Netflix, iTunes, K Mart?

     Most are aware of the popular video streaming and downloading services. These include Netflix, iTunes, Amazon's Video on Demand, and more. These are all services that let you either buy individual movies or TV shows, or, in Netflix's case, stream an unlimited number of movies and TV shows for a monthly fee.
     Apparently the idea of getting content online as opposed to walking into a shop such as the slowly falling Blockbuster, which has also started getting into the on demand market, became very popular. Popular enough that Sears and K Mart partnered up with a digital media software company called Sonic to create an online movie and TV show download site called Alphaline Entertainment.

Alphaline Entertainment Homepage

     Alphaline Entertainment may have some catch-up to do, because, although this is not a giant difference, movie buying prices are a few dollars more on Alphaline. The rental prices are the same at $2.99, but iTunes has TV rentals for 99 cents, while Alphaline only has TV purchasing.
     When watching a trailer on Alphaline vs. Amazon, Alphaline's video quality was noticeably better, but took longer to load. On Amazon, the trailer played fine in my Google Chrome browser, but on Alphaline, I had to open Internet Explorer (Which crashed on me. Again). Also, to log in, and pretty much to do anything else on Alphaline, you must be using Internet Explorer or Firefox.
      I then purchased an episode of the 1962 show The Jetsons. When I tried downloading it, the Alphaline Website told me to download the RoxioNow Media Player, which is free. After I got the RoxioNow software, I tried to find a way to download the TV episode. I still have not been able to find a way to download the media.
     Until I can get either 1. My download, or 2. My $1.99 back, I don't plan on using Alphaline again, and I don't recommend it for you. Also, how much do you trust Sears and K Mart to know about downloads, web sites, and software programs?
     For now, Alphaline Entertainment seems like a big red flag. Unless you want to watch high quality movie trailers online.

UPDATE: The problem I had with downloading the video was something with Google Chrome. To download the episode, I needed to be using Firefox, not Internet Explorer or Google Chrome. To watch a trailer on the site, I needed to be using Internet Explorer. Strange, huh?

Well, I did get my $1.99 worth of video, but iTunes: better, cheaper, and easier.

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Apple Mac App Store

     Over the past few years the idea of apps became very popular. You can now get iPhone apps from the iOS App Store, or Android apps from the Android Market (although you have to download them from your phone), you can even get apps for your Windows netbook with Intel's AppUp.

Mac App Store Running on a MacBook Air

     Apple, who kind of started the the app thing with it's iPhone and iPod Touch, is doing it again with a app store for the Mac. According to the Apple website, the Mac app store will be available for download on January 6th. It seems almost exactly like the iTunes app store for iOS, but the apps here are a lot more expensive.
     It seems that almost all of the Mac programs you can buy on the shelf at a computer store will be available for  download here. Some programs include iPhoto, GarageBand, Color Studio, and Home Watch.
     A similar program to the Mac App store exists already, called Bodega. Bodega can probably do almost everything the Mac app store can do, but must have a smaller selection.

Bodega 

     So what will the Mac app store give me that something like Bodega won't, and what benefit do I have by using this rather than going to the store and taking the software off the shelf? Why would I want to use the Mac app store?

Mac App Store Logo

     Firstly, coming from Apple, it will be a clean interface, a lot easier than surfing around the web for a download that might not even be there. Also, it will be a great place to find reviews, both good and bad, for the software.
    It seems good so far, but there a few reasons why you may want to stay away. If you have a slow internet connection, this is a bad idea. You don't want to spend hours waiting for a 1GB program to download. Also, Apple will probably have the same approval process here as they do in iOS. Apps may get pulled, and you might not be able to find the apps you want.
    So is this a good thing? For most, yes. But some may find themselves going back to the brick and mortar shops, and pulling that same old software off of those great metal shelves.

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Apple iPad MB292LL/A Tablet (16GB, Wifi)

 Apple iPad MB292LL/A Tablet (16GB, Wifi)

This little Godsend will not only keep you connected with the world at large, but will delight you with its many features. You can access the Internet; watch movies; enjoy music; photographs and even read whole books. It is vastly superior to the Kindle.

Reading on this screen is fluid and easy. The backlit display is excellent for night time reading. You can read all you want without the reading light from this iPad disturbing anyone else who might be in the same room. It's also ideal for travel, such as if you are on a night flight or an evening train.

Unlike Kindle, which is just the book, this handly little co-pilot will show you details and clear, sharp images.

Another major advantage is this product's portability. You can tote this around much more easily than a standard laptop. You can access pretty much all the information you would normally seek on your computer. Your e-mail, the Internet, weather, finances and sports are all there. That is just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak.

Although this tends to be more expensive than the Kindle, you are buying quality and greater communications functions. Kindle is good as a reader, but if you want to travel further and you want something more that includes the reading, then you want this iPad.

As others have noted, Amazon is the clear winner in presenting and providing available and new titles at much better prices. What I like about Apple is that their graphics/images are sharper and clearer and you get much more detailed imagery and information.

