Bazzoni Blog

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas photo cards this year.

2010-11-30T11:11:00.007-06:00

In an attempt to streamline the process of mailing out Christmas cards this year along comes the Christmas photo card. It is a nice way to share greetings and well wishes for Christmas and New Years out to the masses in a quick and compact way. Some people like to write newsletters or send long messages, but simple is better for me. There are so many different places to get these photo cards from. My favorite is Shutterfly.

Having used Shutterfly in the past I looked at the many different ways they could help me. They have Christmas photo cards (my choice), Christmas cards and Holiday cards among many others to choose from. Each choice than has a long list of design templates to choose from.

The first thing to do is pick out pictures of the family to use on the card. You then upload it and go through the many choices. I like to try two or three designs and then put them together online and then pick my favorite. With no minimum orders, it makes it easy to pick multiple cards if I want. That way you could pick a formal one for some and a fun one for others. The choices are endless.

After you complete your design you place your order and everything comes to you ready to go. Be sure to check out Shutterfly for all your photo needs.

Merry Christmas and I wish everyone all the best in 2011!

Single Grain iPhone 3.0 Beta Giveaway

2009-03-25T12:00:00.000-05:00

Going on right now, so jump in if you want 3.0 before most users!

On March 25th, 2009 10:00AM PST Will start of the 2nd iPhone 3.0 Beta giveaway. Single Grain has 50 more licenses to give away and it will be on a first come first serve basis. Last time we had this giveaway we ran out of licenses in 6 hours.

The giveaway is similar to last time. Heres the details:

1. Spread the word. Post this on twitter: “Single Grain’s 50 iPhone 3.0 Beta Giveaway http://tinyurl.com/c3zxra” & blog about the giveaway

2. Email us where you blogged (URL to blog post) about it and your UDID number (Here’s how you find your UDID Number on your iPhone) And we’ll email you the link to download it. Email your information here: sj@singlegrain.com

3. Give Feedback. So once you’ve installed 3.0 OS Beta leave a comment. How do you like it? Any bugs? Any particular apps don’t work? Anything will be helpful.

Windows 7 on the MacBook, testing continues...

2009-02-03T14:45:00.003-06:00

♠So I have now been using Windows 7 on my 1st Gen MacBook for almost 1 month. People have asked for some details on the install, so I want to go over that first.

I had Windows XP SP3 loaded on my MacBook prior to getting the Windows 7 beta. To move to Windows 7 I could not just Upgrade Windows, I needed to start over. This gave me a chance to re-partition my Bootcamp (Windows) partition.

So I had to go into OSX and run the Bootcamp manager and remove the Windows partition. Once this was done I then created a new partition and started the installation of Windows 7 using the Bootcamp program. Doing this I had the choice to format using FAT or NTFS, and I went with NTFS. The installation of Windows 7 was smooth and fast.

Once Windows 7 was installed I needed to load the drivers for the MacBook. You do this by inserting the OSX Leopard CD in the computer while in Windows. This worked just like it did in Windows XP. It loaded all of the drivers for this hardware.

I have noticed a couple of things that I need to investigate further. One of them is the built-in Webcam. It is installed, but I am not seeing anything in Windows 7 that uses this. In Windows XP it was under My Computer, it is not under Computer in Windows 7.

So far for normal usage everything is working fine. I notice a much faster boot time and am now testing Anti-virus software and various hardware. Check back and I will write more soon.

Windows 7 on the MacBook

2009-01-12T14:43:00.003-06:00

Got Windows 7 Beta running on my 1st generation MacBook. Works great and no problems loading at all using OS X BootCamp.

Will post more as I continue to test.

Follow up on my Apple Store Black Friday fun

2008-12-05T16:20:00.003-06:00

Well I was able to talk to someone at the Apple Store on the phone this week. I was in Denver for business and got a call from an assistant manager. They were very nice and took my suggestions, not sure how far it will go, but I am glad they were interested in the feedback. They also sent me a Procare membership. I still would like to hear from someone at Apple Corporate as this could be an issue worldwide. I feel the suggestions I have could help all of the retail locations.

I got my new MacBook in the mail when I got back so I will be having some fun this weekend!

Bad service from Apple on Black Friday

2008-11-30T09:19:00.006-06:00

What a strange Black Friday I had. It started late on Thanksgiving night when I decided to not get up at 3 a.m. as there were no items that seemed interesting.

In a really strange turn of events my wife sent me to the Apple store to pickup a new MacBook because she got an email from Apple. She saw that the new MacBook I was looking at for months was on sale and that Apple offered six months no interest. The offer was possible by getting the Juniper iTunes reward Visa card and purchasing one item over $1000. Perfect. The site said it takes 30 seconds to get approved in most cases. Sweet!

So I went to the Deer Park, IL Apple Store before noon on Friday. I walked in and they had a very efficient setup with a line to stand in when you were ready to purchase. I walked up and someone helped me immediately. My sales associate walked me through the process of getting the Juniper Visa. I put in my info and it said that they were reviewing my request. I was supposed to get approved right away. "No problem" said the sales associate, this happens. He suggested that I purchase using a different card right now and if I get the approval later from Juniper just come back and switch it over. But, he said "I know it is tempting, but don't open this new MacBook or you will be charge a 10% restocking fee on the return." I asked if he thought this could all be done today. He said it should not be a problem. So I said to him if I pay now and get home and get the card I can just bring back my computer and switch it to get the six months zero interest. He said yes and reiterated the 10% restocking fee and reminded me to do it today to get the $100 off Black Friday deal. I said great and gave him my American Express card. In minutes I was out the door with my MacBook, Apple Care and a renewal for MobileMe. Great, but now to get home and wait for the approval.

So I get home and explain this to my wife. She said great and we can plan on going to the Apple store after dinner. So I waited for something from Juniper. After an hour I called Juniper and talked to several people. They said they couldn't give me any info on why I hadn't heard anything yet. They said this may take more than a day. They explained that with the high number of transactions (Black Friday after all) it could be difficult to say when this would be complete. The online hold messages said this also, along with the possibility that it could take 30 days to receive my new card. I didn't think any of that was important. Then they suggested I call the approval center and got a different 800#. One part that happened at the store was a "security question" that I did not know about. They said that may be the issue. So my wife signed up for the card online. Well this time it went through immediately. So great we got the approval, with plenty of credit to buy the MacBook. So now just to wait and go back to the store after dinner.

So we went to dinner with the MacBook in tow. After dinner my me, my wife and my 11 month old son drove to the Deer Park store and talked to an associate right away. I told him that I was in earlier today and wanted to switch my purchase over to the Juniper Visa. He said fine, but needed the number. So we went to the Juniper website and pulled up the new account. Then he said he needed to see the manager. He came back and explained that he could not do the transaction. He said that he needed the approval "barcode" from Juniper. He said the only way to get this was to register in the store and the store gets that approval "barcode" and then you can make the purchase. So, if I signed up at home and then went in or, like me, had a problem with my approval and came back later I could not do the process until I had the physical Juniper Visa card on me. He said there was nothing he could do. So I asked to talk to the manager. He came over and explained the same thing to me. I asked what are my options. He said I could take his business card and he would honor the Black Friday price (I didn't take it as it seemed to me to be an empty promise), but I would have to wait to get my card. I said well I could wait up to 30 days and I can't open the box so this was a real problem to me. The manager then denied that there would be a 10% restocking fee, as I was told earlier. He said it is just a transaction swap, so there would not be any restocking fee. Again he said I could just bring it in and see him and he would honor the price. I then asked what would happen if I didn't get the card before my American Express, a monthly paid card, was due. He said I don't know. So I asked what are my options. He said you can take this computer home, open it and wait for the card and then come back in when you have it or you can return it now. I asked if there were any other options, no. So the manager left and I had the sales associate process the return of the MacBook and the other items. The sales associate was very nice and said he was sorry plenty of times. But still we felt nothing but despair and disappointment when we left the store without the MacBook. I wanted to mention to the manager again when I was walking out that I thought this was a bad way to do business, but he disappeared when he walked away from us.

So the ride home was not great. We were both disappointed. I posted a bunch of messages on Twitter from my iPhone on the drive home, since my wife was driving. I sent an e-mail to a friend about this and didn't know what to do. I filled out the Apple customer service survey that was at the top of my receipt.

After I sat down and cleared my head I said wait a minute we were approved online. Why not purchase online and we still get the six month zero interest. So that is what we did. So I still got the price, rate and will get the MacBook in a few days. But I still have some problems with how the store handled everything. So I have some suggestions for Apple:

1. Don't ever suggest that you can do a transaction switch from one card to another later on any purchase by returning the product later. This eliminates the whole issue including whether or not there is a restocking fee.
2. Suggest ordering online. (I suspect that they may not have suggested that to maintain sales numbers at that particular store, but don't know for sure)
3. Allow customers to pay online and pickup in store. This gives customers another option when paying. They could pay from their checking account, Paypal or other online means. With this flexibility that could help increase sales. It also stops Apple from paying shipping fees to mail out the items you purchase. Sounds like a no brainer to me.
4. Be up front on the policies related to the credit card you offer. If there are scenarios that could cause you with purchase trouble(like only being able to register at the store to use the new card that day) just be honest about it.
5. Apple should demand a little more from Juniper. Juniper customer service was sketchy at best. Apple is about quality and so should the credit card they offer. It seemed to me that Apple should know more about this card. In many places I saw comments like "don't contact Apple as they will not be able to assist you with the Juniper account." I would expect more from Apple, maybe they could get a special number to give to customers to call about their Juniper account. I would expect Juniper to provide this to Apple. This would give them a higher customer service experience to customer that get the card through Apple.

I still hope that Apple Corporate contacts me about this transaction. I am still an Apple fan, and would hope I could pass on these suggestions so this doesn't happen to someone else. This could cause some people to just say forget it and not deal with Apple again.

A line I e-mailed my friend summed up the whole experience the best: "It was just a bad scene walking in with my wife and holding my 11 month old son and walking out discouraged like that. After I got home and cleared my head I figured why not just buy online. So by the end of the week I will have my sweet new MacBook, but I will still remember that experience."

Save Windows XP!

2008-04-14T08:31:00.008-05:00

Microsoft plans to end most sales of Windows XP on June 30, despite a deep reluctance by many business and individuals about moving to Vista.

InfoWorld magazine has created a website and started a petition to save Windows XP. There are only 76 days left, so sign the petition if you want to keep Windows XP as a choice.

Visit Savexp.com to sign the petition.

Smashing Magazine

2008-03-13T16:37:00.002-05:00

I recently came upon what is now my number one resource for new exciting trends in web design, Smashing Magazine.

