The phrase “unlocked mobile phone” can have a bit of negative connotation to it. Is it stolen? Is it hacked? Is it safe to use? Well no, no and yes, it’s safe to use. In fact if you are traveling to Europe anytime soon, having an unlocked mobile phone is almost essential if you hope to travel and easily stay in contact with friends and family while country hopping.

So what exactly does “unlocked” mean?

In a nutshell, an unlocked mobile phone can use the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card from any mobile carrier. The SIM card is what is used to recognize your particular phone, on a carrier’s network, so calls can be made and incoming calls can be routed back to you.

With unlocked mobile phones you no longer need to be tied exclusively with the carrier you had originally purchased it from. Or in the case of purchasing an unlocked phone independently, you can take the phone to the carrier of your choosing for service. Makes sense, right?

Dell has a number of unlocked phones available, but has recently teamed up with Nokia to provide a robust lineup of multimedia and Internet/e-mail ready phones, including the ever-popular Nokia N96.

The Dell+Nokia Web site provides tons of information. Looking to stream multimedia entertainment, take photos or video from your phone? Check. Looking to surf the Internet or check your e-mail. Check. Lost and need GPS navigation. Check. Oh, and of course, you can also make mobile phone calls … =)

Stop by the site today and see how Dell and Nokia are making it easier than ever to stay in touch with your loved ones, and ride the tide of digital technology.

I just learned that I can channel my inner cheerleader (if it exists) with Wii games. Check out the pom pom games that Chip Chick found.

5 ways to creatively manage cord clutter has some fun pictures. I like the picket fence idea myself.

Check out the Women Power at the DLD Conference recently. Maghan includes links to details about the women – impressive stuff! She also posted a clip of her favorite comment from the panel about women and technology.

I love to hear this kind of news. Obama gets a Google Vet to be the president’s “director of citizen participation.” It is speculated that she plans on using Web tools to let citizens participate in the Obama White House. Speaking of the White House, have you seen the new Web site for women?

Many MMO players are what many people refer to as care bears. What’s a care bear, you may ask? While various definitions can be found online, the slightly derogatory term is usually reserved for those MMO players who refuse to partake in an MMO’s PvP content. Most care bears I’ve spoken with in my time in MMO’s don’t understand why someone like me would enjoy killing their character and stealing their stuff, and some even try to lay real world moral judgments upon my in-game behavior towards my fellow players.

The interaction usually goes something like this:

<I blow up someone’s ship/kill someone’s character/ take their stuff/take advantage some way to profit>

Bear > You #@!$^%!

Bear > Hey, everyone… <my name here> is a loser who just <whatever I did to them here>

Bear > I bet he kicks puppies too. Probably lives in his mother’s basement lol

Me > You should have protected yourself better, mate. It is a PvP game, after all.

Bear > I was in a lowbie zone. If you were really a good player, you’d go where all the PvPers are. You must suck.

Me > I couldn’t have done what I did if you didn’t <whatever they did wrong>

Me > Consider it an inexpensive lesson in game mechanics. It’s a PvP game. PvPers are everywhere.

Bear > You’re a loser.

<The victim then goes on a 10-minute diatribe about how much I fail at life for taking advantage of their mistake>

The truth is, when I play an MMO, I tend to play those which allow players to compete any time and any place. Many people who game online are just like me. I found an article recently that may explain a bit why we do what we do: Gamasutra’s article by Ernest Adams about AI emulating human emotions.

His article points out why so many AI opponents in MMOs seem so two dimensional: most use finite state machines for their AIs, meaning computer generated opponents can only exist in one state at a time. For example, the game controlled monster is normally programmed to be in a dormant or wandering state until activated to attack a player due to proximity or line of site, and will attack until dead or a flee state is triggered by player actions, such as bringing the monster to 15% health. What this means is that killing the MMO NPC monsters quickly becomes just a repetitive sequence of actions performed at each encounter. I don’t personally find this challenging in the least. Quite frankly, it’s boring.

To make matters worse, “Boss” monsters usually aren’t any more intelligent than the normal monsters people kill repetitively to “grind” money and experience for their MMO characters. They usually just hit harder and have a boatload more hit points. This isn’t challenging, it’s boring. You might as well be playing with a calculator, as far as I’m concerned. It’s just number crunching.

Until game developers actually begin to humanize their NPCs as Adams suggest in this article, I don’t see why I would ever play an MMO that wasn’t PvP based, and I’m sure there are a lot of people with me on that. Nothing is more challenging than facing another human opponent in a game, much more so when something “tangible” is on the line (as tangible as someone’s virtual items can be, at least). That’s why I play EVE-Online. So I can have wonderful interactions with other players that end up here:

http://www.griefwatch.net/

I won’t tell you where to find me in there, for obvious reasons. Yarr!

