That's right. I'm now down with the new hotness that is the iPod touch. It took me a few days to get it up and running, only because my old G4 needed a USB 2.0 port. So I had to figure in the cost of that, and then still wait for it to arrive and install it. Nevertheless, it's all good in the hood now.

That aside, Santa brought the rain this year. Not only am I rocking the Touch, but I stocked up on HD DVD movies, like the Harry Potter series, the Bourne series, Knocked Up, Transformers and some longtime favorites like What Dreams May Come and Smokey and the Bandit. I was kinda fiendin' for something new, but now there's lots to watch now!

Today, I wrote this letter to Xbox Support as an attempt to call some attention to the somewhat lacking quality control that has been exercised with the Xbox 360, not only in the original manufacturing process, but in the refurbishing and replacement program that's part of the product's warranty.

Hello,

I'm writing because of my recent experience with my console and having to send it in due to a hardware failure. I don't necessarily expect that you'll be able to answer or address everything here, but I do hope you can at least forward this to someone that can.

The fact that my Xbox 360 simply "died" (three red lights) beyond any attempts to restore or revive it is a separate (and probably larger) concern, but my real frustration came when I recently received my replacement unit.

My original service call (#XXXXXXXXXX) required that I send in my Xbox 360 for repair/replacement, as it was still covered by the one-year warranty through April. The product failure aside, I was pleased with the response and service and fairly confident that my product would be repaired or replaced quickly and completely. It was explained to me that I would most likely receive a replacement console, and that it would be a refurbished unit, which undergo a full certification process to ensure quality.

However, when I recieved my replacement unit, after setting it up and turning it on, the console froze while starting up. After checking all my connections and powering it up again, I then received the same three red lights indicator. So, apparently, my replacement unit also had a similar hardware failure? Right out of the box? How can this be?

So, now I've made a second call (#XXXXXXXXXX) and am awaiting a prepaid box to send in my replacement unit. And this time, given the circumstance, I'm very disappointed with my experience. I can't think of any other industry or market where shipping a customer a replacement unit that does not work is acceptable. With this, I can't, in good faith, assume that refurbished Xbox consoles are actually tested or examined at all.

After some searching online and reading others' experiences, specifically Chris Szarek ( http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2006/05/the_unluckiest_.html) and Matt Casamassima ( http://blogs.ign.com/Matt-IGN/2007/01/19/44024/ ), I have to wonder how widespread this problem is, considering that a number of people are also receiving refurbished units, only to have them fail as well.

My understanding is that many of the Xbox 360 consoles in early production runs are suffering from these failures, and since Microsoft shown its commitment to satisfying customers by extending the warranty to a full year, why not send new units to those customers? What possible good comes from sending paying customers less-than-new equivalents? I've seen people I know have to either go through this process and/or have to buy a new console altogether--something I am certainly not willing or able to do.

I suppose it'd be silly to expect Xbox Support to change its policy (no matter how much sense it might make), but I'm sure there are other ways of taking action against this, whether it's addressing it through the press, the Better Business Bureau or even through class-action litigation. Surely, Xbox and Microsoft must know that helping customers protect and enjoy their $400 investment (or more, considering peripherals and software) is in their best interest and more importantly, something worth getting right the first time.

That said, I DO NOT expect to receive a replacement unit that will have the same problem. That would simply indicate to me that there is something fundamentally wrong with the Xbox 360 design or manufacturing process.

I DO expect to receive a fully working (if not entirely new) console, to ensure that I am getting a product that works and is worth the money I have already spent. I understand the Xbox 360 is a sophisticated piece of equipment and there are many variables that could cause the console to fail, but I'm not looking to get something for nothing. I simply want what I paid for, and what Microsoft has promised to provide me under warranty.

