Archive for Web/Tech
New driving law…
Posted by: | CommentsJust a quick note to all drivers going through the great state of Minnesota: Don’t text and drive, it could turn out to be an expensive message. Starting today (8/1), law enforcement can pull you over for texting while driving and issue you a ticket for $300.
BTW: I heard this on the radio while driving into work and waited until I got out of the car to send this post. Can’t say that’s how every post has been done, but it will from now on.
Quote of the day…
Posted by: | CommentsI listen to several podcasts a day on various topics. Today’s podcast was dealing with the effects after hours trading has on a company’s stock price when the traders follow the speculation of tech rumors or an analyst’s hype. Of special interest was how Apple posted the best quarter ever, but had the stock hammered because of several rumors. The best comment that came out of the discussion was:
“If Bozo the Clown, Darth Vader, or Anne Coulter said something (in regards to a company’s stock performance) I’d take that with a grain of salt because they’re just characters, not real people.”
Merlin always has a unique way to comment on a given topic.
Parents and tech today…
Posted by: | CommentsI got back into the office this morning and got pulled (it was more like dragged while kicking and screaming) into a conversation about what an older manager should do about his kid. Since I was brought into the conversation after it had started I asked for a little back ground. Apparently his kid, and their friends, have been texting inappropriate comments back and forth amongst themselves. All of the patents were a little shocked on not just what was talked about, but how they had no clue it was going on.
Now in this guy’s mind he’s freaking about how his son had been able to communicate so much outside of the email filter he had placed on his home computer. He thought this would be the end all of knowing what’s going on in his son’s life. I told him that it sounded like the messages were sent from his son’s cell phone. He didn’t realize a normal cell phone could do this. He explained that his son has a part time job to pay for the cell bill. I sat back and listened a little more and then asked him if his son used Twitter, AIM, Facebook, MySpace, or Pownce (and these are just the ones I know about). He looked at me as if I was speaking a foreign language for the last 45 seconds.
And that’s the rub for most parents today. Now this guy is a little more oblivious than most parents, but kids have so many more avenues to communicate today. Most of channels kids use today are off the radar screen of anyone over 25, which compounds a parent’s dilemma. What have you done to know how your kid(s) communicate with their friends beyond the phone and email? You might be surprised on what you find out.
Not quite MobileMe…
Posted by: | CommentsWell after a couple of hours of sleep (which I’m sure involved some snoring) I tried to get onto Apple’s MobileMe service. Well… it’s not up yet again. The service is getting email through but the web app service just didn’t take off like everyone had expected. Even if the 3rd part of Apple’s massive roll out didn’t work as expected the hype for the 3G iPhone is almost as big as the original roll out. Reports from Europe indicate a near sell out and lines in the US stores are forming.
Update: If you want to see the iPhone hype live, check out http://twit.tv. Leo is going with 24 hour coverage of the 3G release.
Update 2: MobileMe is up and I’m logging in for the first time. I’ll post pics later tonight.
The passing of a historic milestone…
Posted by: | CommentsMost of the news you heard today was about gas prices, wars, and the stock market. But an historic milestone occurred today in the tech industry. Bill Gates, found and Chief Architech, resigned his tenure of the helm of one of the most prolific software companies ever. Bill has finally stepped down from leading Microsoft for over 30 years and his last ‘official’ day as a Microsoft employee will be June 30.
While I have been a Mac fan for some time now, I cannot deny the impact this little start-up has had on my life. For me it began almost (and I hate to this now that I know the number) 20 years ago with my Northgate 486DX33 computer. At the time this was THE machine to own: 33 Mhz processor, 8MB of RAM, a 1MB video card, and a 20MB hard drive. This machine was so good, I had to bring it into the Engineering Lab to run some of the simulation software for a senior design class for graduation. Nothing in our computer lab at the time could run it.
From that point I’ve been hooked playing, working, and creating with these silicon marvels. I’ve seen the passing of DOS, extended memory, 16 bit kernel, 8 bit color, 8.3 file naming, and soon the passing Windows XP (and in my opinion the best OS they’ve made to date). June 30 is also the last day Windows XP is available for general purchase by the public. It seems almost cosmic that the same day Bill ends his run at Microsoft that Microsoft ends its run with Windows XP.
Well… I do have to say my hat’s off to Bill and all the wonderful work he has done in and outside the halls at Redmond. His focus will now be on the work of the Gates Foundation and the wonderful they’ve started. Good luck Bill!