The Synopsis & Cast

With that being said, I recently went to see Kevin Smith’s new film, Zack and Miri Make a Porno. This movie stars Seth Rogen (Knocked Up and Superbad) as Zack, and Elizabeth Banks (40 Year Old Virgin and Defiantly, Maybe) as Miri. Zack and Miri are two longtime friends that are struggling to make ends meet and pay the bills at the apartment they share. In dire need of money, they decided to make a porno. They take off to local strip clubs and sex shops in search of actors and crew. The main story line of the film is about the sex scene that Zack and Miri have for the porno, and the feelings it brings out.

The Review

Zack and Miri is a good film, I will just come out and say it. It offers up a large number of gut busting laughs while holding a pretty good plot line. I am a big fan of Kevin Smith and his past films, so I had high expectations going into this film. Even with the high exceptions, I enjoyed this film. It is not as great as some of his other films, but it is in no way bad.

It does what you would expect, by delivering great one liners, gross out comedy scenes, and very very awkward sex moments. I would go into depth on some of my favorite scenes, but I don’t want to give away to much. There is one scene that is so over the top gross out funny, if you have seen it, you know what I am talking about. It works like Judd Apatows baby being born scene from Knocked up and the re occurrence of male nudity in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, where you can’t look away but it is horrible to watch and funny at the same time. The film also features Craig Robinson who most know as Daryl the warehouse guy from NBC’s The Office. His scene with his stereo type wife towards the end of the movie is one of the classic moments I will remember from this film.

Justin Long (The Apple Guy) and Brandon Roth (Superman Returns) defiantly steal the show during their very short onscreen time. Justin Longs character in general would have added to the film if he stuck around a bit longer.

I took a date to see this movie, but she was prepared for it. I would defiantly say make sure you know what you are getting into before you walk into this movie with your little brother or a uptight girl friend. It is very raunchy, and IS A VERY VERY STRONG R MOVIE.

Overall: B+

The Goodies

IMDB
Official Site
Yahoo! Movies

Some of you know how much of a fan I am of my Flip Mino. I purchased my first Flip Mino video camera back in July. Check out my unboxing and review post of the original Flip Mino. Unfortunately I have not gotten a chance to explore the new Flip Mino HD in person, but I have been reading many rave reviews.

The new Flip Mino HD has a couple of new feature but overall is not that different from the original Flip Mino. It is the same size as the Flip Mino, the same design, the same size LCD display and button layout. All of the new features in the camera are directly related to the addition of HD capabilities. The sounds quality on the HD is pretty much the same as the original Mino, which is great. That is one of the things I really like about the Mino series, is the wonderful audio quality.

The Video

A new resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels which is 720 pixel HD quality. Now, keep in mind that HD from this little camera is not going to be like watching a Blu Ray. Yes, it is HD but it is very highly compressed to allow for maximum recording length on the built in 4GB of memory. It is compressed with H.264 video compression and AAC audio compression which results in a MP4 file format.

I want to make sure it is clear, that this video is HD, but not high quality HD. Yes, I am sure it looks good, but many people don’t understand the concept of being true uncompressed HD and highly compressed HD.

I have watched multiple videos shot on the HD Mino, and it is very good quality for the size of the camera. If I was not so strapped for cash (See Why Here) I would defiantly be purchasing one.

Amazon is known for offering great deals on the Flip cameras, so make sure you keep and eye on the Amazon page for this product. I bought my original Mino on Amazon for $50 less then anywhere else. Here is the product page: Flip Video MinoHD Camcorder, 60 Minutes (Black)

In an attempt to write about stuff that you all want to read, I have added a sidebar application called “skribit.” This application adds the ability for people to suggest topics they would like me to post about. The application will add the suggestions to a list, then over time, my readers can vote on which suggestions they would most be interested it.

Hopefully, this will allow me to better understand what type of content you all want to read. Also, it will definatly help me when it comes time write, and I get writters block. Like I said from day one, I am not a processional writer, so it is hard for me to come up with content sometimes.

So, get your suggestions in now so I can keep this content flowing to you all.

Instead of posting about tech news, I have been dealing with appraisals, inspections, mortgages, and more! I am set to close on my house December 1st, 2008, yay! I have a few week break between now and when I move in, so I am going to take this time to try and post as much content as I can.

The House

Some of you might be interested in my house, and some of you might not, but I am going to talk about it anyways haha. I am purchasing a 2 bedroom, 2.5 bath, end-unit town home here is Atlanta, GA. I am super excited. This is my first ever house, and it is a very nice place. I can thank the economy for getting me such a good price. Below are some pictures. I hope you all like!

