Bedeep Beep Beep

Well a few thinks got updated today. My Wii and Apple's iMac (As well as their iLife and iWork software suites). First, I'll deal with these in that order, then we have some other things to talk about.

The Wii update adds a couple of useful things, such as a clock on the Wii Menu screen - above the date. My favourite part of the updated though is to the Forecast and News Channels. The News Channel's boot screen now displays a slection of current headlines as does its icon. The Forecast Channel, not to be outdone, now similarly displays the current weather status for your location on its icon.

The new iMac is gorgeous and I appreciate the use of a glossy screen which is also glass as opposed to plastic. Think iPhone.

Of particular note is the iMac's new razor thin aluminum keyboard, which borrows the profile of the MacBook. I love this keyboard, and I'm seriously considering grabbing one. It also lends credence to the idea that the MacBook Pros - which I suspect will be updated at MacWorld in January - will be receiving a similar keyboard.

iLife '08 is an update which is, in essence, exactly as I had previously speculated (Not here) that it would be. Apple have updated all Apps in line with progression and have, as I predicted, added superior photo editing facilities.

iWork '08 is also updated as I expected. Pages and Keynote have had some features added and, as I speculated, a new Spreadsheet App has been added - which is called, as I had previously heard rumoured, Numbers.

Numbers means that iWork combined with iLife is now a perfectly reasonable replacement for Microsoft Office for most users. I'm struggling to think of an application Office gives you which is not catered for by iLife, iWork or a built-in app to OS X and which will be used by the majority of users. If you can think of one, let me know.

Now then, my next order of business is to tell you the following things:

• Do not use the BBC iPlayer. It's barely functional and backdoors your connection for P2P facilities even when you are not aware of that.
  
• Use BT Vision only with caution. We've had nothing but trouble

On a lighter note, I'm hearing that the new iPod revision is due next month or late this month. It is said to sport a 16GB Flash Drive and is (Obviously) still a video player. This 16GB news might not make many of you happy, but bear in mind that this means 32GB and 64GB models will follow. Possibly sometime next year.

This 16GB model will be great for people like me who like music, but don't have particularly much of it, but also would like to take some videos with us. Wonderfully, this new iPod's arrival in September makes it a perfect candidate for my main 16th Birthday gift.

Jens Out

It's official

It's official folks. There are no Wii available in the UK, and it looks like it's gonna stay that way for 6 weeks. That's a real bummer. Very soon I will be able to cash the £100 check that I need and I was rather hoping to grab one right away. Luckily we have a friend in the Tesco Entertainment department who is going to tip us off about any pending deliveries.

Meanwhile, Apple have, as usual, singularly managed to make me want to spend too much money. Thank the heavens I get a job this year! As it stood, I intended to buy a MacBook, an iPod with Video and maybe a 17-inch iMac. Since Steve Jobs gave his keynote presentation at MacWorld '07, I now want a MacBook, an AppleTV, iPhone and the iMac. In total, that'll run to probably £2,000. Wow.

iPhone is an interesting one. The reason I want iPhone isn't the telephony, I have a RAZR for that, but the PDA aspect and video playback. To me, the actual phone is of no consequence. However, it does make the thing seem more special, like what we have there is the future.

Doesn't hurt that it's hella sexy either.

AppleTV meanwhile is simply a good idea. Once Apple (Finally) start selling TV shows and movies in iTunes Store UK, I intend to start buying. So once I have my HDTV next January, I'll grab one.

On another HD note, I'm joining the 360 club in November most likely, but my Live Account will be active before that on my brother's 360.

You know, what they say about high tech teens is true. I'm living proof.

Feel good,
Jens

PS: The Pirate Bay Nation. Awesome idea, cos as Carmack says "Design is Law". That is also currently my mantra.