Want to save some Money on a LCD TV?

According to HDGuru the time to buy an LCD HD TV is coming very soon. Evidentally SONY wants to be number one and is cutting prices to get there. Here's an exerpt from the entry on HDGuru.

Sony’s latest 40” 1080p (1920×1080) HDTV the KDL-S4100 will have a (suggested minimum price) of just $1199 making a full $500 less than its lowest priced predecessor.
How about a 46” 1080p set? The new KDL-46S4100 will be priced at $1599 (representing a $400 drop). This is Sony’s “advertised price”. The big box retailers Circuit City and Best Buy have been dropping below this minimum advertised price (MAP) 10% or more, only a week or two after other 2008 HDTVs have debuted, so don’t be surprised to see these Sony prices cut quickly by the big box retailers.

10 worst HDTV ripoffs for 2008

Buyer beware! If you are considering the purchase of a new HD TV you need to be aware of the below items and if you want me to go look at the new TVs with you just call or email. Thanks to Gizmodo for reposting this list from HDGuru.

• Fake HD and Cable Satellite Channels: Did you know that a number of HD channels broadcast a lot of "fake HD?" Anyone who has ever watched some of TNT's HD broadcasts can attest to that.
• Dynamic Contrast Ratio Measurement Specification: The contrast ratio number is basically meaningless.
• Line Conditioners: They do nothing to improve the HDTV image.
• Deep Color: No deep color sources makes this a worthless feature.
• x.v.Color: Until Laser TVs and xv Color HD discs appear on the scene, this feature is not truly useful.
• 1080p HDTVs below 42" (diagonal): If you own a HDTV under 42", chances are you won't recognize the quality difference over 720p—unless you are standing really close to the TV.
• Flat LCD HDTVs 26" and Smaller: The image quality of LCD HDTVs in the 26" inch range or lower is generally poor.
• 120Hz HDMI Cables: As mentioned before, expensive HDMI cables are a huge ripoff. Case in point, decent HDMI cable for less than $2. I bought a few myself and they work fine.
• Off Brand Model HDTVs: No-name brands may cost you more down the line.
• HDMI: Horrible connector design can prove problematic. Always pretest your connections.

If you want all the detail make sure you visit HDGuru to get them.

Cowboys Draft

The NFL draft was this past weekend and I watched for a while. Biggest surprise wasn't who the Cowboys picked, but instead who they traded and for what. The Cowboys traded a very productive Tight End that was a second round draft pick and a linebacker for a fourth round pick. That move makes no sense whatsoever. I guess Mr. Jones feels like he owes Parcels something. I do like the pick up of the Texas A&M tightend, but even if your pretty sure you'll get him do you risk not having a good second TE?

I won't be surprised if we don't see a trade for Chad Johnson (WR Cincinnati) or Roy Williams (WR Detroit) sometime after June 1.

Leave Roger Clemens Alone!

Another story about Roger Clemens is out today and this is about a supposed "relationship" between the pitcher and a country music singer. I don't get why the New York Daily News needs to publish a story like this. Leave this retired guy alone. I guess once you play in New York you are never free from the scrutiny.

Rangers Update

After my last post about the Rangers I figured I should add another since play has improved a little. The highlight of the last week was the shut-out/complete game pitched by Vicente Padilla yesterday. Yes that's right for the first time in over three seasons a Rangers starter pitched a complete 9 innings. He did this while giving up only 7 hits, no Runs, 2 strikeouts, and 2 walks. He threw 121 pitches with 79 strikes. I can't say enough about this wow just about covers it.

Oh and Josh Hamilton now leads the AL in RBI. It’s nice to have such an athletic and talented Center Fielder in a Rangers uniform and Kinsler seems to be doing well hitting in the number one slot also. This one won’t surprise any Ranger fans Hank Blalock is hurt. “Texas was without 3B Hank Blalock for the second straight game due to a strained left hamstring Sunday against the Twins. Blalock reported that some of the soreness has subsided. He'll have an MRI exam on Monday to determine the extent of the injury. Blalock has been talking the last few days about a stint on the DL, but Monday's MRI should decide that. Here we go again with Blalock. As soon as he gets going at the plate, another injury pops up. It's like a never-ending cycle with him. With Blalock talking DL stint, he looks like an extremely risky start for Fantasy Week 5 (April 28-May 4). When healthty, he is a viable corner infield option in mixed leagues.” Courtesy of cbssports.com.

