Merry Christmas Everyone!

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, a Happy Channukah, and a happy new year!

Uploaded by www.cellspin.net

Sweet! A gOS Netbook That's iPhone Friendly

While I am still planning on eventually purchasing a HP TouchSmart (as you can not beat a touch screen PC), I may have to take a detour and pick up a gOS laptop (as it boots up in both gOS and Vista).

Unfortunately in order for me to use my iPhone, I need to purchase a laptop/notebook that runs Windows/OS X (as iTunes is still not Linux friendly--at least the latest version). Since both are running at a premium right now (especially Apple), the gOS Cloud might suit my needs.

Unfortunately no one has mentioned where/when it will be available (although if anyone knows feel free to inform me in the comment section below).

Update: Forgot to credit LifeHacker for the discovery, plus point readers to the gOS blog for more info. :-)

One Good Thing About Recessions: Cheap Books!

While I am not too thrilled about the overall state of the economy, one thing I have noticed is the abundance of knowledge at cheap prices.

Books that I would never purchase due to the price are now a fraction of their original cost!

This is true for both the online world as well as the physical, as one can examine my (steadily growing) ebook collection on my iPhone.

Ironically, reading all of these books has sparked my interest in writing one myself. I have a few titles in mind, although before I dive in I think I'll check out this book below (which I found many years ago but have put off reading until now).



Note: I may have to hire an artist after the book is done (assuming I finish writing it 6 months from now). Does anyone know of any good artists out there?

-- Post From My iPhone

Spice Cake?

Never had it before, although my brother says it tastes pretty good.

If I do not respond after Thanks Giving, then you can assume the food was poisoned. ;-)

-- Post From My iPhone

Lazy Dog (Smiles)

Enjoy your freedom while it lasts. Tonight, you and the rest of the pack will be receiving inquisition by warm water (aka a bath)

Tonight, you and the rest of the pack will be receiving inquisition by warm water (aka a bath) in order to purge you from the red dirt that clings to your flesh (not to mention infecting the rest of the house).

Now if only I could solve your wood chewing habits (which even bitter apple has not failed to remedy).

-- Post From My iPhone

Last BlogPress Test (Labels)

Testing to see if adding labels to post causes bug to appear.

Perhaps this will duplicate the error.

-- Post From My iPhone

Test Two (BlogPress)

Doing an image test to see if BlogPress will go through.

I hope my friend doesn't mind me using a bad shot taken of him from behind. :-)


-- Post From My iPhone

Testing

Testing BlogPress again (as I came across several bugs which prevented me from mobile posting...grrrr!).

-- Post From My iPhone

Buffet: You Can't Beat "Free.99"

I think I ate too much steak, mac & cheese, steak, brocolli, steak, carrots, steak, corn bread, steak---and more steak!

Here is a picture of my second plate.

-- Post From My iPhone

Congrats To Obama (Note From The Opposition)

Whether you love him, hate him or just feel apathetic towards him, Obama just became our nations first African American president.

Even though I did not vote for him (although my Dad likes to point out that he did), I want to congratulate the O-team for a successful victory, and encourage everyone--regardless of how you feel about Obama--to work together to help rebuild our nation.

While I will not agree on everything Obama does (regarding his tax plan, foreign policy, etc.), I will not turn into a wingnut/moonbat over him becoming President (something that occurred when Bush reigned).

So for the future, let us set aside our differences (which are many) and work to rebuild our country. After all, we are all Americans, and to paraphrase what one man once said, lets put our country first.

Video: When Rhino's Attack

I've heard of lions, and tigers and bears. But a Rhino? I just don't know.

Sarah Palin Rally (What I Loved And What I Hated)

Basically my view of Sarah Palin's Rally in NC.

Things I loved about the event:
• Palin wants to balance the budget (first that I've heard of any candidate)
• Street entertainment
Things I hated:
• Ignorant voters (on both sides)
• Country music

Uploaded by www.cellspin.net

Love And Politics: Sarah Palin Coming To North Carolina?

It looks like Sarah Palin will be visiting North Carolina at a rally in Asheville!

