I run this joint. Don’t know where to start? Let me show you around:
The toy compact disc you see pictured above is not compatible with PS3 hardware — in fact, the little booger is twice as thick as standard CDs.
But the irregular gauge nor warranty endangerment would keep my little Sadie from trying to play “I’m a Little Tea Pot” on the ill suited $500 machine this past Monday. Amazingly, the PS3 took the disc, but wouldn’t give it back — the Blu-ray drive was in duress.
According to the Federal Trade Commission (PDF), more than 30 million Americans fell for one of the top 10 scams of 2005.
10. Business Opportunities: .8 mil
9. Credit Repair Scams: 1.2 mil
8. Advance-Fee Loans: 1.7 mil
7. Unauthorized Billing – Internet Services: 1.8 mil
6. Credit Card Insurance: 2.1 mil
5. Work-at-Home Programs: 2.4 mil
4. Prize Promotions: 2.7 mil
3. Unauthorized Billing: Buyers Clubs 3.2 mil
2. Foreign Lottery Scams: 3.2 mil
1. Fraudulent Weight-Loss Products: 4.8 mil
Part of me wants to feel sorry for these 30 million people — just because you can exploit the ignorant doesn’t mean you should. But the other part of me thinks these dupes got what they paid for: succumbing to naivety or believing that cutting corners can produce superfluous results.
Enter the most absolute of all cliches: “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” But alas, people don’t want wisdom — they want to avoid hard work at all costs.
[via Consumerist]
TV Spot #1: Horribly bad acting. Laughable. A waste of money.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30yxHqSUva8[/youtube]
TV Spot #2: Direct, effective, though slightly forgettable.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ay4vXZWxeuU[/youtube]
Outdated visuals suck. Enter the high-resolution remake; an effective way to revitalize and modernize classic gameplay for a new generation of gamers or for those wanting to experience a favorite for the second time. For a good example of what we’re talking about, think of Super Contra on Xbox Live Arcade or even New Super Mario Bros. on the DS.
Due to their enduring levels and game design, these are the games that would most benefit from high definition graphics, updated sound, and extra content.
Seth Mnookin, a freelancer of four years, waxes poetic on the subject of unproductive efficiency in a recent Wired column:
“My campaign to increase productivity had become yet another distraction — and a significant one. Suddenly I needed to time-manage my time management… [so] I forced myself to quit optimizing how I get things done and start actually getting things done.”
Amen to that — and precisely in line with what Timothy Ferriss counsels in The 4-Hour Work Week. Productivity, not efficiency, is paramount. Now if I could only practice what I preach…
I’m a big fan of video games. I write about them, play them, and deny my addiction to them when not eating out with Lindsey and the girls or watching sports. One game I’m particularly excited for this holiday is Rock Band.
The Associated Press has the story: “While “Guitar Hero” limits participants to one instrument, “Rock Band” will accommodate a singer, a lead guitar, a base or rhythm guitar and a drum kit. To score points, players must hit exactly the right note, the right tempo or sing in key. “You can play it alone, with your friends, or online,” says Brent Dady, product manager of EA.”
I’ll still buy the new Guitar Hero later this month when it’s released on Wii, but am anxious to play Rock Band with a group of friends. Interestingly, the latter game is getting so much attention that music labels are asking how they can get involved to combat struggling album sales.
Rock Band releases Nov. for Xbox 360, PS3, and PS2 with a Wii version expected earlier next year.
The AP explores the phenomenon of Brazilian technobrega – a movement that encourages and exploits pirated music in an effort to promote ticket sales of live show performances. It’s a very interesting read on a country I know and love.
From the article: “‘Piracy is the way to get established and get your name out. There’s no way to stop it, so we’re using it to our advantage,’ explains Gabi Amarantos, who frequently appears on Brazilian TV on the strength of bootleg sales of her CDs (from which artists don’t get a cut).”
Again, if you haven’t already go watch Good Copy Bad Copy like now. Go on. Shoo! It’s really good — though it does contain some explicit language given the coverage of hip hop music and copyrights.
… While looking from my living room window (in Orem). Photo was taken with a point and click digital camera made by Canon that cost $119 when purchased three years ago. Don’t be fooled: It’s the beautiful surroundings — not the camera or camera man.
