Geekbert

Power to the People: The Appeal of Social Media

2012-01-23T11:36:00.008-05:00

So I've been increasingly looked to in my workplace as the resident social media guru. It's true that I'm probably one of the biggest geeks in the office. It's also true that I tend to be an early adopter of social media tools. While I would never be called a prolific tweeter, my first tweet was on April 24, 2007. I tweeted 23 times that day. Needless to say, I didn't get it at that point. But then, who did? There was not much to get; it was less than a year old (invented in March '06 and launched in July). So I've been tweeting on and off for just under 5 years. Foursquare and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary this past January 5th. Who knows how long I've been on Facebook and MySpace. Wait, you may not have heard of MySpace. It was kind of like Facebook but... never mind. Actually, now with Timelines it’s easy for me to find out how long I’ve been on Facebook. Let’s see, May 19, 2007 was the day I joined Facebook. Whoa! I never realized that I’ve been on Twitter longer than Facebook. I always thought I remembered it being the other way around.

My point is, because I've always found social media fascinating, I keep up with what's going on in it. As a result, those around me who are much less aquatinted with the social media look to me for answers and direction when it comes to the topic. The truth is, I don't really like to use it as much as I like to understand how it works and how other people use it. As I was discussing some of the latest trends with an associate recently, I used an illustration that he found very helpful. In fact, he said that as a relative newcomer to the social media scene, he found the explanation somewhat comforting. We've both been tasked with strategizing ways to leverage social media for our clients and he is feeling a bit overwhelmed with trying to get a grip on the social media landscape and how one can use the plethora of services and tools out there to gain exposure.

So what's the analogy? Nothing profound really. I was making the point that social media is developing so rapidly that, as soon as you think you've grasped it, it has morphed into something slightly different. I was trying to let him know that he is not alone. I've been observing and using social media for about as long as it's been out (Mac or Palm user group bbs anyone?) and I still feel like I'm just keeping my head above water in my understanding of what tools are out there and what you can do with them. I explained that the social media user base is not like a long line with a few people and services who are at the front leading the way. It's more like a wide arch that is moving forward like a wave. If anyone says their the expert, take it with a grain of salt. There are certainly thought and industry leaders but no one knows what the future holds.

I came across a great example of this on Friday. There’s a really great app idea from Chevy that was described on AdAge.com that is designed to engage viewers in a new way and lend some insight into how they use social media during the big game. It’s really a great idea; I wish my company had come up with it. Here’s the irony: The publication that sees the value in running this story has missed the boat on the priority of keeping up in the realm of social media themselves. The share button on that story offers the big three in priority position. Just as you’d expect, there’s Facebook, then Twitter, and then Google Buzz. What? At first I was impressed that they had Google in the “right” position. then I clicked the button and got this:

It wasn’t Google+ sharing like I expected. It was Google Buzz which no longer exists. Before I come off too self-righteous, I should hasten to say that I would not want to set up my company website as the example of cutting-edge use of social media. Not even close! I’m just noticing that even significant players in the space will find it challenging to keep up.

In fact, I’ve noticed that the larger the organization the more difficult it will be. Most of the leaders in social media are individuals and smaller, nimble companies. I think the advantage they have is more freedom and agility. There are fewer layers to go through when making decisions about how to use social media and changes in direction are far easier and less risky. It’s easier to pull a 180 on a Sea-Doo than on a Cruise Ship.

I think that’s what I find most exciting about the whole thing. I love that the weight of influence in media appears to be shifting from a few centralized powerhouses to a broad base of savvy individuals, small companies, and the consumer. It’s like the plot of every “over throw the empire” movie ever made. Who doesn’t love that?! I guess the empire probably doesn’t.

Will They Ever Learn?

2012-01-14T15:34:00.001-05:00

I've really about had it with online content providers who use Hulu as a distribution channel. I'm so frustrated that I posted several complaints on their comments page and found I was not alone... not even close. Here's my gripe:

The problem seems to be that the content providers are placing all kinds of silly restrictions on how Hulu can provide their content. Usually it's a matter of requiring me to go to my computer to watch rather than on my nice HD TV or my convenient iPad.

I don't understand why these content providers want me to stop watching their shows. Because that's exactly what I'm doing. For example, Psych: love it but don't watch it any more because they won't let me watch it WHERE and WHEN I want to. How's that help their revenue model?! Tried to watch the new Fringe today (it aired last night while I was out having a life) but I find that I have to have Dish TV to watch it the next day. Plain old HuluPlus subscribers like myself have to wait a week. Well, I'm not getting DishTV. I'm dropping Fringe. There's only one new show a month or so anyway. How's that help your revenue model, FOX?!!!

I believe that in this equation, I'm the customer (both of Hulu and the networks). I'd imagine that they are going to need to stop trying to force me to consume content the way they want me to and listen to how I want to consume it or they're going to eventually loose their customers.

What I really don't get is why they wouldn't want me to watch their content where ever and how ever often I want to. Wouldn't it be better for their advertisers if I could watch on all my devices as often as I want? They need to take a look at a guy like Leo Laporte and his TWIT network. There's a guy who looked at how people consume content and then built his revenue model in such a way as to generate maximum profit... in the real world that is rather than his dream world based on old ways of content distribution and regulation.

I've really about had it. I might just drop it all and increase my reading diet. I'd probably be better off in the long run.

What do you think? Will they ever get it? Will consumers buckle and revert back to arranging their lives by the network's schedule when there's something they want to watch? Not this consumer. How about you?

Goodbye Dot Mac (Part2): Good Riddance MobileMe!

2011-07-18T07:44:00.003-04:00

Boy am I glad I didn't let me MobileMe account die in April like I planned to. I would have very put off if I had and then heard the iCloud announcement a month later.

So, Steve, hows about a refund on my MobileMe renewal of $99 for this year since it will be converted to a free iCloud account about 6 months after I renewed it? After all these years, it only seems right. Think about it.

Goodbye Dot Mac

2010-09-22T14:56:00.006-04:00

Anyone who knows this geek knows that I'm a kool-aid drinkin' Apple fanatic. That's why it might surprise you to learn that I've decided to let my dot Mac account expire this year. I mean, just having the "@mac.com" at the end of my email address was worth the price of admission for many years (I'm aware of how sad that sounds). Here's my short explanation of why I decided to let it die.

Well, the main reason I was willing to pay for an email account every year was the extra I got with it. Initially, .mac web hosting and iDisk storage was the draw. Very quickly, I realized that ordinary hosting services were just as good or better as long as you know how to set them up and have the right software to use for website publishing. There was still the draw of online storage via iDisk that kept me renewing year after year.

Enter the iPhone. The "over-the-air" sync of calendars and contacts was definitely worth the $99/year all by itself. Now that I have that feature, I can't imagine doing business without it. Lucky for Apple too because I almost dropped my .mac (MobileMe...I hate the new name) last year after multiple serious iDisk issues but I needed to keep my iPhone's "over-the-air" sync. However, Last year, I bought a Dropbox Pro account and gave up on iDisk. It just doesn't work.

The last nail in my MobileMe's coffin was Google's incorporation of "over-the-air" sync between Google Calendar and iPhone. I've been watching my wife's use of it for over a month now and it works just like MobileMe but it's free.

Besides the emotional satisfaction I find in having "@mac.com" after my name in my email address, there's no reason for me to keep the service any longer. So when it expires in April 2011, I'll be without a .Mac account for the first time in, I think, over 7 years. I've held out for as long as I can. I've been reading people asking the same question for years..."Should I renew my .Mac?" I'm finally answering "no".

Swept Under the Rug

2009-11-14T08:47:00.008-05:00

If you're using Mac OS 10.6, you probably had a software update in the last day or so. Don't put it off. This one is really important. Did you notice the last item listed under the fixes included in this update?

Just a little issue. Some users who have a guest account enabled have experienced data loss when logging out of the guest account. Translation: it deletes your entire primary user folder!

As I understand it, it only affects a small percentage of users but it only takes one, me, to make it a huge issue. I'm surprised I never got a warning notice about this. Seems like it would merit one. Instead, I heard it on MacBreak Weekly and so knew what to avoid. I guess they at least acknowledge it in this update text instead the vague statement frequently given with updates about general bug fixes and enhancements. I guess they didn't totally sweep it under the rug.

They Just Don't Get It

2009-05-01T23:23:00.021-04:00

As I read this story in BusinessWeek tonight, I found it interesting how this writer presents the players on the online video stage like highlanders locked in epic battle for the hearts and minds of the online viewer (who we all know is not capable of regularly watching video from more than one source) - THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE!

He fails to recognize the niche each of these providers fills. YouTube's name says it all. It is a brave new world in which ordinary people with creative concepts (or many times, sufficiently strange concepts) can become celebrities without the sanction of a studio or being discovered by the powers that be. The powers that be in that world are more people just like you and me. Enough people watch and --POW!!!-- you're a star. YouTube is also a great place to interact with thousands of people on topics of common interest like religion, politics, or music just to name a few. You can exchange video responses or comments if you like the interaction or just sit back and watch and listen if you don't. It can also be a great place to spread the word about your cause or product.

Hulu, on the other hand, is a place where people can watch that episode of their favorite show that they missed this week because they've decided that people are more important than TV. Perhaps they took this new-found freedom from the network programming schedule formerly reserved for those who can afford digital cable and a DVR and they went to aunt bernice's 60th birthday party to show they care. Hulu is the perfect solution for these viewers; viewers who just so happen to be the same viewers who at other times are surfing YouTube. Hulu does have the potential to be the end of another media outlet but YouTube's not the one that should be worried. Comcast, AT&T, and Verizon along with any other local cable and dish TV providors are the ones who need to be concerned about Hulu. I'm almost at the point where I'm ready to cancel cable. Every show I watch regularly is available on Hulu. I don't watch many and I'm probably not the typical TV watcher; however, as its selections continue to grow, it won't be long before every cable customer's tastes will find satisfaction on Hulu.

