How much does Windows Vista suck?

Microsoft proudly proclaimed that Vista will rock the world and XP will be made extinct by Januaay 2008. Microsoft was bragging that once Vista was out, everyone will be in a frenzy to grab a copy in order to experience the latest and greatest from Microsoft.

Evidently, that wasn't the case. Quite the opposite. There wasn't the rush Microsoft was hoping. Customers saw the Vista sucked and it even drove one computer hardware company to bring Windows XP back into their offerings.

Now, the much publicized death of XP was greatly exaggerated. Microsoft was supposed to axe the older OS four months from now. Instead, they backtracked and gave Windows XP an additional 5 more months. Microsoft said they were "a little ambitious" to drop the XP on January. That's another way of saying people aren't happy with Vista. From MacNN:

The software developer (Microsoft) has encountered an unprecedented level of resistance to its Windows upgrade since its release early this year, with large-scale computer builders such as Dell restoring an XP option either due to a lack of stable hardware drivers or customer complaints relating to software compatibility and performance.

Ouch. Can't wait to see what Leopard can do to that already suffering Vista when Apple's latest OS is relesed next month.

iPhone: So easy to use, even a baby can use it

According to Computerworld a study conducted has shown that the iPhone so much easier to use that the Nokia N95 and the HTC Touch.

But numbers don't mean squat to some. How about a video of its usability? Better yet, how about a video of a one year old using the iPhone?

These are two videos from Youtube showing a one year old baby using the iPhone's photo application. The second video shows the infant knowing which button and icon to press to see his pictures. If that's not usability I don't know what is.

Image editors for the Mac

The premier graphics and image editor for the Mac is of course Adobe Photoshop. But Photoshop might not be suitable for some users. First of all there's the cost and second, Photoshop is too darn big and resource hungry.

What if there applications out there that's not as expensive and as bloated as Photoshop but will still be able to the job intended? There are graphics and image editing programs that are not as resource hogs and cost less than $100. Actually, some of them are even free.

I got these software from Macworld's articles Image editors for the rest of us and More image editors for the rest of us written by James Dempsey.

Dempsey talks about Acorn ($40, introductory price) and Pixel ($38 now. $89 when it hits version 2), and his favorite, Pixelmator ($59).

...I covered two programs at opposite ends of the spectrum. One newly released image editor, Acorn, doesn’t go for flash or overloaded features, but its simplicity means that it does its tasks very well. Pixel, on the other hand, tries to do everything, but in my opinion, it fails at an unacceptable number of tasks. For me, the sweet spot is Pixelmator...

If the $38 to $ 59 price tag still deters you from getting these Adobe Photoshop (or Elements) alternatives, then there's Imagewell and Pixen. Imagewell is an application you can use to resize photos, add drop shadows and add text quickly and painlessly. It is said to be really handy for bloggers. For icon designers or anybody who likes working with pixels, there's Pixen. Useful for making Web site favicons and les-res animated images.

I'm going to give Imagewell a try for those quick and dirty editing jobs. I'm not much into the creative beat but I'm also interested in trying out Pixen. I got them both on my Powerbook already. Imagewell is a small download compared to what it is says it can do: only 928 KB. Pixen is a 5.9 MB download.

Oh, I got both at the very low price of free.

I will be trying these two out and will post my unprofessional, mini-review if I am able to remember to.

Pushing Apple fanboy-ness to the edge

I consider myself an Apple fan but I try very hard not to be a fanboy. What is a fanboy? Wikipedia defines a fanboy as:

an individual who is utterly devoted to a single fannish subject, or to a single point of view within that subject, often to the point where it is considered an obsession. Fanboys remain loyal to their particular obsession, disregarding any factors (often including logic) that differ from their point of view.

Most Apple-centric websites and blogs I go or is subscribed to try to be as objective as possible when reporting or writing about Apple and the industry. Sometimes, they do slip and their fanboy-ness seep out. Often their display of fanboy-ness is amusing and sometimes downright funny which I would like to think was intentional.

Sometimes though, they can go a little too far in their fanboy-ness in the guise of "consumer oriented" reviews or editorials. This is repeatedly seen in the issues involving the iPhone and iPod touch. Not spared are the latest iPods. Case in point, Playlist, which I subscribe to and enjoy reading, has came out with a report on the latest updates for the iPod classic and iPod nano. Software update 1.0.1 brought with it the much anticipated improvement on the responsiveness of the UI of the classic and nano.

Christopher Breen, however, wasn't entirely happy with the update. He found out that based on the tests they conducted that the battery life had suffered on both the iPod classic and the iPod nano.

The second change is a little disappointing: The software update affects battery life. Specifically, our battery tests revealed that continuous audio playback on nanos and classics running the 1.0.1 update caused the music players to run out of juice faster than our initial tests of the pre-update iPods

Audio playback on the 8GB nano lasted only 29 hours and 48 minutes from the pre-update time of 31 hours 20 minutes. That's a drop of almost one hour and a half. That's terrible! The same fate befell the classic; for the 80GB, from 41:05 (hh:mm) down to 38:13; the 160GB, from 59:04 down to 52:39. This is an outrage! Apple is cheating their customers.

Not exactly. You see, Apple's official audio playback estimates for the nano is up to 24 hours; for the classic it's up to 30 hours for the 80GB and up to 40 hours for the 160GB. Christopher Breen does add that the battery life of these iPods:

...were still more than Apple’s conservative audio playback estimates.

I still can't get over the fact that he called the battery life on 1.0.1 as "a little disappointing." What's there to be disappointed about? Even with the latest update, battery life on the new iPods are 25% better than Apple's estimate.

I love Apple's products. I have an iMac and Powerbook. I've owned an iPod mini, 5G iPod (pre-classic), and 1st gen iPod shuffle. I currently own and use a iPod nano red. I enjoy using these products and recommend these to anyone who asks me what computer or what digital audio and/or video player to buy. I am an Apple evangelist to a small degree and I preach the good news of Apple.

I am also able to curb my enthusiasm for the all "i" company. If I see that an Apple product won't suit a person's needs I am not likely to recommend the Macbook or the iPod to them. I am no fanboy.

The recent months have brought a storm of reactions calling Apple as the next Microsoft for being greedy, monopolistic, and ready to screw "loyal" customers. They've also taken Apple to task for delaying the release of Mac OS X, codename Leopard, calling it as Vista 2.0. Some points may be valid, but for the most part these "loyal" customers see Apple as their own private company. Brand loyalty is good and Apple has been able to produce awesome products and slick marketing campaigns that commands the kind of brand loyalty most company envies to have.

Loyalty can be pushed so far as to produce irrational rants from the few vociferous users. These loud minority unfortunately is taken by some, especially the media, as the norm.

Asking the fanboys to take time out to step back and take a look at the big picture is futile. Most of them think they own Apple because they bought a Macbook or an iPod or an iPhone. They scream at the top of their lungs claiming they know what's best for Apple and Steve Jobs better listen to them. Maybe they are concerned that Apple might be forgetting history and might revert back into the pre-1996 era, the time before Steve Jobs came back. Maybe they are fighting for the Apple consumer, sensing that Apple has indeed become like Microsoft, only after the money and the marketshare without any regard to its loyal customers.

