December 30, 2008 the Eco is the new Chic package includes accommodations in the Lexus Hybrid Living Suite, access to the Lexus LS 600h L, complimentary parking and a bottle of organic wine and is available for $869 plus tax per night.

And if not for the eco-friendly theme, the Fairmont San Francisco is situated in the center of town with bay windows that offer picturesque views of Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and China town. Lexus Hybrid Living Suites hope to set the example of how eco-friendly doesn’t have to come at the expense of comfort. For more information on Kelly LaPlante’s organic designs please visit kellylaplante.com. For more information on Lexus Hybrid Living Suites please call (415) 772-5147 or visit www.fairmont.com.

Gamers Skate Back into Action

jessica — Mon, 12 May 2008 09:46:56 -0500

May 12, 2008--Electronic Arts Inc. today announced Skate It, a new game in the award-winning Skate franchise that taps into the heart and soul of being on a skateboard. Designed exclusively for the Wii and Nintendo DS systems, Skate It has Nintendo players riding with the skate pros, owning the best spots in San Vanelona and pulling off the sickest tricks using the popular FlickIt controls. Loaded with all-new gameplay features, Skate It breaks new ground by introducing innovative support for the Wii Balance Board which gives players a fresh way to create their own signature skateboarding style.

“We knew it would be an exciting challenge to bring the soul and feel of skateboarding to the Wii and Nintendo DS,” said Scott Blackwood, Executive Producer - Skate franchise. “With fresh new designs and gameplay components built from scratch, we’ve been able to, once again, capture the true experience of skateboarding in a completely innovative way.”

Skate It unleashes the FlickIt revolution on to the Nintendo platforms, letting gamers use the Wii remote or the Nintendo DS stylus to string together their best tricks for the ultimate skate line. The Wii remote becomes a skateboard and reacts to gestures that mirror actual skate flips and moves. Players can also deepen this experience by planting their feet on the Wii Balance Board. Skate It brings the hit Skate franchise to a new level of creative ingenuity and gameplay excellence.

Skate It will ship in 2008. The game has not yet been rated by the ESRB.

Separately, Skate 2 is also currently in development for the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system and the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system.

SOURCE Electronic Arts

Traffic.com Helps Solve Memorial Day Driving Issues

jessica — Mon, 12 May 2008 09:42:32 -0500

May 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Traffic.com, a NAVTEQ brand and a leading source of traffic solutions for consumers, provides drivers across the United States Memorial Day road trip planning tools to save time and avoid the frustration of summertime driving delays.

In anticipation of the vacation season, Traffic.com reminds drivers they can access the real-time traffic information they'll need 24/7. This Memorial Day, drivers should remember three Traffic.com road-trip tools for information anywhere or anytime:

Save 1-866-MY-TRAFC (1-866-698-7232) to a phone favorites list before leaving home. This free hotline provides speed dial access to Traffic.com-ideal for avoiding heavy traffic, construction, and accidents on the way to the beach.
Use your wireless handheld device to connect to the Web with MOBI.TRAFFIC.COM. Visit http://mobi.traffic.com, a free wireless Web site for the same great traffic information you get from Traffic.com online-ideal for keeping up with the kids' busy summer schedules.
Send a SMS text message to get real-time traffic information for city hotspots. Simply text your CITY CODE, (NY, CHIC, PHL, LA, etc.) to TRAFC (87232). Traffic.com city codes can be found at http://help.traffic.com/city-codes-used-for-sms ideal for getting instant traffic information after a baseball game.

This Memorial Day use these Traffic.com tools and start the summer without the aggravation of traffic.

SOURCE NAVTEQ

RIM Introduces the BlackBerry Bold Smartphone

jessica — Mon, 12 May 2008 07:48:33 -0500

May 12, 2008- For customers seeking a smartphone that makes a bold statement, Research In Motion (RIM) today introduced the admirable BlackBerry Bold smartphone. Crafted from premium materials, inside and out, that radiate elegance with a dramatic presence, the BlackBerry Bold is designed to give business professionals and power users unprecedented functionality and performance in an intuitive BlackBerry smartphone. It is the first BlackBerry smartphone to support tri-band HSDPA high-speed networks around the world and comes with integrated GPS and Wi-Fi, as well as a rich set of multimedia capabilities. From its lustrous black exterior, satin chrome finished frame and stylish leather-like backplate, to its stunning display, sophisticated user interface and newly designed full-QWERTY* keyboard, the BlackBerry Bold smartphone is a symbol of accomplishment and aspiration.

