Shaggy Apples

iPad

2010-01-27T15:52:00.005-05:00

The highly anticipated Apple tablet made its debut earlier today in San Francisco as Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduced the world to the iPad. The iPad, resembling a large iPod Touch, features a 9.7-inch multi-touch screen and a 10-hour battery life. The new device syncs through iTunes just like an iPhone or iPod Touch. All existing apps will work on the iPad, with newer specialized apps on the way. A new touchscreen version of iWork was demonstrated at today's event. Also announced was the iBooks Store featuring many e-editions from leading publishers. The words "Kindle-killer" are coming to mind. Who would pay good money for a monochrome nightmare with the iPad on the market? Not me. The iPad will function basically the same as an iPhone or iPod Touch--only on a larger scale, and with more features. The new device will be available in 16 GB, 32 GB, and 64 GB versions. The pricing for WiFi-only models starts at $499, while the WiFi + 3G models will start at $629. 3G coverage will be available through AT&T without a contract. You can activate and terminate service at any time through your device. An unlimited 3G data plan will cost $29.99 per month, while a 250 MB plan will cost $14.99. These plans will also include free use of AT&T WiFi hotspots. The WiFi-only iPads will be shipping in 60 days, while the WiFi + 3G models will begin shipping in 90 days.

Click here to view the iPad video from Apple.

Tablet-mania running wild

2010-01-27T11:48:00.001-05:00

Today is finally the day. Well, maybe. Will we actually see the unveiling of Apple's mythical tablet? With today's Apple event now only a little over an hour away, tablet-mania is at a fever pitch. After many months of speculation and rumors, just what does Apple have in store? What will the device be called? How much will it cost? What exactly will it do? Hopefully, these questions and more will be answered shortly. But what else might Apple have up its sleeve for today? Many rumors have been bouncing around for the last several weeks. Will we see a refresh of the MacBook Pro line with the latest Intel processors? Will Verizon be getting the iPhone? Will we see iPhone OS 4.0? Will there be an updated iTunes to interact with the rumored tablet? Only time will tell. The only thing I feel confident in saying is that we'll probably be seeing the latest version of iLife unveiled today. Other than that, the sky is the limit.

The Soviets' ultimate weapon

2009-10-19T13:10:00.001-04:00

There's an interesting article today on wired.com about the Soviet Union's would-be doomsday device, known as "Perimeter" or "Dead Hand," developed during the height of the Cold War.

Check it out.
Inside the Apocalyptic Soviet Doomsday Machine

Baby survives after falling under train

2009-10-16T15:52:00.002-04:00

This video will make you cringe. Unbelievably, the kid survived suffering only a cut to the forehead.

Google Editions coming 2010

2009-10-15T13:14:00.004-04:00

Earlier today, the all-powerful Google announced plans to launch a new online bookstore in the first half of 2010. Instead of focusing on e-readers, Google Editions will deliver e-books to any device with a web browser.

Read more

Seriously, why would anyone spend good money on a Kindle or other reader when Google will allow you to view books on your laptop or phone? Throw in the fact that Google Editions will work with e-books purchased from other retailers, and this could spell doom for the fledgling e-reader industry.

Captain Lou Albano 1933-2009

2009-10-14T16:27:00.001-04:00

On a sad note today, professional wrestling personality Captain Lou Albano has passed away at age 76. Albano enjoyed his greatest success in wrestling during the 1980s as a charismatic manager in the World Wrestling Federation. In the summer of 1983, the Captain reached another level of notoriety after appearing as Cyndi Lauper's father in the "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" music video.

New Michael Jackson song online now

2009-10-12T11:40:00.002-04:00

There good news today for those of you going through Michael Jackson withdrawals. A new song entitled "This Is It" was officially unveiled earlier today on michaeljackson.com. The new track, featuring background vocals by The Jacksons, will be included in the upcoming "This Is It" double-album available October 27 and feature film opening October 28.

Listen to "This Is It"

This Is It Track Listing:

Disc 1:

Wanna Be Startin' Something
Jam
They Don't Care About Us
Human Nature
Smooth Criminal
The Way You Make Me Feel
Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground)
I Just Can't Stop Loving You
Thriller
Beat It
Black or White
Earth Song
Billie Jean
Man in the Mirror
This Is It
This Is It (Orchestra Version)

Disc 2:

She's Out Of My Life (Demo)
Wanna Be Startin' Something (Demo)
Beat It (Demo)
Planet Earth (Poem)

MMS coming to iPhone...FINALLY

2009-09-25T12:56:00.001-04:00

Today is the day MMS (multimedia messaging) will finally be available to iPhone customers in the United States...and it's about time. It's not like 99% of cell phones in usage today can send and receive photo and/or video text messages. Oh wait. It's unbelievable that it has taken so long for AT&T and Apple to deliver this feature to customers. The iPhone is arguably the smartest of the smartphones, and yet, one can't even receive a photo message without logging into the AT&T server with a special passcode. It's ridiculous. According to AT&T, MMS should be unlocked this afternoon, but will only be available to iPhone 3G and 3GS users. First generation iPhone users are getting left out in the cold on this deal.

Microsoft Security Essentials coming soon

2009-09-21T16:30:00.003-04:00

In a note to beta testers Sunday, Microsoft announced the final version of their highly-anticipated free antivirus software "will be released to the public in the coming weeks." The new Microsoft Security Essentials, originally code-named Morro, was announced last year when Microsoft decided to scrap Windows Live OneCare. After a call for public test users in June, Microsoft reached their goal of 75,000 testers in just one day.

Hopefully, this new security software will eliminate the need to renew my Norton subscription in a few months. However, the Dokken/Chicken ad is convincing me otherwise.

Snow Leopard coming Friday

2009-08-24T11:26:00.003-04:00

Forget waiting around until September, Mac OS X Snow Leopard will be available this Friday! Earlier this morning, Apple officially announced August 28 as the release for their latest operating system and began taking pre-orders to be delivered Friday. Pricing for the new OS ranges from $29 for a single-user upgrade to $499 for the server edition.

