The New Blu-ray Disk Camcorder

I own two cameras that can take video footage, but they’re not dedicated video cameras. I still do not own one that does only video, and ever since the wedding I went to last month, choosing the right one to buy has been on my mind. Non-tape media camcorders (DVD or HDD camcorders) have grown to dominate more than 80 percent of the camcorder market, and high-definition camcorders have taken about 30 percent of the consumer market. Both are expected to continually grow.

With that thought, earlier this month Hitachi started selling the world’s first Blu-ray Disk (BD) Camcorder (two different models - DZ-BD70 and DZBD7H). If you’ve read some of my previous columns, you probably already know that I choose Blu-ray when it comes to the Blu-ray vs. HD-DVD war, so I was thrilled to hear about this new Blu-ray camcorder. It’s literally the world’s first Blu-ray disc camcorder! These cameras opened up a whole new door for me.

The DZ-BD70 is a single drive camcorder that can record up to one hour of 1920x1080 full high-definition video, or two hours of 1440x1080 high-definition video on an 8cm BD. The DZ-BD7H is almost the same, but is a hybrid version, which has 30GB built-in hard drive, which can record up to four hours of full high-definition video, or eight hours in the regular high-definition mode.


The hybrid’s Easy Dubbing feature allows you to transfer footage quickly and directly to a Blu-ray disc with no image quality loss. The widescreen 2.7-inch LCD viewfinder makes it easy to see what you’re shooting, and the one-second quick start is convenient when you’re in standby mode and need to catch something right away. All the vital parts of the camera support the 1920x1080 full HD video. The lens has a 10x zoom and is non-spherical to maintain a compact body size. It is also multi-coated to prevent reflection, glare or ghost images. The CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor has a RGB primary color filter and is capable of reading pixel area randomly at the rapid speed essential for full

HD video imaging. The Picture Master Full HD High Resolution Image Processing Engine processes the massive amount of data captured by the CMOS image sensor. These cameras allow you to capture six times the data of a standard definition camera. You can use it as a fairly decent still camera - 2.07 megapixels, which can be saved on an SD Memory Card. One of my favorite attributes is simple but useful - it has an HDMI output terminal! This allows you to transfer a full HD signal to an external source (i.e. your TV, as long as it also has an HDMI port).

One 8cm Blu-ray disc has a capacity of 7.5GB, equivalent to five 8cm DVDs at 1.4GB each. Note that the BD drive on these cameras is compatible with BD-RE/R, DVD-RAM/-RW/-R. Blu-ray has gained the support of more than 170 companies around the world, and is, in my opinion, the format likely to win the HD war. These cameras score another point for the Blu-ray team.

Find the Hitachi DZ-BD70 for $1,500 or the hybrid DZ-BD7H for $1,700 at www.amazon.com. Log onto www.hitachi.com for more information on both camcorders.

Home Tech 101 - Webcast Nov 7

“Connected Home webshow” from Circuit City and PC Magazine

WHEN: November 7, 2007, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time

REGISTRATION:
www.circuitcity.com/live

WHAT: This free, live, one-hour Web cast will help tech enthusiasts to:
* Install and configure your WiFi network
* Transmit songs from your MP3 player or Zune to every room in your home
* Download HD movies and watch them on your HDTV
* Upload photos and videos to online archives

Technology can transform how you listen to music, watch movies and share videos and photos—but only if you know how to use it. Let the experts show you how to get hooked up and in the know.

Hosted by PC Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief Lance Ulanoff, the interactive video presentation will feature a panel of experts from Microsoft®; Linksys®; HP and Circuit City’s own firedog™ services team.

During the program, consumers are invited to engage with the panel of experts by submitting questions online and participating in real-time polling.

WHY:
Circuit City Live presents the “Connected Home webshow” as part of a continuing commitment to educate consumers and engage them with the technology that shapes their daily lives.

“With multiple computers and other digital devices in so many households today, we’re excited to help teach customers how their electronics are able to work together,” said Mark Oldani, vice president and general manager of Circuit City Direct. “Adding live, interactive video to our online offerings is another step in our journey to create a sense of community online where people can exchange views and learn about technologies, products and services.”

