Saturday, August 30, 2008

Why Stores Check Receipts?




Ever wonder why some stores check receipts, 10 feet from the register? Well check this story out from SmartMoney....

EARLIER THIS YEAR, a middle-aged certified public accountant living in small-town Washington state was convicted of misdemeanor assault after a three-day trial that had the whole community talking. His crime? Shoving a 75-year-old Wal-Mart greeter who wouldn't let him leave without showing a receipt. "He didn't have the right to make me do that," he told the local paper.

It's best to avoid assaulting the elderly, but I can almost sympathize with the CPA. Used to be, only club stores with membership rules checked your receipt and searched your bags at the exit. Now stores like Best Buy, Wal-Mart and Home Depot are doing it, and a trip to the store has taken on all the charm of a jaunt through airport security. Not surprisingly, shoppers are starting to challenge the presumption that we're all suspects who must prove our innocence before exiting the store.

Sanford, Maine, Web designer Rob Page-Auger has been snubbing the receipt checker for years, but it wasn't until he saw another customer endure a humiliatingly thorough search that he launched StandUpToWalMart.com, an online petition urging Wal-Mart to banish receipt checks. "You shouldn't be required to sacrifice your dignity to get a better deal," he says. So far the site has attracted more than 130,000 visitors.

Others protest by making a game of what they see as a farcical proceeding. John DeArmond, a nuclear engineer turned trucker turned retired Tennessee mountain man, insists that the checker compare every single item in his grocery cart against the receipt. (He's got a lot of free time.) Once, as a sort of grand finale, he marched his cart back to the service counter and returned the entire load.

Perhaps the most high-profile resister is Michael Righi, a software consultant who was detained by a Circuit City store manager in Brooklyn, Ohio, for refusing to show his receipt. When Righi called the police, they arrested him. The town later dropped charges, but the case created an online stir, prompting more than 200 supporters to contribute $5,300 to a legal-defense fund.

Not everyone came to Righi's defense. Hundreds wrote angry messages, calling him a "pretentious lunatic" and a "grade-A moron" for making such a big stink. "Please, for God's sake, don't start thinking you're some Rosa Parks," sneered one critic. Indeed, plenty of consumers say they don't mind the check if it thwarts shoplifters and lowers prices. I recently watched in astonishment as one Kmart shopper after another insisted that a lax security guard check their receipt.

Stores say the checkpoints are needed to thwart a growing problem: sophisticated crime rings that create distractions and move big loads of merchandise right out the front door. Mark Doyle, president of security consulting firm Jack L. Hayes International, says brazen thieves will wheel out dollies loaded with appliances, cases of liquor or, in one recent instance, an entire sectional sofa. The receipt checkers aren't there to catch individual shoplifters; they're posted as a deterrent. "You'd be stupid to try to walk something by them," he says.

I'm glad stores are shutting down crooks, but that doesn't mean they get to stop me. Turns out, a store can't legally detain you for refusing a receipt check. Don't want to create a scene? Don't pause or make eye contact; just say, "no, thanks," and keep walking. It works. Home Depot's oversize security guard checked every shopper but didn't blink when I whizzed past, lugging a 4-foot piece of sheet metal. The checker at Guitar Center loudly demanded my receipt, but I kept going, and the heavy-metal goon squad never appeared.

To be honest, I expected more of a reaction. Maybe I should have tried the tactics of the online wag who wisely identifies himself only as MR. His strategy: Make eye contact with the checker, then slowly stuff the receipt down the front of his pants. "The look of horror is priceless."



[Straight from Smartmoney.com]

Greatest MGS Comment Ever



While reading a not-so-interesting article about pro-gamers taking drugs before tournaments, I came across the greatest comment I've ever read. You really have to be a MGS fan to understand it.


Friday, August 29, 2008

Casio's Exilim Cellphone Approved By The FCC



News of Casio's new Exilim cellphone has me re-thinking my choice of phone. I LOVE my Curve and I enjoy my iPhone, but an 8MP Exilim cellphone would fill the void in my mobile phone love life. Both of my current phones have basic 2MP cameras - but, for obvious reasons - I still carry my digital camera in my other pocket.

I currently have the newest Casio Exilim point and shoot digital camera - and in my humble opinion, its the best digital camera of its kind. Its slim (about the same dimensions as the iPhone)- I barely notice it in my pocket - it's 10.1 MP , has a huge beautiful LCD, and is easy to use.

