Digital Punch vLog – Episode 21

Digital Punch – Episode_21 – Show Summary
Hello boys and girls, welcome to Digital Punch, I’m your host Benjamin Nelson coming to you from dowtown Chicago. In this episode we’re talk about a new game from the folks at Guitar Hero, a new way to charge your electronic devices and talk a little Transformers.For those who have ever sang with a hairbrush in front of a mirror, turned your steering wheel into a drum kit, or ripped massive guitar solos with a broom -its time to join the millions already crushing riffs in the open with Guitar Hero 2.This sequel offers a brand-new and expanded track list of more than 55 songs, a larger selection of venues and new play modes. Play from “hair metal”, heavy metal, modern rock and alternative rock.But wait, it gets better. Scheduled for a holiday release is Rock Band – which will mix the guitar from Guitar Hero 2 with a base guitar, a drum kit, and a mic. Rock Band will allow players to jam together in person or online to songs performed by the original artists – courtesy of help from MTV.Bands already signed up include Allman Brothers, Joan Jett, Kansas, Nirvana and Wolfmother.For those about to rock – we salute you. If you are looking for Guitar Hero in a store near you, check out ShopLocal.com and type Guitar Here 2 into orange search box. Rock on.Ever have this happen? You get home at the end of a long day, pull out your phone, your mp3 player, your Nintendo DS, your laptop, your portable GPS unit, and your PDA, and throw them down on your desk.Then you hunt through your power adapters to find the right ones, untangle the wires, and spend ten minutes trying to find enough available outlets to plug them into. Well fear not! Those days are over! . . . Almost.Last month scientists in the US announced that they are able to send electromagnetic waves from a copper antenna that could power or recharge almost any small device within range, provided they have an antenna tuned into the correct frequency. Now, people have done work on wireless electricity before — most noticeably with Splashpower, a pad that can recharge compatible devices just by placing them on it — but this new system could be integrated into a home to allow uninterrupted power wherever you leave your portable devices laying around. Very cool and very convenient.Unfortunately however, they have decided to name it “Witricity.” [cringe]Transformers the Movie has been a huge success largely due to its star Optimus Prime and not since John Travolta has a celebrity enjoyed such a revival. But where has Optimus Prime been since his last movie success in 1986? Here at Digital Punch we took an in depth look at the stars long journey back to the top.Every week here on Digital Punch we try to devote time to you the viewer. Send us a question, comment or suggestion, and we’ll do our best to put them in the next show. Check out the video for comments and questions from guitaristablaze, HisRoyalDudeliness, Flanny and Marsha Loftis.If you’d like to be a guest host on our show, just send an email to digitalpunch@gmail.com with “Digital Punch Co-Host” in the subject line.Well, that’ll do it for this episode of Digital Punch. Thanks to Chris Quinn, Doug Werder, Vince Portacci, Cene Ketchem and anyone else that helped with this episode. As always you can find us at digitalpunch.tv where we have a summary of each show and links of the products and stories we reviewed that week.Alright, that’ll do it. See ya next week, I’m punchin’ out.Thanks!-Digital Punch TVdel.icio.us | Digg | Furl | ma.gnolia

