B-Teezy's Blog: Inside the Mind of Brian Tong

I JUST SAW A PEEK INTO THE FUTURE: MICROSOFT KINECT

2010-06-14T16:16:00.000-07:00

Last night we were treated to a grand show with Cirque Du Soliel to showcase the arrival of Microsoft's Project Natal, now renamed KINECT. We were transported to a world that looked like Pandora from Avatar the movie. We wore white smocks with shoulder pads and LED lights in them, which made us all feel like we were part of a cult. I was waiting for a virgin to be sacrificed by the "natives". It was a lot of show but no substance and the on-screen demos left us skeptical. I wanted to see the real deal.

Fast forward to today to Microsoft's E3 2010 Press Conference.

The technology is amazing. KINECT is more advanced then we've ever thought with the combination of it's 3d depth sensor, multiple-array microphone and motorized tilt camera all working together.

There are people that will brush off the games and say they are too casual. Those people are looking to chainsaw bodies in half. But those same people can't deny what they saw with KINECT. The technology behind those casual games made them shine and the Wii now feels two decades old.

But i don't even care about the games right now. I care about how we interface with a new platform like KINECT and Microsoft made sure we saw how this is moving us forward and changing everything in the future.

Waving your hand around to easily select icons and navigate the Xbox Live interface was sweet. But even sweeter, using your voice to navigate menus, access media with your voice, play, pause and replay videos, initiate and answer video calls, have those video calls track you when you move around the room and it was all demoed at different times by different people...and it all worked.

There were subtle things that KINECT showcased. In the "YOUR SHAPE" fitness demo it showed how accurate the cameras can detect who your are, even being able to detect and render a jacket someone was wearing and taking off. With certain multi-player games, all you had to do was jump in and the game automatically went to split screen. In the "Kinectimals" demo (virtual pet demo), when the player hid from the tiger, the camera detected that and the tiger started looking for the little girl.

Once you give developers these tools for a year, it's only going to get better.

I don't know if consumers and families will adopt this new tech like they did with the Wii. It matters to Microsoft, but it doesn't matter to me.

What we were shown was a new marriage of tech with software that we have NEVER SEEN before executed at this level. That's something worth getting excited for. And at the very least, it will have a long lasting influence on the way we interact with digital media and content in the future. KINECT goes far beyond gaming.

EPIC PRIZEFIGHT: The Nexus One vs. The iPhone 3GS

2010-02-04T10:12:00.000-08:00

Two phones at the top of their game.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH IT!

My Apple iPad Impressions after a Hands-On

2010-01-27T15:51:00.001-08:00

The Apple iPad, did it live up to the hype? How could it?

Pre-keynote everyone was excited, there were too many gadget geeks (myself included) with smiles in their eyes, including SF Mayor Gavin Newsome who sat two rows behind me.

But the air was taken out to the room quickly when it appeared we were looking at a glorified iPod Touch that can read e-books and use iWork with our fingers...

But once you get your hands on this thing its a different experience.

It feels solid, its snappy to use and exhibits none of the lag or refresh rate of an Kindle or any e-reader on the market. It's color screen is refreshingly sharp. It's starting price at $499 beat all expectations and it definitely has the Apple polish for both the hardware and software.

I may not want one right now, but I can see this being a device that I WILL WANT in the future.

And it was thanks to the demos of the New York Times and the MLB at Bat apps, that got excited me and showed me the future of the device and what will make it successful.

We know how to do email, browse the web, listen to music and play movies with Apple's touch-screen devices.

I've always said this thing has to consume media in a different way that makes us WANT to use it.

Well the NY Times demo of flipping through the paper, saving articles, changing the number of columns to read, "pinching" to increase font size, then clicking through photo galleries on the same page as the related article or watching movies related to the article in the same place all together at once.

That's what will make me purchase a device like this.

We always watch sports games on the big screen and use our laptop to follow stats. But with the MLB app, you could do that all in one screen. Stat overlays, on top of a game going on at the same time. It was like Minority Report meets ESPN.

That's what will make me purchase a device like this.

There is definitely a future for this platform, it may not fill a need for people RIGHT NOW, most people are already blowing it off. We know the Apple faithful will buy it in droves. But after using it and playing with it, its going to be ALL ABOUT THE APPS, once again.

This also feels like the first computer that we could see being used like a "household appliance". Not like a blender but anywhere around the house, in the kitchen, the living room and in the bathroom. It could very well be the first appliance computer.

I'm a gadget freak. Is this device innovative? YUP Have we seen anything like this before? NOPE Will I buy this when it launches? NOT YET, but It's a platform that shows more promise that any e-reader I have ever seen to date.

Give it a year and get back to me.

The DateCheck App is my new worst enemy!

2010-01-10T22:28:00.000-08:00

You bounce around CES, and sometimes you find a little magic. Melissa here, busted me up, and the conversation off camera was even saucier. One of the highlights of CES 2010. Check it.

The Aria Waterwall is hypnotic!

2010-01-09T20:48:00.000-08:00

==========
www.briantong.com

Guess who? Stevie Wonder

2010-01-08T23:36:00.000-08:00

Tingles, Warm Fuzzies and Watery eyes!

