Over the past few months, many of the established Vegas voices you'll find on your favorite blogs have started to also communicate on Twitter - the popular 'micro-blogging' service. Messages on Twitter are limited to 140 characters, hence the 'micro' part and can be viewed on the Web, through desktop and iPhone software like Iconfactory's Twitterrific, or on your cell phone via SMS messaging.

The system is based on the concept of 'followers' - you sign up to receive someone's updates into your stream of new messages, though the messages are (typically) not private - they are shared for the world to see. This fosters a back and forth on interesting postings - a conversation of sorts.

Twitter has become a popular way for people to share information of current events, ask questions or just to share part of their day. We'll be using Twitter to help spread the details during Encore's opening in December. MGM Mirage has even started using Twitter to share info with customers.

If you decide to jump into to Twitter-land, here are some Vegas names you might want to follow:

* RateVegas (blog headlines, breaking news)
* Hunter (my personal feed, not just Vegas related stuff)
* VegasTripping (Chuckmonster's VT feed)
* TheStripPodcast (Steve Friess from VegasHappensHere.com)
* FiveHundy (Tim from Five Hundy By Midnight)
* MGMGrand (MGM Grand Info)
* LuxorLV (Luxor Info)
* VegasConcierge (MGM Mirage hotel information)
* VegasCom (Vegas.com)
* LasVegasWeekly (Las Vegas Weekly)
* ThisAintIowa (This Ain't Iowa Podcast)
* ReviewJournal (Las Vegas Review Journal Headlines)
* LasVegasSign (Casino News)
* CirqueLasVegas (Cirque Info)
* VegasRex (Vegas Rex)
* LasVegasSun (Las Vegas Sun)

Several of the regular readers and commenters are also active on Twitter. I'll leave it to them to post their Twitter names if they are so inclined in the comments.

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I've been dropping hints for a few weeks and we can finally announce the event! The "Vegas Podcast-a-palooza" will be taking place on August 16th at the Palms in Las Vegas.

What is this event you might ask?

Live versions of Five Hundy By Midnight, The Strip Podcast and The Vegas Gang!

All the details are here:
http://www.vegastripping.com/podcastapalooza/

I also need to give a big round of applause to Steve Friess for help with getting things setup, The Palms for hosting the event and taking a chance on a new idea, and to Chuck at VegasTripping.com for designing the fantastic info page.

Please, check out the page above and consider coming to the show - we really want a strong, lively audience there at The Palms.

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Well, it was just a matter of when and who - Las Vegas casino operators using social networking technologies to promote their wares.

Actually, some of their affiliates, such as the Light Group, have been using these tools for some time... but now the big kahuna, MGM Mirage, is getting into the act through a new site called the Vegas Concierge.

The new Web presence uses Facebook and Twitter to push short bursts of info to users. I expect every other operator to follow at some point.

For those not already aware, we have a Twitter account for this site and I also have one of my own.

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Just a reminder not to believe basically anything you read today. The Web has a long standing tradition of great April Fool's pranks... We even participated last year with a story that indicated we had been bought by Wynn Resorts.

The funny thing is that sometimes these things sound real enough to get spun into actual news cycles. I had to add a disclaimer on my post which I'm sure says nothing about my perceived bias.

I almost did another prank post this year - I had a few ideas - but they sorta ran out of steam. Fortunately, many of my comrades at other Vegas sites are joining in so there's plenty to go around.

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I've just deployed an early version of a special Las Vegas news headline app for iPhone and iPod Touch users. Mashing up headlines from this blog as well as a bunch of others, visit the following URL on your iPhone or iPod Touch to get up to the minute info:

http://www.ratevegas.com/iphonenews/

For those without one of the above mentioned devices, here's a screen shot for you to check out:

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Back on site in Vegas overnight. Shooting some HD video and recording audio. Having fun.

The Monte Carlo fire is much worse looking in person. Damn.

More later.

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I have upgraded the site software to the latest version, Movable Type 4.1.

This includes a ton of changes under the hood and paves the way for some interesting new features down the line.

