Brandon Dimmel

Sony's PlayStation Portable (PSP) has fared worse against Nintendo than its PlayStation 3. And, that's saying a lot. In release for a few years now, the PSP's once-glowing potential has been lost amidst the sticky goo of good intentions from Sony's ... executive branch. Although the stylish black handheld boasts a far more attractive appearance and superior graphics, the PSP has been thoroughly trounced by Nintendo's handy DS. What's so "handy" about the DS? Well, it is extremely portable. The most recent edition of the DS, the DS Lite, is un-surprisingly lightweight and durable for a handheld ... (view more)

Let's face it, up until this point the Apple iPod has been the golden boy of modern electronics. By comparison, everything else in the tech realm seems to fall apart: Xbox 360s overheat, laptop batteries catch fire, and everyone hates Windows Vista. ... Well, Apple's no longer safe, and neither are the iPod's users. At least, that's the case if they decide to listen to their tunes during a lightning storm. The warning comes from north of the border, where a Vancouver, British Columbia doctor has launched a crusade to keep MP3 fans safe from Mother Nature. Dr. Eric Heffernan has found that digital ... (view more)

In Computer Science -- more specifically, in the creation of software programs -- there are efficient ways of achieving a result, and there are not-so-efficient ways of doing the same thing. In fact, many refer to Microsoft Windows as bloatware: ... software that "is so overloaded with functionality that its performance suffers." (Source: techweb.com ) Unfortunately, Microsoft isn't the only one to blame. In the race for profit, many software developers are guilty of adding useless and abundant features to their programs for nothing more than a marketing tactic. (Source: wikipedia.org ... (view more)

July heat can do some serious damage to production. With temperatures soaring across North America and Europe, employers are often forced to limit the physical activity of their outside employees. With that said, here's one sun casualty you might ... not expect: your cell phone. In a recent report compiled by Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, researchers found that many dropped calls are not the result of elevators or even subway tunnels, but instead flares emitted from Mr Sun himself. (Source: allheadlinenews.com ) How is that possible? Granted, the sun is a long way away from both us and ... (view more)

In a recent piece on Microsoft's Windows Vista, our Bill Lindner warned users that "Big Brother" might just be watching you. If you're a resident of New York City, that threat just moved from your computer to the busy, dingy streets outside. What ... this essentially means is that the city itself will be installing both license plate readers and cameras across the crowded areas of Lower Manhattan. The project is called the "Lower Manhattan Security Initiative", a bit tamer than London, England's similar "ring of steel". London put such technology to use in order to curtail terrorist threats, ... (view more)

There's been much hoopla over the Apple iPhone. To some, that's a surprise. The device itself costs a whopping $599, excruciatingly expensive compared to the average cell phone, which is free with a two or three year plan. Of course, the iPhone ... boasts far greater features, including video, a massive touch screen, and wireless support (WiFi). But, that price! Some have compared the iPhone release with that of Sony's PlayStation 3 video game console. They both retail for the same price, they both offer more technical features than their competition, and they're both really, very cool. However, ... (view more)

Update: Now that Sony has indeed dropped the price of the PlayStation 3, does it indicate that Sega knew the following all along? How ironic: A company whose own massive marketing mistakes flushed its hardware down the toilet is now offering Sony ... advice on how to get the PlayStation back on top. It figures. When you're dominating the market, no one says a word. But, once the going gets tough, everyone's a critic. Enter Sega, once a dreadnought of hardware power. Sega began its rise with the Master System, a poor man's Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). The company then struck gold with the ... (view more)

While video games regularly face a heat wave of criticism from politicians, "crusading" lawyers, and other members of the mainstream media, the industry is currently facing a particularly brutal firestorm. Not long after Florida lawyer Jack Thompson ... tried his hardest to connect the Virginia Tech massacre with PC sensation Counterstrike, Rockstar's Manhunt 2 has raised concerns to new heights. It's prompted a re-evaluation of video game ratings, in both the United States and United Kingdom (where the game has been outright banned). (Source: bloomberg.com ) Now, American physicians ... (view more)

In a highly-speculated albeit still surprising move, Sony has agreed to cut the price of its PlayStation 3 video game console by $100. Although a price slash had been speculated for months, the cut itself is both a tad shocking and very significant. ... The $100 represents 17% of the PS3's current retail cost, which has been set at $599 USD since its launch in November of last year. (Source: gamespot.com ) Sony expects the cuts will completely turn the tide on the console war, which has been anything but successful for the company's latest device. Outsold three to one in Japan by the Nintendo Wii ... (view more)

Owners of the HD-DVD format must feel as though they boarded the wrong boat. While many HD-DVD buyers, yours truly included, feel as if Blu-ray is blazing across the high seas and plundering each and every movie studio along the way, owners of ... Toshiba devices and the Xbox 360 add-on are left wondering just what kind of craft their floating upon. Lately, it feels like the Titanic. Blockbuster's recent decision to stock its shelves with Blu-ray movies exclusively certainly felt as if HD-DVD had slammed into a massive Atlantic iceberg. However, there's still evidence that the HD-DVD format has ... (view more)