Apr 8
The Definitive iPad Review (Gruber-tastic)
Grab some popcorn. It's a long read."internally, the iPad looks more like a battery with a computer than a computer with a battery."
"Apple has also added a new key to the iPad keyboard’s numeric/punctuation mode: Undo. It’s a good idea — I have the feeling most iPhone users don’t know about the system-wide shake-to-undo gesture, and even for users who do, the iPad is harder to shake (and, when docked, downright silly to shake)."
I give props to all of TWO Yankees fans in this world. Gruber is one of them. He may have poor taste in sports teams, but when it comes to Apple, the Daring Fireball knows what's up.
via Daring Fireball.
Apr 7
Blackbird Fly
"On a typical training mission, we would take off near Sacramento, refuel over Nevada, accelerate into Montana, obtain high Mach over Colorado, turn right over New Mexico, speed across the Los Angeles Basin, run up the West Coast, turn right at Seattle, then return to Beale. Total flight time: two hours and 40 minutes."Have to get me one of these!
via Gizmodo
Mar 24
Vibram FiveFingers Attack SF | Day 1 : Running (Errands)
Day 1 : Running (Errands)It could only be described as raw. My feet hit the sidewalk and the concrete provided shock after shock up my knees as if barefoot. Oh, wait...
I carefully adjusted my stride to compensate for my newly found foot freedom. Each step was taken as if I did not know how to use my body. I pressed the remote and heard two chirps. *CHIRP*CHIRP* I got in the car with a slight bit of fear. I inserted the key in to the ignition and moved my foot over the left pedal.
As a petrolhead, the connection between man and machine is at the core of my being. I live for the control and the feeling of being at one with my steed. I put my foot over the clutch and stepped in to it. It then became painfully clear that Subaru engineers did not design this car for barefoot driving or that I had terribly undeveloped feet. Probably both.
The next few minutes became the most fun I have ever had driving to the store. As my feet became more accustomed to the return pressure of the stiff clutch I began to focus on the fun pedals. Go and stop. I found I could wrap my feet around the brake pedal and the Vibram FiveFingers gave new meaning to heel-toe shifting. I could now use my real heel and my real toe. I have never felt such amazing feedback.
Arriving at good old Trader Joe's, I tried to move as swiftly as possible, so as not to be seen in my embarrassing toe shoes. There were points where I forgot I had them on, but then my self-conscious self would take over. All in all it was a normal trip to the store. Until...
Later that night I sat down to get some work done when I felt a slight soreness in my calves. I spent no more than 10 minutes grocery shopping and yet my legs were sore. It seems the VFFs are awakening leg muscles that have probably sat dormant for the better part of 27 years.
It seems a trip to the store is a perfect ease in and goes with all the advice I have read about barefooting. Ease in to it! Don't go out expecting to run a few miles your first day with the VFFs. You won't because you can't. Here's to newfound leg muscles.
-barefoot steven
Jan 14
Rhapsody for Android (Beta)
I can haz? YUP!Interface is pretty slick but I had a little buggyness with adjusting media volume vs. ringer volume. Nice job Rhapsody!
... Now let's see how long my battery will last now.
Jan 13
Maclet Rumors
It's hard to believe that the iPhone is a mere toddler. Released less than three years ago, it has proven to be a game changer indeed. In a few weeks Apple is rumored to release their tablet which, knowing the Cupertino crew, will be nothing short of amazing.I am pretty pissed off at Apple, because I know they have created something that will likely fill the void between my smartphone and my MacBook. The laptop, to many, is the new desktop. It wasn't that long ago that I had both a blazing fast desktop PC and a laptop to lug around for portability. The MacBook now largely stays put while my smartphones have fulfilled most of my mobile computing needs. It would certainly be nice to fill the newly created gap.
Shawn Blanc has assembled a VERY impressive summary and analysis of the upcoming release here: http://shawnblanc.net/2010/01/tablet-amalgamation/.
Be sure to read the end. SOLID Apple logic.
