O.A.R. - Live On Red Rocks

Music is one subject I have yet to write about and for those who know me, I'm a music fanatic. I listen to almost everything. I tend to shy away from classical, swing, jazz, basically anything pre-1970. Other than that, I listen to just about everything. With all that being said, my all time favorite band is O.A.R. (Of A Revolution). I began listening to them late in high school (about 2002-2003) and really got into them once I began college. I've been to close to a dozen live shows and personally, nobody does a better live show than O.A.R. That leads me to my next point, they're new live CD.

When I found out they had a new live CD coming out i was pretty excited but my favorite part was the DVD. I love Palladia, I can't get enough of live music on TV so this was a huge bonus for me. Needless to say they did not disappoint. The new album includes many old favorite's like Crazy Game of Poker, Hey Girl, and I Feel Home, but includes many new songs from recent studio albums that I've been dying to hear live. Program Director and Gotta Be Wrong Sometimes came out amazing as did Woke Up An Uncle.

So for those O.A.R. fanatics out there, get to the store and grab this, don't forget the DVD. It's worth the extra money.

Samsung Executive Using Apple Products at Home

PadGadget - MIT Technology Review recently interviewed Samsung Electronics’ Chief Strategy Officer, Young Sohn. As the newly appointed head of innovating for the Korean-based company, Sohn spoke candidly with MIT reporter Jessica Leber. Maybe a little too candidly. When asked about Samsung’s future strategy to dominate the technology industry, he told Leber that, at home, he uses a Mac, iPhone and iPad.
What, what, what? It’s true. Sohn described the importance of a solid ecosystem and pointed to Apple as an example of how it is done right.
“If you look at the strengths of Apple, in a way it’s not the product per se. It’s that consumers like their ecosystem such as iCloud. I like that my family 6,000 miles away in Korea is able to see my schedule and see all of my contacts and photos. It is sticky, but it is a proprietary architecture, he said. “At work I’m using Samsung devices; Apple at home, mainly because all of my systems and files are done that way. That’s sticky, you know? However, I did figure out how to sync all of my contacts and all of my schedules between the two different systems. You can do it. It’s a bit of work, but it is possible.”
Sohn was quick to point out that he believes that Samsung makes superior hardware, but that Apple has the market on what he considers to be a critical component to good technology, a connected ecosystem.
Apple’s ecosystem is exactly what makes it stand out from the rest. Reuter’s recent survey points to that same conclusion. While some may consider the hardware of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus to feature more advanced specifications, the general population is less interested in specs and more interested in ease of use. For that, Apple will always win big.

With all the Samsung-Apple drama going on, this is probably the last thing anyone at Samsung wanted to hear. Personally, I think it's great and he's absolutely right. Apple's "eco-system" is completely unmatched. There aren't any product groups that can compare to the iPhone, iPad, and Macs system of operations and co-existing together. I don't have a Mac at home but the whole reason I own an iPad and not another tablet is because I own an iPhone and they talk to each other seamlessly. Everything is extremely easy. There's nothing to set up except for checking off a few boxes for what you want to sync. That's it. All my text messages are available instantly on both devices. All my contacts, photos, videos, reminders, calendars are there instantly no matter what device I enter them into. Samsung is taking a big hit with this news and with Microsoft's recent moves with the Surface and Windows phones, it looks as though Samsung is last in regards to system architecture.

"The general population is less interested in specs and more interested in ease of use. For that, Apple will always win big." Couldn't be more right. As long as Apple has the easiest products to use, They will always be on top looking down.

NFL's Drinking Problem

Thing's just keep getting worse for the young stars of the NFL. After last week's tragedy involving Jevon Belcher, another life has been taken in the NFL. This time it was Dallas Cowboys linebacker Jerry Brown. Early Saturday morning, he and fellow Cowboys teammate Josh Brent, were out drinking and Brent decided to drive home drunk. He hit a curb while speeding and flipped the car over. Brown was pronounced dead at the hospital shortly there after. The irony of this story is that the accident took place a little over a mile away from the national headquarters of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). One of the NFL's biggest partners in the fight against DUIs. This begs the question, is the NFL doing their part to protect the players?

