iTunes, Picasa Updates and The Chief

Just a few pieces of tech business to start out with:

• Run your software updates, on Monday Apple released updates to iTunes and Quicktime. The update mostly concerns the new Apple TV which is shipping this month. You’ll find a new Apple TV control panel in iTunes and the option to make coverflow full screen (which is pretty sweet-looking). There are also new sorting options in iTunes and bug and security fixes in QT. DVD Studio Pro and Backup 3 (from .Mac) have also recently been updated

• Picasa improvements! Last night, Google updated Picasa Web albums by bumping storage in free accounts up to 1GB and implementing a new search feature. Make sure to log into your Picasa account and make your photos searchable to take part.

Onward and upward

This week was the first time I noticed that our school paper did not have a story about The Chief on the front page. Since the University of Illinois decided to retire its controversial mascot, the story has held a place on the front page almost every day. Most of the time it even got the main headline or main photo above the fold. Of course, the Chief issue still makes its way into the editorials and letters to the editor. Many people write about the Chief as if their rights have been violated or their religion had been banned or even as if a family member had passed away. Actually, what I’m most reminded of is the reaction of a child who has his toy taken away. Some people have even threatened to stop supporting the university financially and encouraged others to do so if the Chief tradition is not maintained.

That’s like refusing to donate to the Red Cross because they changed their logo.

Despite these worries, the University began receiving huge donations almost immediately after the announcement was made to retire the Chief from people who thought well of the school, but didn’t want to support a practice that they felt was harmful and racist.
Still to come… My thoughts on the Lost Tomb of Jesus and how to combine two very unpopular things in order to convince no one of your stance on abortion.