I'm a guitar God!!

Well an "air guitar" God at least. Look, I want to rock at Guitar Hero or Rock Band like everyone else seems to but I just don't have the skills. And don't give me the "you just need practice" or "everyone eventually gets it" line. I suck, no really I'm terrible at those games. I have no idea why that is but I cannot get the hang of the guitars. But throwing down a wicked air guitar solo to my favorite Metal song (yeah, I listen to a little Metal...don't judge me) I can do.

Finally there's something for people like me. The brilliant minds at Guitar Hero have put out the "Guitar Hero Air Rocker".
This sweet setup gets you this a full on Metal-Rocker belt buckle, a belt worn mini-amp and two picks. "Playing" the picks in the air (just like strumming a real axe) in front of the buckle is what gets your jam on (think of the buckle as your Xbox and the picks as the actual guitar). Jamming the picks in front of the buckle makes the amp belt out one of 10 different guitar riffs. Oh yeah, bring on the bourbon and the strippers! The riffs match the action so a little Clapton slow hand gives one riff while some Nikki Sixx (Motley Crue, hello!) action will put out a more fevered riff. Or you can jam to my favorite, Ironman.

So for around $30 you get a portable guitar rocking station, long hair and Gene Simmons tongue notwithstanding, that'll let you rock out anywhere. You may lose your dignity but you'll throw out some sweet licks!!

Can't remember your password? No problem.

Here at the Digital Blast I get to see and try out all manner of tech. Some high end, some low, some with a huge learning curve and others anyone can use right out of the box. The RoboForm2Go fits the latter to a "T". I mean face it, we all belong to tens if not hundreds of websites that require a login and password and we all travel (whether to a friends house or across the country) where we're using someone else's computer. Of great concern has always been "leaving behind" our sensitive information. In some cases that's forced some of us to never use computers other than our own. Well now we have a new option in the RoboForm2Go USB stick.
The device is quite easy to use. A master password gets you into the device and the software remembers all the others. Then the RoboForm2Go carries all your passwords, contacts, and bookmarks for you to use on any computer. Once you pull the drive everything is contained on the device and there is no trace of the aforementioned on the computer. You can feel safe that it works because its based on the award winning RoboForm Password Manager and Form Filler. Not to mention the data is encrypted using AES, RC6 and Blowfish to keep your data hacker-safe. This is the perfect device for any student or person on the go that uses public computers or frequents Internet Cafes and the like. You can pick up this dandy little device (with software) and it also comes with a USB extension cord. Just go over to RoboForm to learn more and pick one up for yourself using your credit card, eCHECK or even PayPal. How's that for easy?! For the price its the perfect gift for you, business people or the student in your life and makes a great stocking stuff (Christmas will be here before you know it!).

I take carry all sorts of gadgets with me when I leave the house but I NEVER forget to carry my RoboForm2Go.

It's the coolest phone ever!

I finally had to go out and get a new phone. Partly because I lost my pone(my personal one i haven't seen in like months and can't find it anywhere), partly because my contract was up and partly I needed a shot of cool tech-gadgetry. But I had lost my pone so I had to get a new one right? Right?.

The problem of course is that there are so many new shiny models to choose from now. I needed to figure out which one was the best for me. Notice I said best for me and not the "best". Too often I see people get the latest phone with all the cool applications and then NEVER use any of them. I'm no different. THer's no need to buy a Ferrari when a Corvette will do. Case in point, the iPhone. Yes I like it, and yes it has some cool features but the cost of the pone and plan aren't worth it. Add in that I'm an existing Verizon customer (can you hear me now) and my choices narrowed a bit. I need a phone that I can surf the net, check e-mail, text, watch video, snap photos, listen to music and oh yeah...make phone calls.

So with the above needs and a healthy dose of Ironman the movie and seeing all the tech our friend Tony Stark was using in the film I decided to get his Verizon LG VX9400.

This LG is a beauty in silver and black. The thing that stands out right away is the brilliant 2.2 inch screen that swivels 90 degrees out to the left to let you watch video in the proper 16x9 landscape perspective. The navigation buttons are big and easy to use with the screen closed. With voice recognition for stored phone numbers, there's no need to "open" the phone to dial. For new numbers however, you'll need to flip the screen out to dial. You can leave the screen out (which is a little clunky) or fold it down to continue your chatting. The phone itself has a weighty feel to it. Too often I find that phones feel light and "plastic-y", not the case with the VX9400. The phone also has a flash enabled 1.3 mega pixel camera that can be used for both picture taking (with a resolution of 1280x960 for images, not too shabby) and recording video (1 minute to be attached in messages or as large as your card, the VX9400 accommodates 4GB Micro SD, for stored video).

