In my previous post, I spoke about why I left Firefox for Safari. The basics — Firefox ran too hot for my liking. Safari is better optimized for my Macbook Pro.
However, a few weeks ago, I read about a program that has “forced” me to go back to Firefox. It is called Feedly. It is an add-on for Firefox. Scoble and Louis Gray have both spoken about it, which piqued my interest.
What does it do? Generally, it aggregates all of your feeds and creates a magazine like digest of those feeds. However, it has another function that makes it worth Firefox abusing my computer’s fans. Feedly Mini sits at the bottom right hand corner of my Firefox screen. Feedly Mini essentially turns every web page into a Google referenced page.
What do I mean? I can share any web page or article that I read through my Google Reader shared items feed. I can email it using Gmail. Feedly also ties into some other great web 2.0 programs, which I rarely use.
Feedly is great for me because my reading habits are not just confined to my 250 RSS feeds found in Greader. I read many other websites such as the Nytimes, Cnet, Techmeme, WSJ, WashPost, etc. I prefer to read over these general sites because they open me up to greater variety of information than I would otherwise gain from my more directed and specific RSS feeds. Until Feedly, I was never able to share (and, why I really like Greader, it allows me to save these feeds) the articles that I read outside Greader. I would read many great articles that were quickly forgotten.
With Feedly, these articles no longer go through my head and then a few days later, leave it. I have a record of my favorite articles that is kept for posterity (or for however long Google is around).
Feedly is not available for Safari so now I am back as a Firefox user.
I moved into a new place in May. It is a new building and every apartment is wired with CAT5e ethernet [rather than phone lines]. The builder put in telecom routers. Despite my best efforts, speaking with the ethernet subcontractor and a number of electricians, I could not set up a network. What did I do?
I took down their telecom routers, I cut and crimped my own ethernet wires and then hooked them up to one of the three wireless routers I have in the apt. I now have a beautifully fast ethernet network (30Mbps down and 2Mbps up).
As one would imagine is required with a good network, here is what I have hooked up to it:
1. Xbox 360
2. Tivo HD (and now have Tivo Connect setup with my network so that I can view my photos and listen to my mp3s).
3. Vonage
4. Wii (using my Tivo’s wireless G network card — I did not think it would work but it did, right away).
5. Old laptop computer, which is hooked up to the TV via S-video (doesnt look great but I am working on that) and using wireless keyboard/mouse.
For those still in a hole, Firefox 3 has launched. All the reviews talk about its better memory management. I have 4 Gigs of ram and, frankly, don’t care about memory usage. I do, however, care about processor usage. The more my processor runs, the hotter my computer becomes (and the more electricity I use). The hotter it becomes the more my fans run. The more my fans run, the noisier my computer becomes. I hate noisy computers and I don’t want to replace my fans [if they break from overuse].
Firefox 2 was a relatively heavy processor user (with a bunch of add-ons running). My MBP’s fans routinely ran at around 2000 rpm but would spike higher fairly frequently. With Firefox 3 out and the newest version of Safari, I tested the two side-by-side.
My very unscientific test (note, I really dont have time to do more than a cursory test at the moment) reveals that Firefox 3 (with a few add-ons) tends to use less of my processor. I now run at about 1800 rpm. In safari (with no add-ons), I run at around 1900 rpm.
Post-bar, I will do more testing and figure out which browser reigns supreme in processor usage.
Have you ever found yourself wanting to join the family in the living room but you can’t because you are tied to your office computer?
If your answer is “yes,” then you have two solutions: 1. use your laptop. Unfortunately, they get hot. 2. Setup an all-in-one computer, such as the iMac, on your living room coffee table.
I moved last week and during the move, I became one computer richer as I now have access to my fiance’s 20 inch iMac. As we only have one desk with room for one computer (mine right now), we needed a place for her iMac. The only other flat surface with easy access to an outlet was the coffee table.
Boy am I ever glad we don’t have a second desk. I love this setup (unfortunately, she is not so happy with the “look.”). With a wireless keyboard/mouse and a lower resolution (to enlarge the font), I can sit on a comfortable couch and surf the web/email/blog with abandon (and save my back from desk chairs).
