Friday, February 02, 2007

Its amazing what you can do...

... with Google Reader.
That's right, minions, I'm a Google fanboy, and I'm damn proud of it. Google Reader is the company's in-beta RSS (Really Simple Syndication) aggregator, that's chock-full of features and very easy to use. And it's addictive as hell.
For those who came in late, RSS is a way of staying in the loop with your favourite websites and blogs. Most pages have an RSS feed symbol with a link. Once you've logged in, you'll be greeted by the home page, which has a summary of all your RSS feeds. To add a new feed, simply click 'Add a subscription' on the left and enter the feed link. If you've got the Google Toolbar installed on your browser you can simply click 'Subscribe' and it'll be added to Reader.
Reader also has a list of neat feeds categorised by topics that you might enjoy. I've got several feeds on my Reader, including Neatorama, Haha.nu, several technology blogs, web comics, friends' blogs and some photography sites. Other notables include The Deviantart Skins & Themes gallery feed, which keeps me updated on the latest skins that are out, seeing as how I manage the gallery. Plus, the Giveaway of The Day feed lets me know if there's any good free software available that day.
Are you still here? Start using Reader asap. Chop chop!

Thursday, February 01, 2007

SNW



Deftones - Saturday Night Wrist

If there's one thing that comes through on the first listen to their latest offering, it's that Deftones makes music on their own terms. Saturday Night Wrist (SNW) is at once quirky, edgy, and in-your-face, while still showcasing the band's signature sound. Swirling keyboard samples, a powerful drum-and-bass backing, rushing guitars and Chino Moreno's idiosyncratic vocals make for a simply wonderful listen. The lyrics are very surreal, and keep shifting in temperament, just as the the rhythms and chord progressions do. The first single, 'Hole In The Earth' does justice in an effort to showcase the essence of the album. Guitarist Stephen Carpenter isn't afraid to play lush arpeggios to back the chorus, while also belting out grinding riffs all over the place. While the whole album is a delight, other tracks that deserve a mention include the haunting 'Beware', 'Mein' (featuring Serj Tankian), 'Kimdracula', and the lovely instrumental 'U, U, D, D, L, R, L, R, A, B, Select, Start'. All in all, a great package that stands testimony to the evolution of Deftones' sound. 4 stars.