Superbowl XLIII Prediction- A Woman’s Perspective

First of all let me start off by asking why does the Superbowl Committe still insist on using Roman Numerals? Why can’t they just use regular numbers? I know that most men out there don’t know what the letter L represents. I also want to say that I am not a football fan, and being a woman I understand that there are many women who are die-hard football fans, so I am not speaking on their behalf. I have no idea who played in last year’s bowl, much less who won. This is what I have ascertained thus far about football in my southwestern Texas town: There are two kinds of fans- Cowboy fans and non-Cowboy fans. Whenever there is a big game such as on Thanksgiving Day, our city is awash with blue and silver. Whole families including infants are donning their Cowboy jerseys and caps. The non-Cowboy fans more often than not HATE Dallas, and they usually are categorized into one of three areas: Redskin fans, Steelers Fans or the Team of the Month, a.k.a. the Bandwagoners. We have a segment of the population who is ecstatic about the upcoming Superbowl game (the Traitors, a.k.a Steller fans). Many Cowboy fans fondly remember the match up in the 90’s between Dallas and Pittsburg, when they avenged their Super Bowl upset twenty years earlier with a bittersweet victory. So for many Dallas fans, including my man, there is absolutely no interest in any Superbowl where the Cowboys aren’t playing. I do know, however, that die-hard Cowboy fans are rooting against whichever team ruined Dallas’ chance of not making it to this year’s playoffs. In this year’s case, it is probably a toss up, but I suspect that more fans are probably rooting for Arizona, simply because the rivalry between Dallas and Pittsburg has been going on for over thirty years and runs much deeper. As for me and many other women, I really don’t care who wins. I want the team my man is rooting for to win simply because I don’t want him to be a grouch Sunday evening after the game. Many women may watch for a few minutes to check out the tight ends on the tight ends, but that’s about it. They will partake in the Superbowl festivities breaking their New Year’s Resolution by indulging in wings, chips and beer. I did notice that Kurt Warner, the QB for Arizona is a cutie, so I suspect that many women will be going for them, simply based on that. Can any of y’all say Oscar De La Hoya? Now women who are real football fans will be quicker to disassociate themselves from my kind quicker than Obama did with Blago. I guess they may have decided if they couldn’t beat ‘em, to join ‘em, or maybe they really do like the game. . As for me, I don’t have the attention span for a full 15 minute quarter, which actually translates to at least 35. It goes on and on and on, and God forbid there’s an overtime. I feel the way my man looks when I drag him shopping, “when is this going to be over?”

On January 6th, Apple announced that iTunes was going to eliminate its DRM practices, but that downloading frequently purchased music would now sell for $1.29 a song. On a good note, some songs will be available at $0.69-$0.99, but the question is, what songs are we going to be able to purchase at that price; Man Eater by Hall and Oats? Is this just a ploy to hook music lovers onto iTunes and then squeez them with the higher priced songs? For those songs that are at the top of the charts, record companies are confident that consumers will purchase them at the inflated price of $1.29 at iTunes. With the economy in a downturn, did Apple take into consideration that many iPod users would turn to Wal Mart or Amazon.com where music lovers may download current hits for $0.74 and $0.79 respectively? Or do bargain seekers have the time to jump from website to website to try to find the best deals? Is this going to be the catalyst to dethrone iTunes from being the top-selling merchant of music downloads? Is it arrogant for Apple to assume that music lovers will sheepishly flock to purchase their higher priced songs because they are throwing them a $0.69 bone? Only time will tell…

Myvus are lightweight glasses that are connected to iPods or other portable electronic devices that allows the user to have a full screen personal video viewing experience at home, on public transportation, or at airports. Resembling a pair of high tech futuristic sunglasses, they feature Kopin’s Cyber Display Technology and boast the sharpest resolution and highest pixel density. The battery life typically lasts about 4 hours and comes with built-in ear buds that provide sound isolation. The cost for MyvuCrystal sunglasses is typically around $300.00 and will be available this spring. Myvu shades are currently available for $200.00 and can be purchased at Best Buy. Myvu also now works with iPhone and its various versions with a special connection cable that can be purchased for around $25.00. One cool feature is the user is able to glance down to keep aware of their surroundings yet still be provided with a full screen unobstructed view of the video. Very techno chic!

Threatened with a sinking economy, exhibitor cancellations, a forecast of reduced attendance and budgets, CES is scheduled to go on, come rain or come shine. There will be some awesome devices that will be revealed at the upcoming Consumer Electronic Show that will begin this Wednesday, January 7th in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Technological developments in televisions are aplenty at the Consumer Electronics Show. They are thin, green, fast and in 3D.The waif-thin models have hit the television industry. The newest models by Samsung and JVC are less than a quarter of an inch thick. Reduced energy consumption in plasma televisions while inactive is the latest rage to hit the Going Green circuit. Panasonic’s 3D TVs are generating a lot of buzz and no glasses are required! LG has launched the development of the world’s first 480 Hz LCD TV panel, which is capable of refreshing at a rate of 480 images/ second, compared to traditional sets with refresh rates of 120 Hz or 60 Hz. In case you’re not able to stay at home to enjoy these latest television technological advances, don’t worry because television stations are planning to transmit their signals via cell phones and other portable electronic devices.