“The new BlackBerry Bold represents a tremendous step forward in business-grade smartphones and lives up to its name with incredible speed, power and functionality, all wrapped in a beautiful and confident design,” said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO, Research In Motion.

SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE
The BlackBerry Bold smartphone's support for tri-band HSDPA and enterprise-grade Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g) networks and its next-generation 624 MHz mobile processor make short work of downloading email attachments, streaming video or rendering web pages. The BlackBerry Bold also includes 128 MB Flash memory plus 1 GB on-board storage memory, as well as and a microSD/SDHC memory card slot** that is conveniently accessible from a side door. It comes with the renowned BlackBerry productivity applications, including phone, email, messaging, organizer and browser, and works with thousands of mobile business and lifestyle applications, making it easier than ever to stay connected, productive and entertained. With this powerful new smartphone, users can even talk on the phone while sending and receiving email or accessing the web, and download Word, Excel or PowerPoint files and edit them directly on the handset using the preloaded DataViz Documents to Go suite.

STUNNING DISPLAY
The BlackBerry Bold smartphone comes with the most vivid and bold display ever introduced on a BlackBerry smartphone. Its half-VGA (480x320 resolution) color LCD is fused to the undersurface of the lens, making images leap out with stunning definition and clarity. Pictures are vibrant and razor sharp, while videos play smoothly and web pages, documents, presentations and messages snap with exceptional quality and contrast.

DESKTOP-STYLE WEB PAGES
With its newly enhanced, high performance browser and high-resolution, ultra-bright display, the BlackBerry Bold smartphone gives users an on-the-go web browsing experience with desktop-style depiction. The trackball mimics a mouse, making it easy to navigate sites in "Page View" or "Column View" or to zoom in on specific parts of a web page, while various emulation settings allow users to choose between the full desktop-style HTML content and layout or the mobile version. Attachments can also now be downloaded from within the browser and there is support for watching streaming videos (RTSP – real-time streaming protocol).

RICH MULTIMEDIA
While it is designed to meet the extensive requirements of the business professional during the day, the BlackBerry Bold smartphone also caters to the business person’s consumer side during evenings and weekends. It features a 2 megapixel camera with video recording capability, built-in flash and 5x digital zoom. The enhanced media player can display pictures and slideshows quickly, play movies smoothly in full screen mode, and manage an entire music collection. Audio can be played over the handset’s dual speakers in rich, stereo sound, and when using wired headphones or external speakers, the media player gives the user an equalizer with 11 preset filters – like "Lounge", "Jazz" and "Hip Hop" – that boost or soften audio ranges to create the perfect ambiance.

For managing music and video, the BlackBerry Desktop Manager software includes Roxio Media Manager for BlackBerry as well as Roxio Photosuite 9 LE, which makes it easy to enhance pictures and create photo albums on the computer. For users that manage their collection with iTunes, the new BlackBerry Media Sync application provides a simple way to sync iTunes digital music collections with the smartphone***. Support for High Speed USB 2.0 allows all files to be transferred quickly from a desktop computer to the BlackBerry Bold smartphone.

POWERFUL WI-FI & GPS
For even broader high-speed network coverage, the BlackBerry Bold smartphone supports the 802.11 a/b/g Wi-Fi standards, ideal for use in enterprise or campus wireless LAN deployments, over Wi-Fi hotspots and on wireless home networks. A new "Push Button Setup" is included, making it faster for users to connect to protected wireless networks that require a sign on process.

Through its integrated GPS, the BlackBerry Bold smartphone can pinpoint its exact location, supporting applications like BlackBerry Maps and other location-based applications or services. With its improved rendering capabilities, faster download speeds and ability to support simultaneous voice and data, the BlackBerry Bold smartphone even allows users to navigate while on a call.

