"The Rage" Interview.

For those of you who missed the live broadcast of "The Rage" Exclusive interview, you can hear it again by clicking the play button on the Blogtalkradio player in the right hand of my Blog. There actually is special content that you wouldn't have heard listening live. So go enjoy.

Me and T-Mobile

The Last few years I have lived in many different states. Some of these states are New York (NYC to be precise), Alabama, Ohio, and Georgia to name a few. In my travels I have had only one Cellular company T-Mobile. They have worked with me and have always given me great service with out charging me an arm and a leg. I have unlimited Internet, and a 1000 minutes to share between phones, and I also had Nights and Weekends way before it was the standard. I could name more things that they give me and I know it sounds like I am selling T-Mobile, I am not. I just believe that when I find something that works well. I should, tell others so that they might enjoy or reap the benefits of it also. T-Mobile has worked well for me.

The reason I mention this at all is because soon I will hosting a blogtalkradio show where I explain some different options in phones, pluses and minuses, and also the technology behind them. I may even have some juicy news that you might not have already heard.

If you have any topics that you would like me to talk about feel free to email me at BitsnBytesShow@gmail.com

Longest Disclaimer ever

I am posting this to show the difference in quality between Youtube and Viddler.com they are the same video just different Sites.

Disclaimer from My First Blog Talk Radio Show.

Cell Phone Freeware

Today I will be talking about some sweet freeware you can get for your cell phone. Most of these programs were made for the s60 (Symbian operating system), but may also be made for other operating systems/phones. However, because I have an Nseries Nokia n93 running s60 v3, this operating system will be the version of these programs that I am referring to in my reviews below. Always check the website for your specific device. I know some of you reading this are probably lost, but come along for the ride and you will probably have fun. Who knows, you may want a new phone when you are finished reading this.

The programs that I will be looking at today are WidSets, Calcium, emTube, Call Filter, Google Maps, Mobile DivX Player, and DrJukka.com. Some of these programs will benefit from stronger phones like Nseries Nokia phones. Having high speed internet (that is not metered) on your cell phone is recommended, as many of these programs require or make use of the Internet. Here we go (in no particular order) with the list from above.

WidSets-https://www.widsets.com/
This program allows easy access to RSS feeds and similar applications on your cell phone. This application is a really good way to stay connected with the latest news and information. I do suggest, however, that if you like adding lots of WidSets, you may want to install it on your external card. I use it mostly to keep up with technology, with such feeds as Tech Crunch, UberGizmo, and others. WidSets is a must have program for any person in the know.

Calcium-http://www.mtvoid.com/calcium/index.html
This is a must have application that simplifies using your cell phone as a calculator. How many times have you tried to do some simple math on your phone only to find that the calculator that came with it really isn't your friend, just to end up pulling out a sheet of paper and doing it the old fashion way (a terrible thing for any techie)? This program makes calculating on your phone a breeze, with intuitive controls and nice functions. So thanks to mtvoid's Calcium you will never have to tax your brain again over simple math. Oh its also quite easy on the eyes.

emTube-http://www.emtube.yoyo.pl/
For some time cell phone users like myself have wanted to watch YouTube and other flv videos on our phones. Some of us had gone so far as to use developer tools and unreleased versions of programs to watch flv's on our phones. emTube has made it simpler than ever. All you do is install the program and its intuitive interface will lead you through the rest. Installing it to your phone memory is fine being that the latest version is still a meager 206 kB plus or minus a little. I still recommend keeping the videos on the memory card because you will have access to some reasonably big size videos. This program is amazing, allowing you to stream, download, save, and even includes a few other options. A phone with highspeed internet or wi-fi is recommended again due to the video sizes. In conclusion this program is much better than the mobile YouTube site and offers much better features.

Call Filter-http://anfymobile.com/callfilter/
Who would like to automatically discard phone calls that we don't want to answer? Whenever that telemarketer calls, or just someone you don't really want to talk to, Call Filter does that for you. No annoying ringing, no need to press the end key. The controls are very lean, and although they take a little time to understand, it works well once you have it setup. Reading the manual is a good idea, and their site features a forum to ask fellow users questions, should you not catch on to the program's control scheme right away. This program is a very capable and useful piece of freeware available for many phones, on the s60 and UIQ platforms. Check their site and see if it works for you.

