Let’s be honest: the iPad is still yet to proven. It isn’t even out yet and that certainly needs to be considered before we give it too much credit. But given Apple’s track record, when the California-based company enters a new market they usually cause an upset. Millions now flock to Apple’s newly released devices, causing these devices to become the new standard in their respected industry.

Enter the iPad. No, it’s not trying to be a netbook. I think most people aren’t quite understanding that yet. The device’s focus is to be a book/magazine reader, but with a ton of extra features that will make the Amazon Kindle cry itself to sleep at night. Not to mention, it has some pretty handy features for business users.

But I’m not going to get into the heated debate of the iPad. What I do want to talk about briefly is how excited I am about the marketing potential print media companies now have in the digital playground. I’m so excited, that I’m even dusting off this blog to write a new entry. More on the future of this blog later.

First, let’s rewind a little bit. Sports Illustrated showed some serious game face late last year when they released a video of what the print magazine hopes to achieve on a tablet device. Here is the video:

Clearly they had the rumored “Apple Tablet” in mind when designing the video. However, since the device was yet to be announced at the time, Sports Illustrated was simply speculating on its hardware capabilities. This means not everything in the video may be entirely possible on what will no doubt be the leader in the book reader market. That being said, there are some very exciting things in there. Video integration, seamless transitions, etc. Very, very exciting. It impressed me immensely when I first saw it.

But now we have something a little more tangible. Yesterday, Wired Magazine released a video of their own tablet application. Though they don’t focus on the iPad per se, Apple’s device is obviously the big player in the market so Wired would be crazy to show off something that wouldn’t run on it. Included below is the video that was released yesterday. And note that it isn’t video simulation of an application in the video, but actually the working product:

But what impressed me the most? The advertising. Wow! I love the idea of the interactive advertisements in the demo that boast 360-degree viewing angles of products. An advertisers dream. In a traditional print magazine or newspaper, advertisers simply have to hope that their advertisements are being looked at and their likelihood to purchase levels are increased. But when you add this new-found user interaction into the advertisements, especially in a tech magazine on a popular electronic device, chances are the readers will actually want to play with the advertisements. Genius! If anything, this could allow for a stronger revenue stream from the advertisements for the publishers in the longterm than they would get in a print issue. Advertisers will be begging to develop fun new advertisements for the digital medium. It sort of reminds me of how advertisers are currently playing with augmented reality in print media to try to save the medium; where the reader simply needs the issue, webcam and high speed internet to get interaction with the issue. Augmented reality has it’s place, but I’m not as sold on it in an advertising setting. It’s almost gimmicky. Augmented reality simply has nothing compared to the amount of interaction the tablet apps can offer for publishers. And not just for magazines, but also for local, national and international newspapers. It puts them all on a level playing field for creativity and engagement.

So forget about what the iPad can and cannot do when compared to a laptop or a netbook. That’s unfair, because that’s not what the device is going for (yet). Look at it, for now, as a book reader with tons of potential. Business users in particular will find it handy as they can bring tons of books and magazines, as well as some basic business tasking, together in one thin device. I know first hand how much of a pain it is to bring merely a couple of books and magazines with you as you fly around the continent. To have those couple of books and so much more reading material on one device would be very appealing, especially when the digital magazines will offer interactive features such as the above Wired application boasts. Plus then there are all of games, productivity apps, e-mail, web, and more that the device offers.

I’m geeking out. Not just as a technology enthusiast, but also when looking at things from a business perspective. There are so many opportunities here to change the advertising game within traditional print media, it blows my mind. Yes, moving digital may cause print media to fade many years from now, but it could very well save the companies currently fighting to survive within the industry too. Time will tell. All I know is I’m excited for the games to begin.

So for those of you who don’t follow me on Twitter, you may not have known that I made my decision. I did, in fact, dive head first into the world of the iPhone. So I thought I’d lay out my reasoning for buying it and if my concerns are (or are not) valid. I did a ton of web searching prior to my move, so I hope I can return the favor for those in the same situation I was.

