Tuesday, October 14, 2008

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) (20 сообщений)

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  • Yes, the Apple Store is down

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    With today's Apple event right around the corner, Apple has just taken down the online Apple stores around the world. Thanks to everyone who sent this tip in! We'll be providing coverage throughout the day, so be sure to check back often. If you notice any new changes, send us a tip.

    Don't miss our meta-liveblog coverage of the event, it will begin shortly before the event is scheduled: 1:00 p.m. Eastern time (10:00 a.m. Pacific time).


    Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
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  • New iPhone Ad: Game Changer

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    Apple released a new iPhone ad last night, and I know of at least one person that will like this one. They're continuing to show off the App Store, and just like last time, they are featuring an individual application. The MLB (At Bat) application is the lucky player for this edition.

    The narrator says, "It can be a score checker, a live pitch updater, or video highlight player. But any way you cut it, it's officially a game changer."

    The new commercial is called "Game Changer" and can be viewed from the iPhone ads website.

    Thanks to Jack and others for the tip!
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  • 10/14 Apple Event: Who's providing live coverage?

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    Unless you live under a rock (sorry if you're a TUAW-reading snail), then you have probably heard about the Apple event scheduled for today. Since Apple doesn't live-stream their press events any more, we must sit around our Macs, constantly refreshing our browsers ... just like people did in the 'ole days (personally, I can't wait for the Morse Code Apple updates).

    If you're inclined to follow the whole spoiler live blog thing, then here are a few sites that will be providing live coverage of the event via staffers on site:
    We will also be providing a meta-liveblog of the entire event (just like we've done in the past), and will be providing coverage throughout the entire day. You can follow our updates via Twitter, and we also recommend tracking #apple or #macbook on Twitter search. The event is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. Pacific Time (see the chart below for world-wide times).

    07:00AM - Hawaii
    10:00AM - Pacific
    11:00AM - Mountain
    12:00PM - Central
    01:00PM - Eastern
    06:00PM - London
    07:00PM - Paris
    09:00PM - Moscow
    02:00AM - Tokyo (October 15th)
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  • Filemaker's Bento goes 2.0

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    When Filemaker introduced Bento, the 'relational database for the rest of us,' at Macworld Expo this year, the response from the marketplace was pretty solid; as of August, the $49 multipurpose data organizer had been downloaded over 400,000 times. Still, the product was a clear 1.0 with a lot of room for new features and improvements; that's what Filemaker is looking to deliver with Bento 2, announced today and on sale immediately.

    The big shift in B2 is the enhanced interaction with the data sources that contribute to your Bento collections. Need to include Mail.app messages in a layout along with contact info? Drag-and-drop them in, easy as can be. Want an RSS feed or your iCal data too? No problem. You can also sort and search your data in an iTunes-esque "Smart Collections" mode that should be familiar to novice users.

    One of the top requests from Bento 1 users was for better spreadsheet integration, and Filemaker has added copy/paste support and improved import/export for Excel and Numbers; spreadsheets can be sorted and tweaked with ease, especially in the new split table/layout view. Surprisingly (to me anyway), AppleWorks import capability was also near the top of the feature request list; it's been added as well.

    Bento's look has been revved up with 10 new themes; new in v2 is the ability to directly edit the layout of a database without switching into a layout-specific mode (just drag the field titles around). Address views now support AIM/iChat directly, and Google Maps integration is built-in. If you have rich media content that needs to travel with your database, you can embed it by option-dragging it onto the layout (a conventional drag creates a relative link to the media on your hard drive). Printing has been enhanced with new report modes, and the option to save a 'clone' template (no data records, just the schema and layouts) has been added.

    Filemaker's customer research has been demonstrating a wide and diverse audience for Bento, from pilots and fashion boutiques to eBay mavens and goat herders. It's a pretty good bet that if your needs include a light, single-user and simple database app, Bento will be a match for you.

    Bento 2 is $49 for one license and $99 for a family pack; through 10/27, it's available exclusively at the Apple Store or via store.filemaker.com. Bento 2 is a Universal Binary and requires Mac OS X 10.5.4 or higher.
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  • Win a license for video catalog tool Frameline 47

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    If you're like me, your professional or personal efforts toward video organization nirvana have been less than fruitful over the years. With video files spread across multiple formats and multiple storage locations, keeping everything readily available and tagged for reuse is a giant pain. On the consumer level I've tried iDive, iView Multimedia (now Microsoft Expression Media), even plain old iPhoto, and I'm checking out FootTrack; moving up the ladder, there are high-end choices like Cumulus/Mediadex and Final Cut Server. Finding that midrange, prosumer & network-enabled video cataloging tool, with options for MPEG-7 metadata, dynamic clip creation and embedded Spotlight comments in files -- well, I'm still looking, but Frameline 47's new version 3 seems to come pretty close to what I want.