On the television broadcast there was much discussion about how Nolan Ryan's philosophy of starters pitching complete games should be the expectation of the organization from single A all the way the MLB pitching staff was very interesting. Pitching 6 innings is not the expectation for starters. If you thought that Nolan was just going to be a figurehead I guess this new philosophy change should address that.

And after a meeting between Ryan, Daniels, and Washington the team actually looks a lot better...... It makes one wonder if Wash doesn't have an impact on the team, either that or Daniels and/or Ryan spoke with the team about the status of Wash. We as fans may never know what happened, but something did. If they keep this up for another week or two I may consider going to another game this year.

Go Rangers beat up the Royals this week!

Rangers

Week four of the 2008 baseball season is upon us and where are our Rangers? That's right last place in the AL and only one game up on Washington for the worst record in the MLB. What's more amazing is that except for maybe 4 games the starting pitching has been really good. So what has led to such a poor start to yet another season? It's got to be something in the clubhouse. I'm a Ticket P1, 1310 AM, and heard a great rant from The Old Gray Wolf on Monday and I'm as upset about what the Rangers are doing as he is.

So far this season we have witnessed one bone-head play after another on defense, and on the bases. I think we lead the MLB in errors after today. A team that is pressing at the plate can't afford these mental mistakes, so where does the blame reside? I was all for giving Washington a break, but that was then. His whole philosophy was playing sound fundamental baseball, and they have demonstrated a total lack of playing fundamental baseball. Not only that but some of the stupid game management decisions are killing me. The peak of which was Laird DHing on Saturday. What are you kidding me? And I thought Broussard was a spare at the beginning of the season, but then I warmed to him a little, but after the last week, he's a huge SPARE and sucks especially on defense. Then there's Hank Blalock who refuses to hit the ball down the third baseline when the overshift is put on by the opposing team. He could get a hit and possibly a double if he would just drag bunt the ball right down the line. Even if he's hitting clean up, he should be working on that OBP.

And that leads me to the fact that John Daniels has to go also. Two starting pitchers that are doing well that the Rangers screwed up on are Danks and Armando Galaragga. They didn't even get anything for Galaragga since he was waived at the end of spring training. And don't even get me started on the Chris Young trade. And then you pay Ben Broussard $3mil this year when Boston has Casey at $800k. Makes me ill.

I think that Nolan Ryan has his work cut out for him, he needs to clean house from the front office on down. But who do you hire especially this early into the season? I think the manager and bench coach have to go now and maybe even more of the coaching staff. Two guys I'd love to see on the bench in some capacity are Will Clark and Rusty Greer. I know that Rusty has been managing a college summer league organization, but I really think we need someone with his mind set in the clubhouse. Maybe Rusty isn't ready to be the manager, but he would be a good bench coach. It'll be interesting to see what Ryan does with this mess. Better luck next time Wash....

Dallas Sports Big Night

Last night Thursday April 10 was a big night for Dallas sports teams. The Stars played their first playoff game of 2008, the Mavericks played another must win game to ensure a playoff birth and the Rangers attempted to get above .500 for the first time in, second year manager, Ron Washington's tenure. And the Masters kicked off.

The Stars played a tough game and shutdown and shutout the Ducks to win game one of their play off series 4-0. All the scoring occurred on power plays which are a true strength of this team. The game was very physical and the Stars never backed down.

The Mavericks won in the final seconds with a three pointer by Dirk. The fact that he was wide open for the three amazed me. It just goes to show that very little defense is played in the NBA.

The Rangers played a double header to make up for the game that was canceled the previous day due to weather. Kevin Millwood started game one and looked great. His ERA is 1.29. Wow, that's definately what the Rangers need. Not only was the pitching good, but when the batters got on base they were moving. Ian Kinsler and Michael Young both stole bases which lead to a run in the first inning and 2 runs in the 7th. The top of the order really produced and that's what this team needs.

The Masters also started play and of course all eyes were on Tiger. It was great to watch and ESPN did a great job with their coverage in HD. The Masters in HD is awesome! The white sand bunkers are incredible and cut of the grass is evident, it's truely amazing how good HD is when it is done correctly. I was excited to hear David Feherty calling the play at 15 I really enjoy his comments, and he's a really funny guy. Tiger played an even par 18 and had no birdies, one eagle, and two bogeys. The leader after day one was Justin Rose at 4 under par. I expect the leaders to be around 6 or 7 under par after round 2. Don't count Tiger out and watch out for the current champion Zach Johnson. Even if you don't like to watch golf on TV you really need to find an HD TV and watch just a few minutes of the coverage on ESPN/CBS.

Have a great weekend and go sports!

