November 2008 Archives

I applaud Axl for allowing "Chinese Democracy" to be allowed on Myspace, for whatever reason, and for attempting to be progressive. I don't think there's any formula for progress musically, so I think it should be right for where the band is at that time; some change direction with one album (like Metallica's black album) while for others it's a more gradual change (like the Offspring's albums).

That being said, after reading about the background drama that went into this album (from delays to band member firings) in addition to the way the album sounds to me, I think this should have been an Axl solo project. Mind you, I listened to it via Myspace, but I didn't hear anything vocally outside of Axl's contribution, whereas previous GnR efforts had the band adding backup.

The songs sounded like riffs were lifted from "Use Your Illusion - II," with "November Rain" being the most prominent source of material. I don't know if it was intentional, but, when I started to think Slash could've played some parts, the guitar sound would change and start to sound like something from a Nine Inch Nails song. Not the gritty techno flavor, but the over-distorted high frequency guitar sounds.

I will admit that part of me hoped that this would've been the GnR follow-up that people expected, but it's nothing more than a "been there, done that, wha?!"

Technorati Tags: Axl, Rose, Guns, Roses, Chinese, Democracy, Album, Music, Art

With all of the advancements within the last 20 years, why is science fiction written from a 1940's perspective? Growing up, I used to think of science fiction as a progressive look at how the future could be, but that was from an inexperienced and young viewpoint.

With cell phones being tiny and hearing aids that aren't noticeable, why do SciFi movies still use ginormous Lt Uhuru type communications devices? Why not a nano chip-based receiver implanted behind the ear and a mic within the lip? If I can swallow a camera pill that will take a ton of pictures of my intestines then I think it's possible. There's also a compromise for the "purists" that might want to hold on to the SciFi of old, like a 50 year UNIX shell fan - a receiver/mic combo that looks similar to a current gen hearing aid. It would be formed to a person's ear, so it's comfortable, and there would be a sensitive mic hole aimed outside the ear that would work similarly to those iPhone headphone mics.

There's a scene in the movie "Clueless" where Cher was using her computer to pick out her clothes for that day, which I think is a novel idea. Combine something along the lines of the invisible nano-tube and OLED technology and you can get 1 suit that you can wear everyday and that changes when you want. The suit, which would have some type of storage that can hold all of your patterns and colors, can be managed by a PDA type device. Why deal with crowds at a mall when you can download it from an iTunes-type reseller?

Let's not stop there, why even have a PDA device? I have a program called Sapiens on my Mac that allows me to launch programs by mouse gestures. With motion sensor technology mixed with body gestures, you could change your clothing patterns quickly. I'm sure raves would be entertaining too.

With devices getting smaller and more powerful, why are laser guns so damn huge? I have a laser pointer which is smaller than my thumb, and it can blind people. I've also seen a movie where a laser was burning away an apple, and now there are some that remove tattoos. What's wrong with a laser pointer-looking device that can sever a limb?

I think the James Bond franchise is more SciFi than regular SciFi, and that's pretty sad. Plus, the nerd (James Bond) gets the girl AND has sex with her too. Beats sitting at home and chatting via a command line about the latest Star Trek movie ... in Klingon. With that intro, it's been over 20 years since I read my first SciFi book, and a mile is still a mile and a kilometer is still a kilometer. So why make up new lingo for measurements?

Technorati Tags: Writing, Science, Fiction, SciFi

I originally thought there wasn't a good reason to upgrade to the iPhone 3G from the original iPhone, and these were the main concerns I had with the first one:

Recessed headphone jack
Slow internet browsing via their EDGE network
Lack of "cut and paste" option
Notes app
Spotty coverage
Short battery life

I have a pair of Sony headphones that I like and use on my iPods. However, the first iPhone's recessed headphone jack prevented me from using my favorite headphones, which had an angular plug. Last month I found an adapter that would allow me to use my Sony headphones, but I passed because the default headphones had a mic and I could use them to record on my iPod Nano 4G.

