My iPod is a Touch, pretty sweet, and it sort of held me back from buying an iPhone and selling my soul to AT&T (which is a bad idea in NEPA…we have lots of valley and rolling hills that we tend to call mountains…and in those areas you are lucky if you get any service at all.)  I have a habit of buying the newest iPod when it comes out, not the case this time however.  I have had a 1st generation 2gb nano, then I got the 3rd generation square 8gb nano, and then the 4th generation 16gb nano.  I had decided that I did not want to buy an iPhone when it came out…ok I did but like I said, AT&T around here…the iPhone is no reason to switch networks.

So imagine my depression when Apple came out with the newest nano, with a camera and FM/AM transmitter which I will confess I would totally use.  And my Touch that has no camera, but there are some awesome radio apps I can use, as long as I am connected to wifi.  Along with the new nano having a camera, of course it will do video.  The prices have been dropping also.  You can get a new 16gb nano for less than $200 which is a pretty sweet deal actually seeing as how hey used to be over $200 for the 8gb.

Now if only they would do a new iPod Touch with a camera also (hey Apple, you could totally put in an FM/AM transmitter, I won’t be upset), they now have 32gb and 64gb which will probably be next on my list unless Verizon happens to get the iPhone and release a 64gb iPhone…no suggestions or anything.  Heck, even the iPod shuffle is insanely cheap, a 4gb for less than $100.  They basically look like a hot flash drive…just no USB stick.

So this last part is to Apple, Steve Jobs, whoever can make it happen.  Please make an iPod Touch with a camera (the radio honestly isn’t the kicker), I kind of feel left out without a camera/iPod/computer, just an iPod/computer…I really get annoyed when I have to walk around holding an actual camera and managing the flash and dealing with having the wrong SD card and only being able to take 1 picture.  I just want to have a phone/radio/computer/ipod/gaming system in my hands…

So hypothesis numero uno, what is it going to look like? I have seen concept images where it looks more like just the LCD ripped off of my 3 yr old Macbook (shall we call it the Macbook Touch?). Other images have it looking like a much larger Iphone or Ipod Touch. A 10″ screen is what they are boasting and that would be a little nicer on the eyes when you are watching a movies or video podcasts like I do on my Touch.

Next, what will the OS be? Will it be Snow Leopard or will it be the Iphone OS? If it is going to be something where you will be able to either dock or put on a stand, I would hope that it would be Snow Leopard, but it may be easier to just have the Iphone OS. Unless there are going to be USB ports for plugging keyboards and mouses in or wireless mouse and keyboard capabilities, then I could see something with meat and potatoes running as the OS. What will the hard drive size be? I would think that you would have to start at probably 16 gb if it’s going to be the same software as the Touch and the Iphone. If it will be running the other OS, probably at least 60 gb.

What about connectivity? Will it only be able to connect to wifi or will you be able to get a plan or maybe add it to your Iphone plan? If this tablet becomes huge and everyone is just carrying it around with them, I could definitely see 3G capabilities. Actually, scratch that, I could see 4G capabilities. If you can have a contract for a data plan with this, I see Verizon going all over this. They have been hinting that they will be getting the Iphone in time, which is just prolonging AT&T’s demise. If they can get the tablet and it becomes as big as I think it will, you will see tablets at the gym, in the coffee shops, at the park, in class rooms, everywhere.

You can tell I really have high hopes for this product, please forgive me, I am a bit of an Apple fangirl. So the dates have been flopping back and forth for the release of this amazingness in a 10 inch screen. Some have been saying by Christmas, others October, and the most recent as early as September. $800 is the price that has been flashing around, I would say $500-$700 is a good price range. All depending on the OS again and capabilities.

Either way, I am definitely gonna be asking Santa for one…

Facebook Apps – if you are like me than you have no idea how you got into even playing with these apps… I normally only use Facebook for keeping in touch with college friends. However, I see these as a new way to stagger through my work day.  Some of these apps are meant to just take your mind off of what you were currently doing and waste a little bit of time.  Others are so addictive that you just find yourself now checking your Facebook for updates with these apps and freak out because your co-worker or some friend you haven’t seen in 3 years just beat your Chain Rxn score by 32 million…and you need to sit in an imaginary bubble for just 10 minutes while you try and beat this gloriously high score…I’ve been there already.

