Merry Christmas To All

The Bubble Cometh

Great Video from FSJ warning of the next Silicon Valley bubble burst. Very well done:

Eat Well!

Holiday Spirit

Congrats Joe, Good Luck Joe

After yet another frustrating baseball season for Yankee fans, it is official; Joe Girardi will be the successor to Joe Torre, as the new Yankee manager. While I am sad to see Torre go, I could not be more pleased with Steinbrenner's decision to hire Girardi over Mr. Baseball, Don Mattingly. While Mattingly was one of the greatest first basemen and hitters for the Bronx Bombers, he does not have the fiery and motivational attitude that Girardi has (in my opinion, of course). Girardi will provide the necessary spark to turn the Yankee's around and that may be exactly what the Yankees need next season. While I have nothing but praise and respect for Joe Torre, I think he was tired of the front office B.S. and pressure handed down from the Steinbrenner family, and think it was time for a change. Torre is rumored to be the next Dodger manager, replacing Grady Little. How nice would a Yankees/Dodgers World Series be? Just like back in the Tommy Lasorda/Billy Martin days...Good Luck to both Joes, and on a side note; adios A-Rod. Hope the $ was worth it.

Durango Concierge

I have been spending a great deal of time building my new business, Durango Concierge, which I am excited to grow. Durango Concierge provides property management, second-home watchdog service, personal assistance, caretaking, and errand services to residents of Durango, Colorado and the Four Corners Area. It is my goal to become the go-to guy in Durango to take care of the little things in life that slow people down.

While I have spent many intimate hours with iWeb '08 creating my website, I am having trouble creating a polished banner that is eye-catching and classy. If there is anybody out there reading this blog who is quick with Photoshop, who might assist me in creating a nice banner? Any input or help would be much appreciated. Thank you in advance.

Pre-Order Leopard

To pre-order Mac OS X Leopard, click the picture of Steve Jobs explaining how 'awesome' and really 'incredible' and 'how excited we are' and this is the best 'we' have ever done. The fact is he is usually right. Leopard has some pretty cool features. See all 300 new features here. The price for the new Mac operating system is $129 for single user and $199 for family 5-pack. See Steve explain the pricing and a stab at Vista's ridiculous multiple versions here. From the ads, Leopard appears to be visually amazing, but functionally, it offers some great tools. I am particularly excited for Spaces which cleans up the Desktop, and the new Finder seems very simple and efficient. Time Machine for backing up seems very simple and important, but we'll see just how easy it is to use on October 26th. The wait for Leopard is almost over and I personally can't wait to try it out. Enjoy.

Vista Sucks

Fake Steve, despite his 'outing' a month or so ago, is still funnier than ever and still hatin' on Microsoft. Check out this pretty funny video from Blimp.TV bashing Vista. Does anyone like Vista??:

Farewell, Miss Moneypenny

Miss Moneypenny, the loyal and seductive secretary to Chief M in the James Bond movies, died at the age of 80. While Miss Moneypenny was not the 'standard' Bond girl, she appeared in 14 Bond films, and was as key a role as the gadget guy, Q. I think most fans of the spy films secretly wanted to see a saucy scene between 007 and the old secretary, but, that thought is soon erased as soon as Pussy Galore or one of the million other Bond girls hits the big screen. Despite the fact that Miss Moneypenny never earned a centerfold in the Bond's girls calendars, she was a memorable and likeable character in the greatest spy movies of all time. Farewell, Miss Moneypenny.

iTunes Competition

Sorry for the sporadic postings, but in a whirlwind at the moment. But, some interesting news in the tech world today, as Amazon has released Amazon MP3; a DRM-free music store, with downloads costing only $.89 to $.99 per song and albums from $5.99-$9.99. Remember, these are all DRM-free, which means you can use them how you like and on any MP3 player (yes, there are others besides the iPod). You can purchase music much like in iTunes, and send them right to iTunes or Windows Media Player (yes, some people actually still use WMP). The sight was just released, so I have not played around on it too much, but, knowing Amazon, it is probably done right.

Tech Sarcasm

You Go Firefox!

