Even With Google TV: Why Broadcast Television Will Never Die

It's been a long week and finally, Friday evening has arrived. Today, your boss yelled at you, you lost your wallet, and then, had to sit through two hours on the freeway during five o'clock rush hour. Basically, you just want to plop yourself onto the couch and relax, with a beer in one hand, and a burger in the other. Naturally, the first thing you do when you get home is to make a beeline for your beloved remote.
This a routine that pretty much any American can attest to going through on a frequent basis. For many of us, this is one of the main parts of life. If you ask me, it'll be pretty hard to change that.
However, Google has other plans, unveiling today, its newest innovation: Google TV. It is touted as something that will combine the best of both worlds, the internet and television. Its developers have promised that users will be able to utilize Google's elaborate search system to find their favorite online video content, then stream that on their televisions. Other nice bonuses include the ability to add favorites/bookmarks and surf the web.
Now, I'll admit, that does sound a lot better than Apple's faltering mega-creation, Apple TV. And of course, it is quite well-known that Google rarely fails to satisfy its demanding customers.
However, while I strongly believe that the internet will be the basis of everything in the very near future, I cannot see good ol' broadcast television ever fading completely from the picture.
I am well-aware that Google's wonderful search system can easily meet the highest of expectations. Still, when even after ten Venti Lattes, you're still exhausted and utterly brain-dead, the last thing you want to do is the "tedious" work of typing in a search query to find something to watch. Pressing the up arrow to surf channels is just that much easier. Frankly, it's a commonly known fact that us Westerners absolutely despise spending extra effort when there is any slightly easier alternative.
Also, there isn't a doubt that surfing channels is way more amusing. Many people adore the enthralling randomness of just trying to come across something watchable. It would be extremely difficult to replicate this feeling of randomness with Google TV, because even with some sort of "random content" feature, the scope of the web is so humongous that the likelihood of bumping into a good show would be next to zero.
And that is one of the tough-to-avoid downsides of Internet content. Humans are a race that lives for every bit of small satisfaction that they can get. And unearthing a good show out of your hundreds of channels is one of the most satisfying feelings in the world.
As an illustration, think about radio. Sure, music has higher sound quality, more customizability, and no ads on your iPod, but it's so much more thrilling hearing your favorite song on the radio, than it is choosing it on your iPod. Moreover, radio has a real sense of personality that isn't just whatever you want it to be; it actually has some life, some flare. Thus, I believe that within the decade, TV will be where radio is now. People will still enjoy it, but there will be many alternatives getting more and more attractive.
Still, even when it reaches the radio phase, TV might just be one thing that is indeed, "too big to fail".
But ponder this: What if marketing takes a turn and further de-emphasizes TV advertising? Then, TV stations simply won't be able to fend off bankruptcy, no matter how many people watch their shows.
I'll leave you with that thought.

Why Band Hero Will Rock Harder Than You Could Ever Imagine

Many rockers are awaiting the arrival of the next instalment in the Guitar Hero Series, Guitar Hero 5, which is scheduled for launch this fall. However, feeding off its hype is a very different-natured game, which will also be launched this fall by Activision. The new title, Band Hero, is getting plenty of attention because of its appeal towards teen pop junkies, with a line-up of top-40 tracks. Here's exactly why Band Hero won't be that gimmicky little game the Guitar Hero super-fans are claiming it will be:

Pop is Popular

You can say what you want about how the top 40 songs are all badly formed techno garbage but the definition of top 40 is that they are more popular than not top 40 songs. Therefore, more people know these songs and like these songs. And one of the major holes in Guitar Hero was that, while everyone enjoyed the interactive gameplay, they would have appreciated a few songs they knew as part of the line-up. Band Hero will fill that hole.

Teen Audience

With teens, when something gets hot, it'll spread like wildfire. Just look at Hannah Montana and The Jonas Brothers. And there isn't much of a doubt that with pop sensations like Taylor Swift and Adam Levine headlining Band Hero, that the game will take off. I mean, look at 17 Again featuring Zac Efron; it's not like the movie was any good, it's just that it incorporated something that the younger generation already adored. The same concept will work with Band Hero.

Suited for Novices

It's more satisfying when you're getting 100% on expert than when you get booed off the stage for your lack of ability, even on easy. Hence, the novice crowd who don't actually play guitar or drums, will be able to enjoy the simpler sets of notes instead of desperately mashing buttons.
With this, Band Hero is touted as the family-friendly Guitar Hero, with it's "E-10+" ESRB rating. But I don't believe that for a second since most hits these days are ... inexplicably unappealing to the older generation.

Even Rockers Can't Resist

Maybe DJ Hero (which is also coming out in the fall, no jokes), is going a bit to far but even the Metallica lovers will probably just say, "Hey, what the heck? It's made by the guys at Guitar Hero so it can't be that bad." And how about them game collectors; there's nobody easier to get money from than a hardcore game collector.

With all this, I'm not saying Band Hero will actually be of good quality. I'm saying that it will be popular and everyone will buy it.

Comparing America's Top 2 News Magazines: Time and Newsweek Broken Down

These two covers, both taken from the same week, tell a whole lot about this battle.