Digital Punch vLog – Episode 20

Digital Punch – Episode_20 – Show Summary
Hello boys and girls, welcome to Digital Punch, I’m your host Benjamin Nelson coming to you from Chicago. In this episode we’re gunna rap about the iPhone, a upcoming video game called Spore, have a talk about Wii elbow, and more … episode 20 hath beguneth.Only one week till the iPhone Drops… but children don’t fret. The iPhone has come in peace. While we are sure that you are all aware of the hype surrounding this much anticipated release, we thought we would go over a couple of our favorite features.1.) The accelormeter automatically adjusts the display horizontally or vertically depending on how you are holding the phone.2.) The proximity sensor that -get this- detects when you lift the iPhone to your ear and immediately turns off the display to save power and prevent inadvertent touches until iPhone is moved away.3.) Wifi capability mixed with the Safari web browser and a dash of YouTube equals a rich web experience in the palm of your hand. Convenient for checking out Digital Punch on the go. Delicious. Well if you’d like to pick up an iPhone or iPhone accessories, you can got ShopLocal.com and type iPhone into the orange search box. We’re sure many of you hard-core gamers out there already know about Spore, a new game that’s been in development for several years. But it’s so cool, we could not pass up talking about it. What is Spore? The creator of the hugely popular Sims games is working on this ambitious video game in which you can truly be God. The game allows players to determine the evolution of a species, from an amoeba to an inter-stellar race. So check it out, you start as a single cell organism, you can create your own custom species and evolve from a being in the ocean, to land creature, then you start to create communities and villages. Eventually you learn technology, rule your home planet and then finally you can move into space and start creating life of your own.. walla… you’re a God. The PC game is due to be in stores by sometime in 2008. Stay tuned. There is no questioning the success of the Nintendo Wii; however with its growth in popularity there as also been an explosion of a medical condition commonly referred to as Wii Elbow or Wii-itis. Gamers all over the globe have complained of elbow pain or numbness as a result of excessive use of the Wii-mote. Wii elbow is no laughing matter and here at Digital Punch we want to help gamers deal with this tragic disorder. Be sure to check out the film.Well, that’ll do it for this episode of Digital Punch. Thanks to Peter Medlock, Doug Werder, Vince Portacci, Cene Ketchem and anyone else that helped with this episode. As always you can find us at digitalpunch.tv where we have a summary of each show and links of the products and stories we reviewed that week.Alright, that’ll do it. See ya next week, I’m punchin’ out.Thanks!-Digital Punch TVdel.icio.us | Digg | Furl | ma.gnolia 

Digital Punch vLog – Episode 19

Digital Punch – Episode_19 – Show Summary
Hello boys and girls, welcome to Digital Punch, I’m your host Benjamin Nelson coming to you from Chicago. In this episode we’ll talk about Google Street View, Father’s Day gifts and the new hot dog eating world champion.This month Google Maps introduced Street view. Most locations across the country have not been street mapped yet, but there are several cities that already have this service, San Francisco being one of them.So what is Street View? Check it out. Type San Francisco, CA in the search box, zoom in a bit, then click on the “Street View Button”, now can you have full 360 views of every street that has been mapped. Very cool.People have already found some interesting pictures from Street view… Such as the Guy walking out of the strip club, Lady showing her thong, Guy breaking into someone’s house and the dude caught picking his nose.

Still need a gift for Father’s Day? Well, if you were planning to get your old man something online, you really blew it this time. There’s no way it will show up in time for Sunday. You’re gunna have to go to a store in your neighborhood.

Luckily, you can do all your local research online. Check out ShopLocal.com, search or browse for an item, and click the “Buy-In-Store” tab. Dad can be the hardest member of the family to buy for, so we at Digital Punch have taken the liberty of coming up with a few suggestions for the stumped.If price is no object, how about a Hard Drive Camcorder like the Sony Handycam DCR- SR200. It boasts a 40GB HD, which provides hours of high-quality video, with no fumbling with tapes or memory cards.. It doesn’t come cheap though, it rings in at about $750.For the more budget-conscious, how about Radica’s home Golden Tee Golfgame? Just plug it into your TV, and Dad can enjoy this barroom classic in the comfort ofhis den. The price is right too, at about $40.Nothing says summer like an old-fashioned father-son game of catch. Ifdad’s glove has seen better days, pick him up a new one. A basicRawlings mitt will run you around $50. Then head out to the backyard, and help him break it in.If your dad’s athletic pursuits are less about baseball and more aboutthe one-armed pint lift, there’s the Mr. Beer Deluxe Home MicrobreweryKit. It’s the easiest way to get him started making his own homebrew, and it’s affordable at just about $30.You can find all these products in stores near you, so go to ShopLocal.com and check out all the local deals they offer!One week ago today, the coveted world hot dog eating record was swallowed whole by Californian Joey “Jaws” Chestnut. The new world record of 59 1/2 dogs eaten in 12 minutes defeated the old record held by, Takeru Kobayashi.Now we at Digital Punch decided to honor the noteworthy achievement by engaging in a high octane, no holds barred, gut busting hot dog eating contest of our own. Twelve minute contests like the one (quote fingers) “Jaws” set the record for, are for babies. We are putting it all on the line with :30 of pure hot dog gorging glory.Well, that’ll do it for this episode of Digital Punch. Thanks to Peter Medlock, Doug Werder, Vince Portacci, Cene Ketchem and anyone else that helped with this episode. As always you can find us at digitalpunch.tv where we have a summary of each show and links of the products and stories we reviewed that week.Alright, that’ll do it. See ya next week, I’m punchin’ outThanks!-Digital Punch TV

