Joining the Hulu-lujah Chorus

I've seen the reviews online for the new Hulu desktop app - available for both the Mac and Windows. Basically, it's everything I like about Hulu: content, content, content, and seamless playback - something that some of the other network specific players haven't realized is important. (Yes, I'm calling you out ABC.)

But they've added a little more: Hulu Desktop adds remote awareness. This turns the computer into a TV and includes that full coach potato feeling, where you don't even have to cross the room to switch what you're going to watch anymore.

On the other hand, maybe the Hulu commercials are more accurate than we thought and they're really working to create docile, vaccous Hulu fans for the alien overlords to chow down upon.

Checking in...

Not much to report...

Still looking for work. Have a phone screen for a tech support job in another 45 minutes. Yeah, I know, but after 6 months, money coming in will be worth answering phones.

In other avenues of interest, took an iPhone Boot Camp class a couple of weekend's ago and got a lot out of it. I'm working on my second app and working with Apple to clear up the certificate problem, so that I can actually test my apps on a real device.

I also rolled out a new mobile blog: jp4mobile.blogspot.com, which will also have a jp4mobile.com web site once I have time and money to set up the web site to go with it.

I have some app reviews, etc...

Going forward, not quickly, but seem to be starting to get some traction, which feels good.

Distant Shore

Okay, this is my new favorite iPhone app. It's from The Blimp Pilots LLC,the creators of the wildly popular Koi Pond app.

On the face of it, this is brilliant in its simplicity. The user walks an endless beach, you hear the gulls, the pounding of the surf and the crunch of feet on the sand or in the water. The user can explore the beach or collect shells (five shells will generate a bottle that can be used to send messages) or bottles (which will allow you to respond to someone else's message).

The other users that you communicate with are anonymous. You don't know of any other way to communicate with them and they have no other way to communicate with them. There are no usernames or anything that would you give a clue about them -- it's no surprise that the most common question I've seen in the messages are requests for my age, gender and location.

Update: Just to be clear, you can still communicate with previous penpals, too.

Why I hate buying crap...

Last week, I went to Bed, Bath and Beyond. I needed a couple of things for the apartment and they were easier to get to than Target. All I needed was an absorbent rug for the bathroom, because I was sick of the puddles of water after I got out of the shower and a laundry bag with a strap for the long cold walk to the laundromat. I ended up also buying an electric kettle to make hot tea, because I like tea and hate microwaving the whole damned cup to make a hot cup.

The rug worked perfectly. It lays on the floor, it sucks up water, and it even hangs nicely and dries. I can't say enough good things about it. Of course, I'm not sure how the hell they could have screwed it up. And considering how well everything else worked, I'm sure they tried.

The rest of it all has to be returned. I used the laundry bag for the first time this morning and when I closed it up to keep my socks and underwear from making a run for it, while I was running to wash them, the whole thing split along the seam. The split only got worse, when I repacked the damned thing after washing my clothes.

So I ran to Bed, Bath and Beyond so I could return it. Replaced the nylon one with a canvas one, hoping against hope that it might be more robust. And then before settling in to my computer to try to get more done, I decided that a cup of tea would be in order to help me relax. No luck, the kettle doesn't actually heat the damned water. So now that's going to have to be returned some time this week, too.

How is it so difficult to sell people things that actually work as advertised? Didn't there used to be pride in production? Writing an angry letter to Krups and then back to trying to get some crap done.

Google Chrome - Eh...

Got an installer error...

Aw... And they had such a good record for everything...

Update: Actually loaded, fast, miss ability to easy reload multiple tabs but am impressed. Wished they had this for the mac, though.

Thank you, MythBusters

The MythBuster have brought us... Leonardo - a ... Well, it's best if you see it...

It's really awesome.

Ryan in the News

WGGB, the local ABC affiliate in Western, Mass., covered a fund raiser for Autism that the family had for my nephew, Ryan.

http://www.wggb.com/Global/story.asp?S=8892621

Asus EeePC actually intelligently planned

By just hitting the F9 button repeatedly, you choose to reset the device to the factory defaults. The downside is that you lose everything. The upside is that all of your mistakes all go away. All in all, a pretty handy feature for something with such a tiny harddrive.

Asus EEE - Al's Alienware curse?

Finally got it set up just the way I wanted it. Then I rebooted.

Big big mistake.

The EEE didn't recognize my password and then it just started cycling, seems to have a problem with X starting up and restarting again, over and over and over again... Hello, Best Buy... What's your return policy? :(

Asus Eee Pc redux

I've been playing with it for a few days. It mounts thumb drives in Windows format, but seems to have problems with an iPod formatted for the Apple. I'll have to explore further.

USB keyboards and mice seem to work without a problem.

A question of scale

The Asus Eee is as big as a hardcover.

Asus Eee PC

I was looking for something tiny to take on trips and my father was looking for something cheap that he can't screw up.
This might fit the bill on both counts. It'd be a little easier if the keyboard wasn't built for hobbits, but it's not too bad.

Pictures will be coming...

Update: Yes, it's that small. Sadly, difficult, but not impossible to use with my big hands. I can only imagine it will be worse for my Dad. I can't wait to give it to him and watch him suffer. (Does that make me a bad son? Or just passive-aggressive?)

Technology and Customer Service...

We got a new flat screen tv for the office. It's supposed to be used for watching client logs, etc...

We rush ordered the TV from Philips, paying extra to get it there right away. Unfortunately, they sent it to the CEO's home rather than the office. We had to jump through four days of hoops to get UPS to send to the right address.

When we finally got it, we opened the box to find a beautiful TV, but no screws, mounting brackets, remote or power cable. We called the manufacturer. The remotes were back ordered, so we can't get that any time soon. They did have the rest. But they can't rush order it to us, because of company policy. We've already paid for that, but that doesn't matter. The power cord is different than the TV, I guess.

We complained and they said they could put it in expedited, which will get it up to 3-5 days. Of course, that would assume that they wrote our name right on the box. UPS couldn't deliver it (but somehow the post office was able to deliver the post card telling us that UPS couldn't deliver to us, even though the postcard had the same information on it). A quick phone call. They now had our company name and they're ready to go.

Three more days later, the problem is that there was no suite number. There's no suite in our address only a floor. Sure, the company name is listed in the lobby and by the elevators on our floor, but that's enough reason not to deliver our package.

Today, we finally got our package. Power cord, but still no remote. (Still on back order, I assume.)  Unfortunately, powering up the TV, we can't get past the initial set-up screen without a remote. Wouldn't it be nice if the idiot on support that we talked to initially let us know that at the same time she was arguing that we didn't need a power cord for the expensive TV that we just bought?)

So today's recommendations are not buying Philips or using UPS if you need something.

Last Week's Winter Storm

Test of the phone.

Woo! I can add blog posts from my phone again and just take pictures.
Technology rocks!