Time Magazine, the often quoted, well-respected news magazine that just about every businessperson reads. And Newsweek, the not-so-often quoted, not-so-respected, often forgotten, but still considerably well-read news magazine. In this sort of a battle, we almost always, automatically say that Time is quite a bit better than Newsweek. However, don't be so quick; Useful Crap has formulated 7 criteria to evaluate the quality of news of these two prominent United States magazines. This means that how well-designed the magazine is, how good the paper feels, how cluttered the site is, how appealing the logo is and how affordable the subscription is, don't count towards determining who's better in this examination. So let's get started:

1. Conciseness

While Time's articles extend on and on and on, Newsweek's rarely exceed two pages. You may say that detail is a good thing but sometimes, you simply want to get to the point and I often find myself taking a peak at how many pages are left to read in some of Time's articles while I know Newsweek can pack quite a bit into the few paragraphs that are used. In addition, Time has a habit of burying the lead; in other words, making people wait to find the main point while Newsweek is much more succinct. So if conciseness is the game then Newsweek takes the cake.

Time: 0 Newsweek: 1

A somewhat surprising start; let's see if Newsweek will hold on.

2. The Intrigue Factor

There isn't much of a question of who wins in this battle. Although Newsweek makes a decent case for itself with a few small special reports, a new "Conventional Wisdom" poll and a highlight on opinion-based pieces, Time easily triumphs. The latter produces plenty of lengthy specials all pleasantly titled as well as articles that are more fascinating in the nature of the topic (who doesn't want to read about Bush and Cheney's last days?) and the always entertaining Best and Worst Lists

Time: 1 Newsweek: 1

One of these magazines will really make a run for it now. Let's see which one.

3. Importance of News

Ah, what else can be faulted of Newsweek but it's notorious track record of reporting more on insignificant side-news than anything else. These days, while Time spits out articles regarding stem cells and Obama's health care plan, Newsweek is lulling on why Britney Spears is good for you. So what can I say, when you're closely affiliated with CNN, the most trusted name in news (as Time Magazine is), who can fault you one what you cover?

Time: 2 Newsweek: 1

Hey, don't rule good ol' Newsweek out yet.

4. Range/Variety

This has to be the most obvious one. One glance at the link bars on the top of both Time and Newsweek's websites and you'll see what you need to know. Time has sections regarding the U.S., World, Politics, Biz and Tech, Health and Science, Entertainment, Travel as well as People. On the other hand, Newsweek shies in comparison, with only the first five. But that's not the whole story. Newsweek essentially limits itself to those five topics while just peering at Time's homepage will show you that right beside each other are three articles: "Puppies Behind Bars", "Apollo 11's Next Giant Leap", and "Asia's Easy Money Bubble Fueling New Bubbles".

Time: 3 Newsweek: 1

Just like its parent company's (The Washington Post) neighbourhood baseball team, Newsweek is losing again.

5. Quality of Journalism

Despite Time's massive workforce that pumps out the most-read articles day after day, you have to give credit to Newsweek for its efforts. With a smaller workforce, Newsweek actually has recruited some of the better journalists who are dwelling in the shadows. If you actually decide to tune into Newsweek for a little while, you'll probably find their more opinion-based articles a lot more stimulating and entertaining, even if they concern generally petty subjects. Time's articles are packed with hard facts that are tough to remember but Newsweek might actually be fun to read. Not to mention the conciseness.

Time: 3 Newsweek: 2

6. Graphics

This is really tough one; but the final question that it came down to was: "Do photos truly contribute to the insights of the actual article?" And I say, no. Time Magazine not only includes good articles but some of the best photos out there as well. They make news beautiful. But of course, that doesn't count. Time does come out with cool graphics and this might be controversial, but I think that Newsweek wins this battle. "News/Week" a bar at the bottom of every Newsweek page is one of the most useful and innovative things I've seen on a website. It's quite simple but very effective, highlighting the most important articles in every section for every day in a convenient interface. Many other little things put Newsweek ahead in this department as well.

Time: 3 Newsweek: 3

7. Depth

So it all boils down to this. The depth. But there's really no contest here, unfortunately. While Newsweek is concise and easy-to-read, Time is a lot more in-depth. Simply compare the number of special reports and you'll see. Compare the number of videos, the number of photos, the number of pages in each article. And you'll see how much more detail-oriented Time is.

Time: 4 Newsweek: 3

So it was a good battle, but in the end, the victor was the more popular and more powerful, Time Magazine. Even after its complete re-invention, Newsweek falls short in a number of key categories. Time has brute force on its side with the amount of money it is able to spend on its quality. Newsweek doesn't have this privelege. And CNN is a good asset as well while the general mission of Time Magazine seems to be quite a bit better.
Still, they are both insightful news magazines and it may even take other factors to decide on your preference.

The Re-Birth of Newsweek: Newsweek, America's Second Biggest News Magazine has Evolved

Newsweek: Now vs. Then





Newsweek has changed. For the better. The little things and the big things alike; they've added stuff, taken away stuff, modified stuff, all with a new aim to be a new magazine with a new direction of making it in a tough economy with creativity and intuitiveness. Without a doubt, it's the right step but even with the total and utter and complete makeover, it'll be tough to find success as a print publication looking for market share in these tough times.

