Month: November 2005

Notes for 11/27/2005

It felt like a relaxing week, but it was still quite busy in retrospect. That time of year I guess.

  • The big news of the week has to be that I got my Xbox 360. Be sure to check out my initial review. The 360 is great!
  • I discovered the group chat feature in MsgPlus tonight. Basically it will group all your windows into one window that you can then use to switch between them using a toolbar, or CRTL-TAB like other applications. Not sure if I like it yet, but good idea.
  • Lots of you probably knew that Friday was called “Black Friday” – the day retailers turn a profit for the year, but how many of you knew that tomorrow is considered “Cyber Monday“? It’s the day retailers start a marketing blitz and introduce heavy discounts for their web operations.
  • It was a busy weekend for Edmonton sports teams. The Rush had their training camp yesterday, and the Eskimos won the Grey Cup today!
  • LiveMarks is a cool page for watching what people bookmark at del.icio.us in real time.
  • Larry questions whether content is really king or not. He then states that the value of content itself seems to be declining. I’m not so sure that’s the case. I would argue that content has never been king – information is all that matters, and more specifically, the ability to derive some sort of knowledge from that information. That’s why newspapers are dying while Google is soaring – it used to be that newspapers were best at providing knowledge but lately Google and others like them do a better job. Same goes for blog aggregators.
  • I am actually going home for Christmas this year (it’s been a while). I leave Edmonton on the 23rd of December with Tom, and return on January 2nd. It’s gonna be damn cold and full of snow. On the plus side, my parent’s TV is HD ready for my Xbox 360 😉
  • For everyone who watched the Grey Cup today – what did you think of the halftime show? I could have come up with a dozen better acts than the Black Eyed Peas. I like BEP, but they are definitely a “listen to on the CD and watch the video on TV” kind of act. Darren didn’t care too much for them either.

Edmonton Eskimos Win Grey Cup 2005!

Post ImageI went over to my brother’s today to watch the Edmonton Eskimos take on the Montreal Alouettes in the 93rd Grey Cup. I was really hoping we’d see Jason Maas for the Eskimos at some point during the game, but it turned out that Ricky Ray put on a good show to lead the Eskimos to victory! It was definitely close though, and even went to OT:

Sean Fleming booted the winning field goal in overtime to lift the Edmonton Eskimos to a thrilling 38-35 win over the Montreal Alouettes in the 93rd Grey Cup Sunday in what will go down as one of the greatest contests in the history of the CFL’s championship game.

It really was a great game. Here are some other highlights:

  • Ricky Ray was named game MVP after completing 34-of-44 passes for 367 yards and two touchdowns. His first of the game was also his first in eight games (sometime late September).
  • Danny Maciocia becomes just the seventh head coach since 1950 to win the Grey Cup in his first season.
  • Edmonton is just the fourth team in CFL history to finish third in its division during the regular season and win the Grey Cup.
  • Tony Tompkins returned an Alouettes kickoff 96 yards to give Edmonton a 20-18 advantage going into halftime and set a Grey Cup record in the process.
  • This is Edmonton’s second Grey Cup title in three years and 13th overall.

Let the celebrations begin!

Read: CBC Sports

Edmonton Rush Training Camp at WEM

Post ImageI watched some of the Edmonton Rush training camp today at West Edmonton Mall with my brother (and Kimmi too, though the lure of shopping was too great for her). Tom is a big lacrosse fan, so he was quite excited that he could check out the camp, though not so thrilled that the little kids got all the good stuff (like stickers). Wondering who the Edmonton Rush are? They’re our very own lacrosse team, and they play in the National Lacrosse League. They had a whole day of activities planned for today at WEM:

The Edmonton Rush will announce tomorrow, Saturday, November 26 at West Edmonton Mall’s Ice Palace its player roster for the 2006 NLL Season. Players will be introduced to fans at 11:00 a.m. and following introductions the Rush will officially open its 2006 main training camp.

The roster of 23 players and 3 practice players has been built through trades, signing of talented free agents, draft picks and an open tryout camp in October.

I’ll definitely have to check out a game or two when the season starts after the holidays. Apparently they have a really good “dance team” too, cheerleaders!

Read: Edmonton Rush

Eggnog Season

Post ImageI mentioned earlier this month that the Starbucks Christmas Drinks are one of my favorite parts of the holiday season, and the Eggnog Latte is far and away my favorite (a quick search reveals I mentioned this in 2004 too). I think it’s because I like Eggnog itself so much! Last night I went grocery shopping with Kim and Tom, and bought a litre of Eggnog. As I poured myself a glass in the office, Dickson (who hates eggnog, by the way) asked why they only sell it during the holidays. Good question, and I haven’t found a really good answer. This one is the best I could find:

Today eggnog is used in a very different way. Now stores only sell eggnog around the holidays because eggnog is seen strictly as a holiday drink. Wealthy Brits often celebrated eggnog because it was a new drink that would not spoil. Considering that refrigerators were not yet invented, this was a big deal. This may be an explanation for why it is only served around the time of cheer and celebration. For some, eggnog is a drink that is symbolic of the holiday season in general.