Google Maps-http://www.google.com/mobile/gmm/index.html
The people at Google just keep on learning and working on making things better. With the latest version of Google Maps they definitely have continued that trend. Not taking up a lot of space and being reasonably responsive. This latest version has added a sweet function that can usually narrow down where you are by the use of cell towers. Not your exact area but it will tell you in what general area you are located by a cool circle notated with how big of a diameter it has. (i.e. you are located somewhere in this 800M circle) Some other notable features include a traffic overlay, and being able to see and zoom in on a satellite view. These features are included with the normal features i.e. directions etc. An added treat for those you that have a GPS built into your phone or that you can connect to via Blue Tooth, both of which are now also supported.

Mobile DivX Player-http://www.divx.com/mobile/
This is really a very straightforward application, it allows you to play DivX on your cell phone. So grab your 2Gb Mini or MicroSd, throw your favorite Divx videos on there and watch them wherever you may be. With detailed options and a great compression and quality it is useful for both the casual and enthusiast user. It is available for Windows Mobile 2003 (or later) and Symbian OS 7.0 or later including UIQ. Check the website for your specific device.

DrJukka.com-http://drjukka.com
While this isn't actually a program itself, his website is a treasure chest of programs that he codes. There are way too many for me to review here today, however here are my personal favorites: Y-Browser, Y-Tasks, and Y-Alarm. Many of his programs have special plugins that allow you to only install the features that you need, saving space and allowing features to be added easily. These programs run very smoothly and give you some great tools at your fingertips.

Technology Buying Guide

The holidays is one of the times technology really shines. What does he mean your asking yourself. Well with technology you can order presents with out having to leave your house and suffer the terrible traffic that comes with the season. Also with the internet, you can comparison shop, get the scoop on items via reviews, and do everything in your power to get the best deal so you can give more bang for your buck.

Also be careful when giving technical gifts, because its really easy to get the wrong part, and then have to get the part exchanged in the after holiday bustle. Also many hight tech items can be tricky to exchange/return. If the person your are getting the gift for has a wishlist on Newegg.com you might want to ask for it. A surefire way to get a great gift is to ask about any wishlists the recipient might have. If they are like me they have lots of things on their wishlist and you can get the one that fits your budget, and you know he will really like with out spoiling the surprise.

Here are some of the current standards for technology.
Some of the most common gifts:

Mp3 players DVD players Computer/Computer Accessories/Software Digital Cameras
Gadgets

MP3 Players
So lets start with Mp3 players, there is allot to pay attention to here. While most mp3 players will get the job done, the important things to look into are the different features. Built in Equalizers, total space on the model, and if you run out of space can you expand it, or is the size fixed; all are important to consider.

Minimum Recommended settings:
Size: 1GB
Interface: USB (for putting your music onto it)
Music Formats: mp3
LCD: Normal

Recommended settings:
Size: 1GB
Interface: USB (for putting your music onto it)
Music Formats: mp3, wma, ogg
Equalizer: At least three different settings.
LCD: Backlit



DVD Players
Moving on to DVD players. It's as easy anymore to buy DVD players as it used to be. Some key things to remember to look for are: Does it just play DVD's, and is it compatible with recipients TV. There is a lot more to DVD players than meets the eye. However my advice is that if it's for anything bigger than about 30" you might want to think of a different gift. The reason behind this is because not all DVD players are equal, and the differences really show up the bigger and higher definition the screen has. Most DVD players use 10-bit video digital-to-analog-converters (DAC) and video processing chips that runs at 27 MHz. While some of the more expensive reference models boast a 14-bit DAC and 108 MHz video processing, many good DVD players use 24-bit audio DAC, operating at 96 kHz sampling rate (that's 96,000 times per second). The 24-bit/96kHz DAC ensures that the maximum audio resolution from the DVD's soundtrack has been extracted and reproduced on your speakers. For a more in depth DVD player buying guide feel free to go to Click Here the same place that I have gotten a lot of my information on the subject. If you don't feel like diving into the technology specs, I will outline some things your should look for.