From their About Us page: "Founded in September 2006, Smashing Magazine delivers useful and innovative information for designers and web-developers. Our aim is to inform our readers about the latest trends and techniques in web-development - clearly, precisely and regularly. We don’t try to convince you with the quantity, but with the quality of the information we present. That’s what makes us different. In fact, we smash you with the information which will make your life easier. Really.

Why Smashing Magazine? Well, why not? We smash our readers with information which might be useful for them, even although they haven’t realized it yet."

Stop by Smashing Magazine or subscribe to their RSS feed, but be warned, you will be overloaded with good design ideas.

Blog Madness!

2008-03-11T11:17:00.003-05:00

Well the GOP is using a tournament bracket system to name the 2008 Convention Blog. Check it out at http://www.gopconvention2008.com/blogmadness/

Be sure to vote for your favorite names.

I am working on getting to the convention and live blogging it using Twitter. I will post some updates on this as I get them.

FolderShare returns!

2008-03-10T12:42:00.004-05:00

A great program that lets you view your files across multiple computers, even a Mac, has returned. Check it out: http://www.foldershare.com

You can also read their blog at: http://foldershareteam.spaces.live.com/default.aspx

Thanks to Major Nelson for the twit on this!

The best car I ever owned

2007-12-20T08:15:00.000-06:00

57 mpg? That's so 20 years ago. Want to drive a cheap car that gets eye-popping mileage? In 1987 you could - and it wasn't even a hybrid.- via CNN

I would buy a new one today if they still made it.

Welcome Matthew Bazzoni!

2007-12-18T11:28:00.000-06:00

Lisa and I wanted to share with all of you that we welcomed Matthew Lawrence Bazzoni to the world on December 13, 2007 at 10:41 a.m. He weighs 5 pounds 12 ounces and was born at St. Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates, IL. Lisa and Matthew are doing well. I have posted a couple more pictures at www.bazzoni.net and will update the site with more pictures in the next few weeks.

We want to thank everyone for all their support over the last year. It has meant so much to me, Lisa and Matthew.

Please feel free to pass this on to anyone I may have missed.

Take care and we will talk to you soon!

Updating Leopard and BootCamp Beware

2007-10-31T09:32:00.000-05:00

So I updated my MacBook to Leopard and everything went well. Being my work system I have Windows XP loaded using BootCamp beta.

After I loaded Leopard I did a reboot and checked out Windows XP to make sure it was still running. I rebooted and went into Windows and it was working fine. I got busy working on some files and someone came in to checkout Leopard so I said OK let me boot into Leopard and show you.

Oops, big mistake. On boot I got the old Apple prohibitory sign.

Seems that if you boot into Windows XP using the Boot Camp beta after you updated to Leopard you must insert the Leopard DVD to update the drivers in Windows before you boot back to Leopard.

Since I did not, I did a clean install of everything. This was good because I did not have any critical files on this system. It also gave me a chance to partition the system a little different than I had done before.

Before you update you absolutely have to do these things:

Backup everything you need
Read this blog: TUAW Guide: Getting Ready for Leopard
Backup everything you need

After doing a clean install the MacBook is really fast. It is also nice to have a fresh partition for Windows giving me more equal space for both O/S's.

Leopard spotted at Deer Park store

2007-10-31T08:34:00.000-05:00

Well I got in line last Friday at our new Deer Park, IL Apple store to pick up Leopard and found a Leopard in front of me in line.

Actually it was Thomas Van Housen the PC/Mac Guru. You can check out his site at: http://www.pcmacguru.com/ It was good to meet Tom. I have driven by his place many times and never actually met him.

Fun was had by all as you can tell from the pictures. The rain held off for the most part while we were in line. While I was there I also picked up iLife '08, so I will be updating my website very soon.

Here is a picture of me talking to Tom

Updating my 12" PowerBook G4 was a breeze. It took about 2 hours, but that was not a big concern. I also upgraded to iLife '08 during that time, so not bad.

The PowerBook seems to be running faster with the new update. I have also tested out all my common apps and found no issues. So, if you have an older PowerBook and are on the fence about updating, do it!

In my next post I will talk about upgrading my work MacBook with BootCamp beta on it. Please make sure to read it if you are going to update a Mac with BootCamp beta already loaded.

Google 700!

2007-10-31T08:29:00.001-05:00

Wow, Google (goog) breaks the 700 mark in after hours trading!

Leopard. after the load...

2007-10-26T15:46:00.000-05:00

Well, Leopard loaded on my work system in 1 hour 25 minutes. I chose to update rather than start over. All this worked fine. I have not found any apps that are dead yet and I have played with Spaces so far. Very slick and seems faster, but we will see how it goes at home.

I am still going to the Deer Park, Il Apple store at 6 p.m. tonight and waiting in line for my home version. I like the whole Apple new product experience and missed it on the iPhone, so I can't wait. Plus the first 500 people get Leopard t-shirts!

If you are looking to buy Leopard and do the update, here is a great site to review before you do the update: TUAW Guide: Getting Ready for Leopard I will be following this before I update my 12" PowerBook. I will post again about how this update goes later.

Leopard Arrives Early!

2007-10-26T11:54:00.000-05:00

Leopard Arrives Early!

Date/Time

Activity

Location

Details

Oct 26, 2007

9:37 AM

Delivered

MOUNT PROSPECT, IL

7:19 AM

On FedEx vehicle for delivery

SCHAUMBURG, IL

7:13 AM

At local FedEx facility

SCHAUMBURG, IL

6:19 AM

At dest sort facility

CHICAGO, IL

4:16 AM

Arrived at FedEx location

CHICAGO, IL

3:46 AM

Departed FedEx location

NEWARK, NJ

12:28 AM

Arrived at FedEx location

NEWARK, NJ

Thanks to Apple and FedEx!

In need of a digital reset

2007-09-12T12:05:00.000-05:00

I was just reflecting on all of the digital real estate that I have neglected over the last year. It made me think, can I just hit the "reset" button and start over? Yes I can.

Since starting to use Twitter, Pownce, and Facebook I really haven't posted to this blog. Why? I really don't know. I guess I have been into posting things 140 characters at a time.

I have been busy collaborating on a great project called RenegadeGourmet.com. Cooking for the Culinary Impaired is on WCRN Radio in Boston, Ma. The show just moved to Saturday Mornings from 7 am to 8 am if you are in the area and want to participate live, call in. I just went through a third complete re-design of the website and included a shopping cart system using PayPal. We are contacting many different cooking supplies companies to get the best price and best quality for our listeners.

I have been Beta testing like crazy. (The bad part of some Beta tests are the NDA's. I really want to post about some things and can't.) Apple, Microsoft and Symantec (among others) have some great things coming to you very soon.

I have been keeping up with the eBay Voices program. It really is an honor to be involved with such a great company in this way.

I stopped posting about my Windows Home Server. I liked WHS, but I did not like that it setup your storage for you. But I can see it being a really great thing for non-tech users to have a centralized storage system that is extremely easy to use. I decided to go with Windows Server 2008, aka Longhorn, instead. I can control much more. So, I will put up a post of the final hardware setup and cost analysis very soon.

I have been using the Google Reader quite a bit and find tons of other great blog post all the time. So I will start a new Shared Items feed, so everyone can read some of the coolest posts I see. It is also a great archive of data, as Robert Scoble recently mentioned. (Maybe he got me thinking about all of this).

But the blog isn't the only thing that needs a reset. I took a hard look at Bazzoni.net and said to myself "What kind of low end site is this?" So, for now I am going to upload a site I did using iLife. It will at least have new pictures. It can and will be a better site in the future.

I also really miss doing the Monday Morning Commute podcast. In fact I found some old CD's of the shows and through them in my car. I cannot tell you how happy I was to listen to the old shows. But, the show took tons of pre- and post-production time. I got a Mac and that time decreased a ton. It was still too much to fit into a normal week. So, I will be re-evaluating this and see if I can get this going again because the end result was always a joy to listen to. I have some ideas and when I get close to a decision I will post it here.

So as I start pushing the "reset" button on all of these things. I hope all of you know that I appreciate you taking a look at what I had to say and I will do my best to keep you up to date on everything I can in the future.

Take Care, Michael B.

Windows Home Server, let the testing begin

2007-02-23T12:06:00.000-06:00

Well I got the invite to join the Windows Home Server test. I am not sure what I can and cannot blog about, but I think I can post about the new test computer I am building.

I got started on my new computer by ordering a new case. I just ordered the Ultra Wizard Mid-Tower Blue Case from RadioShack.com. They are offering the case for $4.99 after rebate until 2/28/07, so get them while you can.

So now I need to put together a list of what else I need:

Power Supply
Motherboard with Processor (I am thinking Celeron with built in video, audio and 10/100)
Memory (1GB)
Hard drive(s) (I am thinking dual 250GB...search for a good price has begun)
DVD drive (I am going to try an external USB since this is only needed for OS install)

This is fun. Unlike Vista testing it is getting me interested it putting together a new computer from the ground up and with a specific purpose in mind, a central storage location. It has been years since I had a reason to build my own computer, so I am really looking forward to it.

I will be posting updates on the hardware as I go. So keep watching because I am going to try and put this all together at a good price and I will let you know where I buy from with links, so I can pass on the deals. No, I am not getting anything for these links, I am just passing on the info. Starting out at $4.99 is awesome!

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I have to go over my NDA's and start to post about what I can. I need to do more posts about my Apple OSX work (BootCamp, Leopard, etc.) and I should also do a recap post on my Vista testing sometime. Problem is I continue to test...I have already said enough.

Microsoft Zune software review with screencast

2006-11-15T12:45:00.000-06:00

I just loaded the new Zune software on my system. I want share with everyone my first impressions of the software and the new Zune Marketplace.

The installation of the Zune software was easy. I did not like that it asked you to attach the Zune player before continuing to install. It did allow me to Skip after a few seconds, but I juat wanted to try the software and compare it to iTunes. If anyone at Microsoft would like to send me a Zune to test (e-mail me at michael(@)bazzoni.net), I will do another post on the sync aspects of the software as well as the player.

Here is a link to my screencast: zune_software.avi

After you install the Zune software, all your MP3 files will have a cool new icon.
The player piece of the software works as expected. In the beginning of the video you will see that I used the rating system to display songs that I like. I did this so you could see this view and also see the items that Zune found album art for. Zune did not find all the album art, but neither did iTunes, so no problem.

For the Zune Marketplace I had some issues. As you will see in the video I get errors trying to preview tracks in the marketplace. Not sure what is causing these, I will have to do some more investigation.

I will be purchasing some music and testing it out on my system and report back later. I am interested to see what the Beatles catalog looks like on Zune Marektplace...more later.

Microsoft parachutes...continued

2006-10-31T08:36:00.000-06:00

Well I was way off. Seems the parachutes were thrown from a moving vehicle and it was not IE 7 but Microsoft Accounting Express 2007.

