Author: Mike Bass

Thoughts on the Oscars

~ Mike Bass ~ Leave a comment

This was the first year I’ve been on Twitter during the ceremonies and it was a lot of fun. If you’re still unsure about where Twitter fits into your lifestyle, the ability to share an experience like the Oscars is one way Twitter creates tremendous value and enjoyment. Top 10 funniest tweets.

When I think of what an Academy Award-winning best picture is, I think of a film that is either epic, ground-breaking, or both. The yearly best picture award is unavoidably flawed because there are years when no films fit the bill, and other years when wonderful films lose out in stiff competition. 2009 falls into the first category. While The Hurt Locker was a crafty and powerful film, I didn’t see it as a best picture, either in its scope or originality. The votes most likely came down to the fact that no other film could surpass it. Up in the Air was a fine film, with moments that felt genuine and truthful, but I found my mind wandering as its third act slowly ground to a halt. There was not enough of the humor and magnificence of Little Miss Sunshine. Meanwhile, Avatar was, to be sure, ground-breaking and beautiful, but as everyone will tell you, the story has been done a thousand times before.

Overall, this year’s Academy Awards show lacked entertainment. Choosing Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin to emcee seemed like a brilliant choice, but they disappointed. Their opening monologue was a laborious roast of several nominated actors that left me uneasy and hoping for a quick end. Though Martin had a few good lines, the two never seemed to hit it off, and I found myself wondering if Baldwin was feeling well or if he was just refusing to deliver a punchline. The Oscars typically feature musical performances of the pieces nominated for best original song, but this year there were none of these, and it hurt. I found the replacement interpretive dance number entertaining, but judging from comments on Twitter, I was in the minority. Roger Ebert’s fine review of the Oscars hits on some of these points and many others and is an excellent read. A quote:

Director John Hughes was too great a legend to be simply included in the traditional “In Memoriam” tribute. The special clip package of his work stirred desires to see his films again. They seemed good at the time, and in these dreary days, they seem miraculous. As the stars he made — his “children” —strode forward, it became one of the greatest moments in Academy Award history.

Finally, for more information on the strange, Kanye-esque moment during the acceptance speech for short film documentary, check out Salon.com’s article here.

Eating Healthy

~ Mike Bass ~ 1 Comment

A friend of mine recently told me that for the first time in his life he really wanted to lose weight. We talked about eating healthy for a while and it dawned on me that eating well is a very simple philosophy. The trick is the follow through. Below is my personal philosophy I have pieced together over the years:

#1 Know what you’re eating. You have to start paying attention to what you’re eating so you can see what needs to change. Write down everything you eat for two weeks. After a couple days you will be amazed at the junk and unhealthy meals you’re eating. Writing all this down may be trying, but I put is as #1 because I believe if you only do this step alone, you’ll instinctively start eating better.

#2 Eat real food. There is a difference between things you can eat, a.k.a. edible, and things that are nutritious. Don’t eat fast food and don’t eat at a lot of chains like Chili’s, etc. Don’t eat out of the frozen food section. Avoid foods made up of nothing but chemicals or a bunch of things ending in -zine.

#3 Eat the right amount. Portion control is important. In fact, Weight Watchers is largely based on portion control. But the basics can be stated simply. Don’t eat just to be eating or because you’re bored. Only order as much food as you feel like eating. Don’t order the super combo just because it’s a good deal. Don’t feel like you have to finish your whole plate just because you paid for it. Eat only what you are hungry for and no more. At the same time, don’t skip meals because doing so leads you to make bad choices later. Always eat breakfast.

#4 Eat balanced meals. Remember to mix in the fruits and veggies. Meat is not a meal by itself. Be careful not to overdo the carbs. When planning a meal at home, swap out the carb side with a second vegetable side. You’ll get your carbs without really trying. Avoid a ton of soft drinks and beer because they are huge sources of hidden calories. Advanced: learn about foods with omega-3 and the other essential oils and try to incorporate these in your diet.

#5 Exercise. Do some cardio twice a week: running, jogging, riding a bike. This can be outdoors or at the gym, but it should be something that gets your heart rate up, above 100 bpm. Add in a workout if you have time, but the point is to get into the habit of doing something a couple times a week.

Do I do all these things all the time? Hell no, but this is the plan. If you are over-weight but consider yourself to have a good amount of self-control, you may just need an updated eating philosophy.

New Apple Tablet could be named iBook

~ Mike Bass ~ 1 Comment

I want to go on record about the name of Apple’s new tablet computer, which will reportedly be introduced on January 26. Rumors have said it will be called the iSlate, or iGuide, but I still think the name that makes the most sense is iBook.

Consider: Apple owns the rights to the name and has not used it almost 4 years. Tell me a name that fits into Apple’s offerings and makes more sense for a small, book-sized tablet that will act, in part, as an eBook reader? I don’t think the fact that Apple’s former low-end notebook line shared the name will stop Steve Jobs from going back to the well.

The only reason I think Apple may not choose to call their new tablet the iBook is if they want to further highlight the fact that this is not just an eBook reader, but a multi-function computing device. The thing is, everyone knows that, just like they know a MacBook is a laptop. I guess we’ll see in two weeks.

I Dig It

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idigitpromo-300x256My big time-waster right now is an iPhone game called “I Dig It.” You play Farmer Lewis who’s down on his luck and has gotten a few months late on his mortgage. He has, however, constructed a jet-powered digging machine which you must pilot. If you can dig beneath his farm and discover $100,000 in 4 hours, you’ll save the day. And when I say 4 hours, I mean you have 4 actual hours of game-time, though you can start, pause, and stop as often as you like. Do yourself a favor and spend the $1 on the full version. You’ll get more than your money’s worth, or less if you figure in all the lost production.