Then again, perhaps these are just the spoiled few who has ready access to the keyboard and the internet, and loudly proclaim to the top of the fingers, "I'm a fanboy! You better listen to me!"

More quick and dirty: iWork 08 reviews

Computerworld has published a review on the latest release of Apple's office suite: iWork 08. The suite includes Pages (word processor), Numbers (spreadsheet), and Keynote (presentation).

According to Computerworld:

Users comfortable with Microsoft Office may find it takes time to get used to iWork. Advanced Word and Excel users, especially those who rely on specialized features and functions, will probably find Pages and Numbers to be limited.
But overall, iWork ’08 is beautifully designed—a compelling product and great value for consumers and small business alike. It brings tons of innovation over previous versions of iWork as well as many office suites on the market. And it turns typical office tasks and documents into creative outlets. That it offers all that it does for $79 is, frankly, hard to believe.

MacNN is doing a series of iWork 08 reviews with Pages being the first. Jon Aziz gives Pages a 4 out of 5 rating.

Pages ’08 adds plenty of new features and perfects lingering issues from the previous version. Several quirks remain, such as Spelling and Grammar check, but it is good as a personal word processor and great as a page layout program.

Aziz echoes the same sentiment when it comes to users who are deep into using advanced in Microsoft Word

Do not toss Microsoft Word if you need advanced word processing and editing features. Pages is best when you want to be more creative and don’t want to deal with a complicated word processor.

He goes on to recommend Pages

to anyone who wants to do free-flow work and have some fun with their documents. The iWork ’08 suite is $79 and includes Pages, Keynote, and Numbers. The price is certainly right when you consider the range of applications included in the package.

For Mac users who are curious how good iWork 08 is, you can test drive it for 30 days. Go download a trial copy at Apple.

Amazon throws down the gauntlet; challenges iTunes Store with Amazon MP3 digital music download service

Amazon has gotten into the ring with Apple's iTunes Store to challenge the latter's dominance in the digital music download arena. MacWorld UK reported that Amazon has launched a public beta trial of its digital music download service, Amazon MP3.

Jeremy Horwitz of iLounge.com have tried out Amazon MP3 and he reports that:

• Songs are sold in the MP3 format DRM-free at 256kbps.
• Pricing is much better than the iTunes Store. For a high bitrate DRM-free download, iTunes charges $1.29. In AmazonMP3, per song is $0.89 or $0.99.
• This beta trial has 2 million tracks to choose from.
  

Amazon also has the Amazon MP3 Downloader application which will automatically add downloaded music from Amazon MP3 to iTunes or Windows Media Player. This removes the extra steps required to add the track downloaded to itunes or WMP.

Mmm... Crow tastes good.
These turn of events might have been precipitated by Steve Jobs open letter entitled "Thoughts on Music." What the open letter boils down to is Apple wants to provide DRM-free songs but the big four music labels, Universal, Sony BMG, Warner and EMI, are refusing to allow Apple to do so. He challenged these companies to drop DRM. in response, Warner Music's Edgar Bronfman, Jr. said the Warner Music will never drop DRM.

"We advocate the continued use of [digital rights management] in the protection of our-and our artists' intellectual property."

However, Wired reported in their piece about Amazon MP3 that:

Edgar Bronfman, Jr., the Warner Music Group chairman, told Goldman Sachs investors in New York last week he was considering removing DRM from Warner's music downloads -- this just months after suggesting Warner would never abandon DRM.

Fishy, fishy, fishy.
As noted, Amazon MP3's tracks are much cheaper than the iTunes Store's offering. The issue here is, how could it be cheaper when for a fact the big four music labels ahev been fighting Apple for them to have the option of variable pricing. This scheme will allow them to set higher prices for the latest songs and sell old or not so popular songs at a lower cost. Apple didn't like this idea, $0.99 has simpler and less confusing.

But 256kbps, DRM-free at $0.89 or $0.99 seems to run counter against what the music labels have been fighting for. What gives?

The Small Wave blogs writes about this and the conclusion is:

So what’s going on, is this all just to spite Apple? That makes no sense because the labels gain nothing from it; all they‘d have done is create another iTunes store, or worse. Have they changed their mind on DRM? Then offer all of Universal’s tracks and, for that matter, the other labels’ as well. Have they decided iTunes pricing isn’t so bad after all? Then offer Apple the same terms. Do they just want to build a popular store with a partner who won’t argue over pricing and DRM restrictions? DING DING DING DING DING!! We have a winner!

I love the smell of spite in the morning.

It's all about choice
So, can Amazon wrest the title of ultimate music (and maybe video) download service from Apple? Only time can tell.

However, looking at it from the consumer standpoint, it doesn't really matter. Choice is good and if Amazon will indeed be able to stand toe in toe with Apple in digital music distribution then the consumer stands to gain a lot from it.

It would seem consumers have Steve Jobs to thank for Amazon MP3's DRM-free download. It was the fear of these big music labels of losing control that drove them to offer DRM-free tracks to iTunes competitors. This perhaps was what Jobs was planning all along: push the dinosaurs to near extinction hoping that they will evolve. It would seem he's done just that. But doesn't this mean the end of iTunes. Not necessarily. There will still be some people who would want to use the iTunes Store in getting their music. It's easy to use and very accessible. Another thing to consider is most do not even know or are aware of DRM. Let's be honest, did you know what DRM even meant while reading this? There will be some who will clamor for DRM-free music while there will be some who just won't care whether is has DRM or not.

Amazon MP3 is clearly a shot across Apple's bow. Even though the iTunes Store for the moment is king of digital media downloads, Apple should not rest on its laurels. I think they are not and if the culture of the company holds true, they are right now looking at ways to bring innovation into this market.

One thing to note is that if you take the time to click on the Amazon MP3 link you will find that their picture shows the iPod in front of a long line of multimedia players. Amazon is no fool in realizing the Apple still is king of the hill when it comes to digital media players.

Sun wants Java on the iPhone

"I think it's a mistake. I think it would provide a lot more flexibility in applications being developed," for the iPhone, said Bob Brewin, Sun distinguished engineer and vice president for software.

Mr. Brewin continued saying that not having Java on the iPhone is "shortchanging" users.

I say bullshit, Mr. Brewin. Why not just go ahead and say we want a piece of the action and Apple has to pay use licensing fees to use Java. Greed int he guise of consumer welfare. What a load of crap.

Creationists rejoice! Evolution has been disproven.

I'm so glad that the issue whether evolution is real or not has finally drawn to a close. The arguments have been fierce. Each side claiming supremacy over each others methods. One side uses the rigors of science to form hypotheses and make observations. The other side kneels down and prays to God for answers. The latter is better way, of course. All the answers are available if these scientists would just pray!

So what marvelous proof has been discovered that shows the entire scientific that they've been wrong all these years? It's not the banana. Apparently creationists praying for proof against evolution were praying with their right toe off center. That accounted for the banana proof.



This time creationists have got it right! They now have the clear evidence that evolution is just a lie.

What is this evidence?

Peanut butter.

Yes, peanut butter! Hallelujah!

The wonderful man who have discovered the truth against evolution is Chuck Missler, the founder of Koinonia House. Here's the video that proves once and for all evolution is a fraud.



