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8 days of free movies from Best Buy’s CinemaNow service

Best Buy has a pretty sweet deal for its CinemaNow digital download/streaming movie service that started yesterday. They’re offering up 8 free movie “purchases” (1 per day) for their Facebook fans. The deal started yesterday, so if you’re jumping in on it now, you’ll be able to get 7 free movies over the next 7 days if you so desire.

Yesterday I was easily able to redeem a coupon code for this promotion and I now “own” a digital copy of the film “Horrible Bosses”. Each day, you’ll be able to choose a free movie from a selection of approximately 8 films in their “showcase”, which will change daily.

Best Buy describes the promo by saying “Happy Holidays to you and your family from Best Buy & CinemaNow. There’s an advantage to being a Facebook fan – We are gifting our fans a complimentary movie each day for 8 days! Click here for today’s code to choose from 8 different titles for download.”

To get in on the free movie goodness, you’ll need to Like the Best Buy page on Facebook and then go to the “8 Days of Movies” app to get a new promo code each day, redeemable for one free movie in their showcase selection, while supplies last.

After you grab your promo code, head over to the CinemaNow offer page, select a movie, “Buy” it in SD, enter your promo code and enjoy your free flick!

Note: The free movie promo code for today (11/30) is not yet live as of the publishing of this post. Keep checking the Facebook page until it shows today’s free movie code.

Smartphones for the budget minded

In the world of technology, everything is so cutting edge that if you don’t have the latest quantum-core, fiber-spacial smartphone, you might as well be living in antiquities. I don’t really blame the tech writers for this, nor do I harbor any ill feelings towards the tech subculture that these writers cater to. But I’m not that guy, and you probably aren’t either.

Don’t get me wrong, I love technology, and I have been an early adopter on many technologies. I was on the internet before the World Wide Web was a thing. I was the first person in my area to have cable internet. But I’m also not a wealthy individual, so I’m not neck deep in technology. I didn’t have a cellphone until 2004. I still use a basic phone whose primary function is talking, and it doesn’t have a qwerty keyboard.

The allure of the technology is great, but I haven’t had enough desire to go that route. I don’t need to be connected to the internet all the time. I’m already in front of a computer nine-hours every work day, so it’s also nice to have a break from it while I’m away from work. And I’ve got to admit, a pet peeve of mine is when people pull their phones out while we’re talking, or at the dinner table.

But life is changing for me where the use of some features, like GPS or Google Music, would be practical. I’ve also just reached the contract end on my current wireless provider (T-Mobile), so it’s the perfect opportunity to seek out my options.

One of the major priorities I have is economical. My budget is at its limits as it is, so I must justify increasing my mobile plan rates with cuts somewhere else. The best case scenario would be to lower my overall rates. So I took the method of factoring in monthly rates, activation fees, and phone costs and average it out for two-years so I can compare costs between services both contractual and pay-as-you-go. I won’t go into the details here, but I found that if I were to use my current mobile service payments as the baseline (700-shared minutes and unlimited texts on two phones), a cheap smartphone at $99 plus only smartphone data plans would cost over $1,200-per-year. If my wife and I both did this, it would be over $2,400-per-year, obviously. Is that worth it?

Everyone has different priorities, but is having access to Facebook in my pocket worth as much as a decent low-cost vacation? My wife and I could hit the Mexican Riviera on Carnival Cruise for a week with that amount of cash, or I could have GPS when I’m out of town once a month, and I can compare prices while I’m shopping (which isn’t very often at my income level). I know there’s more to a smartphone than that, but I’m finding it very difficult to justify such a hefty price just for the minor convenience of the laugh track app when I tell a particularly dry joke.

One website I follow covered this dilemma and opted for Virgin Mobile or Boost Mobile as alternatives. Today being Cyber Monday, Virgin Mobile is offering three Android smartphones for 50% off, and an unlimited data plan starts at only $35-per-month. At that rate, a smartphone would be even cheaper than what I’m currently dealing with. But as price isn’t the only factor in economics, I don’t know how the Virgin network compares to other alternatives.