I also found an interesting eggnog history, a recipe for Holiday Eggnog from the Alberta Egg Producers, and a bunch more recipes for things like Chocolate Eggnog and Eggnog Martinis. If you want to try my favorite holiday drink, pour some rum into your eggnog!

Don't Wait for Vista

Post ImageMy friend Kevin recently posted about how impressed he has been with the Windows XP experience (he switched over from Apple). No matter your religious affiliation, it’s hard to ignore that XP is a very stable, solid operating system, and the upcoming Windows Vista will only build on that. In fact, Vista looks so promising that the Gartner Group has changed their original advice:

Gartner Group has clarified its advice for when users should consider moving to Microsoft Vista, saying that organizations still running Windows 2000 should consider upgrading as soon as Vista ships.

Previously, Gartner had advised that “companies shouldn’t rush to upgrade to Microsoft Windows Vista” and that “most firms could safely hold back until 2008.”

I was impressed with how stable the Beta 1 release was, at least as far as the fundamentals are concerned. I am really looking forward to Beta 2. And seriously, 2008? Five years has been long enough without a new version of Windows, thank you very much.

Read: CNET News.com

Xbox 360 Initial Review

Post ImageI am calling this an “initial review” because I expect that my opinions will change over time as I use the system more, learn more about it, and get some new and interesting games. So far, I am incredibly impressed with the Xbox 360, and here’s why:

Physical Design
The Xbox 360 is a very attractive device, and is definitely more than just an evolution over the original Xbox. Dickson remarked that he thought silver might have been a better color, but I actually quite like the white and silvery-grey color scheme. The 360 is also a very appropriate size, meaning it’s not big and clunky, but it’s not tiny and fragile either. The ability to stand upright or down flat is also a cool design feature, and one that I think more devices should have. Another nice feature is that the console doesn’t feel too heavy. The USB ports are nicely hidden away until you need them, as are the memory ports. The controller feels natural and comfortable in your hands, unlike the original Xbox controller.

Perhaps the only design feature that I really do not like about the 360 is the power brick. The thing is massive, as you can see here. I guess they were really worried about another problem like the original Xbox had, but seriously, the thing is massive. The console itself is smaller, lightweight and perfect for taking from place to place, but that damn power brick would seriously make any trip a lot more work.

Technology
I’m sure you’ve heard all about the three cores the Xbox 360 has, the fancy video capabilities, etc. Unfortunately I haven’t really been able to see them in action yet, so I don’t really want to comment. There’s other technology though, like the wireless controllers – easy to setup, comfortable, and you don’t notice any lag or anything. They work great! I like that there are three USB ports (two at the front, one at the back), though I wonder if I could plug in a USB hub – I’ll have to try that. Would have been nice to have wireless Internet integrated, instead of a separate purchase! I have to go to Andrew’s to try the HD features on his fancy TV, but the cable alone makes me want a better TV!

Xbox Dashboard
I really like the Xbox Dashboard (the software that acts as your interface with the device). The interface is extremely intuitive, and it also looks very attractive. Everything seems to be laid out quite well, and the different areas of the console (Xbox Live, Games, Media, System) are color coded. The only oddity is that sometimes an information screen or input panel appears on the right and sometimes on the left. There’s probably a pattern, I just haven’t used it enough to figure it out yet. (I don’t know what they call them, but think of a horizontal toast (those little MSN popups in Windows)).

Xbox Live
The integration of the console with Xbox Live is very deep, and I think it works very well. Xbox Live definitely feels like it’s an integral part of the console, one of those killer features. I only have a Silver membership right now but that will probably change as soon as I get some more games. My gamertag is MAQXBL. I definitely need to explore the Xbox Live Marketplace and some of the other features before I comment too much. So far I have noticed there’s lots of videos and demos for download (I am downloading the Kameo demo now).

Media
Much has been written about the 360 being Microsoft’s trojan horse into the living room – and my oh my were those articles ever correct. I am currently listening to music that is stored on my computer, but is being played through the Xbox 360 (which is hooked up to the big speakers). I can also view pictures that are on my computer on the TV using the 360. If I had a Media Center PC the integration would be even tighter, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the Xbox 360 spurs sales of those computers. The interface is pretty good, and everything just works which is the important thing. Well almost everything. I couldn’t get the 360 to recognize my Zen Touch or my Canon Digital Rebel, though the instructions say I need to change a setting on each of the devices to make them send stuff over the USB. Not sure how to get that working, but I’ll play with it a little more.

Games
Finally I get to the games, which is really what the console is all about right? I picked up Perfect Dark Zero yesterday, and Dickson and I played a few co-op missions last night. It’s a pretty neat game, though in some places it felt as though it was sort of rushed. There is lots more to explore in the game though, so I’m quite happy with it. The 360 also comes with Hexic HD, which is an Xbox Live Arcade game similar to Bejeweled. It’s pretty addicting, even though it’s quite simple.

