GottaBeMobile.com (http://www.gottabemobile.com/) added this guy, Hilton Locke (http://www.gottabemobile.com/2009/03/27/gbm-podcast-68-introducing-new-gbm-team-member-hilton-locke/), to their team, and I gotta admit, he's one handsome S.O.B. Apparently he was also a design engineer at Microsoft working on touch input technology, but really I think GBM just wanted to up their attractiveness quotient. I don't know. Something about this guy I like. [+/-] Hide/Show Text [+/-] Hide/Show Text
Been running through several lists of things-to-do in preparation for a big week. Between that and various emails I've gotten lately, I thought I'd sum up the projects I am (and should be) working on for the blog and whatnot. Bullet list!
• Printable panels: Need to produce large versions of my Three Panels (http://sumocat.blogspot.com/search/label/three%20panels) cartoons for print. Need to put the date on them too.
• New Build 52 (http://sumocat.blogspot.com/2008/09/contemplating-next-build-52.html): Got some interest from non-Windows users in blogging Links in Ink, plus I really want to jazz up the interface. Need to get cracking on getting it working in XHTML.
• New blog design (http://sumocat.blogspot.com/search/label/best%20design%20campaign): Thinking about dropping the header to a footer, slimming it down, and fixing it there. Initially wanted a blue theme, but now maybe black.
The good folks at ritePen have finally released a "pro" version of ritePen 3.1 (http://www.ritescript.com/Products/ritePenPro.aspx), which I've done a poor job of beta testing the past few months. Oh, I've been using it everyday and took advantage of the advanced macros that enable keyboard shortcuts, something I previously needed nirCmd (http://sumocat.blogspot.com/2008/08/ritepen-nircmd-round-up.html) to do. However, I've merely been using it, not testing it. In part, that's because I've made ritePen an essential and nearly seamless part of my user interface. It works so well that I don't notice it. The other part is that I'm lazy and simply didn't give it the workout I should have. Regardless, the Pro version really opens up pen interface. I like it a lot. Great for pen power users like me. [+/-] Hide/Show Text [+/-] Hide/Show Text
The Boy Genius Report (http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2009/03/23/att-new-iphone-will-be-hot-son/) dropped a whole lot of iPhone news today. Actually, all they really reported was that a new iPhone was on the way and AT&T is finally releasing a U-Verse app for it. They fluffed it up with some exciting speculation and stretched out the new iPhone rumor to cover three bullet points, but ultimately this "genius" report doesn't cover anything new. They did, however, specify that everything is "100% confirmed," which I guess includes their notice that "nothing official is being confirmed." Yes, it is 100% confirmed that nothing in their report is confirmed. No wonder so many have bought into the hype. [+/-] Hide/Show Text [+/-] Hide/Show Text
Tuesday morning, Tanya and I hopped over to Harris Teeter (or as we call it, Harry Teets (http://www.harristeeter.com/)) so she could get St. Pat's Day cupcakes for work. While there I spotted poundcake (http://sumocat.blogspot.com/search/label/Poundcake). Try as I might, I could not resist its siren call, so we left with cakes, cup and pound.
I must say Harry Teets makes a smooth poundcake. A bit dry around the edges, but the center was dense yet fluffy, moist and buttery. Certainly one of the best I've ever gotten from a supermarket bakery. I was ready to give it a simple write-up after work, but then I ate one of the extra cupcakes Tanya brought home. Horror of horrors! The cakes were the same!
What trickery be this, 'o bakers of Harry Teets? Was my poundcake simply normal cake in block form, or were the cupcakes poundcake in heavily frosted cup shapes? Why must you torture me with this riddle baked in an enigma iced with a puzzle? So distraught was I that needed to wait an entire day before eating a second cupcake, and I'm not sure when I polished off the poundcake.
For this sorcerous feat that caused me to be uncharacteristically incoherent and uncoordinated on St. Patrick's Day, I vow to never again eat what is claimed to be two different types of cake from Harry Teets on the same day.
