Sunday, March 29, 2009

Guitar Hero: Metallica New Commercial is Way Sick

If you missed it during the Elite 8 games today there is an incredibly Sick new Guitar Hero: Metallica commercial, featuring NCAA legends Coach K, Roy Williams, Rick Pitino and Bob Knight, along with Metallica.

The best part was definitely Bob Knight tossing the drum set at Metallica. I mean... it just wouldn't be Bob Knight if he didn't throw something, right? If you missed it you can check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0TPodgomLs


Guitar Hero: Metallica from Activision began rocking store shelves today which prompted the release of the new commercial. If you have an Xbox 360 you can get a free demo version here:
http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/games/media/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d80241560830/?of=1

Rock On!

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Tesla Model S Sedan Unveiled Today

Tesla Motors unveiled its much-anticipated Tesla Model S sedan today at the SpaceX rocket plant in Los Angeles. Elon Musk, Tesla’s chief executive, said the first cars would be delivered to customers in late 2011.

Three different performance packages will be available. A 160-mile, a 230-mile and a 300-mile battery pack will be the options. The 160-mile pack is the standard configuration on the base model which has a price of $57,400 (which can be cut by $7,500 with a federal tax credit). The Battery packs have an expected life of 7 to 10 years and can be easily replaced in less than 10 minutes.

In its most powerful configuration, with the 300 mile battery pack, the Model S will weigh around 4,000 pounds and have a top speed of more than 130 miles an hour. It will also seat up to 7 people, 5 adults and 2 children, with side facing seats in the back which will fold away for increased cargo storage. The dashboard has a 17-inch main display that is fully 3G and Internet ready.

Tesla is planning to make up to 20,000 Model S sedans yearly, once manufacturing ramps up to full speed in mid-2012. The company is counting on the approval of a $350 million loan from the Department of Energy to begin production.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Fallout 3 : The Pitt Available, Xbox 360 Version Pulled

The second of three planned downloadable expansions for Fallout 3 (Fallout 3: The Pitt) has hit the XBL Marketplace today. The new DLC will cost 800 MS points (about $10) and offer fans of the game new missions, monsters and more. Removing your character from the Washington DC area, this installment takes players to the post-apocalyptic ruins of Pittsburgh (The Pitt) in a search for a cure to mutation.

The Xbox 360 version (this in no way affects the PC or any other version) is apparently experiencing some odd visual glitches and has been pulled from the market.

An official statement from Bethesda said that, "We are continuing to look into the issues people are experiencing with The Pitt for Xbox 360. As of now it looks like the file for the English version on Xbox Live was somehow corrupted. We are currently working with Microsoft to remove the existing file off of Live to prevent any further downloads. Our plan is to replace it with a new file as soon as possible. We hope to have another update for you shortly."

If you have already bought the Xbox 360 version of Fallout 3: The Pitt, don't worry. I understand that you will be able to download the new file at no extra charge when it is available.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

The Wal-Mart Shooting Gang Initiation Rumor

The Wal-Mart shooting gang initiation rumor that has been going around since 2005 has proven to be a fraud. Mysterious text messages, warning women to stay away from Wal-Marts because of a possible violent gang induction, have been flying around all over the country recently. News reports in Texas, Georgia, Utah and even Hawaii have been talking about this phenomenon.

This hoax, has been giving a lot of people cause for concern. However it's just an internet rumor. It's the latest version of a 4-year-old scam e-mail warning women that gang member wannabees will kill women at Wal-Mart as part of a gang initiation ritual, according to snopes.com.The “Wal-Mart gang initiation” hoax takes several forms, but usually involves gang members planning to kill black women at a local Wal-Mart as an induction for new members.

Kelly Cheeseman, a Wal-Mart spokeswoman, said "We are aware of the message and we are working with police and our own security to make sure that security at our local stores is increased". She also stated that "While we take these things seriously and our No. 1 priority is the safety of our customers and our associates, we regard these texts as only a rumor."