FIRST CLASS PHONE
The BlackBerry Bold smartphone features a new acoustic design that increases the size of the phone’s audio sweet spot, improving listening quality and clarity. It also comes with numerous premium phone features including Speaker Independent Voice Recognition (SIVR) for Voice Activated Dialing (VAD), Bluetooth 2.0, with support for hands-free headsets, stereo headsets, car kits (including car kits that adhere to the Bluetooth Remote SIM Access Profile) and other Bluetooth peripherals. It is a quad-band EDGE and tri-band HSDPA handset that supports global roaming**** and features dedicated 'send', 'end', and 'mute' keys, smart dialing, speed dialing, conference calling and call forwarding. It also features noise cancellation technology that offsets background noise, a powerful speaker phone and support for polyphonic, mp3 and MIDI ring tones.

ROBUST EMAIL & MESSAGING
Like all BlackBerry smartphones, the BlackBerry Bold gives users the industry’s leading mobile messaging solution. It works with BlackBerry Enterprise Server, which enables advanced security and IT administration within IBM Lotus Domino, Microsoft Exchange and Novell GroupWise environments, as well as BlackBerry Professional Software for small businesses. It also works with BlackBerry Internet Service, which gives users access to up to 10 work or personal email accounts (including most popular ISP email accounts), and the BlackBerry Unite! software for SOHO and home users.

CONVENIENT ACCESSORIES
The BlackBerry Bold smartphone comes with a variety of convenient accessories including a stereo headset, travel charger, carrying case or sleeve and USB cable. Users will also be able to personalize their BlackBerry Bold smartphone by purchasing replaceable leather-like backplates that come in a range of colors. The removable / rechargeable 1500 mAhr battery provides multi-hour usage with a target talk time of approximately 5 hours and 13 days standby time.

Accessories for BlackBerry smartphones, including leather holsters and totes, charging pods, premium earphones, the BlackBerry Remote Stereo Gateway and Bluetooth headsets, are available through retail outlets or online at: www.shopblackberry.com.

AVAILABILITY
The BlackBerry Bold smartphone (model number: 9000) is scheduled to be available from wireless carriers around the world beginning this summer. For more information please visit: www.BlackBerryBold.com.

* Keyboard also available in AZERTY and QWERTZ configurations to support different language groups.
** MicroSD/SDHC memory cards are available today in configurations of up to 8GB and the BlackBerry Bold is expected to support upcoming 16GB microSD/SDHC cards.
*** Certain music files may not be supported, including files that contain digital rights management technologies.
**** Check with service provider for roaming services.

SOURCE Research In Motion (RIM)

Nintendo Launches WiiWare: An Open Playground for Creativity

jessica — Mon, 12 May 2008 07:39:08 -0500

May 12, 2008-- Nintendo’s Wii console has already changed the way people play games. Now its new WiiWare service decisively tears down limitations for how developers create games – and the way people receive them.

Starting today, Wii owners with an Internet connection can download new, creative games from a wide range of developers, from large publishers to indie shops. By reducing the barriers that make console game development prohibitively expensive, WiiWare showcases original ideas in the most democratic environment in industry history, connecting the people who make games more directly with the people who play them.

WiiWare frees developers from the traditional constraints of video game development. WiiWare lets developers experiment with big ideas and small budgets to the benefit of players everywhere. Newer, smaller teams now have an outlet for their creative ideas. The constantly growing WiiWare library will have a regular flow of unique video gaming experiences consumers might not otherwise have access to.

“WiiWare is to the video game industry what independent films are to Hollywood,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “WiiWare lets developers experiment with new ideas and experiences. Combined with our collection of classic Virtual Console games, Wii provides one-stop shopping for the greatest games of the past – and the future.”

WiiWare games are easy to download. Just go to the WiiWare section of the Wii Shop Channel, find the game you want, redeem Wii Points and start the download. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. New games, at various Wii Point values, will be added to WiiWare on Mondays. The newly launched Nintendo Channel on Wii will let people view videos of and read information about WiiWare games and other Nintendo products. Users also can see player opinions to help them decide what to play next.

