PC World has the lowdown on what it’s like to work tech support at any organization, and it’s all sadly so so true. Having worked tech support for a long time myself, I can say that death threats, threats in general, and being treated like a janitor in a shirt and tie are all completely common happenings and the kind of ridiculous disrespect and disdain that support technicians get on a regular basis-even the nicest and most patient ones-is simply part of the job, and you come to expect it and even get used to it.

While I can’t say that anyone ever really threatened my life, I have had plenty of people curse uncontrollably at me, demand that I fix something that was physically impossible or actually a user-error issue, and insist that I completely reprogram an application like Microsoft Wordto make it more convenient for them. The tips in the article are solid though; be nice and you’ll get your issue resolved quicker-no support tech is in your office or home to chat with you and make friends-they want to resolve your problem so they can leave and move on to the next one, so expect them to be professional and kind, and in turn you should be the same to them. They’re human beings like you, so treat them with that respect; not like a nuisance who’s come willingly to be underfoot.

Often we discuss the best way to get tech support, or the best ways to not have to deal with tech support at all, this gives you an interesting (albeit definitely incomplete) insight into the life of the person on the other end of the line.

[ PC World :: Tech Support: Life on the Other End of the Line ]

I saw this over at Kotaku [ http://www.kotaku.com/ ] today and had to say something about it, if for no other reason than the arcade machine is incredibly cool. The death of the arcade has been long upon us here in the United States, but over in Japan, the arcade is still king and kids at home with consoles consider themselves “training up” to go and demolish the competition at the local arcade. Well, in this case all I can do is pray that some of these make their way stateside to the more adult-oriented arcades (not like that you pervs) like Dave and Buster’s and Jillian’s that buy stuff like this up. Hey, a guy can dream, can’t he? (Honestly, there’s little to no chance we’ll see this in the States.)

Anyway, the game is called Kidou Senshi Gundam: Senjou no Kizuna, and yes, I’m a Gundam fanatic. Hey, a boy loves his giant robots, ever since my first Transformers toy I was smitten by the notion, and this particular game goes a long way to prove that even the most complicated of giant mecha can be controlled with two joysticks and foot pedals. The machine is complete with a screen that’s physically larger than the person who’s seated in the machine, and they use the combination of joysticks and foot pedals to control their Gundam and blow enemy Zakus to oblivion.

Regardless, the price tag is pretty steep for these devices, so there’ll only be a few in each arcade, but Namco is networking them across Japan, so I imagine there’ll be some hot multiplayer action between a teen in Tokyo and a bored college student in Okinawa. I, for one, would love to sit in one.

[ Kotaku :: 180 Degree Gundam Cockpit Game Gets Tested ]

[ Insert Credit :: Senjou no Kizuna location test ]

[ Kidou Senshi Gundam: Senjou no Kizuna :: Official Website(Japanese) ]

…Okay…

Nintendo had been hinting at a rename for the Nintendo Revolution console for a while now; saying in press releases and in front of the public that “revolution” was not so much a name but a notion that the next Nintendo console was going to represent a “revolution” in gaming. When we got a look at the controller, that remote-control looking device at the top that apparently will be able to connect to other add-on devices for it and communicate with the console wirelessly, we wondered what Nintendo had in store for it’s little “revolution.”

Nintendo announced that it would offer a downloadable content service called Nintendo “Go,” a few months back, and we thought for a while that maybe that was going to be the new name for the console. Thankfully, we were wrong.

But now I have to wonder whether or not “revolution” or “go” were bad in comparison to “Wii.” According to Nintendo’s press release, “Wii” means “we,” and is pronounced as such. Still confused? Here’s the release:

Introducing… Wii.

As in “we.”

While the code-name Revolution expressed our direction, Wii represents the answer. Wii will break down that wall that seperates videogame players from everybody else. Wii will put people more in touch with their games… and each other. But you’re probably asking: What does the name mean?

Wii sounds like “we,” which emphasizes the console is for everyone. Wii can easily be remembered by people around the world, no matter what language they speak. No confusion. No need to abbreviate. Just Wii.

Wii has a distinctive “ii” spelling that symbolizes both the unique controllers and the image of people playing it. And Wii, as a name and a console, brings something revolutionary to the world of videogames that sets it apart from the crowd.

So that’s Wii. But now Nintendo needs you. Because it’s really not about you or me. It’s about Wii. And together, Wii will change everything.

Okay, sure…this obviously means that Nintendo is planning on a significant focus on multiplayer gaming and gaming over the internet, possibly wirelessly, (the DS has had serious success with this) and sure, I understand the rationale for the name, but seriously-have your marketing guys never even spoken to a gamer? I mean seriously, the name reminds me of certain popular net videos that bear similar words.

Either way, I have to admit, if the downloadable content service has the game catalogs of previous Nintendo consoles, and some of those games are playable over the internet with friends, and the console is relatively cheap in comparison to the XBox360 or the PlayStation 3 (whenever we see it), then it might be a worthwhile purchase. Only time will tell if it’s a good product, but I have to wave my hand in front of my nose at the…interesting choice of name. I can only imagine the “wii” pronunciation wars (and endless endless “wii wii” jokes) that we’ll see in the coming months.