    Frameline 47 is a $139 app that works both for an individual and as a networked tool, with Bonjour sharing and the ability to do the aforementioned Spotlight embeds, so your tags, comments and metadata travel with the files instead of with a master catalog; the full Workgroup edition is due at Macworld Expo, with additional capabilities for shared data. All your video files, on all your attached drives, in any QuickTime-readable format (plus WMV and more with Flip4Mac and Perian) can be scanned and thumbnailed into Frameline's search browser; once there, you can add annotations, identify clips for reuse, export your edited files, create webpage galleries, or pass along edit lists to Final Cut. There's a lot in Frameline to explore; probably more than I'll use for my personal projects, but if you have to wrangle a large collection of clips for your editorial work it's definitely worth a look.

    You can download a 14-day trial from Frameline's site... but we've got a special offer for TUAW readers courtesy of Frameline: 10 licenses to give away, free of charge. Read on for details on how to enter and win.

    P.S. Extra credit if you suss out why the app includes the number '47' in its name.

    Continue reading Win a license for video catalog tool Frameline 47

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  • Found Footage: 1942 Philco radio / Mac mini mod

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    TUAW reader Sandy Winkelman (AKA Winkstink) sent us a tip the other day about an amazing mod he's done. Sandy took a 1942 Philco radio, gutted it, added a Mac mini and 17" Sony monitor with touchscreen, and turned it into a classy networked digital media center.

    The sound system consists of a Sony DVD/CD/receiver with a 2.1 speaker system. Watching the video, you can see how music can be played through iTunes and Front Row, all with the touch of a finger on the screen. Sandy also shows how Front Row is used as a front end for watching movies and video.

    The Philco also has an EyeTV for viewing and recording live TV, and can be controlled from an iPod touch or iPhone using Remote and/or DVDremote. Sandy has also made a Picasa gallery with more pictures of the details and construction of this sweet mod.

    Have you been working on a mod? Let us know about it.
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  • File under "Hmmm": Best Buy website down

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    Maybe this is a coincidence, coming as it does on the eve of a big Apple announcement... it could be meaningless, just regularly scheduled inventory maintenance, the BB version of the yellow sticky note. Sure, that's probably it -- nothing to see here. Yeah. No reason at all to think that Best Buy's website downtime could have anything, really, to do with the anticipated introduction of new Apple laptops tomorrow... right?

    As if our conspiracy generators weren't already in full gear: suppose it is related. Could Best Buy be getting an exclusive deal on the $900 laptop outside of Apple's own stores? [Note that many sites are now reporting the "$899 MacBook" may in fact be a Cinema Display.]

    Thanks to Horza for the tip
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  • MacBook pricing and part numbers?

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    According to posts appearing on MacRumors and BoyGeniusReport tonight, Best Buy has been receiving new part numbers and pricing for unknown devices that are shipping to stores right now. MacRumors took the part numbers and price list and came up with the following assumption for what's going to be announced during tomorrow's notebook event:
    • K29, MB382LL/A $899.00 - MacBook?
    • M97, MB466LL/A $1,299.00 - MacBook
    • M97, MB467LL/A $1,599.00 - MacBook
    • M96, MB543LL/A $1,799.00 - MacBook Air
    • M96, MB940LL/A $2,499.00 - MacBook Air
    • M98, MB470LL/A $1,999.00 - 15" MacBook Pro
    • M98, MB471LL/A $2,499.00 - 15" MacBook Pro
    • M88, MB766LL/A $2,799.00 - 17" MacBook Pro
    While the entry-level MacBook isn't as inexpensive as some rumors had forecast, a Fortune / CNN analysis today noted that an $899 price point could expand Apple's notebook market by 50% in terms of revenue.

    What do you think about this pricing rumor? My personal feeling is that the numbers are valid, considering they're appearing this close to a major event. Leave your comments below.
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  • Could this be the new MacBook Pro?

