11/13 - Kahuna notes:  Here comes the weekend, and the weather continues to look good. We don't have any plans for the weekend, but it looks like we can finally return to our normal activities. Geez, it's been a while. I got a leg injury in mid September that kept me sidelined for 6 weeks. Then there was that bought with the flu. So it's been damn near two months since we've been able to enjoy our regular activities.  ...  Attention shifting, whirling dervish and ADHD victim - the Huntster - has made yet another sidetrack in his guitar search. Yesterday, he came across a little gem from Fender - the Telecoustic. Hunster was looking at the Standard Telecoustic MAP $249.99, but there's also a Deluxe version MAP $629.99. But, yet again, he's unable to decide and can't pull the trigger.  ...  Me and the Kahunette have another big anniversary coming up next year. On our 15th, I had a guard added to her wedding ring that added 6 more diamonds. Welp, we're coming up on 35 and we've got an appointment tonight to map out another modification to her wedding ring. It should be interesting to say the least. Onward . . .
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Gaming Scene News:.
Dragon Age: Origins review -  Must own  Wow !
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PT Boats: Knights of the Sea preview.
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Q&A - Left 4 Dead 2.
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Mass Effect 2 pics.
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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 review -  9/10  Oooh !
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Hardware Scene News:.
Cooler Master Storm Sniper Black Edition Case review -  Great  Oooh !
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Dell announces Mini 3 Smartphone.  Dell's Android-based entry into the smartphone market finally surfaces, but not everywhere. Dell did not provide a launch date, but the company did say the phone would be available only in Brazil and China to start.
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Panasonic debuts audio system with photo frame.  Set to arrive in December, Panasonic's MW-10 features a built-in CD player and FM/AM radio tuner sporting a 45-station Preset Memory. The back of the device features a universal iPod dock for playing your own collection of tunes. An included remote control lets you run everything from afar. Sounds sweet.
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DVDs that last 1,000 years claimed.  Cranberry's Diamondisc is touting their new DVD they claim will last for 1,000 years. It holds a standard 4.7GB of data, which roughly amounts to 2,000 photos, 1,200 songs, or three hours of video, with a some big improvements: the media is unharmed by heat as high as 176 degrees Fahrenheit, ultraviolet rays or normal material deterioration, and the discs have no dye layers, adhesive layers or reflective materials that could deteriorate.
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Academic institutions reject Kindle.  There has been a great deal of talk about devices such as the Amazon Kindle and the up and coming Apple Tablet replacing the way individuals interact with printed media. However, trials of the Amazon Kindle DX in academic institutions interested in trialling the technology, as a study aid for their respective students, haven't won any converts.
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Vantec NexStar Vault NST-V290S2 2.5-inch HDD Enclosure review -  90%  Oooh !
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Tech Scene & Miscellaneous News:.
EC still holds Intel accountable even after AMD settlement.  The European Commission, which issued formal objections to, and fines for, Intel's alleged conduct last May, has not alter its position since the AMD vs Intel settlement. In a statement to Betanews this afternoon, EC spokesperson Jonathan Todd said: "[Noting than Intel and AMD have settled]... Intel has an ongoing obligation to comply with the Commission's May 2009 Decision and with EU antitrust law. The Commission continues to vigorously monitor Intel's compliance with its obligations under the May 2009 Decision."
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Windows 7: A paltry 4% of PC market.  MS has a lot riding on Win7 after Vista was shunned by enterprise users and consumers. Win7 so far has been doing better than Vista, but with 4% of the market, MS is busy spinning a success story to try and pump up sales.
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Google acquires Gizmo5, builds IP telephony portfolio.  Gizmo5 is a service many users have already tried to use in conjunction with their Google Voice accounts to make SIP calls. Google says, Gizmo5's engineers will be joining the Google Voice team to continue improving the Google Voice and Gizmo5 experience.
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Upsized Apple stores coming soon.  Apple may have only opened 26 stores throughout the 2009 fiscal year which ended in September but get ready because they're about to unleash between 40 to 50 more stores by the end of 2010. Also, Apple Store sizes range between 540 square feet and 28,000 square feet, but their future stores will be designed larger to fit at least three display tables side by side. Even the standard stores will be larger.
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