This new phone would be perfect for those times when pocket space is lacking or if I forget my camera. Like today, I went to work without my camera - thinking it would be a short day and I wouldn't miss anything. Sure enough, on the way home a storm was rolling in and had created a cloud formation that had a striking likeness of a giant penis. Balls and all.

I would not lie about such a thing. Alas, I had no camera - we were on a high-traffic street and my phone was tucked away in a side pocket of my backpack in the back seat.

We were only a block away from home, so I had hoped that we could grab our camera and run back in time to take a great picture. Not even 3 minutes had passed and the funny cloud formation had dispersed and was no longer anything special. The sky had gone flaccid.

If I had this phone - I might have a funny cloud picture to blog about.

ANYWAY - If you want the phone, you'll probably have to import it from Japan (IF it will even be unlockable for a U.S. carrier.

Best Buy Ad Further Suggests 360 Price Cut


It appears that a Best Buy ad - not yet published - made its way to the guys at Engadget.

The ad confirms the price cuts rumored to hit September 7th. This looks to be a legit price cut - there's no reason you guys shouldn't have a 360 by Thanksgiving.

The ad shows the Arcade listed at $199, the Pro at $299, and the Elite listed at $399.

[From Engadget]

Microsoft Hints At Better Mice



Microsoft Hardware has an interesting teaser on their site, suggesting a mouse technology better than the current laser tech.

Engadget's commentors have done some investigating and dug up a mouse on Amazon.de featuring "blue track" technology. After some more investigation from Engadget's commentors, they've found out that the "blue track" tech is based on a blue LED and a wide angle lens that supposedly works on more surfaces than laser and optical.

[Read more at Engadget]

iPhone Gaming Controls On The Way



It appears there are a few gaming control pads under development. The iControl Pad (pictured) is a prototype featuring a d-pad, four buttons and a start and select button. This could mean great things for jailbroken iPhone games - there's no way apple would let this be used with their appStore games (unless it was their own product).

Maybe this will push apple to produce their own versions of a game pad. That would be great, they always do a good job with hardware.

[From Gizmodo]

Updated Nagware for Windows


Windows Genuine Advantage is getting a re-haul for Windows XP Pro users. No longer a "kill-switch", the new WGA just displays a message like the one pictured above.

Pirates rejoice.

[From Gizmodo]

Monday, August 25, 2008

Yes, this all happens on Craigslist

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Craiglist, BEST THING EVER

email this posting to a friend best of craigslist > detroit metro > My women
Originally Posted: Wed, 13 Aug 06:40 EDT

My women

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 2008-08-13, 6:40AM EDT



Laura. You were hot. I was not. You let me fuck you because I was funny. Thank you.

Kim. We smoked a lot of weed and drank all the time. I don't remember much.

Sarah. You were hot. But a total bitch. I could have done better. You treated me like shit. I put up with it because you had a great vagina. Beautiful.

Another Kim. You thought you were smart. You weren't. I was bored.

Charlee. I liked your name and the way it was spelled.

Rachel. You were really sweet and nice. Stop emailing me. It's been fifteen years. It's creeping me out and pissing off my wife. Fucking classmates.com.

Megan. I wanted you since highschool. I was kinda dissapointed when it happened.

Jennifer. What the hell was I thinking? What the hell were you thinking? You smelled kinda funny too. Your dad was a dick.

Jill. You had HUGE nipples. Couldn't feel a thing though. Shame all that nippleage going to waste.

Michelle. You were a drug addict. You have to be pretty fucked up for me of all people to say that.

Another Megan. I lost your number.

Laura. I did it for the novelty of going out with a girl that I went out with ten years before. You were still hot. I got kinda hot. We were better matched. Thanks again. Sorry I dumped you. You were a shitty tipper. I had no choice. Some handsome and cool shitty tipping guy probably grabbed you. Or some funny wanker.

Another another Megan. I've dated a lot of Megans. This one was no prize.

Debby. You were really smart except you had no self esteem. Be careful or some asshole is going to own you and that would be sad. You're smart and pretty and have great tits. Smaller tits can be awesome too.

Sophia. Liked your name. Liked that you worked out a lot. You seemed nice but you fucked up my credit. User.

Andrea. You had that adorable petit look that I can only call the "Penelope Cruz" look. Too bad you didn't have her personality.

Emily. NOBODY FUCKING CARES YOUR FAMILY IS RICH. You'd be okay if you were not preoccupied with wealth you did not personally aquire.

