Locke sends Sawyer on a mission on the Hyrda island promising Sawyer that he will get him off the main island. In the flash sideways, we learn of how Sawyer’s life would have been like if the plane never crashed.

This is one my favorite songs from Timbaland’s Shock Value II album released in the end of 2009. I also happen to be think JT and Timbo compliment each other very well musically this song is no different. The track didn’t break any new ground or broaden any horizons like they did with SexyBack-However, every so often it’s nice to see look at the title of a song and see who is on it and the outcome is EXACTLY what you expected. In any event this song knocks to me.

The video is pretty much what I expected in this case it wasn’t a bad thing-cute chics on skates can’t be so bad, right ? Check it out let us know what y’all think

There is lots to love about the Droid but lets talk about the bad first. I’m sure you’ve heard it before and I’m definitely going to say it again; the keyboard stinks. Motorola needs to talk to HTC about how to make a horizontal slider keyboard. HTC’s Touch Pro 2 keyboard is the best horizontal keyboard I have ever seen. It is quite awesome and would have made my fingers happy. But unfortunately Motorola gave me a flat keyboard that was offset to the left by a useless trackpad. If I used the physical keyboard I had to retrain my left thumb to press letters that it wasn’t used to pressing.  For this reason I found myself using the virtual keyboard 98% of the time. The virtual keyboard was pretty decent in my opinion despite what I’ve read from other reviews. I like the fact that it suggests words as I type which is quite handy. The phone also does really look like a brick. I would prefer more round edges like my Pre but that’s not really a deal breaker. Also the LED notification light seemed a little puny compared to the Sprint Hero or other Blackberry devices that I’ve used and even my Pre. Sometimes I wouldn’t notice it, but perhaps that’s just me.

Now onto the good things about the Droid. There are so many pluses that I was thoroughly impressed. Performance was fantastic.  The speed with which applications opened was pure joy. I rarely experienced a lag. Sluggish performance is something that I have come accustomed to with WebOS but that was not the case on this Motorola Droid running Android 2.01. Palm really needs to fix the fact that it takes sometimes more than 5 seconds to open an app.

The screen on the Droid is a beautiful size and it was really pleasurable to use. Rotation was quick and responsive and moving around between different menus felt smooth. While the browser didn’t have multi-touch I didn’t really miss it if I’m being honest. I loved the fact that the web pages initially load zoomed out now as opposed to zoomed in on previous version of Android. 2.01 is a big improvement over the Sprint Hero that I used a few months back. I also realized that I prefer not to have HTC’s Sense UI. I liked the simplicity of Android on the Droid. I didn’t need seven home screens especially without a way to easily jump between them. I loved the enhancements in 2.01 to Google Talk like swiping to change conversations and taping on a buddy icon to display additional ways to communicate with that contact. I loved that the Marketplace had screenshots and just looked better overall and more polished.  Using voice search was wonderful and accurate most of the time and universal search was also a welcomed addition. I even liked the Droid notification sound. I was tempted to put it on my Pre but that would just be weird, right?

And as always I loved how easy it was to customize Android. I was able to change my SMS application to use Handcent SMS and I had I plethora of other applications for Twitter and other Social Media sites at my fingertips.

I must say that I miss the Droid. It was fast and did exactly what I expected a phone to. I could definitely see myself using it as my daily device. It is missing some of the features that I have come to love from WebOS like gestures, synergy, combined SMS and IM and just an elegant interface but the Droid definitely packs a punch. It spoke to the geek in me that loves sheer power and performance. If the Droid was on Sprint it would absolutely be a contender, even with it’s horrible keyboard. The Droid is the best Android phone I have ever used.  It made me like Android again.  I would have loved to have the phone with 2.1 running but Verizon has not seen it fit to push the update yet.  Perhaps I will get a chance to use the device again once the update is out and give some additional impressions.  I would without a doubt jump at the chance to reunite with such a good phone.

I was really feeling this song….then I saw the video. I think the idea was sick. I liked the fact that we know they had a relationship..a baby; etc. We already assumed the song was about him so knowing he would be in the video you would expect it to be hot, right ? Maybe it was the London fog trench with the fur hood she was wearing. Then you cut to her draped out in rhinestones on a nude color outfit with gems pasted to her eyebrows-this wasn’t a good look.

I liked the direction she was trying to go and I still really like the song. I just feel like you actually have your ex in the video and she just failed to take me where I wanted her to go. Kudos for Wayne being a good sport and even being in the video despite not having a verse to spit. I know I shouldn’t be thinking this way but… She has 4 kids right both baby fathers are paid so I am sure she not hungry-I don’t get why the video was so low budget ? On a side note, I do think she is underrated overall as far as her talent goes.