I really hope I’m not the only one who is in this predicament. If you have done this accounting for yourself and decided one way or the other, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts.

Pocket XShot: even better than the original

We previously reviewed the XShot 2.0 and the verdict was clear, we dug it. The little contraption proved itself to be very useful and turned out to be one of our favorite camera accessories of all time.

The only issue that we had was that it was a bit too bulky and long, making it tough to carry around in a pants pocket. Not quite as portable as we’d like.

It seems that XShot took that feedback from their customers and improved their product once again. They now offer the Pocket XShot, and as you might expect, it’s small enough to fit comfortably in a pocket.

Whereas the XShot 2.0 collapsed down to 9 inches, the Pocket XShot compacts down to a mere 6.5 inches, just the right size in our opinion. Let’s take a look at the 2 products side by side.

XShot 2.0 vs Pocket XShot, fully compacted

In the fully collapsed, compacted configuration, the pocket XShot is a great size and highly portable. But does it also help you take great photos? Yes. I use the Pocket XShot a lot. It is a constant companion to my digital cameras and camcorders.

Let’s take a look at a sample photo taken using the Pocket Xshot.

Pocket XShot Sample Photo

Note: the photo above was cropped down from the full image. Camera: Canon PowerShot SD960 IS Digital ELPH.

As you can see from the image above, the Pocket XShot can help you take some great looking photos on your own, without messing with a tripod or having to bother anyone else for help.

The only negative that we ran into while using the Pocket XShot has to do with its tripod mounting screw threads. One of the bonus features of the accessory is that the bottom screws off and you can then attach it to a tripod. Unfortunately, the Pocket XShot would not fit or screw on to our Gorillapod mini tripod. This is a minor complaint and definitely not the product’s core purpose, but it’s still worth mentioning.

After extensive use, we can easily recommend the Pocket XShot for your self-photographing needs. You can pick one up for $19.95 on Amazon.

Disclosure: XShot sent me a Pocket Xshot to review.

Swype: a better virtual keyboard for smartphones

For the longest time, I was a big fan of a physical keyboard on a smartphone. It all started with my very first “smarter” phone, the HTC Dash (Excalibur), which ran Windows Mobile. Of course, WinMo didn’t have any touch capabilities, so a physical keyboard was a requirement.

From the dark days of WinMo, I transitioned over to Android, first with the T-Mobile (HTC) G1 and then over to the original Motorola Droid. One of the reasons I went with the Droid was due to the inclusion of the slide out, full QWERTY keyboard. Many other Android phones at the time (and to this day) opt to skip a physical keyboard altogether and for good reason. Physical keyboards add thickness, weight and cost to a device.

Suffice it to say, the default Android virtual keyboard leaves something to be desired, although it has improved some with newer Android updates. Even so, I still find the Android virtual keyboard lacking and unacceptable for use as a primary input method.

Enter Swype.

Getting in on the Swype for Android beta

When I first learned about a new virtual keyboard that allows you to “type” words by connecting all of the containing letters in one fluid motion (think connect the dots with letters), I immediately wanted to try it. Fortunately for me, at the time they were getting ready to launch their Android application and were accepting beta testers. I was accepted into the beta program and I’ve been happily using Swype ever since. Nowadays, I rarely use a physical keyboard on a smartphone.

Swype is available to OEM manufacturers (eg HTC, Samsung) and now comes pre-loaded on many Android phones. The app makes for a fantastic primary input method, no physical keyboard required.

Unfortunately, if you have an Android phone that did not come pre-loaded with Swype, you are probably out of luck. The app is noticeably missing from the Android Market, as the company does not make it available for consumer purchase. Bummer.

If you’re in the market to purchase a new Android phone, I highly recommend that you get one that includes Swype pre-loaded. I’ve tried an imitator (another slide-typing keyboard app) on Android and it was vastly inferior. Swype does it right.

If and when I need to transition to another keyboard, it’ll be a difficult adjustment for me after using and enjoying Swype for so long.