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    A tipster sent us this image of what appears to be a MacBook Pro with a glossy screen akin to the design of a newer Intel-based iMac.

    If accurate, this closely resembles an image that was posted and quickly removed from a Deutsche Telekom site last month. Images of the laptops were posted along with specifications very similar to existing MacBook Pros -- and it's still unclear what will be different about the notebooks under the hood.

    While unconfirmed, this could be the first image of the new MacBook Pro due to be released tomorrow at 10 a.m. Pacific time (1 p.m. Eastern).

    TUAW will be meta-liveblogging the event live, starting a little before the event is due to begin.

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  • AAPL up nearly 14% among broad market gains

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    Shares of Apple stock closed higher today, among a widespread buying spree that pushed the Dow Industrials up a record-breaking 936 points.

    AAPL closed at $110.26 per share, an increase of $13.46. Nearly 55 million shares changed hands.

    Microsoft, Dell, Google, HP, Sun, and AT&T also posted double-digit percentage gains for the day.

    Analyst firm Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded Apple stock to "outperform" this morning, saying the company's short-term prognosis looks good, despite the dip in the market. Bernstein did, however, cut its price target by $50 to $135.

    AAPL was up slightly in after-hours trading.

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  • Best Buy selling iPods in a vending machine

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    I was in Anaheim, CA over the weekend (covering BlizzCon for our sister site WoW Insider) and while Macs were in short supply for most of the time, I did notice something Apple-related in LAX on my way out of the city yesterday. Best Buy recently started up a vending machine program which allows you to buy their electronics from staffless machines in various airports around the country, and lo and behold, right there next to the Nintendo DS games and spare USB hubs and mice, were Apple's very own iPods. Which makes sense -- Apple has long sold their stuff inside Best Buy stores, so why wouldn't Best Buy Express do the same?

    It was a little strange, though -- at first, I thought there was an iPhone in there, which just would have made the whole activation process even more confusing. But no, it's an iPod touch, in both memory sizes. I also wondered just what you'd do with an empty iPod on a trip, business or otherwise, but I guess people who would really buy their iPods from airports probably don't worry too much about when they'll find the time to get music on there. Not that it mattered much yesterday -- as you can see in one of the pictures, the console's IE version was bugging out, so no one was buying anything anyway (and I couldn't check prices). Still, very strange.

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  • TUAW Predicts! The October 14th notebook event

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    TUAW PredictsWith the October 14th Apple Notebook Event just around the corner, the TUAW blogger squad decided it was time to look into our iCrystalBalls and make a SWAG predictions about what laptop goodness will be announced by the Cupertino Kids on Tuesday. To make this extra crunchy, we're not only posting our best guesses as to what will actually be announced, but what Steve J. will announce as "one more thing".

    Steve Sande

    Best Guess -- The entire MacBook line will be made of aluminum, and the 15" and 17" models will get slightly faster processors and more installed RAM. If that's the only announcement, expect Apple's stock to dive even further than it has during the recent stock market freefall.

    One More Thing -- The iTablet. Netbooks are selling like hotcakes, so Apple will get in on the action by coming out with a 9" tablet with a virtual keyboard and multi-touch support. Since it is all display and no keyboard, it will weigh less than two pounds. Think of an über-iPhone.

    Victor Agreda, Jr.

    Best Guess -- Ditto what Steve said, except I think a drop in price will happen in light of tough economic times. Despite what some analysts may babble about, Apple is interested in the long game, and that means building more market share. To stay in the game they have to get more price competitive on the low end.

    One More Thing -- Again, I agree with Steve, although I wouldn't call this a tablet. More like a mini-Air with a decent keyboard (Apple has long been in favor of keeping decent-sized keyboards on smaller laptops) and touchscreen up top. I think the form factor will be something clever and surprising. If it appears at all, of course.

    Robert Palmer

    I think we'll see higher-end MacBook enclosures made of aluminum, and a sub-$1,000 model still made from white plastic. There's a part of me that says they won't ditch plastic altogether, because of the style factor: I bet there will be some people who still want a black MacBook. Hey, maybe there will be a black aluminum MacBook. Classy.

    One More Thing -- I'm still bearish on the iTablet. I think Apple has too much invested in the iPhone as a mobile platform to try and dilute it with another form factor with a different screen size. If it's a Mac, I'm not a fan of jury-rigging traditionally mouse-driven operating systems for styluses. Personally, I just don't think there will be "one more thing." He hasn't done that in a while, especially at "themed" events (like the music event last month).