1) Farm Town and Farmville (they are both basically the same): Pretty self explanatory, you plant seeds and trees and watch them grow. Then you harvest and sell them for money. The more you plant and harvest, the more experience you receive and then higher your level will be. You can also get animals and fences, buildings, the list goes on. You can also send plants and animals to your friends for their farms. The only down side I have yet to see is you either check your farm too late and have to delete the withered left overs or wait 3 days for your corn/wheat to grow, some plants take 4 hours and some take 3 days.

2) Chain Rxn: This is a super-massive addictive game, no lie. The object of the game is to click anywhere on the screen to start a chain reaction of balls as they bump into the other balls that have explodedfrom the initial ball. The longer the chain goes, the higher the score for each ball that bumps into another exploded ball. I have nothing bad to say about this except that it is the new crack, it’s that addictive.

3) Mafia Wars: I cannot really review this only because I have never played it, though I am going to review it now because it was the first app that made me cringe at using any other app. I used to have about 40+ new updates about my friends’ Mafia and always got invites to join the crew. I am sure that within the next few months, I will probably give up and join. I am a lemming…

4) Bejeweled Blitz: Come on, my generation and even those who may be a little bit older certainly remember the game Bejeweled. I would play that game like it was then end of the world, if I even turned my head away, the Earth would face certain horrifying death. Yeah, I know, I had issues. Either way, Bejeweled Blitz on Facebook is basically Bejeweled 2 with a 1 minute time frame, thats pretty much it. I adamantly tried to burst all of your bubbles there to save you the annoyance, because that is what happened to me.

Hopefully, this little tidbit of highly important information will either have you interested in playing with some of these Facebook apps (there are a TON more out there.)  If you do happen to get into most of the apps I mentioned…send me something for my farm…please…

Then starting in February 2009, Criterion started it’s “premium DLC” support for the game, releasing the “party pack.” An offline “pass the controller” mini-game collection for roughly $10.00. In the months following, more premium DLC was released adding new cars with game changing characteristics and new online modes.

But, the premium DLC was met with criticism because of the prices. New car add-ons ranged from $7.99 to $12.99 and new game modes were $9.99. So when the Big Surf Island was announced many were bracing themselves for a huge blow to their bank account balance. But, after playing the Big Surf Island DLC I’m pleased to say its worth every penny of the roughly $12.99.

Big Surf is the first DLC to add a new location to Paradise City and it’s completely different from what was available to the player before. After the download you’re immediately greeted with a half finished bridge leading to your new stomping grounds. Your also in a brand new car named the “Dust Storm Buggy” which is a total joy to drive because of it’s insane handling. The main difference of the island is the amount of places to do tricks. Huge jumps let you get more airtime than ever was possible before. As listed on Criterion’s site, here’s what is offered in the add-on:

• The Dust Storm Buggy available to drive straight away
• 8 Incredible New Cars to Win
• 15 Events (Including all New Island Tours)
• 10 Freeburn Challenges
• 12 New Roads to Rule
• 75 Island Smashes
• 45 Island Billboards
• 15 Island Mega Jumps

Completing all that is offered in Big Surf took me about 7 hours, including “ruling” all the new roads. I’ve recently finished full retail priced games that came way under the 7 hour mark. I would recommend starting off with the island tour event types because they will show you many highlights of the island. There are only 10 online Freeburn challenges, but they’re highly inventive. I found myself doing them twice. Trying to figure how to get an out of each billboard is just as satisfying as before. Smashing those billboards will unlock one of the highest points in Big Surf–the brand new cars. Without ruining the surprises, lets just say that these cars alone could have been sold at $9.99 when compared to previous DLC prices.

The total playtime and cars are what left me with the impression of value. Never did I think I had paid too much, which was my main worry going into the add-on. If you’re going to buy only one DLC pack for Burnout Paradise, this is the obvious choice. My only small criticism is that the ninth car unlock requires you to complete all 500 online Freeburn challenges, a task that is nearly impossible to complete. The retail game is now less than $20.00 add $12.99 for Big Surf you’re looking at the greatest value of this console generation thus far. Buy it Now!

