Recently in Computers & Technology Category

Dear New Yorker Magazine:

As a long-time subscriber with many worn-looking copies of your magazine strewn liberally around my house, I am thrilled that you are launching a digital edition. I have long wished for a version of your magazine I could carry with me on some convenient little handheld device.

I'm still wishing.

1. What's with the two page sizes? One is unreadable, and the other is WAY too big, even for my generously proportioned computer screen.
2. How am I supposed to read those multiple columns on my computer screen? Do I have to scroll up and down like that?
3. WHY CAN'T I CUT AND PASTE? What about fair use?
   
4. Why do you log me out so quickly?
5. Did anybody actually try USING THIS THING FIRST?
6. Works on the iPhone, did you say? Oh how we all laughed!
   
7. Why do I have to zoom out to turn pages?
   
8. An online magazine Should.Not.Require.So.Many.Instructions.

OK, it's really simple. I want a version formatted to be read on my Sony Reader and my iPhone. I want it to be in single-column format. I don't need the cute little page-turning animation. I don't mind ads (you guys have to pay for this somehow), but I'd like them to be tailored for the device on which I'm reading. I want it to be SIMPLE TO USE. I don't need an exact reproduction of the print magazine online; in fact, that's far worse than the print magazine itself.

Back to the drawing board, people.

Randomly Googling my Great-Uncle Adrian again, I found this interview:

Ward: Did you ever run across an employer whom you found you liked, personally? He responded, in a way? LG: There were a few employers, some from the smaller warehouses, who v/ere not difficult to deal with. For example, a man I always liked was Adrian Falk. Later on he became quite prominent in the Chamber of Commerce. Adrian Falk was in charge of the S&W warehouse; an interesting duck. I think he came from an old-time San Francisco family, probably among the initial groups who came out here. I never felt that he was fundamentally hostile to the union. I don't think he ever took the attitude that his only purpose in life was to see that we were gotten rid of. I discovered in talks with him that if you could put together something logical you had one listener. The big bulk of employers, it made no difference what you said, they just weren't interested. The only time they finally sat down and dealt was when they had to.

Ooh, and I just struck paydirt, it looks like. An interview with him from 1955!

Look what the system of tubes sent me today. I like the nods to Bill Gates and Chelsea FC.

----

From; Mrs. Susan Sweeney
Office Address:
Tower 42,Level 35 25 Old Broad
Street London,
EC2N 1HQ DX: 557 London
United Kingdom


I bring to your notice the winning letter from British Email Promotion Company held on the 4th of AUG, 2008 using an Automated Internet email ballot System, your email address has won the sum of #1,258,250.00 GBP United Kingdom Pounds or $2,500,000.00 USD United States Dollars in category 'B' Your winning informations to claim your prize are stated below;



YOUR WINNING INFORMATION
Reference number: 4365/87NL
Ticket number: 667-87641257
Serial number: 3134/1198



To claim your prize contact the paying bank
HARVE ASSEH
DIRECTOR FOREIGN OPERATION DEPARTMENT
AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK GROUP
TEL: 234-80-62479487

do keep us posted with your dealing with African Development Bank Group

This email promotion is jointly sponsored by Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich and Microsoft corporation owner Bill Gates to promote the use of the internet email facility.
When contacting MR HARVE ASSEH THE Director of PAYING BANK (AFRICAN DEVELOPEMENT BANK) Send The following information below to which will be used to prepare your winning certificate and as well process your payment WITH ADB BANK.


YOUR NAME................................
YOUR CONTACT ADDRESS........................
YOUR SEX..................................
YOUR PHONE NUMBER( MOBILE NUMBER PREFERED)........................
NATIONALITY.........................................


Yours Sincerely,
Mrs. Susan Sweeney
(Lottery Agent Coordinator)

A thin e-reader designed to display newspapers and magazines? Sign me up! Especially if they start making the New Yorker available this way, so I can switch my dead-tree subscription over.

I just upgraded to MT 4.2. I broke some things when I did it, so if you see anything weird on here (besides the usual) then that's why.

I've scheduled this post; let's see if it publishes.

We recently acquired a Chumby in our household. So far, I'm quite fond of it, and the small child clamors to look at pictures of doggies on its screen every morning.

I was especially taken with the attractive and quirky graphics it features in its interface and the introductory video. Turns out the creator of said graphics, Susan Kare, also designed the graphics for the first Mac OS. She is interviewed here.

You know that ClearPass system, the one that lets you pay $100 a year to be prescreened so you can go through security more quickly? Well, apparently, if you have one of those sexy little clear blue cards, your data is stored in unencrypted format. Which became known when a computer with more than 30,000 people's data stored in it was stolen from a locked office at SFO.

So NOW the private company responsible has stopped taking new signups until they start using encryption. Gee, thanks guys!

I have this small plastic easel from somewhere— can't remember where — and decided it would make a useful iPhone stand. Add two rubber bands, and hey presto!

OK Apple, all is forgiven. You fixed my laptop, replaced my bricked iPhone, and, most importantly, updated it to version 2.0. And oh my, do I ever love version 2.0.

I've been hooked on my iPhone since I got it. It's not just a phone, or a drool-inducing status symbol. It's also been a camera, a web browser, a photo album, a music player, and a stopgap toddler-entertainer (those handful of Yo Gabba Gabba video clips have saved many a BART ride)

But now, I can install programs on it. And some of them are pretty darn cool.

My current faves:

Pandora - my "radio stations" are finally getting some airplay by me, now that I can take them with me anywhere I go
NetSketch - an awesome little drawing program that lets you upload your creations - and then download them in vector format for further editing in Illustrator. Plus you can collaborate with others (not that I've tried this yet)
Picoli - Just discovered it this morning! This program lets you adjust the brightness, contrast, sharpness, and other aspects of your photos. It then saves the edited versions as separate copies, so you still have the original if something goes horribly wrong.
BrainChallenge - Oh my aching brain. I'm hooked on these little puzzles.
VoiceRecord - Great little recording program which I immediate used to record a work interview.

I'm also enjoying Trism, More Cowbell, Jared, NYTimes, Labyrith LE, Jott, and Stanza.