Gates, Guitars and Buckethead.

This week is a time for technology and discovery!

Held this week was Apple's Macworld Conference & Expo. There's something in the Air. Let's see the best thing to come out from Macworld:

Steve Jobs with a suspicious-looking envelope.
What is inside?

Whoa! It's none other than...
The Macbook Air.

Let the pictures do the talking for
the world's thinnest notebook:

Wow... simply, wow... Look at the specifications while I pick my jaw up from the floor.

Component	Early 2008
Display	13.3" glossy LED-backlit LCD widescreen 6-bit display, 1280x800 pixel resolution
Graphics	Intel GMA X3100 graphics processor with 144 MB of DDR2 SDRAM shared with main memory
Storage	80-GB PATA hard drive 64-GB SSD optional
Processor	1.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Merom, with 800 MHz FSB 1.8 GHz Core 2 Duo optional
Memory	2GB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM Soldered to the logicboard
Wireless Networking	Integrated AirPort Extreme supports 802.11a/b/g/draft n
Wired Ethernet	Optional USB Ethernet Adapter
Optical storage	Optional External USB SuperDrive
Camera	Built-in iSight
Battery	37 W-Hr Lithium-polymer battery 5 hours estimated run-time.
Physical Dimensions	22.7 cm D x 32.4 cm  W x 0.4~1.94 cm H 8.9 in. D x 12.74 in. W x 0.16~0.76 in. H 1.36 kg (3.0 lbs.)
Bluetooth	2.1+EDR built-in
Port connections	1x USB 2.0 1x Micro-DVI video port (adapters are included for VGA or DVI monitors up to 1920x1200 pixels) 1x Audio Out (3.5 mm stereo jack)
Audio	1x microphone 1x mono loudspeaker External speakers must be plugged in for stereo.
Keyboard	Backlit full-size keyboard with ambient light sensor
Trackpad	Supports multi-touch gestures
Base price	USD$1,799

Not too bad a price for such an astounding notebook.

While searching for the Steve Job's keynote at Macworld 2008, I chanced upon the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) which was just held the week before. The highlight was watched Bill Gate's last keynote (retire from being full-time Microsoft employee). At the end of his keynote, he was challenged to a Guitar Hero game. His opponent brought on Kelly "TipperQueen" Law-Yone, a pro Guitar Hero gamer, while Mr. Gates brought on Slash from Velvet Revolver.

Searched around for how good is TipperQueen at Guitar Hero. She 5-starred Jordan on Expert Difficulty. Jordan, a special version of the song by Buckethead, is considered one of the most difficult songs ever in the Guitar Hero series. When I searched on YouTube for Jordan, found out that a player nicknamed HellAshes 100% FC'ed (FC = Full Combo) it twice, 2nd time with score more than 500K. Check out his video of it.





Now watch the creator of the song, Buckethead perform the original version live. He's got insane skillz.


Enjoy the pix, the vids and the song.


Gadgetmeister Wen Ching, 2008.