Halloween News Prep

Pelosi's Health Care Plan

My thoughts: I think the house did a great job of pleasing both sides of the party, though I think the surtax on the wealthy is going to put some added pressure on the GOP to push back on the plan.

Google&Motorola Open Verizon to new ideas via Droid

Me: I think the Droid is going to send a shockwave through the AT&T world, with customers hoping to gain everything they're "lacking" with the iPhone. A shockwave that may be short-lived and underpowered. Once people realize the glamor of the Droid is merely glamor and the integrated GPS with turn-by-turn directions isn't quite worth the switch... Droid will go into the Palm Pre category and fizzle out.

Cnet's review makes my case. Lots of cool, nothing ground (or iPhone) breaking.

Bing's homepage is pretty this morning.

Swine Flu epidemic triggers mass response from SanFran women and children

Me: I think taking precautions and having a regulations system (see "who gets the vaccine first) is imperative in times like this. I think the general Swine Flu paranoia is there, but not too many people (at least in our region) are panicky about the outbreak. Personally, I'm not too worried, at least, I won't worry until I need to.

Other news (not worth linking to, but worth knowing):

~ China gets the iPhone, costing at or around $700/unit.

~ MJ's "This is is" gets IMAX attention

~ Secretary Hillary Clinton is urging Pakistan to join forces with the US mentioning "joint concerns over terrorism"

~ Consumer spending was down in September, but the economy shows major signs of rebounding.

Overweight Antivirus?

If you're like me and cringe when your anti-virus icon notifies you that it's starting a "full scan," then you may be happy to hear the phrase "Cloud Antivirus." InfoSec 2009 brought around some great ideas, but to me, the coolest (and most useful, of course) is a bamboo eating virus killer. Panda Security has recently released it's Panda Cloud Anti-Virus software. Lightweight and stable, Panda does most of it's processing on the cloud (aka - Panda's internal servers). Installation proves that there's a tiny sliver of space used on your harddrive and running it up is smooth and quick. The idea of constant connection with a server gives me a sense of security regarding viruses that can update and modify themselves according to which PC it's attacking.

Try it out, tell me what you think. And oh yeah, the kicker? It's free.

Republican no more

Senator Arlen Specter has announced that he will be leaving the dark side, er, the Republican party and joining the Democrats saying:

"I now find my political philosophy more in line with Democrats than Republicans,"

 This change brings the Democratic party one stop closer, and only one senator short, of being able to overturn Republican attempts to block legislation.

Swine Flu widespread

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control said on Tuesday it had confirmed a total of 64 human cases of swine flu across the country.

The CDC's web site said the new total included 10 cases in California, 2 in Kansas, 45 in New York, one in Ohio and 6 in Texas. It did not include an additional case reported by Indiana state authorities.

Verizon vs. AT&T; Apple vs. Microsoft

This battle was bound to happen. Apple has in the works not one, but two devices that would work on Verizon’s wireless network. The two companies have been in talks for some time. Not to worry, big bidder Microsoft is opening a dialogue as well:

Microsoft Corp. is in discussions with Verizon Wireless to launch a touch-screen multimedia cellphone on the carrier's network early next year, in a bid to compete with Apple Inc.'s iPhone, people familiar with the matter say.

Microsoft's project, which is code-named "Pink," is aiming to produce a phone that extends the tech giant's Windows Mobile cellphone operating system, adding new software capabilities. It would also likely include Microsoft's new Windows Marketplace for Mobile, a mobile application store along the lines of Apple's, these people say.

WOLVERINE

You may not be a crazy X-Men fan like I am, but this newest film is on track to be a big blockbuster hit. After it’s premier in Arizona, the Wolverine hype is up full throttle – pairing with the Swine flu that kept theaters in Mexico from opening, thus stopping Hugh Jackman’s premier showings there.  To top it all off, a surprise ending will be shown after the credits run (no surprise unless they give Xavier his body back). This time, though, there’s a twist. There is more than one surprise ending. The catch: The different endings appear on different cuts of the film, meaning – if you wanna see all of the endings, you’ll have to see the movie at different theaters, at different times. Cool marketing strategy and money-making scheme, huh.

