Power and Truth

Whats My Name?

2011-07-28T04:46:00.002-04:00

I am trying to figure out what all the hub bub concerning Google+ requiring real names is all about.
1) I get the role of the dissident and right of free speech. I understand that some folks don't want to personally be represented by the things they say. Safety really is important. And we do live in a country of blockheads who tend not to tolorate things said outside our narrow scope. And thats their choice. OK....We've established that.
2) Google gives this service away for free. If you want to be a dissident or protester and want to stay hidden, head on over to Friendster or MySpace. :) (I kid! I kid!!) Seriously, there are other avenues to have your voice heard.Including:
3) Why not just have a second identity. Of course it takes a little effort, but it IS possible to create an internet persona separate from your offline persona. Of course most folks on here and on my Facebook know me and know its my real name. But for folks, that DON'T know me, you have no real way of knowing that my name is Albert Myles. And further more, how do you know that another person in your circles isn't really me. Its not like I can't set up email accounts and other accounts under another assumed name. Really, Google has NO clue that my name is not Ralph Simmons. As a matter of fact, I have no idea if the folks in my "Following" circles are real or not. Hell, I see Leo, Gina, Tom, Iyaz and Sarah on my Living Room TV EVERY WEEK, and I don't know if those are their real names or not.
I guess my point is, part of playing the role of dissident or protester involves, in my mind, being responsible and taking care. The internet has made folks lazy. So.....sorry, I feel like Google can do what they want.

New Phone

2011-05-21T13:14:00.000-04:00

After 2 years my trusty Blackberry Curve has run its course. The battery won't stay charged. It needs to be wiped clean and refreshed.. The keyboard is coming lose. Plus I am just getting tired of it. Dont get me wrong I love my little Blackberry, but it is time to move on. For the last few months I was convinced that I was going to get a new Blackberry. In particular, the upcoming Blackberry Bold 9900. The Bold looks to be the perfect
Blackberry. The only problem is that no one knows how far away it will launch. While pondering that fact, I decided to look at my options. I had already considered the Google Nexus S 4G, the EVO 3D, and even downshifting to a feature phone. But a funny thing happened. I was looking through my email and I got a message form slickdeals. Amazon has the HTC Arrive on sale for $.01. When Windows Phone 7 was first released I found it REALLY interesting. As a matter of fact I was really convinced that I would get one. Then it turned out that it wouldn't be coming to Sprint for a while. So I kinda let it it slip to the back of my mind. This prod came at an interesting time. So, I thought what the heck, lets take a look. The more I look into Windows phone, and in particular, The HTC Arrive, the more I like it. Its nearest competitor is the Google Nexus S. So, I stopped by the Sprint Store today to take a look. Both phones were VERY nice. The HTC was actually thiner and lighter that I thought it was going to be. It had about the heft and weight of my old Hero (which I miss). BUT it has the added bonus of a slide out keyboard. Sweet. The Google phone is nice and sleep, but overall its un-assuming. The Google screen is very nice and having stock Android is pretty awesome. The stock android is the biggest selling point of the Google phone. I spent a few minutes with it scrolling around. Very snappy and pretty engaging. Then I stepped over to the Windows Phone. OK.....THIS is by far the most engaging interface of a phone I have ever encountered. better than WebOS. Better than the iPhone. I completely get what Microsoft is saying when they say get in and get out. I REALLY dig the interface. And the phone felt really good. I didn't care so much for they keyboard, but it is still nice. I am used to the Blackberry after all. I can see myself using the on-screen keyboard for a lot of things and maybe the r slide out keyboard for the occasional long form documents. Microsoft did their homework. I think Windows phone is nice. I would like a little more customization, but I am ok with it I think. So unless some crazy announcement happens between now and June 1, I thin kI found my next phone.

Decision to suspend Quran-burning met with relief

2010-09-10T05:33:00.000-04:00

What little respect I had for this man flew out the window the moment he punked out. So not only is he a biggoted idiot, now he has no real convictions. It has become obvious that he is in this for publicity. At least go through with it. Punk.

