Looking for an All-in-One HDTV Package?
January 31, 2008
I just got wind of this amazing deal over at TigerDirect. Can you believe they are selling a 1080P HDTV with an HD-DVD player for under $1,100? Granted HD-DVD is just about dead but still, a 42″ LCD 1080P HDTV that is thin enough to hang on your wall at this price is downright amazing!
Not only do you get the HDTV, HD-DVD player but you also get 9 FREE HD-DVD movies as well as a two meter HDMI cable. Two of those movies come with and the other seven come via the mail. The two included HD-DVD titles are: The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift HD DVD and Apollo 13 HD DVD
Vizio VU42LFHD LCD HDTV
Vizio VU42LFHD LCD HDTV VIZIO’s newest miracle, the VIZIO VU42LFHD LCD HDTV is a 42″ Full High-Definition Liquid Crystal Display. Sporting a sleek new VIZIO design, the VIZIO VU42LFHD Full High Definition TV affords 1080p signal compatibility, the highest available in the industry! The New VIZIO VU42LFHD HDTV offers brilliant 1920 x 1080 resolution via HDMI, more than 16 Million colors, 1500:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 16:9 aspect ratio, 2-HDMI ports for optimal connectivity and packs into a space less than 4″ deep with the TV stand removed (for wall mounting applications). VIZIO remains on the cutting edge of new technology offered at incredible prices. The VIZIO VU42LFHD HDTV. Where Vision Meets Value.
Just when you thought VIZIO already offered the best High Definition TV available, we offered yet another outstanding addition to our lineup. Introducing the most advanced High-Definition LCD flat panel television, the new VIZIO VU42LFHD 42″ LCD HDTV. Besides the fancy name, its most compelling features include the latest VIZIO bezel design wrapped around a 42″ display, unmatched 1920 x 1080 high Definition resolution, built-in digital TV tuner, and a widescreen display designed to optimize high definition video content. Nice! But wait, there’s more! VIZIO’s VU42LFHD LCD HDTV also comes with 1080p (progressive scan) resolution. Yes, that’s right! 1080p. This is the most advanced, latest High Definition technology available on the market today used by Blu-Ray technology! The VU42LFHD LCD HDTV from VIZIO. Where Vision Meets Value.
Cables To Go 2-Meter Velocity HDMI Cable High-Definition Multimedia Interconnect
HDMI Certified to perform at standards set by HDMI LLC, our HDMI digital HDTV Velocity Series interconnects will provide a pure digital high-definition video, audio, and system control connection! Using HDMI-enabled components allows you to enjoy the purity of the original signal with no picture or sound degradation! Fully tested and absolutely guaranteed. Don’t compromise your high-definition television signal; use the right interconnects! Impact Acoustics Velocity HDMI cables are the right choice when value and performance are the order of the day!
Toshiba HD-A3 HD-DVD Player
For the highest level of picture quality with today´s best performing high defi nition TVs, the HD-A3 adds 1080p output. That´s twice the resolution of a 720p signal. The HD-A3 is equipped with CE-Link HDMI™-CEC connectivity. This convenient feature offers the capability to communicate with and control another HDMI-CEC compatible device in a completely new way. 1080p/24 frames per second (24p) support offers a smoother, more fi lm-like, viewing experience. Traditionally, movie fi lms are captured at 24 frames per second. The HD-A3 HD DVD player maintains this frame rate, allowing consumers to enjoy movies in their native frame rate.
If you purchased these items separately you would be paying $214.96 more than buying them in this bundle.
Vizio 42″ LCD HDTV w/9 Free movies plus HD-A3 HD-DVD Player 1080p and HDMI Cable $1099.99 (US)
New Dell Coupons Go Live
January 31, 2008
Who doesn’t want to save money when buying a new computer? I know I sure do and I know several of my readers have written to me to thank me for giving out these coupon codes. Whether you are looking for a desktop or a notebook I have a coupon code for you that can save you a boatload of money when buying from Dell.
Desktop Coupons
Laptop Coupons
These coupon codes do not last forever so write them down, head on over to Dell and save, save save!
Digg and the Pirate’s Dilemma
January 30, 2008
I have recently been reading an excellent book by Matt Mason titled The Pirate’s Dilemma
The book is very well written and researched. The core theme behind the book is how the culture of piracy (that’s you and me) causes change in the capitalist world. While entrepreneurs expand existing markets Pirates create new markets. It is then up to the established businesses to decide whether or not to compete or destroy the Pirates.