You can download software for FREE, if you missed your chance to drive through Willow Springs, IL yesterday and get a CD, at: http://www.ideawins.com/

Here is an article in today's Chicago Suntimes, link.

Here is an article in today's Chicago Daily Southtown, link.

Microsoft parachutes litter small town

2006-10-30T08:30:00.000-06:00

Looks like Microsoft is doing something new to promote their software. My guess is this was for IE 7. Reports are that over 2,000 little parachutes with software attached were dropped on the town over night.

Here is the latest news from WBBM 780 in Chicago, Tiny parachutes are littering the lawns and trees of Willow Springs. What is up with that? WBBM's Steve Miller reports, here is a link to the Podcast.

I will keep up with this story and if I can get some pictures or more information I will pass it on. If anyone has any further information, contact me.

UPDATE: Here is a link to the news article: (Micro)soft Landing For Parachutes In Willow Springs

This article brings up a great point, why Willow Springs, IL?

digg this

Apple WWDC 2006 banner causing a stir

2006-08-04T14:26:00.000-05:00

Looks like the Apple WWDC 2006 banner at the Moscone Center is causing a stir days before any announcements.

I particluarly like this picture:

What I like is that this shows a clear break in the banner. Meaning there is more that will be displayed to the right of this. I can't wait to see what it is. I will be watching (or reading) on Monday, like everyone else. It could be a One More Thing...kind of day.

Thanks to One Digital Life for this...

Technorati Tags: Apple, OSX, MacBook

A community based Podcast directory, join the cause!

2006-07-21T14:18:00.000-05:00

Dave Winer, guru extraordinaire and original Podcaster, is proposing a community based Podcast directory.

This is a great idea. Now that other sites have gone to advertising based pages, it is more difficult to find new and existing Podcasts.

Sure Apple has a directory in iTunes, but what if you don't want to use iTunes? Should you be excluded from downloading cool and unusual Podcasts? NO. What if a Podcaster doesn't want to put their show on iTunes (or some of the other sites)? Should they have some way to reach new listeners? YES.

I encourage everyone to contact Dave and help support this effort! By making a 100% commercial free directory we keep the original roots of Podcasting going. It looks like he will be taking donations. I will do what I can. I hope I can share some of my bandwidth to help the cause.

Now I have been Podcasting for over a year now. Not one episode made me money (never asked for any), but that isn't why I do it. It is all about the experience and the communication with new and exciting people.

Thanks Dave for another great idea!

Technorati Tags: Podcasting, Apple, Opml, Podshow

Google Paint Beta, kind of

2006-07-18T12:02:00.000-05:00

Well this is not an "official" Google release, but it is really good. In fact, I would be shocked if Google isn't taking a serious look at this.

Here is a link to Gpaint: http://stuartjmoore.googlepages.com/Gpaint.html

This was done by Stuart Moore. I have to say I really like what he put together. He also has some other great things on his site, like a Google Earth icon for Mac OS X users and a WebMedia Center page that he is working on. I also like that he put all of this up using Google Page Creator as well. Good job Stuart!

PodShow+ opening soon

2006-06-27T21:36:00.000-05:00

Click on the above graphic to get in on the ground floor!

WinFS gone before it had a chance

2006-06-25T23:54:00.000-05:00

Well, it's official, WinFS is not coming to a Windows Vista install, or any other OS for that matter, ever.

The MSDN Blog for WinFS just let us all down.

Robert Scoble just posted about it as well.

After testing the Beta and actually starting to believe in this new way to store data I am disappointed. Microsoft is going to have to do something. If you read the comments on the MSDN blog you will see many people questioning what Microsoft is thinking. I don't see NTFS and FAT32 lasting forever. I am trying to get in on the exFAT Beta, but that is certainly not the answer for the mass storage of the future.

Technorati Tags: Microsoft, Windows, Windows Vista, WinFS

Google Releases Spreadsheets Beta

2006-06-07T00:06:00.000-05:00

I got into the Google Spreadsheets Beta today. So far it is really cool. Much like the Writely Beta. Both work great on a Mac as long as you are using Firefox.

The only concern I have so far, with both Spreadsheets and Writely, is your requirement to be on the Internet to access your data.

Over the weekend we had an almost complete Comcast shut down in our house. Ended up being a weak signal and some bad wiring (which Comcast fixed quickly). But over the weekend we were sans Internet. I had no way to get my data. Sure, I can save the data offline, but then I need to manage my space myself. Maybe Google will come up with a way that you can keep your data offline and have it sync. At least that's a suggestion I will be sending on to Google.

For now, if you are a PC user, I would check out the Microsoft Office Beta as well. I have been on it for a week at work and it is really great. I am still putting it through the paces of daily work, so I will post what I find in a later post.

BTW: What's next for Google? Google Presentations? I see an entire office suite being created...

Technorati Tags: Google, Writely, Microsoft, Mac

MacZOT.com Fans want Pzizz

2006-05-24T12:18:00.000-05:00

MacZOT.com Fans want Pzizz because 'According to the National Sleep Foundation, sleep deprivation and its effect on work performance may be costing U.S. employers some $18 billion each year in lost productivity. Another study pushes this cost to over $100 billion.' - link to full article

I have the software and it is interesting. Once I have some time to do some serious testing I will pass on my results.

macZOT! is at it again, free Mac software

2006-04-25T08:50:00.000-05:00

macZOT! is at it again. This time MacZOT and TheCodingMonkeys will award $105,000 in Mac software called SubEthaEdit. Well they will eventually after enough bloggers mention it.

So if you are a blogger, help others get free software and spread the word. Here is a link to the BLOGZOT 2.0 on MacZOT.com.

SubEthaEdit from CodingMonkeys is not just another text editor. It has this great collaboration feature that I have not seen in other "text editors."

Here is something from their website:

SubEthaEdit is a powerful and lean text editor. And it's the only collaborative one you can actually use. By combining the ease of Bonjour with the world's best text collaboration engine, it makes working together not only possible but even fun…

macZOT! is an awesome website that offers one new Mac software application a day at a reduced cost. You should check them out, even if this is not the application you want, just wait and tomorrow there will be a new product and there will always be a great price!

Technorati Tags: macZOT!, Apple

macZOT!, your Mac software friend

2006-04-07T11:40:00.000-05:00

macZOT! came on the scene not too long ago to help Mac users get good deals on software.

MacZOT is for Mac users

What macZOT! does is similar to a volume discount. They make a deal with a software developer to sell say 500 copies at a lower price than it lists for and then they pass the savings on to you. It is like you getting 500 friends together to buy a cool new app at the same time except they do the negotiating for you.

Now if I was a Mac software developer, I would be begging macZOT! to make a deal to sell my software. Why? Well, exposure. I make a deal to sell a ton of software at a discounted price and in return I get promoted by macZOT! and then I get promoted in the discussions on the site. I will then also get tons of word of mouth and I might even get dugg or slashdotted. You can't put a price on that kind of exposure.

Another cool thing they do is something called a MyzteryZOT!. These have usually cost around $15 and you have no idea what you are going to get. I have bought each of these and here is a recap:

MyzteryZOT! #1: Saved 68.23%, Got: AppZapper, Dockstar, Bloglight, S.O.S. and Sudoku

MyzteryZOT! #2: Saved 72%, Got: iClip, Menuet and Widgets: Statosphere, FTP Drop, NotePad and VoiceNotes

I really have not felt like either of these were bad purchases. Sure the last one came with four Widgets, but I think they are cool.

They are currently selling MyzteryZOT! #3, so go and get in on the fun.

I also bought RapidWeaver through macZOT!. I saved 25%!

So, if you are a Mac user and want to get a good deal on some great software, check out macZOT! they won't disappoint...

Technorati Tags: macZOT!, digg, Apple, Mac

Windows XP on a Mac, now available from Apple!

2006-04-05T08:42:00.000-05:00

Wow, I thought this would happen, but I am shocked it happened today.

Apple has just opened up Boot Camp Public Beta. This allows Intel based Mac systems to dual boot OSX and Windows XP.

Here is something from the site:

Boot Camp lets you install Windows XP without moving your Mac data, though you will need to bring your own copy to the table, as Apple Computer does not sell or support Microsoft Windows. Boot Camp will burn a CD of all the required drivers for Windows so you don't have to scrounge around the Internet looking for them.

Now I need one of those Intel Macs...

macZOT! giving away AppZapper for Mac users

2006-04-03T13:00:00.000-05:00

macZOT! is giving away AppZapper...well they will eventually after at least 259 bloggers mention it.

I already own AppZapper, so I am making this blog entry for those of you who do not own the product yet. It is really a great app!

macZOT! is an awesome website that offers one new Mac software application a day at a reduced cost, ala woot!.

Technorati Tags: macZOT!, woot!, Apple

Windows Live Search launches today

2006-03-08T09:10:00.000-06:00

Microsoft opened up the Windows Live Search today. Everyone can try it at live.com.

So I have been trying it and it is slow, but I will give them a break because I am sure there are tons of people trying it out, and it still has the Beta tag.

But, I keep getting errors when clicking on the feeds tab.

Don't know where I should report this. I will update this post if I find a place to submit this issue...

Technorati Tags: Microsoft, Windows, Windows Live

Gdrive leaked in Powerpoint notes?

2006-03-07T14:23:00.000-06:00

It is all over the web that Google had a Powerpoint presentation that contained notes that referenced the existance of Gdrive or that it is coming soon.

I looked all over for the Powerpoint and could not find it. Google pulled the actual PPT file and replaced it with a PDF.

I found a place that has the PPT file and here is the link: GDrive, Lighthouse y el mundo infinito de Google

Gracias para el archivo de Powerpoint!

I know I am posting about this days later, sorry, I was on vacation...

Technorati Tags: Google, Gdrive

More Apple announcements today...

2006-02-28T11:26:00.000-06:00

Well, I posted predictions last month for Apple, so what will happen today?

I still think we will see what I thought we would see but didn't last time:

iPod - new 4GB and 6GB nano, now with video. new 80GB or 100GB iPod with bigger screen for better video. I think we could see something called the vPod.

Airport Express - now supports video and/or TV hookup for use with Front Row.

Intel inside - Low price wide screen laptop price starting at $599 and the mac mini price starting at $399.

Long shot predictions:

New device, using Intel processor, that replaces your DVR (maybe a Tivo dual deal since they were quiet at CES) that also has a wireless feature to communicate to things like iTunes.

Now I would also add the Apple will probably start selling full length movies on iTunes as well. I would also like to see Front Row available on all systems, including for my now old (7 months) Powerbook.

UPDATE: Moments away, checking out Engadget for news on what is happening...I forgot that there should be a special edition Red iPod for Aids awareness that Bono was supposed to announce sometime. I would imagine today is the day for that as well. Wonder if he will be there...

I will post later with the results...

Google and Mac...Three steps forward one step back

2006-02-24T19:56:00.000-06:00

Google just released three new widgets for the Mac!