A few of my friends (and family) are dragging me along (or is it the other way around?) in order to hear her speak.

Since I lean libertarian, I will probably enjoy hearing what she has to say. I'll be twittering my responses as she speaks (provided I can get a signal inside the building), and will upload photos to Facebook later on.

I would consider blogging my reactions (since I could add images), although the iPhone is sorely lacking in the "energy department."

Perhaps its time I invested in a Mophie. ;-)

Video: Black Man Vs Obama?

I wonder how much hate mail this guy gets? LOL! :-)

Video: Sarah Palin On SNL!

For those of you who have not seen it (or refuse to), here is the SNL skit depicting Palin, Eskimos and one dead moose.

Earlier Palin appeared on SNL watching her double (aka Tina Fey) hold a humerus press conference.




Is it me, or does Tina Fey still seems to hate Palin?

Why McCain Or Obama May Be Screwed The First Four Years

If you believe that McCain or Obama is going to fulfill any of their promises, you may be in for a surprise over the next four years.

Uploaded by www.cellspin.net

Second Test (please ignore)

Testing yet another iPhone blogging app

Testing...

Another beta test of blogpress.

-- Post From My iPhone

John McCain Has A Movie?

That is a first for me.

I came across this yesterday (at a quick run at Bi-Lo's) and to my surprise I saw"Faith of our Fathers" with John McCain's life story documented within it.

Here is the back cover.



I wonder if they will make a film about Obama?

-- Post From My iPhone

Video: Protests At Wall Street (Over Bailout)

I think I understand why Congress (or rather the House under Pelosi) voted against the bailout, despite receiving plenty of support from both Bush and the media.

Warning: Strong Language. Not for kids.

Hat Tip: Daily Paul

Update: Added credits, adjusted text above video and centered video.

Welcome To The Land Of Fat Heads, USA!

It does not matter whether you are democrat or republican. Whether you prefer "survival of the fittest" capitalism or Russian style communism.

The fact of the matter is that we can not come together and solve this economic crisis means that we are not as strong, or wise as we think we are.

With Russia striving for ancient glory and China on its way to the Moon, America's best days may just be a relic of the past.

Personally, I do not like the $700 billion bail out, and after taking a second look at the GOP alternative I am not crazy about even more deregulation.

But one thing is certain--if we do not come up with a quick, reasonable solution we are all going to suffer together.

We are so full of our political solutions, puffing up ourselves as if we hold all of the worlds wisdom that we can not fathom that the other side could be partially correct.

There is a word for it--pride--and unless everyone's ego's are deflated then we are going to be humilitated on the world stage.

So let's pop the fat heads and solve this crisis together. After all, we can not afford to lose this battle, as it could cost all of us our future.


-- Post From My iPhone

iBlogger Test

Testing out a new iPhone blog app for iBlogger.

This new version seems to have fixed most of the bugs (I still found a few, but they were nothing major).

The only thing lacking is image uploading, which is a deal breaker for blogger blogspot blogs.

On a more positive note, Google/T-Mobile launched the G1, which is a HTC Dream phone powered by Google Android.

While I probably will not exchange it for my iPhone, it does make a nice gift for my GSM friends.

T-Mobile G1

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

T-Mobile G1 (aka Google Android Phone) Looks Sweet!

After watching the various video's online, I am very tempted to sell my iPhone on eBay and purchase this phone instead.

But then again, I would have to switch to T-Mobile who does not have very good service in my area. :-(

Refueling With Leftovers

Well, almost. The meat load is from yesterday, but the pasta and brocoli was on today's menu.

Note: I think I am slowly acquiring a taste for all things stir fry. Perhaps that explains why Mongolian grills appeal to me so much.

-- Post From My iPhone

Why I Love Dogs

Never a dull moment.

Two puppies and one adult fighting over a torn up stuffed animal. Well, it's better that I guess than my clothes.

Speaking of clothes, I do recall missing a few socks lately. Hmmm......

-- Post From My iPhone

Test Post

Seeing if bug belongs to Picasa Web or BlogPress.

