snutz411

This is a very unique game that takes advantage of all the features of the Nintendo DS. It heavily utilizes the touch screen and it has wireless compatibility between another DS or the internet.If you are familiar with the StarFox series, then this game does not disappoint. The first run through of the game is extremely easy, but keep in mind this is a StarFox game and has multiple endings. I've only beaten the game once, so I got the crappy ending.Gameplay: 8/10 - This game is not limited to just a flying game. There is some strategy involved prior to entering into the dogfight stages. You need to move the characters around on a map like turn-based strategy game. In game you are not limited to only playing as StarFox. During the course of the game, you will eventually play as all the characters. You use the touch screen to move the players around on the map to search out and find the "bad guys". This can get annoying because you are limited on the number of turns, fuel, and vision. If you don't defeat all the enemies in the given number of turns, the game is over. If the time runs out during a dogfight, you'll lose the dogfight. In the later levels, there is a fog that covers the map, so you don't know exactly where all the enemies/bases are on the map. The controls take a little while getting used to. The stylus controls EVERYTHING. There is no other option to use the directional pad. Any button you press will fire lasers, but the touch pad does the flying and steering. While playing the game, please refrain from sneezing. This will send your player in crazy directions if you keep your stylus on the touchpad while doing so.Story: 2/10 - This is a StarFox game, so the story is stupid and pointless. No one buys a StarFox game for the story, just the fighting.Extras: 9/10 - This game fully utilizes the extra features of the Nintendo DS. You can battle wirelessly with friends close to you or over the internet. The dogfights you can get in are fun if you both know how to fly. Otherwise it is just a bunch of rounds of each of you flying past each other. The online capabilities are great because you can show off how good you are at the game with anyone online.Overrall: 8/10 - Maybe an option to use the directional pad to fly would have been better. The stylus can be iffy at some times. However it makes the game very unique. I recommend this game if you are a Nintendo DS owner.

Microsoft is trying real hard lure gamers away from the PS3 this year. They revealed an XBOX 360 that has an HD-DVD player accessory at the Tokoyo Game Show. The XBOX has never been popular overseas. Their main market share comes from North America. Obvisously to compete with a company like Sony which is the dominate console everywhere else in the world, they need to step up the competition. This console will retail in North America for around $350. Here's a link to the article http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/

Has anyone heard anything lately about the new release of Slackware? Up on http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/ they are selling pre-orders for the install disk which makes be believe it is coming out soon. However the its been up for more than a couple months.I personally can't wait to see what the boys working on Slackware came up with. It is the main linux distro I use. I have two setups with Slackware 10.2. On my laptop I run Slack with a GUI and on a slower, older computer I run it straight console.For everyone saying that it is too hard to use, forget that. Obviously any new Linux distro will have some sort of learning curve, but definitely learning up on Slackware will help. Some people are afraid of installing or upgrading software with some kind of built-in package manager. There is a terrific package manager that I use for Slackware called "slapt-get", it is basically apt-get, but just for Slack. Also if you find yourself with *.*tgz files using the command pkgtool will help you install the software.People are afraid to use a distro that looks too confusing or won't work right after the install (i.e. distros like Red Hat, Ubuntu, or FC). Half the fun of getting Linux to work properly on your machine is the battle to find all the compatibile drivers, heh.That's my rant on Slackware. I just can't wait for the new release. I'll be right on board to upgrade my computers.

MySQL is definitely the best choice for use injuction with PHP. There are already so many website mangagement tools developed for MySQL/PHP. The resources are out there if you want to learn how to code for this database on your own. MySQL is the largest open-source database solution out there. It has a very large community of users that constantly look for security holes and flaws, and they will actively release updates when needed. I really haven't heard much about interbase, but I assume they are also open-source. However the community cannot be as large as MySQL's. So if you are looking for a database that has a huge user base with plenty of resources and already developed software tools to manage a website, then definitely go with MySQL.