Dr. Sanderson. You worked to much. You were kinda cold. I thought you were cool though but you are so career motivated you probably did not give a shit about anything else. I got drunk once and thought about asking you to marry me though. I still wonder if you would have.

Elizabeth. You are my wife. My wife is perfect. My life is perfect.

Violet. You are my daughter. When I looked in on you tonight I had that rush of feeling so strong that a shiver went through my whole body and I had to move my hands really quickly to dissipate it's physical effect. Before I met you I was a "kids are no big deal, everyone's got kids and they're not that fucking special" kinda guy. You fucking ruined me. I'm gay for kids now. I love you so much baby.

My unborn 6 month old fetal daughter. If you come out retarded or ugly as shit I'll still love and protect you.




Location: Gaults Gulch
it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
PostingID: 794605266

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Copyright © 2008 craigslist, inc. terms of use privacy policy feedback forum

You Got Knocked The F&*@ Out




Wow

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Cuban pops ref...

This Cuban loser got pissed at the ref in the semifinals of Olympic taekwondo and showed how he felt.

The incident involving 31-year-old Cuban fighter Angel Valodia Matos occurred following his loss in a 176-pound semifinal to Cha Dongmin of South Korea.

The referee, identified on the match report as Klay Thomas of Switzerland, declared the South Korean the winner after Matos did not come out to fight after a 60-second injury timeout. There is a 60-second limit on injury time.

Thomas signaled Cha as the winner. Then came the kick from Matos, Olympic champion in 2000. In addition to seeking a lifetime ban of the fighter from Cuba, the Seoul-based World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) said it may press legal charges.

Friday, August 22, 2008

How To Extract Audio From Youtube

Ever wonder if there was a way to make an mp3 out of the audio from a Youtube video? Well, there is! This is old news, but for some of you it may not be.

Although there are other methods - which involve downloading extra programs and converting everything on your local machine - there are simpler ways to accomplish this task online - for free too!

Simply copy the Youtube video's full URL and paste it into the appropriate field at Vidtomp3's website. The site will auto-magically convert the audio to mp3 and offer it to you as a download. Choose a path to save your shiny new mp3.

Easy as pie. Now you can jam out to Chocolate Rain on your way to work.

MS Office Ultimate Offered For Students, 91% Off


Microsoft is offering its $680 office suite for $60 for students. Although anyone with an email address that ends in "edu" can reap the benefits.

The low price is thought to help with piracy among students, because we all know that your average student is going to look toward "alternative methods" of getting the software without paying $680.

PS3 Touchpad

Sony has announced the release of their Wireless Keypad for the PS3. Expect to see these beauties around the holidays.

If you're familiar with the 360's keypad - this is pretty much the same thing, BUT better :)

Unlike the 360's chat pad - these will have their own bluetooth connection to your console( instead of sharing the same one) It appears to have a better layout with handy shortcut buttons ( a communication button and a message box button )

The most interesting feature to me is the touch pad button. Once pressed, it allows you to "use the entire surface of the keypad as a touch pad" for controlling the on screen mouse.

The price has yet to be announced.

A High Off Of Noise?


[Straight from Gizmodo]

The site I-Doser makes the seemingly remarkable claim that playing binaural beats—pulses of two different frequencies that are slightly different into both ears at the same time—can give you a high that's on par with taking drugs. The Jerusalem Post claims that the concept has been around since the 1830s, but has only been perfected with the introduction of noise canceling headphones and better audio reproduction.

There are actually open source versions of this I-Doser app (which they might have even taken a few assets from), so you can try it out before you sink some cash into this. Their shady looking site also has a disclaimer that says "I-Doser makes no medical, psychological, physical or otherwise, claims to the effectiveness of the I-Doser application, Simulation CDs, and MP3s," which leads us to believe that it's quite bogus and most likely does nothing. Don't you think that if you could get high from a SOUND, kids would have been all over this years ago? These kids sniff cat pee!

NY Testing Out LED Street Lights



That futuristic street light might just be the way of the future. The city of New York is trying out 6 of the LED street lights in consideration for longer lasting - lower powered replacements.

The bulbs that are used currently are rated for about 24,000 hours, the new LED lamps are rated for between 50,000 and 70,000 hours and use up to 30% less energy.

Consequently - kids will have a harder time trying to bust it with a rock or bb gun.

