Super Finish

Pretty exciting finish to a game I expected to be a snoozer. Man, I thought the Cardinals just might pull off an upset there.

Even though I'm not a fan of either team, I found myself pulling for Warner to make a comeback. It would have been a great storyline, and it would have been kind of nice to see the air go out of the Steelers balloon. But in the end, you have to give them credit. Roethlisberger stepped up, and Holmes' catch and tap-down was amazing.

Anyways, the game was great, even though the Steelers won. The commercials, on the other hand, were only so-so. My two favorites were the "Doritos crystal ball" ad, and the Leno "move to prime time" spot.

The Doritos ad was priceless. There's nothing like physical comedy when it's done right. "Free Doritos at the office today?". Beautiful.

The Leno ad was brilliant for it's simplicity. The car, the music and the camera work all fit together perfectly to convey an image and message without a word being uttered. Very smart.

I also liked the "SoBe Lizard Lake" spot at halftime. The 3D (did you have your glasses?) was very good, and Matt Light was a riot. He was really getting his groove on. It'll make great Jumbotron fodder for next season. We may even have seen the birth of the new Gino...

At the very least, it will probably earn him a berth on the next Dancing With The Stars.

The Fort Myers Area Dunkin' Donuts Now Have Free Wi-Fi!

Old berry has his traveling shoes on, and he's got big news for all you Red Sox Spring Training devotees; the Fort Myers area Dunkin' Donuts now have free Wi-Fi.

The Cleveland Ave. Dunkies has now become a full service pit stop for me on my way to and from the pahk. I can get my large iced coffee, make room for it, and check my email. How cool is that?

Don't be checking your email while you're emptying your tank though. Handhelds don't float...

Lost is back!

Sit down in your favorite chair and strap yourself in, because this Wednesday night (01/21) ABC kicks off season 5 of Lost with not 1, not 2, but 3 new episodes of our favorite show. Here’s the lineup:

8pm EST - “Lost: Destiny Calls” (An all new recap episode)

9pm EST - “Because You Left” (Season 5/Episode 1)

10pm EST - “The Lie” (Season 5/Episode 2)

Just to whet your appetite, check out the latest Doc Jensen column. Doc’s already seen both episode 1 and 2, and although he doesn’t give too much away, he does confirm my suspicion that season 5 will focus on time travel. He also recommends some previous episodes for rewatching, as they just might help you fit some pieces together in the coming months.

If you don’t have time to rewatch them all, you can check out the Lost section of our website www.berryjooks.com, for reviews of past season’s episodes and screen caps. And as always, we’ll be posting new reviews and screen caps following each new episode.

So, we’ll reconvene after the premier, and as our friend Dr. Candle/Wickmund/Holliwax/Chang (Phew, this guy’s got some serious identity issues!) likes to say:

“Thank you, namasté, and good luck.”

Thoughts While Mindlessly Moving Snow

I’m sure that there are some very good employees at Circuit City, and I hate to see anyone lose their job, but I think one of the main reasons that they’re going out of business is customer service. Every time I go in there and need help, I can’t get anyone to even acknowledge my existence, and I am not shy. There always seems to be plenty of sales associates, it’s just that they’re gathered in little clumps, deep in important conversations, working overtime at not making eye contact. I’ve never understood this, especially when there’s always a Best Buy within a mile that sells the same stuff for the same price.


Winter sucks.


People should stop demanding to know what’s wrong with Steve Jobs and let the man have some peace. I know he’s a huge part of the whole Apple mystique, and everyone is afraid that without him the company may stumble and fall, but come on people, get over it. He’s a large part of a small subset of people who are responsible for bringing us all into the digital age, changing the way we do business and how we interact with each other. He’s certainly earned my respect, and hopefully yours. I say if you’re concerned about his health, you should send him a get well card, or even just some good thoughts or a few prayers.


I LOVE my Toro Power Throw!


How about that, the craptastic Cardinals are headed to the Super Bowl. It kills me that a 9 and 7 team is off to the big dance, especially since they rolled over against our Pats just weeks ago, but I have to admit that I’m happy for Kurt Warner. Hopefully his wife has gotten over her feathered boa stage. I don’t think I could take seeing that again.


My back hurts.


Although I often feel overworked and underpaid, I’m really glad I have a job, and I really like what I do. A lot of people I talk to lately seem to feel the same way, and I think this bodes well for the future. When things are good, people move around from job to job, always looking for that next big pay increase. For quite a while now, loyalty and continuity have been kind of frowned upon. In the high tech world it’s almost a badge of honor to have a huge list of past employers, but to me, there’s no reward in that. If you’re changing jobs every few years, you’re definitely not focused on the long range plans of your company, and without people pushing and shoving their organizations into the future, nothing much happens, and consequently both business and the economy suffers.


