Xbox 360 S(Slim) with 250HD

This review is for the Xbox 360 Slim with the 250 gig hard drive. I realize they just announced the arrival of the Xbox one (can Microsoft count? Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One) but the specs for the Xbox one was not impressive. They are similar to the best graphics card and pc gaming rig of LAST year! Plus I don't want a kinect and don't want to pay extra for it. I think MS will lower the price on the Xbox one in about 3 years depending on sales.
I decided to go with the Xbox 360 because of the many features and it looks like the way they are pricing the Xbox one, they will keep the 360 around for a while (budget Xbox one).
I wanted to play old Xbox games so I made sure I got the one with an MS hard drive. Xbox one, to date will not play original Xbox games.
NOTE: if you buy an aftermarket hd for the Xbox 360 slim, it will not play original Xbox games. You have to get the one sold by MS.

If this is not important for you, then buy an Xbox slim for less then $180 on Amazon (wait for a sale) then buy an after market hd.

I bought mine on Amazon for $279. It came with two games, one one disc (DarkRiders 2) and one downloadable one (Batman). One month of Xbox Gold Live, headset, composite RCA hookups and the power brick. The old Xbox 360 power brick is NOT compatible. The old 360 audio video hook up IS.

Since my old tv does not have HDMI, I am using the HD component hook up with optical digital out.
The slim does have a separate optical out but everything works if you use the old 360 av hookup.
The best part of the slim vs. the old 360 is that it is much, much quieter. Load times are much faster and it runs about 10-20C cooler.

The controller it came with have been refreshed cosmetically with new colors. Chrome xbox button and the stick are black rubber instead of the grey.
My last 360 lasted about 6 years with moderate use. I'm hoping MS has learned from their mistakes and this one last twice as the old one.


9 year old review:

One thing I liked about the Xbox 360 was that it came with one game, Marvel Superheros and I like Marvel. The new Xbox came with DarkRiders II and I don't like DarkRiders II.
I liked it was black and I like the color black. I didn't like how long it took to set up.

Pandamimi Black Luxury Steel Aluminum Chrome Hard Back Case Cover Review

This is a review for case for the iphone 4S. It was purchased through Amazon here

The case comes with a pair of protective covers for the iphone and a mini stylus. The stylus works but not really useful for me. I did put the protective covers on the phone but the one for the front of the phone is a matte finish not a clear finish.

The phone case does fit into the phone tightly and offers it a little protection. Make no mistake, this is not a rugged protective case. It was only meant as a holder.

This is only after 2 drops.

The case will only last a few drops the most. It does look nice but the high finish plastic does scratch easily. The black part remains in tact but the overall case can not handle drops at all.

I would recommend this case only if you don't drop your phone. It just protects it from scratches and not much else. 

Review of Alessi Michael Graves Kettle with Small Bird Shaped Whistle

It was bought on amazon here

I was looking for a really heavy duty kettle to use. I had one from XOXO company and it was fine until the lid started to rust. I came upon a kettle on amazon that was highly recommended. 

It is very solid and constructed well. It does say it is 18/10 stainless steel. It looks very nice and comes in a blue or black handle. 

I chose the ivory handle one as it goes better with the dark counter tops I have. The finish is done well and the construction is solid. The seems are welding and sanded very nicely and overall, the kettle is very nice.

The handle is fixed. I think actually like this feature. It won't swing on you when it is really hot plus there are less moving parts to break.

There is just one thing I am really disappointed in was the whistle part of the kettle. It's a deal breaker for me but if you're going to pay $170 plus on a kettle, everything should be perfect. The whistle is plastic!! Plus the metal part in the whistle is not stainless. You can tell that it will break because you also by replacement whistle for it. 

You also have to remove it in order to pour the water out of the kettle! This seems like a bad design. Granted if it was hinged it would more likely break and cause burns. I don't think removing it while it has boiling hot water is any better though. They should have just not had that feature and charged less for the kettle. 

I will have to see how it holds up to use over the next few months. I don't think I will have issues with the kettle itself, but I can see myself throwing the whistle part away in a few weeks

Update 7July 2013

I am very disappointed to say this kettle is crap! The spout started to rust after just a few months of light use. For a kettle to cost this much and have it rust is an outrage. Of course it is beyond the return time period of Amazon so the only recourse I have is through the manufacturer. Even still, I am mad that an almost $200 kettle would be so poorly made out of crappy material that it would rust so quickly. This is not a product worth buying.

“Aim higher in case you fall short”

~Suzanne Collins.

“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection”

- Siddhartha Gautama.