Free "Guitar Hero: Van Halen"

2009-08-12T12:33:00.002-04:00

For a limited time, receive a free copy of "Guitar Hero: Van Halen" with the purchase of a specially-marked copy of Activision's upcoming "Guitar Hero 5." To be eligible, the offer must be redeemed online or postmarked no later than October 31, 2009.

http://hub.guitarhero.com/vanhalengameoffer/

Kim Jong-Il plans to capture the moon

2009-08-05T09:33:00.002-04:00

Okay, it's an Onion spoof, but pretty darn funny.

Endgame artwork and track listing

2009-08-04T16:17:00.004-04:00

Check out the artwork and track listing for Megadeth's upcoming album Endgame.

Dialectic Chaos
This Day We Fight!
44 Minutes
1,320
Bite The Hand That Feeds
Bodies Left Behind
Endgame
The Hardest Part Of Letting Go… Sealed With A Kiss
Head Crusher
How the Story Ends
Nothing Left To Lose

Endgame, the band's 12th studio album, is scheduled for release on September 15.

Pre-order Snow Leopard

2009-08-04T13:33:00.001-04:00

Mac OS X Snow Leopard is now available for pre-order through amazon.com. Prices range from $29 for a single upgrade to $499 for the server edition. Click here to view all available options. Snow Leopard is set for a September release, but an official date hasn't been finalized.

Jesse Ventura returns

2009-08-04T12:45:00.002-04:00

Former professional wrestler and Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura will soon be making a return to television. Ventura is set to host a new series for TruTV entitled Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura. The series, set to debut later this year, will take Ventura around the world examining various conspiracy theories.

Read more

U.S. shark attack list

2009-08-03T16:54:00.003-04:00

While I'm not a huge fan of wikipedia. I did run across this great list of fatal unprovoked shark attacks within the U.S. It lists the victim, date, species and gory details.

Here's the list

Just keeping with the shark week theme here ...

This year's must-have gift

2009-08-03T16:41:00.002-04:00

It's only August 3, but I've already found the hot ticket item for the upcoming holiday season. Behold the official Shark Week "Chum Bucket" coffee mug!

Available in 3 colors (red, gray, or blue) for the low price of $12.95, this gem surely won't last long. Order yours now at discovery.com.

District 9 based on a short film

2009-07-31T16:42:00.004-04:00

Evidently the upcoming District 9 film is based on a short film District 9's director, Neill Blomkamp, created. It's quite interesting and the first reviews of District 9 are promising.

Here's the original short film.

Pricing for Windows 7 family pack

2009-07-31T16:12:00.004-04:00

Microsoft has unveiled the price for the much talked about Windows 7 family pack. XP or Vista users will be allowed to upgrade up to three PCs to Windows 7 Home Premium Edition for $149. This will be a great deal if you're looking to upgrade more than one computer because a single Home Premium upgrade is priced at $119. Microsoft Windows 7 is set for an October 22 release.

From boos to buds

2009-07-31T15:40:00.000-04:00

As if the guy booing wasn't hilarious enough, his mullet almost made me fall out of my chair.

Shark Week returns

2009-07-31T15:12:00.002-04:00

It's no longer safe to go in the water. Discovery Channel's annual Shark Week is back! Beginning Sunday at noon, the network will be dedicated to all things shark. While we won't be getting the 24/7 shark coverage of years gone by, the schedule does appear to be a vast improvement over last year. Through Thursday, new shows will be premiering each night at 9pm beginning Sunday with "Blood in the Water," the story that inspired the movie Jaws.

View the list of new shows for 2009

Daily TV Schedule:
Sunday, August 2
Monday, August 3
Tuesday, August 4
Wednesday, August 5
Thursday, August 6
Friday, August 7
Saturday, August 8

The Ultimate 80s Cartoon List

2009-07-31T11:41:00.003-04:00

Here it is. The list of the ultimate 80s cartoons, as decided by the brains of Shaggy Apples.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Superfriends

G.I. JOE

Transformers

StarBlazers

MASK

Grendizer

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe

Robotech

Thundercats

Gaiking

Silverhawks

Garfield and Friends

Alvin and the Chipmunks

Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors

AmIdol fake! Rigged! Say it ain't so ... duh

2009-07-30T16:34:00.003-04:00

A former contestant of American Idol said in an online chat that the show is rigged, much to the chagrin of people participating in the chat.

Here's the story.

We know its fake, people just choose not to believe. Perhaps now fans of AmIdol are feeling the sting I felt in the 80s when someone blasphemously told me pro wrestling was fake — I was an Andre the Giant fan.

Oh well, at least we still had the Saturday morning cartoon.

Watch and giggle.

Superyachts

2009-07-30T14:29:00.001-04:00

Check out CNN's photo gallery of the new "superyachts" designed by Kevin Schopfer. These futuristic yachts look like something right out of a comic book. Sadly, with starting prices of $95 million and $140 million, I don't think I'll be getting one anytime soon.

View the gallery

Drunk in front-end loader?

2009-07-29T15:52:00.003-04:00

I'm glad I'm not this guy's neighbor...

Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus on SyFy

2009-07-28T21:03:00.002-04:00

It's official. The epic known simply as Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus will make its long-awaited television debut August 29 at 9:00pm on SyFy.

View the trailer.

On top of that cinematic masterpiece, SyFy has really outdone themselves with the remainder of the lineup for August 29.

Check this out.

That's almost too much excitement for one day.

Side note: Don't forget Shark Week starts August 2 on the Discovery Channel.

Homeless man wakes up in a garbage truck

2009-07-28T20:40:00.001-04:00

Kiss at Comic-Con

2009-07-27T20:10:00.000-04:00

Check out Kiss' performance (sans make-up and Paul Stanley) of "Deuce" at the San Diego Comic-Con this past Saturday (July 25).

