Computing

Killer App

June 8, 2004

Doc writes yesterday that the killer app for RSS could be TV listings. It is a super cool idea. I'd take it one step further and suggest TiVO should jump on the band wagon early, figure out how to integrate an RSS newsreader into their software suite. Imagine having an RSS feed that allows you to schedule what you want to record, while at the same time reading reviews of programs, or RSS commentaries on things like sporting events from other commentators. Want to get really creative? Allow people to have RSS read to them while viewing an event. A group of XYZ State University fans can provide their own alternate commentary to the big game. Convergence.

AirPort Express

June 7, 2004

Doc Searls asks of Apple's new announcement of an AirPort Express: "Why go wireless-to-wired?" It strikes me as a question from somebody who has had a very different experience using FM Transmitters than I have. I have an iTrip that allows one to transmit an iPod's output across the FM spectrum. It's not bad. But it is not good either. It's a constant game of cat and mouse to find a station to use. I've had significantly better luck, and quality from the wired solutions I've had. Further, this way it doesn't take a tuner. According to the documentation you can plug it into any powered speakers. So for that second room a set of decent computer speakers just became a nice way to listen to music.

Blackberry Morning

June 7, 2004

I'm starting the week by working on a Blackberry for an associate dean. While waiting for the tech support folks I was reading about the dispute over patents for the BlackBerry's technology. It is an interesting article in the New York Times but it doesn't mention what technologies the patents cover. It should give at least a passing note of them. It does give the patent numbers but print readers will have a harder time finding them and then distilling what they actually mean.

Amicus Attorney Restart

June 2, 2004

When Amicus Attorney appears to launch and go through all the motions but do nothing here is the solution. Run Amicius administrator which will do a database check at the beginning and then you can quit it and run Amcius Attorney.

Drupal request

May 20, 2004

Recently I've been working through what I'd like to see in a blogging tool. I'm very happy with Drupal and it is and excellent choice for those left wanting by Movable Type's recent change in pricing. There is a posting on the Drupal site about making the move from MT to Drupal.

Bravo UserLand

May 17, 2004

Dave Winer posted this announcement today. Here is my prediction.... Sales of Manilla and Radio will go up.

Why would the sales go up when the core is going to be given away? For a history I look back at my own history with UserLand's products. I had read a little about Frontier and was quick to start using Clay Basket. Later in 1996 I started using Frontier and quickly fell in love. But it was far more than a product. In those days Frontier was a freeware product (not open source) and there was an active community supporting it. Frontier had a wonderfully logical methodology of editing scripts (outlines) and was extremely powerful after a few quick scratches of the surface. Then came the dark days... with a need to be paid a fair amount for a software package Frontier became a non-freeware product. I completely understand the need for the development to be paid for and do not take issue with the decision. It had, however, unfortunate consequences in terms of the community. At the same time the community became more tightly focused around the brilliant minds at UserLand and in the eyes of an average user withered and changed.

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