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Kodak recently announced its new Zi8 pocket video camera. It not only offers more features than its predecessor, but appears to be heavy competition for the Flip UltraHD camcorder. It’s greatest feature isn’t even the fact that it shoots video in 1080p (1920 x 1080 at 30fps). It boasts an electronic image stabilizer, an expandable SD/SDHC card slot that can hold up to 32 GB, and support for both Facebook and YouTube.
There are a handful of other important features including help with low-light filming, face tracking, and compatibility with both Mac & PC operating systems.
The Zi8 will be available in three colors (aqua, raspberry and black) and will go on sale in September. MSRP is $179.95. You can pre-order your Zi8 now.
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Due to not caring about a DVR scheduling conflict, I missed this year’s ESPYs. But I kept hearing about a great commercial with Devin Hester and Deion Sanders called “Mission” that made its debut during ESPN’s award show. Nothing special about the usual suspects that star in the commercial, but the point of view and edit are particularly clever. It also includes tweets from Devin Hester. UA sorta missed the true essence of the viral-ness by opting to use a fake handle instead of Hester’s real Twitter handle, @D_Hest23.
Anyway, if you can’t tell by my last couple of posts, I’m so ready for football season. This is a good warmup.
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WARNING: Players will not leap out of your screen—–
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Fantasy Football magazine. Check.
Player list. Check.
Ron Mexico jersey. Check.
DIRECTV SUPERCAST. If you have DIRECTV NFL Sunday Ticket, you’re halfway there. Just make sure you have Flash Player 9 and Adobe AIR for the full effect. Both PC & Mac users can access SUPERCAST. The concept simple: if the game is on DIRECTV Sunday Ticket, then it’s available to watch on SUPERCAST. However, according to the FAQ, blackouts are enforced based on your billing zip code.
SUPERCAST FEATURES INCLUDE:
Live Streaming Video. Enjoy every NFL SUNDAY TICKET™ game, plus the Red Zone Channel. You can switch from game to game at any time.
Highlights. Relive the big moments. See up to 12 significant plays from every game, either individually or consecutively.
Scores & Game Status. See scores and game status for the current week’s completed and in-progress games. Check the schedule for the upcoming games.
Instant Stats. An indispensable feature for fantasy footballers. Track your favorite players’ performance with a touch. Get game and player stats instantly for each game.
Whether or not your favorite bar or restaurant has DIRECTV Sunday Ticket is now the least of your worries. If they have WiFi, you’re all set.
The SUPERCAST mobile app is available on iPhone, Palm Pre and Windows Mobile and BlackBerry (Storm, Tour, Bold and Curve 8900). To download this app to your smartphone, visit m.directv.com/supercast from your phone’s browser.
If you still have cable, it’s time to now. If you’re already a customer, check out the DIRECTV SUPERCAST page for more details.
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Tomorrow RIM will launch MyBlackBerry. It’s a community in which BlackBerry owners can build a unique profile around their specific device…perfect timing for early BlackBerry Tour
As you can tell from the screen shot below, a list of “Top Apps” and “Top Tags” among other things will be part of the “Applications” tab…and likely static throughout.
I tried registering today. Apparently I’m not on the “BlackBerry VIP” list…yet *strut*smug* (invitation code required). For more information, check out the short intro video.
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Even in today’s “buyer’s market”, buying a home can be frustrating. I admit my experience may a little extreme. I’m picky. I’ve suddenly become cheap. And we’ve narrowed our area down to a few neighborhoods. The latter isn’t so unusual; but what does place it outside of the norm is the fact that these neighborhoods are among the more sought after areas…each with their own unique characteristics. Basically, we’re hunting for a deal.
Even in this ‘unusual’ case, I’ve resolved that the prices of some homes are a contradiction to comparative market analysis (CMA). I’m no Realtor, but CMAs seem pretty straight forward (I’m open to some direction from Realtors out there) — comparisons based on square footage, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, area, etc. But are there instances where you can make adjustments to the CMA?
