I'm spending a small part of my Sunday catching up on blogs, and one of them was the "Fools of the Year" from the Macalope.
I have no issues with them ripping on Wall Street "Reporters" that THINK they know computers. They spread more misinformation than the National Enquirer. What I DO have issues with is them bashing those that have bashed the iPad. I know all of them of them deserve their spot on the list for many other reasons. But seriously, ripping on a product that has the specs to fall short of expectations before it comes out is a problem? Heck, if Dell started promoting their next new thing - and it has a Pentium 4, every computer "reporter" would be ripping that apart! Why, then, should the iPad be exempt? For the price tag, you're not getting much. However, add a few hundred GB of storage (so you could store a few DVDs, eBooks, a large iTunes library, and pictures), add an SD card slot and a CF card slot (keeping in mind that the stock version of Preview can read many digital camera raw formats in addition to JPEGs), and now you have a device worth drooling over!
The other thing, is Apple needs to get OUT of bed with AT&T. They need to NOT be in bed with any wireless carrier. Some of us live in places where AT&Ts coverage stinks, and problems have been well documented in New York City (I've also seen other reported problems in Tampa and have heard hit-and-miss reports in Cincinnati).
So, Macalope, please stop bashing people for bashing unreleased products based on specs. I'm sure you've done it too, and I know you'd do it in a heartbeat to something Windows-related, since you appear to be more fanboy than semi-unbiased reporter.
The Macalope Weekly Special Edition: Fools of the Year | Computers | MacUser | Macworld.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
How I Fixed my MacBook Pro
Last Christmas, my loving wife gave me a copy of Snow Leopard. After upgrading, my computer started running so slow that it was pathetic. My hard drive died, and I thought that maybe that was the issue.
It wasn't.
I started surfing through the forums on 9to5Mac and Apple Support Discussions and found very little that I liked, most of it blaming coreaudiod (the core audio services). I had tried defragging my hard drive before I had to replace it, and I wasn't satisfied with the results.
So, I tried a few things. First off, I reset the SMC controller (on my MBP, you do that by shutting down the computer, unplugging it and removing the battery, and holding down the power button for 5 seconds).
Then, I booted up, shut down, and reset the NVRAM (on my MBP, you do that by starting up and holding the control+option+P+R keys and holding them down until the second startup sound).
It certainly feels faster. Time will tell if this is a real fix.
The Next Steps
I a going to boot from my SL CD and Repair Permissions and Verify Disk. Since I'm fearful that this could have had something to do with my last hard drive's death (although I think my fears should be unfounded), I am going to make sure I'm backed up first.
The 64 Bit Lie
The big issue I have is that my computer supposedly won't support 64 bit. Until today, I was unaware that I had 32-bit EFI (firmware). I'm somewhat annoyed by that, since I'm pretty sure a Core 2 Duo is a 64-bit processor. It seems to me that Apple was a bit short-sighted when they did that.
It wasn't.
I started surfing through the forums on 9to5Mac and Apple Support Discussions and found very little that I liked, most of it blaming coreaudiod (the core audio services). I had tried defragging my hard drive before I had to replace it, and I wasn't satisfied with the results.
So, I tried a few things. First off, I reset the SMC controller (on my MBP, you do that by shutting down the computer, unplugging it and removing the battery, and holding down the power button for 5 seconds).
Then, I booted up, shut down, and reset the NVRAM (on my MBP, you do that by starting up and holding the control+option+P+R keys and holding them down until the second startup sound).
It certainly feels faster. Time will tell if this is a real fix.
The Next Steps
I a going to boot from my SL CD and Repair Permissions and Verify Disk. Since I'm fearful that this could have had something to do with my last hard drive's death (although I think my fears should be unfounded), I am going to make sure I'm backed up first.
The 64 Bit Lie
The big issue I have is that my computer supposedly won't support 64 bit. Until today, I was unaware that I had 32-bit EFI (firmware). I'm somewhat annoyed by that, since I'm pretty sure a Core 2 Duo is a 64-bit processor. It seems to me that Apple was a bit short-sighted when they did that.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Facebook Blamed For Rise In Syphilis
I once again have to side with TechCrunch on this one. Facebook does not cause a rise in Syphilis. The correlation of the two is likely a result of a two factors - how connected we are and how common sex is.
Remember when telephones had cords and were attached to walls? Remember when the Internet was only for geeks and the DoD? Now, everyone has a cell phone. Many of those (just about everyone who is young) has a smartphone or messaging phone. Facebook has become a catalyst to message people and to connect with family, friends, coworkers, etc. We are so much more connected than 10 years ago.
The sex thing... well, just watch a few movies from now (I'm thinking along the lines of American Pie) and compare to Short Circuit or My Science Project...
The link: Facebook Blamed For Rise In Syphilis.
Remember when telephones had cords and were attached to walls? Remember when the Internet was only for geeks and the DoD? Now, everyone has a cell phone. Many of those (just about everyone who is young) has a smartphone or messaging phone. Facebook has become a catalyst to message people and to connect with family, friends, coworkers, etc. We are so much more connected than 10 years ago.
The sex thing... well, just watch a few movies from now (I'm thinking along the lines of American Pie) and compare to Short Circuit or My Science Project...
The link: Facebook Blamed For Rise In Syphilis.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
The Problem with the iPhone App Store
It has been all over the news about the apps that are removed (or denied access to) the Apple App Store. Porn has been a big deal, as has been fart apps. Every time it happens, someone has to bring up that the Apple App Store is a private store and they can do as they please.