As for Apple's iTunes rental model, neither of the previously mentioned services brings the majority of newly released movie rentals to your living room, ready for viewing at the click of your mouse for less than it would cost to get in the car and drive to blockbuster to rent your movie; not that I've done that since I discovered redbox...but that's an entirely different post. Apple's rental system has much room for improvement but it's just so easy to use that it still gets my business over the video store (though redbox is giving it a run for our money).

In other words, the BusinessWeek story seems to give a pretty flat view of online video. You have to recognize that YouTube has really created a whole new medium; it's not just online video. Hulu is the new cable. It's the online version of the cable box or satellite dish. And iTunes (perhaps along with other online rental services like Netflix or Amazon) has become the video rental store of online video. I recognize that my description of the online video landscape also runs the risk of over simplifying it but my point is that there is room for more than one online video source.

Eventually, each could grow and begin to cannibalize the other's territory but as it stands now, there is plenty of room for each to continue growing and doing what they do best. As one who views all three on a regular basis, I'd compare being faced with a choice of one over the other to a choice between MS Word, Quicken , or Outlook. They're all software but they have very distinct uses. I want all three. I predict that YouTube, Hulu, and iTunes rentals will peacefully co-exist for a long time to come. In technology chronology, "a long time" means at least a year or two.

Don't Get Kromked

2009-04-30T09:46:00.014-04:00

If you use Facebook, then you've probably gotten a direct message from a friend asking you to visit kromked.net. It should go without saying, but DON'T!

You should ALWAYS be suspicious of cryptic messages like this one. In fact, that's a good reason to not be cryptic in messages you send. Spell out what you mean when messaging your friends. In a day where we are being conditioned to communicate in 140 characters or less, this IS a message that bears repeating.

There's not much out there yet about this kromked spam but I did find a description of what happens if you click the link at www.islandcrisis.net. The author says that basically nothing happened, nothing obvious that is.

Even as a mac user, I am not going to let my curiosity get the best of me. It killed the cat, you know. Just say no to kromked.net.

UPDATE: Kurt from has www.islandcrisis.net has been posting updates about this and has proposed an interesting theory about what the scheme might be. Click on over for the update.

I WANT a DROBO!

2009-03-09T10:44:00.007-04:00

If you've never heard of DROBO, you should definitely read this. You can also win one at the Managing Your Digital Life blog. Here's why I want one:

My day to day workflow involves layout of a local paper I publish and ad design for the paper, web design for clients of the other half of my business, and web design and digital communications design work that I do for the church of which I am a member. Everything I do on a daily basis involves storing, retrieving, and incorporating digital media (primarily photos and graphics). It’s kind of like I have three jobs but it’s not as bad as it sounds since there is so much over lap.

I have two machines that I use every day. The older of the two is a 5 year old PowerBook G4 with an 80 GB hard drive (only 2.8 GB free). The newer machine is a 4 year old iMac G5 with a 160 GB drive (only 7.4 GB free). Both were large drives when I bought them. I’ve added a 500 GB external drive for backup and I also store vital files on my iDisk (when it’s working) as a backup of my backup.

How would I use a DROBO? After wiping the tears of joy from my face, I would immediately set it up as the central media storage device for my home office network so that I could free up the limited memory on each of my machines and have the peace of mind that knowing my livelihood is stored on a DROBO would bring!

Be sure to head over to the Managing Your Digital Life blog to find out more about DROBO and how you can win one!

An Open Letter to My Dad (and anyone else shopping for a new computer)

2009-01-25T23:42:00.004-05:00

I recently wrote a response to my dad who emailed me for advice on buying a new computer. Like so many others, he has asked me for this kind of advice before. The Cliff's Notes version of my advice is always, "Buy a Mac." What kills me is that almost every time, they don't listen to me and buy a cheap...uh...inexpensive Windows box. Why do they even ask me? They don't listen.

Well, this is my third attempt to convince him to get a Mac. Think about it. I still have the iMac I bought in 1999 (it's running OS 10.3). FULL DISCLOSURE: I also have a 4 year old iMac G5 and a 3 year old PowerBook G4 (both running Leopard). I have three so that I, my wife, and the kids can each have our own machines. He's shopping for a third because the first two were devoured by viruses, spamware, malware, adware, etc. They no longer function.

I thought I would post the advice I offered him for anyone else on the fence to read. Read on and choose wisely:

Dad,

The laptop has an older processor (not the Core 2 Duo) and it doesn't say what speed. That usually means it's not fast. If it were, they would highlight it. The desktop is the current standard chip set (Core 2 Duo) but it still doesn't say the speed. $399 is a nice low price but you know what they say, "You tend to get what you pay for."

If you really just need a low end machine with a solid warranty, it would be a good fit. It would probably work for you but you know me... standard disclaimer: you'll be happier and more satisfied with an iMac. It's loaded, has a 20" built-in display, and comes with a free printer all for $1,199.

I would also recommend a 1 GB RAM upgrade ($75), iWork ($49 pre-installed), and Apple Care 3 Year Warranty ($169). Fully decked out with all the extras I recommend, it would be $1,492. That's a lot more than $399 but you know what they say, "You tend to get what you pay for."

Even if you just go for the 20" iMac with a free printer for $1,199, you're getting security (the days of worrying about viruses, spyware, malware, Norton/McAfee updates is over), bigger hard drive, superior user experience, and tons of bundled software that you can't get for Windows.

Final paragraph of propaganda: The Dell will work. But think about this; how many Windows users do you know that really love their computers? "Tolerate" probably comes closer to the sentiment they have for their unattractive boxes (I'm a Mac snob, I know it). Now think about this; how many Mac users do you know that don't sound like they've joined a religious cult? I'm guessing Zero. To use a Mac is to love your Mac. Why is that? If you get one, you'll know. That's all I'm saying. :-)

Love ya,
Geekbert

Star Wars Plot Summary

2008-07-08T08:23:00.003-04:00

This has nothing to do with technology but, seeing that you and I are both geeks, I'm sure you'll enjoy it as much as I did.

Born to Mediate

2008-02-12T18:53:00.000-05:00

I knew it! I took a "How geek are you?" survey and found that I'm 64% geek...almost half and half. My part-geek, part-average-joe composition has always made me a good translator but kept me from rising to the uber-geek status for which I have always strived (or is is striven?).

You can take the quiz too. Just click the badge. How geek are you?

64% Geek

Close, But No Cigar

2008-01-15T14:56:00.000-05:00

Well, I suggested that the MacBook Air might be a tablet style computer. I was wrong. It was just a really, really slim lightweight version of the current line. The features set sounds like a hybrid of the MacBook and MacBook Pro lines. You can check out one early description here.

I'd be interested in what you think. Is this something that has you wanting to run out and drop over two grand (w/ tax & Applecare)? I'd especially be interested in the opinion of geekbert's unofficial correspondent on the ground at MacWorld, JayDog. What's it like up close and personal?

I Can Feel It

2008-01-14T16:52:00.000-05:00

[Cue Phil Collins singing the Miami Vice theme] I've got that tingle on the back of my neck and butterflies in my stomach that I get every year before the MacWorld Keynote. Nothing will likely compare to the amount of excitement I experienced before last year's but this year is not so small either.

If you've been listening to the buzz leading up to tomorrow's address, you know that the hot rumor on the street is that Apple is about to release a sub-notebook to round off it's portable line up. I've heard some refer to it as a big iPhone without the phone. If you could imagine a laptop screen, split it down the middle from top to bottom and give it the kind of multi-touch interface you find on the iPhone but with the full featured version of OS X, then you've got the idea that is making the rounds on the rumor mill.

When you combine that with the new banner on the Apple home page and some of info that has been turning up (here and here) it seems like there is a pretty high probability that we're going to see Apple breaking some more new ground in the next few days.

I'm sure I'll be too antsy to wait for them to post the video, so I'll be surfing the Mac fan sites feverishly refreshing my browser again this year. If I have any energy left by the end of that silly exercise, I'll post a few reflections of the announcements. I know I have a serious dependancy issue. Anyone know how I can get a hold of the Michigan chapter of Macaholics Anonymous?

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-20T18:39:00.000-05:00

Wow! There are 30 iMacs involved in this little light show. Enjoy!

Sweet Dreams

2007-12-18T20:33:00.000-05:00

Ok. I understand. I've gone a little crazy with the videos. But they are good, right?

Look at it as me saving you the time it would take to go through all the junk on YouTube to find these gems for yourself. You're welcome.

Nice Try, PC.

2007-12-17T10:16:00.000-05:00

I came acfross this clip the other day. It looks like it was made for some sort of Apple developer's conference or something in house. Pretty funny. Enjoy!

You've Come A Long Way!

2007-12-16T08:22:00.000-05:00

This is dedicated to those of you in the northeastern US who are waiting out this cold wintery storm. Here's about 7 minutes of footage from the introduction of the original iMac. Enjoy the nostalgia and wonder at the fact that this was less than 10 years ago! Think about this clip when you hear Steve rave about the "massive storage" and "screaming speeds" of the current line. What will we see in the next 10 years? I can't wait to see.

Welcome to Grand Haven, Michigan

2007-12-15T09:32:00.000-05:00

This past summer, my wife and I took the kids to a little town right on Lake Michigan called Grand Haven. What a great decision that was. It was just a day trip but what a day! We spent the afternoon at the beach which was beautiful...and surprisingly not that crowded. We must have been there on an off week or just the right time of day.

Then we decided to go a few blocks into town to get something to eat. It was the coolest town. It had all kinds of cool little shops like you'd expect in a little tourist town. There were the ones with every novel toy you could think of, the "Michigan Souvenirs" shops, the clothing stores, and several places to eat. There was also a really great surf and skate shop. While one of my daughters and I priced a new deck and hardware for her, we struck up a conversation with the owner. I told him I noticed he had a new iMac on his counter and asked him if he was using it for his POS system (you didn't think this was really just a post about my vacation did you?). He said he used it for everything but POS. He tracked inventory and all his numbers and orders on it. We geeked out for a minute and then we were on our way.