How Newsweek Has Changed

The little things

If you ask anyone at the company, they'll probably say it's the little things that make or break a magazine. Well, Newsweek has re-made its little things into one big masterpiece. They've improved the site design, staying with the same colors and fonts but employing them in a more appealing way.
They've improved the interface with easy navigation and more convenience; the blogs are right at the top, they've put in an "In the Know" section that highlights important articles from other news agencies, they have a "News/Week" bar that shows the important stories from each day on an interactive space.
They've supplemented to the cool factor with a quote bar. But there a much bigger things as well.

The big things

Everything that you could possibly need is now at your fingertips with Newsweek's evolution. The Newsweek Newswire, although only for the featured stories, adds insight from other sources, from Wikitravel to the the Moscow Times to the New Yorker while Newsweekopedia provides a full collection of all Newsweek articles on every topic from economic stimulus to crime. And this is literally every topic ever mentioned in a Newsweek article. In addition, direct links to related stories, related Newsweekopedia topics, the best Wikipedia article and web search results from Live Search provide all you need to become a Newsweekian expert on anything.
Moreover, the weekly magazine is involves readers more, which is necessary because don't we all love being involved with the rise of video games and other interactive activities? You can be involved in a new and improved daily poll section called "Serious Fun". Plus, if you have a Twitter account, your comments on Newsweek's tweets will be played for the whole world to see. They've also intergrated their own digg-like rating tool that comes standard with each of the articles that allows you to find the best articles on Newsweek. The number of "Recommendations" is proudly displayed beside every article while the number of comments is also broadcasted.

And everything they're doing is a huge mission "to create a forum for a continuous – and continuously worthwhile – conversation about key events and issues."

Is it Going to Help?

Every company out there is cash-starved. They have to cut spending in every department. This includes marketing. What does this mean for Newsweek and every other print publication, TV show, website and outdoor signage provider (I don't know what they're actually called)? It means that they can't sell enough ad space unless they lower the prices to the point where they can no longer make profit.
As you know, none of these media companies rely on the $0.50 per issue subscriber rate or even the $5 per issue at newsstands. They rely on the advertisers. Unfortunately, a great majority of advertisers are not going to have any more marketing budget until we're out of this economic crisis. Hence, the basis of this new Newsweek is to fight for what the companies can give up for advertising. Don't get me wrong, it is still a pretty huge trade but while internet ads are popping up everywhere, print publications' share of the cashflow is shrinking.
Still, it is unquestionable that this huge makeover is going to help Newsweek obtain more advertisers than they had last week but the real mystery is whether the magazine will even be able to survive and thrive, with these additional advertisers. Ad rates are lowered and they still have less advertisers than before, despite the fact that their print publication market share has not changed by much. The print publication market is simply shrinking.

On the other hand, back to positives, Newsweek is still a strong news magazine. This is why reader response is better than ever. Instead of the 2-3 "I agrees" on Facebook, they're getting 9-10 detailed responses to big articles. Their Twitter page is doing even better and the new self-integrated recommendations system is beginning to catch on.
At the same time, Google search volume doesn't seem to be seeing much of an improvement although Newsweek is neck-and-neck in terms of volume with its closest competitor, Time Magazine.


And even if it doesn't work out accordingly for Newsweek, let's hope it survives because it's a great read and never fails to fascinate.

6 Reasons Why You Don't Need the New iPod Shuffle

People have been oohed and ahhed by the new iPod Shuffle but I certainly have no intention on ever using it. Here's why:

6. The battery life is worse.

With all the new useless features, it appears that Apple has sacrificed one very useful one, battery life. You'd expect the designers to easily have increased this, especially with the iPod Shuffle that doesn't support video or any screen capabilites.

5. You can only use Apple's earphones

And even Steve Jobs would probably admit that these aren't exactly the best quality. However, these are the only ones programmed to work with the Shuffle so if you break them (very likely to happen), you can't just go into an old shelf and find new ones to keep listening: You'll have to instead wait until next Saturday to go to Best Buy to get a new set.

4. Small = breakable + losable

Apple describes their latest device as "durable" with it's "anodized aluminum case" (what the hell?) but that's pretty hard to believe when the thing's not even as wide or thick as a key. Plus, it doesn't really matter what it's made out of once it falls out of the tiny whole in your backpack or that little part that you just don't bother to zip up.

3. Much more advanced iPods

With the new iPod Nano, iPod Touch and iPhone, I don't see much of a point of downgrading to a measly Shuffle, even in these times. Shuffles don't have cover flow, a screen, FM tuners, screens, applications, e-mail or wi-fi.

2. Unimpressive new features

Let's see what they've put in. A new colour (black), a few more playlists, a new and improved on-off switch. Sure the storage is pretty good but as I have demonstrated, the tininess might not be.

1. VoiceOver; Apple's newest crappy idea

Now let's talk about the robotic, monotone voice that is customized to whether you have a PC or Mac. This is supposed to tell you the songs and playlists but it does start to get annoying listening to the poorly pronounced words every single day. Also, unless you download random songs, you'll probably know most of what's on your iPod and don't need variations of Microsoft Sam telling you what they are. And if you really need a friend, try this.

