April 2006 Archives
This evening I was strolling the West Town Mall - just for fun... OK - it really wasn't for fun - I was helping my nearest and dearest shop for clothing. Anyway, just a few steps before the Brooks Brothers store - right at the place my stomach usually starts turning in anticipation of the hideous southern preppy, seersucker, navy sport coat assault on the senses that is Brooks Brothers - my whole evening got a little bit better.
So I wet myself a bit. I'm not ashamed. We're getting a freaking Apple store!!! No details on the time table yet, but there's a construction wall with a nice, big Apple logo printed on it.
After a bit of checking, I turned up a couple of other sites who've been speculating about this. Mat on Macs scooped this over a month ago after an article in the Knoxville News Sentinel. The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) had a post on the subject as well.
Technorati Tags: Apple, applestore, iPod, knoxville, mac, shopping, suburban, technology, tn
I've always been interested in the way people speak. The types of words they choose, the way they pronounce them and how fast they talk. On an individual level speech tells much about a person's background and personality. Speech is also affected greatly by the native (or sometimes current) region of the speaker. One of the things that I find very intriguing about the variety of accents is the history behind them. I previously posted a link to the PBS website for the show, "Do You Speak American?" This week I've come across two related sites that you might find interesting.
Technorati Tags: americaninventor, ethnic, pbs, people, language, speech
I'd seen a couple of tags on Flickr (e.g. latteart and Espresso) related to the beauty found in the artful presentation of espresso-based drinks. These gorgeous images made me want to jump on the next plane to Seattle (or Italy for that matter) to experience the art form firsthand. Now Brand Autopsy has posted a link to this video showing a master in action. Don't I have a business trip to Seattle coming up next week?
Technorati Tags: dining, flickr, latte, latteart, seattle, video
Until this afternoon I was practically wetting myself over the fact that Intel-based Macs can now easily dual boot both Windows XP and Mac OS X. This is obviously a cool development with many potential upsides for all involved. My problem with it began when I read Greg Storey's account of his Mac-hating buddy lining up at the Apple Store to buy a shiny new MacBook Pro on which to run Windows XP. How is this a problem? Until now the Apple store had been a sort of refuge from your typical computer geek (not used affectionately here). You know the type; poorly dressed, coffee-breath-breathing, wannabe I.T. workers stalking confused-looking consumers in the aisles of your local Best Buy, waiting for someone to ask a question about the benefits of Windows vs. Mac OS X or firewire vs. USB 2.0. These guys (this is an almost exclusively male pursuit) live to spew incomprehensible streams of tech jargon (mostly incorrect) towards unaware and visibly impressed neophtyes for hours on end. Usually the Best Buy help makes some vain attempt at rectifying the situation, but ultimately succumb to the superior punditry of the formidable, slightly chubby geek that has wooed the potential customer into his lair of lies and half-truths. This is my fear - an army of these guys descending on the local Apple Store, braying about how "it's about time Apple realized that OS X sucks - good hardware - but they had to admit they needed a new OS - so they're moving towards Windows XP." Look out Genius Bar resident gurus, you may be in for some "heavy" competition.
Technorati Tags: Apple, blogs, bootcamp, mac, macbookpro, tech
Let the rush to the Apple Store begin. Apple has officially released a public beta of "Boot Camp," allowing owners of the Intel-based MacBook pro to dual boot Windows XP.
CUPERTINO, California—April 5, 2006—Apple® today introduced Boot Camp, public beta software that enables Intel-based Macs to run Windows XP. Available as a download beginning today, Boot Camp allows users with a Microsoft Windows XP installation disc to install Windows XP on an Intel-based Mac®, and once installation is complete, users can restart their computer to run either Mac OS® X or Windows XP. Boot Camp will be a feature in “Leopard,” Apple’s next major release of Mac OS X, that will be previewed at Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference in August.For Mac users like myself this is a VERY tempting reason to upgrade to a MacBook Pro. In my personal life, I use nothing but Macs. At work I'm forced to live with XP due to various internal applications we use on a regular basis. In addition, I travel frequently and always get stuck taking my bulky work laptop and leaving my sexy Mac behind. Now I'll be able to do it all with one machine. Oh, if only I could convince my "financial planner" (i.e. spouse) to go along. More from the NY Times.
Technorati Tags: mac, apple, macbookpro, windows, tech, xp, bootcamp
Listible allows users to post and share lists of... of... well, pretty much anything. This is a great site for listing your favorite books, must-see movies, favorite travel destinations and more. Post your own list and share with your circle of influence or browse the site and catch on to the next "big thing."
I'll be compiling a few of my own lists and posting them here shortly.
I'm taking a 10 minute (OK - nearly an hour) break from mowing my grass today. It's Saturday and it kills me that this is my life. In honor of the beauty of suburban life and as a tribute to mediocrity and bad lawn care everywhere I present:
My Crappy Grass
vs. My Neighbor's Grass
Technorati Tags: crap, crappy, funny, lawncare, suburbanlife, suburbs
I've been working on another of my genius ideas to take on next season's American Inventor for some time now. Apparently I've been scooped by a much smarter and, I have to admit, much more well known marketing genius than myself: Here's Ali G with this world-changing idea (the ice cream glove).
Technorati Tags: americaninventor, blogs, inventions, funny, stupid, video
