Gamez and Gadgetz

Archive for July, 2010

These days, more transactions take place with credit and debit cards than cash. Using ‘plastic’ is simply more convenient. Carrying and managing a card in your pocket is easier and safer. You can’t shop online or place orders over the phone with cash. It’s a huge hassle to try to pay your utility, cellphone, or other bills with cash rather than online or over the phone with a card. And how in the world would you pay for your Xbox Live membership with cash?

Despite the many advantages that plastic has over cash, there are certain drawbacks, which can cause serious financial problems for many Americans. Credit cards charge high interest rates and debit cards carry the risk of insanely high overdraft fees. Who hasn’t at one time or another failed to monitor the account balance and made a couple of small purchases after the funds ran out? Banks make a large percentage of their profit by gouging their customers with huge fees for every little, understandable mistake. They even design their computer systems to make it more likely that you will incur an overdraft charge. Millions of Americans have lost the ability to open a bank account because they owe overdraft charges to one bank or another.

What the banks don’t want you to know is that there is an alternative to their ridiculous fees. Prepaid credit cards give you all the same freedoms as a debit card. You simply load your card with your money, and use it to make purchases, pay bills, or for anything else you would normally use a debit or credit card for. There are no interest fees or overdraft charges. You don’t need a bank account. Credit checks are not necessary since there is no loan. It’s your money! In fact, you can even help build or restore your credit by using a prepaid credit card.

Popularity: 3% [?]

While advertisements for free ringtones, newsletters and contests are generally safe endeavors, there are several Internet scams that should be avoided. Knowing how to find these scams can help save a lot of embarrassment and money in the future.

Perhaps the most popular scam involves large banner ads for free laptops, television sets or MP3 players. The fine print, however, usually reveals the words “with participation.” Participation is a 15-step process requiring the user to sign up for magazine subscriptions, online movie store rentals and timeshares. While most of these offers will still deliver the “free” gift, the applicant has easily spent just as much (if not more) on goods and services they don’t want.

Another popular scam involves someone from another country asking for help in obtaining legal fees in order to free up an obscenely large sum of money. In exchange for the help, the party in need offers to gladly share his new found fortune. Whereas the free laptop scams at least yield some magazine subscriptions, these scams yield nothing but lost money and the occasional identity theft.

For those who use online money transfer or credit card services, this last scam is particularly troubling. The victims receive an email from an address strikingly similar to that of a financial institution. The email implores the user to reset their password as an updated security measure. This process usually requires the user to input their current password, which is then stolen and used to gain access to the victim’s funds. No respectable institution ever emails about changing passwords, so these emails should always be avoided as a rule of thumb. Although there are a few safe bets on the Internet, a general rule to follow would be that if it sounds too good to be free, it definitely is.

Popularity: 6% [?]

Dragon Quest IX sees a horde of breathtaking changes which make it an irresistible option to try out. This game belongs to a genre that is conceived in nostalgia and executed in amber grains. It is an awesome experience as it never loses its charm on the way to the steady progress it makes on a gradual level.

This game has got an epic style narration which instantly brings the gamer in to the exotic mood for something truly extra ordinary. It plays well between the ancient and the modern. The fresh ideas combine greatly with the convention. The exit is near perfect and the entire game provides its fans with a nostalgic journey for the unattainable.

Dragon Quest games are, in a way, similar to the games like Final Fantasy and Zelda. Every sequel is a kind of retrospect of the past and common themes rule the plot. The game has an icon in the form of the character of Akira Toriyama. He is an unmatched combination of Anglo-Saxon DNA and the untouchable combat force.

There are pros and cons in every game while the best has more positive points less aspects worth improving. The weakness of Dragon Quest IX is that it does not provide the multiplayer facility for online usage while the positive aspects are many.

It has got a high class story with impeccable writing. There are no random battles anymore and it also provides the multiplayer option which is fun and quite flexible.

Popularity: 3% [?]

This is the shooting game that takes you to a timeless island which moves you with its mysterious backdrops and carries on with the first person gaming style. Sometimes it does seem to be a mindless shooting game taking all its ingredients from similar superior games to construct its basic mechanism.

The game starts with a US helicopter landing in a mysterious island named Katorga-12 while patrolling the reason behind the strong surge that was responsible for destroying a military satellite. The island has seemingly lost life and any of its connections since the year of 1955. This introduction to the game is no doubt outstanding even though there can be a comparison drawn with Bioshock. The protagonist of the game spends the preliminary part of the game in struggling to survive against all the odds in the island, gradually upgrading himself with all the modern scientific updates which, however, were originally the cause of the entire destruction.

The significant part of this game is spent in a somber atmosphere which leads to an intense and fascinating journey to feel that something extra-ordinary is about to happen. On the contrary, the game moves to a more banal position as it slowly moves to the end of it. However, for a gamer who does not want to complete a game to know what comes next, Singularity might offer something worth mentioning. It is more about the ones who wish see it through to get disappointed.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Looks like 3D gaming is slowly becoming the latest incarnation into the Gaming industry with both Sony Playstation and Nintendo coming out with 3D gaming consoles. Well certainly there are difference that the Playstation is for paying on the big screen stereoscopic 3D whereas the Nintendo 3Ds is a small 3 inch screened handheld console. The fact here is that the game developers and console makers have understood and decided that 3D gaming is the new frontier and preparing for it right now is the best thing they can do to be able to be the best when the 3D gaming boom happens. With the cost of a 3D television still upwards of the $2,000, it looks like 3D gaming in the real sense will be enjoyed by a few rich kids only. But predictions are ripe that the 3D television rated will drop down to $1,000 and will make it a little affordable for many people around the world. But the near future gamers are in for a treat with extremely splendid games being developed by the big publishers which will set new standards for gaming. This will truly be taking gaming into the next dimension.

