BestStuff

Kingston DataTraveler Locker+ is Both Secure and Affordable

jessica — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 10:00:00 +0000

There are plenty of USB Flash drives out there, but do you want to take your data with you knowing that it's 100% secure? You can with the Kingston DataTraveler Locker+ USB Flash drive. The device is secured with 256-bit hardware-based AES encryption. The drive's contents are accessed through an easy interface requiring a complex password. Worried about someone hacking into it? You don't need to. The drive locks down and reformats after 10 incorrect password attempts.

The 100 percent encrypted DataTraveler Locker+ is available in capacities of up to 32GB. Prices start at just $36 for the 4GB. Visit www.kingston.com for more info.

The Ultimate Trip to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games

jessica — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 10:00:00 +0000

For the person who has everything (including an unlimited budget), comes ultimate Olympic Winter Games experience via the Flexjet 25 Jet Card - 2010 Gold Edition. This limited-edition jet card comes with a trip to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, as well as an exclusive experience with an award-winning athlete and a behind-the-scenes look at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

Those who purchase the Flexjet 25 Jet Card - Gold Edition (available in limited quantities), will travel on the Flexjet 25 fleet of high-performance, Bombardier aircraft, operated by Jet Solutions. The trip is set for Feb. 26 through March 1, 2010 and includes:

Exclusive access to an award-winning athlete and a memorable behind-the-scenes look at the Olympic Winter Games
Access for two to each of the most sought-after Olympic events: the Closing Ceremony, the Men's Ice Hockey Gold Medal Game, the Figure Skating Gala Exhibition and the three Short-Track Speed Skating gold medal races
Three nights' accommodation at Vancouver's prestigious Sutton Place Hotel
Olympic-certified ground transportation and an onsite personal concierge
Dining at Vancouver's most highly acclaimed eateries

With this program, jet card owners have their choice of travel on high performance Bombardier aircraft, including the Learjet 40 XR, Learjet 45 XR, Learjet 60, Challenger 300 or Challenger 604 business jets.

The Flexjet 25 Jet Card-—2010 Gold Edition starts at $122,900, with dates for the package set for Feb. 26 through March 1, 2010. For more information, call 888-240-2108 or visit www.flexjet25.com/2010.

Best Buy Announces Gateway and eMachines Blowout Sale

jessica — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 07:00:00 +0000

Best Buy and Gateway have teamed up to offer a huge Black Friday blowout sale on Gateway and eMachines netbook, notebook and desktop computers! Check out the deals below:

Netbooks

Gateway LT2005u

Intel Atom Processor N270 (1.6GHz)
Windows XP Home w/ SP3
10.1" Widescreen Ultrabright LED-backlit Display
Mobile Intel 945GSE Express Chipset
1024MB DDR2 667MHz Memory
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
160GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
Multi-in-1 Digital Media Card Reader
809.11b/g WiFi CERTIFIED
Integrated Webcam
Dolby Headphone Technology
Two Built-in Stereo Speakers
Multi-Gesture Touchpad
3 – USB 2.0 Ports
6-Cell Li-Ion (4400mAh) Battery
2.95 lbs.
NightSky Black
$319.99 (Best Buy Black Friday special $219)

Gateway LT2032u

Intel Atom Processor N270 (1.6GHz)
Windows 7 Starter
10.1" Widescreen Ultrabright LED-backlit Display
Mobile Intel 945GSE Express Chipset
1024MB DDR2 667MHz Memory
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
250GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
Multi-in-1 Digital Media Card Reader
809.11b/g WiFi CERTIFIED
Integrated Webcam
Dolby Headphone Technology
Two Built-in Stereo Speakers
Multi-Gesture Touchpad
3 – USB 2.0 Ports
6-Cell Li-Ion (5200mAh) Battery
2.95 lbs.
NightSky Black
$349.99 (Best Buy Black Friday special $259)

Notebook

Gateway NV5332 / NV5334 / NV5335

AMD Athlon II X2 Dual-Core Processor M300 (2GHz)
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit
15.6" HD Widescreen Ultrabright LED-backlit Display
AMD M880G Chipset
3072MB DDR2 667MHz Memory
ATI Radeon HD 4200 Graphics
320GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
8X DVD-SuperMulti Double-Layer Drive
802.11b/g/Draft-N Wi-Fi CERTIFIED
Integrated Webcam
2nd Generation Dolby Sound Room Audio Enhancement
Two Built-In Stereo Speakers
Multi-in-1 Digital Media Card Reader
4 – USB 2.0 Ports
1 – HDMI Port
Multi-Gesture Touchpad
Dedicated Numeric Keypad
6-Cell Li-Ion (4400mAh) Battery
5.84 lbs.
NightSky Black, Midnight Blue, Cherry Red
$449.99 (Best Buy 11/22 advertised special $399)

