In Search of an Xbox One

This coming Friday, is black Friday and I am in search of an Xbox One.

The best deal so far is from DELL.

LINK TO DEAL

I’m going to attempt to use the following rebate sites.

10% Discover Deals

8% FatWallet.com

5% Dell Advantage

If I get all three the total would be $299.99 – $31.79 – $25.44 – $15.90 = $226.86

Xbox One history

Xbox One is the successor to Xbox 360, Microsoft’s previous video game console, which was introduced in 2005 as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles. As of June 2015, it remains in production by Microsoft, having received a number of small hardware revisions to reduce the unit’s size and improve its reliability. In 2010, Microsoft’s Chris Lewis stated that the 360 was about “halfway” through its lifecycle; this was aided by the introduction of the Kinect device that year which Lewis stated would extend the lifecycle by five years.

Initial hardware for the 360’s successor, commonly referred to by the industry as the “Xbox 720”, was reportedly in hands of developers as early as May 2011. The official developer kit was codenamed Durango, and appeared to be available to developers by mid-2012. Leaked documents suggested that the new console would include an improved Kinect device, cloud access to games and media, integration with phone and tablet devices, and technology to provide players heads-up displays on glasses worn by the player, codenamed “Fortaleza”; Microsoft did not comment on these reported features. Similar, leaked design documents also suggested that Microsoft was seeking to eliminate the ability to play used games, though Microsoft later clarified they were still reviewing the design and were “thinking about what is next and how we can push the boundaries of technology like we did with Kinect”, but did not comment on the validity of the information.

The console was publicly unveiled under the name Xbox One on May 21, 2013 in a press conference designed to cover the unit’s broad multimedia and social capabilities. A second press event for the console was held during E3 on June 10, 2013, focusing on its video game-oriented functionality. At that time, Microsoft announced that the console would be released in 21 different markets on November 22, 2013, but this was later amended down to 13.The change, which pushed the release date for the other eight markets to 2014, was attributed to unforeseen complexity in localizing the device’s voice recognition capabilities.Later, in September 2014, the Xbox One was released in 26 markets, including remaining markets in Europe, the Japanese market, and Middle Eastern markets.

PVZ GW 10,000 Player Vanquishes

A new milestone for me, PVZ Garden Warfare 10,000 Player Vanquishes.

PVZ GW 10,000 Player Vanquishes
PVZ GW 10,000 Player Vanquishes

Of course it only took 10 days of playing 24 hours non-stop. Now, that is a lot!!! of time played.

 

General Gameplay for Garden & Graveyards

Gardens & Graveyards is an objective Multiplayer game mode in Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare. Up to 12 Plants face up to 12 Zombies on a large, multi-section map. The objective of this game mode is for the Zombies team to attack five to six gardens and complete a final objective on the final base to win. The Plants team must defend the gardens and wait for the time to expire to win.

This game mode starts the clock with seven minutes (7:00). After every garden is captured, the clock resets to five minutes (5:00). If the clock runs out while a garden is being captured, the game will continue in overtime until the garden is captured or until all Zombies are removed.

Each garden takes at least 40 seconds to capture. The garden will only capture if more Zombies than plants are within the designated area. If there are three zombies and two plants, the garden will capture. If there are three zombies and three plants, the garden will not capture. The numbers of Plants and Zombies in the garden will be displayed on the capture meter at the top center of the screen.

Tips for playing Gardens & Graveyards

Team Plants

Spawnable Plants can be planted within glowing pots around the map. Use these as reinforcements to help your team. Remember, these can only be obtained in packs from the Sticker Shop, so use them wisely and remember to buy more in-between games if needed. Plant these in pots near the garden as a final line of defense.

Use the Cactus to set Potato Mines and the Chomper to set Spiked Grass near the Garden. This will either Vanquish or slow down enemy zombies. The Cactus can also set up Tallnut Battlements to slow down Spawnable Zombies.

