Craigslist has become a popular place for people to list free classifieds and find deals on what they want. It is basically the one to one garage sale site of the internet. Craigslist became popular in 2008 and has continued to be a local marketplace. But, there are a lot of problems with it. First, it has not grown in any way since it's popularity grew, and that just is not how you run a business. If facebook came out when it did and never improved or added features, it would not be anywhere near where it is today, if even used at all. Craigslist also provides no protection from scams and dangerous situations. You can be going to make a trade with someone who is going to rip you off, you can be getting a faulty piece of equipment that you will be stuck with and the person can just take off because it is so anonymous. I would think 90 percent of job offers on craigslist are not legitimate.
Electronics purchases on Craigslist are even more dangerous than purchasing from a pawn shop. At least in that case you know where the pawn shop is and it is a business. If you think you see a great deal on there, beware, it could be a scam or it could be for faulty equipment. I am not trusting someone selling me a 32 inch television set on there for just 100 bucks and not thinking that there may be something wrong with it, it may be stolen, or it may be a trap to get me to show up in a spot with cash in my pocket.
Craigslist could put up to have some kind of mediator, some type of program that can hold the funds electronically and insert once the transaction has completed. There has to be some safeguards, otherwise this popular service should not even be used. Some things to remember when purchasing off a craigslist seller:
1. If the deal sounds too good, there may be a reason, take caution.
2. Always meet in a public place.
3. Bring a friend to the meeting place to ensure safety.
4. Use money orders instead of cash, something that has to be signed once you have your product.
5. Get the sellers information if possible
Hopefully, Craigslist makes some changes, or perhaps another provider can produce these services and give someone a safe and secure way to buy and sell their goods locally. Also, a national classifieds area would be very much appreciated since double listings are not allowed.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
EA Removes Taliban From Medal Of Honor
It has been announced that the Taliban will no longer be a playable side in "Medal of Honor" due to be released on October 12. This was based on pressures from military groups and military families. I can see both sides on this really. I honestly would not want stupid kids at home sitting around playing as the Taliban if the Taliban was involved in the death of someone in my family. I also would not want to see an American fighting as the Taliban if I am fighting the Taliban in Iraq every day or have fought them previously. Totally understand that. It is not funny or supposed to be fun.
On the flip side, it is business and it is about business not about the war. EA is not trying to make people enjoy playing as the Taliban they are trying to provide a different experience that is not available from the competitor. It is their goal and their job to deliver different options. It isn't like they are totally removing them from the game they will be renaming them "opposing force". I just want to know what got them to finally change their mind. The game was being banned from use by military officials and they were recieving hate letters from grieving family members and they still stuck to their stance that the game was something that showed respect to the American soldiers. Either way, Medal of Honor has presold a lot of copies and hopefully the game is what has been promised. Check out some quick footage of the game below!
On the flip side, it is business and it is about business not about the war. EA is not trying to make people enjoy playing as the Taliban they are trying to provide a different experience that is not available from the competitor. It is their goal and their job to deliver different options. It isn't like they are totally removing them from the game they will be renaming them "opposing force". I just want to know what got them to finally change their mind. The game was being banned from use by military officials and they were recieving hate letters from grieving family members and they still stuck to their stance that the game was something that showed respect to the American soldiers. Either way, Medal of Honor has presold a lot of copies and hopefully the game is what has been promised. Check out some quick footage of the game below!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
TV Tuesday: The Event for 13 or 22?
So far I have watched all three episode of "The Event" and I am really excited about it's potential, but am not so excited about the pace it is moving at. I feel like they have given us too many answers too early and they are going to run out of story, or it is going to get extremely ridiculous. Both would be a problem. The story needs to slow down, and we don't need action every second to keep us happy. We need some emotion as well. The main couple, Sean and Leila, are shown together multiple times on the cruise ship which is all fine, but the best scene between the two was the scene where they first met in the swimming pool. We need more of this, more embellishment, it brings us to care for the characters. Currently, they don't give us enough to really think that Sean and Leila are meant to be together or feel like he needs to go through all of this to save her.