Key Questions
Does it support high definitions?
Does it support DVDs burned by a computer?
Does it support Divx and other formats?

I recommend getting a portable DVD player instead of getting a regular DVD player. Keeping the same things in mind however, also looking for the following features, you can't go wrong. Can it play off Batteries or A/C; does the A/C adapter come with it? More importantly, check to see if it has a video out option (preferably RCA or Component). I have also found getting a player that can play Divx files is helpful, allowing you to play DVD's with hours of Divx video files on them. The video out option is very helpful when you are in hotels. This allows you (or the recipient) to use the DVD player with a TV. Also most DVD players that support the Divx format have stronger components insides to deal with the data, and give better quality picture.

For a top of the line player, I have researched and came up with two models:

Panasonic DVD-LS80 8.5" Price Range: $187.99 - $199.99 Has all my recommended options but only has a 12bit Video DAC
Toshiba SDP1900 Portable 9" Price Range: $151.99 - $234.99 Has a stronger 14bit Video DAC, however no RCA video out only optical.

Computers/Accessories
There are many things you can get for someone with a computer. Like the DVD player however, it is a highly technical area. If they have a wish list, use it. If they are like me however, most of the wish list items are very expensive. Buying a computer for the holidays is a very nice move, however I recommend you find someone who can help you decide just what you need and how you can get the most bang for your buck. Because there are so many things that go into buying a computer, I will save that for another time. If you do need help you may contact me, but be ready to answer lots of questions.

Accessories on the other hand aren't as hard to buy without knowing everything about the persons computer. External Hard Drives/Flash Drives, Uninterrupted Power Supplies, Surge Protectors are some of the cheaper items and are good stocking stuffers.
External Hard Drives/Flash Drives
There are a lot of options. Small flash drives for ultra portability, the Portable 2.5" HDD's, and 3.5" HDD's that require a power supply. Each of these have their own advantages and disadvantages. Once you make your choice on the size and portability that you need, then below is a guide to a few sizes that you might want to consider. Last of all, remember to read reviews on the products you buy. It can save you a lot of anguish and wasted time.

Super small flash/HDDs
Minimum 4 Gb
Recommended 16 Gb
Portable 2.5" HDD
Minimum 80 Gb
Recommended >100 Gb
Portable 3.5 HDD (usually requiring an external power supply)
Minimum 500 Gb
Recommended >750 Gb

Uninterruptable Power Supplies (UPS)
For more in-detail information feel free to Click Here
I have found that there are allot of solutions out there here are my Recommendations.

Minimum 500 VA rating
Recommended 600-700 VA as much as you can get with your budget however much more than 800 is probably overkill.
An LCD screen and usb connectivity are also a big plus (I wouldn't buy one without an LCD because it gives you vital information about its status.)
Surge Protectors
As with many of the other items, there is too much information for me to explain so if you want more information than I have space to give you may Click here. To cut to the chase there are different ratings in surge protectors that indicate what they are capable of protecting against. Here are my recommendations in each area.

There should be some LEDs showing the status of the surge protector don't buy any surge protector that doesn't have a led showing that you are protected most reputable companies also will cover any surge damage to things plugged into their protector should their product fail. More importantly here are the important components and ratings to look for.

UL 1449 Suppressed Voltage rating (Clamping Voltage)
Minimum 400V
Recommended 330V
Stages of Protection/Surge Current Rating
Minimum 2 stages Recommended 3 stages
Clamping Response Time.
Minimum Nanosecond (billionths of a second)
Recommended Picosecond (trillionths of a second)

Incoming Lines Protected
Minimum 2 lines (Hot to Neutral, Hot to Ground)
Recommended

3 lines (Hot to Neutral, Hot to Ground, Neutral to Ground)

