December 2011
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The Season of Giving
I am a huge fan of donating to causes I believe in. If you’re in the giving mood, consider donating to these non-profits that make a real impact in peoples lives.
Planned Parenthood
Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network
The Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science
Prevent unwanted pregnancies, help victims of rape/abuse/incest, and help educate the masses on science and...
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Runs in the Family
Thanks to the DNA testing done with 23andMe, I know quite a bit about the things I’ve inherited.
For example, I am a known carrier of two hereditary diseases:
Hemochromatosis
Congenital Disorder of Glycosylation
I’m also at a high risk of type 2 diabetes and atrial fibrillation — both of which have been affecting my dad’s side of the family for generations.
I have a higher...
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“Well, I’m well. Well, I mean I’m in hell. Well, I still have my...”
– Runs in the Family, Amanda Fucking Palmer
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Jurassic Spin
Telltale Games just posted a blog post about how awesome the reviews of Jurassic Park have been.
I like Telltale a lot, and I bought Jurassic Park on PSN day one. Sadly, these quotes are cherry picked. For example, the Joystiq review that they quote had a few nice things to say, but was mostly negative. The fact that none of these quotes have links to the original reviews is telling. Metacritic...
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Skyward Sword
I’m about 11 hours into Skyward Sword, and I’m liking it a lot. The art direction is beautiful, the soundtrack is fantastic, and the gameplay is fun almost all of the time. I only really have two qualms:
The lack of a map in the HUD kills me. I am extremely dependent on maps in adventure games, and that makes me switch back and forth from the map to the rest of the game every thirty...
November 2011
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“Joseph Ratzinger is an enemy of humanity. He’s an enemy of children whose...”
– Richard Dawkins, September 18th, 2010
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Kickstarter Project aims to give iPads a kickass... →
Ever wish you had a lightweight stick-on keyboard that you could use with your iPad whenever you need to type? Well, you’re in luck. Two fellows by the names of Steve Isaac & Brad Melmon have developed a flexible keyboard that weighs less than an ounce that attaches to your iPad with magnets. It’s transparent, retractable, and designed to work well with both the original iPad and the iPad...
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Unlike Amazon, Apple offers free shipping until... →
Ho ho ho! Apple is getting in the Christmas spirit by offering free shipping for all orders from the online Apple Store in the US until December 22nd. Sadly, things can’t be simple across the globe. For example, Australia only gets free gift wrapping. Canada and the UK only get free shipping for today. However, lucky New Zealanders get free shipping until December 25th.
Suck it, Amazon.
iPhone users are more loyal than Android users,... →
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Indian iPhone plans are expensive, but competition... →
As an American, I’m used to getting most everything in the consumer electronic field first and relatively cheap. Seeing other countries (even you, Canada) deal with inferior versions of the same product for a steep price really bums me out. Despite some pretty nutty pricing announced a few days ago from the Indian telco Aircel, it looks like more affordable plans are already being announced by...
Apple hiring people who can point the way to the... →
Cloud is the buzzword of the day. The Wall Street Journal has sources that indicate that not only has Apple been stocking up on low-level engineering talent for its cloud-based initiatives, but it’s also looking for higher level executives with a background in cloud-computing.
Apple has the ability to take the lead int he cloud market if they can step it up and maintain it.
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“It’s tempting to dismiss the whole thing as a shallow quick-time event...”
– Ludwig Kietzmann
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Game subscriptions for iOS are now Apple-approved →
Cha-ching! The folks over at Big Fish Games have convinced Apple to allow them to use the magazine and news paper in-app subscription model to sell games.
The implications are interesting.
The Weekly Roar #282 →
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Facebook Poll: When did you get your first Mac? →
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Rumor: Apple to introduce NFC to iPhones in 2012 →
According to Taiwanese production sources, both Microsoft and Apple are planning on including NFC (Near Field Communications) — the technology in your wave-to-pay credit cards — in their smartphone platforms. So, if Apple does include NFC in the next iPhone, what will that mean for users? Probably not much at first.
Lots of speculation, but I kind of hope this happens.
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Apple’s new iPad ad is all about love →
All you need is love. One of Apple’s strong suits is their knack for producing high quality advertisements that evoke strong emotions. We’ve seen this play out for years with incredibly memorable campaigns. Recently, their ads have taken a turn for the personal.
Apple ads are the best.
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iOS Users account for upwards of 90% of App... →
According to Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray (Insert grain of salt here), Apple’s iOS is taking in the lion’s share of lifetime app revenue, and Google’s Android is making roughly an order of magnitude less. Are you shocked by this report? You shouldn’t be. Gene also estimates that only 1.3 percent of Android apps are for-pay while iOS sits at about 13.5 percent.
We are the 90%!
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Your iPhone Case just got a lot Smarter →
Tired of your iPhone case not pulling its own weight? Well, Treehouse Labs is out to change that with their new “Smart Case” called BiKN. With a combination of a free app, the Smart Case, and the matching “tags,” your phone is now constantly keeping track of your precious items.
Want to learn more? Read my article on Macgasm.net.
The Weekly Roar #281 →
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“The answer is to mute them. Mute them right away and never stop muting them....”
– Mike Krahulik on Xbox Live Idiots
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Penny Arcade: Thank You, Edgar →
This comic is wonderful, and it makes me hate parents for not paying attention to their children.
I am sure that I was obnoxious (MUCH, MUCH less obnoxious than WeedGod420, here) as a teenager in the vidja games, but that prepares me for when I have kids some day. When they are playing games on their mindslates with their mega thought-controllers, I will be there with a big pile of punishment to...
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“I catch a look, a thing that you say, out on the fire escape smoking all day....”
– Nobody Loves You Like Me, Jonathan Coulton
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“There’s only so much time in the day, and only so many days in our lives....”
– Marco Arment
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“If you’re gonna leave, could you let me know? I won’t try to make...”
– Down Today, Jonathan Coulton
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“I would love to swing by the candle store. I agree, we can always do with more....”
– Alone at Home, Jonathan Coulton
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What I've Been Reading
Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
This isn’t the first Steve Jobs biography I’ve read. In fact, the first two thirds of the book simply rehash stories that I’ve known for years. Nobody who is familiar with Jobs and Apple will be surprised by anything in the book. That said, I loved the last third.
Specifically, I am moved about the story and personal feelings about Steve’s...
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“It’s not clinging to the rocks and ivy planted on their columns now that...”
– Gentle on my Mind, John Hartford
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3,371 Words
Day two of NaNoWriMo went smoothly, but it took a bit longer to get into a rhythm. I ended the day with a total of 3,371 words.
Only 46,629 more words to go!
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1,684 Words
One the first day of NaNoWriMo, I finished the day with 1,684 words. Exciting!
48,316 more words to go!
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“OK, this isn’t exactly news, but it is a shining example of technology-industry...”
– The Macalope