On My Mind...

Somehow I missed this, back in the day. Thanks fo...

2011-12-18T06:49:15.673-06:00

Somehow I missed this, back in the day. Thanks for talking about how the individual worker can be affected by these political debates in Congress.

Dave Girouard, the Apps VP at Google said yesterda...

2011-10-20T17:14:13.957-05:00

Dave Girouard, the Apps VP at Google said yesterday 5:03 PM to Public:

Yes, Google+ is on its way to Google Apps users - it's a matter of days!

https://plus.google.com/u/0/100940716892313727285/posts/2J1KCf3vv6K

@Tony, One of the major issues with people having ...

2011-09-18T10:41:51.783-05:00

@Tony, One of the major issues with people having trouble with a touch device as opposed to a touch screen is the spacial disconnect between the two. Moving the relatively intuitive multi-touch features from a screen to somewhere else (someplace where fingers typically idle and rest anyway) actually makes the disconnect worse, not better... at least in my observations.

Ha! A great second question. The answer is yes, ...

2011-09-18T06:48:08.799-05:00

Ha! A great second question. The answer is yes, of course. They add new features to compel consumers to upgrade/switch.

However, this is also a reaction to what Apple perceives consumers want, given how touch-screen smartphones have taken off, followed by iPad. My understanding is that the gestures on the Mac laptop are based on iOS; the look of Lion is also a reflection of how popular iOS has become.

So that's a "Yes" to both questions.

Like you, I've been wary of this development. I have yet to pay the $30 to upgrade from Snow Leopard to Lion. I'll wait until all the kinks have been worked out, but I know, eventually, I will upgrade and begin learning the new multi-touch features. It is what it is.

Microsoft, wanting to keep up with Apple, has developed their upcoming Windows 8 interface to look like their Windows Phone 7 Metro UI: interactive tiles, easy to use on a touch device, compatible with keyboard and mouse.

So, when you really get down to it, I think consumers adopting touchscreen devices has given Apple and Microsoft the green light to produce touch-based mouse peripherals. It gives these companies something new to offer consumers, while meeting a perceived demand for more touch interactivity.

Apple has proven that there is a market for devices that appeal to non-tech people. Heck, my mom manages to use her iPhone, and she's never been able to figure out the keyboard and mouse interface. The touch interface has been the key that has unlocked computing power for a lot of people. This expands the market of users for Apple, so touch is here to stay.

@MatthewUnger, plus one to that, buddy.

2011-07-28T08:52:11.920-05:00

@MatthewUnger, plus one to that, buddy.

@TheBernsteins -- I can't say I haven't pl...

2011-07-28T08:51:14.329-05:00

@TheBernsteins -- I can't say I haven't played with it from an account that I don't want to use socially... Frankly, I generally like the interface, but not the growing pains it's experiencing now.
@DavidJus1Mo -- Reinvention is easy. Everything re-invents the same wheels. What will make people switch or not, is other people choosing to switch, or not.

I'm in the same space and it is irritating as ...

2011-07-28T08:49:18.563-05:00

I'm in the same space and it is irritating as hell. Supposedly it will come soon, but it doesn't prevent me from wanting to kick someone.

No Worries. I'm not on either nor do I have a ...

2011-07-27T22:24:24.668-05:00

No Worries. I'm not on either nor do I have a desire to add another social connection to my list. Not until it reinvents the way we all share, connect and socialize over the world net. :)

Actually you would be better off staying far away....

2011-07-27T22:23:23.853-05:00

Actually you would be better off staying far away... It's nothing special except a way for them to fragment where all my friends are.... I hope it dies :)

Inspector, The precedent was set at least as far b...

2011-05-05T12:58:39.350-05:00

Inspector,
The precedent was set at least as far back as Calvin Coolidge's day that extra-ordinary natural events will release emergency aid funding. I don't question that, but maybe I should?
Of course, it also begs the question, what is FEMA for?
It does make me think.

Should the US Government (or any government for th...

2011-05-01T15:08:23.247-05:00

Should the US Government (or any government for that matter) “bail out” the residents & businesses in the storm devastated Southern states?

Yeah, the thought that all Americans are rich goes...

2011-03-20T00:29:59.592-05:00

Yeah, the thought that all Americans are rich goes back many years. My parents came here at least casually influenced by the thought that the streets are paved with gold, and life would be better here.