Operation Daddy/Mommy Pillow & Phone TV

When a loved one is deployed overseas for a long period of time, it can be tough for family members. Since we have such a large military community here in Hawaii, this is unfortunately all too common. To make it a little easier on everyone, last month Mr. Ink Plus and Super Threads partnered to launch Operation Daddy/Mommy Pillow.

As a thank you to our troops and their families for the sacrifices they make, the owners of Mr. Ink Plus and Super Threads are offering this service with the thought of helping keiki who are missing their loved ones. This program works by you providing a photograph of your deployed family member along with a pillowcase. Your picture is then printed onto the pillowcase. The idea is to have the children hug the photo pillow as they sleep to help ease the stress.


The price of the printing is very minimal at only $8 (plus tax) to cover the cost of the ink and labor. Additionally, $1 from each pillow will go to Operation Homefront, a national non-profit group that provides emergency assistance and morale to the troops and the families they leave behind. Here in Hawaii, they offer support to nearly 35,000 troops and 60,000 family members. Check out www.operationhomefront.net for information on the different programs offered. Be sure to click the link for the Hawaii chapter.

In addition, an Operation Family Pillow is available for the deployed family member. On these, you can print family pictures and take it with you while on deployment.

To take advantage of either service, drop off your pillowcases and photos at either Mr. Ink Plus location — Honolulu or Waipahu. You must present a valid military ID card when you place the order, and there is a limit of one Daddy/Mommy Pillow per child and one Family Pillow per deployed family member. Call 526-2465 or 677-7470 if you have any questions or need more information.

# # #

Watch TV On Your Cell Phone
For my birthday recently, I received an iPod Touch, which allows me to watch movies and surf the Internet along with the usual iPod features. The only thing I cannot do is watch live TV. With everything a cell phone can do these days, why not be able to watch live TV too?

That is the idea broadcasters around the country are having lately with the transition of digital TV hopefully complete and just around the corner in 2009. I love the fact that my cell phone, iPod Touch (or whatever it will be called then) and in-car devices will very likely be equipped with a TV tuner!

At the moment you can only receive video services on your cell phone if you’re using AT&T, Sprint or Verizon, but it’ll cost you up to $25 per month. With the choices available now, you can see a limited amount of TV shows, sports and previously aired network programs. Personally, I enjoy seeing what’s on my iPod, especially since there are no commercial interruptions.

If this technology is going to work you’ll need a video-equipped chip with a TV tuner. Something like this shouldn’t be too expensive, perhaps adding $10 to your device. Most companies have already spent fortunes on installing their broadcasting equipment, but they would just need a beam that could work well on your small cell phone’s screen while moving fast in a car, etc.

It’ll be awhile, but stay tuned to see what your phone can tune to.

Free WiFi Really Hits The Spot

On top of just coming out with its fast 11 Mbps Internet service, Hawaiian Telcom recently announced free WiFi access for its customers at any HT Spot. If you are an existing Hawaiian Telcom High Speed Internet (HSI) customer, you should take advantage of this excellent service.

There are more than 100 of these HT Spots around the state located at all Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Hawaii locations, Ala Moana Center, Restaurant Row, around downtown Honolulu and Waikiki. Additionally, note there are HT Spots in Kailua, Hawaii Kai, Manoa, Ewa Beach and Pearl City on Oahu, Kapaa on Kauai, Kona and Hilo on the Big Island, and Kahului on Maui. Plans are in place to further expand the network.

“Mobility is a highly desired element for our high-speed customers,” said Michael Fry, Hawaiian Telcom’s senior Internet product manager. “This enhancement provides them with the freedom and flexibility to connect to the Internet when they’re out on the go. It also increases the value of our service and strengthens customer loyalty,” he added.

I tested the connection while sitting on a nice cushy leather chair sipping on a latte from Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. I figured the ultimate speed test would be to watch my Slingbox from there. Oh, just in case you don’t know what a Slingbox is, it’s a device that allows you to watch your home TV from your computer or cell phone via the Internet.

While watching my Slingbox, the speed was pretty decent at about 2.5 Mbps download with nearly no lag time. As with Hawaiian Telcom’s High-Speed Internet at home service, the HT Spots have a stated maximum connect time of up to 11 Mbps.