For example, should a designer hand bag company try to compete with a knock-off manufacturer? If the designer bags sell for $2,000 each and the knock-offs sell for $25 then the company is better served having law enforcement shut down the counterfeiters because the clientele who can afford a $2,000 handbag are unlikely to be willing to purchase a knock-off.
Another good example is made in regards to the RIAA and file sharing. We all know how that is turning out. The only one who is making money in the digital music space is Apple because they launched iTunes to compete (rather than litigate) the competition.
This article is not going to focus on the entire book but on one small section found in chapter 5. In this chapter (on page 167) Matt Mason lists The Four Pillars of Community. The text is written to apply to open source systems but it can be read to also apply to social media. After all, is Digg not the epitome of open source news? Many users contribute to make the site work, without those members contributing content what would Digg be?
Pillar 1: Altruism – Inspire your Audience to Help You Start Something.
When Digg began it was all about getting great content on the site. Back then it was strictly a tech site and the user base consisted of a large following that came from Kevin Rose’s days on TechTV.
Kevin had a vision. He wanted to harness the Wisdom of Crowds for the purpose of spreading great content to a multitude of users all over the web. If there was a money making system at work no one saw it back then. Many members wanted to see Digg succeed because they felt it was the wave of the future, putting the power of the media back into the hands of the common man.
Pillar 2: Reputation – Let Your Audience Create New Identities and Distinguish Themselves.
MegaDeth had a song in the 80’s, “Peace Sells, But Who’s Buying?” Even the most altruistic of people like to have a modicum of recognition for their deeds. Many Internet forums are run by volunteer administrators. They do not do it for pay they do it as they see personal value in it. Having the title of admin on some forums gives you a title equivalent to King or Queen. It is something you have earned and others respect.
Between the top digs users list and the DiggNation podcast Rose and company offered a valid reward system to get members involved; fame.
Many of the top Diggers on the site grew to have followings. They became social news celebrities in their own right. Becoming a top Digger was not something that was handed to you. Oh no, it is something that you had to work your ass off to achieve.
Pillar 3: Experience – Give Your Audience a New Experience and the Chance to Improve Their Skills.
Not all users of Digg are in it for the fame. Some of them just want to learn a thing or two about how social media works.
I know, from my own personal experience, that my involvement in Digg has been rewarding because I have met many new friends. People I would have never met outside of Digg are now people that I can call friends.
Not only have I met new people but I have also been able to debate my ideals and sway others (or been swayed myself) all because of Digg. Outside of home, work and my small circle of local friends I do not encounter many people who do not share my ideals and way of looking at things. Thanks to Digg (at least in the early days) I was able to learn things that have changed my point of view on various subjects.
I have found myself to be a better writer and debater because of the time I have spent on Digg.
Pillar 4: Pay Them!
I am not talking about cash money here (wouldn’t that be nice!) but about paying back the Digg user base for, without them, Digg is nothing.
Digg does still give back in the form of the DiggNation podcast but, they dropped the top Digger list. Not only have they dropped the list but they have turned the site upside down by making harder for the top Diggers to stay in the game. They have created an un-level playing field by forcing the more popular members to acquire more Diggs on a story before it gets promoted to the front page.
I understand that Digg wants to attract new members but what about all those people who made Digg big in the first place? If I, as a new user, am told that I am only welcome to submit content to the site until I hit a certain popularity threshold than why should I invest any time at all into the site? Digg is effectively telling me that they are scared of influential members using the site.
It has long been said that good managers hire good workers while bad managers hire bad workers so that they will not be shown up. Is that where Digg is headed?
Conclusion
I can’t help but think that Digg was once built on all four of these pillars and doing very well for itself. They were the Pirates of social media. They created a whole new business and it flourished like a wildfire. Then, something happened. They sold out.
By selling out I mean that in the literal not figurative sense. It is no secret that Digg is looking for a buyer right now. No one wants to invest a large sum of money into a business that is based on the whim of a few users, a few users who control what appears on the site due to their massive following. Because of this change in direction Digg has been forced to go from being a free-wheeling Pirate-style site to a suit and tie corporate entity.
Digg can succeed but I fear it may be destroyed if it is sold. Digg may have been first to market but it is no longer alone. Apple was not the first one to market with MP3 players yet they dominate the MP3 player market today.
Digg IS Kevin Rose. It was built on his ideas and the more it seems that he is removing himself from the ideals behind the site the more its users grow nervous. The only way Digg can survive being sold is if it sets its foundation firmly back onto the four pillars mentioned above.
