Three Recommendations
I acquired some new technology over the holidays, all of which I am very happy with. I treated myself to an iPod Touch 16GB and a pair of Sennheiser PX 100 headphones, and I received Spore as a gift.
Having never owned an iPod before, I was pleasantly surprised to find just how seamlessly it interfaced with my Mac. I have loaded it up with a bunch of apps (all free), as well as my music and podcast library. The screen is crisp, the menu system is intuitive, and the sound quality is superb. The keyboard takes some getting used to; some my find it easier to download one of the applications that allows you to type in "landscape" mode. And both the glass and the metal backing collect fingerprints like nobody's business. Overall, though, I love this device.
To go along with the iPod, I chose the light and collapsible Sennheiser PX 100s. I'm not a fan of bulky headphones or earbuds, so this pair offered a happy medium. They produce great sound, and do very well both when I am sitting at my desk or out exercising. And for $30 (right now on Amazon), they're a steal.
Spore, Will Wright's epic simulation game, has been a joy to play. The game takes you from a single-celled organism to a space-faring civilization, allowing the user to control almost everything in the process. The infinite possibilities and the immense complexity offer unmatched replay value. My favorite "stages" so far in the game have been Creature, which plays much like a simplified RPG, and Civilization, which resembles Age of Empires. If you are into simulation and strategy, you can't go wrong with Spore.
I hope that these recommendations will be helpful to some, and here's to a great New Year!