First, to give you a little background, I originally was on a Palm Treo 650 for about a year before I moved over to the BlackBerry. The difference was night and day. I loved my BlackBerry. It provided some cool features such as their secure messaging system, BlackBerry messenger, push notification, and the ability to PIN other BlackBerrys. I felt like I was part of the elite club. But something still seemed like it was lacking. While the BlackBerry is a brilliant tool for business users and those looking for an excellent text-based communication device, it just didn’t seem to meet my needs. I’ll be honest, I’m a pretty tech savvy guy. I like my tech toys. So I wanted something that would satisfy my social media urges. Something that could be productive with my business needs, but also do so much more media stuff as well. After about a year and a half, the iPhone came into the picture.

Before I go any further, I’m going to break this down into two categories. First, I will address my main concerns of switching to the iPhone and whether they are still valid, now that I actually have one. Secondly, I will speak about a mere sample of the many things I do with my iPhone to give you an idea of what I use it for daily.

Read the rest…

First of all, I upgraded to the latest version of WordPress this weekend. For some reason, it deleted a number of recent comments however, including all of comments from my previous entry. My apologies to everyone who commented! Definitely don’t know what happened… Maybe I accidently clicked something…

Anyway, so I think I’ve decided that I’m going with the iPhone in early January (after Macworld, in case they announce something new). It’s such a hard decision, since I’m a huge BlackBerry fan. But the amount of apps available is staggering. And, because it is one of the fastest selling phones to date, the amount of developer support is tremendous. The BlackBerry (even the BlackBerry Storm) will never have that many. This is what got my attention in the first place…

So what about my concerns? Well, basically I only have three major concerns now:

- First, the lack of unlimited data… I guess I’ll just have to be careful with my use of data and play it out to see how much I need/use.
- Another concern is the apparent short battery life, but I keep getting mixed opinions. I know I’ll be using the phone a lot for apps, surfing, etc. though, so I’m kind of worried. We’ll see what happens.
- Finally, roaming to the States is a bit disconcerting. I’ve looked into data roaming charges, and it doesn’t seem too bad if I don’t surf the web and just keep Twitter, e-mail, etc. going. Plus if there are wifi spots, I’m good. However, it’s sixty cents to send a text message down there! That’s ridiculous. With Telus I can text for free now down in the States… So if I need to send a text to a friend or family member while down there, it’s going to cost an arm and a leg. Ugh.

All of this said, I am asking for your help once again. This time it is for current iPhone users. If you could answer all or any of these questions either in a comment or e-mail (josh[AT]joshmcconnell.net), it would be much appreciated. I received a ton of feedback from the last post…

The first two could even be answered by current iPod Touch users too, since a lot of the apps will work on both…

1. What are your favorite apps from the app store? There is no limit to the amount of apps you list, how much it is, or the categories they belong to. Just give me your favorites (games included).
2. What are your favorite apps for a jailbroken iPhone (for those who have theirs jailbroken)?
3. What is your favorite case(s) for the iPhone 3G?
4. What are your favorite accessories for the iPhone 3G?

Thanks guys! Keep the feedback coming!

So there is something that is pretty common knowledge if you follow me through my profiles on various social websites or even if you know me in person: I use my BlackBerry. A lot. Texting, E-mail, Facebook, Twitter, surfing and other multi-media goodies is what I use my current smartphone for. I always have it with me and it keeps me connected (though I’m not one of those guys who will be anti-social with friends because of it, I’m tasteful about it)…

That being said, I need an upgrade from my boring Pearl though. The crappy built-in camera is annoying for TwitPic and Qik, plus I miss my qwerty keyboard from my Treo smart phone before it (though I don’t miss the Treo at all). So I’ve been seriously considering jumping to the BlackBerry Storm with it’s big screen and 3MP camera goodness… But lately the concept of the iPhone is becoming very intriguing to me.

Let’s set the stage quickly: I am in a three year data contract with Telus, so if I did get the Storm I would be paying full price for it ($650 to $700). However, if I wait until the end of January when I finish my first year, it would cost me $480 to break my contract and then $299 to go with Rogers with a 16GB iPhone… So essentially for another hundred bucks, I could get an iPhone. This is why I’ve actually been considering it… When you’re spending that much, what’s another hundred bucks to get something you’ll really like (maybe, I haven’t decided that part yet)?

And I’ll be honest, the thought of so many apps available at my disposal (10,000+) and heavy developer support really excites me. As you may know, I’m a big fan of the social/media/open-source type stuff, which the iPhone is supposed to be good for. Well, okay, maybe not open-source, but you know what I mean… However, in order for me to actually make the switch to an iPhone, I have a number of concerns…

This is where you come in.

