Jeff Foxworthy said once, "If the directions to your place include the phrase 'Turn off the paved road,' you might be a redneck."I'm not sure if American Maglev would appreciate the comparison, but it's apt. A little ways off Thornton Road in Powder Springs, about twenty miles west of Atlanta, down an unpaved road, is a glimpse of the future. I … [Read more...]
Wanted: Macintosh Archaeologist
March 22, 2009 by
Here's the situation. I have about three cubic meters of obsolete computers, peripherals, and other electronic crap sitting in storage. A couple of ancient Macs (including a pair of PowerBook 2400c "netbooks"). Miscellaneous printers and scanners. Disk drives. A fax machine. At least one stereo system. A handful of Handspring/Palm Treos. Probably a … [Read more...]
Edward Tufte course coming to Atlanta
February 15, 2009 by
I've recommended Edward Tufte's books many times... you can see some of my previous comments here and here. He's going to be in Atlanta next month. If your job consists of presenting complex information on paper or on screen, you should go: <http://www.edwardtufte.com/tufte/courses>. … [Read more...]
Double-Sided Jigsaw Puzzle
January 3, 2009 by
I bought my wife a double-sided jigsaw puzzle for Christmas. The same scene is printed on both sides, but rotated ninety degrees. So, from looking at a piece, you can't immediately tell which way is up! To me, it's a recipe for frustration and futility. But Cissa calmly cleaned off a glass-topped table and found a hand mirror... I swear, … [Read more...]
Carrying a Camera
January 1, 2009 by
Advice to a friend who is planning a trip to Australia, and wants to know which camera to carry... If you're going to Australia just to take photographs, buy a DSLR and all the lenses/accessories your chiropractor will let you carry. If you're taking your family, buy something like my Canon A720is, and focus on the experience, not the … [Read more...]
Oh. Thanks.
December 22, 2008 by
I ordered a garage door remote from Marwest Access Controls (doing business as AAAremotes.com). It arrived in good shape, but — contrary to the Web site claim — it doesn't work with my opener. I emailed them, asked for either a refund or a remote that *does* work, and they refused to help, saying my only remedy was a like-for-like exchange of the … [Read more...]
Need a 22-pin SATA adapter
December 19, 2008 by
My sister's aging iMac G5 video board blew out. AppleCare has expired, and it's too old to be worth fixing; she's now the happy owner of a brand-new iMac. But her backup strategy consisted of "If something breaks, Stephen will fix it." So now I've pulled the old hard disk out of her G5 with the intention of popping it into a handy external … [Read more...]
Favorite iPhone Apps
December 1, 2008 by
Okay, Mike Schinkel has been assimilated. Good work, all! I sent him a list of "must-have" iPhone applications, he tweeted about it, and now people are asking what's on my list. … [Read more...]
NSF and UAW – Separated at Birth?
November 21, 2008 by
With the United Auto Workers in the news lately, I happened to have a National Science Foundation grant proposal on my desk, and was struck by the similarities in their logos! Coincidence? Deep dark conspiracy? Or a graphics artist reselling the same work to multiple clients? … [Read more...]
Do the Right Thing
November 6, 2008 by
I had a hardware problem with my MacBook Pro today. Apple delivered a model of stellar customer service. I figured the least I could do in return was write about it. … [Read more...]