In fact, I am posting this with the new Blogger widget. Way to go Google, finally your doing something for the Mac users out there!

But...

Google also opened the Google Page Creator BETA, but alas it does not work in Safari...

Keep working at it...

Update: Still not working on Safari, but I did setup a test page here for everyone to check out: http://mbazzoni.googlepages.com/

I also want to mention that the Gmail widget is OK, but it takes up too much screen space.

Microsoft releases IE7 Beta 2 to the public

2006-01-31T13:34:00.000-06:00

Microsoft released their new Internet Explorer version 7 to the public today. You can download it here.

I have been using this for months and it is really great. I had sent in a few suggestions, so I can't wait to try this build and see if the changes I requested are there.

UPDATE: Yes! They put in one of my ideas. I suggested a warning about having multiple tabs open and then closing IE. I can't tell you how many times I did that and forgot that I was working on something in another tab. I know I wasn't the only one to make this suggestion, but since I sent it to the team it is cool to see it working now exactly like I had envisioned...

Keep in mind that this is still a BETA program, or preview edition, so use it with caution. Your system may not work like mine.

What's an Edge Case?

2006-01-27T11:39:00.000-06:00

I read Robert Scoble’s post yesterday called Scoble: I’‚m not an edge case that included audio from a heated discussion at Search Champs.

I wanted to do some research on the term Edge Case. Here is what I found:

I found a great article called In Praise of the Edge Case by B. Tommie Usdin of Mulberry Technologies, Inc..

Here is my favorite part:

"Anyway what’s this about too many edge cases? The edge is where we grow. The edge is where new ideas come from. The edge is the future!

Besides, today’s edge case is tomorrow’s mainstream application

The edge case is about things we can’t do, or can’t do as well as we want to. Edge case talks tend to be by people who are willing to live with failure -— sometimes for a long time - because they think they have an interesting or important problem to solve."

Then I found a post from Juice Analytics titled Learning from the edge cases (Part 2)

Here is my favorite part:
* They may offer new ways to think about the business or customers. As I said in my last post, edge cases help define the boundaries of reality.

* Collectively, outlier customers provide a service: they stress test the product and highlight unrealized strengths or weaknesses.

That article brought up the term outlier, an extreme deviation from the mean as, to explain the term Edge Case.

If the people were calling Robert an Edge Case to dismiss his opinions or ideas than I can understand his reaction to this. I wouldn't appreciate having my comments summarily dismissed like that.

Robert, you are not an Edge Case, so don’t let them get to you. But, I think the world would be a worse place if it wasn’t for people who are an Edge Case. It is not a bad thing to look at something in a different way than others.

Ironically, I played the sound byte from Robert Scoble in iTunes and I had shuffle on. The song that played after the sound byte was Breakdown by the Alan Parsons Project. Seemed fitting, if you look at the lyrics:

"I break down in the middle and lose my thread
No one can understand a word that I say
When I break down just a little and lose my head
Nothing I try to do can work the same way

Any time it happens, I get over it
With a little help from all my friends"

Technorati Tags: Edge Case, Scoble

How did I do on my Apple guesses?

2006-01-14T13:13:00.000-06:00

Well, I was sick most of this week, so I didn't post my results right away. I did get to monitor some of the keynote on IRC Tuesday but was really out of it. I didn't actually watch the webcast until Wednesday. Here is how I did:

100% Correct

.Mac - Support for Podcasts and Blogs.

90% Correct

iLife '06 - I got most of this right. I am disappointed that FrontRow is not part of it, but I did get the iWeb right (including the fact that .Mac subscribers would get more out of it). I am looking forward to trying the Podcast support built into Garageband. I am going to try and get it today at the Apple Store at Woodfield. If they are out, I will order it on Amazon as they are offering it with a discount.

10% Correct

Macbook Pro - I got the wide screen right, but I was way off on the price. That is really disappointing.

Wrong

Mac Mini - no new Intel based Mac Mini, just the same old iMac but with a Intel chip

iPod - no new iPod and only a new accessory.

Airport Express - nothing

Longshots = they were just that, maybe someday they will do something like this, but not now.

So, I really didn't do that well on the hardware but I almost was 100% on software. I will stick with those predictions in the future.

What will Apple do on Tuesday?

2006-01-08T20:12:00.000-06:00

What will Apple do on Tuesday?

Well, Microsoft, Google, etc. made it through CES and did their presentations, now it is Apple's turn. I am on the edge of my seat on this weeks announcments. I wish I could be there.

I thought now would be a good time for me to make my own predictions of what Steve Jobs may unveil this week.

DISCLAIMER: These are my guesses as I sit here reading all kinds of rumor Blogs and with no knowledge of what really will happen, so please...no wagering...I just want to see if I am even close on one of these...

My Guesses:

iLife '06 - updated favorites, plus some new things, like a basic video production tool for podcasts, iTunes version 5 with ability to backup video, FrontRow for every system and iWeb included will setup your own Blog or Podcast space (for .Mac users)

iPod - new 4GB and 6GB nano, now with video. new 80GB or 100GB iPod with bigger screen for better video.

Airport Express - now supports video and/or TV hookup for use with FrontRow.

.Mac - now supports automated backup of ITMS audio and video files. Blog and Podcast support added.

Intel inside - Low price wide screen laptop price starting at $599 and the mac mini price starting at $399.

Long shot predictions:

New device, using Intel processor, that replaces your DVR (maybe a Tivo dual deal since they were quiet at CES) that also has a wireless feature to communicate to things like iTunes.

Windows XP - all systems will have the option to run Windows XP OS and software inside OS X without a dual boot needed.

I will post a recap of how I did on Tuesday.

The Windows WMF flaw, revisited

2006-01-05T14:31:00.000-06:00

This just came in from Microsoft...they are going to release before the 10th...Just as I had hoped. They are also going to have a live Webcast about the release and to answer questions.

Title: Microsoft Security Response Center Bulletin Notification
Issued: January 05, 2006
********************************************************************

Summary
=======
Important Information for Thursday 5 January 2006

Microsoft announced that it would release a security update to help protect customers from exploitations of a vulnerability in the Windows Meta File (WMF) area of code in the Windows operating system on Tuesday, January 2, 2006, in response to malicious and criminal attacks on computer users that were discovered last week.

Microsoft will release the update today on Thursday, January 5, 2006, earlier than planned.

Microsoft originally planned to release the update on Tuesday, January 10, 2006 as part of its regular monthly release of security bulletins, once testing for quality and application compatibility was complete. However, testing has been completed earlier than anticipated and the update is ready for release.

In addition, Microsoft is releasing the update early in response to strong customer sentiment that the release should be made available as soon as possible.
....
Microsoft will hold a special Web cast on Friday, January 6, 2006, to provide technical details on the MS06-001 and to answer questions.
Registration details will be available at http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/default.mspx.

Microsoft will also be releasing additional security updates on Tuesday, January 10, 2006 as part of its regularly scheduled release of security updates.

What you need to know about the Windows WMF flaw

2006-01-03T13:27:00.000-06:00

From Microsoft Security Advisory #912840:

Microsoft has completed development of the security update for the vulnerability. The security update is now being localized and tested to ensure quality and application compatibility. Microsoft’s goal is to release the update on Tuesday, January 10, 2006, as part of its monthly release of security bulletins. This release is predicated on successful completion of quality testing.

Thanks to Brandon Paddock I heard about it before I got the e-mail.

Good news, but what do I do until January 10th? Well, I did some research and here is what I found.

If you are a Windows OneCare user and your current status is green, you are already protected from known malware that uses this vulnerability to attempt to attack systems.

I am and everything is green, so I am good, but what if I wasn't?

Computerworld gave the following advice to do one or all of the following:

Unregister the Windows shimgvw.dll file. The command regsvr32 -u %windir%\system32\shimgvw.dll at the command-line prompt should do this on an individual system. "This workaround is better than just trying to filter files with a WMF extension," according to security firm F-Secure Corp., since some malicious WMF files are being disguised with other file extensions.

Ilfak Guilfanov, "the main author of Interactive Disassembler Pro and ... arguably one of the best low-level Windows experts in the world," F-Secure says, has posted a temporary fix at hexblog.com. Security firm iDefense Inc. says it tested the patch and verified that it's effective and doesn't seem to include malicious code. But it notes that the patch "is still from an independent source and not the actual vendor, and should be treated as such." SANS Institute also says that it has "reverse engineered, reviewed and vetted" the fix. Guilfanov recommends uninstalling his workaround once Microsoft issues an official fix.

"Configure Internet Explorer to a HIGH security level," iDefense suggests in a listing of several protection strategies.

Block several IP addresses that have been associated with malicious activity in the past, according to Johannes Ullrich at SANS.

This is some really good advice. If you are a Windows user who also uses the Internet it would be good to follow this advice. I hope this helps everyone and I hope the fix comes out from Microsoft before the 10th.

Please note, the WMF flaw can happen on the following software:

Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 4

Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 1

Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2

Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 Edition

Microsoft Windows Server 2003

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 for Itanium-based Systems

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 with SP1 for Itanium-based Systems

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition

Microsoft Windows 98, Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition (SE), and Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (ME)

Note Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 and Microsoft Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition also refer to Microsoft Windows Server 2003 R2.

Google OS in the form of a Cube

2006-01-03T10:19:00.000-06:00

From 9/20/2005 on this very Blog:Some people said this would never happen, much like they are saying that the Google OS will never happen....we have to wait and see...

Now the LA Times is reporting: Industry Feeling Presence of the 800-Pound Google

Cheap PCs, anyone?

Google will unveil its own low-price personal computer or other device that connects to the Internet.

Sources say Google has been in negotiations with Wal-Mart Stores Inc., among other retailers, to sell a Google PC. The machine would run an operating system created by Google, not Microsoft's Windows, which is one reason it would be so cheap — perhaps as little as a couple of hundred dollars.

Bear Stearns analysts speculated in a research report last month that consumers would soon see something called "Google Cubes" — a small hardware box that could allow users to move songs, videos and other digital files between their computers and TV sets.

Larry Page, Google's co-founder and president of products, will give a keynote address Friday at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Analysts suspect that Page will use the opportunity either to show off a Google computing device or announce a partnership with a big retailer to sell such a machine.

I am not surprised, but it will be even more interesting to see what Apple already has planned for Macworld and how Microsoft will react to this news. I am glad I have stock in all three of them...

Happy New Year!

2005-12-31T17:13:00.000-06:00

I just want to say Happy New Year to everyone. Thanks for reading my blog in 2005 and I hope I can have more great posts in 2006.

Thanks to my wife, friends, and family for making 2005 so great.

Special thanks to Robert Scoble, Dave Winer and Adam Curry for making 2005 a little more interesting.

Watch for a new Monday Morning Commute Podcast this week to start the new year with some great music!

