Antipresto: Deviant Magic

MacBook Air.

Many “leaked” and “rumored” names for the device including MacBook Nano and
13-inch MacBook Pro and even some (very likely) doctored images, concepts and guesses… even some Apple tablet rumors (no, not like the Axiotron) because of the Apple-filed patents for technologies—none of this does justice to or matters in the face or-even the shadow of the “flat-out stunning” MacBook Air.

It wasn’t the only item announced, but for me, it really could’ve been. It’s nowhere-near an end-all machine and it’s not going to appeal to everyone. Many “performance users” are going to stick with MacBook Pros, Mac Pros and even the iMac (at 24-inches and elegant design). The road-warriors finally have a “real” Mac option.

My MacBook Pro is messed up; something happened with the HDD and I got an invalid/missing b-tree node-something, and long-story short, it appears to be a fatal disk problem and I need to bring it to the Apple Store, send it out and get a new HDD installed. Oh well, likely my fault. But here’s some good news for me and other Mac fans!

Apple will unveil a new MacBook at MacWorld!

It has officially been 100% confirmed that Apple will indeed by announcing a new laptop at MacWorld and the new MacBook “will go on sale a week after MacWorld.”

In terms of details surrounding the new notebook, they’re a little more difficult to come by. Steve Jobs and the rest of the Cupertino crew are staying pretty tight-lipped, but I’m sure industry pundits will have plenty of predictions for us to consider over the course of the next few days and weeks. It’s very possible that January 2008 could see an ultra-portable MacBook of some kind, possibly competing against the Apple-esque Asus Eee PC.

I created a Windows Live Space, titled (super-creativity at work) BRADTASTIC LIVE SPACE. Why did I make it? I’m not really sure. It’s free, though, and unlike ZDH’s 1UP, I get to own my content (I think). I’ve turned it into an “inkblog,” something made popular and promoted with ferocity by Sumocat. The available technologies packaged with Windows Live is pretty cool; if only Microsoft would release these softwares for Windows Mobile 6, I’d do whatever to get an Advantage/Shift. Right now I’m trying to setup everything on a T-Mobile BlackBerry 8320 Curve, with Hotspot @Home (UMA), WiFi net. myFaves is great, but right now there’s no phone that will allow me to write and blog easier than the Treo, with DocumentsToGo and u*Blog.

If you have an HTC Advantage or Shift, I’d love to know what you think of the devices. Also, if you know how to get Opera Mini to work on the Curve, let me know. I’m still trying to set it up, two days later.

Meebo is awesome.

Whether you’re looking to chat on your favorite messenger (AIM, Yahoo, MSN, GTalk, etc) or all of them, you can’t really go wrong with Meebo. For those of you out there looking to sneak-in some IMs at the workplace (one that either frowns-upon or straight-up “doesn’t allow” instant messenging), Meebo can sit in-browser so as long as your not a the net-user equivalent of a caveman, you can setup tabbed-browsing to “hide” the site. It’ll look just like any other “blog,” or whatever it is that you use browsers for.

It’s worthy of note not-only because it’s free, combines all of the majors in-one, but because it’s designed really well. It’s simple and clutter-free, it’s fast, and it’s modifiable. You can minimize, maximize, pop windows in and out… it’s all you could ever ask for.

So now you don’t have to worry about proprietary ad-covered offerings, and gone are the days of installing and uninstalling services, or the very-dreaded “forgot to sign-out/remove your username/password” at the netcafé or other public computer.

Check it out. And then twitter me.

