The Incipient OS Battle

As I've mentioned before, Apple and Microsoft and both coming out with new OSes. Well, Apple's is just an upgrade of Panther, but Microsoft's will be totally new and is aiming for a winter 2006 release. I guess it's unfair to compare them, but that's what's going to be happening in computer labs and parents' garages nationwide so I thought I'd have a kickoff post to commemorate it since there are coincidentally two previews of the platforms today. I was pretty excited about Tiger a couple of days ago when I got a hold of the hard details, but then I read this review only to find out that maybe my confidence was unfounded. It's not because the software is crappy, but rather because it's an over-hyped and over-priced update. If it was like $20 or even $50 it may be worthwhile, but given the bigger changes to it I think that the smarter consumers will wait for OSX 11. Dashboard is just like Konfabulator, but Spotlight is something new and I think that by OSX 11 it'll be refined to the point of awesomeness. To counter, M$ is bringing out something that may hit the spot. Their problem has always been moving the product out before it was really ripe, but they sound like they are trying to avoid that (I know, they could be BSing). Longhorn looks like it'll really be something new. They're bragging about a search system that will be better than Spotlight, and they may actually be right because they'll actually have virtual folders to continuously store the search results as they develop later on. There's also the better system of permissions that I mentioned in an earlier post and a more efficient file system. Are they really capable of making a product to redeem their name of buggy software? It depends on how serious they are about it, but they can dominate if they do (I mean among nerds, not just in sales).

There are a few other bits of technology news. Google has done it again: they've made their search engine even more intuitive. Now you can enter a tracking number or patent number into the search bar and it will try to link you directly to the right place. It sounds useless, but I've bough stuff online where the seller will tell me the wrong shipping venue and it's just annoying to have to try like 3 different sites for one tracking number. Raytheon, a company some people have actually told me to work for because they think every other company outsources, is working on a technology similar to that displayed in Minority Report with the gloves navigating the computer screen. I think it's funny that a movie predicting the future may help create it. If you think satellite imagery is as neat as I do, you'll like this article about Easter eggs found in the pictures such as the set up for a Burning Man festival and a bombing in Baghdad. Lastly, I thought that this new polymer was pretty crazy because it can change shape and then return to its former shape upon exposure to UV rays, which could mean big things for medicine.

It's getting late so I'm gonna do a quick run through of the movie news. I've been excited about Domino for several reasons I won't bother rehashing *cough*Richard Kelly*cough* and some lucky bastard got to see an early screening and lived to tell about it. It sounds like a good production getting better. Peter Jackson has kept a tight schedule for King Kong and he got so tired that he enlisted the help of Bryan Singer! I think that's really random but cool that he got Singer to come in on such short notice. Stephen King is approaching retirement, and now his sons are working on a screenplay called Fade Away about a detective in purgatory, which sounds cool but I wish they'd write some novels to get a name for themselves first rather than riding daddy's coattails. The world is slowly catching wind of Aishwarya Rai and she's landed another Bollywood movie called Saamna. She's not the best actress we've got, but she's damn gorgeous. I think I have more faith in Lucy Liu than most people because of her performance in Kill Bill, so I wanted to mention that she'll be in Sam Raimi's Rise. It's a vampire flick and I think she can handle the image. The dude who does the voice of Solid Snake, David Hayter, has penned the best version of Iron Man and it's now in production with some plot details here. And on a great final note, there's yet another Batman Begins poster out featuring my favorite hottie (guess which one it is):



Just a few quick list things. Amazon is aiming to make its way into DVD rental service with a partnership rather than a freshly made one. I wonder how big Amazon will be before it takes over the world? Fears in economic growth has spurned the lowest stock levels of the year. The stock market can be so fickle, and this is hard proof of it.

Now for the Friday Fiver meme:

1. Who inspires you?
I'm going to have to go with my parents on this one. Coming to this country and starting off with a minimum wage job is pretty crazy. They've provided so much for us from so little and that kind of drive and dedication is what keeps me aiming for the best grade humanly possible.

2. Who disappoints you?
Besides George W. Bush you mean? I think people who take for granted what they have. There were people at my high school I don't want to name, but they had so much talent they just wasted because they felt they had enough money already.

3. Who makes you angry?
My answer to this is also high school related. First of all, my Physics teacher for screwing me over though he knows I didn't actually cheat on his final. He was really just pissed because I said that he was full of crap in my AIM profile. And second of all, someone from my high school who tried to manipulate people to get what he wanted and at one point made fun of my speech impediment. I'm glad I'm Christian, or some bad stuff would've happened because that's not cool. And finally, Boran, who informed me that all Indian people are ugly. Again, glad I'm Christian.

4. Who makes you laugh?
Lots of people, but mainly my cousins, my brother, and my close friends. Doesn't narrow it down much, huh? Well I'm a very well-humored person so I laugh easy.

5. Who do you love?
Lots of people once again. Essentially all my friends and family. By friends I mean people who I keep in consistent contact with and didn't just meet like a month ago or something. People who I've formed relationships with that are just really cool.