 

 

 

 

Board With Ad Games

In recent months we've seen Apple ad-vomit all over Microsoft using the "I'm a mac" slogan, we've seen Microsoft step it up and take an offensive stance with it's 'Lauren goes shopping' game. Ford is sexier than ever, while Dells are getting slimmer. When it comes to consumer's choice, advertising campaigns couldn't be more -- in your face and I have to admit, I love it.

Don't hide that you think you're better than someone else by proclaiming, "I'm the best." Get out and flaunt it by saying, "I'm better than you, you, you, you.... and you."

Chess looks better than ever.

                                   

PRE-liminary Buzz

Waaaay too much is going on in the mobile world for one to sit down and ask themselves: What am I going to buy next? How could you; you’ve been bombarded by commercials, reviews, billboards, applications, your neighbor’s opinions, and of course Google Ad Targeting. 

Now, the question of “what’s currently best for me?”, isn’t current at all. Palm and Sprint have teamed up to unleash the largest – pre-release gossip frenzy known to modern technology. iPhone rumors? Puh-leeez. If Sprint has its way, people will be "hype"ing the Pre, "Facebook"ing it, "tweet"ing it, and "whatever"ing it left and right. 

While the Palm Pre looks gorgeous and may very well be in line to dominate the smartphone market (highly-unlikely), they should be aware that what little buzz accumulated for the Blackberry Storm backfired like picking Sarah Palin as a vice-presidential candidate. 

I couldn't even keep their advertisments out of my blog-post.

"This is a civil rights issue. Civil rights don't wait for the right time."

New York Gov. David Paterson on Thursday introduced a bill to allow gay marriage in the state, likening the effort to civil rights struggles and brushing aside objections from religious leaders.

If the bill becomes law, New York will follow Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont and Iowa in legalizing gay marriage, but the effort is expected to face resistance in the state Senate.

Paterson, who said he was christened a Catholic, said gay marriage is the "right way" from a spiritual standpoint.

So Make it Into A Phone

Some images of the new Zune by Microsoft "leaked" (I'm sorry, but if Microsoft wanted to hide something, it would not only be hidden, but there would be something in it's stead to divert your attention completely) recently, giving us a first-look @ the design and features of what will be the next Champion to take on the iPod. The new Zune HD will have a 3.6-inch OLED touchscreen with capacitive multi-touch support. Nvidia's Tegra chip will power the Zune HD, and we think it might be the new Tegra 600 series announced in mid-February at the Mobile World Congress 2009. 

Now, add a 2-year agreement, number pad, and cellular functionality, and I'm game.

Windows vs. Mac OS - The Neverending Story

Though this is hardly a German fantasy novel, Michael Ende may find similarities between his book and the progression of Microsoft’s Windows and Apples Mac OS. The two systems share a common lineage, of sorts. Windows was released in 1985 and was at least inspired (if not copied) from the earliest Mac OS, which Microsoft had access to as a Mac software developer. What makes them so different? Which would Bastian steal? To me, it’s user experience and ONLY user experience. Both systems can perform their duties and perform them well. One makes beautiful transitions and puts extra emphasis on creating an esthetically pleasing affair for the user; while the other makes sure the user knows what’s going on, how well the process is progressing, at what rate, etc.

What does this say about making a choice? Which one is better? Falkor isn’t going to guide you this time, but the answer is obvious --- user. You, the user, need to decide what category of Operating System User you are. Do you need the behind the scenes, or do your scenes need to be pulchritudinous? Do you want the software choices to be guided by your hardware choice? To put this rivalry to rest (though the title: The Story That Ends At Some Point would be no fun) I say: Make up your mind, you'll be happy either way.

Read more about OSouls here.

Spring is Underway

Feeling a little down, under the weather, but have an inkling that it's all in your head? Well as the seasons change and the weather becomes less and less constant a multitude of changes take place in your body that creates changes in the mind. History of bad allergies? Beware of manic depression. Sounds a little strange, but take a minute to look and it all makes sense. While allergies have their usual symptoms, people suffering will endure a host of other less concrete symptoms, including irritability, mood changes, fatigue and even depression.

In recent years, allergists have begun working with psychologists to better understand why the "allergy blues" occur, and the answer — immune system proteins or just a lack of sleep, or possibly a combination of the two – is still up for debate. Read a doctor response to someone suffering from depression and you may find that you have similar feelings.

