Nintendo unveils new DS model: The DSi

From an article found here: http://adjix.com/j63q

In a world where every electronic device purchase would be potentially obsolete in a few months, Nintendo just made the Nintendo DS you bought for your kids last Christmas obsolete. Boasting new features and trade-offs, the DSi would be available for US consumers on April 5. New features such as larger screens, two built-in cameras, upgraded hardware and memory, and SD memory card support. Also in the mix, the expanded wireless support and features. Users can now connect wirelessly with a free web browser, go online, and purchase item through the Nintendo online store similar to the Wii Shop feature on the Nintendo Wii.

Now the trade-offs. The new Nintendo DSi would no longer support Nintendo’s Game Boy Advance game library. Developers would take time to take advantage of the camera feature. In addition, the steeper price tag of $170 (The current models run up to $129) would make consumers hesitate a bit given the current economic environment.

So how will this affect the gaming world? In my opinion, not much… at least for a while until developers take full advantage of the new camera features. While the added camera feature would be fun, paying $170 for a cell-phone quality camera does not seem like a great use of hard-earned cash. The gaming community only had a few titles that used a built-in camera in the game play. Titles like Eye-Toy and In the Movies never really took off and made profits for developers. Let us not forget the competition. While the PSP never really put up a real fight, the iPod Touch/ iPhone can give the DSi a run for its money.

Although I expect the DSi to sell very well, I am not inclined to buy the new model for two reasons: the Trade-offs mentioned above and I already have a Nintendo DS Lite. I am sure that I am wrong about developers not utilizing the camera function. I was wrong about the touch screen feature and thought that developers would not buy it. I was a PSP proponent back then. Nintendo had managed to pull off a success with the touch screen and wii-mote feature of their products and I would not be surprised if I eat my words in a few months. However, in today’s economic uncertainty, I am sure kids would have a hard time convincing their parents to take the plunge especially if a) they already have a DS b) the price point of $170 + tax would scare off lay-off worried parents. That I bet would determine whether the DSi would make a huge impact in the gaming industry.

Pros

• Larger screen size and thinner design

• Two built-in cameras

• Expanded Wireless features

• Upgraded hardware and SD card support

• Cheaper than the PSP and iTouch/ iPhone

• More gaming titles than PSP

Cons

• $170 price tag (An Xbox 360 now sells for $199)

• $30 average for game titles while cheaper than PSP (around $40), it is more expensive than iPhone/ iTouch apps that are mostly below $10

• Would not play old Game Boy Advance games (Why not Nintendo?)

• Not an iPhone/ iTouch killer.

• Untested camera features in gaming titles

Filed under: Opinion, 2 cents, 2009, apps, April 5, article, camera, Canon Powershot camera, Christmas, Con, device, DS, DSi, economy, electronic, eye-toy, family, Game boy Advance SP, games, iPhone, iTouch, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi, obsolete, photo, pictures, pink slip. recession, Pro, PSP, SD Memory card, titles, wireless

Friday..now what? Stimulate much?

It’s Friday again.

How nice it is to have two free days to regroup from a gruelling week. This has been a tough week for everyone. Seeing job numbers go the way of the Dodo and unemployemnt rates rise like a subprime mortgage rate, it makes me wonder what would happen in the next few days if no action was done.

Now I have not live through the Great Depression so I have no first hand experience on how to act or think. With politicians bickering on whether to cut taxes and spending or spend more and tax more or something in between.

If you ask me, the basics still matter. If government and corporate would act like what every person should be acting, things ‘might’ get a little better.

First, cutting taxes on payroll and capital gains would not matter if taxpayers do not have jobs or businesses to generate taxable income. Cutting spending on aid programs would eliminate not only recipients but millions of government jobs who by the way, pay taxes. So the recipients would receive no aid (cash, health care and etc) can lead to decreased or no spending on their part since Cash aid and health are no longer available and the employees who work in cut programs would also cut or eliminate spending due to a loss of income. So how would cutting programs and spending aid the economy in this way? I am sorry but the Reganomics of yesteryear would not work.

Spending ourselves to the hilt would lead to more debt and more debt would eat through tax revenues in the future. Not really a wise course of action in the long term.

So what are we to do? In plain simple terms, we need to get back to basics. If an ordinary american can represt as governent and wallstreet, here’s what the American should do:

1. Spend on income generating items (such gas to take you to work, job fairs or in the case of government, infrastructure program that create jobs.
2. Have a spending cap or budget. If USA only makes $5 trillion in taxes then spend only $5 trillion or less.
3. Eliminate the spend it or lose it culture. Encourage States and local agencies to be efficient, effective and fiscally responsible by allowing these entities to “bank” surpluses (for a rainy day.. like a recession)
4. Transparency, Transparency, Transparency. We have to be honest with everyone and especially to ourselves. If we cannot afford it, we do not spend it or find a way to afford it.

That’s just my opinion. I do not have the fancy MBAs that the Wall Street rats have but at least it works in the realm of common sense.

Filed under: Opinion, 2009, Barack Obama, black Friday, budget, common sense, deficits, economy, Friday, government, Great Depression, local, MBA, programs, recession, spending, Stimulus, surplus, transparency

Friday Relief

Tis Friday at last

A week’s worth of working late

Ends with me in bed

 

TGIF.

 

The letters above stand for Thank God It’s Friday.  It is more than just a restaurant chain’s logo and caption. It’s a prayer of millions of office drones, blue collar ants and scholarly creatures the world over.  It is a sigh of relief for people who managed to survive another week of dodge office politics, the occasional backstabbing, the bruising of already weak egos and mindless routine tasks that would rival a nearby bee hive.

 

Although one couldn’t complain much because of the global economic crisis adding the official coming out of the economy from the recession closet.  So, with looming lay offs and bankruptcy filings, the regular Joe Six-Pack who still earns a living should be thankful.  However, are the still employed any better off than the depressed unemployed?

 

Unlike the depressing reality of the unemployed facing starvation, eviction and humiliation (wow, they rhyme..), the survivors face far bleaker future in their current position.  Some survivors experience Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from the stress of waiting for the dreaded “pink” slip (are they still Pink?) and the pain of watching fellow co-workers pack up their personal belongings.  After PTSD, the drones switch to Paranoia.  They fear that one false step would be the death of their professional career.  Although some of their fears are exaggerated, the current trend the past couple of decades have given these worker bees enough basis and precedence for their fears. 

 

Given these possibilities, one could imagine the state of mind of the person who coined TGIF (who did?).  Did the person experience a jobless? Did he/she survive downsizing? Was he/she forced to closed down his/her business?  God only knows.

 

So the next time you stop by the local TGIF on Friday night (Which should be their Happy hour/night right?), be thankful that you a job/biz that stresses you out to say: TGIF.

Filed under: Haiku, Opinion, Bee, blue collar, closet, Disorder, Drone, economy, Friday, God, Joe Six-Pack, pink slip. recession, Post, PTSD, Stress, TGIF, Traumatic, unemployed