Apple ran through their next version of the iPhone OS (http://i.gizmodo.com/5171796/iphone-30-os-guide-everything-you-need-to-know) today. Although a lot of people focused on the operational stuff they added (copy & paste, MMS, and search), I stand by my prediction (http://sumocat.blogspot.com/2009/03/iphone-30-predictions.html) that the SDK was the big deal. They've expanded a lot of functionality and opened up accessory options, hopefully enabling folks to fulfill my old prediction that the "dock connector will be the killer app." (http://sumocat.blogspot.com/2007/06/my-iphone-predictions.html)
No new hardware, but I wasn't expecting anything major, and that doesn't mean we won't see an incremental upgrade when the new OS is finally released. At the very least, we should see Apple produce a set of Bluetooth stereo headphones, complete with built-in controls, now that they're enabling BT stereo in both the iPhone and iPod touch (http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10198524-1.html). [+/-] Hide/Show Text [+/-] Hide/Show Text
Rob took the wraps (http://sumocat.blogspot.com/2009/03/motion-computing-has-new-slate-on-slate.html) off the new slate from Motion Computing (http://www.gottabemobile.com/tag/motion-computing-j3400), and the man was not lying, it looks really awesome (inside (http://www.gottabemobile.com/2009/03/15/what-does-the-inside-of-motion-computing-j3400-rugged-tablet-pc-look-like/) and out). He's put together a few video (http://www.gottabemobile.com/2009/03/15/gbm-inkshow-motion-computing-j3400-rugged-slate-tablet-pc-part-1/)InkShows (http://www.gottabemobile.com/2009/03/15/gbm-inkshow-motion-computing-j3400-rugged-slate-tablet-pc-part-2/) to show us. Unfortunately, it's not a consumer model. Consumers can still buy it, but it's another vertical market slate tablet, which is a bummer for those of us hoping for some mainstream love for the slate. Oh well. It's still a fantastic-looking, highly modular tablet. I wouldn't kick it out of bed, except maybe to test its ruggedness. Oh yeah, it's ruggedized. [+/-] Hide/Show Text [+/-] Hide/Show Text
With the new iPhone operating system scheduled to be announced tomorrow (http://jkontherun.com/2009/03/12/iphone-30-preview-next-week-at-apple/), the speculation is running wild over what they'll unveil. Among the mundane and probably accurate guesses are copy & paste and MMS, Highly likely but also quite boring. The real meat, I think, will be what they announce for the new software development kit. This was the big deal last time. I think it'll be the big deal this time. I'm also guessing a new hardware upgrade will be announced. Nothing major but incremental in several areas. And finally, I'm calling nix on the rumored tablet device (http://jkontherun.com/2009/03/16/computerworld-apple-tablet-to-be-announced-tomorrow/) being announced. Still thinking that'll run Mac OS X, but we'll see. [+/-] Hide/Show Text [+/-] Hide/Show Text
Whether you walked around (C=2πr), ate an entire pie (A=πr2), took over the planet (SA=4πr2) or hollowed it out (V=3/4πr3), I hope you enjoyed π Day 2009. [+/-] Hide/Show Text [+/-] Hide/Show Text
A fellow by the name of Andrew Royce customized a version of Portable Firefox (http://portableapps.com/apps/internet/firefox_portable) for media viewing and shared his work with the folks at Lifehacker (http://lifehacker.com/5169172/mediafox-a-firefox-build-with-media-on-the-mind) for the world to enjoy, which I have already started to do. His tweaks are written up at LH. This post is about my tweaks.
First thing I did was install the app on my network drive. As a portable version, it can run from any drive and doesn't install into the operating system. Since my main media consumption is at home, it makes sense to keep my media browser here.
Next, I installed the FireGestures (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/6366) and Grab & Drag (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1250) add-ons for pen navigation and the IE Tab (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1419) for viewing Netflix. Between that and the preset bookmarks for video from Hulu (http://www.hulu.com/) and TV network websites, I have access to all the online video I need, such as The Daily Show and SNL.
Then I tweaked the bookmarks for quick access to my favorite shows and added links to our various web-based photo albums and the web interface of the network drive. Thus, we can enjoy most of our music and photos from the browser.
Finally, I tweaked it so it can run concurrently (http://proreviewer.com/2009/01/05/tip-run-multiple-instances-of-firefox-portable/) with another instance of Firefox so I can jump to MediaFox at anytime. All together this gives me a streamlined web browser, free of extraneous add-ons and live bookmarks, optimized for web video that can run on any Windows PC in the house. It's pretty cool stuff. Thanks, Mr Royce. [+/-] Hide/Show Text [+/-] Hide/Show Text
Yeah, so I've been tweaking the Three Panels (http://sumocat.blogspot.com/search/label/three%20panels) format a little. The latest one (http://sumocat.blogspot.com/2009/03/3p-about-latest-apple-tablet-rumors.html) is rocking a vertical layout that provides more space for words and stuff and separates the punchline from the lead-in. I'll be rotating between this and the original as needed.
Another thing I've done is create an official font using the My Font Tool for Tablet PCs (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/tabletpc.mspx). Yeah, I know: I handwrite my blog entries and type my cartoons. Something wrong with me.
I've also been adding Links in Ink and commentary where my text conversions would normally go. Pretty normal for me but unusual for comics. [+/-] Hide/Show Text [+/-] Hide/Show Text
PhotoshopDisasters (http://photoshopdisasters.blogspot.com/2009/03/wacom-wacom-mole.html) posted a deliciously ironic disaster yesterday of an advertisement from Wacom promoting their "Pen Collective." (http://www.pencollective.com/) The photo manipulation error was ridiculous, but the "I Love My Pen" tag line and the formation of a "Pen Collective" really grabbed my attention. What was this collective?
Turns out it's a sounding board where Wacom pen tablet users can post brief write-ups of what they do with their Wacom units. As my Tablet PC employs a Wacom digitizer, I was somewhat excited to share some Tablet PC joy with an audience that appreciates pen input.
However, my enthusiasm was somewhat dampened when I noticed the heavy graphic artist tilt in the questionnaire. Had to fib a little to get my write-up submitted, but if it helps get the collective looking at ink blogging, I don't mind. [+/-] Hide/Show Text [+/-] Hide/Show Text
