just an asterisk

Dear reader,

A year has passed since my first JAA post.  All said, I’ve written 104 posts (with a few guests).  My hope is that these articles have helped strengthen your confidence to solve your own computer issues.  I will continue to write in 2010 and I hope that you’ll continue to read!

I leave you and 2009 with one of my favorite IT crowd clips.  If IT were less like this – I wouldn’t have a blog…

Happy, healthy, peaceful and safe new year to all!

~ab

There is a purity to the idea of music as the primary goal for the iPod (the phrase “it used to be about the music” always reminds me of Almost Famous and this scene above).  I’ve written about the feature craziness of the iPhone (here), but recently got an iPod Touch for Xmas, so I thought I would try an experiment.  You see, the iPod touch really has only two features – it plays music and video, like any iPod these days, AND it has a WiFi connection, a feature that leads to all sorts of mischief.  I wondered what I could get up to with only the WiFi connection.  Would the device still be useful if it were not about the music at all?

The results were entertaining.  I spent my vacation downloading apps and trying to get as much mileage out of the Touch as I could.  In fact, I’ll give you a preview of the ending: it was a lot of fun.  Let the games begin…

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Whether you celebrate the holiday or not, my very best to you all.

In 2010, may you be happy, healthy, peaceful and safe!

Sorry for the poor video quality, but this one is a classic (with John Denver).

~ab

I recently came across this project from Bonnier.  It’s a rather intense magazine prototype (that doesn’t exist yet), realized in response to a thought experiment on the future – What about magazines is so great that we’d want to preserve it when we go digital?  Well one answer is embedded below.

Mag+ from Bonnier on Vimeo.

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I’m in Bangalore right now, working during the week and exploring on the weekend.  I thought it would be fun to describe what it’s like, as it’s certainly one of  the most unusual experiences I’ve ever had. The photo above is the view from my hotel window.  I wouldn’t say it’s the best advertising, but it’s a good place to start this description. Read more »

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So your colleagues showed up at your desk with a bottle of beer or a Starbucks gift card or a little box with a bow and you’ve managed to suppress the BUT I DIDN’T GET YOU ANYTHING! for about the 10th time in one day.  Sigh… This is the holiday season in an office and although you love that people make the effort, you may feel a little overwhelmed buying even more presents (and for people you barely know outside of work).  The good news is that it’s completely avoidable.  You can arrive ready and not break the bank in the process.  The trick is to give everyone a custom tailored version of… the same thing.  This year, the price of digital media is so low, that I recommend a flash drive with portable apps.

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I received an email from my sister that said:

I have a webcam which I never thought was bad but whenever I video-chat with anyone they always say it’s grainy and the picture is not very good.  So, I was planning on getting a new one and was wondering what to look for.  Is expensive always better?

Great questions!  There are two major concerns with a webcam (other than price) – Frames and Resolution.  However, before you think about buying something new, consider the following options.

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I’m going nuts listening hearing the Kenny G covers of Bryan Adams tunes and the stupid Cisco MeetingPlace waiting room jingle (which plays on my headset probably 20 times per day).  I needed a bit of variety and this is theoretically my holiday month!  I’m supposed to hearing Xmas tunes ad nauseum.  I decided to fix it, tuning into the previously recommended GrooveShark (read the post here).  I’ve embedded my Xmas playlist in this post for all others who are away this December.

Enjoy

~ab

I was listening to skullcrusher island (a song) today and thought I’d share.  Here is the second verse, just to give you a taste…

I made this half-pony half-monkey monster to please you
But I get the feeling that you don’t like it
What’s with all the screaming?
You like monkeys, you like ponies
Maybe you don’t like monsters so much
Maybe I used too many monkeys
Isn’t it enough to know that I ruined a pony making a gift for you?

Something about this video just appeals to my mood right now and the description of a monkey-pony makes me think of the Iphone.  I heard about it first on Mental Floss, a blog that makes a nice change for the normal techie gibberish.  Anyway, here is the video.

Enjoy!
~ab