I know the extended desktop feature isn't new but it's new to me.  I was bored at work today and decided to take, I mean borrow the monito from my sales directors' computer and plug it into the VGA output on the side of my Dell m140.  With a couple of quick adjustments in the control panels advanced display settings, I was able to browse the net on my main laptop screen and have iTunes and Windows Live Messenger open on the secondary screen.  Now that I finally know how to do this, i can't wait until I try it with my home PC using photo editing programs.  Yeah me!

It looks like the Zune is definitely for real and Microsoft is truly ready to take on the Ipod if not take some marketshare from the Ipod. Lots of features are rumored about the Zune having Wi-Fi capabilities and movie download service but one thing is for certain judging by the pictures posted at the Zune Info site/blog. The Zune will tie Xbox 360 gamers to Pc gamers and mix in music and entertainment all in one portable device. The only thing I think Microsoft has to be careful about is that a device that has the potential to be a music/movie player and have access to friends lists on Xbox 360 and many other facets of entertainment better deliver well on every front. Things must work seemlessly a la Ipod such as the ability to download podcasts via podcast library and also the ease of itunes in terms of putting music on your Zune.
I'll have to admit I do have an Ipod and do use it everyday. But I am ready and willing to chuck it if the Zune can do what it promises.
One other exciting feature that was shown at the summit was the HD-DVD drive add-on for the 360. I love HD movies and I can't wait until this drive comes out. I hope its reasonably priced and functions the same if not better than a retail HD-DVD player. The library is going to be huge with, according to Microsoft, will total in the 200's and if reasonably priced, will dominated the HD movie market this holiday. That is if everything remains on schedule.
I think the Zune is headed in the right direction but only the future will tell. Let's all hope that Microsoft can learn from other suppossed Ipod killers.

A few days ago I was surfing the net for virtual instruments like guitars and pianos and drums.  I found a few good guitar and piano tutorials but i couldn't find anything that sounded like the actual intrument-that is until I stumbled upon a site ran by percussion enthusiast Ken Brashear.  Ken's website is the coolest designed website I have seen. 
The first thing you see is three quarter perspective view of a well put together drum kit complete with toms and high hat cymbols.  By just running a mouse pointer over any part of the drum kit causes that part to change from black and white to a full colored picture and also plays that parts correct sound and not some keyboard synthesized sound.  If you really spend some time with this you can put down some serious beats.  If you click on various parts of the drum kit like the recoder on the left hand side, you are treated to some information about how Ken recorded each instrument.  Click on the main seat and listen to a drum solo by Ken using the real life counterparts to the sites drums. 
Go to www.kenbrashear.com

That's right. The air condiotioner on the top floor in my house is broken until Wednesday. It's not such a big deal but I live on the second floor. My theater system where I enjoy HD movies and games is on the second floor-not to mention that is where I sleep. Oh well, I guess I'm going to have to make do. In the mean time, while I can't watch movies or play games right now, I have been working on some character sketches which I will post shortly. They're coming out okay but I need to refine them by adding ink and so on. By the way, the current temp. upstaris is a balmy 86 degrees. It's not exactly comfortable when watching a movie.