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Technology

Dear sirs, the iPhone (and other things)…

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God. Apple announces a product and suddenly all I hear is “Nick, what do you think of the iPhone?” I’ve received literally ONES of calls about this (Hoover, I’m looking at you) and I just cannot take the pressure of being the only resource on the matter on standby. So, I’ll break it all down for you here:

  1. It’s unbearably sexy. If you haven’t seen it, get out from the ditch you were sleeping in just now and behold.
  2. Ridiculous expensivity. $500 for 4 GB, $600 for 8 GB and that’s WITH a two year sex-slave commitment to Cingular. Have you tried to please Cingular? They are insatiable.
  3. Anytime Apple makes something shiny, it’s prone to scratches. Besides, the smudge-ability of this thing gives me nightmares.
  4. The potential for it to be a full portable computer is very intriguing, especially since it’s running OS X. I’m definitely excited to find out just how much OS X it’s actually running.
  5. Multitouch. Watch the videos. It’s incredible.
  6. Only 8 GB for $600 (with contract?). Assuming that Cingular is giving you a $200-300 subsidy, the device should be about $800. That’s nearly a computer. A full-size iPod is averaging about $249 for 30 GB of capacity. I understand that it’s ridiculously thin, but I’d take the added bulk for more capacity. Besides, if it’s giong to live up to portable computing, the space could come in VERY handy (see above.)
  7. Never buy Rev. A Apple hardware. I learned this with my first 12″ PowerBook G4, 17″ iMac G5 and now my 15″ MacBook Pro. This time, I’m following my own advice.

In things that aren’t phones: My scarf is almost done. I’m really slow with this whole knitting thing, but I’ve gotten my attention span up to about 10 rows, so progress is absolutely flying. (Laugh if you understand knitting.) I also have a grad school visit arranged for 23 February in Philadelphia. The lovely Ms. Lindsie has agreed to host my ass – and probably the rest of me – so I’m very excited for another weekend in the city. I’m also not plagued with strep, like I thought…just a standard issue cold right now. It’s an excuse to sleep a bunch, which I am in favor of doing.

Honestly, squirrel, why are you looking so smug?

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An item I forgot to mention!: The name of this design shall henceforth be known as Florence: End of Days, Sunrise. That is all.

Have you ever found yourself sitting on the couch, holding the remote for your televiewer, absent-mindedly flipping through the channels when the thought “see what’s on MySpace” pops into your head? Do your fingers frantically stab at numbers on the keypad before your brain makes the connection that you can’t, in fact, google “Chinese nuclear power” on this device? I’m not sure if this makes me strange, marks me as an interwebs addict or is a sign of what technology should become. Hopefully all three.

In music: Yeah, I’m listening to Ghostface Killah with my over-40 coworker, Brett, in the room. What are you going to do about it? I mean, really.

I wake up
And the day feels
Broken
I tilt my head
I’m trying to get an angle
‘Cause the evening
I’ve always longed for
It could still happen

How do I master
The perfect day
Six glasses of water
Seven phonecalls

If you leave it alone
It might just happen
Anyway

“It’s Not Up to You” by Björk

I think these lyrics are telling me something pretty important. What it is, I’m not sure, but I do honestly believe there is a lesson there and dammit all – I’m fixin’ to learn it! Actually, that’s an interesting statement. I’m also trying to figure out some fundamental things about Nick right now. Chief among these is why I don’t feel like I deserve for anyone to be nice to me. Why don’t I want gifts or help and why can’t I take a compliment? Socially, too, why is refusing a compliment rude if you honestly don’t feel as though you’ve earned it?

Danger: much pondering ahead.

Talked to Lindsie last night and I’m happy to report that she’s doing really well in her new city. I knew there was a cosmopolitan girl in there (probably a Cosmopolitan and a rum & coke, too.) Now, if I could come up with a justification for being her butler in a one bedroom apartment…

Random thought…

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Self-titled albums: thoughts? I’m of the opinion that they are like a ‘get out of jail free’ card in Monopoly. Something you receive and can hold on to until just the right time. Like when you are abominably stumped as to what to name your record. For instance, The Cure’s most recent album is self-titled. After decades of doing this music thing, they decided that now is the time to call a disc “The Cure?” How unusual.

I know this is pretty much drivel, but it felt like it was of GREAT IMPORTANCE.

In other news, Dave took my phone today with promises of making her a star. He took photos of her to use in some capacity. Tasteful photos? I suppose she’ll need a name other than Nokia 6131. Something with a little more ring to it (no pun intended, though I’ll still take credit.) She kinda looks like she’s wearing a tuxedo, so I was thinking k.d. with intentional lowercase-ness. But maybe something more original? Ideas?

Phone Call: The Script

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[phone ringing in handset]

[half ring and sound of recipient’s handset being fumbled]

Rob: “Connecting Point Computers, this is Rob.”

Me: “Hello, I was calling regarding my MacBook Pro. I left you a message yesterday and…”

Rob: “Yesterday? Yesterday was Sunday.”