Feedback on any (or all) of the following issues would be very much appreciated. Either comment on this post or send me an e-mail (josh[AT]joshmcconnell[DOT]net). The answers to these questions could very well solve my problem quickly, one way or the other…

1. Data Usage
I’ll be honest, I will be a heavy data user. Videos will be recorded and streamed via Qik. Pictures will be uploaded to TwitPic/Facebook/Flickr… Plus there will be surfing the web, constantly checking Twitter, having the phone check for e-mail, etc. However, I can’t seem to get a good idea of how much data this would all entail. I wish there wasn’t a stupid 2GB cap with Rogers (Canada’s iPhone provider), because I like my unlimited data through Telus. If I didn’t have to worry about hitting a cap, I think this deal would practically be closed… Curse you, Rogers! Do you want my business or not?

2. Email
I want to be able to set up my JoshMcConnell.net e-mail address so I can send and receive e-mail… But I don’t want the messages to delete from the server, as I still want to be able to download those messages back in Outlook on my computer like regular. I do this now with my BlackBerry. Can this be done? How good is the e-mail setup?

3. Calendar Sync
I currently have my BlackBerry calendar synced to Google Calendar via Google Sync. I then have Outlook synced to Google Calendar as well via Google Calendar Sync… So I can add something on my BlackBerry and it’ll be there on my desktop or visa versa. Can the iPhone do this too in some shape or form? It must be over the air so I don’t have to connect it manually via USB.

4. Battery Life
I hear it sucks. A lot. Especially with 3G… Now if I just have to charge it every night before going to bed, that’s okay. But if I can’t get up and use my phone from 8 or 9AM to the evening, and I have to charge it by afternoon or dinner, then we have problems. Especially on day outings when I’m not going to be near a charger.

5. Touch screen
I’d have this problem with the Storm too, but I’m still goofing around with the idea of a screen instead of the keyboard. Can you truly type as fast with it after practice? I’ve been playing with my dad’s iPod Touch and I seem to be getting the hang of it a little bit, but I’m curious how fast those who have been using it for a little while go… I should have a race with someone…

6. Roaming charges
This one I don’t think people can really help me for, it’s just a point that does still hold me back a little. Consider it more like a rant. When I go down to the States once or twice a year, I simply turn off my data so I don’t get hit with roaming charges. All I do is text down there because through Telus I don’t get hit with any roaming fees to text in the States (whether it’s to a number in the States or back up to Canada). However, Rogers charges you 60 cents for every text sent! That’s brutal…

I’m sure I can come up with more, but these are the main ones right now… Maybe these things are do-able, maybe they aren’t… Maybe I have to wait until the next hardware update so problems such as the battery life can be improved, I don’t know…

All I know is I’m a sucker for these kind of gadgets and the many, many apps and uses for the phone are exciting and would be nice to take part in. I would use my phone for a lot more fun and social tasks if I had the option. However, if it can’t last long with a battery, is going to cost me a lot because I’m going over my data cap, and can’t handle e-mail or calendar syncing with ease, then maybe it’s not for me… Maybe I’ll stick with a BlackBerry….

Again, all feedback is welcomed and appreciated!

I received a LOT of positive feedback from the last entry… Thanks everyone. I will try to get more interesting articles posted here…

As you may have guessed with my absence, things have been busy. But upon further reflection, I think I’ve realized why blogging updates have been minimal. With so much social networking at our fingertips, there are just too many avenues to keep tabs on. I’m sure if I had more time I could… but when you are bouncing a few jobs plus trying to obtain a business degree, your time is short. Only two weeks left until the end of the semester though, which means one month off school!

I think this is why Twitter is such a fantastic tool. You can post quick updates on what you are up to, make your opinions known quickly, get instant feedback, etc. Plus I can do it on the go on my BlackBerry… Then when you add in extra social networking goodies that enhance the Twitter experience, you almost forget about blogs completely. ha. Examples of enhancements would be TwitPic.com (posts pictures from your cell up on Twitter) or my new personal favorite, Qik.com (stream video LIVE from your cell to the internet). Very cool. I need to use them a lot more than I do now, but my crappy camera in my Pearl isn’t very encouraging at the moment. I will be using both of these a LOT when I upgrade my phone next month with a much, much better camera.

