weekend projects: slides to dvd and batch encoding of videos

happy belated turkey day to everyone! 

like most that work in the retail sector, i sadly had to work this weekend also (oncall but still working imo).  so since i had to be around my pc all weekend anyways, i figured i'd pick up on a few projects i've been meaning to get done.

my first and now-bigger-than-i-thought-it-would-be project is turning out to be quite the task.  my mom had a ton of slides from back in the 1960s of her trips across the USA.   being the geek and good son i am, i told her that for part of her xmas present, i would scan about 1000 of them in and make a DVD video showing them (thinking it would be a weekend project only).

zune software and understanding how syncing works

well, after messing w/my Zune Flash 8GB continuously for the last 3 days, i think i finally understand how syncing and managing media on the zune works. at first, it is not very intuitive and a bit backwards (at least imo) but once you understand how it works, things get easier so here's my quickie intro to understanding syncing w/the zune device and zune software (version 2.0+)

sellout styled: my first mp3 player purchase in over 9 years (Zune Flash 8GB)

yes, the title of this post is correct.  being as big of a geek as i am, most of my pals are pretty shocked to hear that i hadn't owned an mp3 player since the first generation of mp3 playesr.  back in 1998, i bought my first ever and up to this point 2nd ever mp3 player.  it was a Rio PMP300 that had a whopping 32mbs of memory and 10 hour battery life.  video? photo? click wheel/touchpad? none.  this was before Apple made mp3 players.

Sony VAIO VGN-TZ170N quick look (ultra-portable)

This last week or so the company i work for had in several ultra-portable laptops to evaluate.   To my surprise and delight, one of them happened to be a VAIO TZ model. 

I've always have been a pretty big fan of the VAIO VNG TZ series in the ultra-portable world.  So, would Sony keep me as a fan or would Vista on it be a show stopper?  Lets take a quick look at the VGN TZ170N (youtube video quick look embedded at the bottom):

how does one become an 'expert' in their field?

really, how? i've been very curious about this lately since i've been working with quite a few 'experts' at work.  so, off to the web i went to see if there were any articles or posts on this question.

my search yielded a very good article from Matthew Moran on this topic.

gaming and downloadable content (DLC); how i would do it

downloadable content, micro-transactions; the buzz words for 2007 and how developers feel they can gain extra revenue off a base product/game.

i've blogged previously about my disgust of downloadable content that IS NOT FREE.  in my opinion, downloadable content seems to be overpriced and usually things that SHOULD have been in the final game.

PS3 2.0 firmware released.. no ingame music or xmb :(

well, sony finally did it and released firmware version 2.0 for the PS3.. for most PS3 faithfuls, this was supposed to be the FIXITALL one that would give us ingame XMB and custom music at the very least.  however, 2.0 does not seem to live up to its version number.. hehe..

things that are fixed taken from the playstation blog :

thoughts on ASUS's Eee PC

just in the last month, ASUS has released its eagerly awaited Eee pc. the Eee pc is basically a super compact laptop made mainly for websurfing/chatting. it has a 7" lcd and weighs in at around 2lbs. it has either a 2gb, 4gb or 8gb ssd harddrive and various memory flavors (4 different models total) and the best part being that the pricing on it is very reasonable; starting around $245 for the basic model to the top end model at $425. all models include wifi, usb ports, and the ssd. also, it comes with a preinstalled linux variant os; xp can be installed but you'd really want to do this if you have the 8gb version.

to me, i get to finally say ITS ABOUT TIME the small, mobile computing niche saw a device w/a realistic pricepoint. i really want to love the UMPC format but who really is looking to spend over $1,000 on an ultraportable laptop that only has 7" screen and will probably only used for web surfing?

however, to me i see this device as being a fun, ongoing project. i'd really like to see if one can get OS X Tiger to run on it; since it does run an Intel processor vs a VIA or non-OSX86 compatible processor. i have not purchased the Eee pc yet but now have decided to wait for the black version and hopefully will be getting the 8GB version in the next month or so.

i'm very curious to see how XP runs on it, 1gb memory and an 8GB ssd should be pretty speedy. the Dell D430 i have runs XP pretty nicely, boot up time is around 19 seconds from start to desktop (it also has a 30gb SSD).

plus, streaming is where its at for music even though a nice ole USB flash drive or HDD would work just fine too. :) yes, harddrive space is not a limiter here, rather memory limited to 1gb may prove to be a downfall found out topend model does allow upgrade to 2gb but voids warranty in process, worth it imo.  also, top end 8GB model will not be available in USA; so it looks like i'll have to ebay it or import it, boo!!  whats up with that ASUS?

but then again, it is only a $425 ultra portable.. :) anyone have one yet? let me know if its what you expected or not.

rock band or guitar hero 3?

so.. after 2 versions of the game, i finally got my hands on Guitar Hero 3 for the XBOX360... and i must say.. its pretty fun! i can see why so many people are addicted to it..

at first, i was a bit slow and bad but after a few easy songs, i was jamming Rockstar like.. :)

Guitar Hero 3 just released on Oct 28th for almost every console out there. however later this Nov, around the 23rd Rock Band will be released.  Rock Band was created by the prev. developers that did the original GH.

Both games are music beat-based. Guitar Hero 3 builds on the original franchise by going w/just guitars for instruments. Rock Band is basically what its name says; a band. if you get the full band bundle, you get a drum set, a guitar, and a mic.

The Guitar Hero 3 w/wireless controller (PS3/X360) goes for about $100-110.

The Rock Band bundle will go for around $159 for the complete setup.

Now, one must ask themselves; which one do you go for? Honestly, can you justify buying both setups? You could end up spending over $300 (if you get a 2nd wireless guitar for guitar hero 3; Rock Bands guitars are not cross compatible w/GH3, but GH3 will work w/rock band just no special moves buttons).

Honestly, i think i am going to wait until Rock Band is released or even try it out in a store before hand. Spending over $100 for a game is a lot of money! Thats more than my cell phone bill.

So, whose waiting for Rock Band? Or did you get GH3 already? Or perhaps are getting both?

I'll be waiting.. but may break down and go GH3.. we'll see how Rock Band feels.. :)