Category: Just For Fun

New Year’s Resolution #1: Blog More

January 18, 2009 Bob Caswell 6 Comments

It’s been two months since my last post, and I’ve decided to get back into blogging. It feels like so many times in the past couple months something has happened, and I’ve thought to myself, “I should blog about that.” Well, now I think I will. For those keeping score at home (that would be…

Just For Fun

What If You Could Pick Your Seat When Buying a Movie Ticket?

June 2, 2008 Bob Caswell 8 Comments

I’m currently in Bulgaria and recently went to a screening of the latest Indiana Jones movie. Since my wife and I decided to go to the movie with a group of friends on a Saturday night, we thought it best to buy the tickets in advance.

When we went to the box office to purchase our tickets, we were shown a screen that displayed the layout and available seats of that particular movie theater. We were then asked to pick the row and seat numbers we wanted. We were early enough to get seventh row center.

Just For Fun

PC Gaming Is Expensive and a Hassle, But I’m Lovin’ It

February 23, 2008August 20, 2008 Bob Caswell 49 Comments

So Paul’s latest comparison between PC and console gaming has created quite the firestorm. His financial analysis shows that console gaming is, in fact, cheaper even if plenty of commenters take issue with his assumptions.

But an important piece is missing from his analysis, which swings the vote even more so toward the console side: PC gaming is a huge hassle. This can’t easily be measured in dollars (hence the reason it’s left out of a financial analysis), but here’s my latest ridiculous example:

Gaming, Just For Fun

Twitter Review: Waste of Time or Extremely Valuable?

February 12, 2008August 20, 2008 Bob Caswell 11 Comments

So I finally gave in and started using Twitter this past weekend (if you’re on Twitter, follow me at twitter.com/bobcaswell). What is Twitter? It’s a mix of instant messaging, email, Facebook, and text messaging. It’s a network of users that follow each other. Here’s how it works:

Internet, Just For Fun, Tech Reviews, Web 2.0

What’s Your Google / Microsoft / Yahoo Usage Breakdown?

February 8, 2008August 20, 2008 Bob Caswell 7 Comments

Microsoft Yahoo Given the rumor that today is the day for Yahoo to speak on the pending Microsoft take over, I thought I’d revisit the question I originally asked a year ago. Of the big three, what services do you use from each?

But first, I feel compelled to point out that at this same time last year, Google was being cited as Yahoo’s major obstacle. Now, of course, a partnership with Google is Yahoo’s theoretical last chance at avoiding Microsoft as its new owner.

Google, Internet, Just For Fun, Microsoft, Web 2.0, Yahoo

Email Signatures with Famous Quotes: Amusing or Annoying?

December 18, 2007 Bob Caswell 7 Comments

The popularity of adding some sort of quote as part of your email signature is on the rise (see discussion here and here). But some can be taken differently than intended. For example: “Too often we underestimate the power of a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” Quotes like these can come across as a bit preachy by presuming readers are insensitive and complacent.

Just For Fun, Web 2.0

HD DVD Still Winning Price War vs. Blu-ray: Player & 10 Movies $219

December 12, 2007August 20, 2008 Bob Caswell 16 Comments

HD-DVD vs. Blu-ray (*Update* The deal mentioned in the title is over, but Amazon has an even better deal: HD DVD player & 7 Movies for $132.)

Today I came across this article by Joel Hruska at Ars Technica in which he links to this Blu-ray deal on Amazon and says the following:

“Samsung is hoping to tilt the scales in favor of Blu-ray; as of right now, Samsung’s BD-P1400 Blu-ray player is selling for $279 on Amazon, down from a $499 MSRP. That’s not so much a discount as it is a steal, and it drops the BD-P1400 squarely within the price range for an HD DVD box.”

I couldn’t help but respond with all of Amazon’s concurrent HD DVD deals, which happen to be much better than the above mentioned “steal.”

Amazon, Do-It-Yourself Tech, Just For Fun, Media, Shopping, Sony

Why Are Companies So Horrible At Pre-sales Customer Service?

September 13, 2007 Bob Caswell 15 Comments

Phone Operator I have a standard rule of thumb: any product that sells with a warranty usually becomes a product I have specific questions about before I’m willing to make the purchase (especially technology/electronics). But what are my options for getting these questions answered? If I want answers now, I have to check out an FAQ. (Has anyone else noticed that FAQs answer your questions less often than not?)

Do-It-Yourself Tech, Just For Fun