Audiophiles and hamfest regulars concur...  vacuum tubes simply produce the best audio for your stereo setup.  Why?  I can't give you the technical explanation, I'm neither an audio engineer nor a self-labelled stereophile.  I can't say that I'm opinionated one way or another as to whether vacuum tubes sound "better" than solid state.

Why I Love Vacuum Tubes

What I will profess, however, is that tube-based electronics exude a Fallout-eque, 1940's chic and mystique that new-fangled, button-ridden solid state products simply cannot emulate no matter how hard they try.

I got turned on to tube amplifiers when I was in the home audio business, selling home theater products for a living.  I found that most of the speakers I dealt with didn't really appeal to me, and frankly, were just too expensive.  After months of searching, I finally found the love of my audio life at a rickety, disorganized audio hobby shop - the Moth Audio Cicadas.

I'll confess... I've been a little obsessed with the news lately.  What with the recent presidential election and the ongoing financial disaster, it seems only natural to be more interested in tailing current events than ever.  It took a while for me to truly jump on board, but once I got all my RSS feeds up and running, synced with NetNewsWire, and ready to go, I'm a virtual dumping ground for all things headline. 

Tech, finance, and world news updates pour into my reader(s) faster than bailout money into AIG's coffers, and I can barely keep up.

That being said, I'm fortunate enough to possess one of the best mobile news readers around:  the iPhone.

I simply can't imagine that any other mobile phone out there can keep up.  With the selection of news apps available via the App Store combined with "iPhone friendly" websites, you've got an unstoppable combination.

If you've been reading the news, active in the blogosphere, or are just into technology in general, there's no doubt that you've heard about the T-Mobile G1 - the first mobile phone being sold and packaged with Google's Android operating system.

I've been waiting for a new cellphone OS to come out for a long time, like, you know, since the iPhone was released... it seems so long ago.  Maybe I'm just addicted to phones.  Apparently, I have "iSyndrome," according to one of my closest colleagues.

But, I digress.  Since I'm really into mobile tech, I just have to weigh in with my opinions on the G1 and Android in general.  I haven't had the privilege of playing with Android in person, so everything I'm about to say is based on what I've read and seen.  I'd love to hear comments from people who actually own the phone.  I may be wrong on some of these things, too, since I haven't tested it in person :)

If you're a rabid follower of Caffeinated Pixels (please tell me you are? *hopeful eyes*) then you already know that I currently own and love a Dell Inspiron Mini 9.  Ever since I first unwrapped it from its sparse packaging (fitting for a refurb) I've wanted to get something else other than Windows on it.  Now, don't get me wrong, XP actually runs great and I've used it A LOT.  It's just... so... sluggish... and takes forever and a day to boot.  I can actually crack a beer, make a snack, use the washroom, and change clothes before it's even ready to use.

I tried Xandros Presto and was a bit disappointed at the lack of functionality, bright white non-customizable wallpaper, and wireless connectivity issues.  Of course, it also costs money.  I tried Ubuntu Netbook Remix (or UNR for those in-the-know) and while I'm sure it works OK for some, it was just a pain to get working correctly, so I ditched it.

Yeah, I was fat. Really fat. Do you like scary transformation photos? Keep readin'.

So, you're no doubt hearing a lot of buzz about the Wii Fit these days. It's made a splash, selling huge amounts of copies since its launch, and has a promising community aspect as well. I think the idea of sharing Wii Fitness results online is compelling and could be a lot of fun - I envision positive places, where users cheer each other on to become healthier. (Of course, in an ideal world, that's what would be nice. More accurately, you may hear "pick it up, fatty" or similar insults, from trollers and general ne'er do wells. Oh well, it's human nature, I suppose.)

So, have I bought into the Wii Fit hysteria? Of course, I haven't tried it yet, but I'd really like to. According to Wikipedia, there are four aspects to the Wii Fit - muscle workouts, balance exercises, balance games, and yoga poses. Sounds exciting, as there could be a lot of different play variations to make sure you don't get bored while you burn fat.