This is just my opinion folks. Let me know what y’all think.

Amanda fears for her sanity while Daniel and Joseph get closer to finding the avatars of their dead daughters. Ok seriously what is up with that lab tech who talks to Zoe as if she was a living being? We love tech and all, but he is just creepy lol. And Daniel seems closer to figuring out Zoe is inside the robot, will she reveal herself? Great episode.

As a gamer, every little advantage you can get, you’ll take it.  In the past, it didn’t really matter what kind of headset you were using or what kind of audio system you were using with you gaming system because games in the just weren’t as audio-immersive as games are now in the present. You used to be able to get away with just experiencing your games in stereo, but no more.  In an age when everything is about being immersive, stereo output is no longer an option. In-game audio these days are usually all coded in 5.1 Surround Sound and now with online gaming being even more popular then ever before, if you aren’t using a headset that has at least 5.1 Surround Sound, you will find yourself at a serious disadvantage. Up until a few weeks ago, I was using a pair budget headsets that only outputted in stereo and thought they were “good enough.”  I won’t mention what they are in this review but when I had first bought them, I thought they made my gaming experience much better as I could finally hear things that I could never hear before through my television speakers. Well, that was then and this is now. About 2 weeks ago, I received what is now my go to headset for everything, not just gaming.

Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve had a chance to try out Astro Gaming’s newest “budget” headset, the new Astro A30 Cross-Gaming Headset. When I say budget, I mean that in the loosest of terms because these really don’t seem like budget headsets. At MSRP $149.95, the quality of the build is top notch and materials used are do not seem cheap at all. On top of that, these are some of the lightest and most comfortable headsets I have ever used.

SPECS & FEATURES:

• Balanced, Dynamic Audio Quality – Tuned for a variety of usages including gaming, music and movies, with crystal-clear voice communication and precise surround-sound performance.
• Dual Mic System – Removable boom mic for console and PC gaming and Skyping, wired inline mic for taking calls on-the-go.
• Incredibly Stylish and Comfortable – Lightweight, on-ear design fashioned to move easily from the office to the living room to the street.
• Quick Disconnect System – Ships with 3 swappable cables for mobile, console or PC setups. Mobile cable features a control button to answer or end calls and also works with iTunes to start, stop, jump forward and jump back.
• Interchangeable Speaker Tags – Choose from a variety of collaborative tags or create your own with the online ASTRO customizer (sold separately).
• Carrying Case – Every ASTRO headset purchase comes with a complimentary, high-quality ballistic nylon travel case to protect your investment.
• Optional Upgrade – The A30 headset works great by itself on PC and mobile devices, but needs to be teamed with a MixAmp for online console play.

DESIGN:
Unlike Astro Gaming’s A40 Audio System, the Astro A30 Cross-Gaming Headset is simpler in design. That doesn’t mean it is any less functional. It just means that Astro Gaming probably did this so they could offer a more cost effective headset that still doesn’t skimp on audio quality. I”m glad they took this route instead of offering a cheaper A40 with only stereo output.  The Astro A30 Cross-Gaming Headset I received came in “Astro White.”  Don’t fret though if you aren’t into white. The Astro A30  also comes in a nice shade of “Astro Black.”

The way the Astro A30 is designed, all the wires are hidden within the headset except for the initial 1 cable coming form the left of the headset. This is also the side you would attach the removable boom mic when you are using the headset for online gaming or PC online chat. The headset is very minimal in design much like the Astro Scout backpack. There are only a few points of adjustment on the Astro A30 still makes for a pretty configurable headset. The earphones are able to rotate a full 90 degrees on the y-axis and about 5-10 degrees on the x-axis. This allows for a pretty wide range configurations right there and because they also rotate to 90 degrees, it allows for easy storage later. Where the earphones attach to the top of the headset there is also an adjustment for height, about 8-clicks for each side. On my head I have to extend the headset out to the full 8-clicks per side. At that point, they fit just perfect. I’m wondering however if someone with a bigger head then I would find that there is not enough height adjustment. I almost wish maybe that Astro would add another centimeter or so per side just to widen the range a bit more. That is just a small issue some might have although I did not.