Since January 2000, there have been 624 arrests of NFL players. 177 of which were arrested under suspicion of drunk driving. That's over a DOZEN players every year that get arrested for drunk driving. Eighteen players have been arrested just this year for drunk driving. The NFL has put into place programs to prevent this from happening. From education, to discipline, even as far as having a chauffeur service available to all players that need a ride home. Clearly this isn't enough.

Personally, I'm 26, and I like to drink. A lot. Have I ever driven when I shouldn't have? Yes. Almost everyone has, even those who don't want to admit it. I like to go out and have a good time. At some point in the night you'd think we, as human beings, would say, "hmm, should I stop drinking so I can make it home safe?". Sometimes we do, but there are plenty of times we don't. I get that, I've been there. When you're out having a good time, you don't want to stop drinking. Especially the more you drink. I'm not a millionaire athlete who can just call up a chauffeur service to drive me home. Which makes NFL players look like fools. If I made even half of what they make, I'd be hiring a driver every night I went out, even if it was $100/hr. Just knowing I don't have to worry about endangering my own life, and more importantly, the lives of innocent bystanders

The NFL and NFLPA need to make a stand. They need to enforce harsher penalties for players who get into trouble. There's no excuse for it. Go out and have a great time. Party all night, nobody is taking that away from you. Just don't get arrested. Plain and simple. There are plenty of people in this world who would do anything to be a professional athlete. Don't take it for granted. Just take a little advice.

DVD vs. Blu-Ray

About a year and a half ago I got a Samsung Blu-Ray Surround Sound System but I was hesitant in buying one for a long time because, with any technology, I thought it was just a fad and something new and better would arrive soon. Not to mention I didn't believe my friends when they said I "have to get one" and that "it's way better". I couldn't really grasp how it could be any better than a DVD considering I have a 50" plasma. I figured it was my tv that made the movies look great. Well needless to say I got a great deal on a blu-ray + surround sound so I gave in.

Once I got everything set-up, I threw in a DVD and nothing seemed extraordinary. Sound was good, picture was good, but no better quality than my Xbox. I decided to do some research on why blu-ray is so much better and I found out that each blu-ray can hold more than 5 times the data than a DVD can. This allows for higher quality picture (480p vs. 1080i) and higher quality sound (2 formats vs. 7 formats). Most of the audio lingo didn't make much sense to me but the fact that a standard dvd was only 480p and a blu-ray was 1080i, made me go out and spend the money on a couple blu-rays. And yes, blu-rays are definitely more expensive, starting at around $25 for new releases, but not staggering.

The first one I watched was "Wanted" and I was absolutely blown away. I literally felt like I was watching it in the theater. Yes the picture quality was amazing but it was the audio was what really surprised me. It was incredible. I've seen this movie dozens of times on tv but never have I watched it like this. I'm not exxagerating when I say that there's no way to really describe it other than to see it and hear it for yourself.

With all that being said, I don't believe I'll ever buy another DVD again. The amount you pay for a blu-ray over a DVD isn't significant enough to sacrifice the quality that comes with it.

Andrew Luck - Rookie of the Year 2012?

It's getting to that time of the year where the race for MVP and Rookie of the Year really starts to heat up. Anyone that knows me, would think I'm crazy not to think Tom Brady is winning it (again). Going to be a close one with him and Peyton yet again this year. Anyone can argue all day long about who is going to win MVP, Rookie of the Year on the other hand is a totally different story. Andrew Luck deserves this more than RG3. Why? Because he wins.

Yea RG3 is breaking records for completion percentage, passer rating, rushing yards, blah, blah, blah. Andrew Luck takes chances, he's thrown 178 more passes so far than RG3. 178!! Anyone can have a high completion percentage when they barely throw the ball. Andrew Luck is possibly one win away from locking up a playoff spot for a team that went 2-14 last season. He'll take them to AT LEAST a 10-6 record this year, possibly 11-5 if they can split with Houston down the stretch. Meanwhile, the Redskins, who went 5-11 last season are only 6-6 right now. Ask any NFL player, coach, or owner and they will tell you how much wins outweigh individual statistics.