Advances in April

Vermont joins Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Iowa

"It's amazing to be a part of a civil rights movement and it's amazing to realize the power that people have to make a better world," Beth Robinson

With a 100-49 vote, Vermont became the first state to legalize gay marriage by way of legislature vote. While Gov. Jim Douglas' veto stood as a daunting reminder that there is no easy way to make groundbreaking changes, the people of Vermont, supported by their representatives, achieved the votes necessary to override Douglas' veto. ~Gays and lesbians will be able to marry as early as September 1st.~

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Actor Kal Penn in the White House?

Kal Penn, aka the doobie toting stoner (Harold &Kumar) or Dr. Kutner (House) is giving up acting to become the associate director at the Office of Public Liaison. His role: Help Obama and his administration get in with various arts and entertainment groups while simultaneously giving an edge to Obama's appearance to the Asian and Pacific Islander communities. (Source: AP)

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GM Puma

Personal Urban Mobility & Accessibility - I thought GM was gonna quit the auto industry and take over the development of the very shoes I'm wearing --- such is not the case. GM has recently released a Segway prototype (in NY) that can move up to two people, 35 miles @ speeds up to 35 mph.

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When iTunes makes a change, everyone notices.

The music download giant has decided to raise the prices of some of it's top songs from the standard $0.99 to $1.29. Quickly following, Amazon and Wal-Mart have newly priced some of their songs to $1.29 and $1.24 respectively. Wal-Mart has also changed the price of some of the less popular songs to as low as $0.64. Leave it to Wal-Mart to provide "Everyday (only possible through monopolization, foreign product sourcing, & resistance to union representation) Low Prices" -- but that's another blog.

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Dem. Mike Quigley Wins Chicago's 5th Congressional District Seat

In short: Republican Rosanna Pulido did not win. Want more details? Click here.

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Acura ZDX

Sounds cool, but will the new hatchback CRX inspired, BMW X6 lookalike save Honda Motor Co.'s luxury line from dropping with the rest of the automaking industry? I kinda like it, as of now. I'll keep you posted as this concept makes its way through the auto-shows and onto the sales floor. (Click for Photo Gallery)

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Eruptions, Beef, and Birth Control

Your news, Today:

Science/Technology

~ With a halo of controversy and skepticism, the "Volcano Monitoring" fund was approved in Pres. Obama's stimulus package. Last night, we were sent a message in regard to just how important that fund is. Alaska's Mount Redoubt shot five explosive bursts of ash and steam as far as 9 miles into the air causing flights in and out of Anchorage International to be halted. Some may say, no big deal, but the USGS monitors this volcano closely so as to keep the twenty thousand passengers that fly over top of the volcano each day... safe.

Business

~ While Carnival Cruise lines are showing a net gain in their first quarter profits - after cutting ticket prices as well as employees - Airlines are facing steep losses , across the globe. The IATA (International Air Transport Association) projected a "red ink" sum of $2.5 billion, but (as reality would have it) actual losses are closer to $4.7 billion. 

Health

~ The FDA is under orders by a US Court (NY's Eastern District Court) to reconsider the un-prescribed use of TheMorning After Pill . Currently the push has expanded the use of the morning after pill to 17-year olds without the requirement of a prescription. What does Obama have to say - not much other than reiterating his pledge to restore reliance on science in making decisions about health.

~ Eating too much red meat may - well - kill you. The United States National Cancer Institute found significant evidence in a recent study that links red meat and processed meats (such as sausage or processed beef) to increased 
risks of not only cancer and heart disease, but Alzheimer's, stomach ulcers, and other problems, as well. Scary part - "too much" is as little as a quarter pound hamburger or a small pork chop, both of which put you into the "increased risk" category, if eaten daily. --- Thankfully, chicken and fish aren't known contributors.

Politics

~ President Barack Obama pressed global leaders in a written message Tuesday to take "bold, comprehensive and coordinated" steps against the debilitating recession. Is this an act of desperation? Hardly. Is it affecting his ratings? Zogby thinks so ... but no one else does. After all, it's a Zogby poll. His ratings may be on the rise when people hear about the steps he's taking to increase Mexican Border Patrol . $700 million dollars are being spent to "beef up" the border law enforcement and crime prevention. Narkotraffickers beware.  