As with the Astro A40, the A30 also allows for custom speaker tags. This is one of Astro Gaming’s biggest selling points with their audio systems because it virtually allows anyone to really have their own unique pair of the Astro A30. The Astro A30 comes with a default pair of speaker tags but you can order a custom set for as little as $19.95 for pre-made designs or a little bit more for custom one-of-a-kind designs.  This is a great option for those who maybe want to display their clan logos on their headsets. In fact, because the speaker tags are detachable from the Astro A30, you could in essence modify your existing speaker tags and customize them yourself if you are brave enough or confident enough in your skills.

The Astro A30 Cross-Gaming Headset also features the same break-away cable system as the A40. My Astro A30 came with a variety of extra cables that allowed for it to be hooked up to almost any device. I am able to use the A30 on anything from iPhones, BlackBerry devices, Computers, and video game systems, although in order to connect it to your gaming console, you will need to purchase the optional Astro Gaming MixAmp either in a bundle with the A30 or as a separate unit. The break-away portion of the headset, which Astro calls the “Quick Disconnect System” sits only a few inches away from the left speaker. This is because there is an inline mic that is part of the “Quick Disconnect System.”  This portion has a handy mute switch as well as an A/B switch which selects your mic preference. “A” is for the boom mic and “B” is for the inline mic.

COMFORT:
Great audio quality is worthless without comfort. If you can’t keep a pair of headsets on for longer then 30 minutes before they become unbearable, then they aren’t worth the money you paid for them.  So how does the Astro A30 stack up? Well, unlike other headsets I’ve used in the past, the cans on the Astro A30 are a bit smaller than some of the others.  While most other headphones have the foam padding that goes completely over your ears, the A30 is smaller and the foam pads actually fit right on top of your ears. Does this make them any less comfortable? No. The A30 is padded with probably some of the softest material I have felt on any headset. They also seemed wrapped in the same soft suede-like material as the Scout backpack.  I had the Astro A30 on a good solid 2-3 hours per game session and never once did they ever feel uncomfortable or painful. In fact, with my old gaming headset, my ears used to get really sweaty and hot because they would enclose my entire ear. Now, I’m not sure if its because these sit on your ear instead of around them or if its the material that is used, but I never feel as if my ears are getting hot or sweaty. Just a small observation. Also, the A30 is not overly tight around your head. Some headsets are so tight that after a while, they really start to get uncomfortable. On the Astro A30, there seems to be just the right amount of springiness where they are not very tight or overly loose. In fact, there were times when I would forget that I was even wearing them when I would disconnect them to go somewhere else away from my TV.

AUDIO:
I am basing my audio impressions here mainly with my experiences I’ve had using them for gaming. To be exact, most of my time spent with the Astro A30 was used playing Battlefield: Bad Company 2 on the Xbox 360 in combination with the Astro Gaming MixAmp which we will cover in a separate review.

When it comes to online gaming, being able to hear everything around you is a big key to winning. Not only must you be visually aware, but you must also be aware of your surroundings based on your sense of hearing. We will use Battlefield: Bad Company 2 as an example here. Using only the speakers from the television, I am only really able to hear background music from the game as well as the usual weapons fire, explosions and noises my character makes as I run from point to point. This might have been sufficient in the past, but not if you are a competitive gamer and especially in game such as BF:BC2. Next up was to test out the game with the Astro A30 Cross-Gaming Headset. What a world of difference this makes. Because the Astro A30 outputs in 5.1 surround sound, not only are you able to distinguish left and right channels, you are also able to tell where noises are coming from in a 3D environment. To test this, I had a friend of mine circle me in the game while i closed my eyes and I could literally hear him running around and could tell exactly which direction the noise was coming from.

In actual game play, this is a huge advantage. I could hear where shots were coming from at a distance. I could hear when enemies would sneak up behind me or if they were any where near me from the rustling of leaves or disturbance of grass. It really is something that everyone should experience, especially if you want to experience full immersive gaming. Nothing beats having 5.1 channels for gaming.

I should mention that audio quality on the Astro A30 is excellent. Audio is clear and crisp. There is just the right amount of treble without it being piercing and the bass is nice and deep. It’s hard for me to describe just exactly what my listening experience is to you because everyone’s tastes are different but in my opinion, what I heard was very clear and clean. I did not notice any distortion at all in any of the audio.

