Game on! 6 Reasons To Love Xbox 360!

ATARI 2600

Quick!  What Year? *(find answer at the end of this post) 

That was then.

THIS IS NOW!

XBOX 360 KINECT (image via xbox)

Xbox 360!  It’s not just a gaming system.  It''s an entertainment “experience”.

6 Reasons To Love  XBOX 360

1. Xbox 360 has the most games, the most variety, and best graphics quality- period.

2. Kinect for Xbox 360 - with this motion sensor bar accessory you're not stuck holding a bulky controller while trying to play.  YOU ARE   the controller! The Kinect accessory also lets you control movies, tv and other functions with voice commands. 

3.  Family Fun - Nobody's left out of the fun.  With SO many game options there is fun for every level from little ones to seniors and everyone in between.  Plus with Kinect there is no complicated controller to navigate you can jump right in!

4. Xbox Live -  the online optional service for Xbox 360.  For a nominal monthly fee it transforms your system and television into a connected entertainment “experience”.  Xbox live allows you to play with your friends real time, online.  You can download demos for most Xbox 360 games so you can try before you buy <-- awesome.  Gotta have a game right now?  Use the game on demand option and download a digital version immediately!  HD movies, tv shows, music and so much more! 

5.  Parental Control –  use the Xbox 360 parental controls to control the console itself and access TO Xbox Live.  You can even control how long someone would be allowed to play!  *some features may require Xbox Live subscription.

6.  Online Safety -  Xbox Live’s Online Safety Settings control online privacy, communication and other activities between you, your friends and the Xbox LIVE community.   Monitor what children play, watch, browse and share.  *some features require Xbox Live subscription.

Games we're loving now!

Nike + Kinect Training

It's like having your own personal trainer! Nike Training Kinect tracks your movements.  If your form is off, it helps you correct your movement to get the most out of your workout.   A personalized program that evolves as you do.  It measures your progress and provides real time feedback.

 

 

Disneyland Adventures

No fast pass required!  Explore the park, meet characters, jump into attractions and collect  souvenirs and pins.

Kinect Sports -Season Two

Game On!  All new features and six new sports!  Golf, football, baseball, tennis, darts, skiing.  Like to kick butt and hate to work out?  This is for YOU!

 

Dance Central 3

Wanna party like it's 1999?  OMG I LUV the Dance Central games!  Over 40 new tracks, party mode for up to 8 players and quick in and out feature.  Use the Xbox SmartGlass App and turn your phone into a party!

*The Atari 2600 video game console was released in October 1977 - GAH!

Sources: microsoft marketplace,microsoft store, xbox, xbox live, wikipedia.

Disclosure:   I have been compensated for my participation.  Opinions are my own.

Verizon’s High Speed Internet : 12 Geek’d Out Cliffs Notes About Cyber Monday

1.  Can you believe “Cyber Monday” came out of the observation that millions of people were doing major online shopping the Monday after Thanksgiving because for many it was the only internet access they had?  Is it me or do you hear a dial up buzzing?

2.  Cyber Monday was conceived in 2005 by Shop.Org the National Retail Federation’s Digital Division.  

3.  It’s actually “Cyber 5”:  Thursday (Thanksgiving Day), Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday.  Saturday is now quickly becoming “Small Business Saturday”.

4.  Some reports show that more than 80% of Americans now have a computer in their homes, and of those, almost 92% have internet access.

5.  116 Million People own a smartphone

6.  89.9 Million American consumers accessed retail content on their mobile devices.

7.  55% of people use their mobile devices to access social networks and as we know you can get a deal any day of the week from Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, FourSquare…

8.  Only 48% of retailers have mobile optimized websites

9.  Retailers that have both mobile sites and mobile apps saw increased sales in excess of 117% over last year

10.  Purchases from mobile devices almost doubled from last year

11.  Twenty-five percent of all mobile traffic came from apps.

12.  iPad was the most popular device for purchases, accounting for 40.6 percent of total sales for those two days.

