"Dinner and a movie", probably the most common entertainment outing for veteran and new couples alike. In fact, heading out to see the latest summer blockbuster is the one thing that people of all ages, from the youngest youngster to the most senior... senior, will agree is a great time. Except me. I stopped going long ago.

I get strange reactions from people when I tell them I never go to the movies anymore. The wide-eyed, somewhat bewildered look doesn't change from person to person. I'd know it anywhere, and it never really goes away either. Even my closest friends, who know I practically never head out to a theater, will always ask me what I thought of some new popular flick. But the looks change from bewilderment to disappointment after a time, realizing that it will be months until I can talk about and share in that experience.

The tech-savvy among us have been tethering our laptops through data enabled phones to AT&T's (formerly Cingular) data network for years. The concept of tethering is simple, attach your phone to your laptop via Bluetooth or direct connection, and make a connection to the provider's data network so you can browse the web and send e-mail with your laptop from anywhere. AT&T allows this practice on their top-tier data plans (starting at $59.99 per month), but users with smarts have been able to tether with unlimited data packages as low as $19.99 for years without any problems or additional charges.

Cellular providers have been getting wise to the practice for some time now, and have slowly been crippling phones to prevent users from dialing in without permission and upgrading their networks to catch data leechers tethering their laptops at lower packages. Crippling a phone typically means disabling the DUN (dial-up networking) Bluetooth profile that allows a PC to use the phone as a data modem.

Never in my life have I seen the same computing product get more hardware changes than software updates. Yes, I'm talking about Sony's Playstation 3, a product that is now starting on what can only be described as its third major retail beta program... with a fourth supposedly in the works.

According to an Engadget report, Gamestop has done everything but dole out the ISBN numbers on the packaging for the still unconfirmed 120GB Playstation 3. Was 80GB too small for their top tier PS3? No, of course not. It was too small to also be bundled with the new DualShock 3 controller... the controller that should have been bundled with all PS3 models to begin with. Sorry to everyone who bought an 80GB PS3 in the last few weeks. No refunds or exchanges please.

Thinking about picking yourself up a new 20, 40, 60, 80, or 120 Gig PS3 in the coming months and want to know which is the safest buy? Let's break it down:

In just the past few months:

Netflix has struck more deals with more and more CE partners, now offering on-demand movie streaming capabilities through both the XBOX 360 and TiVo set-top DVRs.

Blockbuster has teamed up with 2-Wire to create their own set-top receiver, where customers can stream rented movies instead of getting them on disc by mail or in one of their stores.

Sling Media, creator of the Slingbox, let loose the SlingCatcher and Sling.com web portal. SlingCatcher lets Slingbox owners watch their home cable or satellite box on other TVs around the house, or over the web at a remote location. Sling.com is a lot like Hulu, poised to offer on-demand TV and movies to a PC web browser and (eventually) their SlingCatcher set-top. Uniquely Sling, it also offers an online SlingPlayer app that let's Slingbox owners watch their own TV right on the site.

Speaking of Hulu, they

At the end of part 1, I had just finished scoping what would inevitably be the $25 Garage Entertainment system, quite a challenge given the requirements I decided on. If you haven't yet read part 1, go check that out before you continue: http://www.techlore.com/blog/entry/19...

Part 2 - Finding the Gear

Given the restrictions in place, the only real choice for aquiring my goods was to mooch off friends and family or hit garage sales. Considering most of my friends and family don't have the things I need (none of them are real tech pack-rats) garage sales would be my only choice.

I knew up front the speakers and receiver would be the hard parts to come by, and probably suck up most of my budget, so I figured the best deals would be had at garage sales. Note to anyone who wants to try this at home, it took a long, long time to find things. Budget plenty of time for bargain hunting.

In a press release today, Comcast announced they have partnered with Nintendo to offer a free Nintendo Wii to new Comcast Triple Play subscribers who sign up for service between today and August 17th. However, don't let them fool you. It may be a "Free Wii," but it will really cost you a little less than $400 in the end.

