Just leaked late Thursday night is the latest in an ongoing series of leaked OS updates for the BlackBerry Storm. I have downloaded each and will continue to do so. Each update brings improvements to the device, but also introduces new issues.
NOTE: The new leak has a version for the 9500 and 9530 Storm.
None of the OS’s (excepting 4.7.0.65 and 4.7.0.75) have been officially released by RIM or Verizon. That said, I do not recommend you load any of the leaked OS’ onto your Storm.
I haven’t used it yet, but here’s some early feedback from CrackBerry:
UPDATE: There are a couple things I have immediately heard that I need to let you in on.
* There is now a landscape QWERTY keyboard. This is huge news.
* People are talking about camera issues, and Capture It not working.
Very interesting editorial over at C-NET related to whether or not a console’s hardware lifecycle length really matters. Original Link.
Here are some excerpts:
“We look at our products having a 10-year life cycle, which we’ve proven with the PlayStation,” he said. “Therefore, the PlayStation 3 is going to be a console that’s going to be with you again for 10 years. We’re not going to ask the consumers to suddenly buy another PlayStation console in five years time, and basically have their investment go by the wayside.”
Perhaps 10 years really is important to Sony, but it begs the question of why the company and all its predecessors released new iterations of their respective consoles before that 10-year period was up. Doesn’t that fly in the face of its longevity claim? I don’t even remember the last time I bought a new PS2 title and yet, Sony believes it’s still providing value to me. It might to those 1.1 million who bought the console in December, but for someone like me who owns a PS3, the PS2 is but a memory.
And that’s exactly why I believe the 10-year life cycle matters more to hardware companies than consumers. For Sony and the rest, it matters because it gives them an opportunity to recoup their investments over the long-term.
I gotta say I have to agree with the author on this. (Disclaimer: I own a 360.)
I really could care less about how long a console will ‘last.’ I wouldn’t call myself a hardcore gamer, but I’m at least an avid one, so I’m usually pretty quick to jump onto the next generation when it’s released. I haven’t given my original Xbox a second thought since I went to the 360. Just like I forgot about the N64 after going to the Xbox, the SNES after going to the N64, and the NES after going to the SNES. At the end of the day, I’m going to want to play games that I like on the system that I enjoy the most, which for me tends to be the latest one out. Each jump has generally brought something that’s game changing…usually graphics, but the analog stick with the 64, Mario 3 with the SNES, and online play with the Xbox were all pretty huge for me. For the pattern to hold (which I think it will), each generation jump is going to need to bring something new. It’s harder and harder to see what that next jump is going to be, so it stands to reason that time between generations will grow, but that’s what we all thought after the N64 came out. I mean they weren’t ever going to make anything better than Mario 64 right?
Of course, I can’t put too much faith in someone creating something so earth shattering in short order anymore. I mean, I’m still waiting on my Back to the Future hover/skate board .
THIS WEEK IN ROCK BAND!! There is a whole slew of tracks for download this week on Rock Band. Quite a mix, and all at standard prices. No freebies or cheap tracks this week. Well, there is a 3-pack of Steve Miller Band that’ll save you a few points.
From HMXSean:
Default DLC Week of 1/20 Steve Miller, Belly, Rob Zombie, Godsmack, Mute Math, Ghost Hounds
Hey everybody,
Posting this from lovely Park City, Utah for the Sundance Film Festival (more on this later). Next week we have a bunch of bands and DLC coming out including the much loved Steve Miller Band, Rob Zombie, Belly, Godsmack, Mute Math, and Ghost Hounds. It is a DLC Bonanza! I don’t have the info for Wii quite yet so I will update with that once I can (and can find some wi-fi again).
Release Date: Tuesday, January 20, 2009 (Xbox LIVE Marketplace) and Thursday, January 22, 2009 (PlayStation®Store)
Tracks:
Steve Miller Band “Space Cowboy”
Steve Miller Band “Take the Money and Run”
Steve Miller Band “The Joker”
Godsmack “I Stand Alone”
Belly “Feed the Tree”
Ghost Hounds “Wind Me Up”
Mute Math “Typical”
Rob Zombie “War Zone”
(All tracks are original master recordings)
Price:
$1.99 (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) per track or $5.49 (440 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for the Steve Miller Band 3-pack
Locations:
Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360 and PlayStation®Network
** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change **
Let’s go WAY off-topic here. A couple things you may, or may not, know about me.