District 9

2009-07-27T10:17:00.005-04:00

I have to admit, I saw Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince this past weekend while in Alabama attending a family member's funeral — I mean wedding. It was pretty good, but strayed so far from the book and was about 40 minutes too long.

What I am excited about is Peter Jackson's (King Kong, Lord of the Rings trilogy) District 9. I like that it feels more like Cloverfield. I really enjoy the intensity hand-held cameras and odd footage (including pseudo-documentary styles) bring to on-screen story telling.

I like the gritty feel of District 9, set to be released early August. I don't think it will be a summer blockbuster, but I'm sure it will be a treat for Sci-fi fans.

-Drew

Star Wars: In Concert

2009-07-24T13:31:00.001-04:00

It's too bad this tour only comes as close as Oklahoma because I would so go see this show. The website alone is almost too epic. A live orchestra, giant HD screens, narration by C-3P0, a full Star Wars exhibit--who could resist? Heh.

Read more from AP or visit starwarsinconcert.com.

Town manager fired over porn-star wife

2009-07-24T12:17:00.000-04:00

Free Living Colour MP3

2009-07-24T12:04:00.000-04:00

Living Colour is offering a free MP3 download of a new track entitled "Behind The Sun" from the band's upcoming album The Chair In The Doorway due out September 15.

Download "Behind The Sun"

Palm strikes back

2009-07-24T11:37:00.001-04:00

The saga of Apple iTunes vs. Palm Pre is becoming amusing at this point. As you may know, in the last iTunes update (8.2.1), Apple disabled the much-hyped ability of the Palm Pre to seamlessly sync with iTunes. However, in just a matter of days, Palm has fired back with a software update of their own. Thursday's release of Palm WebOS 1.1 re-enables the media sync with iTunes. Who wants to take bets on how soon we'll be seeing another iTunes update?

Read more

Ace Frehley returns

2009-07-21T14:12:00.000-04:00

Not to be outdone by his former bandmates, Ace Frehley is set to release his first new studio album in 20 years. The former Kiss guitarist will release Anomaly on September 15.

Even if you care nothing about Ace Frehley, you have to check out this AWESOME commercial for Anomaly. The commercial alone is enough to make you want to buy 10 copies. (Heh.)

On a side note, Kiss' new album is rumored to have an October release, but no official announcement has been made.

The Dethalbum II is coming

2009-07-21T13:35:00.002-04:00

Dethklok, the animated band from Adult Swim's "Metalocalypse", will be releasing a new album on September 8. The Dethalbum II will feature 12 new tracks written by "Metalocalypse" co-creator Brendon Small. Dethklok's new album will be available in both standard edition and 2-disc deluxe edition featuring an hour's worth of unreleased videos. A limited-edition vinyl of The Dethalbum II will be released on September 29.

Tracklisting:

Bloodlines
The Gears
Burn the Earth
Laser Canon Deth Sentence
Black Fire Upon Us
Deth Support
The Cyborg Slayers
I Tamper with the Evidence at the Murder Site of Odin
Murmaider II: The Water God
Comet Song
Symmetry
Volcano

Free Lynyrd Skynyrd MP3

2009-07-20T11:09:00.001-04:00

Roadrunner Records is offering a free MP3 download of a new Lynyrd Skynyrd track entitled "Still Unbroken" from the band's upcoming album God & Guns.

Download "Still Unbroken"
(Update: The song is no longer available as a free download. The link now takes you to the band's page at Roadrunner Records.)

God & Guns is due out September 29.

Bill Gates vs. hurricanes?

2009-07-17T16:05:00.001-04:00

Bill Gates, in his continuing quest for global domination, is now ready to take on mother nature. Earlier this month, Gates (and co-inventors) filed patent applications for a proposed way of slowing hurricanes by pumping cold water directly into storms. As you may know, hurricanes draw strength as they move over warm surface waters in the ocean. Gates' applications propose a system of turbine-equipped barges strategically placed in a storm's path to cool surface waters by using cold water pumped from the ocean depths.

Read more

I understand the general idea behind weakening a hurricane with cooler waters, but the logistics of placing these barges in the direct path of a storm in a timely manner seems a bit far-fetched to me.

Unreleased Michael Jackson track appears online

2009-07-16T16:00:00.002-04:00

It only took a few weeks for the first of Michael Jackson's unreleased tracks to show up online. Somehow, TMZ obtained an unreleased Jackson song entitled "A Place With No Name." Read more about the song at TMZ, and listen to the audio.

Korn frontman goes solo

2009-07-16T11:08:00.002-04:00

Korn frontman Jonathan Davis has signed a solo deal with the Warner Music Group. For months, Davis has been working on his debut album that is to be released late this year or early 2010. In a recent interview, Davis had this to say about his new solo work:

I want the record to be the most amazing record I could possibly put out. I want all songs to be amazing and different. I want it to be really a very artistic, crazy album that no one's ever heard before. 'Cause it's very world music-y and dark, heavy, PETER GABRIEL-esque type music and I want all the songs to be different, and nothing like KORN.

Korn has also been working on a new studio album expected to be released next year. The band is currently without a record deal.

No more iTunes for Pre

2009-07-15T17:00:00.002-04:00

One of the major selling points of the new Palm Pre has been the ability of the smartphone to sync seamlessly with iTunes like an iPod or an iPhone. I hope Pre users had fun while it lasted because Apple officially disabled the Palm's much-hyped feature today in the latest iTunes update.

Read more

Black Wii coming soon

2009-07-15T16:16:00.003-04:00

Nintendo will be releasing a new black Wii console on August 1 in Japan. There's no official word yet on when we'll be seeing this new color in the United States, but maybe it will arrive in time for the holidays. I really wish this color option was available when I purchased my Wii because the white console sticks out like a sore thumb beside my other sleek, black electronics.

