Vancouver Cleanup: Post-Riots, a set by Maurice Li on Flickr.
A much nicer side to a great city.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Monday, May 02, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Sunday, April 03, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Friday, March 04, 2011
Sunday, February 06, 2011
Doing the Unlikely
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| Image source: Apple |
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Friday, December 31, 2010
Doing the Right Thing
On Dec. 19, 2010, I ordered three items from the Canadian online Apple Store for my brother-in-law's Christmas present. The package was delivered on Dec. 22 to his home in Metro Vancouver. Unfortunately, one of the three items I ordered, an Apple Remote, was not in the package. Today I called Apple to follow up. The automated interactive voice response system took my order details, which I spoke in complete sentences as requested, then transferred me to a customer service agent, Stacy, who apologized for the oversight and arranged to have a free replacement shipped at no charge to my brother-in-law's address. The entire interaction was pleasant and took just a few minutes, consistent with the positive user experience Apple strives for in all of its products and services. Attention to detail is what sets Apple apart from many other organizations. It's yet another reason I'm a long-time Apple customer.Tuesday, December 07, 2010
Almost Like New Again
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| The old is new again |
Last week I made an appointment at a nearby Apple Store to resolve issues with duplicate contact and calendar data on my iPhone. The staffer who helped me noticed my late-2007 Macbook was missing a sliver of plastic from the front edge of the top plate that supports the keyboard and trackpad. According to him, certain MacBooks had quality issues with the plastic used for this part of the case, so he offered to replace the part overnight at no charge even though the computer was well past warranty and I'd bought it from the refurbished section of the Apple Online Store.I got my computer back today. The keyboard and trackpad—indeed the entire top plate—were brand new, as promised. The outer case had been cleaned and polished, so scratches and scuff marks from almost three years of daily use were gone. The display surface was also the cleanest I've seen since I first got the computer. The entire unit was returned to me in better physical condition than when I handed it in for repair.
I've been an Apple customer for 15+ years. Apple's not perfect, but it sure gets a lot of things right.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Friday, October 01, 2010
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Ignorant spammers - pathetic
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| Say what? |
As a result of unusual congestion in our email servers system, there would be removal of all unused Gmail Accounts. You will have to confirm your login details below for proper verification and for us to confirm your account activeness. Please feed us back with your login information below after clicking the reply button.
Account Name:
Password:
Present Country:
Note: Failure to give Google Account Team your login information above will leads to suspension and elimination of your Account permanently. Your response with the required details is mandatory for your Account security.
Google Account Management.
Note: Failure to give Google Account Team your login information above will leads to suspension and elimination of your Account permanently. Your response with the required details is mandatory for your Account security.
Google Account Management.
Riight.
Saturday, September 04, 2010
Friday, June 11, 2010
Two Weeks With an iPad
I ordered my 64GB 3G iPad on May 10, and although it was scheduled for delivery on May 28, a flight delay meant I got it on May 31. No biggie. It was good to have a (relatively) distraction-free weekend. So now I've had it for almost two weeks. First impressions: iPad is heavier than I thought it would be; its screen smudges more easily than it probably should; the onscreen virtual keyboard is not really suitable for extended typing.
It sounds like I'm dissing it altogether. Perish the thought. Although I'm still getting used to it, I'm enjoying the different interaction mode it encourages: anytime-anywhere access to information in the cloud or on the device–my 64GB is nearly full, with over 130 high-def TEDtalks. The inertial scrolling, with its subtle and refined acceleration and deceleration, is sheer joy to use. Yes, it seems like a cliché, but Apple hit one out of the park with the user experience on the iPad. Going back to a conventional mouse-windows-icons-keyboard interface on my Mac feels so...20th century.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
TEDxCalgary
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Awesome iPad digital magazine demo
Behind the scenes: how it was done
VIV Mag Featurette: A Digital Magazine Motion Cover and Feature for the iPad from Alexx Henry on Vimeo.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Saturday, February 06, 2010
A Future Where Usability is the Prime Virtue
(iPad image © Apple)After months of speculation, rumour-mongering, and hype, the iPad was announced last week. A lot has been written elsewhere about it, much of it utterly wrongheaded, so I won't rehash any of that. However, some folks do seem to grok what the iPad is about — click on the links at the end of this post if you're curious to read what they say. In the meantime, imagine a near-future where computers are different — much more accessible and useful to non-geeks. First, a brief tour of where we came from, and how little progress we've made as computer
victims
users, really — until now.
victims
users, really — until now.