Decision to suspend Quran-burning met with relief: "

By AYI JUFRIDAR
2010-09-10T07:41:02Z

LHOKSEUMAWE, Indonesia (AP) -- Religious and political leaders across the Muslim world welcomed a decision by a small American church to suspend its plans to torch copies of their holy book - but some said Friday the damage has already been done....

Who uses a Mac?

2010-09-06T12:19:00.001-04:00

With all the news surrounding Apple for the past few years I have been thinking a lot about their core – the Mac. I have a lot of history with the MAC. In my previous life as an Advertising Designer, I cut my teeth on the MAC. As a matter of fact, I learned how to use a MAC before I learned how to use a Windows computer. I’ve not used a MAC in a while, but it still holds a spot in my computer heart. Every now and then I am tempted to go back to a MAC but I always come to my senses. Don’t get me wrong, MACs are brilliant computers, but they aren’t for everyone.

First lets talk about the biggest reasons (Myth or not) to get a MAC:

1) Quality and Service: All you have to do is read a quality survey for any computer magazine and you will see that Apple’s reliability and service ratings are always through the roof. And for the longest, I bought into that notion. Then I started thinking about my experiences and the experiences of folks I know who use MACs. They really aren’t any more reliable than other computer makes. So why are their scores so high? I honestly think it’s the rabid MAC fan base. That’s the only thing I can think of. Let’s back up a bit. MACs are really just windows computers. And here are some things you need to know about computer reliability. If you take out the all disc drives, power supplies and other moving parts, a computer will never fail if it makes it through the first 72 hours of use. That’s why manufacturers are supposed to burn in their computers for 72 hours before they sell them. And since MACs use industry standard parts, its all a matter of choosing the right components. And there is where Apple does the right thing. Since they charge significantly more for their systems, they can afford to put all top of the line components in their systems. And that’s fair. Really, only other boutique style manufactures are going to reach Apple’s level of quality and reliability – because of the components. Sometimes makers like Dell or Gateway do well, but computer margins being what they are, they have to compete somewhere, and that somewhere is cheaper components.

2) Ease of Setup and Use. This one can go either way. The MAC OS is an awesome OS. And Compared to Windows XP MAC OSX is light years beyond anything Microsoft had out at the time. The interface was slicker. The interaction with hardware was awesome. There were no viruses or security issues to deal with. You plug in a MAC and roll. With Windows 7, not so much. Win7’s interface is HOT. They still haven’t caught up with Apple in the hardware interaction experience nor the virus issue, but its pretty close.

3) High Performance. Once upon a time, one could always assume that the MAC would outperform the equivalent PC. This is no longer always the case. It’s a mixed bag, really.

4) Design. Apple still wins this one , hands down. Seriously – no other manufacturer comes close.

So who is the MAC for? After all, that’s why I created this whole post in the first place. I was talking ot my best friend the other week and he was saying that he wanted a MacBook Pro. He didn’t cite the typical reasons. He simply said “I just really like them.” Some of his other friends have them and he likes them. Fair enough. But it made me think…..who is the MAC for? Here is what I came up with:

1) Technophobes and Technophiles. This group of folks completely buy into the whole MAC is easier mentality. Right or Wrong…. Apple has built this reputation. Is it easier that Windows? Purely subjective. I will say this. If you read my previous mac post, here, you will see that I also believe that Apple has plans to REALLY make things simple in MAC land..

2) Very Highly Skilled Creatives. This is where The MAC cut its teeth. Everything else is secondary. Creative folks like graphic designers and video editors swear by the MAC. And for good reason. The MAC and the Amiga were the first 2 computers to ever really cater to creatives. The MAC has a reputation of really getting out of the way.

3) Highly fashionables. These folks just love the way Apple products look and feel. Plain and simple.

I think the MAC has its place. Some folks hate the MAC and don’t understand why anyone would pay so much money for one when they can get the Windows equivalent for sometimes 1/2 the price. Well….I hate to say it, but the MAC is not for them.

Charting a Career?