The house is in great shape, it is newly painted in and out. I t also has a very well groomed backyard and side yard. Now all I need is furniture, I am currently only renting a room in a house, so all the furniture I have is just office and Bedroom.

I promise you more post are the way.

About 4 years ago Tivo announced they were working with Netflix to bring streaming movies to your TV. That was the last we heard anything about it. Now, Netflix streams to the PC, the MAC, and the XBOX 360. With all the advancements on the other systems, many thought that Tivo might have silently divorced Netflix. Well, it was just announced that Netflix and Tivo have started to role out a private beta of the new streaming functionality to a couple thousand subscribers of both services.

The Official Press Release:

TIVO AND NETFLIX ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP TO INSTANTLY STREAM MOVIES AND TV EPISODES FROM NETFLIX DIRECTLY TO THE TV THROUGH TIVO DVRs

Deal Provides Netflix with New Content Distribution Channel, Solidifies TiVo’s Leading Position as One-Box Solution for Simple Navigation and Delivery Of the Best Entertainment Content to the TV

ALVISO, Calif. and LOS GATOS, Calif.,  October 30, 2008 — TiVo Inc. (NASDAQ: TIVO), the creator of and a leader in television services for digital video recorders (DVRs) and Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX), the world’s largest online movie rental service, today announced that they are teaming up to provide Netflix and TiVo® Series3, TiVo HD, and TiVo HD XL subscribers with the ability to have thousands of movies and TV episodes instantly streamed from Netflix directly to their TVs.

The two companies said they are initiating a test of the new capability today in several thousand U.S. households and expect it to be broadly available in early December, in time for the holidays.  The ability to instantly watch content from Netflix on the TV via TiVo DVRs will be offered at no additional charge to customers who subscribe to both services.

The agreement provides Netflix with an important new technology partner to instantly stream a growing library of more than 12,000 choices of movies and TV episodes directly from Netflix to the TV.  It also solidifies TiVo’s leading position for simple navigation and delivery of the best entertainment content to the TV.

“For Netflix and TiVo subscribers, this collaboration offers a fabulously easy way to enhance the enjoyment of watching movies in the comfort of their living rooms,” said Reed Hastings, co-founder and CEO of Netflix.  “Subscribers to Netflix and TiVo are avid movie watchers and this combination gives them immediate access to all of the great content available through TiVo and the thousands of additional choices available to be streamed instantly from Netflix.”

“Joining forces with Netflix creates the ultimate video on demand service and solidifies TiVo’s leading position as the one-box solution for aggregating, searching, and delivering the best content available anywhere right to the TV,” said Tom Rogers, president and CEO of TiVo Inc. “Adding Netflix to our already vast library of content differentiates TiVo even further from any other offering in the market today.”

Integrating the Netflix streaming functionality into the TiVo experience will result in quick and easy access to a growing list of movies and TV episodes that can be watched instantly at Netflix.  Movies streamed from Netflix via specified TiVo DVRs is done through a wired or wireless broadband connection and a Netflix Queue-based user interface.  Members visit the Netflix Web site to add movies and TV episodes to their individual instant Queues.  Those choices will automatically be displayed on subscribers’ TVs and available to watch instantly through the TiVo service.  With the TiVo remote control, users will be able to browse their instant Queue, make selections right on the TV screen, and also have the ability to read synopses and rate movies.  In addition, they will have the option of pausing, fast-forwarding, rewinding and re-starting whenever they wish.

For more information on how to have movies instantly streamed from Netflix via your TiVo DVR visit www.tivo.com/netflix.

It appears that the release is limited to Tivo Series 3 and Tivo HD. There are codec problems on the Series 1, Series 2, DirecTivo, and Comcast Tivo boxes that will prevent this from being rolled out to all the systems.

I have a Tivo HD and a Netflix account, so I am pretty excited to hear this. Unfotunatly, I was not selected for the private beta testing, so you all will have to wait for my full review of how this works. Subscribe to my rss feed if you are interested in my review.

Geek Brief TV is a very quick and to the point technology/gadget video podcast. I love to watch video podcast, but I find it hard to keep up with a lot of my favorites due to my busy schedule. Geek Brief is one of the two video podcast I make time to watch every week. At an average run time of 3 to 5 minutes, anyone can find time to watch this video podcast.