As an added bonus, minus hooking up a computer to a TV, this is an ideal way to watch all of your favorite web videos from Hulu/youTube, and could negate one spending money on an Apple TV/Netflix Roku box or something similar.
For those with families and whose lives center on the living room, this setup is even better (so long as you can secure the power cord). If you spend a lot of time in an office but still need to go online when home, this is a great way to do it.
I want an iPod Touch with a 12-14 inch screen and the width of a Macbook Air. I want to cradle my computer in my hand or lap and read it like a book. I don’t want to use a mouse or keyboard unless absolutely necessary. My fingers work just fine.
The majority of my life is centered around the internet. A powerful computer (like my Macbook Pro) is great for a few specialized tasks that really push it (which I personally enjoy doing to hardware). However, a huge percentage (90% or more) of the time I spend sitting in front of the computer is spent online. My email is held on some magic google server. My news comes from websites, I can do everything with my pictures online, and I can track my friend’s lives online, and I can write documents, create spreadsheets and presentations online. I don’t need a strong processor.
What I need is a strong internet connection.
I don’t care who makes this device (and sorry, Nokia, but your N800 does not cut it. I have used it and it misses the mark). I have a feeling this device will come from Apple. The phone manufacturers couldn’t produce an iPhone and computer makers still can’t make a system that is as quiet, cool, or small as my Macbook Pro (if judged by the same techical specs).
I received an 8 gig iPod Touch as a present this past December. I immediately “unlocked/cracked” it so that I could install whatever I wanted on it.
Since then, I have thoroughly enjoyed my iPod Touch but not for the reasons one might imagine.
First, three confessions: a) up until this December, I had never owned an iPod. I refused to jump on that bandwagon. It was my little anti-crowd protest. b) I don’t listen to much music when I am on the move. I prefer to hear what is going on around me and revel in the sound of life. I know that sounds corny but it is true. I like to hear the world rather than be walled within my own little world of digital music. c) I firmly believe in device convergence and was expecting cellphone MP3 players to work well and be the next big thing (such as my LG Muziq). Instead they were all inelegant solutions that only made me not want to use their music features. Then of course the 500 lb gorilla called the iPhone launched.
I have Sprint so the iPhone was not an option. But when the Touch launched, I knew I had to have one.
Do I use it to listen to much music, no. Do I watch many videos on it? Rarely. I like to read when I fly although I highly recommend Ted videos to anyone interested in learning something.
Instead, I use my iPod Touch as a an internet tablet/gateway. I am not near a computer more often than I imagined while still within free WiFi range. I used to go online with my phone. It’s screen is small. Now I go online with my Touch and I absolutely love the experience (if no computer is nearby). It works flawlessly and fast. It is a mini-computer with the best input device — a finger (versus mouse, etc). Post-crack, I have a ton of other fun and interesting programs installed.
I would recommend a Touch to anyone who is not in the market for an iPhone.
What am I really waiting for? A WiMAX enabled iPod Touch. Then, I could go online anywhere and everywhere and I would be in heaven. I like (and hate) being connected.
Today, research firm M:Metrics released a January survey of 10,000 adults. The survey’s findings are somewhat dramatic and the survey’s title, “iPhone Hype Holds Up” is apt.
The most dramatic findings of the report are that 84.8% of users go online and that 30.9% use their iPhone to watch mobile TV and/or video. However, the most interesting nugget of information is that nearly 50% of iPhone users used their iPhone to access a social networking site or blog. This compares to 19.4% of smartphone users who do the same. 20% of those iPhone users were going to Facebook (compared to 2% of smartphone users). Interestingly, Facebook was one of the first web properties to customize its interface for the iPhone ans has been featured in iPhone commercials.
Since the official demographics of iPhone users are similar to those of smartphone users (i.e. ale, aged 25-34, earn more that $100,000 and have a college degree), a question arises — why are iPhone users so much more likely to use the internet?
There are several potential answers: 1. all iPhone plans come with unlimited internet use. Once you have it, you begin to use it. As I can attest to from experience, the internet on your phone might not be something you are willing to pay for up front. However, once you taste its sweet nectar, you can’t go back to a life without it. Unfortunately, I do not believe that this answer fully explains the disparities discussed above. The fact is that many smartphone users (although not 100% like the iPhone) have free internet included in their plan.