Sophia is kind of a boring character. The scenes of interrogation between her and the president are very repetitive. Is she bad, is she good or is she both? Who cares? I just wanted the actor playing the guy who was going to rat on everyone to actually get to be in more than one or two episodes of a show. I swear he has been in every broadcast show as an extra character. Also, they are trying for the sci fi angle but also wanting it to be believable, which is fine, but don't have planes disappear and then tell me that they are only 1 percent different that humans. Whatever.
The acting will get better and hopefully the show can sustain an audience long enough for the show to find the groove I am hoping it hits. I like the premise and I think it can be really good, but the drop to a 2.4 rating last night is really scary. I remember when Lost came on the air it got a lot of viewers right away although it took half of a season for the actors to really figure out their characters. The Event should be afforded the same opportunity. The other question is, will there be 13 episodes which is what the count currently stands at or will NBC order the additional 9 to make it a full season? Only 13 would allow them to keep the quick pace and maybe prevent overspending from NBC. But, 22 would be more ideal to give the show time to gain a steady audience. I need a replacement for 24 and Lost and I was hoping this would be it, so we'll see what happens.
"The Event" (3 ep.) C+
See Episode 3 below
Sophia is kind of a boring character. The scenes of interrogation between her and the president are very repetitive. Is she bad, is she good or is she both? Who cares? I just wanted the actor playing the guy who was going to rat on everyone to actually get to be in more than one or two episodes of a show. I swear he has been in every broadcast show as an extra character. Also, they are trying for the sci fi angle but also wanting it to be believable, which is fine, but don't have planes disappear and then tell me that they are only 1 percent different that humans. Whatever.
The acting will get better and hopefully the show can sustain an audience long enough for the show to find the groove I am hoping it hits. I like the premise and I think it can be really good, but the drop to a 2.4 rating last night is really scary. I remember when Lost came on the air it got a lot of viewers right away although it took half of a season for the actors to really figure out their characters. The Event should be afforded the same opportunity. The other question is, will there be 13 episodes which is what the count currently stands at or will NBC order the additional 9 to make it a full season? Only 13 would allow them to keep the quick pace and maybe prevent overspending from NBC. But, 22 would be more ideal to give the show time to gain a steady audience. I need a replacement for 24 and Lost and I was hoping this would be it, so we'll see what happens.
"The Event" (3 ep.) C+
See Episode 3 below
Glasses Free 3d Television! Sorry You Bought the Glasses Already!
Forget Japan! Why do they always get the best gadgets before we do? I know they are the kings of technology but whatever! Anyways, now that my rant is over, Toshiba announced the Toshiba Regza 3d TV and brought it to Ceatec where it has reportedly been stealing the show. A lot of people have been complaining and possibly opposed to the 3d television movement due to the fact that you are required to wear ridiculous glasses to do so. Not only do you have to wear the glasses, but usually outside of the free pair that comes with the television you have to purchase multiple extra pairs at high costs usually around $100 or more.
Hopefully, not for long. The Toshiba television was being displayed in a 12 inch, 20 inch, and 56 inch format, but as you probably know, watching TV in 3d is something you want to do on the biggest screen possible. A 12 inch TV in 3d is not going to add very much or make you feel like you are in the movie as is the point of the format. It has been reported that the TV works well, and although there will be improvements before release and it is not going to obviously match up with what you see in the theatre for 13 dollars a ticket, but it definitely works as you can see in the video below. Sitting close to the television makes it better, but that is not usual in most homes, so hopefully improvements continue. This would definitely help the 3d movement in my opinion, because I honestly think the cost is too much, and the glasses are just a ridiculous extra expense and quite uncomfortable. This first edition is going to be really expensive starting out at $2,000 for just the 20 inch. Ouch! Don't expect 3d televisions to be anything close to the norm for at least another 18-24 months, and by the norm I mean mainstream at all. People are still just finally affording LED and LCD flatscreen televisions, now they are supposed to jump to a 3d TV already? It will take time if it does actually even last. What do you guys think about 3d TV? Watch the demo below (it is a little shaky)
Hopefully, not for long. The Toshiba television was being displayed in a 12 inch, 20 inch, and 56 inch format, but as you probably know, watching TV in 3d is something you want to do on the biggest screen possible. A 12 inch TV in 3d is not going to add very much or make you feel like you are in the movie as is the point of the format. It has been reported that the TV works well, and although there will be improvements before release and it is not going to obviously match up with what you see in the theatre for 13 dollars a ticket, but it definitely works as you can see in the video below. Sitting close to the television makes it better, but that is not usual in most homes, so hopefully improvements continue. This would definitely help the 3d movement in my opinion, because I honestly think the cost is too much, and the glasses are just a ridiculous extra expense and quite uncomfortable. This first edition is going to be really expensive starting out at $2,000 for just the 20 inch. Ouch! Don't expect 3d televisions to be anything close to the norm for at least another 18-24 months, and by the norm I mean mainstream at all. People are still just finally affording LED and LCD flatscreen televisions, now they are supposed to jump to a 3d TV already? It will take time if it does actually even last. What do you guys think about 3d TV? Watch the demo below (it is a little shaky)
Monday, October 4, 2010
Movie Monday: Matchstick Men
Every Monday I will be reviewing a movie new or old, must see or must not, direct to dvd or big budget. Check back weekly. Ratings are A-F without the E.
