Lately I’ve seen a few articles aimed at women regarding SDCC. Let me just say that the word condescending does not even begin to cover them. It’s more than a little sad that in the year 2010 many people still swing that wide brush which paints any girls at a comic/sci-fi convention as just tagging along with a guy. It reminds me of when I showed up to an employee’s desk to fix a computer issue one time. He said ‘Oh, er, um…Are you like the ‘unofficial’ IT person? All the guys are busy right now?’ I was so taken aback all I could say at first was ‘Are you serious?’ (which was 100% more profanity-free and less violent than what ran through my head) Oh yes, he was completely serious. People really are amazed when they discover I read comic books, wanted a Death Star cake at my wedding, and that I prefer technology to people. So when I was asked to do a write-up on my time at Comic Con, I thought that maybe, just maybe I can convince at least one person that the mythical geek girl does exist. And doesn’t always dwell in her parent’s basement.
This was my second year at SDCC. Due to traumatic events post-SDCC 2009 and other assorted factors, I only purchased a Friday pass this year. Which let me tell you, one day will exhaust you. I guarantee it! One thing I stress to anyone going to a con, regardless if it’s Comic Con in San Diego, Dragon*Con in Atlanta, or Starfest in Denver, is do some planning! Plan, plan, plan! I had poured over the schedule as soon as it was released, deciding which panels I absolutely had to see. I entered all of the pertinent information into my trusty Google Calendar and ensured it was sync’d with my trusty Blackberry so I would know where I was every step of the way. I also toyed with the idea of dressing up because my husband had helped me build a truly shiny Dark Helmet costume for Halloween last year (Slave Leia’s EAT YOUR HEARTS OUT!). Then I remembered how hot the costume was, how hot Comic Con was, and how hard it was to see in that helmet. So civvies it was.
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Social media and technology website Mashable recently discovered a potential new feature for Twitter, the popular micro-blogging service. In an article entitled Twitter to Show Photos and Videos in the Stream, Mashable writer Ben Parr described a new option that he had stumbled across in his Twitter settings, tentatively called Tweet Media. In a screenshot from the article, the new setting had the following description:
“By default, you’ll only see images and videos shared by people you’re following, and reveal those by people you’re not. Check this box to see media from everyone on Twitter.”
Parr speculated that this potential new feature could signify a fundamental change in the Twitter experience for users. He later updated his article twice: initially to report that the new setting had been removed and then to include a statement from an anonymous source at Twitter, who stated:
“We’re constantly exploring features and settings. What you saw was a small test of a potential consumption setting for inline media. We show inline media on our own iPhone and Android apps.”
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Over the weekend, I let my curiosity get the better of me and I went to see the latest Leonardo DiCaprio epic: Inception. Normally, I’m not a big Leo fan. He’s just got one of those voices that’s hard to take seriously in a dramatic role. That and I will always see him as the snot-nosed Luke in “Growing Pains” or the mentally handicapped brother of Johnny Depp in “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape”. I just don’t see him as all that dramatic. I got so sick of see his awful New York accent in the trailers for “Shutter Island” that I decided against going to see a movie I would have probably enjoyed.
That said, I went into Inception with mixed hopes; I knew it had been well –received, and anyone I knew that had seen it had enjoyed it, but could I take Leo seriously in what was likely an action role? The players in action movies really require the right mix of comic book absurdity and real life believability. I mean would “Predator” have been as easy to swallow with Adrian Brody playing Dutch? OK, bad example. I suppose this topic related to a recent article in which Sylvester Stallone blamed Tim Burton’s “Batman” for the decline of the muscle-bound action hero of the 80’s. I’m not sure about all that (even if I am sure that casting Michael Keaton was the worst idea in the history of cinema… after, of course, anything to do with “Ishtar”), but he does have a point. The advent of the “muscle suit” meant that action stars could be more cerebral, while still giving the appearance of being muscular and sturdy, even if they weren’t. Toward the end of the 90’s and into the 00’s, we started seeing a pleasant combination of both, which allowed for Toby McGuire to pull of being Spider-Man AND Peter Parker, and for Ryan Reynolds to do… well… whatever he effin’ wants to do.
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As true geeks, we here at Geek Shui Living constantly keep our eyes open for anything that looks, smells, or tastes like geekiness. Back in June, I had the privilege to come across a geeky startup, based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The brainchild of Natali, a person whom I have the unique pleasure of following on Twitter. A self-confessed (and monikered) dork, Natali is one of those people that others tend to flock toward, based on her positive attitude, keen wit, and demonstrated intelligence. In this case, I came across a Kickstarter project started by Natali.
What is her goal? Well, she has a dream. That dream is to start a business, called the UberDork Cafe. Of course, to start a business one needs either their own capital or funds from investors. Living in the real world, we know that now isn’t necessarily the best time to run to the bank and ask for a business loan. In Natali’s case, she is appealing to the geek masses. What is her humble request? She is asking for geeks to unite and donate anywhere from $1 to $1,000 to help her get things started. At this point, you might be asking what this really has to do with technology and geekery in general. That’s where it gets really interesting. Trust me. You want to be a part of this.
A culinary, tech startup where the needs of the many truly outweigh the needs of the few.