Geek Brief TV serves up technology news and a couple of new gadgets of the week. Some of the technology goodness includes a flashlight that is actually a drink warmer, an unboxing and slight review of the Aluminum Macbook, and a geek road trip. Yes, I said a road trip. Cali and her crew are currently traveling across the country in a bus, filming at exciting locations and meeting up with some of the big names in the technology world. Currently, Cali is in the middle of a 2 part series “Behind the Scene of the TWiT Cottage with Leo Laporte.”

Besides all the great technology goodness, Geek Brief TV is hosted by the very talented Cali Lewis. On top of being super cute, she is very entergetic, a bit on the goofy side, and very knowledgable. A lot of video podcast these days higher professional actors/models to be the beauty that attacts a geek boys to the show. Well, Cali Lewis has the looks, but what makes her great, is that she is a super geek. She knows technology and can appreciate gadets that are purly awesome on a want only basis.

If you have never seen it, check it out. Youc an find it on iTunes, RSS, and on GeekBrief.TV.

To me, 1Password is the single greatest application on OS X. 1Password is an application that allows you to securely use one master password to access all your web accounts, credit card data, and online identities from your Mac and iPhone. It is as easy as command + |.

What It Does

1Password has 3 main things I consider to be its core functions. The first one is a secure password manager. 1Pasword creates a secure database of all your web passwords and organizes them in a very clear and easy to manage interface. It also helps you to generate very secure passwords all from inside your browser.

The second core functionality associated with 1Password is a great form filler. You can create identities in the application where you fill out names, addresses, phone numbers, emails… Then when you go to sign up for a new web application, all you have to do is click the 1P button and import all your identity info into the form.

The third core functionality is one I don’t really use, but I know people that do, and that is the wallet! This allows you to securely store credit card information in a nice and organized database. It works with credit cards, membership id cards, web services, and bank account numbers.

How It Works

You start by installing the app and the necessary browser plugins. 1Pasword works with a ton of different browsers: Safari 3.0, Firefox 2.0-3.0, Flock 1.1, Camino 1.5, OmniWeb 5.7, DEVONagent 2.3, Fluid 0.9.1, and NetNewsWire 3.1.

Once you have it installed, you have to begin entering all your information. The identities and the wallet items are entered through the 1Password application. The password can be entered inside the application but I find it easiest to enter them through the browser as you visit the various sites. The first time you login to a site it is going to ask you if you want to save the password with 1Password. Once you save it, all you have to do it browse back to the login page and hit command + | and 1Password will automatically fill in your login information and it even submits the form for you.

Is It Safe? Why Use It?

Some people will debate whether is it secure, and if it is safe to use? 1Password allows you to set a master password that you must type in to have the program work. You can set different options for security levels. I personally have the program ask for my master password every 3 hours or the program will disable itself. This is just in case my machine gets stolen. As for my master password, I use a very secure 32 character password that is not written anywhere and is not easily crackable. Add the keychain encryption, and you can rest assured your information is securely stored.

I think it actually helps to secure your info more then if you didn’t use it. With 1Password, you can use a built in secure password generator that will help to generate very complex and random passwords that you don’t have to remember or write down because you use the application. The majority of people on the net use the same basic password across multiple sites with maybe 1 or 2 characters changed. This is bad because those passwords are normally pretty basic and easy to crack. Using this program will also keep you from staying logged into a site can be a security issue in its own.

1Password also helps to prevent password phishing. Password phishing is when you receive an email or IM message from a friend asking you to check out a image. Well, this is not from your friend, but from a hacker, and the site the link sends you to might look like MySpace of Facebook, but it is actually a hacker site. You don’t notice because it looks the same, so you go to login, and yep, the hackers have your username and password. 1Password will help prevent this because when you click command + | on the phishing site, 1Password will notice it is not Facebook.com and will notify you that this is not the site you think it is.

I could go on and on about this application, but the best thing todo is check out the many reviews and awards this application has recieved. Check them out at Agile Software. Also check out the iPhone application in the iTunes app store. This app will sync with the desktop version to allow you to carry your password with you in the same secure way.

In this guide, I am going to show you step by step, how to upgrade to a 4GB RAM kit on a late 2008 model (Uni body Aluminum) Macbook Pro. I am upgrading my 2.4GHz/250GB Macbook Pro from 2GB of RAM up to 4GB. Th process is very easy, but you still need to take it slow so you don’t damage your beautiful Macbook Pro. I believe this same method will work on the new uni body Macbook too, but I have not confirmed this.

