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I'm Mark, Your Host
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Saturday, July 19, 2008 I just discovered that DirecTV is running the X show from SXSW on channel 101 this month. The band sounds great. Possibly better than any of the numerous times I saw them live in the 80s. And if you don't have the magic satellite hookup, not to worry. Something called Crackle.com has several clips. It's fun even if the vocals drop out coincidentally for each bit of profanity and racial slur. From Crackle:
Sunday, July 13, 2008 Thought I should update the iPhone 2 status. Ryan reminded me about the restore option in iTunes. Funny how you can forget the basics when frustration sets in. Anyway, wiping and starting over had helped. Contacts in particular behave more like before. I'm still seeing some sluggish responses when changing apps or typing but it's gotten better. Enough that I don't want to head into the tech voodoo required to go back to the 1.x software. For what it's worth, my 72 year old father didn't see my previous post so he went ahead and updated his iPhone yesterday morning without a hitch. Now he's sending me tips on the new apps to check out.
Friday, July 11, 2008 I of course jumped in first thing this morning and installed the iPhone 2.0 update. Then ran into the well-documented server issues. Managed to get through and re-active the phone by 9:30. At this point, I've been using it for 10 hours or so. I am not happy. If you have an original iPhone that's still running 1.x, leave it that way. Do not update. My upgraded phone feels sluggish--scrolling, changing apps, typing are all affected. Using the Contacts app seems particularly bad. I've been in the All Contacts view and pressed one of the letters on the right side to jump down the list. Nothing will happen for two maybe three seconds. It's like using a Windows Mobile handset again. I've also had two serious crashes. Launching the new Remote app just now caused the phone to completely reboot from the Apple screen--not just revert to the home screen as before. You have been warned. At this point, I'm looking for info on how to revert to the 1.x software.
Tuesday, July 08, 2008 I'm a bit behind listening to the Fresh Air podcasts, which explains why I heard the June 30 show only today. If you think for yourself, you need to listen. Yes, the thought that Bush still could fabricate an excuse for attacking Iran is supremely depressing but the issues raised are too important to ignore. Hopefully it's just liberal alarmists. However, I am more convinced than ever that the Bush administration is guilty of war crimes and treason. (What else to call undermining the constitution?) George W--and Cheney in particular--both deserve long stays in prison.
Tuesday, July 01, 2008 AT&T officially announced the iPhone 3G plans today. A bit of quick math reveals that our bill would jump $40 a month to maintain parity with our current services. And that's not counting the handset purchases. Granted, you could argue that it's not parity since Rich still uses a Razr. However, he's perfectly happy with it and has resist all of my attempts to move him over to an iPhone. While it might not always be evident here, I do realize how spoiled I am. But come on, cranking the monthly bill up 33% just for the rather dubious benefits 3G benefit seems over the top even for me.
Friday, June 27, 2008 Yet another reason I love living in San Francisco. The George W. Bush Sewage Plant sounds about right. If you're registered to vote in SF, you can sign and mail the petition before July 1 to help ensure the initiative is on the ballot.
Sunday, June 22, 2008 It was hot here yesterday and last night. We had the windows open so all sorts of noises from the neighbors came wafting in. Some college kids across the courtyard were drinking beer and belching loudly enough to wake us both up around 2:30 AM. Rich was not amused. Explains why we bought an air conditioner for the bedroom this morning. Of course, the heat broke in the afternoon. That's okay, we'll probably need it again in September.
Monday, June 09, 2008 I hate to say it but the more the popular press fawns over the iPhone, the more disinterested I am in it. Today's grand unveiling of the new 3G model leaves me, dare I say, bored. 3G? Still slower than WiFi, which I have access to 85% of my day. Yawn. GPS? Eh. Might be helpful when I'm trying to find my way somewhere unfamiliar and I'm not driving in the car that has it built-in. Choice of glossy white or black plastic back? I'd rather keep my silver metal with the lovely, durable pebble finish, thank you. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying there's nothing in the announcement. I rather like the sound of many iPhone 2.0 features. But they're all software based and will presumably work just as well on my current phone once it's been updated. So I see no reason to rush the store on July 11. Interestingly the bit of today's news I do find noteworth has hardly been noticed by anyone but us geeks. The next release of Mac OS X, dubbed Snow Leopard, will forgo any headline grabbing new features to focus on legitimate performance enhancements. Specifically taking advantage of the multi-core processors that Apple's been stuffing in new Macs for a couple of years now. About time. It's a glimmer of hope that I maybe won't spend the next two years cursing the spinning beachballs this supposedly-speedy MacBook Pro constantly throws up. I'd just about resigned myself to having to make due with this lump until the AppleCare runs out and I could justify trading it in. But the promise of a speedier OS gives me hope. Maybe all is not lost. And maybe, it's a tacit admission from Cupertino that all isn't as right with Leopard as they'd have had us believe.