From Techcrunch, Firefox has been downloaded over 400 million times over the past three years! That is a pretty impressive feat. Do you think people are getting tired of Internet Explorer? I am convinced that the only people still using IE are those who have no clue that they are allowed to have another browser on their Compaq Presarios purchased at Wal-Mart. For those with a clue, Firefox is truly a great browser that is safe, reliable, and with endless add-ons to do whatever you need. I do feel a little sorry for Opera, which is actually faster than both Firefox and IE, and really a slick browser, but, my allegiance is to Firefox. Although I use a Mac, Safari is merely an afterthought to me, and frankly, I do not feel bad for Apple on this, as their other products dominate my computing experience. Firefox has earned its respect, and it is nice to see that the world is finally catching on to the fact that Microsoft products really do suck, and there are alternatives out there. Although it seems impossible that Microsoft will ever crumble completely, I am convinced that the Redmond gang is a little nervous these days with their current state of affairs in terms of appeal to the masses. People are tired of clunky apps and constant reboots, and kudos to Firefox for providing a browser that works and is actually fun to use. IE will soon be the minority in market share, and MS deserves it for making such crappy products for so long.

Experience Windows on a Mac

Harvard Bound

Via Fake Steve (yes, I am still reading Fake Steve's Blog), this is for a little lightness to your day. It's pretty funny:

Deezer

New, legit, legal, and free streaming music on demand from Deezer(formerly BlogMusik.net). Very similar to Pandora and Last.FM, but Deezer allows you to choose who you listen to and like Pandora, will play similar artists with 'Smart Playlists'. I have only played around on Deezer.com for a little bit, but it is fast and has a nice, simple design that seems to work effortlessly. It also has a cool feature called Blog and Share where you can embed a Deezer player on your blog or website and share streaming songs. Deezer is not a download site, but a great way to check out full albums on demand before you purchase, or for just listening to while at your computer. Deezer is a French site who had many legal hoops to jump through, but apparently they have won the legal battle (for now) and it is up and running. Check out a more in-depth review at TechCrunch, or sign-up for free at Deezer and start enjoying some good tunes while browsing. Enjoy.

Scooter Remembered

Phil Rizzuto, aka Scooter, died yesterday at age 89. Scooter played for the Yanks before my time, but remember loving him as an announcer. Scooter was famous for saying "Holy Cow" when something exciting happened in a game, and don't forget his cameo on Meatloaf's 'Paradise by the Dashboard Light'. Truly a classy and fun guy, Phil Rizutto will be remembered as a Yankee legend. Never Take Anything For Nuthin...

Gmail Toolbox

One of my new favorite places to get caught up on news and tidbits of tech information is the social news network, Mashible. From, Mashible is a great list of resources for my favorite email program, Gmail. This is a comprehensive list of all things Gmail and tools and hacks to beef-up the already impressive email program. Enjoy.

Apple Media Event

Once again, Mac fans are eagerly awaiting yet another 'keynote' address from the real Steve Jobs today in an Apple media event that is dedicated to 'Mac-related' announcements. The rumor mill is confident that the new brushed metal iMacs will be released with a new sleak look guaranteed to Wow the computer world and blow away the competition. Also anticipated is a much-needed update to the fairly lame dot-mac service that Apple currently charges $99/year membership. This is a highly criticized service that has seemingly been ignored for many years and the cost of membership does not justify the rewards. Steve Jobs has publicly acknowledged the need for an overhaul and the rumors believe today is the day for the unveiling of a revised dot-mac that may justify the price. My fingers are crossed. Other announcements could include iLife '08 and iWork '08 overhauls. Once again, Steve has us all in his grips and credit cards are ready to go. Hold on to your hats, today could be a good day for Mac-faithfuls...

Fake Steve Revealed

Well, it is official: Fake Steve Jobs has finally been exposed; see here. Brad Stone from the New York Times is getting the credit for spoiling the fun and revealing that Fake Steve is really Daniel Lyons, a senior editor at Forbes Magazine. Fake Steve posted his response to the expose of his real identity and sounded surprised that it has taken this long for someone to figure it out. Is this the end of the Fake Steve blog? I would have to think it must be, but I am sure there will be some good spin-offs. All good things have to end, but hats off to Lyons who is obviously a talented guy. Well done. To watch the video interview with Daniel Lyons discussing the outing, see here.

