Just been checking out some different social network / generally cool sites today. www.seesmic.com is a cool one, it's almost like twitter but with videos instead of text. You record your video either as a new topic, or you reply to previous ones, and this means that sometimes you have loads of replies and end up with big conversations, and other times its just kinda fun video blogging. I have only just got on there and only posted one reply video so I'm sure that I havn't worked everything out yet, but it's pretty cool and it definitely worth checking out.
Monday, 22 September 2008
Saturday, 20 September 2008
iTunes
One of the great features of iTunes 8 is the artwork browsing in blocks without doing that stupid scrolling across action which they first put into iTunes 7. One of the great PROBLEMS with me loving this is that I felt like I should go through my library of 264 artists finding artwork on Google of anything that iTunes couldn't find (surprisingly large amounts). Well I am now very pleased with the look of my library! Definitely worth the download, and genius is awesome still :D
Monday, 15 September 2008
iTunes 8
I am a big fan of apple and what they do, I admit to being an iPod nut for a few years, and I am in love with my MacBook, I guess OSX just works for me better than Vista or Xp ever could, I prefer the simplicity... BUT sometimes I think it takes a while to realise what apple are doing to improve their products, especially software!
An example of this is the latest iMovie in iLife 08, this is not an editing package for film, but rather a piece of video organization software, set out much like iPhoto (which I do love). For my media studies I had to steal the older and BETTER version of iMovie to do my editing on, as it actually had the effects and things that I needed.
Yesterday night I downloaded iTunes v8, which I was looking forward to as I heard they have re-done the look of browsing artists and albums etc on your music library. I downloaded it and immediately fell in love with the Genius, an addition in the last version that will not only recommend new songs and albums from iTunes Store based on a selected song, but will create playlists using songs in your library with songs that it suggests go together well. Most of the time it gets it spot on! Back to the visual changes, the browsing is based on album art (although you can just go back to list view or the slide across album art thing which I really didn't get into), it lists the artists on a nice dark background with their album art, which is really neat, although it only does it on your music library on that computer.
My issue with iTunes was that when you plug in your iPod and view the music on it, you can not click on the "eye" in the bottom right hand corner (as it was on v7 and before) to view category lists at the top. You can do this on your music library but not on your iPod section, this bugged me because allot of my music I have on my iPod I didn't have on my MacBook as it is on my PC and I am lazy so haven't copied it across. On the other hand, downloading this iTunes gave me the motivation to put all my iPod music on the mac, so I found and downloaded a program that transfers songs straight from your iPod, and it worked really well (although I have 2 of the same album knocking about for some artists on iTunes now). So yeah, now everything is fine! :D I found the application on this great website: http://www.opensourcemac.org so life is good.
RIGHT, now I need to find some driving lessons so I can learn the basics before going to the States for my year out!
Sunday, 14 September 2008
Zeitgeist... The Spirit Of The Time.
Today has been a pretty uneventful day if I am totally honest, but I guess I needed it to recover for the lack of sleep I have had since Owen's 19th Birthday Party on Friday night. So just kicking back on the mac listening to music and such other awesome computery things.
I remembered that I was told a while ago to check out an internet film called Zeitgeist, The Movie. Pretty much a similar style to the 9/11 conspiracy video that was a big hit on Google Video and YouTube. I was dubious as to whether it would be worth a watch (as its topping 2 hours in lenght) but I thought it was an interesting topic, looking again at how a terrorist attack could have helped the U.S. government, as well as other fundamental things which people take for granted. It is not a documentary like a Michael Moore blockbuster, more of a serise of voice overs with images and diagrams, and actually it is really easy to watch and understand. It starts with a segment about religion, which I felt was a bit out of place in comparison to the other two sections, but it was still very well done. It basically looks at how religions have all evolved (ironic choice of wording) from early pagen and egyption religions that worshiped the sun and the stars. Alot of things within the Bible for example, directly relate to past religions, and are often refrences to astronomy.
The second section is all based on the September 11 World Trade Centre attacks. I personally feel a bit awkward talking about it as a conspiracy because obviously the fact is that nearly 3000 people's lives were lost to an act of obscene terrorism. But it is also important that we ask, "Who is the actual terrorist organization?". It looks at evidence to suggest that it was rigged, but also (which I found interesting) the things which the government have gained from it, such as freedom to war, and therefore oil and more money for the federal bank. It also looks at the "world trade centre building 7" which fell because of fire, although specialists suggest that the mannor in which it fell was that of a controled demolition, much like building 1 and 2. Well I am not wanting to prove a point, but its certainly important to know both sides of an argument, and if true, it is also important that the real criminals are put to justice.