UPDATE
I was recently contacted by David Title who has posted an interview with Matt Mason on his blog.
Nintendo passes 20 million Wii mark
January 24, 2008
Nintendo released their 9 month FY 2008 report today and lo and behold, they have broken the 20 million mark on Wiis!
In other Nintendo financial news…
Their hardware sales are up 103.8%.
Their software sales are up 57.7%.
Total electronic entertainment sales are up 84.9%.
Can you believe they still sell playing cards? That business is up 29.3%.
Other Highlights
During the nine-month period ended December 31, 2007 the nintendo DS enjoyed robust sales, selling a total of 24.5 million units (64.79 million lifetime sales). DS software was led by titles such as The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, Mario Party DS, Pokemon diamond and Pearl, Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day as well as long time favorite Nintendodogs.
In the console department the Wii reached total sales of 14.29 million units worldwide for the first three quarters of the year and exceeded 20 million in life to date sales, which is slightly over one year. Wii software titles such as Wii Fit, Super Mario Galaxy and Mario Party 8 enjoyed robust sales.
As a result, net sales were up 1,316.4 billion yen (up 84.7% 7/7), operating income was 394 billion yen (up 135.1% y/y), income before taxes and extraordinary items was 430.8 billion yen (up 95.2% y/y), and net income was 258.9 billion yen (up 96.3% y/y) respectively.
Apple iPhone Visual Voicemail Co-Defendant, SimulScribe, Settles Lawsuit with Klausner Technologies
January 23, 2008
NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–SimulScribe, LLC., a co-defendant with Apple, Inc.(APPL:NASDAQ) in the patent infringement lawsuit recently filed by Klausner Technologies, has settled the litigation and has licensed the Klausner Technologies visual voicemail patents. Other defendants in the case include ATT, Inc. (T:NYSE), Comcast Corporation (CMCSA:NASDAQ) and Cablevision Systems Corp.(CVC:NYSE).
The license covers SimulScribe’s visual voicemail service, which allows subscribers to selectively retrieve voice messages from a mobile phone or computer display. SimulScribe is the latest defendant, in a series of lawsuits brought by Klausner Technologies over visual voicemail, to sign a license with Klausner. Current licensees include Time Warner’s (TWX:NYSE) AOL and Vonage Holdings, Inc. (VG:NYSE), among others.
Under the patent license agreement with Klausner Technologies, in addition to SimulScribe’s visual voicemail service, its new ‘SimulSays’ visual voicemail application for RIM BlackBerry and Windows Mobile phones is now licensed in the US, Canada and Europe. ‘SimulSays’ enables users to scroll through voicemail messages on a mobile phone’s display and select which voice messages to access and in what order. It integrates with the phone’s contact book, enabling users to respond to voice messages by email, SMS or phone, directly from the application.
“We are happy to add SimulScribe to our growing list of licensees. SimulScribe’s visual voicemail for mobile phones and computer inboxes is an excellent example of our patented visual voice messaging technology, letting consumers view and select voice messages in a similar fashion to the way they view and select e-mails,” said Judah Klausner, CEO of Klausner Technologies.
The lawsuit was filed by the California law firm of Dovel & Luner in a federal court in the Eastern District of Texas. “We have litigated this patent successfully on prior occasions,” said Greg Dovel of Dovel & Luner, counsel for Klausner Technologies. “With the signing of each new licensee, we continue to receive further confirmation of the strength of our visual voicemail patents.”
Female Adventurer Becomes First American to Complete Historic Journey Across Antarctica
January 23, 2008
SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Renowned adventurer Alison Levine has become the first American to follow a remote route to the geographic South Pole pioneered by legendary Italian explorer Reinhold Messner. Levine, a San Francisco resident, left in early December for the Ronne Ice Shelf in west Antarctica and finished the arduous 574-mile journey in just 38 days. Since Messner’s expedition in 1989, only two Norwegian teams have completed this route – until now.
Levine endured some of the harshest conditions known to man including -50°F temperatures, icy winds and dangerous crevasse fields covered with snow bridges that have been known to collapse under pressure. The extreme weather made the trip especially hard for Levine because she suffers from Raynaud’s Disease, a neurological disorder that affects her extremities in cold weather. As a result, she often lost the use of her hands and was forced to ski without poles because she could not grip the handles. In addition, she was born with Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome, a life-threatening heart condition and had two surgeries to correct the problem.
