 |
||
| BrendanMcKillip.com brendan mckillip's daily journal |
 |
|
|
||
 |
|
|
daily journal
New Computer  Ordered the new computer on Saturday. The new iMac could be here by the end of the week. Everyone in our house is very excited. posted by Brendan | 1:25 PM | permanent link
Cool Device - Horrible Name The iPad looks fantastic. I certainly would love to get one. What I find most appealing is being able to have music and books together in one device. However I don't know how I'm going to get over the horrible name Apple chose for the device, especially after someone pulled this Mad TV skit out of the archives. Why couldn't they have called it iSlate or iTablet or Kindle-killer. Oh well. posted by Brendan | 11:04 PM | permanent link
Another Reason to Own an iPhone So I could have one of these toys to play with.  Parrot A.R. Drone (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma / January 6, 2010) Parrot A.R. Drone, a four-propeller flying drone that connects to an Apple iPhone or iPod Touch via Wi-Fi with a video-streaming camera hovers at the Consumer Electronics Show. posted by Brendan | 5:38 PM | permanent link
The Evolution of the Computer  1) Sometimes I think life would be simpler if computers weren't in them. 2) Happy that in the next month we will be jumping from #3 to #5 on this evolution chart of computers And then when I go back and read this post I realize what a screwed up head I have. Labels: Apple, comic strips posted by Brendan | 12:49 PM | permanent link
iPhone Art This is cool. Artist Jorge Colombo produces some amazing looking art using just his iPhone.  posted by Brendan | 12:57 PM | permanent link
5 Things I Think I love seeing these quality direct-to-DVD animated movies from DC comics, but this rash of new releases has got me thinking. When Warner Brothers Animation announced this deal back 2006, one of the three original projects was Teen Titans: The Judas Contract. The other two project were produced (Superman/Doomsday and The Final Frontier), but still no Judas Contract. The Judas Contract is one of the all-time great DC Comics stories. What happened to that project? It looks like everyone is reading/linking/sharing it, and for good reason � he makes some interesting and insightful observations. We are in the middle of a media delivery revolution on scale with the invention of the movable type printing press and no one really knows how this digital revolution will ultimately impact the newspapers. How else do you explain the need for Chicago Tribune movie critic Michael Phillips to write a commentary arguing why parents shouldn�t take their children to see the Watchmen. Just because a movie has a guy dressed up in a goofy custom swinging from buildings doesn�t mean it�s exactly kid-friendly.  It�s so small that I think young kids will easily lose it, plus the controls are now contained in a tiny little touch bar on the headphone cord. Instead of the uber-intuitive touch-wheel, Shuffle users have to adapt to the morse code-like tappings to control the music. Plus, Apple dropped all the cool colors that the second generation iPod Shuffle came in. Those colors were one of the things that Ian and Emma thought were do great about the Shuffle. Labels: 5 Things I Think, Animation, Apple, DC, Family, food, iPod, News posted by Brendan | 6:13 PM | permanent link
Colossal Waste of Technology  Saw a guy on the train this evening playing solitaire on his iPhone.Dude, you've got an iPhone, an amazing device that will allow you to do just about anything you want - listen to music, talk to people, watch movies, or surf the web. Plus, there are hundreds of applications you can buy for cheap to run on the iPhone. And you're playing solitaire. The game that came standard with Windows 3.0 in 1990. You do not deserve an iPhone posted by Brendan | 9:34 PM | permanent link
Is There Anything an iPhone Can't Do? As if I needed another reason to want an iPhone, now I can use it to solve my Rubick's cube. CubeCheater. Genius. posted by Brendan | 9:57 PM | permanent link
Sure Are Purty New Apple iPod Touch and iPod Nanos announced today.   posted by Brendan | 4:59 PM | permanent link
ANOTHER Reason I Need an iPhone  This Reuters article points out that reading comics on personal electronic devices like cell phones has been growing in popularity with the rise of larger screens, faster connections, and more comic material being digitized.Although I�ve read that the iPhone isn�t hailed as the Second Coming in Japan like it is here in the States � the Japanese already expect their cell phones to do five times as many things as the iPhone currently does and they don�t mind stumbling through an interface five times more complex than the iPhone � I can�t help but think that the Japanese will take to the iPhone intuitive touch-screen manipulation of data for reading comics on their mobile device. I know I certainly could get used to reading the newest issue of Batman on my iPhone � if I had one. posted by Brendan | 11:24 PM | permanent link