All of this being said, I’ll try to post more blog posts here… Even if they are little ones. Again, follow me on Twitter to stay up to date and have a real conversation with me. It’s quite fun…

Anyway, on to a few reviews/comments on CDs I’ve been listening to recently…

Kanye West – 808s & Heartbreak
It took a few spins, but this disc is really growing on me… Despite what some people try ti say, it’s not really a straight up hip-hop CD It’s more like pop meets rock meets some hip-hop/rap… It’s very mainstream at times, but at other times it’s quite unique… Again, takes a bit to get used to, but I like it. Kanye himself calls it “pop art.” You can tell he’s going for the mainstream crowd a bit too, because it’s his first CD without a Parental Advisory sticker. ha. I keep finding myself coming back to it though. It’s a pretty solid disc.

Coldplay – Prospekt’s March
It may only have eight tracks (two of which are new versions of songs from Viva La Vida), but it is still a brilliant little EP. Lost+ with Jay-Z is pretty snazzy, while some of the new tracks are so atmospheric and epic that you remember why the band is phenomenal. Coldplay’s latest full length is one of my favorites, so this extra EP is just icing on the cake.

P!nk – Funhouse
Wasn’t sure what to expect going in… I mean, P!nk has her signature sound, but at the same time she always has a little different flavor with each record. This one seems to be more of an extension of her last one… Very upbeat and fun, though maybe an emphasis on the latter due to the album’s funhouse theme. ha. Nothing too memorable overall though. Just more addictive P!nk music.

Taylor Swift – Fearless
Wow… There’s just something about Taylor Swift’s music that is refreshing. The music’s honest story telling captures your attention and the catchy melodies hold it. It’s also great to see her having a significantly large role in the songwriting process (see: the vast majority of it). Definitely one of the best country-pop CDs of 2008.

Kevin Rudolf – In The City
Another interesting CD… It’s like rock meets rap meets pop. Lots of distorted guitars and vocals… Very in-your-face and upbeat… It certainly gets the foot tapping and head banging. After a spin or two, I’ve determined I like it.

Linkin Park – Road To Revolution
Meh, it’s simply another live CD/DVD combo from the band. You can tell from the camera quality that it would look very good in HD… and you can tell this even on the inferior DVD medium. It’s cool to see the band play some of their songs from Minutes To Midnight live and to see them play some classics with some new twists, but overall nothing to write home about. Jay-Z comes out to sing two of their mashup songs, which is cool…

And that’s all for now… See you on Twitter.

So I’m a big fan of Twitter… Always have and probably always will. Well, or at least until something cooler comes along. You know how it goes. Sure, they could tweak a couple things to make it flawless in my eyes (such as choosing the option to have only @replies sent to my mobile phone. Hint hint, developers), but it’s still a fantastic website.

That being said, I will give you five good reasons why you should join the Twitter world. They will be so convincing, you will want to sign up immediately after reading this entry. Or something like that.

1. Because I’m A Member
Come on, let’s be honest. I could stop the list right here and you would have more than enough reason to sign up for Twitter. What? No? Okay, okay, I’ll give you some more…

2. All The Cool People Are (Finally) Doing It
I’ve had a Twitter account since, well, pretty much when it launched years ago. This was long before it moved to the mainstream internet scene and actually became cool. But when looking at my first reason on this list, apparently me having an account doesn’t cause a mass sign up. Who would have thought? So when Twitter played an integral role in the music festival SxSW a year ago, it caught the attention of big players and got the ball rolling. Now you can find members of your favorite bands, politicians, journalists, TV personalities and more signing up and telling you what they are up to. Sites also use it to share updates such as news stories or the weather. I can actually tell someone about Twitter without getting odd looks because the other person knows what I’m talking about. Fancy that!

3. It’s A Cool Concept
“What are you doing?” is the question that Twitter asks you to answer in 140 characters or less. Through a web browser, AIM, text messaging, countless applications for your computer (or even your Blackberry/iPhone), you can update to tell the world exactly what you are doing. Are you at a concert and the band is playing a classic anthem? Did you see a celebrity sighting at SoHo while shopping? Did you experience/see some sort of natural disaster and want to tell the world even before the media picks up on it? It can all be done in seconds. You can also use sites such as TwitPic.com to upload pictures from your mobile phone (or computer) and have it update on your Twitter account automatically. I love TwitPic.

