Since yesterday was Black Friday, the shopping season has officially started for a large number of Americans across the country. I managed to spend ~$170 on nothing but video games and DVDs at Circuit City, even though I know I need to begin saving dollars I can waste while in Tokyo in six or so weeks. Oh, that reminds me I should probably purchase plane tickets and accommodations sometime in the near future.
Most of the money I have to spend in the immediate future will probably be spent towards presents and small American trinkets for my family in Japan.
Cheers!
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Friday, November 23, 2007
Today is Black Friday
Black Friday is the day where millions of Americans will fuel up on coffee and head out to wait in long lines in sometimes freezing weather. I'm going to head to Circuit City to buy a bunch of cheap DVDs and a present or two for my little brother -- I am going to try and spend as little time as possible in the store.
There is a continuing trend towards shopping online and Cyber Monday, which is a much less stressful (but not near as entertaining) event. For those of you wanting online deals, there are a number of online resources, such as this one.
There is a continuing trend towards shopping online and Cyber Monday, which is a much less stressful (but not near as entertaining) event. For those of you wanting online deals, there are a number of online resources, such as this one.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
WolfKing Announces Two Gaming Products Designed for Women
Here is a moderately interesting press release that came through my inbox recently:
As someone who has reviewed a small number of gaming products in the past, I have received questions from people who wanted to hear about gaming products for women. It wasn't long ago when I was unable to show interested consumers products that they would like.
(Englewood, NJ) - November 20, 2007 - WolfKing, a world leader in theI guess it was only a matter of time before gaming products were targeted towards women, especially with high-end gaming products becoming so popular on the market these days. Even though there is still a misconception that chicks don't dig video games, it looks like females somewhere out there in cyberspace are gaming! ;)
innovation and creation of gaming input devices, today announced it is
customizing its award-winning WARRIOR gaming pad and TROOPER gaming mouse to
appeal to female PC gamers. The specially designed gaming devices, which
will be sold exclusively through Dell, provide the same high level of
quality that consumers have come to expect from WOLFKING.
The Girl Gamer WARRIOR (MSRP: $34.99) features the same 54-key circular
layout and USB 2.0 plug-and-play capability as the original WARRIOR, but now
features a Flamingo Pink accent gradient on top of a full stealth black
matte finish, with polished deep black audio keys. It offers all the
functionality of the WARRIOR, but with a feminine touch.
The Girl Gamer Gear TROOPER (MSRP: $39.99) also features the Flamingo Pink
accent over a 6.4 megapixels-per-second laser mouse with a dpi range of
800-2200. The sense of style doesn't compromise the high-end gaming mouse
functionality gamers expect from the TROOPER
"Female gamers have an incredibly high set of standards when it comes to
quality as well as design," said Bob Costlow, director of sales, WOLFKING.
"You can't just paint something pink and say it's for girls. The Girl Gamer
products give women access to fully functioning, hardcore gaming devices,
but with an aesthetic touch."
As someone who has reviewed a small number of gaming products in the past, I have received questions from people who wanted to hear about gaming products for women. It wasn't long ago when I was unable to show interested consumers products that they would like.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Oracle OpenWorld, Day Three
Really tired, but am fueled on a lot of caffeine at the moment - and I will keep topping off the fuel tank until I can get to bed tonight.
The Jonathan Schwartz keynote was this morning, and it was one of the things I have been looking forward to the most from OpenWorld. Here is the article I wrote about what I feel is the most important part of the event. I'll discuss some Sun and Schwartz-related things next week, once I get a few personal things resolved.
Larry Ellison is giving his speech/keynote at the moment, so I guess I should start paying attention to what he is saying!
The Jonathan Schwartz keynote was this morning, and it was one of the things I have been looking forward to the most from OpenWorld. Here is the article I wrote about what I feel is the most important part of the event. I'll discuss some Sun and Schwartz-related things next week, once I get a few personal things resolved.
Larry Ellison is giving his speech/keynote at the moment, so I guess I should start paying attention to what he is saying!
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Oracle OpenWorld, Day Two
Already starting to burn out from all of the keynotes and meetings that have taken place, but have to keep pounding through them.
At least I got something productive done: Oracle debuts VM virtualization technology
Tomorrow is the big Jonathan Schwartz keynote and Q&A session, which I hope will be rather exciting news. Even though Sun used to get pounded in the media just one year ago, I think Schwartz is finally convincing people he knows what he is doing as president and CEO.
Check back tomorrow, and hopefully I have some exciting news!
At least I got something productive done: Oracle debuts VM virtualization technology
Tomorrow is the big Jonathan Schwartz keynote and Q&A session, which I hope will be rather exciting news. Even though Sun used to get pounded in the media just one year ago, I think Schwartz is finally convincing people he knows what he is doing as president and CEO.
Check back tomorrow, and hopefully I have some exciting news!
Monday, November 12, 2007
CSC Continues to Make Splash Under the Radar
The Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) released a press release last week announcing the purchase of First Consulting Group, a company responsible of providing IT products and services to health care organizations. The deal will be worth $365 million, or ~$13 per share.
