E3 Keynote Reaction: Microsoft and Sony Both Win, I Lose

I currently own an Xbox 360. After the Xbox One reveal, I wrote my thoughts on why Microsoft was talking about all of the boring bits. It turns out I was right. Microsoft's entire E3 keynote was focused on the games. And there were a lot of them. The item that stood out to me the most was the cloud controlled AI in Forza 5. I liked that concept, it adds a level of "newness" to the normally monotonous racing that comes with that type of game. The thing that captured my imagination the most though, was The Division. That game looked rad.

The console was eventually slated for November of 2013, and available with a $499 price tag. I thought that was really fair, considering the new Kinect was bundled in and a I was thinking the new generation would cost closer to $600, like the Playstation 3 launched at. Obviously Microsoft is focusing on being an all-in-one system for your entertainment center.

Then came the Sony keynote. The only thing that I thought was interesting was Destiny, the game that Bungie is working on.

 I was bored for 95% of the Sony keynote. And this was my reaction to the final 5%.

A $399 price point and no DRM (always-on, or connectivity checking) was absolutely a slap across the face of Microsoft. Sony even released this video:

Them's fighting words! I was 100% going to buy an Xbox One after it's announcement and E3 keynote, having already made peace with the fact that it would require an internet connection at least once every 24 hours to play video games. Sony made it clear that it was focusing on games. After Sony took the stage, I was indeed bored up until the very end. Then they stole all of Microsoft's thunder. 

These announcements are likely going to result in me having two consoles for the first time in my life. Both Microsoft and Sony win in that scenario. But unfortunately I, and my wallet, lose. Something I wasn't expecting going in to today.

What do you think?

Dollar Shave Club - The Truth Comes Out

And the truth is, I'm not really good at shaving.

Last week, after seeing the Dollar Shave Club pop up in my Twitter feed about half a dozen times, I decided to give it a try. This was a bit odd for me. Why was this odd? Well, because I don't really shave often. In fact, I try not to shave at all. Sure I trim and keep things neat, but I think my face looks silly without any facial hair on it (see pictures below for examples). While not having the need or desire to shave often, I decided to join the club to see what all the fuss was about, plus, I figured I'd go clean shaven for the month of June, since it's hot and stuff.

I should say that after I posted that I had joined  the club, I got a lot of folks writing me back and asking me to write about my experience, so here you are!

Everyone loves being a part of a club!

The club has a few different levels of membership. The base level is literally one dollar, as advertised. You do have to pay shipping and handling, but you get 5 2-blade cartridges sent to you every month, plus the shaver itself which you swap out the cartridges on. The second tier is a 4-blade razor, which you get 4 of per month. That level is $6/month but shipping is included and you get a better shaver which pivots real smooth. Tier 3, the final "fron-tier", is $9/month but you get 4 6-blade cartridges and a more fancy pants shaver. Signing up was relatively painless, you select the tier, input your preferred payment method and shipping address, and you're off to shave town!

I went with option number 2, because I'm neither fancy pants enough to get the 6-blade razor cartridges, nor do I trust myself enough while shaving to use two blade, so I decided the mid-tier was perfect for me. I also opted for Dr. Carver's Shave Butter. Mainly because I had no shaving cream and I enjoyed the idea of a butter for my face (I'm a big Paula Dean fan).

My first package! Yummy shave butter.

I got my package about 3 days after joining the club (not including the weekend), which seemed pretty darn speedy. The box was adorable and had some little membership cards and funny placards inside of it, which I really appreciate. A sense of humor is essential when starting an online business, at least one that specializes in funny ads and sending shaving gear to the masses, and these guys have a lot of it. My favorite little quip was on the back of the cartridges, "Patent law is dull, your razor shouldn't be". Nice.

The original Dollar Shave Club commercial.

So how was the actual shave? Well, like I said earlier, I'm not that great at it. It started out fine, but ended in a bloody mess. I half expected this, but I had forgotten just how much the face actually bleeds when you slice it with a sharp (very sharp) razor. For seasoned shavers this will be no problem. They'll get a close shave with minimal blood loss, and they'll love the product and feel of the blade and shaft. I found myself enjoying it as well, liking just how smooth my face felt after each stroke, though I was trying to work around the Quentin Tarantino-esque river of horror running down my face.

So here's the pictures (I didn't post the graphic ones, you're welcome):

The handle/shaft/whatever-you-all-it and razors.

Patent law IS dull.

Before - pretty beard face.

After (so smooth) - Also, holy crap, look at that honker.
(Wait a minute Yev, you lost the shirt...oooh la la!
Yes, too much blood!)

Slightly After-after.

Next Day...notice the cuts.

Is the Dollar Shave Club just for men? No, absolutely not. The razors are so good that they'll work for women, or on any part of the body. Something that the Dollar Shave Club mentions and tries to remind folks of. They even go so far as to say that it's the last time you'll need to buy any razors, and for $6 or $9/month you could share and never run out again.

They do have a new "just for men" product though. Buttwipes. They were announced this morning and I'm keen to add them to my next order.

Buttwipes!

I'm not good at shaving. This might be for a variety of reasons. My childhood left me with a series of scars on my face, and usually they aren't noticeable, since I'm wrapped in beardy stubble. When shaving it turns out that you have to be really careful around scars. This is a fact I shall now take with my on my next shaving adventure later on this week as I continue down my clean shaven June.

Stay tuned for my review of the Dollar Shave Club Buttwipes and comment/share/like if you enjoyed the read!