After that, I began to notice iMacs in just about every shop we entered. Even the Pizza & Sub shop we ate in had one on the front counter where you give your order. I wanted to re-read the sign we passed entering the city. Did that say Grand Haven or Mac Heaven? It was like everyone had attended a Kool-Aid convention and been converted. And the people were all so nice. The prices were all bargains. I can't think of a negative thing to say about that perfect little town. Maybe my judgment is clouded a little, but I still think you should consider visiting Mac Heaven, er-I mean Grand Haven-at least once. I think you'll find it second only to Cupertino.

Free iPhone!

2007-11-30T11:27:00.000-05:00

My friends Cheryl and Scott won an iPhone in a Make-A-Wish foundation Raffle. I can't remember the last time I was so happy for and jealous of a person at the same time. Congratulations! I'd love to hear your review soon.

Geekbit: Spotlight Calc

2007-11-29T11:07:00.001-05:00

Mosquito

2007-11-08T20:35:00.000-05:00

Some time ago, I came across this mp3 called "mosquito tone." It is a recorded tone at a frequency just high enough to be out of reach for most ears past the age of about 18 years old. When I first read the explanation, I didn't believe it. However, after testing it out on my three daughters, I'm a believer. As if that's not funny enough, the story of how it is being used is pretty funny too.

The story goes that the sound was designed to be used by merchants as a way to keep teenagers from loitering around their stores. They should've known that the tech generation would find a use more to their own advantage. Young people have commandeered the tone for use on their phones and wireless devices. Using the Mosquito tone, kids can receive calls and text messages in class without the teacher's old ears ever getting the signal. Clever! Devious, but clever! You can read more details about how it works here.

Call the younger people in your house into the room and test it out for yourself. It's like taking the hearing test. They'll love that they can hear it and you can't. Enjoy!

Geekbert Sighting: iPhone, Pogue, and Penance

2007-10-01T20:16:00.000-04:00

Before I make my next post, I feel like I owe you an explanation. It has been over a month since my last post. I feel like I'm talking to a priest. Anyway, I set out on this blog adventure very ambitious-like with a post a day in the beginning. When summer hit, I barely had time to do the job that actually makes me money while being a full-time dad to my kids who were out of school for vacation. So eventually, blogging fell by the wayside.

Add to that the fact that I primarily write about things having to do with the Mac and since the advent of the iPhone, virtually all Mac news is connected to the iPhone. I'd like to say that I haven't been writing because I'm in the dark since I don't have an iPhone. The truth is, I am trying to stay somewhat in the dark about the iPhone because I can't get one right now and I really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really want one! I figure that anything I want that bad can't be good for me; it's not normal!

Put those things together and you get silence from Geekbert. However, I love David Pogue's video podcast and this week's video is a review of all the cool apps you can add to you iPhone with installer.app which you can get here. There's a great step-by-step at mattcutts.com.

If you have an iPhone and have tried any of these apps, I'd love to hear what you tried and how you like it.

Sorry I've been away so long. I'll try to get back into a more regular writing schedule soon. I've recently upgraded to iWork '08 and iLife '08. I'll try to review those as well as get you my take on Quicksilver that I promised before going MIA.

Loophole!

2007-08-22T11:13:00.000-04:00

I really am embarrassed that I didn't think of this on my own. I worked for a major wireless carrier for 2 years and I'm the king of free or low cost electronic gadgets. Oh well. Thanks to my wife for finding the article. Click here to read about how you can get an iPhone for around $300.

Better Late Than Never?

2007-08-10T05:06:00.000-04:00

Steve, Steve, Steeeeeeve!!! You're making me crazy! Over the past few weeks, I spent hours upon hours putting together an incredibly mediocre video of my Mexico trip using the 600 some pictures and 73 video clips that were given to me by my Mexico Mission Teammates. I tried several techniques to get it all put together with music and voice-over narration.

I settled on the method of first, creating slideshows of pictures in iPhoto (because iMovie tends to degrade picture resolutions and is tedious to work with when using gobbs of photos). It still took a loooong time to organize the albums, convert to slideshows, work with transitions and timing (when there isn't even sound or narration yet). So then, I exported the slideshows as Quicktime movies. That alone took forever. Next, I imported the videos to iMovie (easy but slow). Now with everything in iMovie as video, I began putting the segments into sequence-video footage, slideshow video, slideshow video, video footage, etc. A few times, after getting the segments into sequence, I realized I made a mistake and had to redo a slideshow...export it, import it, re-place it into sequence. Finally, everything was in sequence. It wasn't perfect but it was done. Time to do narration. Long story short: loud CPU fan, record narration on separate device, import as mp3's, place in sequence. Okay! Add music? Nope. I'm outta time.

Fast forward to today. I watch Steve's Special Event and, about 45 minutes into it, he announces that iMovie has been completely dumped because one of the Apple engineers had the same experience as me. So the engineer wrote his own movie editing app and showed it to Steve-POOF! It's the new iMovie (watch the video). A completely new iMovie (don't get me wrong, I am extremely happy about this). WHERE WAS THIS TWO WEEKS AGO!!!

Okay. Now that I got that off my chest, I can begin the healing process.

Ouch! The Truth Hurts.

2007-08-10T01:11:00.001-04:00

What's New

2007-08-07T23:45:00.000-04:00

When I dropped by the Apple homepage today I almost had a heart attack.

I knew the new iMac was slated to come out this week but I didn't expect to see the new iLife. I've been waiting for that for about a year. Last fall I went in to buy the latest iLife and the guy in the Apple Store says, "You should wait, the new one's coming out any day now." First of all, you have to love that the people at the Apple store say stuff like that. However, the guy was a little off.

Anyway, I'm dying to get the new iPhoto. It seems like each version gets better at handling larger libraries. I've passed the 14,000 photos mark and I gotta tell you, it's dragging a little in performance. I hope the new version helps. The "Events" feature seems like great idea too when you have that many photos. I've kinda been using albums to do the same thing.

I also look forward to dabbling with the new podcasting tools in Garageband. Could you imagine if I had a podcast that I could also not update regularly?

When my in-laws finally bought an iMac last year, I was very impressed with how easy it was to publish a web-page from iWeb. iWeb came on their new iMac and was the reason for my trip to the Apple store that I told you about earlier. All these thikngs have had me chomping at the bit for the new iLife. AND NOW IT'S HERE!

As if that were not enough, I then noticed that the new iWork is out too. I've also been waiting for that. I've needed to get a copy (of Keynote) for another member of the media team at my church and I decided I'd wait for the new iLife and buy a Family License. Great! Wait a minute; the fabled spreadsheet app is included! What?! No way!!! DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS?!!! Excel is the one app that still gets some play out of my entire ancient version of MS Office. I don't do anything fancy, just your basic spreadsheets with simple computations. Goodbye Office, Hello iWork.

Also new this week is a welcomed bump up in my .Mac iDisk storage. I got an email tonight that said, ."Mac gives you new ways to share, more online storage, larger email attachments, and better control over spam in webmail." I went from 1GB of storage to 10 GB just like that. It was a little late, but better late than never. I was running into the problem of a full inbox because I save everything. But now my .Mac is pack-rat friendly.

All-in-all, it was a great day for Apple news. Now if I can just hang in there until Leopard gets here.

Perma-Widget

2007-08-02T06:02:00.000-04:00

Are you one of those Mac users who loves a particular Widget but hates the fact that you have to use Dashboard to get to it? If so, then I've got the cure for what ails ya. Watch this Geekbit to learn the solution. Also, don't forget to log out and and back in to make the changes take effect. I forgot to add that little nugget to my demo.

The text you need to paste in the Terminal is

defaults write com.apple.dashboard devmode YES

Then hit the Enter key. Free at last, Free at last. Remember to vote for me as Supreme Commander or the WLO (Widget Liberation Organization)!

"Inception"

2007-07-26T22:54:00.000-04:00

Since the inception of Geekbert, this has been the longest I've gone without making a post (I like how saying "inception" makes my blog sound far more important than it is). I'd like to tell you that it's because I've been working on some awesome review of the iPhone that just couldn't be rushed.

The truth is I've been playing catch up from being out of town for two of the last three weeks. Add to that the fact that my business (the one at which I make money) has been experiencing a small surge of new clients (there it goes, I've jinxed my trend). So because of some very welcome problems I've been too busy to write anything worth reading.

I have a few things percolating that I'll try to flesh out over the next week or so. Until then, I offer my apologies to all my readers (both of you) and I recommend this very thorough iPhone review by Julie Strietelmeier over at the gadgeteer. Enjoy!

Geekberto

2007-07-16T23:06:00.000-04:00

Hola...I'm back! I've been in Victoria, Tamaulipas, Mexico for 8 days. While there I helped conduct a Vacation Bible School in an out-lying village, clean up a camp facility, and install duct work and a drop ceiling (preparation for AC installation) in a small church in the city.

It was an incredibly eye-opening experience. The way of life in the places I visited was so modest that it was like travelling back in time. In spite of their apparent material poverty, the people I met showed hospitality to me that was humbling. As a result of my trip, I have a renewed sense of thankfulness and purpose.

I'll try to get back up to speed soon and continue writing. Thanks for checking back regularly. Buenas noches!

My Apple Evolution

2007-07-08T14:04:00.000-04:00

I came across this really cool Apple product history map here (I saw it at 43folders.com) and thought it would be fun to annotate it with my Apple ownership history. You can click the picture above to enlarge and see my history with Apple. Yes, I know. I have a problem. I still own and use the last five items in the history. There are worse addictions!

iPhatigue

2007-07-04T00:58:00.000-04:00

I thought you might find this humorous. Believe it or not, I kind of feel that way. It's not because I'm sick of the iPhone though. It's because I'm sick that I don't have one yet.

How's this for one of life's bitter ironies. For years it has been my pattern to sell last year's gadget and buy this year's. You can see just how spoiled I was here. Having worked in the PDA and phone industry for 11 years, it was usually close to a break even deal. But now, when the one I've been waiting for finally arrives, I'm in a different industry...one that doesn't have built-in gadget perks.

