Archive for the 'Technology' Category

Google Chrome

Published on November 22, 2009 at 12:01 am in Technology. 3 Comments

I know it’s been around for  a while, and it’s a pretty great thing on Windows, but I recently tried out the beta/developer/alpha/whatever version of Chrome on the Mac, and really it is fast. Faster than any other browser on the mac, definitely faster than Firefox and much faster than Safari every works for me. And since Chrome is faster, my entire system runs a good deal faster too.

It’s really actually amazing. Even typing this blog post just feels faster, the letters seem to post quicker. And of course it’s the perfect browser for google services like Gmail and even just a regular google search, seeing as the browser is basically optimized to use it. I think Google Chrome is the best browser for most people who use computers – people who don’t care about having a supercomputer, and who just want to get online and do stuff. Firefox is good for any sort of add-on in the world, but I think Google Chrome is the simplest, fastest browser on both Macs and PCs, which is what I think Google is going for with Chrome OS, too.

Twitter

Published on August 18, 2009 at 6:21 pm in Life and Technology. 3 Comments Tags: , , .

Ever since Twitter became “cool” – that is, ever since the mainstream media began heralding it as the next form of communication – comparable to email 10 years ago – I’ve found that most of my non-tech-inclined friends just don’t get Twitter. Despite what the media says about Twitter and teenagers, it’s not like every other kid in high school has one, or even understands how it works.

Now, it’s perfectly okay to not understand how something works and admit it. You can’t expect everyone in the world to know about everything in the world. But when so-called journalists “admit” that they don’t know how a particular part of Twitter works, I get a little agitated. I’m not insisting that everybody gets a Twitter to understand it, but if someone is writing an article where one of the main topics is Twitter, they should at least take a look at Wikipedia and find out what “trending topics” are.

That’s not as much an insult to the linked interview as much as an expression of frustration that even though Twitter is the coolest new thing (at least for the rest of the world), nobody actually seems to understand how it all works or even why it’s important. Twitter came up in class at school recently, and someone said this: “If you have the time to post on Twitter, you obviously have no life to post about.” Yet that same person has a Facebook, a service far more advanced and time-consuming than Twitter.

People are saying that 140-characters is too small an amount to say much of anything. But which is it? Is Twitter limiting and pointless or time-consuming and important? Nobody who’s “anybody” really seems to know. Twitter is not the new and ultimate way to communicate. It can be used that way, but it’s not the main purpose. It’s an interesting gimmick on CNN, but at it’s core Twitter is used for vaguely keeping track of people you know and celebrities.

Some of my friends who have gotten Twitter accounts just to try it out are confused because they don’t see the point of it. That’s because they know probably two other people on Twitter. Britney Spears and me. If your type of people aren’t on Twitter, then maybe you shouldn’t join.

And despite what everyone thinks, a regular tweet isn’t “I pooped! Now back to work.” People post little tidbits of information about their lives or about whatever they’re doing that is – wait for it – interesting for the people who – wait for it – willingly decided to follow them in the first place. It’s a fun way to keep track of minor celebrities (the ones who actually tweet themselves, like Rainn Wilson) and your friends. But beyond that it’s nothing more.

What I’m trying to say is that people have to stop making a big deal about how great or stupid Twitter is. Or, at least – if you’re going to say it’s one or the other – know what you’re talking about.

Macheist 3 Bundle

Published on April 5, 2009 at 9:28 am in Technology. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

Yet again, Macheist has a 12 – no wait 13, hold on a second, I mean 14 – wait, plus the extras: 17-application bundle available for mac users to download. For the Macheist 3 bundle, they’ve lowered the price from $49 to $39, and when you add up all the applications in the bundle, plus the extra ones, the combined value is over $1,000. And yes, I bought it (like last year). So, here’s some of the noteable ones and what I think of them:

mh3page

Picturesque:
It does some cool design elements that Apple has made famous, but I can’t shake the feeling that everything it does it just current fad in graphic design.

World of Goo:
I’ve heard great things about this game and it is pretty fun. I still have yet to really try it but it’s nice to have a fun and innovative game concept.

PhoneView:
Luckily this works with the iPod Touch – the only use I can really get out of this is taking music from an iPod to the computer quickly and easily, with file names and ID3 tags attached.

LittleSnapper:
Seems like a nice alternative to Skitch. It definitely has a slicker interface and also a very nice way to organize all of those screenshots you take.

Acorn:
I love the idea of having all of the tools in one window to reduce the clutter that always happens in Photoshop and Pixelmator – good for simple photo edits.

Kinemac:
This is why I bought the bundle. FCE is great, but unlike Final Cut Pro, it doesn’t come with a 3D motion program like Motion. Kinemac does most of the same things as Motion, for a fraction of the price.

WireTap Studio:
This should be great for recording audio from specific applications whenever the need arises – for a quote from a movie on DVD, or for a sound effect on a website.

Espresso:
A little bit above my head in the web design area, but it should be interesting to learn to the application – it does FTP and text editing, with style.