Enemy Zombies may try to use Teleporters to get to the garden much faster. A purple door will appear if the Teleporter is active. Search for the Teleporter on foot, or use the Cactus’ Garlic Drone to find it from the air and destroy it with its primary weapon or corn strikes.
Team Zombies

Spawnable Zombies can be summoned from glowing dirt mounds around the map. Use these as reinforcements to help your team. Remember, these can only be obtained in packs from the Sticker Shop, so use them wisely and remember to buy more in-between games. A good strategy when playing as the Zombies is to overwhelm the target garden with a large number of Spawnable Zombies. Using the most common Zombie, the Browncoat, will overwhelm the Plants with many targets and won’t cost you any rare types.

In addition to Spawnable Zombies, the Engineer Zombie can build Zombot Turrets from glowing scrap piles. Their firepower can be upgraded twice by interacting with them, but the build time is much slower while upgrading.

Not only can Engineer Zombies build Zombot Turrets, but they can also build Teleporters. Broken down Teleporters can be found in one of two locations before every garden. They are marked by a purple wrench on the Engineer’s HUD. Interact with these broken down contraptions to fix them.

While the Teleporter is active a purple door will appear near the zombie base that instantly transports zombies to the Teleporter, which is much closer to the garden. Every zombie that uses the Teleporter will reward the Engineer that built it with 10 PvZ Coins. Be warned, Teleporters can be destroyed by Plant weapons. Make sure to build Zombot Turrets near the Teleporters to guard them.

Xbox One Backward Compatible Games

Xbox One Backward Compatible Games
Xbox One Backward Compatible Games

Our launch of 104 titles on Nov. 12 is just the beginning. You can expect new Xbox One Backward Compatible games to be announced on a regular basis, starting in December. More titles are on the way, including fan favorites like Halo Reach, Halo Wars, Call of Duty®: Black Ops 1, Bioshock, Bioshock 2, Bioshock Infinite, and Skate 3. Stay tuned because this is just the beginning of a long list of Xbox 360 games that will run on Xbox One.

Here’s the list:

A Kingdom for Keflings
A World of Keflings
Alien Hominid HD
Assassin’s Creed II
Asteroids & Deluxe
Banjo Kazooie®: Nuts & Bolts
Banjo-Kazooie®
Banjo-Tooie®
BattleBlock Theater
Bejeweled 2
Bellator: MMA Onslaught
Beyond Good & Evil HD
Blood of the Werewolf
BloodRayne: Betrayal
Borderlands
Call of Juarez® Gunslinger
Castle Crashers
CastleStorm
Centipede & Millipede
Condemned: Criminal Origins
Crazy Taxi™
Deadliest Warrior: Legends
Defense Grid: The Awakening
DiRT 3
DiRT Showdown
Discs of Tron
Doom
Doom II
Dungeon Siege III
Earthworm Jim HD
Fable II
Fallout 3
Feeding Frenzy
Feeding Frenzy 2: Shipwreck Showdown
Gears of War
Gears of War 2
Gears of War 3
Gears of War: Judgment
Golden Axe™
Halo: Spartan Assault
Hardwood Backgammon®
Hardwood Hearts®
Hardwood Spades®
Heavy Weapon
Hexic HD
Ikaruga
Jetpac Refuelled
Joy Ride Turbo
Just Cause 2
Kameo™: Elements of Power
LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game
LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga
Lode Runner™
LUMINES LIVE!
Mass Effect™
Metal Slug 3
Metal Slug XX
Might & Magic Clash of Heroes™
Mirror’s Edge™
Missile Command
Monday Night Combat
Monkey Island: Special Edition
Monkey Island 2: Special Edition
Ms. Splosion Man™
Mutant Blobs Attack!!!
N+
NBA JAM: On Fire Edition
NiGHTS into dreams…
Operation Flashpoint™: Dragon Rising
Pac-Man: Championship Edition™
Pac-Man: Championship Edition DX+
Perfect Dark
Perfect Dark Zero
Phantom Breaker:Battle Grounds
Pinball FX™
Plants vs. Zombies
Prince of Persia
Putty Squad
Rayman 3 HD
R-Type Dimensions™
Sacred Citadel
Sega Vintage Collection: Alex Kidd & Co.
Sega Vintage Collection: Golden Axe
Sega Vintage Collection: Monster World
Sega Vintage Collection: Streets of Rage
Shadow Complex
Sonic CD
Sonic The Hedgehog
Sonic The Hedgehog 2
Sonic The Hedgehog 3
Super Meat Boy
Supreme Commander 2
Tom Clancy’s RainbowSix Vegas
Tom Clancy’s RainbowSix Vegas 2
South Park: The Stick of Truth™
Torchlight
Toy Soldiers
Toy Soldiers: Cold War
Tron: Evolution
Ugly Americans: Apocalypsegeddon
Viva Piñata
Viva Piñata: Trouble In Paradise
Wolfenstein 3D
Zuma