[From Gizmodo]

Orange Hires Actors To Stand In Line For iPhone



Orange - a wireless carrier in Poland - is hiring "dozens of actors" to "drum up interest" in the iPhone 3g. Apparently the iPhone isn't as popular over there as it is here.

This is a perfect example of America's "need it NOW" way of life. They have to pay people to stand in line over there, we have people that will camp out for weeks voluntarily.

I'm one to speak - I stood in line for 3 days for a PS3... :)

[From Engadget]

Hynix Demonstrates 16GB DDR3 Ram Modules




Created by using the MetaRAM method, Hynix shows off their new 16GB DDR3 modules. Amazing, just amazing.

[From Engadget]

Ummmm FAST

What else do i have to say.................

I did the math and thats like a 3.8 40 yd dash, at 6'5 220. If he can catch better than Q, id sign him up yesterday

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Modder Finds A New Way To Play Guitar Hero: On Tour



If you have gorilla hands like I do, then you'd appreciate the work that Eric Ruckman has done with his DS and Guitar Hero: On Tour. He's modded a full size guitar controller to work with his DS.

He still uses the touch screen with the guitar pick stylus for strumming.
I wish I would have thought of that.

[From Engadget]

PSP-3000 IS Different

According to Engadget.com the PSP-3000 - which originally didn't appear to be very different from the current slim model - actually has a new and improved LCD. The upgraded LCD touts double the color gamut, 5x the contrast ratio, and double the response time of the current slim's LCD.

That's just awesome, so I AM going to have to trade up at GameStop.

UPDATE: Engadget has new pics of a LCD comparison. HUGE difference.

How To Disassemble The BlackBerry Bold

Apple finally ready for iTunes subscriptions?

Apple is getting ready to introduce a subscription service in September. Supposedly a $129-a-year iTunes service that would piggyback on Apple's MobileMe service.

Under the new service, Apple would offer unlimited access to half of its iTunes Store as of an October launch--for $129 a year, or $179 for an iTunes/MobileMe combo deal, in the U.S. only. If you're already a MobileMe subscriber, you'll only have to fork over $99.99 for the subscription service

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Coming To A City Near You...

New York's mayor Bloomberg is proposing wind turbines atop bridges and skyscrapers. He said he wants the city to start generating its own green power by using solar panels, river tides - and maybe even windmills atop the Brooklyn Bridge or the Empire State building.

Interesting idea, could we soon see wind mills atop the Sears tower, Golden Gate bridge, or other significant landmark or building? I doubt it, there are many other ways to harness energy power than cluttering the skylines of our country with windmills. Wind farms in the plains of Texas where few people live are fine, but not atop significant landmarks.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Mygazines Lets You Read Any Magazine For Free

Mygazines.com is a huge repository of magazines online. Sign-up for a free account and you get unlimited access to just about any magazine/comic book you can think of.

The user interface is pretty clean and worked well - navigation was not difficult at all.

It had all of the magazines I usually flip through at the grocery store, so the selection is good enough for me.

I'm not really sure how legal it is of them to host all of this. But hey, as long as its there - I'm reading :D

Big Surprise - Big Foot a Hoax.

BIG SURPRISE! The big foot found a few weeks ago turned out to be a big hoax. These idiots basically took a monkey suit and froze it.

Researches thawed the "body" and discovered it was a monkey suit. The guys who made the claim have since disappeared.

It almost seemed credible - a police officer and a former prison warden had claimed to have found the body and also claimed to have witnessed more of the creatures. A press conference was setup and DNA and photo evidence was supposed to be supplied along with the body.

The conference came and went with only a photo and unsubstantial DNA evidence that turned out to be human and other DNA that belonged to a possum, making the whole story sound fabricated.

As it turns out - it was. Just a stupid hoax to try and generate web traffic.

UPDATE: The men have resurfaced and have been stating that the whole thing was just a joke. The police officer has since been fired.

"All this was a big joke. It got into something way bigger than it was supposed to be," said former police officer Matt Whitton.

Whitton and Dyer said "bigfoot" was a Sasquatch costume they bought off the web and filled with possum road kill and slaughterhouse leftovers.


[via WSBTV.com]

Modder Sheds Some Light On The iPhone




Russian modders at iphone.ru have spent a lot of time with a Dremel, plexiglass, a soldering iron, and an led - and here is the "fruit" of their labor.

