the vengeful cow blog

Tap tap tap

Posted by marshall Tue, 10 Jul 2007 22:46:00 GMT

Well, it's been about a week and a half, and I think I'm faster on the iPhone keypad than I ever was on the E70 or the Treo. We all know about the drawbacks of not having keys you can feel, but I've found that there's an unexpected benefit: you don't have to apply any pressure to said keys. Once my thumbs got used to where the keys were, I started just brushing the screen for every character. The auto-correction takes care of the mis-touches.

This is not to say that I don't accidentally mistype words, or that the auto-correction always works. I still frequently use the backspace key. But I did that even with a physical keypad.

So the virtual keypad really is a non-issue for me. I find myself quite enjoying it. It really does need text selection, though.

Posted in Smartphones

Say Hello to iPhone

Posted by marshall Sat, 30 Jun 2007 22:56:00 GMT

Well, it's finally here. And yes, I waited in line at my local AT&T store (no Apple stores nearby, alas) to get one. There were two others in line when I arrived at 12:30 PM, but by the time the store opened the line was down the block and around the corner. Not a bad turnout for a little regional store. I ended up being the first one to actually get one in the store, since the people in front of me took a bit longer asking questions. While it doesn't look like Apple's having trouble keeping up with demand just yet, they did run out of the 8GB models while I was still there looking at accessories, so I'm glad I waited.

First impressions? It's everything I hoped it would be.

The things I missed most from my Treo were the hardware ringer switch and the threaded SMS view. The things I liked best about my Nokia E70 were the Safari browser engine, the wi-fi support, the 2MP camera, the multitasking, and a UI that didn't keep me constantly reaching for a stylus. The problem with both of those devices was stability and lack of memory. While the E70 wasn't anywhere near as infuriating as the Treo in terms of instability, it kept shutting down individual apps because it ran out of RAM, and it could only get through a few web pages before I started getting messages saying I had to close some apps (despite the browser being the only one open).

The iPhone has all of these advantages and none of the drawbacks...plus a wealth of other benefits. And the implementation is just a joy to use. The web browser is outstanding; it really does provide a desktop-class browsing experience. While the E70 had the same browsing engine, the text rendering and navigation is so much more pleasant on the iPhone. The e-mail really does support full HTML messages with no problem, and it synchronized the settings with my e-mail accounts on my MacBook Pro, so I didn't even have to set them up. The iPhone connects to my wi-fi network automatically, and even keeps per-access-point proxy settings. While it felt like other devices were playing at music, playing at e-mail, playing at web browsing, the iPhone feels like the real thing.

And then there's all the little touches. The visual cues like the rubber-banding when you scroll too far and the way photos shrink down into the trash when you delete them. The automatic disabling of the screen when you hold the phone up to your ear. The local recording and editing of your voicemail greeting before sending it to the service provider. The slide-your-finger-to-unlock system that is quick and easy yet makes it virtually impossible to accidentally answer a call while pulling out the phone (a common problem I faced with previous devices). It's truly a revolutionary user experience, both in the big concepts like multi-touch, and in the small details that make everything just a bit more enjoyable.

What I am the most pleased with, though, is the speed. My E70 had Google Maps, but in order to use it, I had to unlock the phone (press menu key, press star, unless it was already unlocked and I didn't notice the difference in the left menu title text, in which case I just re-locked it and have to do it again after a slight delay for the phone to catch up), then I had to arrow over to the Google Maps app, then I clicked. After 5-10 seconds during which it looked like the phone wasn't doing anything, the Google Maps intro screen would appear with a progress bar. Then I'd wait another 20-30 seconds for the app to load.

On the iPhone, though, it's a single swipe to unlock (or just a press of the Home key if I'm in another app), a single tap on Google Maps, and I'm instantly there. No load time. And this is with multiple pages loaded in Safari, an e-mail message in the middle of composition, and music playing in the background. Of course, the map images themselves take time to load, especially when not on wi-fi, but switching between applications is instantaneous and trouble-free.

Now, while it's true that the iPhone is all I hoped it would be, it isn't all that I hope it will be. I knew going in what to expect. I was already aware that there was no 3G (AT&T doesn't offer it around here anyway, so that doesn't bother me much, plus it apparently kills battery life). I already knew there were no included games. I already knew that the keypad takes some getting used to (and I don't think it will ever match the feel of the Treo's or the utility of the E70's, though I appreciate the way it adapts to the task at hand). I'd already heard and complained about Apple's ridiculous press release that they were "supporting third-party Web 2.0 applications" (heck, I write so-called "Web 2.0" apps for a living and I still think Apple's current public position is stupid). There's definitely room for improvement, and I have no doubts that improvements will come: one of the great benefits of the iPhone is that software updates will come out for existing models and be effortlessly installed via iTunes, and I expect that we'll soon be seeing third-party games available on iTunes as well -- though I'm guessing ScummVM won't be on the list. I also wouldn't be surprised if, once the UI conventions have been established, a real SDK is made available (WWDC 2008?).

