Feb 12 2010
It’s a snowy day in Georgia…
…I believe it must be snowing all over the world.
Feb 07 2010
Men to Boys… 1982 Superbowl Ad
This is a game that Steve Wozniak worked on for Atari to earn some quick money for Apple production. But… look how prophetic this ad was! Men have been embracing their inner boyhood ever since TV, PC, and console gaming became available.
See ten more Tech related Superbowl ads HERE
Jan 30 2010
iThink iMay iThink iMight
I am a computer guy… have been since 1979. Since then I have used UNIX, CP/M, DOS, GEM, Windows, OS/2, and Linux. The one popular OS I’ve never used is Mac OS (or Mac OS X). I am ready to try it out. I want to see for myself if the Apple tax is worth it. If not, I’ll have a great laptop I can load Linux on that will last a long time.
I am 90% sure I want to go with the 15″ Mac Book Pro, not sure if I’ll take the processor or RAM upgrade yet. In addition, I think we’ll try the iPad once it comes out. I believe Wendy would love it. Why?
I have had the iPhone 3G for one year now, this month. It still looks like new, it still works like new, and still blows my mind with how useful and fun it is to use. I take it everywhere, I use it for everything. I feel like I have a Star Trek worthy tool with me at all times. It can guide me from anywhere to anywhere, driving or walking. I can reserve movies with a couple clicks at a Red Box or buy tickets at Fandango on the spur of the moment. I can read any news any where, major publications like USA Today, New York Times. I can tap into any news network, communicate with anyone in my social media network in half a dozen different ways at any time. People I specify can “find” or track me with GPS wherever I go, as long as I’m carrying my iPhone. I can check for any business such as a restaurant or a product such as a Book, and the iPhone will not only tell me the closest place it’s available, but the cheapest as well, and the GPS will guide me there. I can snap a photo of any book cover and get a synopsis and rating of the book. I can park in the great outer reaches of a crowded mall and the iPhone will guide me back to my car. I can scan a bar code of any product for price shopping and comparison.
It would be a shorter list if I listed what the iPhone can not do for me. (And there’s a wife for that.)
Speaking of Wendy, I can see her now, curled up in her chair with her iPad, browsing the kids latest videos and photos, reading her novel of the month, all the while listening to one of her many Donnie Osmond albums. Maybe, just maybe, she may even use her email!
Many times while watching a movie or program we’ll wonder about what some actors name is or what they played in before – well there would be an app for that on the convenient iPad sitting right there next to her. It’s small, light, has long battery life, easy to use. You can browse your TV schedule without flipping through the TV screen menus or program pages, and probably will be able to use it as a remote control even.
As much as I love Linux and open source, as easy as it would be to settle for Windows 7, and even as cheap as I am, I think it’s worth the risk of paying a little more, for what some say is the best laptop made.
I never would have considered it had it not been for the iPhone. Maybe that’s the genius of Apple marketing.
Nov 21 2009
Scary Jobs
A couple loose tiles fell out of the wall. No problem. I can fix that. Hmmm, the next ones around it are loose too. Hmmm, seems the sheetrock has some water damage. I pulled back to the first stud and it was damaged. Uh-oh. This could get big. Pulled the tiles down to the next stud, it was damaged. Bad. So I had to take down the whole wall. Thank goodness the outer two studs are in perfect condition. Had they been damaged, the repair would have gone beyond the bathroom and likely cost thousands.
It’s looks scary when you begin the destruction phase of a repair or renovation. I always think, do I really want to try this or should we call a pro? Considering I can do it myself for about $300.00 and a professional would cost at least 3 times that, I’ll take my chances. (What could go wrong?) I’ve actually done this before. You get experienced in a lot of things over 50 years when you’re always too broke to pay for plumbers, carpenters, masons, mechanics and so forth.
Tomorrow, I’ll pull down the remaining old insulation, remove and replace the damaged studs (the 2 in the middle), put up new backer board and re-tile.
