Category: Articles

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ESRB releases new PSA to help parents understand video game ratings

6mCM8RmLet’s get something straight. Laws don’t change behavior. Only society can change behavior.

We have laws against texting while driving, and while cops can write citations for things like Google Glass (which seems counter-productive), people will still do dumb things like watch movies on their tablets while operating motor vehicles. As a society we need to make behaviors unfashionable. We’ve made smoking in public areas unfashionable. We’ve made drunk driving extremely unfashionable.

There are laws which prevent retailers from selling adult media to minors, but it’s still up to parents to police what their children consume. Keeping parents engaged and informed is critical to this conversation, no small task in light of the overwhelming amount of media to be aware of.

We need to get over the stigma that “vidya gamez ar fer kidz”. The average age of a gamer is 30, and it’s likely that almost as many people over the age of 30 play games as under the age of 30. The medium has grown up with the Atari generation, and now the content produced reflects far more mature tastes than many non-gamers might expect. As with feature films and TV, the Entertainment Software Rating Board publishes ratings that parents can use a starting point in making decisions on what titles they might purchase for their children.

This short PSA is a good starting point for people wanting more info on what those ratings mean.

And I don’t mean for this to be a condemnation of parents who might decide their child is mature enough to handle a game’s content. What we need to move towards as a community, to protect our properties from external censorship, is encouraging more informed discussion on content. Helping parents find tools which easily inform their purchasing decisions. Helping them to become a  more active part of their child’s video gaming experience.

As I’m sure that games and consoles will be hot gifts this holiday season, let’s make sure we’re shopping smart. For more info please check out: http://www.esrb.org/

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AT&T offers minimum $100 trade in for your old phone, or donate to Cell Phones for Soldiers

ATT logoRunning now through December 7th, customers on Big Blue can knock AT LEAST $100 off a new phone purchased on a two year contract by handing off their qualified old phone.

If your phone is worth more, you’ll get more for it, and that’ll cut the price of your new phone purchase. Not a bad way to encourage more recycling, and I’m all for rewarding that behavior. You’ll always want to check what your phone is worth on the open market however, as you might be able to score more cash through online auction or other trade in services. If convenience is your jam though, AT&T will help you keep everything in house and easy.

I’d also like my fine readers to consider not accepting the cash. If you were shopping a new phone, you can apply your trade in credit towards a new purchase, or you can opt out and AT&T will donate those funds to Cell Phones for Soldiers. This time of year, these types of devices can be invaluable in keeping our service men and women connected to their families. If you have the means, your old phone could be a small but welcome help to a family separated this holiday season.

Full PR after the jump.

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T-Mobile selling 16GB Nexus 5 for $449. Should you buy it?

Nexus 5Google’s newest pure Android phone is officially a part of the T-Mo roster.

Lil’ Magenta is listing the new Nexus 5 for $449 if you want to buy it outright through the carrier. If you’re buying the phone upfront though, it might make more sense to buy it direct from Google Play where the handset will cost $100 less.

Why you MIGHT want to buy it through T-Mo is if you’re looking to subsidize and pay for it over time. A  down payment of $41.99 is required, but then your monthly payments are only $17 over two years. I’s certainly an option, but if you can afford to buy it outright, that’s the better deal.

Full PR after the jump.

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“Consumer Choice in Online Video Act” to prevent ISP’s from throttling competing services like Netflix

senator jay rockefellerA bill submitted Tuesday to the Senate looks like it could address several concerns we netizens have regarding the future of digital media and our relationships with internet service providers.

The “Consumer Choice in Online Video Act” presented by Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) would make it illegal for ISP’s to engage  “in unfair methods of competition or unfair or deceptive acts or practices” as it pertains to online video and other services.

Some feel there’s a conflict of interest when  company like Verizon for example, offers their own media service while maintaining the connection for competing services. Senator Rockefeller’s bill looks like it could  intersect Venn Diagram style with the FCC’s Open Internet order which Verizon is currently fighting in court. Verizon is arguing they have a first amendment right to knowingly degrade the connection for competitors utilizing their network. The FCC is claiming they have the authority to monitor and enforce net neutrality.