BEFORE YOU START:

I would recommend you do this on a table, in a uncarpeted room, doing this on carpet can create static electricity which can fry your whole machines. Also, make sure you shutdown, NOT SLEEP, your Macbook Pro. Finally, disconnect all wires (USB, Firewire, Power,…)

Start by flipping you Macbook Pro over. Be sure to put something under it so you don’t scratch it. I would use some sort of anti static cloth. I am using my neoprene case.

To open the Macbook Pro, flip up the small lever. This will cause the smaller of the 2 plates to raise gently. ** BEAWARE THAT IF YOU HAVE A LOCK ON YOUR COMPUTER THIS LEVER WILL NOT FLIP UP **

When the lever is at a 90% angle the cover should come off very easy. This will reveal the battery (right) and the hard drive (left.)

Apple actually includes some very basic directions on how to access the memory and remove the hard drive on the back of the battery cover. This is new, and pretty handy. I am glad to see Apple is opening up to the concept of laptop customization.

Remove the battery by lifting the clear plastic tab that is attached to it.

** BEFORE YOU PROCEED, TOUCH THE MEDAL FRAME OF THE LAPTOP TO DISCHARGE ANY STATIC ELECTRICITY YOU MIGHT HAVE. **

The memory chips are located under neath the larger cover so we will have to unscrew this cover to access it. There are (4) screws located on the underside of the laptop. The left most screw is a small screw, while the 3 right screws are much long. Make sure you remember which screws go where.

There are also (4) more screws under the cover we already removed.

Using a 1/16th phillips head screw driver. (A screw driver this small can be hard to come by. I bought this one at Lowe’s for $5.00 and it includes multiple size phillips and flat head attachments. I would start by loosening all the screws at once before you actually remove them.

In order to remember which screws go where, I will line them up off to the side in the same pattern as they were removed from the laptop.

Once all the screws are removed, lift the aluminum cover slowely, it might have some sticky glue like material around the edges so don’t pull to hard or you might bend it.

The memory sticks are located right in the center of the laptop. It might look like there is just one because they are stacked on top of each other.

On both the left and right side, you will see a plastic clip that looks like a ball. This is what is holding the memory in place.

Bend both of these clips out (away from the memory chip and the first RAM stick should pop up at about a 40% angle like the picture above. It is important to mentally make note of this angle because you will have to insert the new chip at the same angle. Pull the memory towards where the battery was removed from. **TOUCHING ONLY THE EDGES OF THE RAM STICK** Don’t bend the chip!

Once you have done that the second stick of memory will be revealed.  Remove this one the same way by bending the ball like clips out (away from the chip) on both sides.

The chip should pop up at the same angle as the first. Remove the chip the same way you did the first, but be careful, this second chip is much harder to get a hold of. Remember to only touch the edges of the chip.

Once you have removed both sticks of RAM, open up your new 4GB kit. I purchased a Crucial branded 4GB kit from NewEgg for just about $130.00 shipped.

Place the new RAM in at the same angle the original RAM came out. Note the notch located on the connector, make sure you line up the notch on the stick of memory with the notch on the connector. Make sure it slides into the connector so you can just barely see the gold contacts. This might take a little force, but don’t push to hard. Once you slide it in, push it completely down until the clamps snap into place. Repeat this step again for the 2nd stick of memory.

Once both sticks are locked in to place, it is time to start putting the computer back together.

Start with the larger of the lids. Line it up very carfully with the edges. Screw all (8) screws in about halfway. You want to make sure you all (8) screws are in before you tighten any of them down, this will help to pull the lid down just perfectly. When you are ready to tighten them start with the screws in the (4) corners.

Once you have replaced all the screws, put the battery back. Now that is done it is time to replace the small lid. Start by lining up the bottom of the lid (rounded corners side.) This side needs to go in first. When closing the lid, lower it slowely and close the lever as you push the cover down.

That is it, flip her (or him) over and power her up. The boot up Apple logo might show for a few seconds longer, this is expected because the computer has to analyze the new memory before it boots.

Once you have booted up the laptop click the Apple logo in the upper left corner and open “About this Mac.” If that says Memory 4GB, you are good to go.

I also have a guide on how to upgrade the memory on the old style Macbook Pro laptops.

Disclaimer

This article is ment as a nonprofessional guide. I am not garanteeing you will not damage your Macbook Pro. This is ment as a guide only, I recommend you get an Apple professional technician to install you memory upgrade. I am not to be held responsible for any damage you might cause to you Macbook Pro.