My brain oozed out of my ears while watching this video. Please take appropriate measures to prevent your brain from splattering on the floor or table.

The deepest depths of stupidity have just been plumbed.

At least the peanut butter is still good for the environment.

Amazing hand paintings.

Takes a lot of talent to do stuff like these:



If you think that's cool, go to Bored Nights for more of these hand paintings.

Great Google Docs video

Ann Handley of MarketingProfs hails the video about Google Docs as brilliant. But she stresses:

Yet it's not "brilliant" because it's especially creative. It's brilliant because it introduces a very complex product and explains it very clearly, succinctly, and in a compelling manner.

I find the video highly informative and entertaining at the same time. Nicely done. Even if you are not interested in Google Docs at all, watch the video for its creative merits.

10 Twitter rules to break

Robert Scoble in his blog, Scobleizer, has listed down his 10 rules of Twitter and describes how and why he breaks each one. I've posted the ten rules here as well as my thoughts for each one of them. The ten rules are:

1. Never send more than 140 characters. [Most of the time I am able to keep to the limit of 140 characters. But there are some Tweets that are so interesting that you can't but help putting in your $0.02 or replying to it and the replies are often more than 104 characters.]
2. Never tweet more than 5 times a day. [Why not? This is exhibitionism 2.0. The reason why you are on Twitter is to tell other what you are doing or what's on your mind, etc... (see #7). You're also on Twitter because you want to know what others are doing, on their mind, etc. This is voyeurism 2.0. (see #3 and #4)]
3. Never follow more than 300 people. [What's wrong with following 300 people? Or 400. Or 500. Or 1000. This may come as a surprise to some but other people do have something interesting to say. It's up to me whether I'm going to filter my Tweets and whittle my list down. But if there are 800 people that have something interesting to say, I'm going to follow them.]
4. Never follow anyone who isn't your "real" friend. [I do not know Robert Scoble or Guy Kawasaki or Dave Winer or Victor Cajiao or Casey McKinnon or Jeremiah Owyang but I've heard their podcasts, read their blogs, or heard about them. I find that it's quite an honor that they allow their readers, listeners or fans in to their lives and read their Tweets to know what they are doing or thinking at that moment. It's also a good way to be updated when in comes to recents blogs or podcasts like in Victor Cajiao of the Typical Mac User Podcast.]
5. Don't assume other people are having the same experience you are. [I find this strange thing to say. The reason why I'm following people is precisely because they are having a different experience than I am. That's what makes Twitter addictive. Twitter has also become a broadcast medium for mainstream news. It allows me to pick up breaking news that I otherwise would have to monitor a news site for. To a certain degree, the news that are twittered are filtered to your interests. No more junk news.]
6. Don't post thoughts across multiple Tweets. [This is something that I don't do. I guess this is something for Twitter superstars.]
7. The Twitter question is “what are we doing?” It’s NOT “what do you think about XXXX?” [Twitter has evolved to being more than a platform for people to telling their followers what they are doing at the moment. Whether that's good or that's bad, it all depends on how you look at it.]
8. Follow one person for every 10 who follows you. [Why should I restrict to just follow one out of ten? If all ten has something to say then I'm going to watch out for their Tweets.]
9. If other people are telling you you’re spamming, you should listen to them. [If people consider my Tweets as spam I'll tell them right off to stop following me. I'm not sticking a gun to their head and forcing them to follow me.]
10. Don’t put things into Twitter that aren’t designed for Twitter like photos, audio, etc. [Never done this before. I don't have a need to. Yet.]
    

So there you go, 10 Twitter rules Scoble breaks. Find out how many you can break yourself.

If all the while you've been scratching your head and going "What the feck is he talking about?" then I suggest you read the following:

• Mobile Instant Messaging Meets Social Networking: Twitter - A Beginner's Guide
  
• Chris Brogan's Newbies Guide to Twitter

Learn also how Twitter has evolve from just a "What are you doing?" tool to a blogging or publishing tool:

• Twitter Is A Publication
• Twitter Is Now An Extension Of My Blogging
  
• The Next Email: Why Twitter will change the way business communicates (again).
  

If you've decided to tweet or just want to jump into it, just go to Twitter and register. You can update and receive Tweets on their website or you can download Twitter clients to install on your computer.

When you already have your Twitter account, follow me at http://twitter.com/boink.

Welcome to Twitter.

Macs do better windows

Steven Frank writes in his blog the trials and tribulations of installing Windows on a Sony Viao. Annoyances noted include having no restore discs, dealing with a load of trial crapware (Norton, Trend Micro, Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy, etc.), failed authentication using the license key that came with the Viao (WTF?), and having to push the camel through the eye of the needle just to install drivers (which by the way, only 80% of the devices worked according to Frank). In the end, after installing he had to install again and then went on an uninstalling rampage on Remove Programs. With all the hurt involved, why did he put himself through this?

I use Windows because it is a popular gaming API. I've maintained a succession of PCs over the years just to play a handful of games that never got ported to the Mac.

The irony?

I'm amazed again by how much better the experience is (installing Windows on a Mac using Boot Camp) than using a Windows box built by an actual Windows box vendor.

You just install Windows from a retail disc, install the Boot Camp drivers from a second disc, let Windows Update reboot about 20 times, and you're set. The resulting system is really fast and all the hardware works.

The verdict? Windows installs much better on a Mac.

Peanut butter is good for the environment

According to an article on the 21st Century Citizen, when compared to a grilled cheese sandwich or a chicken sandwich, a peanut butter sandwich produces less carbon dioxide emission, can save 280 gallons of water, and can preserve 12 to 50 square feet of land. Who'd thunk that?

Latest Mac OS 10.5 (build 9A559) screenshots

Take a sneak peek of what will be Apple's latest operating system. Think Secret has put up the screenshots of the latest build of Apple's Mac OS 10.5 codenamed Leopard. Build 9A559 is said to be the last build before Leopard is given the golden master status. There are some visual improvements on this build but most changes are under the hood.

The man behind the design

BusinessWeek takes a look at the man who, according to Peter Burrows, "melds Apple's unique creativity with the nuts-and-bolts required to make beautiful things."

Jonathan Ive's journey in becoming Apple's Senior Vice-President for Industrial Design started as a the desire to understand the mystery of things worked. He enrolled in a design program at Newcastle Polytechnic in 1985 and by 1992 he joined Apple after working for a British design company. While in the UK he felt frustrated that the companies there didn't appreciate his designs or ideas. Four years later, Ive became Apple's design chief as the company was in turmoil. Cost cutting proved disastrous to the design of Apple's computers. In 1997, Steve Jobs ousted Gil Amelio and became interim CEO. Ive's prepared his resumé as he was waiting for the axe to fall on him as Jobs went into a frenzy of cost cutting and firings. In the midst of looking for his design wizard all over the globe, Jobs realized that he had his man in Apple's backyard all along. The Jobs-Ive synergy has produced the the first iMacs, the development of which included visiting a jelly bean factory, and the iPod, an icon all unto itself.

