just an asterisk

I was going to call this post, the anatomy of a domain, after a Kids in the Hall sketch that I had (incorrectly) thought was called the “anatomy of a joke”.  In fact, the sketch is called “Sketch Comedy” and the premise is to describe what goes into a good sketch.  If you’re interested, check the out the video and the transcript…

Despite my mistake, I still want to go into the anatomy of a domain.  I want to try convince you that (no matter who you are) you can have your own web domain.  You can have your emails go to me@bobsagget.me or me@JAAismyfavoriteblog.com.  It’s not hard, nor should it be only done by professionals.  If you want a weekend project, and don’t mind reading a little bit, you too can have your own space on the fantastic interweb…  I should point out that this isn’t entirely free.   However, for less than price of 3 lattes, we can get you up and running. Read more »

Truth be told, I was probably more excited to read this article than most… I love to read old technology reviews, detailed descriptions of gadgets that are no longer a mystery, circuits that nearly every self-respecting geek can explain down to the wire.  An ego booster for sure, these articles make me smile, as I chuckle about how little they know back then.  Moreover, I know I’m not alone – millions of geeks probably got the same kicks.

However, from time to time, these reminiscences spark a different fire, forcing me to think (with great respect) on how much has changed in so little time.*  Here is the article that got me thinking.   There are few quaint moments “The case and computer together weigh 22 pounds” and “Your type can be in bold, italic, underline or even shadow print“ but the part that really got me was this line:

… it uses a hand-held “mouse” — a small pointing device which enables the user to select programs, and move data from one part of the screen to another…

Isn’t that incredible?!?  A “mouse” in 1984 was a tremendous novelty.

Read more »

There were a lot of pun options for Google’s new product Google Wave, but I decided to keep it simple… I awoke this morning (in Turkey) to find a lovely little invite in my Gmail box.  To paraphrase, it said – “Dear Alex, welcome to Google wave.  You’re invited to preview our new toy.”  Well it’s about time!  The buzz from the internet community has grown from mere whispers a year ago to a roar, as new people were invited to try to the preview every day.  Lifehacker.com has been writing articles on the subject now for a month or so, normally a sure signal that we normal folks will get a shot soon. 

Want an invite?  Reply back in the comments with a post idea for JustanAsterisk.  I’m going to give away 10 of these babies to the best ideas.  Browse around the site to figure out what is a good theme.

My plan is play with the wave for a bit and then write up some thoughts – feel free to include questions/thoughts/frustrations in the comments!

~ab

I’ve been thinking recently about the variety of questions I’m asked about technology and I was considering writing a little summary, with some thoughts on each idea.  However, Mr. David Pogue, of the New York Times, has beaten me to the punch.  In a recent post on his own blog, he wrote about some of the issues he’s asked about most often via email and during cocktail parties.  This article so far trumps my own thoughts on the subject, that I figured sharing would be much more appropriate than competing. 

Here is a link to Mr. Pogue’s work.

Enjoy (but come back here to get your next tip!)

~ab