One of my good friends, Jacob, is getting married this weekend and I felt I was in need of a new suit.

Robin Sparkles – Let’s Go To The Mall!

I really love Banana Republic so that was the first, and only, stop on this trip for me. Heather and I quickly found the perfect suit and after a few shirt/tie combos found the right fit for the weekend. I’m going to look awesome (but not as awesome as Heather). I’m not 100% sure this is the exact suit I bought, but if not it’s close:

Modern chalk-stripe two-button suit blazer

That’s also the exact tie I bought in the picture on the left, however I’ll probably be wearing it with a white shirt. Heather says I look like someone from Mad Men in the suit. Not Don Draper tho, she made sure to point out. I’ll take what I can get.

This is also going to look awesome on International Suit Up Day.

THE UPDATE

There’s a big update on the cellphone front. I reported my HTC Magic stolen in the hopes that I could just get a new one. The problem with that? Rogers had discontinued the Magic due to the 911/GPS issue and the only Android phone they had available was the LG Eve. Nuh-uh. I bought a new SIM card “for use with an old phone” but just put it back in my Magic. I decided to give updating my Magic to the latest firmware one more try and lo and behold it worked! Not only did it update my phone to the latest firmware, which includes the incredible HTC Sense User Interface, it fixed my accelerometer! I’ve experienced far fewer random shutdowns, however they do still occur.

THE IMPENDING UPGRADE

And if it weren’t for those few random shutdowns, I probably wouldn’t be upgrading to the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10. While talking with Rogers about my “lost cellphone”, it turns out I’m eligibile for a hardware upgrade, so as soon as the Xperia X10 is released I’ll be first in line to make the switch. I’ve even decided that it will become my mp3 player, thus leaving my beloved iPod Touch by the wayside. I hope to repurpose it, and may have found a great way to use it in the kitchen as a timer/recipe book courtesy this post on Unplggd. We may have to use Heather’s old iPod Touch instead since hers is a second generation Touch with external volume control and a built-in speaker, whereas mine is a first generation.

I CAN HAZ COVER ART?

And actually, that sorta leads to the next problem I’m tackling. Last night I began the painstaking process of using iTunes to embed the cover art into my mp3s. It’s a simple yet arduous task, and one I will simply do by default from now on. The problem is that iTunes doesn’t automatically embed artwork into the mp3s, it simply stores it in the library file. Friggin stupid. Well, when I start using my Xperia X10 for an mp3 player, it’s going to get the artwork from the mp3’s ID3 tags where the coverart is embedded, not read from the iTunes library file. If it weren’t for Heather having an iPhone I’d ditch iTunes entirely.

PODCASTS

I was worried that part of the problem of moving from iPod to Android for my mp3 player would be the ability to play podcasts. I don’t subscribe to any video podcasts, but the management of podcasts in iTunes is obviously so simple. Luckily, Google has their own podcatcher for Android called Listen and it’s great so far. Being a Google product, it will only get better with time. There are other Android podcatcher apps available (some free, some not) but with Listen being a Google product, it’s sure to be well supported.

Now the only problems I have are waiting for the Xperia X10 to be released, and whether or not to get it in White or Black. Hmmm.

Photo courtesy Gizmodo

It’s no secret that a few months back (end of October if memory serves) I dropped my HTC Magic in an RX1 beer. Since then I’ve had a few problems with it such as random shutdowns, accelerometer is busted, and I am unable to mount the phone as a USB device on my computer. This was due to a large lack of foresight on my part by not properly drying it out before turning it back on.

I’ve managed up to this point and was willing to continue to do so until such time as a new phone came out that I was willing to purchase. More on that later. Unfortunately, Rogers has shut off internet access to my phone until I can perform a firmware update to fix an issue where GPS was interfering with being able to call 911. That’s all well and good except that I have to hook the phone up to my computer in order to do so. Now I’m left with a dilemma. As the phone is no longer under warranty due to the liquid damage, I have two options:

1. Report the phone as lost and get a new one at a lower cost (not quite as low as a brand new contract cost) but have to re-up for 3 years from that point.
2. Have the phone repaired at my own cost.

