Gadzooki

My Top Five Gadgets

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I love gadgets, especially ones that have a use.� However, I have some that are, well, in the words of Dominic Diamond: completely pants.� Lets not mention the perpetually huffy phone sim reader, or alarm that projects the time on the ceiling.� I also hate having to buy batteries.� It strikes me as odd that something unerringly odd happens to the Sky TV remote every time almost dead batteries are left in, but never mind.� Anyway, here are some things I do like:

5) Microwave
Before, during and after the completion of my degree I have loved the microwave.� I love how you can put coffee in it to heat up if you have some spare in the percolator, I love the way in which it makes you pizza (albeit soggy pizza) in only 2 minutes and it does the best scrambled egg.� For my money, a kitchen essential.

4) Coffee Machine
I love my hot drinks of tea, hot chocolate and so on.� However, nothing beats a good cup of coffee.� Recently, I’ve been sampling the varied delights of African roast from various regions and it is magnificent.� Therefore, I would rather not do without my coffee machine given that it is quick, easy to use and reliable.� It also ensures I don’t have gritty bits in the brew.

3) Mobile
Ah, the trusty mobile, hated by some, loved by others.� For me, the whole being able to contact anyone at any given time is not the benefit, however having the time, date and personal organiser is.� My new phone, the LG Chocolate Black goes one step further – it does video and has a 1.3 megapixel camera.� Yeah ok not the best by today’s standards but still pretty damn good.� I love taking pictures on the move and so it is ideal.� I’m a bit of a text fiend too, shame this particular mobile isn’t too good for that but it’s still on the list.

2) Xbox
Out of all of the current gen consoles (Xbox, Cube and PS2) I have most games for my Xbox.� I think it was sadly overlooked, and it could have been much greater with some more games.� The graphics were and are still very good, and games such as Psychonauts, Far Cry Instincts, Halo 2 and Marvel vs Capcom 2 made it a particular favourite of mine.� In fact, I’m fighting the urge to start it up now just thinking about the fun I’ve had with it.

1) Laptop
I couldn’t put anything other than my laptop at number one.� Not only is it a wonderfully powerful HD screened 17-inch monster but also it has Harmon Kardon speakers and a great touchpad.� More importantly, it’s the function that is key, not the style.� I use my laptop for almost everything – work, play, web browsing, online gaming, editing my music and more.

It is one of the things I find quite interesting when listening in on a conversation at a computer hardware store – what more does it do?� Well it doesn’t really should be the response, rather than half-baked garbled nonsense about processors.� Software is the key, and of course what exactly you want to use the machine for.� That’s why my laptop is number one in my list.� It is used for just about everything except cooking, cleaning and changing lightbulbs.� Mr Blonde is a mainstay of my gadget(ary) arsenal and I hope it stays that way for a while yet.� Long live the laptop!

In Games, Who are We?

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I was playing Half Life 2 on my new laptop (he’s called Mr Blonde – that’s him below, except he’s orange topped not pink) the other evening and I had an epiphany of sorts. Not that you can have an epiphany whilst eating digestive biscuits and drinking cold coffee but you know what I mean…

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Games by their very nature put you in a different role – making you someone other than who you really are (barring Brain Training, Nintendogs or abstract stuff like Rez). However, they can never really take away ‘you’. So whilst a person might revel in darkness in Black and White or Fable (or Oblivion), it is probably just a facet of their character they normally don’t get to explore. The following experience proves such an incidence.

Picture the scene. I’m running up the stairs, there’s unknown government agents after me, obviously wanting to hurt me in sharp-pointy-stick ways. A scared couple are cowering and a dictator is on TV (wait for it, here’s the epiphany) and I grab it. I throw the TV out of the window, still turned on. Suddenly, I am torn.

Yes, that was an experience right near the beginning from the game Half Life 2. However, my own actions brought me out of the game. That action of throwing the TV in a virtual world – albeit a realistic, interactive one – made Gordon Freeman and I two again. You see, in real life I’m a pretty neat-and-tidy sort of guy. Everything has its’ place and all that. Gordon and I have had our first moment of cognitive dissonance right then. I would have wanted the gravity gun to tidy up, to bring the TV back in place. Instead, I went and made a mess!