2010-09-04T10:10:00.001-04:00

I’ve been thinking more about what I want to do with my life. I am at a point now where I have that feeling that I am on the cusp of something big but I can’t figure out exactly what it is. I have decided I am going to play on my strengths as well as my experience. I’ve been using my Technet subscription to learn more about Microsoft’s stack. I administer a Sharepoint site at work. And I find Sharepoint very interesting and powerful. So I have been working on getting it up and running at home. Unfortunately I am discovering that I don’t have the horsepower to run it. So I have to wait until I get a hardware upgrade. Oh well. I thought about using Amazon’s EC2 service, but…..not sure I want the hassle that comes with that. I will figure something out I guess.

While I am not sure where I will end up, I feel like it will be somewhere near the intersection of Knowledge Management, Creative Management, and Problem Solving. Strange combo I know. The funny thing is, when I am able to combine these things, its magic. I look back on my project portfolio and I see some amazing things done. More on this to come.

Is Apple Performing an Experiment?

2010-06-28T17:42:00.001-04:00

After reading all if the issues going on with iPhone 4 reception, it occurred to me. “I wonder if Steve Jobs is experimenting.

First off, let me say that I am a big Apple fan. I was a Mac user back in the 90’s starting with working in Advertising. And, while I don’t use one now, I sill think Macs are awesome computers. I also think the iPhone FINALLY grew up and would be something I would buy – if it weren’t so expensive to maintain.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand. As you know the iphone is having reception issues. Basically, when you hold it a certain way, the signal strength drops. OR you can use one of the bumpers Apple employees have been pushing on customers. Hmmm what a co-incidence. It makes me wonder:

Would Steve have a running bet with someone that he could get millions of people to hold their phone a certain way or to pay $30 for a rubber band?

Hmmmm.

Apple is the Next Sony

2010-04-25T09:04:00.001-04:00

A few years ago I had a conversation with a friend about Apple Computer basically taking over the electronics world. I was convinced that Apple would leave the computer business as we know it. They would eventually be all stereos, TVs and appliances. My friend disagreed. The Mac is just too strong. I countered that the MAC OS would finally port to other platforms. I was wrong. Sort of….
My view has changed just a little bit. Since our conversation(s), Apple officially dropped “Computer” from their name introduced a game changing telephone, and changed the way the world buys music.
So, I know that everyone has an opinion about Apple. They are the biggest thing in tech news right now. But I have a different approach, I think.
Lets examine the situation shall we?
Consumer Electronics: Apple turned the world on its ear with the introduction if iTunes. iTunes is the backbone of all their blockbuster successes. The iPod and iPhone would have been basically limp without the iTunes ecosystem to enhance their ease of use. Every consumer driven product going forward will likely use iTunes as its backbone.
Computers: Apple built its computer reputation on its strength in content creation. How long did we hear that The Mac was the best platform for artists. Since those days Apple has made strong efforts to appeal to consumers. Also, Windows fully caught up in ease of use (and for some surpasses the MAC in ease of use and content creation) So where are we now? Apple continues to push its computers to the high end. They have some of the most capable content creation apps in the industry. The <<get>> creative folks. But what does it matter? They still only get 5% or so of the personal computer market. Here is how it matters. Apple has created basically a vertical market. So far its been a case of Apple convincing creation specialists that the MAC is the superior creation platform. However, with the success of their consumer line, apple is becoming more and more comfortable with dictating content creation using their products. Want to create apps for the iPhone or iPod? You need a MAC. And now that they are doing their best to drive a spear through the heart of Flash, the door is wide open for an Apple home grown system of interactivity for its products. In fact its really already there. Apps. Apps are the perfect web interactivity platform. And Apple has 100% control over the App Market.
So What?
the iPod is easily one of the most successful consumer devices in history. The iPhone is on its way to that same status. Now with the introduction of the iPad, Apple has push its App platform into the general computing space. I am pretty sure the iPad will be a huge success.
It is my personal belief that Apple will continue this push into the general computer market. Apple realized that 90% of folks don’t need full fledged operating systems for most of what they do. This is one of the reasons the iPad will be awesome. If Aunt Jane wants to send off an email or look up a recipe, why should she wait for a device to boot up, open a web browser, and do whatever, when an iPad is instant on, swipe, press, and you are there. Easy. Now extend this to other uses. how about a Desktop that is instant on and over simplified? It doesn’t appeal to me, but I am a geek. But I imagine it appeals to many folks. Apple isn’t the only company thinking about this. Google is heading in the same direction, but Apple thought it through a little bit more. Apps are definitely a richer experience, and of course Apple has more control over that experience than HTML 5, flash, and other emerging standards.