Desktop & Display

eMachines EL1331-05 with E182H

AMD Athlon Processor 2850e (1.8GHz)
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit
NVIDIA GeForce 6150 SE Chipset
3072MB DDR2 800MHz Memory
NVIDIA GeForce 6150 SE Integrated Graphics
320GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive
16X DVD+-R/RW SuperMulti Drive
Multi-in-1 Digital Media Card Reader
10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN (RJ-45 Port)
9 – USB 2.0 Ports (5 front, 4 rear)
eMachines PS/2 Keyboard and Mouse
Small Form Factor design
eMachines 182H wm 18.5” Widescreen LCD (1366x768)
(Best Buy Black Friday special $299)

Visit your local Best Buy store or online at www.bestbuy.com. More information on each computer can be found at www.gateway.com.

King's Bounty: Armored Princess - Review

Justin Hubbell — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 10:00:00 +0000

System: PC
Date: November 20, 2009
MSRP: $39.99

King's Bounty: Armored Princess is a standalone expansion to the multi-award winning King's Bounty: The Legend. But does it live up to its predecessor's accomplishments?

Graphics

The graphics in King's Bounty: Armored Princess (KB:AP) are beautiful! Being a PC game, you will need a fairly decent GPU and processor to maximize your visual experience. I ran KB:AP with an nVidia 9800 GTSm (512 MB) and a Core 2 Duo (2.26 Ghz). With my set up I was able to run everything on high and in 1920 x 1200 with little to no lag.

The environments are vast, ranging from medieval castles and Caribbean-like beaches to toxic wastelands and frozen tundra. Even if you don't have a very powerful set-up, you will still have a nice visual experience.

- 18/20

Sound

The sound in KB:AP is decent. It fits the game well with scores that are more upbeat in tempo when you are in battle. Overall, you probably won't pay much attention to the music as you will be focused a lot more on your battle.

- 17/20

Story

You play as Princess Amelie, daughter of King Mark, who travels to Teana, to find a man named Bill Gilbert, and hopefully save Endoria from impending doom. You start the game off by picking your class: Warrior (excels at physical attacks), Mage (excels at magic), Paladin (balanced). Also, near the very beginning of the game you will get to choose 1 or 8 dragons to aid you in your journey. The dragons have different attributes, abilities, and colors, so choose wisely.

Get ready to read, read, and read some more in this game. Every bit of dialogue in KB:AP is text based and there are deep conversation trees, too. Because of the immense text, you will find yourself just skipping/skimming through so you can get back into battle.

- 16/20

Gameplay

You control your character in real time as you move throughout the game's world. When you encounter an enemy, the game will switch into a turn-based strategy fight. Once in an actual fight, you will control your army and move and attack with each unit. Basically, you pit your army against another one to gain experience and gold to buy new units and upgrades.

You have to play smart and you can't just throw your soldier's lives away, because you never know when you will have to fight again and you could have a very weak army. You can also use your pet dragon intermittently during the battle to attack or support your troops. Your pet dragon isn't just something that was thrown into the game either. You will want to utilize him quite often to help give your army an advantage.

- 18/20

Replayability

Your army can be very broad and unique with countless type of troops you can get to join you. The troops include: archers, mages, knights, zombies, robbers, pirates, bears, griffons, dragons, and then some! You will probably want to try out all of the different units, as they all have their own unique traits and characteristics.

This game is very long and most people will probably invest at least 40 hours or more into it. The level cap is 50, there are tons of enemies and army units, and there are various abilities to learn as Princess Amelie and her pet dragon.

- 20/20

Conclusion

You have to be either a fan of Strategy Role-Playing Games or enjoyed the first game to have a true appreciation for this title. You do need a fairly strong PC to get the most out of the visuals, but it's still playable on an older PC. Additionally, the music is nice and the gameplay is excellent! I just wish I didn't have to read a novel or two while playing King's Bounty: Armored Princess.

