 "Photo: Courtesy of MCT Campus")
1. iPhone 3G Now don't blame us for being slaves to the Apple beast; the iPhone 3G has pretty much overtaken the entire cell phone world this summer with its innovative upgrades and sleek design. With the introduction of the new iPhone, Apple and Steve Jobs have dropped the price of the device from $399 to $199 for the 8-gigabyte model and opened up the doors to consumers who couldn't originally afford the first edition. Along with the low price, the addictive and creative features include constant news feeds, Web browsing and a spanking new applications store. Oh, and did we mention that it is also a highly functional iPod with video capabilities? This iPhone is a behemoth from a technological perspective and an enjoyable and delicious amalgamation of all Apple products into one tidy Apple sandwich. Bon appetit!
2.'Pineapple Express' Judd Apatow and Seth Rogen have done it again. With "Pineapple Express," the new kings of outlandish and often juvenile comedy have crafted a gem in the landscape of mediocre stoner comedies. While not able to knock "The Dark Knight" off of its pedestal, the pair still provides a smart and witty mixture of ludicrous pot humor with a full-fledged action movie. The film follows slacker and service processer Dale Denton (Rogen) and his permanently dazed drug dealer Saul Silver (James Franco) in their paranoia-packed quest to outrun a murderous drug kingpin. This juxtaposition of the stoned and the aggressive proves to be a jolting and slyly amusing adventure that is worth repeated viewings. While not a film for the serious-minded, "Pineapple Express" is keeping us at The Mix high with laughter.
3. Tom Waits This troubadour from the seedy side of society has been a darling of the independent music scene for over thirty years. His gravel-and whiskey-soaked voice resonates with disturbing clarity to a soundtrack of off-key guitars and inebriated lounge pianos. His songs on classic and underrepresented albums such as "Rain Dogs" and "Mule Variations" display that while he is not a native son of the South, Dixie has seeped into his work. With this influence, Waits wavers between tenuous lines of being as a drunken piano player, an expert folk and Americana performer and a maniacal cabaret emcee. So if Waits hasn't found his way into your musical collection by now, it's about time to check out this mysterious man of music's underbelly.
4. Pandora Radio In a world of mediocre radio stations and expensive satellite radio providers, there is a free and customizable alternative. Pandora Radio (www.pandora.com) allows online listeners to choose what they want to hear and suggests other musical options. With the program, the user selects a musical group and Pandora will play songs from the band and groups that are similar. The radio service was created by the Music Genome Project and displays the connection between all songs in the landscape of music. Features include the ability to skip songs, rate songs and read why songs are connected to the root band. In addition to being a free online service, Pandora has introduced an application for the iPod Touch and iPhone that allows users to work with the program away from their desktop. The innovative online radio service is breaking ground in the future of radio and making leaps and bounds in making sense of music as a whole.
5. Blogs Lets face it, blogs are everywhere. It seems that everyone and their mother has a blog with topics ranging from quantum physics to classic movies. Over the past five years, blogs have exploded onto the Internet with increasing intensity. They have become the prime means of expression on the Internet and, in turn, give the common individual an opportunity to present their opinions in the public forum. Well, here at The Mix we're entering the world of blogging as well. This year we will be introducing a to-be-named blog offshoot of this section that will include rants and articles from The Mix. This Mix Blog will include a miscellaneous arrangement of topics from throughout the world of entertainment. So get ready. The Mix blog is coming.
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