What do you mean it’s almost 2012 already? Where did 2011 go?

Didn’t 2011 just begin? 

I mean, really, I feel like I am on this cruise missile of time and I want to get off.

Wasn’t it only yesterday that my oldest son was born? He turns 4 this year and starts pre-school in the fall. How did that happen?

Anyway, another year has come and gone. So what does the future hold for the upcoming year in the geek world?

For one, and I got into this last week, it is going to be a great year for geek movies.

From Avengers to The Hobbit to The Dark Knight Rises, there is going to be a treasure trove of great quality geektastic films.

I am literally beside myself with excitement over the upcoming movie season.

In the tech world, the landscape will continue to constantly change and it will be exciting to see where and when the next big thing lands.

Will this be the year that the computer heavyweight Apple finally puts out its long awaited iPhone 5 and not just an updated iPhone 4 like it did with the iPhone 4s?

Or will it shock the tablet world with the release of the bigger, stronger iPad 3? Or better yet, a smaller, more affordable 7 inch version.

Also, will this be the year that Microsoft finally puts out its first tablet that implements its new Windows 8 OS?

To be honest, I am intrigued to see where the tablet market goes.

With most people turning to the more affordable Kindle Fire and Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet, will the prices on the bigger tablets start to drop?

With the iPad, I doubt it. There is just too much of a market for the Apple heavyweight. I just hope that the computer mega-star doesn’t just sit on its laurels now that Steve Jobs has passed on.

Then there is the Google Android Tablets. There has been this constant rumor flying around the internet that there is soon to be a new $99 Android 7 inch tablet in the American market.

Will that happen this year and will that tablet be good enough to really put the stranglehold that Apple has on the tablet market to the test?

Honestly, I really doubt it. Plus for $99, how good could the tablet actually be? I can also guarantee there won’t be a camera for that price point.

Finally this is the year I get a new smartphone. Though I have loved my first generation Galaxy S phone, I am really interested in seeing what else the smartphone world has to offer.

Should I wander back into the iPhone world like everyone else or should I delve into the latest and greatest Galaxy S phone? What about the Windows phone, are those worth the money?

Since this will probably be my next big purchase, I can’t wait to try each one on for size and see which one sticks.

So in closing, it was an exciting 2011, but I just have a feeling that 2012 is going to be a benchmark year for all geekdom. Hold on tight, it is going to be a wild ride.

Peter Jackson & Christopher Nolan delivered the best gifts of all

Like a kid on Christmas day I was excited beyond belief.

My early presents were here and I was excited to open them.

No, these aren’t your typical presents, ones that you wrap up and store under a tree.

These are different but just as special in more ways than I can possible express in these few lines of text.

Was it a new Android tablet or a brand new car?

No, it was the debut of the new The Dark Knight Rises and The Hobbit movie trailers.

It may seem silly to those around me but I generally get excited from watching the new trailers as they are released.

Blame it on the movie geek in me.

What really excites me about these two particular films is simple: Peter Jackson and Christopher Nolan.

For you that don’t know this, and there can’t be many of you, Peter Jackson launched the incredibly successful Lord of the Rings Trilogy a few years back.

Seeing those stories on screen was like geek-nirvana. Each one was better than the previous and left you wanting for more.

Now we have them. Jackson is going back to the beginning and releasing a prequel to the LoTR’s saga, The Hobbit.

It just makes me giddy thinking about it. I cannot wait until next Christmas! (which is when the film releases)

Plus it looks fantastic!

Then there is Christopher Nolan and his upcoming film, The Dark Knight Rises.

For those that don’t know it, I am an über-Batman nerd. I love all-things Batman.

When he first came to the big screen in the original Tim Burton sagas, I was underwhelmed. Burton seemed content to go with the campy side of the caped crusader, something I wasn’t excited about.

But it turned out okay in the end until Joel Schumacher took over.

But that is all history.

Then Christopher Nolan relaunched the Bat-Saga and fulfilled every dream I have had of Batman and his translation to the big screen.

Now Nolan concludes his saga with The Dark Knight Rises.

Though this makes me a little sad, I am excited to see what he has in store for his ending chapter in his beautifully done Bat-Trilogy.

Upon seeing the trailer I am beyond thrilled with how it looks and feels.

Oh, I have heard all the grumblings on Anne Hathaway and the Catwoman suit.

But c’mon don’t you remember the dreadful Halle Berry version. ANYTHING is an upgrade to that mess.

So with these two exciting gifts, my Christmas has started off with a bang.

In closing, Merry Christmas. I hope that everybody out there is safe, happy, and gets everything their hearts desire.

With 10 days until Christmas, what are some other geek gift options?

You can feel it. It peers out at you like a cheetah stalking its prey. No matter where you hide, you know you can’t shake it. You are helpless.

Yep, that is right, Christmas is just around the corner.

Put it in terms you can relate to, if you were celebrating the Twelve Days of Christmas, you would be receiving 10 Lords-A-Leaping right about now.

Don’t fret. There is still plenty of time to get that geek in your life something wonderful.

Even if you have blown most of your budget on that new, shiny tablet or laptop already, there are still plenty of options to round out your Christmas experience.

Not to get all stereotypical but most of us in the geek kingdom still have a thing for comic books. How about getting the geek in your life a subscription to an online comic book service that allows them to stream comics directly to that tablet, iPod, or laptop? 

Or better yet, you could actually get them a subscription to the real PAPER books they can hold in their hands and enjoy. You can even go to a local merchant in town and have the book delivered directly to the shop for pickup.

Not a comic book guy or gal?  How about the gamers in your life? 

