Is BP Really The One To Blame? (Quick Word)

The British Petroleum Gulf of Mexico oil spill is a disaster. There's no denying that. Beginning on April 22nd, the spill has raged on for the past 8 weeks resulting in a total of 86.6 million gallons of oil spilled to date. The handling of this situation has been completely horrendous by BP, becoming subject of scorn from the media. The public has taken it upon themselves to accuse BP as well with parodies like the video seen below.

...but does BP really deserve all of the blame? In my opinion, this oil spill should be taken as a massive wake up call to the public. The world, now more than ever, must free itself of its dependence on oil. Gas prices in the U.S. have been mostly spared by the oil spill, but if this were one of the America's top dogs (i.e. Exxon, Chevron, etc) things would be much more dire.

It's easy to point the finger at somebody to relinquish any guilt from ourselves. But BP is not the one to blame. Obama's administration should not be blamed either.

We are the ones who are responsible for this thanks to our addiction to this toxic black goo.

 Quick Word is a weekly segment where current events are discussed. The contents of this article are pure opinion, except when stated as otherwise.

The New Mobile 'Windows' Could Be Huge

Just a few hours ago, Microsoft unveiled the eagerly anticipated follow up to its mobile operating system.

 ...I know, it's a little weird to say that. All everyone talks about nowadays is Android and Apple's iPhone software, but before those two existed Windows Mobile was one of the leading smartphone giants. In recent years, Microsoft has been late to the game and the aforementioned two (among countless others) have outpaced the outfit by miles.

All that came to an end today with the introduction of Windows Phone 7 Series. Despite the banal name, the software itself is an adventurous move for Microsoft. First of all, even though it carries the Windows Mobile legacy it is completely new software written from the ground up. WP7's user interface makes use of multiple 'tiles' which act as live shortcuts into applications (as you may see above). The look of the software is also extremely similar to the interface of the Zune HD. Speaking of music, Windows Phone 7 includes built in Zune software so you can buy music, TV shows, and movies from Microsoft's great Zune ecosystem. Another big feature is support for Xbox Live as well as integrated social networking like Facebook or Windows Live with contacts, calendars, and photos.

Microsoft is sending a clear message here to one device in particular: the iPhone. With a stylish and easy-to-use interface, support for a very strong music and video ecosystem, seamless social networking, and promise of the rise of the application store 'Marketplace', Windows Phone 7 Series is about even with Apple's killer handset.

But Microsoft has done one thing with Windows Phone that could absolutely murder the iPhone: any phone can use it. While Apple has decided to lock everything in and basically have absolute power over the iPhone hardware and software, Microsoft has created a platform that is equally as closed as it is open. While the software does not seem as customizable as something like Android, it's the simple fact that consumers are given a choice as to what phone they would rather have. When it comes to a million identical iPhones versus a million diverse Windows Phones, I would definitely go with the latter.

The first Windows Phone 7 Series devices are expected to release this Fall. For more info, head on over to Engadget for full coverage.

Forget About The iPad: What Other Tablets Are Out There?

So the iPad isn't completely useless. Despite calling the device for old people, Gizmodo brought up a good point by suggesting that the iPad is really the iPhone for netbooks: it's easy to use, does one thing at a time, and looks great while doing it. As the writer put it, "It's a complex computer simplified."

Well for those people who don't really want a simplified (and arguably dumbed-down) computer, alternatives actually do exist.

The Apple iPad: Great Technology Wasted

Okay, so that title is probably unfair seeing as how the device was only announced yesterday. Yet all around the blogosphere, people are calling this one a major disappointment. And if you think about it, it kind of is.

First of all, a quick introduction of the device: with a 9.6" screen. weighing 1.5 pounds, and at only half an inch thick, Apple is definitely keeping its signature minimalist style intact. Also, the iPad features full compatibility with all 140k of the App Store iPhone/iPod Touch apps. Along with the iPad, the famous tech company is joining the e-reader race with the introduction of the iBooks store and full color and touch support for reading. Built in Wi-Fi with 10 hours of battery life and this thing isn't looking so bad now is it? Apple has also reached a groundbreaking deal with AT&T to provide an unlimited data plan at $30/month prepaid (no contract!). Pricing begins at $499 for 16GB, 32GB for $599, and $699 64GB. If you want that AT&T 3G, you'll have to pick up the iPad 3G version for $130 more per model.

Admittedly, I got pretty excited when the product was unveiled initially. Who doesn't want a great looking web browser/e-reader/multimedia device with an excellent touchscreen supported by the best ecosystem of digital technology? But there are some fundamental issues with the iPad that really ruins that great taste you had in your mouth.

When Conan Gets Pushed, You Lose a LOT of Money [Quick Word]

Conan O'Brien describing to Jay Leno just how tall only 1/4th of the 
pile of his settlement money is.