But even though I'll enjoy improvements when they come, it does what I wanted it to do, and it does it extraordinarily well. It's a superb web browser. It's a solid e-mail client. It's great for text messaging. And it has some little bonus features like making phone calls and playing music and videos and stuff. I guess some people think those are important.

Kottke is right: we're in the future. But I still want a hovercar.

Posted in Smartphones

Umm, honey?

Posted by marshall Tue, 27 Mar 2007 08:56:00 GMT

Lara and I walked to McDonald's tonight and got some Chicken McNuggets. As always, we requested honey to dip them in. The guy behind the counter just stared at us. "Honey mustard?" No, just honey. He went to go ask a supervisor. "We don't have honey."

What's that horrible noise? Oh, it's another piece of my childhood being ripped from me and shoved through the shredder.

How can McDonald's not have honey for Chicken McNuggets?! Honey has been one of the four cornerstones of the McNugget Dipping Sauce Family since the Great McNugget Emergence of 1983! (BBQ, Sweet and Sour, and Hot Mustard are the other three, in case you didn't minor in McNugget Lore.) And to make it even worse, the people at McDonald's stared at me like I was crazy, like honey at McDonald's had never existed.

It turns out I'm not alone. A McDonald's in Sunnyvale, CA has also suffered the loss of honey, and a story eerily similar to my own has been shared by a shocked visitor to a McDonald's in the UK.

First the fried apple pies, then the apple danishes, now this. What stable, comforting reminder of my youth will they crush next? I would think the Egg McMuffin would be safe, but the fear is beginning to gnaw at my mind...

Posted in Gallimaufry

My arm is sore

Posted by marshall Mon, 26 Mar 2007 11:10:00 GMT

And yet I keep on playing Wii Tennis.

Posted in Gallimaufry

Console hardware pricing

Posted by marshall Mon, 18 Dec 2006 02:27:00 GMT

Price/feature comparison of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 hardware:

Backwards compatibility numbers only include titles released in the USA. The figures for the Japanese PS3 are considerably higher.

Posted in Home Theater

On studios and high-definition disc formats

Posted by marshall Fri, 15 Dec 2006 01:35:00 GMT

For reference...here is a list of top grossing films, their distributors, and the disc format(s) that the distributors support. Note that these specific titles may or may not have been announced yet in a high-definition format. Note also that these are box-office figures, not home video figures, which would arguably make a more interesting list.

Top 20 grossing films of 2006:

1. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
   Disney (Blu-Ray only)

2. Cars
   Disney (Blu-Ray only)

3. X-Men: The Last Stand
   Fox (Blu-Ray only)

4. The Da Vinci Code
   Sony (Blu-Ray only)

5. Superman Returns
   WB (Blu-Ray and HD-DVD)

6. Ice Age: The Meltdown
   Fox (Blu-Ray only)

7. Over the Hedge
   Paramount (Blu-Ray and HD-DVD)

8. Talladega Nights
   Sony (Blu-Ray only)

9. Happy Feet
   WB (Blu-Ray and HD-DVD)

10. Click
    Sony (Blu-Ray only)

11. Mission: Impossible III
    Paramount (Blu-Ray and HD-DVD)

12. Casino Royale
    Sony (Blu-Ray only)

13. The Devil Wears Prada
    Fox (Blu-Ray only)

14. Borat
    Fox (Blu-Ray only)

15. The Departed
    WB (Blu-Ray and HD-DVD)

16. The Break-Up
    Universal (HD-DVD only)

17. Scary Movie 4
    Weinstein (HD-DVD only)

18. Failure to Launch
    Paramount (Blu-Ray and HD-DVD)

19. Inside Man
    Universal (HD-DVD only)

20. Open Season
    Sony (Blu-Ray only)

Top grossing films of the past 20 years:

• 2006 - Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
  Disney (Blu-Ray only)

• 2005 - Revenge of the Sith
  Fox (Blu-Ray only)

• 2004 - Shrek 2
  Paramount (Blu-Ray and HD-DVD)

• 2003 - Return of the King
  WB (Blu-Ray and HD-DVD)

