Opinion

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Scratch It Up

December 8, 2008 in Apple, Gadgets, Opinion | 2 comments

iPodYou don’t have a case on your iPhone!

I get this comment all the time. People act like I just committed a terrible crime against a defenseless child. I had broken an unspoken rule. iPhones aren’t cheap and apparently they needs to be protected.

I haven’t always been this way, I used to be paranoid about scratches on my iPods.  I would leave a new iPod in the box until I got a case to protect it. I would search the Internet for weeks looking for the best case available. No price was too high to protect my “investment.”

I would rationalize that the shiny back looked better without any scratches on it.  What ridiculous and backwards thinking since I will never see the back if it is always covered.  People say the iPod looks great then slap on a bulky and ugly case.

Those clear plastic cases always make me chuckle. You can still see the iPod so you can still bask in it’s beauty, sort of. The clear hard plastic cases are even worse than the rubber cases. They are tacky and destroy the sleek image of the iPod/Phone.

The sleeve type cases aren’t as bad as the others.  These will protect the device and still allow you to see it’s original beauty on a regular basis.  However, they add bulk to the device and make it take up more pocket space.

The sticker type screen protectors avoid the bulk problem, but still aren’t a good solution. Most of them just add a foggy layer. They have a textured surface and dull down the image. I haven’t used Invisible Shield so it may be the exception.

A case doesn’t offer much protection if the device is dropped or subjected to other physical harm. It mostly protects against scratches, which I have stopped obsessing over. I would rather use my iPhone than handle it like a delicate luxury good. It sits in it’s own pocket so there is less of a chance of scratches, but that is about it. The screen is made out of optical glass that is pretty scratch resistant and I am not too concerned about the back. So far it still looks great.

Stop babying your device and start using it. The first minor scratch will be the hardest, but afterwards you will be able to take a deep breath and suck it up. There is no point of using a case to protect the exterior if you never see it.

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Less About You and More About Me

September 22, 2008 in Opinion, Personal, Site News | 1 comment

I have been in a bit of a rut as of late.  You may have noticed by the lack of posts going up.  The good news is that I have pinpointed the problem.  The blog has become less about me and more about what I believe others want.  I stopped writing about things I cared about and started to try and figure out what my readers (all 4.68 of them) would like.  After awhile I realized the problem.

If I write purely for my readers, you will get half assed and mediocre articles.  There will be no emotion or personal interest driving the article.  Unless I am interested in it, I will see no point in writing it.  I may force one out just to get something up, but that doesn’t do anyone any good.

Writing for others also made it hard to find topics to cover.  There aren’t many topics that will be right for everyone and the result is no post at all or they are all over the place to try and cover the entire audiance. There is no formula to follow that will guarantee good results.

From here on out I will get back to my roots.  I started blogging for me.  I wrote articles so that others can see my interests and opinions.  I want to put my energy back into something that I care about and hopefully the result will be higher quality and more frequent articles.  The posts will be about whatever I choose and can be anywhere from two lines to a 1000 word essay.

If you find yourself in the same situation as me then start writting for yourself. Write articles you would want to see and that you want others to know about. Put your opinion in there and take ownership for every word you place on your site, even if you end up being completely wrong.  This is my site and I want to be proud of it.

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Google’s Incentive With Chrome

September 2, 2008 in Observations, Opinion, Software | No comments

The move to develop a web browser tells a lot about the direction in which Google is moving with its future products.

Google Chrome was set in motion primarily to enhance their web business. They are developing a browser hoping that it will push others to adopt new technology and innovate. They want to spark others to build more advanced web browsers so they can push out better web apps.

Google is currently limited by a bottleneck imposed by the current web browsers. To an extent they are at the mercy of Microsoft/Mozilla/Apple when it comes to how powerful, and useable, their web apps can be. They are making a strategic move to give direction to web browser development in order to further their core businesses.

If you don’t believe that, then look at the revenue source. They have far more to gain from attracting users to new web services than gaining browser market share.

This leaves me wondering what new product Google has that drove them to try and change all web browsers just to release it.

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Tasting the Wine Library Reserve

June 23, 2008 in Opinion, Review, Video | 1 comment

I will (attempt to) match Gary’s style and review this show as he does wine.

It is important to note that I am talking about the new Wine Library Reserve videos. These are a condensed version of the regular Wine Library TV episodes that roll in around 5 minutes. I am a huge fan of Wine Library TV and here are my thoughts about the new Reserve.

Wine Library Reserve 2008, $0

To begin with, the show is very watered down. In only 5 minutes it is hard to get the full flavor of Gary. The “nose” on this show is really tight and it is hard to get much out of it. We lose one of the most important aspects which is Gary’s unique personality. You get small hints of the flavor, but nothing special that will blow you away.

Additionally, they tried to spice up the show with some new fancy animations. In the end it is way to synthetic and forced. I get these fake flavors in my mouth. It feels like they were placed there after the fact for mere WOW effect. I will admit that some of these can be useful (showing the grape and country) but overall it brings a bad finish.

Like Gary says, trust your palette. This show may not agree with mine but it may be right up your alley. You may like this shorter snazzier version and there is no problem with that. Either way check out both Wine Library TV and the Reserve and make your own judgement. For ZERO bones, either show is worth a taste.

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How Many Lemons Did Life Give You?

June 2, 2008 in Opinion, Personal | No comments

Most of us have heard the phrase “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” We sometime fail to realize that there are other things we can make with these lemons. We can make lemon pie, lemon flavored italian ice, lemon smoothies, lemon cookies, etc. The point is that even when you get hit with tons of problems they can be turned into many different good things.