This note is just to let you know that if you find something that doesn't work, such as a broken link or login problem, please either comment here or email editor AT ratevegas DOT com and we'll look at it.

Thanks.

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The first of the new year - an open topic for all to air their thoughts. Enjoy.

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Well, I don't know what the results will be but the Trippies, the VegasTripping.com awards in which we are nominated, are being announced live tonight at 7pm PT.

Check Them Out Here

Updated: Well, we didn't win. Thanks a ton to everyone that voted - I know there were a lot of questions and I really appreciate you taking the time and more generally, just visiting on a regular basis. On best site, VT&T won. I have really mixed feelings. I read that site all the time but from someone that has had his photos taken for that site without attribution, I always get a sort of bad taste in my mouth. Congratulations to everyone that did win - I know first hand how hard it is to keep a site like one of these running.

Updated Again: Well, we did get an editor's choice award - Best Web Site and that was for the iPhone version of RateVegas.com. Thanks Chuck! We're very proud of the iPhone stuff and I plan to continue to enhance it - I have big plans for new features, likely coming in bits. As far as other phones and PDAs, I'd love to support them. The problem is that most of them have TERRIBLE browsers. As those improve, we'll expand our offerings. We do have a BlackBerry version with some similar info. For those interested, this page covers all of our mobile options.

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For those following the fun, here's a recap on all the excitement:

The original article by Steve Friess where I was quoted is here.

Then, the first followup was on Steve's blog here, where we had a little commentary.

The latest is the Friess article in the Las Vegas Weekly, which can be read here.

Anyway, lots of fun and I will of course update you as it (if it) unfolds further.

Update: More from Chuck at VegasTripping: http://www.vegastripping.com/features/feature.php?feature_id=127&page=1

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Here we are with a special Thanksgiving-eve 'Strip Walk' segment. This time around, mike_ch checks out the Frontier, Encore, City Center, Luxor, The Mirage and more. Text after the jump...

Photos: http://www.ratevegas.com/photo/gallery/stripwalk

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Okay, that was amazingly cool. If you've never felt the raw power of a building fall, make sure you put the Tropicana Island Tower implosion on your Jan/Feb calendar.

I took a ton of photos. They are here: http://www.ratevegas.com/photo/gallery/newfrontierimplosion.

That's probably it for now - I'm super tired and it's been a long day. Lastly though, another big thank you to Steve Friess who hooked me up with the pimp media access. Thanks Steve!!!

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A quick site update... The new visual design, which hasn't been worked on for a few months, is still gestating and will come with a software upgrade to Movable Type 4, sometime soon I hope.

Second, I'm hoping/planning to get back into doing some more writing myself. I used to do a 'Stripping' series of hotel reviews and despite the fact that I was way too picky for a lot of folks, I think it may be time to do another round. The Strip has changed a good bit and I'd love to exercise my pen a bit more. Besides me, I'm *always* looking for writers - guest writers, series writers, regular columns, whatever. Interested?

Lastly, I have thousands of Las Vegas photos. I have plans to expand on my 'photo quiz' concept but other than that, any suggestions from anyone as to what I could do with all these photos? I have this feeling they are under-used but I'm not sure what to do. Any thoughts?

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Well, the annual VegasTripping.com awards, The Trippies, are here again and voting is open. This year, my projects were nominated in several categories:

RateVegas.com - Best Vegas Web Site

Two Way Hard Three (this blog) - Best Vegas Blog

Worst Las Vegas Podcast - Best Podcast

I want everyone to go and vote (and hopefully for us). I know that Five Hundy's probably got the podcast thing sewn up and there's strong competition for the best site. I think you guys can put this blog over the top for that award though - go for it!!

GO VOTE!

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Well, I never thought I would ever have any content that would grace the pages of Apple.com but it turns out I was wrong...

Our iPhone version of our ratings and comment database, RateVegas for iPhone is featured in Apple's Web apps directory for travel:

http://www.apple.com/webapps/travel/ratevegasforiphoneyourlasvegascompanion.html

If you have an iPhone and are traveling to Las Vegas, give our tool a try - it's really easy to use it to find out what restaurants are near your hotel that don't suck.