After sitting at the coffee shop for about 20 minutes, I walked across the parking lot to Starbucks to compare it to T-Mobile Hotspot’s speed. It was definitely not as fast. There I received 1.4 Mbps (download), with tons of lag, lag, lag! The video was coming in sporadically, and it was frustrating to watch. Because of that, I left after only a couple of minutes. It’s all right for regular Web surfing, but definitely not for streaming video.

Skywave, a Honolulu-based company that offers Internet connectivity solutions, powers these HT Spots.

“HT Spots are the perfect complement to Hawaiian Telcom’s already robust high-speed offering,” says Joshua Beil, Skywave’s co-founder. “Every Hawaiian Telcom customer, from working professionals to students, can take advantage of Skywave’s existing and future WiFi locations to find a convenient location to wirelessly surf the Net.”

Skywave co-founder Matthew Ganote adds, “We have integrated seamlessly with Hawaiian Telcom so that its customers can use their existing e-mail and password to access our WiFi network.”

Hawaiian Telcom HSI customers should take advantage of and enjoy this free ride. If you’re not a customer yet, keep this in mind as another perk to subscribe. Check out www.hawaiiantel.com for more information (or call 643-0805) and a complete list of all HT Spot locations, or visit www.skywavebroadband.net.

Share Your Mojo For Free, Baby

When I hear the word “mojo,” the first things that come to my mind are the Austin Powers movies and how he always talks about his mojo. Dictionary.com defines it as “the art or practice of casting magic spells, magic or voodoo.” But the mojo I want to share with you is MojoBaby, a mobile blogging service that allows you to upload pictures, videos and text instantly from your cell phone for free.

What sets this apart from other services is the fact that you can quickly upload these things from your phone while you’re out and about, and they can appear on your website instantly. If you’re into blogging or social websites such as MySpace, your life will become easier with this MojoBaby. It’s been in the beta testing phase for a few months, but now it’s ready for you with full functionality, including the updated MojoPlayer with the new widgets. The GIF widget allows you to share your MojoBaby content on websites that do not allow standard flash widgets.

“The GIF widget is a very interesting way to share content in areas that are closed to the standard flash widgets,” says Scott Miller, founder and COO of MojoBaby. “We are still pushing the limits of this technology, but to my knowledge we are the first social network to create widgets in this manner.”

You easily customize the size and looks of your widgets, then when you’re finished, just copy the code and paste it into your MySpace, Blogger or whatever website you’re using. Then, voila, you have real-time feed of all the pics and video you’re uploading. The added search and community tools with the update allow you to see all your recent posts on the site that have not been marked as private. You can even give your friends and family access to post items by adding on their e-mails and phone numbers to your account.


This could also be useful for a group blog. “I have always envisioned MojoBaby as an easy way to instantly share what you are doing with your friends and family,” says Miller. “This update has answered a number of requests from our community for additional functionality.

Now community groups, news organizations, families and schools can use MojoBaby to effectively reach their audiences and instantly share important events.” As long as your phone can send e-mail or do MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) you can use it with MojoBaby.You might have to contact your service provider to make sure MMS is activated on your phone. It’s usually included with text messaging packages, especially if you have a camera phone. The video uploads are limited to 5MB and you can upload as many photos as you want.

If you have privacy concerns, the only information the public can see is what you post, so it’s up to you. You also can choose to set your profile to private so that you won’t appear in the “most recent posts” page. As with other blogs, you can add friends and post comments to each others’ pages.

Overall, it seems the player is probably the most useful thing about MojoBaby, since it creates a nice interactive moving widget with an easy way to upload via your cell phone. The fundamental idea behind the website’s ability to move pictures and videos from a mobile device to the web is great and should be taken advantage of. The site is so new it’s hard to determine which way it will go. It will depend on how many people participate to make up its community and make it flourish.

To join and sign up for your free MojoBaby account, go to www.mojobaby.com

Internet Addictions

Most people I know constantly check their e-mail and surf the Internet, at minimum, once a day - as long as there’s access to a computer or phone with connectivity. I just wanted to share the results of this extensive survey recently conducted by the ad agency JWT (J. Walter Thompson). It shows the majority of people “cannot imagine being without Internet access for more than a week.” I know I can’t even go a day, much less a week!