On a side matter, I also have to question why I was asked to pack and cover the cost of shipping to the Xbox repair center, when others have clearly been sent prepaid boxes for the same reason. I had assumed that this was a practice that Xbox Support no longer allows, but when I called about sending in my replacement unit, I was told I would receive a prepaid box within 3-5 days. So why did I need to pay in the first place? It was a minimal cost (approx. $10USD), but it seemed unnecessary, especially now that I am being sent a prepaid box.

From my perspective, the Xbox team has done a wonderful job of keeping in touch with its customers and has built a foundation of trust and confidence with the gaming community about its products and software. However, it's matters like this that can damage a company's reputation and instill doubt in it's service and quality procedures. I've been a loyal Xbox customer for years now and would hate to abandon the Xbox product line because of this.

Please respond at your earliest convenience and thank you for any help you can provide,

Robert Cortez

Up until a few weeks ago, I'd been getting by with the same cellphone for about three or four years. You know, one of those old ones. The kind with the old black and white display and monophonic ringers. It was so 2001... Seeing all these new phones with cameras, MP3 players, downloadable content, web browsing and all other kinds of goodies hit the market, I decided it was time to upgrade.

After reading some reviews and finding more details, I decided on the Motorola e815. Since I have a hard time remembering to charge my phones, the most important factor ended up being the battery life, which on this model can max out at somewhere around 12 days. That and I've always wanted a Moto phone, even though I've always heard their rep has been a little shaky at times.

So for Valentine's Day, my wife bought me one. Using Verizon's New Every Two plan, it was immediately discounted $100. Then if you order it through their website, they take off another $50. So she only had to pay about twenty bucks for it, which I thought it was a bargain. Now, you're probably saying "that's a cheap gift", and I'm saying "ya damn right!" because...well, saving money is good.

Once I got it, yeah, I took a couple of days and just played around with it, taking pictures and downloading goodies for it. By the way, am I the only one that doesn't get how you have to pay for wallpapers? I've always thought this was a strange business model—asking people to pay for what amounts to a little image file. I've since found out that, with the help of a data cable and maybe a little hacking, you can do all kinds of cool stuff with your phone.

Otherwise, so far, so good. I like the size and feel of it, even though I'm still not sure how I feel about flip-style phones. I think I still like the standard form factor a little more. Maybe it's just me, but I feel like hinges can only lead to problems. Either way, I'm satisfied with the phone so far. The speakerphone is a welcome feature, and the possibility of a Bluetooth headset is cool. Thumbs up from me!

After buying a massive 65" HDTV earlier this year, my first and foremost goal was to take some time and watch some movies on it. Really sit down and get that "theater" experience, right in my own home. Once I picked up a nifty little progressive-scan DVD player, let me tell you, I did so with great enthusiasm and dedication.

The next goal was to get a clear signal for television programming. I had managed to live with plain ol' broadcast TV for a few years after giving up DirecTV back in 2002. It sufficed for the most part, but I knew watching a crappy VHF/UHF signal on a giant screen was just going to be painful--and a disgrace to the television itself.

I thought about cable, but only for a second. Having seen the quality of the local Time Warner programming and the prices they were charging for it, I knew that I'd have to go back to satellite, and I was fine with that. My first reaction was to fire up the DirecTV service again, but I had to take a look at DISH Network, simply because of the introductory package they offered. Free installation, free equipment (including DVR and HD upgrades), up to four rooms installed, and a discount on programming. How can you beat that?

The other morning, as I grabbed my things to head out the door, I disconnected my iPod and put it in my pocket, not looking at it until I got in the car. When I went to put it in the Transpod, I noticed that it didn’t turn on. No backlight, no menu, not even the Apple logo. I checked the power, the Hold button, the connection. Nothing.

I took it out and gave it a quick visual inspection. Nothing seemed out of place.

Not yet panicking, I tried to reset it. By simultaneously pressing the Menu portion of the clickwheel and the Select button in the center for about ten seconds, the iPod will reset (essentially reboot, I guess) and all should be fine. At least that’s how it’s worked out in the past.