I love Utah.
Answer: prominently list your service fees on your home page to weed out unfitting clients.
If you sell products, this is a no-brainer. But since a majority of U.S. business are service-based companies, this is a must if you want to spend more time closing business instead of qualifying it. At the least, and when using custom bids, you should be listing your minimum purchase order on your home page (yes, I said home page) — and DON’T bury your pricing; make it palpable.
“But I don’t compete on pricing, so there’s no need to list my fees,” you may exclaim. Neither do I. But the reality remains that a majority of consumers still do, so you’d be wise in politely showing ill-suited customers the door sooner rather than later — it really is better for all involved.
I’ve been doing this for two years now and can honestly say it has increased my close rate while improving my sales effectiveness (read: no more wasting time on clients I’m not well-suited for). I regularly refer prospective web clients to my single-page (though outdated) site to ensure they understand from the get-go if I’m within their budget.
Madison Snow spawned Thurs. Oct. 11, 2007 at 4:22pm MDT. She weighed 8.2 oz and is 19 inches long. Mom and baby doing fine…
Hello world!
Steve Krug argues in his book Don’t Make Me Think! that a good program or product should let users accomplish their intended tasks as easily and directly as possible. The less time it takes a person to complete a desired task (even if only by a few seconds), the more satisfying it becomes. When that happens, people are more likely to use a product in greater frequency and return for more. So in the spirit of improved usability, here are ten standard features every videogame designer should embrace.
Despite its problems, the United States is still the most opportune place to go from rags to riches.
I refamiliarized myself with this concept two weeks ago after stumbling upon a program on CNBC that examined the storied (and controversial) history of the McDonald’s burger empire.
The report profiled one man who was raised in the slums without an education. Fifteen years ago he started in fries at the Golden Arches. Now he’s about to become a franchisee. The move will make him a millionaire given all the business McDonald’s generates but predicated on the man’s dedication.
Stories like this inspire and remind me that monetary riches are made by perseverance, not by industry.
Sadie woke up early today. After getting up with her and dozing off on the couch, she unfortunately decided to turn on the Today Show on NBC. I don’t watch morning shows, and now I know why. The programming is pathetic — it’s like a prolonged advertisement filled with periodic non-news and weather updates every 10 minutes. Just horrible…
Which made me wonder: Will morning shows continue to air once the baby-boomer generation passes on? Who else is watching this dross?
My first born turns two today. Happy birthday, squirt! Slide show by her mother.
As the Tokyo Game Show comes to a close, we pay homage to the major gaming contributions wrought in Japan with a nifty time line spanning more than a century.
1889 – Nintendo is formed in late September by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce handmade hanafuda cards which are used for several popular Japanese games. Over the years the company will transform into one of the most powerful and influential video game companies in the world.
1941 – Gunpei Yokoi is born. His ingenuity in creating a mechanical arm for his own enjoyment while on the job would later inspire Nintendo authoritarian president Hiroshi Yamauchi to extend Nintendo’s business beyond that of playing cards. Yokoi would go one to design Metroid and the Game Boy before dying in a car crash in 1997.
I got a good chuckle today in reading a comment by my younger sister Lexia on my wife’s blog.
“Considering that the last time I set my alarm was for 5:30 PM, I would not consider myself ambitious when it comes to setting clocks,” she replied when asked about her wake-up schedule. “I am the complete opposite of ambitious. I am not a morning person either and hate any kind of sound before noon.”
Now that’s an idiosyncrasy!
Even though Wal-Mart spreads like a germ, as evidenced in this video, times are changing (sorta).
The Wall Street Journal reports: “Wal-Mart’s influence over the retail universe is slipping. In fact, the industry’s titan is scrambling to keep up with swifter rivals that are redefining the business all around it. It can still disrupt prices, as it did last year by cutting some generic prescriptions to $4. But success is no longer guaranteed.”
Note: I shop and buy groceries at Wal-Mart.
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated images 30 musician’s who also happen to be avid sports fans… Eddie Vedder a Cub’s fan and Robert Plant a tennis enthusiast. Who knew?