Source: Xbox News

Reattaching the cord

Well, it has been almost a year and a half since I cut the cord and joined the antennae/Netflix generation. Netflix is amazing. I watched 100’s of episodes of all different types of shows. All without commercials. It is quite a deal for $7.95/month. Also, local TV stations with the antennae were sharp, clear, and not to mention completely free.

However, my DSL through Windstream was becoming antiquated and well…slow. $70/month (with tax) for 6Mb/sec was a horrible value. It was time to reattach the cord.

I would love to have Verizon FIOS, but tragically it is not offered in my area. My only choice is the evil and outrageously priced…cable.

Luckily, Comcast has a nice deal for the holidays. $89.99 for a internet/voice/TV bundle. It has a two year contract period, but the price lasts for two years. The bill will jump $60 on month 25, however, we can cancel at that point.

So far so good. my speed has gone from 6Mb/sec down | 384Kb/sec up to:

Reattaching the cord

It will take a few days for our number to get transfer, but really a phone is a phone. It’s not all that exciting.

There seems to be lots of features with TV setup. I will report on them after I get a chance to try them out.

Pirates 2015 Season

Pirates 2015 Season
Pirates 2015 Season

The Pirates 2015 season was amazing with the Pirates ending up with the second best record in baseball with 98 Wins.

Here is a very short list of other teams that have had 98 wins or more and NOT made the playoffs.

1942 Dodgers 104
1993 Giants 103
1954 Yankees 103
1962 Dodgers 102
1961 Tigers 101
1980 Orioles 100
1978 Red Sox 99
1928 A’s 98
1962 Reds 98
1964 White Sox 98
1974 Reds 98
1985 Mets 98

The Pirates were on a high all season, reaching the playoffs for the third straight year after going 20 seasons without a winning season. They notched 98 victories in 2015, the second highest total in MLB and their highest win total since 1991. They did so by being remarkably consistent. The Pirates did not have a losing month this season, and had three winning streaks of at least seven games.

Unfortunately, 98 wins was only good enough for second place in the NL Central, which meant Pittsburgh was back in the wild-card game for the third straight season. Like 2014 when they ran into Madison Bumgarner, Pittsburgh squared off against the game’s hottest pitcher in Chicago’s Jake Arrieta. The results were unfortunately the same, as they were shutout and sent home early. We can’t imagine a lower low after such a great season.

Oceanaire View Virginia Beach

Oceanaire, the newest addition to the Ocean Beach Club Resort, is bringing an entirely new level of vacation luxury to the Boardwalk. Designed by world-renown designer Cleo Design, this $75 million tower features 106 timeshare units, including 10 incredible three bedroom penthouse units. Cleo Design, along NCG Architects, have combined to ensure that every little detail is as stunning as the oceanfront views.

Individual rooms are equipped with the finest appointments, including full kitchens with stainless steel appliances and granite countertops. Rooms also feature whirlpool spa tubs to help you relax after a fun day on the beach. The highlight of each room is the 12 foot wide floor to ceiling windows which provide amazing oceanfront views.

Oceanaire completes the already amazing Ocean Beach Club Resort, which has a Premier Resort status by Interval International, and will quickly become one of the best oceanfront destinations in the East.

The Oceanaire Resort Hotel features:
•Studio and one-, two- and three-bedroom suites with fully-equipped kitchens and 42-inch TVs
•Access to amenities at the Ocean Beach Club (neighboring)
•Four oceanfront pools – two indoor and two outdoor
•10th floor lounge and sun deck
•Sky Fitness, fitness center overlooking the ocean
•Kids’ game room

Charlie Brown Christmas Stamp

On December 9, 1965, millions of Americans learned what Christmas is all about. That evening, A Charlie Brown Christmas, the first animated special featuring characters from Charles Schulz’s beloved comic strip Peanuts, aired on CBS. Over the years, watching the beautifully understated ode to the holiday season has become an annual tradition. The program now airs every year on ABC.