Fifteen percent of the survey respondents said they would survive without online access for a day or less. Twenty-one percent said a couple days, and 19 percent said a few days. Only a fifth of the group said they could go for a week without the Internet. Fourty-eight percent of the respondents agreed that, “If I cannot access the Internet when I want to, I feel like something important is missing.”

“Mobility represents the next big shift,” says Marian Salzman, executive vice president and chief marketing officer at JWT. “Older Americans are happy to sit in the same place to go online, while younger people expect to be able to connect anywhere at any time.”

Here are other trends discovered in this interesting survey: More than 28 percent admit they spend less time socializing face-to-face with peers because of the time spent online or occupied with gadgets.


Cell phones beat television usage, but Internet use still trumps all and is regarded as the most necessary.
Almost three-quarters of the survey’s participants say they now shop differently than before, and more of their spending is online: “The Internet has changed the way I shop.”

This surprises me, since almost none of my gal pals owns a gaming console or is even into gaming, but the women from this study are more likely to own a gaming console (Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox/Xbox 360, PlayStation 2/3), compared to 39 percent of men. Age-wise, individuals under 35 are significantly more likely to own a gaming console.

Men under 35 are most likely to use WiFi networking at home. A quarter of the respondents said they actually have WiFi at home: 30 percent of them were men and 22 percent were women. Ninety-seven percent of the surveyed have Internet access at home. Male and female are equally likely to be online frequently.

About a third of the participants own an mp3 player (i.e. iPod). Men are slightly more likely than women to own one, and not surprisingly, the younger crowd possesses more mp3 players than the older folks (55+).

E-mail usage is the highest among women, and most use online e-mail services such as Hotmail or Gmail. The younger group uses more web-based e-mail as opposed to actually setting up the account in Outlook, etc., directly on the computer.

Women are slightly more likely to own a digital camera, and two-thirds of the men say they own a standalone digital camera (not built into a cell phone), compared to 74 percent of the women.

Digital is an essential component for the majority of the respondents. Men and women both agree almost equally (60 percent vs. 58 percent) that “digital technology is an essential part of how I live.” As the age goes up, however, the digital lifestyle is not as important.

Overall this survey was conducted randomly to Americans 18 years and older in September. I’m not surprised by any of the results, since most of us are so digitally dependent - myself included.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month/National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is a month for two very important causes, National Domestic Violence Awareness Month and National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Both are proclaimed as such by the president of the United States, and you can help support both of these worthy causes.

Donate A Phone For Domestic Violence
Do your part tech-wise by donating your old cell phone. Deactivated cell phones have been important tools given to victims of domestic violence that encounter emergency situations.

Even if your phone is not used for emergency distribution, it will be sold and the proceeds from the sale will help fund vital agencies such as the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV). Go to www.ncadv.org/takeaction/Donatea Phone_129.html for more information and to print out a pre-paid postage label to send your phone in.


Sony Style
Sony is offering three pink products that are helping to fund the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF). First, the 14.1-inch VAIO CR Series Notebook features an Intel Core 2 Duo 2.2 GHz processor with a 200GB hard drive and a built-in camera.This sells for $1,369.99,and $75 of that goes to the foundation.

Next, Sony’s 4GB Walkman Video MP3 Player has a 2-inch LCD screen, a bi-directional display, and gives you 33 hours of audio or eight hours of video on one charge. This will cost you $149.95, $10 is donated.

Sony’s third pink product is the Pink Portable DVD Player with a swivel screen. This sells for $189.99, and $10 goes to the cause. All three of these are available at www.sonystyle.com.



Casio EX-Z75
Casio released a special edition camera bundle, featuring a pink EX-Z75 camera, a camera case embossed pink stitching and a pink ribbon-clad lanyard.

The 7.2 megapixel EX-Z75 has a 2.6-inch-wide LCD display, anti-shake DSP (digital signal processor) for reducing blurry photos for those of you with shaky hands, and a special eBay mode which allows you to easily upload photos for web use.