500 & 755

Congratulations to A-Rod and Barry Bonds for 500 and 755 home runs today. Alex Rodriguez became the youngest player at 32 years old to hit 500 home runs and Barry Bonds tied Hank Aaron's 755 home run record that many believed would never be broken. Both sluggers have faced endless criticism by fans and the media, but their accomplishments should be appreciated and respected by all fans of the game. Kudos to both for the milestones they reached today. Hats off!

NFL Loss

Legendary San Francisco 49er's coach, Bill Walsh, died of leukemia today at the age of 75. One of the true genius coaches in the game, Walsh won three Super Bowls, and is accredited with creating the West Coast Offense. For the full story on Coach Walsh, visit ESPN.

YouTube Accomplishment

My first upload to YouTube; a proud moment in life. Not too professional, but fun nonetheless.

Durango Concierge

Aside from my temporary homelessness and lack of internet service outside of the Durango Public Library, another reason The Acoustic Blog has been lacking in posts, is starting my new venture, Durango Concierge. The website is nothing too extravagant, but should do the trick. The new business is to provide a one-stop shop for residents and businesses of Durango, CO and the Four Corners Area to help them get things done; including technology/gadget questions, moving, organization, errands, and general caretaking services. Durango Concierge is up and running and accepting new clients, so spread the word. Thanks for the support.

Internet Crash of 2007

Who can deny the sarcasm and wit of The Onion? In this YouTube video, the ONN takes a funny look at what would happen to society if the internet crashed. Love the Nigerian comment. From the trusty LifeHacker, have a look:

Problem in Fakedom?

The Apple parody site, Fake Steve Jobs, has kept the blogging world amused and entertained for the past couple of months, and part of the lure for many is trying to figure out Fake Steve's real identity. While most of the world does not really care, there are some in Silicon Valley that are perhaps taking it a little too seriously. Fake Steve has written several posts explaining that his/her identity if revealed, would stop the fun, but Valleywag, Nick Denton's "tech-gossip rag" seems determined to let the cat out of the bag, and expose the real Fake Steve. However, after reading Fake Steve's July 18th post, it sounds like some nasty-business may be going on, with talk of lawyers, crossing the line, and privacy issues in very strong hints by Fake Steve, that Valleywag may be taking this a little too far. Should be interesting to see the unfolding and perhaps collapse of a very funny blog, all because we 'had' to learn the real person behind the fake one.

Def Jam Apple

From Moli and MacRumors, looks like Apple wants a piece of the hip-hop world and more of the music biz. The rumor mill says a deal is eminent between Def Jam CEO, Jay-Z (with Beyonce, of course) and Apple. Apparently, Apple wants to save the day again and resurrect what many critics believe is a dying recording industry. Jay-Z would run the new music division of Apple and use the power of Apple to distribute music digitally; which is inevitable. This could be an exciting venture as the music industry as we know it is changing its model to adapt to the digital times. iTunes has obviously played a giant role in making it easy for everyone to get anything on demand, but the possibilities are endless if the recording industry bypasses the bureaucratic record execs, and goes straight to the internet. Could be an interesting time in music history, and no doubt the superpowers of Jay-Z and Steve Jobs will make a big attempt to redefine an already giant industry. Should be fun.

Temporary Setback

I am slowly making the transition back to Durango, and my couch surfing and lack of internet access has made it close to impossible to update The Acoustic Blog. Internet service is somewhat limited in Durango, but hope to have a working connection rather soon. Thanks for checking in and will resume regular postings soon. Cheers.

Classifieds War

Kijiji vs. Craigslist; the latest tech battle is heating up. Craigslist has been the old-faithful for posting free ads for just about everything from selling widgets to meeting for a quickie in the local park. The beauty of Craigslist is the freeness, simplicity, and ease of use. Ars Technica article explains the details behind Ebay's latest answer to online classifieds in Kijiji. At first glance, Kijiji has the style and color of Web 2.0 and certainly makes Craigslist look not so exciting. But, I have admired Craigslist founder, Craig Newmark, for providing a great service for so long, with extreme lack of concern for selling-out or doing it for the money. Listening to Newmark interviews, he seems completely happy taking a hit to keep Craigslist available. My loyalty will remain with Craigslist, as I have relied on it to sell my junk for many years, but Kijiji could cause some stir if it catches on.

iPhone on Broadway

David Pogue, the technology columnist for the New York Times, deserves some credit for his creative and honest reviews, and exaggerating the over-hype of the iPhone that was released one week ago. Pogue was one of the lucky ones to receive the iPhone a couple weeks early to review, and his humor and knowledge of technology should be appreciated. Check out this hilarious video created by Pogue to portray the ridiculous lure and craze instigated by the iPhone; good stuff:

Happy Independence Day!