There is a limit to the conversion. There are only so many problems, or lemons, that one person can handle. After a certain point it just gets ridiculous. You can keep making delicious treats but lets face it, nobody would like an entire lemon flavored meal. I don’t want to sit down and eat some lemon cookies with my lemon pie and have lemonade while I prepare my lemon basted turkey.

So remember, when life gives you lemons create delicious food but fix the problem before you create a meal.

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I Signed Up for Twitter, Now What?

April 27, 2008 in Free, Opinion, Service, Social | 1 comment

The Twitter following is growing larger everyday.  It seems like more and more people that I know, both in person and through the internet, are joining.  One of the biggest hurdles is keeping these people on long enough so they see the benefit.  Here are some tips to make your trip with Twitter as enjoyable as possible.

  1. Turn on phone updates. – Twitter works best when you have easy access to it, and what better way then through your phone.  If you are like most humans, you constantly have your cell phone with you.  This provides the easiest access to Twitter.  Once you link up your phone, it will only take seconds to post (send texts to 40404).  The other bonus is that you will receive updates from your friends.  You can choose whose updates get sent to your phone and whose will remain on the web.
  2. Follow, follow, follow. – Follow people.  Get your friends to join and follow them.  The fun doesn’t stop there.  It is completely acceptable to follow people you have never met.  You may not know the journalists who write your morning paper, yet you still read their articles.  If you think they post neat stuff then they probably deserve a follow.  I understand that some of you may not know many people on the internet, so here is a list to get you started.  Remember that you can always stop following people down the road with no hard feelings.  Add first and decide later.
    • Biz Stone - He is one of the co-founders of Twitter.  His tweets vary greatly.  It couldn’t hurt to start here.
    • Jack Dorsey - Another co-founder of Twitter.  Again, it couldn’t hurt.
    • Veronica Belmont - Co-host of tech podcast Tekzilla.  She has some real quality tweets.  I highly recommend following her.
    • Annette - It is true that this is my girlfriend, so I may be a little biased.  But, my friends tell me they enjoy her updates more than mine.
    • John Gruber - He generally posts interesting tweets.  Be warned, he posts a bit on the techy side.
    • Amy Jane Gruber - This is a must follow in my book.  Her tweets are absolutely hilarious.  They are so good that me and my girlfriend often discuss them.
    • Scott Simpson - Another must follow.  He posts a real grab bag of material.
    • Scott Beale - Writter of laughingsquid.com.  He often posts links to other sites.
    • Gary Vaynerchuk - If you are a fan of Wine Library TV, then I don’t really need to say more.  Careful, Gary tends to post a lot.
    • Dr. Tiki, Johnny Johnny, Lala - Fans of Tiki Bar TV will like these.
    • Alex Albrecht, Dan Trachtenburg, Jeff Cannata - These are the hosts of the Totally Rad Show.  Great guys all around and good to follow.  Oh and I couldn’t leave out Steve who mans the camera and has mad editing skills.
    • Me - You can always follow me.  If you like the content of this blog, then you may find my updates entertaining.
  3. Relax and update. – Don’t hold back.  If something pops into your head then send it off.  Something that you think is mundane may just make someone’s day.  The more you update the better Twitter becomes.  Have fun with it.  This service is meant to provide a good time and if you let it, it can be a blast.

This should be more than enough to get you on your way.  I wish you the best of luck in this crazy internet world limited to 140 characters.  

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Would You Like It Now or Later?

March 26, 2008 in Community, Free, Observations, Opinion, Service, Social, Website | 1 comment

Twitter, update your friends now. Facebook, update your friends eventually. People utilize Facebook to find out information about their friends or others they may or may not know. They track photos, hobbies, jobs, etc. The problem is that there is a delay. People need to update their profiles with the newest information in order for their friends to be informed. I rarely update my Facebook profile. It takes time and energy to evaluate my life in regard to interests and happenings. On the other hand, I use Twitter the second an idea pops into my head. The point is the data on Facebook is out of date. On the other hand, if you follow me on Twitter, you will find out things instantaneously. You will get links, rants, and music recommendations. People are always Facebook stalking to find information. Instead, they should just follow these people on Twitter.

Twitter may not have photos and all the features that Facebook has, or does it. Sure it isn’t incorporated into Twitter, but I can just as easily link out to my flickr photos. Post up a tweet that says, “Had a great time at the Field Museum, here are some photos.” Now I have started to pull in some extra features. If you wanted even more fluidness, then go to Pownce. There you can get the photos integrated into the posts. You can also expand further on Twitter/Pownce. I continue to find great people to follow by looking at others. My girlfriend and I constantly update each other with who is posting interesting stuff.

In the end, Facebook needs to change up where it is headed. It needs to learn one important aspect of business, things change and you need to evolve with them. Facebook was the first step, before that you would have to take the time and ask each of your friends what they were doing or if they had listened to any interesting music lately. On Facebook you could just go to their profile and look it up instantaneously. Facebook brought you information quicker and easier. Now there are other services out there that improve upon that.

Not many people know about Twitter yet. I am talking about the general population, not the web geeks. Once more and more people learn about these services, you will see a large shift to instant information. It may not be Twitter, but it will share the instant characteristic. The point is that Facebook needs to evolve or they will see usage dive as people satisfy their hunger for information.

I was inspired by this video from Gary Vaynerchuk of Wine Library TV. It really sparked my curiosity and opened my eyes to the speed of data transfer. I am not talking about your up/download speeds, I mean the speed in which you can get information about your friends.

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