Blog
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.
Kids Eat Paste
Hey, friends, anyone want a subscription to Paste magazine? It's pretty darn cheap.- 11 issues for $15. Contact me if you're interested. Remember that each issue comes with a 20-song sampler CD and tons of musically-informed reading.
Testing The Go-To Card
For the past month or so, I have been testing the MetroTransit's much-delayed Go-To Card system. I remember over three years ago when I started seeing things about Go-To Cards coming in early 2004 with the opening of the Hiawatha Light Rail line. However, the Go-To Card systems have been sitting idle for the last two years at light rail stations and on buses.
After a month of testing it, I'd have to say it's a very nice system. Instead of flimsy, disposable paper passes, this is a durable, hard plastic card like a credit card. The card does not need to be stuck in a machine, it just needs to be swiped over the card reader. (Sometimes it has been a bit whiny about it, misreading it if I swipe it over too fast.) It's much faster and easier to use than the old Stored Value paper cards.
However, the biggest benefit is the reusability. You don't have to buy new cards every month or two. You just keep using the card and putting more money on it. And putting more money on the card is getting easier and easier. Before you had to go to a MetroTransit outlet to buy a pass. Now you can add money to the Go-To Card at MetroTransit Stores or at any Light Rail station.
I just did it yesterday. I swiped my Go-To Card to the ATM-style ticket machine at the Light Rail station on the way home from work. I told the machine that I wanted to pay $10 for $11 of value on the Go-To Card. (Yes, they still reward people who don't pay with cash.) I stuck my credit card into the machine and it immediately transferred the money. It took less than a minute, printed me a receipt, and let me pay seconds later with the money I added to my Go-To Card.
Apparently the 2,500-person test has ran out and they will not start selling them to the full public until late January. I recommend you check it out when its available no matter if you just sometimes use the bus or you use it all the time.
My only questions are: when are they going to start testing the monthly pass Go-To Card system? And how does that work with the stored value? Can they be on the same card?
Superb Design and Community Functionality
I love stuff that is designed really well and functions amazingly well. And, because I live in a house with 16 other people, it's always important to think about big scale. And Jennifer from 9of.us pointed out an amazing (and probably fairly expensive) custom-made product: the expanding table! Check it in action:
What do you think? That's so much cooler than just the table that adds some leaves in the middle. But it looks expensive, and we already have plenty of tables at our houses.
Amazon and Google In 10 Years
Yesterday, while at my grandfather's 90th birthday party, I was talking to my cousin once removed, who has been involved in the business world for the past 30 years. He's a smart guy and I respect him.
However, over the course of the night, he talked about a couple technology companies. For some reason, he enjoyed predicting their demise. He said that Google would only be a brand name of a larger company in 10 years. He also said that Amazon.com would not exist in 10 years. When trying to press him for reasons to this, I was unable to get much of any answer. I guess he assumed it would be too much for me to understand or something.
To be honest, I highly doubt these companies will be gone. Sure, Google has only been in existence for less than 10 years, but they are currently one of the biggest companies in the world and are nowhere close to being bankrupt. They're one of the few tech companies that are doing many intriguing things. Plus, they are synonymous with "search".
For me, Amazon.com is the same thing as "shopping". Sure, I price compare a bit, but often I end up at Amazon.com anyways. They may not have the lowest price, but they have a great, low price and don't charge me sales tax. Plus, for almost everything, if I order more than $25 they will ship it for free, and those factors usually make it the cheapest. Plus, they're reliable.
There's an interesting interview with Amazon.com's Jeff Bezos on BusinessWeek's site. The founder of the Internet's largest online store talks about the many things they're doing with their online presence, some of which are not that related to shopping. He explains that most of these are just opening up their internal systems for the benefit of others. Also, he talks about the benefit of their customers providing information that computers cannot compute. The biggest point about their process was that they spent the time to get the backend systems working great. That's important.
A couple years ago I ordered a CD from another large online retailer. After a couple months, the retailer sent me an e-mail saying that they could not get the product so they refunded me my order. With Amazon.com I'm sure they got their stuff together and that won't happen. A couple times it has taken them a while to find a product, but their automated systems kept me updated by e-mail on the status of the product ordered. With the other retailer, I was like, "How am I supposed to get the product now? You seriously let me down."