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Wiiste of Money: Part 2
At E3 (some gaming thing I think), Ninento announced a new motion-plus sensor add-on for the wii-mote. It makes the movements 1-1. Supposed to make control wayyyy better.
It comes with Wii Sports 2 (Resort) which won’t work without it. Yay, more addons for the Wii. Sure… fine… great… The games are getting better. I like that, since my biggest complaint is the games don’t compare to the xBox/PS3 or I just don’t like them. Wii Sports as I said earlier is awesome, so another Wii sports is great.
Drops The Ball
So another good game is coming out… but wait… ONLY ONE GAME IS COMING OUT. Nintendo failed to notify third party developers that motion plus was coming out. The developers found out about motionplus the same time the rest of us did. Know what that means? Another sample game (Wii Sports Resort) will be the only game to use motionplus for some time.
The problem with a lack of quality titles for the wii is only going to increase. Nuts to you Nofriendo!
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading ...Posted by Tyler 
Posted in: Technology 
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July 2008
I Wasted My Money On A Nintendo Wii
I bought Alanna a wii as an early birthday present, as I thought it would be really fun for us to play together and with friends. Would I go through with the purchase again?
Hell no.
In fact, I am really tempted to sell it. I am not a gamer by any stretch of the imagination, but I like these new party style games. Wii Sports is a perfect example, but the games I really love are the Rock Band/Guitar Hero style of games.
First let me start with Wii Sports, it is fun to play with friends, but I tire of it quickly. The mini games, are for the most part fun, but very limited.
The tennis is the best gameplay of the sports. The only problem is that the longest you can play is best 3 of 5 games. You can’t even play a full set. Its a very cool demo at most.
Baseball sucks. No defense, no intangibles, its hitting and pitching and nothing else.
Bowling is probably the best game. You get to play a full game, which is very nice, it actually feels like bowling!
Golf is my favorite. The game action is very cool having to hit with the right force and read the wind. The problem is that once again it lives in demo territory. There are only 4 clubs, 9 holes, and not much else.
Boxing. I’m not a fan, gameplay is iffy, as its tough to tell exactly what you are doing. I don’t ever play it.
Now wii sports is the best example of wii gameplay, but after 1 week I am getting bored with it. I am looking at some of the other sports games, but they don’t seem to be the same. For instance TopSpin 3 (tennis) makes you control the player with the numchuk, it makes it more of a gamer type game. Tiger Woods golf may be a saving grace, I am going to rent that this week.
Now the saving grace… The music games. No wait. They are a giant ripoff.
Rock Band is a perfect example. The PS2 version is $100, the XBOX/PS3/Wii versions are $170. The wii features match the PS2 version. Gah. The main kicker for me (and the reason I am returning Rock Band) is that there is no song downloads! Instead they try to sell you song discs. That is $30 for a bunch of songs, but I really only want 4 of the songs, and is $7.50 + tax per song. No way. Rock Band goes back.
Now what happens with the wii, I think Alanna wants to keep it, and it is her present, so I am fine keeping it, but unfortunately I am goign to have to spend another $500 to get a 360 and Rock Band, although I may wait to get Rock Band 2, and just buy the Rock Band 1 game. There should be good interoperability.
So in short, the wii is a big money waste. If you are a happy spending $500 for wii sports, then its fine, but there isn’t much else.
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Posted by Tyler Posted in: Technology 1 Comment » July 2008
Screwing Over By The Telcos Continues: Txt Msg Version
Jim Prentice has asked the Telcos to explain their new text message money theft scheme.
Well here is the low down, you need to pay for incoming text messages, even spam. Can you turn off text messages? No. So there is a potential cost that could be quite large. As you look at the situation more closely you realize that this is a charge that the consumer has no control over. You can’t stop them, you haven’t requested them, there is no pay per use on this.
