iTunes and iPods

I have had iTunes on my computer for about two years now and I own the early model of the iPod shuffle. I have been reading many articles about the popularity and market share of iPod products recently.

I think that buying music online and by the song instead of the album is the wave of the future. You buy just the songs you like and make your own playlist and CD’s. You can shop for music by listening to 10 second clips and the selection is huge. Although I am a little annoyed at the fact there are no Led Zepplin songs for sale.

iTunes 7 can suggest songs and albums based on your past purchases and feedback about your music preferences. You can also purchase and download movies, TV shows, audiobooks and podcast.

The new iPods are amazing. The new iPod Shuffle is so small it can clip on to your clothing. Flash memory is a wonderful thing.

You can get iTunes and buy music to listen to on your computer even if you don’t have an iPod. Visit the Apple.com Store for your free iTunes software.

How many of you have iTunes and iPods? What model do you have?

Oil Conspiracy?

I read an article by Steven Mufson of the Washington Post titled, Oil prices feed Bush conspiracy theories. I noticed the Valley News also ran the article on the front page of last Saturday’s paper.
An important quote from the article is,

But the roller coaster in oil prices this year without any supply disruption has fueled conspiracy theories about why gasoline prices went up and why they are coming down. After seeing a Washington Post report about oil traders scrutinizing supply and demand, one reader responded online: “LOL!!!! They’re looking at the approach of November elections!!!!! Care to wager how soon after the elections a ‘catastrophic’ event will occur to re-inflate the prices at the pump?????”

How long after the elections will price go up is a good question.
The article ends with,

But Public Citizen’s Slocum said an indictment of BP traders for allegedly
trying to corner the propane market shows oil giants can sway prices.
Furthermore, he noted, big oil companies have political preferences.

Slocum said 81 percent of the $63 million in political contributions by major
U.S. oil companies since 2001 have gone to Republicans.
But Slocum thinks the recent price drop isn’t the result of a plot by big oil companies. Instead, he notes the flight of money invested by financial “speculators” in oil
markets.

“Do I think Karl Rove or George Bush is whispering in the ears of
the oil companies? No. That’s silly,” Slocum said.
“But some folks in the government sent strong signals to the speculators. Was that related to the elections? I don’t know.”

I realize there are many factors affect the market price of oil and the price at the pump, but the idea of a connection between big oil companies and the Bush administration is anything but “silly.” Look at their political contribution and record profits.

Anyone else think there is a kernel of truth to these conspiracy theories?

Tech News: Will Google gobble up YouTube?

MSNBC Article: Will Google gobble up YouTube?

We have all seen YouTube clips on Dr. Nik’s Wednesday Web link post. Google has offered 1.6 billion for the business. This is an amazing success story for the creators of the Website. A quote from the article says, “YouTube was founded in February 2005 by three former employees of eBay Inc.’s PayPal electronic-payment unit.”

Battlestar Galactica Season 3

Season three starts October 6th

Battlestar Galactica has been described as one of the best scifi shows on television. On October 6th, 2006 they enter their third season with a two hour season premier.

The original series only ran for one season, which was followed by Galactica 1980, which had a different cast and slightly different story line. The original series had an innovative plot and pretty good effects for the time.

The new series is ten times better with some serious effort put into drama, writing, character development and special effects. The new series plot and story line has grown far beyond the scope of the original series. It will be interesting to see if the writers and producers can continue to deliver the drama we have come to expect in the first two seasons. Be sure to visit the Website at http://www.scifi.com/Battlestar/

How many people have seen the original series and who is watching the new series?