The Wal-Mart shooting gang initiation rumor is just that, a rumor. I wrote this post because it is the hottest topic on the internet right now, and hopefully, with others also putting this hoax to bed my next post will be on a topic that will be a better use of my time.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

To Tweet Or Not To Tweet?

What is Tweeting? Quite simply it's making a post on the micro blog Twitter. Much like passing notes in school, tweeting has been getting people in trouble as of late.

There was the woman who was applying for a job at Cisco and tweeted about how she was unsure about taking the job. She posted that she couldn't decide if the fat paycheck was worth the long commute and that she hated the work. Well the tweet was spotted by a person who works closely with Cisco. They responded privately but the tweet was already out of the bag, so to speak.

There’s the Twitter Juror, Johnathan Powell, who was tweeting about the verdict in the case that he was a juror on. I’d have to say though, since he didn’t say anything until after the verdict was read, Powell is being defamed unfairly. However it’s still enthralling to watch as Tweeting about a verdict has become a potential case of jury misconduct.

There was also Milwaukee Bucks' forward Charlie Villanueva tweeting during half-time of a game last Sunday against the Boston Celtics (not sure what all the fuss is about there). He said that he did it to help motivate himself, they won by the way.

In these cases I'm not sure how far the line between what is and isn't appropriate to share has been crossed. But it is apparent that, thanks to Twitter, thoughts that would never have been spoken before are now being sent to thousands of people in a millisecond. Statements that would have been kept between family and friends are now spread across the internet for all to see. So Thwink before you tweet.

Monday, March 16, 2009

NCAA (March Madness) Tournament Starts Friday


March Madness is upon us. The NCAA 2009 Basketball Tournament begins this Friday. So I thought I'd throw out my picks (everyone else is) for your approval, or not.