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Howdy all, just a friendly note to let you know that I have updated the iPhone version of RateVegas.com to include a new feature that I hope will be useful.

When visiting Las Vegas, I find that often people want to know what restaurants are nearby (not just in) the hotel they are currently hanging out in. Well, we added a new feature to handle exactly this - the system asks where you are and gives the top rated restaurants in all nearby hotels - pretty neat!

http://www.ratevegas.com/iphone/

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Thanks to Mike for another installment of 'Strip Walk', or semi-regular feature that focuses on Las Vegas Strip construction progress.

Lots of great new info here and of course, we've got photos: http://www.ratevegas.com/photo/gallery/stripwalk

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Some quick notes on what's in the paper's today...

The RJ has an article on Aliante Station which is being built in North Las Vegas by the soon-to-be-private Station Casinos, Inc. North Las Vegas is a bit of a future growth market for them but this is set to be another nicely put together project, even if it is very 'Station-esque'.

Inside Gaming has an interesting note on 'Macau' vs 'Macao', which the eagle eyed will have noticed are both used by US operators in Macau (Wynn Resorts likes 'Macau', Las Vegas Sands uses 'Macao' - sounds like the LVS folks are clinging to the past).

I'm still looking for some sort of concrete occupancy numbers for The Venetian Macau - anyone seen anything published other than 'things are going well'? If so, post links in the comments.

Lastly, MacauTripping.com has been following up on the trip blog with great posts daily. Its quickly becoming my fave stop for Macau info and getting me excited for a trip myself. I did go out and grab RateMacau.com and there's no way I could get all the info I need without heading over there myself. We'll see I guess.

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Well, that was a great conversation... We had an in-depth talk with Chuck from VegasTripping.com who just recently has gotten back from Macau.

We went over everything from specific hotel talk on topics like Wynn Macau, Venetian Macau, Galaxy Starworld, MGM Grand Macau, Casino Lisboa and more. We also talked about the business - folks like Wynn Resorts, Las Vegas Sands, SJM, Melco and others.

Cotai, gaming industry topics, casino design and more. It was a great discussion and I'm hoping we can do another segment soon.

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Our second time using Talkshoe.com and it was a lot of fun. Regular readers like Detroit1051, Mike E, Brian Fey, mike_ch and BarbaryKevin were all in on the action.

We covered a broad range of issues, from Cotai, Harrah's, Wynn Resorts, Las Vegas Sands, Palazzo, Encore, IGT and a lot more.

During the show we talked about Chuck's Macau diary. That link is here: http://www.macautripping.com

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Okay, our next live podcast will be on this coming Sunday, the 16th at 7pm PT / 10pm ET.

We will be doing the show live with audience participation encouraged. We did this last time and it was fun... Using a system call TalkShoe, listeners can call in and be on the 'air', just like a radio talk show.

All the details to get on will be posted here on Sunday before the show.

It's gonna be fun - there's always lots going on in Las Vegas. I'll talk about my recent one day trip and I have a special report from a friend who experienced 'VMA Weekend' first hand.

Show Completed: We had a great time with a lively discussion on a bunch of topics. The show will be posted soon. Stay tuned for the next one, probably on another Sunday evening.

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Here's the latest Strip Walk, this time hitting Wynn Las Vegas, Trump Las Vegas, New Frontier, Palazzo, Treasure Island, New York New York, Excalibur, Luxor and more...

As always, the photos are here: http://www.ratevegas.com/photo/gallery/stripwalk

Commentary after the jump... Take it away Mike!

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Thanks for Chuck at VegasTripping.com for pointing out that two popular Vegas sites have been re-designed.

The Las Vegas Advisor is the sorta-ghetto looking Web site from the sorta-ghetto LVA. Tailor made for the Travel Channel, the content is pretty predictable but a a solid resource for first-timers if you don't mind getting the company line from your reviewers.