Some will claim the the Redskins defense is part of the reason they haven't been winning but the Colts are 21st in total defense, nothing to brag about by any means. Not to mention, RG3 also has another rookie standout in Alfred Morris to help with the offensive load.

RG3 is certainly an amazing player and is deserving of all his praise, but Andrew Luck is the real deal and deserves this award. He needs to be in the running for MVP too since right now, he is literally the Most Valuable Player.

Ultimate Tailgate Set-Up

Ultimate may not be the best word to describe this tailgate set-up but it's ideal for the serious AND casual tailgater. It's easy to do and is relatively inexpensive. First thing I need to do is not take credit for this set-up. I certainly will be doing this set-up with my truck but the idea came from a friend of my brother who is a Patriots season ticket holder.

Let's start with the TV. Pretty simple, get a TV. The bigger the better doesn't work here. A 50" tv definitely won't work. Too big and too heavy. This set-up maxes out at around 40", and that's even a push. 32" is ideal. It not too heavy and not too big. The next purchase on the list is going to be a standard wall mount for the tv. It doesn't have to swivel in any direction. If you're looking to do this as cheap as possible, get a wall mount that is stationary. It will be a lot less expensive. Next up, antenna. Antennas are a lot different now then they used to be. Not much tweaking trying to get a signal and most now broadcast full HD over the air.

In order for this whole thing to work well you're going to need a sheet of 3/4" plywood. Nothing crazy. Most home improvement stores sell 2' x 2' sections, so you don't have to buy an entire 4' x 8' sheet. The actual size of the plywood is determined by the size of the tv mount, as this is what is being attached to it. You're going to want at least a few inches left over on all edges from where the mount is attached. Next up, hooks. Also very simple. Standard utility hooks for hanging bicycles, tools, etc. You'll need two and they need to be threaded on the end. What you're going to do is screw these into the top of the plywood centered about 6 to 8 inches apart.

The last item is what really puts this whole set-up together. A bike rack. This is probably the hardest part of it as you need to be a little picky about your selection. If you have a pickup truck or SUV, I highly suggest using a hitch bike rack. The top of the rack where the bikes sit must be able to fold down, it is here where the tv will hook onto the rack. Other than the TV (depending), this is the most expensive piece. These typically range anywhere from $100 to $500.

All in all, this is extremely easy to do. The best part is you set your own budget. It can be done with as little as $300, or you can spend well over $1,000. That's all up to you.

XPS 12 Convertible Touch Ultrabook

The new Dell XPS 12 Convertible Touch Ultrabook is the ultimate when it comes to portable performance and design. I love my iPad but it can't do everything a Mac or PC can. I can't tell you how many times I'll work from my iPad only to run to my PC to make some small tweaks that it just won't let me. That's where the Dell XPS 12 Convertible Touch Ultrabook comes in.

Personally, I have not had great experiences with Dell, but it has now been years since I have owned a Dell product. I gotta say that I'm pretty excited about this one. It's the best of both worlds, the tablet world and the PC world. One minute a touch screen tablet, the next a fully functioning laptop running Windows 8. Is this finally that "something" that outsells its Apple competition? For right now, absolutely. The only thing close would be purchasing an iPad and keyboard case for it. But even that doesn't compare since it's still just a tablet. No mouse, no programs, only apps and a touchscreen.

If this actually takes off like Apple's products do, I may have to reconsider my stance on Apple's iPhone and iPad as my "go-to" devices. I know it's a long shot, but I'd love to have a Windows Phone that's actually an equal to the iPhone or iPad. In my line of work, I depend on a PC, a Mac just doesn't cut it. Therefore, I'm forced to own a PC and have Apple devices. Forced may be too strong of a word, but in my opinion(just mine) Apple devices are far superior. I'm looking forward to the day where one company can produce a phone, tablet, and PC (or hybrid) that directly competes with Apple on every level. Then, and only then, will I join in on the fun people have hating on Apple.