Wireless routers are definitely the way to go for home networking solutions if the home isn't already wired for CAT-5. I bought my first wireless router a few years ago when 802.11b was the fastest it could potentially go. Nowadays there is Wireless-B, Wireless-A, Wireless-G, Wireless-A/B, Wireless-G with MIMO, etc, etc. Obviously the speeds have increased as technology gets better. But the one thing I haven't noticed increasing is the level of security. Aren't most default WEP/WAP keys encrypted at 128-bits? I'm going off the top of my head, but I don't know of any routers that are using 258-bit encyrption. If someone does get a wireless router, there are a few things you absolutely NEED to do first before you assume everything is setup correctly. 1. Disable SSID broadcasting. This is basically a the signal your router emits to let other wireless devices know that it is there. You do NOT want other people to know that there is an available wireless router. This needlessly increases the number of pings to the router and exposes it to potential hacker intrusion. 2. ALWAYS use encryption to protect your wireless router. If it only be simply 64-bit encryption, then so be it. However keep in mind that the higher the bits the "tougher" the protection. This will keep low level war drivers out of your network and using up your bandwidth. Be aware that even if you have encryption enabled, it will not keep out sophisticated hackers out of your network. There are tools available that are called packet sniffers. This means that this tool will collect packets of data out of the air which are transmitted. The packets of data are each encrypted with the WEP or WAP key. After enough packets are collected, then the tool should be able to decrypt the packets and finally be able to give you the key to access the router. So don't always believe that your wireless router is hacker proof. 3. Change the default login and password. Even if you hide the router from other wireless devices, the listings of factory default passwords are available online. So if I know the brand and model number of your wireless router, I can look for the default login and password to access it. That's all I know about wireless routers, so take my advice and protect your network.

This is a salad for real men, not any of that "womeny" stuff.Ingredients:Deep Fried Lettuce3 or 4 whole sausage linksTobasco Sauce Dressing or Jack DanielsJalepeno PeppersThe bowl is a hollowed out pig roast.The fork is your hand, real men don't need forks.

The battery does get hot, but we've already check the version number of the batteries that are affected.We both have the same laptop so when we heard about the battery recall we checked. Unfortunately we bought our laptops about 6 months before the affected batch of batteries were made.

One of my friends has a Dell 600m which he bought around the same time as me. We pretty much have the exact same specs, but my processor and video memory is a little better. He has been having problems since the time he got the laptop with it overheating to the point of it locking down. I'll agree that the Dell 600m's from the Summer of 2003 will get way too hot for normal laptop use.My laptop has only locked up once or twice for me because of it overheating, but his computer will lock up every time he doesn't have it on a cooling pad. And even then there is a good chance that it will if it is left on for too long.I do like the 600m as a model, but his case is a rarity.Does anyone have any clues on what could be making his laptop heat up so much to the point where it locks down on him? Keep in mind that we have the same model computer bought around the same time and only he has this problem on a daily basis.We've looked into the possibilities of a faulty motherboard, bad memory, bad exhaust for the laptop, or bad heatsink. We've even had Dell Techs come out to our house to "try" to diagnose the problem, but they are as stumped as we are. I don't know if this makes his problem more unique or it just means that Dell's Tech Guys are as good as BestBuy's Geek Squad.His laptop isn't covered under warranty anymore, so any extra parts would probably come out of pocket.

There are so many different places where you can register a domain name. I was just curious who everyone uses and how much per year do you pay for it? Also if you feel like it, leave a rating for everyone else on the forums to take into account.I personally use FortuneCity.com and they're rates are $8.95/year.I think they are an average domain registrar. They have good technical support and I haven't had any billing problems with them. I've been with them for the past couple years. They'll send out reminders when your domain is about to expire, but maybe that is standard among companies like this.They user interface for their account access is pretty user friendly. It is easy to get around the site and find what you are looking for. Their rates aren't that great. I know that GoDaddy.com has great prices for domain registration, but every now and then they'll have specials and all.I give FortuneCity a 7/10.

The memory on the phone is limited to about 128mb I think. However don't forget about the microSD expansion slot. That can take 256mb to 2gigs. You have to purchase these cards separately, but keep in mind the cards can be used in other devices. The 256mb card is about $20 and the 2gig card is $99.99. So the real limitations of the phone depends on how big the memory card you get for it is. I recommend the 2gig card because that is plenty of space for your favorite MP3s.

Ever since I picked up my Palm TX last Winter, I've noticed the ever decreasing size of memory cards especially with SD (Secure Digital).My Palm TX has a port of SD cards which is great. It can handle anything from 256mb to 2gigs. If you have ever since the size of an SD card, then you know that it is pretty small. It can pack a whole lot of data in a small amount of space.Now after SD comes miniSD. I don't have anything that uses them, but I know they are pretty small. Some of the older model mobile phones use miniSD cards for expansion memory.Finally after I got my latest cell phone, I came to know the wonders of microSD. It is literally a fraction of the size of an SD card. It is unbelievable. You see this TINY little card and you see that it fits 2 gigs. In fact, microSD cards come with a dockable SD card where it can fit in. This card is so small and I feel like I'm going to break it every time I handle it. Its great that it is compact but is capable of holding 2 gigs of data, but WOW these memory cards are getting tiny.I've only noticed the trend with SD. Compact Flash and Memory Pro DUO don't seem to be getting smaller.Your thoughts or comments.

