Dude, Where's my laptop?

Microsoft and AMD have given certain bloggers laptops for Christmas. (photo from Long Zheng)

According to Microsoft blogger Long Zheng, his Ferrari 5000 came with an AMD Turion 64 X2 dual-core 2GHz CPU, 2GB of DDR2-667 RAM, AMD-ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 graphics, and a 15.4-inch widescreen LCD. It also has a 160GB SATA drive, HD-DVD reader and burner, and a 1.3 megapixel camera. The system would cost approximately $2,299.

Vista Ultimate, the top of the Vista line, is expected to sell for $399 full retail, with an upgrade price of $259. - Yahoo

Some people have a huge problem with this. But truthfully, it's pretty commonplace for journalists. Newspaper reporters get free stuff all of the time. Music writers get music to review and get into concerts. Travel writers get free and/or discounted trips. So giving tech bloggers laptops to review isn't that big of a deal for me.

However, there is more to the story. More from eWeek,

One blogger, Marshall Kirkpatrick, is now reporting that since the free hardware story has been exposed to the light of day that Microsoft wants its laptops back.

The note from Coldiron read: "No good deed goes unpunished, right? You may have seen that other bloggers got review machines as well. Some of that coverage was not factual. As you write your review I just wanted to emphasize that this is a review PC. I strongly recommend you disclose that we sent you this machine for review, and I hope you give your honest opinions. Just to make sure there is no misunderstanding of our intentions I'm going to ask that you either give the PC away or send it back when you no longer need it for product reviews."

So, review it, then send it back? If they are product testing, then that is one thing. But, reviewing a product and asking for it back is very uncommon. However, most freebies I have gotten either end up in the trash after I have written about it or it is thrown in a drawer and forgotten about.

So should bloggers who review products reveal how they got the product to their audience? Yes
Should tech companies sent products to bloggers to get reviewed? Yes

More tech companies that want to take their products to market ought to do this, not less. The only issue is how we bloggers deal with it. I'm assuming my laptop is in the mail.

Myspace claims another victim

http://www.people.com/people/article...005299,00.html

Miss Nevada Stripped of Title
By Stephen M. Silverman

Miss Nevada Katie Rees has been stripped of her crown for allegedly appearing in steamy photographs that reportedly have been circulated on the Internet.

In a statement released Thursday, Paula M. Shugart, president of the Miss Universe Organization, said: "Katie Rees has been relieved of her duties as Miss Nevada USA 2007. First runner-up Helen Salas will assume the title and compete at the 2007 Miss USA Pageant on March 23 in Los Angeles, California."

The 22-year-old, who was crowned in October, was due to represent her state in the Miss USA Pageant next spring.

In a statement to TV's Extra, an attorney for the dismissed beauty queen says: "Katie Rees ... wants the public to know she was 17 and had a lapse in judgment."

As for the photos in question, the statement says: "The actions on that evening in subject are in no way indicative of the person she is or the person she has become. She is a law-abiding citizen and talented adult. This was an isolated incident that occurred more than five years ago when she was a minor."

Her attorney, Mario Torres, added in statement to PEOPLE: "We think it is inequitable that Miss USA was allowed a second chance for something she did weeks ago and Katie is being punished for something that happened five years ago."

Rees's dismissal comes on the same day that the current Miss USA, Tara Conner, who was nearly removed from her throne earlier this week, entered a Pennsylvania rehab facility as one of the conditions Trump imposed upon the 21-year-old after recent reports of her alleged hard-partying ways.

------------------------------------------------

Sorry, this is a PG blog. But there are more than a few blogs and news sites who have the clearly R-rated photos some of us, errr, you want. Starting at Splash News Online

Some media outlets are reporting that these pictures came from someone's MySpace page. One of them is E! News.

Three thoughts: 1. The only reason Tara Conner kept her job and Katie Rees lost hers was because Rees' transgressions live forever through photos on MySpace.

2. People must remember that sometimes too much information is a bad thing. Especially if you want a job or want to be Miss USA. Collegegrad.com Press had an interesting study about the impact MySpace pages have on a student's ability to a job after college.

3. Bottom line: MySpace and Facebook are great sites. I use them. But the internet remembers everything. That funny photo you put up at 17 might cost you when are 22. Think before you post (I'll try it sometime).

Wii have no more problems?

Love the fact that people who bought the Nintendo Wii (price tag on Ebay $600) have to replace their expensive TVs.

The Independent

Relishing the chance to join in games by imitating the action of a tennis racquet, sword or golf club, some owners have lost control of their gizmos, leading to bruised heads, black eyes, and even damaged TV sets.

"I decided to play the game for bowling," one battered and bruised gamer, Nicole, wrote on Wiihaveaproblem.com. "I swung really hard to knock down the pins and all of a sudden I realised my head hurt... Instead of it flying wildly into the air, it stopped and swung back around and hit me in the head."

Nintendo offered to take back the 200,000 wrist straps in circulation and replace them with something more durable. It said the fault lay with players failing to follow on-screen guidance to securely strap the device to their wrists.

But it was revealed yesterday that the company is facing a US lawsuit over the alleged "defective nature" of the straps. Green Welling LLP, the San Francisco-based law firm which is bringing the class action, said: "Nintendo's failure to include a remote that is free from defects is in breach of Nintendo's own product warranty."

---------------------------------------------------------

A website dedicated to smashed TV all over the world due to Wii is up and hilarious (The ruined TV above is courtesy of this page.

Wii Have A Problem

END VIDEO GAME VIOLENCE...Wii DESERVE IT

----------------------------------------------------------

And it will still outsell the Playstation 3:

MSNBC

Nintendo has said it expects to ship 4 million Wiis worldwide by Dec. 31, double the number of PS3s promised by Sony. Late last month, Nintendo said it sold 600,000 Wiis in the first eight days after its Nov. 19 debut.

Microsoft, which gets most of its sales from North America, is targeting global Xbox 360 shipments of 10 million by year end.

Nintendo's Wii retails for $250; Sony's top-line PS3 retails $600; and Microsoft's Xbox 360 retails for $400.

Hello world

Yet another blog about news, debate, and opinion about the ongoings in the world of tech.