Further complicating things, is that it is possible to send text messages pretty well free of charge. Example, Bell allows SMS messages to be sent through email addresses:
XXXXXXXXXX@txt.bell.ca
So in theory, you could send 1000 emails to that message inbox, and it would cost the customer $150 -$0.15 per message. Nice system eh? The customer can’t block it, and the only way to protect themselves is to buy a text messaging plan. This is a scam of astronomical proportions and I am very glad that the industry minister has focused on this!
(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5) Loading ...Posted by Tyler Posted in: Technology 2 Comments » July 2008
New Speakers… in Council Bluffs No Less!
I ordered some new speakers earlier this week.
Last weekend I went auditioning, and couldn’t find anything that was exactly what I wanted, but the AV123 rockets fit the bill with a less bright top end, and a little bit more punch for rock music.
Anyway I got the AV123 Rocket 760s:
As well I got the RSC200 Center (Affectionately referred to as ‘Bigfoot’):
And the RSS300 Surrounds:
As you can imagine I am pretty excited and have been watching the tracking. Well today where do they end up! COUNCIL BLUFFS! If you are a huge Tim Kasher fan (Cursive/The Good Life) you would know that he lived near there and has referenced Council Bluffs in a few songs off of The Good Life’s Album of the Year:
Album Of The Year:
spring was popping daises
around rusted trucks and busted lawn chairs.
we moved into a studio in Council Bluffs
to save a couple of bucks.
where the mice came out at night.
neighbors were screaming all the time.
we’d make love in the afternoon
to chelsea girls and bachelor number 2.
i’d play for her some songs i wrote
she’d joke and say i’m shooting through the roof.
i’d say they’re all for you dear.
Inmates:
When you said you’d leave me…well, why haven’t you left me? What are we still doing here, so desperate for company? There’s a greyhound on Jackson Street, there’s an airport in Council Bluffs…hell, there’s a car in the driveway – fifty ways to get lost.
Two of my favorite songs on the album to boot! I figure that this is a good omen. I hope that Tim’s stuff sounds great on the new speakers!
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Posted by Tyler Posted in: Personal Life No Comments » June 2008
Oh Cursive is SO COOL!
It has been about one year, no not since I blogged last, although it may feel that way. It has been about one year since I saw my favourite band Cursive the one and only time I saw them. It was a great show, and with all the shows I have seen over the years it is hard for me to say that. I honestly wasn’t disappointed. I figured that in honour a year later I would post a list of what I think are Tim Kasher’s best songs (in order no less):
- Sierra (Cursive)
- Art Is Hard (Cursive)
- O’Rourkes 1:20 AM (The Good Life)
- A Gentleman Caller (Cursive)
- Inmates (Acoustic) (The Good Life -Version that Tim sings)
- The Great Decay (Cursive)
- The Martyr (Cursive)
- A Little More (The Good Life)
- The Radiator Hums (Cursive)
- Album Of The Year (The Good Life)
- Staying Alive (Cursive)
- Driftwood: A Fairy Tale (Cursive)
- Ceilings Crack (Cursive)
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Posted by Tyler Posted in: Everything, Personal Life 1 Comment » May 2008
Slagging Other Companies Goods
Yesterday I went to AudioTronic on Merivale Road in Ottawa to price some receivers to see how the local price would compare to ordering from the states (I’m ordering from the states).
He was asking what speakers I would be using…
For the past few months I have been researching speakers, I have narrowed down my decision to Paradigm, PSB, Aperion, Elemental Designs, and Axiom Audio. I want to listen to at least 3 of those (preferably in house) to get a better idea of what I want. Pretty much all of the systems will be in the near Audiophile calibre and will cost somewhere in excess of $2,000.
I am actually leaning towards Paradigm, PSB, and Axiom since those 3 companies are Canadian have all been around for many years and all have a good reputation. Speakers are very personal item, and are somewhat dependent on your room, and other componentry.
I will be trying Axiom as they offer a 30 day money back guarantee, and while you have to pay for return shipping yourself, my cottage is near their office, so I would be able to return the speakers myself if I choose. Couple that with the fact that they are about half the price as the other two Canadian contenders and it seems that they will be the first ones I try.
…back to Audiotronic. I told the sales guy that I was leaning towards Axiom speakers. His reply: ‘You know those are crap?’