Here's to good health, happiness and luck for everyone in 2006.

Chronic-les of Narnia from SNL

2005-12-23T16:44:00.000-06:00

If you haven't seen the Chronic-les of Narnia rap from Saturday Night Live, here it is...prepare to be entertained...

If you see nothing above, then you are blocked from the content by a firewall.

UPDATE: This video is now available for FREE on iTunes, here is a link: Lazy Sunday - Thanks to TUAW!

Matt Damon goes to the Yankees

2005-12-20T23:27:00.000-06:00

I was shocked when I read this on ESPN.com: Breaking News - Damon Headed To Yankees

UPDATE: Sorry I mixed this up with the following from MSNBC: Don’t believe everything you read about Matt Damon’s wedding Heh!

All I want for Christmas is an Intel based Mac

2005-12-15T12:03:00.000-06:00

Wow, there are tons of posts around on if the new Intel based Macs will appear ahead of schedule.

Now, Apple posted its developer transition videos and it has actually added fuel to the fire. Here is a post from digg:

Apple Posts Transition Videos - Hints at Intel Release?

In the Introduction to Universal Binaries video, he states that the Transition Resource Center will be your friend for the "next couple of weeks." Am I reading into this too much? Did he just hint at something?

I think the video references a couple of weeks as the time it will take to learn the differences between PowerPC and Intel to start making the transition. I could be wrong.

Yahoo Answers the tough questions

2005-12-08T09:38:00.000-06:00

Yahoo just released something called Yahoo Answers. You post a question (110 character limit?) and then wait to see how other users answer the question.

I thought the best way to really explain it was to give you links to some of the interesting questions (and answers) I came across. Here is a list:

When should I visit Kenya to see the wildebeests cross the Serengeti?

What was the name of the car of the Flintstones?

What is a stable and high return investment?

Where's a good place to buy a skirt for beneath the Christmas tree?

Now they also have unresolved questions. Here are a few of my favorites:

What is the difference between permutations and combinations?

Why in the House of Commons does the P.M. often say "I refer the hon. gentleman to the answer I gave earlier"?

Why did the 80's rock group Husker Dü breakup?

I hope someone can answer these pressing questions soon :_)

Windows Live Local Beta now available

2005-12-08T09:29:00.000-06:00

Vikram Posts about the just released Windows Live Local Beta

Virtual Earth is now Windows Live Local. This new release (code-name Calypso) comes with the new Bird’s Eye view and in-place driving directions (amongst a host of other new features).

I just checked it out and it is very cool. Thanks Vik for doing such a great post on this!

Here is a link to Windows Live Local Beta and here is a link to the Bird's Eye Images they have so far. I am only disappointed that they do not have Chicago...yet.

Apple removing the boot from OS?

2005-11-23T08:27:00.000-06:00

From the Motley Fool: I think Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) going to be offering instant-on computers in the very near future.

I remember going to the Office 2000 release party in Chicago. Steve Ballmer was there and they gave the crowd a preview of Windows XP. In the demo they said (and showed) that the Start button would appear faster on the screen, in essence, a shorter boot time. This got them a standing ovation.

Since then we learned that even though the Start button does appear faster in XP than in previous OS releases it is still not a faster boot. Services and devices are still being brought online in the background and some systems need to wait for several minutes before the booting process has completed and then they can be used.

It would really be great to see a system and an OS boot instantaneously. That would be a huge step into the future. With memory prices dropping and technology advancing it would be great to see this sooner than later.

That being said, this is not just needed in the computer arena. When I turn on my Cell Phone it has a boot time. When I turn on my Palm it has a boot time. We need to see memory used more to preload the services that are needed to operate all kinds of devices. Once we have that who knows were we can go...

Infone discontinuing service

2005-11-10T11:35:00.000-06:00

Just got an e-mail from Infone:

Dear Infone Customer:

It is with deep regret that we must announce that Infone LLC will be discontinuing its enhanced directory assistance and call completion services effective December 31, 2005. If you have questions you may contact us by e-mail at customer.service@infone.com. Please be advised that this discontinuation does not change the service you have with your designated long distance carrier. It has been our pleasure serving you and we thank you for your patronage.

Infone LLC

It's too bad, I liked their service, but I am guilty of not using it all that much. This was a great concept, but there are so many other ways to get this information for free that in the end that probably hurt them the most.

Microsoft announces something Live

2005-11-01T14:32:00.000-06:00

Here are a few new BETA programs just announced by Bill G moments ago...

Microsoft Windows Live - http://ideas.live.com/

From Microsoft:
What is Windows Live?
Your online world gets better when everything works simply and effortlessly together. That's the basic idea behind Windows Live. So the things you care about - your friends, the latest information, your e-mails, powerful search, your PC files, everything comes together in one place. This is a brand new Internet experience designed to put you in control. And this is just the beginning you'll see many more new services in the coming months.

Microsoft Office Live is coming. http://www.microsoft.com/office/officelive/default.mspx

From Microsoft:
Today, an online presence is almost a requirement for small business success. That's why Microsoft is introducing Microsoft Office Live a set of affordable business productivity services designed to help you grow your business more easily by establishing a professional presence online.

Microsoft Office Live will provide your company with its own domain name, Web site, and e-mail accounts for free.

White Sox Win It All!

2005-10-27T00:03:00.000-05:00

The Chicago White Sox Win! - from the Chicago Tribune

Sorry I have not posted, but my life has been consumed with the White Sox and the World Series among other things. I did not want to jinx anything. I will have an extended post about the White Sox soon. Right now, Lisa and I are sipping some champagne!

I have plenty to Blog about like the new Hotmail Beta and I am going to start a WordPress Blog.

Congraulations to the White Sox! Thank you for such a great season that we will never forget!

White Sox in the World Series!

2005-10-16T23:15:00.000-05:00

From the Chicago Tribune: Not since Shoeless Joe Jackson have the White Sox caused this much of a commotion. World Series, here they come.

Steve Jobs was not wearing jeans?

2005-10-13T08:30:00.000-05:00

Apple announced a ton of new things yesterday, in fact it was front page of the Chicago papers this morning, beating out the "The White Sox win on a controversial call" story.

Let's review what Apple announced...

iMac (thinner with built in iSight), Front Row media experience, Photo booth software, iPod (video edition), iTunes 6, Quicktime 7.0.3, iTunes "Just For You" and exclusive video content of "Lost", "Desperate Housewives" and other ABC and Disney TV shows. I am sure I missed something, oh and Steve Jobs was not wearing jeans...

It is funny, Russ has a Told you so post and Adam has a I was wrong post. It could have gone either way.

Chuck Toporek has a great post on what he thinks the next "One More Thing..." event will have.

One more comment on the White Sox, you have to read this blog entry from Eric Zorn titled "Sox fans: Don't blow your Bartman moment". I knew that someone would bring Bartman into this thing.

Next stop for Google? How about Space!

2005-09-29T07:24:00.000-05:00

Google announced today that they will collaborate with NASA on the 'entrepreneurial space industry'.

I can see the future headlines now...

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Sept 29, 2015 (CNN) - Google says that their latest office will open today on the Moon and plans to make this it's main headquarters.

SEA OF TRANQUILITY, Sept 29, 2025 (GNN) - The Sergey IV lands on Mars! First humans on Mars, visit mars.google.com for exclusive video and live chats with these brave new space explorers...

ARES VALLIS, Sept 29, 2045 (GNN) - Google announces a treaty with our new friends from Alpha Centauri and plans to provide them free yottabyte communication in exchange for a collaboration to make time travel possible...(Ok, that is too far fetched even for this post)

Apple understands Customer Service

2005-09-28T09:05:00.000-05:00

TUAW is reporting that Apple addresses iPod nano screen complaints.

I knew this was a big deal when I heard about the resolution this morning on the radio driving in to work.

In this day of complaints getting around the world before someone even contacts the manufacturer about a problem it is nice to see that Apple has responded quickly.

I could tell you about my bad Customer Service issues with Dell and how it took months to try and get a resolution (and even then it was an empty promise in the end), but that is for another day. Suffice to say, I know good Customer Service when I see it.

UPDATE: Restore your iPod nano to new condition with a $4 can of Brasso. Check this out...it has some great before and after pictures for an old 3GB iPod model and the new black Nano.

Next on CBS, Rockstar: Van Halen?

2005-09-21T13:40:00.000-05:00

Now there is no official Rockstar: Van Halen coming, but how cool would that be?

My wife and I really enjoyed the whole Rockstar: INXS show. We were rooting for Marty...I had to root for someone from Chicago, especially since he grew up within miles of me as a kid. I even got to play a song from his band The Lovehammers on my Podcast. Alas, Marty did not win, but we are OK with J.D. winning. I thought J.D. was the winner weeks ago. In fact, I am sure to buy the new album, DVD and get tickets to see them live when they get to Chicago.

But last night they announced they were doing this again and I said to my wife, I got it, Rockstar: Van Halen! Wouldn't that be cool! I started to think about it and they could even invite David Lee Roth to compete. I can see it now... "I'm sorry Dave you are not right for our band, Van Halen...now come over here and give us a proper goodbye."

Google free WiFi no longer a rumor

2005-09-20T12:56:00.000-05:00

Well, it's here! Free WiFi provided by Google!

Here is a good writeup on it: http://blog.searchenginewatch.com/blog/050920-071042

Here a link to the test program:http://wifi.google.com/download.html

Here is a link to the FAQ:http://wifi.google.com/faq.html

So far it is a Beta only in San Francisco, but soon it may be in a town near you. If anyone has some actual screenshots of them using this service, I will post links to them here.

Some people said this would never happen, much like they are saying that the Google OS will never happen....we have to wait and see...

FORE! RSS Feeds, now for golfers

2005-09-14T13:59:00.000-05:00

Just got this e-mail and thought I would pass it on to everyone...

RSS Feeds Deliver Titleist News Directly to Desktops

Fairhaven, MA (September 14, 2005) - Titleist, Golf's Symbol of Excellence, today unveiled its new, content-rich News site and RSS Feeds that deliver Titleist information daily and directly to the desktops of subscribers.

"The titleist.com RSS News Feed is an extension of our commitment to provide the content and information golfers seek and expect from the Titleist brand," said Joe Gomes, Director of Communications, Acushnet Company. "The redesign of the News section on our web site, in combination with the opportunity for consumers to subscribe to the RSS Feeds, is an important factor in delivering timely and accurate updates on Titleist products, tour player information, educational initiatives and breaking news when it happens."

For more information on RSS Feeds and to subscribe to the titleist.com RSS News Feeds, please visit: http://titleist.com/news/news_overview.asp.