del.icio.us | Digg | Furl | ma.gnolia

Digital Punch vLog – Episode 18

Digital Punch – Episode_18 – Show Summary

Hello boys and girls, welcome to the 18th installment of Digital Punch TV !

In this episode of Digital Punch, we have a talk with Dog from Unleashed. He’ll help us look into the hottest toys in the Pet market. We also discuss the major Tech stories from the past month, and those include: Beatles & Apple Inc., the launch of Apple TV and the YouTube Awards.We’ll also read a breaking story about Google and answer user questions and comments. If you’d like to see a visual demonstration of Apple TV, visit our friends at GeekBrief TV. Check out Episode 149.

As always, we love to hear from you so take a few seconds out of your busy day and send us an email. Got an idea for a future show? Perhaps a comment or question? Well don’t delay.

Thanks!-Digital Punch TV

del.icio.us | Digg | Furl | ma.gnolia

Digital Punch vLog – Episode 16

Digital Punch – Episode_16 – Show Summary

Hello kids. Ready for the next installment of Digital Punch, the vlog that features breaking tech news, cool product reviews and a bunch of random fun along the way? Well if you are, big #16 is ready for your immediate consumption!

Our first story is about the world’s most outrageous item that is available for purchase online. I used to think this honor belonged to cars, refrigerators and sofas. I was wrong. How about a hydraulic lift that can hoist a school bus into the air, or anything else for that matter that is 40,000 pounds or less. A company called Bend Pak makes these lifts which come in all shapes, sizes and prices. If on the off chance you find yourself in need of one of these mega lifters, check the wide selection of them on ShopLocal.com

Next up, we show you the tribute video that Harrison Ford and Sandra Bullock created to pay honor to all the little people that work in Hollywood that make movie magic actually happen. This short montage was suppose to be shown during the Oscars, but the producers of the Academy Awards pulled it last minute. Don’t fret First Grip or Best Boy, we salute you!

Finally we show you what can be done with a simple dry erase board and a cheap camcorder. This short stop motion film clip really does open up many creative possibilities and a whole new digital canvas. Incredible.

Once again, we would love to hear from so take a few seconds out of your busy day and send us an email. Thanks!-Digital Punch TV

del.icio.us | Digg | Furl | ma.gnolia

Digital Punch vLog – Episode 15

Note: If you are having issues trying to watch this QuickTime video, try our flash-based playerDigital Punch – Episode_15 – Show Summary

Howdy folks. Sit back and relax because episode #15 of Digital Punch, the vlog that features breaking tech news, cool product reviews and a bunch of random fun along the way, is coming straight your way. Yee-Haw!

Up first is the coolest toy ever (Mom, I hope you are reading this). A mini R/C (radio controlled) helicopter is just what the doctor ordered. These babies are super affordable (about $50) and very easy to use, thanks to some new technology breakthroughs in recent years. Even a girl could pilot one I bet. I can’t wait to get one and fly it around the office.

Next on tap is an introduction to Sphere XP. Sphere is a freeware 3D project that allows Windows XP users to “upgrade” their desktop / user interface (UI) to something very similar to the GUI within Microsoft’s latest and greatest OS – Vista. Well, if you don’t have the funds to go out and upgrade to Vista just for a slick interface, you should definitely check out Sphere XP (download here).

Finally, we give you a glimpse of the coolest chair in all recorded history – the amazing folding and flexible chair that is made out of entirely paper. Yes way! This crazy invention is all the buzz right now on sites like Digg.com Not sure on how to get one or what the price is, but this would be perfect for my small condo when I have a party and there is no place to sit. Talk about genius.

And yes, user comments are back after an extended break. Our newest friend, Mr. French delivers the questions and feedback, but wait. He seems so familiar. I just can’t quite place him. Hum. I think more investigation is needed into this mystery.