Final Score

- 89/100

November 23, 2009
Justin Hubbell

New TomTom XXL World Traveler Edition

jessica — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:25:52 +0000

TomTom has plenty of GPS devices on the market, but if you travel frequently outside of the United States, this just might be the GPS for you. The new TomTom XXL 540S World Traveler Edition features a large five-inch screen and includes maps of the U.S., Canada and Europe.

The device also has IQ Routes technology which gives you the fastest routes to save travel time, money and fuel, as well as TomTom's "Help Me!" menu, Map Share, Advanced Lane Guidance, seven million points of interest and 4G of storage.

The TomTom XXL 540S World Traveler Edition will be available in early December for $349.95.

Best Buy Intros $197 HP Laptop for Black Friday

jessica — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:37:04 +0000

Best Buy has announced that beginning Friday, November 27 they are offering a value-priced HP laptop for $197. Available in-store only, the HP laptop features an Intel Celeron 900 processor, 2GB memory and a 160GB hard drive.

This is the second value-priced laptop Best Buy has made available to consumers. Earlier this month, they had a $249.99 Acer laptop.

In addition to the HP $197 laptop, the company will have Best Buy-Dell Limited Edition Exclusive Netbooks, which are individually numbered and designed by world renowned artists.

Throughout the holiday season, six months of anti-virus protection will be free with the purchase of any laptop/desktop/netbook from Best Buy, and one year of Napster will be included free with any Dell computer purchase.

Get more information on Best Buy's Black Friday Doorbusters by visiting www.bestbuy.com/doorbusters2009

Verizon Offering the Gateway LT Netbook for $29 this Weekend Only

jessica — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:00:00 +0000

Verizon Wireless announced Black Friday deals for this holiday weekend, one of them being the Gateway LT Netbook for just $29.99 (with 2-year agreement, after $100 mail-in rebate debit card). Weighing less than three pounds, the Gateway LT Netbook features a 10.1-inch screen, 160 GB RAM and Wi-Fi connectivity.

But that's not it! Other deals this weekend include:

HTC Ozone: Wi-Fi capable global smartphone for only $9.99 (buy one get one free)
LG Versa: the touchscreen phone for gamers, for only $29.99 (buy one get one free)
Mifi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot: Wi-Fi wherever you go for up to five people for only $49.99 after $50 mail-in rebate. (Black Friday only.)
Nokia 7705 Twist: offered this weekend for only $29.99
BlackBerry Pearl Flip: one of the most popular BlackBerry phones for only $9.99 (buy any BlackBerry device, get one free)

The deals start Friday, November 27 and run through Monday, November 30 only (unless otherwise stated) and are available at stores and www.verizonwireless.com. Stores open at 6 AM on Friday.

"We are offering the absolute best deals in the wireless industry this holiday season. Along with great prices on amazing devices, we want our customers to be connected to our 3G network, the largest in the country. We hope consumers will take advantage of these deals this weekend," said Jerry Fountain, President of Verizon Wireless-Carolinas/Tennessee region.

Photo Tips for Amazing Holiday Pictures

jessica — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:27:09 +0000

The holiday season is here, and most of us will take photos to capture our holiday memories. If you want to get great results (and who doesn't?), here are some tips from Nikon for taking amazing holiday photos this winter season. Whether you are taking photos with a point-and-shoot or D-SLR camera, these tips are sure to deliver beautiful pictures.

Holiday Photo Tips

Keep your eyes on the camera and look at the lens, not the flash, to avoid red eye and blinking
Find a simple background; it's about the people not the holiday props (so lose the elf ears)!
Focus on what's important; faces! It's called a background for a reason. Nikon cameras also offer a great face detection feature to help you
Don't get too close when using a flash, because too much light overexposes faces
Lighten up on the flash! If you're shooting holiday lights try turning off your flash and holding your camera very steady for a more stunning photo
Try new angles for posing; once you have your family and background set, take pictures from different angles to add some creative variety
Take lots of pictures: The more pictures you snap, the greater chance you will capture a special holiday moment

With these tips, you'll be sure to get great results! For information on Nikon cameras, visit www.nikonusa.com.