My gloves are soaked through. I probably should stop and change them.


Tomorrow it will be one year since my Dad passed away, and the day after that, the country’s first black president will be sworn in. I really wish he was here to see it. He lived through a lot of changes in his 84 years; The Great Depression, World War II, television, space exploration, computers and cell phones, but with all the change he saw, he was still convinced that the country wasn’t ready for a black president. We started this debate in 2006 after my youngest son’s graduation. Barack Obama was the commencement speaker, and when he finished and walked off the stage, I said that the Democrats would be crazy not to nominate this man in ’08, that he represented their best shot at getting back to Pennsylvania Avenue because he had that indefinable power to move and unite people. Although my Dad agreed that he very well could be the right man for the job, he felt that people weren’t ready for it. He grew up in a very different world, a world in which racism was always present, and he just couldn’t see it happening. I think he would have really dug it.


S#*t, I can’t feel my fingers. Should a changed my gloves. Gotta go, but I'll leave you with one more thought:


Only 4 more weeks until pitchers and catchers show up at Spring Training!

Apple Gives Us A Reason To Whistle A Happy Tune In The Post Holiday Season

Earlier this week at Macworld, Apple announced that they would now be offering iTunes Plus versions of their music, which are better quality and DRM free, as their standard 99¢ download, and that starting in April they would be shifting to a tiered pricing structure, 69¢, 99¢ and $1.29 per song.

This is great news for me. Santa brought me a fresh iTunes card, and I’m snagging tracks as I type. DRM-less, 256kbs tracks. Sweet. iTunes also gave me the opportunity to upgrade some of my existing library, for a fee, to Plus, but I passed for now.

While this is a big deal for me, and from what I read in the forums, for a lot of you out here on the interwebs also, the major tech sites have been bemoaning what a drag Macworld was. It’s a veritable chorus of “I flew all the way here and there was no unveiling of the Next Best Thing, no Steve Jobs. What a drag, man.”

You know what? I don’t care. Boo hoo. Apple just had a major product release in September. The accessory manufacturers can’t keep up with all the product changes, and people don’t have the inclination or the disposable income to swap out devices every 6 months when the economy sucks. I say this was another great example of Apple understanding what the market can bear, and what the public wants.

So, hopefully these reviewers have refueled their company jets and bopped on over to the CES to drink their fill at the trough of excess. I hate to see them so unhappy. As for me, I got what I wanted, and I’ll be doing the iPod happy dance (when no one’s looking, of course) throughout the long cold winter months. Thanks Steve. Much love.

That is all.

Winegard RCDT09A Battery Operated DTV Converter Box

The February 17th shutoff of analog television signals is rapidly approaching, and one of the few actual casualties of the conversion to digital broadcasting is going to be your battery operated analog TV. The one you depend on when the power goes out.

There are currently only a handful of 7 to 10 inch LCD TVs with ATSC tuners available. They start at around $149, and are backordered on most sites. That’s a little pricey for me, especially when compared to my current 5” Coby set that I paid $20 for at CVS. Hey, it’s good enough to catch the news during a blackout, and that’s all it’s really for. It may seem like a little thing, but in an emergency it’s essential to stay informed.

Well, someone has finally come up with a solution. Winegard has come out with a converter box that has an optional battery pack and a 12v DC converter. It’s the RCDT09A, and although it’s not rated as “best of class”, it is a very serviceable little unit that features analog pass thru and a rudimentary program guide. Check out Cnet’s review here.

According to the manufacturer’s specs, it will run for up to 18 hours on battery power (6 D cell batteries), and it qualifies for the TV converter box coupon program. You can order it at Winegard Direct for $62.99, and the site is set up to credit your $40 coupon at checkout. Cool.

While the Winegard is the perfect solution for emergencies, for a straight up powered device I’d recommend the Zenith DTT901 converter. It rates highly in all categories on ConsumerReports.org, just look down the handy comparison chart for the device with the most dots. It has excellent reception, analog pass thru, easy channel tuning, universal remote and a much better guide.

I plan on using both coupons, one on a Winegard for emergencies, and the other on a Zenith for better reception in non emergency situations, like when the cable goes out and the big game is on. We’ve got a beautiful 27” Sony Wega flat tube analog TV that isn’t going anywhere until it dies of natural causes.

Be sure to check out our DTV transition survival guide for more detailed information on how the changes will affect you, and how you can get your coupons.

The Peyton Face!

And on the first day of wild card weekend, no less.