4. It’s Not Just A One Way Conversation
Let’s be honest: not many people use Twitter primarily for one way conversations. Thanks to the reply feature, you can reply to someone’s entry and they can reply right back to you. You can also send direct messages if you want to keep it all confidential. It really is a community and helps you to get to know new people. And, again, it is all within 140 characters or less.

5. Someone Has To Go First
So maybe you don’t know anyone personally who has a Twitter account. When I first started, it took months (and months) until someone I actually knew hopped on board. But it takes someone to sign up first in your social circle to get the ball rolling before others join. Why can’t it be you? Plus, now with Twitter gaining popularity, there is more than just strangers you can have a conversation with in the beginning (like when I first joined). You have the aforementioned personalities who are all signing up and using it frequently, so you won’t feel so alone. And just think, you can brag to everyone saying you were the first in your social circle to join. I know I like bragging about being one of the first to sign up, period. It makes me all warm and fuzzy inside… I suppose that makes me a geek, doesn’t it? Dang.

So there you have it… Five great reasons as to why you should join Twitter (if you already are a member, feel free to comment and add some more reasons of your own). Sign up and follow me already! Send me a message and we’ll chat it up via tweets (that’s what Twitter calls their entries, by the way). Again, don’t worry if you feel alone, your friends will follow soon enough.

So today, in twenty-eight States, is Juneteenth. It celebrates the day of announcement that slavery was abolished. For those unfamiliar with it, you can brush up on your history a bit over here.

I saw OneRepublic in concert a week and a half ago. Wow. I figured they would be good, but they blew me away. Even with the lead singer having to come out on crutches and not move around too much, they still put on a great show. They made me enjoy their music even more, perhaps putting them up there as one of my favorites. I’ll definitely be seeing them again next time they come to Toronto… I recommend them to anyone…

Next concert? On July 30th, I’ll be seeing Coldplay at the Air Canada Centre. Unfortunately, they are the “worst” seats I’ve had at the ACC to date, but that’s not saying much since I’ve lucked out with all of my past shows there (within the first 10 rows every time). ha. I’m about halfway back in the lower bowl (section 120). Not too bad. Either way, the place sold out in about 5 minutes, so I’m just glad to be going…

Speaking of Coldplay, has anyone picked up their new album, Viva La Vida? I’m really, really digging it… Very impressive record. It’s going to be one of my favorites of the year for sure… Pick it up if you haven’t already. You can even buy it in LP format…

Firefox 3 debuted on Tuesday and I like it a lot. It has some new features that are cool, it seems to be even more stable, and basically it reaffirms my belief that Firefox is the best web browser out there right now. You can also watch a real-time counter to see how many downloads it has received. So far it is sitting at over 11 million. Impressive.

I’m trying to decide what my next BlackBerry should be… I have the silver Pearl now and I love it, but I could do more with a more powerful unit since I have unlimited data. Out of the ones available, the only other one I’d get is the Blackberry Curve. But there is also the Blackberry Bold and Blackberry Thunder coming later this year… The Thunder doesn’t interest me too much because I don’t want a full blown touch screen phone. But I’m holding out to see what the Bold ends up looking like, because right now I think it may end up being my replacement…

I finally got around to putting my entire Beatles collection onto my computer and, in turn, my iPod yesterday. ha. It took quite a while…. Twenty albums later (three of which are double discs)…

Anyway, off to work… The two days off were definitely nice but it is time to head back, unfortunately…

I’m such a sucker for pop music… Right now my addiction is Maroon 5’s new single. They re-recorded If I Never See Your Face Again with Rihanna… So infectious. It replaced Madonna’s 4 Minutes, which features Justin Timberlake and Timbaland. Of course, that’s not to say I only listen to pop tracks. I’ll usually listen to them in between other stuff, including classics like The Beatles or REM. Still, I can’t help but listen to the catchy mainstream stuff… It’s like a drug.