Today, the inaugural lineup of WiiWare games is just a taste of things to come:

FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: My Life as a King (Square Enix, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone – Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes, 1,500 Wii Points): FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: My Life as a King takes a legendary franchise and launches it into the realm of simulation gaming. Players are challenged to rebuild a kingdom, leading its young king on a path of discovery through an adventure bristling with mystery and intrigue.

LostWinds (Frontier Development, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone – Mild Fantasy Violence, 1,000 Wii Points): A fresh, enchanting platform adventure that puts the power of the wind in the palm of your hand – from raging tornados to the gentlest breeze. You’ll wield your Wii Remote controller to power Toku’s jumps and glides, suspend and smash enemies, meet friends and solve puzzles using LostWinds’ novel, intuitive and playful control system.

Defend your Castle (XGen Studios, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone – Cartoon Violence, 500 Wii Points): Defend your Castle takes place on a grassy plain surrounded by invaders. You are the commander of your castle, and it is your duty to fling the invading enemies sky-high, watching them plummet to their demise. As you progress, add powerful spells and upgrades to your arsenal for repelling the attacks. How long can you hold them off?

Pop (Nnooo, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 700 Wii Points): Pop bubbles to score points and stop the timer from running out. Pop can be enjoyed by anyone – casual gamers can simply play to pop bubbles and keep the game moving, whereas advanced players will need to pick their shots rapidly and accurately and generate combos to maximize their score.

V.I.P. Casino: Blackjack (High Voltage Software, Inc., 1-4 players, Rated T for Teen – Simulated Gambling, 700 Wii Points): V.I.P. Casino: Blackjack re-creates the casino experience, with fully animated players and a realistic Las Vegas dealer. Single players can increase their bankrolls, while multiple players can engage in a head-to-head mini-blackjack tournament.

TV Show King (Gameloft, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 1,000 Wii Points): TV Show King transforms your living room into a real TV quiz show studio where you’ll face the challenge of answering more than 3,000 questions across six different categories. Compete against family and friends and use your Wii Remote controller in original ways to make it to the finals to see who can win the greatest amount of cash in one final, deciding duel.

For more information about WiiWare, visit WiiWare.com. Remember that Wii features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other Wii features, visit Wii.com.

For more information about Nintendo, visit the company’s Web site at www.nintendo.com.

Source: Nintendo

Listen to iPod Songs Over Your Home Stereo

Natalie Gomez — Mon, 12 May 2008 01:58:59 -0500

Although pressing heads together and splitting earphones is a resourceful way to share iPod songs with friends, there is a better way. Monster has released the Monster iSoniCast Wireless Audio Bridge. This device will change the way you listen to your iPod –you can now share your music with multiple people over your home stereo system without batteries. The iSoniCast simply connects to your home stereo wirelessly and can be controlled by the familiar functions on the iPod itself.

The iSoniCast Wireless Audio Bridge features powerful 2.4 Ghz wireless technology for extended control range and superior sound quality. Intelligent frequency hopping minimizes interference while high-bandwidth 4Mbps streaming eliminates compression artifacts. A two-meter mini-to-RCA cable is included for hassle-free integration into a home audio system. It’s a great way to fill your home with the music you love and share it with more friends than one. It comes at a price of $99.95. For more information visit www.monstercable.com.

Game Power: Welcome to My World Sucka!

jessica — Mon, 12 May 2008 01:52:45 -0500

“Either we’re moving real fast or not at all” – Johnny Storm (Chris Evans) – Fantastic Four (2005)

Parents and critics around the globe complained vigorously about the lack of any redeeming qualities when GTA (Grand Theft Auto) IV would damage our kids psyche or open the door to them to unleash more violence in the real world.

Figure 1 - Pointless Violence – There weren’t a lot of good vs evil plots in GTA IV but that didn’t seem to bother the 10s of thousands of people who ran to stores and shopped online to grab their copy of the long-awaited sequel. Reviewers said they wouldn’t be disappointed. Shareholders certainly weren’t – Photo Source – IGN

We watched over our kid’s shoulder as he played the game on his PS3 and seemed pretty similar to what he’d run into in a week of watching TV – sex, drugs, mayhem, rock ‘n roll – yep pretty normal.

