Now's your chance to grab an Xbox One & Titanfall for $449

Since Walmart just launched a $50 discount on the Xbox One, I'm sure you can run to Best Buy or your other favorite retailer and pick up the new Xbox One Titanfall bundle for a $449 price match. That's not only $50 off the console but also another savings on the game which adds another $59.99! I've been tempted for over a week since Titanfall came out but now I'm even more excited to go out and grab the console especially since I sold my Xbox 360 Kinect 250GB bundle for $200!

One of the major setbacks though was clearly stated and summarized by Forbes' Paul Tassi:

Trying to control the interface with gestures is like playing patty cake with an octopus, and constantly ends in frustration. What should be the most intuitive way to use the system barely works because despite all the promises, we’re a long way from Minority Report yet.

A Beautiful Pregnancy Time Lapse Music Video

With all the time lapses of pregnancies and couples, this definitely has to be THE best one yet. This definitely took dedication. I remember thinking to myself that Adelle and I would do this too but we just kept on forgetting. =( http://youtu.be/yJ7-v7xVm3I

It does kind of stink that he was still playing guitar while she was in labor… but I kid. Congrats to the proud parents!

Hunt and Gather for your Mitochondria

Dr. Terry Wahls at TEDxIowaCity presents the science behind feeding your Mitochondria and brain cells. http://youtu.be/KLjgBLwH3Wc

Dr. Terry Wahls learned how to properly fuel her body. Using the lessons she learned at the subcellular level, she used diet to cure her MS and get out of her wheelchair.

I'm definitely thinking of a life change right about now especially after those diabolical nachos.

Close to 40? Here's some advice!

When author Pamela Druckerman writes her columns, it's wise to read, digest and have a few laughs.

The modern 40s are so busy it’s hard to assess them. Researchers describe the new “rush hour of life,” when career and child-rearing peaks collide. Today’s 40ish professionals are the DITT generation: double income, toddler twins.

via NYTimes

If you haven't already and have a little one or maybe two, check out Bringing Up Bébé: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting. I'd read it even if you didn't have kids. It's really insightful into the difference between cultures.

Filipina Hungarian American Reporter Liz Wahl Resigns on her own LIVE Newscast

A Filipina Hungarian American newscaster takes an ethical stand, goes off script and officially resigns on live television. Goodluck to Ms. Liz Wahl. Glory and courage to you and I'm sure you'll have no problem finding a new job anywhere in the US. Wish there were more people like you willing to take a stand.

http://youtu.be/55izx6rbCqg

update: here's her first interview with Anderson Cooper this evening. Check it out here.

Do You Wanna Grab a Beer Man?

In the tune of Frozen's "Do You Wanna Build a Snowman?"... Tommy Chuang does it up great recalling those times when girls came before bros. http://youtu.be/wEcvzr9U5Ls

Thanks Jeremiah. We'll grab a beer when I get home ASAP.

Review: Brenthaven's Broadmore Backpack Optimized for Travel

The Brenthaven company was first introduced to me by the online Apple Store back in October 2001. I purchased my first Apple notebook, the Powerbook G4 667MHz Gigabit and chose a messenger style case. Brenthaven offered a special foam sleeve which perfectly cradled my prized titanium possession. Brenthaven knocked it out of the park providing plenty of other pockets that would fit my college notebooks and other accessories. Thirteen years later, you wouldn't be able to tell it's age.¹ It stayed with me when I upgraded to the MacBook Pro and also snuggled my wife's MacBook Air comfortably. But, back to why we're here; the TSA Friendly and amazingly spacious Broadmore Backpack.

If you don't already know, my career as an airline pilot requires me to travel quite a bit. In and out of various hotels, hotel shuttles, airplanes and airports, durability is of the utmost importance. TSA friendly bags offer a welcomed bonus but that never proved to be a deciding factor. Since I upgraded to Captain, I've found that sitting on reserve in base for days at a local hotel can be quite mundane. This made it urgent that my next bag needed not only fit my laptop but accommodate a Sony Playstation 3 which I know would provide me hours of entertainment.