Nintendo Announces Black Friday DSi Bundles

jessica — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:14:34 +0000

Nintendo just announced two new DSi bundles that will be available on Black Friday. Both bundles come with five DSiWare games pre-installed - that's more than $20 in free software! Starting Nov. 27, the DSi bundles will be available in Metallic Blue or White. These are limited edition bundles, so if you want them, you better act fast!

The Metallic Blue Nintendo DSi comes pre-installed with five Mario-themed Nintendo DSiWare titles - Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again, Dr. Mario Express, WarioWare: Snapped!, Mario Calculator, and Mario Clock.

The White Nintendo DSi bundle is for those who love brain teasers. It comes pre-installed with Brain Age Express: Arts & Letters, Brain Age Express: Sudoku, Brain Age Express: Math, Clubhouse Games Express: Card Classics, and Photo Clock.

These Nintendo DSi bundles are priced for the holidays and will be available while supplies last at participating retailers.

Want to know more about the DSi? Visit www.NintendoDSi.com.

After 150+ Years, 3D is About Ready to Come Home

jessica — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:00:00 +0000

"You are not in Kansas anymore. You are on Pandora, ladies and gentleman." – Col Quaritch, Avatar (20th Century Fox, Dec 2009)

Listening to Lenny Lipton tiptoe through the history of 3D content production and viewing technology, he almost convinced you that 3D TV is finally just around the corner. Oh sure, the internationally renowned author and inventor acknowledged that there were still a few obstacles to overcome – like standards -- but after more than 40 years in the field, he's sure the goal is within reach. Sessions like his at the annual 6Sight Conference in Monterey, CA always make the event interesting, informative and challenging for techie folks. The event forces you to look over the horizon.

Stereoscopic 3D

We've all heard a lot about stereoscopic 3D. Every major content conference – NAB, IBC, IFA and CES have the big hardware guys pushing the idea that…this is the year 3D will come home.

Our kids just saw the latest shows at IMAX and can't wait for Avatar! Had to explain to them that 3D-ish stuff has been around since the 1838 World's Fair. Queen Victoria got all excited about it when she first saw stereopticon. Since she liked it…so did all the Brits. The first "real" 3 D movie was The Power of Love, back in 1922. Unfortunately, historians can't find a trace of the movie today. Who can forget the epics of the '50s – Bwana Devil, Creature from the Black Lagoon, House of Wax? And what about My Bloody Valentine?

Worth the Investment – The latest crop of 3D movies (most animated) proved that the shows could not only fill more seats but also attract a higher ticket cost. Both Hollywood and the theaters are rushing to increase their 3D offerings this coming year.

Knives thrusting at you. Bullets zinging between your eyes. Blood spurting … everywhere! Great movie to take a date to…

Today? Pabulum! About 15 3D movies will have been released this year and 2X that in '10. DreamWorks' Katzenberg has been the biggest 3D movie cheerleader. You know –IMAX movies and Ice Age 3, Up, Toy Story 3, Monsters vs. Aliens, G-Force, Christmas Carol, Avatar.

Animate with Ease

More animated films. It was explained that since they are already produced using computer graphics layers, it was relatively easy (cheap) to deconstruct/reconstruct the digital files. Of course, we were crushed to find out that these 3D creations were really closer to 2.5D. But 2.5D or 3D, movies have made a resurgence. 7000+ screens are spread across the U.S. More are in the works. 3D movies drew more people into the seats. They were willing to dig a little deeper for those sexy glasses. Don't knock the old paper glasses, they worked! The left/right eye brought the images together and the mind did the rest. It worked in the 1800s and it's still pretty good! All this is nothing new to our son, who has been doing 3D gaming for some time. Turns out his notebook system is an HDTV screen and 3D-ready screen. No wonder he spends so much time in his room…

Gaming will be the first steady diet of 3D "viewing" you'll enjoy at home. All of the content producers and hardware/software folks just got everything converted to HD so they have new mountains to climb. Nothing looks more promising than alpha to omega 3D!

Panasonic introduced their end-to-end 3DTV professional solution, with stereoscopic (dual lens) HD cameras, 3D encoding/mastering equipment distribution approach (BD) and huge plasma screens.

3D Camera – Panasonic was one of the first production and post-production equipment firms to introduce a 3D camera and supporting system. The two-lens camera has been used on a growing number of films and the company is pinning big hopes on the end-to-end solutions they offer. Source – Panasonic

Not to be outdone (naturally), Sir Howard has shown off Sony's single lens 3D camera, 3D-compatible TV, PS3, Vaio and BD family. Oh yeah…he also has a little content company. Both vow that by the end of 2010, 3D sets will be in "every home." Aren't they cute at that age? They sorta' mumbled about a few things. You know like…standards!

