Dear Grandfather Frost,

Would you kindly deliver me the following:

1) A pad device that is not an iPad. Personally, I would prefer something that is Linux-driven, but should there be a good Windows-based device, I would not be opposed to it. To be more specific, I envision it as having a replaceable battery, a couple of standard USB ports, and full control over its software and hardware configuration. It should also place no restrictions on who can develop applications for it, and in case of Windows it should support .NET 4.0 so that I can write my own software without having to depend on app stores and such. Additionally, I would expect it to support all the standard range or external USB hardware that a normal computer supports. That includes everything from mice to monitors.

2) A set of gaming headphones. As you know, my True Fidelity NC300B headphones, which I reviewed for Avault this year, were stolen by the marauding employees of Iberia Airlines. This international incident has left me headphoneless, and very sad to boot. I would like you to find something equally comfortable and well built. It should have an “around-the-ear” configuration, noise cancellation, and ideally an ability to attach a microphone, should I decide to inform my Modern Warfare 2 opponents of the shortcomings of their ancestry. A detachable cord would be quite a boon as well.

3) World of Warcraft: Cataclysm. While I don’t anticipate returning to the game in the long run, I’m quite interested in seeing the changes that this expansion will bring. I think I even have enough points left on my WoW credit card to pay for another month of play, so if you have a spare copy, I am more than willing to take it off your hands.

4) The death of DRM. If there is only going to be one thing that you are able to get me this year, let it be this one. I want to live in a world, where SecuROM is not installing root kits on my computer without my consent or knowledge, and where PunkBuster is not running in the background as a service. I don’t want to sign into Steam whenever I decide to enjoy the single-player experience of Metro 2033, and I never, ever, want to be forced to install and update Games For Windows Live, the worst trashware known to man, just in order to save my progress in Batman: Arkham Asylum. If I feel like playing Starcraft 2 with my friends, I want a LAN option, and I don’t want to have to sign into Battle.net. Basically, I want to live in a world in which I can set up my own Modern Warfare 2 server, with custom rules, custom maps, and so forth.

Looking forward to the New Year!

Yours truly,
Alaric Teplitsky