Oh well. I've waited this long; I guess I can wait a little longer. I believe this is what Alex Lindsey refers to as a distinctly 1st world problem. Pretty sure I should be thankful that this is the kind of "problem" with which I have to "cope."

Merlin the Mann

2007-07-03T13:44:00.000-04:00

I have been so swamped that I have not had time to write about my dream-come-true...the iPhone. The one thing I did write that may have been unexpected was a gripe about it not having any to-do capabilities.

Well, I'm still swamped but I'm happy to be able to point you to 43folders.com where Merlin Mann comes through with some 3rd party solutions to what seems to be the only (IMHO) fault of the iPhone.

10 Free iPhones!

2007-07-02T12:23:00.001-04:00

I Like It!

2007-06-29T20:39:00.000-04:00

As I sit here in the Apple Store typing this entry from a security tethered iPhone, I have mixed emotions. I absolutely love it!!! But the mystery is over. The one feature I have wondered about, to-do capability, doesn't look good. Everything else, including the non-feedback giving keyboard, is as good or better than expected. Self-correction on the keyboard is definitely necessary but works like magic!

I think I'm safe sticking to my original forcast. If you don't want one yet, wait 'til you see one, you'll want it.

The Preliminary Results Are In

2007-06-28T02:07:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Brian for the heads up on on reviews for the iPhone by Pogue and Mossberg. Both agree that while it is not perfect, the iPhone has set a new standard for portable computers and smart phones. Both also, agree that the non-tactile responsive keyboard is not an issue. I'll wait for the public to speak, but I'm sensing a big "I told You So!" in Geekbert's future.

BTW, if you're like me and just cannot get enough of the iPhone, you should check out The Apple Phone Show. Host Scott Bourne's blog will keep you up to date in the event that I am too busy with other hobbies (the ones that pay the bills!).

O.K., I gotta go get in line at the Apple Store now. Happy camping!

Rabbit Trails

2007-06-24T08:15:00.000-04:00

My wife and I were talking about how web apps like OneTrip work. I explained that you have to have a data plan on your iPhone to use them. During our discussion, it occurred to me that these web apps can also work with the iPhone's built-in WiFi. Once that occurred to me, A whole new line of uses popped into my mind.

Imagine walking into Meijer and seeing a sign that says, "iPhone Users: Meijer is happy to present 'DealFinder' for iPhone. Access it free using your iPhone's wireless capabilities at www.meijer.com/dealfinder." This could be an app like OneTrip. Now imagine if they tweaked it so that it did more than help you build your shopping list. Imagine if it even flagged items that were on sale or made suggestions based on what you already have on your list. If Meijer made WiFi available in it's store and encouraged people to use this app, they could track what people bought, effectiveness of sales, avg. amount spent per trip, etc. I just picked Meijer as an example, but the possibilities are endless.

That leads me to another possible positive effect the iPhone could have. If the above scenario were to begin taking place, you might see cities going WiFi at a more rapid pace. Wow! I admit, I have a good imagination. But really, it was only the mid 90's when the internet came into it's own and look at it now-it's ubiquitous. Imagine what a pocket-sized device with PC-like browsing capabilities could do for the world of mobile-web!

Felt Needs

2007-06-23T13:16:00.000-04:00

I grabbed this picture of the iPhone home screen from the new Guided Tour I referenced last night. If you click the picture you can see the apps that will come pre-installed. I couldn't help but notice there is a YouTube app in the middle row, far left. I don't know if that means that it will be able to handle flash or if YouTube is accommodating the iPhone in some other way. However they do it, that closes one hole in the iPhone armor that I keep hearing people talk about. There's even a new commercial that features YouTube on iPhone. It's universally appealing features (on the popular level) and the fact that developers can get the phone to do just about anything you want via web 2.0 apps confirm my suspicion that this device really can change everything.
NOTE: You can already try out some of the iPhone web apps on the web. I like OneTrip. It looks like a good replacement for one of my favorite Palm apps called HandyShopper.

But I have to admit, the features that make the hair on the back of my neck stand on end probably will not end up being the theme of he next iPhone commercial. I have been a Palm OS fanatic since 1995. I started with the U.S. Robotics Pilot 5000. I waited for it because the Pilot 1000 didn't have enough memory to run Franklin Quest organizer software. I worked for Franklin Quest (later FranklinCovey) who had the foresight to team up with U.S. Robotics and so I bought the new PalmPilot/Palm device almost every year at a discount and sold my old device at my cost. In addition to the 5000, I have owned the PalmPilot Pro, Palm IIIx, V, Vx, m505, m515, Tungsten T, Tungsten T3, Treo 600, and now I have the Treo 650 (yes, I know I have a problem). You might say I'm rather interested in the PDA functions of the iPhone. I want to track timed (appts.) and untimed (to-do's) events. I also want to be able to capture and retrieve information (personal-contacts and other-notes). I have been waiting for Apple to make a PDA since 1995. Palm was simply the next best thing. If these features work half as well on the iPhone as they do in my desktop iCal and Address Book, I will be in the PDA promised land! That leads me to the subject that inspired the title of this post.

While those features may not make for a universally compelling iPhone commercial, they do dispel (at least for me) the other popular criticism/concern I hear about the iPhone. Everyone is saying that the absence of tactile response will be a big issue. I have been using Palm's PDAs for 12 years and until I took the plunge and moved to a Treo, I never felt like I was missing tactile response. I loved that there were only 4 permanent buttons on the thing. That meant that the interface was always customized to the application. In fact, my only constant gripe about Palm's devices was that they needed to get rid of the dedicated graffiti area and replace it with a virtual graffiti pad that could go away when you don't need it.

I use my Treo everyday, more times a day than I can count, and I have never once thought, "I wish this thing would vibrate when I tap a button." or "I feel at a disadvantage because I can't feel the buttons on the dial pad." Further, the audio feedback (ticks and beeps) available on every Palm device I've ever owned gets turned off about 2 minutes into my ownership because I think it becomes annoying. I don't really need anything more than the extremely impressive visual feedback that you'll see in the Guided Tour. The flat, two-dimensional images on the screen look, move, and respond like real objects. Cover Flow view looks like an opening in the phone into which you can look to see your collection of CD's. The "pinch" and "flick" gestures could not be more intuitive. Maybe the naysayers are right and most people need some sort of additional feedback. As far as I'm concerned, this is exactly what I've been waiting for. I have a feeling that once it's in hand, most people will agree-this is the new Perfect Thing!

Ka-Chow!

2007-06-22T23:53:00.000-04:00

Really busy...only have a minute...you really gotta see this. Bye!

Do I Sound Funny?

2007-06-14T23:29:00.000-04:00

I tried a new app this week called Voice Candy. I'm not sure how practical it is. I guess maybe for those of you in the witness protection program it might be handy. At any rate, it really is a lot of fun. It's made by Potion Factory. They call it a "fun, effortless recorder" and it is. Basically what it does is record your voice in one of nine preset filters. Take a listen to a recording I made:

Vader

I do think I might find it useful for recording a quick memo that I can then save to desktop, iTunes, Mail, or as a reminder with one click. I loved the voice memo app on my Palm Tungsten T3 for that reason. Almost daily, I would hit the record button on the side of my T3 and say something like, "Call JoeBob about the doodats and don't forget to mention that smatzles are half off." --Yes, I worked for Acme. Then I would set it to play the recording as an alarm at about 5 minutes before I wanted to make that call. It was like having a to-do list alarm sound and the item read itself to me.

I can totally see (or hear as the case may be) me using Voice Candy this way. I might actually cough up the $13 and register it just for that. You can download a free 15 day trial and check it out for yourself. You never know when you might want to kidnap some CEO's kids and place a ransom call. This could come in handy!

This Just In...

2007-06-12T17:02:00.000-04:00

Wow, there has been a lot of news in the last few days. I may write about some of these things in detail later, but I want to just give you the list in case you haven't yet seen some of these items.

The Mothership and the Evil Empire: there is a video podcast of an interview of Bill and Ted...er...I mean Steve by Wall Street Journal technology columnists Kara Swisher and Walt Mossberg. You can check it our here (clicking this link will launch iTunes).

Safari 3 Public Beta has been released. I think they just reclaimed me from Firefox. Note, you have to be running 10.4.9 to use this new version of Safari.

Apple's website has a new look. I noticed while watching the new iPhone ads that the navbar at the top was not the same as with the rest of the site. I clicked another tab to compare with the old aqua looking navbar and lo and behold, the whole site was now using the new grey navbar. You may be thinking, "So what?" Okay, but still, it's new(s).

New MacBooks released. There were several updates made, most notable is that the 15 inch MacBook Pro has three extra letters in the display specs: LED. I hear this will be the new trend in Mac displays and that lower power demands is one of the main benefits.

Steve revealed an almost complete Leopard at WWDC. Check it out and I think you'll agree that this is definitely going to be worth upgrading. I'll be writing more about this.

I'm sure there's more, but I don't have all day to look this stuff up for you! Let me know if you've come across other big news that I've missed here.

This Could Change Everything

2007-06-08T23:58:00.000-04:00

Okay, not really everything. But I do think it has the potential to change the way Americans think about their phones. Having worked for a major wireless carrier, I would say that we tend to think of wireless in terms of carriers whereas much of the rest of the world thinks in terms of device and functionality. In the US we have created this monster called the "free phone" that has really affected the sales strategies and design paths in wireless. I think that the iPhone has the potential to shake up the wireless industry in much the same way as the iPod and iTunes Store has shaken up the recording industry.

It will likely be gradual and greatly resisted by Big Wireless. Nevertheless, if just a fraction of the wireless user base in the US gets a taste of what can really be done when the carriers dial back the restrictions, and when Apple's sweet marriage of beautiful hardware and uncomplicated software reels them in, there could be a tidal wave of change that eventually sweeps away old carrier-centric paradigms and replaces them with new user-centric models. It's way more complicated than that but I can't get away from the similarities between the effects of the iPod/iTunes Store on the music industry and the potential effects of the iPhone on the wireless industry.