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The Price Is Not Right. The prices of homes in my area may differ from yours. So for the sake of making this easier, let’s choose round numbers. House A is updated and has little room for improvement. It’s a great home for the long-term…and for a family with little desire to upgrade. It is 2,500 sq.ft. and is listed at $100/sq.ft. House B is just down the street from House A. They are the same size (sq.ft., 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms); and House B, like House A, was built in 1970. The mustard shag carpet, wood panelling throughout and dated appliances (not to mention the pink tile in the bathrooms) suggest that 1970 may have been the last time it was ‘updated’.
Is it appropriate to price House B using a $100/sq.ft. base? Definitely not. Is it even appropriate to use $80/sq.ft., which translates into a $50,000 difference? I don’t know. According to Realtor.org, the average cost of a [major] kitchen remodel in 2008 was $56,611. Bathrooms cost $15,899. How about a new roof, energy-efficient windows or even replacing all the outdated carpet and walls? There are any number of reasons a house may not be selling. But even with all the HGTV hours you’ve racked up, the costs add up. And that’s hard to swallow in a market with declining home values.
Cap & Trade. Forget the macro-economic implications of this bill. I only mention it to add to help qualify the argument that (I’ll try not to sound biased) outdated homes on the market ought to be discounted for their lack energy efficient appurtenances.
The 1,400-page cap-and-trade legislation pushed through by House Democrats contains a new federal policy that residential, commercial, and government buildings be retrofitted to increase energy efficiency, leaving it up to the states to figure out exactly how to do that.
This means that homeowners, for example, could be required to retrofit their homes to meet federal “green” guidelines in order to sell their homes, if the cap-and-trade bill becomes law.
The bill, which now goes to the Senate, directs the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop and implement a national policy for residential and commercial buildings. The purpose of such a strategy – known as the Retrofit for Energy and Environmental Performance (REEP) – would be to “facilitate” the retrofitting of existing buildings nationwide. CNSNews.com, July 1, 2009
Getting back to the inspiration for my rant…we placed a bid on a house at a similar discount to the one above. The counteroffer was just shy of the list price. So, I get the hint. You won’t budge. At what point do sellers need to get real with their list price? And is it considered poor taste for a potential buyer to offer a significantly lower amount based on perceived value?
Popularity: 18% [?]
Photo credit | Tom Zinn Photography ©2009—–
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Fourth of July for me and my family usually means a habitual trip to Port Aransas. This year, we’re looking for a bigger piece of sky for our celebration…and we’ve found it!
Despite not being a huge baseball fan, I am guilty of enjoying a San Antonio Missions game every now and then. I’m also a self-proclaimed member of the loyal Texas Country following. Add fireworks and you’ve got ‘the greatest show ever been gave’!
Come cheer on the Missions followed by post-game fireworks and a live concert on the field featuring Texas Country icon Robert Earl Keen. “Play ball!” at 5:05 p.m. on Saturday, July 4 at The Wolff (where’s The Wolff). The Missions take on Northwest Arkansas with the concert and fireworks show to follow immediately afterward. For ticket information, check out the San Antonio Missions website.
The H-E-B Fourth of July Extravaganza is presented by KRAFT and the San Antonio Express-News.
If you want to have even more fun, check out the other activities on the list. Other San Antonio bloggers have provided their take on some of the best activities in the area.
Take a look:
4. Fourth of July Celebration in Luckenbach, TX, by Luis Sandoval Jr.
3. Tubing on the Comal River (New Braunfels, TX), by Jennifer Navarrete
2. Celebration on the River (Kerrville, Texas), by Shelley Cook
1. Aqua Boom Festival on Lake LBJ, by Jessica Young
This blog post is part of the JW San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa “List of the Best Things to do in the Texas Hill Country” Blog Scavenger Hunt. The goal is to compile a list of the best ways to spend this Fourth of July (and any day of the year!) in the Hill Country. Bloggers from San Antonio, Texas and anywhere around the globe are invited to participate and share they favorite thing to do in the Hill Country. To participate and have a link to your blog featured in the JW San Antonio “List of the Best Things to do in the Texas Hill Country” blog post all you have to do is write a blog (length, style and everything else is up to you), include this paragraph at the end of your post and send us a link to it via Twitter at @JWSanAntonio. Visit our blog for more information about the Blog Scavenger Hunt. We can’t wait to read your post! Thank you for helping us discover the Hill Country – the home of the newest and largest JW Marriott Resort, opening January 2010.
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