The epic chess game of the shafted Conan vs. the soulless NBC execs looks to be finally coming to an end this weekend. Good luck making all of that money back with 10 pounds of chin, NBC. Want to see how much Conan is getting? Deadline Hollywood has the entire story, and boy is it good!

Congratulations Conan O'Brien: you have officially kicked NBC's ass.

Neil Patrick Harris Singing About Suits? Who Could Say No?!

On Monday, How I Met Your Mother reached it's 100th episode and to commemorate this milestone, they utilized one of their stars' greatest talents.

That's right: Neil Patrick Harris' voice. He already proved his singing chops in the musical Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog and now NPH is out to prove he can sing about even more ridiculous things (whether to choose a girl or suits) while putting most actors to shame.

Here's a behind the scenes look at the making of the legendary musical number from "Girls Vs. Suits".

Looking for the lyrics? Thanks to the TV blog CliqueClack, you can find them right here!

Download: Barney Stinson - "Nothing Suits Me Like A Suit"

Google Finally Has Its Own Phone!

See that little thing up there? That is the first phone ever to be distributed as a Google device. Dubbed the Nexus One, this is not the first time the search engine giant has ventured into mobile territory.

In October of 2008, the company unveiled its open source Android software. What that 'open source' part meant was that Google would allow anyone to develop additional programs for the software and be able to distribute said programs through a digital App Store. It also meant that any company that wanted to use the software for their phones could have it for free (unless they wanted special additions from Google). This led to companies like HTC, Motorola, LG, and Samsung to create phones with the software. Android was also used for more things besides phones such as digital photo frames, e-book readers, netbooks and more.

Now in 2010, Android has accelerated rapidly into one of the most easy to use mobile operating systems, right next to the iPhone. Yet while Google always worked on the software, they never once had a phone of their own...until now.

'Chuck' is Coming Back Stronger, Cooler, and Sooner Than Expected

Two weeks, support petitions, and millions of Subway sandwiches.

That was all Chuck fans needed to convince NBC to renew the show for another season. Initially, the renewal was not the best news in the world: NBC was only committing to 13 episodes and it was set to premiere in March 2010, almost a full year since the finale of season 2.

However recently NBC announced good news for Chuck fanatics around the world: not only is the upcoming season extended by 6 more episodes but the premiere date is now set for January 10th, 2010!

Personally I cannot quite understand why a day in the life of a $11.00 an hour employee at a big-box electronics retailer turned top secret government asset hasn't become more popular. The show is filled with plenty of action, crowd-pleasing comedy, strong melodrama, and a talented comedic cast.

By the looks of it NBC has finally realized the potential for the quirky show and judging by the extended season and earlier premiere date, they are moving forward quite aggressively. Plus with a newly announced sponsorship deal with Subway (born out of the 'Save Chuck' campaign, mind you) third season is almost guaranteed to run its full course. So remember people, tune in January 10th, 2010 for the season premiere of one of the best shows on TV.

And bring along a couple of Subway sandwiches while you're at it.

The Great Kanye West Massacre of the 2009 VMAs

Everyone can't stop talking about it. By now you must have heard.

Kanye West made himself look like a jackass (yet again) at an awards show. However this time, it looks like Mr. West may have crossed the line. Since there's no point in describing what happened, I'll point you towards the video below.

...yeah, when you jump on stage at an awards show while someone else is getting an award it's usually frowned upon. Especially when it's a first time award winner such as the poor Taylor Swift. Obviously Yeezy went a bit far and many attribute his behavior to him, oh I don't know, drinking a full bottle of cognac on the red carpet right before the show.

Well a little while after Mr. West went to his blog for a semi-official apology. Then he stepped in to right his wrongs when he decided to apologize on national television on the premiere of 'The Jay Leno Show' Monday night. He seemed genuinely ashamed of himself here and when Leno dropped the bombshell of a question at the end, you can really see he was holding back some of his tears. And to top it off, directly after the short sit down with Leno he went to perform on stage and delivered an absolutely furious and heartfelt performance.

Honestly, I do feel for West here. Of course it was stupid and out of line, but being a celebrity ain't easy. It's hard dealing with life when the whole world watches your every move. And the same goes for Taylor Swift as well. People have just taken this whole situation way out of proportion.

A lot of people are still taking it out of proportion and want Kanye's head for it. It has been a constant trending topic on Twitter since Sunday night, every news site has it published on the front page, and there are already thousands of videos on YouTube about it. This story isn't gonna go away any time soon (and I just realized I may not be helping the situation) but people need to stop pressuring celebrities so much. They're humans too and they make mistakes.

...but apparently no one told Obama that when he called him a jackass. Click here for the audio of his off-the-record comment.