Jan 2003, self-explanatory:
From: Bill GatesJan 2004 - Allchin (who led the Vista team) wrote:
Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 10:05 AM
To: Jim Allchin
Subject: Windows Usability Systematic degradation flame
I am quite disappointed at how Windows Usability has been going backwards and the program management groups don't drive usability issues
From: Jim Allchin
Sent: Wednesday, January 07, 2004 8:38 AM
To: Bill Gates; Steve Ballmer
Subject: losing our way...
I am not sure how the company lost sight of what matters to our customers (both business and home) the most, but in my view we lost our way. I think our teams lost sight of what bug-free means, what resilience means, what full scenarios mean, what security means, what performance means, how important current applications are, and really understanding what the most important problems [our] customers face are. I see lots of random features and some great vision, but that doesn't translate onto great products.
I would buy a Mac today if I was not working at Microsoft...my point is about the philosophy that Apple uses. They think scenario. They think simple.
Feb 2, 2010 - developer David Alison looks back on his switch in 2008:
In relatively short order I went from having a MacBook to purchasing a Mac Pro, which replaced my primary Windows desktop. Whereas the MacBook was quick, the Mac Pro was-and still is-remarkably fast. With dual 2.8Ghz quad core Xeons and 12GB of RAM, I was suddenly able to run a huge number of applications seamlessly.Former MS Business Development Director Don Dodge tries out Apple stuff:
The bottom line is I'm really happy I decided to "try out" that MacBook two years ago. Computing-as a software developer the place I spent a huge number of my waking hours-became fun and exciting again.
The most obvious distinction between Microsoft and Apple is design. Apple is quite simply the best hardware / software design company in the world...You see the design ethic in everything Apple does. The Mac, iPod, iTouch, iPhone and iPad are just beautiful, elegant, and imaginative designs that provide a delightful user experience.Feb 4, 2010 - Former MS VP **** Brass recounts Microsoft's self-inflicted woes:
When we were building the tablet PC in 2001, the vice president in charge of Office at the time decided he didn't like the concept. The tablet required a stylus, and he much preferred keyboards to pens and thought our efforts doomed. To guarantee they were, he refused to modify the popular Office applications to work properly with the tablet. So if you wanted to enter a number into a spreadsheet or correct a word in an e-mail message, you had to write it in a special pop-up box, which then transferred the information to Office. Annoying, clumsy and slow.
Which, when you think about it, describes most Microsoft products.
People should have confidence that their work is always preserved unless they explicitly cancel or delete it. If your application helps people create and edit documents, make sure they do not have to take an explicit save action.
Additional reading
Joe Hewitt: iPad
Fraser Speirs: Future Shock
Lucien Dupont: My Dad and the iPad
Mike Monteiro: The Failure of Empathy
Sunday, January 03, 2010
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Earlier and earlier...
- Symantec is reporting that porn is among the top four search terms for children under the age of seven. Before we all get bent out of shape wringing our hands about this, know that there are easy steps we can take if we have young children at home and we want to reduce the likelihood of their stumbling upon porn: (1) sign up for a free OpenDNS account and set the appropriate level of filtering for our home network at the router and as a backup also on all the computers our children use, including handheld devices such as the iPhone and iPod Touch; (2) turn on and lock SafeSearch in Google or set the default search engine to one that uses SafeSearch restrictions; (3) set and lock the Parental Controls in the operating system; (4) give our children only non-administrator user accounts so they cannot easily override our settings. OpenDNS can generate reports of which website and domains are being blocked, and we can monitor online activity using the OpenDNS web dashboard from any internet-connected computer or smartphone.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Saturday, September 05, 2009
Thursday, September 03, 2009
Check out BlockChalk
I'm on BlockChalk. It's the voice of your neighborhood. Use it to talk to anyone, about anything. It's anonymous, there's no sign-up and nothing to install. Go to http://blockchalk.com with your iPhone and check it out! Sent from my iPhone 3G
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Friday, August 07, 2009
Thursday, July 02, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
The iPhone is not really a phone at all
My friend Craig Nakamoto just posted his first review of the new iPhone 3Gs. Long story short: he likes it. I'm not surprised. Craig has in the past used (among other devices) a Moto Razr, a Moto Q, a Blackberry, and an iPhone 3G (which got run over by a car).I've had my iPhone 3G for only 8 months, and I've just updated it to OS 3.0, so I won't be upgrading to a 3Gs but will wait until my current contract ends in 2011. By then, I expect the iPhone 4Gs or whatever it'll be called will have evolved into a badass pocket computer with multi-core CPU, 3D GPU acceleration, universal real-time voice recognition, 2+ megapixel front-facing camera for full video chat, 5+ megapixel rear camera with at least 3X optical zoom that can shoot noise-free RAW images up to ISO6400, full HD (1080p) video recording and playback, 512GB of flash RAM, a micro SDXC expansion slot, outdoor GPS accuracy to under 1 meter, wireless broadband in the 20-50Mbps range, a built-in pico projector with 1+ megapixel resolution, biometric security, and an all-day battery.