Retail sites were taking twice the normal load time but maybe that’s an access issue!  For popular items that you need to act fast on, this can make the difference between a great deal or missing out completely.  Since Verizon FiOS customers enjoy the fastest and most consistent Internet speeds available -- unlike cable company broadband that actually slows down when more of its customers are using it --. FiOS Internet users can take full and fast advantage of amazing deals any time. 

And, because FiOS Internet uses a Verizon-provided WiFi router, they have freedom-of-speed throughout your home. Connect your laptop, your tablet or your smartphone, wherever you wish, whenever you like.  Only FiOS Quantum Internet has the extra speed you need to stay fast

Sources: practicalecommerce.com, channeladvisor.com , forbes.com, Wikipedia.com

 Disclosure:   I have been compensated for my participation as a #SmartHome Ambassador .  Opinions are my own.

Remedial Tweeting (a good laugh from the archives 2008)

A) Description

This course involves a careful examination of all things Twitter.  Emphases are on development of basic awareness of completely foreign Twitter terms, resources and a ton of crap you never knew existed!  It is an exploratory, first course designed primarily for Tweeters that rode in on the short bus! It also meets the needs of anyone who needs a good laugh!

B. ORGANIZATION

This is a lecture course in which topics are presented in the order by which they confuse me. The course is a prerequisite for absolutely nothing because by the time we get there, everything will have been updated to a newer version!  Students generally have no idea what they’ve gotten themselves into!

C. COURSE OBJECTIVES

1.  To introduce students to Twitterage, the primary language used in Twitterville.

2.  To inundate students with Twitter protocol.  The do’s, don’ts but did it anyway.

3.  To orient students to the endless range of Twitter additives.

4.  To provide students with a warning of the addictive nature of Twitter.

Remedial Tweeting 101 will meet as soon as I get a full night’s sleep!

Online Safety & Your Cyber Senior

Your online, your kids are online and now your parents or even your grandparents are ready to join the digital world.

October is National Cyber Safety Month!  Is your cyber senior safe while surfing? (Say that five times fast!). 

You can help by teaching them how to use the web safely by protecting their personal information, learning about and recognizing potential scams and by keeping their computers protected and up to date.

1. Initiate a discussion and talk about how they’re using the web so that you know what to teach them in order to be safe.

2.  Make sure firewalls are strong, that anything connected to the web is protected, that security software is up to date, and automate system updates if possible.

3.  Explain the importance of strong passwords and make sure they have them written down and kept in a safe place.

4.  Explain email.  If they don’t know who it’s from, delete it.   When in doubt, throw it out.

5.  Make sure you keep them up to date on the latest scams, how to recognize them and where to find that information.

6.  They should never post their whereabouts, location or schedules.  NEVER disclose personal information.

7.  Discourage meeting up with new “online” friends.   This could put them in danger or in the hands of a predator.

8.  Explain to them to never feel pressured by banks or creditors to conduct their business online.

For more information, tips and advice on cyber safety check out StaySafeOnline.org 

 Disclosure:   I have been compensated for my participation as a #SmartHome Ambassador .  Opinions are my own.

The F-bomb

Tweet

The F-bomb.  The top plug in used in every form -a noun, a pronoun, a verb, an adjective, gradable, non gradable, imperative, subjunctive.  Since being on Twitter I think I've seen it in every grammatical equation possible.

If your stream is riddled with the F-bomb ( not to mention the other A, B , or C words ) - nobody will bother to look at your other stuff.  Albeit popular with some social media sects-  it's constant use is just plain annoying.  You quickly become an attention monger and more of a nuisance - no matter how many followers you have!

They call it the F-bomb for a reason!  So if you're going to use it -  for the love of all things impactful, use it efficiently!

Definition of bomb:  An explosive weapon detonated by impact, proximity to an object, a timing mechanism, or other means