More Than Just Games: Playstation Portable

I'd been wanting a Playstation Portable, better known as the PSP, for months and finally, a month ago I got it. And now, I only have raves about its spectacular features.
Well, for starters, this is a gaming device and boy can it game. The graphics are absolutely amazing for a handheld device and the screen is remarkably large allowing for the most advanced gameplay that you'll never see on Gameboys. And of course, the games on the PSP are not stupid collections of mini-games that you get bored of after a few weeks but real, hardcore games that include Grand Theft Auto, MLB 08: The Show, Shaun White Snowboarding, God of War, Rainbow Six Vegas and many more excellent titles.
Of course, the PSP isn't just about games and in fact, Sony totally re-defines the rules of the handheld with their device, which can also act as an MP3 player, a photo viewer and a movie player. Plus, as long as you establish a connection point, the PSP can be a web browser as well. And with this, you don't just get a handful of sites that actually work; in fact, it's tough to find one that isn't supported by the PSP's Javascript-friendly browser. And with internet, there's Skype, internet radios and customizable RSS feeds that are pre-installed onto your system and online gameplay too.
But that's not all; there's tons of little extras that you won't find anywhere else. For example, the PSP comes in several different actually stylish colors (not just black, white and pink) that can make gamer nerds look cool. Moreover, you can download PSP themes that range from Windows Vista backgrounds to Christmas looks. Further, this little device has a USB slot, a headphone jack, a memory stick slot and slots for other things that I don't even know about. To back it all up though, you can customize almost anything on your PSP.
So think about it. What's a barely functional touch screen compared to the PSP's multimedia capabilities and top-quality games. Well, not much.

If You're Thinking of Buying an MP3 Player or iPod, Just Remember Sandisk Sansa Sucks

Let's face the facts; in terms of initial quality of MP3 players, Apple's ingenious innovation, the iPod leads the way with the ever unpopular Microsoft Zune not that far behind. Then, there's the other guys. It seems these days that everyone is trying to obtain some type of a share of the MP3 player/song/accessory/whatever-the-hell-else market with Sony's Walkman series, Creative's Zen series, Samsung's YP series or- Sandisk's Sansa Series.
How about another cold hard fact: Sandisk Sansa sucks (SSS). I'll give it to you that this device looks very good for its relatively low device but here's why you'll be making a major mistake if you buy one of these.
First of all, you must understand that the website (which, by the way, has some pretty good design) totally distorts how these players look. The web designer nerds actually have some design sense and make the Sansas appear very sleek and cool and iPodish if you will. And just on a sidenote, Sansas are no substitute for the all-mighty iPod; Sansas are not trendy, cool, popular or for that matter good.
To add, the scrollwheel on many of these devices aren't even touch-based and therefore, the flimsy little wheels are very undurable and currently my Sansas scrollwheel and hence total navigation system is experiencing major difficulties.
Also, all of the Sandisk players lack features in a major, major way; in fact, so much so that a few of the main features of their best MP3 are a built-in microphone and video capabilities (no wi-fi, touch screen or event organizer to boast, just a 2.4" screen and a 30-day trial of Rhapsody).
Moreover, virtually every part of the Sansa that I have is intensely faulty and error-filled. Just a few right off the top of my head include random files showing up; an inability to upload new files even though it wasn't even halfway to full capacity; several freezings where I was unable to do anything for about 10 minutes; an unbelievably slow interface where when I press something, it actually has to load for a while; and an inability to show photos although they are on the player and photo-viewing was supposed to be a feature.
Oh yeah, the last thing I have to say is that the battery life of Sansas absolutely suck. The advertisements claim long battery lives but mine barely lasts 5 or 6 hours (only music playback) and I've only had for about a year. The Sansa View's product page says that it has 32 hours of battery life but even though I don't have this player, but I already know that it will only possibly have maybe 15hours.
So all in all, with what I'm seeing with Sansa, I'd just recommend Sandisk to stay with USBs and memory cards, things that they can actually make.

Christmas Feature: Affordable Gifts You Can Give To A Teenage Boy

I'm not going to be vague at all with this; I'm just going to take this topic right on. I'll give you the item and I'll give you the brand and I guarantee you that virtually any teenage boy will appreciate at least a few of these things. And by the way, this is coming from a teenage boy.

Xbox 360

Video games have been in since the 90s but they're still just heating up with great new games like Grand Theft Auto IV and Gears of War 2. And, in my opinion (but apparently not in many other people's), the Xbox 360 is the most advanced and satisfying system for gamers who play more than once a month. The Wii is extremely gimmicky and will get lame after a month and I don't even want to bother explaining how bad the PS3 is.

iPod Touch

Pretty much every teenager has some form of an MP3 player and almost all of them have iPods. Well here's the most advanced one yet featuring internet access, application downloading and a touch screen.

Aeropostale Hoody

Aeropostale specializes in teen clothing and is very trendy right now. Plus, throughout the entire holiday season, this store has been having massive sales of 50-75% off. And don't think clothing as a gift is a bad idea either because it's much easier to select the right hoody than the right electronic.

American Eagle Gift Card

Another highly popular clothing store is American Eagle, which is more expensive than Aeropostale but has a greater variety to choose from. And you can't really go wrong with a gift card, especially one from AE.

Best Buy Gift Card

As electronics get bigger, so do teens' love for them and Best Buy is the nations largest retailer of these. They have pretty much every electronic, from video games to MP3 players to mobile phones.

