kenjisan

Running apps

Apr 25, 2009
4 comments

Just a short update here (that doesn't exactly fit into a twitter post). With the weather turning better (and our trip quickly approaching), I've begun to run once again. As silly as it is, one of the reasons I'd been hesitant was because I couldn't find my iPod nano, so I couldn't record my runs on Nike+ (and thus, what was the point of running, I guess is the logic). Anyway, I never did find my iPod, but I did research a few alternatives.

The first program/site I looked into was Trailguru, which I'd actually used before. It has it's own iPhone app (links to iTunes), which was appealing, and like Nike, it stored all your run data online. It uses the iPhone's GPS to measure your pace, as well as capture your routes, which would theoretically upload to the site (never got this to work properly). While it did keep track of a lot more data than Nike (the routes, as well as elevation), it felt much clunkier than the slick, Flash-based interface Nike has created. It felt like it was something created by a Microsoft technician or a database expert, rather than someone concerned with the user experience.

So I decided to switch to another alternative, called MapMyRun. Like Trailguru, it has its own iPhone app (iTunes link). There's a free version with ads, as well as a premium ($5) version without. I've been poking around it for a few weeks, but just today created an account. So far, I've been more than impressed. The interface feels much more refined than Trailguru, and the data syncs with a lot more sources (including Nike+). It can push messages to Facebook or Twitter, updating your friends on your latest workouts. It uses GPS to capture pace and route data, utilizing Google Earth to display routes online. You can also manually set up your own routes, if you're curious to see how long a run is and lack an iPhone (or pedometer).

If anyone's interested in running (and I know you), look me up on MapMyRun (or any of its sister sites). I'm kenjisan. Or leave a comment here and I can shoot you an invite.

Internet Impermanence

Mar 26, 2009
4 comments

In one thousand years, how will we be studied? How will the future even know we were here when our cheaply-constructed buildings will long be dust and our intellectual property scattered ones and zeroes in the wind?

A bit dramatic, yes, but it's not the first time the thought's been made. I've printed only a handful of the thousands of pictures I've taken over the years, most of them going onto my hard drive, to be looked at on cold, rainy days like this one. The box of prints I have in my closet is from college, when developing and printing them was the only way to admire them. Now, my idea of permanence is uploading them to flickr. Even if my computers crash and my back-ups fail, they'll be there. Right?

Then I read this:

We regret to inform you that we are forced to indefinitely suspend the FileFront site operations on March 30, 2009. If you have uploaded files, images or posted blogs, or if you would like to download some of your favorite files, please take this opportunity to download them before March 30th when the site will be suspended. [src]

FileFront, a popular site specializing in gaming videos, is going the way of the dodo. This epitomizes the contradiction that is internet permanence: the data is always there, ready for Google to index it and people to search for it. Only in the end, it's just data.

FileFront is a casualty that will be felt by some but not by most. But imagine a site like flickr disappearing from the interwaves. So much archived and shared creativity gone. Even bigger, what about YouTube? Even the mighty Google will one day be spoken of in the past tense. It's the whole, "On a long enough timeline..." thing.

Time to start printing my photos and burning DVDs of my movies? Maybe. Who knows?

Netflix's evolution

Mar 22, 2009
1 comment

I wrote this in early February, saved it without publishing it, and then forgot about it (for whatever reason). Most of it is valid, though, and I still have a lot of passion about this subject. Will give an update later on.

Cable companies and other media providers should take a page out of Netflix's book. They've figured out that in order to survive in the hyper-evolving world of technology, you need to keep reinventing yourself. First, they borrowed Blockbuster's rental model with a much more robust library of films that were never "checked out." Sure, titles weren't available immediately like they would be at a brick-and-mortar store, but they were pretty damn close, and they wide title selection offset that inconvenience.

Then came Instant Queue: choose from a selection of titles and, as the name suggests, watch them instantly. Now I need to admit that I never used the Instant Queue when it was first launched. One reason being that I have a Mac, which has only just recently received the ability to stream movies. Regardless, even when I downloaded shows from iTunes, I couldn't help the uncomfortable feeling that I'd rather be watching my show or movie on my TV, not my computer.

Then came Xbox Live's Netflix integration. Problem solved. Netflix became a novelty service that we cancelled and reactivated depending on the strength of the television season's line-up, to something amazing. Not only are hundreds of movies and shows available with the few pushes of a button, but the quality isn't the pixelized picture I'd come to expect with streaming media. It's actually good.

Next problem, selection. The Instant Queue selection is primarily made up of older movies and network shows, right? It's decent, but if you want to watch the latest, there's still the old fashion snail mail service (that many I know who use the IQ service have practically forgotten about). Well, looks like Netflix might be gearing up to offer premium shows and movies. The idea would be a $10 package that would allow for access to HBO and possibly Showtime original shows and movies.

