New iPods!!!

Apple announced three new iPods today!

The first of which is a new iPod touch. It has a gyro sensor, retina display, and two cameras. It also now has Apple's A4 processor.

Another updated iPod is the iPod Nano. It has a multi-touch touch screen, a clip, and is a lot smaller.

The iPod Shuffle has actually stepped back in time and gained physical buttons. But this time around, the Shuffle has voice-over. Only a 2gb version is available.

Mass Effect on PS3!

   It's official, Mass Effect 2 is coming to the PS3 in January 2011! I find this odd, because Mass Effect 3 is also set to be released next year, so maybe ME2 will be a PSN download? Microsoft has announced that ME1 will remain an Xbox exclusive.

Droid 2 Advertisement!!!

I found this ad for the Motorola Droid 2 in a Verizon advertising supplement, and I thought I'd share it.

Here are the pictures:

For the record, the ad is dated for August 8th, 2010.

Thinksound Rain Review: Wood sounds good!

I have just recently purchased a pair of earbuds called Thinksound Rain. The motive behind this product is getting great sound from an environmentally friendly set of earbuds. Did I mention that they're made of wood? I purchased the cherry-silver version shown above, but there is also a walnut-black version.
The picture above shows the Thinksound Rain earphones in walnut-black and the Thinksound TS01 earphones in cherry-silver. The Rain earphones are higher end and have 9 millimeter drivers, and the TS01s have more bass due to their 10 millimeter drivers. The Rains are better for music such as pop, light rock, jazz, etc., while the TS01s are for bass-heavy rock, Hip-hop, etc.
My take:
These earphones sound great, and anyone looking for amazing sound quality will be pleased. At first, the Rains sounded really bad, but I suspected it was the fault of my mp3s. Sure enough, when I listened to some OGG and FLAC files online, the earphones sounded amazing! I listened to some hip-hop, and I didn't notice any lack of bass. But, if you're one of those people who want's their teeth to rattle when listening to music, these are not for you. Since these earphones are made of wood, they look very classy and are lightweight. The silicone tips provide a decent amount of passive noise-cancellation, when you make sure to use the perfect size.
In the box:
The Rains come with a cotton pouch, a clip to attach the cord to your shirt, and four sets of differently sized silicone tips. Watch my unboxing video here. These are $100 on the Thinksound website, but sell for about $50 on Amazon.

The Verdict:
If you want a nice-sounding, affordable pair of earphones, definitely pick these up. Since these are made of wood, they have a rich sound and look really unique.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Review

The newest game in the Battlefield series is Bad Company 2. Despite Modern Warfare 2's supremacy, can BC2 put up a fight? Read on to find out.
Storyline:
The story of BC2 is nothing new: there's about to be World War III, and a small group of soldiers need to stop that from happening. But this is not why you would buy this game. Multiplayer is where it's at.
Gameplay:
As I mentioned, Campaign is nothing to be excited about, but Multiplayer is the bomb! Great maps, weapons, and a huge selection of vehicles. The HUD is good, and the health system is quite balanced.
Weapons and Vehicles:
Weapons are cool and there are different classes for each type of player:
Medic: a Light Machine Gun and a Defibrillator
Assault: an Assault Rifle and a barrel-mounted grenade launcher or shotgun
Engineer: a Sub Machine Gun and an RPG
Recon: a Sniper Rifle and C4
Vehicles are extremely varied. There's pretty much everything except jets or planes. There are a lot of vehicle scenes in campaign.
The Verdict:
This seems like the FPS of the year (if SOCOM 4 doesn't beat it out). If you think Modern Warfare 2 is all you need, you're wrong. Both games are completely different experiences, and both are a must buy.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Review

The game that everyone was waiting for! That's the easiest way to describe Modern Warfare 2. Read on for more info on the game.

Storyline:
MW2's storyline focuses on 2 characters that you can play as. One character from the Army Rangers (Sergeant Ramirez) and another from Task Force 141 (Roach, and later, Captain MacTavish). The storyline is very action-packed with a lot of plot twists. But, the game seems too short. Gameplay:
The gameplay of MW2 is extremely fun, for a lack of a better word. From the moment you pick up the controller, you feel like you've been playing for years. Your partner CPU characters are very responsive and work well with you. Spec Ops is another thing to look forward to. Spec Ops focuses in being able to play various missions via splitscreen or solo. But by far, Multiplayer takes the cake. With immense customizability and numerous killstreaks, you never have to play under the same setup for any two games. Multiplayer is very rewarding, allowing you to unlock perks, weapons, killstreaks, badges, titles, and even weapon camo. 3rd person mode is an added bonus for multiplayer.
Weapons and Vehicles:
The vehicle sequences in campaign are also very intriguing, and no two of them are alike. You control a Humvee, a snowmobile, an armed Stryker, Predator Missiles, and many other vehicles throughout the course of the game. On Multiplayer, the only vehicles you can control are killstreaks, and occasionally, turrets. Weapons are extremely responsive and realistic on both modes of gameplay.

The Verdict:
MW2 is an amazing game for players of all skill levels. Campaign feels short, but Spec Ops and Multiplayer make up for it, and then some. If you are looking for a fun FPS, this is the game for you. Every Xbox 360 or PS3 owner should own this game.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Review

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves was game of the year 2009 for many gaming websites. But why is it so good you ask? This review tells all.

Storyline:
The storyline of Uncharted 2 is great, to say the least. The main character, Nathan Drake, is a treasure hunter who hears about the Cintamani Stone and it's awesome power. He goes after it, with his hopes set high. Unfortunately, he isn't the only one after it. This creates the epic fight scenes in the game. If I say any more, I'll spoil the game.

Gameplay:
The overall gameplay of this game is amazing. The HUD is extremely simple, yet effective. The weapons are perfectly balanced. Ak47s are powerful and inaccurate, and M4s are more accurate, just as they should be.

Weapons and vehicles:
As I mentioned, weapons are perfectly balanced. Vehicles on the other hand, are not very fun. There are barely any vehicles in campaign and none in multiplayer. You can't choose which position on the vehicle you want to play in, and it seems rehearsed. Speaking of multiplayer, It is spectacular. That doesn't mean it'll ever replace Modern Warfare 2.
The Verdict:
This game deserved the title of best game 2009 for a reason. Campaign mode is near, if not, perfect, and multiplayer rounds out the deal. If you are looking for a great 3rd person game which has an amazing campaign and a great multiplayer mode, this is for you.