Apple's new iPod Touch

By Joe Lewis

Tech Specs
- Height: 4.3 inches (110 mm)
- Width: 2.4 inches (61.8 mm)
- Depth: 0.31 inch (8 mm)
- 640x 480 px resolution
- Wi-fi Capabilities
- 8 gb or 16 gb

The Good
Recently, Apple has released its iPod Touch that is available in two sizes, 8GB and 16GB. The iPod Touch is the new addition to the iPod family. The beauty of this iPod is that it embodies most of the features from the iPhone minus the phone network. It is the first iPod to include Wi-fi (802.11 b/g) network capabilities and Apple’s Multi- touch technology. This is very convenient for a portable media player because it allows one to get access to the Internet and Youtube on the go. It is also possible to purchase songs from iTunes wireless shop; this makes it great for adding new music to your playlist whenever you have the need to listen to a new song. Having all of the extra features in a standard portable media device allows for more usability and allows users to get the most out of their iPod.

The Bad
The only downfall to this is that some of the cool features such as taking notes and adding calendar events are currently unavailable, therefore limiting some of the capabilities for now. Also, it would be nice if there were some way to connect to networks that were blocked by VPN such as the Penn State Network. Finally, you can purchase a standard iPod with with more space for less money. Therefore, to those interested in more quantity of space, the Touch is not for you.

Overall
Overall, the iPod Touch is excellent device despite my minor issues that I would like to see improved. Hopefully, in the future, Apple can figure out how to add more applications in such a small device. I give the iPod Touch a 5 out of 5.

Master Chief of Halo 3

By Mitchell Rukat

Only a few months ago, many of us were anxiously watching the trailers and clips for Halo 3, one of the year’s most highly anticipated video games. On September 25, 2007, the wait was finally over. People all around the world could now finish the fight on their X-Box 360s. I am an avid video game fan, and Halo is one of my favorite games. I enjoy playing through the storyline offline, and playing against my friends online. When Halo 3 was finally released, I traveled the local Wal-Mart at midnight with a group of friends in order to buy it. After I purchased the game, I returned home and popped it into my 360.

This game takes many of the elements of the previous Halo games and combines them to create a great first person shooter. The game’s creators bring back many old weapons, including the old pistol, fuel rod cannon, and assault rifle from the first game, and the battle rifle, brute shot, and sword from the second game. In addition, they also add new weapons and vehicles in order to keep the game fresh and interesting. The graphics are amazing, especially when compared to the previous incarnations of the game. The audio and music are also excellent. Halo fans will be pleased with the interactive sound and orchestral music which keeps you drawn to the game. The storyline is well put together and helps players make sense of the ending to Halo 2.

Single player mode is not the only way to play. Halo 3 also brings back the great multi-player action from Halo 2, complete with new maps. However, game’s creators did change a few things this time around. First, if you do not like the map or the game you are playing, you can veto it as long as you have a majority vote. In the past, players have occasionally had to deal with annoying players on the mic. This is no longer an issue Halo 3 as you can now mute specific players so that you don’t have to deal with them. For those of us who have had an awesome moment in a game and said “That was amazing! I wish I had that to show everyone,” Halo 3 now includes a “theater” feature which records every game and lets you replay them from multiple camera angles. The best part about this feature is that you can then share these videos with the whole Halo community or send them to your friends using X-Box Live. Halo 3 also allows you to play “co-op” with up to 4 players on your X-Box 360 or over X-Box Live. Finally, the creators have also added the Forge Map Editor which allows players to add any object, vehicle, spawn points, or weapons to any map. You can also share your maps with other players in the Halo community.

Even with all of these new features, is Halo 3 really worth the 60 dollar price tag? According to multiple sources, the launch of Halo 3 was the biggest entertainment launch in American history, hauling in 170 million dollars in the first day, and 300 million dollars in the first week! In fact, some movie theaters blamed Halo 3 for their decrease in movie ticket sales during the month of October! People in Japan and Europe are also experiencing Halo madness, joining players from around the world using X-Box Live. In the IST interest house, so many people were playing Halo 3 on the day of its release that the sounds of the game could be heard echoing through the hall.

Overall, this game is very fun and will keep players busy with its multiple modes of play. If I had to give this game a rating, I would give it a 9.5 out of 10. The positives include its multiple modes of play, great storyline, excellent graphics, interesting music, and online play that will keep you busy for hours. The only negatives are that AI players are still poor drivers, and that rewinding in Theater Mode isn’t designed the way that you think it would be. However, if you are a Halo fan, and you have played the first two games, then there is truly no reason not to buy Halo 3.