Once again, we would love to hear from you, our most valued viewers. So please, stop reading this and start writing us an email. We are in real need of new story ideas to cover. Thanks!-Digital Punch TV

del.icio.us | Digg | Furl | ma.gnolia

Digital Punch vLog – Episode 14

Note: If you are having issues trying to watch this QuickTime video, try our flash-based playerDigital Punch – Episode_14 – Show Summary

Hello Boys and Girls, welcome to the 14th episode of Digital Punch, the vlog that features breaking tech news, cool product reviews and a bunch of random fun along the way.

This week, love is in the air here at Digital Punch. So we are going to devote an entire episode to Valentine’s Day and the dark and mysterious world of online dating. We thought the best way to investigate this growing way singles are going about the courtship process was to review the top online dating services (e.g., the sites listed below) out there as one resource to help you in your quest to find true love.

Or if we didn’t present you with enough options already, read more about the whole host of other online dating sites that are out there over at TechCrunch.com. Or if you are interested in learning the truth about online dating go check out this engaging article.

• eHarmony.com
• Match.com
• PerfectMatch.com
• LavaLife.com
• Nerve.com
• True.com
• PlentyofFish.com
• IAmFreeTonight.com
• BuyMyAffection.com
• DontDateHimGirl.com

Finally we ask the big question. Does online dating really work? A new survey shows that Only 15 percent of Americans have used the internet to meet a potential romantic interest. 42 percent of those who’ve tried it met their spouse or life partner that way. Not bad odds.

Have you tried out the world of online dating? If so, write us an email and tell us about it. We’d love to hear from you, especially if you have a humorous or shocking experience to share. Thanks!-Digital Punch TVP.S. Check out our special web only Valentine’s Day video called The Working Cupid. Also make sure to sign up to be his friend at MySpace.

del.icio.us | Digg | Furl | ma.gnolia

Digital Punch vLog – Episode 13

Note: If you are having issues trying to watch this QuickTime video, try our flash-based playerDigital Punch – Episode_13 – Show Summary

Hello Boys and Girls, welcome to episode #13 of Digital Punch, the vlog that features breaking tech news, cool product reviews and a bunch of random fun along the way. This week’s episode is a special one. Since Benjamin taking a few weeks off, producer man Patrick Flanagan is filling in with the first ever lo-fi webcam version of the show.

So in order to have the best Super Bowl XLI (41 for those of you that don’t read ancient Roman) party ever, consider checking out the following gadgets:

• TiVo Series3 HD DVR – This bad boy costs about $800 but records 2 digital cable programs simultaneously. It’s even THX certified for optimal viewing and listening experience. So you will not miss a moment of the game or any of the over-the-top TV ads.
• iFlim.com – This site is offering iPod friendly downloads of a wide selection of Super Bowl commercials and ads. No iPod? No problem. You can even watch these videos OnDemand for free by going to the site and using their online video player.
• Pinata’s in the shape of giant footballs – Say no more. This is the world’s best party favor every invented by mankind. It also doubles as a stress reliever if you get too worked up during watch the game. After a quick beat down with your favorite baseball bat, a nirvana like state is guaranteed.
• iRobot’s Roomba – This little vacuum cleaner helps you clean up after the big game. The Roomba (not to be confused with the Woomba) is a sweet little gadget for the lazy folks out there that is a fully automated cleaning device that seeks and destroys dirt and dust wherever it may lie.

Are you having a Super Bowl party that is using any weird gadgets? Playing any bizarre games? Engaging in some illegal gambling? If so, write us an email and tell us about it. And feel free to send along your awesome photos of your Super Bowl party. We might even show the best during our next show. We’d love to hear from you.Thanks!-Digital Punch TV

del.icio.us | Digg | Furl | ma.gnolia

Digital Punch vLog – Episode 12

Note: If you are having issues trying to watch this QuickTime video, try our flash-based playerDigital Punch – Episode_12 – Show Summary

Hello Boys and Girls, welcome to episode #12 of Digital Punch, the vlog that features breaking tech news, cool product reviews and a bunch of random fun along the way.