Digital Cameras
With digital photography technology moving so fast, the value is absolutely amazing when it comes to digital cameras. Make sure you do your homework though, because digital cameras have a lot of features. Its easy to be overwhelmed when at the store. Also make sure to test the camera or read the consumer or professional reviews on it. Sometimes a camera may have more megapixels, however, the quality of the picture is lacking. Also don't forget to test the speed and response of the camera. (How quickly does it take the shot or navigate through menu's?) Make sure that the camera is comfortable and that you would be able to learn most of its features in one day of shooting. Many good cameras are not 100% user friendly however but give you much better control and quality. This is a trade off that you have to judge for yourself. Some general digital camera guidelines are:

Megapixels
Minimum 4MP
Recommended as many as you can afford however remember this may mean that you have to get bigger flash cards to hold the pictures
LCD
Bright Enough to see in broad daylight

Media Format (what the pictures are stored on) Really personal preference however it is smart to get a format that you can transfer pictures to your computer or printer without using the camera if you need to.
Recommended Secure Digital or Compact Flash (I personally try to stay away from proprietary formats)

Gadgets
This is one of my favorite categories, and are often a very useful gifts.(Not to mention usually easy on the wallet). Some of my favorite gadgets are for the g33k (geek) in your life.
LED Binary Watch
LED Dot Matrix Display Watch
Staple Free Stapler
Mandylion Password Manager
Touchless IR Thermometer
Dynaflex Powerball Gyroscope
Mathmos Thaw
Outdoor LCD Window Thermometer
Titanium Spork
MicroJet Lighter Torch
T1 Loopback and Crossover Adapters
Static Electricity Eliminator

click here to buy any of those gadget or others.

I know you may not understand all the terms here when you go shopping for some of these items. A good look at the label should point you in the right direction. I hope that this guide was helpful for you. Whether buying for the holidays or just buying for yourself, tech gifts are great gifts to get. Like any other purchase however, "let the buyer beware." Do your homework and reap the rewards of well thought out gifts. (Especially if they were for yourself.)

AMD Quadcore

So the AMD quadcores have released, to many people's dismay they won't outperform the Intel Quads in raw numbers, however they do have a more elegant design, and time has show that better designed products go farther. I am looking forward to see where these new Quad cores take us.

AMD Opteron Quadcore.

Well its been a while in coming however AMD has finally released a quadcore that answers back to Intel. It will be interesting to see this rivalry unfold because as of right now, AMD is the only one that has a true quad core Processor on the market. As of the writing of this article all the other solutions are not native. You ask what is the difference between native and not native, well its a bit technical to explain but imagine 4 people (people equate to cores) working on a common goal. In native solution, each of the four people (cores) can communicate with each other and dynamically process data giving their results straight to the system, while a non native solution, there are two groups of two people (cores) that are able to share the work load however each group can only talk to the other group by using a middle man (north bridge), to help them. creating a bottleneck at the middleman (north bridge). A native solution while technically more difficult to develop, is the more elegant solution, and in the long run you will probably see that the elegant design will become the blueprints and inspiration for moving forward and improving the technology. A native solution also makes upgrading easier, since many times you don't even have to change the form factor of the motherboard. For those of you who I may have lost with that last comment, Many times moving to new technology requires a total overhaul of your system, however with AMD's quad cores, all you have to upgrade is the CPU. Kinda like being able to only put a new engine in your car. For more information on the only true quad cores out there right now click here

I personally can't wait till the technology hits the normal end user market (the average person), the amount of power these Cpu's will add to Desktop systems will be amazing. Giving the average person increased power to edit video's make music and do many things that generally would require a strong machine. Do you have anything to add to this post? Go ahead leave a comment, you know you want to. Have a great day.

Recent News

Crysis beta opened up to the public, so if you have a decent rig give it a spin..
Click here for beta sign up page.

In other news I know that my Blog stock ticker may be glitched they are working on fixing that. Once its fixed you may buy thot stock in my Blog.

Some other Beta News

Pirates of the Burning Sea is doing Stress testing,
Tabula Rosa.