• 2002 - Spider-Man
  Sony (Blu-Ray only)

• 2001 - Harry Potter
  WB (Blu-Ray and HD-DVD)

• 2000 - The Grinch
  Universal (HD-DVD only)

• 1999 - The Phantom Menace
  Fox (Blu-Ray only)

• 1998 - Saving Private Ryan
  Paramount (Blu-Ray and HD-DVD)

• 1997 - Titanic
  Paramount (Blu-Ray and HD-DVD)

• 1996 - Independence Day
  Fox (Blu-Ray only)

• 1995 - Toy Story
  Disney (Blu-Ray only)

• 1994 - Forrest Gump
  Paramount (Blu-Ray and HD-DVD)

• 1993 - Jurassic Park
  Universal (HD-DVD only)

• 1992 - Aladdin
  Disney (Blu-Ray only)

• 1991 - Terminator 2
  Lionsgate (Blu-Ray only)

• 1990 - Home Alone
  Fox (Blu-Ray only)

• 1989 - Batman
  WB (Blu-Ray and HD-DVD)

• 1988 - Rain Man
  Fox (Blu-Ray only)

• 1987 - Three Men & A Baby
  Disney (Blu-Ray only)

• 1986 - Top Gun
  Paramount (Blu-Ray and HD-DVD)

Studio support:

The studio support information is from The Digital Bits' High-Definition Release List.

From The Digital Bits on December 11, 2006:

I've just spoken today with Eric Maehara, VP of Communications for Buena Vista Home Entertainment...He reiterated to me in no uncertain terms that BVHE has no plans to support HD-DVD, despite persistent online rumors to the contrary.

I've also spoken this afternoon with Steve Feldstein, Senior VP of Corporate and Marketing Communications for 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. He likewise confirmed that Fox has no plans to support HD-DVD...

And on December 12:

...Universal Home Entertainment has gotten back to us this afternoon with a bit of news regarding their high-def plans. Vivian Meyer, the studio's Senior VP of Publicity, has informed us that the studio will continue exclusively backing the HD-DVD format in 2007...

Posted in Home Theater

Two worlds, one laptop

Posted by marshall Thu, 20 Apr 2006 06:22:00 GMT

I recently found myself the elated owner of a shiny new dual-core MacBook Pro with 2 GB of RAM and 256 MB of video RAM. It's a wonderful experience. But perhaps the greatest part of it is the recent developments in dual-booting and virtualization. First Apple shocked everyone by coming out with Boot Camp. which supplies the long-lost BIOS CSM that was missing from the EFI-based Intel Mac hardware, along with key drivers and a ridiculously easy partitioning tool, making it exceedingly simple to dual-boot between Windows XP and Mac OS X. Then, just days later, Parallels introduced their virtualization solution, which is nothing short of amazing.

Like Virtual PC, Parallels runs Windows XP in a window inside OS X, but unlike Virtual PC and every other similar solution, it's fast. Very fast. I now have TextMate open in OS X on my main display, and the ever-infuriating Internet Explorer open in Windows XP on my secondary display, and the mouse pointer just glides seamlessly between them. Run full-screen and combine with Virtue for 3D transitions between OS X and Windows desktops. It's exactly what I've been wanting for web development, and I sure could have used it in Indonesia last year for configuring the Tranzeo units we had in the internet cafe (whose web UI inexplicably worked only in IE, and just barely at that). Windows XP boots and runs much faster in Parallels than it does on my P4-based Dell GX270. With Office and IE running in Parallels, and a dual-boot configuration for high-performance 3D apps (e.g. games), there really is no reason to have a Windows-only system anymore.

Posted in Computing

Something to do with π

Posted by marshall Tue, 28 Feb 2006 13:50:00 GMT

There was an advertisement some years ago for Taco Bell with the tagline, "Make a run for the border." This was presumably intended to suggest the Mexican inspiration for their menu, but I expect most people silently added something like, "And if you can't make it that far, there's always Taco Bell."

Taco Bell and I have been spending some time apart over the past couple of years, largely because right across the street sits El Pollo Loco, home of the Grilled Fiesta Burrito. But lately I've been finding myself drawn to it again. I blame television. My friend Lee has gotten me and some other friends watching "Beauty and the Geek", a show where beer spokesmodels assemble computers and guys who track monkeys with lasers redecorate rooms with such lovable touches as messages on the wall that recall The Shining. The commercial breaks on this fine specimen of entertainment have featured the Crunchwrap Supreme, which sports the exact same few ingredients as every other Taco Bell menu item, yet is hailed as an "innovation in taste." On one night of weakness (as if watching Ashton-Kutcher-produced reality TV on the WB wasn't enough), this item looked startlingly good to me. And so it began.

