XBOX 360 Purchase Guide Posted 2/17/2009 by PeterB, .NET Prog.

Lincoln recently sent an email to his sister, who was looking for information regarding buying an XBOX 360.  He decided to do some research on the subject, and along with his own experience, he put together a pretty good list of things to taking into account when looking to buy this console.  Many people probably already know a good deal on this list, however if you are completely new to XBOX 360's and aren't quite sure what to get, the following may be a great start for you:

• There are a few “packages” of XBOXs, which I’ll cover below. The one you choose depends largely on how you plan to use the XBOX. If you plan playing games with other people online, you’ll need an XBOX live GOLD account, and probably a headset to talk to people. If you want to download movies or shows and watch them, you may want a larger hard drive to store stuff. (You can buy movies from XBOX Live, or if you have a NetFlix account you can access it through the service too – I’ve heard rave reviews about the Netflix deal.)
  

• Things you shouldn’t worry about:
• Every console comes with one wireless controller. You can buy more controllers for $50 retail each, and buy rechargeable battery packs if you want the convenience.
• You’ll see a lot of confusing stuff about XBOX “silver” and “gold” accounts, and how “this console includes a silver account” or “one month free gold account”…. Ignore all of that. Anyone can create a silver account for free whenever they want (even do it over the web), and that will let you send messages to friends, and make a profile. Whenever you want, you can upgrade to GOLD for one month free. That lets you play games and download some premium content. If you want to keep the GOLD account, it’s $60 bucks for a full year. You can pay with your credit card right over the XBOX (also you can opt to have it “remember” your credit card, for future purchases).
  

• Packages:
•  XBOX 360 “Elite” Console (retail $400)
• 120GB hard drive ($149 by itself)
• HDMI Cable included
• Headset included ($60 by itself)
• This is the big boy, and it’s actually a good deal for what you’re getting. If you have a TV with a HDMI input and plan on doing movie downloads and playing games online, you may want to consider this one. The cable will give you a better picture, and you can use the extra Hard Drive space for storing stuff. Also note that this package usually comes with 2 games – currently they have one with LEGO Indiana Jones and Kung Fu Panda. I played the demo of both of those and they were pretty fun.
• XBOX 360 “Pro” Console (retail $300)
• 60GB Hard drive (half the size of the Elite)
• HD AV cable (not HDMI) included
• Headset included ($60 by itself)
• This is what we bought when we got ours. It also comes with the same 2 games as the Elite. We’ve been happy with it for a while, but I will say that we’ve bought the HDMI cable since, and probably spent more cash on it. We also run out of Hard Drive space quite often. If I was to buy a system today, I would spring for the Elite. But, if you’re not planning on watching a lot of movies, consider this one. It’s totally legit.
• XBOX 360 “Arcade” Console (retail $200)
• 256 MB memory card (not 256GB hard drive!)
• HD AV cable (not HDMI) included
• No headset
• Avoid this lump of crap. The memory card is barely enough to store your saved games. You WILL end up buying a larger drive, and spending more money on it. Also in Microsoft’s effort to produce a lower cost alternative, they skimped on the hardware. People have complained about games not working, the system overheating and failing, and the fans being louder than the other models. I only listed this here so you would know what NOT to get.
  

• Final notes:
• The XBOX Live arcade gives you access to TONS of old-school style games that are a lot of fun. You can often download them for free or for only 5 to 15 bucks. There are also lots of demos you can download and try out. When we got our XBOX, I spent the first 3 months just downloading free stuff and goofing around. Not only did this make the best use of my Live account, but it saved me from having to buy games at Best Buy for $60 a pop. I highly recommend just getting your GOLD Live account and seeing what you can do for free before buying any games.
• If you have any specific games in mind (Like ROCK BAND), consider the possible added cost of the guitars or extra equipment you might need before buying the system. Same thing if you’re looking to buy a specific game, since they can be pretty expensive when they are new.
• Once you decide what you want, if you’re not afraid to purchase online, I would recommend it. You can probably avoid around 10% of retailer mark-ups that way. I like simply checking Amazon.com for their lowest prices on “new” products. Don’t forget about the shipping charges when you’re comparing prices.

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	Tips when Applying for a Job or Internship Posted 1/30/2009 by Michelle, Intern Mgr

Part of my job as the Internship Program Coordinator is to review the applications that come in for the Internship Program here at 352 Media Group.  Over the past couple semesters of reviewing applications I have noticed that on many applications there seem to be consistent issues that people have with their resumes and/or with completing applications.