Another Beta that looks interesting is unfortunately a subscriber only beta, however if you are a subscriber to File Planet, check it out Frontlines Beta its is yet another look at multi player warfare. I will post a full review on it when I have play it a bit more, originally I couldn't join games however they have patched that problem and I am glad to say that it runs well on my Vista x64 machine. heres a link.
click here

Have a great day Ciao

Cool Beta's

Well I have been sitting on a beta called Joost for a little here. I wanted to fully experience it before I wrote a blog on it. You may be asking what Joost is. Well Joost is a program that allows you to basically have TV on demand. It is well put together, and seems to have the backing of many big names. My experience of Joost is very positive, and I am sure that many of you will like it also. Although it doesn't yet boast the newest content like ongoing news or other day to day shows, it does have a plethora of shows and movies to choose from with more being added everyday. Another cool feature of Joost are the widgets that can stream news let you talk to your friends and even keep you apprised of the weather. The resolution for most shows is quite good, and unlike many competitors, it streams to you so you don't have to download everything you wanna watch and then watch it wasting time and hard drive space. The ads are now worse than on tv, and actually better than TV ads in most cases being much shorter. As with any on demand content worth its salt, you can pause, or skip to the next show, or skip back a show.

If you would like to try it I believe it is still by invite only, however if you want an invite contact me and I will arrange it. Have a Great day. Ciao.

My new Nike Contacts

My new Nike Contacts, originally uploaded by D4RK 4NG3L.

How do you like my new Nike Contacts, they are tinted so they act like sunglasses, I think they make me look like a anime character. More to come Later. have a good day.

More N93 Awesomeness

Well in case you all didn't realize how amazing the nseries devices are thanks to strong processors and their 3rd edition Symbian Os they can do almost anything that your laptop can. Case and point would be http://delaguna.mymobilesite.net/ if you click that link right there, if My cell phone is up and within internet range either Wifi, Edge, or 3G, you will arrive at a website that is hosted right from my cell phone. if you are interested in beta testing this also drop by https://secure.mymobilesite.net/ and you can pick up a copy of the program, for a common setup the software is straight forward, and for those of you who are like me and really like to personalize you can do that too, being that its using standard css etc. Look forward to sharing more with you next time. and if you stop by my n93, do leave a comment on my guest book. Ciao...

Mars....our new moon or?

Well if you just crawled out from under your rock, let me fill you in on some recent events. A few days ago we had a full lunar eclipse uneventfully (for most). However not for my friend. My friend calls me up all excited because they said they were looking at Mars, big and red in the sky. Yes I said mars. I asked them if they had a telescope out. They said no its huge. After a little while and much laughter (mostly on my part) I found out that a news station had reported that there was going to be an eclipse, and that Mars was going to be very close to us allowing us to see it with the naked eye. So when they were looking at the moon, because the atmosphere was making it look red during the eclipse they thought it was Mars. Although at first they didn't want to believe me when I explained that if Mars was really that big in the sky they should worry. They explain about the news station and I helped them understand that what they news station meant. Because the moon was being eclipsed it would be dark enough to see Mars which is coincidentally quite close to us but not that close. Did you ever think an eclipse would ever be that interesting? Do you think I should have taken their Mars from them? I think helping them not be ignorant and saving them more embarrassment in the future was the best way to be a true friend.

Call of Juarez Review

Click Here to read my Call of Juarez Review (for the PC)

Channa & Mt. Dew

Little Video I threw together this morning.

Supreme Commander Review

Click here to see my Supreme Commander Review

Lemony Snicket's

I watched "Lemony Snicket's" recently, and it reminded me of the recent events in my life, and I realized that I have my own Lemony Snicket's story. I am not going bore you with the mishaps and unfortunate events of my life (some of which I am responsible for and some of which I am not), but I will say this. I have found recently, that no matter how bad you want some things to work, there are certain things that just aren't meant to be. We try hard and do our best, but sometimes when want something to work so bad, we lose sight of whats best for us. Hence the common phrase "Love is blind" or maybe better phrased "Crazy and in Love"

Its very hard to be objective,when you are so immersed in the struggle. Unfortunately in the end you have to be realistic, and thats the part that usually ends up breaking hearts. With that I have my own heart to mend. One of the most painful things in the world to to be so close to achieving your hopes and dreams, and then have them taken away from you. Sometimes it may just be the sinking realization that the things that you hoped would change won't. But I have found that only after you have done your best, can you really bear the pain with no regrets.