Maybe this won’t be so bad after all…

Eton/Grundig Microlink FR150 Emergency Radio

The best stocking stuffer I got this year was an Eton FR150 Radio from L.L. Bean. It’s a self powered emergency flashlight/radio/cell phone charger all in one neat little package. With all the extended power outages we've had in the Northeast lately, this little baby may come in handy.

This ultra compact emergency radio is made by Grundig and distributed by Eton through L.L. Bean. It’s an AM/FM Weather Band radio, with surprisingly good reception and sound quality for a radio this small.

The unit is covered in shatterproof polycarbonate, with rubberized buttons and port flap to protect it from the elements. It also doubles as a very bright 3 LED flashlight. The best part though, is that the unit can be recharged 3 different ways. Via USB cable, hand crank or solar power. Even better, you can plug your cell phone into the cell charger port and crank some life into it!

I love the set of 3 lights on the tuner window. There's one for tuning, it lights steadily when the radio is receiving maximum signal from a station. There’s also a light to indicate that the batteries are charging, and it goes on the minute you get the radio near sunlight or start spinning the crank. The third one indicates that you’re in the Weather Band mode. Small things, I know, but they indicate that a lot of attention to detail went into this little guy. Grundig really knows how to make a radio!

Two small caveats with this product. It doesn’t come with a USB cable, you have to supply your own, and it needs to be USB to mini USB. This isn’t too big a deal, as most people with a digital camera already have one. Also, the instructions seem to indicate that there’s a charger available, there isn’t. Doing some research on Eton’s FAQ page, I found a section where they clarify this by explaining that you plug the USB cable into your computer to recharge the radio, just like you would with your iPod.

The other confusing thing is that the instructions tell you to connect the tip that matches your cell phone to the included cell phone charging cable. I found the cell phone charging cable, no problem, but I couldn’t find any interchangeable tips. This time I found the answer in a user review. There’s a card folded up with the warranty info that you fill out with your cell phone type and return address. Mail it in, and Eton will send you the correct tip, and register your product for warranty purposes. It’s a pretty good way to get people to return their warranty paperwork, but the instruction booklet should be clearer.

So, the radio strikes out in the instruction department, but hits a home run as an emergency device. It comes in a variety of colors from L.L. Bean for $29.95.

You can also order a Red Cross version of this same product through the Eton site, or on Amazon.com.

Patriots Go 11 And 5 But Miss Playoffs

The Patriots finished off their regular season with a 13-0 win over the Bills and an 11-5 record, but it just wasn’t enough for a playoff berth in the hotly contended AFC.

The Dolphins clinched the AFC East Division Championship when they beat the Jets today, even though they finished the season tied with the Pats at 11-5 overall and 4-2 in their division, by virtue of a conference record tie breaker (Dolphins 8-4, Pats 7-5).

Chances of a Patriots wildcard spot went down in flames today also, when the Ravens beat the Jags, finishing 11-5 and clinching one of the two wildcard spots by virtue of the same conference record tie breaker (Ravens 8-5). The Colts had already locked up the other spot.

Although I’m bitterly disappointed that the Patriots season is over, especially since the craptastic Cardinals made the cut with a 9-7 record, I have to give the homeboys credit. They did way better than we could have expected this season, and had really jelled into a first level team, finishing off their impressive 11-5 season with a 4 game winning streak. I’ve said before that I’ve seen some pretty bad Patriots teams in my day, and this isn’t one of them.

Kudos to Matt Cassel for a season well played. He grew into his roll a little more each week, and was playing like a veteran down the stretch. He’s certainly a better quarterback than most that will start next week. The Patriots stable of standout receivers helped out a great deal, but it still comes down to on field decisions, and the kid is getting very good at them. He becomes a free agent now, and I hope he does well for himself and gets the payday he deserves.

That being said, if Brady is the least bit questionable for the start of next season, the Pats have got to franchise him. 14 mil for one season isn’t too shabby...

So, thanks to all the players and coaching staff. They gave us their all, even though the season looked dismal from day one. Hey, it sucks having the season end so early, but if we know anything about this team, it’s that they’ll be back next year with a vengeance.

For now, I’m holding out hope for a Falcons-Dolphins Super Bowl showdown. How can you not love Ryan and Pennington? It would sure beat an all Manning Bowl. I'd have to smash all my TVs if that happened.

Give Your Geek A Cool Yule With A New Nano Or Touch

This year’s crop of iPods have all been tweaked up a bit, especially the 4th gen Nano and the 2nd gen Touch, and either one would be a great gift choice for that discerning geek on your Christmas list.

The Nano has been redesigned, again. It’s gone back to (roughly) its original size and shape, but with a few new curves. It’s also got a longer screen coupled with an accelerometer chip that allows you to flip it sideways and view it in wide screen mode. The chip also makes it possible to shuffle your music with a shake of your hand, and control game play with a simple tilt of the device. Too cool!