I wrote the following for the November issue of Business 2.0. Unfortunately, the magazine went under in October. Just my luck.
I purchased the Pantone Huey a few months ago on a recommendation by a friend. I had heard of monitor calibrators before, but mistakenly thought they only benefited persons with noticeable monitor discrepancies. The problem is that many times the human eye doesn’t readily observe discoloration, thus their owners continue to live in an imprecise and misrepresented world. The Huey has received many awards, it’s affordable, and it’s from the creator of the most widely-used color classification system around. In addition, the hardware enhances visibility for a variety of lighting environments and supports both Windows and Macintosh operating systems. Since first using the Huey, my monitor accuracy has peaked ensuring that both my readability and usability projects are done in superlative form.
After 10 million votes, the results are in. Designer Mark Ecko will brand Barry Bonds’s record-breaking home run ball with an asterisk and the Hall of Fame will accept it — blemishes and all. Let it serve as a reminder that it takes more than a number to earn the respect of your peers.
“This ball wouldn’t be coming to Cooperstown if Marc hadn’t bought it from the fan who caught it and then let the fans have their say,” Hall of Fame president Dale Petroskey told The Associated Press. “We’re delighted to have the ball. It’s a historic piece of baseball history.”
What a *perfect* exhibit for a museum.
DISCLOSURE: After reading Game of Shadows and numerous reports, I’ve come to the conclusion that a) Barry Bonds is not a cool dude, and b) he knowingly took steroids in an effort to break records despite his being one of the greatest hitters to ever play the game.
Mercury News
Microsoft released Halo 3 for Xbox 360 today. The game will sell millions, it’s already getting very good reviews, and Microsoft hopes (and needs) the game to be the biggest entertainment launch in history to reverse ongoing losses in its Xbox division.
“With nary a pirate, a spider or a wand in sight, day-one sales of [Halo 3] are expected to shatter entertainment sales records and top the biggest entertainment launches of all time,” Microsoft said in a statement. The current holder of that record is Sony’s Spider Man 3.
Over the weekend, Microsoft sent out what game journo Dean Takahashi called “propaganda: an $800 bribe (shown above) to convince the gaming press that Halo 3 is the biggest event of the year.” Takahashi says he’ll send the free loot back to Microsoft in an effort to tame the hype.
I could be wrong, but assuming Takahashi’s calculations are correct, the swag bag could be one of the most exorbitant press kits ever released. But will it serve its purpose in convincing the world by way of glowing coverage that Halo 3 is a mass media event that transcends rank and file video game enthusiasts like myself?
I’m not so sure.
Halo 3 needs to be more than a great game to achieve its commercial objectives. It needs to boost and maintain solid Xbox 360 sales which have slowed in a post-Wii world. It needs to offset the $10 million plus in marketing costs that Microsoft has so far shelled out. It needs to appeal to a lot more people than it has in the past even though the third installment is largely the same game.
But it will need more than an auspicious swag bag to accomplish all that, and I don’t think any game, regardless of who makes it, is that good.
… like this one.
My wife Lindsey is a natural writer. Here’s her latest perceptive, genuine, and punchy post on parental expectations, entitled Never Say Never:
A week prior to the third and final game’s release, we examine 20 signs for determining if you’re a Halo addict. Believe.
Clothing designer Mark Ecko bought Barry Bond’s record-breaking 756 home run ball for $750,000. That’s cheap considering all the publicity his brand is getting.
Take it away, ESPN: “Barry Bonds thinks Marc Ecko, the man who purchased the ball from his 756th home run, is wasting his money, according to a report in the San Francisco Chronicle. Ecko, a fashion desiginer, purchased the baseball for $750,000 and is taking votes on the Internet on what he should do with it: Give the ball to the Baseball Hall of Fame, brand it with an asterisk or blast it into space.”
This story will run in every major sports section in the nation. Ecko Clothing, which targets sports fans, will see an influx of web traffic and brand interest. Sales will spike, not to mention Ecko’s mindshare, and the brilliant marketer would have done it for a measly $750,000 greenbacks.
Nice form.