I received a Brenthaven Broadmore BackPack last week to review for elijahnicolas.com and it has easily become my primary bag. Packed to the brim, it's proving every bit a worthy successor to my original Brenthaven Messenger. I was impressed by the generous padding not only on the back but on the shoulder straps which are also spliced with Napa leather. The zippers are high quality and the two soft lined pockets serve for quick storage or immediate access to your iPhone / Android and sunglasses. There are also two side pockets that can easily hold a water bottle or tumbler or whatever else you'd like.

One of the defining qualities of Brenthaven's Broadmore line is the "quilted and fully padded CORE™ Protection laptop compartment."

A Protection System that wraps your laptop in high-density protective foam. Flexible bow shaped forms at either end of the laptop compartment automatically adjust to allow a snug fit for any size laptop. Patent ID #7,549,535.

I was under the impression that I would end up using a companion sleeve for my laptop but I'm surprisingly comfortable sliding my MacBook Air 13" or MacBook Pro Retina Display 15" naked into the pocket. It hugs the laptop like a glove and so far, after a couple of unintended drops, the backpack has done it's job well. And yes, even my PS3 has survived.

I mentioned that I planned on carrying my laptop and Playstation 3 but I was able to pack in even more goodies into the Broadmore Backpack. Unknown to me prior to receiving the bag, it included an awesome iPad compartment in the inner pocket. A keyring and serial number can be found inside the outer most pocket and holds just about everything else with slots for pens, pencils, USB drives and wires a plenty. You could even throw in a few Field Notes notebooks too. Don't forget the zippered pockets within the backpack than will also keep those loose trinkets from getting lost in the bottom.

Overall, I'm very happy with the bag. It holds exactly what I need and more. It's stylish, well-built and I can see it being my last.

From left to right: Contigo Autoseal Stainless Steel Travel Mug 20oz, Sony Playstation 3, MacBook Air 13", PS3 power cable, HDMI cable, Thunderbolt to HDMI cable, Sony Playstation Wireless Headset, MacBook Air Powercord, Google Nexus 7" (2012), Hidden Radio Generation 1, PS3 Controller, followed by wallet, watch, keys, bracelet and my iPhone which I used to take this photo. An impressive feat and it even fit underneath my seat on an American Airlines MD80! I like the travel somewhat light. This bag weighs 3.1 pounds while measuring 14.5" W x 18" H x 6.5" D.

This beautiful bag is available from Brenthaven at $249 and comes with a 100% Lifetime Guarantee! If you find yourself traveling as much as I do or appreciate great craftsmanship and attention to detail, make this backpack your last.

Fits: MB Air 13.3", MB Pro 13.3", 14", MB Pro 15.4"

this post was written while listening to Noon Pacific.

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1. I have since lost the actual Brenthaven messenger strap when the bag was checked on as a valet bag on a flight years ago. ↩

If You're a Dropbox User, Opt-Out NOW!

You have 30-days from February 24th to opt out of Dropbox's new Legal terms which will benefit you in the long run. Trust me, do it now!

If you’re like me, you probably glossed over this update because gah, legalese.

Allow me to summarize what it means when a company wants to handle all disputes in arbitration:

No matter what they do (delete your data, privacy breach, overcharging, whatever), you don’t get to sue. Instead, THEY get to choose the arbitrator according to whatever criteria they want, and thus any dispute is decided by someone they’re paying.

via Quibbling.net

If you want to read in full the new terms of service that take Ito effect on March 24, click here.

Grand Turismo 6 for $39.99 for 1 Week Only!

If you're into racing games, the quintessential and ultimate racing game for Sony's Playstation 3 is on sale for $39.99! What makes this deal so special is that it also includes $1 million in in-game racing credits allowing you customize your car to your wildest dreams! That's $20 off the current going price plus $1M credit for the finest racing game ever made. Taking full advantage of the PS3's power and ability, this game came close to looking better or at least just as good as some of the next generation console titles. Buy it now at your favorite retailer or use my link below to help support this site via Amazon. You can get a code to download it right away via the Playstation Store or receive the physical disc, but whatever you do, you have one week! See you on the track!

via Playstation.com

T-Mobile Unleashed Is NOT So Cheap

At this time, my Early Termination Fees (ETFs) with AT&T are $155 for a line thats due in September of this year. Thats a prorated amount down from $350 in case you're wondering. Let me back up. If you've been following me on twitter, I've been fed up with AT&T's false advertising that sold me a few years ago for a service that CLEARLY said "Unlimited Data" for $30. I use FaceTime quite a bit,¹ stream my baby monitor from hundreds of miles away, and sometimes just soak up youtube so yea, I'll easily go over 5GBs a month and trust me, hotel WiFi is horrific! I hate that they expect me to use it in place of a service that I pay for! So back to the story.