"By taking this step, we have notably accelerated our healthcare business plan and advanced toward our goal of transforming healthcare through the use of information technology," said Russ Owen, CSC Americas Commercial Group president.
CSC hopes to have the deal completed sometime in the first half of 2008.
We understand the company can handle its business and acquisitions, but CSC now needs to learn acquire better marketing and public relations skills.
"CSC is the biggest company you've never heard of," according to a rather brash CSC employee.
How true! With more than 87,000 employees throughout the world, CSC is best known as the key sponsor of the powerhouse Team CSC cycling -- something CSC is very passionate about. Even avid cycling fans who watch Team CSC's progress throughout the summer usually aren't really sure what the company does to be able to afford a cycling sponsorship.
In case you're even remotely interested in what the company does, here is some reading material.
I am curious to hear what, if anything, the company is doing to try and let people know what a juggernaut it is.
Did you know who CSC was before reading this blog post?
"By taking this step, we have notably accelerated our healthcare business plan and advanced toward our goal of transforming healthcare through the use of information technology," said Russ Owen, CSC Americas Commercial Group president.
CSC hopes to have the deal completed sometime in the first half of 2008.
We understand the company can handle its business and acquisitions, but CSC now needs to learn acquire better marketing and public relations skills.
"CSC is the biggest company you've never heard of," according to a rather brash CSC employee.
How true! With more than 87,000 employees throughout the world, CSC is best known as the key sponsor of the powerhouse Team CSC cycling -- something CSC is very passionate about. Even avid cycling fans who watch Team CSC's progress throughout the summer usually aren't really sure what the company does to be able to afford a cycling sponsorship.
In case you're even remotely interested in what the company does, here is some reading material.
I am curious to hear what, if anything, the company is doing to try and let people know what a juggernaut it is.
Did you know who CSC was before reading this blog post?
Oracle OpenWorld 2007, Day One
I am almost done with the first day of Oracle's OpenWorld expo in San Francisco, and boy am I tired! A few decent announcements, but I am honestly not using this blog to cover all of the big announcements that I know you guys could simply go to Google to learn about - instead, I am going to cover the more obscure topics I find during the show.
I spoke with Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) today about a recent acquisition the company made, what the company is doing at OpenWorld, and how it is expanding its brand recognition.
Also spoke with Hewlett-Packard about its blade server technology, which I will be talking about in the next couple of days.
Expect a bunch of random news articles to be published over the next few days. Stay tuned for various OpenWorld stuff!
I spoke with Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) today about a recent acquisition the company made, what the company is doing at OpenWorld, and how it is expanding its brand recognition.
Also spoke with Hewlett-Packard about its blade server technology, which I will be talking about in the next couple of days.
Expect a bunch of random news articles to be published over the next few days. Stay tuned for various OpenWorld stuff!
Clif Shot Bloks Mini-Review
Most endurance athletes understand and likely deal with the reality of having to eat an oddly tasting energy gel or bar during a long event. I will use this blog entry to create a mini-review of the Clif Shot Bloks snackage for athletes.
Even though they can be a bit too chewy, Clif Shot Bloks tend to be my favorite thing to eat while out on a longer bike ride. Running with a full pack in your pocket, however, can prove to be troublesome, even if your pockets are completely empty.
I recently went for a long enough bike ride to warrant eating a package of Clif Shot Bloks that my parents received after participating in the Folsom Four Bridges Half Marathon. As a fan of margaritas, blended and on the rocks, the margarita w/ salt flavor initially intrigued me. Would it be okay? Do people running really want to have a salty margarita taste in their mouth?
The flavor turned out to be a bit too much for me to enjoy, even when extremely hungry.
Offering the same amount of calories and and carbohydrates to something like GU, the Bloks have more electrolytes and sodium.
As someone who doesn't have money coming out of my ears, trying to buy these products for a lower price is something I tend to try and do. You'll likely find Clif Bloks available for the same price as any other "performance foods."
I personally like the lemon-lime, strawberry, and black cherry flavors, though I recommend you try different flavors to figure out which one is best for you. I also recommend you try your different energy crap while out on training runs, not during the actual event. Considering you never know how your body will react, it's not a pleasant experience to find out during a century ride. ;)
But there is something that I really want to ask the companies who create these energy products -- How in the world do you create some of these flavors? Some of them tend to be absolutely atrocious - in my humble opinion. I guess if people are purchasing them, then companies will continue to be too creative.
What do I really want? I wish Clif would create some type of resealable package for all Clif Bloks, because there is nothing worse than reaching into your jersey pocket to find a sweaty, gooey mess of what used to be a Clif Blok.
If you're really wanting something that tastes good, I recommend checking out Jelly Belly Sport Beans, which are simply excellent! Expect a mini-review on the Sport Beans in a couple of weeks.
Even though they can be a bit too chewy, Clif Shot Bloks tend to be my favorite thing to eat while out on a longer bike ride. Running with a full pack in your pocket, however, can prove to be troublesome, even if your pockets are completely empty.