Charlie Brown Christmas Stamp
Charlie Brown Christmas Stamp

You can pre-order A Charlie Brown Christmas 50th anniversary stamp at the USPS website. The issue date is October 1, 2015.

 

A Charlie Brown Christmas was completed just ten days shy of its national broadcast premiere. All involved believed the special would be an unmitigated disaster. Melendez first saw the completed animation at a showing in a theater in the days before its premiere, turning to his crew of animators and remarking, “My golly, we’ve killed it.” Melendez was embarrassed, but one of the animators, Ed Levitt, was more positive regarding the special, telling him it was “the best special [he’ll] ever make […] This show is going to run for a hundred years.” Mendelson was similar in his assumptions of the show’s quality, and when he showed the film to network executives in New York, their opinions were also negative. Their complaints included the show’s slow pace, the music not fitting, and the animation too simple. “I really believed, if it hadn’t been scheduled for the following week, there’s no way they were gonna broadcast that show,” Mendelson later said. Executives had invited television critic Richard Burgheim of Time to view the special, and debated as to whether showing it to him would be a good idea. His review, printed the following week, was positive, praising the special as unpretentious and writing that “A Charlie Brown Christmas is one children’s special this season that bears repeating.”

The program premiered on CBS on December 9, 1965 at 7:30PM ET (pre-empting The Munsters), and was viewed by 45% of those watching television that evening, with the number of homes watching the special an estimated 15,490,000, placing it at number two in the ratings, behind Bonanza on NBC. The special received unanimous critical acclaim: The Hollywood Reporter deemed the show “delightfully novel and amusing,” while the Weekly Variety dubbed it “fascinating and haunting.” Bob Williams of the New York Post praised the “very neat transition from comic page to screen,” while Lawrence Laurent of The Washington Post declared that “natural-born loser Charlie Brown finally turned up a real winner last night.” Harriet Van Horne of the New York World-Telegram hailed the scene in which Linus recites scripture, commenting, “Linus’ reading of the story of the Nativity was, quite simply, the dramatic highlight of the season.” Harry Harris of The Philadelphia Inquirer called the program “a yule classic […] generated quiet warmth and amusement,” and Terrence O’Flaherty of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote, “Charlie Brown was a gem of a television show.” Ben Gross of the New York Daily News praised the special’s “charm and good taste,” while Rick DuBrow of United Press International predicted, “the Peanuts characters last night staked out a claim to a major television future.”

The show’s glowing reviews were highlighted with an ad in trade magazines; one thanked Coca-Cola, CBS, United Features Syndicate, and the show’s viewers. Fantasy released the special’s soundtrack the first week of December 1965, coinciding with the special’s airdate. United Feature Syndicate pushed hard to promote the special, while Word Publishing issued a hardcover adaption of the special. CBS promptly ordered four additional Peanuts specials. A Charlie Brown Christmas was awarded the Emmy Award for Outstanding Children’s Program in 1966. “Charlie Brown is not used to winning, so we thank you,” Schulz joked.

Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare 2

PopCap Games, creator of some of the world’s most beloved video game franchises and a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), today announced Backyard Battleground, an all new dynamic hub in Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare 2. This interactive environment connects players to every map and mode, and brings to life all new ways to experience the Plants vs. Zombies universe through solo and social play. As soon as the game starts, players will be immersed in a wild playground with dynamic events and tons to discover and do. They can invite up to three friends into their Backyard Battleground to do almost anything they want – take on daily quests, complete missions for Crazy Dave and Dr. Zomboss, interact with some of their favorite Plants vs. Zombies characters, ignite an all-out war by crossing over enemy lines and much more. The Backyard Battleground is an immersive hub unlike anything that has been in a Plants vs. Zombies game before.

Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare 2
Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare 2

Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare 2 is partnering with BioWare™ on an intergalactic pre-order. Fans who pre-order the game will get access to a new Grass Effect Z7-Mech when they start Garden Warfare 2. Crafted by Dr. Zomboss, and inspired by one of the development team’s most favorite videogame franchises, this mech will help ensure Zomburbia’s galactic future. Gamers will have a blast playing with what was built to be the best-looking bane of plants everywhere. The Z7-Mech comes strapped with tools like the melee Zomni-tool, as well as interlocking ceramic plate armor with kinetic padding. This character is designed to augment tech, biotic, and weapons damage.

