I am not what many would consider a “gamer” so the casual nature of the Wii system is a unique fit and fun alternative to many other consoles.  I have owned a few consoles in the past (NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, Playstation, Playstation 2, GameCube, Nintendo DS, PSP) and find the Wii to be the first truly different experience with gaming.  Many of the games seem to be the standard Nintendo fare of Japanese, highly colored, cartoon styles.  Most are filled with the usual cast of characters from Nintendo games of old.  One fun feature is the integration of Mii characters (customizable avatars).  I won’t go into detail as to how the system works as it’s been out for a while and you’re likely already very familiar with it.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from game play as the only experience I’ve had was the commercials showing people overly animated in their movement.  I’ve found most controls do not require quite as flagrant an approach as advertised (a flick of the wrist works most of the time).  I can easily see how this would quickly bore many hardcore gamers quickly as it makes most of the games very simple and repetitive.  I enjoy simple games so the ability to be able to enjoy a quick bout of bowling or puzzle game is actually a plus in my book.  I rarely have time to get into a serious gaming session so the quick-play approach to many of the titles works best for me.  I found my 3 year old son has had a harder time getting used to the controls (compared to the GameCube) but that may have a lot to do with both the unique game play and the fact that he is short and often goes out of the view of the remote sensor.

One thing I was a little disappointed in was the vast amount of attachments and tools often needed to fully enjoy games.  The system itself is reasonable at $250 but you are then stuck needing to buy an extra remote, nun chucks, wheels, classic controllers, etc… to get the full experience.  This quickly adds up and can become just as expensive as other consoles, if not more so.  We were lucky enough to be given most of the accessories right away so we were not hit with this large bill out of the gate.

We only have a few games so far (Wii Play, Wii Sports, Mario Kart, and Mario Party) so I can’t comment on all that is offered for the Wii yet.  I was a little disappointed in Mario Party 8 as it looks dated and has lackluster game play compared to past Mario Party titles.  Mario Kart is an excellent game and I highly recommend picking it up.  The wheel steering is responsive and fun and the new levels are definitely an upgrade with new tricks systems and interesting layouts.

One of the great features to the Wii is the free online play with some titles.  It uses built in wifi so we were able to get it online and running within minutes.  Mario kart has excellent online game play and can be a blast with multiple players from all over the world.  There is also downloadable games available online from older consoles (NES, SNES, 64, Turbo Grafix, Sega) and Wii Ware titles built for the Wii motion controller.  We have played a couple virtual console games and find them just as fun as they were years ago.

My wife wants to some day get the Wii Fit to add to our system and I think it would be fun for the additional game options as well.  There are so many options out there for varying game play it’s hard to decide which way to purchase and what truly offers its worth.  Overall I have to say we love our new Wii and I look forward to years of play with our kids and family.  I’ll post reviews of games as we acquire them as well.

When I started shopping for a headset I was looking for three things:

1. Call clarity/noise reduction
2. Comfortable fit/styling
3. Easy and intuitive UI

The Jawbone is the industry leader when it comes to noise reduction and styling.  I leaned hard towards this headset because of the reputation but I started to realize the noise reduction was 90% of what the Jawbone had going for it.  I don’t work in construction or on Wall Street so noise reduction, while important, was not quite at DARPA approved needs.  The styling of the Jawbone is incredible as well but not important enough to sway me.

