Beatles, the other Apple and iTunes

As a new iPod (phone) user I've really started to use iTunes as my music hub. After living under the "under 25" assumption that music is free for several years, I now feel a little bit of pride each time I spend 99 cents for a new song. Along with that 99 cent song you get the sweet cover art for scrolling too!

A disappointment has been the unavailability (pretty sure thats a word) of Beatles music. I went ahead and Googled my way to an answer. I found several interesting articles that I've tried to arrange here chronologically.

If you've got any more information or would like to be the source of the next apple-iTunes-the OTHER apple-beatles rumor, just leave me a message.

MacObserver article from 2003
CNN Money article from 2005
Business blog from mid 2007
Gizmodo article from earlier this year (2008)

I'm stuck in traffic or 50 and Sunny in La Rochelle

I told my self I wasn't going to be one of those guys that becomes consumed by his iPhone. But but but, well bear with me for just a little more.

I've lamented about the weather, more on other peoples blogs; Sylvie and Kevin's and CG Betty's. After figuring out a few weeks back that La Rochelle is an actual place and not a state of mind I added it to the weather widget on my iPhone and became incredibly jealous when the forecast came up as 50's and sunny for a week. La Rochelle is not only a place but its apparently got some nice weather this time of year!

Adding salt to the would was a hell of a snow storm this afternoon in Southeast Michigan. A commute that normally takes me 20-25 minutes took closer to an hour and a half. My coworker Eric told me that an 11 mile stretch of I-94 was closed due to the weather but by the time that I left it was open, although I'd be lying if I said my drive home was leisurely.

The bright spot in the drive home was my iPhone. As I was stopped in traffic I clicked on the maps widget, added real time traffic info and amazingly saw that in fact I WAS sitting in traffic. How cool is it to not only sit in traffic but be able to confirm it on your phone. And the answer is yes; this is my way of making fun of myself. And no, I do not want to hear about how its dangerous for me to be looking up weather and traffic info on my cell phone while driving. At least I wasn't texting....yea, never done that!

Now If I only knew what "Lo TG Ed" meant. Of course I get confused by a lot of the over the ponder's blogs, or are we the over the ponders - I can't remember. But I think yanks such as ROTUS and myself truly are the FMB minority, but we're pulling our weight.

Apple Karma or Attack of the iPhone Killing Ice

Last week I wrote that I hoped that the Patriots would win the Super Bowl. What I didn't mention was that if the Giants won I would win a playoff pool. I had picked every game correctly from the start with the exception of Indy's first round loss. Yes, from the very beginning I picked the Giants to win, one of only three out of the 175 or so entries.

Since money won is much sweeter than money earned I spent Monday night perusing gadgets. I seriously considered a new Digital SLR camera an HD Camcorder and the Apple iPhone. After carefully considering each I decided on an iPhone. The next day I went to the AT&T store and 5 minutes later walked out with my new toy. It was by far the easiest phone purchase ever. The salesperson didn't even try to convince me to buy other things.

The phone is amazing! Five minutes after turning it on I new I had made the right choice on what to buy. Over the past few days I've spent some time programming numbers, taking pictures, adding web applications etc, to personalize my phone.

After an evening at Buffalo Wild Wings (BWLD) and stopping by my old fraternity house, the drive home was treacherous because of the ice that had formed under the snow. My car slid a few times but I got home safe. However, as I was walking from my car up the driveway to my garage I bit it hard. As I stepped with my left foot it slipped underneath me and before I new it my left side hit the pavement - HARD - knock the wind out of you hard. Unfortunately I was holding my new phone in my right hand and the force of the slip sent it flying out of my hand, straight up in the air.

When I hit the ground I realized my phone had slipped out, I also noticed that I hadn't heard it hit the ground yet. Instinctively I started to count in my head 1-2- and right before 3 I hear it hit...oh boy. I jump up, avoid stumbling again and notice my phone laying in the snow. I picked it up, brushed it off, turned it back on, unlocked it...my phone had survived, and thanks to the case, not a scratch.

Then this morning happened. To see how cold it was outside this morning (since it was supposed to be in the single digits) I pressed the weather widget on the home screen...no response. Fifteen seconds later I realized that the entire top half of the screen was no longer touch sensitive.

Shit.

Double shit.

Shit times 400 (dollars).

My only option was calling apple support. The guy I talked to said to take it into the store and that they would give me a loaner phone to use while my phone is being repaired and then I would need to bring that phone back in a few weeks when my phone was available. I can think of several things I'd rather do on a Sunday than that!

I was not looking forward to going to this store. Not even a month ago Amy took her computer in for repairs, needing it ASAP for her graphic design school work only to discover that it just sat in the store for more than a week collecting dust rather than being sent in to apple.

So I reluctantly scheduled an appointment and they just gave me brand new phone. All things considered this was the best possible outcome. Instead of having to eat a 250 dollar replacement cost I just had to reprogram my contacts- I'll take that deal any day.

And so, my faith in Apple support has been restored, along with the firmware on my iPhone.

Super America, Sunday Sunday

As I write this, kick off to Super Bowl XLII is about 2 hours away. That means Fox's coverage has been going on for about 6 hours.

The game promises intrigue, regardless of the outcome. Both the Pats and Giants have a bit of the "America's team" aura around them. Also adding to the American feel of the event we have Ryan Seacrest to interview celebrities on the red carpet (yes the super bowl now has a red carpet). To top it off I'm enjoying a nice Baltika beer, straight from....Russia, a nice lager whose website I just "stumbled". And yes I'm still sitting in StumbleUpon purgatory with my one fan ROTUS.

I think the Patriots will win. I'm a big Brady fan because he went to Michigan, and no, I'm not one of those Johnny come lately UM fans that like him now but didn't like him at Michigan. I've liked every single starting quarterback at Michigan with the exception of Drew Henson. I probably only didn't like him because he was about the same age and I was jealous of his "golden boy" fate. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't happy about him being an absolute flop. Although a big part of that is because he left Michigan early to be a Yankee- damn New York. Ah, maybe that's another reason I want the Patriots to win.

So now its sit back, relax, order pizza four hours before its needed, enjoy the commercials, a great game and a real American tradition.