According to Apple's senior VP of industrial design, the one of the hallmark of the design team is the "sense of looking to be wrong... It's about being excited to be wrong because then you've discovered something new." Ive emphasizes that the design coming out of Cupertino is a team effort and the design team also work closely with engineers, marketers and manufacturers.

Ive is not only accomplished when it comes to designing beautiful products but also the process on how to make those products. Manufacturing companies like to work with Apple despite the company's penchant for being a fierce negotiator on cost. Apple allows these companies to be able to look forward into the future of design.

Burrows ends with:

So long as Ive has that close-knit team and that hard-driving boss, the Steve and Jony Show should continue to roll along just fine.

Financial reasons to use Mac OS X

Jacqueline Emigh of CIO writes eight financial reasons why Mac OS X is more cost effective as compared to that other operating system. Some of the reasons are:

• Macs bring a better overall value proposition.

  If you consider a Mac and a low-end [Windows] PC, the Mac will carry a higher price tag. But let's not compare a Lexus with a Hyundai.

• Macintosh licensing fees are cheaper.

  With one Xserve license, you can support unlimited numbers of users. In contrast, Microsoft's client access licenses (CALs) for Windows servers impose extra costs based on number of clients. As a result, customers can save money by deploying Mac servers to support both Mac and Windows.

• The Mac desktop spawns fewer calls to the help desk

  Even little children are able to use Macs. A kid can open up 'Johnny's folder,' and there are Johnny's little docs and applications.

• Mac users are more productive workers

  Whether in publishing/graphics/new media or in other fields, Mac desktop users also tend to be more productive at work, a finding that's long shown up in TCO and ROI analyses.

• Macs last longer

  Users also concur about the Mac's relative longevity. Hall, for example, is still using the same Mac G4 system he purchased six years ago, although he's since bought two more Macs for use in his real estate practice.
  
  "Before that, I was fortunate if I could get 12 or 13 months out of a Windows PC. It usually got corrupted long before that."

  
  

iPhone more usable than the N95 and HTC Touch

Computerworld has released the result of their usability test that pitted the iPhone against the HTC Touch and the Nokia N95. The verdict: the iPhone trumps the other two phones.

The test employed ten people who have never used any of the three phones before. The aim of the test was to see which phone was the most usable out of the box. Each phone was rated from 1 to 5 with five being the highest. Tasks include:

• how long was needed to find and use the on/off switch
• setting the phone to vibrate
• making a call
• saving a phone number to the contact list
• sending a brief e-mail, taking a photo
• finding a Web site using the device's built-in browser
  

Categories were global navigation, usability/information architecture, ergonomics, look and feel, and functionality. Apple topped all but one category: functionality. The N95 had the most features but was the worst in global navigation, usability, and ergonomics.

Each phone was also given an overall score. The iPhone scored 4.6 out of 5, the N95 was second at 3.4, and the HTC Touch had 3.2. Testers were faster in doing specific tasks on the iPhone than on the other two devices.

[It was] noted that some of the functionality the iPhone did have was extremely well implemented. That was particularly true with the ability to use the Safari browser to see a whole Web page on-screen, then to zoom in on what you specifically wanted to see.

"People were faster and more successful in getting to a Web page with iPhone."

iPod touch reviews. What's the verdict?

The reviews are in. The iPod touch is... well, not so good.

Reviews have finally come out as iLounge held back theirs. Initial reports indicated that there were some iPod touch screens were not up to par with the iPhone's. Apple have owned up to this and have said that some iPod touches have defective screens. Walt Mossberg's iPod touch wasn't one of those affected with the faulty screen. In his review, Mossberg mentions that the iPod touch, unlike the other iPods, had poorer than advertised battery life.

The company claims that the Touch can play music for up to 22 hours and video for up to five hours on a single battery charge, even with Wi-Fi turned on. But in my tests, using factory settings, music playback lasted just under 17 hours and video playback lasted just over four hours. Nearly every other iPod I’ve tested, including the new Nano, handily beat Apple’s battery claims.

in conclusion, however, Mossberg says:

Despite these downsides, the Touch is a great media player, and the iPod remains the best end-to-end portable solution for playing and purchasing music and video.

MacNN also have published their iPod touch review. Jonathan Fingas gave it four out of five stars. Fingas' iPod touch was also free of the problems that plagued some units but he did note that the viewing angle for the iPod touch was shallow. He also took note of the removal of the mail application and the crippling of the calendar. It would seem that some are thinking of making the iPod touch as a replacement for their PDAs. Personally, I don't mind the 'missing' features. In the first place, the iPod is an iPod first and foremost. It's meant to play music and videos. Then it is also a internet communicator device. It was never billed as a PIM or PDA. So I suggest some folks out there to get it in your head: the iPod touch is not a PDA. It's an iPod.

Another point of contention is the chrome back of the device. Again, here is the case of people thinking of the iPod touch as something not like an iPod. Though the iPod touch may share some functionalities with the iPhone and may look like it, the iPod touch is still an iPod. It should look like an iPod.

Battery life, according to Fingas was acceptable. He netted 21 hours from Apple's claim of 22 hours.

His conclusion is:

That said, after days of use it feels virtually necessary to give the iPod touch a solid four-star rating. As much as it occupies an uncomfortable gap between the iPod classic and the iPhone, this is the best iPod yet for photos and videos, a well-executed first wireless iPod, and a very capable music player. The touch is undoubtedly going to take over from the classic within the next few years, and makes for a superb alternative to the iPhone in countries where the latter just cannot be an option. Apple just needs to be sure that its storage and hardware quality measure up when the iPod classic finally fades away.

My Top 25 playlist

I'm having my patrons listen to my Top 25 songs on my iPod nano Red. 

First, Due by RAF. Second, Too Close by Next (Maybe too sexual for these folks. Maybe not. Heh.) Third, Hardest Thing by 98 Degrees.

Espresso's on me tonight!

This offer's only until 12 midnight tonight. Free espresso to the first three to comment on this post. Come over to Spro tonight and use the password "demitasse" and claim your free espresso. Remember, it's only for tonight.

Don't throw away that old computer just yet.

Daily Cup of Tech offers suggestions on uses for old computers. Among these are:

• Firewall/Router
• File Server
• Web/FTP Server
• Anti-Spam Server
• Proxy Server
• Thin Client

And many more. The list has links to resources that can get you started in reviving that dusty old computer in your closet. 

10 things everyone should know for their first job

James Stoup of Apple Matters has written "10 Things Every Programmer Should Know For Their First Job." As I read through it though, it occurred to me that most on the list are not just for programmers but it is also for every brand spanking new college grad on his or her first job. Highly recommended. Here's a run-down:

1. Being liked is easy.
2. Being respected is hard.
3. Everything you learned in college is useless. (Well, not everything, IMO.)
4. Never stop learning. (Definitely. This is my mantra.)
5. You live or die by your text editor, so choose wisely.
6. No one really cares what college you went to. (Not exactly. You have the social climbing, brats to do. Look at #10.) 
7. Silence never goes out of style.
8. You will meet odd, strange, and unpleasant people. Deal with it. (I agree. I'm all three.)
9. Make friends with IT. (Very good advice.)
10. You will never escape office politics. (I found the hard way.)

Mac 'virus' found.