John Legend at Monster's Party

2010-01-08T22:58:00.001-08:00

Take it slow...oh...oh

You heard it here..I AM T-PAIN!

2009-12-08T10:37:00.000-08:00

Do I REALLY get paid to do this stuff? Turn a little idea in my head and then just go wild with it with my producer Ariel and camera men, Charlie and Jim. Here's another Apple Byte staple "iPhone App of the Week", featuring the "I Am T-Pain App".

I know its been out FOREVERRRR, but this idea has been in our heads FOREVERRRR..so now that they updated it so you can sing to your own iTunes library, with the auto-tune effect JUST LIKE T-Pain. Karaoke night may NEVER be the same.

Jump to the 3:00 minute mark to see it.

Are Personal Blogs dying?

2009-12-08T10:33:00.000-08:00

I'm the most guilty of this, but I used to use this blog as a journal, but now with the whole Twitter/Facebook thing, my blog is suffering BIG TIME.

Are personal blogs dying, or...are they already dead?

Sure I can create a post here and it forwards to my Twitter or Facebook, but it takes time to login, to create a new post, attach pics and links, blah blah blah...The only person who comments about my blog not being updated is my MOM!

How are you guys being affected?

Tyrese Gibson on the Apple Byte!

2009-09-11T16:25:00.000-07:00

Just another victim, I mean, Tyrese happens to be at the Apple Event, so of course we had to talk to him. You might recognize some of his classic two word lines such as "BRING IT" from "Transformers" and "We HUNNNGRY" from Fast and the Furious 2. He was a good sport and yeah, there was also Apple stuff going on.

My laugh for the day...

2009-08-05T15:51:00.001-07:00

DJ Hero is GONNA TEAR IT UP!

2009-07-27T12:35:00.000-07:00

Tired of music games? I'm not. Especially with DJ Hero coming out in October. The hardware I saw at E3...awesome, but its the original music mashups that are going to make this game.

Check out a video I shot with my Canon SD780 when they demoed it for me at E3 and a few mash-ups that you'll be able to play. Plus 10 tracks will involve the DJ Hero turntable, and the Guitar Hero guitar you already own.

Yeah buying ANOTHER accessory, sucks, but not this one.

Treating customers with respect

2009-07-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

You know you're in a Chinese establishment when there are posted sign like these...

DUNK YOU VERY MUCH!

2009-07-23T10:33:00.000-07:00

Now these are real dunks. Enjoy jumping around like a school girl fellas. Luv that C-Webb!

THE REAL LEBRON DUNK FOOTAGE for my B-Ballers

2009-07-22T13:01:00.000-07:00

I despise TMZ.com but guess what they, have the footage of the dunk on LeBron and for those who are wondering, he wasn't "near the area" he got DUNKED ON! The dunker, Jordan Crawford (already forgettable...I had to google search to find his name.) Just a clip that basketball heads will enjoy.

WATCH THE DUNK!

First Fishies for the nieces!

2009-07-19T19:38:00.000-07:00

This is the first time I've taken Jenaya (left) and Kalyssa (right) out together to get their own fish because believe me, plenty of "fishies" have already met their demise.

Jenaya picked out a Dragon Eye Goldfish that we called "googly eyes" and named it "Rainbow". Kalyssa picked out a female Guppy with a yellow body and red tail that was "so pretty" and named it "Diamond".

I love doing these things with them! Hopefully the fishies last longer this time around!

It may be NBA's Summer League...BUT...

2009-07-15T13:55:00.000-07:00

42 points ties a Summer League record...sure it doesnt translate to the Regular season but if you're wondering if the Warriors are going to have a chance to make the playoffs this season or in the future. Its Randolph thats gonna take them there. NOT Monta and NOT SJax.

Two highlights to get you drooling...

Anthony Randolph is KILLING IT! You want to see a breakout year...09-10 is gonna be it.

The LOVE LINK Reaction from CNET TV

2009-07-10T20:37:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys! I haven't been blogging in a while, because twitter seems to get in the way but I wanted to put out something on the record that takes more than 140 characters.

I've been blessed to work in media and create content that people have the ability to connect with, and there's a lot of responsibility that comes with it (I just snorted thinking about the Spiderman quote). JUST today, I put up a skit that I've been working on for a while about an iPhone App called Love Link. You can watch it here and jump to the 2:45 mark of the show to get to it.

Your reactions? I think about 90% of people loved it, they died laughing and I did too making it. But I've received some comments and emails from viewers and twitter nation that said it was homophobic , and made some of my friends feel uncomfortable and even offended them.

Comedy can be tricky and I'm still learning. In the past I offended Ethiopians, yeah, WHO DOES THAT?!. The intention of the video was to show a "fantasy bromance". Yes, the basketball part was pushing it but after watching it, and hearing what people told me it was the final ending that bothered them.

It had a reaction of disgust and it could have been handled better. It could have come off as an awkward moment, instead of one of horror.

You can't please everyone and you shouldn't. But you can be more aware and sensitive about certain things. So I've learned a lot, and Im fortunate I have friends from all walks of life. These friends can also call me out to have an honest discussion about this type of stuff.

I sincerely apologize to the people I offended, and it was not my intention. I can only learn from this, but I'll continue to push the envelope, keep being me and keep bringing the information and entertainment that I've always done.