You could look into getting them gear that highlights their game of choice.

For the World of Warcraft lovers out there, how about something as simple as a two-month gaming card? 

If you really want to WoW (pun intended) them, how about a custom statue of their actual World of Warcraft character? They are a little pricey ($69 for a bust, $129 for full characters), but it is a one-of-a-kind gift that keeps on giving.

Until they tire of that character and jump to another one.

A Star Wars or Star Trek fanatic currently residing in your humble abode? 

There is a cornucopia of merchandise that you can buy online or in stores around here locally.
For that Star Wars fan, how about the new Blu-ray edition of the complete set of movies? 

Me, personally, I am hoping to see a pair of lightsaber chopsticks under the tree. Though I don’t use chopsticks, with these bad boys I would readdress my chopstick learning priority.

For the Trekkie, how about an interactive Tribble or maybe a Star Trek cell phone case?

Even movie-philes like me would enjoy a gift certificate to our local theater.

Whatever the case there is still plenty of time to either head back out to the shopping center madness or to order from an online merchant.

Just don’t wait too long, we will be on a Partridge in a Pear Tree before you know it.

Now for the most asked question of 2011...tablet or laptop?

So you are still in the heat of the Christmas shopping season. You have been waiting for just the right moment for making an important computing decision, laptop or tablet.

Though the new tablets are indeed shiny and the new hot item to own, you may need to really think about what you want them for.

I, for one, think new and shiny are excellent reasons for buying new things. But it isn’t always about what I want but what I need as my wife constantly reminds me. (Love you dear!)

Though I don’t like to hear it, it is really good advice to heed and is definitely something you need to consider before making a purchase of this type.

If you are looking for a portable computer much like what you work on at home or work then you really need to stick with a laptop.

It will have the processer speed, the portability, the ability to upgrade, run multiple OS (operating systems), capable of running hardcore gaming packages, etc.

A tablet isn’t really needed or used in that capacity.

Look at it this way, do you have a smartphone? Basically a tablet is a bigger, faster smartphone.

The most attractive part of owning a tablet is its portability. I mean a laptop can weigh up to 3 to 5 lbs and you usually end up lugging it around in a backpack or laptop case.

A tablet you can fit, some of them, in your cargo pant pocket and almost forget it is there.

Also a tablet is really good at playing games, watching movies, and even replacing your clunky e-reader with a full color version. (Though some people find that the black & white e-readers are easier on the eyes.)

Also a tablet can be used for social networking, web surfing, etc. as long as you can connect via wi-fi or by getting a 3G/4G contract with the mobile service of your choice.

For me, I think I will just wait until the computer industry gets their act together and makes a tablet with all the capabilities of a laptop but all wrapped up in a small, easy to use, tablet.

And you know, that is on the horizon.

In the end, just do your research and make sure that you are getting exactly what you want from either product. There are a lot of low priced items out there that don’t live up to their advertised capabilities. Especially in the tablet market. Don’t be fooled by imposters that are just trying to make a buck.

My rule of thumb...if the price seems to good to be true, it probably is.

Forget the Zombie-Apocalypse, Black Friday was far more menacing

I sat there in the recliner with a grave look upon my face.

Was I watching football or anticipating the feast that was being laid out before me on Thanksgiving? 

Neither, I was preparing for the horde of shoppers I was about to encounter at a local shopping establishment.

Usually, myself and a few hundred veterans of Black Fridays past would be relaxed during Thanksgiving. Knowing that only a select few of us would have the moxie to go to sleep early for the 4am opening that was the past norm.

Then something horrifying happened. Stores decided to open on Thursday at 10pm.

I froze.

WHAT?

That is not late enough to keep the rookie wannabe Black Friday shoppers at bay.

It became unsettleing to me. To the point where I had considered just skipping the entire Black Friday experience all together.

Then a friend asked me if I would join him and his wife in their shopping exploits.

How could I refuse a friend who had never experienced the onslaught that was about to befall him? 

I couldn’t.

So there I sat. Getting my game face on.

Plus I figured while I was there I would get the boys a pretty good gift this year. The prices were amazing!

As we arrived into the parking lot of the hallowed Mart,  erected by the late great Sam Wall, I knew we were in trouble.

The parking lot was full. Not storm is coming must stock up on the essentials full. This was beyond anything I had seen before.

I thought about convincing my friend that this was a futile effort.

That we should come back and fight another day.

Or at least wait until Cyber Monday.

But we were there so we might as well face it together.

Then it happened. While waiting in the Wii line, we were separated. I was stuck with in a queue and he was left to wander the aisles.

From time to time, I would catch a glimpse of him as he passed by the line I was entrenched in.

As each moment grew, you could feel the excitement in the air as fellow shoppers began the countdown to 10 pm.

But all I could think about was my friend. Where could he be? What horrifying tales would he have for me when this was all over? 

And how the heck was I supposed to find him in this horde of humanity?

I put all this behind me and focused on the task at hand. Must get a Wii for the boys.

Then it happened. The manager announced that it was go-time.

What happened next was pure chaos as the horde was released on their prey, unsuspecting devices and gadgets that would have sat untouched if not for the ridiculous prices they were marked down to.

Luckily I was early enough in the queue that I scored the Wii for the boys but the rest of my list was left incomplete as the items I had wanted were, for the most part, picked clean.

So as I advanced to the next pitfall in our journey, the check out line, I found my friend and his wife.

She had made out like a bandit but he had failed in his conquest as well.

Chest fallen we made our way back to our vehicle defeated.

But next year, we will be ready. Hear that zomb... I mean...shopping horde, we will be ready. So you better watch out.