Anyway, if you haven't already, you should watch the new iPhone ads. They're really great. If you didn't want one already, you're gonna. Just imagine in three weeks when you can actually go to the Apple store and try one out. I'm not a prophet, but I really think this thing is going to be huge! Apple's stock went up this week, apparently just from the announcement of a hard release date.

A friend commented to me that his wife saw the commercials early this week and said, "I want that!" I have been sold since it was just an unconfirmed rumor, but I'm convinced that the world of non-geeks is just getting a glimpse of what could be an industry changing device. In about two months we'll see the beginnings. I think a year from now, we'll really have an idea of the impact (or lack thereof) made by the iPhone.

It's All There In Black & White (Part 2)

2007-06-07T23:46:00.000-04:00

Waaaaay back in May (okay, it was only a week ago), I posted Part 1 to this topic and promised to continue soon with more on tools that are available to help you with distraction free writing. I know you're all on the edge of your seats, so here it is.

I am writing this post in a program called WriteRoom. It's a program designed to provide a distraction free environment for writing. The way this "pure" environment is achieved is very reminiscent of the old WordPerfect days where you have only a blue screen and white text. There are no visible menus or toolbars; it's just you and your text.

I actually like to work with a black screen and green text and pretend I'm Neo trying to hack into the matrix. I also couldn't resist the temptation to set the screen to black and the text to white and type the words: "Want to play a game?".

Another cool feature I tried was "Edit in WriteRoom." This setting is supposed to add a WriteRoom option to your edit menus in all your other programs. You should be able to just type a magic keystroke that triggers a switch to WriteRoom, work with your text sans distractions, and type -s to switch back to your original program and insert all your text. It didn't really work that way for me. It did show up in my services menu but the selections were all grayed-out. Not sure what I did wrong.

WriteRoom has tons of options to let you customize your experience. That's really what this app is all about-controlling your experience. It even gives you the option to use the old-timey block insertion point. Overall, I find it to be a useful program. I have the attention span of a...Oh look, a puppy! What was I saying? Oh, yeah, I can use all the help I can get. If you suffer from hyper-distractability too, you should check it out.

If only it could lock my Apple Mail, hide my TV remote, and mute my kids. Then it would be a complete distraction-free writing solution.

UPDATE: The "Edit in WriteRoom" feature now works in Safari and my other apps. I have restarted my PowerBook since the first attempt to use that feature. I don't know if that's what fixed it or not. If you have trouble getting that item to appear in your edit menus, try restarting your Mac.

The Silence Is Deafening

2007-06-05T21:10:00.000-04:00

I had to write to apologize to the few and the faithful for my long silence. My other hobby (the one that pays the bills) has kept me very busy. I'll be back in a few days when the dust settles.

What Will They Think of Next?

2007-06-01T08:58:00.000-04:00

Please don't ask why I did this. I don't know. I couldn't help it!

http://www.myheritage.com

It's All There In Black & White (Part 1)

2007-05-30T09:27:00.000-04:00

I read a neat tip from Merlin Mann over at 43folders a while back that you might find helpful if you spend a lot of time in front of your computer. He was reviewing a program called Nocturne that causes your display to run in "night vision mode." The effect is kind of like looking at a negative of a photo. The tip that I found so interesting was that you can get a similar effect using a built in feature of OS X.

The magic keystroke for this built-in night vision feature is ctrl-opt-cmd(a.k.a. )-8. Go ahead and try it. Now type it again to return to normal mode. It doesn't have quite the same effect here at Geekbert since I've already chosen a reversed color scheme (see, I do care). If you are viewing a document that has black text on a white background, you'll get the right effect. It kind of reminded me of the old WordPerfect bluescreen word processing. It is a little easier on your eyes after long hours in front of the computer.

As I understand it, the benefit of using Nocturne, as opposed to using ctrl-opt--8, is that Nocturne gets rid of the crazy looking rainbow effect on colorful items in your display (looks weird just like in a photo negative). I think it does this by changing the display to gray scale before reversing (just a guess). Nocturne also automatically hides the desktop to prevent you from having to look at the freaky looking rendition of your family's photo that you use as your desktop wallpaper.

I like to use built-ins whenever possible but Nocturne is free, so check it out too and use what works best for you.

In my next entry, I'll be showing you some other tools that are available to help you with distraction free writing. Be sure to stop by again soon!

Geekbit: Address Book Labels

2007-05-29T09:09:00.000-04:00

There's a treat waiting for you in your OS X Address Book. Watch and see. You're gonna like it!

Geekbit: Using Spotlight to Launch Applications

2007-05-28T11:28:00.000-04:00

Geekbit: What's Up, Dock?

2007-05-25T10:52:00.000-04:00

You know how when you're doing laundry and you find twenty bucks in your pocket that you had forgotten about? This tip is like that. It's built right into the OS but you'd never know it was there if you hadn't stopped by here and checked our pockets. Thanks to applegazette.com (where I found it) and osxdaily.com (where they found it).

If you've never used the Terminal, this might be a little intimidating but it's really very simple. Here are the commands that I reference in the video:

Enable transparent hidden Dock icons:
Type this: defaults write com.apple.Dock showhidden -bool YES
Press Enter
Type this: killall Dock
Press Enter

Disable transparent hidden Dock icons:
Type this: defaults write com.apple.Dock showhidden -bool NO
Press Enter
Type this: killall Dock
Press Enter

Exercise Your Right!

2007-05-25T08:20:00.000-04:00

Don't forget to vote for Geekbert as "Best Geek Blog" and be sure to tell your friends. Click the badge in the sidebar to cast your vote.

Geekbit: OS X Hits The Spot

2007-05-24T13:43:00.000-04:00

This geekbit is a little longer than usual but some of you will get the time back right away. The next time you go looking for that file that you know you saved on your desktop, somewhere (if you could only find your desktop), just call on Spotlight to find it in a flash! Take a look:

Rumor Has It...

2007-05-23T23:54:00.000-04:00

I happened across this funny rumor generator at applegazette.com the other day. I think it needs more options in columns 4 and 7. The funny this is, otherwise, it could probably do as good of a job as several of the real rumor sites. Give it a try.

Geekbit Review: iClip Lite

2007-05-21T23:52:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Doc for turning me on to this great widget. Be warned, this is one of those little utilities you'll use a few times and wonder how you did without. After you watch the video, head on over to Inventive and download it for free. There is also a helpful review of the difference between iClip and iClip Lite over at TwisterMC. Enjoy!

Who Knew?

2007-05-17T23:26:00.000-04:00

I had to follow up my post about twitter with this update. I actually have a friend in my twitter profile now. Who knew dark lords like to twitter!?

Kinda Cool, Kinda Creepy

2007-05-17T12:24:00.000-04:00

Some of you may have noticed in my sidebar lately there has been a box labeled "what I am doing..." As your geekbert, I feel it is my duty to apprise you of the latest fads and trends in the world of geekery. Twitter is one of these fads. Think "away message without the chat session."

In the "olden days" (last year), the kids would spend hours typing abbr.'d messages to each other (was chatting thought up by a junior high girl who was grounded from the phone?) and then when they had to go away from the computer, they'd put up an away message for fun or just so their friends know they're not available.

Twitter is kind of like combining the away message with the chat session to make a third something called the twitter. You post what you're doing at any given time and anyone following your posts gets the message. You can choose to receive your friends' updates in three ways: you can go to their twitter page, you can have them emailed to you, or you can have them sent as a text message to your mobile number. You can also post updates by texting them to 40404 once you've signed up for an account.

So now you're asking yourself, "Why would I want this?" Good question. I've thought of two reasons I could use it. First, I think it could be a fun way to keep in touch with your closest friends. Imagine you're having a rough day and all of a sudden you get a text from your close friend that says, "Ew! There's a hair in my Big Mac!" That would brighten my day. If you are in the pre-parent stage of life, it would also be fun to send an update that says something like, "Lunch at Tim's Deli; last one there buys!"

Then there's the professional geek reason. I turned on the option to have my posts appear on the public timeline. Yes, you can actually go to twitter's public timeline and just watch posts from all over the world about what people are doing. Believe it or not, a lot of people to that. It's kinda creepy, actually. Anyway, you'll notice that I will frequently be listed as "geeking out at www.geekbert.net." I'm trying to get people with nothing better to do than read twitter posts on the public timeline to see this blog. If they have time to twitter-gawk, then perhaps they might like to read geekbert.

If you check my twitter profile, you'll see I have no friends. Don't worry; I've gotten used to it. I'm happy to just use it as a tool for shameless self-promotion. However, if you feel compelled to rescue me from this lonely existence and become my friend, let me know you've signed up and I'll add you to my list. Just remember to make your posts private if you'd like to keep them from appearing on the public timeline (unless you too would like some shameless self-promotion).

Geekbit Review: OmniDiskSweeper

2007-05-15T15:28:00.000-04:00

If you're running out of space on your hard drive, you need this. Watch to find out how it can help. This cool little program is available from The Omni Group. You can head on over and down load it to try out for free. If you like it, it's only about $15.00. This is a great program, well worth the money and if you're a laptop user, it will be invaluable to you. (NOTE: The initial scan takes a few minutes in real time. I ran the scan ahead of time for this review.)

iBrella?

2007-05-15T13:26:00.000-04:00

Just when I thought I'd seen it all. Check out the internet umbrella. If they get it to sync with iTunes and iCal, I'll consider it. Thanks to Dan for this little nugget.

Geekbit: Yellow Pages Widget

2007-05-14T11:23:00.000-04:00

Get rid of the clunky big yellow books. This slick little widget speeds up the process and your friends will all think you're really smart.

You Like Me; You Really, Really Like Me!

2007-05-14T00:08:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Suzanne for nominating Geekbert for Best Geek Blog in the Blogger's Choice Awards. There's a badge in the sidebar you can click to submit your vote. Let your voice be heard! Go vote for geekbert.