Available now on PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Marketplace

5 hovering “Jansen P12 88 Specials” out of 5

It’s been about two weeks now since we’ve installed and been playing Popcap’s newest hit – Plants vs Zombies! and over those weeks, many hours have been spent vigilantly growing a monster garden to defend my house (and brain) from a never ending zombie onslaught.  As with their previous hits, most recently, Peggle, Popcap has pulled through again delivering a great game that can be played in short bursts and is full of humor, clever graphics and classic Popcap-style music.

Plants vs Zombies is primarily set in your home’s back yard where you grow a garden of angry plants which assist you in fighting off the zombies using a variety of weapons including peas, butter, cabbage, watermelons, walnuts, fire, mushrooms and pumpkin shells.. to name a few.  The main adventure mode of the game encompasses 50 levels in 5 zones: Backyard, Backyard with water, Backyard night time, Backyard night time with water and your roof where the zombies make their final assault.

PvZ is a unique take on a growing genre of short-duration gaming known as a Tower Defense.  Tower Defenses (or Mauls) started as a Warcraft III custom game (similar to DotAs – see our review of DemiGod) where players build autonomous Towers, which can be anything from actual arrow-shooting towers to a recreation of a cartoon character that shoots snowballs, that shoot mindlessly at creatures that walk through them on a static path.  PvZ changes the classic TD setting by giving the player 5 rows to fill with plants and having zombies randomly spawn in any of the lanes.  There are only a few select plants that can cover multiple lanes; so building the plants in the proper order from the beginning is important in ensuring your brain’s safety.

Overall, the adventure mode took probably 4 to 5 hours to complete and was actually a little too easy to complete in my opinion.  There were only a handful of levels that I restarted due to bad placement initially and there were no levels that I outright lost where a zombie ate my brain.  I can understand the intent of designing a game mean to be played in small increments to be easier; players would be less motivated to replay a level if they only had a few minutes to play and difficult levels that go on for 5+ minutes would be undesirable.  However, for the mode hard-core gamers among us, at least giving an option to play the adventure mode on a Hard difficulty (right now, there is no difficulty selection) for a bit more of a challenge.

Along with protecting your home, one of the primary aspects of the game is collecting money (small coins that pop up on the screen from time to time) which is used to buy a wide variety of products from your neighbor, Crazy Dave, to enhance different aspects of game play.  One of the first things you can purchase are enhancements to the plants in your garden.  There are over 40 plants you can acquire, plus additional upgrades, and at the start of each level you can only 6 (or more if you buy the proper upgrade), so there is never a lack of thought that can go into the inital planning for your garden.   For a full list of plants, check out: http://jayisgames.com/walkthroughs/plants-vs-zombies Besides new plants to grow, there are various other enhancements you can buy with the coins you collect to buy items usable long beyond the adventure.

Where the game really begins to shine is once the adventure mode has been completed.  There are a slew of mini-type-games that will keep you occupied long after the adventure has ended and a great reward system to entice you to keep playing.  Once you’ve completed the adventure, you start to gain access to Puzzles, Survival Mode, Minigames and a Zen Garden (tended by a lethargic snail).  Completing these games earns money, special Zen Garden plants and trophies and will take considerably more time to complete than the initial adventure while providing a lot of entertainment and classic Popcap game references.

Overall, Plants vs Zombies is another instant classic from Popcap that I would recommend to anyone whether a fan of classic Tower Defense games or not.  They do a great job of walking you through the initial game play without providing any type of manual or instructions, and, once you have got a basic concept of the game, allow you to create massive armies of zombie battling greenery!

EPIC!

Buy Plants vs Zombies (or get the free tiral) at: http://www.popcap.com/games/pvz/

The gang covers energy drink Amped “Tradin’ Paint” the season finales of Lost and The Office, as well as video games Kane and Lynch, Flock and Fat Princess.

Run Time: 41:55

Download audio file (MuchCast-6-Shotcast.mp3)

Download: MuchCast-6-Shotcast (May 19, 2009)

I’m calling this a quick review because I haven’t put very much time into the game, but I feel it warrants some discussion and there isn’t a WHOLE lot to it. In fact, there might not be enough to it.. I’ll get into that later.