Red Tape

The Russian music site, All of MP3.com was shut down again, but apparently for good this time. The site was completely legal under Russian law, but the US music industry did not like it because music sold for cheap (surprise). According to one article, the Kremlin (not the KGB), decided to shut down the site because it was threatening Russia's entrance into the World Trade Organization (WTO). What?! The good news is that while Russia complied with All of MP3, there is a mirror site up and running, called MP3Sparks.com, and if you had an account with All of MP3, all of your information and balance automatically transfers. I am sure it is only a matter of time before this site is shut down, but thankfully the Ruskies have not gone completely soft, and will play the bureaucratic hot potato game with the big dogs in the music industry.

Back to Paradise

I'm moving back to Durango from Denver (yeah) and that is the reason for the sporadic postings. Hectic to say the least, and I will be back posting in the post-iPhone era (and hopefully post-slumping Yankees era). Should be up and running by Monday, although Durango just started hearing about this internet thing, so it may be a little rough at first. Enjoy all the praise and complaints of the wondrous iPhone, and have a Happy 4th!

Cheers,
Murph

Hold it No More

Despite the breaking reviews, calling plan prices, and footage of the two losers camping out in front of the 5th Avenue store in NYC for the iPhone; my trusty favorite, LifeHacker shed light today on a very important site that allows users to locate a bathroom wherever they are. Wow. Visit MizPee to find a clean, public bathroom with some provided reading material when you just can't hold it anymore. It is text-messaged based, so you must send your location and MizPee will reply back with a text message with a map to the nearest john. Haven't you ever had to go so bad that you are willing to whip out your phone, load up your mobile browser, fill in a form, wait for a text message to get a list of possible toilets, and then spend a few minutes deciphering the text message to your best choice? Apparently all the good ideas have already been taken on the internet. Very original, but this may only be for the extremely desperate geek who are incapable of making a decision without the assistance of a computer. I hope the VC's did not put too much in this venture, but Mizpee should at least get an A for effort. We all just need some distraction from the phone thing. For this, we must turn to the toilet.

iPhone Tour

I know the hype on Apple's new iPhone is a bit much, but watch this 25-minute guided tour posted on the Apple website, and it makes it just a little tempting to get one. Whether it works as fluidly on the AT&T network is soon to be discovered, but the iPhone truly looks like an amazing device, that I will probably never be able to afford.

(Click Picture to take tour)

Pixer for Macs

From CoolOSXapps, there is a handy little application called Pixer, that is simple to use and quite handy for resizing photos (in batch, also). Just drag a group of photos into the pixer icon and a little box pops up asking you for the size you want. There are several shortcuts to the sizing, so no need to worry about determining the right pixel dimensions. For example, drag in just one or as many as you like and enter 50% and Pixer instantly resizes your photos and saves them to the desktop, or wherever you grabbed the photo. If you are in iPhoto, just drag into Pixer, set the size and your done. I find myself wanting small photos for Craigslist uploads, or sending via email, and Pixer gets it done fast. Picasa by Google was my favorite photo programs. Among many great features, you could export to any size, email photos with the choice of what size, and sending to Blogger instantly. iPhoto does great things, but still waiting for the day when Picasa is available on Macs. Picasa does have an Uploader to Picasa Web Albums that integrates with iPhoto, but not the whole enchilada. For now, try Pixer for a quick-fix to shrinking photos one at a time, or in batches.

SModcast

Because I feel the need to share my interests to a less than 5 reader base, my next suggestion to the masses is subscribing to Kevin Smith's (Clerks, Mallrats, Dogma) podcast, called SModcast. You can get SModcast via iTunes, by doing a quick search. The podcast is hosted by Kevin Smith and his faithful producer, Scott Mosier, who is calmly witty and blends nicely with the off-beat stories rambled on by Kevin for about one hour. The show is much like Seinfeld in that there is usually not much of a topic, but it always manages to keep me laughing and intrigued. Kevin Smith has a great podcast voice and has a smart sense of humor that usually questions the oddities in life, and always comes off as just a regular dude from Jersey. SModcast, as Smith regularly points out, rarely does factual checks on anything, and is 100% opinion, but that is probably why it works. It is real and totally hilarious. When you need some decompression and a little humor, Smodcast will take off the edge. P.S. Do not disregard the subtle music in the background. It always relates to the topic in someway, and clearly it is well thought out.