Wrong video of health protest spurs N-word feud

2010-04-13T05:21:00.001-04:00

Wrong video of health protest spurs N-word feud: "Three Democratic congressmen (AP) -- all black - say they heard racial slurs as they walked through thousands of angry protesters outside the U.S. Capitol. A white lawmaker says he heard the epithets too. Conservative activists say the lawmakers are lying...."

The Craziest thing is this:

"It didn't happen," said Breitbart, who wasn't there. "This is 2010. Even a racist is media-savvy enough not to yell the N-word."

BUT The exact SAME thing happened just a few weeks ago!! Remember This?

These folks crack me up! The country elects one black president and people start losing their minds.

Speaking of Quantum Physics

2010-04-12T12:30:00.003-04:00

A few years ago a friend of mine sent me an interesting email. It was a list of "would you rather" type things. But it had a twist. I will have to look for the email sometime. Well, one of the situations was this:
There is a magician who only knows 5 magic tricks. The kicker is, he really performs magic. They aren't illusions. The question who is more impressive this magician or Albert Einstein. Lots of people said the magician. I said Einstein. And here is why: The Magician might know how to actually perform the tricks - i.e. creating a rabbit and pulling it from the hat. But it is likely that he does not know why he can do that. I think Einstein was on the way knowing why that works. Here we go......
The Theory of Relativity is E=MC(squared). This says that Energy is Mass x the speed of light Squared. In other words mass moving at very fast speeds become energy. Or, stated another way, Mass is highly concentrated energy. Now, we learn from biology class that thoughts are chemical reactions in the brain - or energy. SO if we add a, b, and c together here is what we get: If one could concentrate their thoughts highly enough and have complete control over those thoughts, that person should be able to manipulate matter or better yet, manifest matter out of thin air. cool, huh?
Now - that being said,
I was emailing with a very close friend of mine, Jean. She told me about this book she was reading. It was about a Tibetan Yogi who knew saints who could manifest food out of thin air. Not only that there were other reports of monks being able to create clones of themselves. Understanding the basis of quantum physics (E=MC squared) suddenly miracles aren't so hard for even the most die hard scientist to believe. Jesus changing water into wine is only a matter of changing a few molecules. The Miracle is Jesus having the faith that he could do it....and isn't that what its all about anyway? Remember the faith as a mustard seed bible verse you had to learn in Sunday School? There you have it.....wasn't just words, huh?

A Quantum Milestone

2010-03-21T17:41:00.000-04:00

My friends and family know that I am not quite all there. I love pondering the meaning of life, the origins of the universe, and the reality of things.
If you ever get the chance, check out What the Bleep Do We Know? This movie really put lots of things in perspective for me. Its a travel through the building blocks of the Universe: Quantum Mechanics. Thing is, until know, we weren't, directly, able to observe Quantum Mechanics in action. That just changed:
Quantum Mechanics Observed by the Human Eye [Quantum Mechanics]: "

Remember when, just the other day, we were talking about the future of storage, and how quantum mechanics is on the pipe dream, it's totally magic list for now? Yeah. Me too. Thing is, shit just got real: More »

Simple Intro

2005-05-07T01:12:00.000-04:00

Hello World.

I think those words are a fitting introduction. If you have never taken a computer programming class, you don't the first meaning of those words. For many programming students, the first computer program you write is a small program that simply prints "Hello World." on the computer screen.
The second meaning is marking the awakening, of sorts, of a new consciousness. I intend to take a look at technology, mass communication, geopolitics, and how they all fit together. What sorts of energies do they create? How does one affect another? I don't know for sure yet,but that's what I want to find out. So, welcome aboard and have some fun.