So you like playing ping pong (or as the true geek likes to point out, Table Tennis). Well, have we got the perfect thing for you. Enter Robo-Pong robot, an automated device that has ball capture and return capabilities. The best parallel of what a ping pong robot is and does can be found in the world of tennis. Perhaps you’ve seen a tennis ball machine that shoots balls at you from the other side of the net. A ping pong robot (or ping pong launcher, ping pong machine, etc) is similar, but actually does a lot more than a tennis ball machine. To learn more about this amazing robot or to watch some other product demo video visit the Robo-Pong website. So one of the fun parts of being part of the new media revolution where everyone is a content producer is that we can collaborate and share ideas, content and audiences with other cool shows out there on the WWW. Podcast Salad is just one of these great partners that we have – Thanks Katie (wink) and CleverMedia TV. This show is a video podcast about other video podcasts. It is definitely a great way to keep up-to-date of what new video podcasts are out there. It is really wonderful to have a show about other shows, as there is so much content out there, you really need a filter or guide to help you find the most interesting stuff out there.In other news, the Digital Punch team will be covering all things SuperBowl related in our next episode – #13 (stay tunned!). Since Benjamin is a die-hard Bears fan and Patrick is a born and breed Colts fan, we promise to do a fair and impartial job of covering the largest sporting event of the year. P.S. – Go Colts! Finally, we answer your comments & questions, as well as introduce you to our latest Digital Punch guest co-host, Mike Strama. Seriously, getting emails and comments from you all is the best part of the show – so keep them coming! Would you like to be our next guest co-host? Then send us an email with “Digital Punch Co-Host” in the subject line. We’ll take it from there.Thanks!-Digital Punch TV

del.icio.us | Digg | Furl | ma.gnolia

Digital Punch vLog – Episode 11

Note: If you are having issues trying to watch this QuickTime video, try our flash-based playerDigital Punch – Episode_11 – Show Summary:

Hello Boys and Girls, welcome to episode #11 of Digital Punch, the vlog that features breaking tech news, cool product reviews and a bunch of random fun along the way.

In this episode we dive into Apple’s announcement of the upcoming iPhone. This high powered phone does it all (including doubling as an expresso maker). Here are the specs: It features a 3.5-inch 480 x 320 touchscreen display, 2 megapixel cam, 4GB or 8 GB of storage, Bluetooth 2.0, WiFi, and quad-band GSM radio with EDGE. It also runs OS X with support for Widgets, Google Maps, and Safari, and iTunes. Sweet huh? To see the iPhone in action be sure to check out these two short videos . The first video is by Christopher DeSantis with design by Gregory DeSantis. The second video has Phil Schiller of Apple showing John Blackstone of CBS what this new breakthrough device is all about.MySpace and the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced this week that amateur video makers may submit their work to a MySpace Emmy page, where it can be entered for a “Broadband Emmy”. Find the details in this latest episode.

We bring you a very important breaking news story this week, as well as introduce you to our latest Digital Punch guest co-host, Jason Lord. Would you like to be our next guest co-host? Then send us an email with “Digital Punch Co-Host” in the subject line. We’ll take it from there.

Thanks!-Digital Punch TV

del.icio.us | Digg | Furl | ma.gnolia

 

P.S. As promised during episode #11, here is the list of all the equipment that we use here at Digital Punch TV and a rough estimated cost. In most cases, we bought bottom-of-the-line stuff so as to keep the overall costs down. Since this project is all about video on the web, you really don’t need super HD quality, as your videos get compressed down to very small sizes (we use QuickTime H.264 for all of our compression)

1. Green Screen & Stand – $100
2. Five Cheap High Wattage Tripod Lights (needed to do real-time chroma keying) – $200
3. Wide Angle Clip-On Lens – $20
4. Cheap Aluminum Tripod – $30
5. Seinnheiser Shotgun Microphone W/ Phantom Power Adapter – $400
6. Canon Elura DV Camcorder With FireWire Output – $550
7. Apple G5 Workstation W/ 19” LCD Monitor – $(We already had this stuff laying around)
8. VideoCue Pro Teleprompter & Video Capture Software – $90
9. iMovie Editing Software (part of iLife) – $79
10. QuickTime Pro – $30
11. Pair of red boxing gloves (that’s the most important part) – $Priceless