For those hiding under a rock, Apple announced it’s latest piece of tech to “change (and likely save) the world” (scare quotes mine). The iPad, a larger version of the iPhone or iPod Touch, with a tablet computer feel, was announced by Steve Jobs today.
I was very excited for this announcement. Still am for that matter. The iPad is, I suspect, likely to be a major game changer for a lot of folks looking at a cheap laptop or netbook. And, there’s a while lot to like about the device:
• 10 inch screen (though actually it’s a bit less)
• works in portrait or landscape modes
• uses the iPhone OS, so it will be very intuitive
• 10 hour battery life with 1 month (!!!) standby capability (according to Apple. Take all manufacturer estimates of battery life with a grain or two of salt)
Additionally, Apple made some very good decisions along with the hardware design:
• They’ll be releasing real productivity apps at reasonable prices – $9.99 each for iWork chunks.
• No lock in with a single cellular network, although they’re continuing to partner with AT&T for available 3G service.
•Making a dockable external keyboard available.
All of which makes it an excellent choice for more than just a media consumer appliance; it can readily be used as a business too as well.
But, they didn’t do everything right. It has a few flaws too:
• No built in 3G capability. You’ll have to fork over more for that – about $150 more if memory serves correctly. The base model, regardless of SSHD (i.e., flash memory) size, will only have wifi networking capability.
• No camera. At all – front or rear facing.
• No contract option for cheaper cell network data coverage. I know, I listed this as a plus; sue me, it goes both ways. You can sign up with any data carrier for their (ripoff) rates, or not sign a contract with ATT for “unlimited” data at $30 a month with no minimum service term. I’d almost like to see someone offer a subsidized price for one even with a minimum data plan contract. That add-on charge for Apple to include a 3G radio is a little outragious.
That said. Yeah, I still want one.
Every job change guru tells you to find your next career in something you are passionate about. The problem becomes, how do you figure that out? What happens if you are interested in virtually everthing, but nothing leaps out to say “Me first!”
Jim Butcher’s ending of his Codex Alera series came out today. It’s well worth reading.
The backstory of the Alera series is a world apparently settled by Roman Empire descendants. The Alerans generally use a form of elemental magic based on taming the spirits, called Furies, of Earth, Air, Fire, and so forth. Some of these Furies are more powerful than others and the ruling class is based on how powerful the nobility is in using the various Furies.
The protagonist is, at the beginning of the series, something of an Aleran freak in that he has absolutely no ability in fury “crafting”, skill at controlling these spirits.
Turns out that Tavi, the young man, is actually the hidden scion of the ruling family and his furycrafting ability comes to Jim in spades later.
First Lord’s Fury takes up where Tavi is the presumptive heir to the throne, but the Realm is threatened with extinction by the insectlike Vord. Tavi, now Octavian, must deal with the war while quickly learning how to control the Furies, and managing his forces and his nonhuman allies.
Butcher has built a very believable and engaging world here, one which I’m sorry to leave. But, at least we have plenty of Dresden File books still to come. Four and a half piggies for this work, only because the afterword feels a bit rushed.
Using the iPhone app for WordPress. LOVE it!
Lets me mark all the .ru comment spam as spam. If only it allowed mass actions on comments now.
First person shooter games give me a headache. Must be me afterall.
I’m writing this on the new iPhone 3G S (or is it 3gS?). I likes me my iPhone.
I does not like me my Internet provider though.
Mind you, I’m not talking about AT&T either, but about my home provider. Gatehouse Networks has got to be the worst customer service ever. If you didn’t know better, you’d think they didn’t want our business.
Oh, yeah, they don’t.
Turns out, they want to sell the contract for cable and Net service to Comcast – or so I’ve heard.
If the iPhone didn’t have pretty good 3G coverage, it would drive me nuts.
My son is being tested today for having asbergers syndrome, often called “high-functioning autism” or other names. Could just be social awkwardness. Makes me think a lot of my own childhood. I was known for intellectual precociousness, reading almost before I could talk and certainly being well ahead of my age group peers in educational matters until I hit junior high. I was also known for being the kid that no one liked, except for a very small population. Didn’t help that I knew I was a budding genius, and had no problem letting anyone else know that I was better.