I unfortunately have no idea which of these two options is the cheapest. I had originally planned to just upgrade my phone instead of fixing it and was simply waiting on the next generation of Android phones to get released. Since then the Nexus One has come, but I’ve mentioned how in Canada it’s not a 3G phone. The Motorola Droid (or Milestone as it’s called in Canada) has yet to be released but is a Telus exclusive regardless. The next viable solution for me would have been the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 with it’s beautiful 4″ touchscreen but it doesn’t have a release date. Its also rumoured to be TRES EXPENSIVE.

From a cost perspective, this is an easy decision, and although the gadget geek in me is screaming otherwise, I’ll just report the phone lost and get a new Magic now and perhaps think about upgrading to a new Android phone sometime next year. I think this is a solution even my wife (@heatherRberg) can get behind.

The last few days I’ve been spending a considerable amount of time working on a new project. I’m installing XBMC onto my newly acquired Acer Aspire Revo R3610 nettop. Despite the fact that I’m hitting lots of roadblocks along the way I’m enjoying the challenge. Regardless of the fact that many have done it before there doesn’t seem to be one complete guide that takes you from A to Z, presumably because everyone has different setup and configuration requirements. I’m working on a large post detailing how to get my specific setup up and running in the hopes that someone else might find it useful.

I just came across a bit of an old post on Geek Dad listing 100 Quotes Every Geek Should Know. It’s a great quick read. Check out the post to see if your favourite quotes made the list. Here are some of the highlights for me:

1. “Ray, if someone asks you if you’re a god, you say YES!” – Winston, Ghostbusters
2. “The Road goes ever on and on/Down from the door where it began/Now far ahead the Road has gone/And I must follow, if I can/Pursuing it with eager feet/Until it joins some larger way/Where many paths and errands meet/And whither then? I cannot say.” – J.R.R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings
3. “Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together… mass hysteria!” – Dr. Peter Venkman, Ghostbusters
4. “Never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line!” Vizzini, The Princess Bride
5. “Who’s gonna turn down a Junior Mint? It’s chocolate, it’s peppermint – it’s delicious!” – Kramer, Seinfeld
6. “My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die!” -Inigo, The Princess Bride
7. “These aren’t the droids you’re looking for.” – Obi-Wan, Star Wars

One omission that stands out for me:

“1.21 Gigawatts?!?! GREAT SCOTT!!!” – Doc Brown, Back to the Future

That’s all the geeking out for me today. ‘Til next time.

Alright, folks, here’s the scoop: No “Top Ten” or “Top Five” movies/video games/music/books. No, what you’re going to get is simple. My favourite movie, video game, album, and book of 2009 with some honourable mentions and some disclaimers. Well, perhaps that’s not exactly simple after all, but I think it’ll all make sense.

WTG’S BEST MOVIE OF 2009

Star Trek

I quite honestly can’t think of a better thrill ride this year (Disclaimer: I have not had a chance to see Avatar yet). Sure, there were movies that were more profound, were more critically acclaimed, etc This movie also wasn’t without its faults, but at the end of the year there was no movie I enjoyed watching more. I saw it three times in theatres, and have watched it twice already on Blu-ray. Call me a trekkie if you must (it wouldn’t be totally without merit, however utlimately incorrect), but this movie was just pure fun. Well done JJ Abrams.

Honourable Mentions: Up, District 9, The Hangover, Zombieland, I Love You, Man, Watchmen

Movies I haven’t seen that probably would have made the list: Avatar, Up In The Air, (500) Days of Summer

WTG’S BEST VIDEO GAME OF 2009

Call of Duty – Modern Warfare 2

This was a no-brainer in terms of what I played in 2009. Let’s just say that the week after this came out I picked up both Left 4 Dead 2 and Assassin’s Creed 2 but have yet to even crack the cases as Modern Warfare 2 hasn’t left my 360 since buying it. The single-player campaign may be short but it’s intense, and if a game can get me playing multiplayer despite my fear of being PWN’d, it must be good. If you’re into First-Person Shooters, there’s no better game in the current generation of consoles. And yes, I’m including Halo 3.