Yeah, I'm that guy.  That guy that has Post-It notes scattered all over his monitor and desk, of all different colors.  I'll grab a piece, jot down a note, only to complete the task minutes later and throw away the note.  I'll think of something when I get a glass of water at 2AM, jot it down on my work desk, and go back to bed.

Since I can make these notes so quickly, and I'm so obsessive about it, it really boosts my productivity.  I don't forget things nearly as often, and frankly, I have about 1,000 things to remember at any given time, so that says a lot.  My note-taking has helped me amplify my multi-tasking and prioritizing abilities, too.

See, in my opinion, you can't replace the quick, jot-it-down, in-your-face nature of the Post-It.  Whether you do it with paper, Stickies on a Mac or Vista Gadgets on a PC, or even better, through innovative applications like the Notes feature of the HP TouchSmart (which is cool, interactive, and controlled by your finger - I'm a huge fan) - they have a value that can't be missed.

It's really no big secret at all that I love to stay organized... I've blogged about it in the past, and use multiple tools to keep all my ducks in a row.  Yes, my day isn't complete without a Sheldon-esque, meticulously organized and purposed list of to-dos... not to the point of insanity (like our favorite nuclear physicist) but to help me stay organized and productive.  At least that's what I tell myself.

Regardless, I've been using Evernote to manage my lists up until this point, due to it's free-ness, browser based interface that can be accessed from any machine, and its ease of use.  However, it's being usurped by another comely, aggressively simple and functional app after my heart... The Hit List.

This little beauty by the Potion Factory was available as part of the (controversial) MacHeist bundle, and it's still in beta.  Let me tell you why, for now, this is the perfect

The Mighty Mouse.  The mere mention of the "pointing-device-who-shall-not-be-named" evokes deep regret and even rage in the fan-iest of Apple's devoted fanboi crowd.  The loathing for this overpriced hunk of plastic pervades the Internet, and I echo that hatred.  I liked it at first, but eventually the little scrolly ball failed, prompting me to attempt surgery and repair it.  I, of course, failed miserably and it ended up a cracked hunk of junk in the circular file.  So much for that.

I had been using a cheap, crappy $6 dollar mouse for the longest time, and I finally cracked and bought the Magic Mouse.  Yeah, there are tons of other options, but I have always liked Apple's peripherals.  Was it a good buy?

First Impressions

The Magic Mouse is packaged in typical Apple style, in a tiny secure plastic clamshell.  Very little is wasted here, which is a good thing - although they're a bit hard to find in the store when they're buried in a shelf.

I hate it when new cellphones come out.  Even if I'm happy with the one I already own, I inevitably lust after whatever's new, eagerly rationalizing the extra costs involved, and at some points in the past, even considered owning two phones (and on two occasions, actually did.)  Which is, like poodles and most vacations to Vegas, wasteful yet entertaining.

As such, here begins a new chapter in my endless gadgetry novel... the Palm Pre.  I'm seriously wondering whether Apple/AT&T is going to lose some customers over this little beauty... there's a lot that it does that's really tempting.  Here's some of the reasons why I (and probably others) would consider defecting to the Palm-side...

Multitasking

Duh!  I could multitask on an old Windows 95 computer, why can't I do it on my iPhone?  The Pre allows you to have multiple apps open, drag stuff between each, have more than one browser window open, etc.

With the arrival of the much anticipated (and now infamous) iPhone 4 came a slew of "enhanced" or even specifically optimized titles for the new device.  This makes sense, due to the many upgrades in the new hardware, including (but not limited to) the ridiculously high-res Retina Display to the new gyroscope.

Of course, gaming is where a lot of these enhancements will really come into their own, as is evident by titles such as Eliminate: Gun Range, which not only utilizes every pixel there is to be had but also incorporates the gyroscope for super-accurate tracking.  You should check it out.  But, this review is for Carcassonne - one of my favorite, if not my all-time favorite, games for the iOS platform - and it's especially juiced up for the iPhone 4.

What is Carcassonne?