Next up is VegasRex.com, a great blog/site full of cutting edge commentary. This is a great site if you're not familiar.

Now, Chuck finishes his article by talking about his VegasTripping re-design... Chuck's got the design skills so I'm sure it will be a nice upgrade - he's got a good track record.

As far as my sites, I have a new design for this blog (not the parent site) that has been done for some time, though it is still not implemented. I'll get to that hopefully sooner rather than later. Beyond that, I sketched an updated photo quiz design, though that is a ways off. I have plans for at least one other site/application that I'm really excited about. Not sure when that will see the light of day.

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My good friend Chuck at VegasTripping.com is heading to Macau next week. Despite being very jealous, I'm happy to send you guys over to his site to get the regular updates he'll be posting - I know that I'm looking forward to some very thorough reporting from the field, HST style.

If you want to follow the mayhem as it unfolds, here's the best link for the action:

http://www.macautripping.com/tripping/

Second up, their annual 'Best Of' list, the Trippies, are now open for nominations. Feel free to nominate us - the parent Web site, RateVegas.com, this blog and even our podcast, which we're bringing back into a more regular schedule with live call-in shows (next Sunday the 16th!).

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We're back with another Strip Walk! This was written almost a week ago and this time around you'll get Mike's comments but a few of my own sprinkled in - I was in Vegas for one night last week and took some of my own photos as well.

As always, the photos are here: http://www.ratevegas.com/photo/gallery/stripwalk

Commentary after the jump...

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Shortly after my solo trip last March, my friend Jeff and I started talking about what we could do to celebrate his graduation. We decided to go to Vegas (no surprise there) around his birthday to kill two birds with one stone...

(Continue reading after the jump)

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We're a little early in our post of a new weekly open topic, but for good reason: today is Hunter's birthday!

I personally wanted to say how much we appreciate all the hard work you've done both here and on RateVegas.com, Hunter. Cheers to another great year!

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I'm taking a suggestion from my friend and reader David F. to have an open thread once a week where people can discuss whatever they like without running afoul of posting guidelines, re: staying on topic. If this is successful, we'll do this weekly and of course it would be accompanied by more strict 'on-topic' discussion enforcement on other threads.

The normal posting guidelines apply - civility is not something that we opt out of on any thread and I want to take a harder line on general negativity. I'm not the thought police but I'm trying to prevent all threads devolving into predictable positions, especially on topics related to everyone's favorite four letter word (listed on NASDAQ, of course).

So - enjoy... Discuss anything Vegas related in this trial balloon and we'll see how it goes.

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Are you a Las Vegas resident or in some way connected with the industry? Are you interested in blogging but don't know how or want to deal with getting everything setup and running?

Well, this is an open call to potential Vegas bloggers - come join me and I will get you setup with a blog, all the requisite mechanics and lend my experience in getting going.

I'd love some more voices, so please drop me a line if you're interested - even if you need to run your blog anonymously.

Contact me and let's talk about the details: blogs@ratevegas.com

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Ok, I'm trying something new - we're going to try a live broadcast of our podcast.

I'm recording a podcast tonight and while we will have all the regular recordings available, I am taking a queue from the podcasting king Leo Laporte and broadcasting this episode LIVE via TalkShoe.com. This means you can call in and listen to the show and participate live (i.e. ask questions).

Since I gave zero notice, I'm guessing that no one will show up but I wanted to try this anyway and we'll probably do this again with more warning. I'd love to take callers.

So, here's how to get in:

Visit Talkshoe.com and locate our show - it should show up if you search for 'Las Vegas' or 'RateVegas'. I'll update this story if I can get a specific URL or instructions. Okay - starting soon. Let's see what we can do.

Ok, I am aborting the live broadcast - I need more time to get this setup... We're going to record a traditional podcast and next time around we will schedule a live show with call-in. Sorry guys.

Technorati Tags: lasvegas, podcast

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Anyone that runs a Web site tracks all of their statistics such as how many people visited, where did they come from, how long did they stay and what did they look at. We have quite a few more metrics and the amount of data is amazing - except of course I can't really identify the individual (no cause for alarm) - I just see User A, User B, User C, etc...