I mainly use my iPhone for business e-mails and phone conversations, and web surfing was something I only did when I was stuck somewhere without any options (i.e. iPod, book/magazine, XM radio, etc.). Although I like the browser scaling, I still prefer to browse on something with a larger screen. The only times I browse now are for those stuck moments, and finding sites to look at later ...

... which leads leads me to the lack of a "cut and paste" option. I can't see how anyone can really finish some things without having one of the most basic computer features. If I could "cut and paste" links from the browser to the Notes app (I just remember another concern) then that would save me time, paper, or using other handheld devices like my iPaq.

The iPhone Notes app, which is also featured on the first iPhone, has a nice Lotus-y feel to it. However, it doesn't sync with the Mac Mail feature that bears the same name. If the developers are lazy then rename either the iPhone app or the Mail feature, or, if they're interested in a quality, get it to sync with computers and MobileMe.

AT&T, out of the big 3, has the worst coverage. I commute daily up and down interstate 95, and I consistently lose my signal. Is it wrong to assume that cell carriers should cover major interstates that carry the bulk of U.S. traffic, from supplies to family visits? There's only 1 hit-or-miss spot with my personal Sprint phone, and that's on the bridge that crosses the Rappahannock River. I'll be switching to Verizon, who has the best coverage out of the big 3, as soon as the Blackberry Bold becomes available to them.

I had to recharge my first iPhone twice a day. Prior to the 2.1 firmware update, my daily routine consisted of recharging the phone as soon as I got up, and recharging it after I got home. The timing of the firmware update was impeccable because I was about to give my first iPhone up pretty quick. I'm still trying to get a feel for the iPhone 3G's battery life because it sucked for the first 2 days I had it, but I woke up with a full bar this morning.

To sum everything up: 1. the 3G headphones use the same connector that the first iPhone uses, and I'm content with using it, 2. I still don't surf the Internet like I thought I would, and retrieving e-mail seems the same, 3. still no "cut and paste" feature, 4. iPhone Notes is still a stand-alone application, 5. I still lose a signal while commuting, and 6. neither phone has the battery issue when I purchased my first generation iPhone. I do like the GPS feature, which I'm still playing with, but it's not a Garmin or Tom Tom - the first gen iPhone Google Maps app worked just fine. Money-wise, the 3G wasn't worth the upgrade. Nerd-wise, I'm having fun playing with the GPS feature.

One more thing, and I'm going to sound like a fanboi for a moment ... the iPhone is definitely the direction phones need to go in. I think people want a compact phone that's simple to use, but has a enough capability to do what they quickly need. I don't like having a behemoth that's going to give me shoulder issues down the road, or something that requires me to use a toothpick to use it. The iPhone is small enough to fit in my pocket, and it allows me to keep in touch with people on a larger scale, which sucks on a small phone with a tiny screen and using SMS. I've mentioned this to other people, a Windows Mobile phone definitely has more features, but the iPhone package seems more polished. At the moment it has nowhere to go but up, and that price cut definitely helped.

Technorati Tags: Apple, iPhone, 3G, GPS, Concerns

I drown myself in thoughts and ideas. Sometimes I wish I had more control over them, like being able to have a thought-free vacation, but I can't. The idea for this post was birthed from a thought about logging about my recent CPAP usage, which came from a self-congratulatory thought about using my CPAP consistently, and that thought came from a realization that I haven't been waking up with a dry sore throat from using the machine lately.

Those four thoughts lead to other thoughts and ideas; logging about my CPAP usage lead to thinking about what format to use, which lead to a thought about redesigning my page, and that thought went to publishing method (from scratch (PHP/MySQL), Movable Type, computer application, etc).

I think this is a key reason why I can't consistently write, from getting my thoughts down, to using grammar correctly. To combat this, I decided to acquire various devices with recording features and software transcription applications that will help me put what I say into text form, ostensibly to chisel out what it is I want to say. That idea is great, but the main obstacle at the moment is lacking the option to use recording devices in the office. I've thought about typing my thoughts down as I get them in the office, but more ideas eventually start to sprout before I can even complete the thought I was starting to write about.

