My friend Logan Beaux decided to start a podcast (get it here) and invited me to be part of the project as a regular cohost. For whatever reason, I’ve never done the podcasting thing (till now). And lately I’ve been thinking that Twitter/Facebook has replaced my need to blog like I used to.

But now having participated in a podcast, I can say (perhaps naively) that I’ve been missing out on a decent form of expression. We’ve only recorded one show, but I’m already feeling pretty excited about doing this new thing more. New for me, that is, I think I’m only five years late to the party?

Anyway, the podcast is called Practically Ideal. Logan mentions you can tell it’s our first try (which may be true), but I have to give him props for some pretty good production value. While I think what he’s trying to accomplish is fairly ambitious, I’m glad he (we) is (are) doing it.

The format used includes a discussion on the latest in politics/economics, followed by a discussion on the latest in tech, and wraps up with a nice dose of pop culture. In this episode we discuss libertarianism, “climategate”, Windows 7, Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2, the Mad Men season finale, and other TV shows we’re watching. And we do this all in about 50 minutes.

The truth is, Logan and I are fairly interested in each of the broad subject categories but haven’t found a show/podcast that addresses them all together in a condensed package of sorts. So he decided it was a good time to start what we’ve never found. I wonder, though, if it’s too much for one show?

It’s really 3 or 4 mini-shows with the same personalities behind each segment. In fact, if technology would allow more easily, I wish there was an easy way to present the podcast with bookmarks of sorts so you could skip to only those topics that interested you. Then again, I think the show works best when all together. But of course I would say that…

Anyway, enough of my take. Give it a listen, and let me know what you think. You can download it here (Right-click and select “Save Link As…”), and we’ll soon have it as something you can subscribe to on iTunes.

*Update* Practically Ideal is now on iTunes.

The Microsoft Games for Windows team working with the SideWinder (gaming hardware) team put together a fun event a few days ago. Of course, I may be saying it was fun because I won third place in one tournament and first place in another.

Winnings included everything I needed for a lazy weekend: Fallout 3, 007: Quantum of Solace, SideWinder Mouse, SideWinder X6 Keyboard (won two!), and a LifeChat LX-3000 headset (see picture above or see an unboxing video here by a fellow winner).

Seriously, though, I want to thank those involved for putting this together. The more I work at Microsoft, the more I realize it’s a company full of some pretty cool people.

See below for my post-victory interview video. Incidentally, this is my first time posting a video of myself online. Given the context, it’s a little heavy on the “I’m a computer game nerd” content.

At first, I wasn’t sure if I wanted it to be the first impression of me for anyone who might come across it. But then, given all the hoopla around Susan Boyle, I decided I’d go with the “embrace yourself” mentality. This is me, no need to provide excuses or disclaimers (even if I just did).

Also, for you World of Warcraft players, I kid. Don’t take what I say about it too seriously. (I actually played it for a summer a few years back before giving it up for more gaming variety.) But for you coworkers I’m talking to near the end, take what I say very seriously (or just buy me lunch sometime).

Meet Lisa and her son Jackson, who’s looking for “speed, big hard drive, and a good gaming computer” for under $1,500. After a quick look at some PCs, Lisa says, “Let’s go see the Macs, they’re kind of popular at this age.” But then, Lisa points out that “…these are way more money, dude” quickly followed by Jackson saying (about a Mac), “It’s a little too small.”

So back to the PCs: We’re shown how you can use a PC with a remote and then we see both Lisa and Jackson get really excited about none other than “Bluuu-ray!” And, of course, Blu-ray is missing from Macs. For me personally, not a huge selling point of the PC. But for others like Lisa and Jackson, it seems pretty cool. And that’s the point being made here: there’s something for everyone.

This is the third ad in this series (embedded below), and just like I thought the second was better than the first, I think the third is better than the second. Having a mother/son shop together gives a little more credibility to the unscripted, regular people feel that wasn’t as apparent with the first two.

As always, though, it’s only a matter of time before the Apple community figures out which Sony Vaio was purchased in the ad and does a much deeper comparison. I always enjoy seeing the reaction as much as the ad, and this time is likely to be no different.

*Update* When it rains it pours. The Windows blog has a post up entitled “Avoid the Apple Tax – Cash in on the value of Windows” (which is quickly being questioned) while there are a number of other Microsoft ads out today featuring cute British kids.

This week I found myself in the frozen section browsing for ice cream. I’m not even sure how I ended up there and why ice cream, but my subconscious was apparently way ahead of me. Once my conscious kicked in, the comparing started.