This week on Your Blog is shaping up to have a lot of content for photographers, new and experienced. Here’s another good read, from TechLime, about a persnickety photographer who has good reasons to like the Dell Inspiron Mini 9. Can you spot the netbook in the camera bag below?

Editor’s note: Following is a recent conversation between Richard Binhammer, a.k.a. RichardatDell, and noted photographer/knowledge sharer Mark Silber.

Hi Marc, we’re thrilled to have you join us again at Dell’s Your Blog, a place we host for conversations about digital lifestyle. Thanks for joining us to talk digital photography.

My pleasure to be back, Richard.

Last time we chatted about key elements that make for great photographs, your perspectives on some of “the Masters of photography” like Ansel Adams, color and black and white photography, as well as some techniques and issues around protecting artists work.

You have embarked on an exciting new Web initiative, Silber Studios TV, your new photo show for photography and tips people can use.

What is the thinking behind your new program?

It all started with my workshops on photography. When I was preparing for them I would, of course, research the masters—you know it’s one thing to know how to do something yourself and quite another when you’re teaching. Some aspects of photography I’ve known so long that they seemed “instinctive,” but to get them across to students requires substance.

That’s when I went looking for video footage from some of the masters and found a lack of concise data about how you do it. So I decided to put my Photo Show together to get my audience directly in touch with some of the masters. My first show was with Ansel Adams’ son, Michael, in Yosemite. I was able to ask him the questions I would have loved to ask Ansel. But what was really cool is that they loaned me his unreleased footage where you’ll hear him talking about the “whole key” to a great photograph.

It sounds like the focus of the program has value for the “new” digital photographer, someone wanting to take better pictures, people who want a refresher course, as well as people who are interested in photography and want to hear and learn first-hand from some great photographers. Can you give us a flavor for the kinds of topics you’ll cover?

Now I’m continuing to follow the really excellent photographers and asking them how they get their great shots. In my last show, Chase Jarvis gives five secrets for his exceptional photos. This is how the shows roll out … I put my viewers in touch with these really exceptional photographers to they can an improve their craft.

How about a sneak peek for Your Blog readers? Who will we get to learn from? Give us a scoop?

I went out with Thomas Hawk on a cold December evening in the chilly winds of San Francisco Bay, where we shot him getting an amazing image of the Golden Gate Bridge. That’s our next show. Thomas actually waded out into the water! He gives his tips for getting his shots (No, you don’t have to freeze your behind off to follow along with the show!)

Marc Silber’s Photo Show and guests aside for a minute, what do you think is the biggest challenge for someone new to digital photography or photography in general?

Honestly, it’s staying clear of all the mysteries and geeky stuff. You can get great shots with a point-and-shoot or an iPhone. But that’s just it –you’ve gotta get out and shoot and shoot and shoot. I just blogged about this, “The Biggest Secret of Photography.” Read it and do the assignment I assigned. You’ll thank me.

If that is the biggest challenge, will Photo Show help us get past that challenge?

That’s the whole idea. I want to show you how to do it. How the guys who have made it get their shots and just follow their advice. Stay tuned for each episode and in between use what you’ve leaned and you will get better shots.

Is Photo Show about “photography” and getting great shots, or about “digital photography” processes and “how to” work in Photoshop, etc?

It’s about all aspects of photography. We’re in a digital age where most of the pros have moved to digital. But the fundamentals apply to any type of photography. We plan to check in with PhotoShop and Lightroom and get tips for our viewers.

Think of my Photo Show as your inside line into the world of photography, learning episode by episode to master this amazing medium. It’s a journey and we’re happy to be bringing our viewers along.

Anything else you want to add?

I’m thrilled to be producing and hosting my Photo Show. Heck, I’d do it for my own education and benefit—getting to places like Ansel Adam’s darkroom, or walking with Annie Leibovitz through her exhibit. But knowing that I’m helping our viewers become better with each show is a huge reward.

How about you, Marc, the photographer, not the teacher and sharer? What are you working on these days? Any shows coming up? Any books in the works? Special photo shoots?

Hmm, you want my insider stuff? I’m very involved with the show and now learning video production and editing. This is the future of photography, the convergence of photo-video, so I’m taking the leap just as I had to do years ago with digital.

I continue to learn and improve my craft and grow as a photographer daily. Yes, you’ll see some books growing out of my ebooks.

Photography has opened up so many doors for me. I’m continually amazed at seeing the world newly, “capturing the moment” and having the privilege of sharing these moments with others. What fun!

About Marc Silber:

Marc Silber is highly respected and has conducted workshops for hundreds who have been inspired by his work while improving their own skills. Follow him as he shows you tips straight from great photographers. Silber began his photographic career at the Peninsula School in Silicon Valley, and honed his skills at the San Francisco Art Institute—one of the oldest and most prestigious photography schools in the United States.

