By The Beard of Zeus!

Wow folks it's been a while since my last post and I sincerely apologize. I have been consumed by this demon test to get into law school on top of all my work for regular school but I have a break between classes right now and thought I'd grace you all with my presence...er...words? Whatever.

There's been plenty of stuff happening since my last post (yes, the world does continue even if my blog isn't updated. I was shocked to learn this as well) AND the holidays are approaching, which means that there will be plenty more goodies coming up!

Alright, here's a breakdown of today's update:
-Verizon LTE!
-Apple iOS 4.2 (and 4.1 for AppleTV)
-Netflix's new streaming-only option
-And maybe some more stuff if there's time...hah.

image and video credit: Engadget

Okay, this one has me really excited. Verizon is going to launch it's brand new LTE (Long Term Evolution) / 4G network a couple months early! Originally, the release date was slated for a "first half of 2011" launch but by some good grace of the techno-gods they are pumping it out next month! Here's a link to Verizon's 4G website for more information. Initially the network will be for their mobile web attachments for your laptop but they hope to see it extended to their wireless devices around summer 2011. Worst part? I don't have an LTE/4G phone =( BUT we do get to see a variety of brand new phones available from Verizon that will be compatible with the current network as well as the new LTE / 4G network soon. I'll be sure to update with any more news about the network and brand spankin' new phones that will be hitting the shelves soon! Until then, enjoy Verizon's snazzy new commercial for their new network which really only reveals the date. But still...pretty cool



More after the break including Apple's new iOS 4.2 and NetFlix's streaming-only option!

Photo Credit: Apple.com

Big news for iPhone, iPod and iPad owners, at 1:00pm EST Apple released its iOS 4.2 for compatible iPhones (3G, 3GS, 4), iPods and the iPad. With this updated software comes enhancements to multitasking and the ability to create app folders for the iPad as well as AirPlay and AirPrint for all three devices.  The iPad, however, is the greatest benefactor from this update.

Let's start off with the multitasking for the iPad. As those of you who own iPads know, you didn't have multitasking before, so even though it switched from one app to another with relative ease there were still some instances of app freezing or the tiniest hint of lag/breaks in action. Now, however, your experience is even more seamless and convinces me even more that it is a viable replacement for my laptop in class/around the house.

AirPrint allows users to print mail, photos, web pages directly to AirPrint compatible printers on your local network while AirPlay makes it possible to wirelessly stream music to AirPlay compatible speakers and receivers (such as your Apple TV). Although it's incredibly easy to push YouTube videos or other videos compatible on your igadget since there's no flash support you can't push websites such as Hulu out to your TV. One of the great features with AirPlay is that you can sleep or dock your igadget and continue to have the content streaming to whatever device is currently being used, thus allowing you to charge your device, or simply just not have to hold on to it the whole time.

While there are some instances of lag between controls on the device and their taking effect on the TV, it's nothing inconvenient and truthfully not incredibly noticeable.

The iPad also received the unified inbox, threaded messages and the rest of the bells and whistles that came along with iOS 4 and truly add to the versatility of the iPad.

Recently I've been contemplating more and more about buying an iPad for school and all of these changes/enhancements coupled with the fantastic typing accuracy I had while playing around with one this weekend are all adding to my belief that it truly can be a more compact alternative to lugging my laptop around.

Photo credit: Apple.com

Photo credit: Netflix.com

NetFlix has just announced a membership plan that lets you stream any tv-show and movie online for just $7.99 a month and now matches competitor Hulu Plus' price. Now, this means that there are no DVD rentals included with this membership but to me this is a sweeter deal. I have an XBox360 which means that I can stream to my TV and therefore don't need the added DVD rental but for those of you that like having the DVD option or don't own an XBox360 or Playstation3, NetFlix still has the streaming option with the ability to rent one DVD at a time for $9.99 a month (up a dollar from the previous $8.99). Regardless of your choice between the two options you're getting a great deal.

Last but not least! This Friday is not only my birthday, but more importantly it's Black Friday!! Gizmodo has done a sweet job of making a cheat sheet for you made up of all the best deals ranked in order of the best bang for your buck! Wasn't that sweet? The deals are grouped together by category and ranked by their star rating (2 Stars = great deal (best price anywhere), 1 Star = good deal (sounds about right) and 0 Stars = terrible, horrible no good very bad deal). Here's the link to the cheat sheet, and here's a link that breaks the deals down by participating stores. Enjoy!

I just want to say Happy Holidays to everyone and have a great time pigging out, watching football and getting drunk. I know I will. My gift to you all is a video of that beer fetching robot who can now tell if a bottle is empty or full. Here's a video of that robot learning and accomplishing this amazing feat. I, for one, can't wait for a robot to fetch my beer and pick up all the empty bottles because hey, let's face it, we all have a little room to become that much lazier. PEACE