We sorta think after a period of game play he’s going to agree with Ben…“You know, living through something like this you really appreciate having the right woman in your life.”

Things have changed a lot from the “good old days” before the game industry crash in the mid ‘80’s when JT (Jack Tramiel) kicked off the first 7800 System and a little later the hand-held Lynx to take on the audacious Nintendo.

Figure 2 - Good Ol Reliable – Sure you can play your fancy PS3 or aging Xbox but don’t forget it was the Atari 7800 (and 2600) that set the stage. Actually a lot of those early players have graduated up to today’s power games.

Sure the graphics are light years better but then programs are bloated compared to epics like Ms. Pac-Man or Gates of Zendocon. Heck if programmers back then had more to work with than 128 – 640K they would have produced blockbusters too.

Maybe not.

Rockstar dropped about $100M on GTA IV and had 150 developers working for a couple of years creating their sandbox (follow the plot or not).

And in less than a week they racked up $500 M in sales? SHEESS!

JT told a couple of guys in the back they had a few weeks to knock out the game and he’d give them all the Twinkies and Ho-Hos they could eat.

Don’t even ask what he’d do for sales numbers like that…for the year!

Maybe the lack of financial support “hurt” the development and marketing a little but JT figured anyone who wanted to make/play video games didn’t need much anyway. Except for the infamous Custer’s Revenge there wasn’t much to those early games.

Who Is Out There?
Who knew those kids would grow up and still play games?

Who knew there were as many girls as guys playing?

No one realized that early exposure to video games would carry over into adulthood. Or as Reed said, “The cloud has fundamentally altered our DNA.”

Must have because today online/console/mobile gaming is a multi-billion dollar business. And it’s the strongest segment of the online commerce arena.

Figure 3 - Number 1 Sport – The biggest sport for men/women, young/old are video games. Online or casual the video game industry is a big profit center for a lot of software producers, retailers and online sites. Source – Parks Assoc

Online games are more popular than watching videos online or cruising social networking sites. As they say, online no one knows if you’re a dog (or a boomer+ player).

Figure 4 - Online Entertainment -- There are thousands of VC funded business models around the globe that will make room for indie developed video content and provide a place online where folks can meet, chat, have fun. But even more of the folks go online every evening to play videogames. Source – Parks Assoc

Like many “casual” gamers we’re more inclined to PC games than consoles.

Figure 5 - PC vs Console – While industry analysts closely watch the sales and market share shift of the key console firms – Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft – the market for online games from your computer continues to grow. After all you already have a high def screen with the monitor so you’re ahead of the game (pardon the pun). Source – NPD

Interactive Online
The robust expansion of the Internet has made it possible for more interactive games, more exciting games and more international participation:

Broadband penetration in the twenty leading online game countries is expected to increase 48% from 2006 to 2012
The total overall number of online gamers in the twenty leading online game countries is expected to increase 51% from 2006 to 2012
East Asia, which includes the leading markets of China and South Korea, is currently the leading region for online games, accounting for nearly half of revenue in 2006. However, Europe and Japan are showing strong market share growth
Worldwide online game revenue is expected to increase from $4.5 billion in 2006 to $13.1 billion in 2012, a 192% increase. The PC is the leading platform for online game revenue, but revenue from console online games is expected to show significant growth between now and 2012
In 2006, subscriptions were the leading revenue source for online games. However, the fastest growing segment of the market was digital distribution and virtual item sales
By 2012, revenue from advertising and digital distribution/virtual items are expected to equal revenue from subscriptions
The two leading categories for online games are MMOGs and casual games. On a worldwide basis, MMOGs accounted for over half of online game revenue in 2006. However, in terms of market share growth between 2006 and 2012 the fastest growing game segments are expected to be First Person-Shooters (FPS/Action) and Sports/Racing
North America is the largest market for online game advertising. By 2012, video game console systems are expected to account for 35% of online game advertising revenue in North America
Japan is the fastest growing market for online game subscription revenue
East Asia is the leading market for virtual item sales and is expected to continue to be the leading market for digital distribution in 2012. However, between 2006 and 2012, Europe is expected to be the fastest growing market for digital distribution and virtual item models

