Monthly Archives: January 2010

Josh’s Lifelog for 2010-01-13

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  • Wilsonville burglars nabbed by Android app that backs up pics. Yes, they took pics of themselves. http://bit.ly/4WcL8z #
  • Dreamed I lived with @donttrythis and Jamie. We sang TMBG "Here Comes Science" while tearing stuff apart. Adam couldn't sing. :-) #
  • I might be watching too many episodes of @Mythbusters and Dirty Jobs on Netflix before bed. Might. :-) #
  • @todd_logan I have a mancrush on both Adam and Jamie. And Grant and Kari. I don't think Tory and I would get along, though. ;-) in reply to todd_logan #
  • RT @peat: An Alien facehugger plush cover for CPAP masks would sell like hotcakes! Time to mod one of these? http://bit.ly/7ukD8G #
  • It occurs to me that a large number of geeky-type people I know suffer from sleep apnea and use a CPAP/BiPAP machine (I do). #
  • @macfixer No, man. "Geeky-type" is the highest praise I can give. :-) in reply to macfixer #
  • Wow. Google fires a warning shot across China's bow re: spying and censorship: http://bit.ly/4MAjhJ #
  • Notice that Google didn't hold a press conf. or brief reporters about their China news. They just posted it to their blog. #
  • @bobduffy @cvelis I wasn't meaning to say "Google is the media." What I meant was anyone can use their blog that way. PR has changed. in reply to bobduffy #
  • Just had a surprisingly great talk with 6yo @emmabancroft about human rights, freedom of speech, and racism. #prouddaddy #
  • Now @rachelbancroft and @emmabancroft are reenacting the Revolutionary War with baby carrots… :-) #

Josh’s Lifelog for 2010-01-12

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  • Somehow the scent of lovely deep fried food is making its way from the cafeteria to our building. Making me bonkers for some crab puffs. :-) #
  • I just ousted John J. as the mayor of Intel – Jones Farm on @foursquare! http://4sq.com/8chn4v #
  • Glad we don't have one of these in our backyard. But he's awesome anyway: Death Metal Rooster http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A43JOxLa5MM #
  • Realistic Lego models http://j.mp/8vOrL5 WANT. #
  • Is it just me, or did Bejeweled Blitz on the iPhone stop posting to Facebook every time I start playing? Now I can be more stealthy! :-) #
  • Foursquare 1.5 for iPhone, with "check in anywhere" and a refreshed UI, is now available in the App Store: http://twitpic.com/xrhac #

Josh’s Lifelog for 2010-01-08

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  • National Weather Service starts #wxrport to do what #pdxtst does – geotagged weather reports. Cool, but not all tweets have geo data yet… #
  • I'd love to pick up a new Sprint Overdrive 3G/WiMAX, uh, thingy. The dual-bandy-ness of it almost makes a 2yr $60/mo contract bearable. #
  • Wondering when we'll get all the yummy v2 features (lists, search sync, etc.) in the desktop version of Tweetie? (hint hint @atebits!) #
  • @Tersteeg I'd never replace home broadband with it. You can take away my Fios when you pry it from my cold, dead hands. :-) in reply to Tersteeg #
  • @jezlyn I'm sure there's the usual 5gb Sprint bandwidth cap. I'd also consider the new Pre Plus with wifi sharing if it did WiMAX too. in reply to jezlyn #
  • Just gave @blogan a sneak peek at my "petting zoo". Read into that what you will. :-) #

Josh’s Lifelog for 2010-01-07

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  • Sparkfun Electronics "Free Day" $100 promotion proves too much for their servers. Smoking crater. Hope I get my Arduino kit + tools! #
  • @phj_pdx Heh. Yeah, I'm not surprised SparkFun melted. I've been avoiding tweeting about it so as not to contribute to the DDoS. :-) in reply to phj_pdx #
  • Well that was disappointing. Sparkfun Free Day was a total bust. Servers got nuked, and now it's over. Oh well. :-( #
  • Is it just me, or do the iPhone push notifications from the new 3.1 Facebook app have no sound at all? That's… annoying. #
  • @mtrichardson I've been using Boxcar to get push notifications from Facebook (volume is OK for me), I'm debating switching to native FB push in reply to mtrichardson #
  • Wish I could share what I have in my hot little hands right now. Not yet. In meetings, haven't even played much yet. :-) #
  • Used Chrome for Mac (dev) as my main browser for 1 day. Missed 1Password so much, I'm going back to Firefox until 1P for Chrome is out. #
  • Chrome for Mac was definitely faster than Firefox (3.6 RC1), but I had no idea how dependent I'd become on 1Password's functionality. #
  • I am aware of the bookmarklet workaround to use 1Password in Chrome for Mac, but I want full integration. Call me greedy. :-) #
  • All this slate/tablet excitement reminds me of the heady days when UMPCs were going to be The Next Big Thing(TM). Ah, nostalgia. :-) #
  • I'm going to be livetweeting/covering the @Intel CEO CES Keynote over on the @IntelSoftware account, if you want to join me. Big news! :-) #
  • There's going to be a big announcement about a program my team has worked HARD on for the last few months. Exciting! :-) #
  • RT @IntelSoftware: Watch Paul Otellini's CES keynote LIVE now at http://facebook.com/intel – big news if you're a developer who likes money. #
  • RT @IntelSoftware: Announcing the Intel AppUp Center Beta – store for netbook applications. http://intelappup.com #ces #dev4atom #