As can be expected, the Crunchwrap Supreme wasn't anywhere near as good as the commercial made it look, but it reminded me that I really did like going to Taco Bell once upon a time. It also introduced me to the Caramel Apple Empanada, which, like most of the Bell's creations, shares little in common with its namesake, but is rather enjoyable if you take it for what it is. It reminds me somewhat of the old fried apple pies at McDonald's. I recently was seized with a craving for those things, and in my madness I came across a web site that cataloged the remaining McDonald's locations that carried the fried wonders. One of them was the Wal-Mart in Rancho Cucamonga. Imagine, all this time, I was a mere half hour away from oil-soaked apple goodness! But alas, sad news awaited me when I arrived at said Wal-Mart last night: on February 1st, the McDonald's there "went corporate" and switched to the accursed baked variety. I very nearly wept openly. Wal-Mart disappoints again.

So, for now, my apple-filled fried fast food fix will have to be satisfied at Taco Bell. Should I be glad for the ultimately disappointing commercial? Should I abandon the quest for the classic golden arches fried pie? Should I continue pondering what separates a Double Decker Taco from a Crunchwrap in terms of taste innovation? I'd ask for comments, but I know I'd just get invitations to poker sites in return. Lousy spammers. I hope you're happy you've ruined the internet. Well, no I don't. I hope your business fails and your buildings get crushed by burning trees but you escape unscathed to lead a better life because I really don't mean you any personal harm. I just wish those spamming energies went into something more productive, like cataloging the McDonald's restaurants that still sell apple danishes for breakfast. I seem to recall them being similar to the Sara Lee danishes, and nobody doesn't like those.

Posted in Gallimaufry

Hope for the Treo

Posted by marshall Thu, 23 Feb 2006 11:03:00 GMT

I was going to title this, "Palm OS is Dead, Long Live the 'Access Linux Platform'", but then I discovered that someone already used it. Ah well.

As expected, ACCESS has killed off Palm OS Cobalt, destroying all hopes that I once had of owning a Treo with an advanced Palm OS. But it turns out that what they're replacing it with inspires far more hope than Cobalt ever did. ACCESS has announced the ACCESS Linux Platform (ALP), which boasts the following among its many promised features:

• Full standard Linux kernel
• User interface library based on GTK+
• "MAX" application framework built from the ground up for smartphones
• Modular GStreamer media framework
• Embedded SQLite database engine
• ACCESS NetFront browser
• Messaging and telephony software from PalmSource
• Runs existing (well-written) Palm OS applications unchanged

This answers just about every complaint that I had about the Treo. The Linux-based OS means the Treo will finally gain desperately needed stability and full multitasking. The new designed-for-smartphone application framework means that the five-way navigator will no longer be a second-class input citizen, and the support for softkeys should eliminate the button confusion on the Treo (which, after spending some confusion-free time with S60 lately, I am attributing to the lack of a solid "Back" button). And full Bluetooth 2.0 support is being built in, right from the beginning.

On top of all these "fixes", the new platform further improves upon the many things I liked about the Treo. The compatibility with Palm OS applications means that a huge library of existing software will be immediately available, while the use of GTK+ for new applications will encourage Linux programmers to apply their existing knowledge to creating new software. I'm hoping that the implementation of the PalmSource messaging system means that the Treo's excellent SMS "chat" view will be carried over. And then there's the built-in media framework, the SQLite engine (same as is bundled with OS X), and the improved browser (NetFront is widely regarded as one of the best browsers available for handhelds). All in all, a very promising platform.

The trouble, of course, is that it's still just promised. They're saying it will be out around the end of the year -- I guess that's just the happenin' time for OS releases, with Leopard and Vista scheduled for release around then as well -- but even if they make that self-imposed deadline, Palm never showed much interest in Cobalt, and it remains to be seen if this new platform winds up in a future Treo. If it does, it's probably still two years away.

But oh...an ALP-based Treo with a GoForce, an internal antenna, a P990-style jog wheel, built-in wi-fi, and a 4 MP camera...it's all more than doable by that time. What a wonderful dream.

Posted in Smartphones

Great grape taste

Posted by marshall Tue, 24 Jan 2006 14:25:00 GMT

Having a cold is lousy. But at least there's a bright side: Dimetapp. I love that stuff. They say it's for children, but so was The Incredibles.

Posted in Gallimaufry