Once again, another over hyped announcement from Apple has come and gone. Steve Jobs and his marketing wizards indoctrinated swooned the masses with their latest cash cow - the highly anticipated iPhone 4.

As a PC hardware junkie, who performs SMART UPGRADES on a timely basis, it makes me giggle when people fall prey to over zealous marketing hype. I begin to shudder when people spend hundreds of dollars to get the latest Smartphone, especially on a yearly basis. Potential customers whine about being locked into untimely contracts, along with predatory pricing from wireless carriers, so they can lay claim to the latest gadget.

For most consumer electronics, there will always be new technology releases every year.  Each release will have a price/benefit ratio that will determine performance and, most important of all, the overall user experience.  The same can be rationalized for commodities such as a Smartphone.

Given the new features of the iPhone 4, a yearly upgrade cycle is not always beneficial for a majority of consumers.  After all, most users will not utilize every hardware or software feature to the maximum nor does the iPhone 4 cause a huge lifestyle shift over the previous iPhone 3GS.  It’s a meager evolution of previous iterations with no huge jumps in technology.

Unless a new Smartphone forces a big shift in lifestyle, save your money and stay away from the yearly upgrade trap. What’s really important is the ability to maintain your wireless plan or allowing it to expire. Furthermore, choosing the right contract or plan is a lot more important than buying a new Smartphone. And like it or not, each new release, including the iPhone 4, will inevitably become unfashionable within a course of a year.

It was bound to happen sooner or later! The Wife and I decided to book another cruise ship vacation. This summer we’ll be cruising with “Royal Caribbean International” on the largest ship in the world. Merrily called ““MS Oasis of the Seas”“, this floating monstrosity boasts jaw dropping amenities, outdoor neighborhoods along with an ability to host 5000+ guests. To make our vacation even more entertaining, we’ll be cruising with a group of close friends!

Oh well, I guess it’s time for me to diet again. Before heading out to sea, I plan lose 20+ lbs within the next couple of months!

A little warning before viewing the following video. It has extremely cheesy music!

Imaginary Diva and I would like to wish all our friends and loved ones a Merry Christmas 2009.  Apart from giving and receiving gifts, we remain grateful for continued blessings that developed over the past year.  With a handful of days left for 2009, we also hope you keep safe during this special time of the year.

Believe it or not. Black Friday 2009 was a pretty quiet time for me.  No, I didn’t line up throughout the night as documented in previous years. Yours truly decided to stay away from raucious crowds and overbearing line ups.  I purchased a lot of stuff online and, most important of all, from the comfort of my own home.

Like the old saying goes, “Good things come to those who wait”. As a big fan of Left 4 Dead 1, I was grasping to get a hold of the newly released Left 4 Dead 2. After numerous bouts of impatience, I finally purchased a digital copy thanks to a Black Friday sale on Steam. The game was bought at a significant markdown. 

I’ll try to post a review in a couple of days.  Right now, I need to shoot some Zombies!!!