Sports Illustrated Magazine Subscription

Sports Illustrated is one of the most read magazines in the world and many of their subscribers are quite young. Sports Illustrated pretty much sums up everything happening in the world of sports with interesting articles and statistics as well as many cool photos every week.

Easton Baseball Glove

Baseball is America's favorite pastime and it's not like that changes in the winter (OK, maybe a bit but still). Pretty much every kid in the States has to play baseball whether competitively or recreationally and they all need a quality glove. And Easton's gloves are without doubt the best and just as a heads-up, the Easton Stealth is their top model.

Nike Baseketball Shoes

The Nike Swoosh has become a symbol all across the globe and nothing could be more in than basketball shoes right now. Those two combined really make the ultimate Christmas present.

A Book

Although there is all the other cool stuff, who can forget the humble old book. But don't make it a lame book on how Christopher Columbus found the Americas, make it about a topic that you know they like.

A Music CD

Despite the fact that CDs aren't as hot as they were before, it's nice having an actual item instead of just downloads. Head over to HMV and get something but make sure you know their music tastes inside and out. If they like metal, Chinese Democracy by Guns N' Roses is good while if they like pop rock, Famous Last Words by Hedley is good.

Christmas Feature: Easy Decorating for the Holidays

Make It Themed

Don't simply buy a bunch of random items and place them throughout your house. Instead, use themed decorating and install a sort of feel into your home whether you're going for a snowy feel, a cozy feel or something centered around a specific part of Christmas.
For example, to acheive a white Christmas feel, use transparent Christmas lights, line your tree with white ornaments and even put up a white wreath. Or if you're especially extravagant, you might want to make different parts of the house differently themed.

Remember The Colors

The christmas colours are generally regarded as red, green and possibly white. However, other shades such as brown and orange will definitely work well too. So put around your house, items that feature these colors. And one flawless way to bring out these colors is to dim the lights a bit if you have a dimmer or just turn less on if you don't.

Outdoor Christmas Decor



Christmas Lights

Christmas lights are really an essential thing to have for holiday decorating because they are what's supposed to stand out particularly. You can place these on trees, bushes, walls, roofs or even the ground and don't forget to use the LED types for increased energy efficiency, which will save the environment and your wallet. Christmas lights come in all shapes and sizes and some are even animated to portray a scene.

Wreaths

For the most part, these will be added as door decorations but you can hang them on porch lights or flower hooks as well. You might think that there's not much you can do with these but there are special varieties such as lighted ones and ones made out of other materials. Plus, there are generally small ornaments on wreaths and to go with the them of your house, select the wreath accordin to this ornament.

Other Ones

There are so many different other items that you can utilise to really make your home shine but I'll stick to the most practical ones.

Inflatables

These are basically statues except they are a lot lighter, less expensive and more popular. Inflatables can range from winter scenes or just ones of Santa and the reindeer but they all work extremely well, especially when lit from the inside of them.

Statues

These only really work well in the day when they can be seen unless you have some type of a spotlight to highlight them. You might want to put one of these beside your door or right at the edge of your lawn to greet visitors. Out there are statues of elves, snowmen, reindeer and of course, Santa Claus.

Indoor Christmas Decorations



Christmas Trees

If you don't have a Christmas tree, you pretty much don't have anything, meaning you'd better get one of these by the time December 25th rolls around. Obviously, these are not bare; they are decorated with different ornaments and lights. These should, again, depend on your theme. If your theme is just the normal Christmas theme, then the ornaments and lights you use don't really matter but you absolutely don't want a tree filled only with ball ornaments; put up a variety of different types. Also, if your tree is going to be against a wall, make sure to put your favorite decorations on the front but don't leave the back empty because people are bound to look there some time or another and an empty side is not that appealing.
Lastly, you'll have to make the decision to buy either an artificial tree or a natural one. Obviously, artificial ones can last you a lifetime and are easier to work with but natural ones are always something to brag about.

Fire

The holidays are the one time of year where playing with fire is definitely good for you. Candles are always a nice addition with their scents and colors while fireplaces can be good places to talk around.

Food

This is by far the easiest thing to do as you're essentially killing two birds with one stone. You can eat the food, but first you can put it on display and I don't mean the peas and corn but the pie and gingerbread houses.

Gifts

Stockings and gifts are definitely something to consider. Putting these up just makes the home feel more natural as presents are a part of any Christmas and they don't have to be actually filled either, just wrapped boxes or empty stockings will work.

Tabletop Decor

Those beautiful holiday cards don't have to go to waste as they can just be scattered around the house, acting as extra decorations.
To add, miniature statues or christmas trees can be employed while red and green mugs, plates and bowls can without doubt be easy decorations solutions.

Put It All Together

I can only tell you so much as you just have to figure out yourself how to arrange each of these objects so they fit in with each other and make a perfectly decorated house.