Tim Tebow: Most Overrated Player in the NFL

Tim Tebow Most Overrated per Sports Illustrated Poll

Everyone knew Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow would be some sort of a one-two punch this year but the top two most overrated players in the NFL? I think only Pats fans saw this one coming. And as a Pats fan, there nothing I like to see more. As far as Mark Sanchez is concerned, yes, he is WAY overrated. Tebow on the other hand, he can thank the Jets organization for making this happen. Had he stayed in Denver or gone to Jacksonville like most had assumed, things would be a lot different(i.e. playing time). This year, as a whole, has been an absolute joke for the Jets. Yea they almost beat the Pats but let's get real, there's no way they can beat them with that squad. Even when the Pats have one of the worst games in years, they can't beat 'em. I'm not saying the Pats are that good, I'm saying that the Jets are that bad.

iPad 4 Update...

So in my last post I mentioned how pissed I'd be if I had just bought an iPad and then a new one got released. Good news for those of you who did. Apple is extending their return policy from 14 days to 30 days. So if you're part of the lucky bunch who purchased in the last month, get to your local Apple store ASAP to get your hands on the new one free of charge.

One side note I noticed is that the iPad 3 is no longer listed in the Apple store. Looks like they weren't satisfied with it and fully replaced it with the iPad 4.

Apple Announces New iPad Today, Wait What?

The past few weeks have been loaded with rumors and pictures of the new iPad Mini and to no surprise it was announced at today's Apple event. The shocking news at the event was the unveiling of yet another new iPad. Not sure what Apple's reasoning for this was but all I know is his thing is sweet. The new A6X chip makes it TWICE as fast as its predecessor, yup, twice as fast. 1080p HD video, 1.2MP camera, 4G LTE, faster wifi and of course that amazing retina display. Pricing all remains the samae as does the size. Not a huge upgrade but again, it's better than the last one. Since I currently own an iPad 2 (posting this blog from it right now), I'll probably scoop one of these up sometime before Christmas.

The strangest part of this reveal is that the iPad 3 just came out in March. I'd be pretty pissed if I bought an iPad 3 in the last couple months thinking the next one wasn't coming out until at least summer of 2013. I'm hoping this isn't an ongoing trend with Apple and that they start releasing new iPads and iPhones twice a year like most Android phone companies just to stay close to Apple. If it is the case, then I can't wait for the iPhone 6. TK, over and out.

Classic Tom Brady...Almost

Well that was interesting. As a die hard pats fan, for the first time ever, I felt this morning like i usually do after a bad loss. After the game I almost had to ask myself, "Wait, we won right?". 

It was the best worst win I think the pats have ever had. Terribe game by the defense overall (no surprise there), terrible game on the offensive front too. But for some reason I feel great about Tom Brady right now. Now I know there's a lot of people that probably think the exact opposite of me when I say there's a pretty good shot this team will be in the Super Bowl again this year, but even after last nights colossal collapse in the 4th quarter, that last minute and a half and overtime looked like the Brady I grew up watching (partially, I try to forget I actually grew up watching Bledsoe). Calm, poised, 5 yard pass to the left, 8 yard pass to the right. First down after first down with the no huddle offense. It something we really haven't seen in 5 or 6 years.

All year I thought maybe something was wrong with Brady but I've come to realize that Josh McDaniels actually may be the one losing his touch. There's no chance that anyone BUT Brady was making all those calls in the hurry up offense to tie this game up. Unfortunately, due to our schedule we're not getting another shot at a team similar to this Jets team for quite a while, it will be very interesting to see how this team reacts after a win like this. Off to London we go...

iPhone 4S vs. iPhone 5

I know there's been a million different articles comparing the two phones and why you should buy the 5 and why you should wait for the 6, but I'm gonna write one anyway. First thing I'll let you know is that I'm in no hurry to upgrade to the 5 from my 4S. Why? Let me explain.

First, the iPhone 4S is fast as hell. My wife has the 5 and I can personally say that it is way faster than the 4S, but this needs to be put into perspective. I can't tell you exact specifications of how fast they are compared to each other but I can tell you what I see. When I load the exact same web page on each phone at the same time, the 5 loads it instantly (literally less than a second) and the 4S loads it almost instantly (probably about 2 seconds). So for me, a one second difference doesn't matter a whole lot. Yes I would love to have the 5, if i could get it for free, but I can't justify spending 200 bucks when I have a 4S. In 99% of all situations, 1 second won't matter. Even when downloading a song, it takes about 5 seconds longer to download on the 4S than it does on the 5. But it only takes about 30 seconds to download anyway.