How to Unbrick EDGE iPhone 3.0 beta 5

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Over the weekend, I attempted to install iPhone 3.0 beta 5 on my first generation EDGE iPhone. The install didn’t work, and my iPhone was stuck with the Pink Screen of Death (PSOD). The phone refused to update to the new OS, either through iTunes or Xcode. Numerous reinstalls, power/home button dances and prayers did not fix the problem and of course there was no way to go back to OS 2.2.1. Finally, I found the solution:

Download iPhone 3.0 beta 4. You will have to Google for the location, but should be able to find it. This beta expired May 29th, but that’s okay.

Restore your iPhone to beta 4 through iTunes 8.2. Option+click on “Restore” to selected the beta 4 ipsw file. Once it’s done, iTunes will complain that your software has expired. Ignore this and option+click on “Check for Updates.” Now select the beta 5 ipsw and it will install. I think the key to this solution is that iTunes is not doing a restore of beta 5, it is simply updating your phone from one beta version to the other. Good luck!

Why are people excited about the Zune HD?

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This week Microsoft announced the Zune HD, a new sexy-looking Zune media player that will feature a touch interface, HD radio, and HD video (though not really). The features won’t make you forget about your iPod Touch, but a lot of people are excited about the refresh. Most probably thought Microsoft had given up on the whole Zune idea. Now that it looks like Microsoft has big plans for the Zune, why do people care?

The most obvious reason: because it’s not an iPod. It’s not that people don’t love their iPods, it’s just that we have an affinity for the underdog. It’s the same reason we love Macs and the New Orleans Saints. Some people just prefer things that aren’t mainstream, either because they like to be trend-setters, or simply because they hate the masses. The iPod has become the de facto standard.

Second, the Zune HD appeals to the Microsoft fanboys. Yes, such a sub-group exists. When Macs were getting their butts kicked, the Apple-lovers could unite in a single cause of increasing mac-awareness. In the last few years, it’s been Microsoft on the defensive with Vista, the Zune, Microsoft’s various failed web initiatives, and reaction to the “Get a Mac” campaign. This has given Microsoft supporters a reason to fight, and with PR nightmares like Vista, an inspiration to get the word out. The Zune HD is a good looking piece of hardware, and Microsoft doesn’t usually do “good-looking.” There’s reason to drool, at least until we get our hands on it.

Lastly, the Zune HD announcement offers the glimmer of a coherent device strategy from Microsoft, one that could bring some iTunes-simplicity to the Microsoft world. With a combined Zune/Xbox/Windows marketplace and media experience, Microsoft could make up a lot of ground fast. Throw in device syncing and things get interesting.

The Zune won’t catch the iPod/iPhone anytime soon, but a combined Microsoft ecosystem that builds on the successful Xbox platform and leverages a little bit of the natural reinvestment that will accompany Windows 7 could eventually give Apple some competition. That is a big “could.” The reality is that Microsoft “could” just as easily lose interest in the Zune again.

Repair Permissions!

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“Repair your permissions.” It’s the Mac OS X cure-all for fixing almost anything, taking the mantle from the days of rebuilding your desktop. Along with restarting your computer, fixing permissions seems to eliminate 90% of the little problems that can occur everyday on an OS X computer. Recently, we began to have problems with several computers while printing to our Xerox Splash RIPs. We quickly realized that reinstalling the print drivers fixed the issue. Then one day while reinstalling print drivers for the second time on the same machine I started thinking: the OS obviously can’t see some of the files necessary to print. Why is that? The answer hit me like a ton of bricks: incorrect file permissions. If a file’s permissions are wrong, other parts of the OS can not access that file. I repaired the permissions and the printing program went away. Yes, this “quick-fix” really is the first step in troubleshooting any OS X issue.

Google to go Chrome?

~ Mike Bass ~ 1 Comment

The Internet is buzzing today over three stories: Hurricane Gustav’s course through Louisiana, the RNC and Gov. Palin’s pregnant 17-year-old, and news of Google’s new open-source browser, called Chrome. The new Web app, a beta of which could be released for Windows as early as tomorrow, will be based on WebKit and will run each web-address as it’s own protected process. The move marks a move to challenge Microsoft and their still-dominant IE browser head-on. Chrome would also act as the centerpiece of a Google pseudo-OS. With Chrome and Google Gears, the Google would control the entire web experience of corporate users using Google Apps in lieu of Exchange or other solutions. Stay Tuned!

Web-based music players

~ Mike Bass ~ 2 Comments

Sometimes I get tired of listening to the same music I’ve copied onto my work computer. I need a little variety while sitting in front of a computer for hours straight. Seeqpod is a web-based music player that can find music on the web and then play it like an iPod. Search for a song or artist, then add whichever songs you like to its flash-based music player. And if you’ve registered, you can save playlists for later.

Pandora does Seeqpod one better. With this innovative music service, you create personalized “radio stations” based on the music you like. To begin, enter a song or artist you like. Then, Pandora cross references music types from the music genome project to find more songs of the same variety. If you don’t like a song, you can give it a thumbs down. If you love a song, give it a thumbs up. The more you vote, the more Pandora figures out your likes and dislikes. You can also create multiple radio stations for those days when your music tastes take you in a different direction.