My son is in much the same predicament. He doesn’t have the same love of the written word that I did, but that may be because there are so many more intense sensory experiences through cable TV, home video and the Net that wasn’t available back in the Dark Ages of my youth. I had to settle for what I could see in my own mind’s eye while reading.
At any rate, it brings to mind the ongoing, though probably futile, discussions about the various types of learning disabilities that have sprung into the diagnostic lists of the mental health profession over the last few years, and the (what appears to be increasing) attempts to deal with childhood behavior issues by medication. Someone, I think on Jerry Pournelle’s site the other day, suggested that the likely solution for all the boys diagnosed with ADHD would be a much healthier does of recess and physical education. There is some logic to the suggestion. After all, we didn’t have quite the same issues when I was in elementary school, but we had much more significant recess time, IMHO, up to 3 times during the course of the school day when I was in first grade.
The entire thing has me wondering though: since medical professionals don’t seem to be able to point to a specific physical indicator in the brain that denotes someone with ADHD or Asbergers, is it real? Or, have we come onto these explanations – and their treatment options – in an attempt using the best science at our disposal to explain and handle someone who is different. Just as, for instance, we used to explain and handle those who were different by calling them “possessed.”
It was a very good trip down to below-mentioned All Virginia Elementary Chorus. Tessa and 119 of her fellow 5th grade musicians did a wonderful job. I couldn’t be prouder.
I’m not usually one for tears, but my eyes were welling through the entire concert.
Side note….Now that I’m converting my Acer Aspire One to Ubuntu linux, anyone have an idea how to get it (and Firefox) to hit the intercept when you try to login to free wifi at someplace like Panera? I could get the network recognized, but the browser didn’t want to play games with the new proxy. 
One other thing….Any WordPress junkies out there reading this? Not counting on it, of course, but….how come I keep getting that oddball spacing in the middle of my posts?
I don’t like bringing up work here. Trying to keep professional and home life (and other avocations) separate. But… I’m really tired of being the one who has to stand athwart progress and shout “Stop!”
As I think I mentioned, I’m the web communications boss for the agency that pays my salary. Main content guru for the website. Which, also means I have an interest in social media/Web 2.0-type stuff. Kinda fits, doesn’t it?
Well, as shouldn’t be too surprising, lots of folks in my agency want to jump right into blogging, wikis, Twitter and so forth. The Department (the level above my agency) wants us – with justification – to go slow. Legal, privacy, security issues. Can’t be the agency that exposed individuals’ private information to the public because we want to play in the social media sandbox.
What’s really frustrating is that the calls for moving into this field are just that: calls to move in. They don’t really have a firm grasp of how they want to use a blog, just that they want one. I agree with this lady that Twitter isn’t a strategy, blogging isn’t a strategy. These things are tools for communicators, not substitutes. I don’t think we’ll ever get to the point where we can say anything we want on behalf of our employers. There has to be some guidance, and yes, some CYA.
Okay, rant over. Its Friday evening; I’m on the way home writing this. Headed down to SW Virginia tonight for my daughter’s All-Virginia Elementary Chorus concert tomorrow. I don’t want to think too hard. I just want to be a proud Daddy.
Everyone on the left-hand side of the political blogosphere is crowing these days. They have a lot to crow about too: the election of President Obama, his inauguration, the strong control of both houses of Congress, the ramrodding passage of the stimulus bill through to the President’s signature.
They don’t have quite as much to be shouting about as they claim though. They all believe that they have a basic realignment of the American electorate with their victory last September. They continue to shout based on President Obama’s job approval ratings in the polls. That, along with the President’s insistence that “he won”, seem (to them) to be a strong reason as to why anyone opposed to them should have the common courtesy to shut up, if not simply discorporate out of shame.
It really isn’t that simple though. 
Check the chart. It shows President George W. Bush’s approval ratings through his terms in office. At roughly the same time in his tenure, W., too, had a high approval rating. Look where it got him!
Job approval ratings this far from an election really don’t have much to do with the chances in the next election – unless the situation doesn’t change at all. The one thing we can be sure of in all of this – it will change.
Social Media, netbook, tech | bill | 
January 27, 2010 6:00 pm | 
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