Josh’s Lifelog for 2010-01-06

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  • @aaroneiche Uh oh. I hope they fix it. I've been waiting anxiously for SparkFun Free Day ever since they announced it. :-) in reply to aaroneiche #
  • @aaroneiche I was looking forward to getting a nice soldering iron, maybe some other basics. I'd love to make a solar Chicken Cam. :-) in reply to aaroneiche #
  • RT @gregleff: Dang it, as if I wasn't already geeking out about the Chevy Volt – they have to go and add an iPhone app?! http://post.ly/HRrN #
  • Woo hoo! Facebook 3.1 for iPhone is out in the App Store. Adds push notifications and contact sync (incl. pics). Go get it! :-) #
  • @gregleff I know. I used two paid 3rd party apps, Boxcar for push and FeX for contact sync. Facebook 3.1 replaces functionality of both. in reply to gregleff #
  • Facebook 3.1 for iPhone contact sync complete. Opted not to replace photos, but it added missing ones. Added an fb:// profile link, too. #
  • Bonus: Since I sync my contacts with Google, all those contact photos from FB are now syncing up to Google, too. Cloud sync heaven. :-) #
  • I may keep Boxcar for Facebook push notifications, though, since it lets me customize the alert sound (I don't think FB 3.1 does that). #
  • @dnorton I was referring to the new contact sync and push notification features of version 3.1 of the Facebook app for iPhone. in reply to dnorton #
  • @dnorton Basically, the new FB app pulls profile pics and adds them to my iPhone Address Book, when then syncs over Google Sync. in reply to dnorton #
  • @ChrisHahn The sync operation runs continuously while the FB app is running, so it could update when someone changes their pic. Not sure. in reply to ChrisHahn #
  • @lunarobverse The FB app is behaving strangely for me, too. I think their sync/API servers are getting hammered as people get the new app. in reply to lunarobverse #
  • Doing it wrong – why would I wait? – @katusteve: Airliner bound for Maui returns to PDX – we'll tell you what happened – coming up tonight #
  • @ahockley but @thesquare did it right: Not only told us what happened, with a link, but made a joke at the same time: http://bit.ly/6S6cov in reply to ahockley #
  • @morganpdx For interview tips, I HIGHLY recommend watching Warren Etheredge's talk "Art of the Interview" at Gnomedex 9 http://bit.ly/7wuTx0 in reply to morganpdx #
  • The Dev channel version of Chrome for Mac now supports Extensions. Which means I can use XMarks. Now testing as my main browser. #
  • @gizmodo on new Blio reader: "you'd be right to point out that this kind of tech already exists, and it's called the internet" *chortle* #

Josh’s Lifelog for 2010-01-05

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  • Watching various sources for the Google Nexus One event: @scobleizer/tech-news-people, Ars, Engadget, Gizmodo, and Boy Genius. #
  • The multicolor flashing trackball (for notifications) on the Nexus One is bringing up flashbacks of the Danger Sidekick's colorful wheel. #
  • My Thoughts on the Fabled Apple "iSlate" Tablet http://post.ly/HJdj #
  • Nice! @bre and the @makerbot are on the cover of the upcoming Make Magazine volume 21 (just got my notice for the digital edition). #
  • Cinch http://j.mp/7j1XzC See also: "Tile Windows Vertically", available since Windows 3.1. ;-) #
  • Playing around with formspring.me – I love it when people ask me questions! http://formspring.me/jabancroft #
  • @rizzn Intel is going to live stream some stuff (Paul O,'s keynote, etc.). More info at http://facebook.com/intel #ces in reply to rizzn #
  • @matthewsmccoy Yeah, the formspring.me site has been really flaky for me, too. in reply to matthewsmccoy #
  • Parrot's AR.Drone helicopter brings military-style amusement to the iPhone http://j.mp/6GPoCc WANT. #
  • They're fiddling around with the UI for Google Reader Mobile (on iPhone) I see… #

My Thoughts on the Fabled Apple “iSlate” Tablet

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I’m trying to avoid writing about rumors and hype these days. There is plenty of that to go around, and I don’t need to tell you where to find it. I don’t have any facts, only opinions, and there’s really one main idea that I want to share here, sprinkled among the following posts. Go read them now, or save them for later when your brain can chew on them. There’s a lot to think about. They’re all interrelated, so read them in order, and form your own conclusions. :-)

These posts represent the best thinking I’ve read recently about how an Apple tablet device could potentially change personal computing. Besides the baseline gadget lust that such a device certainly inspires, there’s a bigger potential here. Because of the way the iPhone has changed my computing life (and computing *IS* my life), the idea of a big leap in the model of how we use computers is appealing and exciting to me. And if anyone can do it, Apple can.

Bring it on, Steve. Pretty please? :-)

Update: A great article from Andy Ihnatko along the same lines. Long and worth the read.

Josh’s Lifelog for 2010-01-04

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  • Doing a new year major cleanup of my feeds in Google Reader. Was at 594, basically dumping everything, putting the really good stuff back. #
  • Before: 564 feeds in Google Reader. After? 162. Ahhh. The annual feed distilling ritual is complete. Feel much better. :-) #
  • I've been using filters, like TechMeme, in conjunction with Instapaper (to read later) a lot more lately. Plus Twitter for real-time stuff. #
  • Correction: I went from 594 feeds in Google Reader (not 564) to 162, pruning 432 underperforming, outdated, and/or irrelevant feeds. #
  • @blogan I should do that (create an automated blogroll). That's one Bloglines feature that I really, really loved. in reply to blogan #
  • @blogan I know. I read your post. But it's still not 100% automated. You have to tag stuff. And does it handle folders/hierarchy? in reply to blogan #
  • @macfixer Yes I did – thank you! Do you still want me to send you the earpiece? in reply to macfixer #
  • @macfixer I'm sorry. I never got your address. Try again? Jabancroft@gmail.com in reply to macfixer #