Free Microsoft Office

2009-07-13T16:39:00.002-04:00

There's big news coming out of Microsoft today. FREE MICROSOFT OFFICE! No, really. Microsoft will be giving away the Office suite online for free. How you ask? Think Google Docs. A version of Microsoft's upcoming Office 2010 will be made available online as a free service accessed through your browser. This sounds great, but if you're like me (and many others), you're probably assuming this free Office will be exclusive to Internet Explorer. Not so. Microsoft has really outdone themselves this time by announcing support for IE, Firefox, and Safari browsers. Both the free online version and the traditional desktop versions of Office 2010 are scheduled to be released in the first half of 2010.

Read more

I am El Nino

2009-07-10T16:27:00.001-04:00

On Thursday, scientists announced the return of weather phenomenon known as El Nino. Upon reading the article, my mind drifted to the classic SNL bit of Chris Farley playing the part of El Nino. Never one to disappoint, YouTube came through with the video. Enjoy!

Michael Jackson memorial compilation on iTunes

2009-07-10T10:34:00.001-04:00

The original versions of the songs performed at Tuesday's Michael Jackson memorial service are now available as a compilation on iTunes. The individual track prices vary from $0.99 to $1.29 with the entire collection priced at $17.43.

The tracks included are:

Michael Jackson, "I'll Be There"
Mariah Carey, "I'll Be There"
The Commodores, "Jesus Is Love"
Stevie Wonder, "Never Dreamed You'd Leave in Summer"
Stevie Wonder, "They Won't Go When I Go"
Michael Jackson, "Will You Be There" (Single Version)
Michael Jackson, "Human Nature"
David Benoit, "Human Nature"
Tony Bennett, "Smile"
Chris Botti, "Smile"
Michael Jackson, "Gone Too Soon"
Babyface, "Gone Too Soon"
The Miracles, "Who's Lovin' You"
Jackson 5, "Who's Lovin' You"
U.S.A. for Africa, "We Are the World"
Michael Jackson, "We Are the World" (Demo)
Michael Jackson, "Heal the World"

I guess this is a quick way to cash in on the memorial until the actual live performances are made available.

Google Chrome OS

2009-07-08T12:00:00.001-04:00

In a blog Tuesday night, Google officially unveiled plans for a new operating system known as Google Chrome OS. The new open-source project will focus on speed, simplicity, and security, while furthering Google's efforts of using the web as a foundation for applications. Details on the new OS are sketchy at this point, but Chrome OS is set to debut on netbooks in the second half of 2010.

Read the Google blog entry

ABC invades Hulu

2009-07-06T13:08:00.002-04:00

Beginning today, the first ABC shows are appearing on popular video-streaming site Hulu.com. Much to the joy of Spaghetti Nugget, there are now 5 complete episodes of "Grey's Anatomy" available for viewing. With Hulu adding new content each weekday throughout the summer, more and more ABC shows should be online soon.

Hulu.com was launched last year as a joint venture between NBC and Fox to stream free, ad-supported content from the two networks. In April, Disney, ABC's parent company, reached a deal with Hulu to also include ABC content on the website.

Download new Alice in Chains song for free

2009-07-01T16:36:00.002-04:00

Alice in Chains is offering a new song for free via the band's official website. "A Looking in View" is the first preview of the band's forthcoming album Black Gives Way To Blue due out September 29th. Black Gives Way To Blue is Alice in Chains' first new studio album in over a decade, and the first album to feature new vocalist/guitarist William DuVall.

Download "A Looking in View"

The Pirate Bay sells for nearly $8 million

2009-06-30T16:54:00.002-04:00

A gaming company in Sweden has agreed to purchase "The Pirate Bay" for nearly $8 million. If you don't know, "The Pirate Bay" is a Swedish file-sharing site that has been embroiled in legal battles over the piracy of music, movies, etc. In April, the founders of the website were sentenced to 1 year in prison and fined $4 million. Once the sale is complete, Global Gaming Factory X aims to transform "The Pirate Bay" into a legal download site which pays copyright holders for their material.

Didn't people learn anything from Napster? These sites and services are insanely popular only because they are FREE. The website name alone is not going to be enough to create a new boom in legal downloads. Instead of paying such a ridiculous price for a doomed website, I believe I'd invest my money in a fresh concept and a new site.

A MacBook for every student?

2009-06-30T16:18:00.002-04:00

The state of Maine is purchasing MacBooks for every public school student and faculty member from 7th-12th grade. Since 2002, Apple and the state have been working together to provide computers to all middle school students. Based on the middle school success, the state decided to extend the program to their high schools. Students will be able to use the laptops at school and home, but the computers are to be turned in at the end of the school year. Also in the agreement, Apple will supply the state with educational software, professional development, repair and replacement, and technical support.

Read more

Firefox 3.5 now available

2009-06-30T12:09:00.001-04:00

Mozilla's Firefox 3.5 upgrade is now available. Firefox 3.5 boasts an improved engine that allows performance twice as fast as Firefox 3 and ten times faster than Firefox 2. Security measures were also upgraded, and new private browsing options have been added.

Download Firefox 3.5

Apple removed porn app

2009-06-26T15:12:00.001-04:00

It turns out Apple did remove yesterday's much-hyped porn application from the App Store. Here's the official word from Apple:

Apple will not distribute applications that contain inappropriate content...The developer of this application added inappropriate content directly from their server after the application had been approved and distributed, and after the developer had subsequently been asked to remove some offensive content. This was a direct violation of the terms of the iPhone Developer Program. The application is no longer available on the App Store.

King of Pop iTunes

2009-06-26T11:12:00.003-04:00

In the wake of Michael Jackson's untimely death, there's been a rush on iTunes for the King of Pop's music. This morning, in the iTunes Store, Jackson claims 4 of the top 10 downloaded songs. More impressive to me, however, is that the top 7 albums purchased all belong to Jackson.

"Hottest Girls" removed

2009-06-25T16:38:00.006-04:00

Apple's App Store has already removed "Hottest Girls," the first approved app to feature nudity. The developer is claiming the app is "temporarily sold out" because of the high volume of downloads. Supposedly, they feared a server crash due to the popularity of "Hottest Girls." Somehow, I'm just not buying into that. I'm of the idea that Apple mistakenly let the app slip through and is now trying to back-pedal. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Porn in the App Store?