Funny story, it just so happens I signed up for a new Triple Play package last week (I'm moving to a new area, and they're pretty much the only game in town for now). In fact, it hasn't even been installed yet. After reading the press release, the first thing I did was call Comcast. Between "no free Wii" and "Free Wii" I'll take the freebie every time. 

After being connected to a customer service rep, I explained I just signed up for a Comcast Triple Play package, and that I read today they're offering a free Wii as an incentive.

Another day, another annoyance to complain about. This particular issue isn't related to gadgets, but e-mail is now one of the (if not THE) primary form of communication among individuals, and without technology, it wouldn't be the case.

Those in a corporate enviornment have no doubt encountered the e-mail read receipt, and probably send some or all messages requesting one yourself. Home users may not have ever had to deal with them since not all e-mail clients, particularly in the free online services, support them.

So what is a read receipt? For those who have never seen one, read receipts are a form of e-mail tracking. Quoth the Wikipedia:

"E-mail tracking is useful when the sender wants to know if the intended recipient actually received the e-mail, or if they clicked the links. However, due to the nature of the technology, e-mail tracking cannot be considered an absolutely accurate indicator that a message was opened or read by the recipient.

I've been following the format war between HD-DVD and Blu-Ray Disc since the days when each was on the drawing board. For the record, I'm not choosing sides in this debate, nor am I recommending that anyone buy into either option. Each format brings HD quality movies and advanced playback features to the table. In my mind, that makes them both good. However, mass adoption of either simply won't happen until one of two things occurs:

1. One camp drops out of the race.


2. The stalemate draws on long enough that the ability to play back both formats is included in every playback device. Simply put; a tie. While a handful of hardware makers not entrenched in one camp or another have done this (namely LGs Super Blu players... "Super" meaning "super expensive"), the Toshiba's and Sony's of the world don't seem likely to build in support for their rivals even though it could finally advance adoption.

Those who know me or follow my blog here at TechLore.com will attest, I have a fair amount of older gadgets and gizmos I've collected over the years. Some sit on shelves behind a glass door museum-style, but most would be surprised by the sheer number of old devices I've found new uses for. So, when the need arose to put together a nursery for my up-and-coming newborn, I went to work putting a few of my older gadgets back into service.

One of our goals was to have the option to monitor the baby visually, and after pricing out some $200+ baby video monitors, I decided to slap something together from several devices I already own that are no longer in use.

I actually came up with two different solutions, but ended up settling on using an old Slingbox Classic I had tucked away in a closet. I've posted instructions on how to set this up

In the blogosphere, on YouTube, and anywhere else PC and Mac users share the same space you'll see and endless barrage of "mine is better than yours" posts from those who claim to be Mac or PC.

In recent weeks, Microsoft has kicked off an aggressive marketing campaign intended to change user perception about Windows, and Microsoft in general. Apple has been dominating the advertising wars over the last few years, and their long running PC Guy and Mac Guy skits have been seen by almost everyone at this point. Microsoft is now firing back, and we've seen three distinct flavors of perception changing, debate raging campaigns come out of Microsoft.

The Mojave Experiments

Starting with the 'Mojave Experiement,' Microsoft seemingly sat users down in front of a Vista computer, but told them it was their next in-development OS. After many users exclaimed how great it looked, they were told that what they were using was Windows Vista... commence candid camera-like shock and awe. It's been clearly stated by users that these

A few weeks ago, I eluded that I would be talking about my latest phone purchase; a topic that's fun since everyone has a cell phone these days. With so many different options out there in both smart and generic phone varieties, I found this purchase more difficult than any of my previous phones.