Fake Steve Plug

This is a pretty funny video from Fake Steve Jobs. What, never heard of Fake Steve? You need to check out this site, it is pretty good. It is a spoof site pretending to be written by Steve Jobs, and it is getting quite the publicity lately. People are trying to guess who Fake Steve really is, with some saying it is really Jobs (I am not in that camp). The site is suspiciously right on with current industry and Apple news, and does have an 'insider' perspective, which makes it plausible that it is someone with close ties to Apple, but my guess it is someone well versed in tech journalism around the Bay area. It is very well written, by the way. There is also a rival site, Fake Steve Ballmer taking the Microsoft side of the story. Pretty clever stuff. Anyway, here is a funny satire on the new Microsoft Surface computer posted on Fake Steve Jobs:

Blurb

BLURB.com is a self-publishing site that looks very interesting and will undoubtedly be a success. Blurb is a place to publish your own book, choose the layout, and have Blurb sell it for you. You set the selling price and Blurb sends you the profits after their cut; just as any publisher would do. The process looks simple and there is a noticeable personality to the site that could be fun for those looking to get their ideas to print. The nice thing is you completely control the formatting, layout, and what you want to put in your book. Blurb does offer professional templates designed by those in the industry. You can make a photobook, publish your blog posts, make a scrapbook, write a novel, promote a podcast...Make one copy for yourself or try to make money selling it through Blurb. The site is also making its way to Flickr, a very popular photo-sharing site, so folks can create their books using Flickr photos. Also, the pricing looks extremely reasonable and users have the choice between soft and hardcover. Check out Blurb, and get your manifesto to print (or at least Junior's first steps).

YouTube Remixer

From CNET , there is an article on a new web-based editing tool, dubbed Remixer, for videos on YouTube that looks pretty cool. You need to sign-in to YouTube in order to use. It looks like a simple interface to easily edit videos, with drag-n-drop to add text, music, and effects..At a glance, it seems uncomplicated, and I bet the homegrown movie makers will start adding some quality videos, thanks to this new online app, powered by the mighty Adobe. After all, now that YouTube can sync with AppleTV, many folks watching YouTube on their TV will appreciate the quality boost. The editor is similar to the many online photo editors out there, but simply focuses on video-editing. Good concept that will no doubt make many of the YouTubers excited. Just think of the effects that could have been added to the cat playing piano...Here is a screenshot of Remixer:

iPhone Creativity

This is a great 'unofficial' iPhone ad from the website iphonenewyorkcity.com. Apparently this will not air on T.V., but more of an independent creative project from director, Alec Sutherland and producer, Todd DosSantos. Check it out; it is very well done:

Double Jeopardy

Jason Giambi used steroids back in the day. He admitted it. His 2oo3 grand jury testimony leaked out, in which Giambi admitted to a grand jury that he used steroids between 2001-2003. He addressed the Yankee fans and media with a sincere apology for the fiasco. Although he never used the word steroids in his public apology, he made it clear that he was guilty of using, and he was sorry. Done. Americans are all about giving second chances, and Giambi got one (which is not easy with NY fans). Time to play baseball.

Here's the kicker: in May 2007, Giambi said that steroid use is wrong and that he should have never used them back in the day, and urges the young players not to....In comes the Bill Gates look-a-like, Bud Selig, 'Ah-ha!, Jason Giambi just admitted to doing steroids in the early 2000's." MLB must take action and wreak havoc on Giambi because he said the 'S' word in public. What!? I love baseball as much as anybody, but why does the MLB insist on making a debauchery of itself and the greatest pastime we have. Giambi does not deserve the ridicule and distraction (again) for doing the right thing and being man enough to admit he was wrong. MLB is determined to use anybody to spread the word that they are tough on steroids at anyone's expense. What can they possibly gain by tarnishing Giambi for something he has already paid for? Last I checked, the law still protects citizens from being charged for the same crime twice.