~ AIG debacle places Tim Geithner under the guillotine . Congress reams Geithner for not knowing about AIG bonuses (which are in the multi-million dollar category) well in advance. Protesters are told to "act their age" and plans for how to deal with it continue to stagnate. Good news: 9 of the 10 TOP recipients of bonuses have agreed to give ALL of their bonuses back. 

In Lighter News!

Vermont's Senate just voted overwhelmingly to convert their civil unions law into a civil marriage law . The tally was by an astonishing 26 - 4 margin, easily outside the range of the governor's veto, were he to go there (it's not clear yet whether he will). The House is now considering the bill and is expected to pass it. If the bill becomes law, Vermont would be the first state to legalize marriage equality by legislative action, the best route in my view. Yes people, Gay Marriage!

iPhone 3.0 Revealed!

My Compiled List of upcoming iPhone 3.0 Features:

 

~ MMS - now users can send contact info, audio files, location, and yes, pictures via multimedia messaging

 

~ Cut, Copy, and Paste - it's about --- time. Double tap prompts for cut/copy/paste, and a rang

e selector to pinch wider or smaller.

 

~ An integrated iPhone search that will allow you to use keywords to search your iPhone for stored items, contacts, messages, emails, etc.

 

~ Stereo Bluetooth Audio as well as iP2iP Bluetooth data transfer

 

~ Read and compose email and texts in Landscape Mode

 

~ PUSH Notification

 

~ Multiple photo select in Photo App. to embed into a single email.

 

~ Voice Memo application - save memos to your phone or send them via email/MMS! 

 

~ Shake to shuffle, iPhone notes sync with iTunes, WiFi Auto-Login, and more...

(( NOTE: iPhone 3.0 will be released this Summer; free for current iPhone holders  - - - all features available on the iPhone 3G, while some features (stereo bluetooth) will not be available on the original iPhone))

March 17th, In Brief

My attempt to address some of the concerns and issues that we've been wondering about -- as

 well as an update on current events.

Government Affairs:

• AIG bonuses were set to be paid because the contracts were "created and signed BEFORE the bailout money was given or considered." Congress wasn't having it. Your concern and mine addressed here: New Bill. 
• Obama's ratings have slipped a whopping 5%. Biden has his back , do you?

Technology:

• Apple's mysterious chip in the new iPod Shuffle (<---- a complete disaster) is explained as being "a mundane control chip ." Also stated: The iPod will have "a lot" of headphones made available.
• Dell has recently released a new laptop donned "MacBook killer" in the form of the new Adamo . I think it's sexy, many think it's irresponsible of Dell to release a $2000 fashion conscious laptop, during a recession. 
• Will Newspapers become extinct? Seattle P-I thinks so. 
• Disappointed in the HTC G1 phone? Who wasn't? Well, several NEW HTC smartphones with Google's Andriod Platform are scheduled to hit the market.

Local:

• The local AIDS/HIV epidemic has been explained further ... finding that Black Men and people between the ages of 40 and 49 are being hit the hardest. 

Anything you heard about, are curious about, but didn't see here? Let me know and I'll rally up the info.

Google to the rescue: Task Complete

A new web based application by Google for the iPhone (and Andriod) has brought seamless syncronization of tasks between the Gmail Task list and the iPhone. 

Using the task manager on Gmail is a result of a Google Labs "experiment" that loads a simple Task List box in your Gmail window. Users can then add to-dos to their list, complete with "Notes" and a "Due Date." Upon completion a user can cross through a task, to see what he or she has already completed, and later "clear completed tasks" to do just that.

Using Google's new web-based Tasks application, a user can view and edit their task list on-the-go from their web phone (currently iPhone and Android). This iPhone optimized site is simple, but elegant, (more elegant than the Full Sized Gmail Task List) and allows a user to view the tasks they've entered using Gmail or view their iPhone tasks using their PC. 

Finished with a task? Use your iPhone to mark it off and rest assurred that wherever you have internet access, your Google Task list will be updated.

What's the hold up, Apple?

Thank you Google.