Finally! This is all what the Windows fan boys have been waiting for. There is now a virus that affects the Mac. The Mac no longer is invulnerable. This is the end of the Mac.

Not exactly.

In the first place, Mac users are not asserting that the Mac is not vulnerable to viruses and other malicious programs. It's that to date, the Mac OS X, from 10.0 to 10.4.10, does not have a virus that is in the wild. Meaning, there's no virus that we Mac users can receive via email, IM or via a storage device that will take over our machine and make it feel like it's a Windows machine.

Secondly, the virus found is not the kind that the Windows world is so used to having. For Windows users, having a virus in the system is like breathing air. You need to have one or else you're not worthy to use the computer. Just like my brother said, "It's not the real world," when I told him why doesn't he give his wife and kids a Mac to use. The real world is the world of anti-virus, anti-malware, and anti-trojans, which slows your system down and sometimes grinds it to a halt.

Unfortunately for you Windows fan boys (that doesn't even sound right) the virus is a "mechanical virus". The tale of the mechanical virus is told by Always Beta.

I found the story at 43 Folders.

43 Folders: because it's all about Getting Things Done.

What not to say to a woman and a funny thing on Men's Health

I occasionally visit Men's Health every now and then, looking for tips on, well, health. I stumbled upon an article written by Sarah Miller entitled "5 Things You Should Never Say to a Woman". Miller advises not to say these five things:

1. "Relax."
2. "I love you." during a fight
3. "It's up to you." or "Whatever you do is fine with me."
4. "You knew I was this way when you married me."
5. (Nothing)

Just like in College Humor when one picture is not enough, I was tempted clicked on some more links found at the bottom of the page. "Secrets Every Woman Keeps From Her Man" was interesting. What about "How to Talk to Her"? Hmm... Smart phrases to say include: "I understand you feelings", "Thanks", and "I'm sorry. I'm an idiot sometimes". What struck me as funny and interesting was the last line under Dumb-Ass Comments to Avoid. I'll leave it up to you guys to find out. That's what they're thinking over there? Aside from that interesting bit, question for the ladies out there: do these tips actually hold any water? Does the website hold the secret to keeping you ladies happy?

The iPhone vs the iPod touch

Was meaning to write this since last week but things sort of piled up. I am waiting for iLounge's mystery review of the iPod touch. The veil of secrecy adds suspense and a sense of dread. Is the iPod touch not what's cracked up to be? We'll soon know either by tomorrow or next week.

But for the curious, what is the difference between the iPhone and the iPod touch. The most obvious answer of course is that the iPod touch is not a cellphone. The Unofficial Apple Weblog's Erica Sadun has given readers a rundown of the main differences between the two devices. I'll leave it up to you guys to read here posts.

What I am going to do is give my thoughts on why I am more inclined to get the iPod touch rather than the iPhone. Then I'm going to give my reasons why I am not going to get the iPod touch.

Even though the iPhone is hailed by some as revolutionary product, there are some things missing that leaves me wanting. During the limited time of using the iPhone, I was impressed by the screen, the UI, and the ease of use. However, I cannot see myself using the iPhone as my primary phone. The reasons are as follows:

• I've often riled against people who keeps complaining about the 2 megapixel camera on the iPhone and how it's not enough. I dismissed this initially and thought that the camera really doesn't matter. But using my K800 I slowly began to appreciate the fact that even if the K800's 3.2 megapixel camera won't beat a dedicated 3.2 megapixel digicam in a shootout, it was already good enough to take pictures with. Aside from that, I could also shoot videos. Again, shooting videos was something I never gave much thought. That is, until I started using Facebook. I found out that it was really fun to take random, silly events and share them with your friends. The iPhone doesn't have video nor does it allow you to send MMS, which is another stickling point. It's something very minor but if you use this feature, no more how infrequent, you are going to miss it.

• The iPhone has a limited number of SMS that it can store and as far as I know, there's no way to backup your SMS from the phone to your PC. Backup SMS messages? Is that odd? Well, I think most will find it odd but I'm a bit of a packrat and I tend to keep things. That includes messages. This is one thing I surely will miss. The iPhone by the way can store 200 SMS messages. The K800, 1000 messages.

• Some other points include the recessed headphone jack: I want to be able to use the earphones of my choosing. Don't force me to buy an adapter that cost $20. It's ridiculous. The weight is also a factor. It's heavy enough to become a nuisance when placed in my pants pocket. A holster would probably solve this.
  

What is a plus when it comes to the iPhone is that it eliminates having to carry two devices with me: my phone and my iPod nano. Then again, Both devices together probably take up much less space and weighs less than the iPhone.

That said I am not saying that I'm ruling out the possibility of me ever owning an iPhone. It's just that version one-point-oh of Apple's cellphone is not compelling. That and the fact it's not yet available in Asia. Hopefully, by the time that it is released here in Asia, there is a vesion 2.0 with a better camera and video. I can live without the SMS backup. Maybe.

With that out of the way, let's talk about the iPod touch. Surely, this device is my iPod holy grail. I can listen to my music and podcasts, watch videos, and surf the tubes with this ultimate device. PC Magazine even gave it the Editor's Choice award and gave it 5 out of 5 stars. Cool! 

Well, yeah. It is cool. But I also have issues with it. How unenamored am I with the iPod touch? Let me count the ways:

• The lack of physical buttons is a big deal for me. Right now, I can control my iPod nano without having to take it out of my pants pocket. I can play/pause, rewind and fast forward by feel alone. I can even adjust the volume levels. Unless a product comes out that will let me control my iPhone's iPod feature without having to take it out of my pocket, then I'm not buying. Of course, that means I have to spend more.

• I'm bringing up the issue of weight again. One of the reasons why I gave up my 5G 30GB iPod was that bugged me a bit when I was carrying with me. My left pants pocket would act like a pendulum every time I walk. I never was able to fill up the 30GB. I think I only managed to use half. I also didn't watch that many videos or movies. Audio is my preferred media.

• No bluetooth. Why? I mean, why? I just realized lately how cumbersome it is to have your ears tethered by earphones. When I have my iPod nano with me (which is all the time) I would snake the earphone wires under my shirt. I often find myself having to untangle the wires even when I'm already using the Sumanjin smartwrap. Bluetooth would have freed me from this. Of course, I understand that freedom from the wire would mean decreased battery life. No win situation for now. Perhaps Apple will have built bluetooth in their iPods once they have their own bluetooth headset.

With these complaints I still am attracted to the idea of having an internet device in my pocket. Surf almost anywhere. Anywhere with free Wi-Fi, that is. Bragging rights of being one of the first to have it also is alluring. Still, they are not compelling enough reasons. I'm giving the iPhone and the iPod touch a pass for now. Maybe 2008 is the year. Maybe.

iLounge holds back iPod touch review

Jeremy Horwitz posted on iLounge that they were not going to release their review of the iPhone. Yet.

We consider timeliness of our coverage to be imporant, but we consider accuracy to be even more important. It goes without saying that haste is the enemy of certainty.

Very mysterious, iLounge. Very mysterious.

Horwitz finishes with:

Our review of iPod touch will likely be one of the most controversial we’ve published, so we’re re-running some tests to make sure we’re being fair. You’ll see the results very soon, and we hope they’ll help you make a more informed decision about whether to buy into this particular iPod, or hold off for next year’s replacement.