No-No

I always give credit when credit is due. So, congrats to Justin Verlander, the 24-year old phenom from the Tigers, pitched a no hitter tonight against the brew-crew from Milwaukee. Verlander (7-2) struck out 12 batters in Detroit's 4-0 win over the Brewers. Verlander was the second to throw a no-hitter in the MLB this year, as Mark Buerhle from the ChiSox did it back in April. With today's dominant hitters (for example, he faced the red-hot Prince Fielder tonight), this is no easy feat. Well done Justin.

Lost , But Not Forgotten

Harold Reynolds is back. Deadspin announced that MLB has hired the ex-ESPN Baseball Tonight broadcaster. Reynolds was released by ESPN a year ago because of sexual harassment complaints. The whole controversy seemed to get swept under the rug, and Harold just seemed to disappear from the spotlight. See the MLB press release here, and apparently Reynolds will commenting day games 5 days a week. I do not know what really happened at ESPN, but since his departure Baseball Tonight has gotten pretty lame in my opinion. I have voiced my thoughts on how terrible I think Joe Morgan is, and I am happy to see the return of a quality sportscaster, who knows baseball. Congrats Harold, and remember, Confucious say: Hands in pocket...

Keynote

Steve Jobs' keynote at the WWDC is this morning, and for many, Santa Claus has nothing on Jobs. What will He give us today that we will not stop talking about until 4 weeks before the next keynote address in January? The power is just unbelievable to me that people cannot wait to hear what surprises are in store. Steve Jobs could tell the world today that his Golden Retriever just had puppies and a new photo album, created in iPhoto of course, is now on the Apple site for the world to see, and it would not matter. He has created a captivated world who understands that Apple will provide useful and fun products that add to the computing experience for all. The developers and high-end folks understand the beauty behind the OS-X, particularly with the new Leopard, which will be showcased and released to developers-only today. The public understands that a new iMac, or iPod, or iAnything, will be the next best thing on the market. Apple has taken marketing to a new life form, and CEO's around the world can be nothing short of envious. Has any company created such buzz in history? The only fault I see to the marketing craze is that consumers often hold out waiting for the next best thing. Should I buy my new Mac now, or wait for Leopard? Should a buy that cool iMac or wait for the brushed metal iMac said to be on the horizon? The cycle of anticipation never ends.

My guess for the next big release: Touch/wide-screen iPods with huge hard drive for the video rental service speculated for the fall. Apple Insider details the negotiations Apple is having with Hollywood for $2.99/month movie rentals on iTunes. The 80GB small screen will not seal the deal for many. We shall find out soon.

Better Gmail

I must give some props to two of my favorite internet things in celebration of my re-entering the blog-world. First is Gmail, and second, Lifehacker, a great productivity site.

Gmail is by far the handiest email program out there, but many of its cool features are hidden and not so obvious to the average user (particularly those who think Hotmail is still awesome). Thanks to Lifehacker, they are continuously informing their readers of all the tricks, hacks, and tidbits to get the most out of Gmail. For a good starting point of Gmail tricks and tools, start with the monster roundup here.

For Firefox Users (isn't everyone?): Lifehacker has helped develop a great Firefox extension called Better Gmail that has a whole bunch of great Gmail features. It is packed with stuff, so it is easy to get overwhelmed. Adam from Lifehacker made a good video tutorial on supercharging Gmail that I thought was well done.

Get the most out of Gmail, it has a lot to offer.

Firefox 3 on the Horizon

Firefox 3 is in Alpha mode, which means nothing to average folks like me, however, it does mean that a newer version is on the horizon. Ars Technica has an in-depth review of some of the new features of Firefox 3.0, or Gran Paradiso, and speculates that the beta version (for folks like me) could be out in late summer or September.

I think Firefox is an amazing browser and find new tricks and tools everyday that just make me smile. While over half of internet users still think that the stupid blue e is the only way to get to the internet, Firefox is creeping up in numbers. Microsoft is at 79%, FF 15%, Safari 5%...That may seem like MS is dominating but I think Internet Explorer was in the high 90% not too long ago. Safari will continue to grow because all the old people trying Macs will use Safari like the little blue e. What amazes me is the buzz and excitement that abounds when Apple releases a product (s), or the anticipation for Firefox 3.0. When is the last time anybody gave a rat's arse when a new version of IE came out? Great, IE7 is here and I can't download it because I failed 1 of the 37 verification and validation tests. Yippee.