A second potential answer is that iPhone users are not as similar a demographic as M:Metrics would have you believe. On the surface, they are similar (i.e. age, education and earning power). However, iPhone users may differ on one key component — net/tech savvy. The current crop of iPhone users include many early adopters. These are the people who buy the “cool” new product. They are the people who already live the digital lifestyle (and find it fun). They spend a large portion of their day online; the iPhone only makes it that much easier to stay connected. The average smartphone user, on the other hand, may be more business focused, less interested in Facebook, and less likely to spend time going online with their phone because they are already receiving their email through a push mechanism. I am making broad assertions but their are greater differences between the iPhone and smartphone group than initially shown.
A third option is that the iPhone is simply a much better internet device than any smartphone before it. I have used and played with many smartphones and I can compare them to my iPod Touch (same internet surfing experience, albeit slightly faster over wifi, as the iPhone). The iPhone is a better internet device. It was designed with the internet in mind. A finger is a better navigation device than a blackberry ball, a scrollwheel, or any other interface device (except for a mouse, which needs a computer). The iPhone makes it easy and fun to go online. It is a harbringer of things to come and I ardently hope for some strong competition.
Facebook is broken — at least for me. I cannot view my profile. When I click on my profile, I receive an error message that states: “Sorry, an error has occurred. We’re working on getting this fixed as soon as we can.” This message has been up since this morning.
For once, I actually wanted to do something useful on Facebook. Now I can’t.
Hey Mark Zuckerberg, do you remember why Friendster failed? People care about services and they expect free services to work like paid services — fast and reliably. If those services do not meet expectations, then people find services to replace them.
I recently started blogging. I started with Blogger because it is one of the main services and is part of Google. While Google scares me at times, its programs tend to be some of the best. Plus, despite the eerie privacy issues, I love having a single log-in name for everything. Basically, I tend to really enjoy Google services and do not want particularly want to leave their bubble.
However, blogger lacks the functionality of WordPress. My customization options are few. Adding widgets beyond the mere basics is difficult. Frankly, it was not up to the level of other Google programs and is easily beaten by WordPress.
I still have some playing around to do with both sites and will reserve final judgement for later. One thing holding WordPress back from winning outright is that adding my Google Reader shared items to my WordPress blog is difficult. I am working on this now. Wish me luck.
Zune has a new website and a video. They are trippy. Thanks Techcrunch for pointing me towards it.
Watch the video and checkout the website (here). The video is neat but I think the website is very cool. It is different. It navigates in semi-3d space and you move from one space to the other simply by pushing your mouse forward or back. There doesnt seem to be any information in that 3d space except for trippy pictures. However, imagine if those pictures held portals to further 3d spaces with more information. One could conceive a whole new way to navigate. The site really made me feel as if I had entered a whole new world rather than just looking at, what is post-zune, boring old webpages. Of course, there may be some navigation limitations involved in creating a realistically useful site.
What this really makes me think is: we are desperately in need of a website revolution. We have Web 2.0. It changes the underlying nature of what we can do with a website. Yet the presentation of Web 2.0 website are still fundamentally Web 1.0. There are still boring and plain except filled with ajax features.
Since no one seems to know for sure what form Web 3.0 is going to take (although an underlying semantic web is a possibility), this could be it [from an interactivity/design standpoint]. Imagine a new way to navigate in a 3D world coupled with Ajax usefullness. Some people might not understand it and they could click a button to switch views. Add in smart searching to find the content you need, smart ads that stylistically couple with the content you want and you are golden.
Here is an example of what I picture: I go to a website like www.Buy.com. I can fly through their store from one section to the next (from DVDs to computers, to books, and so forth). Each section is stylistically different and the style coincides with the product category. I can either stay in that section and check out the various subsections that float in space with 3D pictures representing their sub-category. If I want to move to the next category, I can “fly” there. If, instead, I want to search for a product, I type in my seach and instead of a normal listing, I receive a floating group of products that meet my search criteria. The most relevant products are closest to the middle of the frame and then move out from there.
I have this dream of a web that sucks me into a whole new world…
Posted by Cogitatus 
Posted by Cogitatus 
Posted by Cogitatus 