I have a close friend whose relatives from Haiti are always calling for money, assuming he's rich because he's in the US.

Reposting a classic, just because: http://bit.ly/p...

2010-12-29T01:07:45.293-06:00

Reposting a classic, just because: http://bit.ly/pi37H

Vahl here. Those Facebook privacy settings are ...

2010-12-23T07:16:56.578-06:00

Vahl here.

Those Facebook privacy settings are a lot of work. Who has time for that? And why do we subject ourselves to Facebook changing their privacy settings every three months, anyway?

Reasons I use Facebook (ongoing process):
- Great way to find long-lost friends (a free version of Classmates.com)
- Some friends and family members use Facebook as their Inbox
- Good way to update everyone on important personal events

I've learned to tolerate Facebook. I wish more people used Google Profile, but that's not happening.

Thanks, "The Bernsteins". If I expand i...

2010-12-22T23:14:22.302-06:00

Thanks, "The Bernsteins". If I expand it it's "research" not "plagiarism". ;-) Thanks for the source points.

Love the expansions. You really captured the inten...

2010-12-22T23:08:57.523-06:00

Love the expansions. You really captured the intents

I wonder if some enterprising Bollywood producer w...

2010-12-09T21:30:46.458-06:00

I wonder if some enterprising Bollywood producer would consider making "The Hunchbank of Bangalore", replacing the bells of Notre Dame with the horns of Ford Motor.

Gary, I hit you with this offline. I decided to p...

2010-12-09T21:02:55.272-06:00

Gary, I hit you with this offline. I decided to post it here in the comments. This time, I proofread it and made some minor corrections:

Yeah, Damian made that point to me as well, or maybe it was on his blog. I'm glad you elaborated and broke down the timeline.

I personally feel this is another example of "Might makes right," or "The winners write the history books," or "Some people are more equal than others." Freedom of Speech exists until it becomes inconvenient for the powers-that-be to allow certain speech.

This may sound conspiratorial; it's not. To me, it's human nature. Power corrupts. That is why democracy is the great equalizer for the people.

I am personally going through this with a post I did about some NSF charges I was hit with from my Credit Union. One of their reps isn't too thrilled that it ranks high on Google Search; yesterday, she insinuated that I don't like Hispanics because I did an accent on the Podcast. She did it in a politically correct way, but the attempt to subtly discredit me and my complaint was there.

So, I shut down new comments. We'll see what happens, if anything. Probably nothing, but it's instructive.

Anyway, when I first heard about those other leaks you mentioned, I wasn't too thrilled with Wikileaks. I did a post at the time about how "loose lips sink ships." I have since changed my mind. They are, as Damian said, "The anti-Yeti."

I also think others will keep holding governments and corporations accountable for the actions of their employees and representatives. We're in a new era, right? I think we are. I hope we are.

@Anil, the Vid is not quite as bad as outside the ...

2010-11-15T10:43:31.230-06:00

@Anil, the Vid is not quite as bad as outside the office here, in BLR.

Maybe the video in the link would give an idea of ...

2010-11-15T10:24:27.150-06:00

Maybe the video in the link would give an idea of your Bangalore experience? :)
http://www.microhoodsf.com/a-symphony-of-horns

If laptops were unlocked with a fingerprint swipe ...

2010-10-06T12:27:37.264-05:00

If laptops were unlocked with a fingerprint swipe (like some IBMs do) - there would be a lot of room for SSO in what you're blogging about. One fingerprint swipe and all other systems, applications, etc. should accept some form of SSO. I see a growing list of example of such trend @ Tax & Accouning, Thomson Reuters.

The importance of annoying pasword policies diminishes.

If the project is successful it's the team. Bu...

2010-09-17T07:13:24.383-05:00

If the project is successful it's the team. But if it fails, it is you.

Vahl: I'm rooting for Team Vollink!

2010-09-16T21:34:19.239-05:00

Vahl: I'm rooting for Team Vollink!

Sold for $0! Two speakers gone. :-)

2010-09-16T13:55:10.559-05:00

Sold for $0! Two speakers gone. :-)

Jus, They are Yamaha. They are from a surround se...

2010-09-15T09:05:52.698-05:00

Jus, They are Yamaha. They are from a surround set, but I'm using my really old speakers from the early 80s for the front two surround, thus, two speakers. Tweet to mid-range.