PS3 Slim in the house (err…apartment)!

Arrived yesterday actually. It’s just as I imagined it…but better. Full post to come soon, complete with pictures and stuff.

Welcome to the library of the future

I just read that a Boston prep school has gotten rid of all the books in their library and put all of that material onto 18 e-readers (something like a Kindle).  Now, I worked at my local library back in high school for two years and loved it.  I love books, collecting, reading, etc.  So it’s bittersweet to see this as a viable option for the future.  The space saved could make way for another classroom, conference hall, offices, etc.  And while I love that new book smell, for schools, I can see this taking off simply because eBooks are cheaper, take up practically no space, and aside from the e-reader breaking, the books will not deteriorate over time.

I’ll still buy a physical book over eBooks for some time to come, but I definitely would have used this back in college a few years back if the prices had been more reasonable.  I wasn’t going to pay $125 for an eBook when I could get the real thing for $130 and be able to resell it at the end of the semester.  That’s a problem that will need to be sorted out soon if companies are serious about eBooks in education.

You can read the article for yourself HERE.

Proud new owner of a PS3 Slim

Finally, after almost three years of waiting, I am finally the owner of a PS3 Slim.  Err…well, I will be.  I just got the tracking # from Sears and UPS has yet to update the site.  But I should have it no later than Tuesday.  I’ve been itching to play SOCOM: Confrontation for a couple weeks now, as well as Burnout Paradise so these next few days are going to take forever.  Thankfully I got the SOCOM bundle which included a Bluetooth headset so I’ll charge that a day before the PS3 arrives.  My HDMI cable arrived today so I believe I’m all set.  The only thing left is to decide where to put the PS3 when it gets here  Best of all, after 2 $50 Sears gift cards and $24 in Bing.com cashback, the total cost after tax and shipping is $205.02, AWESOME!

I also got an e-mail last night from Centercode that I’ll be getting the Logitech MK700  in the mail soon.  I tested this a few months back and really enjoyed it.  Aside form some minor issues in aesthetics, a good product overall.  So far this week has started off quite well.  I should hear back about a job soon too, so really, just a lot of good things happening for once, it’s nice.

Steal children, not music…it’s cheaper – Fact

Long story short, read Conor McCarthy‘s article Seven Crimes to Consider Before Music Piracy.  It’s ridiculous that the RIAA is getting away with these huge judgments for such petty theft (24 songs…that’s nothing compared to what most people have on their computers).

Finally getting a PlayStation 3!

I’m sure by now most people have heard about the price cut AND the new PS3 Slim.  Sony dropped the bombshell that we have all been waiting for since about two months ago.  I should be clear that Sony intends for the ‘slim’ to be THE new PlayStation 3.  They’ve been losing a shit-load of money since the PS3 released and with the introduction of a smaller PS3 Sony should finally be close to breaking even.  That said, I have 2 $50 Sears gift cards on the way thanks to the rewards bonus on my credit card (for signing up) so that already low price of $299 now becomes $199, which will be split in half with Callan (the girlfriend) making my out of pocket expense for the PlayStation 3 ~$100 + tax.  I’m hoping to find a 10% coupon for Sears if at all possible but even if I can’t, still a damn good price.

Oh, and I have already started buying PS3 games in anticipation of this purchase.  I got Turok off of Gooxez.com, Warhawk off of a fellow CAG member, and picked up Folklore and Motorstorm at GameStop when they had 25% off used games.  Today I added SOCOM: Congrontation (the bundle which has a Bluetooth headset) for $29.98 and Burnout Paradise for $6.98 thanks to the clearance section at Target (which is about an hour and a half away…).  So before I’ve even purchased my PS3, I have 6 games for the thing ready and waiting

New chair

First, let me start this off with my old chair…if you can even call it that.  It was a simple metal folding chair, all black, and it served its purpose for the most part.  It wasn’t all that comfortable but it was small and easy to move around in our tiny apartment.  Over the years, this chair has slowly gone from fairly sturdy to dangerous and a hazard to my health, seriously.  Just look at it yourself in the photos below;

Nice isn’t it?  Don’t let the duck tape at the bottom fool you, this chair wobbled like a drunk after a hard night of drinking.  Well, thankfully that’s history now.  My new chair, while still nothing to write home about is still much MUCH more comfortable thank my previous sitting device.  It cost about $86 shipped from Office Depot and so far has been worth the price.  It’s fairly sturdy, rather heavy, which I like (adds to the sturdiness), and it rolls/spins, which is awesome.

The Fundfax Fairraiser

Marissa, a 19 month old baby girl who was diagnosed with Infantile Spasms when she was a mere two months old. Her stuffed bunny Fairfax travels the world, sharing not only Marissa’s story but also spreading awareness of the serious pediatric epileptic condition that she, and other young children, suffer from.

Approximately eight months ago hawtymcbloggy.com pulled together for a community project titled Fairfax ‘n’ the Chief in honor of her father (who is a fellow Halo fanatic).  A few days ago they announced The Fundfax Fairraiser, a very special fundraising effort that will benefit sweet baby Marissa and those that are helping her through this very difficult fight.

The Fundfax Fairraiser gives you, the passionate gamer, a chance to win some absolutely incredible video game-related prizes. For every $1 you donate, you will receive one virtual raffle ticket that gives you a shot at winning everything from a Kotobukiya Steel Spartan 12” Figure (covered in more Bungie autographs than you could ever begin to count) to an EA Sports Pack to an autographed copy of The Godfather II to one of dozens of games spanning across the various platforms. So, are you interested in trying to win some cool stuff while helping out a worthy cause?  Yes?  Good, now head on over to hawtymcbloggy.com and donate.  Every dollar helps and for a chance to support a good cause AND win cool prizes, what’s not to like?

The Fundfax Fairraiser

Is he dead?

A new Pre-E3 trailer was released for Mass Effect 2 and this game is shaping up to be even more amazing than the first, and that’s saying a lot considering the first game was awesome.  The major plot unknown is whether Commander Shepard (main character) is dead or not.  We don’t know, no one is telling us, though they’ve hinted at BOTH yes and no.  Aside from that unknown, just about everything is being improved upon, from the long elevator rides, to the inventory system, I can’t wait.  Just watch the trailer below;

Awesome, I know.  And just to highlight some of that awesomeness…