Technology
Disposable Apps
August 9, 2008, 12:34 PM | 0 Comments
I bought the iPhone on day one here in Canada and have been mostly happy with it since that point. In using the iPhone, there have been no shortage of “wow moments” as I continue to get familiar with the interface and all the new features that Apple has packed into the 2.0 version of the iPhone OS. One of my favourite new features is the App store, which has opened up an entire world of new possibilities on the iPhone.
One of the most attractive features of the app store is that most of the apps are reasonably priced at under $10 (some very good apps even come in at below $5). Sure, I’d prefer free software just as much as the next guy, but such a low price point for most apps makes it easy to download as many for-profit apps as the free ones. One other plus is that it makes the possible regret very minimal if you happen to purchase a dud. This has had me thinking lately about whether or not Apple has ushered in a new era of what I call “Disposable Applications.”
Thanks Microsoft!
March 3, 2008, 10:16 PM | 0 Comments
I’ve purposefully stayed out of the much-debated decision that Microsoft had apparently made with IE 8 to use version targeting because I can honestly say that I see both sides to the argument and I don’t feel very strongly about either position. Today though, I’m breaking my silence on the topic because Microsoft has made an important decision.
In a complete reversal of their position, Microsoft today announced that IE 8’s new standards mode will be on by default. What this means is that developers will have to explicitly tell IE 8 to act like IE 7, not the other way around as had been previously planned.
Why I still can’t use Safari
December 21, 2007, 8:11 AM | 1 Comment
It’s been just over a year since I made the full time switch to Mac and my software tastes have definitely evolved some since I first posted my list of frequently used applications a while back. Sometime soon, I’ll probably revise that list, but for now I just wanted to touch on one application that I still can’t use on a regular basis. Safari.
Hotel Internet Acce$$
June 2, 2007, 12:09 PM | 10 Comments
I read John Allsopp’s post on the state of Australia’s wi-fi availability today and I couldn’t help but share his pain about how much certain hotels charge for Internet access. My recent experiences have led me to believe that (at least in Canada) the nicer the hotel you stay at, the more they’re going to charge you to use their connections.
One Problem with Template-Generated Content
April 24, 2007, 11:32 PM | 1 Comment
Content Management Systems (CMS’s) are great. The power and flexibility they offer website owners make them an invaluable piece to any “modern” site. Every now and then though, CMS’s can show their weaknesses. Whether it be limiting the front end of a site because of what the CMS can or cannot do (which should never happen, but it does) or it just makes it too darn easy to publish some content, CMS’s have some drawbacks.
Continue reading One Problem with Template-Generated Content »
iTunes: Are Movies and TV Shows Coming to Canada Soon?
March 7, 2007, 10:07 AM | 16 Comments
Apple’s recent foray into the home theatre market segment has got me interested. The Apple TV (or iTV as it was formerly known) is an intriguing product that I think has a lot of potential… at least in the United States. What I’m wondering about though is when (if ever) Apple will make that same TV and movie content that’s available to the US iTunes store available here in Canada.
While it’s not heavily featured on Apple’s Canadian website at the time of this writing, Apple TV still is being advertised and sold north of the border. Obviously it’s not being delivered yet – Apple has already pushed back the ship-date and the reasons have been heavily debated and discussed. Hopefully though, the fact that Apple is still choosing to market this product in several areas where the iTunes store doesn’t carry the very content the Apple TV is meant for means that they are well on their way to actually releasing some good content here in Canada.
Continue reading iTunes: Are Movies and TV Shows Coming to Canada Soon? »
Gravatar 2.0
February 27, 2007, 8:30 PM | 0 Comments
A few weeks back I was asked about the comment avatars that are displayed on my site and how to use them. Since August of 2006, I’ve been using a great service called Gravatar that allows users to have an avatar associated with their email address.
Switch Journal: the Apple Remote
February 3, 2007, 12:57 AM | 3 Comments
When I was waiting to buy my MacBook Pro I sort of thought that Front Row and the Apple Remote were neat features, but I honestly didn’t imagine myself using them as much as I do, particularly when it comes to the Apple Remote.
Back on the PC, I was using a Logitech MediaPlay mouse so I always had control of my media at the touch of a button. Unfortunately, the MediaPlay mouse is not really supported by OS X (although I’ve read about some hacks to get it to work), so I sort of lost that functionality… or so I assumed.
Switch Journal: Software
January 12, 2007, 12:40 AM | 1 Comment
In some cases, one of the biggest differences between the Mac and PC is the software applications created for each environment. Although more and more programs are being developed to be cross platform, the majority of really good niche apps (such as text editors, instant messaging software, FTP clients, etc.) are only available for a specific platform.
My switch to Mac has been made easier by the fact that a lot of the major applications I use on a day-to-day basis are available for the Mac platform. Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Office, and Mozilla Firefox are all great examples of major applications that are available on both. With that said, there are still a lot of programs that I used every day on my PC that aren’t available for the Mac, so I had to go out and find alternatives.