I love Nicolas Cage and I love most of his movies. He does make some bad decisions when it comes to picking projects (Weatherman and World Trade Center are a couple of snoozers that come to mind), but hey the man is in a lot of debt all the time because he has spending problems and he has to be working year round to please his creditors. Anyways, I have seen at least 70 percent of his movies and all of the releases he has put out since 2002. Matchstick Men is a lesser known movie of his that did make 65 million in the box office, but is not mentioned in his greatest hits list. I would beg to differ.
The movie follows a Con Man named Roy Waller (Cage), who meets his long lost daughter that he did not even know he had. Waller struggles with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and it just adds a little bit of a challenge to the role for Cage. The OCD part of the story can get a little annoying, but it adds something and it plays an important role in the movie as you will see. Waller becomes rejuvenated and wants to start a long con with an old friend after meeting his daughter Angela. The events begin to twist and turn from there.
This movie has a really good story and the ending even surprised me a little bit. They set you up to believe something the entire movie and then you find out all you believed may be a con. I really enjoyed Cage in this movie and thought he balanced the OCD without letting it get in the way of the real story, and also Cage is great at playing strange people. Sam Rockwell does a decent job as the friend, Frank, who is Waller's friend. You may recognize him from the recent "Iron Man 2" role. He is not funny like that in this movie. Alison Lohman, who was in the more recent "Drag Me To Hell", does a really good job as the daughter and sells herself as an innocent child. She brings the biggest surprises to the movie and she had me believing that the movie was real.
I really enjoyed this film and I think you would as well, especially if you enjoy a good story and you enjoy surprise endings and a constant situation where you find yourself guessing what will happen next. You can get it here for only $.01 plus shipping. Matchstick Men purchase link Rating: B+
I love Nicolas Cage and I love most of his movies. He does make some bad decisions when it comes to picking projects (Weatherman and World Trade Center are a couple of snoozers that come to mind), but hey the man is in a lot of debt all the time because he has spending problems and he has to be working year round to please his creditors. Anyways, I have seen at least 70 percent of his movies and all of the releases he has put out since 2002. Matchstick Men is a lesser known movie of his that did make 65 million in the box office, but is not mentioned in his greatest hits list. I would beg to differ.
The movie follows a Con Man named Roy Waller (Cage), who meets his long lost daughter that he did not even know he had. Waller struggles with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and it just adds a little bit of a challenge to the role for Cage. The OCD part of the story can get a little annoying, but it adds something and it plays an important role in the movie as you will see. Waller becomes rejuvenated and wants to start a long con with an old friend after meeting his daughter Angela. The events begin to twist and turn from there.
This movie has a really good story and the ending even surprised me a little bit. They set you up to believe something the entire movie and then you find out all you believed may be a con. I really enjoyed Cage in this movie and thought he balanced the OCD without letting it get in the way of the real story, and also Cage is great at playing strange people. Sam Rockwell does a decent job as the friend, Frank, who is Waller's friend. You may recognize him from the recent "Iron Man 2" role. He is not funny like that in this movie. Alison Lohman, who was in the more recent "Drag Me To Hell", does a really good job as the daughter and sells herself as an innocent child. She brings the biggest surprises to the movie and she had me believing that the movie was real.