BlueAnt is known for a few high quality headsets (Z9, Z9i) and the V1 is no exception.  The V1 is styled very similar to the Z9 but with a pinstripe exterior.  I have to admit that at first glance I was not terribly impressed with the look of the V1.  Sound quality is very close to the Jawbone and with it’s custom ear canal buds you are sure to get a clear sound.  The button locations are simple and easy to use.  The headset includes multiple ear buds, optional foam bugs, chargers for home and car, a manual and quick guide.  When it comes to features though the V1 leaves all others in the dust.  BlueAnt has created a powerful tool with the V1 by making it fully voice controlled.  You can speak multiple built in commands to the headset to do everything from make calls to check battery levels.  Even upon first use I found a manual was not needed as speaking, “Teach me” activates an easy tutorial on using your headset.  You can always get a refresher on available commands by saying, “What can I say?”.  The built in commands, which include “Check battery”, “redial”, “call (home, office, speed dial, numbers)”, “call back”, “accept”, “ignore” and much more, are easy to use and easy to understand.  The true power of the V1 was found by speaking, “Phone commands”.  By speaking this command I can easily access my BlackBerry’s built in voice commands as well!  I can access my entire address book this way making the device truly hands free.  I don’t know if this option will work with all devices.

If you’re looking for a Bluetooth headset that offers a lot more than much of the competition I highly recommend checking out the BlueAnt V1.  It’s the “flying car” of headsets.

The contenders for this matchup were Viigo (beta), NewsGator Go and FreeRange.  I didn’t include a couple others because they hadn’t been updated in a while.  Google Reader is great as well but I prefer a “desktop” app over web based ones.  FreeRange actually makes the NewsGator Go app as well but has some minor differences.

Viigo (beta)

Viigo was hands down the best designed UI of any of the three readers.  They have paid special attention to making their product looked polished and recent.  Viigo goes well beyond just RSS as it also has the ability to tap into quite a few other services travel info, market news, local classifieds and much more.  I found these extras simply slowed down the experience for me as I was looking for a simple RSS reader and not all the extras.  I was also disappointed to find that the market services were geared towards market news and not direct stock quotes.  I couldn’t get Viigo to recognize FeedBurner feeds which was a major problem for me. If your looking for a smooth UI and a lot of extras, Viigo is likely where you want to go as they have done a great job making their app all-inclusive.

NewsGator Go

I use FeedDemon on my Vista machine on a daily basis.  It is the best reader I have ever used and I think it will always be one of my top choices in applications.  I had high hopes for NewsGator Go right away since I was so used to their other apps.  Sadly I had multiple problems with the app right out of the gate.  I found articles would download multiple times and when clicked I could only see a blank page.  A reader that doesn’t let you read the article is pointless.  I couldn’t find much help on the matter in their support forums either and quickly left it behind.  This could very likely be a problem with my device setup (8130 4.5.0.89 OS) and I recommend trying it on yours before passing them by.

FreeRange

FreeRange makes the NewsGator Go app so I had some reservations at first.  I was surprised to find out that it was very similar in look and function but worked perfectly on my device.  It is simple in UI and design but does quite a bit.  It has support for most feed types (including FeedBurner) and also supports some of the extras you find in Viigo (weather, market updates, news).  One edge FreeRange had over Viigo was speed.  I was happy to find I could search for feeds right from the app and it did so very quickly.  It updated my feeds correctly and loaded them even faster.  A great surprise was finding that you can specify stocks and have it give an updated quote feed.  While it doesn’t have all the options of Viigo, it does the basics quickly and with stability.

Conclusion:

Each reader can offer something slightly different to the user (well, if NewsGator Go works that is).  I personally wanted a simple reader without all the bells and whistles.  I found FreeRange to be the best choice for me as it was the fastest by far and supported a wide variety of feed types.  The UI is simplified and makes reading easy and fast.  I recommend trying each one out and seeing which is the best fit for you.  I’m sure there will be bigger and better things on the horizon (especially now that RIM has introduced push API).

For those not familiar with Brightkite (and Loopt), they provide location aware community services that let you interact with others, offer your current location and search for others within your area.  This service seems to be geared towards larger urban areas as I have yet to find more than 1 person in the entire Salem, OR area actually using the service.  The lack of participating members in my area may also be due to the fact that it is an invite only service so far and not known to many.

I for one am intrigued by these new location aware apps as a means to better connect with others in your area.  Brightkite allows members to set their privacy levels so you can choose who can see your information.  Integration with other services like Twitter make it a great choice as well to keep those around you up to date.  I plan on continuing to use Brightkite in hopes that others will start to pick up on it.  Salem is lacking a cohesive community (especially downtown) and sites like Brightkite could be a great tool in fixing that.