This bundle package sells for $179.99 at your nearest Sears, and the proceeds benefit the National Breast Cancer Foundation. See www.casiousa.com for more details.


Belkin’s Sport Armband & “Hope”
Sport Armband for your iPod nano. For each case sold,Belkin will donate 10 percent of the retail price ($29.99) to the Susan G.Komen Foundation. The “Hope"Remix clear acrylic and brushed metal case goes for $29.99 as well, and both available are at www.belkin.com/forthecure.

Also note that Target (unfortunately not here in Hawaii yet),is offering a special pink iPod shuffle package for $79, and it comes with a $15 iTunes gift card. If you’re traveling to the Mainland any time soon, or if one of your relatives/friends lives near a Target, you might want to ask them to pick one up for you.



Petito Flash Drives
Chances are you already have a flash drive, but do you have a pink one? Petito’s special edition pink USB 2.0 flash drives are waterproof, and you can make a fashion statement as you wear it around your neck with an included necklace (not a regular lanyard as with most flash drives). The 512MB is $25.99, and the 1GB is $39.99 (plus shipping) at www.pinkpetito.com.



Mercedes-Benz C350 Sport Sedans
Last but not least . . . this one is a bit extravagant, but if you can afford it, go for it! Each sale of the Mercedes-Benz Special Edition 2008 C350 Sport Sedan helps Mercedes-Benz raise $1 million for Saks Fifth Avenue’s KEY TO THE CURE,a campaign to fund research to fight women’s cancers. Other than the fact that it’s a Mercedes, keep in mind this luxury vehicle carries the SIRIUS Satellite Radio, Harmon/ Kardon LOGIC 7 sound system, voice control and my favorite, full iPod and Bluetooth integration. The price starts at $37,275 ... visit www.mbusa.com or our local MB dealer for more information.


This is just the tip of the iceberg as far as product backing, but other than the things mentioned above,you could also show your support by wearing the appropriate ribbons, or the respective colors - purple for domestic violence or pink for breast cancer. Locally you can contact the Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence (HSCADV) at 832-9316 or www.hscadv.org for other ways you can help, or if you need help. For the Cure, contact the Hawaii Affiliate of Susan G. Komen For The Cure at 754-1817 or www.komenhawaii.org.

Focusing On A Wedding Video

A couple weeks ago some friends asked my husband and me to quickly put together a video for a wedding as a surprise for the bride and groom. This was the beginning of a new learning curve, and whether you’re making a video for a wedding, birthday party, trip or anything else, I just have to share what we learned.

If you’re going to do this yourself, rule No. 1 in this whole deal: Use the right video camera! Pick one that has a hard drive or FireWire connection and uses digital video (DV) format. Unfortunately we did not have one of our own, but were using two not-to-be-named cameras that did not work very well for this purpose. Rule No 2: If you’re going to use iMovie, use the older iMovie HD, not the current iMovie 08. Rule No. 3: Within iMovie, mix photos and videos together. It makes using the included themes and transitions easier.

So, the right camera: There are two excellent ones that I’m recommending, even for beginners, that have been on the market for awhile - Canon’s High Definition (HD) HV20 HD Camcorder and Sony’s DCRHC96. While doing this wedding video, it was frustrating trying to siphon off the footage from an unsupported disk format that would not work in either of our CD/DVD slots, and did not have a FireWire or even a USB port to transfer data.

The first camera I mentioned, the HV20, includes a 10x optical (200x digital) zoom with Super Range Optical Image Stabilization, a Canon True HD 1920 x 1080 CMOS Image Sensor, and 1080 HD video. Additionally, for still photos, you’ll receive an image quality of 2.96 megapixels. For the aspiring videographers or filmmakers, the 24P Cinema Mode gives you a professional film/cinematic look.


What makes this camera special is Canon’s DIGIC DVII Image Processor. It’s the brains behind the HV20 HD Camcorder. The DVII is the next generation of Canon’s signal processing technology, and processes video with improved color reproduction and dramatically reduces noise in low-light situations. You can buy it at Circuit City (www.circuitcity.com) or your nearest Apple Store (www.apple.com) for $999.95.