O Fone

2007-05-13T23:32:00.000-04:00

Geekbit: Quick Email Attachments

2007-05-12T09:35:00.000-04:00

Beware, Ye iPhone Haters

2007-05-11T06:31:00.000-04:00

If you're one of the (few) people who are skeptical about the iPhone, you might want to reserve your skepticism, at least in writing, until you see it for yourself. This Slashdot review of the original iPod at it's debut is right up there with the story of the teacher that told Einstein to drop out of school and pick a trade. How would you like to be remembered as having said the following about the iPod when it first hit the streets back in 2001?

No wireless. Less space than a nomad. Lame.

Yeah, really! The best part about this post as it appears on Slashdot today is the ad above the post (click to zoom).

That reminds me of some other famous...er, infamous statements:

"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."
--Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943

"There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home."
--Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp., 1977

"This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us."
--Western Union internal memo, 1876.

"The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to nobody in particular?"
--David Sarnoff's associates in response to his urgings for investment in the radio in the 1920s.

"Who...wants to hear actors talk?"
--H.M. Warner, Warner Brothers, 1927.

"I'm just glad it'll be Clark Gable who's falling on his face and not Gary Cooper.
--Gary Cooper on his decision not to take the leading role in "Gone With The Wind."

"A cookie store is a bad idea. Besides, the market research reports say America likes crispy cookies, not soft and chewy cookies like you make."
--Response to Debbi Fields' idea of starting Mrs. Fields' Cookies.

"We don't like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out."
--Decca Recording Co. rejecting the Beatles, 1962.

"So we went to Atari and said, 'Hey, we've got this amazing thing, even built with some of your parts, and what do you think about funding us? Or we' ll give it to you. We just want to do it. Pay our salary, we'll come work for you.' And they said, 'No.' So then we went to Hewlett-Packard, and they said, 'Hey, we don't need you. You haven't got through college yet.'"
--Apple Computer Inc. founder Steve Jobs on attempts to get Atari and HP interested in his and Steve Wozniak's personal computer.

"Drill for oil? You mean drill into the ground to try and find oil? You're crazy."
--Drillers who Edwin L. Drake tried to enlist to his project to drill for oil in 1859.

"Everything that can be invented has been invented."
--Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899.

"640K ought to be enough for anybody."
-- Bill Gates, 1981

Thanks to SoCool.com for all the great quotes!

In A Past iLife

2007-05-10T12:58:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I tried to quickly type www.apple.com into my browser and instead I typed www.aaple.com which, come to find out, is the website of The Association for the Alignment of Past Life Experience. I'm not sure why, but I couldn't stop laughing when that site popped up. It was just a really funny mistake and I'm glad I wasn't drinking milk when it happened or I'd have a sour PowerBook.

Worlds Collide

2007-05-09T23:59:00.000-04:00

I read a funny post about Windows Vista the other day. Oddly enough, it wasn't on any of the tech blogs which I usually read. Instead, it was a blog to which my wife's blog links called Daring Young Mom. The particular post that made me laugh was about her getting a new laptop and Vista with it. Her description of all the versions of Vista was great:

"Apparently you can buy several versions of Microsoft Windows Vista – Toddler, Student, Dropout, Home, Vacation Home, Feckless Slacker, Bidness, Successful Bidness, and ULTIMATE."

Tonight, when I saw the new "Choose a Vista" ad on TV, it reminded me of Daring Young Mom's post and I asked my wife if she'd read it. She looked at me like I'd told her I borrowed her underwear and asked, "You mean the one on Daring Young Mom?" I guess I didn't realize that it was not common for geeks to read mom blog's. I hope some mom's read my geek blog. I hope that one day, moms and geeks will read each other's blogs, now that we know the two can cross with out the universe collapsing in on itself.

Geekbert Cares

2007-05-08T11:31:00.000-04:00

If you've spent any amount of time blog-slogging you know how easy it is to get lost in the blogosphere only to emerge hours later wondering how you wasted so much time. Well, be thankful you have a friend like me to suggest subscriptions to you.

If you have several blogs that you enjoy on a regular basis, you can use subscriptions to help you keep up with the latest posts all in one place. Then you only have to check one place to see if there is anything new on your favorite site(s) without getting sucked into the vortex that is the blogoshphere. Many browsers now have the ability to manage subscriptions for you. You can also use one of many online services to manage your subscriptions.

Which brings me to the reason for my post. I've recently added, out of generous consideration for your time, links in the sidebar for you to subscribe to www.geekbert.net. You can subscribe to posts (via reader or email) and comments. A few days ago, Brian asked about subscriptions to comments. I believe I have it all set up correctly. If you have any trouble with subscriptions, please let me know. And remember, Geekbert understands the value your time.

Geekbit: Screen Capture

2007-05-07T13:15:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Brian and Scott for all the great name suggestions for this category. I've decided to go with Geekbits. So here's the first installment of Geekbits (formerly "Mac Minute").

Viva La Vista!

2007-05-06T22:02:00.000-04:00

I watched this video again today by one of my favorite geeks, David Pogue. He's a total fanboy just like me and that's why I love his work. So grab a tall glass of Kool-Aid and sit back and enjoy this classic review of Windows Vista.

Mac Minute: Expose

2007-05-03T16:55:00.000-04:00

From the Highest of Heights

2007-05-03T13:31:00.000-04:00

I was totally stoked yesterday to receive an invite to the invite-only Joost Beta from Mariano over at www.onemanstartup.com. There's been a lot of buzz about Joost lately in podland and the blogosphere. I didn't think it likely that I would receive an invite since I didn't know anyone who was already "in." Well, Mariano was kind enough to send one my way after I commented on his blog.

I clicked the link and began downloading the beta software. Sweet! New technology, exclusive sneak peak, free of charge!!! Does it get much better for a geek of my stature? It's almost too good to be true.

As the software downloaded I noticed a note on the download page that read: Currently, Joost runs only on the latest Macintosh computers equipped with Intel processors. Uuuuugggh! Both my Powerbook and iMac are Pre-Intel. Drats, foiled again! One day, after I grow rich from my blogging and vlogging revenues, I will keep only the most current technology and be able to use all the latest software and gadgets. I will, I tell you!

Mac Minute: Bezel

2007-05-02T11:59:00.000-04:00

A reader suggested recently that I start a basics tutorial to help you discover things that might otherwise go unnoticed for months or years if you don't read your manual. Does anybody read the manual?

I have been thinking about doing this for a while now and so, Scott, thanks for the little extra push. I've made a list of things that I think you would find helpful. I'll be adding to the list as time goes on and I invite you to make suggestions as you think of basic OS X features that you've found helpful but not necessarily obvious to the average user. I'm starting off with something really basic, but I know a few of you probably don't use it. Take a look:

Review: Text Expander

2007-04-30T18:53:00.000-04:00

I love this great little app from smileonmymac.com. It's a real time saver. They've even made pre-programed snippet files available for free. TextExpander can automatically correct misspellings and typos as you type. The free file contains approximately 100 common mistakes. The incorrect versions are added to the TextExpander snippet library as abbreviations that are replaced by the correct versions when typed.

Watch the video to see how it works. At $29.95, it's not cheap but how much is your time worth?

Make Up My Mind!

2007-04-29T15:35:00.000-04:00

Have you ever made plans to take the family out for dinner and you can't decide where to go? Or maybe you eat out a lot and it really doesn't matter, you just need to pick a place. You need Dine-O-Matic, a free Dashboard Widget from iconfactory.com. It's a great idea for the office that likes to eat out together but can never agree on a place to go.

To set it up, you just enter your favorite places to eat (enter the phone numbers too to make ordering easy). And then whenever you need help deciding, just click the blue plate and leave the rest to providence. It's a cool little widget and did I mention it's FREE. Oh, I did? I really like that about it. You can watch the video below to see it in action. Bon Appetit!

Snopes the Pastor

2007-04-28T15:53:00.000-04:00

Obviously, technology is rapidly changing the way we live. It even affects how we do things like church. Some of the impacts of technology in church are obvious like microphones, speakers, and video projectors. Here's an interesting way in which technology impacted my experience at a theology conference I attended today.

As I listened to the pastor's sermon, one of his illustrations intrigued me. He mentioned the concept of sympathetic resonance. I had never heard of it. Intuitively, I exited Documents to Go on my Treo 650 and opened the browser to Wikipedia and looked up sympathetic resonance. I read the article, switched back to the MyBible app, and rejoined the sermon still in progress. Some might think that such portable connectivity is a dangerous distraction. For me it was a way to put that curiosity to rest in my mind so that I could better focus on the rest of the message. I guess it's all in how you use it.

A side note: one of the speakers was using his PDA's Bible app as his Bible while he preached (I've done this on occasion). I loved it when he held up his PDA (it was in a black case...which made it look somewhat like a Bible) and said, "This is God's Word!" We all knew what he meant. :-)

A Long Way to Go

2007-04-27T08:34:00.000-04:00

I was checking my blog traffic last night and noticed I got a hit from Technorati.com. Someone had searched for Doomlaser (maker of the KP Screensaver) and found it at geekbert. So I decided to look up geekbert in their listings. When I did, I noticed the ranking of my blog. Wow! Click the picture to see what my blog ranks in cyberspace.

I've been trying to increase my readership and it looks like I'm in need of serious help from my readers. All three or four of you are going to have to tell your friends about geekbert. :-)

Survey Says...

2007-04-25T23:30:00.000-04:00

Do you use the iTunes Store? I do. I have bought music there for a few years now. Recently, I have even bought TV Shows there. I haven't bought any movies there yet.

This is kinda old news but I wonder what the man on the street thinks. I read an article a few weeks ago about Apple considering adding a subscriptions based service to the iTunes Store. There are several services like this out already including the new Microsoft Zune Marketplace. Currently, the iTunes Store sells songs either a-la-carte or by the album. Once you buy it, you own it like you would a physical CD. The subscription model would allow you to pay a monthly fee and have access to unlimited downloads. The catch is that when you quit your subscription, all your music goes away.