-- Post From My iPhone

Uncool: Obama Ad Mocks John McCain's Disability

I think Obama really needs to fire the staff who made this ad. For those who don't know, John McCain can not use a keyboard on a computer because he is unable to raise his arms due to the torture he received in Vietnam.

So much for judgment...

Update: HotAir and Instapundit have more...

Ground Up Cow Tastes Great!

Just looking at ground up beef makes me drool. So many possibilities! Sigh.

-- Post From My iPhone

Test post

Testing out BlogPress on iPhone.

This puppy is growing way to fast!




-- Post From My iPhone

Experimenting With Spagetti

Me attempting to cook spagetti sauce. Unfortunately it turned out to be rather bland.

-- Post From My iPhone

Picasa (Finally) Allows You To Insert Text Within Photos!

What took them so long?

(Google Photos Blog) Okay -- on to photo editing. A new text tool lets you add text to your pictures, and lay it out exactly as you wish, at any transparency level. We have also created a new retouching brush to take care of unsightly blemishes, camera dust, damaged photos, and the like. The red-eye removal tool does a lot of its work automatically now -- there's no need to draw boxes around people's eyes. Our crop tool will also recommend interesting starting points to crop, based on faces and objects in your photos. (As you might've guessed, we're using some of the technology from our name tags feature in Picasa Web Albums to make Picasa 3 smarter, which means less work for you.)

Note: Emphasis mine.

The inability to post text upon images is what drove me into the arms of Paint.NET, which is currently being developed by one lone person.

While this feature will help me take a second look at Picasa (or at least the beta), I will probably cling to Paint.NET for awhile--at least until they release a Mac version (as I plan on purchasing the rumored Mac tablet that is suppose to come out later this year).

What Media Bias?

Fair and balanced. That is why I watch MSNBC. /sarc off

(Hat Tip: Hot Air and Politico)

Alien Brain Dog

What happens when a canine returns from visiting dimension x.

Shozu Test (two)

Snap shot of LaLa.com from my iPhone.

Testing Out ShoZu...

Another iPhone blog test...this one might be "a keeper."

I Love Google Chrome!

After waiting many impatient hours, Google has finally launched their browser, Google Chrome!

While everyone has an opinion about the new browser, I am loving every moment of surfing the internet with Chrome.

While Firefox, Maxthon, Opera, etc. may have more features, its the simple fact that my entire browser will not crash because of the fact that one tab tried to open a faulty web page.

Chrome is now my default browser (although I wish there was a way to insert GreaseMonkey and Google Toolbar within it).

Update: Here is a video from Walter Mossberg highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of Google Chrome.

Google Launching Its Own Browser (Goodbye Firefox, IE And Opera)

Just when I was having even more problems with Firefox 3 (its hogging memory again like its predecessors), Google goes ahead and announces that they are releasing a browser to the world (aka the rumored "gBrowser").

(Official Google Blog) Because we spend so much time online, we began seriously thinking about what kind of browser could exist if we started from scratch and built on the best elements out there. We realized that the web had evolved from mainly simple text pages to rich, interactive applications and that we needed to completely rethink the browser. What we really needed was not just a browser, but also a modern platform for web pages and applications, and that's what we set out to build. [...]

Under the hood, we were able to build the foundation of a browser that runs today's complex web applications much better. By keeping each tab in an isolated "sandbox", we were able to prevent one tab from crashing another and provide improved protection from rogue sites. We improved speed and responsiveness across the board. We also built a more powerful JavaScript engine, V8, to power the next generation of web applications that aren't even possible in today's browsers.

I currently use three different browsers (four if you count Safari on my iPhone). While Firefox is my main browser, I have been finding that the browser often crashes whenever I visit GoDaddy.com, forcing me to open up Internet Explorer 8 (aka IE8).

The situation gets even worse whenever I attempt to open up FeedBurner, in which both Firefox and IE8 are unable to display portions of the page, forcing me to open up Opera.