Thanks for reading if you got this far, i know its more than 140 characters. WAH-PAW!

YOU GOT THE TOUCH!

2009-05-28T13:56:00.000-07:00

Transformer: Revenge of the Fallen is just around the corner, so let's take a moment to go back to where it started...

Cowboy Cooley!

2009-05-22T15:09:00.001-07:00

IMG_0056.JPG, originally uploaded by aznusher4.

Send me your best caption and I'll send a little "goodie" out to the winner that makes me laugh the most! And...ANYTHING GOES!

ANOTHER RANDOLPH VIDEO...I'LL STOP I PROMISE!

2009-05-21T13:45:00.000-07:00

The video editing on this with all those "intangible words" with shaky font is TOO CORNY. But it's AR4 and I got his jersey for a reason. This is the future...Let's see if the Dubs F* this one up.

Red Egg Party for Jake!

2009-05-17T18:58:00.001-07:00

IMG_4211.JPG, originally uploaded by aznusher4.

Celebrating with Jake, Kelly and Jason and some friends! That's four nieces and nephews in my family. There's no pressure on me :P

This is why I renewed my season tickets

2009-04-09T13:53:00.000-07:00

Two words: Anthony Randolph.

He may be young (19-years-old) but he's one of the few players that gets me as excited as C-Webb. Plus the jersey is in the mail. Boo Ya!

A Fruity 30th Birthday!

2009-04-02T14:40:00.000-07:00

Thank you EVERYONE for the messages! And thanks to Jamie Yee for her awesome banner, CNET TV for the cake and Mei Mei for the Edible fruit basket!

MMS working on iPhone 3.0

2009-03-29T16:55:00.000-07:00

I JUST got an MMS from my friend and it actually worked! So it looks like you can receive them, but not send them out in the firmware rite now. I was all giddy and surprised. NERD ALERT!

iFu! Kick some ass!

2009-03-29T16:54:00.001-07:00

Here's another bit we put inside of the Apple Byte. It's around 2 minutes in, but this was a fun shoot. Enjoy!

DO THE SHUFFLE!

2009-03-29T16:53:00.001-07:00

I haven't been here at my blog for a while, so I'll get back on track by posting some videos and thigns that have been going on.

Here's a little fun video bit within the Apple Byte that we did. It's somethign my mom would like.

SECOND AND FINAL Twitterfeed POST!

2009-03-10T11:27:00.001-07:00

This ish better work!

TEST 1..2..3..TWITTERFEED

2009-03-10T10:32:00.001-07:00

Does this actually work? I'm trying to see if my Blog will also auto-update to my twitter feed! Still waiting...

Great!

2009-02-10T16:08:00.000-08:00

Emoji icons on your iPhone!

2009-01-28T15:41:00.000-08:00

This is the type of stuff that gets me giddy. I've been sitting on this for a few days and there's no need to be selfish with it. Get the charm of Japanese emoticons to use and send to your fellow iPhone users!

The Wynn has been good to me!

2009-01-10T21:51:00.000-08:00

It was getting stupid on my only
"REAL" night out here at Vegas during CES.

Blackjack and Buffet...BOOYA!

NERD ALERT! Macworld 2009

2009-01-06T08:53:00.000-08:00

Before the keynote. Guy to girl ratio - 20 to 1

The CNET hustle and the "View from the Bay"

2008-12-08T22:37:00.001-08:00

Today I get into work and check my mail around 10 AM and find out my co-host Molly Wood is sick, so the need someone to fill-in for her for the midday local show called "View from the Bay" for a LIVE shoot. Check out the link

WATCH IT HERE!

I was like...ummmm sure so with a couple hours of prep, I hustled my butt out there and had some fun. I was a little nervous, not because it was live, but I really just had this thrown at me, but I think I repped CNET well and had a little fun.

Now I know what Oprah's audience might feel like. A LOT like this show. James Fong provided a screen cap from his TIVO.

My Experiences in Year 1 with CNET

2008-12-06T13:43:00.000-08:00

Here's a recap and some behind the scene's footage from CNET, or better known as my blooper (*bleeper*) reel! Big props to my partner in crime and Producer Ariel Nuñez. Enjoy!

The DIRTY DIRTY on the 404!

2008-12-06T13:35:00.000-08:00

I've never laughed this hard in a LONG LONG time. I don't know how to explain this...read the link and download or listen to the Podcast directly from the page here:

http://www.cnet.com/8301-13952_1-10114373-81.html?tag=mncol;title

But I recommend subscribing to the podcast, Jeff, Wilson and Justin are hilarious and we are gonna own Vegas during CES.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST HERE!

My tech'd out niece Jenaya!

2008-12-06T13:34:00.001-08:00

The luxuries for 5 year olds these days.

PUNKED by Buzz Quiz TV! on the PS3

2008-12-05T05:41:00.000-08:00

Check out this video, it was some tv promo/commercial shoot I did at least over a year ago now.

So when I picked up the game box in stores for the PS3 I was surprised when I saw the people in our shoot on the box! Except for me and the black chick. We got punk'd! But it made me laugh, you can JUST see the fringe of the back of my head!

CNET Feedback...always entertaining

2008-11-17T12:31:00.001-08:00

"Perhaps I'm just too old to appreciate him, but please NO MORE BRIAN TONG!" - CNET user

At least they admit they're OLD!