"Sounds ominous," says the first comment. I agree.

What dark secrets were discovered by Horwitz and his cohorts? What dastardly deed has Apple done? Will the review result in the downfall of Steve Jobs?

Ok, the last one was a bit overdone. Still, I'm really curious to what they found wrong with the iPod touch? From the initial murmurs from the series of tubes, some are saying that the iPod touch are not meeting their expectations. Screen. Audio. Interface. Or all of them? What could it be?

As Horwitz said: stay tuned.

Get to the point.

A friend of mine sent me a link that is supposed to hold the secret of increasing your website's traffic by using Twitter.

Short attention span. ADHD. Impatient. Call it whatever you wish but simply didn't have the time to read through probably 100 lines of rant. So I asked my friend is she could tell me what the secret was. She said:

When you finish a post, just post a teaser tweet. Then the link to your blog. You can use tinyurl to make it discreet.

The entire thing could be condensed into just three sentences? The heck?!?

I understand there sometimes it's good to explain some things before you go into the meat of the matter. This time, however, it was too much. The whole thing looked like one of those spam email you get about a increasing your sexual potency or something like that.

I hope I'm not this as long-winded as this one in my posts. I'm sincerely trying to learn how to say as many as possible in fewer words.

Oh, by the way, add me on Twitter. It's Boink.

Getting album art for your iTunes

For iTunes users out there, if you're not aware of it yet, you can put album art with the songs that you have ripped from your CD collection. This will make your iTunes look prettier and the album art can also be uploaded to your iPod (those with the colored screens).

The album art appears in the artwork window, as well as in the album view and cover flow view.








Amazon.com is an excellent source for album art but sometimes the pictures are small or the resolution is not that good. I'm not so sure but I think it was iTunes 7 that allowed users to download album art for their albums from the iTunes Store. There were hacks that allowed you to grab these album arts via a website and then store a copy of the picture into your computer. Updates to the iTunes software would disable these hacks though. Still, people will always find a way around the restrictions Apple has placed.

Josh's iTunes Album Art Grabber allows you to grab album art that's 1425 x 1425 pixels! In grabbing an album art, you have to put both the name of the artist or band and the album. Try not to omit any words even if it's just "A", "The", "In", etc. This might screw up the search.

iPhone: unlocking and ringtones

In the US, there are some who would like to see the iPhone unlocked. Hackers started their attempt at unlocking the iPhone from the moment it was released on June 29. The first news of unlocking required the use of a soldering iron. Not for the faint of heart indeed. Then two companies working separately announced that they also have successfully unlocked the iPhone via software. They were willing to lock other people's iPhone for a fee. One company is charging $99 for their service.

But some believed that unlocking the iPhone shouldn't not be that expensive. it should even be free. On September 11, The Unofficial Apple Weblog reported that hackers have managed to unlock the iPhone again but this time they have posted the code online for free. Controversy immediately followed after the unveiling of the free source code. Some enterprising fellow claimed the code for himself and tried to sell it. Forbes has a short piece about the iPhone unlocking saga. Gizmodo has an exclusive on the dev team's attempt and success.

Aside from unlocking the iPhone, hackers have also been busy with trying to get ringtones into the phone. Though Apple is now selling $0.99 ringtones through the iTunes Store some still want their ringtones for free or to not have to pay double for a song they already have or already bought. The first few ringtone uploading software were made available as commercial products. However, just like the unlocking story, other developers later released free versions of software that very much did the same thing are the commercial products did. One of these developers is Rogue Amoeba who made the MakeiPhoneRingtone. This is a free utility that allows users to drag an AAC file into the app and that file will show up in the ringotnes tab of iTunes ready to upload to the iPhone. Other attempts in making a ringtone uploader includes Ringtonator, which is a GUI of a hack suggested by someone named Cleverboy. The development of this hack was covered in The Unofficial Apple Weblog.

So now you can unlock your iPhone and upload ringtones of your choosing without having to pay $0.99. The story does not end here, however. Developments in both fronts is sure to continue.

iPod touch now available.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog posting has revealed that the some Apple Stores in the US have the iPod touch on stock. Fifteen minutes later, unboxing photos appeared on Flickr. So now it's official; the iPod touch has landed. For those who wants more information about the iPod touch, download the manual from Apple here. The iPod touch's feature page has videos showing you how to use the different apps and features on the device.

Playlist reports that only the 16GB models were available. No word when the 8GB will hit the stores.

The release is much earlier than I expected. I have to contact the guy from HK on when the touch will be available there.

Updates:
NeoverseTV has posted a quick video of the iPod touch on Youtube.

iLounge has their "Ten Things You Need to Know About iPod touch." The iPod touch's screen may differ from that of the iPhone with the latter looking better when viewed off-angle. Gizmodo seems to confirm that the iPhone screen is 'better' than the iPod touch's. Sound quality also is not as good as the iPod classic's, the touch having more background hiss. Find out more in their top ten list of the things you may want to know about the iPod touch. I hope that these anomalies are just a result of first production run. Then again, perhaps some components were sacrificed to bring down the cost of production.

Regardless of the initial thoughts about the iPod touch from other sites, PC Magazine gave the iPod touch 5 out of 5 stars and has been given the Editor's Choice award. Their bottomline:

With an excellent interface and elegant design, the iPod touch is simply the best portable media player ever made.

Time for me to shake my head

Heard through the grapevine that one cellular phone shop is selling iPhones for 70,000 pesos. Ridiculous since the 8GB iPhone now just cost $399. What's more idiotic is that someone actually paid the seventy-thousand pesos. Rumor is that they were muslims. One is from a prominent family. Ah... That clears things up. You can buy a lot of things with money but you can't buy smarts. I hope that this case will spread far and wide.

For Microsoft, permission is not required.

Microsoft apparently has been accessing and modifying users' systems without the user's consent. This has happened even when the Auto-Update option has been turned off.

C'mon, guys. Aren't you tired of this?

Introducing: the iPod touch

At Apple's September 5 Special Event, Steve Jobs unveiled the iPod classic (aka video iPod) which sported a new look and bigger capacities at 80GB ($249) and 160GB ($349). The iPod nano was redesigned. Supposed leaked pictures of the iPod nano showed it with a bigger screen but more squat than tall. People started calling it the iPod phatty, iPod bilbo, or iPod stubby. The third-generation iPod nano does sport a bigger screen and is more squarish but looks way better than from the supposed leaked pictures. Some reviewers mentioned that photos of it do not give justice to the 3G iPod nano. The nano needs to be held and used to really appreciate it. The iPod shuffle just got new colors.

What probably was the centerpiece of the whole event was the introduction of the phone-less iPhone also known as the iPod touch. The iPod touch is the iPhone without the phone, camera, and bluetooth. The Mail app is also gone. Both devices at first glance look the same. However, the iPod touch lacks the silver trimming around it and is thinner at 8 mm. It also lacks the slit for the speaker. The placement of the earphone jack has been moved from the top to the bottom of the unit and to the relief of some, standard headphones can be used without any adapters.

