Information Overload

Revelation

Revelation stinks like an Uwe Boll movie except it's not by Boll. The film scores some points for foreign locations, and looking like a major production. It falls flat on every other aspect. Pacing is a problem. The action doesn't pick up until the main characters gear up, and head out to find the loculus before it falls into the hands of a sinister organization. The bad guys have infiltrated high ranks of multiple governments, including the U.S. and the Vatican, so it's perplexing that they are unable to find the loculus on their own. However, such details are nowhere near as confusing as the abrupt ending.

National Treasure: Book of Secrets

National Treasure: Book of Secrets is an entertaining follow-up to the first fictional adventure of a modern-day treasure hunter, Ben Gates, played by Nicolas Cage. The lost treasure in the sequel is equally far-fetched. The fun is found as Gate's team pieces the clues together in a race, in this case, to vindicate his family's name by proving that his great-grandfather did not help plot to assassinate President Lincoln. The main criticism of this movie is that it seemed somewhat rushed toward the end perhaps in an effort to maintain a two-hour running time.

Black Friday 2008

Tis the season for excess. Avoid being trampled or shot by shopping online.

P.S. Hordes of Orcs for Mac is 50% off today!

Happy Turkey Day!

Visit the turkey farm about 35 seconds into the following clip from Helen Keller! The Musical:

Quantum of Solace

Quantum of Solace indeed. Better Bond than expected. Olga Kurylenko plays a more complete character who keeps her clothes on in the sequel to Casino Royale. 007 is all action, all the time. The rapid pace helps obscure the plot absurdities, which are less outlandish than the films before Daniel Craig became the MI6 agent. One wonders if EON will continue the QUANTUM story line in Craig's third outing. Also, will they introduce a new Moneypenny, or Q since they're out of cinematic Ian Fleming stories?

Buy Movie Tickets Online Now!

24: Redemption

Redemption is a nice 24 fix in the form of a 120-minute movie made for broadcast television. Imagine Jack Bauer as a more militant Paul Ruseasabagina. (HBO or Showtime totally need to buy the distro rights for 24 so it can be freed from network censors.) The promo for Season 7 leaks a lot of information, but does a great job of psyching everyone up for January 11, 2009.

TypePad Connect

It only took Six Apart a bazillion years, but they have finally improved the TypePad commenting system as part of their new (beta) TypePad Connect service! TypePad Connect also replaces TypeKey, turning it into a meaningful profile page for people who use TypePad Connect. Suppose it's better late than never.

YouTube Live

YouTube Live was definitely better experienced live than viewed retrospectively on YouTube. Watching will.i.am perform It's a New Day live was a highlight. Also got to see Akon, Soulja Boy (nice intro @MCHammer), and Katy Perry up close to name drop a few. Wonder if this will become an annual event in SF, or if they'll hold it in a new location every year? 

iPhone 2.2 Software Update

So far so good with iPhone 2.2 Software Update (5G77). Sending text messages on AT&T is noticeably zippier. In fact, the UI seems slightly speedier overall. "Improved formatting of wide HTML email" is a welcome enhancement to Mail. Have yet to encounter a message that used to result in tiny body text prior to 2.2. The ability to press the Home button to jump back to the first Home screen is also a nice addition for iPhone users who have 9 screens worth of apps.

BlueAnt Wireless Z9i

The search for a perfect Bluetooth headset continues… Had to send the entire MOTOPURE H12 back a while ago because that was the only way to get replacement ear buds from Motorola. They sell replacement ear hooks, but not the part that tends to come loose out of the pocket and need replacement!

Picked up a BlueAnt Wireless Z9i from Amazon while waiting for the Motorola warranty claim to be processed. (Motorola eventually sent back a brand new H12, which will probably be reassigned to use with the PS3.) The Z9i's ear bud is securely attached. Unfortunately, a less comfortable ear bud that screws securely onto the main headset is the only advantage the Z9i holds over the H12.

The Z9i's primary button is made of plastic (unlike the H12's solid metal button). It's begun to flake out after a few months of use. On the plus side, it's now less likely to accidentally turn on while stored in the pocket. Perhaps most annoying is the blue light that rivals the output of the Palm Treo Wireless Headset. Why can't anyone design a decent Bluetooth headset?

Perhaps the MOTOPURE H15 will be the next candidate… It brings Motorola's beloved flip boom mic that doubles as an on/off switch to the MOTOPURE line. The H12's proprietary magnetic charging system has been banished in favor of standard USB. Everything looks good on paper except that the H15's ear bud design seems to remain unchanged from the H12. *sigh*