Whiter Is Better!

I know what you're thinking, and no, this is not another racist tirade. I'll do one of those tomorrow.

We went on Friday to the Apple store and got our iPhones set up. I made an appointment online. We went in and they looked at us like we had feet for hands. They didn't know what form I filled out, but they were able to look it up. Once the kid started setting us up, that's when the fun really started.

We told him that we wanted a white 16Gig and a black 8Gig. Now, this would tell me that we each want a different iPhone. We're porting our numbers over, so therefore you might want to ask which number is going to which phone. Well, this is obviously not a question a Genius should ask, and we ended up with our numbers being on the wrong phones. Fail.

We also asked about the discount for Postal employees. Genius-boy said they can't do that there at the Apple store, and referred us to the AT&T store. Of course, he was able to take our money without a problem, which I'm sure is the most important part of the transaction. My satisfaction is secondary.

So, we ran by the AT&T store and they fixed us up quick. Got the SIM cards switched and the discount applied to our account without a hitch. We should have gone there in the first place, but I called at least 5 stores and couldn't find one with the 8Gig in stock. Of course, the AT&T store we ended up at had them in stock, but whatever!

One of the things I'm really excited about is getting back to scrobbling on Last.FM. It's so much better than the Zune Social. And it works! I feel bad for selling the Zune, but it's just not as good of a device. Even with the inclusion of Hexic.

We've been adding apps all weekend. The best ones so far are the Lightsaber, Cowbell, and Pour1Out apps. Totally worth buying a $300 iPhone!

Going Postal

Ok, so I worked at the Post Office again today. My regular Saturday thing. The difference today was that it's mail count. That means they have to count every piece of mail before they give it to you to case. And they have to time you when you do certain things, like load your truck. To top it off, I couldn't get there as early as I wanted because of this. It was nice to sleep in a little, but still!

I finally got on the street around 2 p.m., which is pretty shitty. There was only one other person behind me. She started at the same time, so it's ok. By way of comparison, my regular carrier usually leaves for the street at 10:30 or 11:00 a.m. Needless to say, I'm slow.

Once you're out on the street, you're at the mercy of the general public. No, it's not as fun as it sounds. My first bit of excitement happened and I almost missed it. I was cruising along making my deliveries, when a guy came walking up to my LLV. He handed me some mail, which I assumed was outgoing. Then he pops off with "I'm going to call your boss and tell him you still don't know how to deliver mail." I responded with, "Thanks. Appreciate it." Then I processed it and realized what the fucker said. Then I was mad.

A little background. This guy has called before when I was there. The thing is, it's my regular that keeps fucking up this guy's mail, not me. I'm there one day a week. But apparently this douche bag thinks I'm the regular, so he smarts off to me. It is true that I gave him mail that wasn't for the 2 names he gave, but still! There's no need to be a dick about it. That's why we all have trashcans, right?

The next fun part was when I had to dismount for a couple boxes because people can't park correctly. I reach for the box and it just falls off the post. So, I drop the mail in it, set it on the ground and walk away. It's really fucking amazing how bad these mailboxes are. There are doors held on with twist ties, no doors, and even a box that is perpetually on the ground. It's awesome!

Finally, I had a couple kids come toward me on their bikes, and after attending the Postal orientation, I know to be scared shitless of them. One wrong move and I got dead kid all over my windshield, and I don't know if the wipers will get that off. Anyway, as they get closer one asks if I have any rubber bands and the other asks if I have any candy. Now, obviously I had rubber bands. They were wrapped around my right hand. But candy?! Why in the fuck would I have candy?! I don't want you idiot kids running at my LLV so I can run you down and get fired. And where are your parents?!

Honestly I'm convinced that Mike Judge was right when he made Idiocracy. Society is getting stupider and stupider.

By the way, I have two tech things that are getting on my nerves, and one that's awesome! First, the awesome. I ordered a HDD enclosure from NewEgg.com the other day and got it on Thursday. I put my 75gb hard drive in it that has all my mp3's. I connected it and imported all my songs into the Zune library. My collection is now complete again! Woot!

Speaking of Zune, the site still won't update with the songs I've played on my Zune. I connect it and nothing! I'm considering calling support and asking what the fuck is up. Maybe tomorrow.

My Dash is also being a bitch lately. It's very strange, too. When I'm at the P.O. or on my route, it decides to randomly lock up on me. I have no idea why. I have to pop out the battery and turn it back on every time. It's really getting old. I think I might call T-Mobile tomorrow and check into my options for a new phone. I really don't want to give up the qwerty keyboard on my Dash, but it's pretty useless when the phone is locking up constantly. I would love to get a Wing, but those are too expensive right now. Maybe a Shadow. Stay tuned!

By the way, I'm too tired to add links. Sorry.

Music. Mayhem. Wolverine!

The Zune social has been pissing me off lately. It's a crap shoot every time I plug it in and update it as to whether it's going to update my information on the site. I want it to show what I listened to on my Zune, but apparently Microsoft feels differently. It's really irritating considering how instant Last.FM is. Dammit I miss that software.

Speaking of music, I downloaded some new stuff the other day. The new Hurt, Operator, Paramore, and Five Finger Death Punch. I've listened to the Hurt, Operator, and Paramore. All are really good. Thank you, BearShare!

