Using a Laptop as a Personal Heater
Feeling cold and lazy?
Try firing up a browser tab or two with a heavy Flash application. That will get your laptop good and hot, then just hold it against yourself.* Now you don’t have to stand up to adjust the heat or grab a blanket!
My 2011 MacBook Air runs a little too efficiently for this trick. Kind of makes me miss my first gen Air… That old bastard was a furnace. It didn’t run well, but damn it, it was great on cold Winter nights.
*Don’t scorch yourself. You’ve been warned. I accept no responsibility for the stupidity of other’s.
OSX Lion – “Natural Scroll” is Anything but Natural
Dear Apple,
“Natural Scrolling?” That’s really what you’re calling this shit? Natural scrolling?
Natural scrolling is about as natural as a deep-fried twinkie on a styrofoam plate, and fuck you for even trying to spin this stupidity.
Natural scrolling should be called “inverted scrolling” on a laptop or desktop. Sure it may be natural on a touchscreen to pull content in the opposite direction, but in case you didn’t notice, none of the devices that run Lion have touchscreens (at the moment).
Defaulting such an obnoxious and useless feature really diminishes the magic of using my new MacBook Air. Sure it’s easy to turn off, but why bother hassling me with it at all.
Cordially,
David
PS – The new MacBook Air is quite nice.
OSX Lion & New MacBook Air Due on July 14
Update (7/14/11) – It’s looking less like this is happening.
The lastest upgrade for Apple’s operating system OSX Lion is finally hitting the Mac App Store on July 14th.
Lion marks the first time that Apple (or anyone else) is making a paid upgrade available exclusively via online download. This essentially eliminates the problem of large-scale piracy. Unless the upgrade flops like the misguided Final Cut Pro X, Lion should prove a massive cash cow for Apple.
I’m excited because the MacBook Air will receive the refresh treatment sometime shortly following the release of Lion. My first generation Air is starting to drag a bit too much, so I’m planning on upgrading this time around.
(Via TUAW)
Java & Apple
When Steve Jobs announced the new MacBook Air, he also made it clear that Apple would no longer support Java.
That single fact would have been enough to keep me from purchasing another Apple for the foreseeable future because I can’t imagine accessing the Internet as it currently exists without Java.
However, Oracle and Apple will both support the OpenJDK project, and Java for Mac isn’t going to die as a result.
The bottom-line is that Java on Mac is fine, so I’m happy. I don’t have plans to replace any of my computers, but when I do, that 11-inch Air looks mighty appealing.
(Source: TUAW)
(Image: Java)
2010 Holiday Buyers Guide
Let Santafest 2010 begin, try not to get maimed in a Black Friday stampede.
Here are some gift ideas for that special geek in your life:
Notebooks
PC
HP Envy 14 - If I was buying a PC, it would be this guy.
Mac
11 inch MacBook Air – The compact, aesthetically pleasing notebook packs it’s fair share of power. If I have to buy a new notebook this year, it will be an Air.
Video Games
Xbox 360
Kinect – Microsoft’s motion gaming hardware turns your whole body into a controller. This is leaps and bounds more interesting that anything that Nintendo or Sony have going on. Microsoft’s motion technology represents the biggest leap in gaming technology since the Wii, and it will change a whole lot more than just gaming.
Halo Reach – The latest installment in the Halo series plays like a best-of game. It take the best elements of what came before it, and the result is a wonderful FPS.
PS3
Heavy Rain – This very adult murder mystery changed the way I think of video games. It’s not a long game, but it will stay with you long after you finish it.
3D Dot Game Hero – A modern-ish love-letter to the early Zelda games. This is a must play for old-school gamers.
God of War III - The journey of Kratos comes to a bloody conclusion. This is probably the best hack & slash/ puzzler made to date.
Xbox 360 & PS3
Mass Effect 2 – My favorite game of 2010. The science-fantasy story is so immersive that I didn’t want to stop playing. Every time they release new DLC, I go back for more.
Rock Band 3 - This is by far the best music game ever made. The pro mode actually teaches you to play a keyboard or guitar. I am waiting to buy it when the real guitar controller is released in March.
DVD / Blu-ray
Netflix – Don’t bother buying DVDs this year, a Netflix subscription will go a lot further.
Crossroads Guitar Festival 2010 – This year’s guitar festival hosted by Eric Clapton will amaze. The talent assembled is a rare sight to see, and will be truly special for any fan of the instrument.
Graphic Novel
Ex Machina – Ten volumes of brilliant dialoge and intrigue. It’s a story of politics and super-heroics. Think The West Wing meets The Matrix, but still very grounded.
Novels
Daemon & Freedom™ - These two books by Daniel Suarez take a very interesting and entertaining look at the state of the world, and the influence of technology. They are both geek and non-geek friendly.
Mac Update: Snow Leopards, Laptops, and Guitars Oh My
Apple has revealed a number new improvements and adjustments to their products at WWDC, here’s the rundown.
Snow Leopard
I was going to write a summation of Apple’s announcements regarding the new operating system updates, but a great one already exists (and I’m very tired). Check with Gizmodo to learn all of the nifty upgrades Snow Leopard will give you for a mere $29.00 come September 2009. Nothing is Earth-moving, but it’s all good stuff.
Safari 4
The new browser has been spotted in the wild with a new look, and boasting the title of “fastest browser on the web.” That is until Google Chrome leapfrogs them again in a few months – isn’t competition great?
MacBook Family
- Price cuts pretty much across the board
- Non-removable batteries that are assured to last a long time across the board
- ExpressCard slots go the way of FireWire (Except for the 17-inch MacBook Pro) – they are replaced with SD slots
- A lot of boosted specs
- The solid state hard drive model of the MacBook Air dropped $700 making it almost reasonable at $1,799
I’m not sure ExpressCard slots were ready for retirement, and I’m not crazy about the non-removable batteries – this just seems like an unnecessary hassle for users. Otherwise, the refreshed machines look good – Skynet will be pleased.
For a complete rundown of the MacBook changes check with Engadget.
New iPhones
I am by no means an authority on iPhones. So if you care to learn more about the new incarnations of the popular device, you may have a gander here.
Control Your Guitar & Amp with Your iPhone
Apple, Amp manufacturer Line 6, and general musical gadget brand Planet Waves are teaming up to offer an iPhone app that will allow you to control your guitar and amp’s sound. More on this as better details arise.
“Get a Mac” Ad is Bad
I’ve been pretty tough on Microsoft over their Laptop Hunters ad:
http://geekwhisperin.wordpress.com/2009/03/31/microsofts-lauren-ad-is-shortsighted/http://geekwhisperin.wordpress.com/2009/04/21/its-the-user-experience-stupid/
Apple’s latest ad is smart because it plays into the zeitgeist that Apple has essentially created about home computing, but it is incredibly stupid because it isn’t true.
She wants a computer that “that works without crashing, or viruses, or a ton of headaches.”
She can find that computer next to the “new drug” that Huey Lewis was looking for. They are both on the shelf labeled “Things that don’t exist.”
An Apple can crash. An Apple can get a virus. An Apple can cause you a boatload of headaches.
http://geekwhisperin.wordpress.com/2009/04/03/macbook-air-hinge-defect-revisited/
Apple has earned a right to be a little smug, but this latest ad greatly overshot reality.