There is no doubt that I will eventually find resolve to my dilemma, but the path can sure be frustrating. On the plus side, I've been using my CPAP machine almost every day since I received my "bad boy" phone call from the CPAP therapist on November 11th. The only exceptions are that Tuesday because I hadn't cleaned the machine and replenished the water, and last Saturday because I was more than mildly intoxicated.

I also woke up with John Denver's song "Take Me Home, Country Roads" in my head this morning.

Technorati Tags: Me, CPAP, Thoughts, Ideas

I have friends that I discuss things with. However, I don't rely on their words for what I believe, and I expect them to not rely on mine. With that being said, I think we're all guilty at times for falling victim in our haste to keep on top of everything. What I try to do to eliminate the ignorance is provide people resources for a place to start, like the CIA World Fact Book, government agencies, and, with elections, related campaign websites and the literature they provide.

I usually take news articles with a grain of salt until I can read the source of their article, or, in cases where they witnessed something instead of having a source, I try to let my experience be my guide. In areas that I don't have access to the source or experience then that information has no value to me, so I tend to disregard it until something of value comes around to support that information.

Obvious bias also affects the information I take into account. 2 perfect examples that I don't bother with are, 1. Obama is the most liberal politician, and 2. McCain was a poor pilot after crashing 5 planes. The National Review, a conservative source, is the one that coined Obama being the most liberal. Seriously, what person would use information that has a biased lean? I'm sure Obama voted with his party, as well as McCain, and to assume otherwise would be pretty ignorant. I found out via Daily Kos about McCain's plane mishaps. Since they're a liberal blog, I consistently applied my logic - McCain didn't crash 5 planes, it was 4, and he was cleared from negligence.

I don't know Latin, but I do value the point to the phrase "caveat emptor." You're only as smart as the source of information you buy into.

Technorati Tags: Society, Politics, Information, Knowledge, Learning, Obama, McCain, Liberal, Conservative

Microsoft follows the same fate as Apple: barely feeling the pulse of trends in technology. One consumer trend Microsoft doesn't follow is having 1 multi-capable operating system for 1 price. Seriously, why is it necessary to have 30 flavors of an OS that confuses consumers? I've had many clients who have confused Windows Home with Media Center, and I've had a couple that bought Home thinking they had Professional. The only thing it does is it keeps people like me in business. However, more of my time is spent trying to differentiate what version they have instead of working on the problem. Add Vista to the XP edition mess and you have people jumping to a Macintosh, which is understandable - who wants to waste time on researching an OS when they can be productive?

To be fair, I've read non-Microsoft speculation about multiple editions, but I haven't read anything official about it yet. Looking back at history, however, Microsoft runs like our government: keep throwing money at a problem thinking it will get resolved instead of creating a new solution. That does nothing but waste money and leaves an opening for new ideas, which is why I'm really thinking of switching to a Linux OS for my main computing environment. Windows code is bloated and outdated, the menu design wastes window real estate (read: Vista), and there are multiple versions to do the 1 thing that everyone wants it for. So what reasons do I actually have as a consumer to purchase Windows 7 when I'm content with the Fisher-Price designed Windows XP?

Technorati Tags: Microsoft, Windows, XP, Vista, 7, Apple, Linux, Software, Operating System

I'm looking at Zen Garden apps for my iPhone, and one thing that annoys the piss out of me is not being able to compare items prior to purchasing. If Steve Jobs/Apple Inc. are the pinnacle of design excellence that so many regard them as then why doesn't iTunes have a "tabs" feature? Tabbed windows have been a staple of browsing information for years now, from web browsers to text editors. So how can a multi-billion dollar company flub on something so basic?

I'm stuck with iTunes, AT&T, and painfully annoying browsing in iTunes. I started using Apple products about 3 years ago, and I'm still waiting for this religious experience that I keep hearing about. So far their new computer designs look more at home in a kitchen, software features are hit-or-miss, and who was sleeping behind the wheel on the AT&T deal? It's almost like everyone on their design teams feel a faint pulse of tech trends, which explains why some ideas actually work.

Technorati Tags: Apple, Steve Jobs, iTunes, iPhone, AT&T, Software, App Store