Friday, June 05, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Lamborghini Galliardo
Summer in the city brings out the exotic cars, like this blue beauty
Sent from my iPhone 3G
A Calgary landmark
I've lived in Calgary for 23 years but I had never gone until today. Cool. This image was stitched together from 3 shots using Pano on my iPhone 3G.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Saturday, May 09, 2009
Saturday, May 02, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Thursday, April 09, 2009
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Friday, April 03, 2009
Celebrities, Before and After Photoshop
A revealing look at how Photoshop makes celebrities look, um, better
CELEBRITY AIRBRUSHING: BEFORE AND AFTER
http://gossip.commongate.com/post/celebrity_airbrushing_before_and_after
CELEBRITY AIRBRUSHING: BEFORE AND AFTER
http://gossip.commongate.com/post/celebrity_airbrushing_before_and_after
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Sometimes simple is best
I recently was asked to photograph a family, friends of mine. As I went over in my mind the logistics of executing this assignment, I fell into the usual pattern of thinking about what lighting to use, how to arrange my subjects, etc. On the appointed day, it was cloudy bright, and because the living room in which I was photographing had large windows, I went back to the most basic lighting setup of all — the same one used by the Dutch masters (e.g. Vermeer) — window light. Vermeer is one of my faourite painters. I didn't even need to use a bounce card or fill reflector, let alone a fill flash. That's it. I think I'm going to use this light as much as possible. It just seems so right.
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Friday, February 06, 2009
The "University" of Kalgary
I can't say it any better than Ezra Levant did — in serving notices of trespass to student members of Campus Pro-Life, the University of Calgary administration merits condemnation, not just from its alumni, but from everyone who believes that a university has a special duty to protect free speech and foster honest debate about controversial issues. As someone who grew up under the military dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos, I still remember how one of my childhood friends was tortured and then murdered by that odious regime. Alas, Canada seems to be rapidly devolving towards a 21st-century tyranny of the morally relativistic Left, and this idiocy by the university administration is just more evidence of the accelerating suicide of the West. Today the police knock on doors of university students who are trying to raise awareness about a legitimate public policy issue. Tomorrow, what? Be afraid. Be very, very afraid.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Sunday, December 07, 2008
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Wall-E briefly reviewed, sort of
I'm quite late posting my review (I watched the movie months ago, shortly after it was released in cinemas), but here it is, finally.This film is brilliant in so many ways. It pays subtle homage to other sci-fi movies, including 2001: A Space Odyssey, Star Wars, E.T., and Short Circuit. In the credits there's also plenty of visual homage to Seurat, Van Gogh, and even Atari. Rarely have I enjoyed a film so thoroughly, and the inside jokes for Apple fans are sprinkled throughout - from Wall-E's solar charging completion sound (taken from a rebooting Mac) to the Axiom autopilot (a synthesized Macintalk voice) to the video-capable iPod on which Wall-E views the Broadway musical that taught him about romantic love. There are clever touches and Easter eggs throughout — among the space detritus circling the Earth, Sputnik bobbing in the wake of the ship carrying EVE and Wall-E to the Axiom, and as the Axiom roared past the moon, the lower stage of the Eagle lunar lander, a lunar rover, and a U.S. flag, all reminders of NASA's Apollo space program. Much has been written about the relationship between Wall-E and EVE, but EVE's rebellion against the "Directive" revels in the notion that love can ultimately triumph over all obstacles. Robot love, that is. A bit of a stretch, perhaps, but the humans eventually pick up the hint.
How ironic that future humans are revived from their sybaritic stupor by a lonely, geeky trash compactor and his feisty robot girlfriend. More importantly, perhaps, is the surprising level of cultural self-parody (and criticism) throughout. In fact, it reminds me of The Story of Stuff. Many commentators bristle at the (supposed) environmental scaremongering they see in the film. On the contrary, the movie's dystopian view of our future is entirely appropriate.
Dismissive reviewers might want to look in the mirror to see if they bear any resemblance to the dumbed-down captain of the Axiom, since they seem to have missed the point of the film entirely. There are plenty of movies that cater to philistines. Wall-E is not one of these. If you haven't seen it, rent or buy the DVD when it comes out in November.
