Blog Archive for January 2007
Cingular and AT&T Explained
Corporate buyouts can be so darn confusing. This week's example is Cingular, which bought out AT&T Wireless a couple years ago to become the largest provider. Apparently the big news of this week is that Cingular is now going to be merged back into the AT&T brand. To tell us how this works, here is the ever-humorous Stephen Colbert:
Apparently TV is Back
Yikes. Last night was just a regular night for me, but apparently it was the first TV event of the year, if everyone at my office is any indicator. Half the office spent the first 20 minutes of the day talking about that show American Idol. Maybe one of these years I'll be able to report on why anyone actually watches shows like that, but I doubt it'll ever make sense. I mean, seriously, the only things that are good on TV these days are reruns of Seinfeld and The Simpsons.
No iPhone Apps?
Hopefully it's not true. Of course, last week Steve Jobs announced the Apple iPhone. But, even though he claims it runs OS X, it seems that the early official word is that there will be no third-party apps.
What are third-party apps? They're the programs that anyone can make, sell, and install on their iPhones. For example, if I get an iPhone, I'm going to want an SSH application for it so that I can login and do server admin anywhere. I mean, my current Samsung i500 even has a free, open-source SSH client running on it.
If Apple's smart, they will release the iPhone in early to June to coincide with Apple's Worldwide Developer's Conference (WWDC). There, they'd tell us about the rest of the phone's features and give the developers all the information they need to make killer apps for it. If they don't allow third-party apps, sure, the Apple fanboys will buy it, but I probably won't.
Drupal 5.0 Released
Yesterday was the announcement of Drupal 5.0, the latest and greatest version of the open-source CMS, Drupal. So what's so cool about it? Well, there's the cool new default theme, an improved administration interface, and plenty more. Check out some of these features at a Drupal site I have set up, EmmausProject.com.
The Daily Section
Speaking of Community and living life in common, the guys at the house said they'd like to know more about be. They've laid down the challenge to have a "Word of the Day" thing or something. I don't know about words, but I can certainly bring something new to the table every day.
So, starting tomorrow morning, I'll have a daily idea. I figured if I was going to share it with the house, I may as well share it with the other two people who read this blog. ;-)
Update: I decided to call it the "daLy Update". It looks cooler than "daIly Update" and gets the same message across. Plus, it's a nod to my roommate, Kevin, too.
The Community Section
No, the "Community" section is not like the "Community" section of your local newspaper. That's call the "Mass Transit" section on this blog (talk about politics based on only one issue!).
I've been very surprised recently at how many people have been interested and talking about Christian Community in the circles I sometimes intersect with. Of course, being a member of a Christian Community can help that, but sometimes I think our Christian community is a bit lonesome. It's great to see others putting life in common, sharing life, and bringing Christ to others. Hopefully this section will promote discussion of what Community is, what the People of Praise is, and more.
Disclaimer: I am a covenanted member of the People of Praise but am by no means a spokesperson for the People of Praise. I am just a person trying to figure out what living life in common is all about. By no means is anything I say about People of Praise the community-wide doctrine; it is merely my opinion.
One of my favorite independent artists, Andrew Osenga, posted a great testament to his community on his blog. It was a delight to hear about the close-knit group of friends who were with each other through thick and thin. Of course, he also mentions Geof F. Morris, who seems to be near the center of almost every thriving Christian community online.
RSS by The Numbers
I love Google. Well, OK, I would like them even more if their stock went up to $630 like some smart guy thinks it will. But oh well.
I also love Google because they organize my life. One of my favorite apps is their "Inbox for the Web" tool, Google Reader. It rocks.
But why do I really love Google? Because they're all nerds. They love data. So, they just given me access to some of the data they've been mining in the form of my own personal Google Reader Trends. Check these out:
Yeah, you read that right. The Digg front page has an average of 123.0 posts per day. And recently I've read 0% of them. But Andrew Osenga and Robin Parrish will be happy to know that I read all the content off their sites. Also, apparently I was in dial-up land over Christmas if I look at usage. Shaun, I promise I'll read the rest of your posts if you send me your picks for Most Spun 2006.