What constructive criticism. He doesn’t sell them so they obviously are terrible. I asked about auditioning some of the speakers he does sell, in my home. He basically refused, or said I may be able to take some speakers they have on the floor for an afternoon. Very apparent that he doesn’t stand by his speakers which aren’t ‘crap’. I asked him how much the setup that I was considering from paradigm would be and he told me $4000, more than double what I was looking at from Axiom. Nothing against Paradigm, but this guy at Audiotronic really turned me off his store. Oh well… back to those who pride themselves on service.
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Posted by Tyler Posted in: Everything, Technology 1 Comment » April 2008
Bank Commercials
They are on TV all the time. Those bank commercials where they have to remind people that they are independently wealthy.
Customer: My car is broken, my daughter wants to be a doctor, and I’m retiring in 27 minutes and forgot to save…
Banker: Would you like a breakfast nook?
I suppose my question is why do you never see the following in bank commercials?
Customer: I need to retire in 10 years, my ungrateful kid needs another 10k for a victory lap at university, and my savings are lacking…
Banker: Judging by the fact that you ran up a 5k bill on your credit card last month, and have missed 2 mortgage payments this year, not only can we not help you, but we need to raise the rates on your line of credit and lower the limit. Come to think of it, you are a moron and have no money and no hope. Have you considered going to a different bank?
Sigh. No every customer leaves the bank feeling like they won the lottery. Funny how I don’t know anyone who leaves the bank feeling that way.
(2 votes, average: 5 out of 5) Loading ...Posted by Tyler Posted in: Everything 1 Comment » April 2008
Disappointed With Richcraft - For the First Time
For the first time I am disappointed with my home builder. That isn’t bad considering that I have been in the house for over 4 months.
We have had some minor issues but Richcraft has been very quick to come and fix them. Today they were in looking at a minor issue, so we decided to ask about our grass.
A quick little break down:
Committed to buy the house in March of 07. House was slated to be completed in November 07 (it was). We were to take possession in December 07 (we did). Now the houses across the street were completed in September and they had their sod laid in October, and at the same time had their driveways paved. Finishing in November our side of the street did not have that gone, and as such our yards are mud, sand and gravel, and our driveways are gravel.
Back to today, we asked about when our yard and driveway would be completed. They told us July or September! Unbelievable, we basically need to live in a muddy puddle of crap for the better part of the summer - AT LEAST! The reasoning for this? Because the ground needs to settle and the company that does the landscaping needs to become available. I’m sure that its more of part 2 rather than part 1, since I don’t see how much more setttling they are waiting for considering that the neighbours across the street were able to get their grass a full year ahead of time.
Gah… In a few weeks -when the snow is done melting- I will post photos of my muddy nightmare.
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Posted by Tyler Posted in: Everything, Personal Life No Comments » April 2008
HD World…
Everything HD, all the time. That is the way is should be.
Last night I kept flipping back from the SD hockey game to the HD baseball game. Its so hard to watch SD content now. As I was watching the baseball game a commercial came on. It was a commercial for the JVC Everio HD Camcorder. I was thinking to myself: Well that is a toy that I should have!
But wait… This commercial with the smiley baby and big hair is in standard definition. Why would a company trying to attract HD users on an HD channel not shoot their commercial in HD. I mean, its a commercial and most commercials are still in SD, but really if you are trying to sell an HD accessory you would think you could advertise it well in HD.
Still looks like a toy I would want…
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Posted by Tyler Posted in: Everything, Personal Life, Technology 1 Comment » April 2008
Friday Marked The Day!
Friday marked the day that my actual Enbridge usage matched the amount that they estimated for January 7th. Friday was the 28th of March. Note that it took 116 days to use the same amount of gas that they estimated I would use in 35. I am using 3 times less than they estimate.
My advice: Read your meters frequently, and correct them if things are hugely out of wack. They love your money, and if you don’t call, then they love your money more than you do.
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Posted by Tyler Posted in: Everything, Personal Life No Comments » March 2008