I really enjoyed this film and I think you would as well, especially if you enjoy a good story and you enjoy surprise endings and a constant situation where you find yourself guessing what will happen next. You can get it here for only $.01 plus shipping. Matchstick Men purchase link Rating: B+
Lawsuits, Lawsuits, and More Lawsuits!
A lawsuit Armageddon appears to be brewing between consumer electronic companies such as Nokia suing Apple, Apple suing HTC and countless others all over patent infringements on certain smart phone projects. Is there a real point to all of this? These companies all copy certain features off each other, they have to, to stay in the realm of competition with the each other. Each company has things they do better than the other, and certain features have become standard. If one company was to have patents on multiple features that are considered industry standard, then they would dominate sales and a monopolistic issue would most likely form.
What these become are a big waste of money. They take years to settle if they ever even get settled. Plus, everyone has moved on to something new and more exciting by the time the dust settles on the lawsuits. I could not find a lot of information on how much is exactly paid out on particular suits. Apple just was ordered to pay $208 million to a company called Mirror Worlds who had a patent out on how documents are displayed on a computer screen and Apple's Cover Flow technology was also supposedly an infringement. Is Apple really writing out a check for $208 million tonight. I doubt it. I will find out more information on how this works and share my findings in the near future.
The customer once again is hurt in this situation. I realize some companies that are on a downward spiral file lawsuits just trying to get anything they can when their company is failing, but many of these are just greed lawsuits, wanting a larger piece of the market share or sometimes even disguised motives. Some have speculated that Apple is currently suing HTC hoping to protect the IPad by scaring off potential tablet computer competition in the future. Their hope may be to prevent companies from looking at Apple products, and then creating a similar product with a few improvements or new features. This happens in every industry all the time. Research and Development is more critical than ever and Apple is afraid that being the first ones to come out with a particular product they may suffer from other companies making improvements. Ugh, is all I usually have to say about Apple, but in this case I do have to see their side. If they are the first one's to put out a useful product in a particular market and invest to take the chance on it, then they should have a time period of protection. They are paying to see if there is going to be a market and if there is, then it becomes flooded with alternate options after it seems to be safe. I think Apple has had that time period, and this is the true point of a patent, but I think picking at every piece of the product and trying to protect everything is a little too much.
What these become are a big waste of money. They take years to settle if they ever even get settled. Plus, everyone has moved on to something new and more exciting by the time the dust settles on the lawsuits. I could not find a lot of information on how much is exactly paid out on particular suits. Apple just was ordered to pay $208 million to a company called Mirror Worlds who had a patent out on how documents are displayed on a computer screen and Apple's Cover Flow technology was also supposedly an infringement. Is Apple really writing out a check for $208 million tonight. I doubt it. I will find out more information on how this works and share my findings in the near future.
The customer once again is hurt in this situation. I realize some companies that are on a downward spiral file lawsuits just trying to get anything they can when their company is failing, but many of these are just greed lawsuits, wanting a larger piece of the market share or sometimes even disguised motives. Some have speculated that Apple is currently suing HTC hoping to protect the IPad by scaring off potential tablet computer competition in the future. Their hope may be to prevent companies from looking at Apple products, and then creating a similar product with a few improvements or new features. This happens in every industry all the time. Research and Development is more critical than ever and Apple is afraid that being the first ones to come out with a particular product they may suffer from other companies making improvements. Ugh, is all I usually have to say about Apple, but in this case I do have to see their side. If they are the first one's to put out a useful product in a particular market and invest to take the chance on it, then they should have a time period of protection. They are paying to see if there is going to be a market and if there is, then it becomes flooded with alternate options after it seems to be safe. I think Apple has had that time period, and this is the true point of a patent, but I think picking at every piece of the product and trying to protect everything is a little too much.
Comments Please
Don't be afraid to leave comments for me and tell me how you feel about these or any other subjects having to do with technology, consumer electronics, or media. In the first week of this blogs existence I have had 300 unique viewers and zero comments! I want to know what you think!
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