From Evernote: |
Rubbernecking: Fire in West Des Moines |
Fire at a West Des Moines apartment building that stopped traffic on I-235.
Egypt’s Internet Shut Down, According To Reports
Food shortage compounding political chaos. Is it a revolution or a harbinger?
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
For Business
From Evernote: |
For Business |
This is an excuse given by anti-Apple types who like to say their device is “for business.” It means their way of doing things is for adults. It’s meant to justify complexity and difficulty and excuse monumental blandness.
It originates from the time the first Macintoshes came out with windows and mouse interface, and IBM was DOS only. The idea promulgated at that time was that the command line based computers with their arcane keyboard functions were for the adults, “for business,” while the easier to learn and master Macs were for non-adults, ie the kids. This basic lie has been perpetuated despite the fact that just about every user-interface and design innovation by Apple has been co-opted by the “business” computing industry, starting with Windows 3.1.
That is why I roll my eyes when RIM says their new Playbook tablet is “ready for business,” when many businesses are in the process of adopting iPhones and iPads. When I speak to the medical device sales people, all of them have been begging their IT departments, usually full of people whose lives are invested in this business vs kids divide. Most IT shops are still fixed on managing Windows XP -I suspect because of the costs of upgrading to Windows 7, but also job security involved with managing the bazillion issues surrounding these “business machines.”
I think there should be no such divide. Computers are so weaved into our lives that the devices should easily glide between work and play, like a mullet -business in the front, party in the back.
Addendum: Deutsche Bank shifted its corporate phone from Blackberry to iPhone (link)
The Macbook Air Pinewood Derby Car
It’s that time of year again, and after some effort, we have created our pinewood derby car inspired from one of my favorite gadgets. iPhone car was discussed, but ultimately felt to be less aerodynamic.
Why I’m Not Going to Get an iPhone 4 on Verizon, Yet
I discuss why I’m not going to get an iPhone 4 when Verizon announces it later this morning.
I Choose Not to Print
From Evernote: |
I Choose Not to Print |
The iPad just had printing added with a great deal of restrictions, but there are apps in the App store that will allow for printing on any Wifi enabled printer. After mulling the purchase of one of these apps, I chose not to print it. Printing costs money and resources, and fact is, why print when you can send a PDF or a document? Printing is so 20th century. It is a capitulation to neo-Luddites, and it is with the same intent that Apple basically suggests you don’t waste paper and toner by putting in some road blocks to printing.
2010 in review -food, sex, gadgets
I just got a letter from WordPress about my blogging activities. As I suspected, food and sex drive the readership, followed by some tech and physiology. I know now why Esquire obsesses about food, sex, and gadgets. We are driven by the simple needs indeed. I am humbled by my readers’ interest in my scribblings. Happy new year to all.
The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health:
The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads Wow.
Crunchy numbers
About 3 million people visit the Taj Mahal every year. This blog was viewed about 32,000 times in 2010. If it were the Taj Mahal, it would take about 4 days for that many people to see it.
In 2010, there were 120 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 392 posts. There were 160 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 256mb. That’s about 3 pictures per week.
The busiest day of the year was October 7th with 545 views. The most popular post that day was Soondubujjigae.
Where did they come from?
The top referring sites in 2010 were maangchi.com, en.wordpress.com, boards.medscape.com, twitter.com, and facebook.com.
Some visitors came searching, mostly for chyna, christina hendricks firefly, christina hendricks, celine dion, and sexuality women and men.
Attractions in 2010
These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.
1
Soondubujjigae October 2010
2
The Mandibulous -updated February 2009
3
My Life Double June 2009
4
Augmented Reality -how to tell fake boobs February 2010
2 comments
5
Droid Does and Doesn’t -my Verizon Motorola Droid 2 Review -updated November 2010
6 comments
Opera Mobile 10.1 Beta on the persistent Nokia n810 tablet
I know it is strange to be reviewing software put out for a tablet computer made in 2007, but the Nokia n810 is an amazing bit of kit that has an incredible degree of stickiness. I had no trouble getting rid of previous gadgets on eBay including my precious Psion series 5mx and netbook (the original), when obsolescence greeted them. The n810 is clad in brush aluminum and has the build qualities one associates with Apple. It runs a tiny variant of Linux, and if you don’t mind taxing your eyes, there are ways of running full blown X11 applications on it just like you can on your Mac.
