Free iPhone Apps/Games

Just found some cool sites that are making an iPhone apps free every day and thought I'd share them.

Free App A Day
Free App Calendar
Free Game of the Day

Just For Christmas:

Appvent Calendar
EA Deal of the Day

I hope that people out there find apps that they enjoy. If you find something good, please leave a comment and let me know.

Cable Cutters

In case anyone doesn't know we cut our cable and are going without regular TV service. Just thought I'd take the time to share our experience. Instead of paying like $80+ buck a month for TV service with movie channels we now pay under $20 a month for Hulu Plus and Netflix as well as have access to ESPN3. Here is our experience with each service and how it has worked for us.


Hulu Plus allows us to watch most of the TV programs we would be missing. The service costs $8 and streams to devices like iPhones, computers, video game consoles, blu-ray DVD players, and the Roku boxes.

Pros: The stream quality is really good. I use it to watch some of my favorite shows such as The Sing Off, Community, Psych, and The League. Sccess to shows aired on Fox, NBC, and ABC as well as their affiliated cable channels (a few exceptions apply). Access on many devices.

Cons: No live events such as the Oscars or Sports on the available networks. You do have to watch some commercials. No CBS or their affiliated channels. Limited movie selection.


Netflix is the well known movie streaming service that also airs some TV shows now. Although the DVD service is getting more expensive since they raised the cost and is getting more antiquated, it's still a popular and widely available service.

Pros: Movies and lots of them. Decent stream quality. Easier to access than Hulu Plus since it's on pretty much everything electronic these days. TV shows and movies without commercials! Many kids programs available.

Cons: Limited TV show selection and not many new releases.


ESPN3 is a sports streaming service that streams sporting events on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, and some that aren't available on TV. It is free with select cable and internet services.

Pros: Get to watch live sports on the ESPN networks. Ok stream quality on computer.

Cons: Stream quality doesn't hold up well on HDTV. Cannot be purchased. Few commercials.


Those are my thoughts on what it's been like having cut our cable. If you have considered cutting your cable, be aware that some new releases and live events may not be available legally. Otherwise, it's been a good move financially and has been a fun experiment.

Braid

Spent my lunch break playing a game I got free for donating to the charity Child's Play through Humble Bundle (more on that later). The game Braid is a mesmerizing puzzle game. Really tricky how you can control time by rewinding what you just did. I recommend checking it out for anyone interested in a cheap and really fun puzzle platform game.

Back to School?

After much deliberation, prayer, thinking, and freaking out, I'm think I'm going back to school for my Bachelors degree and starting a new career. Kind of scary at the age of 32 to be going back to school but also kind of exciting. I hope to be enrolled and starting a few classes in January. I haven't yet decided if I want to pursue a Game Programming degree or a Business Management degree first yet. Wish me the best of luck.