forbis82's profile

Great Deal....

I bought the NewPhone 74205 three weeks ago and was immediately impressed with the number of features available on this inexpensive phone. It has a 1M-pixel camera, video camera, and speakerphone. The NewPhone's size is perfect for carrying in a pocket and the battery has a pretty good lifespan of roughly 4 hours. My only complaint is that the menu system on the phone makes you click four times before you can find someone in the address book, set an alarm, or perform a additional functions. Other phones I've owned have simpler menus and get you to important features easily. Overall, I'd recommend the phone if you're on a budget.

Texas Instruments TI-83 Plus Graphic Calculator

Texas Instruments produces some of the most popular and well known graphing calculators in the industry. The TI-83 plus can do most any math problem found in Algebra I, Geometry, and even some Algebra II/Trigonometry. The wide screen allows for graphing equations and multi-line functions. The graphing capabilities of the TI-83+ are a superb choice for Algebra I classes. The ability to automatically find intersections and a variety of other important components of a graph are only key presses away. The calculator has a powerful matrix editor allowing for easy multiplication, addition,...Read full review and subtraction of matrices. Division of matrices is not possible. The list editor allows for statistical analysis of data both numerically and graphically. Graphically, the 83+ can plot data in several different formats. Anyone who is familiar with the BASIC computer language can program the TI-83+ with ease. The calculator supports the use of almost every function through a program. Programs can be typed directly into the calculator, or on a computer. The TI-83+ also supports a special form of programs called Flash Applications. Flash Applications are generally quite complex, and are written in a special language on the computer. Overall, the 83+ is an excellent choice for anyone taking an Algebra course or any math class above that. The calculator does basic arithmetic, graphic, statistics, matrices, and a variety of other mathematical operations.

er the Hedge (Xbox, 2006)

DreamWorks Animation is truly pushing the CGI limits in their soon-to-be-released feature film Over the Hedge. Realistic fur animations, sophisticated voice synching, and astronomical poly counts are just a few of the aspects that will make Over the Hedge a technological marvel when it hits theatres. But technologically advanced CGI films don’t fill movie theatre seats. We’re talking in the mind of a ten year old here, so Over the Hedge’s ultimate success lies largely in the hands, er, paws of its talking animal characters. Whether hand drawn on thousands of cells or mocked up in Maya, the bottom line is that the characters have to come to life and burst with personality for kids to enjoy. Same goes for the video game industry too. If an E or E10+ title doesn’t have a strong player character that the kiddie gamer can identify with, expect more entertainment value out of the box than the actual game in the Xbox. Activision’s Over the Hedge for the previous-gen Xbox allows kiddie gamers and their parents to interact with the entire cast of the film, while at the same time exercising their brains a bit as a tandem. But is there enough kudzu here to chew on; enough to keep a finicky young mind occupied for hours on end?