While games like GTA IV grab the headlines, the most popular games according to research by Ipsos and others are thinking games:

casual - card/board games – 29%
strategy – 17%
action – driving, fighting – 16%
sports – 13%
adventure, role-playing 12%
shooters – 7%
simulation – 4%
other – 2%

Gaming Leaders
Games like GTA IV have helped the console folks - especially Sony’s PS3.

Figure 6 - Console to TV – The one thing all of the console manufacturers are now working on (in addition to more adrenalin pumping games is to devise ways where their devices can also end up being the key component in the video content to the TV. Don’t kid yourself. Each wants to own the living room screen. Source – Ipsos

They also get people together to get together and compete (ok in the virtual world) rather than sit in dimly lit rooms like the good old Atari 7800 days.

GTA IV is the first console multiplayer game. The number of participants is still miniscule compared to MMOGs (massively multiplayer online games) like World of Warcraft (WoW) that has millions of subscribers around the globe.

Of course the top 10 titles can give you a hint as to the age category of the players:

Mario and Sonic: Olympic
COD4 (Call of Duty): Modern Warfare
Brain Training
FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) ’08
Wii Play
Rainbow Six: Vegas 2
Burnout Paradise
Pro Evolution Soccer 2008
The Simpsons Game
Guitar Hero III

Video games obviously to a major part of the PC/CE industry are no game! Hardware and software sales are significant and growing steadily.

Figure 7 - Soft Growth – While intelligent, non-violent games produce long-term, consistent sales results, blockbusters like GTA IV certainly make people throughout the industry sit up and take notice. The $500 M in week one sales didn’t go unnoticed by software developers but the console manufacturers also felt the ripple effect as PS3s flew off the shelves. Source – DFC Intelligence

The prerelease investment of today is equal to the total market in the mid-80s that companies like Nintendo, Sega, Electronic Arts thought was huge!

Rather than wildcatting with their own money, game developers have found that for the right amount of cash they can design in marketing messages (some call them ads) that gamers don’t mind.

Figure 8 - Marketing Opportunities – When the promotion fits in with the game play and plot, players don’t seem to mind the addition of marketing messages. That’s good news for the software firms and they are extremely careful not to alienate their core market. Photo Source – IGN

As Johnny said, “Hey! Look what the marketing guys gave us! Look, check it out, listen, listen.”

There are a lot of good reasons:

demographics are well defined and broad
even decent games have a long chance for visibility compared to placement in a TV show or bad movie
online creativity enables game developers and marketers to increasingly do a better job of tracking visibility
developers and marketers are concerned about placing the ad messages in appropriate, “natural” settings

Contrary to what critics say we don’t believe that games like GTA IV with “absolutely no redeeming social value,” are really detrimental to our kids.

Actually game play could be good for them by releasing some of their frustrations, help them improve their eye/hand coordination, stimulate creative (out of the box) thinking, and simply take a break from reality.

Hey it works for us.

Game Drugs
While there are detractors like Dr. Tanya Bryon, a child psychologist, who did a show on BBC comparing game play on MMOGs like Warcraft (GTA IV hadn’t been released yet) were as addictive to kids as drugs like heroin, coke, pot.

Can people become addicted to their gaming activities?

Sure.

Those who do will justify their activities repeating Reed Richards, “Exposure to a high energy cosmic storm could advance our knowledge of planetary life.”

Of course Dr. Bryon will cite one of his other comments, “Even the slightest miscalculation could cause our symptoms to increase exponentially... or perhaps even kill us.”

Young and old, male or female there’s always some self-restraint involved and common sense.

When that fails read the warning.

Figure 9 - Time Out Or… While parental and watchdog groups like to say that death and mayhem in games like GTA IV only contribute to violence carrying over into the real world all folks have to do is turn the system off, unplug the console/computer, kick in the screen. Or … simply use a little common sense!