They don't just have one RSS feed either, they have tons. Here is the list:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Latest News http://titleist.com/rss/new.asp
New Equipment http://titleist.com/rss/equip.asp
Golf Balls http://titleist.com/rss/golf_balls/
Drivers http://titleist.com/rss/drivers/
Irons http://titleist.com/rss/irons/
Wedges http://titleist.com/rss/wedges/
Putters http://titleist.com/rss/putters/
Tradition and Technology http://titleist.com/rss/tech.asp
The Watercooler (Newest) http://titleist.com/rss/water.asp
From the Gallery http://titleist.com/rss/gallery/
Titleist on Tour (Newest) http://titleist.com/rss/tour.asp
Weekly Update http://titleist.com/rss/week/
On the Road with Ernie http://titleist.com/rss/road/
A Quick 9 http://titleist.com/rss/quick9/
Titleist Talks (Newest) http://titleist.com/rss/talks.asp
Inside the Ropes http://titleist.com/rss/ropes/
Ask Titleist http://titleist.com/rss/asktitleist/
Learning Center (Newest) http://titleist.com/rss/learn.asp
Lessons from the Pros http://titleist.com/rss/lesson/
Golf Fitness http://titleist.com/rss/fitness/
Media Center (Newest) http://titleist.com/rss/media.asp
Press Releases http://titleist.com/rss/press/
Corporate Announcements http://titleist.com/rss/annouce/

Microsoft Max: A window view into the future

2005-09-13T16:22:00.000-05:00

Microsoft released a public Beta for Microsoft Codename:Max today for Windows XP users. At first glance, I thought this was like Flickr, this ain't Flickr.

You must download and install this because you will be blown away by this app. It is a simple tool to create and share slideshows of your pictures at it's base. But once you try it you will be amazed at how your boring old pictures look in Max!

When you install this it also loads the current WinFX Beta.

If you do load this and are interested in trying out the Share feature, send me an e-mail.

Questions about my eBay listing, just Skype me...

2005-09-12T09:11:00.000-05:00

Saw this in my alerts this morning...eBay to Acquire Skype

Wow, it doesn't seem like a fit, but when you actually look at what they are doing it is starting to make sense.

I can now pay for Skype calls with Paypal.

This will also potentially help with buyer/seller communication. I can see it now, "If you have any questions, Skype me..." will be in many sellers item listings. This will help increase transactions because you will feel more connected to the seller and vise versa.

I would bet this will also enable me to get eBay alerts wherever I am. Rather than getting tons of e-mails, I could just get alerts via Skype on items I am bidding on, selling or watching. I could also probably ask to get alerts on new item listings I would be interested in.

Looks like a good move for eBay!

Almost forgot, this is good for Skype as well. Access to all the eBay users will certainly increase the number of Skype users...

Top 10 category tonight, TUAW

2005-09-09T20:02:00.000-05:00

In honor of Apple releasing the new iPod nano, The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) is having a contest.

Since I enjoy the TUAW website and am a RSS subscriber, I thought it would be nice to go back through my favorite articles this year. It seems that quite often I take an article and e-mail it home so I don't forget it. Here are the ten that either helped me, or were quite intriguing...in a Top 10 list...

Top 10 reasons to subscribe to TUAW:

10. Cult insight - More Evidence that Jobs is a Deity: No License Plates
9. Audio - 5th and final week of free loops from MacJams.com
8. Bugs/Recalls - Software Update: Security Update 2005-007 version 1.1
7. Rumors - Is the Motorola E790 the iTunes phone? (posted 7/3/2205)
6. Freeware - Blender
5. Podcasts - What podcasts do you listen to?
4. Blogging - RSS Writer brings syndication to HTML sites
3. Games - Descent 2 updated for OSX - and free!
2. Humor - T.P. Mac Mini Mod

and...

1. Free iPod nano - Win a 2GB iPod nano from TUAW

Seriously, I did use most of these links. I recommend subscribing to TUAW.

WinFS Beta 1 - The testing continues...

2005-08-30T10:06:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I am continuing to test and since I got a comment on my last post I thought I should give everyone a quicker update of how my testing has gone so far.

First thing to understand is that this is not a replacement file system in its current form. During the install it setup this as a seperate space and my hard drive format is still NTFS. This is a test of a file system structure and how it will work in the future. Being Beta 1 there are certain things that should just be understood by a common technical user.

The other thing I forgot to mention before is that I am doing this testing on my Dell Optiplex GX 270 running WinXP SP2 with 512MB and a 40GB drive.

The first thing that needs to be understood with this Beta, since it is not a replacement FS, is that this is a new structure for data to exist. It is a database and it has many chacteristics of that structure. Here is a picture of the WinFS Stores and the creation process for a new Store.

Notice that earlier I created a space called My Stuff. Below is a view of the data that I placed in My Stuff as a test:

There are several new things to notice in the above view. First is the path. It is \\MIKEB1\My Stuff. This is showing the name of my system and then the path to the location of my data.

Second is the left hand panel. In the panel on the left there is a Folder Tasks section. I clicked on the file Agenda - January 2005.doc and it gives me options to interact with that data file. If I open the file it acts exactly as it always has.

The third thing you should notice is the Type of file. For the file Agenda - January 2005.doc it is listed as a System.Storage.Documents.Document. You will notice that the image file scoble_mn_1.jpg is a System.Storage.Image.Photo file. The other files are listed as System.Storage.GenericFile. The files listed this way are EXE, MP3, ZIP, OPML and WM. Because this is Beta 1, I expect that this will change in the future.

Because the path is easy \\{System Name}\{folder name} it is easy to create shortcuts for quick access to the data. Here is an example of the shortcut:

I am going to continue to work on how this data structure will work. One of the things I am going to test are installing an application to that space.

If you are thinking about trying this Beta out, I would recommend it. This is a good way to start to understand the directory and file structures of the future.

I will post more updates on this in the future...

First Impressions: WinFS Beta 1

2005-08-29T15:55:00.000-05:00

Yes, I said WinFS, not WinFX...I know, I am surprised also

Well, shocked is the best way to describe how I feel. I thought this was coming in 2007 and that even that was a long shot. Microsoft either held a card to shock the world or came out with this fast to stop any criticism about taking it out of Vista in the first place. I am shocked that they didn't wait to do this at PDC. Oh well.

Well the install went fine. Very plain, but it is Beta 1.

The install required .Net framework Beta 2, no problem. Check. Then it required a reboot. Check.

So now I see that I have WinFS Stores listed in Windows Explorer.

Inside the Stores I have my DefaultStore.

I will keep working with it and let everyone know what else I find. Stay tuned...

Windows 95 Chicago - 10 years later

2005-08-24T10:14:00.000-05:00

Wow, it was 10 years ago today that Windows 95 (codename: Chicago) was released. I was lucky enough to go to the release event in Chicago at Navy Pier with my friend Mike and we even rode the new McDonald's Ferris Wheel.

The next day we appeared in a picture on the front cover of the Chicago Tribune Business section. We were sitting in the front row for a big screen viewing of the actual release hosted by Jay Leno and Bill Gates in Seattle. I still have that newspaper hanging on my wall in my office. Since then I contacted some people at Microsoft and got a Windows 95 user license signed by Bill Gates. I plan to put that and a Windows 95 CD together in a nice frame for posterity.

I can't believe that it has been 10 years. That day we all officially moved from the DOS era to the Windows era. We moved towards FAT32 and NTFS. Since then, how many things have happened in computers. What happened to the Internet in the last 10 years? What about all the companies that sprung up because of this new Operating System? Wow, it really is something looking back at how much has happened.

Now we are looking forward to things like Windows Vista. Will it mark a new era as well? Only time will tell. I wonder if they will have the same kind of release that they did for Windows 95. I wonder if I'll get invited...

Thanks to Steve Rubel for the reminder of today's anniversary.

"the P was getting in between us", Diddy said...

2005-08-17T09:27:00.000-05:00

From MSNBC: Rapper P. Diddy becomes just Diddy

Thank goodness, you can't let P get in between you and something else...

Want a $50 Apple iBook? Bring some riot gear...

2005-08-16T15:56:00.000-05:00

From the WTOP website: "Several people were injured at Richmond International Raceway Tuesday morning as thousands of people rushed to buy used laptops from the Henrico County school system. The county was offering 1,000 used "I-Books" for $50 each to Henrico residents. Sales were limited to one computer per person."

Video from WWBT TV: video footage

I wonder how many people were planning on selling these on eBay?

UPDATE: Apple iBook on eBay "This iBook was used in Henrico County Public Schools. This iBook has been refurbished and is ready for a new owner. Along with this iBook comes a complimentary charger. I have only turned the iBook on once to see if it worked, and it works 100% greatly!"

Wow, it works greatly and I get a complimentary charger? I have to bid on this...

UPDATE #2: Sold for $376

Blogger disses Apple and it's users

2005-08-16T15:48:00.000-05:00

Blogger announced today that they have a plug-in for Microsoft Word so that you can blog using Word and save to your Blog or to your PC. The only problem is that you must have Windows 2000 or Windows XP and Word 2000 or above...no Mac version.

This seems strange to me as there has been all kinds of rumors about Google and Apple doing some sort of co-brand for the iTunes music store.

I wonder if Google is having internal issues with communication. It's either that or they are riding the fence on the Apple vs. Microsoft vs. Linux debate and figure they need to play nice with everyone for now.

UPDATE: Seems that Blogger wanted to do an Apple version but couldn't find a developer...from TUAW.com

First Impressions: Internet Explorer 7 Beta 1

2005-08-09T09:04:00.000-05:00

Well, I was really looking forward to getting the IE 7 Beta and I am glad I did. So far this has worked exactly like I was told, but I am surprised by how well the features work. I installed it on my work Win XP Pro SP2 system.

Tabbed Browsing - This works so well and I can't even compare it to Firefox. Out of the box after the install I tabbed several sites. This seemed so much quicker than I would have thought. Watching the tabs, they update on a regular interval if the site has updates (I used Gmail and MSNBC as examples in the image above). I also noticed that on the taskbar there is only one instance of IE and whatever tab I have open is what name displays on the taskbar. Working like it should.

Feeds - This works very similar to Safari (which is fine by me). If you browse to a page that has a RSS feed you can view the feed and then add it to your favorites. I have already started to update my favorite sites that have feeds. I am putting them in a Feeds folder in my favorites and so far I have had no issue with the feeds.

So overall my first impression in less than a half hour of use is that this is a great version and Microsoft should release ASAP. I read some reviews that said it was boring, come on. I will say there is nothing in this that jumps out and grabs you, but if you want to work more efficiently, IE 7 will definitely help with that.

I will keep working with it and let everyone know what else I find. I hear that printing has been improved, so I will try that next. Stay tuned...

Have a Wireless Router? Microsoft will find it...

2005-07-27T13:49:00.000-05:00

I just read this on MSNBC:

Microsoft tracks WiFi for new mapping system

In a new initiative, Microsoft has dispatched cars to trawl many city and suburban streets across the U.S. to locate the signals sent out by millions of short-range home and office wireless (or WiFi) networks.