There’s, of course, plenty to choose from if you’re in the mood for flavors that put the ice cream in the running for world record of highest calorie density food. My personal favorite in this category: Ben & Jerry’s Half Baked Fudge Brownie & Cookie Dough. So good!

But alas, I try to limit my intake of said category. So this week I was going for sweet tooth meets practical. And this category is all over the place. It simply depends on what your trade off threshold is. Do you want sugar free? How ’bout fat free? One third less calories? Half the sugar? Half the fat? Or some combination of the above?

The trick is to get something made where the taste sacrifice is minimized while the health advantage is maximized (or more accurately, the health disadvantage is minimized: it’s not like ice cream, no matter how sugar/fat-free is ever really considered a health food). But there’s no one right answer to this formula. In fact, the answer almost completely depends on the unique criteria of any given person, which brings me to my question of the day:

When will I be able to tweak my ice cream like my PC gaming graphics?

While some consider it a disadvantage to PC gaming (when compared to console gaming), I actually like being able to customize my settings to my exact criteria. I’m in full control. I make trade offs when selecting the hardware (decision based on price). And then once I install a game, I make trade offs based on what’s important to me: frame rate / resolution / detail level / anti-aliasing / isotropic filtering, etc. In the end, my gaming experience is custom tailored to my criteria (though arguably more expensive, just like custom-made ice cream would likely be more expensive than the pre-made alternatives).

But I’d be willing to pay (within reason) for custom made ice cream that fits my criteria more exactly. The difference, though, is that with computer games, you can change your settings as many times as you wish and preview the results. With ice cream, however, tweaking the taste-to-health meter and previewing it several times before placing an order… not very practical.

Or is it? I’d love it and would find it to be very practical (from the consumer perspective). How the process would work in reality, though, escapes me. Any ideas?

About a month ago, I ordered an Xbox 360. My reasoning for not having one has revolved around the fact that I have plenty to keep me busy (in a good way) with PC games. But then came the announcement that pushed me to purchase: Netflix would soon be available via the Xbox 360. The irony here, though, is that I haven’t even experienced that combination (coming in the fall) but now wouldn’t give up my Xbox 360 even if the Netflix deal didn’t work out. Here’s why:

Comfortable Couch

Though my office chair is comfy enough, it’s not the same as our ultra-comfy couches. While I’ve traditionally favored the precision of a mouse and keyboard, they kind of force you more into a lean-forward position. You can play console games practically laying down (if you feel like it), something not very doable with PC games.

Game Demos

I had no idea this existed, but you can download/install/play a demo of practically any game available for the Xbox 360. It’s such an effortless process that it makes doing the same thing on a computer look like rocket science. I’ve always been a fan of game demos but hate the clunky process on the PC.

First, you have to find the right file to download, then you have to find a site that lets you download it without waiting in line first. Next comes the install which often asks you to install/update drivers. Then, if you’re lucky, it might just work without you having to tweak some settings or repeat some of the process above. With the Xbox 360, there is no install process, and the system works flawlessly every time (browse titles using an excellent user interface, download quickly with one button push, and play within a matter of minutes).

Streamlined Online Experience

Here is yet another area where the Xbox 360 shines and the PC has issues. If I want to play a game online with a friend, it’s often a nightmare on the PC. You have to adjust/tweak/disable hardware and software firewalls on both ends. Unless you want your computer to be openly available on the Internet, this process it different for every game. What else is different for every game on the PC? Voice chat.

But on the Xbox 360, there’s a platform built-in and easy to use (and the same) for every game. Playing games and chatting with friends is a couple button pushes away, every time! Pardon the excitement, it’s just that it’s such a new concept for a PC gamer. Also, I’m a fan of the gamertag and “achievement” points. Basically, every Xbox 360 gamer has a profile that shows which games he/she has played and what points he/she has achieved throughout all these games. In short, I love the features that come from the whole gaming experience being housed in a controlled environment.

Big Screen, Big Sound

We have a 46″ HD TV with speakers much nicer sounding than the set on our PC… enough said.

Media Extender

Previously, looking at our pictures (or other media) on the big screen consisted of plugging in a laptop. It’s easy enough but annoying enough that I don’t do it that often. But who knew it was so easy to link up your Xbox 360 with your PC? And then there’s the nifty ability to listen to any of our music (streamed from our PC) in the background while playing whatever game.

Fighting Games

I’m a huge fan of Dead or Alive 4 and the recently released Soul Calibur IV even if, in the past, I resorted to playing these types of games only when hanging out at someone’s place where they were available. But it’s fun to indulge in a genre that is practically non-existent on the PC (yeah, yeah, it’s there, and so is RTS on the console… but we know which platform was meant for each of these genres).