    Michael Rose

    I'm also fairly well convinced that the $800 MacBook (dare we call it the MacBook Jr.?) is inbound on Tuesday, although I'm not sure that the manufacturing rumors are completely on target. The mutterings about a mystery port on the new MacBook -- and a dockability patent from years past -- are starting to sound credible too.

    One More Thing: I would love to see a BTO touchscreen option... and maybe a technology preview of an iTablet for delivery later in 2009.

    Mike Schramm

    New MacBooks are a given -- the Nvidia rumor sounds credible to me, not to mention that it's just what would push me to finally replace my old G4 Powerbook (though I'll miss my little 12" screen). "One more thing" seems like it's trending towards an AppleTV upgrade -- we've got HD content on the iTunes store, so it's time to have a set-top box that's fitting to play that content on. I'm hearing lots of Mac mini rumors as well, but I wonder if Apple will ever upgrade the mini -- it's small, it sells as-is, why break what's not broken?

    Of course, as Victor mentioned in an email, "Whatever happens, AAPL will drop 10% because iUnicorn wasn't announced..." Think we're out of our minds? Let's hear your prediction in the comment section!

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  • iLife and iWork '09 announcements on 10/14?

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    iLife and iWorkA TUAW tipster pointed us to a unsubstantiated, but intriguing post on Mac Soda noting that iLife and iWork '09 could be announced at the October 14th notebook event.

    The current versions of iLife and iWork were announced on August 7, 2007 at the same event where the aluminum iMacs debuted, and previous iLife/iWork introductions have also been touted as "one more thing" at hardware-oriented product announcements.

    The post doesn't provide any details of enhancements for the applications. In terms of speculating about what could change, iMovie could use some major enhancements to usability after last year's complete rewrite, and iWeb could benefit from better capabilities for publishing to non-MobileMe servers and iPhone-specific templates. The Numbers spreadsheet package could use a lot of new functionality, including macros, while Pages needs new templates.

    TUAW readers -- what would you like to see in an iLife or iWork update? Leave a comment.

    Thanks to Johannes for the link
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  • OpenOffice 3 includes native version for Mac OS X

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    OpenOffice has released version 3 of its eponymous open-source alternative to Microsoft Office, which includes a native version for Mac OS X.

    According to Insanely Great Mac, the software includes:

    • ODF 1.2 Support
    • Microsoft Office 2007 Import Filters
    • Solver component which allows solving optimization problems
    • Support for displaying custom error bars and regression equations
    • Improved Crop Feature in Draw and Impress

    The software is only available for Macs with Intel processors. There are projects for converting OpenOffice for PowerPC, but an official version was not included in this 3.0.0 release.

    OpenOffice's site was running very slowly this morning due to overwhelming demand for the new software, but the official download link is here. There are mirrors available, and this one seemed to work for me. For Mac users, the file to download includes MacOSXIntel_AQUA_install in the name.

    The download is 163MB.

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  • BGR: Walmart to carry iPhone 3G for Black Friday

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    The Boy Genius Report claims that they received a report saying Walmart may become the second independent retailer in the U.S. to carry the iPhone.

    The big box retailer is expected to begin selling the iPhone about two weeks before Black Friday, on November 15. Walmart already carries a range of cases and accessories for iPhones, and sells a variety of iPods.

    Radio Shack was also rumored to carry the handset, but its unclear if negotiations stalled, or the news about Walmart is just stealing its thunder, as BGR speculates.

    Best Buy already carries the iPhone 3G, which you must activate before leaving the store. It stands to reason that Walmart will employ a similar process.

    [Via AppleInsider.]

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  • RunKeeper's new low price: free

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    RunKeeperIn early September, TUAW published an article about iPhone exercise-tracking apps that use the built-in GPS of the iPhone 3G to track walks, hikes, runs, and bike rides. One of the apps, RunKeeper, provided instantaneous feedback of speed through a bar chart display and had a $9.99 price point.

    Jason Jacobs of Fitness Keeper, the developers of RunKeeper, announced yesterday that the company is going to make the application available for free in the App Store (click opens iTunes). As noted in Jason's email, "Although we have been featured recently in TechCrunch and NY Times (and TUAW, of course!), and we have several thousand paying customers and a vibrant community, we are making a bold move and making the app free. We are doing so in order to forgo short-term revenues with the hope that our community will get to massive scale."