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I have indeed played all the way through Half Life 2 before, but I guess I didn’t really take into account such things, and almost went through it as a ‘zombie’ – a slave to the newness and graphics. I can now appreciate more of what’s going on now that I’ve been through it. So how about you? With freedom do you play ‘yourself’ or is it a different part of your character that is unleashed? Do you prefer to do what ‘you’ would do or does the freeform gaming environment allow you to run wild?

Adventures in Buying a Laptop

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This feature was meant to be product review – covering the new laptop I purchased to work and play on. However, due to the mortifying (and hilariously bad) customer service I received, instead I thought I would tell you about that. Suffice to say I didn’t, and still have not, purchased a new machine yet.

I guess I didn’t help myself really but because I work long hours I could only get to the store about 50 minutes before closing time. This should have been ample to quickly look around – and it was in one store (a general electrical retailer part of the Dixons group). I was, after a few minutes, approached politely by a young gentleman asking if I wanted any assistance. At this point I did not, so continued browsing and told him I would come back. This store was well presented and had a laptop I was interested in.

[Read more…]

So, you lost your cell phone?

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Recently I lost my Verizon Wireless phone (just a few months after receiving a free upgrade on my account). I waited a couple weeks hoping the phone would magically appear (I mean, I looked around my house;-). Pretty soon, I discovered that a phone call had been placed on the phone since losing it.

So, I called Verizon. They were able to put my cell phone number on hold for 15 days “free of charge” meaning that no one could use my phone during that time. After the 15 days, I’d have to pay a service fee to keep the number…or else risk losing it. Well, I couldn’t lose my cell phone number. It was printed on too many business cards and in too many people’s hands.

So, I had no idea what to do. I went down to the local mall’s Verizon Wireless kiosk. But those guys were complete assholes. They wanted nothing but to sell me a new phone and a new phone plan. They had no interest in being real human beings and helping a real human being with a real problem. But they did tell me to go see the other Verizon Wireless kiosk on the other side of the mall.

So off I went. Why the other kiosk was supposed to be better, I don’t know. But, indeed, the guys were cooler and nicer and more friendly. They still wanted to sell me a new plan and a new phone. One guy took me aside and actually gave me a tip so long as I promised not to tell anyone.

You see, to buy a new cell phone without also signing up for a new plan costs, at a minimum, $150. I didn’t want to spend $150. I was pissed off. But this dude was cool and he told me that I could hop on eBay and find a nice used cell phone that would work in my service area for $30. Well, I ended up getting mine for $26. The nicer phones were going for $50 or $60. I didn’t need anything flashy since this was just for basic business stuff.

The cool thing about using eBay to find a used phone is that they actually have this cool little script that tells you whether the particular model will work with your service provider in your service area. I just did an eBay search for “verizon cell phone” and voila, a whole slew of options came up. Some very nice deals.

When the cell phone arrived, I charged it up, called Verizon Wireless, and they led me through the process of programming the new phone for my old number. Fairly painless.

So, the next time you lose your cell phone, don’t fret about having to buy a $200 model. You can find some pretty nice phones on eBay for under $50. Just make sure they work in your service area with your service provider.

Motion Sensing Controllers Everywhere … But We’re Glad to See the Classic Ones, Too!

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The new Nintendo Wii controller has seen some action over at E3, and the gaming crowd’s feedback has been positive so far.

Hiptechblog, for one, finds the motion-detecting controller innovative.

Looks cool and all, swinging the Wii Remote around as if you’re actually playing the real golf/tennis/FPS. But really, we’ll only know how well it’ll catch on when it’s eventually released. Home console input devices that require exaggerated movements have never ever really caught on.

The controller will also feature a built-in speaker, in an attempt to up its degree of in-game immersion. The twang of a bowstring or the clang of two clashing blades is the kind of “close-up” sound you’ll expect to hear through the speaker.

