Microsoft to Give Free Xbox 360 with Windows 7 PC Purchase?

Microsoft is offering a sweet back to school deal for students. Buy any Windows 7 PC over $699 and receive a free Xbox 360!

Where was this deal 6 months ago? I recently bought a Windows 7 HP dm4 laptop and a new Xbox 360 slim. I wonder if they will reimburse me.

In order get this sweet deal you just have to have a valid .edu email address (for ordering online) or a student ID (if ordering in stores)

Nothing keeps students better motivated than an Xbox. This is the future…

Look at his beret. A wife beater, a cig, some pizza boxes and what looks like airplane portion sized alcohol bottles. That’s multitasking.

Miramax Movies Coming to Instant Queue

Netflix acquired the rights to stream Miramax movies. Another great addition to the Instant Queue offerings.

I was talking to a work associate named Rye-bread who said he wishes a tv/movie streaming service would offer every movie and every TV series in it’s entirety available for immediate viewing whenever he wanted. He pointed out that this is the direction things are heading towards so why doesn’t someone do it already? Well said Rye-bread.  Obviously the first company to do this will come out on top as the leader.

The more rights Netflix acquires the closer we are to complete media control. Until then at least we can watch Kill Bill whenever we want. Here’s a bit more on the acquisition.

Hey why don’t they make a vacuum with a laptop battery that charges while it’s in the vacuum closet?

Dish Network Buys Blockbuster

At a price tag of $320 million dollars, Dish Network is well on their way to acquiring the failing Blockbuster. Blockbuster has, for the past few years, refused to adapt to how the video rental market is changing.

Only in the last few months has Blockbuster tried to copy what makes Netflix and Redbox popular.

They should have seen how those two companies worked and combined the traditional video rental store with DVD mailing, instant watching capabilities and quick rent/return kiosks.

I’ve wanted Redbox and Netflix to get married for a while. I want to be able to return and swap out my Netflix with the convenience and speed of a kiosk. How great would that be?

Blockbuster should have merged those ideas long ago and knocked those two companies out of competition.

No word yet on what exactly Dish Network plans to do with Blockbuster. I personally think they should turn the stores into elaborate laser tag arenas, using this.

Tron 3: Probably

Tron:Legacy did better than expected at the box office, which now opens the door for Tron 3. Tron 3 is in the pre-preproduction stages, I think they’re just testing the water seeing if there is enough interest.

I liked Tron Legacy, even if the story was a little bland, it felt like they missed a really good opportunity to show the complex inter workings of a modern computer system.

They only need 2 things to get public support for Tron 3: Jeff Bridges and Daft Punk. If they’re back, I say go for it Disney! This time around though maybe go for round characters and a solid story.

Tron: Uprising, a cartoon set between Tron and Legacy, already has a trailer for it, with Elijah Wood attached. Looks like Elijah Woods is walking the same path as Mark Hammil.

Step 1: Be the main character in a massively popular sci-fi/fantasy movie.

Step 2: Become a weird cartoon voice actor.

A bit more information for Tron 3 can be found here.

Mad Men Just Renewed For Two More Seasons UPDATED

Much like Don Draper ruins other guys for women; Mad Men has ruined other series for me. It seems like my love for Mad Men isn’t unfounded. AMC just signed Mad Men and creator Matt Weiner for seasons five and six. If AMC picks up a seventh, Weiner will be on board for that as well.

Lost, Harry Potter, 24, and Michael Scott’s Office are all coming to a close or over, it’s good to have a least one great show left creating great stories. (Community and Parks and Recreation are growing favorites)

I’m excited for Don to kick his new wife to the curb. I predict an affair on his current wife with his ex; I’m hoping at least.

Don needs to find his equal. Don needs Dagny Taggart.

Mad Men Season 5 will start early next year.

UPDATE: Mad Men Season’s 1-4 will be available on Netflix Instant Queue July 27th.

Next iPod Nano Gets a Camera?

A leaked image from the Chinese website, Apple.pro suggests the new iPod Nano will be sporting at least a rear facing camera. Without an image of the Nano’s face we can’t tell if will be getting the camera treatment up front.

Front and rear facing cameras might enable Facetime for these bad boys; throw that on a watch band and I’m in! I’d pick one up in a heartbeat.

Apple.pro was responsible for leaking images of the Nano’s touchscreen back when it was in development stages, so this is a fairly credible source.

I hear Steve Jobs is in the developmental stages of creating an iPancreas to replace his faulty one. No word on Facetime capabilities yet. Microsoft says they’ve tested several versions of the Pancreas Kin, but bad initial reviews have forced them to change the name to just Pancreas 2011.

What are your thoughts on wristwatch video-calls?

iPhone 5 Rumors So Far

Found this cool infographic here, it’s a complete list of the iPhone 5 rumors circulating, with a probability percentage.Any design changes they make will be for the better, as proven with the 3GS to 4 upgrade.

Better camera, slimmer, more memory, faster processor and a new iOS are to be expected, but physical keyboard and SD card-reader? This isn’t Android come on.

Multitasking on my iPhone4 has made me wish for a touchscreen button instead of an actual button. My Samsung TV has touchscreen-like buttons, as well as my XBox360 Slim. It would make a great addition to the i5.

An NFC upgrade would be really exciting, but I’m not getting my hopes up.

I have an upgrade in April that I was hoping to save for an iPhone 5, originally planned for June but may be delayed, still hoping it makes that date, I may just have to use my upgrade on a white iPhone 4 this spring.

Does anyone else wish they’d add a taser?

New York Public Library Inivites 500 to Overnight Scavenger Hunt

New York Public Library is hip. They have the prestige of being the first public library to launch a Foursquare badge for collection, now they are going bigger with an overnight scavenger hunt inside the library. I imagine it being like National Treasure meets Night at the Museum.

Codenamed “Find the Future” the game will give 500 people a list of 100 challenges designed to showcase specific parts of the libraries vast collection. 100 items that have “shaped humanity.” The challenges will be given via, you guessed it, an app. Player’s mobile devices and laptops will guide them through their quest.

Here’s a dramatic video about the hunt.

Midnight Scavenger hunt with 499 strangers in New York City? That sounds awesome.

I found the original story at Mashable, and here’s how to enter to be one of the lucky 500.

The Peel

I’ve been using the iPhone app “Peel” for a few months, and it’s great when I’m sitting on my couch, doing my at home SEO work, and don’t want to watch King of Queens. The app allows you to browse what’s currently available to watch, depending on your provider.

My current television programming is “Over the Air” Meaning my 52″ Samsung, LCD high definition, internet ready TV is hooked to a pair of unsightly bunny ears. Which actually work like a dream!

With the ability to browse top picks based on information you give it, and browsing by category, it’s a very useful little app! It’s $0.00 price tag was a big seller.

While cruising Engadget I noticed there’s more to this app than just a TV guide. You can use it in place of your remote! Now that’d be handy, especially since my daughter likes to hide the remote in different places each day.

Downside is the hardware (Peel calls it a fruit) required to remote-ify my iPhone  and use Peel to it’s fullest extent is $99! It looks cool though, and it feels like it’s a step in the right direction for the extinction of remotes.

Here’s a whole slew of info about Peel and it’s Fruit. Download the free app here.

Oh PS: Sorry Glee is on the iPhone.

3 Awesomely Designed Websites

I really like it when people can see the importance of good design. It changes my whole perception of a product or business when everything looks good and fits together. Here are some expertly designed websites I’ve found:

this one

and this one

really cool one here

I wish I was that cool.