iPhone . . . Too . . . Hard . . .To . . . Resist . . . The new iPhone was announced today. While the latest version of the device has got some tricked out new features that make the iPhone the clear mobile king, what impressed me is the new subsidizing plan that Apple is allowing AT&T to implement.  As long as you sign up for a two-year agreement through AT&T, your 8 GB iPhone will only set you back $199. Wow. $199 for an iPhone. I've used guys iPhones at work. That's a steal. As long as you can swing the phone and data plans from AT&T, I don't see why anyone would pass that up. Labels: Apple posted by Brendan | 10:28 PM | permanent link
Quick Hits The photo collage he provides helps prove his funny, but I believe accurate, observation. This woman might be a little too unhinged to serve in the top office.    Now that Apple has announced that they are licensing Exchange ActiveSync from Microsoft so that they can build it into the iPhone for release this summer - thus making the iPhone infinitely more appealing to companies around the globe, do you think I there's a chance I will be able to convince the powers at be where I work that I need this uber-gadget?Yeah, I don't think so either.  Labels: Apple, Comics, Illustration, Politics posted by Brendan | 8:32 AM | permanent link
iSanta There are two reasons why I love the iSanta ad Polite Dissent put together. 1) I think it's funny 2) It uses the Santa from the Rankin/Bass Christmas specials  posted by Brendan | 12:57 PM | permanent link
The New iPods The rumor mills were right this time. At yesterday's big Apple event, Steve Jobs unveiled what amounts to a major overhauling of the company's iPod line. The most anticipated of these new iPods was one that contained some of the innovations built into the iPhone. Basically an iPhone without the phone part. Even though I know I won't be able to buy any of these items in the near future, the new iPods look incredibly cool and sport some great spec upgrades. iPod Touch  It's the iPhone without the phone. It's what everyone expected to be the new standard iPod model. If you can get past the goofy name, you get a gadget with an outrageous interface and wide screen video viewing. Plus, WiFi access and full web browsing.What you don't get is a lot of storage for those songs and videos. iPod Touch ships in 8 GB and 16 GB models. Slightly higher than what the iPhone originally came with (4GB and 8GB), but would have thought taking out all those phone parts might give you more storage than that. Maybe it's the flash drive that Apple uses on the iPhone and iPod Touch?  All I know is that on my current, humble little 20GB iPod from 2005 only has 8 GB of space left. I love being able to cart all my music and podcasts around with me (even the Christmas music). Not sure if I could pare that down to just 8 GB of music at any one time.But seeing how I probably won't be buying one in the near future, that's okay. Hopefully by the time I am ready to trade up, the iPod Touch will 1) have a new name - "Touch"? - that's icky and 2) storage size will be more to my liking. Otherwise, I will be happy with a brand new iPod Classic iPod Classic  iPod Classic is still the good old music player Apple's been churning out for the last few years - but with gobs of more storage space. 80 GB and 160 GB options means you can carry tons and tons of music, podcasts, and video around in your pocket. Plus, the iPod Classic got an upgrade in the user interface that includes Cover Flow.What I don't understand is only a $50 difference between the different models of the iPod Classic and iPod Touch. It's the ultimate test of sexiness versus practicality. I can pay $249 and get 80 GB of storage in iPod Classic or pay $299 and get 8 GB of storage in iPod Touch. The iPhone/iPod Touch interface is ultra-wicked-cool to be sure. But is it worth an extra $50 when I lose 90% of my storage capacity? I don't think so. So is iPod Classic a steal or is iPod Touch criminally over-priced? Or is the other way around? Apple's pricing strategy for it's products has often confused me. Love the products though. iPod Nano The radical change to iPod Nano confuses me a little too. I understand Apple wanting to bring video capabilities to as much of the iPod line as possible, but I'm not sure if this new-look iPod Nano really works for me.  