I’ve got to say I was kind of excited when I heard back from the Verizon reps about getting a demo unit of the Blackberry Storm.  I’d read reviews elsewhere, but this is definitely the kind of product you want to try yourself.

A Touchscreen Phone You Click

I would have say it’s probably one of the best phones Verizon offers, read on for my review of the BlackBerry® Storm™ 9530 smartphone.
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Well it’s official, our Hi-def cameras are now being field tested! These new hi-tech tools of the trade will allow us to deliver video from the field in full HD (high definition-1080i for you “techies”). These cameras will provide greatly improved color and resolution and will actually make our workflow in the field faster.  These Sony PDW-335’s record to an optical disk that’s basically a re-writable Blu-Ray DVD that holds about 60 minutes of video. These “video files” can then be copied to our new laptop computer editors at 2 1/2 times normal speed. The camera also simultaneously records a low-res version of each file that can be copied to our reporters laptop in a matter of a few minutes. These features will allow us to log and edit our footage much faster than before and quickly provide our viewers with video on air and online. We’ve been training with this new gear for several weeks and are still learning how to fully integrate what it’s capable of.  These cameras are also capable of shooting in SD (standard definition) so we’ve been able to try them out in the field. (Although you won’t be able to actually SEE the difference in quality-here’s a story recently shot with the camera by Photojournalist Evan Linnert.) Just to give you an idea of how advanced these cameras are, the menu has 84 PAGES of user-adjustable settings! The camera also has a memory stick to store user settings for the camera as well as settings for our Avid editing software. Keep checking out PHOTO OP for posts on our newest “toys”.

It’s not every day that you get your hands on a phone that’s more than a phone.  When I unboxed the LG Vu, I was holding in my hands the next step.  Live TV on a cell phone, now possible with the LG Vu.  Not only is it possible, the quality is GREAT.  Let me say that again, the live TV quality on the cell phone was GREAT.  I showed it around the newsroom, and everyone who saw it was amazed.  Granted that live TV comes with a nice fee tagged on to your monthly bill, but it is a pretty nice step forward where the service is available.

Read on for the rest of my thoughts, mostly good, little bad and some in the middle.

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“Eagle Eye” has the Action, Thrills, Big Brother Paranoia, good acting from a talented cast and non-stop storyline that make this a really good movie that could possibly be considered a cranked up sequel to ”Enemy of the State” (1998)….

“Eagle Eye”

(2008) (rated: PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence, and for language) (1 hr, 58 min)

Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Michelle Monaghan, Billy Bob Thorton, Rosario Dawson, Michael Chiklis, Anthony Mackie, Ethan Embry

Genre: Action/Mystery/Thriller

The Plot: Jerry and Rachel are two strangers thrown together by a mysterious phone call from a woman they have never met. Threatening their lives and family, she pushes Jerry and Rachel into a series of increasingly dangerous situations, using the technology of everyday life to track and control their every move.

MY TAKE (spoiler free):

Like most good action/thrillers this movie doesn’t take long to get going or to jump into the main storyline… the story and plot twists are solid, the acting is good – with no roles or actors wasted, the high-tech parts of the movie aren’t difficult to understand, the effects and stunts help the story and don’t distract from it…  BUT BE READY TO BE AN ACTIVE VIEWER - (more…)