The idea of customizing bundles of cable/program content is not new, and the more the old cable models are changing, the more it will be talked about.

Is this thing on?

Jan 28, 2009
7 comments

No one seems to post here anymore. Does that mean no one reads it anymore? I'm curious and in a self-involved mood, so post a quick reply (doesn't need to be substantive) if you even see this. I keep meaning to get back to blogging, but maybe this place isn't the best outlet. Is everyone on Facebook and Twitter now?

Technology knows I'm getting old

Sep 13, 2008
2 comments

It certainly seems that as I distance myself from my early 20s, technology has decided to go and make it hard on me. It's made me reconsider the reasons why our older generations don't quite understand e-mail and the internet. Maybe my dad doesn't use his cell phone very much not because of a lack of understanding it, but because it has detected his age and decided not to work properly.

I jest, of course, but it just seems like things aren't working the way they used to. I've been an Apple user my entire, computer-using life (we never even had a Commodore 64, first computer we ever owned was an Macintosh SE). But after two logic board replacements on my work computer and perpetual issues with the 2.x iPhone firmware roll-out (not to mention the MobileMe fiasco which I thankfully only read about), my faith is a little bit shaken. Don't get me wrong, I still think they make some great products, but nevertheless, it makes me a bit wary when considering purchasing new products, whether they be software or hardware.

This is not right

Anyway, just venting. After installing the 2.1 software on our phones, Cyndi's has decided that the apartment no longer has service (even as it sits next to mine, which has a full set of bars), and both phones have been having issues connecting calls. So maybe it HAS fixed the issue of dropped calls... when it's actually able to make them.

Or maybe it knows we're getting older. Cyndi is older than me by a few months, so maybe I'll mysteriously lose service sometime in December...

Edit: Neither of our phones work in our apartment anymore (despite mine giving me full bars)... this is a problem.

Edit 2: After a bit of searching, I've found a solution on Apple's forum. It seems to be an issue with the 3G network. If I turn off 3G, then I can make calls (and presumably receive them). If it's on, nothing but my own wireless connection. It's a bit ironic that the first time I wait for a second gen Apple product, it actually has more issues than the first!

Television: Almost A La Carte, a retraction

Sep 9, 2008
8 comments

Apple events always prompt my lazy self to post, even disappointingly boring ones like today's "Let's Rock" announcement. If you missed it, new iPod nanos that are a throw-back to the old iPod nanos, new iPod touches that still don't make the thing a must-have, and a new version of iTunes. Shows are now available in HD ($2.99 an episode, right in line with XBLM). Oh yeah, and it looks like Apple and NBC made up. As I said to Dave earlier, welcome to 2006.

OK, so back in June I said I'd buy an AppleTV if Apple offered shows in HD and once again played nice with NBC. And while I have been tempted by the AppleTV of late, I may need to eat my words here. Football season's back (and just as pretty as last season). The Fall shows have begun, including the Amazing Race 13 and Project Runway, neither of which are available on any (legal) download service (true for Project Runway, we have yet to see about Amazing Race). Oh, and let's not forget that baseball playoffs are right around the corner.

But my unquenchable need to sync and simplify everything has got me thinking. Right now, I've got four boxes in the TV cabinet: a receiver, an Xbox, a Tivo, and the cable box. At least one of those can go, and I'm leaning on the aging Tivo. For a little less than what we pay for Tivo, I can just switch my Comcast box to a DVR. I know, I know! Boo, hiss, right? But we hardly use the Tivo anymore, and it has nothing to do with its interface and everything to do with its lack of HD-recording-ness.

Still, the AppleTV option is out there, so let me make a few other requirements (that I'll most likely be going back on in three or four months). I don't see myself buying [an AppleTV] until Apple offers sports (or some way to get it via NFL.com or MLB.com) and discounts for buying entire seasons of a show (similar to Amazon Unbox's 5%).

Man on Wire review

Aug 23, 2008
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Phillippe Petit had a dream; one that he couldn't even realize when he first conceived of it. He wanted to walk from the top of one building of the World Trade Center to the other... on a tight rope. Magnolia Picture's Man on Wire follows the realization of Phillippe's dream, and gives us all a glimpse of that rabid pursuit of the impossible.

See this movie. It will inspire you. It wasn't just about one unbelievable moment in time, although that was certainly part of it. Design Observer puts it better than I ever could: "Man on Wire is shows how easy it is to have an idea, and how hard -- and sometimes even miraculous -- to see it realized." The reality isn't always pretty, it doesn't always happen exactly the way it was planned, but it's captivating to watch it unfold. (Oh, and that article is a pretty good read, too.)