I always thought the concept driving the design of the Nano was compact design with good storage. iPod Nano hit the sweet spot between the ultra-tiny iPod Shuffle and the regular sized iPod. Nano was easier to carry and slip into a pocket than the regular iPod, but you could store considerably more music than in iPod Shuffle.The new short and chubby design to Nano doesn't seem to speak that. It looks kinda weird. Almost like a toy that the kids would bring home from McDonald's that could only play one song, over and over and over and over and over. But I digress. Look closely and you realize that iPod Nano gives you the same storage options as iPod Touch - but at a fraction of the price. (Again with sexiness versus practicality). That doesn't seem quite right. A tiny little Nano holds as many songs as iPod Touch? iPod Shuffle got some new colors, but no real new developments there. At least Apple didn't try to add video to that iPod as well. Overall a pretty exciting product announcement. Some product specifications and pricing leave me scratching my head, but the market will soon make clear what works and what doesn't. Just take a look at how soon Apple dropped the 4 GB iPhone and lowered the price on the 8 GB iPhone. This is where my lack of finances work to my advantage. Let things play out a bit and when the time comes for me to replace my current iPod I'll be able to secure a model that delivers the biggest bang for the buck. Labels: Apple posted by Brendan | 6:51 PM | permanent link
New iPods on the Horizon?  The speculation that Steve Jobs is about to unveil the next generation of iPods - presumably with widescreen video and an Apple OS like the recently launched iPhone - gained a whole new life when the invite pictured on the right went out to the press recently.It seems like the right time for a new product launch. Christmas is just around the corner, the current iPod is looking a little tired from a product life-cycle standpoint, and new-look iPod would help bring the design in line with the iPhone, iPod Shuffle, MacBook, and new iMac with their shining aluminum cases plus possibly provide some of the great interface innovations that Apple introduced with the iPhone. Then again, Steve could be getting ready to let everyone know that prices of songs are being dropped from $.99 to $.90. We will just have to all wait and see. posted by Brendan | 4:36 PM | permanent link
New iMacs The new iMacs, just announced today, aren't just pretty with their single-sheet aluminum cases and glass cover, but they've got serious power under the hood. Intel Core 2 Duo processors, 20- and 24-inch widescreen displays, 250 GB to 320 GB of storage standard depending on model, and of course the SuperDrive which allows you to play/burn CDs and DVDs  I want one.Labels: Apple posted by Brendan | 4:15 PM | permanent link
It's Alive!  Thanks to the fine technicians at iResQ I have a happy, functioning iPod again. And Heather has her pink iPod Mini ready to roll with a new battery. I sent both our iPods to iResQ for diagnosis and possible repair. True to their promise, within 24 hours of receiving our iPods I received a phone call from the technician working on our gadgets. He confirmed what Heather and I already knew � the pink Mini needed a new battery. My iPod needed a new logic board. I approved installing the new logic board and had new batteries put in Heather�s Mini and my iPod.  Grand total for all that work? $140 Apple wanted $271 for me to send just my iPod in, sight unseen. I may love Apple and its products, but paying that much for a repair is ridiculous. Our repaired iPods arrived yesterday in the mail � as promised by iResQ � and I charged them both up last night. This morning my iPod was performing beautifully on the train ride and walk to my office. It is a happy iPod day again. My experience was limited to just this one transaction, but I was significantly impressed with iResQ�s service. They delivered on everything they promised on their website at prices that are as good or better than anything I saw at other iPod repair sites. I would certainly recommend them if your iPod is ailing. Labels: Apple posted by Brendan | 9:44 AM | permanent link
Apple Product Evolution I thought it was interesting. Your mileage may vary.  [via]Labels: Apple posted by Brendan | 4:38 PM | permanent link
It Ain't No Mother Box  In the week following Apple�s iPhone release last Friday, I�ve encountered plenty regarding the new uber-gadget. I read exhaustive reviews of the product, saw photos of the iPhone dissected to reveal its inner workings, heard rumors concerning what Apple will do with the gadget next, and I even got to experience the iPhone in action in my boss� office.It really is a remarkable device. Sure, it was hyped way too much, deserving the nickname of �Jesus Phone� that some of the snarkier blogs bestowed upon it. But the iPhone really is pretty damn cool. However, out of everything I read or saw about the iPhone, the best reaction I found to the coming of the Jesus Phone was delivered by a comic book artist, Paul Pope. "All the iPhone is is a retarded Mother Box."The iPhone might be a technological leap forward in gadgetry, but Steve Jobs and co. still haven�t caught up to the imaginative greatness that was Jack �The King� Kirby. Maybe the iPhone will change the way you talk/listen/surf/communicate, but can it change the way you look?  The Mother Box can. posted by Brendan | 12:57 PM | permanent link