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On June 15, 2010, pre-orders for the iPhone 4 began in what can only be characterized in an underwhelming fashion. You may recall the pre-ordering drama that ensued when both the Apple and AT&T websites fell victim to millions of would-be iPhone 4 owners. Of course, all the kinks were worked out and within days the pre-order machine began to hum again. Though the problems were solved for citizens in the continental U.S., Hawaii, and Alaska, they were only beginning for residents of the U.S. Territory of Puerto Rico.
It is unclear how many Puerto Rico residents ordered their iPhone 4, via the Apple website. What is clear is that any ordered placed for shipment to Puerto Rico was cancelled. How do we know this? Well, yours truly was one of the victims. I personally know seven others who received the same treatment. (Note: The issue has also arisen now, with Apple’s iPhone Case Program. No shipping to Puerto Rico.) Yes, within days, I was among the many who Puerto Rico residents who began complaining of iPhone 4 orders being arbitrarily cancelled. Of course, I personally assumed there must have been a mistake. So, like any concerned consumer, I called Apple. They said they were sorry, but they didn’t ship to Puerto Rico. I explained that I understood that to normally be the case but that my order successfully processed, had been verified, and even updated. They still insisted that there was nothing that could be done. What follows is, as Paul Harvey would say, the rest of the story….
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As the Apple Store online went down this morning with the familiar “We’ll be back soon” message, technophiles across the web prepared for the latest refresh of the Apple product lines. When it arose from the virtual ashes, we were met with an entirely new line of Macs, a cinematic display, and an overgrown trackpad. Let’s hit the trackpad first, since it is the only one of the three most people can afford to run out and purchase.
Called the Magic Trackpad, Apple’s latest gadget is a peripheral device that connects to a Macbook or iMac and provides users with a touch-swipe interface, from which they can manipulate their Mac’s actions. Liberally-sized and connectable via Bluetooth, the device will appeal to many who appreciate the touch-swipe functionality on their iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad or Macbook and have longed for the same functionality in the desktop computing environment.
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Earlier this morning, the word began circulating that jailbreaking of the Apple iPhone will soon be a legal practice. Yes, you read that correctly…legal. According to an Associated Press story published earlier this morning, the U.S. Government, specifically the Library of Congress, triennially reviews approved exemptions and restrictions relating to copyright-protected material.
What this means is that the Library of Congress didn’t specifically say, “You may unlock and jailbreak your iPhone.” What they did do, though, is add some exemptions to DMCA Section 1201. This is the set of rules that governs approved exemptions for access-control technologies. Before your head starts to hurt from Government jargon, we’ll put it into plain English for you.
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It is now official. In the spirit of famous U.S. led rescue operations, like Operations Vittles, Baby Lift, and Unified Response, Apple is honoring their promise to rescue iPhone 4 owners with antenna issues. Current iPhone 4 owners can now visit Apple’s website for detailed information on how they can request their case. So, how is Apple ensuring that only people who actually own the device request them? As usual, there’s an app for that.
Yes, iPhone 4 owners who didn’t previously purchase a case can now download the iPhone 4 Case Program app from the iTunes App Store, to request that a free one be shipped to them. Those who previously purchased one from Apple or AT&T can also request a refund for the purchase price, plus any applicable taxes and shipping. Overall, it is a pretty straight-forward process. Apple is obviously not going to make things any more difficult than they have so far. Even so, there are some rules to which owners will want to pay attention, in order to make sure they get their free case or their refund.
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As you may know, if you follow me on Twitter (@GizmoAlex), I have a mini-dragon I like to call Erin. She is my beautiful 3 year old daughter, who has basically repossessed my iPod Touch. It is no longer loaded with my music. It has Disney Songs, Yo Gabba Gabba, and, most importantly for her, games. There are SO MANY games for the platform that it gets really hard to wade through the options. So I want to recommend some of her favorites (for tiny minds). Each of these have definitely helped us survive mini roadtrips without too many meltdowns.
Angry Birds for iPhone, iPod Touch & iPad
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It seems that even the newest platforms aren’t immune to old annoyances. The sad news that began making the rounds yesterday is that the Android platform is latest victim of smartphone bloatware. What exactly is bloatware? Since the first cell phones with more than just voice functionality began to hit the market more than a decade ago, manufacturers and wireless companies preloaded them with trial-based games and other apps that users couldn’t delete. As the smartphone, with its wonderful data functionality, began to proliferate, the annoying practice has only grown. Today, devices come preloaded with apps for everything from mobile-based television viewing to location-based mapping.
To put is plainly, bloatware is nothing more than extra applications that aren’t free but consume precious space and processing power from a devices onboard storage quota. The practice goes back farther than smartphones, though. Many users will remember buying Windows 98 PCs, which came preloaded with trial versions of Microsoft, Quicken, and other office productivity software. That practice has continued unabated, and the same types of try-before-you-buy software can be found even on the latest Windows 7 PCs. What is the difference between the bloatware found on PCs and that found on smartphones? Very often, it can’t be uninstalled from a smartphone in the same way that it can be on a PC. Now, we’ve begun to hear complaints from users that Android devices are the latest casualty in the gadget-based disease that is bloatware.
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