Even the intro screen is gorgeous.

This fabulous game did not originate on the iPrecious.

Were you ever an @?

Sounds like a silly question, unless you ever played a "roguelike" game way, way back in the day.  If you know... you know.  If you have no idea what I'm talking about, have you ever played Diablo?  If so, then you've tasted the pure joyness that this style of dungeon crawling game can bring.

What's a Roguelike?

It all started with a game called Rogue, a Unix favorite.  Surprisingly simple but with incredible depth, the graphics are primitive ASCII characters... your hero denoted by an @, and monsters and items  symbolized by various letters and characters.  You were tasked with the overwhelming duty of retreiving the Amulet of Yendor at the bottom of the dungeon, and then returning to the surface.  This early graphical adventure spawned numerous derivatives, including Moria, iLarn, Hack, NetHack, and others.

What Makes A Roguelike Unique?

Almost everyone has played a role playing game at some point in their life, whether it be the super-popular Final Fantasy series or any of the dozens and dozens of different titles available.

I know I'm a little late for the XBOX Live party.  I was pretty reluctant to sign up for an account, partly because I don't want to get addicted and have another monthly fee on my account.  However, I remained intrigued by the prospect of the Live Arcade, since I love indie games and would eventually be interested in downloading some.  With the recent announcements of Braid and other hot indie games, I decided to check it out.

The most interesting to me right now is the relatively recently released Bionic Commando: Rearmed.  It looks like a really faithful re-design of the original and the videos just look awesome (the metal version of the theme song is sublime, BTW.)  I haven't yet downloaded it, but I hope to soon.

I think it was an interesting choice of redux due to the limited popularity of the original, but what a good choice it was.

Well, I needed something to do as I sit here feverishly awaiting the "go-live" of MobileMe.

I've been playing with the new App Store today thanks to friends who provided me with the MobileMe installation package and iPhone 2.0 firmware package.  After a brief scare that I may have bricked my precious, I realized I needed to upgrade iTunes to the newest version before I could re-flash.  (Read: almost epic fail.)

But once I knew all was well, and first tried it out, it was bliss.  Like a taste of cool water after trudging through the desert, or that first glimpse of sun after a ridiculously long winter, the release of the App Store has rejuvenated my relationship with this little candy bar.  I'm excited even now that my phone has instantly become about twelve times as functional and at least twice as fun... but even more excited that (#1) I don't need to upgrade to take advantage of it and (#2) I don't need to upgrade to take advantage of it.

In a moment greeted with much applause, Steve Jobs made his grand re-entry to the stage today, complete with glowing smile (and a brand new liver.)  What a great way to preface some fresh new announcements, eh?  Frankly, I'm not going to cover the minutiae of each and every announcement (you can follow a liveblog that covers EVERYTHING here) but rather, what I feel is most significant or that really stands out.

iTunes 9

Since it's the software I use for managing my music library, I'm always looking forward to iTunes updates.  I know I'm not the only one, as it's an incredibly popular software suite.  Notable in iTunes 9 are the new Genius playlists and Home Sharing, which allows you to "natively" share libraries across computers in your home network.  

iTunes Store

I personally consider this a "minor" update, since I don't ever use the iTunes Music Store... but it wouldn't be fair of me to not say anything about it, since it's so incredibly popular.

I've always had a soft spot for running Linux.  How could anyone not be attracted to the idea of running a complete OS, with office suite, Internet browser, VOiP clients, and virtually everything a computer user needs... for FREE?

Well, part of the problem is that I haven't yet spent enough time delving deeply into Linux and other open source operating systems to really get a feel for how to be productive within them, and how to duplicate the functionality I get from my Mac.  That being said, I'm always feeling compelled to try out new flavors of Linux as they come along, if for no other reason, just to learn about them.

Recently, given the number of virtualization options available for Mac OS X, I decided to give Linux another try.  For those who may not be familiar, virtualization programs allow you to run an entire operating system within a window, as its own entity, safe from the rest of your system.