    Fitness Keeper definitely listens to user feedback -- our September post mentioned that RunKeeper didn't track total rise or elevation vs. speed, and now both of these items are available on the tracking Web site.

    Please note that Apple must approve Fitness Keeper's price change request before the new pricing goes into effect.
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  • Egnyte 2.0 adds iPhone support

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    I mentioned Egnyte back in August, when they released version 1.5 of their secure storage, collaboration and backup solution. Today they've announced version 2.0 with support for iPhone access through a web application. I spoke briefly with Vineet Jain from Egnyte about the iPhone-compatible release. According to Vineet, the fact that 40% of Egnyte's users are on Macs was the impetus for the iPhone being the first device supported in their mobile development. The number of Mac users in their customer base surprised them a little, and so did the number of people using the service primarily as an offsite backup. Logically, they've concentrated their efforts based on user demand and improved the backup capabilities and performance as well.

    The iPhone interface, dubbed m Drive, allows users to log in to their accounts and work with their files. Access permissions can be set and changed on-the-go, and files can be shared by emailing them as attachments, or by emailing an access link to the file on the Egnyte server. Links to files can be set to expire at a given time and don't require an Egnyte login. m Drive also allows users to view previous versions and comments on files.

    The interface is simple, easy to navigate and not bad looking. It currently lacks the search features present in the full version. Such features may be present in a dedicated iPhone app, which is coming, I'm told. For the moment a web app makes more sense (to me), given its current goals. Egnyte offers a 15-day free trial, and plans are configurable based on your needs, starting at $15USD/month for 1 "Power user" and unlimited standard users (comparison chart on the pricing page).

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  • Apps Amuck gives you free iPhone app tutorials

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    Since Apple dropped the non-disclosure agreement (NDA) from the iPhone SDK, iPhone developers everywhere have started some awesome projects. From writing a book, to providing examples like Apps Amuck is doing, the development spectrum has exploded. The idea behind of Apps Amuck is to build on the iPhone app tutorials that Apple provides for developers. They are currently giving away one app per day for the next 31 days.

    The tutorials they provide are small, one trick ponies that allow you to perform tasks like finding your location, building a fire, figuring out your IP address, and more. The site allows you to see a screenshot of the application, read a description, and download the source code to play around with. If you have a developer provisioning file (meaning you've been accepted into the developer program), you can even sync the applications over to your iPhone or iPod touch.

    If you are not an iPhone developer and wish to play around with the applications, you will soon be able to download them from the iTunes App Store. For more information about the project, visit the Apps Amuck website.


    Thanks for tip, Chris!
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  • Mac 101: Find where a file came from

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    If you frequently download files via iChat file transfer or Safari, then you may want to know where the files came from later on. This information can be found using a simple Get Info command in the Finder.

    Right-click on the questionable file and select "Get Info" (you can also click once on the file and press command + I). Once you are in the Get Info window, click the "More Info" disclosure triangle. Look in the "Where from" field to identify your file's origin.

    If you downloaded the file from an iChat file transfer, you will see the person's name, handle, and date/time of download. If you downloaded the file using Safari, you might see the URL for the site you downloaded the file from. Please note that this will not work for all files, and your experience may vary if you are using non-Apple browsers or chat tools.

    Want more tips and tricks like this? Visit TUAW's Mac 101 section.

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  • Study shows 43% of college women prefer Macs

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    "Hi, I'm a Mac. And I'm a PC." -- You've probably heard those words more than a few times. Apple has been airing the "Get a Mac" commercials for a few years, and from the looks of it, the ads have been fairly successful. But has it really helped spread the word that Mac is better?

    iPhone Savior recently surveyed seven college women at a school in British Columbia (Canada) and found that almost half of them said they preferred a Mac over a PC. They note that their research on the subject was ended early due to "several unfriendly encounters with campus security."

    Numbers don't lie ... and Apple has the numbers (quite literally) on their side. Recently, Apple's market share jumped to almost 8.2% for notebook users. That's just amazing (especially for such difficult economical times).

    Please note: The iPhone Savior survey is very limited in statistical terms of population, and because of this, the data is probably skewed slightly. We should also note that before you take a poll on a college campus, make sure you're a student or have clearance from the proper school officials. That being said, feel free to take part in our own poll on this issue.


    View Poll

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