Do Yo Think Your Kinect Is Spying On You?

Here's a fix! For $15 I think I'm going to get this. I've watched too many Sci-Fi movies not to look at the camera eyes on the Kinect as the light bounces off of it and think that while I'm sitting in my mancave in my boxers, drinking beer, eating pork rinds, and playing Madden that its some how uploading this feed to some central server somewhere or broadcasting it in a room full of monitors.  Not that I'm doing anything illegal but still, it's the principalities smokey!  I will be looking for this fitted cover for the Kinect on Amazon and Target this weekend.  Of course the press release for this accessory states several other reasons why this was created, but I'll say that these Jokers created this to keep Batman from spying on them.

'Connect Pritect to Protect Kinect:' for all your tinfoil helmet needs:

Have you considered that if a secretive governmental cabal seized control of your Kinect, it would be able to spy on you as you lurched awkwardly to Just Dance? Such is the price we pay for abrogating our right to privacy, or at least it was until Catalyst Components came up with a solution. Connect Pritect to Protect Kinect is a high-gloss plastic shield that clips over your device to block the sensor bar's cameras from prying eyes. The only opening is a tiny hole for the Xbox logo -- the efficacy of which is shown after the break. Freedom from surveillance will cost you a meager $15 from Target, Microcenter, Best Buy and Amazon.

Continue reading 'Connect Pritect to Protect Kinect:' for all your tinfoil helmet needs

'Connect Pritect to Protect Kinect:' for all your tinfoil helmet needs originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Feb 2012 13:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

To Pre-Order or Not To Pre-Order...

I've never understood the point of pre-ordering anything that I know I can find in-stock at some store somewhere.  When I worked at Circuit City every year Madden came out we sold a lot of copies but we prepared for that buy having a lot more on hand.  So whats the point of pre-ordering a game or a movie?  In my mind there is no point.  I will admit I pre-ordered Madden 10 last year for no reason, then went to Game Stop at 11pm the night before it came out and got my copy and played it once that night before going to bed and not playing it again until a time later in the evening of the release.  Which means I could've just bought it from the store during the day like anyone else.  But hey I was unemployed at the time and I had time on my hands, going to Game Stop at midnight wasn't a big issue.

This year it is different....

For one I pre-ordered Avatar on bluray from Amazon because I'm a prime customer and get free shipping and the bluray was going for $16.99 when pre-ordered via Amazon.  The bonus to all of this was the fact that it showed up at my door step the same day it was released to the stores.  I got it on time, cheaper, and didn't have to go anywhere to get it! FTW! (for the win).

So when my homeboy told me that amazon had a special for pre-ordering Madden 11 I figured I should check it out, since I was partially thinking about pre-ordering it from Game Stop again and taking advantage of their special offer for getting it from them.  You can pick it up at midnight (I'll probably be sleep), some events get unlocked, and you receive 20,000 coins to use in the game for different game modes.

But then I check Amazon and they tell me if I pre-Order Madden (or any other game you might want, like Halo Reach or Call of Duty: Black Ops) that I will receive a $20 credit towards the next game that I buy.  This is a no brainer... I immediately pre-Ordered mine.  It will be at my door step August 10th, I'm not paying shipping, and Amazon does an auto price match, so if someone else is selling it for less than $59.12, they will refund you the difference.

Here's the exact wording for the deal: 

Get it the day it comes out! Pre-order and select Release-Date Delivery at checkout. See details. Get a $20 Video Games Credit Pre-order Madden NFL 11, for Wii, PS3, or Xbox 360, and get $20 off a future video game purchase. The promotional code will be placed directly into your Amazon.com account within 2 business days after the product ships. Offer valid when shipped and sold by Amazon.com. Promotion valid on all existing pre-orders. Limit one per household. Amazon reserves the right to change or terminate this promotion at any time.

Amazon aides in the fight to be lazy.  

If you have a student email account (.edu) that is still active and you can check it with ease, Amazon is giving out free PRIME accounts, which means 2-Day Shipping is free.