Quick Update!

As I had mentioned in a much earlier post, 'Janelle Monae is the proverbial shit!'.

She now has an amazing music video to reaffirm that fact:

Janelle Monae - 'Many Moons' music video. Bad Boy Records.

-BJW

DubiousCraves: The Heineken Beertender

Ok, I am well aware that I am still a college student, so old habits tend to die a little harder than most others. With that said, this $300 gem is definitely being put on my wish list for a few reasons:

• It’s a mini-kegerator.

• It keeps track of both core temperature and capacity.

• It determines how many 16-ounce beers you have left at all times.

• It comes with a nifty little ‘skimmer’ that allows you to make your beers look like the ones in those ultra-mod Heineken commercials.

Either way, I need this delivered to my residence as soon as possible, any takers? Who knows? There might even be a beer or two in it for you…

-BJW

The Essentials: Technophiles Only!

To honor those who have willingly given their lives (and savings accounts) to the never-ending quest for, well, ‘stuff’, I have taken the liberty of compiling a list of items, both past and present that every techno freak, geek and misanthrope should own. Or at least think about owning:

1. Western Digital 120GB Passport Hard Drive, $80, wdc.com

Keeping in with the true spirit of American excess, the Passport is the perfect companion for those who insist on owning the entire series of ‘Seinfeld’ on iTunes. Not only that, but it is a great way to store music, photos and large projects on an auxiliary drive without having to sacrifice your computer’s processing speed.

2. Apple iMac, $1,200, store.apple.com

Granted, I am typing this very post from a PC, but don’t let me be misunderstood. My loyalty definitely lies with Apple’s latest line of desktop computers. Its integrated CPU design makes the iMac very portable and excellent for easy transport. Not to mention, they are just so damn sexy, right?

3. LG Dare, $199, verizonwireless.com

This is a very ‘smart’ phone considering the fact that the iPhone is still the must-have item of the decade. The Dare incorporates all of the syncing technology found on many of the leading handsets, but what sets it apart is its advanced touch-screen technology. Very fluid and highly responsive, the Dare is a smooth operator with amenities that stack up against the best of ‘em.

4. X-Box 360, $260, microsoft.com

Because it’s 2008, already. At least make very good friends with someone who doesn’t mind you freeloading in their house for hours at a time.

5. Lumix DMC-TZ50 Digital Still Camera, $450, panasonic.com

From the makers of some of the most popular electronics out now, Panasonic outdoes itself with the creation of the DMC-TZ50 digital camera. With an impressive 9.1 megapixel range and 28mm wide lens, the Lumix has all the makings of an advanced piece of technology. That’s not even the best part, though: It also comes with built-in Wi-Fi! This means you can send your photos to an online account for viewing, editing and sharing all in one fell swoop. Facebook, beware.

-BJW

Tech Review: The ‘G1’ for Google Android by T-Mobile

In the past few weeks, I have been scanning the Internet trying to figure out what the ‘true’ final verdict on what the ‘G1’ has to offer. Frankly, there is very little I can say in regards to Google’s attempt at raking in some of the market shares on the high-end smart phone business.

From what I can tell, it almost seems a little counterproductive for Google to compete with the one company that all of its products and services are most compatible with. This seems to be a situation where Google is trying to take a stab at Apple on a near-personal level otherwise I see no reason to release the ‘G1’. Unless, of course, Google is trying to further expand its empire Alexander-the-Great style?

T-Mobile 'G1' for Google Android

Either way, the ‘G1’ has practically the same amenities that iPhone does (save for the fact that you CANNOT sync/dock your contacts and agenda via Outlook), and is slated to cost about the same as its Apple opponent.

Bottom line: Save your money and your time, keep your iPhone and pick up a copy/subscription of MobileMe as soon as you can. It will be the better decision in the long run, hands down.

-BJW

DubiousEndorses: Twitter

For all of you out there who live life slightly on the ADD side, there is treatment available in the form of a 140-character update service known as Twitter.

Now, although Twitter may not be the most amazingly new thing on the web right now, it has—since its establishment back in 2006—the micro-blogging site has gained a very loyal following, so to speak, with over 2.2 million accounts registered as of July 2008.

Twitter screen shot.

Allowing you to do everything from mobile updating to being able to link other micro-blogging accounts/features (i.e. Digg, Facebook, MySpace, etc.) to you ‘Twit’ account, there is no reason why I would could not see this service reach unspeakable heights within the next few years. Twitter integrated into the public school system, perhaps? We’ll see…

-BJW

New Music Review: 88-Keys feat. Kanye West - 'Stay Up (Viagra)'

This track is a very good example of what neo hip-hop should be.

88-Keys, who has been in the game since 1998, is a Long Island-born rapper and producer who got his start making beats for artists and producers such as Q-Tip, Pete Rock and Large Professor.

88-Keys: Adam's Case Files mixtape. 2dopeboyz.com/RS

‘Stay Up’ is a very jazzy and simple-beat song that has the potential to do big things in the very near future along with the highly anticipated release of his solo project, The Death of Adam. I, for one, cannot wait to see what 88-Keys has in store for the hip-hop world.

-BJW

DubiousSighting: McCrady’s Restaurant's 10-Course Tasting Event

Chef Blais doing what he does best. Bravo/Top Chef

Recently, I had the distinct pleasure of being wined-and-dined by one of the most innovative, and often times ‘explorative’, duos in the dining world. Chefs Richard Blais, of ‘Top Chef’ fame and McCrady’s executive chef, Sean Brock, treated guests to an astounding 10-course tasting menu that featured everything from pork belly (my personal favorite) to green tomato soup, and everything in between.

Chef Brock hard at work in the kitchen. CCP/Reuters

All in all, it was an amazing event that I implore every man with half a conscience to participate in. Not only is it an opportunity to fill one’s gullet with preposterously good food, moreover, it is a chance to experience something that is truly awe-inspiring and beneficial to upping one’s ‘cuisine cred’.

Blais' 'Canned Soup' course that put a Southern twist on traditional gazpacho (top) and a rendition of crab and cole slaw. DubiousOne/GSO

- BJW

Tech Review: 'SPORE' for PC

For a game that allows you to ride an evolutionary roller coaster from start to finish, Spore, a creature creator and wildlife simulator, has managed to keep me glued to my seat for nearly a week now. Developed by the same companies that brought you classics like the Madden series and the infamous line of SIM-related games have put their creative minds together and have produced one hell of an entertaining game.

A brief synopsis: You start out on a non-descript planet somewhere in the galaxy as a single-celled microorganism whose main goal is to eat without getting eaten. More importantly, Spore gives you the opportunity to climb the evolutionary ladder all the way to a point where you can take your new-grown civilization to new heights and populate other planets in space.

One of many creatures that your 'spore' can evolve into. Maxis/EA Games.

All in all, it is an amazing new angle Maxis has taken on a relatively overdone concept. It’s fresh, unique, whimsical and wildly engaging.

- BJW