 
The biggest problem that I have noticed is not including your contact information.  Now, looking over my old resume, I didn't have all of my contact information on there, in particular I felt it was unnecessary to include my address on my resume.  I felt that as a woman who (at the time) lived alone, that I should be very careful with disclosing information to that effect.  While the sentiment was appropriate, being on the other end, it is frustrating when any of the contact information is missing on a resume/application  (phone, email, physical address).  I have had people apply to the program, and leave me without any means of contacting them! So always include your contact information so that I (the reviewer) can contact you through my preferred method.

Another big issue, is not paying attention to information, whether it's the directions on filling out the application form, or a description of the program track.  I have had people apply for every track through our online application system because they were unsure what the different tracks meant (marketing, project management, programming and design).  So instead of asking, they simply applied for all of them.  This is one of the most irritating errors our applicants make, mostly because it's often obvious which track they should be applying for when you consider their resume, but the applicant failed to make the effort to ASK someone about the tracks and which they were best suited for, causing more work on my end as I try to contact them for clarification.  While that doesn't seem like a big deal- having to call a person to get clarification- when you have to do it 20 times, it becomes a real issue.

Here are some other things to consider to improve your application/resume:

• Doble chek yor spellin
  
• Explain your experience in light of the position you are applying for.  If you are looking for a management job, be sure to highlight those experiences where you have had some type of leadership/managerial role.
• Create a cover letter!!! It may seem like a pain, and chances are the reviewer won't want to spend a lot of time reading it, but it definitely makes an applicant stand out, and moreover, gives you the opportunity to explain your experiences in a way that will mean something to the reviewer. For instance, if you have been a lifeguard since High School, and you're looking for a design position, you could talk about how the differently colored bathing suits gave you an appreciation for color and pattern. Ok, so that may be a little extreme, but do some reading on how to write a cover letter and "get 'er done!"

Other things to consider beyond the application:

• When you apply for something and you provide your contact information, be sure you check those forms of contact frequently for correspondence, whether it's checking your email, your snail mail, or keeping up with your voicemails.
• When someone says they want to interview you, get excited! There's nothing less rewarding than interviewing someone who is non-chalant about the whole thing.
  
• If you are on social networking sites, be sure you check to be sure your profile and the pictures you have or are tagged in are G-rated, or otherwise suited to the job you are applying for, because, it's sad, but interviewers DO CHECK FACEBOOK AND MYSPACE!
• If you are coming to an interview, obviously be prepared, but BE ON TIME! If you are going to a new area of town, go there before your interview on a different day so you can be sure where it is.
  
• DO NOT rely on mapquest or google maps to get you there on the day of, as they can be wrong, and they certainly have been wrong in the case of finding our office.
  
• Regardless of if you know where you are going or not, be sure you allow for enough time to get there and to be at least 15 minutes early.  Prompt people make interviewers happy, especially me.  Late people make interviewers irritiated, and you don't want to start your interview that way.  
• Take into consideration traffic flow.  If you have an interview first thing in the morning, around lunch or between 4-6 expect delays and plan appropriately, giving yourself plenty of time to get there and STILL be early.  Think about your route and also consider school zones where you  may only be able to go 15 mph.
  
• If you are going to be late to an interview, call while you are on the way to let the interviewer know you are still coming and your ETA (estimated time of arrival).

Granted, every person who reviews applications and who does interviews will have different preferences in their applicants, but there are certainly pitfalls to avoid.  If you really want the position, show it through paying attention to details, responding promptly to correspondence, going the extra step, being on time and being excited about the position you are applying for!

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	NXE Avatars on the Web Posted 12/9/2008 by Linc, Designer

I can never seem to find an appropriate category for my posts. We don't have one for "Games"? I'll have to make some calls about that.

Anyways, I just signed up for an Xbox Live account last night (finally) and set up my avatar in the New Xbox Experience (NXE). The NXE avatar system is very similar to the Wii's Miis. You can choose your facial features and clothes, skin color and so on, and then play games with your avatar. There are some detailed articles out there comparing the two systems, like this one by Matt Casamassina of IGN (http://uk.wii.ign.com/articles/932/932455p1.html). Basically you'll find the NXE avatars to be more realistic and hip, while the Miis are more customizable, but highly stylised caricatures.