The T-1000! Please don't kill meeeee!

2008-11-16T09:30:00.000-08:00

It took me a few moments but I made sure I heard the voice, and that is DEFINITELY Robert Patrick, better known as the T-1000 sitting directly in front of me at the airport...I did not see his arms morph into liquid metal.

On a tech note, he's using an iPhone with a green incase rubber case on it.

On a fashion note, he should not be cuffing his pants like that.

BARACK USES THE CASE THAT WAS MY IDEA!

2008-11-10T12:26:00.000-08:00

This got me RIDICULOUSLY GIDDY! It's been years, and I no longer work at Speck, but this photo is THA SHIT...

Barack Obama uses the Speck See-Thru Hard Shell Case that was my brainchild and started the whole hard shell on a laptop movement with many knockoffs and companies spinning off their own version.

Just made me smile.

Warriors Opening Nite!

2008-10-29T20:32:00.000-07:00

BoOM!

The Apple Byte on iTunes! SUBSCRIBE NOW!

2008-10-23T15:20:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys! This is something I'm excited about AND a shameless plug. Check out my new show at CNET called "The Apple Byte". It's a sexy looking show about some of the latest Apple stuff and its OBJECTIVE. Help us get to the top!

The CNET team has worked hard on this and I'm including the link to go to iTunes. Subscribe to it as a free podcast, and it will download automatically. We're currently ranked #5 Overall for ALL Tech Podcasts, lets see how high we can get! Thanks so much and let me know what you think!

Click HERE to get the Apple Byte podcast!

There's also an HD version but its not ranked that you can get by CLICKING HERE!

Best Season Ticket holder!

2008-10-21T19:29:00.000-07:00

My partner in crime! T-Spoon!

Warriors Pre-Season game

2008-10-21T19:28:00.001-07:00

I'm sitting with my T-Spoon in Sec. 111 Row 24...meet us there!

NE-YO ALBUM IS OUT!

2008-09-16T09:17:00.001-07:00

Ne-Yo does it AGAIN! Just check out the album, I got my hands on a bunch of the songs earlier so I'm already addicted to them, and I'm not gonna talk about tracks you've heard... but "Mad" sticks out as the NEXT big track. "Single" (there's the New Kids version but the original version is all Ne-Yo), "Stop This World", "What's the Matter" I could go on. There are at least 7 killer tracks on this...easy. Check it!

The 404...nuff said!

2008-09-11T10:59:00.001-07:00

My Twitter is a biznatch, so it didn't post, but I got to chop it up with the 404 boys this morning. The hidden gem of CNET.

One of the best weekly podcast's EVER. This show is EPIC, and its crazy how this was the first time I've even met Justin and Jeff. It's always awkward until you suck face.

Check out the show, check out the links below and enjoy! Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes from the link on the page as well!

Listen to the show HERE!

iBall

2008-09-04T17:19:00.000-07:00

An eyeball scanner to get access to an apartment complex in
Hawaii...even CNET isn't rockin' this level of security

The Duke

2008-09-04T17:02:00.000-07:00

The godfather of surf was honored the second night I got in with a big
ceremony and lots of...leis

There's actually a live webcam stream that's pointed directly at the
Duke and on 24-7

Bad Sunglasses...

2008-09-04T16:59:00.001-07:00

In Hawaii I dropped my glasses on a store floor and picked them up and
put them back in my shirt collar.

As I left the store I put shades back on but it looked totally
different, I wasn't sure why, but I took about 10 steps then realized
one of my lenses has popped out. 10 STEPS!

Just had to laugh at my foolio self for this one...but it could be the
next big trend...

Lover and Haters!

2008-09-03T23:52:00.001-07:00

A friend brought this forum to my attention that's basically a love or hate fest about my appearance on CNET's super popular podcast Buzz Out Loud. Tom, Molly and Jason have built an incredible audience and the podcast is a back and forth about the latest tech news and what we think about it...and we veer off topic too.

My guest spots have generated a few opinions...I guess. But its like being a fly on the wall and just intriguing to see what people are talking about. Different impressions good and bad.

READ IT HERE!
My mama would probably want to lay the smack down on the haters, but I just like reading the feedback, and it just reminds me to just stay true to myself and people can take it or leave it.

Surf's Up!

2008-08-30T20:28:00.000-07:00

I went out to the water with my Flip Video and my waterproof case just to get you a look at catching a wave. Waikiki finally woke up a little with 2-4 foot waves that day, Aloha!

Wanna jump in?

2008-08-28T12:46:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Just dropping a line from Hawaii! I had to at least
leave a mark on my blog.

The Jonas Fishies?

2008-08-18T16:47:00.000-07:00

I took out my niece Jenaya to get some fish for her fish tank and we picked up three guppies. I asked her what she was going to name them and she said. "I'm going to name them all 'fish'."

I said, "You're not going to give them names?"

Then she replied, "Oh, I'll call them the Jonas Brothers!", with a big smile on her face. Shoot me now.

Year of the Gentleman...

2008-08-17T11:23:00.000-07:00

I dont know about you but I'm stoked for Ne-Yo's album that is dropping on Sept. the 16th.
I was all giddy, because originally it was supposed to come out on August 5th, I woke up early to jump on iTunes that morning to get...NOTHING. What a bust. So now I'm waiting.

