Update: My wife chimes in.
posts
Tolerable
Ryan Paul, reviewing the new Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1:
The single biggest problem with Honeycomb at launch was the platform-wide instability. Many applications, including Google’s own first-party software, crashed repeatedly during use. The number of force-closes that we encountered while testing the Xoom made it look like the software was pushed out the door without enough testing.
Stability has fortunately gotten a boost in Android 3.1. Application crashes still cropped up during our week of testing the Tab 10.1, but these were well within tolerable boundaries. The software is finally stable enough for comfortable day-to-day use, and this is frankly the level of quality that should have been in place for the Xoom at launch.
How to Use Time Machine for Updating an Offsite Backup Drive
There are lots of great tools for backing up data, but none are as simple as the built-in Time Machine.
With a little work, Time Machine can be used with an alternative drive for offsite backups. It is pretty simple, but I’ve created a PDF to make it even simpler.
Instacast and Air Server: Podcasts at Home, Over Wi-Fi
I’m a big fan of podcasts.
I use Instacast to subscribe and listen to podcasts on my iPhone 4. I can listen to shows in my truck or at my desk easily. I also don’t have to deal with syncing my iPhone all the time for new episodes, since Instacast download shows right to the device.
At work, I usually have my headphones on. I plug my iPhone into my MacBook Pro’s audio-in jack, and launch the excellent (and free) LineIn application, which allows me to patch audio from the audio-in jack right to the headphone jack.
The White House Learns About Its Social Media Followers
This is great stuff, and I hate social media crap most of the time.
AOL Hell
Some people struggle to write for their whole lives, and only dream of ever getting paid for it. And here was I was, Mr. Big-Shot-Razor-Blade-Man, getting paid a real salary. I could sit at home and write in my pajamas while eating take-out food; and that’s what I did. I was so grateful.
But this was part of the problem. We — by which I mean me and my fellow employees — were all so grateful. Which allowed us to ignore — or willfully overlook — certain problems. Such as the fact that AOL editors forced us to work relentless hours. Or the fact that we were paid to lie, actually instructed to lie by our bosses.
Home is Where the Text Files Are
Several months ago I started using nvALT and Simplenote as a portable electronic notebook. Both apps are easy to use and offer near ubiquitous access to my stuff. Today, that combo is my Great Database of Everything, from reference emails to post ideas and driving directions.
I have the same setup going on my machines. nvALT is a great little app, and with Simplenote syncing, I’ve got my notes and files on my phone and on the web. The two sync perfectly and quickly with each other.
On Not Changing the World
Jim Dalrymple, to RIM’s co-CEOs:
Guys, you are not changing the world — the world is laughing at you. The only reason you birthed a tablet in a year is because you are so far behind Apple, you had no choice but to come out with something, and that wasn’t very good.
IT Helldesk
Editor’s Note: I wrote this back in college, when I was working at The Daily Helmsman. Quite wisely, my editor didn’t publish it, but he just emailed me a copy of it he found on his laptop. I couldn’t pass up the chance to share it.
Dear IT Helpdesk,
You don’t know me. You probably don’t recognize my name, so I’ll start by introducing myself.
My name is Stephen Hackett. I am a student here at the U of M, and for the last 3 1/2 years, I have designed the pages of The Daily Helmsman.
On Hardware Upgrades, Lion and Bad Tech Writing
GigaOM’s Darrell Etherington on Lion:
The new operating system is the first to leave some Intel-based Macs out of the party, and even with the minimum specs, you won’t be getting the full experience.
I think this is the case with most OS releases.
[RAM] is the easiest place you can make an improvement with almost any Mac.
True. And it’s a cheap upgrade. But Apple hasn’t posted what the RAM specs are for Lion, so it’s not a stretch to believe it will be 1GB — just like Snow Leopard. Since Snow Leopard is required to update to Lion, no one will have to add more RAM to meet Lion’s requirements.
How Legos are Made
This photo gallery combines two of my loves — Legos and how things are made. Amazing.
[via @jdalrymple]
‘Hate. Love. Fear.’
Cody Fink has written a must-read for tech writers.