Hopefully Google Chrome (which is launching tomorrow) will help put an end to this chaos, as the last thing I want is to be juggling between several different browsers (with iTunes, Skype and a half of dozen programs on the side).

You can check out their "cartoon explanation" regarding the new browser over here.

(Hat Tip: TechCrunch)

Do You Believe In Aliens?

If not, do you believe in me? ;-)

Sweet! McCain Picks Palin!

Now that's my McCain!

(Washington Post) John McCain has selected Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to be his vice presidential running mate, according to the McCain campaign, a surprise pick sure to shake up the race and reinforce the idea of the Arizona senator as a reformer.

The news that Palin, the mayor of a small town in Alaska just two years ago, was the pick came after CNN reported that a private plane had traveled from the Last Frontier to Dayton, Ohio where McCain is set to unveil his vice presidential pick later today.

Good! Even thought its not Mitt! (who I was pulling for) Palin will do. Even a few Hillary supporters are excited by the announcement.

(Hat Tip: Hot Air)

Another Random Audio Post

Uploaded by www.cellspin.net

The Hillary Factor Remains

You got to love Hillary.

Despite the fact that she is out, her "3 AM moment" is affecting both McCain and Obama.

What makes it worse (or better) is that she can indirectly determine the next President. Ironic, isn't it?

I Wonder Who Lives Here?

Posted with LifeCast

This Fire Was Way Too Big!

Posted with LifeCast

Should I Join The Republicrats?

If it were any other year, I would say no. But this isn't any other year.

Will LaLa.com Replace iTunes?

 

I have to say that my love affair with iTunes--despite the fact that they helped introduce me to the iPhone--is quickly coming to an end.

I just discovered LaLa.com (ironically discovered through Tap Tap Revenge, an iPhone App) which basically allows me to listen to the full song before I purchase it (something Steve Jobs should have included).

They basically give users two options. You can either purchase a web version (which means you can listen to the song anytime online) for 10 cents, or download the entire song for 89 cents (compared to Apple's 99 cents per song).

Albums are even cheaper, which means that the only thing I will be ordering from iTunes will be iPhone Apps (as I already get my shows from Amazon Unbox--sorry Apple).

Audio Update (With My Scratchy Voice)

Uploaded by www.cellspin.net

Sometimes, I Just Feel Like "Googling Myself"

(Image Credit: Bloomberg News, via Business Week)

For those of you who are not into geek lingo, the phrase "Googleing oneself" basically means typing in your name (first and last) into Google in order to see what appears.



This is a good exercise, as many employers, potential clients and friends will do a quick Google search on you in order to see what appears.



Example: When I Google Darnell Clayton, a bunch of "relevent" links appear, most of which deal with me. Unfortunately, there are a few random ones that appear--ironically dealing with other people named Darnell Clayton.



Here are just a few "unrelated Darnell Clayton's" that appear when I Google my own name.

• Darnell Clayton on LinkedIn: This Darnell Clayton is located in Georgia (the US state, not the country) and is currently a Senior Information Architect.


• The Polish Darnell Clayton on Facebook: I think this page is the polish version of Facebook (since "pl" represents Poland online).


• The Male supermodel Darnell Clayton: This guy apparently was reviewed by a blogger, and I think this is also his Facebook profile too.

None of these guys are me, and if you were having a hard time telling the difference, here are a few clues for you:

• I no longer have a LinkedIn profile (note: I previously had one, but found other social networks to be better).


• I don't speak Polish--although I am trying to learn Hebrew.


• My body isn't sexy enough to be a male model--even with the six pack (note: not that I would ever consider becoming one anyways)

Ironically, one of the reasons I bought DarnellClayton.com was to help avoid this confusion (at least online) of who the real me was all about.



I would recommend other people doing the same thing, as the last thing you need is a future employer/client mistaking you for a high tech geek who poses in fashion magazines during "the night shift." ;-)

My Pillow Died

The washing machine has officially killed my pillow. The one that I've
had since I was a child. Utter sadness. :-(

Just Saw WALL-E...

...and I think it was one of the best movies that I have seen in a very long time (at least as far as animated kid films go).

