Well, not quite. As much as Stevie J would like to promote each new edition of the iPod as such, the reality is that each new update only gives users incremental changes over previous versions.

Many of the features that longtime users (read: Apple loyalists) have been clamoring for are still absent. There are no improvements to the iPod's notoriously weak graphic equilizer, no gapless playback, no support for new audio codecs (such as FLAC or OGG Vorbis) and no crossfader, to name a few. It doesn't seem as though Apple is interested in improving the sound quality of the iPod, thinking instead that their target demographic doesn't factor those things into their purchase of a digital music player.

By and large they are completely right. Most people care about design, ease of use and familiarity, which the iPod has in spades. Also, Apple uses the iPod to promote the iTunes Music Store, making most of their customers loyal users of the service and the iTunes software by shutting out support for all other digital music player manufacturers. This sets up a marketplace where the deck is stacked against all of Apple's competitors.

Gamers across the country have had November 22nd circled on their calendars (or highlighted in their Blackberries) for months. Why? because that is when Microsoft is set to unveil the Xbox 360, their next-generation video game console that will mark the beginning of a new chapter in the ongoing video game wars. But with the competition between Microsoft, Sony and (to a lesser extent) Nintendo growing more bitter every year, it's easy to get caught up in which console looks best on paper rather than which is best for you. Since the Xbox 360 is the first of the new breed to see the light of day (with only a select few privileged enough to play with it so far), I decided to take a closer look at it to see if the hype is justified.

While many people tend to notice graphics first and foremost, graphics aren't necessarily the most important aspect of a new gaming system. In this respect, many observers have already been lamenting the Xbox 360's failure to significantly improve graphics quality (or computing power) over its predecessor. While the criticism is somewhat valid, it fails to recognize that release titles typically seem dated in comparison to newer games that come out months and even years later. This is because game developers are still adjusting to the new technology and are yet to unlock all the possibilites that exist with the Xbox 360.

I love my iPod. I'm not that great at charging it. Also, I like to listen to it at home. What would be a good solution?

I found what I thought was the perfect solution, the iHome clock radio and my wife obliged this whim of mine and gave it to me for my birthday.

I was excited! I ripped open the box. I plugged in the iHome. I put my iPod in the dock. I turned it on. WOW. This thing rocked!!!

We're nearing completion on our house. I've wired the place beyond most people's belief. My contractor said that he had never put Ethernet in a closet before, let alone a quad power outlet. I now have a place to charge all of my gadgets. But why the Ethernet port in the closet?

Even though I have Ethernet in every room, I'll probably still wander around the house with my laptop using WiFi. I've heard that WiFi goes down better than up. With the home office downstairs, I thought I may want to put a WiFi router upstairs.

Of course, it would be better not to so I thought I would see what solutions there were to avoid that.

Thus, the indoor directional antenna. I should be able to get 50 to 100 meters of range even going though a few walls and the floor. I really only care about WiFi upstairs in my bedroom so a directional WiFi antenna should work well pointing pretty much straight upstairs. My WiFi router has two antennae so I can use one for downstairs and one for the indoor directional antenna pointing upstairs.

Of course, the indoor directional antenna may just take away too much so I get no reception in the kitchen or living room (lots of walls to get there even with an open floor plan) so I may end up ditching the whole thing and just using the port in the closet.

If you want to join me in my experiment, buy an indoor directional antenna. Check back for updates!