Conclusion

And there you have it: a gaming experience unlike any other. I’m not saying that overall it’s better necessarily, just different (well, it is better in some ways but the reverse is true too). And different in this case is also great.

As for PC gaming… I still stand by my previous posts “PC Gaming Is For Fools, But I Still Love It” and “PC Gaming Is Expensive and a Hassle, But I’m Lovin’ It.”

Back in February, I titled a post “Dear Microsoft: Get Netflix on the Xbox 360 and I’ll Buy One.” True to my word, today I ordered an Xbox 360 following the latest announcement. I’m a huge fan of Netflix and have always had an interest in getting an Xbox 360 (even though I’m more of a PC gamer).

Considering that we already had a Wii in our home, though, an Xbox 360 just seemed unnecessary (again, even though the Xbox 360 is quite different than the Wii, my gaming experience quota was plenty full with Wii and PC gaming). But the Netflix bonus is just enough for me to go for it.

It looks like the deal is exclusive (sorry Sony, another item to add to your list of missed opportunities) and that there might be plans for group watching of movies over Xbox Live? Remember when HD DVD made this happen with Harry Potter?

It seems like a cool idea even if it seems a little weird to be having a movie party over the Internet. But that could just be my resistance to a new concept, which really isn’t solving much of a problem out there. Whatever the case, I’m all over giving new features a try.

By the way, it also helps that today a friend of mine emailed me about a sale Amazon is having on the Xbox 360 Elite. I guess it’s a sign.

Sony has some big news coming out today: The company will allow “dynamic” ads to be placed in PlayStation 3 games. The Wall Street Journal is calling it “a boost for what could become a significant new revenue source for games companies” while Forbes thinks Sony is “set to ignite the world of advertising in videogames…”

Interesting, since the Xbox 360 has been doing this for nearly two years now. At the time (back in 2006), the gaming industry seemed pretty excited at what looked like a new source of revenue. But not much followed in terms of details of how this was to be a game changer for advertising (lame pun intended).

Now we have Sony joining the party late (sound familiar?) and everyone appears to be excited again about the prospects of in-game advertising. Not surprisingly, Electronic Arts will be the first publisher to feature dynamic ads inside its PS3 games. Upcoming version of Madden NFL, Need for Speed, and NBA Live will be among the first to have changing billboards and specific soda cans used.

But some questions are still unanswered this time around. Just how much advertising will gamers tolerate after paying $50-$60 for the game in the first place? And some games, such as fantasy or role playing games, might not work well with Diet Coke and Mitsubishi. Ads in such games might seem a little weird and out of place.

Not much has been done in terms of market research on in-game ad tolerance levels. But then again, not much complaining has been done on the amount that has existed for the last two years. Whatever the case, here’s hoping ad agencies and publishers don’t abuse this new way of reaching their target audience. Of course, “abuse” is going to mean different things to different gamers.

*Update* Microsoft has a press release out which discusses positive results (both from the advertiser and consumer perspective) of market research on in-game advertising. Lots of good discussion here and here.

An Amazon promotion good through June 9 has over 100 Blu-ray movies in the $14 to $20 range (with many around $14-$15). I thought this would be a good time to revisit getting into Blu-ray. The last time I checked out Blu-ray pricing on Amazon (my quick and dirty benchmark), the Playstation 3 was still the best deal.

That’s now a little debatable, but not really. At the time, the $400 PS3 price tag was lower than other players that weren’t also a gaming system. Now, Amazon has several Blu-ray players under $400 with the least expensive floating around $339. Still not even close to good enough, though. I’d take the PS3 for $60 more.

But even then, I don’t necessarily want a PS3. And I’m now used to the next generation of DVD players being priced in the $100 to $200 range thanks to HD DVD. If Sony’s plan is really to increase Blu-ray market share to 50% by the end of the year (that is, for Blu-ray to sell as well as regular DVDs), the company at least needs to half the price of its current best deal.

I’m not sure which company looks worse at the moment. Is it Sony by asserting such an aggressive goal while doing nothing to achieve it? Or is it Blockbuster with its whopper of an idea for movie download kiosks in stores? You decide.