Prior to this purchase, all my phones had been of the "regular cell phone" variety, with a long streak of owning three Sony Ericsson phones. My trip to phone bliss started with the original Ericsson T68, which shortly after turned in to the T68i when Sony and Ericsson merged their mobile handset divisions. It was one of the first to offer a color screen, and even included Bluetooth. From there I picked up a T160 bundled with T-Mobile service, and while I was very pleased with the phone, the lack of high speed data forced me to make a move to a different provider. My last phone was the S710a, a camera/phone hybrid with EDGE data (fast at the time), and a unique swivel mech that made owning it both cool and annoying. I wrote a review of that phone for TechLore some time ago. You can read it

It's happened to everyone... that gut-wrenching, horrifying feeling you get when the shiny new gadget you JUST bought a month ago drops in price or is replaced by something better. Look at iPhone owners. You can't tell me those that picked up 8GB iPhones at $599 didn't feel a bit used when Apple lowered the price to $399 only 2 months after it was launched. Sure, that $100 in-store credit helped soften the blow, but no doubt everyone probably wishes they had waited those few months before buying.

It's the story of the early gadget adopter, and those on the cutting edge of technology often get bum deals and beat up on their electronic purchases. I usually try to purchase with a bit of caution, but even I still get taken from time to time. It wasn't all that long ago I picked up a new Premium XBOX 360, only to discover that not long after they'd put out a new

For those who know a little about my background, I spent well over 10 years in electronics sales at a variety of places. Of those, my job at a high end audio/video retailer and installer was where I got to eat, breathe, and practically swim in home theater equipment... definitely my favorite segment of the consumer electronics industry. I'll save that piece on why I love home theater so much for another day, but I will share with you the best news I've heard in months... M&K Sound is supposedly coming back.

For those unfamiliar with M&K, I'll say this. They make some of the best speakers I've ever had the pleasure of listening to. Actually, I should say "used to make some of the best speakers." February 22nd of this year was a sad day... M&K's founder Ken Kreisel closed the doors of the renowned speaker company.

Since the day my child was born, I knew I'd inevitably have to take measures to protect my home theater gear once she was mobile enough to press buttons and turn knobs. My taste in style has always been what I would call "understated contemporary," meaning plain, simple, and functional. I'll also admit I have little desire to spend a fortune on something that holds my A/V components. I'd rather buy new gear. 

My prior solution was the pinnacle of cheap, yet functional. Many of my components are stacked on top of my big 55" CRT rear-pro HDTV, while the others are stacked neatly under my left and right speakers using a stackable desktop wire shelf/organizer system I picked up at an office supply store. It doesn't support the bulk of my larger components, like my 65 pound receiver, but it does handle my light weight devices like my cable box, DVR, DVD player, component width surge protector, and my VCR. On the right side, I've used the same shelving to house several game consoles.

Leave it to our old friend Steve Jobs to walk out on stage and tell everyone what they wanted to hear... almost. Everyone was expecting some new iPods, and Jobs and Co. are releasing three new models for the holiday season, plus some new colors for Shuffle. On top of that, new features and some price moves were announced... all good, but no doubt it's going to irritate those that have just bought iPhones.

iPod Nano

First on the list is Nano, which is getting a total redesign for the 07-08 holiday season. Gone is the super-slender tall design of yore, as Apple decided Nano would be better after some weight gain. It's not actually heavier than the original, but it is wider and shorter... hence the "fatty" references it's been getting.

Other specs include include a 2-inch, QVGA, 320 x 240 screens that is (supposedly) 65-percent brighter than previous models, an

Months back it was uncovered that premium home and professional speaker manufacturer M&K Sound would be making a return under new ownership... after being closed for over a year. Today, it looks like M&K may be looking to make their return in the near future thanks to a tip by member FIG here in the TechLore Community.

mksoundsystem.com went online today, and appears to be M&K Sound's new website. Earlier in the day, the site wasn't there, but several search engine caches had started to reveal quite a bit about what was going on behind the scenes.