Anyway, in the spirit of Google's Zeitgeist, here are some of the most popular search terms that lead people to RateVegas.com from major search engines since the start of the year. Some are interesting, some funny.

The list after the jump...

Technorati Tags: aladdin, aztar, bellagio, borgata, boyd, las vegas, lasvegas, lasvegassands, luxor, mandalay bay, mgm grand, mgm mirage, mirage, palazzo, palms, photography, planet hollywood, project citycenter, ratevegas.com, red rock, riviera, sands, sandsmacau, stardust, station, table games, treasure island, tropicana, trump, vegas, vegas photos, venetian, web sites, wynn, wynn macau, wynnlasvegas

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Well, the rumors are true. I've wanted to share this for some time but the terms of the deal were confidential.

While the formal release won't go out until tomorrow, without disclosing the terms I can say that I am now a Wynn Resorts employee and the company will continue to run the site as one of their various PR outlets. Working with the Wynn mergers folks these past weeks I can say that they and Wynn upper management certainly do understand guerrilla style marketing and I'm very excited about my new role.

I'm going to be able to hire on some of my regular contributors and commenters: Mike E., Detroit, Brian, mike_ch and Leonard - you've got mail! I hope you'll join the team.

Thank you to everyone that's reading! Some great things are planned!

Seriously????

APRIL FOOLS.

Technorati Tags: las vegas

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Drambuie_Man is heading to Macau and has offered to take questions in advance for those of us that haven't been or can't get to the other side of the world on a regular basis. I'm lucky to have several folks in the area that have been very generous with their time and this is another example of that.

His comments are after the jump and feel free to litter the comments with requests. Also, if you are in Macau or nearby and want to hang out, email me at editor@ratevegas.com and I'll make mutual contact.

Technorati Tags: casino design, gaming industry, las vegas, lasvegassands, macau, mgm mirage, sandsmacau, wynn macau

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These are the guidelines for comment posting for this site, last updated 3/4/2007. Comments that violate these guidelines will be removed or edited for content without any exceptions. You will not be notified but you can ask to have an edited comment removed entirely if you desire. By submitting a comment, you agree to follow these rules. Thanks for participating!

Any questions should be directed to editor@ratevegas.com.

* No personal insults or attacks. You are free to disagree with others, but if you stoop to personal abuse or attacks, your post(s) will be deleted. This includes calling someone names. Repeated violations will result in being banned. If you ARE insulted please report the post to me, but DO NOT retaliate.

* Please try to stay on topic. Do not post in a thread if it does not relate to the original topic. If you have a suggestion for a story, send it to editor@ratevegas.com.

* Do not post entire articles in a post - it's a copyright violation. Fair use allows you to post the first paragraph of the article with a link to the whole thing.

* Calling someone a Troll is considered a personal attack and is not allowed. This kind of thing should be reported to me instead.

(Thanks to LasVegasTalk.com for inspiring these guidelines.)

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In an effort to ensure that this remains a fun place to hang out and discuss the gaming industry, casino design and other interesting topics, I've decided to implement a set of comment guidelines.

All comments will be required to adhere to these guidelines or they will be removed/edited.

I'd like your feedback on what these guidelines should be like - how can we maintain civility without restricting the flow of conversation?

Continue after the jump...

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Here's the latest podcast and it's a good one. This episode features an interview with Tim and Michelle from Five Hundy By Midnight as well as spots on Las Vegas Sands and the new Tropicana.

A reminder - feel free to call in and leave us a message about anything Las Vegas or Web site related. The call in number is: 702-508-4232.

iTunes: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=197984456
Direct RSS: http://www.ratevegas.com/feed/podcast

Technorati Tags: casino design, gaming industry, las vegas

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My good friend Mike E. has started up his own blog... No, it's not Vegas related - it covers life's luxuries and it is called La Dolce Life.