Marc on the Web:

http://www.silberstudios.tv/

http://www.silberstudios.com/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/marcsilber

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NEWS FLASH: we’re in a recession. News of missed earnings and layoffs is swirling all around us. And a friend of mine just hired maybe the world’s most overqualified intern – a seasoned professional who’s been out of work for a year, can’t find a job, and has decided to gain some new skills (and work for FREE) while he looks for full-time work … It’s enough to make me hoard every dollar I make. And maybe set up a lemonade stand in front of the house.

But, while retail sales are universally down, we haven’t stopped spending altogether. Forbes recently published a list of the 10 Things We’re Still Buying, which range from the expected (car maintenance, personal care items, sensible shoes) to the “Wow… really?”

A lot of spending falls into the category of “affordable escapism” – things that help us get away, even if just virtually, from the stresses of a rough environment. Movie ticket sales are reasonably healthy – theaters made $9.8 billion in 2008, up 2 percent from 2007, according to the Motion Picture Association of America. Even with ticket prices soaring (and let’s not even TALK about those concession stand prices), going to the movies still ranks as one of the cheapest nights out you can get.

As for a great night in, more and more consumers are discovering my personal favorite thing – Netflix. The online DVD rental company just defied gravity by posting a 45 percent increase in profits as spend-weary consumers seek inexpensive, at-home entertainment.

And (good news for my industry), people are investing in technology. Smartphone sales were up 53 percent from 2007 to 2008. Video games and consoles are still doing well; together, “Madden NFL ‘09″ and the “Wii Fit” sold 5 million units in the third quarter of 2008. And Q3 2008 netbook sales were up 160 percent over the same quarter in 2007.  (Of course, a very low-tech, tried-and-true form of entertainment is also proving successful in the recession - building block sales jumped 30 percent from October 2007 to October 2008).

For those who still have a few disposable dollars laying around, now is a fantastic time to actually get away, as in vacation. With tourism down, the travel industry is cutting rates drastically. As one Associated Press writer reported, “[I] recently booked a Waldorf Astoria suite in the Palm Springs, Calif., area through Priceline.com for about $130 after taxes — in the middle of a holiday weekend, no less. Although we didn’t know where we’d end up, the 900-square-foot “Spa Villa” where we ended up staying is listed next weekend for $679 a night.”

Now that’s what I call affordable escapism.

I’ve mentioned digital cameras for kids in the past and finally took the leap. My 3-year-old boys received the Little Tykes digital cameras for Christmas this year. I had a conversation with Hayden about his new gadget this weekend and thought I would share.

Me: Why do you like your camera?

Hayden: Because I like the light flashing.

Me: What do you like to take pictures of?

Hayden: Arthur and Coco and Daddy and Holden and you and you can take pictures of me.

Me: What is your favorite part?

Hayden: Looking on the computer to pick which one is favorite.

Me: Do you know what all the buttons are for?

Hayden: Take a picture of me now please.

I was surprised to learn that he enjoyed picking out his pictures on the computer over taking the pictures themselves. I also learned that three questions is probably the limit for an interview with a 3 year old. Here is Hayden’s favorite picture from this weekend:

Most pictures are grainy and many are even blurry because the kids do not hold the camera still. While it might bug me, it does not hamper the fun the kids have with the cameras!

When I helped found Team Dignitas, I was driven by two prime factors. Firstly is my love of videogames, in particular the thrill that comes with competitive events (known as “E-sports”). Secondly, I was convinced that the latest generation of professional gamers, well supported, organised and marketed, represented a foundation for a successful business. Working alongside likeminded partners, our shared vision has gone from strength to strength over the years. Each morning I can barely contain myself, knowing our work supports a raft of highly ambitious gamers and forges new ways of thinking within the industry. I love my job!

Games, gamers and their systems are constantly evolving and our “frontier” position within the industry means our survival depends upon our ability to spot and embrace key developments. We have already had to adjust to some tremendous changes and the next five years will be no different.

My view of now…

Every year great games hit the shelves. My recent personal favourites have been Call of Duty 4, Red Alert 3, Left4Dead, Fifa09 and Rock Band. I think games like Rock Band (Guitar Hero, Wii fitness, etc) have also contributed to an important expansion in gaming, away from the tried, tested and constantly regurgitated themes.

“Strumming” along to a virtual gig, or performing Yoga to a machine, such ideas were far fetched five years ago. Thanks to well-designed hardware (wireless “strung” guitars, accelerometer “fired” Wii remotes, etc) and the work of imaginative software developers, we now see more non-gamers than ever joining the “club.” Even my 21-month-old daughter has a DS Nintendog that she plays with every day!