Demigod is the new PC game released by Gas Powered Games (demigodthegame.com)which has a playstyle that anyone who played custom games in Warcraft 3 should be familiar with. Demigod is basically a full game based around the classic Defense of the Ancients. Two teams of up to five players push through lanes and attempt to take over the other teams base by capturing strategic points including defensive towers, spawn points and walls while playing as one of eight Demigods (heroes) and being assisted by an autonomous army of smaller scale units.

I had the game installed last night and immediately jumped in to a game with computer teammates / opponents. A common complaint or point of concern among the community trying Demigod is the lack of instruction. The game comes with no manual in the box and is completely void of any in-game tutorials, they are either making the assumption that everyone who picks this up is familiar with how to play a DotA style game or that everyone despises manuals and would rather just figure it out.

Luckily, I fall into the first group, having spent many hours over the years playing the various types of DotAs that have made their way across b.net (<3 rumble), but, even still, I was a bit disoriented when stepping into Demigod.

Before I get into the game play, I would like to mention what I feel to be a major short coming for a $50 game when compared to the free versions that have been out for years and that is character selection. Both sides (light and dark) have access to the same group of Demigods, but there are only 8 total (not sure if you can have multiples of the same demigod on the same team). While I can understand that they might be trying to keep the game simple, only having eight choices for playable characters seems really lacking. On the flip side, there are also eight maps you can play on, but I would prefer more Demigod choices even if they were all on the same map.

I was caught off guard by the controls (and the inability to change some which were particularly bothersome) because I made the false assumption that a DotA game should play like a WC3 game; this was something I was fighting with the whole time I was playing. Camera navigation is done with WASD for pan and Q and E for rotate; holding down the space bar puts the camera into free mode which makes it follow your mouse. And, of course, the scroll wheel works as zoom which (nicely) allows you to zoom far enough out to see the entire map. The inability to freely use the mouse to manipulate the camera as in WC3 really bothered me, but, with time, I can see this not being an issue as I adapt to the strange configuration.

The gameplay itself is what you’d expect – simple, fun and exciting.

As your Demigod levels, he is able to learn and improve special abilities to increase his abilities on the field – see the screenshot below.  There are 4 active abilities for each Demigod and a varying number of passive abilities along with a generic stat upgrade, this was a nice boost over the original DotA’s 3 abilities (and one special) and allows for at least some degree of character customization.  There are also item shops that you can use to buy select pieces of gear (with some pretty interesting bonuses) and usable items and potions.

The games seem to last at least 20-30 minutes on average but can easily be dragged out to over an hour with 2 skilled teams who keep all their lanes strong.  Along with buying gear and potions, you can put money you earn toward upgrading both your buildings and units attack/defense, even going so far as causing new types of units to be produced.  It seems that this is in place to still give a reason for individuals to creep for gold (though I didn’t come across and creep spawns in the short time I played) instead of focusing on laning.

As it stands, I think this is a great game and have very high hopes for it.  Had a ton of fun in the short time I was playing it last night, and once I become a bit more comfortable and have put a few solid hours into it I’ll post a more in-depth review.  For now, anyone who was ever a big fan of DotA on WC3 should be picking this up and checking it out.

With a tight wallet and a cynical eye, I did a ton of research on specs, details, reviews and price. I also have a 42″ Toshiba Regza that is a solid television, but the price point for Toshiba, Sony, LG, etc. is rather high, particularly for a secondary box.

I decided on the 26″ Vizio from Wally World for a price $367 online and around $390 in store. (The impatient side of me opted to just buy it in store rather than wait.)

To the review…
Overall this is a very nice television. The picture is quite crisp when viewed straight on or from a side angle. However, I find that when I am looking at it from a slightly lower level, like laying on the loveseat, the top of the picture appears rather darkened.

I have found it to not only work well as a second television, but also as a nice monitor for my laptop. I have the VGA cable handy along with an aux plug for my nearby Zune speaker dock. It is very simple to set up and view online video.  The auto adjust works well to properly align my monitor screen and I can clearly see everything from about 6-7 feet away.

A nice feature is that there is a button on the remote for each input so there’s no browsing through the many choices. On the flipside is a downfall for Dish customers, their remotes do not have a stored code for any Vizio products.

I have read a few complaints about the audio from the television, but I haven’t had a problem myself. This being said, I don’t use it for viewing movies or anything where I’m looking to have an engrossing experience.