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Best Sound for your iPod or iPhone

     I was recently asked in a comment on an earlier post what the best or very good sound system would be for an iPod or iPhone. After doing some research, I found out a few things. One of them: sound is expensive. For good sound and features, you'll have to pay somewhere around $200.

Soundfreaq Sound Flatform

    You can get a basic iPod dock player with some moderate features for about $30, but you won't get the same great sound quality and more advanced features that you might get with the more expensive products. Before you read any further, you should probably answer this one question: Am I willing to spend for sound? If you aren't, you'll probably just pay $30-$40 for something that will play your music, probably has a radio, and maybe even has an alarm clock.
     If you want great sound quality, some sound changing effects, and maybe Bluetooth capability, you'll have to be willing to pay for it.
     For a great looking device with great sound quality, I would recommend the Soundfreaq Sound Platform. It has Bluetooth capabilities, a cool boxy design, and an FM radio. It features a cool cabinet in the side for storing the remote. You can buy it on Amazon.com for $199.99, although it is currently "temporarily out of stock". CNET did a good video review which you can see below.

  

Soundfreaq Side View

    
     For more portability, great sound, but less extra features, the Logitech S715i is a good choice. It can easily fit into a backpack for bringing it with you, and can last about 8 hours on a charge. It is available on many sites, but Amazon.com has it for the cheapest of all, $99.99. CNET also did a video review on this, which you can view below.

Logitech S715i

     More good names to look into are Bose, which is known for great sound quality, Altec Lansing, also known for good sound quality, and Sony, which has some good looking devices for about $70.
    So if all you wan't your music to play aloud, pay $30 for a cheap device that does that fine. But if you care about high sound quality, spent a couple hundred dollars on something nice.

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Victorinox 47520 Fibrox 8-Inch Chef's Knife

This knife, also known as Forschner, is consistently sharp. The Forschner 40520 was rated as "best overall" in Cooks magazine in Fall 2004. Pretty good report card from "the" chefs magazine. It took top honors over several high end ($80 -$100+) Wusthofs and Henckel models. This knife is such a value. Just a few swipes of the sharpening steel and its good as new again. The handles are comfortable and do not get slippery when wet. They are practically the only knives I use. I wash and wipe dry after each use (NEVER put in the dishwasher). I think you'll be as pleased as I if you try this knife.

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Choosing an iPod

     Looking for an MP3 player? Trying to find what you need at the best value? So you looked at user reviews of the MP3 players out there. And you decide you'll go with an apple device. Now what?
    Apple makes 4 iPod devices. The iPod Classic, iPod Nano, iPod Shuffle, and the iPod Touch.

iPod Classic

    The iPod Classic will set you back $249, but gives you 160GB of storage. It does music, videos, and podcasts, along with games. It also includes a clock and some other basic features.

iPod Nano

    The Nano costs $149 for 8GB, or you can double the storage for an added $30. It, unlike its predecessor, only does music, podcasts, and radio (a feature not available on any other models). Its small touchscreen display  might be a little too small for one's fingers. For video recording and playback, you might want to check out the earlier edition (5th generation), but get it while you can.

iPod Shuffle

     The Shuffle is available at an inexpensive $45. For that you get 2GB of storage. The Shuffle was once available in 4GB, but it seems that currently only a 2GB version is available. The Shuffle can only do music and audio podcasts. It has no screen, so you have to organize your music in the right order on iTunes.

iPod Touch

     The iPod Touch is my recommendation. It is available in 8GB, 32GB, and 64GB, at prices of $229, $299, and $399, respectively. For only $80 more than the Nano, you get video recording and playback, two cameras, the ability to run apps, a web browser, and more. Pretty much everything you can do on an iPhone 4 you can also do on an iPod Touch.
     So if all you need is the ability to listen to some music, the Shuffle should be fine. For more features, get either the current Nano, or, I would recommend the previous one. For a lot of storage, and most of what the Nano can do, go with the Classic. But if you want a very useful, fun device that can do almost everything the above devices can do and more, choose the iPod Touch.

Below is a short video advertisement for the Apple iPod.

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Wireless providers charging per service?

     It has been rumored, and maybe more than rumored, that wireless providers may start charging per service.
What this means is that your wireless carrier, such as Verizon, Sprint and AT&T, would, instead of charging a flat fee for a certain amount of data, would charge different amounts of money, see the diagram below for an example.


























     The above is an actual slide from a marketing webinar by two companies, Allot and Openet, who consider AT&T, Verizon, and Vodafone as their clients.
     So is this what we want? Is this what you want? Is this what the world wants? Or is this just what the carriers want?
     From this, it's hard to tell what the costs for plain internet browsing will be, or what it will cost to run any other apps.
     It's hard to understand what this is telling us, but we know it's telling us something, and has the ability to change our lives.

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OnLive, Online Gaming Sytem

     It's time we stop having to  go to the store to buy that new computer game. It's time we stop trying to remember where we put that disk. It's time we do something different with our gaming. OnLive is an attempt at just that.

     OnLive is an online gaming system which streams games right to your Mac or PC. You can play when you want, without having to remember where you put that disk. 