* Beastie Boys is one band in my top three of all time.
* I voted McCain and prior Bush, and am no fan of Obama’s politics.
Ok, now that load is off my chest. Wait, did I say “load off my chest?”
That said, call me bipartisan, because this article about the Beastie’s and the setlist they played last night, really makes me want them to come back to Boston soon for a show. I’ve seen them live four times, I think, and hope to see them again soon…before they (or I) get any older.
“Nobody in the media is talking about Abe Lincoln’s one frozen testicle,” Mike D noted from the lip of the 9:30 Club stage in
Washington, D.C. last night. “None of the pundits, none of that.” They’re always good for a nervous laugh, but on the eve of Obama’s historic inauguration, the Beastie Boys seemed to be asking another question altogether: Can vintage party anthems garnished with oodles of Dada stage banter influence real, 21st century political change?
Yup. After touring through various battleground states last year with Sheryl Crow and others, the legendary rap trio helped Rock the Vote register a record number of new voters in 2008. Last night’s concert celebrated that feat, with the Beasties delving deep into their songbook to a time when Adrock, MCA and Mike D were just three pimply teenagers chasing fame in Reagan’s America. “No! Sleep! ‘Til Brooklyn!” the crowd shouted along with the trio, fists pumping in time with the song’s timeless crunch.
DJ Mix Master Mike kept the rappers on their toes throughout, swapping out original Beastie beats with the club bangers of all shapes and sizes: “Root Down” would morph into “Apache” while “Shake Your Rump” cleverly transformed into Wreckx-N-Effect’s “Rump Shaker.” But sometimes you can’t trump the original. When the opening flute licks of “Sure Shot” came wafting out of the PA speakers, the crowd went berserk. One guy with Obama’s campaign logo shaved into the back of his coif appeared to find his inner Bobblehead.
Sheryl Crow’s opening set was hardly as raucous, but that didn’t diminish the singer’s almost beatific glow. “This is the thing I was looking forward to,” she said, beaming from the stage. “Besides tomorrow at 11:20.” (Insert first official roar of the night here). She doled out her hits “Change” and “If It Makes You Happy,” and wrapped up with a spirited cover of “Higher Ground.” Her version struck a closer resemblance to the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ take than the original Stevie Wonder scorcher, but felt no less optimistic.
The Beasties’ closer offered even greater closure. “This is the last time we’re gonna have to dedicate this song to George W. Bush,” Adrock announced moments before the fuzzy chords of “Sabotage” sent a jolt across the room. Beers were spilled. Hands were thrown toward the ceiling. The Beastie Boys were a party band again.
Beastie Boys Set List:
“Root Down”
“Shake Your Rump”
“Sure Shot”
“Triple Trouble”
“Pass the Mic”
“Flute Loop”
“Super Disco Breakin’ ”
“Do It”
“Right Right Now Now”
“No Sleep ‘Til Brooklyn”
“High Plains Drifter”
“Ch-Check It Out”
“Body Movin’ ”
“Three MCs and One DJ”
“So What’cha Want”
Encore:
“Intergalatic”
“Gratitude”
“Sabotage”
THIS WEEK IN ROCK BAND!! There is a whole slew of tracks for download this week on Rock Band. Quite a mix, and all at standard prices. No freebies or cheap tracks this week. Well, there is a 3-pack of Steve Miller Band that’ll save you a few points.
From HMXSean:
Default DLC Week of 1/20 Steve Miller, Belly, Rob Zombie, Godsmack, Mute Math, Ghost Hounds
Hey everybody,
Posting this from lovely Park City, Utah for the Sundance Film Festival (more on this later). Next week we have a bunch of bands and DLC coming out including the much loved Steve Miller Band, Rob Zombie, Belly, Godsmack, Mute Math, and Ghost Hounds. It is a DLC Bonanza! I don’t have the info for Wii quite yet so I will update with that once I can (and can find some wi-fi again).
