Desktops in Decline

Today my posting will return to normalcy. It turns out that all my ACL-related posts resulted in my being featured in a bigger blog, so thanks to them for the plug because it would explain the strange surge in my visitor traffic over the past day. The nerdy topic for today is a notable trend in laptops rising over desktop computers. This shouldn't really be too surprising, especially as a lot more college students than in previous years are delving into the world of laptops as they get cheaper. The desktop will always be important for those who need more power behind their machines, like game freaks, and those who aren't tech-savvy enough to understand the intricacies of a laptop. Plus, laptops carry a higher risk with security, especially over wireless networks. I can see the drive for mobility though, and I just wonder if laptops will ever reach the kind of steep decline in prices as desktops did just a few years ago.

Today actually marks Google's 7th anniversary, and I guess that's why they didn't show at their own company night at UT today! Quite a disappointment from Google and I'll be looking more seriously at Apple, Goldman Sachs, and Amazon.com instead of them as a result of that annoyance. The struggle over the next generation of DVDs is even crazier now that Microsoft and Intel have joined the Toshiba camp for the HD-DVD. That's a pretty heavy weight to counteract Sony, but the battle is still a toss-up this early. An even bigger concern is that the MPAA is getting even sneakier now in how they put the broadcast flag into legislation to get it passed in Congress, but I'm glad that organizations like EFF are doing their best to call them out.

I'm just going to hit the high points in the movie news. The winner in this past weekend's box office was Flightplan at $24.6 million with Tim Burton's Corpse Bride following closely behind with $20.1 million. Both of those figures are impressive considering recent trends and how slow this month usually is, especially since Corpse Bride is animated. Kirsten Dunst rattled some cages when she revealed that the villains for Spider-man 3 will be Venom and Sandman indeed played by Topher Grace and Thomas Haden Church. I find it strange that her PR rep approved her remark since it hadn't been previously revealed, and now I just find the casting odd for the roles. There are now two possibilities for the Batman Begins sequels: 'Batman Attacks' and 'Batman Strikes', but there are likely others we don't know about. I think the latter would work better, but I'm sure they could think of something cooler than that. AICN has two solid reviews of Good Night and Good Luck, and the movie sounds as awesome as I hoped. I'll leave you with some Harry-Hermione lovin':



This weeks' Ten on Tuesday is way too hard, so I'm going for the Tuesday Twosome:

What are the last two...

1. TV shows you watched?
Seinfeld and The Simpsons.

2. household chores you finished?
I washed dishes an hour ago and did laundry last night. Chores are the big drawback of living in an apartment.

3. food items you ate?
An Andes mint and my dinner (rice with egg curry, which I made).

4. websites (before here) you visited?
See the last two movie sites I linked above.

5. things you do before you go to sleep?
Make my bed and put on my retainer (I had braces a few years ago).