My favourite Office character was Scribble, but I must admit that the geek in me laughed out loud at this video.
Link to Beyond Binary (article and video about Office 2010 on ‘Beyond Binary’ by CNET’s Ina Fried).
Good marketing, Microsoft. 🙂
Geek
Computive Schizophrenia.
Two days ago I was producing a video on my Linux box to prove that I could do it. Today I couldn’t live without my MacBook Pro.
It’s iPhone 3.0 day. While I’m not tripping over myself to go out and buy a new iPhone 3Gs, I have to admit that I do love my iPhone 3G and all things Mac and I am very excited by the pending update to the iPhone software. I guess once you go Mac you don’t go back.
Mobile Manners.
Intel just released these videos called “Mobile Manners”, featuring iJustine (Justine Ezarik). I think they are right on target and a hoot to boot.
There is a link in this first video that will take you to the others.
UPDATE: I need to adhere to these better as well.
Stop.
“BREAKING: Los Angeles Lakers defeat Orlando Magic, win NBA Championship I More: http://sms.msnbc.com.” This is from 676-22.
Here’s the deal. I stopped SMS messages from Windows Live about a week ago. I was trying out some of the Live services and I thought I would turn on breaking news alerts on my phone so that I could sound informed at the office water bubbler (which was actually taken away due to budget constraints, now we just sort of linger around the limp ice trays in the kitchen freezer).
I have decided that the Windows Live / Bing / MSN services don’t really fit my needs as nicely as I wanted them to so I turned off all alert notifications to my phone. But they haven’t stopped. Nothing is checked, nothing is activated, but they still keep coming. And coming. And coming.
Yesterday morning I replied to one of the breaking news alerts with one simple command: ‘STOP’. I was promptly informed of this:
Msnbc.com: To STOP a program reply with the number:
1. NEWS
2. BIZ
3. SPORTS
4. HEALTH
5. ENTERTAINMENT
6. TRAVEL
7. TECH
8. All
http://alerts.msnbc.com
So I replied with “Stop 8”. No one complained about my reply but the messages continued. So then I tried just “8”. I received a message from the little beast: MSNBC: Sorry 2 see U go. You will receive no more mobile alerts after today. More: Visit http://alerts.msnbc.com
This was yesterday. But the messages continued.
So today I did the same thing and it gave me the same schtick. Let’s see if these alerts continue after midnight.
Geek.
I have been a geek for most of the evening, chatting with friends over various technological means and working on the Linux computer.
Whilst working on web stuff, I have been watching one of my favourite movies of all time, “Bell, Book and Candle” from 1959. If you haven’t seen it, I urge you to do so. You’ll find that it inspired a very bewitching comedy that was big in the 1960s.
Music.
So I have been spending a little more time on my Ubuntu computer than on my Mac lately. I have been in “discovery geek” phase this week, trying out different things in Linux and seeing how the whole computing experience works out for a typical user on a computer, but using Linux instead of Windows or a Mac.
For the last 24 hours I have been concentrating on music: how to purchase it, how to organise it and how to listen to it. The program of choice, thus far, is Rhythmbox, which is installed by default when you install the latest version of Ubuntu (which is currently 9.04 or ‘Jaunty’). Rhythmbox has a comfortable interface and is quite intuitive. Mind you, it’s not like iTunes or the Zune interface, Rhythmbox is mostly a player but it allows you to do some purchasing and listening to internet based radio station. Overall, I enjoy the experience very much.
Because of the closed nature of all things Apple, I am unable to manage music on my iPhone from Rhythmbox and that’s okay because frankly I find plugging and unplugging the iPhone from the stereo everytime I get in or out of the car to be annoying. Add to the fact that the Acura has no Aux input built into the otherwise spectacular sound system and am forced to use a cassette adapter instead and you’ll know why I’m not too keen on using an iPhone or iPod in the car. So I have stepped back a few years in time and have begun burning CDs again.
The sound system was definitely designed for the CD player and not the cassette adapter I was using for the iPhone.
I wonder if the average consumer is stepping back in their expectations and ultimately settling for a mediocre aural experience in their vehicle now all in the name of technology. Granted, it’s quite convenient to carry your entire music library on an iPod (or any MP3 player for that matter) and dial up whatever track your heart desires, but if all you can hear from the track you’re listening to is the mid-range portion of the audio then what’s the sense of doing that?
Granted, burning CDs is not as ecofriendly as using an MP3 player. I stand labeled as a sinner in that department. But my goodness, the difference in the quality of the audio from my stereo is quite surprising.
I’m also enjoying music that I want to enjoy versus music that I _need_ to enjoy these days. Not being a regular club DJ anymore is a good thing, I no longer have to keep on top of the latest music trends, I can enjoy the music that I want to listen to and not worry about anyone else that might want to listen to my CDs. I’m not trying to entertain anyone, I’m just being entertained on my own terms.
I like that.
In case you’re wondering, I’m enjoying the likes of Deadmau5 these days and am listening to his album “Random Album Title”. I’m not big on lyrics and his music fits the bill, and my current music tastes, quite nicely.
Rainy.
So I am sitting in the Jeep just back from a chiropractor visit during my lunch hour. I still have 25 minutes left before going back to the office, it’s not enough time to run home so I’m sitting in the parking lot where Earl and I used to meet for lunch once in a while.
I don’t know what happened to that routine. I miss it.
I am listening to the Diane Rehm show on NPR as I type. They are talking about North Korea. I just heard this intellectual type mispronounce “myriad”. “Meye-ree-ahd”. Hmmm. Perhaps I say it wrong.
The chiropractor visit was a quick experience and I cracked really loudly again, especially in the neck. I feel such relief when this happens but the noise is startling at times. While was at the office I took the opportunity to schedule a visit with the massage therapist. She is a tall Swedish woman named Monique. I think I’m going to dig her.
Yesterday I went to the dentist and got that broken tooth pulled in preparation for some cosmetic dental wizardry. You can’t even tell I’m missing a tooth and it’s not really sore. The oral surgeon, an Asian man, made “wow” sounds while he was breaking my tooth apart and taking it out in pieces. It doesn’t really hurt at all and there has been no swelling. I am on an antibiotic for the whole affair. I believe this is my first encounter with a Z-Pak. I think it’s working.
Work is moving along at a reasonable pace. The early shift always moves along nicely. I look forward to getting out at 4. The payroll department read my time sheet wrong and overpaid me by nearly five hours. I mentioned it to my supervisor and it’s considered an advance on future overtime. I can deal with that for now.
For getting snapped and cracked and having a tooth yanked out of my mouth (not to mention the flat tire I had after the dentist yesterday) all within the past 24 hours, I have to admit that I’m feeling really good today. I’m glad it’s the weekend.
By the way, I’m borrowing one of four unsecured home wireless internet connections within the range of my computer at the moment. The owner has quite an impressive iTunes library.