A Quest to Fix an iPod As I mentioned last week, my beloved iPod played its tune and clicked its last wheel. Had me in a rather pissy mood all week. That iPod helps keep my morale up while drugging through forty minute train rides and car with no functioning radio.  Because of all the painting I wanted to get done in advance of our carpet being installed in the basement, I didn�t have an opportunity to investigate my options for dealing with the sad iPod until later in the week. After trying all the troubleshooting tips I could find online, I resigned myself to the fact that my iPod was indeed suffering from hardware failure. There would be no wiping it clean and re-installing software and music. The hard drive, or some other component, was busted. My choices were to throw it out or try to get it fixed.I depend on my iPod too much to just throw it out, so I took a look at Apple�s iPod Service. Even though no technician had diagnosed the specific cause of my iPod�s sad face, Apple Service was able to provide me a quote for the work: $271 A brand spanking new iPod costs $249 and shipping is free. Now I understand that Apple considers the iPod to be more of an appliance with a fixed lifespan and Apple actively tries to generate the urge for iPod owners to upgrade to the newest versions of the music/video player, but to hammer you with a service cost higher than the product you are selling seems a bit dubious. If I can�t afford to buy a new iPod right now, then I certainly can�t afford to pay Apple�s service fee. Apple wasn�t going to be any help to me. But I�m not sure I�m ready to toss the iPod in the trash yet. There are a number of online vendors that offer to diagnosis and possibly fix an ailing iPod, but the feedback I�ve read on these services are less than encouraging. Lost iPods, over-charging, sending back the iPod still broken, taking six to eight months to return an iPod � pretty annoying and customer un-friendly stuff. Sure, people who have bad experiences tend to be more vocal, but I really don�t need or want the hassle. Even if it�s just the possibility of a hassle. But then I found a company that didn�t show any negative feedback on the review websites/message boards I was visiting. In fact, I only read good things about iResQ. Located in the heart of Kansas (good Midwestern values!), these guys will provide a mailer for me to send in my iPod for diagnosis and then email me a quote for repairs. If I elect not to have the work done, they buy broken iPods. At this point I figure I�ve got nothing to lose. For all intents and purposes I don�t have an iPod anymore � which seriously makes the three hours total I spend commuting each day less enjoyable. I�m willing to roll the dice with iResQ to see what they can do. Cheap enough repairs � I get my iPod back. Too costly � I get cash to put in my �Buy Brendan a New iPod Fund� posted by Brendan | 12:52 PM | permanent link
Sucky Start to a Day Day started off pretty sucky, and it being a Monday and all I don't have much hope of things improving. Attached my iPod to the Mac at home to update the weekend podcasts so I can listen to them on the train ride home this evening, and what do I see in the iPod screen?  Yep. And that threw me into immediate emergency mode this morning. Instead of eating breakfast or properly prepping to leave for work, I'm spending time on Apple's iPod support site trying to figure out how to troubleshoot. I tried running through some things, but wasn't having a whole lot of success in the twenty minutes I afforded myself. I thought I was able to force the iPod into Disk Mode, which according to Apple would suggest that the problem isn't hardware related, but it was only briefly and I wasn't able to ever get the Mac to recognize the iPod. I'll try again this evening, but I'm so far behind in my work in the basement I'm not sure when I can (or should) be addressing this. This might be the end of my beloved iPod, unless pony up the cash for some help. Not a great way to start the morning. Mix in another 90+ temperature day, a stack of work in the office, a severe dis-satisfaction in the condition of the basement, and general malaise I appear stuck in and this is one sucky day. At least Rob's talking ass made me smile. posted by Brendan | 12:47 PM | permanent link
I Want Al Gore's Office Sans the horrible mess, of course Check out that computer monitor set-up. And it's all Apple Mac powered.  (via) posted by Brendan | 4:58 PM | permanent link
This Would Be Fun To Have  Labels: Apple, Batman, Fun, iPod posted by Brendan | 4:42 PM | permanent link |
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|