“Antarctica definitely showed us her teeth,” said Levine. “The wind and the cold really beat us up at times. My hands would freeze whenever I stopped for a short break which meant I would have to ski and haul all of my gear without using my poles, and that was pretty tough. In these kinds of situations, you have to keep pushing day after day. You have no choice. It’s not like you can just pop into a ski lodge for a cup of hot cocoa. There is no escape. It’s just you against the elements – but that’s how I like it.”
At 5’4, 112-pounds, Levine skied 10 hours a day with a sled containing 150 pounds of her own gear and supplies harnessed to her waist. Despite eating 5,000-6,000 calories a day, Levine lost 15 percent of her body weight due to the physical demands of the journey.
Levine, who served as the deputy finance director for Arnold Schwarzenegger in his successful bid to become Governor of California, received congratulations from Governor Schwarzenegger and First Lady of California Maria Shriver. “We were thrilled to hear the news of our friend Alison’s safe arrival at the South Pole,” said First Lady of California Maria Shriver and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in a joint statement. “We admire her sense of adventure, and we hope she will inspire all Californians and all Americans to pursue whatever they are passionate about.”
Levine retraced Messner’s traverse to the South Pole as part of an international five-person team that included an Australian, who led the group along with adventurers from Canada, Norway and Holland. A record of her blog and pictures can be found here: http://www.kepplerspeakers.com/Levine/2007/11/track_alison_levines _progress.asp.
Liars Figure and Figures Lie
January 23, 2008
Now that 2007 has come to a close a lot of articles are popping up all over the Internet talking about video game sales and which games came out on top. There is but one problem with some of these articles.
Example 1: World of Warcraft Reaches New Milestone: 10 Million Subscribers [link]
Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. announced today that subscribership for World of Warcraft®, its award-winning massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), has continued to climb, recently passing 10 million worldwide. Interest in the game has remained high in all regions, with thousands of new and returning players signing up through the holiday season. World of Warcraft now hosts more than 2 million subscribers in Europe, more than 2.5 million in North America, and approximately 5.5 million in Asia.
Example 2: Halo 3 knocks Wii Play out of top selling spot for 2007 [link (one of many)]
Today’s NPD sales numbers reveal that Bungie’s Halo 3 was the best selling game in the United States in 2007, with a whopping 4.82 million copies sold. Nipping at Master Chief’s heels was Nintendo’s own Wii Play. It sold through a staggering 4.12 million units to the masses.
Which of the above two articles has the more accurate headline? The first one of course. The second article proudly proclaims one thing but, in the first line of the write-up they add in the qualifier that they are talking about video games sold in the USA. You could chalk this up to an editorial blunder but I see it happening far too often (in video game news) to see it as such.
The Numbers Game
If you massage numbers enough you can make the numbers say anything you want them to.
In more recent political news there was a US Presidential primary held in Nevada. On the Democrat side one candidate one the popular vote while another won more delegates (delegates count in primaries) yet the news reported the popular vote winner as the winner. Did the media learn nothing in 2000 when the popular vote winner (Al Gore) did not win the actual (Electoral College) Presidential vote?
The same thing goes on in video games news, it’s all about the headline and many people in the industry do not care if the headline is wrong if it paints them in a good light.
Two Groups of Numbers
We currently have two major players in the video game sales number game; NPD Group and VGChartz. The NPD Group is often considered more credible while VGChartz is often painted as a bunch of kids sitting around a computer making up numbers. Both of these groups have good an bad qualities to them but we need both to get a good picture of what is going on.
The one chief failing of NPD is their limited market. They only release data for North America when talking about video game sales. This is fine when your audience is strictly from North America but, with many websites having global audiences you need to make it perfectly clear that the article you are writing is based on only a small portion of the gaming world. If we look at the success of World Of Warcraft we quickly see that only 25% of their paid members reside in North America. I know it is not scientific to use the data from one company to prove a trend but… Why is the reverse being done?
VGCgartz has this to say about their number tracking system:
Unlike many other websites (which use manufacturer shipment figures and reports to estimate current console sales), VG Chartz collects data directly from retailers all over the world. Retailer sample sizes are small compared to professional tracking services, but are large enough to provide very accurate projections of the latest console sell through figures worldwide. We are the only provider anywhere in the world of weekly American sales charts and are expanding our data collection and coverage all the time.
NPD says this:
We collect global point-of-sale (POS) information from more than 600 retail partners – representing about 140,000 stores worldwide that have agreed to provide us with their sales information. This retailer network spans all key distribution channels: department stores, distributors, national chains, specialty stores, mass merchants, and more.