     It's a free service, and you only pay for the games. There are a few ways to purchase the games. You can buy a 3 day pass, a 5 day pass, or full access to the game anytime, although not all games are available with all three forms of purchase. Prices range from  $6 to $50,depending on which game you want and for how long.
     Besides just playing games, With OnLive you can watch others play games in real-time, play trial versions of games, and more.

OnLive on iPad

     One may run into a few issues when trying OnLive. Firstly, internet connection speed is a very important factor, and without a sufficient speed, OnLive won't even start. Another issue is th range of titles. When looking through the game library, there were only a few titles that I recognized. These include Assassin's Creed II, Major League Baseball 2K10, and Far Cry 2. Although I am not an avid gamer, the selection did not seem very wide.
     Also, besides for playing on th PC or Mac, OnLive has an iPad app, and now, a new TV connected gaming system.
    This system, which comes with the actual device and a XBOX-like controller, is available for $99. The actual device, since everything it does is through the internet, is about the size of an average smart phone. It does what the OnLive for Mac and PC does, but on your TV.

The OnLive System for TVs

          So is OnLive better than buying an XBOX 360 or PS3? You'll have to decide for yourself. Look at the  game library, and do some more research on the service. If you have a blazing fast internet connection (Ethernet, not WiFi), then maybe this might be good for you. If your internet connection takes a while to load the following video, then it's probably not a good choice.

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Samsung Captivate Android Phone (AT&T)

If you're looking for a capable and versatile smartphone, then you absolutely must consider the Captivate. I think most of the other reviewers have covered the basics of how the Captivate compares to the iPhone (and beats it), so let me mention a few features that you might not know about.

• The phone supports syncing with Exchange out of the box. Not only does it sync e-mail, but it also handles contacts and calendar. I use it for my work e-mail, and it performs flawlessly. Needless to say, you can also connect via POP3 and IMAP.

• VPN access is also available for those who need to connect to their corporate networks.

• The basic browser is quite capable, but if you want something else, then you can choose Dolphin Browser, Opera Mini, or Skyfire, to name a few.

• Although MS Office documents and PDF's aren't supported out of the box, Quickoffice for Captivate and Adobe Reader are free downloads.

• Google Navigate offers free voice-guided, turn-by-turn GPS navigation. No need to pay AT&T for their service.

• Wi-fi access is silky smooth. To enable it, pull down the notification drawer at the top of the screen and touch the wi-fi button. Wi-fi will turn on, and if you have never connected to an available network, a list of what's available will appear. Choose the network you want, enter any required login information, and click Connect. That's it, and, from then on, the phone will automatically connect to that network if it's available.

• I want to mention a little-known app called Google Shopper. Install it, and you'll be able to shop for books and CD's by simply starting the app and pointing the camera at them. The app scans the cover or barcode and shows you prices from online and local merchants. Much faster than having to manually look up titles while you're standing in a bookstore aisle. College students wondering how badly the campus bookstore is ripping them off on textbooks compared to other sellers will appreciate this app.

• And I can't forget to mention the Captivate's voice recognition capabilities. You can search by voice, and, if you switch the default keyboard from Swype to standard Android, you can use voice dictation for almost anything that you can type. And while it does make mistakes, they don't happen often.

• Google Voice is available for the Captivate, something Apple will probably never allow on the iPhone. Need separate phone numbers for work and personal use? Then Google Voice is what you're looking for.

• And finally, if you need or want Push-to-Talk similar to the service that Nextel offers, well, there are several free apps for that. They will only connect you to other Android users running the same app, but, for a business needing to have this functionality and interested in getting several Android phones, then such a solution is worth looking at. The apps are still a little rough around the edges, but give them a little time to mature.

My point here is that, although this is one beautiful phone, it's also extremely good at handling business tasks. Yes, it handles Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter beautifully, but it will also keep you in touch with colleagues and clients as well, if not better than, any other smartphone out there. ( M. Stevens,Tuscaloosa, AL)

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Gerber 22-01629 LMF II Black Infantry Knife- 4.8 inch blade

Gerber 22-01629 LMF II Black Infantry Knife- 4.8 inch blade

This model of knife was originally designed to be an ASEK (Aircrew Survival Egress Knife) and came with a cord cutter hook. The Infrantry Knife aspect came about after it was given to US troops in Afghanistan and Iraq as a demo item. It is a rugged knife, and has a window punch on its butt and a full tang blade completely insulated by the grip. This aspect came in handy to a certain sniper team in Iraq who cut a power line to a 250 KW Generator in order to dim the lights illuminating their position among around 100 insurgents. The electric arc put an eighth of an inch gash in the knife's blade, but the operator remained unshocked and was able to survive the incident. I am using it currently in Iraq, and I have found that though it isn't the sexiest of edged weapons, it is by far one of the most unyielding. Built in sharpener in sheath is nice, if you know exactly how to use it, otherwise you will nick the blade up a little. Came originally in desert tan/coyote brown, now out in straight black so I will have to by another one for my darker endeavors.

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