Do you think Firefox will ever catch up to Internet Explorer? Or, could Safari? Leave a comment and tell me your vote.

Slowly But Surely

Mark my words: the turnaround has begun. After an impressive sweep of the struggling White Sox, the Yankee bats are starting to come alive and Wang and Mussina put on a clinic in Chicago. So did the offense in the late innings of Thursday's 10-3 rout, with A-Rod casually hitting yet another grand slam in the 8th to seal the deal. Despite a near no-no from my least favorite pitcher in baseball, Curt Schilling, the Red Sox have lost 4 out of 5 and will graciously allow the Yanks to start getting in position by the All-Star break. Did I mention that the Rocket will be back on Saturday against the Pirates?

By the way, congratulations to Torre on his 2,000th victory. Also, my final message to sports writers and commentators: the should George fire Torre? speculation must officially stop.

Anything Better Than YouTube?

Big Brothers? So What!

The superpowers of Google and Apple have all the tech geeks in a stir this week with the release of Google's 'Street View' on Google Maps, and the unveiling of iTunes Plus (DRM-free) on Apple's iTunes store.

Google Maps now offers a feature called Street View that allows the user to browse down a street (in only major cities, so far) and see actual storefronts, landmarks, people...The footage is so clear that you can see into some apartments, recognize people, and maybe see some things that people would rather not be seen (like slacking off when they should be at work). My opinion: as a regular user of Google Maps to locate directions and find hotels, restaurants in unfamiliar cities, I think it is very cool. You can actually see the building you are looking for and know when you are driving to look for the big red building on the right hand side of the street, etc. People, relax, your information is not that valuable to strangers, and who really cares if you have a cat that sits in front of your window. I can record anybody's license plate just by walking down the street, and I do not need Google Maps to know that you are a slacker. Google is not spying on you (at least in Maps) and suck it up and enjoy a really cool app that willl prove to be very useful to many.

On the Apple front, iTunes Plus is a section of iTunes that sells DRM-free music that the entire world has been begging for since the birth of iTunes. DRM-free music essentially gives the user the ability to do whatever they want with their purchased music and put it on any mp3 player. Previously, Apple was restricted to DRM music which coded each track and made it difficult to use on anything except an iPod. DRM music is still available for $.99 and DRM-free tracks are now $1.29/track. Furthermore, DRM-free music is of higher quality (256 ). The problem people have discovered is that even though it is DRM-free, apparently Apple is encoding personal information such as names, email addresses...on each track that you purchase. So, if someone steals your iPod, someone with a lot of time on their hands can dump your music on their computer, do super-duper hacking tricks on each mp3 file, and know your name. Hell, they can even send you an email to let you know that you have horrible taste in music. Please, my only concern would be that I cannot live without an iPod, and I must fast for the month so I can shell out the $349 for a new video iPod. I would only be thinking about how far behind on my podcasts I'd be while saving for a replacement. Embrace DRM-free music and if you are so paranoid, I have a great turntable for sale.

Bottom line: Google and Apple rule our lives and frankly, I don't care. So long as they keep bringing the goodness of products and fun apps on the web, they could have my soul for all I care.

iPhone Confirmed

Hold on tight, as the hype is just getting started. It is now official, the much anticipated iPhone will be released on June 29th. The ads hit the T.V. on Sunday night and as usual, they make you want to have one. See all three of the ads here.

Retraction: Only 1 of Us is Returning

Guess Roger couldn't hang with our comeback celebration. Torre confirmed at the yesterday's Yankee/Sox slaughter that Clemens would not be starting in the much anticipated White Sox game on Monday due to a groin injury. Not that I am convinced the Rocket is the key to the Yankees turmoiled season, but I do think he will provide a positive psychological surge to the Bombers. Where is the offense?? The starters are doing their part (bullpen could use some help), but how about some run support? Not panicking yet, as Boston will slip at some point, and when they do, the Yanks need to gain some momentum.

Happy Returns

With a slight difference in salary, I have decided to join the Rocket
by coming out of 'retirement' and will resume posting to The Acoustic Blog.

Momentary Lack of Inspiration

Blogging has not been a priority of late, but I hope to get back in the swing
of things soon. Was always told if you do not have anything good
to say, then say nothing at all...Go Yanks!