AP Stylebook Changes “Web site” to “website”

Being a journalism major, the only book that I have really used is my AP Stylebook.  The Stylebook contains everything a journalist needs and then some.  With the announcement that the Associated Press has changed the spelling of “web site” to “website” may not seem like a big deal but writing a tech blog the term comes up more often than not.  Anyways I thought it was interesting to point out.  Maybe one day they will change more popular tech terms, such as changing “e-mail” to “email.”  *Fingers cross*

Mac or PC?

I have had my Dell laptop for the past 4 years and I am now in the process of upgrading to a newer computer.  My number one dilemma is whether I want to purchase a 13 inch Macbook Pro or another PC computer.

I used to hate Macs.  I could not look at a Mac without utter disgust because I thought that people were buying them for just the “brand” of Apple and not taking into consideration what other computers can do the same as a Mac but for cheaper.

It wasn’t until I started attending school at UH when I realized that Macs are not as bad as I thought.  They were in fact very useful and to say the least, fun to use.  I transferred to UH my sophomore year and being a communications major, I was constantly at the Comm Lab doing work.  The Comm Lab was renovated a couple of years ago and the entire lab was fitted with brand new Macs.  It was basically transformed into the Apple Store.

Over these past couple of years I have turned my disgust for Macs into a respect.  Macs are capable machines and they do their job.  The design graphics of a Mac are stunning and beautiful to look at and it is evident to see why so many people have purchased a Mac.  I have asked numerous people about how they feel about Macs and the majority of them have had positive things to say.  There are a few who won’t jump on the Mac bandwagon and are die-hard PC people.

With the release of Windows 7, personalization and customization has been at an all time high.  Microsoft founder Bill Gates suggested that this version of Windows would be more “user-centric”, in an interview with Newsweek.  Gates later said that Windows 7 would also focus on performance improvements.  Some of the new features included in Windows 7 are advancements in touch, speech, and handwriting recognition, support for virtual hard disks, support for additional file formats, improved performance on multi-core processors, improved boot performance, and kernel improvements.

With the release of the new 13.3” Macbook Pro, Apple has made the notebook playing field tilt in their favor.  One of the biggest drawbacks that Apple had was the fact that there was no SD card slot on their Macbooks.  This edition of the popular notebook has added the card slot and has a battery life that boasts up to 10 hours of continuous playback.  That is a major upgrade to the 2 hour battery life of my Dell laptop.  And another positive is that Apple has lowered the starting price to about $1100 for the basic model Macbook Pro.

The other computer that I have been eying is the Asus U30Jc-A1.  This is a 13.3” notebook that is compared to the Macbook Pro that runs Microsoft’s Win 7.  It supports all the functionality of a Macbook and offers about the same battery life.  The one major difference is price.  Asus has made its model notebook available at a price of $899.  One thing that the Mac allows is that it can run Windows 7 while a PC does not allow the user to run Mac’s OS (operating system).  Macs allow the user to use Windows 7 and performance is on par with that of a regular PC.

Now back to the question at hand, Mac or PC?  Basically it comes down to preference.  Both notebooks are worthy of purchase and both offer similar specifications.  Price is always an issue but it won’t be the deciding issue when it comes down to buying either products.  Maybe one day, there will be a super computer that will offer both aspects of a Mac and PC that will make this debate of Mac vs.  PC come to an ultimate rest.

OpenOffice vs. Microsoft Office

Why spend so much money for Microsoft Office when you can get the basic functions of Office in OpenOffice?

When buying a computer, the software that normally comes with the package is Microsoft Office.  But there are some computers that do not come with the software.  What are we to do when our computers don’t come with the latest version of Office?

OpenOffice is an open-source software application suite that is made available for a number of different computer operating systems.

The biggest pro of OpenOffice is the fact that it is, wait for it…FREE!  OpenOffice is distributed as free software and can be downloaded right onto your computer in a matter of minutes.