What constitutes a colossal flop? After hours upon hours of research (thanks Google and Wikipedia!), the following games were selected from a pool of mediocrity due to their brazen use of hype, failed expectations, dismal sales, or all of the above.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXIGeGhEhAs[/youtube]
Watch the replay. Surly a sign of the times.
BYU committed 14 penalties for an unthinkable total of 138 lost yards in their 55-47 loss to lowly Tulsa on Saturday.
Who’s to blame for the slipshod play? Head coach Bronco Mendenhall — the guy seemingly doesn’t discipline his players.
Said the coach after the game, “On the offensive side, we executed at our highest level.”
You did? Four sloppy turnovers and 138 lost yards (a large part of which were on offensive) are superlative execution? You’re living in la-la land if you think that, Mendenhall.
How about you make your entire team run 100 wind-sprints for every penalty committed, regardless of the offender? Do the same if not more for turnovers. Having never coached college football, I can guarantee those penalties, fumbles, and interceptions will rapidly decrease as a result.
You don’t have to win, just hold on to the freaking ball and don’t commit careless mistakes.
Mountain West Conference teams, BYU chief among them, have no case in whining and complaining about a lack of respect offered by mainstream media when compared to stalwart SEC, ACC, Big 10, and Pac 10 teams. How can you respect this kind of mediocrity?
The answer: you can’t.
It’s been more than two years since I’ve seen a live band perform, the last being a piano-rock trio named Keane. Before that, it was 2-3 years since seeing a live concert as this thing called life, family, and work slowly takes over.
Tonight I’m going to seeing another trio named Muse with some friends. While I enjoy groups of all sizes (I’m an equal-opportunity fanman), I’ve always liked three-man rock bands for the following reasons: Continue reading…
As the voting season slowly heats up, I (an unaffiliated, apathetic voter) would like to know:
Why/why not in the comments, please.
Lindsey and I are anxiously awaiting the pending arrival of our second child next month, a girl that will don the ever-popular name of Madison (Maddie for short). Despite my being a newbie dad, I’ve learned a few tricks in keeping a pregnant wife happy.
Here are five suggestions for doing just that.
Take it away, Mr. Jobs:
“We have decided to offer every iPhone customer who purchased an iPhone from either Apple or AT&T, and who is not receiving a rebate or any other consideration, a $100 store credit towards the purchase of any product at an Apple Retail Store or the Apple Online Store. Details are still being worked out and will be posted on Apple’s website next week… We want to do the right thing for our valued iPhone customers. We apologize for disappointing some of you, and we are doing our best to live up to your high expectations of Apple.”
Nice form. (Thanks, Nic!)
Steve Jobs told a class of Stanford undergraduates in 2005: “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life,” meaning don’t let external factors such as other people’s thinking dictate how you make a livelihood. In short, do what you love.
But doing what you love is just some overused romantic expression that doesn’t really apply outside of über geeks like Jobs, right? Wrong. Despite its being cliché and having been hijacked by get-rich-quick schemes, doing what you love can be achieved by anyone assuming you have the patience to seek it out, have the guts to act on your instincts, and are not easily persuaded by societal pressures when determining your career path.
Since 1999, major console makers including Microsoft (MSFT), Sony (SNE), Nintendo, and the now-defunct Sega have been touting online gaming as a mainstay of the industry. And though online console use is rising, mainstream apathy means the initiative has never matured.
Of the 172 million systems sold in the last generation of consoles*, an estimated 5 million gamers ventured online — representing just three percent of the market. But wouldn’t you know it, each and every major console circa the early 2000s was capable of online play (some better than others).
By comparison, there are currently 26 million “next-gen” consoles in households (11M Wiis, 11M 360s, 4M PS3s). As of August, Microsoft’s Xbox Live claimed more than 7 million active users, including paying and free silver account users that aren’t privy to online multiplayer.
Here’s a nice little update on an old childhood friend of mine, Matt Holliday.
The AP reports: “Holliday, who has reached base in a franchise-best 38 straight games, finished 2-for-4 and edged ahead of Atlanta’s Edgar Renteria and Chase Utley of Philadelphia for the NL battling lead at .337.”