2009-06-25T14:29:00.001-04:00

Today, there's a new first for Apple's App Store. Topless girls. "Hottest Girls" is the first application to be approved by Apple containing nudity. Will this move open the floodgates to other adult-themed applications? Is Apple looking to cash in on the lucrative porn industry? It remains to be seen, but I honestly wouldn't be surprised to see "Hottest Girls" removed by the end of the week. Either way, it definitely sets a new precedent for the App Store.

Pre-order Windows 7 and save

2009-06-25T10:47:00.004-04:00

Yesterday, Microsoft unveiled a special upgrade offer for the upcoming Windows 7 operating system. On July 11, major retailers will begin taking discounted pre-orders for Windows 7 Home Premium for $49 or Windows 7 Professional for $99. The upgrade offer will apply to Windows XP and Vista customers. The duration of the offer and the number of copies available for pre-order will be limited by Microsoft, but no specifics were given for either. On the official release date (October 22), the "boxed" upgrades will be priced at $119 for Home Premium, $199 for Professional, and $219 for Ultimate. The full versions of Windows 7 will cost $199 for Home Premium, $299 for Professional, and $319 for Ultimate. Microsoft also announced that beginning Friday (June 26), those who purchase a Vista PC will be eligible for a free copy of Windows 7.

Read more

Mobile Flash Player coming soon

2009-06-23T13:11:00.001-04:00

Adobe has announced a beta version of Flash Player 10 for a variety of smartphones to be released in October. Flash Player 10 beta will be available for for many mobile browsers, including for Windows Mobile, Google Android, Palm WebOS, and Symbian. Currently, ARM, Nvidia, Broadcom, Intel, Texas Instruments, and Qualcomm are readying their products for the new Flash Player.

Most noticeably missing from the announcement is Apple's iPhone OS.

It's hard to believe that Apple didn't get in on this Flash bandwagon considering how long iPhone customers have been clamoring for Flash support. I guess Apple and Adobe aren't seeing eye-to-eye in the mobile department. Perhaps Apple wants a more unique experience in regards to Flash. Nonetheless, this is a sweet development for many other smartphone users.

Read more

Serial killers...and Shark Week

2009-06-22T13:23:00.000-04:00

After seeing a story this morning comparing great white sharks to serial killers, my mind immediately drifted to thoughts of Shark Week. I headed over to discovery.com to see if this year's event had been announced. Upon entering the site, I was greeted with a homepage feature on the same "serial killer" topic. Moving on, I found the information I was looking for -- Shark Week returns August 2!

Here's hoping we don't get stuck with multiple nights of "Mythbusters" and "Dirty Jobs" again this year! I also hope Discovery Channel goes back to the 24-hours-a-day approach instead of giving us only a couple of hours of sharks each night. Of all the years I've been watching Shark Week, last year was definitely the most disappointing.

Megadeth's ENDGAME coming in September

2009-06-19T14:13:00.001-04:00

Megadeth has announced a September release for their new album ENDGAME. Track titles will include "Headcrusher," "1,320,'" "How the Story Ends" and "This Day We Fight!". Frontman Dave Mustaine is calling the album his best work in over a decade and his proudest moment since 1990's Rust in Peace. ENDGAME will be the band's 12th studio album.

The Hulk trains the King of Pop

2009-06-19T12:40:00.001-04:00

In the midst of HLN's never-ending coverage of Jon and Kate, Christi Paul found an opportunity to present an awesome tidbit of information. Lou Ferrigno, TV's "Incredible Hulk," has been training Michael Jackson in preparation for Jackson's upcoming London shows. Just let that sink in for a moment. Lou Ferrigno. Michael Jackson. Training. I only wish there was a Rocky-style video montage of these training sessions floating around. No greater comedy could ever be produced. Take a moment to visualize Jackson lifting weights with the Incredible Hulk. Or better yet, picture Jackson teaching the Hulk how to moonwalk. It's comedy gold I tell you!

iPod Touch 3.0 uprgade problems

2009-06-19T11:53:00.001-04:00

Even though my new iPhone 3G S is en route, I decided I'd install the new OS 3.0 on my first generation iPod Touch. Having smoothly upgraded last year to version 2, I felt no apprehension about the transition. I was wrong. I should have seen the writing on the wall when I couldn't even download the new software on Wednesday (launch day). My "session" continually "timed out" for over an hour. I simply chalked that up to a huge volume of people trying to download at the same time. I decided to wait them out until Thursday evening. The download process seemed to go smoothly, but things got a little hairy when the actual installation began. First, I received an error message from iTunes with a code I didn't pay much attention to (stupid me). Upon clicking OK, my device disappeared from iTunes, and my iPod prompted me to connect the USB cable back to the computer. The problem there is that I never unplugged it. I waited a good 15 minutes (with no change) before I attempted to do anything else. After 30-45 minutes of restarting iTunes, restarting the computer, plugging and unplugging the iPod (and swearing), my device was finally recognized once again. At that point, iTunes alerted me to a problem with installation (as if I hadn't noticed) and that my iPod would be restored to factory settings with the latest OS version. After several minutes, the restoration process was successful and even installed the OS 3.0. However, every bit of information I had on my iPod had been wiped clean. All of the information is recoverable, but the whole process was just overly frustrating. Evidently, I'm not the only one having issues.

Snow Leopard Up-to-Date program

2009-06-16T13:29:00.004-04:00

If you're waiting around to buy a new Mac because you want the new Mac OS X Snow Leopard, wait no longer. If you buy a new qualifiying Mac (that doesn't include Snow Leopard) on or after June 8, you'll be eligible to upgrade to Snow Leopard for only $9.95. The program ends December 26, 2009. Click here for the details.

Mac OS X Snow Leopard is expected to be available in September.