An awesome mod if I must say so myself, although I would prefer the option of turning it off. You know it would annoy everyone when you light up the whole room just to answer the phone or surf the web.

Michael Phelps and Facebook friends...


"Making Olympic history is a sure way to get more Facebook friends. Michael Phelps told Bob Costas this weekend that he received over 7,000 requests in a few days. Here is a transcript of the Facebook portion of Phelps' interview that was posted on USA Today

Costas: Somebody told me about an hour ago that this week on Facebook ...

Phelps: Oh, my gosh, it's crazy.

Costas: You've gone by Michael Jordan, Manchester United, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. But it doesn't stop there. You've gone by the Jonas Brothers, you've gone by Miley Cirus, you've gone by Justin Timberlake. You swept the board.

Phelps: I checked it one day and I checked it two days later, and I had like 2,800 in one day, and then I went back on two days later and had like 7,600 friend requests. I can't accept anymore, but I have those sitting in my box.

Costas: And, of course, you consider them all close personal friends, and you'll respond to them all in due time.

Phelps: Of course, of course.

Costas: Also, you got Will Smith by the way. You moved past Will Smith, at least for the time being.

Phelps: It's cool. I'm having fun. That's all I've wanted to do.

And if you've ever received a Facebook friend request from a former high school nemesis or bully, you actually have something in common with Phelps. According to this New York Times article, kids who once tormented Phelps are now trying to befriend him via the social network:

“It’s funny,” Phelps said. “Every now and then you get on Facebook and you have people you see and you’re like, ‘Wow, I went to school with them and they never said a single word to me and now they’re trying to be my friend.’ I think it’s funny.”

Facebook isn't the only way folks are connecting to Phelps. According to The Associated Press, since swimming ended Sunday, Phelps estimated he'd received 4,000-to-5,000 text messages on his Blackberry.

Awesome Custom Gaming Desk



Thom Davis built this custom computer desk that's more decked out that I can show with this picture. It has built in fans and lights all controlled by custom switches. This is probably the dopest gaming desk I've seen yet.

[From MaximumPC September 08 issue]

Oldie But Goodie - Internet Commenter



If you've ever spent time leaving or reading comments on the web, you'll get this.

This is what happens when corporations change pwn3rship.


[CollegeHumor.com]

Another Google Streets Capture



Another great Google Streets capture. That really sucks, but it makes for good blogging!

Passed Out Drunk on Google Street View



Hilarious - a guy took a taxi home after a night of drinking and apparently didn't make it past the curb. I love the random things Google has captured for its streets view.

There's a large number of people who think Google Streets was an invasion of privacy, I don't. If its out there to be seen by anyone that drives by - then you obviously didn't care enough to keep it "private".

[from Gizmodo]

The Beerdolier


For $15 you can have one of the handiest tactical party accessories on the planet. I'm not a heavy beer drinker, but this is a must have - even if its for Dr Peppers.

Brilliant. Just absolutely - brilliant.

[Buy one atBeerdolier.com]

Badass Golf Carts

Where were these when I was in high school?

We used to go "off roading" in the company golf cart by the lake. That lasted almost a whole summer - until one of the dock kids drove it off of the dock and into the bottom of the lake.

As much fun as that was, I would've given my middle nut to have had one of these bad boys that summer. Heck, I want one now. I'd drive it to work everyday.

Its ridiculously priced at $12,800. At that point - I'd rather just get a truck with 4 wheel drive. Or see if they accept middle nuts as payment.

Best Buy To Carry iPhone on September 7th

[Straight from Yahoo News]

Best Buy Co. will start selling the iPhone on Sept. 7, becoming first U.S. chain to do so outside of Apple Inc.'s and AT&T Inc.'s own stores.
ADVERTISEMENT

Wednesday's announcement by Best Buy expands the availability of Apple's vaunted phone to 970 full-size stores and 16 smaller Best Buy Mobile stores. It's also a coup for the Minneapolis-based chain, which has been upgrading its cell-phone departments.

"We had a lot of work to do, obviously, to get in a position where Apple and AT&T would feel good about Best Buy Mobile carrying it, and that's what we've done in the last 18 months," said Shawn Score, president of Best Buy Mobile.

Lian Li Xbox 360 Case



It looks like a PC case, its made by a PC case manufacturer, but its definitely NOT a PC case. Its actually a case made specifically for the Xbox 360.

Obviously, you'll have to void your warranty to use it. The plus side is that it should take care of the RROD problem with all that open space and better cooling.