Being the new owner of a solid aluminum body Macbook Pro, I wanted to give a first hand opinion of what to love about the new Apple laptops, and what to hate about them. I will start with the bad news first.

What to Hate About the New Apple Laptops

1. Leading off my list is how the glossy only option is available on both the Macbook and the Macbook Pro. Many people prefer a matte screen option, especially on the Pro models. Matte screens offer truer colors. This is very important to designers and photographers as they need to see true shades of colors for their work. I came from a matte screen model to a glossy screen model expecting to have issues, but I am really surprised at how much it is not a factor for me.
2. Number 2 on my list is one that has not been talked about much. I have noticed that the new Macbook Pro sound quality on the built-in speakers is not near the quality it was on the previous model. What I believe is the problem is that the holes in the speaker greats on the new model are much smaller then the last model. This is causing flat sounding audio.
3. Next on my list of the top 5 things to hate about the new Apple laptops is the lack of firewire 400 on the Pro and the lack of Firewire 400/800 on the Macbook. Firewire is a great technology that allows high speed transfers from video cameras and external hard drives. Having the firewire 800 on the Pro line is great, but many devices only offer 400, so this causes people to buy yet another adapter from Apple.
4. The 4th item on my list is the weight issues. From the time you pick up the box on either the Macbook or Macbook Pro, you will realize that the device gained some weight during its upgrade. During the Apple keynote, Steve jobs discussed how the new “Brick” manufacturing process saved weight from the base of the computer. This is 100% true, the aluminum sections of the new laptops are much lighter then the previous model. The overall increase in weight comes from the large piece of glass that apple installed over the back lit LCD displays. This is a large and sturdy (thick) piece of glass, which probably accounts for close to 50% of the overall weight of the computer.
5. The final item on my list of reasons to hate the new Apple laptops is how apple has sealed the glass, the LCD, and the aluminum backing that makes up the screen. On past models, if you broke the LCD, all you had to do was replace the LCD with the new model, you will have to replace the entire lid, glass, aluminum, and LCD. This could get a bit pricey for some. I guess I will just have to take extra special care of my new Macbook Pro.

What to Love About the New Apple Laptops

1. First on my list of what to love about the new Apple laptops is the addition of the easy swap hard drive. With laptops taking over as most peoples main computers, extra storage is a must for most. I personally have over 100GB of music and growing, so it is very important that I have the ability to expand my hard disk space as needed.
2. Next on my list is the new much quieter optical super drive. Apple has changed the brand and style of the optical superdrive in both the Macbook and Macbook Pro. The model offers a much quieter superdrive with no loud clicks like the previous model. For most, this doesn’t matter, but on my previous model Macbook Pro, I was always concerned that the super drive was breaking because of the loud clicking noises.
3. Third on my list is one some people will notice and other might not. The new elevated position pf the ambient light sensor that controls the the backlit keyboard and the auto dim function for the LCD. This is one minor improvement that I am very much liking. I use to have the problem of my hands covering the sensor which was located under the speaker grills. With it located up high, I find that it work much better in the elevated position where is can more accurately detect the lighting in the room.
4. The 4th item on my list is the most obvious. It is the much sturdier and sexy new uni body aluminum design. The new “brick” style of manufacturing the aluminum bodies for the Macbooks has really helped to provide what feels like a much sturdier design. The palm wrist don’t sag like they use to, and you don’t have to worry about denting it as easy as on the pas Macbook Pro.  Oh, and as I already said, these things just look sexy!
5. The final item on my list is the black backlit keyboard. Alot of previous MBP owners were dreading the day that the Macbook Air black chicklet keyboard would come to the Macbook Pro. I for one, love the new keyboard. The main thing I enjoy, is how much easier it is to see the letters and symbols on the keyboard when the backlight is NOT on. The white lettering on the silver keys just didn’t work for me. I also prefer the feel of the chicklet keys when typing.

Well, that does it for my list, what would your list consist of? Are you a fan of the new aluminum uni body Macbooks and Macbook Pros?

It appears that Apple is having some issues with compatibility when you restore your new Macbook Pro from a Time Machine backup. The wired Apple keyboard does not work with the new Macbook Pro. It appears the issue only occurs when you boot up your new fall 2008 Macbook Pro from a Time Machine Backup.

My wireless logitech mouse which is plugged into the keyboard works, but the keyboard itself doesn’t work. I have confirmed this is happening with multiple people. Are you effected by it?