The Mother(board) of Guitars

Over the hundreds of years guitars and their iterations have been around, not much has changed; maybe a different wood here and there, maybe different techniques to making them. With the intrdoduction of electric guitars around the 50's the first major change in hundreds of years had finally arrived.Fifty years laters, the electric guitar is still riding on the same concepts praised in the 1950's: standard electromagnetic pickups, volume potentiometers, tone knobs and such; but with the new decade comes new technology.

Gibson, a major guitar manufacturer, has already been massively known for developing "Robot Guitars", a guitar with built in tuning technology set in the headstock; pitch sensors raise or lower the tension of the string based on the desired tone. While not a major leap in technology, any new ideas are welcome in the guitar world. The hi-tech Gibson Firebird X both presents the major leap needed, and the new ideas savored by the masses.

The Firebird X is based on Gibson's Firebird model; but that's where the similarities stop. In the headstock of the guitar, robo-tuners are built in as a first measure of tech, but further down the neck, the body is an information-overload, filled to the brim with large varieties of electronics that most guitarists will recognize as normally "stomp-box effects" (Small boxes connected between the amp and guitar to utilize effects such as echo.

Inside the guitar, immedately noticable is the motherboard, not what is normally found in a guitar; this means the guitar has some sort of processing ability. An app store has already opened up for third-party developers to take their stab at whatever processing software the Firebird X posesses.

The amounts of knobs and switches on the Firebird is absolutely stunning; in addition to the standard volume and tone knobs, the guitar has a 5-way pickup selector, alowing muliple pickup combinations. To complicate the guitar further, each of the 3 pickups can have their polarities switched, be changed from series to parallel wiring, and even be switched to single-coil. As guitar player, I wouldnt be ablt to even understand half of this monster's abilities. And even when just the prevously mentioned is stated there's STILL more switches. In the picture, three effects are shown on the red toggle switch: compression, disortion, and an equalizer. On the white switch, there are three more options between PU/Prog (whatever that is, PU probably refers to pickup), piezo (acoustic guitar-style), and tuning. And if THAT was excessive, guess what: there's ANOTHER toggle switch on the top of the guitar. The blue toggle switches between different modulation effects, such as delay and echo. So if you were to mathematically process the combinations, over 2,000 combinations are possible, granted most of them wouldn't be noticeable.
And after all this, it comes to the final question: How much will it cost? Unfortunately, with 2,000 combinations comes a greater 5500 dollar price tag...enough to buy about 2200 school lunches, enough to last over 12 years of school. So if hunger isn't a main concern for you, and you're a guitar player, the Firebird X will be present if you enjoy hi-tech shiny things.

The Last (Unlimited) Plan Standing...

Unlimited data is such a joy to have...but with the rumored future release of the anticipated iPhone 5 on Sprint's network, Sprint customers may have to soon wave "bye-bye" to their (and my) beloved unlimited data plan. Let the picture illustrate my emotion: (thanks, Techcrunch; http://techcrunch.com/2011/07/05/verizon-confirms-unlimited-smartphone-data-plans-to-be-retired-on-july-7th/)

Earlier in 2011, AT&T revoked their unlimited plan, instead replacing it with a montly data cap due to high usage. Before Verizon had posession of the iPhone, AT&T's flagship device was Apple's iPhone, leading to a majority of AT&T customers to only use AT&T for said phone.

When Verizon introduced the iPhone on its list of devices back in February 2011, customers were promised their unlimited plans, but following AT&T's suit, went back on their word and four months after the iPhone 4, unlimited data was cut from yet another carrier. See a pattern going?

Sprint has already began capping their unlimited Hotspot data (this really shouldn't affect too many people, sorry if you do) in preparation for the iPhone 5; Sprint, in a kind of a low move, also raised its early termination fees from 200$ to a quite ridiculous 350$, AND also discontiued its Sprint Premier program.