Honourable mentions: Batman: Arkham Asylum, Battlefield: Bad Company (not a 2009 game, but played in 2009), Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10

Games I either didn’t play enough or didn’t play at all but probably would have made this list: Assassin’s Creed 2, Left 4 Dead 2, Borderlands, NHL 10

WTG’S BEST ALBUM OF 2009

Thrice – Beggars

Thrice’s previous effort(s), the ambitious Alchemy Index Volumes 1-4 (Fire, Water, Earth and Air), did nothing for me, but I kept the faith that my beloved Thrice could pull off another stellar album. They blew me away when I first started listening to them after The Artist in the Ambulance back in 2003 and they’ve completely rekindled my love for them with this album. I remember, after listening to the leak back in the summer, saying to my friend “I know it’s only halfway through 2009, but this is my album of the year, without question.” If you’re in doubt, have a listen to “In Exile” and you’ll completely understand my stance on this album.

Honourable Mentions: Treelines – S/T, You Say Party! We Say Die! – XXXX, Metric – Fantasies, Joel Plaskett – Three, Two Hours Traffic – Territory, Dan Mangan – Nice, Nice, Very Nice, We Were Promised Jetpacks – These Four Walls, Passion Pit – Manners

Albums I didn’t listen to enough to make an informed decision that might have made the list: The xx – xx, Paramore – Brand New Eyes, Muse – The Resistance, Brand New – Daisy, Said The Whale – Islands Disappear, Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz!, Neko Case – Middle Cyclone, Tegan & Sara – Sainthood, Telekinesis! – Telekinesis!

WTG’S BEST BOOK OF 2009

Wil Wheaton – Memories Of The Future

Wait, did I say earlier that I’m not a trekkie? Oh right, I’m still not, but this isn’t exactly helping my case now is it? Wil Wheaton, or you may know and loathe him as Ensign Wesley Crusher from Star Trek: The Next Generation, takes a humorous approach to recapping the first half of the first season of Star Trek TNG which is notoriously known as “This is so bad, how did this show even make it past the first season?” Wheaton has a real knack for comedy, and his ability to look back on these episodes and mock his own character and realize for himself exactly why everyone had a hate-on for Wesley, really legitimizes this book. This is obviously for fans of the series, but would be a great companion novel for those who are watching the series for the first time.

Honourable mentions: (aka, other books I read in 2009 that were pretty good) Guillermo Del Toro – The Strain, Christopher Moore – Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal, Orson Scott Card – Invasive Procedures, Wil Wheaton – Just A Geek

Disclaimer: I’m not what you would call a heavy reader. My Goodreads says I read just 9 books in 2009. My reading time consists of 10 minutes on the train on my way to work, and 10 minutes on the way home.

CONCLUSION

This concludes my week-late look at 2009 in movies, video games, music and books. I have this sneaking suspicion that 2010 is going to be just as good if not better for movies video games and music.

…where I make excuses for why I seem to never post anything for months at a time.

Excuses:

1. I’m just not a very compelling writer
   • I always have these great ideas (or so I think) for posts, but can never properly put them into words and feel good about putting up on the internet for people to actually read
2. I’m usually at work when I think of something to write about.
   • Case in point: I’m at work right now! I don’t generally spend a lot of time on the internet at home, and unless I get a new phone (I’m looking at you Nexus One) writing out posts while mobile just doesn’t seem like a good idea.

Reason why Excuse #1 is L-A-M-E:

• It’s the old age adage (or is that age-old adage, I can never remember), but you’ll only get better at something by doing it more often. I blame my feeble self-esteem, and my lack of internet-cred.