FINAL THOUGHTS:
There is really so much I could continue saying about these that I could really go on and on but to get straight to the point, you can’t go wrong purchasing the Astro A30 Cross-Gaming Headset. Each Astro A30 Cross-Gaming Headset comes with a ballistic nylon travel case that helps protect your A30 during transport as well as a bundle of cables that will allow you to connect the A30 to a myriad of devices. The Astro A30 also lets you to connect them to a mobile phone while allowing you to chat with them which is something I have not seen before on anyone else’s headset. What exactly is “Cross-Gaming” that I keep mentioning and what does it mean? Astro Gaming describes the Astro A30 as a “Cross-Gaming Headset” because ” it is the first audio equipment designed specifically to move freely between mobile, console, and PC gaming platforms across all forms of digital entertainment.” Well, I can surely say that the Astro A30 does indeed live up to the title of “Cross-Gaming Headset” thanks in part to their Quick Disconnect System and the fact that Astro Gaming saw fit to include an inline mic with the Astro A30.

There are only a few gripes I have with the Astro A30. First, the finish on the headset itself. The top portion of the headset is a matte white while the bottom of the headset where the speakers are are painted a shiny glass white. Not really too sure what the reasoning is for this but I”m assuming that maybe since the top portion is so flexible, they didn’t want any of the paint to start chipping off if they had painted it as well? Also, some of you might not like the on-ear design of the A30 but I found them to be quite comfortable, even during long sessions. One final gripe that some may have is that fact that you will need to purchase the optional Astro MixAmp in order to use these for online play with Xbox 360 or Playstation 3. There is no getting around that. The Astro MixAmp by itself is a $129.95 option that some may not be willing to spend, however, if purchased as a complete Audio System with Astro A30 the total price  of ownership becomes only $229.95 which saves you quite a bit of money.  I suggest that anyone who wants the Astro A30 for gaming, the MixAmp really is a necessity for anyone who is serious about their gaming and want to experience true immersive gameplay.

In the end, the price of entry really is not such a big deal especially considering the quality of the headsets and the quality of the audio. These are really the lightest and most comfortable headsets I have used and the fact that I can basically just unplug from any source quickly and easily and then take them on the go is a major plus for me. I’m the type of person who loves to take my gadgets with me and the fact that I can use the same headset on all my devices now is a huge value added plus for me. I definitely recommend these to anyone, even if you aren’t a gaming geek, to buy these.

SECOND OPINION:
Our very own Jason Anderson also got a chance to spend some time with the Astro A30 Cross-Gaming Headset but instead of using them purely for gaming, he had a chance to make use of them with different devices. Here is his take on the Astro A30.

Day 1 First thoughts:
Didn’t think I’d be one of those big headphone on the train wearers but I got over that. Bass on these are GREAT. I love bass and these deliver. Played songs like Kanye West Love Lockdown and the bass sounded wonderful. I really like the pause/unpause button, makes for quick stop/go when I need to listen to a train announcement.

Day 2 – Set up
Set up could of gone easier if my receiver had a TosLink. Since I didn’t, it took me a little bit to figure out. If you aren’t Tech Savvy, using the Mixamp might take you a little time to figure out. But if you are looking to Astro Gaming for your headphone needs, then I’ll assume you know what your doing, unless your a poser lol.

Got the audio to play just fine after I connected the Mixamp to the PS3 via the RCA connection. Took me a little bit to get the mic working, but only because I didn’t realize how to turn the mute off. Kept looking for a “red light” but it was just a red thing on the inline mic.

Day 3 – Game Time!
When meeting with the team from Astro Gaming, while they was telling me their history, told me one of the stories from when they first brought their gear to the gaming league. They told me how at first they got banned with the team they were working with because they kept winning because they had an advantage because of the headphones.

I’ll say the same thing when I’ve played. Currently I’ve been playing Modern Warfare 2 and these headphones have definitely given me a advantage. When playing I would literally hear people coming and turn in time to get them before they got me.

Plus it has definitely been a help when I didn’t want to hear the useless conversation of other gamers and just focus on the game. It has also come in handy when I’ve wanted to play late night or early morning without disturbing the family. They don’t hear a thing and it sounds loud to me. The Surround Sound was great. It is to the point where, I prefer to play games with the headphones, even if I’m not talking with someone else.

Final Thoughts -

These have literally become my main headphones. I use them for everything. When I listen to music to/from work on my Blackberry I’m using these headphones. When I’m playing a game on my PS3, it is with them. I haven’t done any online chat with Skype or anything, but I can imagine I’ll be using the headphones as well for that.

Our coverage of the Astro Gaming A30 Cross Gaming Headset isn’t over yet. You know Wahidah had to come through and talk about these headphones as well. Check out the video above and let’s us know what you think. Are you going to cop a pair? Will you get some custom tags with your pair? We looking into some G Style custom tags, so if you happen to notice a pair of these with the G Style logo on them, it is us or a really dedicated reader!

