02.25.04
Posted in Media, Tech
at 12 pm
Great interview on Wired with one Dr. Michael Bull. He talks about how the iPod and other portable music devices are used to control one’s environment. Below is an excerpt, read the full interview with Dr. Bull at Wired.
For example, a lot of people use it to go to work, for commuting. I found that they use the same music on a regular basis. They will often play the same half-dozen tunes for three months, and each part of the journey has its own tune…
It gives them control of the journey, the timing of the journey and the space they are moving through. It’s a generalization, but the main use (of the iPod) is control. People like to be in control. They are controlling their space, their time and their interaction … and they’re having a good time. That can’t be understated — it gives them a lot of pleasure.
So, for example, music allows people to use their eyes when they’re listening in public. I call it nonreciprocal looking. Listening to music lets you look at someone but don’t look at them when they look back. The earplugs tell them you’re otherwise engaged. It’s a great urban strategy for controlling interaction.
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07.11.03
Posted in Apple, Tech
at 8 am
I took my iBook in to have its hard drive replaced. It wasn’t acting up at the moment, but I had seen two espisodes of clicking/not mounting and didn’t want to leave it with that ongoing problem. So with 7 days left on the 1 yr warranty, I took it in.
I got it back about 5 days later, and lo and behold, my 15GB HD had morphed into a 20GB HD! So the next order of business was obviously to repartition the extra 5GB into a scratch disc.
And by scratch disc I mean a single place for my MP3s…
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12.02.02
Posted in Apple, Tech
at 2 pm
I normally wouldn’t post in the middle ofthe day like this, but i’ve just got to note for the record that adding 512MB to my 128MB makes my iBook very snappy, and me very happy.
Now I’m able to switch back and forth between programs at a normal rate rather than the glacial speed I was at. Switching to Mail or IE when they did not have an exisiting window on the screen was excruciating. Now it’s slightly noticable. Swithcing to the Finder when there are no windows open actually has the default window open so quick I didn’t know it wasn’t already open until I experimented with it.
Finally I feel like I can breathe deeply and work in my digital space. Till now I felt like I was shoe-horned into this. Now it feels much better.
The only “easy” upgrade I could possibly make to this machine internally now would be a faster hard drive, moving from 4200rpm to 5400rpm. But at $250 for the 40GB IBM drive, I think I can wait.
My next upgrade will be Mac OS X.2, aka Jaguar, which I can get with my teacher discount at PSU for just $85.
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11.23.02
Posted in Apple, Tech
at 10 pm
Finally! Apple has come to their senses and are going to release the Titanium Newton G4! Yay! Looks like it will even have a replaceable skin!
EDIT 2007: The old link to www.lindkvist.com/titanium_newton/ now redirects to somewhere else. Damn you changing content!
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07.08.02
Posted in Apple, Tech
at 12 pm
I have been working on my iBook (600 MHz, 128 MB ram, 15GB HD, AirPort) with slow progress being made towards feeling comfortable with it.
I’ve been working in OS X, nearly non-stop. The only time I’ve booted OS 9 was simply to check to see if I could boot OS 9.
It’s been a bit awkward, to say the least. It’s one thing to move to a completely new Operating System. You have the benefit of having everything be differnt, you don’t bring much bagage along.
But *my* switch to X comes as a studder step, a shift in different directions at different levels. I’ve brought along a few necessary tools, DragThing chief among them with it’s keystroke commands for launching apps. Just today I got Fetch installed (Though 4.0’s only a preview release, I’ll have to register if I want to keep it)
The Dock is a little difficult for me to control yet. I’ve thrown it up agains thte left side of the screen mostly because I like having the access on the side of the screen, not the bottom, but if it’s on the right side it covers up the scroll bars of windows.
Beyond that, this is the first time I’ve had a laptop of my own. Sure i’ve had this Compaq from work, but I’ve never done much more than use it as a glorified typewriter for reports with a little bit of HTML development. Now I’m faced with truely bringing the concept of a portable computer into my computing environment.
