E3 2010: Rockband 3

Here's a look at one of my favorite videos from E3 in Los Angeles this year. Go to our YouTube page and watch all the E3 vids from this year. They are all so awesome!

What Else-the iPad

This week there really is not much else to talk about besides Apple’s iPad, which I’m relatively fine with. It’s a pretty snappy device. I’ve had it in my hands and reviewed it for work. Granted only the Wi-Fi version is out but I expect the 3G version not be different other than that feature: 3G.

What I like about the iPad is the convergence. Lately we’ve been talking about how long it would take before many of our devices were combined into one. When I travel I take my cell phone, iPod Shuffle, iPod Touch, laptop, and e-reader. That’s at least 5 devices that clutter my carry on. Wouldn’t it be nice if I had one device that could do all the functions that my 5 devices did?

While the iPad doesn’t really take the place of my phone or laptop, it does combine some devices nicely. If you take a digital photo frame, netbook, gaming device, e-reader and put them all together into one device, you will have an iPad. The 9.7 inch screen is nice for surfing the web, watching videos, working on documents, or emailing.

The iBooks app is nice. It’s great that you can see things in color. But the iPad doesn’t have e-ink like other e-readers do. The Kindle 2 or the Nook both use e-ink which is easier on the eyes when you read for a long amount of time. But magazines and other content look great on the iPad because it has color and a backlit screen. So my advice is this: if you just want to read a lot of books and may read on the beach I’d still go with a Kindle. The iPad is hard to read in bright sunlight.

But the great thing about the iPad is that it is more than just an e-reader. I think gaming will change because of it. While I’m not much of a gamer, I can see how kids and big kids will like iPad gaming.

On a performance level, the iPad works well and it’s speedy. There really isn’t a lot of lag time when switching applications. But unfortunately it doesn’t multitask. You won’t be able to have two applications running and working at the same time.

There are some things missing from this version. The most obvious, is the lack of a camera. It also doesn’t have USB ports so you can’t directly plug in your camera to the iPad to download pictures. The iPad doesn’t have true HD video. It plays in 480p which isn’t true HD output. Most TVs come with 720p or 1080p (don’t buy a TV without at least 720p). The aspect ratio is 4:3 and not 16:9 so it isn’t really true HD proportioned either. But even with those facts, the display still is nice. I don’t think the average person will notice too much because it’s still on a small screen. Video and pictures look great on it.

So will I buy it? We’ll have to see. It’s expensive (cheapest model is $499) and I might wait for the 2nd generation. But if you’re an early adopter-you’re already late. Its 6 days past the release date so go hit up your closest Apple store.

Below is an in interview I did about the iPad.

http://studio5.ksl.com/index.php?nid=57&sid=10279220

2009: A look at looks

As we wrap up 2009, here's a fun look at my show: TopTenREPORTS. It's basically a look at my hair. So feel free to give me your feedback. Which outfits, hair etc you liked or didn't like. :)

My Take on the Kindle DX and Other eBook Readers

I had it the Kindle DX in the office a couple of days ago to look over and its pretty sweet. I really liked the product but the price tag is what will stop many of us from purchasing right away (especially my friends still in college rt?). I admit, I really liked using it but ouch the price ($489.00) is just a little out of reach for some.

I attached my video review of the DX at the bottom so you can get a real look at it. Overall though, I think most of us would like it, especially those of us who had to make that hike up to BYU every day –ugh. If we only had the Kindle-it would have saved our backs from feeling sore so many times from a heavy backpack filled with books.

I do think that eventually eBook readers like the Kindle DX will take the place of text books. However, I don’t think it’s going to happen anytime soon. For those of you who don’t know what an eBook reader is, it’s a device that holds at least 1,500 books, magazines, newspapers and so on.

I read an interesting report from The Democratic Leadership Council regarding the Kindle. The report went into why we need to transition from heavy, sometimes out-dated textbooks to Amazon’s Kindle. The report gave many reasons to do this: eBook readers are relatively easy and cheap to update. Plus there are many health and environmental reasons as well. I encourage you to read A Kindle in Every Backpack –it may become the stepping stone to having an eBook reader instead of textbooks.

Eclipse: Fresh and Cool-Really?

