just an asterisk

Maybe you don’t know this, but when you search for something in Google, and then click on my blog (or any blog) and arrive here, I can see what you searched for to get here. It’s a bit strange and voyeuristic, but it helps us bloggers figure out what people actually want to read.  For example, I know that someone searched for “three asterisk microsoft word” and ended being disappointed on my site (he/she only stuck around for 30 seconds).  By way of apology, I offer the answer that this mystery person was probably looking for, along with some other weird word tricks.  In the future, you won’t even have to think it before I’ll write a post… :) Read more »

In truth, I get it. The idea is so simple: click a button, pay $100 for a year and receive your push mail, contacts, calendar, storage for your photos and files, plus a “find my iphone” application all in one handy interface to your computer. However, it forever irks me when I’m told about these services as if they are the only game in town. I mentioned my doubt to the Mac Store genius a few days ago and was told “yes but MobileMe is seemless and far less complicated”…

That sounded like a challenge to me, so I wrote out my alternative to MobileMe system.  I thought it would take longer, but it’s actually quite simple.  Here are my choices: Read more »

If you’re trying to decide between the hot new Nexus One vs. the iPhone 3Gs, here’s the skinny on what sets them apart. Both phones sport the aesthetic appeal of that sleek “wow” factor sheen, but there are a few differences you should know about which may make one a better fit for your needs than the other. Read more »

Tired of PowerPoint? Want a simple online alternative that beats Google Presentations? Checkout Prezi.com. I won’t write much more about it – you can see my demo presentation embeded below.

Good luck!!!

~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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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

My dear wife,

You were right.  It took me nearly a year, I swore up and down that my Flickr account was the bees knees, I wrote articles and explanations of how to use Flickr’s advanced tool set, and I ruined perfectly good cocktail party conversations, berating all services that did not stack up to my personal choice.

A year has gone by and now, like a dope, I have to reverse my position.  Why?  Because Picasa just changed the game, and I can no longer ignore the beautiful integration between Picasa and all my other apps.  Before I start into the details, this isn’t to say that Flickr is a bad service – it’s just no longer for me (yes I’m trying to save face – but let’s not write off Flickr entirely… there are too many devotees).

Without any more ado, here are the top 4 reasons I’ve decided to change over.

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I know that no one really needs yet another piece of software, but I figured that this might be something fun to share with friends and to get the word out about Just An Asterisk.  I’ve created a little launcher to automate some commands for PC users.  It’s nothing fancy, but it does do a few of the tasks that I find most universal among computer users these days. Read more »

On Just an Asterisk, I try not to copy other site’s posts.  Normally, there is enough fun out there to write about and it simply doesn’t need to happen.  However, while reading a lifehacker this past week (a highly recommended site by the way), I noticed this article and had such a good time playing with it that I wanted to share.

TiltShift lets you fiddle with your images to make them look like models.  I decided to play with an photo that I shot in London a few weeks ago.

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