When you play a game on the Xbox 360, you can press the Guide button (big Xbox button on the controller) to bring up a screen showing your Gamer Card, the music player, links to Xbox Live, and some other stuff. Very neat integration! I need to get some different games to see how it works, because I expect there will be some cool Marketplace integration too. Unfortunately the screen isn’t available when playing an old Xbox game on the 360, but that’s okay.

Other
There’s lots of little things about the Xbox 360 that are just great. Here are some of the things I noticed:

  • The ability to turn the console on using just the wireless controller is a very smart feature.
  • I like how the Xbox Live headset plugs into the base of the controller, which makes sense having a wireless controller and all! Would be neat if it supported Bluetooth though too.
  • The music player has some really intense visualizations!
  • The ethernet cable that comes with the Xbox 360 is very long – much appreciated! I hate when the cables you get are like two feet long.
  • The only impossible to open package was the second controller I bought. None of that annoying hard plastic stuff in the console box, just easy to open plastic bags. Again, much appreciated!
  • The hard-drive is removable. Genius!
  • Halo 2 works as expected.

The lineup yesterday morning at Best Buy was fine until they opened the doors and just let everyone through. It was utter chaos as people pushed and shoved their way to the accessories and games. I was very lucky to have grabbed the second controller. Just a sign that Microsoft has done a great job stirring up interest in the console. I wouldn’t be surprised if Xbox 360 sales shatter the predictions all the analysts are making.

So I’m hooked now. There’s so much to like about the Xbox 360! I can’t wait until I get some different games as well, to see how the Xbox 360 really performs.

Read: Xbox.com

Xbox 360 Acquired!

I got in the line at Best Buy this morning at 6:30 AM, and was fortunate enough to get one of the “guaranteed” sheets of paper. Around 8:30 AM I walked out of the store with my new Xbox 360 Premium and a second wireless controller!

So far the console is awesome, I am really impressed. I’ll post more later, but for now there’s some pictures up in my Flickr account.

No Xbox 360 Yet!

There was a pretty fancy event going on at Futureshop tonight on Calgary Trail! They had the spotlight truck going, a road hockey setup, booth babes, and of course three or four consoles hooked up to big TV’s. If you preordered, you could stand in line. If you hadn’t preordered you were given tickets with numbers that would be drawn for the chance to stand in line. I talked to a couple of the guys in line and they said that there were people there getting tickets at 4 PM this afternoon, so showing up an hour and a bit in advance like I did was pretty useless (even though the lineup was very short).

So my plan is to line up very early tomorrow at Best Buy. I think the midnight event carries a bit more glitz, and given that it was rather warm out today, I am not surprised people were there so early. There won’t be any fancy event outside in the morning (at least I haven’t heard of anything), so I am hoping my chances are better. Even still, I’m just going to have a quick nap and get there as early as possible. Wish me luck!

And yes, I realize that if it doesn’t work out in the morning, it could be a while…

Interviewed for Xbox 360

Post ImageI was interviewed last week about the Xbox 360 launch, mainly because I had posted about it here on my blog a few times (here’s a search for xbox). At the time of the interview, “Santa” hadn’t yet told me that my wish would be granted (I only talked to my parents this weekend about it). Here’s what I had to say:

Some gamers say the steep price tag will force them to wait for Santa Claus.

“I’ve been telling friends and my parents all I want for Christmas is the Xbox 360. Just pool together,” said Mack Male, a 21-year-old from Edmonton.

“It doesn’t matter to me if I have one at midnight but I want it as soon as possible . . . Part of the fun is being part of the first group, being able to say ‘I was the innovator. . .I got there first.’ ”

Well now I can be there at midnight! Cool thing about that article is that it’s a Canadian Press article, so it’s actually in at least six different newspapers right now. I guess the next couple of days will be very focused on the 360 here, but your regularly scheduled blog will return.

Read: National Post

Xbox 360 Shortage?

Post ImageI am lining up tonight, despite the chance that I may end up leaving empty handed. Seems that lots of stores have already sold out their initial orders simply from Internet pre-orders. I would think that the stores opening up at midnight would have kept some aside though. If it turns out that Futureshop doesn’t have any more at midnight, I’ll line up at Best Buy in the morning!

Wall Street analysts expect a shortage in the United States, with some saying Microsoft has purposely stoked demand beyond the company’s ability to meet it.

Microsoft is “trying to turn this into the Cabbage Patch Kids,” said Michael Pachter, an analyst with Wedbush Morgan Securities. He said he expected Microsoft to constantly publicize stories of stores that were sold out to inspire press coverage and water-cooler talk of when the next shipment would arrive. “It’s brilliant marketing.”

I think I was too young to remember the Cabbage Patch Kids craze, but I would guess it was similar to the Furby or Tickle-Me Elmo crazes that were more recent. I remember searching stores for both, just to sell on eBay. Of course I wasn’t quite old enough to do it myself, so it was a team effort with my Dad.

In any case, such demand would be very good for Microsoft and the Xbox 360.

Read: New York Times