So I went to Ottawa for a few days last week for business… It was pretty crazy, but fun. Microsoft gave everyone in attendance (250-300 people maybe?) a Microsoft Zune, which doesn’t come to Canada until June 13th. I think it could give the iPod a run for its money… It has some really, really cool social/interactive features…

I just finished reading the book Bringing Down The House, which is what the movie 21 is based off of. It’s a true story, actually. What a fantastic book… I wish I read it earlier. I couldn’t put it down. It definitely gets my recommendation, especially if you enjoyed the movie. I really enjoyed the movie, but the book blows it out of the water. It’s pretty intense. Oh, and for those wondering, the movie comes to DVD and Blu-Ray on July 22nd. Looking forward to it…

You know summer is coming when all of your favorite TV shows are winding down… Everything is ending either this week or next week it seems. How sad… Tonight is American Idol (I’m still sticking to Cook winning) and next week is Lost. Now what am I going to do to unwind after work on Thursdays? Hmm…

Anyway, thanks for the feedback on the new layout. I’ve had a number of e-mails on top of the few comments, most of which was positive. It’s been growing on me more too… It was time for a change.

The XM and Sirius satellite radio merger may finally be coming to an end… It’s taken them long enough. Insiders are saying it looks like it may be entering the stage where the FCC is just going to push it through quickly because it’s been so long… If you are one to play with the stock market, you may want to take that as a hint. But it’s also a gamble since we don’t know for sure what is going to happen…

PC got an iPhone! ha. You have to laugh at this one…

Speaking of Apple, rumor has it they have been playing with new ideas of distributing music. First, Universal Music has approached Apple with the idea of releasing a device that contains the label’s entire catalog. Interesting. Apple has actually been trying for the past six months to negotiate with the major labels and allow a Total Music concept with the iPod. This means that you would have completely free (and legal) access to all of the major labels and their subsidiaries’ music, but the files will only work on your specific iPod device.

Coldplay has announced the name and release date of their upcoming album. It’s Viva la Vida and will street on June 17th in North America. People like to give Coldplay a hard time, but I will admit that I’m looking forward to hearing it…

So apparently Gibson is suing video game companies over patent infringement for Rock Band and Guitar Hero. Oh Gibson, I’m ashamed…

You knew it was bound to happen, but people have now proposed over Twitter… ha. I don’t know, maybe it’s just me, but I don’t think it would have the same emotional effect. Not near as romantic. Wait, so maybe I’m not a geek after all? Score.

Oh, I just realized I still have last night’s episode of Lost to watch… Off I go…

This is it. We’re in the final stretch… The geek in me is showing and I’m excited that we are less than a week away from the release of Apple’s new operating system, OS X Leopard! Streeting on October 26th, the new OS is doing a major overhaul and adding over 300 new features from it’s previous version. There are a number of cosmetic changes too, such as the new look for the dock. I like a lot. So much so that I pre-ordered it and Apple promises I’ll receive it by the 26th. Let’s see if they hold their end of the bargain…

You know which CD I’ve gotten into a bit lately? Timbaland’s Shock Value. I heard it prior to its release through an advanced copy, but I never really focused too heavily on it until three solid singles hit airwaves back to back: Give It To Me, The Way I Are and Apologize (my favorite). The song he recorded with Elton John is pretty cool too…

Nearly a month until the KT Tunstall concert at the Kool Haus in Toronto! Again, looking forward to that…

Apparently U2 is in the studio working on two different projects. One is with producer Rick Rubin and is expected to be their next official album. But, on top of that, they are also recording tracks with the very successful production team of Brian Eno and Daniel Lanios and many are wondering if it could be a Passengers II disc. Man, I want them now though. ha. The clips of material I’ve heard from the current studio sessions sounds fantastic… Speculation has it we may see one of them in the spring (likely the side project) with the other one releasing in the fall.

Anyway, I’m exhausted. Off to bed…

So much for trying to keep this updated… ha. It’s been a while and you know what that means: a fragmented entry to try to bring you up to speed quickly! I can smell the excitement.

- College is going well… It’s a fairly big workload with my other various jobs, but that comes with the territory. The first semester is over in two months and then I am a quarter of the way through the program. Booyah. So what would I like to do afterwards? I’m not sure yet… Eventually I wouldn’t mind ending up in California…

- I finally got around to seeing Across The Universe. Really cool movie. It was one of those movies where you aren’t quite sure what to think immediately following the movie, but as you think back more and more you realize it was really good. It is a bit of a ‘rougher’ movie though, so I wouldn’t recommend it for a young audience or the easily offended. But for the most part it should be an entertaining watch for the majority of Beatles and music fans alike. I’m considering seeing it again, actually…