2009 NCAA Basketball Tournament Picks:


EAST

#1 Pittsburgh vs. #16 E. Tennessee St., Pick: PITTSBURGH

#8 Oklahoma State vs. #9 Tennessee, Pick: OKLAHOMA

#5 Florida State vs. #12 Wisconsin, Pick: FLORIDA STATE

#4 Xavier vs. #13 Portland State, Pick: XAVIER

#6 UCLA vs. #11 VCU, Pick: VCU

#3 Villanova vs. #14 American, Pick: VILLANOVA

#7 Texas vs. #10 Minnesota, Pick: TEXAS

#2 Duke vs. #15 Binghamton, Pick: DUKE


WEST

#1 Connecticut vs. #16 Chattanooga, Pick: CONNECTICUT

#8 BYU vs. #9 Texas A&M, Pick: TEXAS A&M

#5 Purdue vs. #12 Northern Iowa, Pick: PURDUE

#4 Washington vs. #13 Mississippi State, Pick: WASHINGTON

#6 Marquette vs. #11 Utah State, Pick: UTAH STATE

#3 Missouri vs. #14 Cornell, Pick: MISSOURI

#7 California vs. #10 Maryland, Pick: MARYLAND

#2 Memphis vs. #15 Cal State-Northridge, Pick: MEMPHIS


MIDWEST

#1 Louisville vs. #16 Alabama St., Pick: LOUISVILLE

#8 Ohio State vs. #9 Siena, Pick: OHIO STATE

#5 Utah vs. #12 Arizona, Pick: UTAH

#4 Wake Forest vs. #13 Cleveland State, Pick: WAKE FOREST

#6 West Virginia vs. #11 Dayton, Pick: WEST VIRGINIA

#3 Kansas vs. #14 North Dakota State, Pick: KANSAS

#7 Boston College vs. #10 USC, Pick: BOSTON COLLEGE

#2 Michigan State vs. #15 Robert Morris, Pick: MICHIGAN STATE


SOUTH

#1 North Carolina vs. #16 Radford, Pick: NORTH CAROLINA

#8 LSU vs. #9 Butler, Pick: BUTLER

#5 Illinois vs. #12 Western Kentucky, Pick: ILLINOIS

#4 Gonzaga vs. #13 Akron, Pick: AKRON

#6 Arizona State vs. #11 Temple, Pick: ARIZONA STATE

#3 Syracuse vs. #14 Stephen F. Austin, Pick is SYRACUSE

#7 Clemson vs. #10 Michigan, Pick: MICHIGAN

#2 Oklahoma vs. #15 Morgan State, Pick: OKLAHOMA

#3 Syracuse vs. #14 Stephen F. Austin, Pick: SYRACUSE


Now before you go out and bet the farm on my say so be advised that you probably have just as good an idea who's going to win these games as I do (maybe even better). Enjoy the Madness of March.

Saturday, March 14, 2009

St. Patricks Day Recipes

With parades in Chicago and St. Louis and the Shamrock Festival in Washington D.C. it must be St. Patricks Day. Well almost, St. Patricks Day is actually this Tuesday March 17th.

I know that many of you will be having parties or dinners so I thought you might like a few Irish recipes to set the tone.


CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE

Ingredients:
3 pounds corned beef brisket with spice packet
10 red potatoes (leave skin on)
5 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 large head cabbage, cut into small wedges

Directions:

Place corned beef brisket in large pot or Dutch oven, add the spice packet, and cover with water. Cover pot and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for approximately 2 1/2 hours or until tender. Add the potatoes and carrots, and continue to simmer for 10 minutes. Add cabbage and cook for 15 more minutes.

Remove meat and let rest 15 minutes. Place vegetables in a bowl adding as much broth as you like and cover. Slice meat across the grain and serve.


IRISH CHEDDAR AND STOUT FONDUE
Here's a rich dish that will make a perfect appetizer for your St. Patrick's Day dinner or party.
Ingredients:
2 cups small red potatoes, halved
2 cups cauliflower florets
2 cups very small brussel sprouts
2 apples, cored, cut into wedges
1 pound Irish cheddar cheese, grated
2 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 cup Irish stout (like Guinness)
6 tablespoons frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Directions:

Steam the potatoes for 5 minutes then add the other veggies and continue to steam for about another 10 minutes until tender. Arrange the vegetables and apples around edge of large platter.
While the vegetables steam toss the cheese and flour in large bowl. Bring the stout, juice concentrate, and Dijon mustard to a simmer in large saucepan over medium heat and let reduce for 5 minutes. Gradually add cheese mixture, stirring constantly, until cheese is melted and smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper and then transfer the fondue to a bowl.
Place in center of platter with vegetables and enjoy!

Have a great St. Patricks Day and don't drink too much of that green beer especially if you're driving.

Friday, March 13, 2009

Glenn Becks' New Website The 912 Project

The Fox News TV host Glenn Beck has just today launched a new website called The 912 Project. Fan reaction to the the new site has been so overwhelming that the site has been down for hours and still is as of just a few minutes ago.

The new website is, according to Beck, dedicated to helping people find others who share the same principles and values, and to know that they are not alone.

In an article on GlennBeck.com today he wrote "Do you read the headlines everyday and feel an empty pit in your stomach…as if you’re completely alone?"

"If so, then you’ve fallen for the Wizard of Oz lie. While the voices you hear in the distance may sound intimidating, as if they surround us from all sides—the reality is very different. Once you pull the curtain away you realize that there are only a few people pressing the buttons, and their voices are weak. The truth is that they don’t surround us at all. We surround them".

The "912 project" stands for his 9 principles and 12 values which include the values of Honesty, Hope, Charity and Hard Work among others.

The new site is at http://www.the912project.com/ but it is unknown when they will have back up and running.

"X-Men Origins: Wolverine," opening May 1, 2009

Hugh Jackman unleashes the claws once again, in the role he first played 10 years ago, as the fan-favorite mutant Wolverine in "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," opening May 1, 2009.