These are only 8 of the 17 applications included in the bundle, but the ones I find the most interesting. You can view and download the whole thing at Macheist.com, but you may want to make sure you have a mac first. But be sure to get it by Tuesday, because after that the bundle won’t be available anymore.

Finally Cutting Express

Published on December 26, 2008 at 12:49 am in Life and Technology. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

In case you’re not familiar with these sort of things, Final Cut Express is the prosumer video editing software for mac. It is far above iMovie, which is bundled with every Mac, and is almost identical to Final Cut Pro, which costs much more as a part of a suite. That suite, Final Cut Studio, is what many big independent filmmakers use, and even larger films like The Ring, No Country for Old Men, Burn After Reading, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. So, yeah, it’s pretty cool.

And I got it for Christmas! And I am finally free from the limitations of Windows Movie Maker and then iMovie! Don’t get me wrong, they’re both pretty good ways to edit videos – that is – if you actually have not interest in editing videos and just want to put footage together. Final Cut Express is awesome, and it just gives you so much control to be creative in whatever way you want. I already know how to use it pretty well but there are still lots features that I haven’t even explored yet.  I can’t wait to find out what all of these different buttons do!

And of course A HUGE THANKS TO MY PARENTS FOR GETTING IT FOR ME! I made a movie about Christmas already and I’ll post it tomorrow once it’s uploaded to YouTube.

All I Want for Christmas…

Published on December 15, 2008 at 5:58 pm in Filmmaking, Life and Technology. 4 Comments Tags: , , , .

… is Final Cut Express.

finalcut

portabledrive1Plus this tiny portable external hard drive to hold the GBs of files that would naturally come with it.

That little thing holds 320 GB!!!! Which is sort of incredibly amazing. It’s almost as small as a flash drive, but with 100 times the space.

Samsung NV24 HD

Published on November 30, 2008 at 7:32 pm in Life, Technology and Videos. 2 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .

So you know the camera that I used to film that Thanksgiving movie, the one that shoots 720p HD video, the one I said I’d post more on later? Yeah, that one. Well, that camera is actually not a video camera.

:-O

It’s a still camera, the Samsung NV24 HD to be specific. It’s a step above my old point-and-shoot Canon Powershot, although not nearly as good quality-wise as an SLR or anything, but it gives you full control over all the essential options plus an awesome video mode that can shoot in HD. And guess how much it was!

Cool Features:
10.2 megapixels (doesn’t mean anything, though)
Wide-angle lens
Shoots 720p HD video
“SmartTouch” interface (which is actually intuitive)
Some fancy new screen that supposedly looks good in outdoor light

No, seriously, guess. I want to know what you think this would cost.

Did you guess just under $200? Well you were right if you did. If you didn’t then you were wrong. But yeah. Its awesome. I mean, no, you’re not going to get the same quality video as a real video camera, but the video looks great for the type of things I would be using it for. The only problem I really have with it is that when it zooms in or out the audio cuts out. However, this can be fixed within editing software by copying and pasting bits of sound. Here are some links:

Amazon | CNet (+ video) | Photography Blog review | Sample video (enable HD)

A Super-Simple Operation System

Published on October 1, 2008 at 6:17 pm in Technology. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , .

Operating systems today are complex, confusing, and not designed for any one person. They have loads of options for developers and people who understand all that stuff, but then they also try to appeal to regular people who just want to use a computer for it’s basic functions.

I think Windows is the perfect example of this, trying to give a lot but also simplifying things. OS X, I think, does it much better. But still not perfect. What if there was an OS for kids and the elderly that only did what kids and elderly want computers to do?

Just imagine 4 basic programs:

1. Internet
2. E-Mail
3. Word
4. Media (Music, Photos, Games) – Music and games with a basic, easy-to-use store

The entire operating system would be integrated. The credit card you provide for the music-buying service would also be linked with the game-buying service. But this isn’t iTunes. Its much simpler. You can play music, edit song names and search and buy music. But none of the other things. The main point is simplicity. You could also download kids games to play on the computer, but all official and working flawlessly.

The whole point here that once it’s set up there’s not bugs, no viruses (a super-closed system), no errors. The system would be so built and integrated into itself that these problems would be easily invaded. It would be incredibly easy to use, with a dock-like panel on the bottom of the screen showing 5 big icons to the 5 programs mentioned above.

Would it really be so far-fetched for Microsoft or Google to release an operating sytem like this to have installed on cheap computers? The less things you have going on, the less of a chance something will go wrong. With only 4 basic programs this could really work and provide a perfect solution for children and the elderly.

Of course, it would also come included with a couple of OS options – primarily making the font size really, really big. This OS wouldn’t most people’s needs, but for the people who just don’t get computers, it would be a lifesaver.

iPod Touch!

Published on September 13, 2008 at 1:53 pm in Life and Technology. 1 Comment Tags: , , .

I’m typing this from my brand new iPod Touch! It’s the new one that just came out the other day. It is AMAZING.It’s an iPod that plays music, podcasts, movies, and TV shows. But it’s also so much more! Photos, web browser, email – and with applications – pandora, last.fm, AIM, games. It has most features of a basic computer!
Soooo awesome. More later.