- I’m going to see KT Tunstall in concert on November 22nd with my friend Krystle. Looking forward to that a lot… She’s supposed to be awesome live and I’m a pretty big fan of her music. You can bet I’ll be talking about it more as the date approaches. My ticket arrived today actually…

- I ordered a new 80GB iPod Classic and it arrived. The only thing that sucks is there is a stuck pixel on the screen. Grr. That’s what I hate about LCD screens. So I’m going to see if it goes away, otherwise I may call Apple and see what they say. I don’t know if it’s going to be more of a problem to fix if there is a custom engraving on the back or not…

- Aside from Xbox 360’s Halo 3, I think the next four to six months are the PS3’s season for new games. There are so many I want to pick up that are coming out… One of which is the new Ratchet and Clank (releasing October 30th). The free demo went online yesterday and it’s awesome. Then there is Uncharted, Simpsons (though its on the 360 too), Little Big Planet, Haze (not 100% sure on that one yet), Killzone 2, Unreal Tournament and more. I may not play games as much as I used to, but I definitely love my PS3 to play when I get the chance…

- The new seasons of Heroes and The Office are both awesome so far… Not a bad episode yet. I love Mondays and Thursdays…

- So the Canadian dollar is currently three cents higher than the American dollar. What a weird situation. It’s too bad we’re being charged more up here now for goods and services than in the States. They need to adjust that so we’re not being ripped off… Rumor has it they will early next year (after the holiday, of course).

- Speaking of rumors… Rumor is OS X.5 Leopard will be releasing on October 26th or 27th. Can’t wait!

- To the industry personnel who have asked: yes, I’m aware my bio is over a year old. Ha. But unfortunately it isn’t that high on my list of priorities right now. So unless someone would like write one for me (ha), it’ll have to be put off for longer. I should try to quickly re-do the links section though, since I barely read any of the current list anymore…

Well, I think that’s enough for now… I’ll try to update more frequently from here on out…

My copy of iWork ’08 came in last week. It’s a fantastic piece of software and is definitely worth the upgrade from the previous installment. The new word processing aspect of Pages removes the need for Microsoft Word, Keynote’s brilliant transitions and effects make it arguably the best slideshow presentation software out there and the new Numbers program allows you to create incredibly professional spreadsheets in minutes. The cost for the full version? $79. Much nicer than the hundreds of dollars a Microsoft Office suite will set you back… Now I need Leopard…

I just realized that I bought the greatest hits from Bon Jovi and The Police a month or so ago and they are still sitting on my shelf, sealed in their shrink wrap and begging to be played. I need to get on that this week…

So the reason why I haven’t updated in a while is because I’ve been insanely busy working full time at work. Insert your pity here. ha. Of course, I’ve had some deadlines pop up with music industry work on top of that, which didn’t help any. The good news? Only four more shifts of work left, then I’m off to sunny Florida come Sunday morning! Man, I can’t wait. Less than six days to go… Hanging out inside Disney World for a week will be a blast (we’re staying on property), but I’m also looking forward to the flying portion. It’s fun traveling down to the States. Of course, it gets boring quick, but it’s still fun nonetheless. You can expect lots of pictures from the trip…

So Canadian Idol update… Canada sure got Greg’s elimination wrong a couple of weeks ago. Sheesh. But at least they got last week right with Tara. That was long overdue (as is Jaydee)… Now, for those keeping score, my pick of Brian Melo winning the whole thing is still in play as they enter the Top 5. I always like to choose one (or sometimes two: a boy and a girl) at the auditions level for who could win the whole thing, then see how far they go. It’s usually easy enough to choose once you hit the Top 10, but the auditions level is always a challenge. Brian was my primary choice, then for the girls I chose Carley Rae. We’ll see how things turn out… The last time I went all of the way was with Carrie Underwood, though I’m usually in the top few. ha.

I’m loving my PS3… I think I’m going to play some for an hour to unwind before heading to bed. I work the early shift tomorrow (story of my life the past couple of weeks) and then only three more shifts to go until Florida! Hooray!

So I finally got around to watching yesterday’s Apple keynote. Man, I always walk away impressed after watching their presentations… I need to pick up iWork ‘08. I was wanting to pick up iWork ‘06 but I heard the rumor about a new version launching soon, so I held off. It definitely came a lot faster than I expected. Sneaky Apple.