It’s very possible that Verizon might be able to successfully argue that the FCC does not have the authority to enforce net neutrality, so it looks like this Consumer Choice act could be a fall back position for those wanting to protect online services and competition. The bill would also include some helpful consumer additions like simpler clearer billing, more accurate usage monitoring for usage based billing and capped plans, and more support for antenna rental / online cable alternatives like Aereo.

While it’s great seeing some politicians step up to the plate on net neutrality, and this bill would certainly be better than allowing ISP’s to rig bandwidth in their favor, one has to wonder why we don’t see legislation explicitly granting the FCC the regulatory authority to protect consumer interests in this space.

You can read the full bill here (63 page PDF): Consumer Choice in Online Video Act

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HTC One Max coming to Sprint $249 on contract November 15

htc-one-max-en_us-f03-01Are you on Sprint? Do you want a phone with a big BIG screen? Well now you have options.

Along side the Galaxy Note 3, it’s now official that Lil’Yellow will carry the HTC One Max phablet for $249.99 on a two year contract ($749 off contract). It stands as the main opposition to Samsung’s offering at this tier, and might be a nice alternative for folks looking at a bold multi-media device. We covered the One Max following its unveiling, if you want more details on the phone.

Sprint is only taking “pre-registers” at the moment, but it’s expected to have a proper launch this Friday November 15.  I’d also expect to see units in Best Buys around that date as well.

(via Sprint)

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LG shows off the G Flex’s Wolverine-like self-healing on video

lg g flexLG is getting proactive about curved screen durability concerns. Looking at that screen arc, I instantly worry about accidentally sitting on it when I’ve got it in a back pocket. It’s been known to happen.

In this video, LG shows off the new plastic back plate coating which can “heal” from light scratches and abrasions. Towards the end of the video they completely flatten the phone out with weights only to show it spring back to its scimitar like shape.

Is this enough to calm your worries? Does this make the Flex a more attractive option for you?

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AT&T Offers Billing Relief to people calling Philippines, adds easy methods to donate and send aid

ATT logoAlways nice seeing companies step up during disasters.

Through November 30th, AT&T post pay customers wont be charged for calls or texts placed to the Philippines. Wireline and U-Verse customers will be given a 60 minute grace where that time wont be reflected on this current billing cycle, or will be credited on the following billing cycle. It’s a very nice gesture, being able to take one communication issue of of people’s minds as they try to reach out to loved ones.

For those looking to help send aid, AT&T has set up a series of short codes to allow customers to donate money through their wireless bill to several organizations.

  • Text AID to 50555 to give a $10 donation to Operation USA
  • Text AID to 80077 to give $10 to HOPE Worldwide
  • Text AID to 27722 to give $10 to World Food Program USA
  • Text AID to 80108 to give $10 The mGive Foundation Philippines Typhoon Relief Fund (U.S .State Dept Campaign)

The following organizations can provide more information, and are also accepting donations:
Phillipine Red Cross
UNHCR (The UN Refugee Agency)
UNICEF

Full AT&T details after the jump.

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Youtubers post petition on Change.org to return old commenting system.

YouTubeDo you like Youtube’s new comment system? Were you able to navigate the merger of YT and Google Plus?

As we reported on yesterday, Google has slapped the two together, much to the chagrin of a large number of Youtubers. Now I like G+ and I post videos on YT, so you’d think this would be Peanut Butter Jelly Time! Unfortunately, this transition has been handled fairly clumsily, so badly in fact it’s rather easy to accidentally make all of your videos disappear. My personal beef comes from the fact that the accounts populate information in one direction.

See I have a YT account with a user image and full of all of my info. Creating a G+ account to tie it to, Google does not pull my info from YT to populate my new G+ account, it instead pulls the info from G+ to populate your new-ish Youtube account.

“But Juan, you don’t have any info in that new G+ account.”

Exactly. My established YT account gets replaced by an empty G+ account. I’ve since cut and paste and re-populated all that mess, because I have to to keep this blog running, but it was a pain.

If you’re unhappy with the switch to the new commenting system, a mysterious user named John Doe has posted a petition to Change.org. Appropriate as Google made some of these changes to quell the douchbaggery fueled by the anonymity afforded users on YT. You’ll get to feel like you’re actually doing something with your internet rage, and Google will probably completely ignore it. Hey, it’s not like we’re all running off to some other video sharing service right?

Google: Change the Youtube comment section back to its original form

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