I know another gum review but I can't help it-their so fun to do! I swear I'll write a real blog post soon. As for now-you can know if I really like this gum...

The Fresh and Cool Gum by Eclipse was very good when the taste first reached my palate.
I could smell and taste the gum before I even chewed into it (which was a good thing because a sometime “inconvenient” coworker tried to intervene my trying the gum).

The reason that I only gave this gum a 3.9 out of 5 was because I’ve been chewing it for at least twenty minutes and I’m ready to spit it out. So is it just another mint flavored gum? This is an average mint gum but if you expect a mild taste-think again.

It’s very powerful-it cleared my sinuses right up. I have to admit I’ve now spit out the gum and the mintyness still resonates in my mouth which is a good sign for those of us who like strongly flavored gum that lasts even after you’ve spit it out. In that regard it does live up to its name Fresh and Cool.

So this gum is great if you’re going out in a date. You’ll have fresh breath long after you spit out the gum. This is also great for when you eat at your favorite Italian restaurant. You want to eat that delicious garlic bread and not feel guilty about making your friends pass out afterwards- chew this gum.

But I have to say this gum isn’t nearly as savory as some. It just doesn’t stick out in my mind as a great flavored gum but it still does the job-if the job is giving you great breath and not a great mouth watering - chewing experience.

Mango Smoothie Downs the Competition

So some friends at work and I try out new gum all the time and then have to rate them. We try to be unique and this review I thought was really great about Extra's Mango Smoothie:

"The Wrigley’s Extra Fruit Sensations Mango Smoothie Gum really does have it all. Fruity gum isn’t usually my typical choice when running down the super market aisle. However, when I was given a piece of this Mango Smoothie by the wonderful Mr. Zabel I was pleasantly surprised. The minute you open up the package, the mango-strawberry aroma rises up pleasantly to my olfactory senses. The gum chewing experience got even better as I popped it into my mouth. Hmmmm. It was Gum Heaven!

Since the gum makers began to create fruity flavors beyond the typical spearmint, bubble gum, hot, and peppermint flavors I haven’t really branched out. Fruity to me is well fruity. But this Mango Smoothie Gum really does have it all. I give it a 5/5 rating. It’s beyond delicious it’s heavenly. The flavor lasted for a long time and the gum didn’t lose its form after chewing it for a long time.

If you’re looking for a smooth, relaxing bit of heaven for your mouth-try Mango Smoothie Extra Fruit Sensations Gum."

Pretty Funny. What's your favorite flavor of gum?

Softball Funnies and Lame Umpires

Our company has a softball team and I along with another co-worker are the el capitans. It’s so funny being on a work team. We’re not the best but we’re not the worst team in the league, but every game has offered some sort of hilarious act.

One of our first games, we had one of the more petite women I work with out in center field. It was a terrible game we were losing 30 min into the game by twenty. It was bad (r u rethink the whole “we’re not the best, but we’re not the worst statement now?).

Anyways- the other team hit a great beautiful pop fly right to this petite coworker. I was thinking this would be great because then we’d finally have 3 outs with her catch. She puts her mit up-ready to catch it and THUD! The ball bounced off her glove and hit her square in the forehead.

Running through me head were these thoughts: Dang it-now we have to keep playing in this crappy inning (first thought); Oh crap is she OK???? (2nd thought-is that bad that I first think of winning?-just goes to show how competitive I am and that I hate to lose!)

I’m playing second base, so I start running towards her when I hear the ump yelling “That’s Game.” What?-we’re in the middle of a play. Everyone on the field is confused-we want to see if she’s ok but we still need to finish the play. No one understood why he called the game. The ball was still in play, and the man who hit the ball was still running around the bases. Everyone is confused but basically the ump decided that our injured player was enough to call the game in the middle of a play and decided then and there to in-act the slaughter rule (I told you the score was definitely not in our favor).

So this poor co-worker is dazed, running around looking for the ball as she tries not to cry still in an effort to help the team get an out. But the dumb ump called the game-but heck she can’t hear him out in the outfield-plus she just got knocked in the head-I mean jeez ump give us a break!

It’s was so funny. The poor co-worker had a huge goose bump on her head and got a black eye from it. I have no doubt that this hilarious softball moment will be talked about for a long time at work.