The problem isn't what Apple is doing by removing or denying, it is that there is no other alternative.
Think about grocery stores. If you go through one with your young child and it prominently displays porn right when you walk in the door, you're likely not going to return (with your child, at least), are you? You would go to a different grocery store. Depending on your values, you may NEVER return to that store, or you may return only when you don't have your young child. Heck, if you have certain values, you may return (likely without your child), and buy some of it.
That scenario above is exactly why the Apple App Store should NOT be the only store. iPhone users should have the power to choose a different store if they want a different selection.
Will it happen? No, of course not. Apple wants the profits from the App Store. They want control over the iPhone. Unfortunately, people aren't voting with their dollars on this one.
The problem isn't what Apple is doing by removing or denying, it is that there is no other alternative.
Think about grocery stores. If you go through one with your young child and it prominently displays porn right when you walk in the door, you're likely not going to return (with your child, at least), are you? You would go to a different grocery store. Depending on your values, you may NEVER return to that store, or you may return only when you don't have your young child. Heck, if you have certain values, you may return (likely without your child), and buy some of it.
That scenario above is exactly why the Apple App Store should NOT be the only store. iPhone users should have the power to choose a different store if they want a different selection.
Will it happen? No, of course not. Apple wants the profits from the App Store. They want control over the iPhone. Unfortunately, people aren't voting with their dollars on this one.
Uneducated Journalism: Why Apple's Porn Purge of Sex-Themed Apps isn't a Smart Move (ABC News)
This is the epitome of uneducated journalism and pandering to stupidity.
First off, the uneducated part. Evidently the author hasn't read around at the thousands of news articles discussing apps that were removed from the App Store that were not used to deliver porn, but to, say, sell swimsuits. The author also didn't look at another article from the same magazine, PC World, that brings up the fact that Sports Illustrated and Playboy are still available as apps in the app store. If Playboy isn't within their criteria of "sex-themed", then I would question what criteria they are using.
Second off, the pandering to stupidity. Sometimes people must understand that in the wild world of life and the Internet, there is going to be porn and smut. It isn't Apple's job to police that, mostly because everyone's values are different. Apple SHOULD compartment questionable apps, like Playboy and the SI Swimsuit edition (perhaps by using age controls and a special section of the app store).
I know the big argument to this is "Apple is hosting the App Store and therefore can control what's in it". That argument has a few flaws which I will discuss in a future post.
First off, the uneducated part. Evidently the author hasn't read around at the thousands of news articles discussing apps that were removed from the App Store that were not used to deliver porn, but to, say, sell swimsuits. The author also didn't look at another article from the same magazine, PC World, that brings up the fact that Sports Illustrated and Playboy are still available as apps in the app store. If Playboy isn't within their criteria of "sex-themed", then I would question what criteria they are using.
Second off, the pandering to stupidity. Sometimes people must understand that in the wild world of life and the Internet, there is going to be porn and smut. It isn't Apple's job to police that, mostly because everyone's values are different. Apple SHOULD compartment questionable apps, like Playboy and the SI Swimsuit edition (perhaps by using age controls and a special section of the app store).
I know the big argument to this is "Apple is hosting the App Store and therefore can control what's in it". That argument has a few flaws which I will discuss in a future post.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Why I Carry a Blackberry and NOT an iPhone
This is pathetic. Apple must sell to absolute "prudes" to call simplybeach.com's bikini pictures "overtly sexual".
I carry a Blackberry because I don't want Stevie controlling what I put on MY phone.
Link to full story: AppleInsider | Swimwear seller hit by Apple's removal of 'sexual' apps.
I carry a Blackberry because I don't want Stevie controlling what I put on MY phone.
Link to full story: AppleInsider | Swimwear seller hit by Apple's removal of 'sexual' apps.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Software Development: On Testing and Comparing to Old Versions
One of my major tasks at work has been porting our old Fortran based distribution and mode choice software to Cube Voyager. During this process, I have been testing and re-testing to ensure that my results from Voyager match the results that came out of Fortran.
The reason I am continually testing to match is because despite being old and having some bugs that I've had to fix, the mode choice process is technically sound. If I started from scratch, I probably would not have done something nearly as in-depth as this.
One of the other tasks I've done was a new transit model. Our old transit network, skimming, and loading models were in TranPlan, which is way old and outdated. While programming the Voyager upgrade, I did settings and parameters to get things in the range of the what was coming out of the old TranPlan model. This means that when I actually get the new mode choice ready, I should be close to still having a calibrated model (not! and why in a paragraph!).
The experience with the new mode choice and distribution has enabled me to find bugs in the old mode choice and distribution software. The bugs include:
- Incorrect file reading format
- Failure to reset certain variables to zero causing transit trips to be assigned when there is technically no transit available
- Potentially incorrect script to calculate auto operating cost in park-n-ride and kiss-n-ride situations
That "not!" from above has to do with that very first bullet. There was an extra field in the read script causing a fixed file format input of:
ZONE HH1 HH2 HH3 HH4
10 33 147 301 132
To be read as:
ZONE HH1 HH2 HH3 HH4
10 33.1 47.3 1.1 32
This caused transit trips to drop by about 25%. Re-calibration, here I come!
Tags: cube, voyager, fortran, programming, software, testing
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