If you would like an invite (I have 3 I can give out) please leave a comment!  You can find me at http://brightkite.com/people/coffeedaze.  Please feel free to add me as a friend on there.  If you like in Salem, OR all the better!

BlackBerry Underground (bbunderground) is a web community where users can interact, share pictures, participate in contests, personalize their space and much much more.  Started by Andrew (@bbunderground on Twitter), it is quickly becoming the premier BB community site!

I highly recommend heading on over and checking out this fantastic community site.  Even if your not a BlackBerry user it is a great way to see just what makes those people so fanatic about their phones.

I wanted to share the top programs I have added to my phone and use the most often.  There are so many programs provided by RIM already that I didn’t need to look for many alternatives.

• BeeJiveIM ($20-$30) - Multi IM client that supports AIM, ICQ, Yahoo, MS Live, and GTalk.  Best looking IM client for BlackBerry by far, though it doesn’t tie into the contacts system as completely as the default IM clients provided by RIM.  There’s a price to pay for having them all together like this.
• Opera Mini (Free) - Much nicer web browser than the default one on BlackBerries.  The only thing you can’t do with it is OTA (Over The Air) installs of software.  I have also discovered there doesn’t seem to be any way to set it as the default browser on the phone.
• Google Mobile App (Free) - Use all of Google’s applications from one place.  It supports Docs, Notes, Maps, News, Reader, Gmail, Calendar, Picassa, and Sync.  This one just came out a few days ago.
• TwitterBerry (Free) - Update your Twitter page right from your BlackBerry.  You can also see friends feeds and get updates. with user icon support.
• NFL Mobile Live (Free) - Sprint only NFL app (it works on Verizon though) that lets you watch games, get recent scores, listen to live games, and much much more.  A must have for American football fans.
• AutoLock (Free) - A simple program that adds the option to have your phone lock automatically.  You can enable or disable it and choose how long after the backlight goes out to lock it.
• Viigo (Free) – RSS, News, Weather, Entertainment, and more all on tap in a great application.

There are quite a few other programs out there I have yet to discover or try.  If you have some favorites I haven’t listed please feel free to leave a comment and tell me about them.

The first few moments you use a Blackberry the menus and navigation are absurd and confusing since they are so different from any other mobile OS.  It took me a few hours of messing around before I became comfortable with the device.  It was about this time that I discovered why they have gained the nickname, “Crackberry”…

PUSH, PUSH, PUSH!

Of the absolute beauty of push email, messages, updates, weather and more!  No more having to sync my phone or check my mail every few moments as everything is delivered to me with style and notification.  No having to set up Microsoft Exchange services anymore for me.  The sound (I use the sonar ping) is music to my ears as my latest fix of information is offered up to me without effort.  There are plenty of other incredible PDA features to the phone as well but the push services are the icing for sure.  People like me should be given a stern warning of the powerful addictive qualities of the Blackberry before purchase.  It should be known beforehand that if you are an information junkie this device will truly be your downfall.  I think I have finally found the type of devices that work for me!

The Discovery Village is located at his Uncle’s old home in Salem, OR and includes 4 other homes tied together with a complex maze of wooden and steel playground equipment.  There are science exhibits that range from Dinosaurs to Invention and all in between.  Kellen was blown away at this magical place where he could touch and use everything in sight.  The admission is very reasonable ($5.50) and includes the entire complex.  I have been to hundreds of science related museums including the Franklin Institute, Smithsonian, and others.  The Gilbert House was hands down the most engaging and well thought out children’s museum I have even experienced.  The attention to detail and the vast variety of involvements for children make it a wonderful time.  If you ever find your self in Salem, you need to check it out!

It’s been a few weeks since I bought my LG Dare and I have discovered quite a few fun tricks with the phone.  There is a fan site LG-Dare.com that has been a great resource for lesser known tweaks and I highly recommend it to Dare users.  I wanted to share some of tricks I’ve learned.  Some may be applied to other phones as well but most are for Dare users.