Soothsayers herald the development of these new controllers, along with a supposed imminent move towards “touch screen technology,” as sounding the death knell for the mouse. PC gamers cherish their mice however and I believe many would consider not having one as being comparable to playing on a PC with insufficient memory…i.e. not much fun!

Talking of hardware, PC systems continue to grow ever mightier, with Intel’s Core 2 Duo chips deservedly ruling the roost in recent years. We have yet to see a concerted attempt by game developers to seize upon its more powerful Quad Core brethren however, with only a few show piece titles emerging thus far.

The development of E-sports meanwhile continues to resemble a rollercoaster ride, with impressive and breathless upward surges followed by some sudden and scary falls. Recent gains have been overshadowed by the demise of the Championship Gaming Series (CGS), with other E-sports organisations also shutting down, or reducing their commitments. Given the UK has secured some great success in the world of E-sports within the last few years, it is doubly disappointing to witness these events. Gamers are increasingly adopting a professional attitude and a string of gold medals at the World Cyber Games (Olympics of E-sports), CPL World tour champions for World in Conflict ($100,000+), Birmingham Salvo CGS World Champions ($500,000), etc, all testify to the development of a winning mentality right here in the UK.

…and the future?

I simply can’t wait to get hold of the big releases due out in 2009!

Starcraft 2 will be huge, coming on the coattails of arguably the most successful RTS game ever. Quake Live looks set to provide some great FPS action across 30 levels….and all for free! Demigod is an intriguing new project from Chris Taylor (famous for Total Annihilation and Supreme Commander) that could blur the distinction between real-time strategy and role-playing action. I’ve also heard several people in Team Dignitas insist they must have Empire Total War, even looking to build entirely new systems, just to play it super smoothly on full spec!

PC building itself has never been easier or cheaper. For respectable prices you can pick up remarkable processors, graphic cards, memory, hard-drives etc. The new Intel I7 processors have been receiving tremendous reviews and I’m sure they’ll dominate system builds by enthusiasts in 2009. After the incredible emergence in November 2006 of the Nvidia 8800, the graphics market has evolved at a steadier pace. Nvidia will shortly move towards a 55nm version of the G200 and that might well see them regain the performance lead over ATI and their Radeon HD 4870 X2. Personally, it almost feels like our gaming hardware will soon handle anything the developers can throw at us!

The real challenge for tomorrow will be how to better cater for the growing masses of online gamers? Whilst single player campaigns and storylines are often considered an important feature, included in numerous titles, isn’t that aspect fast becoming archaic? Every day more people go online and do nothing but play across the Internet; it simply presents a far deeper challenge and a more rewarding experience. Within the next five years we will see more titles released purely for an online audience and this’ll foster the further growth of online distribution — downloading titles as opposed to high street (retail) purchasing. As we witness the development of online gaming we will also see a continued movement towards a subscription finance model. The security of fixed payments to the software studios will serve to underpin their supply of updated material, which online gamers are increasingly demanding.

In this brave new world I can see a healthy future for Team Dignitas. As more people participate in online gaming, the opportunities surrounding the activity will just grow and grow. With our experience and insight, we will be ideally placed to lend our expertise to any organisations or individuals that wish to get involved. The future is going to be great for gamers and we will certainly be doing our bit to make sure that there are no hiccups along the way!

Do you have a VCR connected to an old TV with rabbit ear antenna?

Do your friends run away every time you invite them over for “Movie Night?”

Have you never experience the true joy of College Football on HDTV with Surround Sound?

If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, then quickly grab a camera and snap a picture of the out-of-date mess that you call an “Entertainment Center” in your living room. Then submit the photo and enter to win the Dell HDTV “Makeover Your Living Room” Photo Challenge.

Nobody should suffer the tragedy of an embarrassing “Entertainment Center” in this technological day and age. So simply upload a photo of your pathetic television viewing experience. If it’s voted the best of the worst, you’ll win an incredible Home Theater makeover that includes:

· Sony Bravia 46″ LCD HDTV

· Blu-Ray Disc Player and Theater Micro System

· Sony PlayStation 3 Gaming Console, and so much more!

Plus, you’ll get a chance to instantly win a new Sony, Samsung, Sharp or Philips HDTV, plus accessories when you play our online game.

So don’t delay, your chance to win could be just a photo away. =)

If you like arts and crafts as much as I do, you might want to read this article from Popgadget: Soon your Wii could teach you to knit (really).

A new study reveals that Girls Have The Edge In New Technologies, finding also that that 50 per cent of children chose their mothers to help them to use new technologies.

Chip Chick found a USB accessory that I might actually wear: USB Jewel Bracelet with style, 8GB of storage and a low price tag to boot!

Cool new site: Yojo Mama claims to take the guesswork out of finding nearby child-friendly restaurants, toy stores, kids clothing stores, diaper-changing stations, shopping deals, fun events, playgrounds and more — all based on your current location, neighborhood or city.