Buy it online for $150 (if you know anything about Lian Li, thats really not a bad price)

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Pandora Pulling The Plug :(

Pandora may be closing shop after getting slapped with crazy royalty rates by the CRB. Founder-Tim Westergren- says that they are deciding if they should "pull the plug" and its not looking good.

Pandora has long been my favorite source of music and it will be a sad day indeed when they shut it all down.

Royalties were set so high due to the fear that these stations would lead to less music sales (a plan to put web radio stations out of business). Surprisingly, Pandora alone, has accounted for at least 80% of my music purchases last year (I'd hear a new song I like, then go buy it on itunes).

[via readwriteweb]

Dad Nails Xbox To a Tree



I guess if you warn your kids enough about their behavior, you might need to show them you mean business. I probably would have sold it or just taken it away for a while. Nailing it to a tree - that probably would not have crossed my mind.

"My husband had repeatedly warned our 3 boys about their behavior while playing the XBOX. Tuesday, after I arrived home from work, our oldest son told me to look in the backyard at "Dad's artwork". Well, I wasn't surprised to see the XBOX proudly displayed on the nearest tree... way to go Honey!!!!!"

[from ireport]

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Sprint Jumped The Gun on The Instinct...


This is the newest phone from samsung, it comes jam packed with a ton of features, the only problem I have with it is that its going to be another AT&T phone! Seriously?.....Sprint whiffs again (sigh), the Omnia is twice the phone the Instinct is.

If anyone from sprint happens to stumble across this - know, that besides your bush league coverage, this sub-par strategic decision which could classify as sacrilegious to the church of sexy technology decided your fate.

What I am trying to say, Sprint, is that this isn't working for me anymore and I think it's over. I am not going to lie and say it's not you... because honestly, it is you. You are the out of shape girlfriend that just laid around getting too comfortable in the relationship and got fat. I met someone.....she cooks, cleans, is better with directions, knows how to do math, she is younger and has a body like a Greek goddess. Her name is AT&T !!!

Heyyyyyoooooooooooo!


I am sorry you guys had to witness that, I will continue with some more specs on the new sexy Samsung phone being offered by AT&T! The Omnia.

Samsung today announced its latest all-touch smartphone, the Samsung Omnia i900, powered by Windows Mobile 6.1 and Samsung's TouchWiz interface. Sporting a 3.2-inch screen with a Wide QVGA resolution (240 by 400 pixels), the Samsung Omnia i900 offers both business and multimedia features.

The Samsung Omnia i900 operates on Quad-band GSM/EDGE and European HSDPA (7.2 Mbps) networks, but an American version may be announced later this year. Unlike most TouchWiz phones to date, the Samsung Omnia i900 comes with an integrated GPS radio, enabling GPS navigation.

The Samsung Omnia i900 offers a range of multimedia features, including a 5-megapixel camera with autofocus and face detection, as well as support for DivX, XviD, H.263, H.264 WMV and MP4 video files. The Samsung Omnia i900 will be available in 8GB and 16GB models, and a microSD slot supporting up to 16GB cards allows for further memory expansion.

Measuring 112 by 57 by 12.5 mm, the Samsung Omnia i900 is almost as thin as the Apple iPhone. The Samsung Omnia i900 also boasts stereo Bluetooth, Wi-Fi connectivity, optical mouse and an accelerometer for auto-rotation.

Except for the the Windows Mobile OS it is not too shabby.......




It didn't have to be this way Sprint...you are making me do this, if you would just make better decisions so you could have more to offer. To the left...to the left.....

The Search For Big Foot Over?


Matthew Whitton and Rick Dyer claim to have found the body of Big Foot two weeks ago in northern Georgia. The creature is 7 ft 7in and weighs in at over 500lbs.

With both human and ape-like features this could be the real deal. They plan to present DNA and photo evidence -along with the body - at a press conference in Palo Alto, CA tomorrow. Currently the body has been stuffed into a large chest freezer.

The sources seem to be reliable as Whitton is a cop in Georgia and Dyer was a prison warden.

They apparently have video of a group of the creatures the day they found the body.

More can be read about it at

Dog Plays Fetch By Himself

[By The Gift and The Curse]

DMB Concert Pics



Here they are! Pictures from the concert. It was a great show - probably one of the best I've ever seen. We had a pretty good spot up close. The only problem was that my wife had a tough time seeing the stage as we had the equivalent of the 1996 Harlem Globetrotters in front of us. I even had to lean around a dude's dome every once in a while (and I'm 6'5!).