The battle for Suburbia reaches crazy new heights in Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare 2. For the first time in franchise history, zombies have taken over Suburbia and plants are on the attack. Each faction has enlisted new characters to join the fight, including Rose, an all-powerful sorceress from the past that can turn zombies into playable goats and Captain Deadbeard, a crusty pirate that has been adrift for hundreds of years. All the over-the-top fun takes place across 12 new immersive maps that are bursting with personality and humor, spanning everything from a Time Travel Theme Park to Moon Base Z. Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare 2 taps into the heart of what fans loved about the original and goes above and beyond to deliver the funniest, craziest, most over-the-top shooter.

Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare 2 ships in Spring 2016 and is in development at EA Canada in Vancouver. The game is available on Xbox One, the all-in-one gaming system from Microsoft, PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and Origin™ for PC.

Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis

Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis
Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis

Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis was selected in the first round, 10th player overall, out of Notre Dame by the Los Angeles Rams in the 1993 NFL Draft. He finished second in the NFL in rushing during his rookie season after gaining 1,429 yards. Included in that total were his first career 100-yard and 200-yard rushing games, both of which came against the New Orleans Saints. His 212-yard day that season was a career-high. At the time he was only the eighth rookie in NFL history to rush for 200 yards in a game. His output that year marked the first of eight 1,000-yard seasons in his first nine years. He was named Rookie of the Year by numerable media outlets and was chosen as a first-team All-Pro and All-NFC.

Bettis led the Rams in rushing each of his three seasons with the club before he was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a second- and fourth-round draft pick. He rebounded from a subpar year in 1995 with the Rams to earn Comeback Player of the Year and was again named first-team All-Pro in 1996, his first in the Steel City. Bettis gained 1,431 yards on 320 carries and scored 11 TDs for the division-winning Steelers.

The 5’11”, 243-pound runner continued to carry the load for Pittsburgh. He was the Steelers’ leading ground gainer eight times in 10 seasons. Bettis, a six-time Pro Bowler, retired following his lone Super Bowl appearance in the 2005 season (Super Bowl XL). The Steelers defeated the Seattle Seahawks, 21-10, in the game played in Bettis’s hometown of Detroit.

At the time of his retirement, Bettis ranked fifth all-time in rushing with 13,662 yards on 3,479 career carries. Nicknamed “The Bus” for his bruising running style, he also scored 91 rushing touchdowns. He eclipsed the 100-yard mark in a game 61 times during the regular season and three more times in playoff games.

In addition to his rushing totals, Bettis amassed 1,449 yards on 200 receptions and 3 TDs. His combined net yardage (15,113) was 19th best all-time at the time of his retirement. Bettis also completed three passes, all for touchdowns in his 13-season, 192-game career.

Link

Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis

Windows 10

Windows 10
Windows 10

Windows 10 free upgrade details

Windows Offer Details- Yes, free! This upgrade offer is for a full version of Windows, not a trial. 3GB download required; standard data rates apply. To take advantage of this free offer, you must upgrade to Windows within one year of availability. Once you upgrade, you have Windows for free on that device. Windows Upgrade Offer is valid for qualified Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 devices, including devices you already own. Some hardware/software requirements apply and feature availability may vary by device and market. The availability of Windows 10 upgrade for Windows Phone 8.1 devices may vary by OEM, mobile operator or carrier. Devices must be connected to the internet and have Windows Update enabled. Windows 7 SP1 and Windows 8.1 Update required. Some editions are excluded: Windows 7 Enterprise, Windows 8/8.1 Enterprise, and Windows RT/RT 8.1. Active Software Assurance customers in volume licensing have the benefit to upgrade to Windows enterprise offerings outside of this offer. To check for compatibility and other important installation information, visit your device manufacturer’s website and the Windows 10 Specifications page. Additional requirements may apply over time for updates. Security and features are kept automatically up-to-date which is always enabled.

More info

See the Windows 10 How to Upgrade page for details.

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