For those who already have a Blu-ray player, here are some picks for movies that are pretty good and a good deal:

• $14.95 – Big Fish [Blu-ray]
• $14.45 – The Last Samurai [Blu-ray]
• $15.95 – GoodFellas [Blu-ray]
• $15.95 – Memento [Blu-ray]
• $15.95 – A Knight’s Tale [Blu-ray]
• $16.95 – Syriana [Blu-ray]

Sony CEO Ryoji Chubachi knows something we don’t. At a press conference a few days ago, he pointed out Sony’s plan to increase Blu-ray market share to 50% by the end of the year. How is this possible you might ask? Well, apparently new Blu-ray devices to be offered by Sony will include a model integrated into an HD LCD TV with Blu-ray recording functionality.

But that’s not all. While the vast majority of Blu-ray players out there are the ones built-in to the Playstation 3, Sony has plans for cheaper Blu-ray players including a new focus on “IT devices.” (Because we all would adopt Blu-ray if only our computers had it, apparently). Last but not least on the list of reasons, more Blu-ray movies will be offered by Hollywood studios to entice you into switching to the new format.

All of this may very will be true, but none of it has happened yet. The Playstation 3 is still the best deal for anyone interested in Blu-ray. And that’s because you get a gaming system along with your Blu-ray player for the $400 you’ll be spending. Otherwise, your Blu-ray player options still seem to be well into the $400 price range.

And let’s not forget the cost of the movies themselves. HD DVD movies now are finally reasonably priced only after the format is pretty much dead. But Blu-ray? Does Sony really think that $27.95 is the new price for movies?

Plus, we’re seeing some serious momentum behind the move toward downloadable/streaming content. All things considered, though, I think the biggest challenge for Sony is that people seem just fine with good ol’ DVD. Sure, I could see this changing but only if the premium for Blu-ray (over regular DVD) was, say, 20-50%. I personally think 400%+ is a bit much.

*Update* Gizmodo has the news of a new Sony Blu-ray recorder release. I think the first comment is very telling:

“So now that Blu Ray won, we’re supposed to all run out and stock up on Sony products we never wanted in the first place? No thanks.”

Last week plenty of rumors were floating around about a potential Microsoft / Netflix partnership. The announcement was supposedly going to happen during the keynote address (by Xbox Live exec John Schappert) at the Game Developer’s Conference in San Francisco last Wednesday. The concept: make it so Netflix’s 7,000 available “Watch Instantly” movies would be viewed easily on your TV via the Xbox 360.

But sadly, this rumor didn’t prove to be accurate (yet); no such announcement was made even if the excitement surrounding the news was anything but restrained. Just check out the comments on any of the sites I linked to above. I couldn’t find anyone thinking this possibility was a bad idea for the consumer. Instead, there was plenty of this:

• “I don’t even use Netflix right now, but I would sign up in a second if I could stream their catalog to my 360! Do it now!!!” (via Gizmodo)
• “I would reactivate my NetFlix account if this was going to happen soon.” (via Gizmodo)
• “I’d probably sign up for Netflix again if this happens. What about you guys?” (via CrunchGear)
• “I would definitely get netflix again if I could get it over my 360.” (via CrunchGear)
• “I totally agree. I have often considered Netflix but never did it for one reason or another. THIS, sells me.” (via Engadget)
• “This would force me to buy a subscription. Do it netflix. You’ll be rolling in $$$.” (via Engadget)

Now, it’s interesting to note that most comments focused on this being a benefit for Netflix (in terms of gaining new customers). Microsoft has already been renting movies through its Xbox Live service for over a year even if the catalog is pretty weak: 300 movies. But I’m doubting that feature has been behind many Xbox 360 purchases.

Netflix, on the other hand, currently has 7,000 movies and TV shows available via its Watch Instantly service. That may seem small compared to the more than 90,000 DVDs in its library, but that 7,000 is on the rise and has more than doubled since the online service went live a little over a year ago. Plus, it’s still a much larger library than most other video-on-demand services available through cable companies.

Of course, most all the sources I quoted above include a relatively tech savvy audience already likely to have an Xbox 360. And I personally think the potential (again, in terms of gaining new customers) is just as strong for Microsoft and wanted to take the chance to agree with this MSNBC article:

“But Netflix is a household name. My parents have a Netflix membership. The company has fended off (at least so far) competitive attempts by everyone from Wal-Mart to Blockbuster. And it has 7.5 million subscribers, many of whom might be convinced to buy an Xbox 360 for the sheer convenience of true on-demand movies – and to not have to mail back those DVDs anymore.” (emphasis added).

An interesting statistic would be just how much overlap there is between the two currently (i.e., how many people are already both an owner of an Xbox 360 and a member of Netflix). For now, all I can say is that I am a Netflix member and would buy an Xbox 360 if this rumor came true. Anyone else?