Batting Average and Slugging?

Here's something for baseball nerds out there. Baseball is a game of stats and for decades Batting Average has been a key measure of a hitter, but what does batting average really show? What is a good, or bad batting average? The standard is .300 if a player hits .300 or better he's a good hitter, but what was the average batting average in 2007?

My favorite radio show host Bob Sturm broke down not only batting average, but also slugging and on-base percentage. Take a look at his blog from Friday, April 4 titled Ask Sports Sturm – Web Episode #1.

Especially note how Bob gives the reader details about historic numbers, in other words how do todays batting average numbers compare to those in the 1930s or the mid 1990s?

Musings About Billy Packer

I'm a huge sports fan, but certain play-by-play or color commentators really annoy me and they point out either the obvious or are just inaccurate in their calling of the game. Some commentators are worse than others and one of the individuals that I can't stand to listen to is Billy Packer, I'm not the only one that can't handle Mr. Packer my brother-in-law's cryptonite is one Billy Packer. Here are some musings on Mr. Packer's Final Four effort, thanks to Mr. Wheeler.

• Two to three seconds after the ref blows the whistle for a blatant foul, he says "nice steal." Nantz replies "no steal," but rather than admit he blew it, he goes into Packer mode and tries to cover it up with another comment.
• Referring to a Derrick Rose pass on a fast break, "That was a perfect pass on the break. I didn't even realize he saw the trailing man filling the lane." The only problem is the "trailing" man was in front of Rose the entire way down the court. Rose would have had to be blind not to see him.
• Speaking of a previous final four game between UCLA and Memphis, he commented about the matchup between Bill Walton and Keith Lee, when Walton went 21 for 22 from the field. The game was in 1973, but Lee took Memphis to the final four in 1985 (later vacated due to NCAA rules violations).
• With several minutes remaining in the first half of the KU/NC game, he said "it's over." As we all know, NC came back to cut the lead to four. Late in the game, when questioned about his proclamation, he claimed (somewhat arrogantly) he never doubted the game was over. Really? He needs to go back and listen to the comments he made when NC was making their run.

Rangers Game 2

Tonight the Rangers have had another good starting pitcher outing. The knucklehead, wasn't bad in his 2008 debut. Padilla pitched 6 innings, threw 109 pitches, gave up 8 hits, 1 earned run, and 3 walks whiles striking out 4.

Michael Young with another error and Kinsler with 2 errors. Defense will cost you games and this team can't afford to squander good starts especially by the top of the rotation. Giving up a lead in the bottom of the 8th is bad, but when you face J.J. Putz in the ninth it's awful. What a horrible way to start 2008. They can't blame pitching for the teams problems in the 8th.

Josh Hamilton got a good pitch to hit from Putz and deposited into souvenir city. Wow, can you believe this guy? I just hope that he sprinkles in some singles and doubles along the way. Putz has had to throw a lot of pitches tonight, so he won't be available tomorrow. It was up to Wilson to close it out for the Rangers with just a 1 run lead and he was able to do it.

So the Rangers proved tonight that they can win despite playing bad defense, but that won't happen every night. I just don't want to see the Rangers winning by and counting on the home run ball to win games. Like I've written before, all you need is three hits in an inning and you have a couple of runs. I'd much rather see that than a home run.

Let's go Rangers.

Opening Day + 1

The Rangers opened the season in Seattle and unfortunately it looks like they are picking up right where they left off. I'm probably being a little harsh since Millwood pitched well, but the offense was no where to be found and the relief pitching was PUTRID. They were facing a guy who last year owned them, but come on.

Michael Young had an terrible error and he just can't afford to do that.

The first baseman Ben Broussard was ofer on the day, but didn't have an error and the DH Bradley didn't do anything. The Rangers have got to do something about firstbase, Broussard just isn't what the Rangers need. It's unfortunate that Botts can't play first on a day in day out basis, but he can't be much worse than Broussard.

This team has got to hit guys like Erik Bedard. If they want to win they have to hit. A string of hits is all they need, three in one inning on any given night will be key for this season. They have to do better, than what they showed yesterday.

If there was a highlight it was Millwood who gave up no Earned Runs and pitched 6 innings with 4 strikeouts and 3 walks on 91 pitches. He still got the loss thanks to 2 unearned runs, but if the Rangers get that type of an outing from every starter this year will be much better than last year.

Nokia N810 Internet Tablet - WiMAX Edition

It's official Nokia has issued a press release documenting the U.S. launch of the new Internet Tablet (MID) the N810 with WiMAX.