Also, the first picture was released on Marvel.com from the new Wolverine solo movie. May 1st, 2009 I know where I'm gonna be!

It makes an awesome wallpaper, btw.

Zune Social and The Stupidest List Ever

I've been trying to figure out why my Zune card isn't showing all the music I've been listening to on my Zune, and I think I've found the answer.

"Songs will then appear in your recently played list if they meet the following criteria:

• The song was played on your Zune device or from your collection within the Zune software
• The song is from an album listed in the All Media Guide (AMG). Visit www.allmusic.com and ensure that the song is listed in AMG.

The following actions will not result in a song play being uploaded to your recently played list:

• The song was streamed directly from the Zune Marketplace without first being downloaded to your collection
• The song was a clip played either from the Zune Marketplace or Zune.net
• The song is from an album that is not listed in the All Media Guide

Playing most songs within your collection will result in a play being uploaded to your recently played list, but there will be some songs that do not. We have worked hard to extend coverage beyond what is currently available in the Zune Marketplace and are committed to expanding the coverage further in the future."

Apparently, it won't appear on your list unless the meta data matches an entry in the All Media Guide. I really have to question the wisdom in this decision. Last.fm doesn't have any kind of restriction like this, and it works great. I was really hoping for more from the Social.

Also, this means that the podcasts you listen to don't show up at all. Wouldn't you want the shows you listen to on your card so that others can subscribe? Makes sense to me, but then again my name isn't J Allard.

Speaking of Microsoft, they posted a list of the 406 reasons to love the Xbox 360. At first glance, you'll notice it's filled with games. Upon closer inspection, you'll see it has multiple entries, pointless tech specs, and omissions galore.

Granted, there are several community sites listed, including 360style.net (thanks to those of you who pointed that out), but sites like Podtacular and XBL Radio are conspicuously absent. Meanwhile, the list is filled with launch titles and Tom Clancy games.

Honestly, some of the items on the list make sense. They are legitimate reasons to love the console. But, since when is Sonic The Hedgehog a reason to love the 360? Or Fusion Frenzy 2? And is anybody really giving thanks for Cars here at the 2 year anniversary?

I don't know who came up with this list, but it's really obvious that they put absolutely zero effort into it. Also, putting it in alphabetical order is just lazy. Put it in order of importance and then we'll talk. At least that will show somebody other than an intern looked at it before it was posted.

By the way, the Burnout Paradise boxart was released today and it's gorgeous!

GeminiAce.com!

Tonight I finally pulled the trigger on getting my own domain name. I've been thinking about it forever, but never got around to it. I love google and their $10 domain name service! Now if I just knew how to make graphics and stuff, I would really be cooking. I hate using the blogger template.

I'm currently playing Viva Pinata Party Animals. Got it from Gamefly and it's pretty fun. The achievements fall from the sky like candy in this game. The music is annoying as hell, but once you plug in your Zune and turn on some Sick Puppies, it's all good.

Speaking of my Zune, I really don't know what's going on with the Zune cards. I've listened to a shit load of music on my Zune, but when I plug it in and sync, it doesn't show on my card. I even played some Blue October through the Zune player on my (temporary) desktop and it didn't even show up. But, the Incubus I listened to on the first say is still on my card. WTF?! I guess I'm just spoiled by XBox Live and the instant-ness of it all (except in Halo 3 with the screenshots).

By the way, if anybody wants to help me change the look of my blog and make it more personalized, I would really appreciate it.

Zune Card

The new Zune software released yesterday. I downloaded it and updated my firmware. I like the new Zune cards. I think this will replace last.fm for me. Unless they create a plug in so I can do both.

http://social.zune.net/member/Gemini+Ace

I'm still waiting to see if a mygamercard.net-type service is launched so I can put my Zune card anywhere. As it stands right now, I don't see a way to embed it anywhere. Hopefully soon.

ZunePhone

It's Working!

OMG, my Zune is actually working! I was late to work because I was installing the software and tossing some songs on it. I can't wait to put some Ask A Ninja on it and watch them.

Coming Zune

Ok, so I got my Zune on Saturday. I immediately plugged it in to let it charge and got this picture on the screen. I assumed the battery was charging and let it sit there for a couple hours. When I finally sat down to install the software, the Zune wasn't detected. I tried 3 usb ports on my pc and one on my work laptop to no avail. I left it plugged in overnight and still the same icon was on the screen.

I broke down and called Zune support and they had me plug it into a usb port in the back of my pc, stating that the ones on the front sometimes have a sleep mode. I did this and waited an hour (and killed the time fragging in the COD4 mp beta). Nothing changed, so I actually plugged it into my 360 to see if that would help. Nothing.

I called Zune support back and was told to unplug it and let the battery completely die. It's been about 8 hours since I did that and the screen still shows the battery icon. I'm hoping that it will finally die tomorrow. Otherwise, I will have to send it in and have it fixed or replaced. The timeframe on a replacement will probably be 3 weeks or more. Awesome!

Welcome to the Social

I bought a white Zune today from Woot.com. I'm now a part of the social, whatever that means. Hehe. I'm upgrading from my 4gig iPod Mini. It has served me well, but I couldn't pass up the deal.

Installing the Zune Marketplace took forever. It's not near as pretty as iTunes, and I didn't realize you couldn't buy videos. I'm going to try to stream music and pictures to my 360 later.