I'm not in the market for a new Mac at this point, but Apple has already sold me on Snow Leopard by announcing the upgrade will only cost $29. Considering the disaster that is Vista, Microsoft should really follow suit in October with Windows 7.

Will the real Phil Spector please stand up

2009-06-11T12:29:00.005-04:00

Folks ... with or without his hair ... Phil Spector is still one of the strangest people around. His 'real' mug shot was released Tuesday as he was booked into prison.

Morro is coming

2009-06-11T11:24:00.002-04:00

Microsoft is readying a beta release for a new, free anti-virus software code-named Morro (after Brazil's Morro de Sao Paolo beach). In November, after Windows Live OneCare proved to be a commercial failure, Microsoft announced they would discontinue the OneCare suite and offer a new, free service before the end of 2009. According to Microsoft, Morro will offer protection against a wide range of viruses similar to the low-end consumer products offered by McAfee and Symantec. No specific release dates have been announced for Morro.

I, for one, am excited about this new FREE Microsoft anti-virus program. Several months ago, I used the free trial of Windows Live OneCare to remove viruses from my fiancee's PC that Norton Anti-Virus could not touch. At that point, I swore not to renew my Norton subscription in favor of OneCare. If that same Microsoft technology is moving over into Morro for free, McAfee and Symantec should be more than a little nervous.

Read more

Countdown to iPhone 3G S is on

2009-06-11T10:39:00.003-04:00

For those of you planning to be first in line for the new iPhone 3G S next Friday morning (June 19), Apple has announced the phones will go on sale at 8am.

AT&T stores will be opening an hour earlier (7am) for customers who pre-order the iPhone. Everyone else will have to wait outside until 8 o'clock.

Credit: CNET

Bret Michaels eats Broadway

2009-06-08T11:36:00.003-04:00

This has to be one of the funniest clips I've seen in long time. After performing with Poison at last night's Tony Awards, Bret Michaels missed his mark and was plowed by a huge "Broadway" sign that was being lowered onto the stage. Enjoy!

Never one to disappoint, CNN.com posted a video of the clip being played repeatedly in different speeds and different zoom positions. Click here to watch the CNN video.

Great deal on Chickenfoot

2009-06-05T12:59:00.001-04:00

The debut album from Chickenfoot is now available, and amazon.com is offering a great deal for the MP3 download until June 8. The entire album can be purchased for only $3.99. Or, if you desire, individual tracks can be still be purchased for $0.99 each.

For those of you who don't know, the oddly-named band is comprised of Sammy Hagar, Michael Anthony, Joe Satriani, and Chad Smith. Visit the band's official website to learn more.

Chickenfoot is scheduled to perform on tonight's episode of "The Tonight Show."

Purchase the album from Amazon MP3
Visit the band's official website

Signs of life for Chrome on Mac and Linux

2009-06-05T12:04:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, Google released "developer preview" versions of the Chrome browser for both Mac and Linux. I, for one, have been waiting on the browser for Mac, and this appears to be a good sign of things going in the right direction (finally). "Developer preview" means this is a very buggy, untested version of the browser only released in order to gain feedback from developers. It's not meant for everyone to run out and download for use as their new browser. Google has listed well over 400 bugs that need to be fixed in these versions of Chrome. Here's hoping it doesn't take another 9 months before we see the stable browser for Mac and Linux.

Read more at CNET

We'll miss you, Grasshopper

2009-06-04T13:02:00.004-04:00

David Carradine, star of the "Kill Bill" movies and "Kung Fu" television series was found dead in Thailand.

While he wasn't as cool as Chuck Norris and took Bruce Lee's job on the series after producers didn't want an asian actor playing a kung-fu wanderer in the American west, he'll still be remembered as a great actor and the characters he played icons.

Sleep well Grasshopper.

Here's the story from CNN and the Associated Press

Pre-order "Back from the Dead"

2009-06-03T21:26:00.001-04:00

Spinal Tap’s “Back from the Dead” is now available for pre-order on iTunes. When you pre-order the album, the single “Back from the Dead” will immediately be downloaded. On the relase date, along with the standard album tracks, you’ll also receive an exclusive track “Sex Farm (2009),” a digital booklet, and a track-by-track video commentary. A special code will also be included to download the iTunes-produced video “Stonehenge, ‘Tis a Magic Place” on the expected release date of August 25.

Spinal Tap’s “Back from the Dead” is set to release on June 16.

Adobe's new BrowserLab

2009-06-03T09:48:00.001-04:00

Adobe is currently offering a free preview of their new BrowserLab service. BrowserLab is a tool that allows web developers to easily check for browser compatibility among today's most popular browsers and operating systems. Checking for errors and differences in various browsers is one of the great hurdles in developing a website. Adobe has simplified the process with BrowserLab by giving you access to different versions of Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer all in one place. With this new service, users have the ability to compare webpages side by side or on top of each other in "onion skin" mode. Adobe says the BrowserLab will eventually become a paid service, but the timeframe has not been announced.

Read more

Try Adobe BrowserLab

Windows 7 coming October 22

2009-06-02T16:22:00.003-04:00

Microsoft announced today that Windows 7 will be released on October 22. After offering a release candidate of the operating system last month, Microsoft confirmed they were aiming for a holiday 2009 release of Windows 7. The new OS will come in 5 different versions -- Starter, Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate. Microsoft also hinted at the possibility of offering cheaper upgrade costs for current Vista customers and other incentives for people who purchase Vista near the scheduled release of Windows 7.

Read More

This release date is actually much sooner than I expected. I never thought we'd see this new operating system before January. Hopefully, this new version of Windows will live up to all of the hype because my PC and I are looking forward to an upgrade.

Kid sings Dio

2009-06-02T14:15:00.001-04:00

Here's an amusing clip I found on YouTube ealier. It's a kid in a wig singing Dio's "Holy Diver." It starts out slow, but he cranks it up around the 22 second mark. Enjoy!