If you have not seen it, I would highly recommend taking your friends (and family) and check out this film. It puts Toy Story and Finding Nemo to shame.

Dude! Verizon CEO Is Pissed (About The iPhone)

Is it me, or can you sense the jealousy in his response?

(C | NET) The head of the telecom giant seemed a bit irritated about Apple's march into the mobile phone industry when he answered a question posed by the Financial Times about Apple's chances of reaching the mass market with the iPhone 3G by saying, "There goes the conspiracy again. You're declaring them a winner before they've earned it on the field."

Seidenberg's main contention seems to be that the iPhone isn't a success because it has such a small share of the overall mobile phone market, which is sort of like arguing that GM is more successful than Ferrari because they sell more cars. While it's true that Apple has a long way to go before it dominates the U.S. mobile phone industry to the degree that Verizon does, it's only been a year.

Someone sounds a little upset against Apple. Later on, when talking about Verizon's "plan" against Apple he ends the article by saying:

"Steve Jobs eventually will get old...I like our chances," Seidenberg told the FT.

Sheesh! Talk about bitter! Instead of providing snarky remarks, why doesn't Seidenberg actually team up with an awesome smart phone--you know like HTC Touch Diamond or even convince LG to make another phone (as their Voyager was a let down).

And he wonders why people like me left Verizon for AT&T/Cingular (hint: it had nothing to do with customer service).

For all the iPhone wonders/doubters/apple haters out there, you will not be disappointed with this phone. After using it for about three months (note: has it been this long?) I can not honestly figure out how I used a cell phone before without full access to the internet, a real music player/organizer and visual voicemail.

Not to mention the fact that I can customize it with almost 2,000 web apps! (soon to be downloadable!)

So unless you live in Canada I would highly recommend this phone to everyone! Well, except for Seidenberg that is.

Blogger Fix: Inserting Star Ratings (For Custom Templates)

While it's awsome to see Google unleashing new features within Blogger, if you are unable to implement them within your own blog, you may find yourself catching the dreaded "Google Derangement Syndrone" (aka GDS) where every other phrase is "Google is so Fraking stupid" (or something like that).



In order to avoid this contagious disease (which first broke out in Redmond, WA), you need to find solutions to problems--and today's problem is implementing the star rating system within your customized Blogger blog (aka BlogSpot).

After logging into your blog, first click on Layout, then Page Elements.

Then scroll down to the Blog Posts page element, and click on the Edit link.

 

A new window shold appear. Next, check mark the Show Star Ratings box...

...then scroll down and rearrange where you want the star ratings to appear.

Save your changes, then click on the Edit HTML section (which should still be underneath the Layout tab).

Next you need to BACK UP YOUR TEMPLATE! I would recommend either copy & pasting your entire code within Google Docs or Note Pad (highly recommended) by clicking on the Expand Widgets Template box...

 

...then holding the Ctrl button while pushing the letter "A", then the Ctrl button again while pushing the letter "C" and once over into Google Docs or Note Pad push the Ctrl button and the letter "V".

You can also just simply download the template to your computer as well by clicking the Download Full Template link underneath the Backup / Restore Template section.

After backing up your template, scroll down towards the bottom left of the screen and hit the Revert widget templates to default link.

A "questionnaire" should appear (note: hey that rhymed!) informing you that this will change all of your widget changes, although your data will be safe.

 

Simply click the OK button to continue, then save the changes to your blog.

That's it! Now you should have the star ratings system in your blog.

You will also notice a few changes with your blog layout, which you can easily correct since you wisely backed up your template (if went against my advice, then you are a fool person who doesn't like taking my advice).

If you still have any questions, feel free to comment below. Enjoy! ;-)

Update: Inserted image for clarity.



Update 2: Also, for those of you trying to get the comment form working, Amanda has provided an excellent solution over here.

Highlander On Hulu! Sweet!

What can be better than a bunch of guys (and some girls) swinging swords at each other without a care in the world?

Okay, a lot of things can be better than that. But it looks as if Hulu.com has added all six seasons of Highlander! :-)

Here is the first episode below (note: for those of you outside the US, you can use Open Hulu to view these shows).