Check out the video below for a sneak peek of some of the tracks, on top of the two that are out.."Closer" (tha shiznit) and "Miss Independent" (another hot track).

Luv 'em all but "Nobody" and "So You Can Cry" sounds dope too. This album can't come out soon enough!

Buzz Out Loud Podcast Appearance!

2008-08-16T01:01:00.001-07:00

The CNET Buzz Out Loud Crew let me in their world for the day...it also streams LIVE with a live chatroom. Fun stuff! Take a Peek!

Live Video streaming by Ustream

Look out Ballers! (If you don't like video games skip this)

2008-08-15T12:14:00.001-07:00

If you're a gamer..you know NBA 2K9 is the b-ball franchise to beat...but they haven't shown a single real-time demo,the game is due on October 7th and that worries me...A LOT! On top of that...EA's NBA Live '09 has two sweet improvements this year that I checked out at E3 in person.

Their New Dynamic DNA system takes players real tendencies (drive left or right, or shot effectiveness from different spots on the floor) and stats from the premiere NBA scouting service and plugs them into the game...daily! So if a team loses a player, players tendencies adjust, and so will the game...SICK!

Plus they have a new pick n' roll mechanic, and it's the BEST i've ever seen. Hold a button down, a player comes to set a screen, a meter pops up, and depending how long you hold down the button, the player will either, pick n' pop for the outside shot (a la Dirk), pick n'roll, or slip the screen all together. It's executed well and its RIDICULOUS!

The problem, the graphics , player animations, and game physics are still SUPER shitty, ESPECIALLY compared to the NBA 2K series. The Feel of the game is just not real.

But then today, NBA 2K9. released this video that got me JUUUUUICED! that's REAL gameplay...Quiero Mas!

If you know sign language...you'll get this

2008-08-15T10:15:00.000-07:00

What do you think I was trying to say?

One of the best surprise desserts...EVER!

2008-08-12T19:14:00.000-07:00

If you've been to "Sushi-O-Sushi" you know they have pretty solid food, it's one of my favorite local places but the "dessert" that comes with the box dinners? BONKERS!

It's like a fresh strawberry purée with gelatin that turns into basically a fresh strawberry jell-o...without the jell-o.

I was so addicted, I asked for more and they brought me four more pieces.

They don't even sell it as a seperate dessert which makes it THAT much more special. Ok, I'm hyping it waaay too much, but it's damn good.

CHINESE MILLI VANILLI!

2008-08-12T16:36:00.000-07:00

But that girl at the opening ceremony was sooo cute!

READ HERE!

Running into things...

2008-08-03T20:30:00.000-07:00

I jumped in the shower, turned on the water and then turned to close the door and what do I get...?

A FACE FULL OF CORNER of SHOWER DOOR! RIGHT BETWEEN THE EYES! OUCH!

Got dazed, then checked if I was bleeding...just a little nick...and then started laughing..what a fool!

I'm on IMDB!

2008-08-02T20:26:00.000-07:00

How hot is that? Just did a random search...yes I search my name to see what's REALLY out there, and you do too!

But there's my profile, I didn't do a thing, but now that I have one I gotta update it with my resume and headshots, totally dope!

CHECK IT OUT!

UNITY 2008 - Chicago Recap!

2008-08-01T19:49:00.000-07:00

I had a great time seeing old friends, making new ones and networking, and getting feedback on my latest work!

Highlights? Meeting Kevin Frazier, who a week ago intro'd me for my Entertainment Tonight iPhone 3G story, then him talking about how big of a tech head he was, which Michael Kim (ESPNNEWS anchor) confirmed and chopping it up with them. Frazier said, you are my go to guy for tech!
Funny thing, at the last party night I was dancing with a friend and this large hand grabs me on the shoulder, and its Kevin Frazier saying, whats up man! He's actually a nice guy.

The Asian Usher routine was revived..again..people can't get enuff of it, but I think its time to retire it!

Chi-Town is beautiful during the summer, just a great place to be. But come winter time, get outta there!

Check out all the pics and action! CLICK HERE!

Hangin' in Chicago!

2008-07-27T12:32:00.000-07:00

What a sweet looking day!

Online Traffic School SUCKS!

2008-07-21T20:49:00.000-07:00

So I got a speeding ticket a LONG time ago, what was the reason...speeding on a residential street because I was excited to get Rock Band for Xbox 360...seriously.

Anyways I put off doing the Online traffic school thing until the LAST day, and that was a big mistake. Total time for the class? About 5 and a half hours of pain.

The slides were timed based on how much text showed up and you could only advance once a button appeared to let you. there were NO shortcuts. Two sentences on a page was maybe about a 10-15 second wait. A full page? Maybe 45 secs. But see there were 6 modules, and each module had about 130-150 pages. THAT'S PAINFUL.

The only amusement I found was from this slide, it makes a strong point that I will make sure to follow.

I've officially declared it the "Week of the Geek"

2008-07-19T17:00:00.000-07:00

There won't be another week like July 11th to the 18th, 2008 in a VERY long time. Hence, my declaration calling it the "Week of the Geek".

