The Fearless Blogger

Our favorite online Jack-of-All-Trades, Google, has announced their latest venture; and it looks like they’re heading straight into iTunes territory.

TechCrunch posted details about Google’s new music service:

Google will partner with iLike and LaLa for their new music service, we’ve learned. And the announcement date is Wednesday, October 28, 2009.

Press, including us, received an invitation this morning (see ticket image above) inviting them to a Hollywood event next week hosted by music services LaLa and iLike. The invitation, titled “Discover Music!” says announcements will be followed by performances, and that LaLa, iLike “& Others” are hosting. The “& Others” includes Google, we’ve heard from multiple sources, and the new service will be unveiled. All four major music services are backing the service

To get the full scoop, read the original post at TechCrunch:
Google To Partner With iLike And LaLa For New Music Service

Update:
TechCrunch has posted screenshots of the new service.

Apparently they party differently too.

HostingYourParty is Microsoft’s latest video to be making its internet rounds. The clip features a “diverse” group of “cutting edge” Windows 7 users (including one who reminds me of Cindy McCain) comparing notes on their Windows 7 launch parties (Yep. Windows. 7. Launch. Parties.) so entertainment-impaired Windows fans will be adequately prepared when their time comes.

It’s one of those clips that is funny in an “it’s so bad it’s funny” way – which quickly turns into an “ok, now I’m getting bored, there’s no way I’m watching this whole clip” way. For the uninitiated, you can check it out here.

Side note to Microsoft: No hard feelings, but COME ON. Even your PARTIES aren’t intuitive! Why is this so challenging for you??!

Cabel Sasser posted the solution below on his blog.  Imagine if Microsoft were promoting this kind of party!

Check out Cabel’s post for his thoughts on the original video (and his version’s inspiration)! (I also encourage you to check out Panic, Inc. – the company Cabel co-founded – for yummy Mac software!)

Hat tip: @skyvan for sharing the link!

Better Latte Than Never!

In case I haven’t mentioned it, I’ve been known to be a bit of a caffeine junky.

And having fond memories of my near decade in the Emerald City, Starbucks holds a very special place in my heart – a place reserved for those who concoct elixirs comprised of my three favorite food groups: caffeine, sugar and dairy (and occasionally the fourth: chocolate).

That said, Starbucks had left me feeling a bit let down at their lack of collaboration with one of my other true loves – Apple.  In particular my iPhone.

Until today.

From the Starbucks blog:

Today we launched two iPhone / iPod touch applications, myStarbucks and Starbucks Card Mobile.   These are great (and free!) and will let you have a fun and useful Starbucks Experience wherever you are.   You can design your own beverage, view your balance and load your Starbucks Card, look up nutritional information on our beverages and food, and learn about our different whole bean coffees.  No, you can’t place an order using the app (not yet anyway), but we’re just starting out.

It’s not exactly the ability to tweet a latte to a buddy, but give the relationship time to mature – I have hope it will blossom.

For more details, check out the video below or visit the Starbucks Ideas in Action Blog. You can find the app here.

I found a handy (and free) little utility via TUAW (that’s “The Unofficial Apple Weblog” for those who may not be familiar) today that I thought was worth sharing with you guys.

My Quandary
I wanted to print out the free meal coupons KFC offered through Oprah’s website.  Unfortunately, my printer is out of ink and coupons.com does not support Mac’s built in “save as PDF” option to save and email the coupon to my sweetie to print for me (instead it opens and prints straight to your default printer).

The Solution
I figured there had to be a way to set up a virtual printer that would output to a PDF file and a quick Google search pointed me to the TUAW post about CUPS-PDF by codepoetry.

The Skinny
As described by codepoetry:

CUPS-PDF is a backend module for CUPS (Mac OS X’s printing system) by Volker C. Behr that, rather than printing to a device, prints straight to PDF files.

Why use this rather than a simple “Save as PDF” in the print dialog?

- Pressing return is faster.
- Batch-print through the writer to convert documents to PDF. read more

Earlier this year, I wrote about GiantCrayon’s newest iPhone game, ShiveringKittens.  The Tetris-like game challenges you to rescue cute little kittens by breaking them free from blocks of ice.

A couple of things have happened since writing the review, the first of which prompted this post:

GiantCrayon Games today announced it will partner with the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) to raise money for animals through a first-of-its-kind promotion during March and April 2009. This is the first time an iPhone game has been used as lynchpin of a fundraising campaign. read more