Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Harmony in life

The image above shows all the remotes I've been dealing with so far, and yes it is a very difficult life ;-) That is until now, when I came back from office today, a package from Dell was awaiting at my door, Logitech Harmony 880. It took a while to configure the remote to control all the gadgets, but it is time worth spent. It even controls our Roomba :-)

Now all those remotes are replaced by this elegant beast.

Harmony in life at last!

later...

Voice Chat apps

I had my laptop rebuilt with Vista RTM version and had to install the instant messengers to get connected to my family across the globe. My brother is waiting for me to come online with either Windows Live Messenger or Google Talk. I started with Live Messenger, it's a huge download, 17.9 MB, took about 8 minutes to get it installed, but for some reason I was not able to sign-in (Beta apps!). Gave up and started with Google Talk, it's only 1.5 MB and in about 2 minutes I was voice chatting with my brother. I'd say that's usability. I don't know what is the business (monetization) model for Google Talk, but it is light and it does what it's supposed to do. Even though Google Talk is a new comer to the instant messaging world, it is a clear winner in terms of usability and it is very well integrated with GMail. I understand Live Messenger got lot of other features, but do I need it? Perhaps, we need a Windows Live Messenger Lite?

later...

Thursday, November 23, 2006

Mailbox locator

It's holidays, that time of the year Post offices are super busy! If you're having difficulties finding the location of near by mailbox, here comes the mailbox locator.

later...

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Happy Birthday Xbox 360

It's been one year and still at the top of the console war..Woo hoo way to go Xbox!

Check out the celebration.

later...

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

I'm glad that I didn't buy PlayStation 3

[source: New York Times article]

As time goes by, PlayStation 3 might get better, but for now I have the best gaming console in this generation :-)

Some excerpts from the NYT review of PlayStation 3...

...Even after Microsoft took the lead in the video-game wars a year ago with its innovative and powerful Xbox 360, Sony blithely insisted that the PS3 would leapfrog all competition to deliver an unsurpassed level of fun.

Put bluntly, Sony has failed to deliver on that promise...

...they are not discernibly prettier than the Xbox 360’s. More important, the whole PlayStation 3 system is surprisingly clunky to use and simply does not provide many basic functions that users have come to expect, especially online.

Personally I take a lot of time for my first use, but this quote is interesting :-)

...When I reviewed the 360 last year, I wrote: “Twelve minutes after opening the box, I had created my nickname, was in a game of Quake 4 and thought, ‘This can’t be this easy.’ ”

I never felt that way using the PlayStation 3. With the PS3, 12 minutes after opening the box I realized that Sony inexplicably does not include cables to connect the machine to a high-definition television. Keep in mind that one of Sony’s main selling points has been that the PS3 plays Blu-Ray high-definition movie discs. But high-definiton cables? Sold separately. The Xbox 360, by contrast, ships with one cable that can connect to either a standard or high-definition set...

Friends list is the most credited feature of the Xbox, you need your friends in any game and the ability to chat with them. Looks like Sony half-baked this in after Xbox 360's success.

...The PS3’s whole online experience feels tacked-on and unpolished. On the Xbox 360 each user has a single unified friends list, so you can track your friends and communicate with them easily, no matter what game you are in. On the PlayStation 3 most games have their own separate friends list and some have no friends function at all. There is a master list as well, but in order to communicate with anyone on it, you have to quit the game you are playing...

and my favorite...

As a practical matter, given the limited quantities Sony has been able to manufacture, the PlayStation 3 will surely remain sold out throughout the holiday season. If you can’t find one, don’t fret. Sony still has a lot of work to do. As Mr. Grant of Joystiq put it: “Maybe in six months it’ll be finished. Maybe by next fall I’ll be able to do all the cool stuff. I’m still kind of waiting.”

Not me, I'll happily play on my 360 :-)

later...

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

HD-DVD and Wireless Wheel

Look what I got home today!

must...play...Xbox...racing...movie...

later...

Monday, November 13, 2006

Cricket in Xbox 360

[Announced]

Coming in HD next March '07 is the Brian Lara International Cricket 2007. I believe this is dubbed to Yuvaraj Singh International Cricket 2007 in India. Nice marketing to promote Xbox 360 in India! Oh, and Yuvaraj Singh is the brand ambassador for the 360 in India and so is Akshay Kumar. Check it out the announcement here and the ad featuring both the ambassadors here.

later...

Monday, November 06, 2006

Trailer: Gears of War

I usually don't play FPS or MP games (I'm not good at that is another reason!), but this trailer of Gears of War made me want to go buy the game on the first day. Especially, it's great to watch on my new TV

later...

Friday, November 03, 2006

Finally...1080p

It was a long search for a HDTV, I wanted a TV which can do 1080p over Component and  HDMI. Most of the TVs (including the Sony XBR2 & XBR3) doesn't do 1080p over Component. Samsung models does it and they were on par with the XBRs. I was having trouble in deciding between the Samsung HL-S5087W (DLP 50") and Samsung LN-S4695D (LCD 46"). Even though, I was not feeling well today (common cold and slight fever), I decided to fulfil my search today. It was almost closing time for Circuit City, finally decided for LCD and thanks to my friends in transporting and unpacking the huge box, now the LN-S4695D decorates my living room.

After unpacking, hooked it up first to my Xbox 360, went into the system blade and switched the output to 1080p...awesome! [Yes, Xbox 360 now outputs 1080p over Component and VGA through the fall '06 update]. Especially the GOW trailer, wow! Yet to get the HD broadcast, but even the SD looks great.

Let me go soak in all those pixels.

later...

Thursday, November 02, 2006

Brown Start?!

[New black theme for Windows XP SP2]

Feeling jealous about the black interface of Windows Vista? Head out to Zune.net to get the new black/brown Zune Windows XP Desktop theme in celebration of Zune release this month. Prepare your Windows XP for the Zune player.

later...

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

Windows Live Contacts Control

[Show your visitors' contacts on your web page]

Windows Live Contacts gadgets is officially renamed to Windows Live Contacts control and updated. Now site owners can create mashups based on visitors' contacts. Cool.

later...