That all being said, I found it interesting (and of course, amusing) that the website for the page is still [ http://www.nintendo.com/revolution ] and that nintendo.com/wii doesn’t exist yet. Maybe soon? In the meantime, head over to [ http://revolution.nintendo.com/ ] to see a cute little video introducing the Wii.

[ 1up.com :: Are Wii Ready? Nintendo's Revolution Renamed ]

[ IGN.com :: Introducing Nintendo Wii ]

The Consumer Electronics Association [ http://www.ce.org/ ] has launched a pretty bold ad campaign against the RIAA and its demands on both their customers (in telling the average person what rights they do and don’t have with content that the customer owns, and their campaign to steadily draw back and down the rights and freedoms the everyday person has to use and enjoy the media and content that they’ve purchased) and on their members. (in demanding that consumer electronics manufacturers impliment and use varying DRM standards, applications, and technologies, by pressing on electronics companies to bend to their irrational campaign to demonize their customers without working with them to develop those technologies and work on standards)

It’s about time the RIAA learned the difference between what a pirate is and what a pirate isn’t, and families who don’t own computers aren’t pirates. 12 year old girls aren’t pirates. And it’s about time the RIAA stopped oppressing and harassing their customer base in the name of “protecting” their content and then whining when their customers don’t shell out like they used to, and instead start producing content that people want to consume and giving them the options they want as far as consuming it. But that’s just my opinion. Apparently the CEA agrees, although in their own words.

The ad is running in two Capitol Hill publications today, and will hopefully attract the attention of both RIAA lobbyists and lawmakers on Capitol Hill who are currently debating hot-button issues like copyright reform, the DMCA II, and so on. The full sized ad is linked at the EFF link below.

[ EFF :: Who Are You Calling "Pirate"? ]

Over at [H] Consumer (an offshoot site of HardOCP [ http://www.hardocp.com/ ]) some dilligent editors have published a pretty complete roundup of the kinds of service and information you should expect if you head into your average electronics store looking to buy a computer. And since many many people wind up actually going to an electronics store for computer purchasing and rely on the sales and technical staff in the store for accurate information and buying advice, this review is all that much more important.

The editors hit four different stores, Best Buy, CompUSA, Fry’s Electronics, and Circuit City. Of the three stores, most of them provided pleasant customer experiences, but none of them were completely on the ball when it came to information-many sales reps in some of these stores couldn’t tell the difference between a Sempron and Athlon processor, and to be perfectly honest, if you can’t tell the difference and don’t know where to tell the customer to find that information out, you shouldn’t be selling someone a computer. (just my opinion!) Additionally, some of the folks were lacking in that necessary knack that people who work in technology oh so often need (and many of us have!), which is the ability to translate technical information into information that everyone can use; but it’s better to get technical information than no information at all, so the editors make an excellent point that if you’re feeling like you’re not getting the help you need and the information you need, seek out one of the store’s technicians-they usually have the technical training to ive you the answers you need.

Regardless, the article is an excellent look at the kind of average service you’ll get if you were to actually blindly go looking for help in an electronics store, and walk in armed only with the knowledge of what you’d like to do with a new computer, expecting the staff to be able to discern what features and type of system you’ll need to get it done. The moral of the story? Do your homework! Buying a new computer is definitely not a haphazard purchase, and just as if you were buying anything expensive or important, you should definitely do your homework, ask more technically inclined friends that you trust, and look around the web for excellent deals, rebates and coupons, and other people who can give you serious buying advice.

[ [H] Consumer :: Retail Computer Purchasing Experiences ]

Personally, I’m an avid World of Warcraft [ http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/ ] player, and I absolutely love the game without a doubt; but one element of the game that I can definitely do without are the queues to sign in when the servers are full during peak gaming hours (it’s been on and off lately) and on the weekends sometimes. It’s a bit annoying to pay Blizzard (the company hosting, managing, and that owns World of Warcraft) to wait in line to play a game I’m playing for, but I’m not so angry about it that I can’t tab out while I’m in queue and do something else-if you look around the net, you’ll find people much much less patient about those queues than I am.

Regardless, it’s indicative that there’s a problem, and since World of Warcraft has over 6 million subscribers (and that’s growing), any server problems that Blizzard involving the game are definitely going to only become more and more problematic in the future as the subscriber base keeps growing. CNet has taken on the story, and gets in deep to what the problems are, why Blizzard may be having these kinds of problems, how much of it is legit and how much of it is just whining by unhappy or impatient players, and more! Here’s an excerpt from the story:

With 6 million subscribers, each of whom pays $15 a month, Blizzard Entertainment’s online game “World of Warcraft” has become a billion-dollar enterprise.

Now comes the hard part: Making sure WoW is always up and running. Some players are angered by ongoing server problems that have led the game to crash without warning while they were playing. Complaints have also surfaced about long lag times and frustrating waits to even play.

Despite Blizzard’s contention that it’s been keeping WoW customers informed of system problems at all times, some players contend that the company has been slow to react to complaints and reluctant to offer support when problems arise.