Octomom gets TV deal

2009-05-31T22:21:00.001-04:00

Octo-fans rejoice! Octomom Nadya Suleman and her 14 children are getting their own reality TV show. The television deal was reached with a European-based company, but the show has yet to be sold to any American network.

Read the full story at Yahoo! News

In the midst of Jon and Kate controversy dominating the ratings, I guess someone thought it was a good idea to finally throw money at this family disaster.

Ozzy suing for Black Sabbath name

2009-05-31T00:18:00.006-04:00

Ozzy Osbourne has filed a lawsuit against former bandmate Tommy Iommi for a 50% stake in the Black Sabbath trademark and a portion of the profits Iommi has earned using the band's name. The filing claims that Iommi's sole ownership of Black Sabbath is illegal. The suit goes on to claim that Ozzy's "signature lead vocals" made the band successful, and the popularity of Black Sabbath floundered in his absence.

Read the story at RollingStone.com.

And somewhere, Ronnie James Dio is waving his sword in anger.

Circuit City returns

2009-05-29T11:10:00.004-04:00

CircuitCity.com has relaunched under new ownership. Earlier this month, Systemax, the company that owns CompUSA and TigerDirect, became the new owner of the Circuit City brand name and web site for $14 million. At this point, Systemax has made no indication that it intends to take the Circuit City brand any further than the new website.

Read more

Listen to new DMB album

2009-05-29T10:19:00.006-04:00

Pandora.com is currently streaming the entire new album from the Dave Matthews Band. Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King, the first new studio album from the band in 4 years, will be released on June 2.

Listen to the album now at Pandora

Also, on June 1, the DMB concert in New York will be streaming live on hulu.com at 9pm ET.

Read more at davematthewsband.com

A peek at Windows 7

2009-05-28T11:53:00.004-04:00

CNET has posted a photo gallery giving a sneak peek at the new Windows 7 release candidate.

View the gallery on cnet.com

Mac users, is it me or is that dock at the bottom starting to look familiar?

News?

2009-05-28T10:42:00.002-04:00

North Korea is poised to start World War III. Honduras suffered a major earthquake early this morning. Two bombs exploded in Pakistani markets today.

With all these newsworthy events going on, why is it that certain major news networks seem only concerned with 'Jon and Kate Plus 8', 'American Idol', and Casey Anthony?

Seriously, is it just me? There's something terribly wrong when this is what our society demands from news organizations.

Here's hoping that Ronald Cummings shows up soon to make my day complete.

A touch of evil

2009-05-27T15:32:00.002-04:00

Judas Priest is set to release a new live album on July 14. "A Touch of Evil: Live" will feature 10 Priest tracks previously not released on live albums. The songs were purposely chosen by the band to give fans something new and fresh.

Tracklisting:

"Hellrider"
"Between the Hammer & the Anvil"
"Riding on the Wind"
"Death"
"Beyond the Realms of Death"
"Dissident Aggressor"
"Eat Me Alive"
"Prophecy"
"Painkiller"

Judas Priest will embark on a summer tour with Whitesnake beginning June 29. On the tour, Priest will be playing their classic album "British Steel" in its entirety.

Read more at billboard.com

Fan-routed Kiss tour

2009-05-27T13:56:00.003-04:00

For the first time ever, a major act will have its entire tour mapped out by the fans. Kiss' upcoming North American tour will be based entirely on fan voting at http://www.eventful.com/KISS. Voting, which began last month, will continue through June 30, and the tour is scheduled to begin in September. Earlier today, Buckcherry was announced as the supporting act for the upcoming tour.

Go vote!

Life and limb for iPod

2009-05-27T10:04:00.002-04:00

Last week, a Florida teenager risked life and limb to save her iPod after dropping the gadget while crossing a street in Tampa. When the 16-year-old turned back to retrieve the iPod from the road, she was struck by a pickup truck. Luckily, she only suffered a possible broken leg.

As much as I love my iPod, there's no way I'm eating the front-end of a pickup truck to save it.

Here's hoping she at least had some good tunes on there.

View story

What's in a name?

2009-05-26T12:05:00.003-04:00

Microsoft has been hinting at it's revamped Live search engine and hopes the relaunch will give Google a run for the money ... at least where search engines are concerned. They've even renamed the site - BING.

Here's the story from the NY Post

We've seen this so many times. Cuil, Wolframalpha ... etc. Instead of Microsoft trying to beat Google, why don't they focus on fixing their own brand and product failures ... Vista anyone?

Dog creates chaos

2009-05-22T16:00:00.002-04:00

Duane Chapman, aka "Dog the Bounty Hunter," was back in the news spotlight today for an arrest made in a Colorado police station. It turns out the would-be fugitive was turning himself in to police when Dog stormed in and cuffed him, creating a chaotic scene. The ruckus even caused an abused mother and her children to flee the police station in fear.

View the video from CNN

Google releases Chrome update

2009-05-22T10:44:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, Google announced the release of an update to their Chrome browser. Google's standing selling point of the browser has always been the efficiency with which it handles JavaScript. The updated browser supposedly improves the speed of browsing by up to 30% on script-heavy pages. In addition to the increased speed, Google improved Chrome's stability by fixing over 300 bugs that caused the browser to crash. New features in the update include full screen mode, form autofill, and the ability to remove website thumbnails (most visited, recently visited, etc.) from the Tab page.

This is all well and good, but I want to know when we'll see Google Chrome for Mac. The PC browser has been available for 8 months now while the Mac version is still under development. It's not that I'm going to jump ship from Firefox for Chrome, but I would like to have the option of using the browser. I've been using the Google browser off and on for months on my PC, and I have noticed some increased performance on certain websites.

http://www.google.com/chrome

Coming 'Full Circle'

2009-05-22T10:14:00.002-04:00

Much to the joy of some people, the band Creed recently reunited for an upcoming tour. The group is also touting a new album entitled "Full Circle" for a summer release.