Actually, there will likely be some overlap but Mike as assured me we'll still continue to get his trips to Fairway Villas, ten bedroom Skylofts and other amazing reports. I wouldn't be surprised to hear about a trip on Wynn's jet to Macau - you never know.

Anyway, I encourage all to check it out. It's located here:
http://www.ladolcelife.com/

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I was listening to a caller on Five Hundy By Midnight talking about 'hitting the buffet' and it got me to thinking that my travel habits for my Vegas trips sure have changed over the years. For those of us that go often, sometimes upwards of ten times a year, I can only assume I'm not alone in this.

Continue after the jump...

Technorati Tags: gaming industry, las vegas, lasvegas, ratevegas.com, vegas

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I'm finally back with another podcast. Sorry - it's been busy. This one's only about 40 minutes long so you should have plenty of time to listen.

In this episode I talk about the the Trippies, Wynn labor dispute, City Center progress, Wynn's golf course, and more. Hopefully the next podcast won't be another month away!

The link to the Las Vegas Photo Quiz is here: http://quiz.ratevegas.com - Enjoy!

Update: Our good friends at VegasTripping.com have posted a little shout out to our shout out to their awards in which they gave us a shout out. Awesome.

A reminder - feel free to call in and leave us a message about anything Las Vegas or Web site related. The call in number is: 702-508-4232.

iTunes: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=197984456
Direct RSS: http://www.ratevegas.com/feed/podcast

Technorati Tags: harrahs, las vegas, lasvegas, mgm mirage, podcast, project citycenter, ratevegas.com, vegas, wynn, wynnlasvegas

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We've just launched the RateVegas.com Las Vegas Strip Photo Quiz. You can reach the quiz here:

http://quiz.ratevegas.com/

It is a simple but fun photo matching game that you can use to test your knowledge of Las Vegas Strip architecture and geography. The highest scorers will be displayed on a special page.

Over time we will be swapping the photos out, so this will remain fresh.

This thing was put together very quickly but I think it's a lot of fun and I hope you enjoy it. Don't worry if you have a hard time with some of them - it is supposed to be a challenge!

Technorati Tags: las vegas, vegas photos, web sites

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Well, the long running 'Trippies' over at VegasTripping.com are over and the winners are announced.

I am happy to report that this blog was the winner for the 'Editor's Choice' for 'Best Blog'. We didn't win the people's award but at least it's someone I know - Steve over at EverythingLV.com.

Click here to see all the winners and thanks to all that voted:
Trippies 2006 Results

Technorati Tags: las vegas, ratevegas.com, vegas

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I'm finally back with another podcast! This time around I'm talking about my recent trip to Bellagio (which includes meeting up with several readers/listeners and author Dave Schwartz) as well as the big news of the day - Harrah's going private! On top of that I catch up with a few news stories from the last two weeks. Enjoy!!

Here is the link to the photos mentioned in the podcast: http://www.ratevegas.com/photo/most_recent

A reminder - feel free to call in and leave us a message about anything Las Vegas or Web site related. The call in number is: 702-508-4232.

iTunes: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=197984456
Direct RSS: http://www.ratevegas.com/feed/podcast

Technorati Tags: bellagio, boyd, caesars, casino design, gaming industry, harrahs, las vegas, mgm mirage, photography, podcast, project citycenter, ratevegas.com, station, the beatles, vegas photos, wynn, wynnlasvegas

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I know that I haven't posted a new podcast for over a week. I apologize for that... Things have been quite hectic over here and I just haven't had a chance.

I'm hoping I can get one in the can this weekend but it might be mid-week. Lots to talk about though, so that shouldn't be a problem.

Also, I'm back in Las Vegas next weekend which should also generate a good bit of content. Thanks for being patient!

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I want to schedule our next RateVegas.com chat and so I am looking at next Monday or Tuesday, the 3rd or 4th.

We'll probably do what we did last time and that means try to get started at 5pm PT. I know that some folks have scheduling problems so respond to this thread and we'll try to find a common time.