Another item that sets the NXE avatars apart is the ability to view your avatar online. I thought this was awesome:

If you have an NXE avatar, go ahead and find your own picture at http://avatar.xboxlive.com/avatar/yourgamertag/avatar-body.png (replacing "yourgamertag" with your gamer tag).The picture even has a transparent background, so you can place your avatar in whatever background you prefer.

You also have access to your gamertag photo. This is great for blog profiles or forum signatures. Microsoft welcomes you to deep link these avatar pics, so whenever you update your avatar, all the pictures will be updated as well. (Find this one at http://avatar.xboxlive.com/avatar/yourgamertag/avatarpic-l.png or http://avatar.xboxlive.com/avatar/yourgamertag/avatarpic-s.png, for large or small versions.)

Microsoft also exposes other Xbox live data like high scores on your favorite games. For example, here's my gamercard, which is still at zero because I'm apparently terrible at video games:

Personally, I love extensions like this. Suddenly it's not just your video game avatar, but your online persona. This is just one more way Microsoft is connecting the gaming experience to the web, and I hope to see even more of this type of thing in the future.

By the way, you only need a free Windows Live account and access to an Xbox in order to create one of these avatars, so give it a try!

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	Happy Holiday Glamour Shots Posted 11/6/2008 by PeterB, .NET Prog.

So as discussed in my previous post "Peter Brownstein as a Ghoul thanks to Scream Team", I stated that I would make an effort to put up some pictures of myself without the halloween costume.  By doing so, people who do not know me can get an idea of what I look like and compare it to the latex mask.

I was going to look for some pictures on my computer, but it turns out that as a company, we have recently taken pictures for our holiday card.  This year's idea was to take fun glamour shots of everyone in the company and use each one on the cover the holiday card.  Well as you can imagine, everyone had a lot of fun taking over-the-top glamour shots as many props and costumes were thrown around.  Unfortunately, I got tied up in work and was not able to make it to the shoot.  So after everyone had left, I got another camera and with some help, I was able to get many pictures for the holiday card.  Since I was not sure what I wanted to do, I decided to use all of the left over props and take as many as I could.  This way our marketing department had plenty to work with.  Well, as you can imagine, they will only be using one and thus I have many ridiculous images of myself which I can now post here for your viewing pleasure.

So enjoy the pics and feel free to laugh and make fun of them as much as you like.  Also, if anyone has any opinions on what they believe is the most ridiculous, let me know.  Keep in mind that we will be manipulating the images, so the magic looking one could have an orb floating above my hand with doves bursting out of the background.  If there is a popular one then  I will see if I can get it on the holiday card for this year.  

As for the rest of the other employee glamour shots...well you will have to wait until after the holidays.  I will say that a good majority of them are brilliant.

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	Peter Brownstein as a Ghoul thanks to Scream Team Posted 10/31/2008 by PeterB, .NET Prog.

Yes I know, it is a shameless marketing test once again.  However the title is accurate as this year I decided to get a latex max and dress up as a ghoul.  This is my first time ever doing something like this, and I did need some help, but in the end I was pretty happy with the results:

If you thought this was remotely cool, you can pick up latex masks similar to these at The Scream Team.  We have a green screen in the office so we took a camera and shot the above pictures quickly in there.  Hopefully I can take these and add a bit more of a dramatic background later.  Anyway, Happy Halloween everyone.

At this time I am fairly convinced that mostly people at 352 Media Group read this blog, however I am sure PVR has real statistical evidence on where our hits come from.  If I happen to be wrong, and you don't know who I am or what I look like, I will try to put up some images of me later so you have something to compare the prosthetic mask to.  For all you know, I could look like this normally...

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	Ergonomics for the rest of your body Posted 10/8/2008 by Michelle, Intern Mgr

So I've found that working in front of a computer all day is much like running a marathon.  For example, you have to pace yourself to ensure you don't wear out your eyes, hands, or brain for that matter, even with the numerous ergonomic gadgets out there supporting your every move at the computer. 

But you also have to be sure to keep yourself well hydrated- this is something they won't teach you in school kiddies! I've found that unless I put a bottle of water in front of myself I don't think about drinking anything through the course of the work day, which for me can be from 9am to 9pm. Now, for most people not drinking anything at work probably wouldn't be a big deal. Unfortunately, for those of us lucky ones, dehydration can lead to vertigo, and if you are not blessed enough to have experienced this wonder of nature, ride on one of those gravitron rides for like 5 hours, get off, and then try to walk while looking at a fixed object, and that is how you will feel all the time. Lovely, isn't it :-)

So moral of this story, stay hydrated because no office supply place has a cushion to keep you from feeling the consequences if you don't.