The new X-Men movie, Directed by Gavin Hood delves into the origins of the hero, from his childhood to the day that Logan was infused with the indestructible adamantium alloy and beyond.

The film stars Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Ryan Reynolds, Taylor Kitsch, Will.i.am and Danny Huston and pits Wolverine against Sabretooth (played by Liev Schreiber) and a host of other mutants including Blob, Deadpool and the nefarious Weapon X project.

Some think that the Wolverine portrayed in the previous X-Men movies was to different from the ornery character from the comic book series. Well, Hugh Jackman must have agreed with this point of view, because as both lead actor and producer of the soon to be released Wolverine movie, he was quoted as saying:

"I'm not mad about it, but I thought he had gotten a bit soft. I thought we had gotten away from the essence of who Wolverine really is: a bad (dude) who wants to live his own life.
[...]
The character has always reminded me of Dirty Harry or Han Solo. He's a good guy, not a nice guy. He's got a lot of flaws, which I think is what people find so attractive about him and the X-Men. He's struggling with who he is and what he wants. He was one of the comics' first anti-heroes."
Hugh Jackman(From USA Today)

Going by the trailer of "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" this is the real Wolverine we've been waiting for! View the trailer HERE.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

The New Google Voice

Well, it"s finally happened: Google has finally put Grandcentral, a service it acquired back in 2007, to good use as Google Voice. The company made the announcement yesterday on their official blog.


Google Voice is a new application that allows users to get transcripts of voicemails and SMS text messages via email. The new service is free and offers "one number for life," so that incoming calls to your "GV" number get forwarded to all your other phones -- work, mobile, home or hotel room.


The key feature of the new service is that it's able to recognize the words in a voicemail message, and can then email a transcript of the message to your inbox or deliver it to your phone via SMS--kind of like having a digital personal assistant managing your calls.


The new interface of Google Voice is designed like a central inbox for all your voice communications needs, much like Gmail is for email.


Depending on how many people begin switching over to "GV", it could be a huge threat to a number of other popular services such as Skype, as well as voicemail transcription services such as Spinvox.


Some people don't need to be in contact all the time, or their communications aren't so complicated that a product like this is necessary. But it does seem likely that many will be using the new service from the Internet powerhouse.


Right now Google Voice is only available to Grandcentral users but company representatives Craig Walker, Vincent Paquet, and Wesley Chan said yesterday in the official Google blog that they would be "opening it up to others soon".

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

The New iPod Shuffle


We really weren’t expecting this, but Apple pulled the covers off its newest iPod today, the tiny iPod Shuffle.

The new product will hold up to 4GB (about 1,000 songs) and is claimed to be easier to use.
It will also be able to TALK to you giving song, artist and playlist names.

The new iPod shuffle is smaller than a key too, at just 45.2mm high and just 7.8mm thick.
But in the course of shrinking the overall size down the player controls were moved onto the headphone cord and some may not like this.

It's available in black or silver, sells for $79US, and is shipping in 3-5 days.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

2009 Big East Basketball Tournament

The 2009 Big East Tournament is hitting Madison Square Garden once again this year, and it is sure to be the very best in Big East basketball action.

Cincy's loss helps West Virginia on it's road to a first-round bye in this week's Big East basketball tournament. It got a lot smoother last Tuesday night for the Mountaineers without them having to do a thing.

If you would like to attend a Tournament game live and in person tickets may not be available at Madison Square Garden box offices. You might want to try to get your tickets online.

This years Big East Tournament marks the first time that it has included all 16 of the conference's teams, and it promises to be an electrifying week of college basketball.

The reigning tournament champions are the Pitt Panthers, who are poised again to make a run for the crown, but the conference is very strong this season and there are several teams that are good enough to win it.

The Big East Basketball Tournament is considered by many fans to be one of the premier college basketball conference tournaments, and is a great ending to the regular season and kick-off to March Madness.
Add to Technorati Favorites