I recently went for a long enough bike ride to warrant eating a package of Clif Shot Bloks that my parents received after participating in the Folsom Four Bridges Half Marathon. As a fan of margaritas, blended and on the rocks, the margarita w/ salt flavor initially intrigued me. Would it be okay? Do people running really want to have a salty margarita taste in their mouth?
The flavor turned out to be a bit too much for me to enjoy, even when extremely hungry.
Offering the same amount of calories and and carbohydrates to something like GU, the Bloks have more electrolytes and sodium.
As someone who doesn't have money coming out of my ears, trying to buy these products for a lower price is something I tend to try and do. You'll likely find Clif Bloks available for the same price as any other "performance foods."
I personally like the lemon-lime, strawberry, and black cherry flavors, though I recommend you try different flavors to figure out which one is best for you. I also recommend you try your different energy crap while out on training runs, not during the actual event. Considering you never know how your body will react, it's not a pleasant experience to find out during a century ride. ;)
But there is something that I really want to ask the companies who create these energy products -- How in the world do you create some of these flavors? Some of them tend to be absolutely atrocious - in my humble opinion. I guess if people are purchasing them, then companies will continue to be too creative.
What do I really want? I wish Clif would create some type of resealable package for all Clif Bloks, because there is nothing worse than reaching into your jersey pocket to find a sweaty, gooey mess of what used to be a Clif Blok.
If you're really wanting something that tastes good, I recommend checking out Jelly Belly Sport Beans, which are simply excellent! Expect a mini-review on the Sport Beans in a couple of weeks.
Friday, November 9, 2007
Comcast Pro-rates Service
Comcast may get all sorts of hell for its business practices in the cable and Internet world, but the company still manages to do some things to make users happy. For example, did you know Comcast does pro-rate partial months of service?
Let's say there is something on Showtime that you want to watch, but don't want the channel for an entire month -- a specific MMA or boxing event, for example. You can call Comcast to get the service activated for the evening, then cancel it the next day, only having to pay something like ~$1.50 for the service.
Don't believe me? In case you're too lazy to ask for yourself, here is a conversation I had with a Comcast online tech support person today:
ME: I was curious if Comcast pro-rates channels? I want Showtime just so I can watch an MMA event tonight, but don't want it anymore, pretty much. I already pay $130 per month, and don't want to pay an extra $20 for the channels.
Tech Support: Yes we do actually, I can take Showtime off of your account today and you will only pay for what you have received so far.
ME: I imagine it would only be a couple of bucks if I have it for a day or two? I just want to watch one event tonight.
Tech Support: It is usually around $18.00 per month, and if had for today and tomorrow that works out to roughly $1.20 -$1.50.
Also, let me point you to a Comcast notice (PDF) published on its web site.
Still don't believe me? Feel free to give Comcast a call to see if this is truly a legitimate practice.
Let's say there is something on Showtime that you want to watch, but don't want the channel for an entire month -- a specific MMA or boxing event, for example. You can call Comcast to get the service activated for the evening, then cancel it the next day, only having to pay something like ~$1.50 for the service.
Don't believe me? In case you're too lazy to ask for yourself, here is a conversation I had with a Comcast online tech support person today:
ME: I was curious if Comcast pro-rates channels? I want Showtime just so I can watch an MMA event tonight, but don't want it anymore, pretty much. I already pay $130 per month, and don't want to pay an extra $20 for the channels.
Tech Support: Yes we do actually, I can take Showtime off of your account today and you will only pay for what you have received so far.
ME: I imagine it would only be a couple of bucks if I have it for a day or two? I just want to watch one event tonight.
Tech Support: It is usually around $18.00 per month, and if had for today and tomorrow that works out to roughly $1.20 -$1.50.
Also, let me point you to a Comcast notice (PDF) published on its web site.
Still don't believe me? Feel free to give Comcast a call to see if this is truly a legitimate practice.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Oracle OpenWorld 2007
The Oracle OpenWorld 2007 conference officially begins on Sunday afternoon, with loads of smart people flocking to the San Francisco Moscone Center.
I've managed to arrange a number of interviews I hope will be interesting for both myself and readers, so stay tuned.
May I offer a tip for people who attend any kind of convention? Do NOT, I repeat, do NOT be afraid to get in there and ask a question! It is unbelievable how many people keep quiet during a one-on-one session, even though the person presenting information is there to answer questions. As long as I don't ask an absolutely ridiculous question, most people seem to be happy I bothered to ask for additional information they may not have spoken much about.
This particular event will prove to be testing grounds for something extremely new for me, though I won't divulge any more details until the event ends next week.
I've managed to arrange a number of interviews I hope will be interesting for both myself and readers, so stay tuned.
May I offer a tip for people who attend any kind of convention? Do NOT, I repeat, do NOT be afraid to get in there and ask a question! It is unbelievable how many people keep quiet during a one-on-one session, even though the person presenting information is there to answer questions. As long as I don't ask an absolutely ridiculous question, most people seem to be happy I bothered to ask for additional information they may not have spoken much about.
This particular event will prove to be testing grounds for something extremely new for me, though I won't divulge any more details until the event ends next week.
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