Overall, I think that this is a quality product, especially for the price point. If you’re looking for a mid-size screen with a good quality picture, decent sound, and ample inputs, then this is the television for you.

For more details or to order your own, visit Wally World.

The Dirty Details:
Specification
Size: 26-in*
*Viewable: 26-in
Tuner: Integrated NTSC/ATSC/QAM HDTV Tuner

Supported TV Formats
1080i, 720p, 480p, 480i

Native Panel Resolution: 1366 x 768
Supported PC Resolutions
1366 x 768, 1024 x 768, 800 x 600

Specification
Panel Type: 26″ Diagonal*, 16:9 Wide Screen, Color TFT Active Matrix LCD
Panel Specifications: Anti-Static and hard coated surface
Pixel/Dot Pitch: 0.4215mm(H) x 0.4215mm (V)
Display Compatibility: HDTV (720p)
Signal Compatibility: 480i (SDTV), 480P (EDTV), 720P (HDTV), 1080i (HDTV)
Response Time: 8 ms
Colors: 16.2 Million
Brightness: 500 cd/m2
Contrast Ratio: 2400:1(Dynamic)
Viewable Angle: 160/150 degrees (horozontal/vertical)

Inputs
RF (F Connector for internal tuner): 1
HDMI with HDCP: 2
Analog Stereo Audio for HDMI Inputs: 1
Component YPbPr plus Stereo Audio: 1
Composite Video: 2
S-Video plus Stereo Audio: 1
Computer RGB plus Stereo Audio: 1
Service Port: 1

Outputs
Analog Audio out (RCA): 0
5.1 SPDIF Digital Optical Audio: 0
Headphone (Stereo Mini-Jack): 1

Okay, let’s just get it out of the way. This game is a straight up “Gears of War” clone in every way. But I found that’s not such a bad thing during my play through of Mr. Cent’s second foray into the world of video games.

I’m not the biggest Gears fan, but I had a fun time playing it. So I didn’t mind playing the same game again for a few hours. That’s what was key for me, this is a short game. I beat it in about 5 hours give or take and then played it through again in co-op mode for another two. Right when I started thinking “man this is starting to get old” I was put up against the final boss.

I used co-op as a means to get achievements, but this game is built for co-op. If you have someone to play with or get lucky with a public match the game starts to really shine. Although I found the difficultly to be non-existent, especially in co-op . I sense this was a choice of the developer for the more casual 50 fans. The story is forgettable at best. All you need to know is that everyone’s out to steal 50’s diamond encrusted skull and he’ll stop at nothing to get it back.

In all, if I had paid full price for this game I’d feel ripped off. This game is complete weekend rental territory.

Score: 4/5 Vitamin Waters

Acer Aspire One ZG5

For my first post on the MuchGeek blog I chose to do a review. I will talk briefly about the Acer Aspire One ZG5 8.9-inch Netbook.

However, I must preface the story by saying that I only came upon this netbook by chance. I first purchased an Acer EeePc for $250 from Best Buy and after a torturous first night experience with it including a 5 hour install of Windows 7 Beta! I decided to give the Acer a shot.

It was the first Acer product i’ve ever owned and from the moment I unboxed it I could tell it was going to be a love affair.

The $300 price point with a 1.6ghz Intel Atom processor and 1gb of ram was what first attracted me, not to mention the 160gb hard drive.

I will say that the ease of use is fantastic, the responsive keyboard paired with the comfortable touchpad and snappy processor speed makes this thing the perfect portable computer.

The battery life is reasonable, around 3.5 hours. Acer said that it would get around 5 hours however I wouldn’t count on it.

Compared to comparably priced Netbooks I think that the Aspire One  ZG5 is a great choice. For the $250 EeePc you get nowhere near as much under the hood with the Asus only packing a 900mhz Intel Celeron processor with a 16gb solidstate drive.

I will spare the readers the obligatory “score” given by most reviewers and say that if you are in the market for a modestly priced Netbook, the Aspire One is the way to go.

Breakdown:

• Operating System: Windows XP Home
• Screen: 8.9 inch widescreen display (glossy)
• Processor: Intel Atom N270 1.6ghz
• Memory: 1gb
• Hard drive: 160gb
• Built in Webcam and Mic
• Ports: 3 USB, VGA, 1.5mm microphone, 1.5mm headphone, multi card reader