Be on the lookout for Microsoft cars in your neighborhood.

"Chicks dig the long ball" revisited

2005-07-26T08:22:00.000-05:00

Well I have been getting e-mails about last nights Battle at the Bridges primetime golf event. It seems that the line Chicks dig the long ball was used during the telecast at around 7:25 p.m. Central time.

I did some searching for the transcript and found the following on the Google Video Beta:

>> Nick: an awful lot of practice in St. Andrews. You could be putting for 6 eagles. And reaching two of the Par fives. And it's 332 Yards to the front of the green so it's a Mammoth shot. Poetry. Potely!
>> Nick: that's a great follow. Thank you very much for that, guys. On the Moon.
>> Paul: the shuttle is supposed to go up tomorrow. Chicks dig the long Ball. I don't know a person that doesn't. Be right back...

That was Nick Faldo and Paul Azinger talking. ABC did work the Western Open so I know they were in Chicago when my quote was in the Tribune. I don't think I can be directly related to that quote coming up, but it is cool.

While I was searching for last nights quote I also noticed that my exact quote was picked up by the Orlando Sentinel and the Arkansas Times

Bazzogle the newest search engine

2005-07-24T23:52:00.000-05:00

Check out Bazzogle.com

No, it's not a new search engine, but it was created with something called Logogle you can check them out at http://www.logogle.com/

You can make any name you want and then make a link to it on your site. Very cool. Best part is, it uses the Google search, so you can make this your homepage and it is fun and useful at the same time.

Map Wars - Google vs. Microsoft

2005-07-24T09:50:00.000-05:00

Who knew that the mapping of the world would be a line drawn in the sand in the on-going Google vs. Microsoft battle.

Google made avalaible a new Google Maps Beta with a Hybrid mode. This allows you to see Satellite Maps and have well defined roads. It is very cool, you should check it out. So...what happens next

Microsoft is supposed to have a big announcement on Monday about something, I am guessing Maps and all of a sudden this morning there are a flood of reports that MSN Virtual Earth is here and that Microsoft leaked the information early. Well, whatever as far as I am concerned. This is cool and it uses aerial photos so when you zoom there seems to be more clarity.

I would say check them both out, Microsoft is putting up a fight on Google, what is cool is that we all win on this because they are each working to make the products better and they are free to anyone who wants to use them.

Hasta la vista Longhorn

2005-07-22T08:02:00.000-05:00

Well Microsoft made it official just minutes ago, hasta la vista Longhorn name, hello Microsoft Vista Operating System.
Microsoft has a short, very edited, video on their press release page at: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2005/jul05/07-22LHMA.mspx

In the video, albeit short, they did a good job showing that the idea here is for one system to work with your desktop, laptop, tablet, cell phone and home entertainment systems at home, on the road or at the office. If they keep pushing that point you will see many more people begging for this product. I like the tag lines from the video: In a world of more to do, more to discover... the desire is clarity. Microsoft Vista... Clear...Confident...Connected. I want the new black cap!

Here is the Merriam-Webster definition of Vista:

Main Entry: visÂ·ta
Pronunciation: 'vis-t&
Function: noun
Etymology: Italian, sight, from visto, past participle of vedere to see, from Latin vidEre -- more at WIT
1 : a distant view through or along an avenue or opening : PROSPECT
2 : an extensive mental view (as over a stretch of time or a series of events)

I will wait to see what kind of news stories come out today on this.

NOAA now using Podcasts and RSS feeds

2005-07-21T09:22:00.000-05:00

The NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) is testing out using RSS and Podcasting to serve data.

Some local offices, such as Phoenix, AZ, are even doing a Podcast kind of thing by providing a local weather recap MP3 file. You can check out Phoenix NOAA Weather Radio MP3 format broadcasts at http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/psr/broadcast/index.php. I hope that all the NOAA offices pickup on the Podcast thing and actually configure it to work like a Podcast with an RSS subscription.

You can check out, and subscribe, to all kinds of RSS data feeds at http://weather.gov/alerts/. This is really cool. You just put this in your aggregator and it will notify you of weather alerts in your county. I have been trying this for several months and it works great.

There also is an RSS feed from the National Hurricane Center in Miami, FL at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/index-at.xml. I have been subscribed to this all year and it is really interesting to read all the alerts.

Google shoots for the moon

2005-07-20T08:34:00.000-05:00

From their FAQ page:

One small step for Google...

On July 20, 1969, man first landed on the Moon. A few decades later, we're pleased to cut you in on the action. Google Moon is an extension of Google Maps and Google Earth that, courtesy of NASA imagery (thanks, guys!), enables you to surf the Moon's surface and check out the exact spots that the Apollo astronauts made their landings.

Check it out at: http://moon.google.com/

For fun, zoom all the way in and see what the moon is really made of...

Podcasting...now with iTunes!

2005-07-10T01:12:00.000-05:00

Well, finally iTunes has listed the two Podcasts I am working on! They probably had a flood of people wanting to put their Podcast up there.

I like the interface so far (I have been using it since almost day 1). Although, I always have suggestions for improvments. I will have to pass them on to the iTunes group. (I was so happy when they added a shopping cart feature not that long ago after I asked and asked for it.)

First is the great Weird News of the World Podcast, available at the following link:
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=73801933

Next is the Monday Morning Commute Podcast (my solo effort)http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=73801048

Check them out!

"Chicks dig the long ball," Bazzoni said.

2005-06-29T09:05:00.000-05:00

Well I got quoted by the Chicago Tribune yesterday after meeting John Daly. Of course everyone is grabbing on to the one line in the article "Chicks dig the long ball," Bazzoni said. but they should read the whole article. Here is a link to the Chicago Tribune article: Going `Hog' wild for Daly

Most people should remember where the quote came from, but if you don't remember it was a Nike commercial that featured Tom Glavine and Greg Maddox trying to become homerun hitters because Mark McGwire was grabbing all the attention of the fans. Here is a link to the video if you want to see it: Chicks dig the long ball. McGwire, Maddux, Glavine... and Locklear?

Word of the Day: Hyperbolic

2005-06-27T10:31:00.000-05:00

hy·per·bol·ic (hī'pər-bŏl'ĭk) also hy·per·bol·i·cal (-ĭ-kəl)
adj.
Of, relating to, or employing hyperbole.
Mathematics.
Of, relating to, or having the form of a hyperbola.
Of or relating to a geometric system in which two or more lines can be drawn through any point in a plane and not intersect a given line in the plane.
Of or relating to a hyperbolic function: hyperbolic cosine.

Link (above) now includes pronunciation for those challenged with that, like me.

Here it is used in a blog:

The Complete Mac-Compatible New Yorker

The New Yorker Store is offering "every page of every issue of America's leading magazine" on fully searchable DVDs. The Complete New Yorker will include every issue of the New Yorker from February 1925 to February 2005, "providing a detailed yet panoramic history of the life of the city, the nation, and the world during the most exciting and astounding decades any society has ever known." [emphasis mine]

Wow. That last bit is a little hyperbolic isn't it? I kind of think the time of the Visigoths may have us beat, but that's just me. In any case, the New Yorker is full of such hyperbolic hubris, has been for years, and we all love it. I especially dig the cartoons. The really good news is that The Complete New Yorker will only set you back $100, is fully searchable, and is touted as being fully compatible with Mac OS 10.3 and higher.

A hush comes over the crowd

2005-06-24T15:13:00.000-05:00

It really must be busy at Gnomedex. I have seen only a few feeds update in the last hour.

What is surprising is that all the A-listers are there and I think Scoble has been the only one to post anything in the last couple hours.

I wish I was there for all of this. I wonder what will be announced over the weekend???

Microsoft jumps into RSS feet first

2005-06-24T12:49:00.000-05:00

Wow, you need to check out the video on Channel 9's website at http://channel9.msdn.com/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=80533

This is really interesting news. Just like the news of the new Office file format.

It is interesting that I keep going back to when I talked to Robert Scoble, but I talked to him about this subject. I could see that RSS was going the way of a simple subscription similar to subscribing to an e-mail newsletter. The main difference, for the end-user, was complete control. We all know that it is nearly impossible to un-subscribe from a e-mail newsletter, but I can remove an RSS feed at any time.

You will see in the video that it seems Microsoft really is getting it. It needs to be easy enough for everyone to use.

We have to watch to see the specs on all of this. I will also be interested in what Dave Winer announces at Gnomedex (I imagine it will be a bit about OPML) and what he thinks specifically about the Microsoft announcement now that he can comment on it. Dave really created something special with RSS and it is good to see him get props.

I also like that they mentioned Adam Curry in the video. He will be another one to watch and see what he says now that the he can.

Weird World of Podcasting

2005-06-10T16:37:00.000-05:00

Well, I have been busy on other projects and really have not had time to blog.

We got our Podcast, Weird News of the World, going. Then we submitted a promo to Adam Curry and he played it on his Tuesday edition and has played it on Sirius Satellite Radio.

So we got our second "official" podcast out on Wednesday.

If you haven't listened to our podcast yet, please go to the site and check it out.

I promise I will get back to the regular blog listings real soon.

Thanks to everyone for their support.

Apple Wows WWDC crowd

2005-06-06T14:28:00.000-05:00

All weekend long, everyone was writing about Apple going Intel based and of course now we found out that "It's True". (I can't believe that Scoble is posting about this from London while at the Microsoft offices. This makes me think it could really have a big impact on the industry).

I can't believe how surprised everyone has been on this. I realize that understanding Steve Jobs is almost impossible but I would think everyone has been able to see a trend this year. (We even talked about it almost two months ago at the Geek Dinner in Minneapolis). Price point.

It seems like this year Apple has been working the price points of the market. The iPod Shuffle and the Mac Mini are two prime examples of this. Now, when you add in the fact that the PowerPC processor had many troubles breaking the 3GHz level, it all makes sense.

What is going to be curious is: 1) How the market reacts to the news 2) Will Mac sales fall to 0% until the Intel units ship? 3) How surprised is everyone about the "secret" Mac Intel lab and the fact that OS X for Intel already has existed for 5 years..

Well, there will be tons of more questions. I think this will be good for everyone in the end. It is good to keep everyone thinking about new ways to do things. Sometimes the best ideas are the ones that improve upon existing ideas.

To see the best recap of the WWDC keynote, check out http://www.jepstone.net/index.cgi/Conferences. My favorite part of the recap is the comment - He's demoing stuff; it's really fast, especially iPhoto (audible gasps from audience)

Update: Another great recap is at http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000137045772/. My favorite part of this recap is the comment - 10:58am PDT - Otellini is telling a timeline story that goes back to founding of Intel in 1968, founding of Apple in 1976. Photo of Jobs and Robert Noyce together. As Markoff said to me this morning, people love to see photos of execs with long hair. Otellini says he asked Jobs, “Is that the last time you wore a tie?” Steve’s answer: “No, it’s the last time I wore a moustache.” 1996: “They set fire to our bunny person!”