Saturday, June 07, 2008 I missed Control during its original theatrical run. Haven't been able to confirm but I think it played here for a only week. Now that I have the DVD, I understand why friends who did see it unanimously rave. Easily the best film I've seen in a long, long time. Go buy your own copy right now.
Friday, May 23, 2008 Passengers with Antlers Will Pay More. The fact that Frontier is upping its antler charge doesn't bother me as much as the idea that there's clearly a market for such a disgusting practice.
Monday, April 21, 2008 I probably shouldn't point this out but tickets go on sale for the summer season at one of the most intimate concert venues around this Sunday. From Kathy Griffin to Foreigner(!), Steely Dan to Donna Summer and Willie Nelson to Dead or Alive, it's certainly a diverse lineup.
Sunday, April 20, 2008 Interesting to read that of all the state legislators and members of congress elected from the Bay Area, only one is Republican. What is it about this region that nurtures liberalism--just a coincidence that the population tends to be highly educated, affluent and diverse?
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Do you have an old TV that's not connected to the cable or satellite off in a spare room? Or do you live in a big city, tiny apartment and feel trapped into paying for basic cable just to get a picture without snow, ghosts, lines and other unpredictable annoyances? If so, the government has done something that really will make your life better--or at least more entertaining. We've had a little TV in the office for years. Probably turned it on once every 18 months or so. Couldn't connect it to the satellite because of some DirecTV nonsense that I don't feel like going into now. When I heard about the planned converters for analog TVs, I figured they wouldn't be for me. I'd just buy new sets. And that's just what I did in the living room and bedroom. But why spend several hundred dollars for a new set in the office when we turned it on less than once a year? Then the coupon program launched at the first of the year and I figured, why not. With the $40 credit, the box would only be $20 in cash. And if, as I fully expected, it didn't work all that well, at least it would make the old TV marketable after February 17, 2009. A few weeks ago the coupon arrived and I finally got motivated to cash it in last night. The local Best Buy had a pile of their house-brand Insignia boxes. I'd seen good reviews for it so I didn't mind the fact that there were no other choices. Once home, the setup couldn't have been simpler. Arranging the wires and finding a substitute AAA battery for the remote because the kittens hid the one that came with proved to be the toughest part. Once I had the remote powered, the guided setup took all of three minutes. Suddenly I had 44 perfectly clear stations to choose from. All the locals plus their sub-channels, some of dubious use. Does anyone need live views of the bridges 24/7? Such a pleasant surprise. A few government-mandated programs coming together to make things better for the masses. Yeah I know, in the greater scheme of things, better free TV reception is pretty minor. Still it's nice to have some proof that the system actually does work at times.
Monday, April 14, 2008 I'm amused by the shenanigans on today's business page. Inept video-retailer Blockbuster, which can't compete with Netflix, iTunes, Amazon, et al, wants to merge with inept electronics-retailer Circuit City, which can't compete with Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Amazon, et al. Reports generally ascribe this deal to the Blockbuster CEO's Apple envy. Someone needs to remind him that Apple is an accidental retailer. It makes the bullk of its money from hardware. Hell, Apple took the step of opening stores only because traditional retailers (aka Circuit City) sucked so badly. So amusing. Next thing you know, two bankrupt airlines will think that forcing their hostile workforces together makes sense. Oh wait.
Saturday, April 05, 2008 No one paying even the slightest bit of attention to happenings questions that the music business is radically changing. However, I don't buy the conventional wisdom that the future holds nothing but doom and gloom. Radiohead has made some of the more interesting moves lately. Releasing In Rainbows as a pay-what-you-want has gotten too much press of course. Now they're offering a deconstructed version of Nude along with a Garage Band project if you buy before April 8. Interesting way to earn some extra income while deepening the band's connection with rabid fans. I see the development as the digital equivalent of the collector editions of the physical discs. There has always been something cool about specially shaped or colored vinyl, elaborate packaging, etc. They're fun, adventurous. Maybe this kind of digital tinkering will mark a resurgence of that creative spirit.
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