The second camera, a Sony DCR-HC96 MiniDV Handycam, has a 10x optical (120x digital) zoom, a wide 2.7-inch Hybrid SwivelScreen Touch Panel LCD screen and a Memory Stick Duo media slot. If you want to use it for a still camera, you’ll receive up to a 3.0-megapixel resolution directly onto your Memory Stick Duo, and it has a built-in flash. If you’re in a low-light situation, the Super NightShot Infrared System allows you to still record your subjects up to 20 feet away.

The transfers are easy to your computer or an external hard drive with the HC96 is the i.LINK DV Interface. This digital high-speed bi-directional interface provides you with a FireWire connection and pure digital transfer between your devices. It goes for $599.99 at www.sonystyle.com or www.amazon.com.

Once you have the camera of your choice in-hand, make sure you download iMovie HD at www.apple.com. If you are already using iLife 08, do not use the included iMovie 08. Trust me on this one. Since its release, and for various reasons, there have been multiple complaints about iMovie 08, which is why Apple still has the iMovie HD download available.

The final step, if you have the time, is to read Learn Apple iMovie HD In A Day, written by Michael Gantenbein. It will give you insight into the world of digital video production and help you thoroughly master iMovie HD. Find it on www.amazon.com for $29.95 (free shipping).

I also just want to give my best wishes again to the happy newlyweds, Hannah and Lawrence!

The New, Improved Roomba Cleans Up

It’s been five years now since iRobot’s Roomba sucked itself into our world, and about two years since we first saw the Scooba (covered in one of my 2005 columns). I always thought the Roomba was a good concept, but never actually bought one because I thought the first generations seemed a bit flimsy.

A couple months ago, iRobot announced its line of 500 series Roomba vacuum cleaning robots, based on customer feedback from more than 2 million buyers over the last five years. This apparently added up to a much-improved product, as I saw when iRobot gave me the opportunity to test out the Roomba 560 for the past week.

“It took three years and the latest in robot technology innovations to create appliances that can clean as effectively and autonomously as the new Roomba 500 series,” said Sandra Lawrence, president of iRobot Home Robots. “Life today is so busy, we rarely have the time or the energy to clean our homes as often as we’d like. If you wish you could have clean floors every day, this one’s for you.”

One of my biggest pet peeves is coming home and stepping on all the little crumbs, little rocks or whatever might have been tracked into the house and having them stuck to the bottom of my feet. I always pester my husband to take his shoes off in the house so my feet won’t turn black from walking around on our tile floor.

On top of that, my cute but messy bird scatters his food all over the place when he’s inside and outside his cage. You can imagine how excited I was to open up this box and just let it run.

I noticed immediately that this is much heavier and sturdier than previous Roombas. Heavy is always a good sign. That way I know it will take a great deal to topple it over. The first time I let it go around downstairs, it picked up so much that I almost could-n’t believe it. As with other Roombas, it caught underneath the couches, tables and other places that a regular vacuum cleaner cannot reach.


The Roomba’s new redesigned dustbin holds significantly more debris than previous models. The one-button activation makes it extremely user-friendly, and there’s a builtin voice tutorial that demonstrates Roomba’s features right out of the box.

It is guided around the house by the virtual wall lighthouses. These four-inch tall mini towers orient your Roomba with radio frequency (RF) communications and guide it through your house. The lighthouses confine your Roomba to one room until it is thoroughly cleaned, then guide it to the next room. The important thing is to make sure the lighthouses can all see each other and the home base. When the battery is running low (usually lasts about an hour), it finds its way back to the base to dock and recharge.

You can program it to clean your floor automatically up to seven days a week, even when you’re on a trip. Realistically I’m not sure if you would want to program it that often since you still need to clean it out every few times you use it. Additionally, note the patented three-stage cleaning system automatically adjusts to effectively clean carpets and hard floors.

I still love my good ol’ loyal Dyson and the built-in central vacuum system I have in my house, but I’m also sold on this Roomba 560. It will definitely be a nice third vacuuming addition to the household, especially when I’m feeling lazy. As soon as I send this one back to iRobot, I’m buying one of my own!