Swype virtual keyboard Pros

Easier to use than the standard Android virtual keyboard
Word suggest
Quick
Customizable
Google Voice input key

Swype virtual keyboard Cons

Not available in standalone form to consumers (not on Android Market)
Beta Updater buggy, often requiring uninstallation & then a fresh install
No install to SD card option

Update: The newest version of Swype (3.26) now provides automatic app updating. Finally!! No more hokey installer app to mess with.

Roku offers cheapest ever media player

Just in time for the holiday shopping season, Roku is offering a limited edition “Purple box” for only $49.99. The Roku LT offers the same features as the Roku 2 HD, except without Bluetooth nor expandable memory slot.

With more than 300 streaming channels including Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, Pandora, EPIX, Crackle, Disney and HBO GO, Roku is considered one of the best choices for streaming video players. The Roku LT streams 720p high-definition video and features built-in wireless.



The Roku LT will be available from Roku.com, Amazon.com and in retail stores.

Shoot it! smartphone postcards app review

With the recent announcement of Apple’s new Cards service, it’s a good time to post about one of the original smartphone postcard services: Shoot it!

The concept is simple. Take a photo with your smartphone, upload it to Shoot it!, add a message, add a recipient, click “Shoot it!” and the service will deliver a real-world glossy photo postcard, for as little as $1.29 (previously a buck) for US addresses. The cost for delivering a to other countries is slightly higher.

These smartphone postcards are great for vacations, holidays, sending the parents or grandma a photo, sending a little something to a friend or for many other occasions.

So what do they look like? Here’s a sample.

Sample Shoot it! photo postcard – front

Please pardon the fatso photo. This was back in 2009, before I went vegan. Tera looks lovely as always, of course.

Sample Shoot it! photo postcard – back

Shoot it! postcards app review

Unfortunately, the Android app suffers from multiple issues, making it almost unusable. I tested the app using the Motorola Droid (original) with Android 2.1 and 2.2.

For starters, the screen layouts and design could use some help. On some screens you have to scroll past empty space for no apparent reason, just to get to the button that you need to press to proceed.

The biggest problems, however, are the session timeout and force close issues, which pop up frequently. If you’re taking awhile to prepare and submit your postcard order by adding multiple recipients or typing up your postcard message, the Shoot it! app often times out, dropping your session and completely losing everything you’ve worked on so far. It doesn’t even save work in progress cards to a draft section. The app crashes (Force close) and you have to start over again from scratch and login anew. Frustrating.

If you’re sending to someone in your contacts that has a second line in their address, like an apartment or suite number, the Shoot it! Android app will fail to import that part of the address and you’ll need to manually enter it in the app each time. Very annoying.

I have no idea how the iOS Shoot it! app performs, but if it’s anything like the Android app, I’d be surprised if they maintain any regular customers.

Shoot it! Positives

High quality glossy photo postcards
Send from anywhere in the world using a phone or computer
Support for mailing to numerous countries
Low cost
iOS, Android & web browser support

Shoot it! Negatives

Android app is buggy, unstable and almost unusable
No editing or crop control
Doesn’t support all countries (I could’t send to Peru)
Address book stored on website isn’t accessible in Android app
Can’t edit address book entries stored on the website
Postcard font size not adjustable to allow for more text

Disclosure: Shoot it! provided me with 50 credits for helping to beta test the Android app. I provided a lot of feedback on the many bugs & issues with the Android app, but they never did get them fixed.

Sony revamps defective TV program

Last year, I wrote about the program Sony set up to replace defective LCD rear-projection HDTVs. As it turns out, every rear-projection TV Sony has ever made is defective, so they offered a program to replace the rear-projection TVs with direct-view LCD flat-panel HDTVs.

But Sony has a lot of problems. They’re losing money like crazy. After offering a trade-in program for almost two years, Sony abruptly ended the program on October 27, 2011, along with the restructuring of their TV business.

On November 1, 2011 Sony instated a new program. The new program offers significantly less than the old program.



If you have a Sony rear-projection HDTV, you may have missed the better deal, but it’s not too late to trade in the defective set for a discount on a flat-panel. Click on this link to find out more.

Sony truly has tough luck with their TV technologies. They recently recalled 1.6 million Bravia LCDs do to an overheating issue which could cause fires.