Why The Timex iControl Sports Watch Sucks

Of all the gifts that people consider cool, this has to be one of the most useless. The moment I saw the advertisement for the iControl, I knew that this was one of the worst ideas of all time. But really, it's not that people would not enjoy being able to control their music from their watch but most people aren't willing to pay $50 for this unnecessary luxury in their lives. I mean, I'll admit that the watch does not lack in functionality with all the essential buttons to control your tunes but what's the point? I mean, this watch is intended for athletes, particularly runners, but you definitely would fumble just as much with your watch while running as with an iPod, if not more.
In addition, there are numerous flaws in this little device. To begin with, the iControl is only compatible with iPods and the newer ones (iPod Classic, iPod Touch, iPod Nano Video) require different adapters for the iControl that you must go through the trouble of obtaining.
Now, here's a cold, hard fact; the instruction manual consists of 13 full-sized pages, giving you an idea of the complexities involved in the iControl. Simply put, most people don't want to be reading textbooks just to learn how to work a watch.
One more thing, when you're an athlete, generally, you don't want small valuable things lying around where you can easily break or misplace them. The iControl receiver that you must attach to your iPod is one of these small valuable things. And your watch won't do anything special without it.
Just to leave you with a taste of what buying an iControl means, here is a brief list of more useful things you can buy with $50:

-Grand Theft Auto IV
-2 hoodies and a t-shirt from Aeropostale
-A top quality Christmas tree
-A two-year subscription to Time Magazine-A 7-inch Digital Photo Frame
-5 music albums from HMV
-Robosapien Robot
-A robotic vacuum cleaner

Black Friday Featured Shopping Tips: Top 10 Best Black Friday Stores

10. Staples

With a number of HP printers 40% off and a 26" LCD HDTV at only $299 (online), Staples really has made its mark in the world of Black Friday shopping. And it isn't just pencils and erasers either.

9. Home Depot

The orange "Do-it-Yourself" guys at the Home Depot are offering some great deals today. Magic Chef 1000-Watt Countertop microwaves are starting from only $69.99 and assorted Christmas decorations start at only $9.99. Also, tons of tools feature huge markdowns such as a 52-Piece Dewalt Drill and Driver Set for just $9.97.

8. Toys R Us

America's largest toy store is giving you some pretty big discounts with DVDs at half price, World of Warcraft games at half price and Annabell dolls and accessories at 60% off. But hurry in because these deals won't last long.

7. Ikea

I'm not particularly fond of Ikea's furniture but this store is definitely offering some pretty big discounts. For instance, a "Malm Queen Bed Frame" is only $99.99 and the "Arstid Table Lamp" is priced at $19.99.

6. Sears

You'll be surprised at how low the prices go here. This is not usually an incredibly popular store but I imagine that today will be quite different. Sears is giving away $60 gift cards with purchases of 4 Michelin, Goodyear, Bridgestone or BFGoodrich Tires, 7-piece towel sets for only $3.19 as well as women's fleece and activewear at 60% off. In fact, you'll find almost the entire store at 50-60% off.

5. Aeropostale

Aeropostale, one of the premier teen clothing shops, is slashing prices by 50% on everything in the store with the exception of clearance items. That means all of your favorite hoodies, t-shirts and fragrances from this brand will be half price.

4. Best Buy

Get a Toshiba Satellite Laptop for a mere $379.99 ($270 off) or a Sony Cybershot 10.1 MP Digital Camera for only $299.99 ($100 off) at Best Buy. You can save hundreds of dollars on pretty much everything in the store so try to jam into a crowded Best Buy to get these huge savings.

3. Sports Authority

You can go to Dick's Sporting Goods and get average deals or you can go to the Sports Authority to get the real deals. Close to all the athletic equipment in the store is marked down by at least 25% such as the entire stock of youth Nike and Adidas apparel for 25% off as well as the an Everlast Heavybag Kit for only $49.99.

2. Amazon

This year, Amazon, has decided to offer Black Friday deals on pretty much all of their items including their form of the doorcrasher, which they call the Lightning Deal. You don't have to stand in long line-ups or tire yourself roaming through mall after mall; just head to Amazon and you've got all you need. They'll give you a Canon Powershot 10 MP digital camera for $159.94 ($70.05 off) and a Magellan 4.3-inch display GPS System for only $199.99 (67% off).

1. Every Other Store

Don't stop at what I just mentioned, go to any and every store you want to go to because each one will have its unique savings.

Black Friday Shopping Tips: Top 10 Things Not To Do When Shopping

10. Do not get grumpy.

It's not going to help you to let your emotions run high. The only things doing this will accomplish is discouraging you and bringing down others around you.

9. Do not look for good parking spot.

Face it. You're simply not going to find the few spots right beside the entrances. Don't waste your time and get to the shopping. Settle for any spot you can find; a little bit of walking can't hurt you.

8. Do not bring your kids.

First of all, the huge crowds are extremely dangerous; children can easily get lost or even get kidnapped. Moreover, the little ones have the stores that they want to go into and stay in forever, which becomes a huge hassle. Allow them to make a list of things they want and take that with you during your shopping spree.

7. Do not bring valuable things.

There will be an amazing number of people in the malls on Black Friday and there's bound to be at least a few crooks in each one. You don't want to get your most precious jewelery stolen or lost.

6. Do not wear high-heels.

Ladies, this will be a long day especially if you're one of the really enthusiastic breeds of shoppers. Where comfortable running shoes that you will not become quickly tired in and brace yourself for a ton of walking.

5. Do not become intrigued by items you know you can't buy.

Hey, here's a rule: Engage yourself in stuff you will buy but ignore the stuff that you won't. It's just a waste of time and energy occupying yourself in admiring an awesome $20,000 swimming pool when you live in a condo.