Lastly, I want to help resolve anyone's performance/connection problems ahead of the chat so if you did have connection problems last time, mention it here in the thread and we'll talk about how to test/resolve ahead of time.

Technorati Tags: ratevegas.com, vegas

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This podcast includes some audio clips from my recent trip to Las Vegas. I talk about construction on Encore, CityCenter, Palazzo, Aladdin and more. Also, some special guests including Tim and Michelle from Five Hundy By Midnight and loyal contributor Mike E. We listen to a few messages from listeners (thanks for the theme song!) and even find some time to talk Vegas news.

Here is the link to the photos mentioned in the podcast: http://www.ratevegas.com/photo/most_recent

A reminder - feel free to call in and leave us a message about anything Las Vegas or Web site related. The call in number is: 702-508-4232.

iTunes: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=197984456
Odeo: http://odeo.com/claim/feed/e9ba87a56391268b
Direct RSS: http://www.ratevegas.com/feed/podcast

Technorati Tags: bellagio, casino design, gaming industry, las vegas, lasvegas, lasvegassands, mgm mirage, mirage, palazzo, photography, planet hollywood, podcast, project citycenter, ratevegas.com, vegas, vegas photos, venetian, wynn, wynnlasvegas

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I hope that all Americans are having a great turkey day today - Happy Thanksgiving!

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone here - your participation is what makes this community work. I am very grateful for you all. Thanks.

I also want to remind you guys about a few features on the Web site that you might not be aware of. Keep reading after the jump for more info...

Technorati Tags: las vegas, podcast, ratevegas.com, vegas photos, vegaslists.com, web sites

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I spent some time in Las Vegas this weekend (actually, a little more time than I had planned) and I wanted to report on my trip.

First off, I have posted construction photos of Encore, City Center, Bellagio renovations, Aladdin/Planet Hollywood, The Mirage (Japonais and Revolution), The Palazzo, and the pit that will become the Cosmopolitan.

I got to meet with a few readers/listeners, fellow podcasters and friends. I had a short chat with Elaine Wynn who is a real class act.

The photos are posted at this link, plus they are also in their respective categories:
http://www.ratevegas.com/photo/most_recent

More after the jump...

Technorati Tags: bellagio, caesars, casino design, gaming industry, las vegas, lasvegas, mgm mirage, mirage, palazzo, palms, photography, planet hollywood, project citycenter, treasure island, trip report, vegas, vegas photos, venetian, wynn, wynnlasvegas

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A heads up that I was interviewed in the latest edition of the 'This Ain't Iowa' podcast, located at:

http://www.notiowa.com

Go ahead and check it out!

Technorati Tags: las vegas, podcast, ratevegas.com

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Our friends over at HotelChatter.com are launching a new Vegas map based on Google's Map system and to get the word out they are hosting a contest for tickets to the HBO Comedy Festival, this weekend in Las Vegas.

If you are going to be there this weekend, it might be worth entering this contest.

Details are here:
http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2006/11/13/182112/73/hotels/HotelChatter_Las_Vegas_Map_Contest_Now_With_Free_HBO_Comedy_Festival_Tickets

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In this latest edition of the podcast, we cover a lot of ground, literally!

First up, here's a warning - this podcast is AN HOUR long. Sorry it is so long but there's a lot in here and I looked at cutting something but I decided that I simply didn't want to and thus here we are.

The notes are after the jump. As always, recent photos are here: http://www.ratevegas.com/photo/most_recent

Technorati Tags: casino design, gaming industry, harrahs, las vegas, mgm mirage, palazzo, podcast, ratevegas.com, vegas

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Some of you may know Dave Schwartz over at UNLV and also know that his latest book, 'Roll The Bones', a fascinating history of gambling, was recently released.

I've been plowing through it and plan a review soon. In the meantime, he's running a contest for readers to win a copy of his last book, 'Cutting The Wire'. The rules and regs are located here:

http://www.dieiscast.com/2006/11/02/win-a-signed-book/

The basic idea is that you read his latest and write an Amazon or Barnes and Noble review and then