Today Apple released two new iPods. Press release here. I want one. I keep thinking that I should wait until a Windows version of iTunes ships, or until after the next MacWorld until I place my cash on the table. Last week I attended an event sponsored by Mercedes USA. At the event I got to experience Sirius satellite radio for the first time. I am not inspired to buy a satellite radio unit or a subscription because I feel my money and playlist would be better served by an iPod. I can grab NPR radio shows online and sync them to my iPod. I can also download lots from Audible.com. I also like Intel’s personal server vision. Most of what we relate to as our computer is really a hard drive configuration. We would like to keep our configuration the same and utilize whatever devices are available to us. The iPod is introducing the world to the idea of carrying 40 gigabytes worth of data in a shirt pocket. The personal server idea should catch on now that Apple has warmed up the crowd.

Guantanamo Bay inmates will confess secrets for a McDonald’s Happy Meal.

Happy birthday to Google.

Some colleges have started fining students for not properly maintaining their own systems against a virus attack. I am sure Apple will pick up on it and market the fines as monetary proof that Apple is a better total cost of ownership.

One in seven workers need help turning their office computers on or off according to this study. “Research showed that about a fifth of staff asked for help to save or print a document and could not create a table on their screens to make it easier to write data.” On my first day at Callan I was told to wait for a member of our IT staff to turn on my computer for me. I write code, so I must not know how to work the machine? There are plenty of support nightmares out there.

IBM is launching a global advertising campaign for Linux. I like the idea of experts in each of their fields contributing to one learner. The idea of a child may work against IBM as companies view Linux as new and unproven.

King Mswati of Swaziland has 10 wives and a fiance, and he holds a yearly festival where 50,000 bare chested women compete for his attention. Sounds like an interesting way to meet women. I hope he has better taste than Bill Clinton.

Today Microsoft officially announced their new mice and keyboards. The wireless devices are available by the end of the month and the new wired Intellimouse Explorer is not available until February 2004. If you take a look at a close-up of the Wireless Intellimouse Explorer you will notice more well defined finger grooves and a scroll wheel chamber. My scroll wheel seems to always be blocked with gunk of some form, so hopefully the new design is more gunk resistant. There is a leather Wireless Intellimouse Explorer as well.

An Israeli scientist said on Wednesday his team had found a way to break into mobile phone calls made on the popular GSM network, allowing eavesdroppers to listen in on calls and even take on a caller’s identity.

Dave Winer has been doing a lot of research about political candidates and how they should be using weblogs.