Well I guess Netflix was just really bored and wanted to stir the pot a little. They announced that they would be discontinuing user profiles, a very handy feature on their current system. Now all picks will go into a single queue. I know that this feature was the sole reason Scott and myself used Netflix when we lived together (in a totally straight way). It just seems completely pointless to eliminate a feature that is already optional.

I personally stopped my Netflix account after having a copy of Terminator 2 on bluray on my tv stand for probably 4 months but their current customers are sounding off in a fury. Way to go Netflix. Viva Apple TV!

[buzzFeed]

There’s nothing worse than losing all of the data on your computer, especially when most peoples’ lives revolve around their digital companions. Over the holidays, my brother and my sister-in-law both lost everything, one due to a hardware malfunction and one to an accident while installing Apple’s Leopard operating system. Now they’re forced to start from scratch. The data on the malfunctioning hard drive could theoretically be recovered…for about $500. This is a scenario that can easily be avoided. You can hop online and find tons of deals on external hard drives to make backups of your important files. Most desktop and laptop computers nowadays have DVD burners built in. USE THEM! A single-layer DVD-R can hold 4.7 gigabytes of data. That’s a crap-load of pictures/songs/documents. If you’re lucky enough to be running Mac OSX Leopard (10.5), the built-in Time Machine application is absolutely brilliant. All you need is an external hard drive and it will automatically make backups of everything on your computer.

In short, take advantage of the tools that are easily available to you and don’t risk losing important data.

The Consumer Electronics Show ended on January 10th after four long days of companies climbing over each other to show off their latest and greatest innovations. As you can see by checking out a site like Engadget or Gizmodo, the sheer amount of crap that is shown off is nothing short of overwhelming so it’s difficult for a non-nerd to sift through and find things to really look forward to. That’s where we come in. We’re just nerdy enough to check out all the coverage, but just normal enough to spot the things that will really have an impact on our lives (and wallets) in the coming year. (more…)

I was just shown the trailer for Will Smith’s upcoming movie, Hancock. This is already my favorite movie of this year and it could very well rank among my favorite ever just based on the few minutes I’ve seen. Now that I’ve built it up immensely, go watch the trailer.

Thanks Louis.

I am a huge fan of Apple products. With each new product release, I have to try to justify why I need it so that I don’t feel guilty when I cave in and buy it. With the release of the redesigned iPod shuffle, I found myself in quite a predicament. I loved the new design, but I already had four iPods (yes, 4) so how could i possibly justify getting a fifth? (more…)

A lot of people complain about Apple’s standard iPod and iPhone headphones, saying they have lousy audio quality and are uncomfortable. Personally, I’ve never found any problems with them and my most recent experience has only increased my respect for them. Check it out.

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We here at Average Dudes are gigantic Apple fans. We also happen to be dudes. As such, combining attractive girls and Apple products is pretty close to utopia for us. That’s why we look forward to Macenstein’s “Mac Chick of the Month.”

They’ve just announced their December chick: Morgan Kennedy. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that girls like this exist. Click the link for a couple more pictures. (more…)

In not so gripping news, Apple announced that iTunes:Canada will now be selling TV programming. So our Canadian friends will no longer have to be without their favorite shows. Apple gave a short list of available shows which includes NHL Games of the Year, Instant Star, Degrassi: The Next Generation, and Robson Arms.

I can surely sleep easy tonight.

[via gizmodo]

It looks as if DRM is going the way of the caribou dodo. Wal-Mart has now jumped on the Anti-DRM platform that other digital music leaders, Apple and Amazon, have already been on. Since Wal-Mart equals god in the retail world, it may actually happen. (more…)

Wired has written a pretty extensive article about one of the most douchey prominent figures in the music industry: CEO of Universal Music Group, Doug Morris.

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