Chance Bliss

I quickly realized after looking at this amazing collection of gaming consoles that color is needed. Take a look at these images (via Coudal Parnters) and tell me which ones stand out? Which ones seems inviting? Fun? Something that screams for you to touch?

Color is pretty much what is missing today in all electronics. Everyone, including Apple, wants to play it safe with the brushed silver, sleek black or cool white. Grow some and try the rest of the color wheel.

MULTIFUNKTIONS SPIELCOMPUTER

I can believe I’m actually saying this about an American car company, but this mobile Wi-Fi idea is pretty cool. At least Ford is putting some thought into mobile computing in your car. My 2008 Honda Pilot doesn’t even have a AUX port to plug an iPod into the stereo. I had to have someone install a gadget that plugs directly into the FM antenna. Talk about antiquated.

…I also found out if you buy a breathalyzer at Bestbuy.com under the car accessories category. Scary stuff.

These ten resolutions for Microsoft are so completely vague and useless. Why would anyone listen to this guy?

Ten resolutions Microsoft should make for 2010

1. Resume giving financial guidance to Wall Street. – So giving Wall Street a bunch of useless forecasts will help things? Who gives a crap what Wall Street has to say?
2. Spend even more on advertising. – How about spending more money on making your products work better?
3. Engage enthusiasts. – Are there any enthusiats? Yeah .Net Framework 3.3.4.1117 SP5 is out!!!!
4. Release an iLife-like suite for Windows. – Sorry shrinkwrap software is dead. It needs to be online.
5. Develop a WebKit browser. – Meh. I guess this is important, but way too late to make a difference.
6. Choose a Frontman. – They need a leader not a front-man. They need someone who can do stuff, not say stuff better.
7. Open 50 more stores or cafes. – Why would I go to a Microsoft store? It works for Apple because they make hardware. What the hell will be in the stores?
8. Buy Facebook — and not Twitter. – Both don’t make any money so what the hell are you buying?
9. Make incubation projects your top development priority. So you are telling me that Microsoft should have R&D? No shit.
10. Create a mobile Manhattan Project. – I think this one is pretty obvious.

Want to design a mobile version of a current website? Just do a Google search and look at the expanded links below. Cuts out all the brand/marketing nonsense and gets the user to what they actually need. (Inspired by this Signal vs. Noise post)

Isn't this better...

Not too much difference between the real cockpit of the space shuttle and the space craft in the movie 2001. I can’t even imagine writing the manual for the real thing.

Chapter 2389; Section 121; Sub Section 28 – X1-B – How to active the window shield wipers on your new space shuttle

Where's the button for the seat warmers?

Integrated 8-bit NES gaming and image viewing (bmp only) capabilities

I always hear how Microsoft ripped off Apple original GUI interface, but I didn’t realize the depth of it until I went back and looked at Window 3.0. Then I remembered, Jobs and Gates both ripped off the Xerox Alto.

Xerox Alto

MS Windows 3.0

Macintosh System 7.5.3

Jan. 1984: How critics reviewed the Mac (via 37Signals).

Obviously some of the critics comments are eye-rolling now, but I found Bill Gates’ comments the most insightful. Not in terms of the MAC or Apple, but into Microsoft’s philosophy. Each new version of Windows has always called for more RAM, disk space and faster processors. Instead of fine tuning and simplifying their code, the engineers have just piled on more and more code into their last gigantic trash heap called “Vista”. Gates and the rest of his gang never really learned that limitation drives creativity.

“Anybody who could write a good application on a 128K Mac deserves a medal.” – Bill Gates on the new MAC – 1984

I call bullshit! We all know that the moon people would have never allowed humans to land and find out about their secret cheese city. It’s just like the candy mines of Atlantis,  but nobody there wears green hats or eats with their ears.

(via kottke.org)

I came across a new buzzword today, Augmented Reality (or AR for short). Unlike “Social Media”, this one is actually pretty interesting and useful. It refers to computer-generated images that augment or enhance the real world in real-time. The buzz is mainly around mobile devices (aka the iPhone) which combine the digital camera, GSP and internet to create visual overlays of your surrounding environment.

Rather than trying to explain it, here an example:

This total blows my mind because the applications of AR are endless. What if you could scan a room of strangers and learn their names, where they live, likes, dislikes…? Lost your dog in the park? Simply do a 360 scan to find out his location, direction or how fast his going (assuming he has one of those chip implants). Slightly scary and fascinating at the same time.

Check out this article How do you delete a file on the cloud? from Stephen Baker.

After my experience of working on web applications  I can attest to the fact that nothing is deleted. Deleting a record from a database causes all kinds of performance and maintenance issues.  It’s the equivalent of removing a brick from a wall. Remove too many bricks and the wall integrity is compromised. So instead of deleting you account, email or post, your data is simply flagged as deleted.

The moral of the story: Be careful what you put out there because it’s there for good.