Technobabble

Dominate Wii You thought
Nintendo was smart releasing the revolutionary game console Wii with its motion-detecting controllers? That was just the beginning. Like the ease with which the Apple iPhone or iTouch communicates and shares data with one’s computer, the Nintendo Wii will be able to download games for the Nintendo DS handheld game system seem to be true, according to Engadget.com.So the rumors seem to be true! OK, not as groundbreaking as the Apple iDinasty, but imagine you were a Nintendo fan-girl/boy and you could download new games instantly from your Wii for your DS? Your friend texts you that such-and-such is the best video game that ever came out for the DS and you can download it and have it in your handheld console before your public transport commute the next day, without leaving the comfort of your own home!

Mac is back, but the enemy is at the gate
Tech watchers are wondering if the love for the iPod is driving PC folks to buy Apple computers. It could be the marketing geniuses who brought us the Justin Long/John Hodgman “Hi, I’m a Mac” ads or maybe the populace is finally realizing just how great these machines really are (just like Americans are finally figuring out the real George Bush). Mac shipments were up 34 percent in the last quarter of ’07. Apple sold 2.2 million machines, 400,000 more units than the previous record set the quarter before. Best Buy wants to stock 500 of its stores with Steve Jobs’ computers, up from about 270 at present. But what does this mean for us long-time fans? Hate to see the digital glass half empty, but for one, the popularity and wide use could mean that viruses that have plagued PCs for so long could be right around the corner for Macs. A Trojan horse (similar to a virus) was recently written and distributed for the iPhone. Called “iPhone firmware 1.1.3 prep,” it was a minor inconvenience and is already contained, but is this “wooden iHorse” just the first with many more to come?

Killer gamer
The fact that I couldn’t verify this story through a second or third source gives me pause, but Gizmodo.com is reporting that an 18-year-old from Bilbao, Spain, tried to strangle his father with the cord from his game console after his padre, following multiple requests to halt game play, pulled the power cord. I honestly don’t believe that spending large amounts of time playing violent games such as Grand Theft Auto is going to drive a young person to put on a trench coat and fill his classmates with bullets from his Tec-9 semi-automatic, but interrupting a gamer just before she/he finally finishes a tough level apparently could lead to bodily harm and even death.

Gamer who doesn’t kill
The blog Boing Boing reported on a college student who is trying to bring two World of Warcraft characters up in levels without killing anything. These two pacifists, one a “rogue” and one a “priest,” accumulate points by finding treasure and in the case of the priest, healing other characters. They carry fishing poles so as not to accidentally inflict damage.

Wacky Web site of the week
I love tempura, but this is a bit too much:
www.mirkocredito.com/FRITTURE2007/