I Love Chinese Food!

I could eat it all day! :-)

Dream Car Come True? (Aptera)

Imagine a car that can go 300 miles a gallon (120 miles for electric). Well, imagine no further...

While the Venture Vehicle is still the car I am eying, although I think the Aptera comes in at a close second...mainly because its more expensive. ;-)

Video: Clinton Supports Are Restless?

(Via HotAir.com)

I guess it looks as if the Democratic convention is going to be a little bit more exciting than I thought this year.

Perhaps I should pre-order tickets to Denver?

Today, Tasmanian Tigers, Tomorrow Velociraptors?

Just came across this article from Hot Air (note: Yeah, I know its my favorite political site).

(The Guardian) In a breakthrough Jurassic Park-like experiment, scientists have resurrected genes from the Tasmanian tiger - a meat-eating marsupial that became extinct more than 70 years ago - by injecting them into mouse embryos. [...]

Researchers at the University of Melbourne and Texas University in Houston extracted DNA from four 100-year-old museum specimens, including three preserved in alcohol, the journal PLjoS One reported. They isolated a string of genes from each and injected it into early-stage mouse embryos. Tests on the growing mice revealed that a gene from the Tasmanian tiger called Col2a1 had switched on and was driving the growth of bone and cartilage in the young animals.

I wonder what scientists will think of next?

Video: Hillary And Obama (SNL)

And people wonder why "half" the country watches Saturday Night Live....

Meanwhile, their are rumors that Hillary's supporters are bribing super delegates. Sigh.

(Hat tip: Hot Air)

Never Touch A Black Geek's Radio!

I just received this email from Tim Westergren, a founder of Pandora.

What is Pandora you say? It's basically a Google version of internet radio, where the station gradually finds out what type of music you love, and then adjusts all of the songs to fit your style.

Anyways, here is the email I received:

(Pandora) I'm writing today to urgently ask for your help. Our future and that of all webcasters is being threatened by the actions of the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America). In an effort to cripple Internet radio they have defied Congressional direction to negotiate reasonable performance fees and are trying to shut us down.

In spite of overwhelming opposition, including from thousands of musicians, they have blatantly pursued a strategy of undermining the process, making outrageous demands, and trying to run out the clock, hoping we will just quietly fade away. There is only one way to stop this violation of the public trust, and that is by mobilizing the collective will of our listening audience. [...]

When you call, please tell them your home town, and ask them to support the Brownback Internet Radio Equality amendment that will be considered in the Judiciary Committee this Thursday.

This amendment sets webcasting royalties at the same level as those paid by satellite radio, which would compensate musicians fairly and allow web radio to survive. For more info on the bill, please visit: www.savenetradio.org

Even though I listen to most of my music through my iPhone, this bill could potentially affect another site that I use called FlyTunes which I use on my phone.

If the RIAA succeeds in demolishing these web radio stations, I could be forced with the reality of not having music on my iPhone as well as my PC to listen to, which would not make this geek very happy.

So, if your Senator is on the Judiciary Committee (I'm talking to you Americans here) feel free to call them up and tell them to support Brownback's bill, or face the wrath this November.

(Image Credit: RKNA)

Good News From Iraq?

Wow, this is something you don't hear everyday...at least on TV.

(McClatchy Washington Bureau) BAGHDAD — Followers of rebel cleric Muqtada al Sadr agreed late Friday to allow Iraqi security forces to enter all of Baghdad's Sadr City and to arrest anyone found with heavy weapons in a surprising capitulation that seemed likely to be hailed as a major victory for Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki.

In return, Sadr's Mahdi Army supporters won the Iraqi government's agreement not to arrest Mahdi Army members without warrants, unless they were in possession of "medium and heavy weaponry."

The agreement would end six weeks of fighting in the vast Shiite Muslim area that's home to more than 2 million residents and would mark the first time that the area would be under government control since Saddam Hussein was toppled in 2003. On Friday, 15 people were killed and 112 were injured in fighting, officials at the neighborhoods two major hospitals said.