Think about it.

iPhone 3G launch on July 11th
Hellboy II releases on July 11th
E3 Video Game Convention Announcements from July 14th to 17th
and...
The Dark Knight releases on July 18th. You just can't top that.

Chillin' with my Ice T-Spoon!

2008-07-19T11:15:00.000-07:00

After locking our Warriors season tickets, we be grubbin'

E3: Sony Keynote at the Shrine

2008-07-15T11:33:00.000-07:00

E3 2008: Nintendo Media Briefing

2008-07-15T08:39:00.000-07:00

It's all about the Kodak Theater. Home to American Idol...

Microsoft Keynote E3 Announcements

2008-07-14T14:39:00.001-07:00

It's all about the software for Microsoft. No hardware updates, no additional hardware, ALL SOFTWARE

Here's the highlights:

-New system software and Xbox Live interface, looks "Cover Flow" liek from Apple
-Netflix is coming to the 360, access to the entire library of movies
-New Avatars, their version of the Mii's, but a ton of socialization and interaction with them
-8 person chat rooms, wiht Avatars, you can be a part of a Avatar game Show, like 1 vs. 100 with other people and their Avatars.
-A bigger focus on interactive games:

"Lips", plug in your Zune or iPod and you can sing along with words to you favorite songs on YOUR musuc collection. Wireless mic for Karaoke too.

"You're in the Movies" uses a webcam, and mini games that you act out in, then takes those mini game clips and pastes them together to make a B-level movie type trailer.

Oh yeah, this game called Final Fantasy 13 is coming to the Xbox. :)

Would you like water with your ice?

2008-07-14T14:11:00.000-07:00

Sent from my iPhone

E3: Microsoft Keynote!

2008-07-14T10:07:00.000-07:00

This thing gets rolling at 10:30 am PT. Here's a peek at the stage.

The segment from ET!

2008-07-13T22:37:00.000-07:00

Here it is..it's really short, but thanks to everyone who peeked it. I don't think it represented CNET very well, the audio sounded blown out live and they sent a crew to use those bites? ANYONE could have said the clips they used, but either way pretty cool!

I also didn't know that the Grove was "trengy"

iPhone 3G'd out!

2008-07-13T07:48:00.001-07:00

Got mine on Friday, but like everyone has been reading activation was PAINFUL. I'm just amazed at the lines that are still going on at Apple Stores the day after...F*that! My experience was pretty decent. I got in line at 6am, got into the store at 915 am, and was done by 10:15ish.

iPhone 3-Geesome

The battery definitely drains faster and I use mine A LOT because i commute on the train, so we'll see how it holds up to all my media viewing. I can normally get through a day easy without recharging it, but yesterday I hit 10% left a about 10 P.M., but that's not even a normal work day where i listen to music, and watch videos for at least two hours combined on top of talking.

I'm holding off on my final verdict, but its definitely sexier, I like the plastic back better because it has more grip, its lighter and its faster. And the App Store, thats what makes ANY iPhone the shiznit.

iPhone are gonna be easy to get today

2008-07-11T05:54:00.001-07:00

I'm in the Palo Alto line right now and I'm basically in the same
place that I was this year, the only difference is that I jumped in
line 11 hours ahead of time last time. I'm only here two hours before
this time around.

So stay home and gets yours later if you're reading this!

=============
www.briantong.com

ET Phone home!

2008-07-10T12:35:00.001-07:00

HOT DAMN! I just did a shoot for Entertainment Tonight (CBS property) about the iPhone that will air tomorrow. It's so fluffy and fun, because its Entertainment, but I know I'll make my mama proud!

Especially since she thinks Cojocaru is crazy!

It's official...I'm a "Bluetool"

2008-07-07T12:01:00.000-07:00

I love how I probably had to drop an extra $15 because they package this thing to make it look like some piece of modern art.

I've refused to join the whole Minority Report/Bluetooth revolution but thanks to the hands free law...I'm in! Pretty excited to get on the road, since its now totally safe from people taking calls with their headsets...

But I'm even more excited to know that I'll STILL be sharing the roads with text messagers.

GETTIN' SOME LOVE FROM CBS and Rich De Muro!

2008-07-02T10:23:00.000-07:00

Here's a package they did on the CBS-CNET merger.

http://cbs2.com/video/?id=70688@kcbs.dayport.com&cid=241

Rich used to work at CNET in New York and basically left around the same time I came to San Francisco, super nice guy and smart enough to do his research on me. He knew about my NBC Channel One try out from my blog from a LONG LONG time ago.

That's the kinda stalker 'ish that I do! ha.

I AM A BEAUTIFUL MAN!

2008-06-26T15:35:00.000-07:00

The story of the day... I was walking to work from Caltrains and turned onto 2nd Street, from Townsend where there is the SF Fire Department. Normal walk.

I'm at the corner waiting for the crosswalk, bouncing to my music a little. A tall guy, in uniform next to the SF Fire department comes up to me, and says "What you listening to? You're getting into it."

I told him, "Uhh yeah kinda embarassing but I'm bumping Chris Brown rite now"

He asks where I work, what do I do, I tell him and then he asks "Are you a stylist?" I tell him no.

He says, "You have a lot of style and you are a beautiful man."...SAY WHAT?!!!