The funny thing about NPD is that they routinely mention that they get worldwide data yet all we ever see is North American data in regards to video games. What’s up with that? Further, what is the deal with reputable video game news sites making misleading headlines about video game sales?
Well, Kotaku may not be as reputable as they once were. They did have the tubgirl incident last year, not to mention what their sister blog Gizmodo did at CES this year with turning off monitors in vendor booths while vendors were doing presentations. Yeah, real professional there.
I try to pull data from as many sources as I can or, if I am pulling from only one source I try my best to make it clear what source I am pulling from and leave it up to you, the reader, to decide on how valid the data is. I also try my best to only use world wide data because I simply do not believe that the world ends at the border of the USA.
Hasbro Announces Special Pre-Sale of Paramount Pictures’ “Cloverfield” Monster Figure
January 21, 2008
PAWTUCKET, R.I.-Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE: HAS) brings to market the figure of one of the most tightly held secrets in recent Hollywood history: the “Cloverfield” Monster. Following the 1-18-08 theatrical release of Paramount Pictures and Bad Robot’s “Cloverfield,” fans will be able to order a highly detailed representation of the beast beginning today exclusively on www.hasbrotoyshop.com.
Standing at an imposing 14 inches tall, the creature that wreaks havoc on New York City in the film is immortalized as a super-articulated figure for fans and collectors alike. As with other beasts in the annals of great movie monsters, the creature in “Cloverfield” captures the imagination and tugs at the fears of thrill seeking moviegoers.
The party may be over when this beast comes to town, but the fright inducing look of the creature lives on from the creepy people-sucking underbelly to the swath of parasites the beast lets loose to hunt citizens of the ‘Big Apple.’ The figure also comes with two interchangeable heads, each depicting one of the Monster’s moods: calm or agitated. The head of the Statue of Liberty, the iconic image which made the film’s much buzzed about and analyzed trailer so eerie and intriguing, is also included.
“Hasbro is very excited to be working with Paramount and Bad Robot to bring to market a piece of the film for fans and collectors,” said Brian Goldner, COO of Hasbro, Inc. “The fan buzz on this film has been terrific and we are happy to take part in the excitement.”
The “Cloverfield” Monster from Hasbro is available now for pre-sale at www.hasbrotoyshop.com for an approximate retail price of $99.99.
- Cloverfield Monster Features:
- 70 points of articulation and incredible life-like detail
- Authentic sound
- 14” tall
- 10 parasites
- Two interchangeable heads
- Statue of Liberty head accessory
- Special Cloverfield collector’s edition packaging
image from filmschoolrejects.com as Hasbro has not released an image of the toy.
Guitar Hero® Franchise Surpasses $1 Billion in North America in Record 26 Months, According to the NPD Group
January 21, 2008
Activision, Inc. today announced that the Guitar Hero® franchise has set an industry record, surpassing $1 billion in North American retail sales in just 26 months, according to The NPD Group.
Additionally, Guitar Hero® III: Legends of Rock™ was the #1 title in units and dollars for calendar year 2007, making it the #1 best-selling video game of all time in a single calendar year.
Since its initial release in fall 2005, the Guitar Hero franchise has sold in excess of 14 million units in North America alone, according to The NPD Group. In 10 weeks since the game’s launch, consumers have already downloaded more than five million songs.
“Guitar Hero is one of the biggest brands and one of the most powerful distribution platforms in all of entertainment today,” said Michael Griffith, President and Chief Executive Officer, Activision Publishing, Inc. “Guitar Hero’s popularity with broad audiences is a confirmation that video games have become a true mass medium.”
I don’t normally like articles that use NPD as a source because they often omit the fact that NPD does not track world wide sales data. I’m posting this one right now because:
a. Guitar Hero is an awesome franchise.
b. I clearly note “North America” in the title.
c. I’m sick of all the articles this past week proclaiming Halo 3 the number one game yet always omitting that they are only looking at North American sales data.
I’m still looking for the world wide data on Guitar Hero so if someone has it hand please send me a link.
Age of Conan MMO pushed back
January 21, 2008
Funcom has announced a new release date for Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures. Adding eight more weeks to the development schedule the game will now launch on May 20, 2008.
Despite great feedback on the game from beta testers Funcom has decided to push the release of the game back a few months in order to add a little bit more polish.
If you would like to get in on the beta action you can find more information on the game by going to www.ageofconan.com.
image from knives.com