Sunday, September 07, 2008
Monday, September 01, 2008
The US Election Just Got More Interesting
Some people think Sen. McCain picked Alaska Governor Sarah Palin to woo Hillary Clinton supporters disenchanted with Sen. Obama's failure to name Sen. Clinton as his running mate. It's probably not that simple, but one can't help wondering if indeed gender was indeed a major issue in this case. Is the American public truly ready to accept a woman as its potential next president? Perhaps, perhaps not.One thing is clear: the US Republican Party is trying to differentiate itself clearly from the Democrats on pro-life issues, and Gov. Palin's pro-life stance seems pretty obvious. For one thing, she said about her youngest child Trig, who was diagnosed in utero with Down Syndrome:
We knew through early testing he would face special challenges, and we feel privileged that God would entrust us with this gift and allow us unspeakable joy as he entered our lives. We have faith that every baby is created for good purpose and has potential to make this world a better place. We are truly blessed.OK. Now if that doesn't bring into stark relief the difference between a pro-life and a pro-choice (really pro-death) position, I don't know what does. Regardless of your politics, the pro-death position is really no different in principle from the "useless eaters" philosophy that led to the Holocaust. And this should make us think carefully: what do "pro-choice" people really believe? That some human lives (e.g. theirs) are more valuable than others (in this case, unborn children). This should be clear. Don't let the arguments about "a woman's right to choose" fool you. A right to choose what, exactly? To kill her unborn child. In other words, murder.
Monday, August 04, 2008
Real-world Fuel Economy
Yesterday, with my fuel gauge reading empty, I filled up my car (a 1996 Honda Civic CX hatchback 5-speed). Regular petrol has gone up over 100% since I bought my car new 12 years ago, so its fuel economy is even more important now. At every fillup, I reset the trip odometer and take careful note of total fuel consumed. For the most recent period I had gone 648.1 km, the fillup was 37.562 litres, so the car used 5.8 litres of fuel per 100 km traveled. This matches the highway fuel economy specified in the 1996 Civic brochure, which is impressive because I mostly drive in the city. By avoiding traffic and shifting into the highest gear as soon as possible, I often exceed the city fuel economy rating of a SmartCar! My next car will be... you guessed it, another Honda. Like this one.
Friday, August 01, 2008
MIT Energy Storage Breakthrough — About Damn Time, Too
Folks, this just might be it — the Holy Grail of energy storage for off-peak use. Researchers at MIT have apparently found a way to greatly increase the efficiency of electrolysis. If their discovery can be made commercially feasible, our current dependence on fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) for power generation and transport fuel may become a quaint relic of the past:
Given the projected demand growth vs. production decline of oil, this discovery comes not a moment too soon. It brings us closer to a hydrogen-fueled future.Inspired by the photosynthesis performed by plants, Nocera and Matthew Kanan, a postdoctoral fellow in Nocera's lab, have developed an unprecedented process that will allow the sun's energy to be used to split water into hydrogen and oxygen gases. Later, the oxygen and hydrogen may be recombined inside a fuel cell, creating carbon-free electricity to power your house or your electric car, day or night.The key component in Nocera and Kanan's new process is a new catalyst that produces oxygen gas from water; another catalyst produces valuable hydrogen gas. The new catalyst consists of cobalt metal, phosphate and an electrode, placed in water. When electricity -- whether from a photovoltaic cell, a wind turbine or any other source -- runs through the electrode, the cobalt and phosphate form a thin film on the electrode, and oxygen gas is produced.Combined with another catalyst, such as platinum, that can produce hydrogen gas from water, the system can duplicate the water splitting reaction that occurs during photosynthesis.The new catalyst works at room temperature, in neutral pH water, and it's easy to set up, Nocera said. "That's why I know this is going to work. It's so easy to implement," he said....James Barber, a leader in the study of photosynthesis who was not involved in this research, called the discovery by Nocera and Kanan a "giant leap" toward generating clean, carbon-free energy on a massive scale."This is a major discovery with enormous implications for the future prosperity of humankind," said Barber, the Ernst Chain Professor of Biochemistry at Imperial College London. "The importance of their discovery cannot be overstated since it opens up the door for developing new technologies for energy production thus reducing our dependence for fossil fuels and addressing the global climate change problem."
Monday, July 28, 2008
Mr. Rooter
I had to work from home today because the plumbers arrived to inspect and clean out our sewer drains. Our next door neighbour had a sewer line backup that flooded their basement just before Christmas. The line had to be replaced, which meant removing a large tree from their front yard and digging a trench up the lawn from the sidewalk to the house. Since our home is about the same age, we decided to have our sewer line checked, and we're sure glad we did. Some tree roots had grown into the joint between our main sewer line and the city sewer line, and there was a partial obstruction. Using a high-pressure hydroscrubber, the plumber cleared away the tree roots and the buildup inside the pipe. In the future we have to call the City Waterworks office for a regular inspection. I'm just glad we caught this problem before it got serious enough to require excavation.
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