I love the Apple computers, and Mac OSX Leopard is awesome in many ways. But I have some issues with it, nothing as serious as those with Vista, and nothing I see being impossible to correct, but here they are:

1. External Drive issues: I’ve had issues with drives not being recognized, networked drives, and Time Machine. A properly-formatted, previously properly-functioning LaCie external terabyte drive suddenly stopped working after an attempt to use one of it’s partitions for Time Machine.
2. WiFi disconnects, over-simplified interface. By default, the settings chosen as “primary” by Apple in Leopard undermine many user’s abilities. Yes, I know that part of Apple’s semi-unique appeal draws in a user-group “new to computers” through ease of use—that’s a good thing, but when something doesn’t work, it’s often feels harder to figure out how to fix it than it actually is to fix. For some reason, more than any other desktop, notebook or device, my fully-updated Leopard iMac 24inch disconnects from (and cannot locate) my home WiFi network. I keep wishing for an update for the Airport Extreme Base Station or Mac OSX Leopard.
3. MovableType “visual editor” issues. I commend Apple for working hard on the Safari browser; in fact, I commend the company for opening up much of it’s software to Windows users—not just Safari… iTunes as well. Microsoft apps Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player are offered to Mac users; even though many of “us” don’t use these options, it’s nice that they’re there. (Random-related info for Mac users: If you’re looking for a great media player option check out VLC Player and Flip4Mac.) MovableType is great; I’m using it for most of my sites, I love the fact that (when I can, finally) it canbe modified so easily and installed via “1-click” through my favorite host, Media Temple. However, using Safari 3, when MovableType defaults to the “Visual Editor,” none of the assumed formatting actually happens! Each and every time I go back to correct something, add something, or just look-over the entry, much of the formatting is stripped, the worst of it being: break-lines and paragraphs are gone. That sucks.

I’m still looking for writing software, blogging software and options, and a writing gig. I need to make massive changes… and I hope I can still post my un-bought, unbiased opinions on technology and software. Though, if someone wants to offer me some cash…

Alrighty… here’s the thing. I can’t find a Wii. Nintendo Wii. Can’t buy one without a “bundle” from Fry’s—with three games I don’t want and some other jank for $499.9~ screw that.

I really wanted to discuss the Sprint $10.5M phone/island offer, but life is keeping me busy and making things too-hard at the moment. Shit ain’t safe, and it’s hard to want to blog when you’re in personal-danger, right? But I’m tough… right? (*(joke))

Here. If you want something cool, if you are a tech-junkie, hell—if you want to be a show-off: Go here to see THE MOST INCREDIBLE USE OF A WIIMOTE! This is just some-guy’s college-project, code available for anyone. I’m sure others will adapt this technology and make actual “products” to accompany this new tech. Seriously, get out that Wiimotemadness and make sum’thn-happen!

Before I pull a David Copperfield and vanish for quite some-time again: if you’ve been living in a cave and haven’t followed the insane web-press coverage, check out Google’s Android. It was “hyped” as a “G-phone,” but IMO, it’s one-better. It’s a complete indy-OS, able to install and function on basically “any” modern phone with certain features. The possibilities are endless: imagine the iPhone with more financial-backing than most countries, open-source, and with free SDKs for programmers to come up with anything they want. We’ll have some friggin’ badass apps, and it’s all happening really soon.

Things are kinda “junky” at the moment. I haven’t been able to post as much as I’ve wanted to, and no one seems to want to contribute to this blog, so progress and updates are slow-to-come. I’m going to leave Oakland. Where am I going? Well, that’s for me to know and for you to… um… not know. Smile, and enjoy life.

And please check out TMC (toomanycopies.com) if you haven’t already; LMK what you think. I’m not sure whether to continue writing on those “topics” or if it’s just a relative pipe-dream. I only have so many hours in the day; I could certainly use extra time to work-out some other problems, like say… my shoulder problem. Some actual “working out” would be wonderful if I could manage it. Oh well, enough about me. Back to other things—almost!

I’m looking into new mobile devices for me and K; my cousins both have Sidekicks and swear by them, Helio offers something interesting with Sprint-backbone, Sprint has some fast stuff, T-Mobile has myFaves… thoughts, anyone? If you love your phone and think that it’s the greatest ever, please share that with me! I’m interested in people’s passions—and to be as near-perfectly honest as possible, I don’t “trust” phone websites and I have a hard time trusting “review sites” (CNET, anyone?) when they’re ratings feel connected to their advertisers.

And I really hope that Sony brings Skype to the Playstation Portable (PSP).