Creed officially broke up in 2004 after controversy surrounding Stapp's drinking/drug problems. The remaining band members went on to form Alter Bridge with singer Myles Kennedy, and Scott Stapp embarked on a lackluster solo career.

Creed will be performing in Raleigh on September 4 at Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek.

http://www.creed.com

Chickenfoot?

2009-05-21T13:48:00.003-04:00

Prepare yourself for the next "supergroup" in rock music. Chickenfoot has arrived! Former Van Halen members Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony have teamed up with guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani and Red Hot Chili Peppers' drummer Chad Smith to form the oddly-named band. The new group was created as a result of several jam sessions at Hagar's club in Cabo San Lucas. Chickenfoot's debut album will be released on June 9. To get a sample of the new music, visit the band's official website for streaming audio tracks and a video package.

http://www.chickenfoot.us

ABC revives "V" TV series

2009-05-21T09:23:00.003-04:00

I was only in fourth grade at the time, and I clearly remember my parents not allowing me to watch the 1984 series, but I'm excited to see the network revive the series with new special effects and what seems to be a better story line. Check it out for yourself. The first clip is from the 1984 series, in all its cheesy Buck-Rogers-style glory. The second clip is the trailer for ABC's venture.

Little Mac is back!

2009-05-20T16:12:00.004-04:00

After a 15-year hiatus, Nintendo's ever popular "Punch-Out!!" made its return this week on the Wii console. All of the classic characters, including Soda Popinski and King Hippo, have returned as well. Like many other kids from the 80s, I have fond memories of "Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!" on the original Nintendo Entertainment System. I was excited to learn a few months ago this game was making a comeback, but I decided to take the "wait and see" approach before throwing any money down. So far, I'm glad to see the game is receiving high marks on many popular websites, including an Editors' Choice Award from ign.com. With the long weekend coming up, maybe I'll flash back to 1987 and step in the ring once more.

Punch-Out!! on ign.com

Back from the dead

2009-05-19T11:03:00.005-04:00

Crank it to 11! Spinal Tap is back with a new album to commemorate the 25th anniversary of "This is Spinal Tap." "Back From The Dead" will be released as a deluxe CD/DVD package on June 16. The album features 6 new songs, as well as new versions of original Tap classics.

A previously unreleased track "Saucy Jack" is also now available as a free download from the official Spinal Tap website.

Read more and download "Saucy Jack" at spinaltap.com.

Best movie of the summer ...

2009-05-19T10:02:00.003-04:00

It's Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus! That's right, super campy, super awesomeness. It's so awesome it's coming straight to DVD. But don't try and order it ... because it's on back order!! Here's a shot from the flick and the trailer.

Jail time for file sharing

2009-04-17T08:18:00.002-04:00

In a landmark case in Sweden, the four founders of Piratebay.org were sentenced to a year in jail and also ordered to pay $3.6 million in damages to copyright holders, including Warner Brothers, MGM, Columbia Pictures, 20th Century Fox Films, Sony and Universal, according to Swedish media reports.

Pending appeal, this case could set a precedent here in the U.S.

Here's the story from the Telegraph.

Fact, texting while driving kills

2009-04-04T21:37:00.002-04:00

We all do it — texting while driving — but now at least I'll think twice. But then again, I'm not trying to pay my bills from my cell phone ... as a California woman was trying to do when she smashed in to stopped cars, killing another woman.

Here's the story from AP.

Drew

Do you speak Urdu? The CIA needs you.

2009-04-01T07:31:00.002-04:00

The CIA is using multiple media platforms to recruit new agents, especially those with linguistic skills.

"In order to accomplish our vital intelligence mission we want to market our employment opportunities to speakers of Arabic, Russian, Korean, Pashtu and Urdu," said George Little, a CIA spokesman.

Click here to read the article from the London Times.

Sham POW, Vince gets busted

2009-03-31T09:19:00.006-04:00

Vince, that crazy ShamWow pitchman from television infomercials, has been arrested in Miami for allegedly beating up a prostitute.

I'm sure Billy Mays is still laughing.

Here's the link to the story from the Smoking Gun.

Lights in the sky along the Eastern Seaboard

2009-03-30T12:29:00.004-04:00

Here's an interesting read from a television station about a greenish light seen in the sky ... including one account from Durham, N.C.

I haven't found any photos online yet.

Click to read the article from WBAL, Baltimore.

Here from the Virginian-Pilot.

Star Trek back on TV??

2009-03-25T12:53:00.003-04:00

In all of my geeky-ness, I was interested to see this snippet about Star Trek returning to TV ... even though May's movie release hasn't come yet.

Funny thing about Trek — other than my iPhone is starting to look and act like Spock's TriCorder — is I'm a Trek fan from the Next Generation and my father used to watch Kirk and Spock battle alien beings while he was stationed in Vietnam in '71.

Here's some info on the small-screen possibilities.

Live long and prosper.

Drew

Be still, my beating heart

2009-03-24T08:15:00.002-04:00

Holy cow, a 5000-calorie hamburger.

Check it out here

-Drew

Tata Nano? What'd you just call me?

2009-03-23T10:26:00.003-04:00

India is launching the world's cheapest car which would cost around $1,982 and is called the Tata Nano — no I didn't just insult you. Here's some more info and a video:

Link to story from the BBC

What drives people to do this?

2009-03-16T11:31:00.002-04:00

A Russian woman has confessed to having a friend over for tea, killing her and feasting on body parts.

Rather disgusting, but have things become so bad in Russia that they're turning to cannibalism? Probably not ... but Heston's cry "Soylent Green is people!!" comes to mind.

Here's the story.

-Drew

Joaquin goes crazy

2009-03-12T08:31:00.003-04:00

In yet what seems to be another publicity stunt, Joaquin Phoenix jumped off a stage in Miami last night to apparently beat a belligerent attendee to his rap concert (ala Axl Rose).

Nothing too important here, but I thought it was rather hilarious as Phoenix seems to be following a comedic style similar to Andy Kauffman.

Click here to watch the video or read the story from The Sun.