Android vs. iPhone

I love my HTC Droid Eris (except for a few nitpicks -- that password protected lock screen is annoying).  But every now and then I've gone searching for an app, but can't find one that does quite what I'm looking for.

With that in mind, I stumbled on these cartoons that compare Android and iPhone. Thought I'd share...

iPod video test

I'm impressed with the video camera on my iPod Nano.

Over the weekend while Thomas was playing in the front yard I decided to pull my iPod out of my pocket and play with the camera since I had never really used it before.

The tiny microphone doesn't pick Thomas up very well, but you can hear my voice just fine. The camera lense is also in kind of an awkward spot -- right where it would feel most natural to place your hand while holding the iPod.

Other than those nitpicks, the video looks pretty good considering it came from such a small device.

Joining iPod Nation

Although my birthday is still about a month away, I picked up an early gift over the weekend – a spiffy new iPod Nano (thanks mom and dad Chase).

I spent a good part of the day yesterday filling it up with music, and in the process rediscovering some CDs I forgot I owned.

The cool thing about the Nano, it also has a video camera and an FM radio that allows you to pause and rewind like a DVR.

Believe it or not, this is the first digital music player I’ve ever owned. The boys each have their own mp3 players, but I’ve never had one of my own before.

Anyway, this allows me to take part in a meme Sarah used to feature on her blog – the “Random 10.” I’ll shuffle the tunes and see what comes out. Here’s our first installment:

1.  “Everybody Has the Blues” – James Taylor
2. “Get Up Jack” – Hair of the Dog
3. “The Power of Love” – Huey Lewis & the News
4. “Spirit in the Sky” – Norman Greenbaum
5. “Bridge Over Troubled Water” – Paul Simon
6. “All or Nothing at All” – Frank Sinatra
7. “Shower the People” – James Taylor
8. “Pride (In the Name of Love)” – U2
9. “Not Even the Trees” – Hootie & the Blowfish
10. “Hannah Jane” – Hootie & the Blowfish

Surprised I got a couple of repeats with James Taylor and Hootie. I loaded up a ton of songs, so I thought my first Random 10 would be a little more…random.

'That's no moon...'

Everyone likes to point out the similarities between today's cell phones and Star Trek's communicators and tri-corders. Well, you ain't seen nothing yet. Get a load of this...

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
We Have a Death Star!
colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Keyboard Cat

What piece of sci-technology would you like to see come to life? I wouldn't mind having a transporter. Although, flying cars would be cool too.

Stay tuned

With the success of sites like Hulu and the increasing ease of streaming high-quality video straight to your television, one has to wonder what the point will be of the network affiliate in the near future.

Networks used to need local affiliates to broadcast their content. Do they still?

NBC head honcho Jeff Zucker insists the network-affiliate model isn't going anywhere, telling affiliates this week:

“We are not abandoning the business of broadcast network television. We are not going direct to cable. We are renewing affiliation agreements. And we are going to be in business together for a long, long time.”

Well, that's nice to hear. Time will tell how long that holds up.

iFunny

Over at The Daily Nightly, Brian Williams describes the iPhone as...

"...Steve Jobs' latest invention that is supposed to combine and condense all our electronic needs (and presumably all of our food, water and breathable oxygen) into a very expensive Altoids box."

Gadget envy

I want an iPhone...now!

VHS, 30, dies of loneliness

After a long illness, the groundbreaking home-entertainment format VHS has died of natural causes in the United States. The format was 30 years old.

No services are planned.

The format had been expected to survive until January, but high-def formats and next-generation vidgame consoles hastened its final decline.

VHS is survived by a child, DVD, and by Tivo, VOD and DirecTV. It was preceded in death by Betamax, Divx, mini-discs and laserdiscs.

Read the rest of the "obit" that appeared in Variety this week.

The story goes on to say that many retailers have stopped stocking VHS tapes since they no longer have shelf space for them. Subsequently, most studios have stopped producing videotapes.

Our two VCRs still get a workout in our household. They may not be releasing mainstream movies on tape anymore, but you can still find plenty of kid videos. And we also still haven't joined the 21st century world of DVRs. So if we miss a show, we still tape it, not "TiVo it."

Apple & Nike's 'iRun'

The iPod is on my wish list of gadgets I don't have.

Now comes word that Apple and Nike are teaming up to develop a running shoe that can be fitted with a sensor that will feed data on your run (time, pace, distance, etc.) to your iPod Nano.

Apparently it also has a "Power Song" feature that will let you punch up the theme from "Rocky," or whatever music gets your heart pumping, with the push of a single button.

I'm not a runner, but I know plenty of people who are. This sounds really cool!