If I sell my Apple iPhone 5 64GB White to T-Mobile for $300 and they pay my ETF at $155, that's "$455" in my pocket. The only way they will "Unleash" you is if you trade in your phone, no exceptions. Then I have to buy a FULL priced mobile phone, desirably an iPhone 5s 64GB, for $799. That means, I still have to shell out $344 so that's not that bad of a deal right? That's actually incorrect. Let me explain. I'd be shelling out $499 for my new phone after the trade-in credit followed by a Mastercard Gift Card in the credit amount of $155 in approximately 8 weeks. So I'm out half a grand to "unleash."

If I can wait, and probably will, for just six more months, I can unlock my iPhone 5, sell it on the market for maybe $400 or more, then buy a full priced iPhone 6. So yes, I'm still out $399 but, here's where I could save. I could then bring it along with me to T-Mobile, and pay nothing leaving me with just the $70 Unlimited 4G Everything Plan plus a $10 SIM kit. When it comes down to it, I'll be out money obviously later in the year with me upgrading my phone but ideally, I'd rather T-Mobile just pay my ETF now and I bring my current iPhone 5 with me. That's what the deal should have been in the first place.

disclaimer: I signed a 2 year contract with AT&T for a subsidized iPhone 5 so ultimately, with the "Unleash" deal, you still end up paying full price for the device. I could save a bunch of money and purchase Google's Nexus 5 for $349 unlocked online instead but that's a whole other story of iOS vs. Android, etc. I'm not going to go there just yet.

And yes, it's pretty awesome that with the unlimited 4G Data you get an additional 2.5GB of tethering capability.

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1. I use FaceTime about 1-5 minutes almost every couple of hours for a total of 30-60 minutes a day. Sometimes, I'm on for 20 minutes in a row. ↩

Clear for iOS is FREE! *TODAY ONLY*

If you like free premium paid apps for iOS, then today and today only, it's your lucky day! Realmac has re-released its award winning task list / to-do app Clear making it free for the next 24 hours. Take advantage of this today! I paid for it when it was initially released and I'm telling you now, take advantage of this!

National Weather Service San Diego Advisory for This Weekend!

If you boast about the awesome weather in San Diego like me, we're in over our heads starting tonight! Ever wonder where our local news meteorologists grab a lot of their data and forecasting models? Take a peak at the National Weather Service. I linked directly to San Diego's portal and have posted today's briefing (Wednesday's night) which you can watch below. I advise that everyone should watch it. These are the professionals that I always trust. Stay safe this week and drive defensively. I'm off Saturday night and Sunday and am hoping that when I fly home, the weather will be cooperating in normal awesomeness. I know we can use the rain, but this is posing to be an "epic" storm.

http://youtu.be/eMrDd9gVapc

There is a wealth of information on how to read and interpret the data that lies within the NWS website. Have fun and get lost in the site!

Tesla Reveals Gigafactory Plans

The Tesla Gigafactory announcement is here! I can't wait till the economies of this scale trickle down to everyone. One of the bigger questions is whether this awesome factory will be built in either Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona or Texas. I'm thinking that maybe Texas or Arizona might win this contract especially with how nice both states have been playing with other Silicon Valley companies. This about it. This Gigafactory will actually manufacture more batteries than the entire world does today!

As we at Tesla reach for our goal of producing a mass market electric car in approximately three years, we have an opportunity to leverage our projected demand for lithium ion batteries to reduce their cost faster than previously thought possible. In cooperation with strategic battery manufacturing partners, we’re planning to build a large scale factory that will allow us to achieve economies of scale and minimize costs through innovative manufacturing, reduction of logistics waste, optimization of co-located processes and reduced overhead.

The Gigafactory is designed to reduce cell costs much faster than the status quo and, by 2020, produce more lithium ion batteries annually than were produced worldwide in 2013. By the end of the first year of volume production of our mass market vehicle, we expect the Gigafactory will have driven down the per kWh cost of our battery pack by more than 30 percent. Here are some details about what the Gigafactory will look like.

via Tesla