Well while I'm on the Internet, I like to... Read the totse.com Forums Read up on NFL news Check my NFL Fantasy Team Check Gamefaqs.com Working my personal websites Every now and then talk on AIM Play flash games...http://www.addictinggames.com/ Legally get music Yea, that's pretty much all. I don't have a MySpace of Facebook account, so I never check those.

The end of my contract with Verizon Wireless was approaching and I decided to grab me a new phone and keep my contract going. After seeing those commericals with the phone coming out of the chocolate bar wrapping, I couldn't help but wonder more about it. Then when I got into the Verizon Wireless Retail Store, I finally saw what all the fuss was about. The LG Chocolate phone is a hybride between a sleek looking cell phone and an IPOD. It literally looks just like an IPOD, but when you slide the bottom, you are fully aware that it is a cell phone.Overrall, I give this phone a 9/10. It only looses 1 point because the controls are a little quirky. The only buttons are on the side and number pad. The dials that look like an IPOD are not buttons, but a touchpad. You may not feel like you are pushing anything, but you are. Again this is the only reason it lost a point because not everyone would be use to this.Look - 10/10: It is very sexy and sleek looking. It is jet black and compact. When the number pad is pushed in, it looks just like an IPOD. The dial pad lights up red when it is active and there is no antena to make it look bad. This phone is by far the most decent looking phone. LG won't let you down when it comes to looks.Phone use - 9/10: Probably as good as a regular cell phone can get. It has advanced voice activation to use the phone while it is still compact (i.e. while the number pad is not pulled out). It looses a point because it does not have speakerphone capabilities. However the volume is loud enough to not really need a speakerphone.MP3 use - 10/10: This main reason I bought this phone and it definitiely did not let me down. I have a Palm TX and the MP3 player is not that great however on this phone it works great! You can download songs off VCAST or transfer your songs via microSD card.Camera - 10/10: Great camera, higher resolution and a lot clearer than my old camera phone. It can take good quality pictures and short video clips. Of course it won't compare to a 8.0 Mega Pixel camera, but it does the job pretty well.Bluetooth - 10/10: This phone comes with Bluetooth and is meant to use Bluetooth. The Bluetooth accessories that can be used with this phone would make any Tech Junkie foam at the mouth. It can use Bluetooth Stereo Headset, Bluetooth Boombox, and of course a regular Bluetooth Headset. I really want to buy the stereo headset because the regular wired 2.5mm headset makes the phone look not so sexy. There is headset adapter that fits into the power port where you plug in the headset. It just throws off the whole look of the phone.Expansion - 10/10: This phone takes advantage of microSD technology. It has a microSD/Transflash port on the side which can fit any card from 256mb to 2gig. This is perfect for storing your favorite songs. You can set the options on the phone to save pictures and video to the expansion card.I highly recommend that if you are at the time period where you can get a discount on your next phone, then get this one. You will not regret it. I certainly do not. It retails for $349.99, but I got it CHEAP because I renewed my plan.

Alright, a few of my friends and I have come together to think of a way that we can make money off the internet. Through ads and various other ways, webmasters can make a decent chunk of change, and we want to be a part of that.We thought of a website that will be like an online dating site. Here is what we have thought of so far.1. Catchy domain name (its a sercret)2. To build a base client list, we'll make our own profiles that we'll maintain in order to attract more users. Once we reach a certain number of users to keep the website going, we'll take down our "fake" accounts.3. Ad placement of course4. Free membership5. Premium membership, we don't know how to charge yet nor the price per month.6. We want to start local and depending on how it grows, we'll adjust7. We want to have a decent content manager so different people can be working on different parts of the website at the same time. (any recommendations?)8. We wanted to have some sort of e-mail verification and address verification for the profiles to limit spammed accounts that aren't our own. Address verification obviously for the billing purposes.9. Possibly even merchendise like hats, t-shirts from CafePress.comWhat do you all think so far?

I almost wish that I bought my Dell 600m 6 months later than I did. Then I would have been able to replace the battery. The battery on my laptop sucks and lasts only like 45 minutes without a charge. I also mistakenly bought an additional primary battery thinking that it was a modular bay one....pwnt.Good news is that my laptop didn't make my house burst into flames.