In case you didn’t already know from a previous post of mine, free is my favorite four letter word. Taco is also one of those four letter words I like. Thanks to Chase Utley of the Philadelphia Phillies, who stole a base in last night’s World Series game, everyone in America can grab a free Taco Bell taco on Tuesday October 28th.
Check the details and the fine print here.
Tags: Free Posted in
I recently pre-ordered Call of Duty: World at War at GameStop and was granted access to partake in the multiplayer beta testing on the Xbox 360. I had been debating for weeks whether I’d get this game because a) COD 4 is an amazing game and I wasn’t sure that they could follow it up with an equal or better game, especially with a dev swap and b) I love the modern weapons in COD 4! I haven’t been real thrilled about taking a 60+ year step back in time and technology. That said, the beta has given me just enough of a taste to really whet my appetite for more of this game and has eased many of those fears. More »
Tags: Video Games, Xbox 360 Posted in
I was fortunate enough to get my hands on the new iPod Nano a few days ago. Here is the Simple Critics exclusive first impressions;
Overall, a solid upgrade to the iPod Nano!
Bonus shot after the jump!
Flycough
I don’t remember how I stumbled on this movie, but I watched it on Netflix this week and was pleasantly surprised to find an independent film that I enjoyed so much. The characters were easy to care about, the plot was great, and it was really funny. The basic plot of the movie is a guy working as a manager of a call center that has just been outsourced. He gets to keep his job but he has to train the guy that is replacing him in India. Culture shock, personal introspection and a little romance ensue as he arrives in India creating a good comedy that more people should know about.
I highly recommend checking it out.
For all the Apple fanboyism on this site, I, Snowman, must represent the voice of reason here. Microsoft has served us fairly well over the years with quality software. Their Office suite of programs is considered the industry standard, despite competition from OpenOffice, Google Docs, and Apple’s iWork suite (I have to admit that the graphs and charts out of Numbers are pretty spectacular). What few people know is that Microsoft provides free training, demos and webcasts to help you out with all of your Office needs.
Tags: Free, Microsoft, PC, Review, Software, Windows Posted in
As you guys know from my previous post, I love SNL. I tuned in last Saturday to catch a performance by The Killers (apparently a lot of people watched SNL last week for other reasons). I’ve been following them since their first album Hot Fuss. That album had the perfect combination of rock, lyrics, and electronics. (Their follow up album Sam’s Town was OK, but not great.)
The Killers played two songs from their upcoming album Day and Age. The first song - Human - blew me away. The Killers returned to the classic sound from Hot Fuss. It was so good that I immediately listened to the samples on Amazon and iTunes. Don’t bother; those samples don’t do the song justice. So, I decided to check out their website for details and I was greeted by the pleasant sound of Human. The website automatically loads and plays the whole song in the background. After listening to the studio version several times, I am even more excited for the new album.
Don’t take my word for it*, listen for yourself at The Killers Official Website.
Simple Critics Bottom Line: Human is a must-have song. I haven’t bought it yet, though. I want to buy the album on Amazon MP3 Store, so I’ll wait to buy the entire album at the same time.
* But keep coming back to this website to take our word on other reviews.
I’ve mentioned before that I take tons of photos. Well, my wife loves to make scrapbooks and cards. That means we print a lot of photos. Over the years, we’ve tried many different methods for printing our photos. Here are our Top 5 Places to Print Digital Photos:
5 - Photo printer. Good quality (if you have a nice printer), but the ink and paper costs start to add up quickly. And if you’re like me, the printer always seems to run out of ink when you need it most. I use a photo printer if I’m only printing a few photos. For more than 10 photos, I use a printing service…
4 - Sam’s Club / Walmart. This is great cheap alternative. It’s also very convenient. You can upload your photos online or at the store. The downside is print quality. It’s not the best. I only print from Sam’s Club if quality isn’t important.
3 - Walgreens. For some reason I trust Walgreens with photos. I’ve used Walgreens since the pre-digital camera era. Their pricing and print quality are very competitive. Walgreens is a solid choice for photo printing.
2 - Online Photo Stores (Snapfish, Shutterfly). Great quality. I have never been disappointed with prints from Snapfish or Shuttefly. On the surface, their per print pricing looks very competive….but you have to pay for shipping. That’s what makes online stores more expensive. I use Snapfish or Shutterfly for important photos like Christmas Cards.
1 - Costco. My favorite. It has all the convenience features you find at Sam’s Club (online upload, low cost prints, etc.) and the photo quality is very good. I’ve used their prints for framed 8 x 10s.
Let’s Hear From You. I’m always looking for a good deal and good quality. Where do you print photos?
Check out our related posts: Tips for Taking Good Photos and Managing Photos in iPhoto.
Tags: Lists, Photography, Simple Critics Top 5 Posted in
Remember back in the old days when you used to carry a few, often outdated, wallet sized pictures in your wallet? How old school does that seem now? Well son, this is the 21st Century and there is this little known device called the iPhone that has made wallet pictures pretty much obsolete now. But what is the best way to organize and manage what pictures get synced to your phone? Hit the jump to see how I handle this situation.
Tags: iPhone, Photography, Tips Posted in
We here at SimpleCritics love video games (some of us more than others, Bobblehead, your gamerscore is pathetic). Here are the Top 5 video game sites that we read/ view consistently:
1 - Gametrailers.com: Great site to watch reviews, previews, trailers, in-game footage, etc. One feature I love here is the ability to customize your RSS feed to only be notified when a trailer that will interest you shows up (ie show only Xbox 360 videos, etc.)
2 - Major Nelson: While I’ve fallen out of love with his weekly podcast, his site is still one of the best for breaking news and information about the Xbox, Xbox Live, and Xbox Live Marketplace, even if he is a company man through and through.
3 - Kotaku: One of the pioneers in video game journalism, with an edge. A great source of insider information with mounds of sarcasm and humor.
4 - Gamerankings.com: A great resource for game reviews from multiple outlets giving an overall average.
5 - Achieve360Points.com: For the gamer that loves the blessed sound of an achievement being unlocked. Achievement lists, tips, achievement guides, and forums to help you unlock the hardest of achievements. (PS- I love that achievement unlocked sound so much that it’s the sound my phone makes when I get a voicemail or text message, get the audio file here from Major Nelson). A similar alternative: Xbox360Achievements.org.
Honorable mentions: IGN and Gamespy.
Sound off on your favorite sites in the comments. Who did I miss? Which one do you like the most and why?
Tags: PS3, Simple Critics Top 5, Video Games, Wii, Xbox 360 Posted in
Ever since I found that sweet MP3 Daily deal a few weeks back, I have been checking back every morning to see what else they would be offering. There have been some hits and misses but today they are offering my favorite album of all time, The Cure’s masterpiece, Disintegration for the low price of only $3.99. Don’t forget about all the benefits of downloading from Amazon MP3 Store. I would be all over it if I didn’t already own a copy, but here is a good chance to pick it up on the cheap!