I was invited over to the W hotel to check out the Astro Gaming A30 gaming headphones a couple weeks ago and had to sit quiet till now, which was very hard to do. After using them for awhile, it went from “they’re cool”, to “I love these things”, to now “Oh these are the only headphones I use for everything” lol. We got a full review coming from Sam on that and a video, but for now check out the Unboxing shots. The A30s go for $149.95 by themselves and $229.95 with the Mixamp. Check out the gallery here

Setup
The Sonos S5 Zone player was quite easy to set up. I literally plugged in the S5 into the power outlet and the back of my router. On the controller side, if you are a iPhone or iPod Touch user, you just need to download the application from the Apple App Store. Once you have that app on your device, it is a simple as loading it up the app and walking through the set up process. During the set up process you can add the a Zone player or ZoneBridge. Once you have set up all the zones equipment, your off to enjoy the music, no matter where you choose to listen to it from.

Speaking briefly about the ZoneBridge. Normally you could connect your S5 to your router and just let the music flow. But if you want that S5 in another room where no router is available, this is where the ZoneBridge comes in handy. You simple connect the ZoneBridge to your router and then it “bridges” your router to the S5 through it’s own wireless system network. They will basically talk to each other and bump your music along to that room.

Experience
The Sonos S5 was a smooth experience. I had no issues using it and the audio quality was great. This thing really pumps out the music! At the highest volume, the sound really traveled. I had it in my living room initially and I could clearly here the music with ease all the way in the bedroom. Now my apartment is huge, but the 2 rooms is a walk away, so it was very impressive.

Controlling the S5 via an iPhone was easy. You load up the app, choose your zone and select the music source. You can play the music that is located on your PC or MAC, from radio station all the US (I was listening to one in Atlanta during my use), or from services like Pandora, Last.FM, Napster, Rhapsody, or SIRIUS. I found myself using Pandora a lot and the experience was quite enjoyable.

Comparison
For a comparison, I decided to put it against the EOS Wireless Converge system. Not a direct competitor I don’t think, but both stream your music around the house, so curious how they differ. With the EOS Wireless Converge system. You need to purchase a couple of components like the Transmitter ($99.95), a wireless speakers ($129.95) to move music around the house. Since we only have one S5 and ZoneBridge right now, cost wise we are looking at $498 for the Sonos set up and $329.85 for the EOS System. But here is the difference, if I wanted to put music in another room with EOS that is another 129.95, or $99.95 if I get their Receiver and hook it to my existing living room surround sound system. With Sonos that is another $399.00. After awhile building out your home will get really expensive with Sonos.

What about experience? Hands down Sonos wins this with their app that you can use on the iPhone or iPod Touch. With the EOS you can control the music with your computer, iPhone, or iPod Touch as well, but not as smooth and sexy as that Sonos app! Then there is the music streaming. I literally played with each for a full day and notice some hiccups with the EOS system, while the Sonos S5 never cut out on me. The Sonos S5 overall is a great product, with the only downside to me being the price. Though the cost of entry is a little high to me, they are positioning themselves on par with the likes of Bose and other premium makers. So if your interested, you have to pay to play sometimes, but if you do, you won’t regret it

For a demo, check out our interview with Sonos back at CES 2010.

*Excuse our video at first as YouTube is still processing*

Back when we was at CES 2010, you took the time to meet the good people at Sonos, as they showed off their S5 Zone player. Great product, check out the video above and then if you like, check out the full review here.

I listened to Diggy’s single Point to Prove when it dropped late last year and I was impressed but really wasn’t interested beyond that. I figured ok another celebrity kid getting some shine off his lineage *yawn*. I admit the song was tight but copped it to being a fluke. I mean when Rev Run is your father you’re bound to have some type of flow, right? After peeping this video I immediately ate my words AND went and downloaded his mixed tape First Flight which I am sure I will be reviewing within the next few days. I have to say this kid is nice. Lyrically he can be put up against about 90% of what I hear on the radio daily and eat them alive. Even the quality of the video is tight.

Speaking as a mom… music is so much a part of my life but I get frustrated that I can’t review some albums with my son around or put certain songs on his iPod. The fact that I can intro him into hip hop with someone like Diggy. A person he is already familiar with and admires makes me feel the next generation won’t be void of real hip hop.
I know this is only a snippet of a freestyle but don’t sleep on him like I did. The kid is definitely gonna be a problem!