When the total bill for your monthly plan exceeds 169$, you qualifiy for a special "thank you" from Sprint, which my family's plan qualifies for. One of the benefits of this service is being able to get your hands on a new phone before it officially launches; for example, the EVO 3D's release date was June 24th; I was able to purchase the phone on June 21st and recieved in on June 23rd, a full day before its release.

Sprint, like Verizon before, promised its customers continuation of its unlimited plan, of which Sprint is the only provider of. Unfortunately, Sprint's network is not quite as strong as Verizon's network, and subsequently will not be able to hold the stress of thousands of iPhone users, along with other smartphone users, straining the network.

STOP BUYING SO MANY iPHONES, YOU'RE RUINING MY UNLIMITED.

Apple Slap!2

I know I've been bashing a lot on Apple lately, but an email I received brought up another of their faults.

While the actual product itself (iTouch/iPhone) may actually be a polished product, the familiar white earbuds associated with them are far from quality. Apple is KNOWN to produce high-standard products, but with all the revenue Apple gets from the mindless mass of buyers, couldn't they divert at least some funds to develop higher qualities earbuds?

Standard Earphones

Of course, if you actually want "superior acoustic accuracy, balance, and clarity" (quoted from Apple's site, http://www.apple.com/ipod/in-ear-headphones/), and of course have a spare 79$ to drop for them, you can buy yourself your very own...standard in-ear earphones, as the standard iPod earphones are an older style. The original style is criticized for being unable to project suitable bass tones to you ears; it would be a smart move for Apple to simply include their (superior) earphones, and drop the original design altogether.

In-ear earphones

Those familiar with the 3rd generation iPod shuffle might recognize the small box on the side of the in-ear headphones; in another Apple scam, the 3rd generation iPod shuffle can only be controlled by said box; regular earphones are out of the question, and only earphones licensed by only Apple themselves are compatible. This makes it impossible to use an auxiliary wire to connect it to your stereo system. That is, unless you have the one and only Apple docking station. Fortunately, you can snag this of the internet for less than a dollar, if you find yourself with an iPod shuffle in the first place.

And yet, people STILL buy them.

Back to the Battlefield!

Video game release season is fast approaching, and with the close of 2011 brings the entrance of quite a few highly anticipated titles. Among the multiple triple A titles being released, the first on my list is Battlefield 3.

The Battlefield series has been in play since 2002, with the first title Battlefield 1942, back when 3D games were still next-generation thought. The Battlefield games are characterized by its intense large-scale battles, with multiple set classes to choose from ranging from the vehicle-devastator Anti-Tank Class to the deadly Recon Class. Each separate class possesses its own unique abilities, such as the Engineer's ability to repair vehicles.

The most recent Battlefield game, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (not to be confused for with Battlefield 2) was released the same year as the First person shooter (FPS) giant Call of Duty's Modern Warfare 2. Although not in direct competition yet, the flame wars were just beginning to kindle in the FPS flame wars soon to sweep the internet.

This year, Dice has decided to directly to step into Call of Duty's face by releasing at the fourth quarter of the year, a spot usually reserved for shooters like Call of Duty and Halo. Battlefield has its own array of weapons to shunt at Call of Duty, namely Vehicles. Unlike Bad Company 2, Battlefield 3 will possess its own customization system for not only infantry classes, but now vehicle classes included.

This year's Call of Duty, Modern Warfare 3 (developed by Infinity Ward), will have quite the battle this year, with irresponsible parent's 12-year olds frantically screaming in both games' headsets.

ESRB...consider emphasizing what that giant "M" means on the boxes of the games you review. I don't know how you would feel listening to high-pitched squealing in YOUR ears...

Apple slap!

It seems that right after posting about wars between Apple and Android, the very company I was talking in a previous post about decided to fight back against the Apple giant: http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/18/samsung-countersues-apple-in-australia-claims-iphone-ipad-2-v/

For once, the company being sued (again) by Apple is actually taking a stand! This doesnt happen very often, which is quite surprising considering how blatantly often Apple sues for another product being "too similar" and the likes.