4. Do not get out of line in frustration.

Every store is inevitably going to have unbelievably long line-ups that you simply cannot avoid. If you really want something, trust me, it's a good idea to wait in line for a while because there is not other time where you can purchase it at such a low price.

3. Do not go to stores with less than 20% off.

Retailers have sales all the time but generally not of this magnitude. However, some companies are a bit cheap and are only offering say 10% off its stock. You can get 10% off any time you want! Look for the exceptional deals with say 50% discounts.

2. Do not use a credit card for everything.

You've been witnessing the second worst economic meltdown in the history of the United States and financialists are dubbing it the "credit crisis". As you probably have distiguished, the reason for this is the fact that people are constantly not spending cash but using credit, which often gets them into big trouble.

1. Do not not shop.

This is pretty self-explantory. If you don't shop you're losing out on the biggest sales of the year. You should be hungry for these with the recent inflation levels.

Black Friday Feature: The Top 10 Best Teen Clothing Shops

On Black Friday, every store is going to have amazing deals and some of the best items may actually become less expensive than the worst ones. Thus, I've simply compiled a list of the hottest and best-quality teen clothing brands.

10. Urban Outfitters

This store has a chic style, with a variety of items from graphic tees to jeans to footweare. Each of their items adds a modern twist to slightly formal pieces.

9. Hurley

Hurley is mainly a retailer of street clothing catering to the needs of the hardcore punk. Their real features are their skate and surf wear.

8. Ecko Unlimited

This is a brand a lot like Hurley mainly designed for street use but it really highlights their artists amazing work with fancier clothing.

7. West 49

Although only available in Canada, rumours say that they may soon be expanding to the U.S. West 49 is one of the fastest growing lines of clothing and is mostly for boarders.

6. American Eagle

American Eagle really has apparel for everyone and is quite a large chain. However, I really don't like this AE because it's design is just simply not-so-appealing.

5. Adidas

Adidas adds a European tone to all of its clothing and specializes in sportswear. Hence, it isn't as popular in North America as it is in other parts of the world but soccer players generally prefer this brand.

4. Aeropostale

Personally, this is my favorite because it has excellent quality, detailed and well considered designs as well as a variety of different styles. And it does everything without putting a gaping hole in your wallet.

3. Nike

Nike is a leading brand in athletic equipment and apparel and is one of the biggest clothing corporations in the world. Its recognizable Nike Swoosh has really become an icon around the world symbolizing fine clothing for any occasion.

2. Hollister

Based in California, this line has really established itself in the clothing market.
Hollister makes clothes that have an old-fashioned and often grungy theme. There's no denying that this is one of the best in the business of quality and will not disappoint in that department.

1. Abercrombie & Fitch

This store definitely has superior quality but not without a massive pricetag. So Black Friday would absolutely be a great time to be looking for this but you're still likely going to be paying more than $20 for a t-shirt, which you can get for 15 at Aeropostale any time. Also, it's items, for the most part, have very plain designs so it's beginning to fall in comparison to some other brands.

One more: Tommy Hilfiger

Tommy has made a name for itself with its polos and shirts, making it a choice for casualwear. Here is one of your choices for a first-date outfit.

Black Friday Feature: Top 10 Tips You Need To Know Before Shopping

10. Bring Refreshments

Hey, believe it or not, shopping can be pretty tiring. I suggest you bring a few bottles of water, a few granola bars and some soda to keep from waiting in the long line-ups at snack places.

9. Take it Off

Black Friday is one day you can't afford to miss. In fact, some employers are even deciding to allow workers to have this day off with pay. And even if this isn't the case, the money you will save will still compensate for any lost salary.

8. Find a Shopping Location that Suits Most of Your Needs

You don't want to be wandering from one mall to another, wasting gas, time and energy. Just look for somewhere that has everything on your wishlist, from clothing to electronics to furniture to sports equipment.

7. Try to Purchase Bigger, More Important Items for Greater Savings

Black Friday is not the day to be buying cartons of milk or bags of chips; you should be thinking to make major purchases to really take advantage of the low prices. For instance, that TV you've been wanting might be something you'll want to shop for.

6. Plan a Route of Stores You Want to Visit to Save Time

This is a biggie. It would be dumb and frustrating, and not to mention exhausting to be scurrying in circles through an enormous shopping center, filled with people. Take a bit of time beforehand to go to your Black Friday destination's website and print a map to lay out your trek.

5. Search Through "Official Black Friday" Websites to Find the Best Deals

Although pretty much all stores will have humongous mark-downs, you should see that you get the best prices on the best items. Some websites can be found with a simple search of "black friday" on Google can lead to good pages.

4. Make a Shopping List

This can determine how much you can buy and can be based on priority, considering your budget. As well, a shopping list can help you with your route.

3. Grab a Few Coupons

I think this is pretty self-explanatory; coupons are money in the bank and no experienced shopper can go without them. You might not think these are important on such a day but you might regret not printing a few off.

2. Don't Try To Buy Everything

This is a mistake many shoppers are bound to make and it's quite inevitable that you will spend more than what you planned but keep in mind that even with the incredible sale prices, you don't have all the money in the world. You probably shouldn't purchase the products that are 5-10% off because there are many that are 70-80% off.