I'm curious. How many of you already use the iTunes store. Whether or not you use it already, would the availability of a subscriptions based service affect your use or none use? Chime in and let us know what you think.

Another Reason I Like FireFox

2007-04-24T09:00:00.000-04:00

I was just browsing in Firefox. I had 4 tabs open, all for things I plan to review. One of them launched Rhapsody for Web and for some reason my browser stalled. I waited while the rainbow beach ball spun. I waited.

O.K., force quit (apple, option, esc) and move on. Oh, wait. I hadn't yet bookmarked the sites for review. Crud!!! What were they. Oh well, live and learn.

I restart Firefox and it asks me if I want to restore my previous session (multi windows, tabs and all) that had quit unexpectedly or if I want start fresh because I think something in the previous session caused the crash. SOLD!!!

If you don't already have Firefox, get it. You'll be glad you did.

Panic Attack

2007-04-23T11:16:00.000-04:00

Most have heard of the infamous Windows "Blue Screen of Death." However, being a Mac User, you may not be familiar with a Kernel Panic. It is the closest thing on a Mac to the BSOD and it doesn't happen often.

I recently happened upon a screen saver by Doomlaser that simulates the OS X kernel panic screen. It might be fun to send to a friend. It even has a fake preview screen so they won't suspect a thing when the screen saver kicks in and for a few seconds they think their Mac crashed. It'll give them a twilight zone moment you will want to be sure you're there to witness.

May The G-Force Be With You

2007-04-21T17:40:00.000-04:00

Doc, this one's for you. Be forewarned, at the end of a lengthy disclaimer, the publishers say, "DON'T HURT YOUR LAPTOP. YOU DON'T HAVE TO SWING IT SO HARD, YOU KNOW. IF YOU DO BREAK DAMAGE TO YOUR MACHINE IN ANY WAY, IT IS YOUR FAULT."

The program is MacSaber. MacSaber is compatible with Mac laptops equipped with Sudden Motion Sensor (SMS) technology. It uses the SMS to command a really good light saber sound so that as you move your laptop around the sounds match. It's totally useless but extremely cool (in a nerdy sort of way)! You can get MacSaber at the iSnoop.net blog. Remember, your laptop is expensive so BE CAREFUL. And may the force be with you!

The Need for Speed

2007-04-19T21:19:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Mactalk for this gem. I have started to use FireFox pretty regularly as my browser instead of Safari. Safari is starting to show it's age and need of an update. For example, there are frequently features of web forms that I can't see in Safari. The only thing holding me back from switching to FireFox completely is that I was sure it was working slower than Safari. Turns out I was right but Mactalk will show you how to fix that! Watch:

Asset Management

2007-04-18T22:44:00.000-04:00

Media assets, that is. Take a look at this big-time software set to release from Apple this summer. Just one more reason why Macs are so sweet!

Fring For All

2007-04-17T23:13:00.000-04:00

Did you ever have to read something like five times to make sure you weren't seeing things or totally misunderstanding it. When I read through the description of fring, I had to take a quintuple-take. I'll spare you some of the technical jargon and cut to the chase. The bottom line is how would you like unlimited minutes on your cell phone and a guarantee that it'll always get a signal in your house? And what if I told you it would cost about $68 a year?

No, I'm not smoking anything. Yes, I feel fine. Of course I know what my name is. I'm telling you it's true.

In beta now, fring is "Mobile VoIP Telephony designed for GPRS, 3G & Wi-Fi Networks." That means with the right phone and a reasonable data plan you can basically use Skype as your primary phone service. Skype Unlimited gives you unlimited calls to any phone in the US and Canada for just $29.95 per year. You can get a SkypeIn number for $38 per year. You still have to have a data plan on your device (translation: monthly charge) but that is still a lot cheaper than my current 2100 min./mo. plan costs. $68 a year! Having managed for one of the global wireless carries for a few years, let me tell you this is their worst nightmare. And Ma Bell, nice knowin' ya.

UPDATE: Thanks to Rachel from Fring for letting us know that they do not yet support Skype Unlimited but plan to in the future.

There are several caveats. You have to have the right phone (Nokia is the primary choice now) and use either Cingular or T-Mobile service (in the U.S.) for now. I still feel like it's too good to be true or maybe I've missed something. If this is what it appears to be, I believe you're looking at the future of voice communications...and probably the reason that carriers will begin to hike their data plan rates.

SpinVox Update

2007-04-16T11:14:00.000-04:00

I learned today (thanks Vince!) that SpinVox, which I wrote about a few weeks ago here, is limiting the number of people in the U.S. who get the free year deal.

From their website: "SpinVox is offering only 15,000 free Spin-my-Vmail accounts for US customers and they're going fast."

I got one. If it sounded interesting to you, you should sign up soon for the free year or it looks like you'll be limited to a two week trial.

And We're Back (Pack)

2007-04-16T00:53:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the silence. I've been held hostage by the tax man but I'm done now. I know, I know. Get off my back, I don't need the pressure.

There will be more goodies soon. For now, take a look at this interesting backpack:

You can read about it over at instructables. I'm not sure if I admire or pity the person who made it.

I Can See Clearly Now

2007-04-13T16:18:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Jihed over at mac & design (found them at macitt.com) for this customization tip. You can change the color of your OS X dock with these two handy "haxies": Application Enhancer and ClearDock. Both apps are made by Unsanity and distributed for free.

They also offer several other "haxies" that help you customize your mac for anywhere from $10-$20. Some are just for fun like their ShapeShifter themes manager but some are more utilitarian like FontCard and Chat Transcript Manager. Here's what I did to my dock:

Seeing Spots

2007-04-12T18:54:00.000-04:00

Apple announced today that the release of their newest version of OS X will be delayed until October. Uuugggh! I've been waiting to upgrade our organization's Macs since last October! You can read more about it at AppleInsider but the iPhone is the culprit. I'm sure the sacrifice will be worth it.

Now the dilemma is do I upgrade now and then again in October or stick it out and wait. My boss desperately needs spotlight and several little problems would be solved by upgrading now. It might be worth it. Decisions, decisions! Apple...can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em.

Hmmm, do you think Apple is hoping I'll think this way? I wonder. Pass the Kool-Aid, please.

Remote Possibilities

2007-04-11T23:27:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite things about my Macs is that they are like compact entertainment centers. Sure, I bought them to facilitate my business needs but any Mac user knows that the reason you bought a Mac vs. a PC is because they're more fun!

I don't own a stereo system. My iMac and some fancy computer speakers does the trick. It's great–all my CD's are packed away because they're all in my computer now. In fact, until a few months ago, my 20" iMac screen was the biggest screen in my house. If I wanted to watch a DVD on the big screen, I watched it on the iMac. It does a great job. The new iMacs even come with remotes and software called Front Row to simplify your interface when in entertainment mode. Cool, but that doesn't help me. I got my iMac before they added that feature.

That's okay; I already have a remote for my iMac...my Treo 650. I have been using Salling Clicker for about two years now to turn my bluetooth equiped smart phone into a remote control for my computer. Salling Clicker is a software utility that turns a mobile phone or PDA into an advanced wireless two-way remote control for your computer. It works on both Macs and PC's. It really does it all. It lets me use the touch screen to control the mouse. I can control Powerpoint or Keynote from my Treo. I can control just about every app on my Mac from my Treo. Really the only apps I use it for are Keynote and iTunes.

iTunes is really the reason I bought it. It lets me browse my play lists, play, pause, fast forward, rewind, you get the picture. It even shows me the album art that is associated with each song or album. The best part is that it doesn't require line of sight. I can walk around the house with my phone in my pocket, as I always do, and have immediate access to my iTunes controls. It's really a great program for about $24. It's a cheap way to satisfy your inner control-freak. Enjoy!

Schedule, Schmedule!

2007-04-10T12:55:00.000-04:00

I can't believe I missed this one. I remember looking at Google Calendar some time ago and thinking "This is awesome! It's what iCal should look like when it's published to the web." I love iCal and it's publish feature, but if you ever want to reference it online, it's UGLY. If I wanted UGLY software, I would own a PC (Sorry, PC friends). There's also the limitation that you cannot make an update on the web. iCal is the only place where you can make changes. And you have to make the changes from the computer that publishes the particular calendar you want to edit. It's not really a syncing of your calendars so much as a broadcasting of them.

I've been using iCal to publish my calendars to my .mac account for a few years now so that my wife can subscribe to them and know what's on my schedule. It's really is a great feature. She publishes her calendar too so I can subscribe and know what is on her schedule.

Sometimes I will get an update for one of the kids' school functions and I have to email it to my wife because I can't update her calendar. She has to update it and then my iCal will grab the changes.

Today I happened upon Spanning Sync. This great new release introduces your iCal to Google Calendar and finally you can have true synchronization of your calendars on multiple computers and even edit it from any computer with Internet access. Watch the video and take it for a spin. There's a free 15 day demo available for download. Let me know what you think.

Can't We All Just Get Along?

2007-04-07T22:57:00.000-04:00

It’s kinda ironic when I think about it. Almost two decades ago, about the time I first drank the Apple Kool-Aid, I had to grapple with the question of being compatible with the rest of the world. “Everybody” used Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office was “essential.”

Well, even if I had bought a used Windows machine instead of the second-hand Apple Macintosh LC III, I wouldn’t have had enough money left over to buy the high-priced Office Suite. That was back when Macs really did cost a lot more than PC’s so there was no way I had money to get Office. I learned very quickly that I didn’t need Office as badly as I had been told; most of my friends and associates didn’t even have computers back then. It was still considered somewhat of a luxury.

Now today is a different story. Eventually, I had to breakdown and buy Office for Mac. Worked great; fully compatible cross-platform. More recently, Apple developed their iWork Suite which is fully Office compatible and has all the Appleness that keeps me on a steady Kool-Aid diet.