Switch Journal: First Impressions
January 6, 2007, 10:44 AM | 4 Comments
Well, here it is, part one of the recently announced Switch Journal. I promised that my first entry to this series would be all about my first impressions of the MacBook Pro and my “switch” experience, so that’s what this post will be all about. Experienced Mac users will probably have heard most of these thoughts (or thought them themselves) before, but feel free to add your input to the mix.
Reasons I Use Flock
November 4, 2006, 1:48 PM | 0 Comments
I’ve been a Firefox user for a while now and have been completely happy with Firefox as a browser ever since I switched from IE 6. Every now and then though, I’d find myself wishing for a little more in certain areas, especially when it came to Firefox’s RSS integration.
If you read my entry about RSS habits, you’ll remember that I decided to switch to Flock as my default browser based solely on the way it handles RSS feeds, but there are several other features of this browser that make it very nice to use.
What are your RSS habits?
October 11, 2006, 10:02 PM | 4 Comments
I’ve read a couple of postings over the past few days on the state of personal websites these days (Jeffrey Zeldman’s “Blahg” and Greg Storey’s answer to that over at Airbag titled “Boxes”) and they (and some of their comments) have gotten me to thinking about how people use RSS feeds.
I Want a MacBook Pro
August 16, 2006, 5:42 PM | 8 Comments
Even before Apple announced the switch to Intel processors a year ago, I knew I would be seriously considering the purchase of a new Mac for my next computer. Well, the time has come and I’m at the point where I’m ready to buy, but I find myself hesitating. The problem I’m having now is that there are some rumours going around about Apple updating their laptops to the new Intel Core 2 Duo processors in the near future.
Discovery
July 4, 2006, 5:35 PM | 0 Comments
That was awesome.
Regardless of where you stand on the validity or importance of NASA’s aging shuttle program, you cannot help but be captivated by the launch of Discovery this afternoon. I am still amazed and inspired every time I watch as another mission gets off the ground and the shuttle speeds into orbit. 14,000 miles per hour. Simply incredible.
Firefox 1.5 Review
December 10, 2005, 12:12 PM | 2 Comments
Firefox 1.5 has been out for about 2 weeks now, and after using it since it came out, I thought I’d post my thoughts on Mozilla’s latest offering.
The newest release of Firefox offers several enhancements and upgrades to existing features, some of which are really nice and negate the need to use a few popular extensions. As far as new features and major upgrades, anyone hoping for those will probably have to wait for Firefox 2.0.
Sony DRM Update
November 12, 2005, 4:11 PM | 0 Comments
What a difference a week can make! Exactly one week ago I posted my frustrations regarding Sony’s Digital Rights Mis-Management. Over the last 7 days there has been a few major developments in this story. It seems that I wasn’t the only person who was frustrated by the way Sony is going about their content protection.
Sony’s Digital Rights Mis-Management
November 5, 2005, 5:51 PM | 2 Comments
The other day I purchased a CD that ended up making me angry. Not because the music is angry in any sense, not because the music disappointed, but more because of Sony BMG’s ridiculous Digital Rights Management (DRM).
Unknowingly, I had purchased a disc that included copy protection software that not only limits the amount of times you can copy the CD, but also forces you to use a protected Windows Media audio format if you’d like to copy your music to your computer - which makes it extremely difficult to copy the CD to your iTunes music library, and ultimately, your iPod.
The New iPod and iTunes 6
October 12, 2005, 2:22 PM | 0 Comments
So I’ve been paying attention to Engadget & iLounge’s blogs about the Apple keynote that’s going on called ‘One More Thing.’ I have to say that I’m super impressed by the new iPod and iTunes 6. They’re ground breaking, as Apple products always are.
Let’s get right to it. The new iPods are video capable, thinner than the previous iPods, and cost the same amount. They’re available in 30 and 60 GB models in white or black (just like the iPod nano). Because of the video features, they now have a larger screen (2.5 inches, instead of the previous 2 inch screens). It appears that the U2 iPods are now history.
Feeling Old… at 21!
August 25, 2005, 5:01 PM | 3 Comments
This year has seen a number of significant changes for me. I’ve switched jobs twice, graduated from college, gotten married, watched some of my friends get married, and watched others have their first child.
These events however, have not actually made me feel old. At 21, I am still a young man with a lot to learn, but I have come to discover that no matter what age you are, certain events will come about that make you feel… well, old.
I Want an iPod (Who Doesn’t?)
July 21, 2005, 11:00 AM | 1 Comment
I’ve always seen the iPod as a cool little device, but always saw it as a little overpriced. More and more however, I’ve seen how good the iPod actually is, how well designed it is, and have myself thinking on several occasions: “it’s not that bad.”
Then I bought an iPod mini for my wife for her birthday… as soon as I saw the packaging it came in, I was impressed! It’s that attention to detail that sets Apple apart.