The more Iraqi's can take control of their country, the sooner American forces (or rather at least the bulk of them) can return home.

I know many of my friends want the US to pull out immediately, regardless, but that is in my honest opinion insane.

Whether for better or worse, we liberated/invaded that country (depending on your point of view) and we "Fathered" its democracy. It is our responsibility to see this nation succeed, the same way we have helped Israel, Japan and Germany.

Anything less is pretty much unacceptable, and at best cowardly.

(hat tip: Hot Air)

Sweet! iPhone Battery Extender (Within 24 Hours)

It looks like I can finally order my iPhone battery extender via Mophie, as there never seems to be enough energy for the phone to go around.

Here is a video review, courtesy of iPhone Buzz:

I'll have to put this on the "must have by next month" list, as I am cash right now (or rather I have the cash, although I don't feel like breaking my budget).

(Hat Tip: Macworld)

No Domain Love For Me?

I guess now I am receiving a 404 error when visiting my domain. Oh well...at least Google responded.

~Darnell

Update: And we're back up!

CBS Highlights Israel's Air Force (Video)

(Hat Tip: IsraelPolik)

Here is a video highlighting the Israeli Air Force from CBS.

No doubt the Iranians are watching this video as well, although I hope they "take the hint" as the last thing we need is another war in the middle east (as I do not think Israel is going to lose it, especially if Hillary gets elected).

Be Right Back...

This site should be back up before lunchtime is over (which means I have 30 minuets to correct a DNS error).

~Darnell

Update (5/3): Well, I was not able to fix it, but I did report it to Google, and they will take a look at it next week. :-)

A New Version Of Google Earth? Sweet!

It looks as if Google has launched a new version of Google Earth! Check out the video below.

(Google LatLong) What good would fancy new navigation controls be if there wasn't something new to look at? While we're regularly adding new user-created SketchUp buildings submitted through 3D Warehouse, we decided to take things up a notch for this release by including photo-realistic models for dozens of new cities. Take a spin around Tokyo, Munich, or Boston to get a taste. We've also significantly enhanced our approach to rendering 3D data to greatly improve performance and realism.

I'll have to play around with this later on (as I have too many things to do right now, blog wise).

Sporting Blogger On My Head

Hmm...on second thought, I look like some type of "Geek Thug."

Kosher Keyboard Plus Hebrew Equals Happy Darnell

After about a week of waiting, my Hebrew/English keyboard has finally arrived.

Update: Hmm...it looks as if the iPhone "chops" half of your message when sending it to Blogger.

Anyways, like I was saying, this will help me finish up some "must do" homework tonight, not to mention help me with my class tomorrow.

Video: LG Vu Phone (iPhone Killer?)

It looks like there is another "iPhone clone," this time by LG (note: to my knowledge LG was the first that came out with the touch screen, but Apple popularized it).

Sprint (via Samsung) released a similar version earlier, although it may need a few more months of development as the phone was crashing in front of the tech press.

LG seems to be more of a finished product, although ironically it seems to be exclusive to AT&T (just like the iPhone). Verizon and Sprint must be hating that. :-)

My Ugly Mug...

Here is just an image of me goofing off at church. One of my friends
took the image via the iPhone.

Sprint Releases iPhone Killer?

Finally, a phone to take on the iPhone! (although I am still in love with mine).

Its called the Samsung Instinct, and from the video below it sure does look fairly interesting.

Its from Sprint, and they are promoting this phone on NowIsGood.com (hat tip: CrunchGear).

They are releasing it this June, which should help them compete against AT&T. It only holds 2GB of memory, although hopefully they will be offering more (as I am approaching 2GB on my iPhone).

My only advice to Sprint is to make sure there are a lot of "third party apps" to go along with this phone, otherwise they will only be able to retain people on their own network at best (as the iPhone is already gone over 1,300 apps).

Radio On My iPhone?

Hey, this is definitely something I never dreamed stumbling upon. And the best part is not even TechCrunch mentioned this (although Eric did suggest something to this effect).