Of course you have access to the normal suite of Verizon's VCast programming but this little gem can also access Verizon's new wireless mobile television service. That's right my friends, live TV right on your phone. How's that for cool? The phone has blue tooth allowing it to connect to almost any phone/stereo headset. By the way, the music player function on the phone is great and the sounds with headphones is awesome. I've stopped carrying my ipod with me and just listen to this now. But back to the blue tooth, it allows me to connect the device wirelessly to my computer so I can drag and drop music and video files. I think the only drawback is the lack of QWERTY keyboard. I would've accepted the phone a little bigger so I could "type" normally.

But really, that's my only complaint! And it only took me a few minutes to get back in the flow of number typing again. The phone will set you back up to $300 depending on where you buy it but if you're already a Verizon customer it could be as cheap as $100. And...the mobile TV service isn't available everywhere yet but when there's plenty of 3rd Party software out there for putting video on this phone, who needs it?
You've got to get this phone. Then you can be as cool as Ironman and me!

I didn't like Ironman….I LOVED IT!!!

Okay, I've said it before but THIS is the movie I'VE been waiting for. I've had a nerd-on for the Ironman comic book my whole life and I'm surprised that the world couldn't hear my nerd-gasm when I went to go see it the first time the day it opened (yes I said first time, I worked hard to add to the $104 million take of opening weekend).

The movie was a little updated from the comic book (the original story did come out in 1968 after all) but its still relevant. Quick take: Stark, a wealthy playboy CEO and genius of his father's weapons biz is taking hostage while showing his wares in Afghanistan. While watching soldiers die to protect him and then dealing with captivity he eventually comes home with a heavy heart and decides he wants to do the right thing. He's still making weapons and dealing death, just not for sale to governments, he's gonna destroy the bad guys that are using his weapons. His answer to all this, build a super suit, Ironman (cue the gadget porn and nerd-gasms).
The movie is a thrill ride from beginning to end that has as many laughs as "ooh's and ah's". Robert Downey Jr. was meant to play the womanizing, spoiled, wunderkind who finds a heart of gold Tony Stark. Gwyneth Paltrow is sexy AND funny as Pepper Potts and the surprise to me was Jeff Bridges as the dark business partner who goes bad. I have yet in all my years seen a movie more than once in a theater….until now and this will be the first movie I buy on Blu-Ray the day it comes out. Oh yeah, and it was announced today that we'll see a sequel in 2010 and an Avengers movie in 2012 (p.s. stay until after the credits).

Of course I ran out and bought the videogame too but I'll have to post a review about that later, I gotta get to work!

What a great week to be a geek!

Coming off of the trials and tribulations of medical emergencies over the last two weeks this week provides the best way for a geek to "bounce back". Tuesday we got GTA IV and yes I've been playing it into the wee hours every night since its release (its one of the few titles I've ever picked up the day it was released). First impressions? The environment is HUGE. I spent hours just jacking cars and beating up people. The graphics are okay, they still have the GTA "feel" but this ain't Assassin's Creed or anything. And it was surprised by how dark (the actual color not the theme) the game is. I had to go into the control panel and brighten it up. So far so good though and it looks to be worth every penny of my $60. I'm excited to try out the multiplayer action too. That should be a very interesting spin on the whole "thuggery in a sandbox" idea.
On Friday we get the Ironman movie and I can't even begin to express my excitement for this film. This is MY Spiderman or Star Wars or Lord of the Rings. Tony Stark (who is Ironman) has been my favorite comic book character all my life and I've been waiting for this movie. The reviews have been great as well so I'll have tons to post after I either see it at the midnight showing tonight or the first Matinee tomorrow. Not to mention we also get the Ironman movie tie in video game tomorrow for Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii. The videogame by the way which by all accounts and reviews may be the best movie tie in game yet and great on its own! Oh yeah, there's also Ironman movie trading cards (yup, just like your old baseball cards) featuring autograph cards of the cast, scenes from the movie and even Ironman Armor costume/prop cards. My head is going to explode from sheer Ironman goodness!

And the best day of the year if you're a comic book fan? Why free comic book day of course!! This Saturday, May 3, is Free Comic Book Day at your local comic shop. I know most wouldn't buy a comic book out of the blue but how can you resist free? And there's tons of them. I think there were a total of 30 last year. This year's free X-MEN comic features a brand new story by Mike Carey and Greg Land, or you can get MARVEL ADVENTURES: IRON MAN which will guest star the Hulk and Spider-Man. Pure comic goodness. If you have no idea where your local comic shop is you can click on the Comic Shop Locator button at Marvel.com or call toll-free at 1-888-COMIC BOOK.

Now I'm off to get Ironman toys from my local Burger King!