The video should be up soon on the Apple Quicktime website...

Next Microsoft Office file format revealed...

2005-06-01T23:51:00.000-05:00

XML...really.

Scoble and the Channel 9 team just posted an interview with Brian Jones, program manager on the Microsoft Word team. You have to check this out.

I can't wait to see the Reference Schemas to see how different they are from Office 2003. They mention they will have an update for older versions to make them work with the new format. He also mentioned new file extensions: docx, .pptx, .xlsx.

Brian has also just started blogging, so you need to check out his site. I just subscribed to his RSS feed.

Obstinate

2005-05-26T14:25:00.000-05:00

Word of the day: ob·sti·nate (ŏb'stə-nĭt) adj.

Stubbornly adhering to an attitude, opinion, or course of action; obdurate.

Difficult to manage, control, or subdue; refractory.

Difficult to alleviate or cure: an obstinate headache.

[Middle English obstinat, from Latin obstinātus, past participle of obstināre, to persist.]

ob'sti·nate·ly adv.
ob'sti·nate·ness n.

Here it is used in a Blog: Slashdot - justAMan writes "Security dude, Winn Schwartau, has posted an article on Network World about switching his company to Macs because he's fed up with the security issues plaguing Windows-based systems. He also offers his view on why Windows is inherently flawed and why it will eventually fail because of those reasons. From the article, 'This is my first column written on a Mac - ever. Maybe I should have done it a long time ago, but I never said I was smart, just obstinate. I was a PC bigot. But now, I've had it. I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore.'"

Apple iTunes will support Podcasting

2005-05-25T09:28:00.000-05:00

There are tons of stories on this. I looked around and the first one I saw was from the O'Reilly Radar.

Now I see that MSNBC reports:

Apple to help users organize podcasts.

They are also referencing a survey from April in the article Millions tuning in to 'podcasts' — survey.

All of this is great news. I wish Adam would just send me the damn Castblaster BETA so we can really start to make our podcast even more professional.

If you haven't already, Check out the Weird News of the World Podcast: http://weirdnewsoftheworld.blogspot.com/

Beep this!

2005-05-25T09:01:00.000-05:00

The Daily Herald newspaper in the Chicago area just setup a blogging site called Beep.

Here is some more info from the site: The Beep team is made up of three Northwestern grad students working with the Daily Herald in an effort to prove that news, like science, can be fun. Beep bloggers have been assembled from the Daily Herald reporting staff with an urge to sound off.

It is really a neat site. I would suggest checking it out.

A- B- and C-list bloggers

2005-05-25T08:43:00.000-05:00

From Nathan Weinberg: Blogebrity, the fake blogging magazine, put up a serious list of the A- B- and C-list bloggers.

I didn't even make the c-list? come on...

Personalize Google

2005-05-19T18:33:00.000-05:00

Here is a new Beta from Google, a personalized start page that even includes a preview of your Gmail.

http://www.google.com/ig

Here is something from the Google Blog at:
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2005/05/method-to-our-madness.html

A method to our madness
5/19/2005 02:58:00 PM

Posted by Marissa Mayer, Director of Consumer Web Products, and Jessica Ewing, Product Manager

Does Google have a strategy, or are we just a bunch of mad computer scientists running around building whatever we want? Today this question gets an answer: we've launched our personalized homepage via Google Labs. It's part of a strategic initiative we refer to as 'fusion' to bring together Google functionality, and content from across the web, in useful ways.

The personalized homepage is a complement to the existing Google homepage - not a replacement. Keep using the original Google homepage if you want to. (We expect many people will.) But if you're keen to organize and customize your information, take a stab at designing your own homepage. You can add Gmail, news, stocks, weather and more. Plus you can add great content from websites like the BBC and Wired. We're incorporating feeds from just a few other sites today, but we envision being able to accept any standardized feed very soon.

Flummoxed

2005-05-18T08:22:00.000-05:00

Word of the day:

flummoxed: bewildered or confused: a sudden but temporary condition: e.g. I was flummoxed by my mother-in-law's unannounced arrival.

Here it is in a blog: Napster is flummoxed by Yahoo! Music Unlimited: http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000717043681/

Feed Me...more RSS

2005-05-15T22:02:00.000-05:00

When I met Robert Scoble one of the first things he talked about was RSS Feeds and how important they are. So, I decided I better look for a better RSS Feed Reader.

I was using Pluck at the time. It is OK, but I wanted something better. Well, I searched and tried many different programs until I came to FeedReader RSS and ATOM aggregator.

FeedReader works on the Windows O/S (95 and higher) and is open-source. I would recommend checking it out. I have found it to work better than Pluck.

But the GIMP's sleeping

2005-05-15T21:53:00.000-05:00

What a movie Pulp Fiction is...but I digress...

I found the best Image Manipulation Program. It is an open-source project called The GIMP. I used to use Paint Shop Pro for my images, but this is so much better and it is open-source so I can use it on any O/S.

Here is something from their website, check it out:

The GIMP is the GNU Image Manipulation Program. It is a freely distributed piece of software for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring. It works on many operating systems, in many languages.

The MTV Special for the Xbox 360

2005-05-13T09:26:00.000-05:00

Well, I watched the MTV special last night and I have to say I was disappointed. I looked around on the web and found a great 5 minute video on the Xbox 360 that goes into much more technical detail then they did on MTV. You should check it out.

I think I may make the switch from PS2 to Xbox 360 when it comes out. BTW: Did anyone hear a release date last night? I didn't.

Windows XP "Eiger"?

2005-05-13T08:44:00.000-05:00

Word on the street is that Microsoft is going to release a slimmer version of Windows XP that could run on older Windows 95 systems called "Eiger".It will work on Pentium-class computers with 64MB of RAM and a 500MB hard drive.

I have to tell you, being in the software business, this is a bad idea. We need to keep moving technology ahead. The last thing we need is old computers coming back from the graveyards. The advances in hardware have been so great recently that I couldn't imagine boot up an old Pentium computer and finding a good use for it. The hard drive speeds were slow the screen resolution was not as good. Well, I know it is not for me, it must be for somebody if Microsoft is spending the time and money on it. I still don't get it.

The World According to Ballmer

2005-05-13T08:37:00.000-05:00

I just read this BusinessWeek article. It seems that Steve Ballmer was at Stanford yesterday, talking about Google among other things. It is funny to me that this was probably around the same time Google was having their 1st annual shareholder event (check out the webcast).

Steve is an awesome individual. I met him at an Association of Internet Professionals get together years ago in Chicago. He is hard to describe but is very passionate, to say the least, about Microsoft and technology.

Yahoo! Music Unlimited BETA announced

2005-05-11T09:51:00.000-05:00

Yahoo! announced the start of a new unlimited music service. The BETA starts today.

Yahoo! Music Unlimited is available either on a monthly basis for $6.99/month, or for an annual subscription of $59.88, billed annually.

I am going to test it out and see how it stacks up against iTunes and Sony Connect. Those are the two services I use.

Minneapolis Geek Dinner Recap

2005-05-09T19:03:00.000-05:00

I said I would do more of a recap of last Thursday nights (May 5th) “Geek Dinner” in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Well, here it is:

I got into town about 7:20 p.m. and called Robert Scoble to find out where they were. He said they were at Whitey’s World Famous Saloon on Hennepin. So, I headed over there and noticed that Robert was sitting out front with Chuck Olson doing a video interview for Rocketboom.

I figured I should just go in and have a beer, which I did. I didn’t know any of the group so I waited for them to finish the interview. Once Robert came back in I met the entire group. This was really a great group of people interested in computing and blogging.

We hung out at Whitey’s until about 9 p.m. and headed over to Keegan's Pub on University Avenue NE as planned.

Once there we met three podcasters/bloggers. Cody from http://vinylpodcast.com, Tim from Winecast.net and Garrick Van Buren from garrickvanburen.com. We talked at the front until we got several tables in the back.

We had quite a roundtable; here is the group that sat around talking with Robert when we got to Keegan’s:

Tim Broeker

Michael Peterson he has another blog at:michaelgalloway.blogspot.com

Kevin Remde

Jack and his mom

Tim talked about Mambo the open source software. This guy sounds like a great resource on open source. I will probably say this too much, but I wished I lived in the area to talk to this group of people on a regular basis. Tim was coming down to Chicago. Tim – You have to let me know if you got over to the Apple Store or not…

Jack runs a software company in Prague. He is another great resource. His mom works for Cargill and specifically on routers. I spent most of the night talking with them and I have to tell you it was really interesting. We talked about everything from punch cards to European travel.

Michael Peterson runs several blogs and does intranet/database work. We talked a bit about the issues of large amounts of data and how to make it easier to access.

Kevin Remde is an IT Pro Evangelist from Microsoft – He has a job I think I would enjoy. There were tons of discussions on internet security and some of the things coming up soon from Microsoft like Longhorn.

I have to say this was a really great group of people. The conversations were very engaging and that made for quite a fun evening. I really needed that after the 6 hour drive. At least I was going to be in town until Sunday.

Now, at the end of the night I am the one who drives Robert back to his hotel. In retrospect, it probably wasn’t smart for the “guy from Chicago” to drive him. Needless to say he arrived back at his hotel without issue. We just got to see quite a bit of downtown before we found the hotel.

Thanks again to everyone. I was the outsider crashing the Minnesota “Geek Dinner” and I appreciate how welcome everyone made me feel. I hope to stay in touch with all of you and I hope you all stay in touch with me. Of course, thanks must go to Robert, because without him that group would not have gotten together. If any of you are coming to the Chicago area let me know.

Geek meeting in Minnesota

2005-05-08T21:56:00.000-05:00

Well I have been off for a few days. I went up to Minnesota to visit my mom for Mother's Day Weekend.

When I made my plans I found that Robert Scoble was going to be in Minneapolis and that he setup a Geek Dinner/Bar Crawl. So, I contacted him and met up with him and some other great "geeks" from the Minneapolis area. During my drive I caught up on the Daily Source Code. (I would recommend the one from May 5th. It was really good to listen to on the drive from Chicago to Minneapolis)

Some of the great people I met are:

Tim from mambofrog.com

Garrick Van Buren from garrickvanburen.com

Jack DeNeut and his Mom

Kevin from Microsoft

I also met several Podcasters, but I only got one's info:

Tim from Winecast.net

If I have missed anyone, please send me an e-mail and I will get the info up here.

I will do more of a recap tomorrow. This was a blast. I think everyone had a great time.

Check out the Weird News of the World Podcast: http://weirdnewsoftheworld.blogspot.com/