iTunes News Takes Over

The sun came out today! I'm sure that many of you up north would think this weird, but people in Texas start worrying when they don't see the sun for an entire week! It's like walking around one day only to find no cars on the roads. My Computer Architecture was difficult, as I expected, but I feel like I did well overall (especially compared to others) so we'll see what happens when the curve comes around. I definitely tried my hardest. It's a bit strange how much of today's news was related to Apple, so I figured that I may as well pick one to talk about as my main topic: iTunes. Some dude in Michigan ended up buying the one billionth song from iTunes (it was "Speed of Sound" so he has good taste) and gets a new iMac, several iPods, a lifetime's worth of free music, and more. This is as good a time as any for iTunes to make another evolutionary step (the last being in October with music videos and TV shows), and one small thing is the ability to buy iPods straight from iTunes. Not exhilarated yet? Well what about the prospect of buying movies from iTunes, which would really need a new name if they did so because it's getting farther and farther from "tunes." There's no doubt that more Intel-related stuff will come out of their little event next Tuesday, but they could be looking towards offering movies. I know what you're thinking: who wants to watch Crash on that dinky iPod screen? Well, what if this is to set up the release of a touch screen iPod (i.e. full screen, no click wheel) for their 30 year anniversary? Given his close ties to Disney now, Jobs could probably squeeze some content from them and then if it does well have more of it for sale by April. We don't have anything concrete to derive this from (you can't trust analysts that much), but it's still a fun thought.

Steve Wozniak actually had a few words to say to one online magazine about Apple's direction, and it appears that his vision is quite different from the other Steve. He thinks they should go back to focusing on computers, not iPods, and he's not thrilled with this Intel switch (wake up Woz, Motorola doesn't rule the roost anymore). It just makes you wonder what it would be like if he still cared to help run the company. Macworld has an introductory review on the MacBook Pro, and it just has a few benchmarks for those of you dying to know as well as further approval of Rosetta as working well. I wonder how long before people start bemoaning nitty gritty things? The MacBook is still in its honeymoon period, for now. Sony has quietly announced that they're going to be launching online services for the PS3 first in Asia, and it's called Wa! PS3, which may sound weird but it's very much geared towards Asian consumers. Apparently, you'll be able to download games to your console (assuming you get a hard drive, I guess), and of course they just had to push that it would be "better than the Xbox 360's features." For anyone who is bemoaning the tech job market as being weak, eat this biatch. The market is very much alive and kicking (which I've known for a while now, but reinforcement is nice), and only people who aren't experienced don't get jobs; it's not because Indians are stealing them. Lastly, one blogger put up a rather vehement argument against HD DVD players and is quite riled up about the AACS copyright protection protocol. I agree with him: if they can change the rules of how it works and what content you can get (and actually "own") after the fact, then that's a total ripoff. If you read the comments for that post, you'll find more reasons to be pissed off (such as remote deauthorization), don't worry.

If that teaser picture (not poster, picture) from Spider-man 3 doesn't make you want to jump up and down, then you're probably not a Spidey fan. This could be trying to following newer issues of the series where he starts getting darker powers, or it could be Venom, of course. It's not a filter, it's a black and white costume, and it looks kickass. Warner Brothers has announced that they will be moving forward with sequels to Batman Begins and Superman Returns with their original directors, and they're targeting 2008 and 2009 release dates. Let the excitement and casting rumors begin! Moviefone has a clip from V for Vendetta where Natalie Portman's character gets her head shaved, and I'll warn you that it may be too intense for teenage boys used to seeing her, you know, with hair. I hope she lets it grow back! Inside Line has a clip from Cars themselves, but I still can't really get into this movie. IGN claims to have a new trailer from Silent Hill, but I think it's the same one as before. In any case, they do have a set visit, which only serves to make me want to see it even more. Lastly, Adam Sandler's next movie has lost its director, which is sad because I was hoping to see him in a better role than his usual fare. Actually, the director supposedly left because Sandler wanted it to be like his other movies, which I think is getting kind of tiresome.

Now for the 3x Thursday:

1. Name 3 projects you'd like to accomplish (they could be anything).
I'd like to create a map application for UT (kind of like mapquest so you can find the best route between classes), revamp the NSC site, and learn Python.

2. If you could plan a lengthy trip/vacation, where would you go and what would you do?
I would probably go to London and just take in the city. I'd have to do a lot of touristy stuff. If I wanted to just go somewhere to have a lot of laxed fun, I'd head to India with my cousins to chill with our other cousins.

3. If you could start (and keep up) 3 hobbies, what would they be? Why?
I'd love to play football, bake deserts (I don't care how gay it sounds, I have a sweet tooth), and I'd like to take up dance classes and learn more moves.

Bonus Question: Do you believe that you live your life the way you want to/have always dreamed of/etc? Why/Why not?
I do think so, but I think I'm too early to much about it right now. All I can do is continue to get good internships so that I can start off at a great job right out of college, and try dating rather than studying for ridiculously hard tests.