Grant's Space

I’m on the computer a lot (over 40 hours/wk), and there are a few tools I’ve noticed I have on every computer that have become a standard part of my setup.

• Firefox
  On my Mac, I tend to use Safari, but at work and on any PC I’m on, I use Firefox. Safari pissed me off a couple of days ago (Flash crashed it again again again), so I set Firefox as my default browser (I’m using it to write this, in fact). It seems that even the worst AJAX-abusing web sites work in Firefox, it’s pretty standard across all platforms, and it wraps plugins well enough that when certain Adobe products explode, the browser just displays “Sorry, the flash plugin has crashed” or similar, instead of crashing itself. Firefox pre-3.6 was frickin’ slow, but 3.6 is about as fast as Safari. Of course, I do lose syncing of bookmarks to my iPhone, but honestly I almost never use bookmarks on my iPhone.
• Lastpass
  I used to use 1Password, but Lastpass took over because 1Password didn’t work on Linux (it may now, I don’t know). I still run 1Password (Pro) on my iPhone, but that’s mainly to look up passwords that aren’t in Lastpass yet. Lastpass is web based, which makes it really convenient if you end up on a hotel computer and need to log into a web site, and may not have your iPhone handy. Of course, there’s also an iPhone app, but I haven’t gotten that yet. 1Password also requires too much setup: you need to store your password file somewhere and sync it yourself (via Dropbox, iDisk, whatever), and the iPhone sync requires you to manually run the program on your Mac and phone at the same time. See, Winbloz users just went away. Lastpass just lets you store passwords. It handles the syncing (to their servers), and is still secure, because they’re just storing encrypted information.
• WordPress
  I’ve used a lot of blogging products over the years, starting with straight HTML in a text editor. WordPress has great features, and is the standard for setting up a blog. I use the installed version, which is conveniently a 1-click install through Simplescripts on my current web host. Before this host, I installed it myself (and even wrote scripts to do installs/upgrades automatically before that was built in). Current wordpress is stable, feature-rich, and very easy to use. Themes and plugins usually work with little modification (you used to have to tweak the heck out of things to make a new theme work – “Widgets” fixed that). Updates are automatic like most desktop software these days. The Askimet plugin combined with the “Bad Behavior” plugin stop 99% of my comment spam (which is a huge problem and time sucker if you’re setting up a blog these days). WordPress lets you set up a blog very quickly and easily, and add/change features as you go. In short, it’s quite flexible, but easy to get started with. Although you can use it as a CMS to set up web sites (and I have), it’s really designed as a blog platform, so I wouldn’t recommend it if you’re trying to find a web site builder. If your web site is a blog with some extra pages, however, WordPress is fine.
• Dropbox
  This is a must on all my computers now. Dropbox’s syncing is impeccably handled, it works on all platforms, and it allows 1-click sharing of folders. I have an “Assistant Share” folder (shared with my assistant and girlfriend), a “Bookkeeping” folder (shared with my bookkeeper), and an “Accounting” folder (shared with my accountant). If I need to get tax documents to my accountant, I just drop them into my Accounting folder, and they’re on her computer immediately. Need to update some procedures for my assistant – I update the document in my “Assistant Share” folder. The syncing is immediate and I have never had a problem with file conflicts (well, I did once, but my girlfriend was copying files into her Dropbox folder and I moved them on mine while they were syncing. Even then, cleanup was pretty quick, and Dropbox didn’t break anything – just moved the files I said to move, while leaving others in place because she’d just put them there). To share a folder, you control-click (or right-click) and select “Share” (the option varies slightly depending on the OS you’re running). Works on Linux, Mac, and Winblows.
• Ubuntu
  