I’ve got a few things on the go, and although I’m not going to call it a “resolution” I hope to post with a bit more frequency in 2010.

Photo from Gizmodo

You may remember a while back I debated getting an iPhone vs G1 and despite my constant tweeting to that point about getting an iPhone I ended up with an HTC Magic.

To clarify, the the T-Mobile G1 in the States is the HTC Dream in Canada, and the T-Mobile myTouch 3G (which was expected to be called the ‘G2′) is the HTC Magic in Canada. Both run on Android 1.5 (Cupcake) in Canada.

It’s no secret that I’ve had some second-thoughts about my decision to go Android. My HTC Magic is tragically under-powered, and still quite buggy, not to mention the fact that neither Rogers nor HTC has released an OS upgrade (Android 1.6 Donut) to the Canadian version of the phone, which has been out and available for quite a few months now.

Leading up to the release of these “Google-phones” in Canada, I had been desperate to get my hands on an iPhone, so why did I finally decide to go with the Magic? I think it has a lot to do with my tendency to be an early-adopter. When it comes down to it I love having something new that not many people have. Add to that the fact that I’m a Google fanboy, and despite the fact that at the time Android was still in its infancy and only starting to get its legs, it had an allure to me. But for the first few months I was seriously regretting my decision.

I’ve griped recently on Twitter about dropping my phone in a cup of beer and all the problems I’m having with it since (random shutdowns, acccelerometer doesn’t work, SD card not always recognized), but regardless it’s still doing most of what I need it to do.

So despite the fact that the iPhone is probably the easiest phone in the world to use, and the fact that the number of high-quality apps available for the iPhone far exceeds that for Android, I still no longer regret my decision.

Here’s where I get into the “why”.

If you haven’t noticed, there have been a lot of Android phones coming out recently (in Canada, we’re still a little behind most when it comes to release dates). There’s the original Android phone, the G1, then came then HTC Magic, then follow that up with the HTC Hero with the custom Sense UI, a few others which don’t quite interest me as much, then there’s the Motorola Droid (pictured above) (Milestone on Telus in Canada). This baby runs the same processor as the iPhone 3GS, has a slide-out QWERTY keyboard (although according to some it’s not that great of a physical keyboard), and it runs Android 2.0 (Eclair).

According to almost everyone, this is the closest any Android handset has come to being an “iPhone killer”. It’s fast, it’s slick and it’s got lots of great features such as being the first handset to have Google Maps Navigation, a GPS turn-by-turn navigation system, FOR FREE.

The Android community is growing. In fact it’s exploding. Perhaps not literally as I’m picturing in my mind, but in terms of the number and quality of developers creating apps for Android, and the number of handsets. You might be thinking about those other smartphone OSes such as Windows Mobile, Blackberry OS and Symbian (Nokia), but in terms of growth I do believe that Android is outpacing all of them (especially WinMo). But don’t take my word for it, google it. In fact some handset makers are even ditching WinMo in favour of Android. TAKE THAT MICROSOFT!

But I think that’s what excites me most about Android. I can look forward to dozens of beautiful (and some not-so-beautiful) handsets from multiple handset makers on multiple networks (yes I know the iPhone is on all three major Canadian networks now) and not be tied in any way shape or form to the Apple empire.

Now, there’s no question in my mind (although my wife might disagree) that I need a new phone. With the Milestone coming to Telus in early 2010, I’ll either be looking at getting access to an unlocked Milestone, or figure out if it’s economically worthwhile to buy myself out of my Rogers contract and switch to Telus.

I’m not trying to convince you that Android is better than an iPhone. People have become quite attached to their iPhones over the years, and I’m not attempting to convert any iPhone lovers. I’m not really trying to convert anyone, but if you’re thinking of making the switch to a smartphone, don’t just automatically think the iPhone is the way to go. Android, quite simply, is the best alternative to an iPhone and seems like the safest bet at this point to challenge the iPhone as the top smartphone in the world.