I hope that you all have a great day. I really appreciate and thank you for reading my blog and maybe just maybe I said something that can help you out. Caio

Test Drive Unlimited Review

I usually post my reviews on here however I found that posting them on Helium got me to a bigger audience so Here is a link to my Test Drive Unlimited for the PC review.

Test Drive Unlimited PC Game Review Click here to view it.

Trackmania Nations vs Trackmania United

Well its taken a while however after doing a bit of research (playing the games) I have finally come to a point where I can do a fair comparison. Today I am going to be reviewing Trackmania United (TMU) and comparing it against Tackmania Nations (TMN).(freeware version)

I found this game because I was looking for a cool free game to pass the time. I downloaded TMN from the Nvidia website. I was really blown away with the graphics and speed at which the game was played. Very addicting, I found the game to be a nice blend between racing, puzzles, and beauty.

A great way to waste time, or compete with your friends Trackmania has done something amazing. Out of a simple idea racing online. This game is not in any way ment to be a simulation, so if thats what you are looking for then you are out of luck. However this game does allow you to take your cars hundreds of miles per hour with no consequences.

With Trackmania United, this game has been fully polished. The user interface has been cleaned up to look much nicer and be much more user friendly. They way that you view stats and connect with your friends around the world has also been streamlines. The environments have been varied. All the best parts of the different trackmania games seem to have been mixed into this new game, ending up with a fast fun and visually beautiful game.

There are some downsides however. Not all of the cars handle reasonably, it seems that they didn't take the time to polish the controls of the cars, and some cars are very touchy and hard to drive. Not just to the point of making the cars unique but to the point of making certain cars no fun. It would have been nice to see them give each are their cars individual handling feel, while still maintaining playability.

I found that I played Trackmania Nations, much more because it was straight forward, one car and one style racing. Trackmania United its harder to find servers that have only the styles of racing that are fun. I sure hope that they patch the handling of the different car models, however, this game is very good.

I also looked at the graphics options, and other features of the game. Its nice to see that a person with pretty much any mainstream computer, can configure the game to work well for him, this does mean however that less powerful computer owners may not get all the eye candy, however they will still get to have all the fun.

In conclusion. If you want the eye candy and different environments offered in Trackmania United, you will enjoy your purchase, however you should probably check out Trackmania Nations first and see if that game is fun for you. If it is and you don't want to customize your cars paint or trade car models then TMN might be better for you.

• Biggest online race – 132 players took part in a single time trial race
• Largest content base of any racing game – The TrackMania Exchange website has over 150,000 user created tracks and over 200 unique cars
• First publicly available game developed specifically for an online competition TrackMania Nations was developed for the 2006 Electronic Sports World Cup and made available for free online. It has been downloaded over 30 million times
• Most nationalities in an offline racing competition – 34 nations entered the TrackMania event at the 2007 Electronic Sports World Cup
• Most popular online racing sim – The TrackMania series has over 3 million online registrations
• Most popular user created video – A trailer created by a TrackMania fan using in-game offstage has been viewed over 2 million times at GameTrailers.com

*Records taken from Guinness World Records 2008: Gamer’s Edition.
http://gamers.guinnessworldrecords.com/book.aspx

Why to smile...

As corny as it sounds
A smile is good
All year round
It goes with most anything,
And is easy to wear,
It can make you feel good
Even when no one is there

Give one to a friend
Or just someone on the bus
For it costs nothing
So whats the fuss?
Maybe it will brighten
someones dark skies,
Just what they need to keep from crying

And who knows
It could come back to you someday.
As a smile, hug, or a pay raise?
Someone asked me why I smile
I gave it some thought
And this is the poem I wrote.

The best answer I think however
By for is why not?
I like to spread happiness,
And believe someday
That my actions will change the world
In a beautiful way.

So many things
Can start
With a smile
So why not?