Awkwardly I tell him thanks, (thank god I was wearing my shades, cause I was tripping, it was SOOO weird) then he gives me his card, says it was nice meeting me and before I leave, we shake hands and he AGAIN calls me "A Beautiful Man"

And the bizarre part was that it was such a normal interaction, I didn't get "the vibe" from him, but there is no doubt his motives were not JUST for friendship.

Where are the ladies at? I've never had a chick holler at me before. Still waiting.

Yumzzzzzz!

2008-06-23T21:09:00.000-07:00

Thanks Joe and Anne!

Kings/Lakers Game 6 revisited...

2008-06-11T10:34:00.001-07:00

Whenever anyone just spits out allegations, you have to take them with a grain of salt, but with the recent NBA referee scandal and Tim Donaghy ALLEGING Games 6 between the Kings and Lakers was fixed, it makes me wonder a little..then it burns again..ha.

READ IT HERE!

Everyone who saw that game talked about how ridiculous it was...I wish I had tape to watch it the whole way through again. I CLEARLY remember one of the first plays, Kobe went for a jumper around the free throw line, I believe it was kind of in transition...Bibby put his hand up, was literally a foot away, and they called a foul on him. And it was all BS after that.

A pic from the game in question...More than anything, its sad for the casual fan who doesn't care about professional sports because they believe they've all been fixed AND for the hardcore fan who doesn't believe in the game as much anymore.

Sucks to be a ref in the Finals right now with a microscope on them now.

iPhone will be announced, but it aint coming yet!

2008-06-08T11:20:00.000-07:00

All these tech blogs say, it will DEFINITELY be available on the day Apple announces it in stores. Sure, the units may be in the U.S. like Forbes speculates, but it still doesn't mean Apple is going to release them the same day as the announcement.

Here are three major reasons why, and all those "legit" tech bloggers (Gizmodo) should do a little more digging than taking one person's word for it.

1)The biggest indicator to me...I used to work for Apple retail and i've talked to several different Apple retail employees at several different stores and NONE of them have a "ALL-HANDS ON DECK" day staffed for Monday. If the iPhone was released that day, that would be a no brainer. I used to work there and any major release had EVERYONE staffed that day.

2) The Final iPhone Software update is said to be ready by the end of June, well, its still not the end of June and Apple would probably time the release with the actual software update as well.

3) The One-Year anniversary is June the 27th, so there is significance there.

BONUS POINT) Apple wants to make it an event, have people wrapped around their stores and showcase the hysteria and the hype through media.

SO DON'T GO AND WAIT IN LINE! And if I'm wrong you can call me out on it and I will NEVER make another Apple prediction again. Nothing is fact until Apple actually announces it and there is so much BS floating around, it makes the "news" about iPhone a joke.

It's Prizefight Time! This one is worth watching

2008-06-04T20:52:00.000-07:00

I normally wouldn't post this, but this is a Prizefight that is worth watching and will stir things up a little! Bill Gates vs. Steve Jobs, come on now. So Check it!

It's a Prizefight for the ages! Brian Tong takes the two biggest names in tech and throws them into a 10-round battle royale. You've never seen Bill Gates and Steve Jobs like this before. Let's get it on!

VIDEO: The Hunt for the Wii Fit!

2008-05-22T00:54:00.000-07:00

Here is the documentation of my adventures to see how many Wii Fits I could get my hands on! It's a very rough cut, but I wanted it to be RAW. Enjoy!

THE QUEST FOR WII FIT!

2008-05-21T12:19:00.000-07:00

Here's the travel log for the Quest for the Wii Fit? How hard was it?

7:50 AM - Target in Santa Clara..jumped in line, they had 30, limit one per person WII FIT COUNT: 1

8:25 AM - Target in Saratong...last ones sold out in front of me. 2 per person! WTF! WII FIT COUNT: 1

9: 10 AM - Target-Mountain View...sign displaying ALL SOLD OUT! WII FIT COUNT: 1

9:30 AM - Best Buy-Sunnyvale...jump in line, get voucher for one Wii Fit, one per person WII FIT COUNT: 2

9:40 AM- Best Buy-Sunnyvale...customer with friends not interested in Wii Fit

9:45 AM - Best Buy Sunnyvale...friends willing to get a voucher for a Wii Fit for me. WII FIT COUNT: 3

9:55 AM-Toys R Us-Sunnyvale...all out, pre-orders only. WII FIT COUNT: 3

10:25AM-Toys R Us Santa Clara..all out, pre orders only, though I'd get lucky..no luck. WII FIT COUNT:3

10:45 AM-Best Buy-Santana Row..No chance in hell? Get lucky!! Limit 2 per customer! WII FIT COUNT: 5!!!

There you have it, 7 stores, in 3 hours and a big payoff at the end. 5 Wii Fits!!!

YouTube video coming soon that documents it ALL!

CBS buys CNET!

2008-05-15T07:50:00.000-07:00

Read the article here.

Who knows what this actually means, since its too early to tell, but hopefully it will open up more opportunities to do more with the CNET and CBS brands.

It emphasizes the acquisition of our entertainment properties like TV.com, MP3.com and Gamespot.com

Pretty cool, i think the shareholders are the happiest though :)

HOT MUSIC VIDEO...USING a MAC!