1. Custom Web Browsing – Most PDA/Smartphone/Feature Phones come with an HTML browser that makes surfing the web fun and quick.  One of the biggest downfalls to these mobile browsers, besides lack of flash support, is the simple bookmarking systems they utilize.  Verizon has a start page for the Dare’s browser that is great of you like a lot of Verizon services and choices, but if you want something custom you are limited to the text based favorites system they have.  After looking at some other browsers I decided to build my own start page for my Dare.  (the start page link no longer goes to a custom start page.  sorry, but too many were using it on their phones and were killing my bandwidth.  You will now find a zip file with the parts needed to build your own start page) Using simple HTML I was able to build a web page that displays my daily favorites in an organized and visual manner.  After setting it as my default start page I have found my browsing to me more fun, faster and easier.  I also created a second choice using smaller icons.  I found the first version looked great but having to scroll every time became annoying.  The second version smaller icons so it displays on the Dare’s browser on one screen.  If your interested in having me build one of these start pages for you I can do them for a $20 donation to Design Offering.  Please email me or find me on AIM and I’ll try and get it for you as soon as possible.
2. Custom Start Screen – The Dare has both a main menu (located at the bottom of the screen) and a shortcut menu (located to the right of the screen).  The shortcut menu has some neat tricks.  You have the choice to either show a small tab to it or hide it altogether.  If hidden all you have to do is tap the main screen to bring up the shortcut menu.  You can also drag icons from your shortcut menu to the Dare’s main screen where they can be dragged around and placed anywhere.  This gives you a desktop experience unlike any other phone I have used.
3. Easy Wallpapers & Ringtones – While you can use BitPim to manage your pictures and ringtones you can also email them to your phone as well.  All you have to do is send your formatted wallpaper (240×400) or ringtone (MP3-30sec. or less) to YOUR-TEN-DIGIT-NUMBER@vzwpix.com and they will show up as a text message and give the option to save to your phone.  Images and tones can not be too large for this method to work but I have successfully emailed myself quite a few.
4. Voice Text Messages – If you click the small face icon while reading a text message a female voice will read it to you.  The cadence and enunciation is actually very nice and is a useful tool while on the road.
5. Browser Zoom – As with many mobile browsers, the Dare allows you to zoom web pages.  A little known feature is that the volume rocker will zoom in and out while browsing and the camera button will give you a full page zoom.

There are so many other great options to this phone that I could spend all day typing up lists.  If you have a neat trick you would like to share leave a comment!

My first impressions of the Dare are stronger than I actually expected.  This phone is small, sleek and built to shine.  Smaller than the iPhone and styled similar to the Prada phone, the Dare is a sleek little machine.  The black and chrome facing give it a professional look.  The screen is bright, clear and colorful.  The features are impressive and the quality is top notch.  There are a few minor flaws with the Dare though and I’d like to cover both sides with some pro and cons.

Pros:

• Slick design
• Host of features including 3.2MP camera, 120fps video camera, tactile vibration feedback, VZ Navigator, email, full HTML browser, SMS/MMS, music/video player, VCast video, and much more.
• Excellent reception and call quality
• Great sound quality (both ringtones and music)
• Loud ringer
• Light and proximity sensors
• Handwriting recognition is excellent
• expandable MicroSD slot (up to 8GB)
• flush 3.5mm headphone jack
• Stereo bluetooth support
• Fun drawing pad program
• GPS
• Great battery life

Cons:

• Kind of hard to read outdoors in bright light
• Fingerprint magnet
• HTML browser is nice but could be better
• BREW still sucks

Overall the Dare is a pretty amazing phone.  What it lacks in “iPhone-esque” features is more than makes up for with it’s own extras.  Witht he era of the touch phone upon us the LG Dare is a strong competitor and a winner for Verizon.  For only $199 it’s going to move fast too.