Home Solution Work

Doing the movie at the theater, everything--including front to back, side to side is like a closed environment. Everything is very similar and run by professionals. At home, there are more variables than you can shake a zombie at. The standards are always developed, negotiated, compromised, mucked up at a lightning snail’s pace by experts! There are just a few standards folks who expect to be heard including -- SMPTE, EBU, ATSC, DVB, ITU, SCTE, CEA, BDA, DVD Forum (hint - Wikipedia). There goes 2010!

It isn’t gloomy though if they all understand their livelihood and profits are at stake. With more escape clauses than a lawyer's contract, FutureSource does provide a realistic view of the 3D market scenarios.

Clear Roadmap – With a wide range of escape clauses on their 3D television projections, FutureSource has synthesized the strengths and weaknesses of each path the industries could possibly follow.

Did we forget anything? Oh yeah…you just dropped a bundle for a big, beautiful digital HDTV, didn't you? In fact, a lot of folks are so lonely they have nothing to do but sit at home with the telly! According to Nielsen Co. the average home in the U.S. had 2.86 TV sets. About 54% had more than three sets.

Oh Yeah – While Panasonic and Sony project large sales of 3D-ready TV sets in the coming year, they overlook or ignore the fact that: a) most people just upgraded to HDTV sets, b) many homes already have two plus sets in the house, most TV sets last 8-10 years and c) they need some 3D content to watch on these sets.

Regarding your friends'/neighbors' viewing habits:

114.5 million TV homes in U.S.
38% have digital cable
88% have DVD players
11% only get over the air reception
144 bln digital TVs will sell by 2011
75% of HDTVs sold by 2011 will be LCD TVs
35% of US households have a DVR
89% of UK homes have digital television
1.2 bln HDMI-enabled devices by 2010
Japanese and Americans watched 6.8 hours of TV a day
69% of Americans think PCs are more entertaining than TV

Good news is some of the sets are capable of projecting stereoscopic 3D images. Industry estimates there are 2-4 million sets that have are fresh rate of at least 120 Hz. May have to have a "little" upgrade, you know another $500… If it isn't done well…you'll probably get "a little" sick, dizzy, headachy, queezy, you know – uncomfortable! But ordinary folks won't get the first 3D sets. Those will go to the guys who are first in line for – everything!

Next, the systems will go into high-end home theaters where – like the matinee, there's a controlled environment. The installation crews will have their choices of a projection large 3D screen, plasma or auto stereoscopic 3D display – cool, mimics the eyes' view of space, depth, no glasses. And in your theater, you'll be playing insane games and watching dynamite disc-based movies.

Home Theater

Yes, you will!

Now that BD players and movies are cheap, hardware and content folks will work on the next-generation of entertainment solutions. You dream about true 3D content (TV). But that means everything has to be upgraded…again. That, my friend, costs time and money. Run the numbers. Stream 1080p 240fps content to everyone in your neighborhood…that's a huge one-way pipe. However, the 3D disc can deliver that in-theater experience in your home …now!

End-to-End Discs – Panasonic and other members of the DVD Forum are already promoting the concept of 3D BD discs and players. At CES and other venues throughout the year, the firms will be showing prototype and shipping systems. Source – Panasonic

It pumps up Hollywood's and CE manufacturers' revenue stream. It gives them another crack at solving the DRM (Digital Rights Management) security issue.

Game On

But, you say you want real 3D TV stuff? OK! Time to Play Ball!

SSSCCCCOOOORRREEEE – Tests are already underway around the globe to shoot and present sporting events in 3D like the Irish soccer match shown above. Sports and 3D disc movies will drive early sales until widespread 3D TV content is available. Source – Getty Images

Admit it, you'll pay to watch real lifelike soccer, football, basketball, baseball, you name it sport. You'll pay to watch Tiger on the green at Augusta as you read the green, the blades of grass, choose just the right club, make the putt, pump the arm. How cool is that? It's those selected special pay-for-view events you'll call your guy to buy the box and a couple of dozen pairs of glasses.

As Dr. Augustine said, "Just relax and let your mind go blank. That shouldn't be too hard for you."