One of the most anticipated devices that have piqued attendees’ curiosities is the brain scanning head set by Mattel. Straight out of a sci-fi movie, this device allows you to levitate a ball with intense concentration. The ball will come down once the mind is in a relaxed state.

Another cool development is a pair of glasses by Nvidia Group that can be used with compatible portable electronic devices to turn your image into a 3D experience on your display.

Could Palm be in store for a revival despite delays, reductions in its production with its own version of a smart phone, the Nova? With its QWERTY sliding keyboard and touch screen that operates under its own OS, it is generating a lot of buzz that it will be the catalyst to restore the company to its former status.

Although the economy may be in a slump, the industry is still hard at work unveiling new innovative products that will tempt us to open up our pocketbooks and indulge ourselves in ’09.

Barak Obama changed the landscape of the 2008 Presidential Election with internet donations by tapping into an underutilized resource used by politicians: technology. Disconnected doesn’t refer to the sentiments of millions of McCain supporters who are not looking forward to Inauguration Day, but the thousands of Obama supporters who are cell phone users. CTIA experts predict that on January 20, 2009, Washington DC cellular networks will be overloaded beyond capacity. Slow or no service is expected that day due to the hundreds of thousands of spectators who will flood the systems with calls, texts and photo downloads. Carriers like Verizon and Sprint are working towards a solution to prevent a cellular blackout by erecting temporary mobile cellular towers from vehicles, which are usually used after natural disasters or fires. Each vehicle is only capable of managing a total of 1500 additional callers and 60 simultaneous phone calls. Carriers recommend that in the event of an emergency, a land line should be used to call 911.

It was reported on December 16, 2008 that there was news of a major new security flaw that affects all versions of Internet Explorer, including the IE5 to the latest IE8. Its ramifications are far reaching because its flaw is already being used to steal online passwords in over 10,000 gaming sites that were infected. Users are being encouraged to switch to other web browsers including Opera, Firefox, and Chome, none of whom have been affected thus far. Microsoft has stated that it is currently working on a solution and “cannot recommend people switch due to this one flaw.” It has recommended temporary fixes such as setting your security settings to high. It is feared by security experts that if the flaw is not contained, it could infest other sites as well. Criminals can place the code on a website and steal any password that is entered or stored using the browser. It’s up to Microsoft to come up with a solution to prevent a catastrophic wave of internet fraud that is likely to occur if drastic measures aren’t taken immediately.

With all of the news about computer hacking and internet credit card theft, it is surprising to learn that the biggest computer crime worldwide is actually stolen laptops. Common laptop thefts occur through muggings or by breaking into vehicles, and that is something that is next to impossible to prevent. Encryption and biometrics are common electronic security actions that are taken, but the process is very arduous and complex. The company that brought us ThinkPad, Lenovo, has come up with a new solution by installing a 3G cellular chip that is programmed to receive a kill signal that may be transmitted via a text message through a cellular network. Once the signal is received, the laptop becomes inoperative. If the device is turned off during the theft, the next attempt to reboot will result in a lockdown mode. A password is required to make the laptop function once again and no data is destroyed. Lenovo stated that the feature will be available on select ThinkPad models and where GSM data service is available.

The iPod revolutionized entertainment as we know it. It can store music, audiobooks and movies. Trying to watch a movie on that tiny little 2-inch screen is next to impossible. There is a solution though, the Nano TV, which works only with the 3rd generation Nano. It magnifies the Nano’s LCD up to almost three inches and amplifies its sound through its own speaker system. The cost is very affordable, at $23.00, and the money that you would save on an optometrist for treatment of eye strain is well worth it.

Rumors are swirling prior to January’s Mac World Conference that Apple is about to launch its latest version of the iPhone; this time a Nano. These rumors out of China are backed by some questionable evidence of some screenshots of an iPhone case manufacturer, XSKN, which features the Nano among other generations of iPhones. This is the same company who had earlier manufactured and sold the cases for the 3G iPhone prior to its release. It may be next to impossible to keep trade secrets under wraps because the manufacturing of the iPhone’s components is done in China, by thousands of workers. As the details of the latest technology spill out, accessory manufacturers immediately begin to design and produce the accompanying items. The latest version of the iPhone will target those looking for a lower price and will be distributed to stores such as Wal Mart. In addition, competitive companies are scrambling to produce their own version of the iPhone Nano which will have a pull-out keypad and a control dial and is rumored to be 25% smaller than a regular iPhone. It is expected to be released at the Macworld Conference and Expo next month.

Notebook computer sales, which have increased almost 40% to 38.6 million, topped those of desktops, which fell 1.3% to 38.5 million for the first time ever in the third quarter. Hewlett Packard topped the industry by shipping 14.9 million notebooks, having the bragging rights of nearly 19% of the market share. Acer of Taiwan, now is the third largest PC company after gaining a market share of a little over 12%, less than two percentage points behind the number two company, Dell Inc. Apple placed 7th with a little over 3% of the market share after losing almost half a point. In general PC shipments rose 15.4 percent in the quarter to 79 million units.