An older article that I somehow missed... regarding Sony's response to the upgrade Microsoft is providing over Xbox Live to increase the output resolution of the Xbox 360 from 720p to 1080p.

Sony Responds to Microsoft's HD Bid (via IGN)

To quote Sony from the article:

It's unfortunate that Microsoft's external HD-DVD drive will not enhance the experience at all for the gamer. Sony realizes that to truly take gaming into the next generation requires a larger data format for both games and movies. PS3 uses the Blu-ray format for gaming, giving developers 50 GB of high-definition storage on a single disc, while Microsoft's 9 GB DVD gaming format is an obstacle for storing HD content. Furthermore, Microsoft's announced HD games patch is really just a compatibility feature -- upscaling lower-resolution content does not make it Full HD (1080p), something that PS3 can do out of the box.

Yes, it is unfortunate that Microsoft didn't tack an extra $200 onto the 360 and force people to buy something not required to experience FUN games. The only thing a 50 GB disc will do is promote lazy programmers. Come on... 50 GB for a game? Sure, I can see that becoming an asset in a few year, but seriously... we have only just started using DVDs for games! (Well, for PCs, at least. I guess they're been using DVDs for consoles for 5 years now.) The fact is, the general consensus is that games do NOT need 50 GB of space and, if they do, someone's being a little too lax on the compression. Big discs do NOT equal big games... as in, the time it takes to finish the game. People have been saying this for a LONG TIME. This is just Sony tooting their Blu-Ray horn.

That last bit about the game patch being just a compatibility feature? A lie. Maybe they spoke too soon before hearing all the details, or maybe they're just being complete morons. The "patch" to play games in HD allows the 360 to output at true 1080p, upscaling games that are NOT 1080p, and playing 1080p games without changing anything. Sorry, Sony, but this is exactly what the PS3 does.

As they say, trying to make yourself look good by smearing the competition is a sign of weakness. It tells people that you have nothing special to contribute, so you try to make their accompishments look not so great in an effort to make your achievements shine. (Isn't that right, Apple? I'm-a-PC-I'm-a-Mac, hoho. I change the channels on those commercials. Their precious little Macs can't carry the weight on their own, so they have to resort to smearing PCs. Riiight.)

Apple Warns Companies About 'Pod' Naming

Okay... with all the fanboy activity around Apple that claims how such an awesome company they are, even I thought they were above this. I mean, not even Microsoft has tried to pull this. Well, I'm sure they've tried with the word "Windows", but this is like trying to own the word "Win" because you own "Windows."

Let me clarify...

Apple made the iPod. It's an MP3 music player, and it's extremely popular in the United States. It's called iPod. eye-pod. Not "i". Not "pod". "iPod." That's the name. iPod. I've never heard anyone calling it anything differently. If they did, we wouldn't know what they were talking about. There are different versions of the iPod, such as the iPod Nano, the iPod Video, the iPod Shuffle. But, hey! Guess what? They're all still called iPods!

So what's Apple trying to do now? Well, see, they don't like people using the word "pod" in their products anymore, because people might get "confused" or some such bologna they're spewing. It's just rediculous. Some companies are changing names because Apple is aggressively running after a few others. They're using scare tactics here on something they simply don't own. Take a look at Wikipedia's list of what Pods are. No... Apple doesn't own the word "pod".

In my opinion, Apple's actions are no better than the RIAA. They don't own the items in question, yet they're deploying scare tactics to get people to stop using it because it's "too similar to the name iPod". Hah, well, if you didn't want that, you shouldn't've called it an iPod! I don't think they'll win if someone were to actually take them to court over this, and, if they DID win? I would have lost all faith in Apple and our legal system.

This is not a bash against Apple. Well, I guess it sort of is... but it's not a bash against Apple because it's Apple. It's a bash against Apple because what they're doing here is stupid, arrogant, and greedy. I have an iPod, and I really, really want a Mac system, so I don't hate them just because they're Apple. But this is insane.