I’m very tempted to jump the Windows ship altogether and buy a Mac desktop. I don’t play many games, so one of the new pretty iMacs would probably do me just fine. I just need to do my website work, photo editing and video editing mainly. A Mac Pro would be very nice, but too expensive for me.

I really dig the new look of the iMacs though, especially for the keyboard. But I’m going to fight the urge and wait until Leopard launches in October at the very least. Besides, I need to cut back on my spending. But oh how I sure would love one. I’ve decided that I can say the Mac can take care of my needs… Now I just need to wait until the bank account agrees with me. Besides, it’s not like my current Windows PC is terrible as it’s only just over two years old (and thankfully not running the garbage that is known as Vista). I’m just pretty confident now that when it is time to replace it, a Mac will be taking its spot on my desk to coincide with my MacBook Pro…

So I heard a new band the other day on the XM satellite radio at work and they grabbed my attention from the other side of the store. Their name is The Last Goodnight and their debut single is called Pictures of You. I’ll attach the video below. As a sucker for pop and music scout, I’m very intrigued with their sound. The few songs I’ve heard from their upcoming album leads me to believe that they are going to be huge, provided the label puts some marketing behind them so people can actually hear the music (which they seem to be doing). The songs are catchy and addictive, they have a good social awareness (something that could be considered as “in” right now) and they seem to be pretty down to earth guys. Great formula for success. You heard the prediction here first. ha. Anyway, you may be hearing more about them from me in the future… Take that as a hint…

Well, I’m heading to bed. It was a long day today and I have an early morning tomorrow…

Oops… Sorry, things have been crazy busy. If I’m not working my butt off, I’m in meetings or am out and about…

I did a couple of phone interviews since I last updated. The first one that will be going up is an interview I did last week with Finger Eleven. Their song just went to #1 in the USA, so we talked about that as well as a bunch of other things. It was actually a really good interview. The band member I spoke to was a good guy and liked to talk. It’ll be going online soon…

I bought a Canon 430EX Speedlite flash for my Digital Rebel XTi… I did my first “shoot” today for a new business venture my dad and partners/friends are starting up. They turned out not too bad considering the lack of lighting kits. The focus had issues at times though, which is the lens’ fault. Man, I wish I had some extra money kicking around to buy a nice lens…

Apparently I’m getting a three day weekend this week. Can’t wait! I have to go into work tomorrow and then that’s it…

Anyone following Canadian Idol? It seems Canada is doing not too bad for who they choose to send home… So far the ones who have gone home have been in my top two or three choices of who should go next. There are a couple who really need to get the boot though… Yikes…

I’m really digging this new Matchbox Twenty single… I’m looking forward to the “new” disc in October. It’s a greatest hits project with six new songs, including the single How Far We’ve Come. I’m most excited about the fact that they’ll be touring to support the disc. I’m definitely going to that show.

Alright, off to play some Resistance: Fall of Man…

Just a quick entry for now to bring you guys up to speed…

Things have been busy with numerous things. I’ve had deadlines for A&R scouting work, wrote some articles for both print and online journalism publications (including an interview with a top 10 American Idol finalist on Renown Magazine), had a few business meetings for a couple projects and more.

Work hasn’t kept me from playing though. I decided to pick up a PS3 to play with it and see how it fares… I have 30 days to try it and return it if I’m not satisfied. Gotta love Future Shop’s return policy. Then I’ve been playing around with more social sites and programs… Gosh, I don’t know why I find them so addictive, but I do. Obviously my favorites are still Twitter, Flickr, Facebook and YouTube, but I still constantly mingle with both new and old ones. Perhaps it’s to see what’s currently hot (the “old” ones), but I also love playing with the freshly made ones to try and find what is going to explode as the next big thing… I can be such a geek…

Speaking of being a geek, I’m toying with the idea of dipping my toes into more audio related things… Podcasts and what not. I don’t know, we’ll see. It’s always been something I’ve been interested in, but I don’t consider myself the greatest public speaker so I’ve never pursued it too deeply. You never know for sure or can work out the kinks until you dive in though… And you all know I’m always game to try something new. ha. We’ll see.

I went and saw Hairspray with my sister and some friends on Friday (yes, opening night. She was adamant about that)… It was actually not that bad. For a musical, it was done really well… I enjoyed it. Everyone sung well, the story was interesting and you walked away smiling. What more could you ask for?

Man, I love OS X…

Anyway, I’m out…