Matt, despite having you put the athletic thump on us in middle school, Jeff, Barry, Brian, and I would have never have thought for a second that you would one day lead the National League in batting average. Nice work, and keep it up!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPT7q825gwI[/youtube]
I may have spoke to soon regarding my previous “best music video ever” comment as I forgot about this 2:21 minute gem; Wax’s California directed by Spike Jonze in 1995. The shot allegedly only took 12 seconds to shoot, but the execution (not to mention the premise) was flawless. Nice!
We have a little trash extraction system in the Snow household: Lindsey empties our trash cans with haste and leaves the bag just outside our front door for me to take down to the dumpster at a later time so she doesn’t have to scale the three flights of stairs from our penthouse rental. It’s a good system.
I didn’t always think that way, however, as Lindsey apparently doesn’t like to fill the trash bags with dross before readying them for the dump truck (not to mention the fact that she buys the nicest, most expensive bags money can buy). It gets worse just before company comes over as was the case yesterday. Before the company arrived, I took out a trash bag that was less than two-thirds full.
This would have bothered me in our first year of marriage having been reared in a house where you literally had to jump on a trash bag to fit everything in. But now being a “seasoned” married individual of more than four years, I just chuckle when taking out light loads.
The upside to Lindsey’s fastidious trash habit? We’ve never had a spill, leaky bag, or stinky kitchen in our house during marriage.
I finally maxed out my RAM capacity (2GB) on my 2004 desktop PC during this the last week of summer. Up from 1GB prior, the thing is now smoking! OK, not really smoking, but it’s running smoother with added zip.
My local apps now pop open with haste, and I’m convinced the internets load faster in FireFox as well.
With a video card upgrade sometime next year, I’m hoping I can get some added mileage from my trusty 2 GHz Compaq Presario. Have you upgraded your RAM lately?
[RAM courtesy of Crucial]
Lindsey and I went to see The Invasion tonight. It’s a solid, creepy movie that doesn’t drag on too much, has some awesome foreshadowing cinematics, and presents a rather believable story. Good stuff.
The trailers before the film were pretty good also. Here are two movies I plan to see this fall…
Dan in Real Life
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Happy anniversary, Bella!
The latest wave of Microsoft Office 2007 ads are just lame.
Do I smile on my way to work because I get to use Gmail, WordPress, Dictionary.com, PhotoShop, Dreamweaver, iTunes, Bloglines, or any other technology? No. To suggest otherwise, especially with software as boring and commonplace as Microsoft Office, is comical at best.
The ads are unconvincing and go unnoticed (unless you’re critiquing their stupidity). One demerit for Microsoft’s ad agency.
I’m going to let the AP sum up the news cause I’m lazy today:
“Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. will offer next-generation DVDs in the HD DVD format and drop support for Blu-ray, further complicating the race between the competing technologies… With Paramount dropping Blu-ray support, Time Warner Inc.’s Warner Bros. remains the only major studio releasing movies in both formats.”
Can someone say stalemate? Oh, and my PS3 just lost some value (it doubles as a Blu-ray player).
Here’s an interesting article on the hi-definition format war. From the article:
Blu-ray and HD-DVD are as much a revolution as Video-CD was compared to VHS. They’re an evolution at most but of course that’s not something the companies pushing the formats want you to realize.
The author notes that HD could be achieved on standard DVDs (which it could, albeit compressed and sparing extras), but that companies are forcefully pushing new technologies onto consumer to make up for lost DVD player and disc margins. Can’t say I disagree.
Assuming you’re talking to the right person, offer more than just money, and ask the right questions. Tom Chiarella lays it all out in a 2005 Esquire piece examining what it takes to become a good haggler. It’s a hilarious read to boot.
From the article: “When I asked if a price on a tube of Crest was firm, I was met with the blankness that only a haggler knows. But I found that if you ask the right questions, there are deals to be had.”
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inA-36YRV0Y[/youtube]
Looks fun. *rolls eyes*
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F79iThUEWFg[/youtube]
Duct Tape in lieu of a ski mask. Cornholio-style t-shirt for added anonymity. Can it ever get any better than this?
A new school year is creeping ever closer, and it’s time for the editors of GamePro to grade the year in gaming.