Basically its a "radio" station for your iPhone. It will stream music to your iPhone, giving users the ability to choose which genre they want to listen to (or better yet, the Beatles if that's all your into).

Here's a video explaining the details.

I came across this while searching the iPhone Web Apps, and users can access on their iPhones by pointing their browser at http://www.FlyTunes.fm/.

Update: Corrected post for grammar.

Update: Engadget posted about this about two months ago. You just can't win.

iLuv My New iPhone

So I finally ordered an iPhone, and despite a few headaches with FedEx, transitioning over to my new phone was pretty seamless.

One thing I did catch my attention was how much AT&T's customer service has improved since like--forever (but this might be do to the fact that they bought out Cingular, whose support rocked!).

Unfortunately, I can not upload any images from the iPhone to this blog (the Safari browser does not function very well on blogger.com), but I will upload a picture of the iPhone later on (or better yet, a video!).

Update: Corrected some spelling, plus here is the video of a quick snapshot of the iPhone.

Note: For those of you looking to purchased a refurbished iPhone, you can find the link over here, and as far as the Obama videos go, you can check out Yes We Can as well as the Building A Religion on YouTube).

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Testing whether the site can come back online.

Another Blog Test...

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So My Mean Uncle Wants To Help Me Buy An iPhone

It looks as if my mean Uncle may be giving me the necessary cash in order to purchase an iPhone later on this year.

(KlTV 7 News) Individuals earning 3,000 to 75,000 a year get a rebate of 300 to 600 dollars. For families making up to 150,000 annually, your rebate could be up to 1,200 dollars, plus an extra 300 for each child under 17. But how exactly will the rebates affect taxpayers like you?

Rebate checks are coming as early as May for millions of Americans.

Since you probably have to make at least $75,000 to get the $600, that probably excludes me from the full rebate (note: you can figure out how much you will probably get thanks to this handy dandy calculator).

Unless I can locate a decent smart phone in the next few months, my future phone choices will be: do I choose the 8gb model or the 16gb?

Note: For international readers who do not understand the joke, I am referring to my Uncle Sam.

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Just testing out a new feature from Google. I hope it works. :-)

In The 2008 Election, I have A Feeling That...

...we are all going to be screwed.

The Democrats are promising me more taxes,
While a certain republican is promising me more wars.
If I had to choose between the two...
I'd relocate towards Singapore.

Sigh. I guess I'll be pulling for Mitt Romney as a first choice, followed by Barack Obama.

If its Hillary and McCain as the party nominees, I might have to actually flip a coin.

Saving Up For An iPhone

So I was debating between purchasing a brand new LG Voyager or LG Venus--or switching away from Verizon in order to pick up a brand new iPhone (and signing my economic soul with AT&T...scary).

In the end it was not the fact that the iPhone had cover flow, or that Voyager has vibration feed back when you touch the screen, or even the customer service of either (Verizon is rivaled only by Apple, although AT&T brings them down a notch).

It was the apps baby!

Or more specifically, the programs I could add to customize the phone.

LG Voyager has 22 Apps of which I only found three to be really useful.

LG Venus has 27 Apps of which I found a pathetic two to be of any use to me.

Apple's iPhone has a whopping 738 Apps (and counting), of which I found too many to ignore to be useful! (I'm still going through them!)

While I have the funds to purchase an iPhone (for $399), I don't have the cash (right now) to both purchase an iPhone, cancel my account with Verizon ($175...ghetto!) and pick up a plan with AT&T (who's customer disservice is unparalleled...at least it was many moons ago).

Life In A Nutshell

So I've neglected posting here for quite some time (apologies for that), mainly because I did not have much to report on except a few highlights about "web 2.0," rantings against politics, and my attemps to pick up a second language.

Speaking of the second language part, I've decided to take on Hebrew (through Hebrew Online), partly because I love Falafels and partly because of the cool technology coming out of that tiny country.

Hopefully I'll be able to pick up enough in the coming months to be semi-fluent when I visit the country, and if I master it I'll move on to my next language of choice...Japanese. ;-)