That doesn’t work? Take Ben’s advice…“Uh, don't do drugs!”

But $500 M sales in the first week GTA IV for a game with no redeeming values?

Hey…works for us!

Peace of Mind in an External Hard Drive

Natalie Gomez — Mon, 12 May 2008 01:11:49 -0500

The biggest threat that faces every student, business person, family, company, anyone you can think of, is a computer meltdown. Stop keeping a constant eye out for the warning signs and protect your files, free your memory space and speed up your computer by investing in an external hard drive. Buffalo Technology offers the best in file protection with their newest external hard drive the 1 TB DriveStation Combo 4.

If universal connectivity is what you’re looking for this device is the leader in versatility with four interface- eSATA, FireWire 400/800 and USB 2.0 and connects to either Mac or PCs. File transfer has never been faster with a 20% increase in transfer rates with TurboUSB software that incorporates 7200-RPM SATA drive. Noisy fans are no problem here, with whisper- quiet operation of the unique Heat Sink Chassis for internal cooling. For file security you can trust the product comes with a full version of Memeo AutoBackup software and Buffalo’s SecureLockWare that offers file and folder encryption for Windows users through 256-bit AES encryption technology.

Ready to use right out of the box the product measures 1.42 x 5 x 8.94 inches and weighs 3.09 pounds and comes with a limited one-year warranty and toll free 24/7 technical support. The 320GB (HD-HS320Q) is estimated to be $149. The 500GB (HD-HS500Q) is estimated at $189. The 1TB DriveStation Combo 4 (HD-HS1.0TQ) is available for $349. www.buffalotech.com.

Surround Sound Mic for Under $100

Natalie Gomez — Sun, 11 May 2008 01:12:12 -0500

Amateur home videos are a thing of the past with the increasing popularity of home editing software and high-tech cameras. Now, even little Jimmy’s first birthday video comes with background music and transitions. To satisfy the needs of the closet Spielberg in your family is the Vive from Cascade Audio.

Vive is a surround sound microphone that is compatible with any stereo video camera with a mic input jack. This device offers multi-channel listening and Dolby Pro Logic and Dolby Digital 5.1 compatible surround sound. The full sound also transfers directly onto any standard media like DV, DVD, CD, wav or mp3 with high performance audio recording with 20Hz to 20 KHz frequency response greater than 60dB signal noise ratio. And this amazing at-home technology is available for only $99, plus shipping. This price doesn’t even compare to its competitors that have been priced at over $1500.

For more information visit www.cascade-audio.com

Gadget Nation: A Journey Through The Eccentric World of Invention

jessica — Sat, 10 May 2008 01:27:37 -0500

Have you ever heard of bird diapers?
Interested in a talking toilet paper dispenser?
What about a motorized ice cream cone?
A handle for carrying your turkey around the kitchen?
Looking for a Kosher Lamp?

These aren't gag gadgets from some lame late night talk show skit. They are actual, real products that you can buy today. Maybe you already have?

Americans love their gadgets--and Gadget Nation takes you behind the scenes and introduces you to the men and women who have spent countless hours and money, (in some cases cashing in their 401(k)), trying to turn their gadget idea into a gadget bonanza.

Steve Greenberg, dubbed The Innovation Insider, travels the country seeking out clever off-beat new products. His journey through the underbelly of American invention has brought him face to face with hundreds of garage inventors. Steve has spent years exploring and observing this often bizarre slice of Americana. And while most of us might look at these products and wonder, "Why didn't I think of that?" Steve will tell you why these people did.

Featuring more than 100 quirky innovations from garage inventors across the nation, this visual showcase captures America's can-do spirit and creative energy.

Gadget Nation is available at www.gadgetnation.net, at Barnes & Noble Bookstores and other fine bookstores nationwide.

A fun book about "off-beat" inventions, Gadget Nation deserves an "off-beat" music video, right? Author Steve Greenberg ignores good judgment and puts aside his self-respect--as he creates a music video to help spread the word about his book. Check out Steve's music video:

(Maybe Steve should stick to writing books?)