I wouldn’t say that Blizzard has been slow to react to problems, and I think they keep us in the loop, but then again, I’m definitely one of those people whose “just deal with it” tolerance levels is way up there, and I can’t speak for everyone’s experience with the game. Some people I’ve heard were so fed up with login problems, wait times, lag, and other factors that they up and cancelled their accounts, no looking back. I think that’s a little extreme, but then again, I have a level 60 hunter that needs better gear, so I’ll be in game for a while longer, I think.

[ CNet :: World of Warcraft Battles Server Problems ]

Playlist Magazine [ http://playlistmag.com/ ] has an excellent cover story today with some really easy and useful tips to prolong the battery life of everyone’s favorite digital music and media player. I know, I know, in real life, the iPod doesn’t get what Apple says you should get in terms of hours and songs played, but I can tell you that it’s pretty close in my experience, but sometimes even 10 hours of straight play time isn’t enough to sate your hunger for music, podcasts, and episodes of Saturday Night Live. (Or in my case, 10 hours of leaving it on in your suitcase. Yeah, silly me.)

So while the tips include some simple and free things you can do, like using the Hold button to make sure that your iPod doesn’t get inadvertantly turned on while in your bag or in its case and keeping your iPod warm (something I wish I knew the time I left it in the car overnight in the middle of January), they also include some pretty decent ideas that cost money, like buying a new high-capacity battery and installing it (or having it installed) or buying an external battery pack to lengthen the life of your iPod. All this and more, and a definite must-read for all iPod owners and enthusiasts!

[ PlaylistMag :: Prolong iPod Battery Life ]

TechWeb has collected their top 10 Windows XP tips of all time, and over at Yahoo! they’re sharing them with the world! The tips are pretty solid though, so don’t be fooled by the Yahoo! branding of the page, they’re not all for newbies and some of them are pretty good even for advanced users. For example, a lot of the tips are registry edits, like setting custom resolutions and halting background services that will improve your system’s overall performance, but some of the tips are good for even the most novice users, like scaling back System Restore, scrubbing the hard drive clean, and adding a second display to your computer.

Definitely check em out to see which ones apply to you, and if you’re not comfortable editing the registry, no biggie, some of them help you get around that; even so, it’d be a good time to learn, especially since some of these tips are right on the ball and will help improve the performance of your system dramatically. Enjoy!

[ Yahoo TechWeb :: Top 10 Windows XP Tips of All Time ]

Now we don’t like to delve into politics here at GnW, but sometimes we can’t help it. The Electronic Frontier Foundation [ http://eff.org/ ] is taking on the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and their insane lawsuits against 12-year old kids (for copyright infringement, apparently the RIAA wants $2,000 from this girl for mp3s she may or may not have downloaded, and she and her family live in public housing in New York) and families that don’t even own a computer in the household. Stop the insanity! The EFF is looking to beef up their petition to the Senate and House Commerce and Judiciary Committees to try and get someone to tell the RIAA to stop terrorizing innocent people and to stop filing these ridiculous lawsuits against people. The EFF’s stance is that “copyright law shouldn’t make criminals out of 60 million Americans,” and I definitely agree with that. Here’s a little tidbit from the statement:

To The United States Congress:

We are the customers and former customers of the member labels of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). We love music and will gladly pay a fair price for it, but we are outraged by the RIAA’s tactics in suing ordinary Americans for filesharing.

We condemn the RIAA’s choice to force the family of a 12 year-old girl to forfeit $2,000 – money that could have gone to feed, clothe and educate this honor student. We stand with the retirees, parents, children and others who have been caught in the RIAA’s line of fire.

We respect reasonable copyright law, but we strongly oppose copyright enforcement that comes at the expense of privacy, due process and fair application of the law.

We urge you, as our representatives in Congress, to stop this madness.

Hear, hear! Head on over and check out the petition, and add your name today!

[ EFF :: Take a Stand Against the Madness; Stop the RIAA! ]

In honor of Earth Day [ http://www.earthday.net/ ], which was April 22nd, CNet has posted an article that addresses an incredibly important question of our time: “Where do our computers go when they die?”

Well, the answer is usually “The landfill,” and given the amount of harmful chemicals, plastics, metals and composites that should be properly disposed of that are in the average PC, this is a tragedy waiting to happen; a massive breakdown of chemicals and runoff that could poison soil and groundwater and clog landfills with non-degradable components that will sit there for thousands of years to come. So what’s the solution? Recycle your computer!

The CNet article includes a great deal of information on how you can recycle your PC, including looking for a local hazardous materials disposal center in your area, checking with your PC manufcaturer to see if they have a PC takeback or disposal program (Apple just announced their new program here: [ Apple :: Recycling ] for example) and making sure that you’ve completely erased the data from your hard drives before turning over your old PC to someone who will hopefully break it down and dispose of it properly. Check out CNet’s article here, and their Quick Guide to disposing of your system the right way:

[ CNet :: Trash that PC in an Eco-Friendly Way ]

[ CNet :: Trash your old tech--the green way ]