Personally, while nice and shiny, Apple's products don't exactly appeal to me, especially with the myriad of superior Android devices. Apple's success comes from the fact that everyone, no matter how ridiculous the product is, buys Apple's products. Despite being fairly similar to other smartphones on the market, when the Iphone 4 was available on Verizon's service, people rushed to buy it, simply because it was an Iphone. If you were to ask them why they bought it over an Android phone, they probably would answer "It's an Iphone..." without any type of actual reasoning.

When I'm asked why I chose an Android phone (which sadly doesn't happen enough), I answer: Superior processor (1.2ghz dual-core vs a single 1ghz), more RAM (1gb vs 512mb), and more customization, a thing Apple is very strict about.

Think about it like this: if Apple allowed better customization, why is nearly every Iphone/Itouch jailbroken? You shouldnt have to break through the firmware JUST to change the background. One of the only features I'll give to Apple's devices are they're sleekness and shininess...

Samsung Galaxy S II....Epic Touch 4g

At this moment, the only thing negative I have to say about this device so far is the cumbersome name...Is it really necessary to have seven (SEVEN!) different parts in a single name for a phone? Not according to Samsung.

For those unfamiliar with the...SGSIIET4G (Even as an acronym, it's still a monster of a name), this phone is the latest of Samsung's galaxy phone series, and as such, is quite the beast in performance sporting a beefy dual-core 1.2ghz processor and 1GB of RAM.

What's always annoyed me most about phones is how ridiculously fast they manage to get outdated, but this is to be expected with the rate of technological increase. I always enjoy having a top-of-the-line product, and with the release of the GSII, my Evo 3D is that much closer to being a thing of the past. Unfortunately, I'm bound to this device for another two years, but as long as it holds up and keeps receiving software updates, I'm completely fine with keeping it.

Back to the rate of phone upgrading: even just two years ago, the top dog of phones on the market were phones like the HTC Hero and the Iphone 3g...quite a step back in terms of software and hardware. The ability of having Flash 10.1 on your own handheld phone? Unheard of. Back then, the Iphone was the phone to have (and some people would still argue it still is), and now, Apple has Android to compete with. Android seemingly came up from nowhere, and took the phone world by storm, developing hundreds of new devices with large varieties to choose from. Want a phone with a full QWERTY keyboard? Done. Or maybe one with a 4.3" screen? Accounted for. With Apple and iOS, your only choice is the current generation of the already technologically behind Iphone.

Gibson Guitar Factories...Slashed

Now, when any guitar player who knows his guitars get the mentioning of "Gibson", the reaction you're most likely to see is melting of the face, followed by the collapsing of the body. Gibson is the iconic manufacturer of the perhaps more iconic Les Paul, a guitar revered by those not willing to break their life savings into a little (but REALLY heavy) guitar:

The stigma of the Les Paul is often associated with legendary guitar players such as Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin and Slash, of Guns n Roses.

 But, I digress.

From CNN: "On Aug. 24, armed agents from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service raided two of Gibson's Tennessee production facilities and its Nashville headquarters. The agents confiscated nearly $1 million in rare Indian ebony, finished guitars and electronic data, according to Juszkiewicz. It was the second time in two years that Gibson's factories have been raided by the feds over the rare woods it uses to build its guitars." (http://money.cnn.com/2011/09/02/smallbusiness/gibson_guitar/index.htm)


 The plain idea that our government would rather raid a Gibson factory, which provided all the legal documents for their materials, than work on something more pressing such as...well...creating jobs...for example, just doesn't click in my mind. Even if Gibson did violate the Lacey Act (following the foreign countries' law regarding exports of natural materials, in this case, wood), shows how our government would rather pursue trivial matter than to actually focus on the country's major issues.

Equally appaling is the idea that the federal government completely skipped over the part of negotiating with the company, and instead lept directly to seizure of materials. Unless their purpose was to sell said valuable materials (and that would be a LOW move), bringing a guitar player as myself to wonder...what are they going to DO with all that precious wood? More importantly, what will happen to all of those $3,000 guitars that were confiscated? Bashing a guitar is one thing; letting it sit there, unplayed, is almost as unacceptable.