Me: “Yes, I left a mess…”

Rob: “We don’t work on Sundays.”

Me: “I know, that’s why I left a message.” [awkward pause] “There was an option for voicemail?”

Rob: “We wouldn’t have checked that. We don’t check our messages.”

Rob (as an afterthought): “We’re too busy.”

Me: “Interesting. Anyway, I’m calling because Apple told me to get in touch with you regarding my MacBook Pro. I have a reference number with my case notes if you’d li…”

Rob: “We don’t need that. Doesn’t matter. You just have to bring the computer in and we’ll tell you what’s wrong with it.”

Me: “Wow. Well, that’s actually what I’m trying to do. I need to see if you can repair it in house or if you’ll ship it out.”

Rob: “What’s wrong with it?”

Me: “So you’d like to know what’s in my case notes, then? Okay, well the latch is a bit sticky, there is a sputtering noise in the lower right corner (like a fan?) and there is a high pitched buzzing in the upper left.”

Rob: “So there’s three things wrong with it. We only fix one. Otherwise, we have to send it out. You’ll have to come in.”

Me: “Will I be treated with this amazing level of customer service when I arrive because this is probably the rudest phone call I’ve experienced in awhile?”

Rob: “Yes, we will be treating you with excellent…”

[handset clicks onto receiver]

Bonus: This should have been my first clue. Marvel at the web design principles of a bygone era: 1997.

*eek*

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While helping Lauren sort out connecting to PASS space, I just had this very creepy notion that the Finder icon has been watching me from the lower left of my dock for years. :/

iMac for sale…

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I need a MacBook Pro (where need = want). Therefore, if you or anyone you know is in the market for a well-priced Mac, here’s your chance:

  • iMac G5 2.0 GHz
  • 20″ widescreen display
  • 2 GB of RAM
  • 250 GB hard disk
  • SuperDrive DVD burner
  • Mac OS X 10.4.7
  • Software! (I can’t tell you about it!)

All of this for the low, low price of $1,200! Delivered to you (assuming reasonable distance) by hand in its original box.

Edit: Remember, I even touched this iMac. That makes it a legendary piece of memorabilia!

8 Days Later…

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…and I’m back. I just spent the last five days of my 8 day break from Centre County at the New Media Consortium conference in Cleveland. Until I arrived, I really considered Cleveland to be a complete void. I mean, it’s the Midwest. There can’t possibly be anything there. However, the Crocker Park shopping center in West Lake (first stop) quickly changed my mind. I spent a ton of money on clothes and got to hit up Trader Joe’s…all on foot. Fantastic. The NMC closed down the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for us to have a party, I attended a gallery opening at MOCA, hung out at B-Sides in Euclid Heights with Brandon and got to tour The Cleveland Institute of Art…where I’m applying for a job tomorrow. I mean, like any city, there are ghettos and littered streets…but it’s a city. And that equals wonderful in my book.

So…the conference itself was actually a lot of fun. I attended some interesting workshops and hands-on sessions. I learned that Aperture is one of the best programs Apple has released in a long time. Hannah and I won a gong for presenting about the Studio at “Five Minutes of Fame” and then schmoozed like fiends at the reception after. Met all kinds of interesting people from literally everywhere imaginable. Yep…good stuff. A+ Will Attend AGAIN.

Now I am home. I took about 145 trips up and down the stairs tonight, glared at my landlord, cleaned my car and my home and now I’m fighting off the sleep. It’s going to be a losing battle, that I can assure you.

This is officially the cutest animal…

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…ever. It’s the mouse lemur and it’s native to one forest in Madagascar:

I watched a show about it today while I waited for my new stereo, the Cambridge SoundWorks 730 Radio (I got it in black.) So far, I’m quite happy with it. The sound is deep and full, much larger than you’d expect for its size…and better than a Bose, though not dramatically so. However, the $150 price difference seals it.

After the new toy arrived, I packed up Lola and myself and hit the road. I’m home from now until my conference on Tuesday. This weekend, I plan to:

  • hang out with Angelar…oh wait, DONE
  • perhaps get coffee with Adam
  • movie night with Dusty
  • maybe a party under the stars if it stops raining
  • travel to Cleveland for Blondie
  • if I’m lucky, Hoover will come out of hiding
  • swimming in the newly restored pool

My car is now a ZEV…

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Klaus will not make an impact on the environment this year! For $35, I purchased a TerraPass for him to wear, indicating that he’s a zero emissions vehicle. This required no modifications under the hood. Instead, my money paid for the TerraPass company to buy 8,000 lbs of carbon emissions out of trading. These emissions will be parked, as opposed to giving a corporation the right to buy them and pollute. In a round about way, TerraPass neutralizes my car’s effect on the environment. At the same time, the profit that TerraPass makes is turned around and re-invested into clean energy initiatives all over the country. Pretty slick. And, to go with my peace of mind, I get a cool decal:

For more information, you can visit TerraPass online. They are even offering 10% off coupons for your first purchase. Definitely worth a visit, even if it’s just to calculate your current emissions level.