So back to the irony. I have a friend who is a long-time PC user. I produce a weekly slideshow in Keynote which she needs to be able to open and view. Shouldn’t be a problem. Keynote has an export feature that will produce a Powerpoint file for me to send her. The problem is that she doesn’t have Powerpoint. We tried to use a workaround involving me using Keynote’s export to PDF feature but her computer is also not taking calls from PDF files for some reason. Can’t we all just get along?

If you’re having similar compatibility issues, I recommend you check out OpenOffice. It is a FREE (you know that’s my price range!) multiplatform and multilingual office suite and an open-source project. Compatible with all other major office suites, the product is free to download, use, and distribute. I wish I knew about this solution back in the eighties (it has been around that long). So friends (you know who you are), go download it today and let’s be compatible.

I Got A Guy...

2007-04-06T16:12:00.000-04:00

Thinking of buying a new Mac or iPod anytime soon? Don't do it!

At least not before you check out MacRumors Buyer's Guide. I heard about this great reference tool on Leo Laporte's MacBreak Weekly Podcast. Apparently, every time Leo buys a new Mac, a newer, better, less expensive model is released the following week. Don't be a statistic! Check it out before you buy.

"Take a Note"

2007-04-05T21:31:00.000-04:00

This past week I decided to try a new service that one of my favorite tech writers, David Pogue, recommended recently. The service is called SpinVox. It's a really cool service that takes the spoken word an transcribes it for you. I realize that's nothing new. Software that does that has been around for a number of years. However, SpinVox puts a new spin on the concept.

As I said, SpinVox is not software but a service. There are four applications of this service to which you can subscribe: voicemail, blogging, memos, and broadcast. The power of these services may not be apparent at first glance but, trust me, the time savings and convenience these services offer are huge.

I get calls all the time in which people leave long strings of information that I will need to write down for follow up and reference. My kids probably think daddy is a leet-til unstable the way I'll shush everyone from talking when we're in the car getting ready to go somewhere and I keep replaying a voicemail on my Treo's speaker-phone while I try to make sure I got the right name and phone number of the potential new customer I need to call back. You see, I'm listening to the message in phone mode, and then I have to switch to task list mode and open the memo field to type in the info, and when I need to replay the message because the kids were asking "What's taking so long?" I have to go back to phone mode, and...never mind. You get the picture. All that's happening while the family is waiting for me to start the van and get going.

Life would be so much easier if everyone would just text message me instead of leaving a voicemail. Then I could just copy and paste the info into my tasklist for follow up. Well SpinVox turns all the voicemail's into text massages (and emails) for me. The accuracy is impressive too.

That's pretty much the feature that sold me. But in addition to voicemail transcription, SpinVox will also let you call a number and dictate a blog entry. My wife would love this feature-she's a blog diva. SpinVox will also let you call a number and dictate a memo to yourself and then send it to you email inbox. I can think of a friend who would love that feature (Ken Brown). And for those of you who use texting for keeping in touch with your friends or work groups, you can call and dictate a text message that will then get sent to your contact list all at once. I would have loved this feature when I managed for T-Mobile.

That's a pretty sweet package of features. If you've found yourself attracted one of these features, now you're thinking, "Okay, how much?" Are you sitting down? You can surf on over to SpinVox and sign up for your first year for FREE!!! Really, that's not a joke. It's FREE! You don't even have to give your credit card number. I've been using it for about a week now. They can probably charge whatever they want after the first year, I'm hooked!

Say Cheese!

2007-04-03T22:56:00.000-04:00

Have you ever tried to explain to someone what you're seeing on your screen but been unable to really describe it in a way they can understand? Here's a great solution built right into your mac.

Just press apple/shift/4 (the apple key is the little key with the apple logo on it). You'll find that your mouse pointer turns into a cross-hair. Just click and drag to select the area you want to take a snapshot of and...Voilà! You will find a snapshot of the area you selected as an image file on your desktop.

If you want to quickly snap an image of an entire window, just do your new apple/shift/4 trick and when you see the cross-hair, hit the spacebar. The cross-hair will change to camera and the window over which it hovers will turn blue. That let's you know which window your camera is trained on. Just click the mouse when your desired window is highlighted and...Voilà again!

And finally, one more way to snap a screenshot. If you just want to quickly capture your entire desktop change your magic key combination to apple/shift/3 and it's done.

There you go. That's all there is to it. I love learning little hidden features like this that make my computer experience that much easier. I can think of dozens of ways I use this every week. I hope you find it as useful. Cheeeeese!

Introducing The Book

2007-04-01T23:12:00.000-04:00

I'm telling you, I know I've helped this guy sync his PDA when I worked at FranklinCovey.

Bum Rush the Charts

2007-04-01T13:55:00.000-04:00

If you haven't heard, a really interesting culutral/economic experiment took place this past week. On March 22nd, the new media set out to show the powers that be in the music industry that there's power with the people. This demonstration of populace power has been dubbed Bum Rush the Charts.

People all over the web encouraged their readers/viewers to log in to the iTunes store on March 22 and buy a specific song by an unsigned artist. The desired result would be that this unsigned artist would find a place in the industry charts (a feat many signed artist propelled by a powerful and well funded machine are unable to accomplish).

By the sheer will and cooperation of the people, the mission was accomplished. The song reached #11 in the US for Rock Songs, #2 in the Netherlands, #10 in Canada. Wow! There's just something satisfying about sticking it to the man. It's ironic that "the man" is the rock'n roll music industry. Welcome to the technological revolution.

MenuCalendarClock Review

2007-03-30T14:45:00.000-04:00

Well, here it is. Sorry for the long wait. I hope you find this sweet little app from Objectpark as helpful as I have. This video is best viewed in full screen mode. You'll see a full screen button just to the right of the counter once the video is playing. Enjoy!

MenuCalendarClock

2007-03-28T11:06:00.000-04:00

I have been using this great little program called MenuCalendarClock for several months now and love it! I'm working on a review of it that I will post in the next day or so. Stay tuned!

iPhone

2007-03-25T23:44:00.000-04:00

David Pogue captures my sentiments exactly when it comes to the iPhone.

Nice Guy

2007-03-24T10:54:00.000-04:00

Ever notice how the manual that comes with your software seems to answer all the questions you would never ask but omits the solutions to the real questions and issues you have? That's what David Pogue, tech writer for the New York Times, thinks too. He's written a series of Missing Manuals that have helped all of us who can't get the help we need from the official manuals.

Pogue is a great writer who and seems to be a generally nice guy. I subscribed to his video podcast recently and discovered that he is also pretty creative and funny too. You can visit his site in my "places I like to go" section of the sidebar. I have really enjoyed his work and thought you should meet him. Readers, meet David Pogue. David, my readers (both of them :-).

Drive Time

2007-03-23T20:40:00.000-04:00

As residents in an ever-shrinking world economy, we are spending more and more time traveling. I don't travel nearly as much as my buddy Cliff who writes for a major auto-dealer publication; however, I do spend around 8 hours a week in my car for my business. Mondays alone I am usually on the road for about 5 hours delivering Coffee News. Since I live in Brownstown and my business is based in Dearborn. I spend at least an hour in the car round trip on days that I go to my area. That's a lot of time that until recently would be considered dead time.

A few years ago I got my first iPod. I say "got" rather than bought. I actually did get it for free from freeipods.com. All I had to do was convince 5 friends that I was worth applying for a Visa card or signing up for a free month of Blockbuster.com. Two months after signing up and sending out my petitions to my friends, I received a free 20 gig iPod in the mail. Nice.

That acquisition opened up a whole new world of possibilities to this commuter. I purchased several audiobooks right away. I really began to enjoy being the master of my own drive-time destiny. I could listen to that book that I had been wanting to read but never seemed to find the time. Even if I just wanted music, I could finally choose the music that I listened to (my little escort only has a cassette player).

As if that all was not enough to make you sign up to nag your friends and get a free iPod, then I discovered the world of podcasting. Podcasts are like pre-recorded radio shows. In the iTunes Store online, you can find podcasts on pretty much anything. They range in length from about five minutes to over an hour.

I really enjoy some of the technology podcasts as well as Doug Field's Simply Youth Ministry podcast. I even get all of my pastor's Sunday School lessons as podcasts since I miss them while I'm teaching the teens class.

The best part about podcasts is that when you find a show you enjoy, you can "subscribe" to it. That means every time you plug your iPod into your computer, your iPod will check for new shows and download them as well as delete those you've listened to. Talk about great service! I just "sync" my iPod once a week and I have a treasure trove of knowledge and entertainment to go.

It doesn't matter what hobby or trade you would find interesting, there is a podcast for you. And with iPods as cheap as $79 these days, I'd say that's a steal to buy back those wasted hours we all loose on our daily commute to the rat-race.

Monolingual

2007-03-22T19:30:00.000-04:00

I remember my first computer–It was an Apple LC III (If you know what that is, then you're really an Apple nerd!). It came with a HUGE 64 MB hard drive. I remember thinking, "Wow! What am I going to do with so much disk space!"

Now we have the ability to store music, video, and pictures. Plus the rapid sophistication of software apps that have every bell and whistle to the point that they become memory black holes means that you can never have enough disk space. These days, my 9 year old daughter's camera sports a 1 GB removable SD card that is the size of a postage stamp. No matter how much memory you have in your computer today, you can be sure that it is not enough.

So what would you say if I told you that I could increase your available hard drive space by 4%? "How much is it gonna cost me?" That's what I would say. We're talking about recovering over 3 GB of disk space on My 80 GB dive in my Powerbook. 3 GB! I was actually down to 800 MB free when I found this wonderful little app called Monolingual. AND IT"S FREE!!!

Basically what Monolingual does is go through every program in your OS and remove all the language support for every language except English. After all, I've been using Macs for about 12 years and I have never booted up in any language except English. I'm certainly not planning to take up danish anytime soon. So at the cost of about 20 minutes of letting this little miracle program do it's thing, I now have 4.48 GB of free disk space. WOO HOO! You Apple nerds know you have sweaty palms now. Go download it and reclaim that disk space!

Arrrgh!

2006-10-30T09:02:00.000-05:00

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