  
  I had to use a PC for work, and I tolerated Windows for a couple days of instability on it before I borrowed my friend’s Ubuntu CD. I still prefer MacOS X, but if I can’t use it for some reason, Ubuntu’s next in line. In some ways I even prefer it to MacOS. Software updates (for all software) are built in. You can customize the desktop to behave like Windows or MacOS X, or some weird hybrid if you want. It’s almost as stable as MacOS X (although I do run into occasional glitches that require a Google search to remedy). It’s got a good user base, so most issues you run into can be solved by Googling and following the instructions someone’s spelled out. It’s 99% an end-user-friendly OS now, including Firefox, OpenOffice, an iTunes-like music player/store (which even has Last.fm built in), and a host of other applications pre-installed. Getting new software is unique – you go to the “Software Center” menu item and search (or browse by categories such as Office, Entertainment, etc). Most software is free (open-source). Software updates are usually automatic, as when you “download” software, you’re not actually downloading an application, but installing a package description, which then tells the software update tool (“package manager”) to include that software in its updates. Fancy. To the end user, that means that the software just magically stays up to date. Plus, it’s free, and in many cases better than certain commercial equivalents. (I don’t bother with MS Office any more, as OpenOffice runs on PC/Mac/Linux).
• Netflix
  I don’t know anyone who isn’t a Netflix subscriber, but I figured I’d mention it anyway. I use it both for DVDs and to Watch Instantly on my Mac and the PS3. Netflix jumped in as part of the beginning of the switch from broadcast to on-demand content. (Tivo was the other part).

So that’s a few of my favorite non-obvious tools. I also use the iPhone, running Shazam, Omnifocus, Now Playing and Siri on my home screen. (Now Playing is there to add movies to my Netflix queue when I see cool previews). Shazam is awesome for figuring out “what’s that song”, and Omnifocus is the best GTD-based organization software for Mac/iPhone (although the lack of a Linux version is problematic for me – if there was an equivalent web-based tool with an iPhone app I’d use that instead).

Apple obviously cannot state the true reason for the much-hyped signal-strength reduction “flaw”.

The truth is, it’s not a flaw at all, but a life-saving feature. The media seems to have forgotten the research stating that cell phone radiation causes cancer. The iPhone 4 features a new sensor that detects how tightly you’re gripping the phone/antenna. If your hand is covering a sufficient enough portion of the phone/antenna, or most noticeably bridging the break between the two antennas, the phone automatically decreases the signal strength to protect you. If you release your gorilla-grip on the phone and hold it with safe, minimal contact, or add a buffer between you and the antennas, the phone can continue at standard strength.

Obviously Apple cannot advertise this feature to the public, as tag lines such as “kills you slower than the Droid” and “Now with less cancer!” perform poorly in focus groups. As a result, Apple must deal with unfair bad publicity. But, in the end, it’s a strategic business move, because the iPhone 4 customers will live longer than Apple’s competitors’ customers, allowing them to buy more phones in the future.

So, for some reason after returning from asia, I became obsessed with public transportation, and was determined to learn how to use Los Angeles’ obscenely difficult public transportation.

The net result of this is the location-aware, bookmarkable Metro Trip Planner mobile site, which, unlike Google Maps, includes ALL the LA area busses and trains, and calculates fares. Works on iPhone and Android phones (2.1 or higher). Should work on any phone with a decent JavaScript implementation and GeoLocation integrated into the browser. (Not sure if your phone has it? Try the link…). On the iPhone, click the “+” button at the bottom of your screen and “Save to Home Page” to make it accessible as an app. I think the Android has a similar capability.

The site is simply Metro.net’s mobile trip planner with a bunch of JavaScript that gets your current location and lets you add bookmarks (which are stored in your phone using a cookie – never sent anywhere).

I wrote it because I got tired of having to choose between the speed and convenience of Google Maps and the accuracy of the Metro Trip Planner. Now you can access the Metro Trip Planner fast, find out where you are, and how to get where you want to go in a few taps.

Hint: The trip planner accepts major landmarks, including “disneyland”, various shopping malls, etc. Try entering one as your destination.

Enjoy!

This morning, in honor of Pac Man’s 30th anniversary, Google’s “Doodle” logo changed to a Googleized version of Pac Man.

With 255 levels, 2 player mode (click “insert coin”), and a statement that the game will NOT be archived, offices across the world have seen a dramatic drop in productivity.