As I was toying with the idea of parting with this, I did two things. I plugged it into a speakers to play the BBC World service, and got a wonderful earful of the Queen’s English. A moment later, Radio Free Asia Korea is streaming in clear 96kb. The other thing was I discovered Opera Mobile 10.1 in the free app store where open source applications seem to pop up despite the apparent obsolescence of the platform. It is a wonder -it’s touch optimized and allows browsing the full web, but the mobile web is where it sings. The mobile sites of Gizmodo, NYTimes, and others just pop on this browser. The icons are all fat, allowing for finger navigation despite the resistive screen. Scrolling has an iOS Safari like inertia and in full screen, the browser turns the 4 year old tablet into a modern window on the web.
It speaks to this one thing in our disposable lifestyles -with appropriate care and the right software, there is no reason why technology has to be abandoned every two years. If done right, even the 4 year old technology can sing. Apple understands this ultimately adds value to your line when people can count on being able to use their device beyond its shelf life -that is why my iPod Touch 2nd generation can still run most of the games and apps that show up on the App store. Before you toss that plastic Dell laptop in the dustbin of history, try loading Ubuntu Linux on it or Chrome OS when it’s available again (and it will be).
The tech companies that survive and thrive offer a perfect alignment of form, function, hardware, and software, but also have the market awareness to adapt their offerings to what people can actually use in a meaningful way in their lives, and in this aspect, the n810 is a failure because it’s really a geek hobbyists niche toy. It never played nice with Microsoft Exchange Server, and its screen is too small to comfortably read a full web page. Pinch to zoom is not possible with a resistive screen. It offers a front facing camera, but the video calling feature was never allowed to bear fruit. The Skype client is voice only, and the Gizmo app no longer allows new accounts since their acquisition by Google. Even so, the n810 is keeping its value because of the perfection of form and function. The n810 has taken on the status of a beloved shortwave radio and bespoke web reader. I even bought a new battery for it. Do you feel the same about that plastic Dell box from 2006?
The Best Chrome OS Computer is Yours
The recently released Google CR-48 computer caused a wave across the geek-o-sphere. If you signed up and were deemed worthy, you received a black laptop which looks like the black MacBook circa 2008 which run Google’s Chrome operating system (Chrome OS). The reaction is a litmus test of where you stand on computing and on Google’s Borg-like intrusion into everything we do.
The operating system doesn’t let you open files or rummage around the system folder, or make you do any kind of management at all. Booting up takes less than 20 seconds, and you get a browser window and that’s it.
The amazing thing is this: you can have all the advantages of Google’s Chrome OS without getting your hands on one of these CR-48’s (I’ve applied, but I’m not holding my breath). All you have to do is download Google’s Chrome browser. You then log into the browser with your gmail account and get to the Chrome app store. Once you do, you get access to all the Chrome OS apps that you would get on the CR-48. If you run the browser in full screen mode, I bet it is basically indistinguishable from the CR-48’s basic screen, but with all the usability of your own computer, whether it be running Mac OS, Linux, or Windows.
The screen shot from above is the NY Times app running full screen -it’s very nifty and fast and formats the Times in a way that is not iPad like but not entirely web-like either. I think the days of bringing up a web page on a browser is going to be considered antediluvian by todays generation, which is a shame because I remember when you could browse to any web site served up by anyone with the interest, but now you need an app to be legitimate.
Do I like it? Yes! Because I can access my data from anywhere, but the great line is faith and trust in the cloud. How secure is it and what is Google gaining from knowing even more about us. The great possibility for Chrome OS is this: you may in a year have several computer choices where using the computer comes first and maintaining it -maintaining the virus protection, the folders and files, and programs is a nonissue. This is a breakthrough for people who have to spend hours on the phone with older relatives whose Windows machines stop working and they can’t figure out what you mean by ControlAltDelete.
La Mie
This is my favorite place to have lunch in Des Moines. It is a very updated French style bakery, but it offers so much more. My lunch today, tarragon chicken salad and creme carrot soup. Italian vanilla cream soda on its way.
Golfism -life is a metaphor for golf 