Ipod Touch

I've been using the IPod Touch now for around 8 months and I can say definitively that it is at the top of the food chain when it comes to MP3/4 players out on the market at this time. That is not to say it doesn’t have its share of problems; a (sometimes) confusing interface, limited usability for its WiFi feature, just so-so music quality. However, the benefits far outweigh the negatives.

For one thing, I said the interface could be confusing. To be fair, it has never been confusing to me. I’ve always felt it was fairly intuitive as far as user interfaces go. But I have heard some people say the interface is confusing. So for some, there might be a steeper learning curve. It is true that the WiFi feature is somewhat limited. You have to be in a hot spot to use it, unlike its big brother, the Iphone, where you have Internet access anywhere you have phone access. For me, this is a minor annoyance and hardly worth mentioning. I didn’t buy it primarily for Internet access, though I do have to say that is part of what went into my decision making process. Finally, it is true that the music quality is only average when it comes to playback. But let’s face it, the nasty truth is, you are not getting the full sound from music with digital files anyway. A digital signal is flat and doesn’t give you full sound; if you want that, then go back to vinyl.

OK, let’s list the positives; plenty of space for music. For me, someone who has over 70GB of music, the touch doesn’t have enough space. For someone like my wife who has fewer than 10GB of music, the IPod touch is perfect. She has the 8GB model, which costs a little over $200.00. Videos play fine, there are some fun games, you can carry photos, podcasts, get your email and there are a plethora of apps for the IPod touch that are useful and fun (There are also a lot that are a colossal waste of time but that is part of the fun as well). You can get an 8GB model for around 200.00, a 16GB for around 300.00 and a 32GB for around 400.00. Overall, the IPod touch, though more expensive than its more limited brethren in the market, has features no one else does and is, frankly, a much superior product. I highly recommend it.

Digital Camera's - The Canon S2 IS

The heir to the throne of the S1 IS, the S2 is more than just a pretty face and improved image stabilization. The Canon PowerShot S2 IS has an upgraded sensor, from 3.2 to 5 mega-pixel, it’s gone from a 10X zoom to a 12X zoom, and a beautiful LCD display that expands a bit upon its predecessor with a lovely 1.8 inch display surface compared to the slightly smaller (but still functional and useful) 1.5 inches of the S1. Also on board are full manual controls for complete control of all you need to do with this camera. This is in addition to the ability to shoot high-quality video with stereo sound. I’m sure this camera is going to continue to be big with the amateur photographer and photo enthusiast as it has a decent on board zoom and pictures from it in my experience look fantastic, print fantastic and in general are just stellar. My overall feeling about the Canon PowerShot S2 IS is one of comfort. It feels good in the hands, looks great and is easy to handle. I’ve even done some decent one-handed shots with it, even backwards shots and upside down. The LCD display rotates in many directions making odd angle shooting easier than any other camera I’ve used. If I had any complaint about the camera it would only be this; when jostling and running around taking pictures, which I do quite a bit as I like to do a lot of nature and animal shots, the lens cap has a tendency to pop off on its own. A small complaint but one I hope they fix in the future. This camera is well designed overall and feels well balanced, even for one-handed shooting. This camera is a bit dated now with recent additions to the Canon line improving upon its performance, however I still highly recommend it for the amateur photographer. I believe it to be a wonderful addition to any amateur enthusiast’s camera bag, and for the price it cannot be beat.

7UP vs. Sprite

7 UP vs. Sprite – The Lemon-Lime Battle

I know a lot of people who tell me that 7 UP tastes the same as Sprite. They swear they both taste essentially the same. I, however, do not agree.

7 UP, once the largest player on the block when it comes to lemon-lime soft drinks (7 UP, introduced in 1929, competed against 600 lemon-lime soft drinks on the market at that time and beat them all) has been largely eclipsed by Sprite since around 1980. Much of that is due to Sprite’s being forced on the public by Coca Cola corp. When I say forced, I mean that literally. Back before the 1980’s most bottlers were distributing 7 UP until Coke forced their hand and demanded that they carry Sprite instead of 7 UP. This began the end of 7 UP’s reign as the undisputed king of the lemon-lime soft drink set. 7 UP is still very much alive and well, and is distributed by Dr. Pepper Corp. here in the U.S., and by Pepsi Co. in the rest of the world.

A lot of Sprite’s popularity comes from the fact that they are distributed so widely now, part comes from a series of brilliant marketing strategies and advertising campaigns. Sprite has at different times appealed to a large teen to young adult demographic and has also appealed to a smaller but more affluent adult demographic. The beauty of marketing a soft drink is the fact it costs so little that influencing a demographic such as teens to buy it is great; all they need is pocket change.

However, let’s get back to the subject of taste. Personally I don’t care for the taste of Sprite nearly as much as I do the taste of 7 UP. Now I know for a fact, and I state this to be fair, some of that comes from the fact that I grew up with 7 UP being the primary lemon-lime drink of my generation. You couldn’t always get a Sprite in a store, where you could always find a 7 UP. But beyond that, 7 UP doesn’t taste as “sweet” to me. Sprite has a very sweet taste that seems to cling to my palate. It’s kind of like the Coke/Pepsi argument that has been going on forever. (Ironic since it’s exactly the opposite with Coke and Pepsi – Pepsi is sweeter than Coke) For whatever reason, 7 UP tastes cleaner to me, less cloying and sweet. Unfortunately, the world has definitely turned, for now it is 7 UP that is not always found in the stores, and one can always find a Sprite.

Coffee is Coffee...or is it?

Good coffee is hard to come by.

I've never been a big Starbucks fan. Starbucks to me has been ok in general. I’ve not ever had a bad cup of java there but then again I’ve never had one I’d write home to mom about either. They are expensive, as well as just being “OK”…a double whammy. I usually only go to Starbucks when there is nothing else available. If I’m going to spend five bucks on a cup of joe it had best be one darned good cup of coffee! However, strangely enough, lately I’ve been looking in places I’d given up on years ago and found that they have greatly improved their performance. Specifically I’m talking about McDonald’s and 7-11, once both known for their lack luster coffee, weak and virtually tasteless.

7-11 has really stepped up their game when it comes to coffee. They have a great variety of flavors available and some really tasty ones at that. They are also diligent in changing coffee out when it gets old, something they certainly were never famous for before. In a pinch, I’m not afraid to go to 7-11 for a good cup of joe.

McDonald’s has also stepped up its game as well. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that McDonald’s coffee is one of the best cups of coffee I’ve tasted in quite some time. That is saying a lot for someone that absolutely loves his coffee. McDonald’s finally got wise to the fact that they were missing out on this huge demographic that, guess what, loves coffee! Not to mention the fact that it is actually affordable. That’s right; I paid less money and got a far superior product from a fast food joint than I did from Starbucks, the self proclaimed coffee king. Well, I won’t give up hope on Starbucks, but for now McDonald’s is my coffee stop of the day.