2008-05-14T15:25:00.000-07:00

Gotta give the credit to my homey Kevin Tsuchida for finding this HAWT YouTube video using the Mac Desktop...PEEP IT!

WHERE's MY CNET VIDEO Blog at??

2008-05-14T09:24:00.001-07:00

I've been lazy, but CNET has made it easy for me now. I wanted to keep my personal and work blogs seperate so just click the link and add it to your RSS feeds if you want to see what I've been working on at CNET, or the random things that happen over there!

Here's the new blog: http://techknowledgeg.blogspot.com/

I got rid of the other one because I didn't like the name...

NEWS ANCHOR'S HAVE IT TOUGH

2008-05-14T08:55:00.000-07:00

This made my morning, read the article and make sure to watch the attached video! What a potty mouth!

READ ME HERE!

And on that note...Bill O' Reilly has issues too...

Are Wii's "really" sold out?

2008-04-30T22:43:00.001-07:00

Was this a fluke or has Nintendo caught up with their supply issue? I was at the target in Mountain View just 30 mins ago, was looking around the video game section and saw at the bottom back of the shelf some Wii's!

I couldn't believe my eyes! Look at my Wii Wii!

I asked the sales associate. "Do you guys really have Wii's?"

He said, "Yeah, but no one knows they're here."

I took two of those bad boys! There is one more left at the Target off of Showers Ave. So go n' get it!

GOODBYE C-WEBB!

2008-03-25T21:00:00.000-07:00

C-Webb Retires and you can read it all...

READ THE ESPN STORY

Well that was short lived..and my prophecy in my previous posts, obviously came true...NOT. The sad thing is that I purchased several Warrior tickets, hoping to see him play live again and ALL THREE TIMES, he didn't play. Oh i think he played like 4 mins in the Portland game, his last one.

The ESPN article makes a huge point, look at Webb's numbers...he's worthy of the Hall of Fame..but will it actually happen?

Thanks for the memories and the many jerseys! This is probably C-Webb's last dunk.

WHAT A BUSTER!

2008-03-14T16:36:00.000-07:00

Did you hear about this? A guy planned on proposing to his girlfriend, by hiding a $12,000 ring in a helium balloon. Too bad a gust of wind blew the balloon out of his hand and into the air...with the ring in it!

READ IT HERE!

What a buster. That story made my day. Homeboy should have gone with these.

TV can be so damn funny...

2008-03-12T09:13:00.000-07:00

I was JUST watching the NBC Today show, and they'll always preview what's coming up before they go to a commercial. They were teasing this chef, who is going to be making them gourmet pizzas, and he's tossing the pizza crust in his hand.

Like a second before they cut to the commercial he completely F's it up and his hand goes THROUGH the pizza crust like a dumb ass, and he looked all flustered.

I "LOL'ed".

ANOTHER BLOG..FOR WORK STUFF!

2008-03-11T16:14:00.000-07:00

I wanted to seperate my work videos with all the actual fun silly stupid stuff that happens, and I hate bombarding you guys everytime a new video comes out from CNET (which is at least twice a week)

So this blog, is staying pure T-O-N-G and you can get all the latest about new videos posted on CNET that I've worked on at this link:

http://briantongtechnovoyage.blogspot.com

Now back to what this blog is all about...

BIG PIMPIN' at the APPLE STORE

2008-03-03T14:37:00.001-08:00

I saw this over the weekend since it was posted by Yahoo! News on my front page. Cosmopolitan magazine rated the Apple Store as the top place to meet men. Are you kidding me? How bout EVERY club or bar in Northern California.

Read the link, it may help you ladies find the man of your dreams

CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE!

HERE'S THE REPLAY

2008-03-02T10:46:00.000-08:00

For those of you that missed it, just click the link below to watch my first CNET LIVE show!

CLICK HERE TO WATCH ME!!

WATCH CNET LIVE! THURSDAY at 4 PM ET/1 PM PT!!!

2008-02-27T23:41:00.001-08:00

Hey Guys! You want to see some of what I'm doing, well if you are at a computer and doing nothing but surfing the net, go to www.cnet.com and I'll be the guest host on CNET LIVE. That's at 4 P.M. ET and 1 P.M. PT.

It's a live show that happens once a week, I'll be popping my CNET LIVE cherry, so forgive me if I mess up! I'm more worried about those live call ins for those super obscure questions I may not know about!!

But what's worth watching? we will have the first ever iNose competition. Thats typing on your iPhone...with your NOSE!

LOOKIN' BACK AT HAWAII

2008-02-23T07:52:00.000-08:00

Here's the complete pics from my trip, not too many but enough to get the idea!

CLICK HERE TO PEEP 'EM!

BUSY AT MY NEW J-O-B!

2008-02-23T07:40:00.000-08:00

If you didn't know I recently was hired by CNET full-time, so now these days, im commuting from Santa Clara, to San Francisco EVERYDAY. That's a long trip so hopefully I'll be finding a new place real soon. It's a grind.

But here's a pic of my new home away from home.

The work has already started and I'll be posting the latest videos everytime one comes out. I know its a bit of a barrage, but its part of the hustle.

I was totally against the whole "self-promotion", but if the big boss wants me to do it, then I gots to!