I have used Microsoft Office ever since I can remember and I always thought to myself that Office comes with every computer that you buy.  It was not until I entered college when I realized that Microsoft Office was not cheap.  It was really expensive.

During my sophomore year, I began taking a class which required the use of the newest version of Office 2007.  I was still using Office XP, which was released in conjunction with Windows XP.

Realizing how expensive the software was, I tried to get it illegally by downloading a copy of Microsoft Office 2007.  Being naive about the whole situation, my computer got a virus and my whole system crashed.

About a year ago I purchased a netbook that I could take to class instead of using my clunky and heavy laptop that I use at home.  The netbook came with a trial of Microsoft Office and after the trial ended it gave you the option to renew the product for a price.  Knowing the OpenOffice is readily available for free download, I ignored Microsoft’s product and went with OpenOffice.

All I needed for the use of school is Word and PowerPoint (to view lessons for certain classes) and OpenOffice allows me to use their product without making me spend a couple hundred of dollars.

Do I think OpenOffice is better than Microsoft’s Office?  Of course not.  It is just that the needs of both products may seem similar but are in fact different.  Using applications like Word and PowerPoint for my school needs are essential and I don’t need the access of Excel or Outlook.

If I am at work and needing a spreadsheet, I would definitely take Microsoft over OpenOffice because Microsoft offers more options for customization and detailed work.  OpenOffice grants you the same basic functions but does not allow you to explore the entire application of Microsoft Office.  It allows for the use of simple Word documents and PowerPoint slides.

So to recap, is it worth buying the latest version of Microsoft Office when I can get the basic functions of Office in OpenOffice?  It all depends on what your needs are for the products.  Students mainly need the basic functions of Word and PowerPoint.  People who hold down jobs may need the full product of Microsoft Office.  Either way both are excellent products that serve different needs for different people.

Clash of the Titans

What’s not to like about this movie?  The sight of Zeus upon Mount Olympus, the battle between the gods and humans, and who can forget about the Kraken – the worst thing ever seen by mankind.  I think the question should read is what is to like about this movie?

Director Louis Leterrier wants his movie to be a serious action-adventure, an epic with mythic resonance; if he didn’t, he wouldn’t have cribbed so much from “The Lord of the Rings” movies. But in striving for a combination of grit and grandeur, Leterrier misses a chance to make the kind of camp classic that could have endured for generations. Instead, it’s a muddled disappointment.

In Clash of the Titans, the humans declare war on the Greek gods by not worshiping them and the gods respond by releasing a gargantuan creature known as the Kraken.

The main character Perseus is a demigod (half god, half human) offspring of Zeus and the earthly queen Danaë.  Perseus is played by Avatar star Sam Worthington.  Like Sully, Perseus falls for a woman on the other side of the human/nonhuman divide: Instead of a Na’vi princess, his love object is the demi-goddess Io (Gemma Arterton). There’s even a moment in both movies when Worthington must leap from the back of one winged beast onto the back of another. Avatar has taken a lot of heat for being weak on story and overly reliant on visual effects, but compared with this witless, chaotic mess of a movie, James Cameron’s epic looks worthy of the ancient Greek authors—Herodotus, Hesiod, Homer—who first told Perseus’ tale.

As a newborn, Perseus is hurled into the sea by his father, Acrisius (Jason Flemyng), who disbelieves his wife’s claim that she was impregnated by Zeus. The baby is discovered by a kind fisherman played by Pete Postlethwaite, who packs a memorable performance into a tiny wedge of screen time. After a series of misfortunes, Perseus finds himself conscripted to save the city of Argos from an assault by the gods, who have been angered by the growing hubris of mortals.

It’s being released in 3-D but wasn’t conceived that way, and the result is a murky image that’s often far too dark for the action onscreen and which features little if any three-dimensional awesomeness one would expect from an “epic adventure” such as this.  Clash was predictable, slow-moving and uneventful.  The only reason I would watch this movie again is to hear Liam Neeson say the greatest three words of the movie…“Release the Kraken!”