Release Date: Tuesday, January 20, 2009 (Xbox LIVE Marketplace) and Thursday, January 22, 2009 (PlayStation®Store)
Tracks:
Steve Miller Band “Space Cowboy”
Steve Miller Band “Take the Money and Run”
Steve Miller Band “The Joker”
Godsmack “I Stand Alone”
Belly “Feed the Tree”
Ghost Hounds “Wind Me Up”
Mute Math “Typical”
Rob Zombie “War Zone”
(All tracks are original master recordings)
Price:
$1.99 (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) per track or $5.49 (440 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for the Steve Miller Band 3-pack
Locations:
Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360 and PlayStation®Network
** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change **
I just finished putting together a Slacker radio station that contains 77 of the 84 artists from the Rock Band 2 game disc. The station is customized to play the songs from the game, and a few extras that I have not weeded out yet.
Like my previous Rock Band station, it’s free! It’s available in your web browser at www.slacker.com. It’s also available on iPhone and BlackBerry with the Slacker Mobile application.
Check it out, let me know what you think. Rock Band DLC station coming soon.
We learned in November that Circuit City filed for bankruptcy, which is never a good thing for tech consumers…not to mention the 30,000+ employees. Well, it’s been posted that Circuit City will close it’s remaining 550+ stores by March. A liquidation sale starts this Saturday.
This is totally crappy news. I worked for Circuit City for several years. Customer service, sales, and management…I did a bit of it all. I know some of our readers are former “City Employees” too.
Looks like Best Buy stands up at least in my area, as the sole survivor. Circuit City and Tweeter both croak within a few months of each other. That’s not so good.
On a somewhat positive note, if the liquidation sale starts this week, we can all run out and get some cheap deals at our local Circuit City stores. I’ll be looking for MS Points of course. Maybe a cheap big screen LCD too.
Station Info: The Complete Collection of the songs from the Guitar Hero videogames already ‘hearted’ via slacker to create a fans ultimate station to rock out to. The songs hearted include 47 songs from Guitar Hero 1. 98 total songs from Guitar Hero 2 (the 48 base songs, 26 bonus songs, and 24 downloadable songs for the Xbox360). There are 141 total songs from Guitar Hero 3 (48 base songs, 25 bonus songs, and 68 downloadable songs). And lastly, Guitar Hero World Tour with a total of 159 songs. (86 base songs and 73 downloadable)
Station Statistics: —————————–
47 base songs of “Guitar Hero I” Guitar Hero is a music video game for the Sony PlayStation 2 developed by Harmonix Music Systems and released in 2005
—————————–
48 base songs of “Guitar Hero 2”
26 bonus songs
24 Downloadable for Xbox360 Guitar Hero II is a music video game developed by Harmonix and distributed by RedOctane, and is a sequel to Guitar Hero. The game was released first to PlayStation 2 in 2006, but later released for the Xbox 360 in 2007.
—————————–
48 base songs of “Guitar Hero 3”
25 bonus songs
68 Downloadable songs Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock is the third release in the Guitar Hero series of music video games, the game is the first in the series to be developed by Neversoft, and was distributed by RedOctane and Activision.
—————————–
86 base songs of “Guitar Hero world tour”
73 downloadable The game was developed by Neversoft, with assistance from Vicarious Visions and Budcat Creations for the Wii and PlayStation 2 versions, respectively, and distributed by RedOctane and Activision.
Link —————————– Direct to Station:[HERE] To the Post in “Share Your Stations”:[HERE] —————————–
Repost from http://slackerg2.blogspot.com. Cool thing, it’s about me:
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Slacker user EightTrak has made a remarkable station, probably one of the most tailored ones I have heard yet. He has been able to piece together 52 of the 54 Rock Band artists. And what you get is a station that has a lot of the soundtrack to the game itself but also more songs from the same artists.
Every fan of the game or of awesome music shoudl check this station out.
Very interesting editorial over at C-NET related to whether or not a console’s hardware lifecycle length really matters. 
THIS WEEK IN ROCK BAND!! There is a whole slew of tracks for download this week on Rock Band. Quite a mix, and all at standard prices. No freebies or cheap tracks this week. Well, there is a 3-pack of Steve Miller Band that’ll save you a few points.
Photograph courtesy of Peter Hutchins
Gomments