Most importantly, the new site shows which M&K products the new ownership is bringing back. The lines currently listed include:

• Most of the classic M&K 150 THX Series
  • S-150THX (main speaker)
  • MP-150 THX (on wall version of the S-150THX)
  • SS-150THX Tripole Surround Speaker
  • MX-250THX (Powerful dual 12" push-pull sub)

Yesterday, HP Announced the successor to the TouchSmart, a touch friendly, kitchen computer released well over a year ago. Boasting an attractive (albeit slightly odd) design and touch capable widescreen LCD monitor, the quasi all-in-one TouchSmart turned out to be great seller for HP.

While I have always given iMac props in the all-in-one looks department, HP may just have a cooler looking, sleeker design (only 2.6 inches thick!) with the TouchSmart 2... but your opinion may vary. Not only do I think it looks nicer than the iMac, but it continues to offer the unique, kitchen and family friendly touch screen interface.

At 22" you'll need a fairly large size kitchen to put it in, but the innards have been improved enough to warrant placement in any area of the home. Under the hood of both different models in the new lineup, you'll find a 2.16GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5850 processor, DVD burner, built-in webcam, 500GB hard drive, 256MB NVIDIA GeForce 9300M HD graphics card, and 802.11n Wi-Fi adapter... enough PC for most folks at any level. The only difference between the two trims is the inclusion of a TV tuner, which you may or may not need.

Microsoft will be significantly changing the way the XBOX 360 looks. No, not the outer physical form factor. We're talking about the dashboard here, the software you interact with when you power on the console. A lot has changed since our pals at Redmond shipped the first 360 thanks to numerous updates that has brought a full marketplace, TV, movies, casual games, better streaming media support, and lots more. So much, in fact, that the current dashboard, your gateway to browse all this stuff, has added enough dizzying blades, drop downs, and other menus that it was getting painful to use.

Shown for the first time yesterday during the E3 video game expo in LA, Microsoft's new design will make your dashboard go from hardcore business to teddy bears, fluffy bunnies, and Nintendo-esque Mii-like avatars.

Before:

After:

And you know what... I like it.

Don't get me wrong, I too think Microsoft is in the copy room with a half working Xerox machine and bag of quarters. The 'Me'crosoft avatars definitely took a page from Nintendo's book; except I think they're more realistic than the cartoony Mii figures.

At the end of part 2, I had just finished hunting down and grabbing the major pieces for the $25 Garage Entertainment System. With a few twists here and there, including the addition of a dedicated Media PC for the garage thanks to a "free" find at a yard sale, the $25 Garage Entertainement System was finally starting to come together. If you haven't yet read parts 1 or 2, go check that out before you continue:

Part 1: http://www.techlore.com/blog/entry/19541/Crazy-Tech-Project--The--25-Garage-E...

Part 2: http://www.techlore.com/blog/entry/19580/Crazy-Tech-Project--The--25-Garage-E...

After tacking on a few of the extra things I needed (like a mouse, keyboard, and some cables), was I within budget? Let's see:

• Reciever (garage sale) - $7
• Speakers (garage sale) - $8
• Media Computer (sidewalk) - Free
• Monitor (garage sale) - $1
• AM/FM Tuner (garage sale) - $2
• Terk Powered Antenna (garage sale) - $.50
• Belkin Wireless Network Card (friend) - Free
• 25 ft. Speaker wire (garage sale) - $2

I've been using my new AT&T 8525 for about 3 weeks now, and all this time I've been learning what I can do with my phone while getting used to the quirks of owning a PocketPC/Phone hybrid. I mentioned in a previous post that I was thinking about buying the iPhone, but decided to pass on Apple's Kool-Aid in favor of Microsoft's. So far, I'm glad I did, because (as of right now) I can do these 10 things that iPhone owners can only dream about, and I have to say, some of these things are pretty darn basic...

1. Watch my home TV with SlingPlayer - Consider me a social outcast, but I don't care about YouTube Videos. With SlingPlayer Mobile I can watch my home television programming ANYWHERE. Enjoy those episodes of lonelygirl15 you crazy YouTube lovin' iPhoners, I'll be over there watching real television.

2. Install a program