The iPod touch has the same gorgeous 3.5-inch screen, plays music and videos and does Wi-Fi, too. Safari confirms that the iPod touch run a version of the Mac OS like the iPhone does. Other applications are: Youtube, Calendar, Calculator, and Contacts. On the bottom of the screen there are the icons for music, videos, photos and the iTunes Store. The iTunes button allows users to download music from the iTS without having to use their desktop PC or portable.

The iPod touch comes in 8GB and 16GB models. The 8GB model will sell for $299 and the 16GB will sell for $399. It will start shipping by the end of September. The iPod shuffle, iPod nano and iPod classic are already available. To know more about the new iPod line up, iLounge has their "Ten Things You Want to Know About the 2007 iPods." They've also put up videos of the interface for the iPod classic, iPod nano, and iPod touch.

Best coffee shop sign ever.

9/11

It was about this time that I turned the TV on to watch CNN. Earlier, I received an SMS message from a friend in Chicago informing me that a plane crashed into the World Trade Center. A few seconds after turning on the television, I witnessed the second plane fly into the second World Trade Center tower.

No words could ever describe what I felt at that moment.

I never ever want to feel those emotions again.

The things people do in the name of religion.

The iPhone: hands-on and first impressions.

I finally got to play with the iPhone yesterday but it wasn't much of an experience since most of its features were not available. There was no SIM card inserted so forget about trying out the phone feature. I tapped on the iPod button but there were no audio or video files in the iPhone. I wanted to try out Safari but no open Wi-Fi was available.

So I was pretty much restricted to fiddling around the menu, typing on the virtual keyboard and using the photo application. I'm going to focus on those.

Interface and screen.
To protect the 50,000 peso iPhone, they wrapped it in what I think is cling wrap. Does a pretty good job of protecting it I guess but I was concerned that it might mar the touchscreen experience. It didn't. Even through the cling wrap the screen looked gorgeous. At half the brightness, the screen looked crisp and clear. Since I've seen the screenshots of the iPhone I more or less knew what to expect from the home screen. What I didn't expect was the responsiveness of the screen. I've used Palm PDAs before and I have experienced stubborn icons that needed to be tapped twice or thrice to open. The iPhone wasn't like that. Just gently brush the screen with your finger and the application opens instantaneously. It was really responsive and it became a bit of a problem as I'll explain later.

I couldn't do much of anything except to tap on icons, open the app then click the home button. The home button though seems to need a bit of pressure. I'm guessing it was perhaps because of the cling wrap. I went to the setup menu and fiddled around with settings like brightness, Wi-Fi, etc.

All in all, the screen is fantastic, the interface intuitive. It was plain fun even just using the touch screen.

Photos.
One of the things that sent a collective "Ohh..." in the audience when Steve Jobs demoed the iPhone back in January was the Photo app with the pinching and the flicking. There were only two photos and that's no good when I want to go flicking. So I tapped the camera icon and just snapped a couple of shots around the place. With enough pictures I then tapped on one photo in the album. The picture enlarged to fill up the entire screen. Then I did the magic. I placed my index finger and thumb on the screen and then spread them apart. That zoomed in on the picture. Tracing my finger around the screen moved the picture around. Amazing! Double tapping the screen resets the picture back to filling up the screen. I had trouble there though. Sometimes when I double tapped instead of returning to the original size, it would bring up the controls for the app. Maybe it was again because of the cling wrap or I wasn't used to the controls yet.

When I wanted to view the other images, all I had to do was flick my finger to the left or to the right. It was really fun viewing the photos that way. When I reached the last of the photos, the iPhone does a rubber band like thing that makes the last photo keeping snapping back into its place.

I then remembered another feature: landscape mode. When Apple released the iPhone guide in their website, some called the videos as fake because of how snappy and responsive the iPhone was. They said that the video was surely doctored. When the iPhone did come out, the silence from the critics was deafening.

Switching back and forth from landscape mode to portrait mode was painless to say the least. It was quick and snappy. The finger pinching of course still worked.

Virtual keyboard.
i was curious how effective the virtual keyboard was. I tapped the SMS icon and with Jobs' voice echoing in my mind "Trust the keyboooooard," I proceeded to type first SMS message on the iPhone. I took care not to press too hard on the screen, not because I was afraid of breaking it but rather, they said it was sensitive enough that a gentle tap was enough to register an input. Again, thinking that the cling wrap might result to a less sensitive screen, I tapped a little harder. I was surprised. I seemed that the cling wrap didn't affect the sensitivity of the keyboard at all. I tried a much lighter touch. It still worked. Cool.

i then proceeded to actually type something. How will I do this? Hold the iPhone in one hand and use my right index finger to tap a message. How amateurish. So I did what the iPhone video guy did, held the iPhone in both hands and used both of my thumbs to type. I was sort of reluctant to do this since I was afraid I might drop the iPhone. Tap. Tap. Tap. Damn. Delete. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Oops. Delete. It would seem that trusting the keyboard wasn't working. Is it because I wasn't trusting enough? I tried a couple of more times.

I managed to tap out a sentence but not without deleting every now and then. The period trick suggested by David Pogue worked well. But my first time experience with the virtual keyboard, I wasn't too happy . But I had to remind myself; Apple said it would take a week's worth of using the virtual keyboard to become really proficient at it. Maybe I was being too hard at myself. Maybe I was being too hard at the virtual keyboard.

I quit the SMS app and opened the Notes app. I was going to give it another try. Still using the two-thumbs approach I still had difficulty in typing out a message. Perhaps a week's worth of using the iPhone is indeed needed.

There is one annoying thing about the virtual keyboard which may be one reason why I am having a bit of difficulty using it. When using a real tactile keyboard or keypad, my natural tendency is to press one key and then slide my thumb over the other key. This is something akin to like touch typing on a keypad. But on the iPhone's virtual keyboard, tapping then sliding your thumb to another key will result in miss typing a key. I think I need to un-learn the click-slide-click approach. With the virtual keyboard I must lift my thumb above the virtual keyboard even just so ever slightly.

My general impression: I like it but not enough to really want it. The 2 megapixel camera and the lack of a video seems to rankle at me. Another thing is the weight; even if it eliminates having to carry two devices, it has enough heft in my pants pocket to bug me. Getting a holster is maybe the solution. Still, I'm in no hurry to go grab an iPhone. Getting one now will mean having to unlock the iPhone. That's not something I'm willing to do either. Why? That's for another post.

One meeellion iPhones.

Apple has announced in their Hot News site that 74 days after its release, the iPhone has sold its one millionth unit. This is 21 days ahead of Steve Jobs prediction of September 30. Apple aims to sell 10 million iPhones in 2008 worldwide.

Luciano Pavarotti, 1935 - 2007

Luciano Pavarotti lost the battle against cancer. He died September 7, Friday at his villa near the northern city of Modena.

Apple has paid a tribute to the Maestro with a special remembrance page on the iTunes Store.

From the iTunes Store:

Luciano Pavarotti is universally regarded as one of the finest tenors that ever lived. He will be remembered as a charasmatic performer who was also a great ambassador for opera, a committed humanitarian and a dedicated fan of Turin's Juventus soccer team.

Farewell, Maestro.

Gruesome autopsy pictures...

