Category Archives: Technology

Where's my money?

I got my PowerBook in May of 2003. Some of you may remember my announcement when I bought it. I’m very happy with the purchase—but now I want a new machine. Maybe a dual processor G5. And a pony. And an EZ Bake Oven. This is the part where I look at my mortgage statement, and sigh.

Last Christmas, I bought my parents an iBook.

They love it so far. They’re acclimating to it slowly, but they seem to want to use it a lot more than any Windows machine they’ve ever had. Today, my mother and father wanted to get their Barcelona pictures off the camera and onto the iBook. It went well. Much easier than trying to get them to do things on a Windows machine. Here is the condensed version:

“Okay Mom, I want you to plug in the USB cable into the camera, and then into the iBook.”
“Okay.”
“Now wait. Okay, press “Import.”
“Oh wow, that works. There are my pictures! This is really easy! You’re so thoughtful and patient!”

This condensed version is the only one available to American audiences because in the orginal, my mother doesn’t know which port is the USB port, and then can’t find the “Import” button after iPhoto started up. Test audiences found this “Director’s Cut” extremely trying and frustrating.

Some walked out of the theater.

It was during this conversation with my Mother and Father (held over Skype, which they love) that I was reminded that my brother also owns an iBook. He bought one soon after Mom and Dad did. Now, my mother and father may need another iBook because they’re already squabbling over who gets to use it.

But, here’s my point: My entire family is a “switch” ad.

Dave, I can feel my rice. . . cooking.

I’ve finally decided on a rice cooker.

In the end, “Rice Princess” gave way to the “Rice of Tomorrow, Here Today!”

Yes, I know that I am paving the way for our robot overlords. But the alternative?

Eating rice from a teflon compromised cooker.

That and cross referencing the star charts with the tidal schedule just to eat rice was getting cumbersome. Now, “Neuro Fuzzy Logic” can take all of the associated measurements (over the internets!) and make sure that my rice is perfect–each time!

Coming to grips with my own mortality

It’s features like this article from 1up.com that really, really hit home. The article is about younger kids playing games from the earlier generations of game systems, and their comments on what the games are like. Funny stuff. . .

I am going to die.

Like TIVO, but with conversations

Time-shift is part of your fair usage bill of rights. Just a reminder. Now, on to the post.

With instant messaging, I realize that I’ve shifted away from “correspondence” and moved to “time-shifted conversations.” Talking about Cole, one of Julietz80’s dogs.

10:24 Julietz80: wetted down, he’s a chick pea
11:23 Praxis Loki: A FAT chick pea.

I like my use of the capitals to emphasize my tone of voice in this particular conversation. Note the hour lapse. I can see having this conversation face to face.

We are having dinner at Julietz80’s house. Cole waddles by, a bundle of white fur and two black dots for eyes. I note that he’s gotten larger in the last few weeks.

“Well, wetted down, he’s about the size of a chick pea.” Julietz80 explains.

Fifty-nine minutes pass. DanROliver prepares hotdogs on their outgoor gas monster that they call a grill. I have a hot dog with ketchup and chopped onions.

I stand up from the table, hot dog in hand. “A FAT chick pea!!”

There’s an uncomfortable silence as Julietz80 and DanROliver back away from the table. Julietz80 calls the police.

Proof, once again, that a lot of things are better out in the real world.

Robot Ninjas!

Well, not ninjas exactly, but sumo, karate, and tai chi robots, certainly.

Sure, they’re only 30cm tall now, but wait until some scientist says to himself, “Hey, I’ll bet we could scale that up a bit.”

This is of course, following the usual, “FOOLS! They all laughed! But I’ll show them all, now!” speech.