Nokia N810 Internet Tablet WiMAX Edition unleashes an open Internet experience, demonstrating the mobile future of web services

Espoo, Finland - Ushering in the next generation of wireless broadband devices, Nokia (NYSE: NOK) today unveiled its newest Nseries device, the Nokia N810 Internet Tablet - WiMAX Edition, Nokia's first device engineered to take advantage of new wide-area high-speed mobile WiMAX networks. This pocket-sized device lets consumers enjoy an open Internet experience, allowing for access to the full Internet without barriers, while on the go. The Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition is the latest iteration of Nokia's popular line of Internet Tablet products. For the first time, the power and convenience of the Internet Tablet platform is combined with next generation wide-area wireless broadband capability, allowing users to easily and quickly access all of their favorite Internet services beyond local area hot spots. The Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition is expected to be available in the United States during the summer of 2008 in areas where WiMAX connectivity is available.

WiMAX is a standards-based wireless broadband technology that delivers an open Internet experience similar to that of fixed broadband technologies with typical data download speeds of up to 2-4 Mbps per user with peak download speeds of up to 10 Mbps. Unlike current single point local area technologies like Wi-Fi which have a range of a few hundred feet, WiMAX networks consist of a number of interconnected base stations, each with a radius of up to 2-3 miles, that allow for handoffs from one base station to another as users move about a region or metro area. Additionally, WiMAX networks integrate technology designed to maximize the quality of service for each subscriber.

"By delivering the kind of open Internet experience that consumers previously only expected on a desktop PC, the Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition is a compelling example of how next generation broadband wireless technology will not only change the way people think about the Internet, it will change the very nature of the Internet itself," said Ari Virtanen, Vice President of Convergence Products for Nokia. "Much in the way that the evolution of the fixed Internet from dial-up to broadband enabled a host of new Internet services and changed people's expectations of what an Internet experience should be, the transition to a broadband Internet experience set free from the constraints of a fixed network will spark the next wave of new mobile Internet services, and will forever change the perception of what the Internet can be."

Along with a full featured web browser, powered by Mozilla, that takes full advantage of the Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition's large 4.13 inch touch screen and slide-out QWERTY keyboard, a variety of popular web-based services are also supported. Many of these applications can be found on Nokia's dedicated OS 2008 User Site. To keep connected while on-the-go, a number of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and Instant Messaging (IM) clients are available, including Skype(TM), Google Talk(TM), and Gizmo5, which can also take advantage of the Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition's built-in web cam for video calls. A client for the popular Rhapsody online music service is also available, transforming the Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition into a portable jukebox with millions of songs available to enjoy at a few taps of the screen. Beyond these well-known services, an active developer community has also emerged around the Linux-based Internet Tablet platform, creating additional applications - from games to productivity tools.

A number of additional features further enhance the utility of the Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition. With built-in GPS, the Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition can easily transform itself into a fully featured personal navigation device, complete with real-time on-screen maps. An integrated media player and 2 GB of internal memory, expandable to a full 10 GB of memory with the addition of an optional microSD memory card, allows the Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition to store and play back a large library of music and video content. When not in range of a WiMAX network, the Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition can also access the Internet over Wi-Fi or via conventional cellular data networks by pairing to a compatible mobile phone via Bluetooth technology.

Also being introduced with the Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition is the newest Internet Tablet operating system. This new upgraded OS2008 introduces useful new features to the platform, including an enhanced e-mail client, support for Chinese character rendering in the browser and RSS feeds and Seamless Software Update functionality to eliminate manual software updates, making periodic updates of the operating system quick and easy. While standard on the Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition, current owners of Nokia N810 and N800 Internet Tablets with earlier operating systems will be able to upgrade their device to the revised operating system for free during the second quarter of 2008.

Nokia cleverly embedded the images of the new device in Flash, so I can not include any images, but here's the link to the Nokia N810 gallery.

CTIA Big Announcement Number One

Samsung and Sprint have collaborated to develop what they feel is a true iPhone competitor. This device in many regards is superior to the iPhone because it has GPS and highspeed 3G. Check out the teaser website. Some other great features include:

• 3.1-inch touchscreen phone
• Localized haptic feedback
• Three hard navigation keys
• Visual Voicemail
• 2.0 megapixel camera with 2x digital zoom and video camcorder
• Advanced Stereo Bluetooth® Wireless Technology with audio caller ID
• Access to corporate and consumer (POP3) email including AOL, Gmail and Yahoo!
• Threaded text messaging provides a view of the full conversation
• Full HTML web browser.