... of the iPod classic and third generation iPod nano.

iTunes Wi-Fi Store

Told you it was coming. iPod touch users (and i assume iPhone users as well) can buy songs and videos using the iPod touch Wi-Fi feature.

iPod Touch

I wanted full screen iPod.

I got it.

I wanted cover flow.

I got it.

I wanted Wi-Fi.

I got that, too.

8GB for $299.

The iPod touch.



(No bluetooth though. Sucks.)

(At least I'll be poorer by just $300 come Christmas instead of $400.)

Apple's Special Event.

Hours from now (September 5, 10AM PDT) Apple will hold a special event in the Moscone center. The event was announced by an invite that showed the Cover Flow interface that can be seen in the iTunes application and on the iPhone. The invite had the words "And the beat goes on." The phrase is said to be borrowed from the final press release the Beatles made when they broke up as a band, leading to speculations that the announcement will include the Beatles being offered in the iTunes store. Frankly, I don't understand what the hubbub is all about involving Apples and the Beatles. At least I know Scott McNulty of TUAW doesn't give a damn.

The tagline perhaps might allude that the musical side of Apple, Inc., i.e. the iPod, has not been forgotten. Some were concerned that the iPod might have been overshadowed by the iPhone, the new Macs and Leopard (or the delay thereof). I'm quite sure the seven hours from now, new iPods will be released and most probably the long awaited full screen iPod with the touch screen interface.

What I'm waiting for would be the 3.5-inch screen with multitouch. It would be a hoot to navigate through my list of songs, podcasts, and videos just like that on my iTunes app. Flick. Flick. Flick. It would also be nice to watch movies and videos on a large gorgeous screen but I won't be doing this often since I'm not much of a video or movie person.

Another thing I'd want this iPod to have is Wi-Fi and bluetooth. The fullscreen would mean that this iPod would be taken from the pages of the iPhone, it would therefore mean that it's going to have Mac OS under the hood. I would really like to have my iPod and internet navigator in my pocket. In the Davao, that would mean being able to check your email, browse the net, do Twitter and Facebook almost anywhere since free Wi-Fi is ubiquitous here. Bluetooth will free me from the tangle of the earphone wire.

Safari and Wi-Fi on the 6G iPod would also open the possibility of being able to access the iTunes Store and buy music from there using the 6G iPod. The would open up a whole new economy for Apple. If this becomes possible for the 6G iPod then it would also be possible for the iPhone. Ringtone downloads anyone?

So I would like to see the multitouch fullscreen and Wi-Fi plus bluetooth and 8GB, all for under $400.

What might keep me from buying the 6G though is the touch screen interface. That would seriously change the way I use the iPod. Right now, my iPod nano goes everywhere with me when I leave the house. I listen to podcasts every chance I get [I have a backlog of 600 plus podcasts]. The iPod nano's click wheel allows me to control the nano even if it's in my pants pocket. I can play, pause, rewind, and fast forward through the fabric. Even adjusting the volume works.

The problem with the touch screen interface is the lack of tactile feedback and the fact that you can't control the iPod without having to remove it from your pocket. It's a hassle and can become annoying. The remedy would be for Apple to provide a wired remote for the 6G iPod, very much like the iPod remote they are selling. Something smaller and cheaper though.

So if this 6G iPod is announced 6 hours from now am I going to get it. Maybe. If it's compelling enough. The one that would push me would be if it will include a Wi-Fi, Safari and a bundled remote. Only then will I be $400 poorer.

Back at it again. Apple News Bits: iPhone sales,

Apple Stores sells as many iPhones in a day as what AT&T stores sell in a week. [Apple Stores provides better customer experience.]

On July, Apple's iPhone outsold all other smartphones in the US in its first month of sale, says iSuppli. It accounted for 1.8% of the total number of mobile phones sold between June and July. [Probably what is expected from a new product.]

In China, some are willing to pay $1,200 for an iPhone. That's twice the cost of an iPhone in the US. [Rumored to cost 47,000 pesos once it hits in Davao. My thoughts on that here.]

Some people are really obsessed on having radio on the iPod.

Tomorrow, dreams may come true.

Microsoft may build iPhone rival. Dude, where's your Zune?

He said, she said. Apple says NBC wants more money. F*** you, NBC says Apple, then says no more new season for NBC. NBC says nuh-uh. We want fair prices for our customers. Sells their stuff on Amazon and Hulu. Then says their shows stays in iTunes. Can't we all get along?

Three more Apple Stores opening this week after Glasgow had theirs open last week. Where's our Apple Store? [More Apple Store Glasgow coverage and pics here and here.]

Palm cancels the Foleo. Palm has been dead to me for years. They simply stopped innovating.

Three months on

It's been three months since but I still can't believe I lost 27,000 pesos on a few bottles of beer.

I've been having a lot of regrets lately.

This is just one of them.

It does pyrotechnics, too.

The iPhone goes boom.

17 year old earning $70,000 a month on her website.

Ashley Qualls has already made more than $1 million on her website, WhateverLife.com. She's also rejected a $1.5 million buyout. Her site gets 7 million visitors per day and 60 million page views. Read the Case of a Teenage Millionaire.

You can get rich with a a little time, a lot of programming talent and the web. Oh, passion and dedication, too. Let's not forget that.

Quick and dirty review.

Was down.

In the pits.

Empty.

Blackhole-ville.

Thankfully my hommes obliged me for a night of gluttony.

Chattee mentioned an eat all you can greaseless chicken for 95 pesos and I was in the right mood to indulge myself. Where was this? It was at Damosa and the place? Q.

7:00PM.

Out of the house from wallowing in self-pity and misery and quickly went to S. Ah. Another of those blackholes. Later on that. Grabbed C and SMS'd J. Drove to Q like a bat out of hell. Q turned out to be Quantum.

Got there. No Jude. Where's the buffet?

Well, it wasn't really much of a buffet. Served a quarter of a chicken and given another as soon as the previous one was all but bones.

Tasty. Hot. Somewhat greaseless. Started out with a spoon and a fork but soon relented and chose my fingers as my weapons of choice. In the middle of my second quartered chicken, Jude arrived.

All in all, we Three were satisfied. Jude ate a whole chicken while I had 3 and a half and Chattee had 2 and a half.

The dinner went swimmingly with 14 bottles of San Mig Light and DNA.

DNA?

DNA was the acoustic duo who played tonight. "D" and Ariel (I forget what "D" means). Maroon 5, Matchbox20, Jason Mraz, etc. It was a good night to be out to flush away some of those dark things that made me ill today. Daisy came by later after the chicken have been gobbled up. Still it was nice to see her join the group albeit a little late.

The moon was also out tonight. Few strands of fluffy clouds didn't spoil the fact it was such a nice night tonight.

Unlimited greaseless chicken for 95 pesos, 5+2 beer for 200, DNA, and friends. Great way to spend an evening.

Thanks, guy and gals.

Let's not look at another chicken for a few weeks, ok? 'Cept for Daisy.

By the way, the unlimited chicken is only available from 8 to 10 nightly. Not sure about anything before. I'm sure there is.

Thanks.

My world's right again. Thanks for Chattee, Daisy and Jude.

That's after unlimited greaseless chicken and 2 buckets of brewski.

Thanks, y'all.