The Chinese Invented Golf- in 945 A.D.

So this is kind of cool and off the wall. Apparently the Chinese are claiming that they, in fact, are the birthplace of golf and that it was exported to Europe via Mongolian travellers during the late Middle Ages.

read more | digg story

Why iPod?

I was just reading an interesting post on digg on why all of the supposed iPod killers out there haven't been able to actually kill the iPod. A lot of people have a lot of opinions on the subject, so I figured I might as well give mine too.

While it's arguable that the iPod is still the best player on the market, the fact is that the iPod is a freight train that was started several years back when the iPod first debuted. Back then, I'd say it was definitely the best player out and a breath of fresh air in a market that was just getting off the ground. It was a player that could be used on a Mac and was made by a company that had an underground cult following, and oh by the way, it was a great little device with a great interface and was easy to use.

Fast forward a couple of years and here I am looking for another mp3 player. I had owned several by now, including one of the first CD-based players, and I was looking for something with a little bit more storage than my current Smartmedia-based Rio would allow. I did the research and the iPod topped the list of what I wanted and had the biggest choice of accessories (by now the freight train was rolling down the track), so that's what I got. And I couldn't have been happier. By that time, I had owned and sold probably 5 different types of mp3 players and the iPod was the best one I had ever used, bar none.

Fast forward another couple of years, I'm ready to upgrade, and the iPod with video hits the market. At this point, I don't even do any research. I already know that I love the iPod and so I buy the iPod with video without a second thought. I don't take time to look at the iRivers or the Creatives of the world. I'm faithful to a player that I know will give me the functionality that I want and I stick with it. It's got nothing to do with fashion or being hip. It's loyalty, simple as that.

While the iPod may or may not still be the best player out there with the most features out of the box, I think there are a lot more people out there like me who fell in love with the iPod several years back when it definitely was the best, and now it's just a matter of brand loyalty when we're ready to upgrade. Sure, there are no doubt a lot of people out there who buy the iPod because "everyone who's anyone has an iPod", but I don't have the kind of money to throw away on something just because it's popular. I buy it because it works, and that's what the iPod does... it just works.

Just My Luck

Question: What could be worse than getting a new driver delivered to you on a day when it's raining?

Answer: Waking up the next morning to find about an inch of snow on the ground!!

Creative's Version Of "Podcast"

I saw this a few days ago on Digg, and now it's showing up on The Unofficial Apple Weblog. Apparently everyone is snickering about Creative's attempt at rewriting history by saying that the term "podcast" stands for "Personal On Demand Broadcast". While I agree that this is somewhat lame in it's execution, I actually like the new "definition".

I like the term podcast, I don't think it's going anywhere, but I'm sure a lot of people don't realize that most podcasts can be played on any old mp3 player. And while the term may have been coined with the iPod in mind, the fact is that Apple doesn't own the word, nor do they own podcasts... so why not come up with a definition that is a little bit more all-inclusive?

MacWorld Tomorrow

So everyone is all a buzz over what the big announcements will be tomorrow at the big keynote when MacWorld kicks off tomorrow. I have to say, I have never owned a Mac of any kind. The closest I have come to Apple products is current ownage of 4 iPods (yeah, I know, I have to get off my lazy butt and sell a couple). But even I am excited about what's next for the little company that could.

I have been kicking around the idea of getting a Mac Mini for a while now, but when I heard that they were going to be switching to Intel a few months back, I decided to wait. Rumors have been floating for a while that the first MacIntels might be introduced this week, roughly 6 months ahead of the schedule that Steve Jobs laid out originally. I think it's possible, and it's at least probable that there will be a working prototype at the event this week, with a promise of it's release in the spring.

Other rumors suggest an update of something in the iPod family, with (in my opinion) an update in the Shuffle line the most likely. The Nano is barely 6 months old and the big daddy, the iPod with Video is even younger. The Shuffle is easily the oldest in the group, and the one most in need of an overhaul. If they want to keep the "no screen, life is random" concept with the Shuffle, I'm not sure what they can do with it that will be that big of a deal, though. Maybe smaller, maybe thinner, maybe cheaper... who knows? I don't think they will go with a 2GB Shuffle and have it be at the same capacity as the smallest Nano, unless they drop the 2GB Nano and go with a 4GB and 8GB version. That's possible I guess. But in my opinion, 2GB is a little too much storage for a device with no screen.

I guess we'll all find out tomorrow. If they do introduce Intel-based laptops... my credit card is probably going to take a little beating in the near future.

Resolutions

So like 90% of the rest of the free world today, I have resolutions. Sometimes I do pretty well with my resolutions, but most of the time, like probably 90% of the resolution makers, I fail. I decided this year I would try something a little different by actually writing down my resolutions, and just now I decided to make it even more real by posting it on this blog. Now, I don't know if anyone besides me actually reads this thing, but it's still a bit more significant to me to do it this way than burying my resolutions in some text file in My Documents.

1. Finally lose the weight. Been trying for years and it always comes back. I want to be able to finally finish the "weight loss" chapter of my life and move on to something else.
2. Spend more time playing golf and trying to improve my handicap. I've been stuck at the 18-20 mark for over 10 years. It's time to move on. My goal for this year: get to the 12-15 range.
3. Also in relation to golf, take time to find some new competition, maybe by entering a few tourmaments even though I know I don't have a chance to win, or maybe playing in a few of the weekly scrambles. Nothing can improve your game like some good competition.
4. Manage my money better. Stop adding stuff to my credit cards and start paying them down a little. Stop being lazy and sell some of my old junk on eBay and use the money to pay off a bill or two.
5. Stop being a Kotex. It's time to take my life back.