Second, there aren't any hidden features in iOS 6 that you get on a 5 that isn't available on the 4S. Nothing. Not one.

Third, the camera hasn't changed. I figured this would have been one of the "many" new features to the 5 so I was very surprised to find out that nothing had changed. Yes, the front facing camera is 1.2MP now supports 720p HD video recording, but honestly, nobody uses that. Big deal.

Fourth, all my accessories are useless. OK, that's kind of a stretch since they do sell an adapter for $30 but why should I have to spend another $30 for it? Considering the phone costs $200 and is the best selling phone EVER, you think they'd do you the favor and include it. Or have some sort of program where existing iPhone users get a free one. Everyone has some sort of iPhone/iPod docking station. I can't tell you how easy or hard it is to use on certain devices since my wife and I have yet to buy one but I can;t imagine it works very well on every accessory.

Now as much as I can justify not buying a new iPhone 5 if you already have the 4S, I'm not gonna lie, I will get the 5 at some point whenever I get around to selling my 4S. The ONLY reason, is because I want the latest and greatest technology. I can certainly guarantee I'll be selling my iPad 2 when the iPad 4 comes out. But that's a story for another time. All said and done, for someone who has a 4S and isn't a tech brat like myself, there's no need to upgrade. "The best thing to happen to iPhone since iPhone". Sorry but that was the iPhone 4.

A Cure for Burning Your Mouth?

Geekologie - Because people won't stop eating and drinking things that burn their mouths, scientists have created a dissolvable oral strip that can be applied directly to the burn, "providing instant relief and promoting healing." Healing -- healing is good.That's why I visit my shrink twice a week. Issues: I have a lot of them. "We found these strips to be non-toxic, which has huge potential for anyone who burns their mouth while eating and drinking hot foods--and that's just about everyone," said McConville. "The strips look and behave similar to breath freshening strips that you might find at your local drugstore." Now based at the University of New Mexico, McConville, and his team, will explore creating a stronger oral strip to treat more severe burns lasting longer than 2-3 days. The next step in furthering their research will be to test the strips in humans and experiment with taste-masking.


This has to be the best invention of the year. I'd like to say ever, but honestly, I couldn't live without my iPad. I can't tell you how many times I've burnt the shit out of my mouth because something is way too hot. There are times where I let my food sit for 10-15 minutes just so I can avoid that god awful moment.

PS - "We found these strips to be non-toxic". Really? So you were gonna sell toxic ones?

Yup, My Wife Beat Me In Fantasy Football

Unfortunately, this headline is no joke. My wife beat me this week in fantasy football. But is it as bad as it sounds? In my case, nope. We had a live draft for this league so I was able to give her signals on who to draft, so I know mine is better.

The kicker with this whole situation is that my wife is 5-1 and in third place, meanwhile she knocked me down to 5th place and a 3-3 record. BUT, the last two weeks I have notched the two highest scores in the league so far this year, my point total is way higher, and, in my defense, Drew Brees was on his bye week. Had he played, I probably would have won. Justification aside, losing to your wife in fantasy football sucks, but it isn't as bad as you'd think, assuming you're in the right situation. I mean, I was the 5th experienced fantasy football player she beat already this year, at least I wasn't the first.

Hello All!

Hey Everyone,

Welcome to the Tailgate Update. Just want to quickly fill you in on what this website is all about, who I am, etc. So first off, this blog isn't strictly about tailgating, more so life in general with regards to sports, news, politics(only a little, i swear), gadgets, women, etc. I am 26 years old, recently married, I LOVE football, I live for it. My Sundays strictly revolve around football and food. I'm a big fan of basketball, hockey, and baseball as well. As much of a sports fan as I am, I also need to have the newest technology. iPads, iPhones, etc. I love Apple gadgets. As much as I love them, I still own a PC because of the work I do. So I'm not strictly biased towards Apple, as I need other technology companies. With that being said, I welcome any and all comments regarding just about everything. Let me know what you think, and let me know of any improvements I can make. See ya out there.