The third section is more based around money, and how the U.S. economy is owned by a few major families that first got in on banking, and by lending money and then calling in mass loans caused the collapse of rivals through bankrupsy. They then pushed for the federal reserve, which means that every dollar in the states is lent, but has a percentage of debt attached too it, and the only way to pay it off is to get more from the fed' reserve, and therefore MORE debt is put on the people and government. To pay this debt the government owe the fed reserve, they up income tax, however it would be illegal so they tell you to pay a tax that is against the constitution but if you dont there is no law to punish you. This is a nicer loop-hole i guess. It also touches at the end on how the economies are trying to become one (with the Euro taking over individual currencies) and therefore eventually having global control over where money goes.
Overall a very interesting video, which can be found here: ZEITGEIST ON GOOGLE VIDEO.
Let me know what you think, worth a watch though, whatever your political groundings.
I remembered that I was told a while ago to check out an internet film called Zeitgeist, The Movie. Pretty much a similar style to the 9/11 conspiracy video that was a big hit on Google Video and YouTube. I was dubious as to whether it would be worth a watch (as its topping 2 hours in lenght) but I thought it was an interesting topic, looking again at how a terrorist attack could have helped the U.S. government, as well as other fundamental things which people take for granted. It is not a documentary like a Michael Moore blockbuster, more of a serise of voice overs with images and diagrams, and actually it is really easy to watch and understand. It starts with a segment about religion, which I felt was a bit out of place in comparison to the other two sections, but it was still very well done. It basically looks at how religions have all evolved (ironic choice of wording) from early pagen and egyption religions that worshiped the sun and the stars. Alot of things within the Bible for example, directly relate to past religions, and are often refrences to astronomy.
The second section is all based on the September 11 World Trade Centre attacks. I personally feel a bit awkward talking about it as a conspiracy because obviously the fact is that nearly 3000 people's lives were lost to an act of obscene terrorism. But it is also important that we ask, "Who is the actual terrorist organization?". It looks at evidence to suggest that it was rigged, but also (which I found interesting) the things which the government have gained from it, such as freedom to war, and therefore oil and more money for the federal bank. It also looks at the "world trade centre building 7" which fell because of fire, although specialists suggest that the mannor in which it fell was that of a controled demolition, much like building 1 and 2. Well I am not wanting to prove a point, but its certainly important to know both sides of an argument, and if true, it is also important that the real criminals are put to justice.
The third section is more based around money, and how the U.S. economy is owned by a few major families that first got in on banking, and by lending money and then calling in mass loans caused the collapse of rivals through bankrupsy. They then pushed for the federal reserve, which means that every dollar in the states is lent, but has a percentage of debt attached too it, and the only way to pay it off is to get more from the fed' reserve, and therefore MORE debt is put on the people and government. To pay this debt the government owe the fed reserve, they up income tax, however it would be illegal so they tell you to pay a tax that is against the constitution but if you dont there is no law to punish you. This is a nicer loop-hole i guess. It also touches at the end on how the economies are trying to become one (with the Euro taking over individual currencies) and therefore eventually having global control over where money goes.
Overall a very interesting video, which can be found here: ZEITGEIST ON GOOGLE VIDEO.
Let me know what you think, worth a watch though, whatever your political groundings.
Friday, 12 September 2008
First Blog Post.
Well this is my first post...
I figured that a blog would be a good way of letting family and friends keep an eye on what I will be up to in the run up to, and during, my gap year's adventures in the states. Also, if it works out for me I am sure I will carry it on when I start University in London this time next year.
I am looking forward to this year as a break from education (after 14 years consecutively learning things I figured it was time for a break) and the next 3 after that at Uni. Also I am glad that I have started a Blog, even though I am pretty new to it and it will probably take a while before anybody follows it.
You can also catch up with me on facebook, twitter and last.fm. (myspace also, but I don't go on it anymore really, it was a phase ;] )
I figured that a blog would be a good way of letting family and friends keep an eye on what I will be up to in the run up to, and during, my gap year's adventures in the states. Also, if it works out for me I am sure I will carry it on when I start University in London this time next year.
I am looking forward to this year as a break from education (after 14 years consecutively learning things I figured it was time for a break) and the next 3 after that at Uni. Also I am glad that I have started a Blog, even though I am pretty new to it and it will probably take a while before anybody follows it.
You can also catch up with me on facebook, twitter and last.fm. (myspace also, but I don't go on it anymore really, it was a phase ;] )
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