Since my desk is still covered by my B&W G3, I don’t sit there unless I’m accessing older files directly, so I’ve ended up mostly using the laptop from bed, having my mail and web access siting on my make shift night table.
I’m reading web sites constantly. History, technology, discussions, opinions, all manner of matter has prevaded my mental environment. I’m not sure if it’s a good thing.
Ergonomically, I need to figure out some things. My back is still unhappy with most of my positions, and my right wrist remains in a brace for the tendenitus that I’ve developed over the course of the last few months.
Portland is getting some real rain tonight. It sounds wonderful coming down outside our bedroom window. Perhaps I should set down this digital tool and listen for a bit…
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07.04.02
Posted in General, Media, Tech
at 12 pm
I just came across a great pair of reads in the form of two articles written by a BattleBots builder. His team’s bot is quite innovative and it’s great reading his workup of the control system.
The second article isn’t finished because he’s not allowed to announce if he won or not until the show airs later this year. I wish him post-competition luck!
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02.04.02
Posted in Tech
at 10 am
Samuel Butler’s Erewhon chapter 24, titled “The Book of the Machines”:
“So that even now the machines will only serve on condition of being served, and that too upon their own terms; the moment their terms are not complied with, they jib, and either smash both themselves and all whom they can reach, or turn churlish and refuse to work at all.
How many men at this hour are living in a state of bondage to the machines? How many spend their whole lives, from the cradle to the grave, in tending them by night and day?
Is it not plain that the machines are gaining ground upon us, when we reflect on the increasing number of those who are bound down to them as slaves, and of those who devote their whole souls to the advancement of the mechanical kingdom?”
Published 1871…
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07.22.01
Posted in Tech
at 1 am
Bought more batteries. WebCam is back for a bit, but I still need to figure a few things out before it’s full time.
Number one is getting a way to have a nine volt battery be replaced with an AC adapter that I can plug into the wall. Any suggestions? Let me know.
(Update: Found a pretty good AC-for-9-volt-battery replacement at Radio Shack, of course.)
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07.19.01
Posted in General, People, Tech, Web
at 12 pm
I feel like I’m hurtling through this week without a single point to stop and catch my breath. I’m helping out with WebVisions, going to developers’ group meetings, and playing with a new toy.
Ah yes the new toy. It’s a Wireless Cam. Imagine your ordinary Lo-rez web cam, except with a wireless transmitter. It’s powered by a 9 volt battery, so you can put it anywhere you want and get a web cam set up.
The cam is available online for $80 (it’s a ‘C Video Camera’ from TrendMasters. (I would link to their site, but it sucks.)) However, the Software Etc. over at Clackamas Town Center has them for $30. Like I said, they’re low rez, but for a toy to play with, it’s very cool.
Good thing Bob loaned me an old ATI video card that has an RCA Video In that can bring in the signal. Thanks Bob!
Yes I will try to set up a WebCam, but the modem connection is only good for intermittent access, not a dedicated video feed.
Updated Nov 2007 to fix links in first paragraph.
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03.11.01
Posted in Life, Media, Meta, People, Tech
at 1 pm
Original Posting: 3/9/2001 10:00:05 AM:
If we make networks that can self repair, then loose the ability to shut all network nodes down, then the smallest portion of the backups/self-maintenece/self-repair portions of software become more robust, would we have created a system that could out live us as a race? What would distinguish this from being another race altogether?
I found a new Weblog/Journaling perl script called Greymatter, via Camworld that looks very promising. I could get rid of Blogger (not to ‘dis’ blogger, but I can’t truly customize it) and set up my archives again. If I do this soon I won’t have too many archives to transfer over. After all, Dwelling is coming up on it’s 3 year birthday…
I’ve decided that blowing air at people will be my way of admonishing them. It will be a particularly harsh punishment in the morning. I’m going to be a great parent. “Don’t make me come over there and blow air in your face!”
NP in my head: Brian Eno’s latest release, “It’s a Beautiful Day”
Now biting my hand: Simone.
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