Find the Roomba 560 at www.irobot.com, www.amazon.com (free shipping) or locally at the Sharper Image store (www.sharperimage.com) for $349.99. For a little less, the Roomba 530 is $299.99, or if you want a little more flexibility, the Roomba 570 is $399.99 (comes with a Wireless Command Center and many other extras).

Halo 3: It's Well Worth The Wait

If you were one of the fellow lucky ones to be chosen for the Halo 3 beta in May, you know how good this game is. More than 820,000 lucky people around the world participated in the beta, and logged more than 12 million hours of online gameplay. Can you imagine? That’s equivalent to about 1,400 years of continuous play by a single person!

Well, that’s how big this whole Halo thing is. Last week, on Sept. 25, the world finally saw the much-anticipated full and completed version of Halo 3 hit the market. People were standing in line for hours to wait for their copy, and it was so big that the presales number hit the 1 million mark in July - two months before the actual launch!

Halo 3 picks right up from the ending of Halo 2. You as the Master Chief, a genetically altered enhanced supersoldier, must race back to Earth to stop the Covenant once and for all to save mankind. The war has come to a climax, and the Flood continues to grow in numbers and strength as the armies of Earth are scattered. Your mission is to stop the Covenant, destroy the Flood threat and ultimately save mankind.


Playing Halo 3 marathon-style brought flashbacks to my mind. When Halo 2 was new a few years ago, my husband (then-fiance) and I were playing this late into the night while simultaneously planning our wedding. This time, we’re just playing it co-op with nothing huge going on in our lives right now.

The first time we popped in Halo 3, since I logged in after my husband, I had to play as the Arbiter, the disgraced commander of the Covenant Fleet of Particular Justice. My husband was able to play as the Master Chief. At first I was disappointed, but the Arbiter is pretty hard core. In Halo 2’s co-op play, both players are the Master Chief. Apparently Halo 3 does not let you do that, but you can do coop play with up to four players in the campaign mode, with split-screen support. You can even do it all on Xbox Live if you choose.

The entire campaign has nine chapters and takes about 10-15 hours to complete, depending on your skill level. Once you finish the campaign, you can jump to any of them again to relive your glory days. Once you become bored with that, you can then participate in multiplayer matches with up to 16 players, using 11 different maps. You can play various modes ranging from deathmatch, team death-match and capture the flag. Any of the maps you choose will support your choice.


There are many added features you can take advantage of. Using the file-sharing option, you can share your screenshots or matches/films (campaign or multiplayer) with anyone around the world. You’ll see and hear the game in its full glory with high dynamic range lighting (HDR) and fully positional Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. Additionally, the AI (artificial intelligence) characters are enhanced with individual distinct personalities, strategies and fighting style to make your game-play experience more interesting. One of the greatest additions is the Forge mode. This allows you to arrange objects, equipment and hazards within the predefined geometry of any Halo 3 multiplayer game. The Forge mode is basically a map editor, but not in the 3D sense you might think of. Your changes are all done in real-time, and you can even share your Forge conceptions with other players.

One of my favorite equipment add-ons is the Bubble Shield. This is a little something you can throw down when you’re under heavy fire, and it will deflect all projectile weapons and grenades that are thrown at you. The best part of it is that you can still shoot your enemies right through it while you’re being protected. Then you also have the Trip Mine and the Grav Lift, a short-range lift allowing easy vertical elevation of objects and vehicles. Most of the weapons remain the same, but I enjoy toying with the Missile Pod. This little wonder can carry eight guided missiles on my shoulder. The trick is finding one on the ground.

You’ll hear many of the same voices you did in Halo 2 with the respective characters, as well as the same (and new) music. Overall, the game is another great storyline with more flexibility, with the ability to share maps, screenshots and films.

So far Halo and Halo 2 have sold more than 14.8 million copies worldwide (both Xbox and PC versions). With Halo 3 now on the market, at the end of this year it’s expected that fans will spend about $1 billion on Halo franchise total. That’s just amazing!

As with much of the world, as crazy as it sounds, I’ll be even more sleep-deprived than usual to stay up to play Halo 3.

Halo 3 is rated M for Mature (ages 17+) and available at your nearest GameStop (www.gamestop.com), CompUSA(www.compusa.com) or Best Buy (www.bestbuy.com) for $59.99 (standard edition).