I don't know, but it just seems like RSS is so under-rated.  It certainly takes a backseat to Twitter, Facebook, Digg, Alltop, StumbleUpon, Reddit, and so many other online services that bask in the glory of media attention and daily mention basically everywhere.  Some even declare that RSS is dying, soon to be replaced by Twitter (or whomever else.)

So whatever happened to the good old RSS feed?  Truth be told, there are way too many clients available, how in the world do you pick one?  It might seem like a lot to manage and keep with, as well as syncing across multiple PC's.  I think this is why many people have ditched favorite services such as Google Reader for organized browser bookmarks instead.

That just won't cut it for me.  I want access to all of my news in one convenient spot so I don't have to navigate to individual sites just to see if it's something I want to read or not.

I'm going to.

Now, before you dismiss me as some raving lunatic fanboi with red glowing eyes and a wallet with bills sticking out of it labeled "for Steve," hear me out. I was super skeptical at first.

What is the iPad?

So, unless you live in a far-away dimension, or just don't care about tech, you've heard far too much about the much-anticipated iPad.  You've heard the rumors, you saw the liveblog, you peeped the Photoshopped parodies.  But should you care?

It's more than a giant iPhone, but less than a laptop - what a tablet should be.  At least that's my opinion.  It's got a 9.7" screen, weighs 1.5 pounds, and is half an inch thick: typical sexy Apple fare, showcasing a full multi-touch display. It's available in several trims, ranging in price from $499 for the basic, Wi-Fi only model with 16GB storage up to $829 for the 64GB, Wi-Fi and 3G sporting model.

Conference calls, talking to my friends and co-workers, and a relatively small minutes plan from AT&T have led to my rapid burning-through of rollover minutes.

Seeing my stash deplete like leftover Chinese food foolishly forgotten and left unattended in the fridge, I decided to make a radical move:  get Skype.

Why was this radical, you say?  Well, I had heard that, in some situations, the quality is questionable.  In others, call drops have been experienced.  In other words, I had been hearing from all angles that the service is sketchy.

Let me tell you - for the past few weeks, it has been GREAT, and I'd like to tell you the top reasons why I'm so pleased with my first experiences with Skype.

#5.  For a geek, it isn't so bad to not have a true landline

Let's face it, I'm always on my computer.  I don't care that I have to go to my computer to check whether I received a call.

It seems that the love being given to retro games is neverending these days, with old 8-bit classics being remade left and right.  Games like the revamped Metal Gear & Alone in the Dark series, as well as the upcoming Bionic Commando redux, are only a few tiny fish in a growing sea of upgraded, flashier remakes.

Another fine example is the Prince of Persia franchise.  More recently, they've become glamorous 3-D adventures in the spirit of games like Assassin's Creed, branching out to the PC, PlayStation 3, and XBOX 360 with Prince of Persia: Warrior Within and other titles.  There's also smaller installments on the DS (Prince of Persia: The Fallen King) and PSP (Prince of Persia: Rival Swords.)

Truthfully, I haven't played any of these titles... not even once.  And frankly, I don't care to.  Not because I'm assuming they aren't good games, in fact, I think quite the opposite based on reviews and player feedback.

My email and I have a love/hate relationship.  As much as I love keeping in touch via email, I also feel an "obligation" to check it all the time, and it can interfere with my life sometimes.  Overall, staying connected is a net positive though, and my iPhone certainly makes it enjoyable and efficient.

Mobile Email for the Non-Geek

What about the "rest of us," though?  The non-geeky crowd who might not have ever even used a BlackBerry or iPhone, clutching their Moto RAZR's and entry-level Samsung candybar phones that they got for free years ago?  The folks who really want to stay in touch with their kids and more wired friends and family members via email, but avoid computers like the bubonic plague or door-to-door pamphlet peddlers?

Especially relevant now, what about the people out there who desperately want an iPhone or other fancy mobile communications device, but want to be frugal and forego the expensive monthly plans, up-front costs, contracts, activation fees, credit checks, and other soul-selling garbage?