1. Don't Waste Your Time

Looking at products that you have no intention of buying is absolutely off limits on such a hunt for things. Black Friday is no time to dawdling, glancing over everything that "interests" you because trust me, there will be a lot of cool stuff. Also, if you want ultimate efficiency, you might want to split up if you are a large group, organizing a meeting place. After this, you can enter stores that cater to what you want.

My Advice For Apple and Steve Jobs: Go Into Video Games

Apple's best days have yet to come; It's still rising and investors and customers alike know it. The long line of iPods have been massively popular worldwide and the Mac is slowly beginning to creep up on the PC. However, this giant really hasn't taken enough of a plunge into tech yet, only really producing, MP3s, phones and computers. I believe though, that Apple can easily gain market share in any industry it wants to, and can perhaps overtake Microsoft in many of these industries. One of these may be video gaming.
Microsoft has long been in this wild and wacky world with its Xbox and Xbox 360. In addition to that, Nintendo and Sony pose huge competition. On the other hand, the iPod is probably one of the most popular items out there today: Virtually, every teenager in North America has one of these devices. A hot little handheld game console would be able to sell for sure.
To begin with, Apple has made a name for itself with its i-things and I'll bet you many young people will be dying to get their hands on another one of these. Also, the iPod has really become a trend even with youngster and walking down the street, you might see several adolescents bobbing their heads to their favorite tunes. This will undoubtedly help Apple with video game sales. Plus, Apple has some of the top marketers in the world: Steve Jobs and his crew are described by many as geniuses so really, there's nothing they can't sell. To supplement, their designers will make a sleek, new device; their innovators are sure to think of a few never-before-seen features; their financial talent is sure to set a healthy price; and Steve Jobs is sure to string everything together. What more can you ask for?
And what about an iCam (camera), an iRead (ebook reader) or an iTravel (GPS system)? If a few of these are made, soon Apple will be a real technology force.

The Best Books Delivered Wirelessly: Amazon Kindle

If you have been on the Internet in the last few years, then you know what Amazon is. If you read at all (unlike me), you probably have used it. Here's another reason to keep using it, the Amazon Kindle.
The Kindle is a totally new, totally cool device that lets you read books on the go without having to fill your bags with them. It, with the help of the Internet, allows owners to purchase electronic versions of all their favourite books from the Kindle. With this little gadget, you can flip the pages almost all of the New York Times' Bestsellers for $10.00 each. And if you think about everything that has to go into organizing these sales, it's a pretty damn good deal.
In addition to that, you can have renowned U.S. and world newspapers delivered to you daily. But that's not it, throughout the day, the Kindle automatically updates you on the world's most popular blogs including BoingBoing and Slashdot.
Plus, you can email your Microsoft Word documents and images to your Kindle for easy viewing. Editing your latest report is perfect for those traffic jams in rush hour in my opinion.
Of course, there's no internet costs to you because of the advanced technology that the Kindle employs to connect you quickly.
One last cool feature: If you come across a word that you don't recognize, turn it over to Wikipedia, right on your Kindle. And it will surprise you how many times you'll need this little thing.
But don't take my word, go over to the Amazon Kindle page and check it out!

Why The I-Dog Sucks

But honestly, would you really spend $35 on this thing. If you're not familiar with this piece of crap, let me introduce it to you: Basically, it's a hunk of plastic with a few flashing lights on it; and it can move in a super-generic and cheesy way; and it can play your music aloud. Wow. Awesome.
Yeah right. So the it has a few "cool" features. It dances (some conditions apply). Its lights are different colours for each type of music. How lame can it get?
One of its marketing tosses is it'll let you "rock out" but for real, I'd rather rock out with an actual rock that with a little toy that makes you want to break its head off. I mean, it's speakers are barely functional; save some money and go out and buy some real ones.
Let me just compare prices with similar things that aren't as dumb. An Osprey-Talon version is $13.95, and this other one is $9.99.
So just a glance inside the (un)wonderful world of i-accesories. Next time you see one of these, just say i-notstupid.

New Innovation in Writing: The Papermate Syncro

These days with the ever-expanding horizon of technology, the petty little pencil has been forgotten. But here is one of the reasons to use that old pencil again. The Papermate Syncro.
I know it sounds kind of stupid for me to be raving on about a pencil but I'll show you how pencils are actually advancing just as much as computers.
To begin with, the Syncro has a comfortable grip with a clicker right on it to advance the graphite easily. As well, this pencil features a large eraser that fits right into the pencil and is twisted out. You may not be able to see it easily, but inside there is even a shock absorbing spring that makes writing a lot more comfortable. Finally, the sleek modern look of this mechanical pencil makes anybody look professional and trendy.
So for innovation in writing, try the Papermate Syncro, even though it may be a little yesterday.

The New Trend in Weather: Portable Weather Stations

Technology constantly advances and weather forecasts are advancing with it, now coming in the super-cool, super-handy portable weather stations.
Perfect for outdoorsmen and camping enthusiasts, these devices have a great number of features. Naturally, the main one is constantly updated forecasts of several days in a user-defined area. Most of these also report humidity, baraometric pressure, UV scale, wind information, POP and even severe weather warnings. Some creative ones even inform you of what type of clothing you should be wearing.
And these conditions are all reported wirelessly so you don't need to do any fancy work with this to set it up.
The prices for these items range from about $40 to $150. Here are some sites to visit if you are interested:

Weather Keeper
Google Products