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	Something in the water at 352 Media Group Posted 10/8/2008 by Michelle, Intern Mgr

You know how they say that women who spend alot of time together tend to cycle at the same time?  I'm starting to think that the idea of proximity leading to shared life stages goes beyond aunt flo.  Here at 352, there has been a couple waves, namely weddings and babies, rippling through the office, even in the short time that I have been with the company!

To be honest, I'm not sure which came first- the wave of babies, with our (former) Office Manager, VP of Marketing, a Graphic Designer and a new Sales Manager all bringing their bundles of joy into the world - or the wave of engagements and upcoming weddings, with myself and my fiance Peter Brownstein, a programmer here at 352, then another Programmer, a Project Manager and then our Business analyst and our VP of Finance!!

It's obvious that there must be something in the water here, or perhaps it's in the air.... all I know is that if we have to share something, I'd rather we all get engaged then all get the flu.

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	Saves more than just TV Shows Posted 9/3/2008 by JanS, Acct Mgr

You would think the ability to load up on TV shows to watch at your convenience would lead to couch potato marathons, many extra hours of TV watching, and disassociation from others, especially your significant other.  

Not so says NDS. 43% of users actually report improvements in their relationships since purchasing a DVR.  Upon further inspection the DVR is less demotivating than you might think.

Among many other things, if you're in the mood to watch TV you're probably going to end up surfing and watching total crap even if nothing is on.  Not so with a DVR.  You've always got content at your finger tips and can get your fix without surfing for hours.   More quality time to spend with your loved one is always good for the relationship.  Also, there is no reason to fight over which show to watch if you both have different favorites on at the same time.  Most DVR's can record one show while watching another.  You're also more likely to watch each other's shows proving unique bonding time. 

In my humble opinion the biggest reason for the DVRs relationship power is the pause button.  No need to get frustrated if you're watching something important and your significant other needs you to do a chore.... pause, take out garbage, get a beer, unpause.  Everyone's happy.  

Steve Tranter, vice president, broadband and interactive delivery, NDS Americas says,"It's one of those technologies that, once you use it, it makes you wonder how you coped before."

What do you think...  helped, hurt, no effect?

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	How Many of Me? Posted 4/9/2008 by Caroline, VP, Finance

Normally I loathe email forwards, and thankfully my family and friends fall into the same category. So I don't get much in the way of the forward -- with the exception of my long lost Nigerian cousins who are willing to give me millions in return for helping them out financially.

Still, I cringe when I see something that I suspect is a forward, and usually don't take a look. Today was different, though, and that has led me to HowManyOfMe.com , which obviously amused me enough to blog about it. I wouldn't call this 100% factual - the site makes a point to mention that All numbers estimated based upon statistical anddemographic data from US Census Bureau.For entertainment purposes only. -- but it's entertaining nonetheless.

Apparently, I'm not remotely a trendsetter:

... but at least I can take pride in the fact that  I beat out 146 other me's to get my domain name registered, and 145 to get a remotely close gmail account.

Bad news for Declan, though... apparently he's a figment of our imaginations.

Check it out in your spare time... how many of you?

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	Worst Phishing E-mail Ever Posted 4/1/2008 by Linc, Designer

Dear Sir and/or Madam,

Greetings! I am the Prince of the Internet. It has come to my attention that all of your personal information has fallen into the wrong hands. Do not be alarmed though, I can quickly remedy this problem. You need only send the following information to info-can6896.af.jz@sztarzawa.ws:

• Full Name
  
• Date of Birth
  
• Mother's Maiden Name
  
• The name of your favorite pet
  
• Address & Phone Number
  
• P.O. Box (please include a penciled outline of the postal key so that we may verify stolen copies)
  
• Social Security Number
  
• Any uncashed Social Security cheques (we will return them at no cost to you)
  
• Bank Account Number (and Routing Number, please. I will not be able to deposit my deceased father's fortune into your bank account without the Routing Number)
  
• 4-digit PIN
  
• 5-digit PIN
  
• 8-digit PIN
  
• Go ahead and send us all the PINs you have
  
• Online banking username/password
  
• iTunes username/password
  
• Webkinz username/password
  
• Any locker combinations and the location of your secret diary
  
• The details of where you were last night and who that girl was you were talking to

Please expedite this information as quickly as possible, before a nefarious web-pirate takes control of your identity and ruins your life.

Warmest Regards,

Njalawa Khoszvenya
Prince of the Internet

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