Popularity: 8% [?]

The E3 conference saw the launch of a slimmer and sexier Xbox 360 by Microsoft. This Xbox 360 is more in line with the X form factor and is lighter and has smaller dimension as compared to its older version. Dimensions wise it is only slightly smaller than the older generation and hence it is not being called the slim Xbox 360.

Although the size does not matter much, the internals are the things that matter the most. The outer ports have seen a drastic change with the omission of the Microsoft proprietary memory unit, which are rejected in favor of two USB ports since the latest firmware upgrade from Microsoft sees the compatibility of Xbox with USB’s. It also has an optical audio jack. Also the hard dist now is placed so that it is easily replaceable. Performance wise it is a complete imitator of its previous generation with no increase in game installation of any improvement in graphics. This console is the most power efficient among the various game consoles from the previous generation to the present one. But upgrading form an older generation to this console is not a very good choice since this console offers very little in terms of improvement, but it is the best Xbox 360 among all the Xbox’s and is worth every penny if you are a first time buyer.

Popularity: 5% [?]

The World Series of Poker (WSOP) has been steadily increasing in popularity ever since it was initially launched in 1971. The Series first started out as a simple five card tournament.  Over the past 30+ years, it has grown to be a large tournament – players are eliminated round by round, until the top players surround the table. The WSOP is thought to be the number one poker competition in the world due to the intense competition and huge cash prizes for top placement.

Unless you happen to be familiar with poker, it is difficult to figure out how the World Series of Poker determines the top player.
The reason for this is that the World Series has had several changes – including some games and removing others. There are (typically) over 45 different events, from five card stud to Texas hold ‘em. While each event has its own audience, the five and seven card stud games are the most popular.

In order to play, a person must buy into a tournament. The fee varies depending on the venue, but it is typically affordable. All of the entry money is combined into the “pot” and the winner will win the major share at the end of the competition. Based on how many people enter, the person that comes in first may receive up to $7.5 million ; the remaining pot is split and distributed to the top players and those that have placed high. The actual rewards vary each year but it is often a very large prize.

While poker is very popular and relatively easy game to some, it is not recommended that just anybody tries to join into a World Series of Poker tournament. Playing against your friends at home is very different than playing against the top players of the world. Of course, watching the events are free!

Popularity: 4% [?]

For those wishing to bet on sporting events worldwide and locally, online sports betting is one of the best options out there. There is a wide range of firms that will accept online sports bets, with just as many sporting events to choose from. Although bookmaking is illegal in many states of the US, the law does not apply to online betting, so you can be safe in the knowledge that all your gambling activities will be legal.

Depending on your personal preference, there are wide ranges of sports to bet on. One of the most popular is American football, most notably The Superbowl. Gamblers can choose from any range of games to bet on, including gambling on what will be the best games of the forthcoming year in the various divisions.

Basketball is also a popular sport to bet on. Whether you want to have a guess at who will be in the NBA final or whether you want to limit your betting to the various conferences, there is always the ability to bet on the team you like. Even individual players could be worth a shot, with Rookie of the Year being a closely fought contest to spot upcoming stars at an early age.

Global sporting events are one of the most enjoyable ways to gamble online. FIFA’s annual World Cup soccer tournament is usually a tight race right up to the Quarter Finals, although teams such as Brazil, Argentina and Italy are usually the favorites to win the overall competition. Just be aware that if you want to actually watch any of the games, you may have to get up very early as the tournaments are in locations all over the world.

Online sports betting is a fun way to support your favorite team, enjoy the thrill of sporting events and, who knows, maybe make a little extra money!

Popularity: 5% [?]

If you need a cash advance before your next paycheck comes in, consider payday loans. This loan will advance you the cash you need before your next paycheck is scheduled to come so you will have the money you need for an emergency situation or to pay bills before they become overdue. You’ll be able to pay the loan back once your paycheck comes in, without worrying about paying late fees on any of your bills.

These loans are not like asking for a loan from the bank. You also don’t have to worry about finding a business in your area that offers payday advances. Payday loans are now available directly over the Internet. You can find different websites that offer payday loans directly through the Internet. Once you find the sites, you can easily sign up, and upon approval, request the amount you need to be deposited directly into your bank account. Some of these companies don’t charge you for using their services.

If you need more information before applying for your loan, you can talk to a representative from the company. He or she will be able to go over the loan process with you and answer any questions you may have.

There are certain criteria you’ll need to meet in order to qualify for the loan. The number requirement is that you currently have a job. You also need to be at least 18 years old. Some loan companies require that you make a certain amount each month in order to qualify. You will need to have a checking account in order for them to deposit your loan. You don’t need to worry about any credit problems, bankruptcies, or other financial problems you may have had in the past; most companies will approve you regardless.

Popularity: 7% [?]