ForeverGeek likewise finds the controller interesting, especially with how gameplay is drastically improved with motion-detection.

… a few more details about the controller were released, and it seems that the Nunchak add-on for the controller is also motion sensitive, which besides adding a bit more value to it will also allow for better gameplay options, given the controller’s very limited button numbers. Also, the controller will feature a small speaker. Though that mind sound a bit silly, one of the great examples of how it is applied, was on Zelda, when he fired an arrow with link and you could hear the bow string being let go on the controller and then the impact sound being heard on the television.

thumb-wiiclassic_01.jpgBut we agree wtih Hiptechblog that we also find quite comforting the fact that Nintendo will release a more conventional type of controller for the Wii, for use with N64 games and for people who prefer just that–a conventional console game controller.

What’s comforting to know is that Nintendo will be releasing a Classic controller (pictured right) that will work just like our typical and familiar controllers. No needs to swing the Wii Remote around like a nunchaku.

Just like the PS3’s main controller, which was retro-inspired (but definitely updated with the modernities of the latest console systems, this one’s reminiscent of the PlayStation’s dual-shock controller set, with the two analog sticks.

The Geek’s Guide To Coupons

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So I was at my friend’s house the other day eating dinner when he said to me, “You know the e-Bay coupon trick, don’t you?”

I said, “No, what’s the eBay coupon trick?” He said, “Oh, you really need to know about this. Whenever you want to make a big purchase at one of the major stores like BestBuy or CircuitCity, go buy a 10% off coupon on eBay. It’ll save you a couple hundred bucks.”

I was like, “Wo! I’d never thought about that before, but it’s brilliant. I’ll keep it in mind.” Of course, my mind immediately drifted to those Plasma, LCD and DLP HDTVs that I’ve been eyeing like this ideal 50 incher from Panasonic selling for $3324.99:

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At 10% off, I’d save $332.50. Not bad.

So I went to eBay and started browsing through thousands of coupons for baby formula, diapers, victoria secret lingerie, and groceries.

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Geeks Pick Their…Locks.

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Breakin' In

Pick Locks

For $34.99 USD you can pick a lock too. ThinkGeek is featuring a 14 piece Lock Pick Set. You know…for all those times you’ve “locked your keys in your Corellian light freighter.” 😉

The locks set includes:

  • 9 different picks (stainless steel)
  • 1 broken key extractor (stainless steel)
  • 4 tension tools
  • Leather snapover case

So really Mom, Geeks do pick their noses…locks.

All the Geeks Love Wii

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e3 2006 has started and if the headlines on Digg are any indications, all the geeks love Nintendo most. Whether it’s Nintendo’s forthcoming Light Gun or video footage of Mario Galaxy Gameplay or even the Wiimote’s Doppler Effect, the Geeks all seem to be Nintendo fanboys (just like us at Gadzooki!).

We’ll see if the Geek likability factor turns into sales this time around, or whether Nintendo’s Wii is just another sexy idea handled without proper execution. One thing’s for sure: the Geeks Love Gadgets and Nintendo Wii has Gadgets Galore.

Update: Another front pager on Digg: Nintendo Wii Virtual Console Images
Update 2: Another front page Digger: First Super Smash Brothers News for Wii
Update 3: Yet another Nintendo front pager: Take a Tour of Nintendo’s E3 Booth
Update 4: Wired Trashes Sony For Lack Of Innovation
Update 5: XBox 360 Gets Some Props for Gesture Recognition

Note: It is worth pointing out that almost all the Digg stories from e3 on XBox 360 & PS3 are lukewarm to negative.

Note 2: All of the updates mentioned above happened sequentially, without a single positive Digg sotry on PS3 or XBox 360

New Spore Trailer

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Spore promises to be a total revolution in video gaming.� Keep any eye out for it.� The technology behind the game uses a new procedural approach to video game development that will hopefully� lead the way towards an� age of dynamic gaming with unique animations and unique story lines every time you play.�

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Check out the Spore Trailor