I figured security would be tight so I didn't even bother trying to smuggle in my camera. Turns out, security was a joke. I could have made it through with 4 illegal immigrants stuffed in my shirt.

The pictures were taken with my Blackberry so even though they're only 2MP, they turned out pretty good.



To get a full screen slide show click here

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Concert Lines

The line for the DMB concert is insane. Gates opened at 5:30 - we got here at 6:45 because we decided to eat first and we wait until it cooled down a bit.

Besides, Dave doesn't hit the stage until 8.

The pictures are of the line ahead of us and behind us, I didn't have my real camera with me so its hard to make out, but the line was ridiculous .

I Got DMB Tickets....FOR FREE!



Thanks to an awesome co-worker, I now have tickets to the Dave Matthews Band concert tonight. I've never been - we're pumped!

Much appreciated!

The Problem With Twitter



Don't get me wrong - I think Twitter is a fantastic idea and I was beyond excited about trying it. I invited everyone I know to join up. I don't really care to follow up on people that I don't know. I just want to follow my friends and family - but therein lies the problem.

They don't want ANOTHER social networking site to keep up with - even if the updates are quick one liners. That's what they have a Facebook and Myspace status for. No matter how much I try to convince them - it just won't happen.

Moral of the story is - Twitter sucks when you're the only one using it and I thought my pitiful attempt at Twitter was funny - so I took a screen shot.

Might make a good t-shirt.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Simpson-ized Heros



Dean Fraser has gone to through the trouble of Simpson-izing just about any comic/video game hero you can think of - including Master Chief. That is just friggin awesome.

Find more at Springfield Punx

Bathing in sink..





























Some workers at Burger King restaurant in Ohio are in hot water with the health department, after an employee took a bubble bath in a store sink.

A four-minute video posted on MySpace captured the employee, self-described as Mr. Unstable, bathing nude in a large stainless steel sink as several other employees and a store manager looked on.

Click here for video

LZR Racer Swimsuit Kicks Ass



Speedo's new LZR Racer swimsuit is helping swimmers easily set world records. The suit is $500 and only lasts for 10 uses - expensive.

44 of the 48 world records were set this year before the olympics were set by suit wearers. I think the numbers speak for themselves.

[Read the whole article at Engadget ]

Monday, August 11, 2008

Miro is Tivo For the Web.




[Straight from Lifehacker.com]

"In the dog days of summer when there's absolutely nothing new on television (except the Olympics), it's time to start watching the web—and you need the right tool to do just that. The free, cross-platform internet video player Miro can automatically download online video series via RSS feed or BitTorrent, play almost any format you throw at it, and keep track of what you've watched and what's new and queued up for you.

More and more independent producers are putting out fabulous video content on the web, but keeping up with it by visiting your favorite video hosting web site or in your regular feed reader can be almost impossible—but setting up Miro is like getting TiVo for web video. Let's take a look at how to subscribe to free internet television with Miro."


Read the full tutorial here

Game XP Optimizes Your System For Gaming



Game XP kills off all unnecessary processes, tweaks your CPU priorities, and adjusting system settings.

Perfect for those that want to game with as many available resources as possible.

[via Lifehacker.com]

Gmail Redesigner Pimps Your Inbox


Tired of the plain interface of Gmail? If you're a firefox user - you can do something about it!

Gmail Redesigner is a Firefox plug-in that alters the appearance of Gmail's interface.

Its definately a top 20 plug-in for me.

Oh, and it pimps your Google Calendar too.

Get it HERE

Digsby Is The Best IM Client...EVER.



Digsby is quite possibly, the best IM client I have ever used. It incorporates all of your IM accounts, email accounts, and even your myspace and facebook accounts. This allows you to do everything (set your status, reply to messages, etc.) - all from one place. It even gives you live updates from the social news feeds.

One of my favorite features is the ability to reply to IM's right from the notification window. Let's say you're in the middle of reading this blog and someone IM's you - a little window will pop-up in the corner (see pic below) with their message. You can reply directly to that person in the notification window. You don't have to switch to the IM window to reply, then switch back to your browser to come back to this fantastic blog. This definitely makes quick replies simple and fast.




Take a second to check out the Features Page for more details on this amazing application.

Digsby is skinnable, theme-able, and best of all - free.

Get it HERE