The trailer's below if you're still with me:

Man On Wire Trailer

Black Screen of Death

Aug 20, 2008
4 comments

My MacBook Pro is in the shop again. Same symptoms: it turns on like normal--chimes, keyboard lights up, everything--except there's no signal to the monitor. Or any monitor, for that matter (I have an external here at work, and the Apple "genius" tried it on his). I can turn on VoiceOver, hear the robot describe to me the log-in screen. I can even log in, but get no picture.

Going to state the obvious, but this is something of an impediment for a graphic designer.

Last time they replaced the motherboard and the logic board. This time, it's being sent to the "depot." My guess is that they'll do the same. Last time, it worked for about three weeks. This time, I hope it can make it at LEAST through September. Hey, set your sights high, huh?

Apparently I'm not alone. I found a 100+ page thread on the Apple support forums, and apparently it's just one of many. Seems like MacBook Pros purchased around July/August of 2007 (the Santa Rosa chipset) are experiencing similar issues. No screen, and when you boot into the machine with Screen Sharing, it doesn't recognize the NVIDIA GeForce 8600M graphics chip. The default solution seems to be to replace the logic board, but from what I've read, that's where the GPU is, so what seems like a good idea becomes a dice roll--hope I get a good one this time!

The issue's been around for a few months now, but apparently there's been no response from Apple or NVIDIA. I love Apple and their products, but come on, give me something that works!

Who needs wisdom when you've got laughing gas?

Jul 25, 2008
3 comments

Had my wisdom teeth pulled this afternoon. Did you know that there's a small but real chance that you could lose feeling in your lower job, forever? That had me a bit freaked out at first. Until I got pumped full of laughing gas. Then, I really didn't care about anything. I'm sure most of this is old news since I'm a bit behind the curve with the whole wisdom tooth/laughing gas experience, but I figure I might as well relate it anyway.

At one point, the oral surgeon asked me if I could feel the gas working. I said, "Yes," although maybe I might have yelled it. And it was also like trying to talk with a tongue the size of a remote control (Tivo size, not Apple remote). His response: "You're talkin' kind of funny," with a chuckle.

Other things I remember (and that's the weirdest part, I was awake during the whole thing, just very, very high):

The surgeon saying, "You've got some very dense bones, man. Like, scary dense."
His assistant looking away from my mouth like he saw something disgusting.
The chance of permanent numbness is about equal to the drop rate of the Warglaives of Azzinoth, and I've seen one of those drop...
And thinking at one point, "Well, I may not have feeling in my lower jaw for the rest of my life, but this feels pretty good!"

Anyway, things seem to have gone well. Right after, with a mouthful of gauze and blood, I couldn't really talk, so Cyndi and I communicated using the Note Pad on my iPhone. I got my meds, she dropped me off at home, and I spent the rest of the time dozing. Oh yeah, and taking pills when you can't feel anything in your mouth is a bitch.

Things seem to be going OK. This is hour four and I can (thankfully) feel both the upper and lower portions of my mouth and jaw. There's this dull pain lingering like a storm on the horizon, but hopefully my hydrocodone-APAP will keep it at bay (even though I've never heard of that pain medication). Can't wait until life can return to normal. For whatever reason, I've been seized by the unquenchable desire for some bulgogi. I blame Justin and Dre!

Generic Blog Entry

Jul 23, 2008
1 comment

I have this dream-fantasy about living in a house somewhere with a lot of greenery, tucked away in the country-side. Ivy is involved. Maybe moss. It's sometimes part British Lake District, part rural Japan, part Pacific Northwest. I long time ago, I watched a movie called Still Breathing, starring Brendan Fraser as a puppeteer, and I think he may have had a home like this, although when I looked up the synopsis, turns out it took place in Texas, so that couldn't be right.

I often think of this idyllic place on days like this, when we're on the verge of a rainstorm and I'm feeling ready for a change. (Or when Jack Johnson's "Banana Pancakes" shuffles onto my iPod.) Rain has a big role in this setting, and I must say that while I don't like the humid mugginess of DC, I really enjoy the thunderstorms.

Walk to Jakko-in

One of the most memorable times on our last trip to Japan was when we were in Ohara, a small, mountainous village a bus-ride outside of Kyoto. When we arrived, it had begun to rain. I don't think I'm ever going to forget the feeling of calm I had as we walked through the narrow streets at dusk. Even the frantic pace of our stroll couldn't hamper the peacefulness of the setting.

Places like that resonate with me. I love DC, but sometimes, I fantasize about a change of scenery.

Team Vox Updated: Nov 17, 2009
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