Halo 3 - Xbox 360

Developer: Bungie Studios
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Release Date (US): September 25, 2007
System(s): Xbox 360 (Reviewed)
Modes: Single player campaign, Co-op, Online co-op,
Rating: M

I will be quick to admit that I have barely gotten through this game. Unlike many of my peers out there, I did not call in sick yesterday or today. Rather I will try to absorb the end of the Halo trilogy as slow as possible. Last night I played a little online and the first level of the campaign.

First Impressions
Even though I'm used to the RB button to reload in games like Gears of War, I keep forgetting and end up deploying a tech/gear/accessory instead of reloading! This is really going to mess me up in Shadowrun, since the RB, LT, and LB buttons are all assignable. Sigh, too bad there wasn't some type of standard.

When you get blown up, look quickly in one direction, or experience some other quick movement, the image on the screen blurs a little. This leaves a pretty nice aesthetic touch to the graphics. The overall graphics aren't that great to be honest (compared to Gears of War) but the Havok Physics Engine is pretty neat. When shooting into the water or driving over it, small splashes appear.

UPDATE 10/7/07
So I've gotten through about 7 of the campaign levels. I'm a little stuck in this one area so I'd rather play with friends online with as many people in co-op as possible. I've also started getting used to using the theater function. You can access the last game you played and take video clips and picture stills of the match. Here are some for you to look at.

I really don't feel like going through a thorough review, so I'm just going to say this game is by far the best of all three. I'm way better on multiplayer now than I ever was in Halo 2. Maybe that's because I own a 360 and I never owned an original Xbox. I do have Halo 2 but I hardly ever played it before (even though I have it both on Xbox and PC!). Halo 3 gets a 9.6/10.

Californication - Mondays 10:30/9:30c on Showtime

Californication stars former Special Agent Mulder (David Duchovny) as an author from NYC living in LA, separated from the mother of his daughter (they never married). His wife is engaged/about to be married to another man, who Hank (Duchovny) learns to hate. The entire story is intertwined with several story lines that are all tied together. I was hesitant in watching this show, but I'm glad I gave it a chance. After two episodes I can honestly say I'm hooked. There is gratuitous nudity, and the relationship between Hank and his "wife" resembles a lot like Denis Leary's in Rescue Me. I give this show an 8.7/10.

Motorola S9 Bluetooth Headphones Review

Last weekend I purchased a pair of Motorola ROKR S9 bluetooth stereo headphones from Fry's Electronics in Houston, TX. Funny thing is my roommate was thinking about buying a pair at the same time I bought these headphones. He ended up buying them at Best Buy in our town of Tyler, on sale for $90 instead of the MSRP of $130. I took his receipt to Fry's this weekend and got my $43.28 or whatever it was with the tax. The thing about Fry's Electronics is that they will honor price matching, as long as it is within seven days of buying the product, and you have proof. I brought the receipt my roommate had to make it easier instead of them looking online or calling the store.

But I digress. What is included is a charger, the headset, two pairs of buds to put on the headphones, and an instruction manual, along with some quick reference cards. The charger is just like every other Motorola charger; mini-USB on one end, standard 2 prong plug on the other. I actually use this to charge my BlackBerry as well when I'm away from home, and not near a computer.

I have a rather large head, so the headphones are just a little bit uncomfortable to me, since they feel a little bit constraining since they are a little tight. However, I can usually get used to it and they become a little bit more comfortable with time. They are supposed to be water and sweat resistant, ideal for exercising. You may need to try the different ear buds since the pair already on may be too big for some ear holes. The headphones are extremely light.

Pairing the headset with devices is extremely easy. You probably don't even need to read how to do it if you've paired anything before. The small light on the headphones indicate if it's pairing, streaming, low battery, etc, although it is a bit ironic it's on the BACK of the headphones where you can't SEE the light when in use. There are also volume up/down, forward/back, play/pause, and answer/hang up buttons built into the sides of the headphones!

Finally, the sound quality is clear, and the range is close to 30 feet as advertised. Battery life seems shorter than the 5-6 hours it is rated, but perhaps that is because I'm enjoying them too much to realize how much I'm using them.

Calls only output audio on the left ear bud, with a hidden mic built into the headphones. Sound quality for people listening to me through the headphones is a bit quiet, but loud enough to understand. However, I bought these headphones to listen to music with, not make phone calls. I have a Samsung WEP-200 for that.

Stereo audio is very clear; my only concern is that the bass is not rich. Bass happy people, avoid this headset. I have heard fuller and richer bass on $20 wired headphones than these.

Pros: easy to pair, no wires, stylish, lightweight, rechargeable, water/sweat resistant, controls
Cons: somewhat uncomfortable for big heads, weak bass, call quality

Overall, great pair of headphones, and I give them a 7.7/10.