Once again, Apple has doubled the memory of the Nano, this time to 8 and 16GB, while retaining the same price points, $149 and $199, and introduced yet another palette full of weird and wonderful colors.

The new 2nd gen Touch has undergone a few changes also. It’s my personal favorite, and by far and away the slickest personal media device on the market this holiday season. It’s still a bit pricey, but if you’re looking for a gift with wow factor, this is the one. Billed as “The funnest iPod ever” by Apple, it lives up to that claim and more.

From a design standpoint, the biggest change is that it’s grown external volume controls and an internal speaker, and yet gotten even sleeker than the previous model. Add in improved video, ultra responsive touch screen, push email, and the availability of a dazzling array of applications, and you’ve got quite the package.

From a pure media player standpoint, the audio and video on the 2nd gen are excellent, but this device is as much a handheld computer as it is a traditional MP3 player. The WiFi has outstanding range and response time, and the device is loaded with useful apps right out of the box. Google an actor while you’re watching a movie, find out what channel the big game is on while you’re parked on the couch, look up a recipe on the web while you’re cooking, or check and respond to your email without having to boot up, pay for a monthly plan, or worry about running down your cell phone. How sweet is that?

The add-on apps are pretty amazing also. Download Shazam, and you can hold the player up to another music source and it will identify the music being played and retrieve it from iTunes Mobil, or store the info until you’re in WiFi range, or until your next sync. Stream Internet radio with the Pandora app, or grab a game that takes advantage of the accelerometer like Labyrinth or Super Monkey Ball.

The Touch comes in 8, 16 or 32GB models. Its OS takes up about 1.5GB, so if you have a large media library and plan on downloading a lot of apps, you’ll want the 16 at least.

Check out the video review here on Cnet, and be sure to forward the link to Santa!

Lost - Season 5

Season 5 of Lost is coming soon to a living room near you. Grab the Lost widget for your homepage or website, and you’ll be “in the loop” for all updates and teasers.

Also, iTunes has the new season 5 trailer and the new music video by The Fray, “You Found Me”, available as free downloads. There are a couple of Easter eggs hidden in the Fray video, a logo for Ajira Airways, and a Dharma Initiative logo superimposed on Jack.

If you Google Ajira, you’ll find it has a website that is announcing “The skies have no limit with our new destinations launching January 21st, 2009”, and suggests that you sign up for updates. Check it out.

And if you need a little brushing up before the main event, be sure to visit our Lost section on berryjooks.com for past seasons episode recaps, screen captures, theories and links.

Music Sharing, Malware, And You

I want to talk about music sharing. Not about the ethicality of it, that’s just a waste of breath. People are adamant about their beliefs on the subject on both sides, and I’ve found it’s useless to try and change anyone’s opinions on it. I want to talk about the consequences of music and/or file sharing, and I don’t mean the consequence of getting caught.

P2P (peer to peer) file sharing can be a very valuable tool. It’s central to quite a few things we take for granted, like SMTP email, which uses a P2P configuration between it’s mail transfer agents (or mail servers), coupled with a client-server connection with the end user (you). It also allows many users to share many files without the need for huge central servers, which can cave under the pressure of a sudden multitude of simultaneous downloads. All in all, it’s a pretty slick concept.

The problem is, when you install a P2P client such as BitTorrent or LimeWire on your home PC to share music and video, you open yourself up to a plethora of problems. Up to 30% of all music files available to download from your peers are infected, and no matter how careful and smart you are, sooner or later you’re going to hit a file that’s carrying a virus or malware that your protection software doesn’t yet have a definition for. A raging infection or two, combined with the added cpu usage from file sharing requests, can bring your system to it’s knees quick, fast and in a hurry.

Also, improper set up on installation with regards to files or folders to share, can leave you wide open to information theft. Here’s a link to a great article on InformationWeek, where the reviewer used LimeWire Pro to search out keywords such as “ssn”. The amount of personal information he culled from other users was downright scary. Now think about a double whammy, picking up malware that changes your file sharing settings, steals your personal info, then leaves the door open for others to find that same data. Oh yeah, and trashes your computer while it's at it. Yikes!

All this being said, if you do decide to venture into these murky waters, be sure to have a rescue plan in place. Take the time to make sure that your system is properly protected and backed up. Here’s a link to a simple guide, just to get you thinking in the right direction.

And if you do get hosed up, don’t call me. I know that you’re going to reinstall the P2P client as soon as you get the machine back. Don't give me that innocent look, you will, and I just don’t have the time or patience these days for that kind of “Ground Hog Day” like behavior.

That is all.