Swap Magic Brings Welcome Magic for Legal Responsible PS2 Disc Owners

I first heard of Swap Magic was when I was busy solving eerie mysteries and killing grotesque looking creatures in Silent Hill 4. I admit it--I am a Playstation 2 fanatic. I have somehow acquired this addiction from my cousin who always includes me in his long hours of playing PS2, from racing games to Role Playing Games (RPGs). During one of my mystery packed game session of SH 4 The Room, my cousin suddenly came out of nowhere and excitedly started talking about the Swap Magic for Playstation 2. One of the most annoying problems faced by PS2 players is that the PS2 console won't allow users to play imported game CD titles and back up copies of legally obtained titles. Many PS2 gamers find themselves out of luck when, after shelling out big bucks for a legal copy, their legal copy becomes scratched or unusable. To add insult to injury, many titles sell out quickly or go out of print, responsible law abiding PS2 players once again find themselves in a bind. Swap Magic solves these problems.

Swap Magic, which comes bundled with a in CD and DVD format disc, allows every PS2 fan to use or play imported or backed-up games on their Playstation 2. Imported game titles include both foreign translations of US titles or games published by foreign publishers. Backed-up games are Playstation 2 games legally copied by individual game disc owners for back up or archival purposes. Legal disc owners usually back up their libraries to protect against accidents or damage to the original discs they normally use. Swap Magic poses a major advance for PS2 gamers. Not only does it allow once to play archived and imported copies, it is extremely easy to use. You only need to boot your PS2 with the disc. After boot up, you swap it with imported or backed-up game discs. The Swap Magic comes with a Swap Tool which is included with every package, to enable you to swap your games effortlessly.

Just why would a gamer be interested in import games? That?s a very good question, and one I just love to talk about. Most of the hottest and rarest games often come out for the Japanese market or the Asian and European markets. If you?re looking for the coolest puzzle game, you?ve got to have a Japanese PS2 to play it. The best rally and other racing games often come out only in Europe, which means you would need a European PS2 to play the games. With the Swap Magic, your USA PS2 will be able to play all of the hottest game titles that will probably never make it this side of the Ocean. And for European gamers that just can?t get enough of the US games, Swap Magic comes in your version too, with a USA, PAL and JAPANESE version of the discs available.

There are various ways of using the Swap Magic disc. A slide card is used for an original Playstation2 console. In a Slim PS2 on the other hand, there are other options that you can also choose from in disc switching. There are numerous websites that offer a number of disc swapping devices and methods which are designed for archive and imported disc play on the PS2. These other methods range from replacing the original top loading lid with a new lid for easy switching to installing a switch that will allow the original lid to open without the system even knowing it.

Although Swap Magic allows legal PS2 game owners to play backed-up/archive copies of their legally acquired discs, Swap Magic also prevents users from making illegal copies. Swap Magic retains the same copy protection systems that the PS2 uses. While there are many versions of Swap Magic on the market, Swap Magic's terms clearly prohibit the illegal copying and use of PS2 game titles. Used responsibly, Swap Magic enables PS2 game owners an extra measure of peace of mind. Swap Magic users can rest assured that when they back up rare or discontinued game titles, the back ups will work as expected.

For more valuable information on swap magic please visit http://www.ps2cover.com/slidecardsm3.shtml.

Protect Yourself From Cell Phone Radiation

With cell phones quickly becoming an important part of our everyday lives, it?s frightening to think that the radiation from cellular phones may cause health problems. Even though claims about the dangers of cell phones are unsubstantiated, that hasn?t stopped various marketers from selling cellular accessories alleging to protect consumers from harmful radiation.

Since cellular phones are a new technology, there are no long term studies to prove or disprove claims about their dangers. Various studies have attempted to link radiation from cell phones to memory problems, fatigue, headaches, and insomnia. Some researchers have also suggested that children who use cellular phones may be at an increased risk for problems since their bodies are not yet fully developed.

There have been many types of cellular accessories that have claimed to protect consumers from dangerous cell phone radiation. The manufacturers of these products have relied on fear and paranoia to market devices with no scientific validity. WaveShield, WaveShield 1000, WaveShield 2000, and other products designed to protect users from cell phone radiation have been proven ineffective. In fact, the Waveshield products were the subject of a 2003 FTC complaint. The main problem with these cellular accessories is that they cover the earpiece of the phone, when the electromagnetic energy that may cause problems comes from the antenna and other internal components.

You don?t need to spend your hard-earned money on cellular accessories to protect against radiation. If you are concerned about the possible harmful effects of cell phone radiation, you can follow FTC recommendations to help protect yourself. The FTC recommends that consumers concerned about radiation limit cell phone use to short conversations, use a hands-free headset, and avoid using cell phones in areas with poor signals. Of course, complete avoidance of cell phones will eliminate any possible risk associated with radiation exposure.

Timothy Gorman is a successful webmaster and publisher of Cellular-Phone-Solutions.com. He provides cellular phone plans, service and free cellular phones on his website that you can research in your pajamas.

PS3: Will the $499 / $599 Price Tag Hurt the PS3?

As I'm writing this, Sony is still on top of the video game world. With over 100 million PS2's sold, we all have one. I play my PS2 daily and I have a PSP. But after the price announcement at E3 I don't know if I'll be able to afford to stay with Sony on the next-gen bandwagon. A $499 price tag means that if you ask for that for Christmas 2006 then THATS ALL YOU'RE GETTING! No action figures, no clothes, nothing else but the PS3.

And then tack on a game or two to that and you're looking at asking your mom and dad to shell out almost $700 for your Christmas. i don't think Sony is looking at who their core market is. The PS3 is now like buying a Lexus. It looks nice on the outside. It has pretty games, but are they going to be that fun out of the gate? And with the new Dual Shake controller which from reports was added two weeks before E3, will it be all that? Or are we buying into a over-priced lemon?

So if you want a PS3 you better start saving ALL your pennies, beg your mom daily, and start eating cheese and crackers for lunch.

Sony's top guy, Ken Kutaragi, even goes as far to say It's probably too cheap.

Here are his words of wisdom, as translated by consumer website IGN:

This is the PS3 price. Expensive, cheap ? we don't want you to think of it in terms of game machines. Because the PS3 is like nothing else.

For instance, is it not nonsense to compare the charge for dinner at the company cafeteria with dinner at a fine restaurant? It's a question of what you can do with that game machine. If you can have an amazing experience, we believe price is not a problem.

When we announced the PlayStation price, it was said to be expensive. Same for the PlayStation 2. However, when released, both had sales that were unthinkable for previous game machines. This is because both offered experiences that could not be had on previous game machines.

With the PS3, you can have next generation game experiences that could previously not be experienced ? things like next generation graphics and various services via the network. And, as with the PS and PS2, we believe people who like games will, without question, purchase it.

So let us know what you think? Do you think the PS3 is over priced? Will you get one at launch or will you wait until the price has gone down alot?

Mike Street is a pop culture critic and owner of http://www.GreasyGuide.com This site is read daily by thousands of people and has been featured in various publications. He is also Executive Editor for http://www.ResidentGamer.com