When asked about the game’s effect on his department, a manager at a well-known dot com company, who wished to remain anonymous, stated “What? No, wait a minute I just. Dammit! Why did you interrupt me? I was on level 15! Get out of my office!”.

Similar responses have been heard at all levels of management in many corporations around the world.

In an exclusive interview with a VP at Google, we were told that the game was developed as part of Google’s ongoing plan for world domination:

“Using the IP address of the player and data such as the length of time playing the game, level achieved, etc, we can not only determine the immediate effect on office productivity to our competitors, but also gather information regarding the problem solving skills of their employees. Using the Google cookies already stored on the employee’s computer, we can make intelligent hiring decisions, stealing our competitor’s top talent.” *

So, there you have it. Innocent game? I think not.

* Nobody was interviewed at any company in the writing of this article. Were they too busy playing Pac Man to talk to us? Maybe.

I’ve been thinking recently about the difference between Macs and PCs. We all know that Macs are more reliable, but why do Mac owners care so much?

I realized that “reliability” is only the surface of the issue. Reliability creates trust. Trust creates attachment and loyalty.

Mac owners trust their computers with their important information. There are some things a Mac owner expects:

• My data will be safe
• I will not have to repeat work
• My computer will be there when I need it to be

Each of these points has important ramifications.

My data will be safe

Mac owners know that they can store their calendars, address books, diaries, music, photos, email, etc on their computers and that it will be “safe”. In more detailed terms, that means the computer won’t crash and lose the data, and it won’t make it easy for someone else to get or change the data. The mac’s UNIX-based security is strong out of the box, and additional feautres like file vault can be turned on to truly secure data. Features like Time Machine and MobileMe build on this core concept – even if you delete a file or your computer gets lost/stolen/broken, your data is still retreivable.

I will not have to repeat work

This is a huge difference I see between Mac and PC users. In the Mac world, work is precious. If I spent an hour typing a blog entry or rating my music, that’s an hour of my time, and having to redo that because my computer screwed up is unacceptable. For a PC user, having to redo work is acceptable. In fact, most PC users I’ve talked to don’t even understand this point – they’ll say they’re annoyed if they have to repeat work, or claim they’ve had to redo work on a Mac before, (or tell a story about a friend that has). If a Mac user has to redo work because of a computer problem, it’s a personal blow – they’re trusted friend has failed them. It’s also very unusual and only happens on “minor” things in unusual circumstances, usually involving features that are beyond the capabilities of any PC (such as a sync problem with MobileMe involving too much data and multiple versions of the OS).

My computer will be there when I need it to be

I still remember the frequent student running down the hall in college saying “my computer isn’t working and my paper is due tomorrow”. It happened in the late 80′s and it still happens today, and it’s always a PC owner. I also remember students buying a Mac when their paper was due the next day, and finishing it on time with no problem. Even I thought that was risky. MS-cronies can argue all they want about how stable windows is now, or how Macs have problems too. The fact is that a Mac owner trusts that his/her computer will work for them when they need it. That means far more than merely functioning: it means I won’t have to worry about other stuff: just my work. I’ll be able to buy the computer and turn in my paper (or project, or composition, or presentation) on time without a steep learning curve, or virus software to figure out, or fear that if I go to the wrong web site or open an email message that I’ll lose everything, etc, etc. As the creed of the Mac says, “it just works”.

The debate rages on

So the debate between the MS-cronies and the Mac users will continue, discussing technical differences and stories of problems with each platform. Some will refer to Apple’s System 7 dark times, or claim the PC has more software available, is cheaper, or is more flexible. But when it comes down to it, people are people, and have feelings, and are trying to accomplish things. A PC is a simple tool that one must treat with care. Mac owners know that their computer is a trusted friend that they can count on to aid them as they strive to achieve their goals.

[editors note: I wrote this on my iPhone using the WordPress app. My "Save" button disappeared and I was afraid I'd been pinned with the irony of losing the post. But I quit and re-launched the app, and the post was restored.]