Apparently I need two or more computers to work/study

and to be completely honest I really was missing a third monitor.
Apparently I am tech spoiled. When the hell did that happen exactly?

My newest obsession: Zombieland 2 iPad

Speaking of blasting things for fun my newest fun obsession is Zombieland 2 for iPad. This simple shooter takes my need to blast things with a shotgun (or flamethrower and many points in between) to a virtual world of surprising complexity.

Here the uprising has happened and its up to you and your motley cast of characters to put a small dent in the madness by shooting first and asking questions later.
Repetitive? A little.
Juvenile? Most certainly.
Time annihilating? Without a doubt.
This game is just shiny enough to hold my attention long enough for me to blast my way through my bed time. No pun intended.
At .99 cents its hard to pass up entertainment like that.

Check out the trailer *here* or you can find it in the app store if you like.

OK Apple I give up: you had me at iOS 5....

I really really tried to want an Android tablet.
I tried. I really really really tried.
Here is the thing... Apple has somethings you dont.
Thats right I said it. App store bragging rights, iTunes U, a cult like following. So what if your interface seems almost prehistoric...damn it.
Plus we have an iPad at home that is still being supported with iOS updates... even if it is the Girls.
Really here is the bottom line: I  could not, no matter how I tried, justify spending the money on something that the iPad does and does pretty stupid well. 
I am the king of rationalization. You are talking to a man who once rationalized buying a ATV... and a Boat... oh yeah and once or twice an Airplane.
Yet still, I  could.
Not.
Do.
It.
I really really really tried.
So what DID I do?
I bought a new cover, and took the show on the road. Thats right, if you can not beat them join them. I am going all out power user. I am going to be that annoying SOB that has the iPad all the freeking time.
Whew.... kinda feels good to pick a side again.
Lets see how long this will last.

(posting from my Android Phone)

Dear Elders of the internet...

What have I ever done to you?

RIP Steve.

 

 I might have had my issues with Apple over the years but deep down there was always respect.

I cut my teeth on an Apple IIc for goodness sake.

That being said... you have to respect the man with the vision and drive that this man had.

Rest in peace Steve.

Apple Announcement: not that kind of Fanboy.

Shhhhh.... whats that sound?
Its the calm before the apple storm.
That's right its the night before the Apples announcement. That's not silence you hear, that low hum is the pent up excitement of the millions of fanboys that hope against hope that they next big apple product will be the one to make their lives complete.

Don't get me wrong. I will be watching... with interest.
Not because I am that kind of fanboy.
Its because no matter what Apple it does makes the market move and influences the trending tech.
I'll be watching. For sure.
For a while now there has not been anything that innovative, just re packaged for profit shinier versions of the product before.

Who knows, maybe they will surprise me.
Probably not.
Bonus Mini post: Overheard on the couch.

The Girl (LOS): "What is that?"
Me: "Its a Apple fanboy... get it?"
The Girl: "Looks.... kinda gay."
Me: "A little I suppose."
The Girl: " Why dont you but some balls on the bottom?"
Me: " Its a fanboy.... not a fanMAN"
The Girl: (eyes rolling walking away)

Cool Gear: Acer Iconia-6120 14-Inch Dual-Screen Touchbook

Recently I have been lusting after some new tech and I have been following all the new Honeycomb tablets with great enthusiasm.
The Girl is not as enthused.

“What do you need it for?” She asked

“ I don’t need it I just want it.’ Was my best answer.

The more I think about it the more I realize she is right. What would I use it for? I mean the computer is my comfort zone. What do I need a tablet for.. running apps? Maybe what need is a new computer. A fabulous new laptop, something like the Acer Iconia-6120 14-Inch Dual-Screen Touchbook. Its not perfect, and the batter life leaves something to be desired. Yet… its awesome.

You can read more about it *here*.

For now its just a thought but I fear if I don’t get something I will fall into a tech coma.

Last night my phone went dark and my entire world came crashing down.

It started last night.  I was putting myself to bed when I updated some apps before I shot some Stupid Zombies and let myself drift off to sleep.

That is when it happened. My phone re-booted and then would not come back. It was stuck in an obvious cycle of boot, crash, boot crash it was maddening. Before you say “did you turn it on and off again?” That was the very first thing I did. I pulled the battery. Then I pulled the memory card.

Then the sim.

Then I let it rest.

Rebooted then crashed.

Again and again and again.

I had an old phone somewhere but screw it I was not happy so I decided to wait till morning to solve it.

Before you say your iPhone would never crash, BS I had one, it can crash. They all can crash.

They are just computers after all.

It was now way past Zombie time and into bed time and for sure I was to tired to mess with it more. I had to leave the battery out and go to sleep.

It was weird.

For the first time in a long time I was disconnected from the outside world. What I someone tried to call me? (gasp) I even had to set an alarm CLOCK because the damn thing even wakes me up.

I went to sleep uneasy but woke no different than usual. I reminded the girl not to call me until I remedied the situation and went in a little early with intent to fix the problem.

Here is the thing… it was oddly liberating.

I did not have a phone.  I did not know what the temperature was exactly, it was just pleasant.  I did not know who had emailed me, it could wait. I did not know who updated their status, or texted me… I was just by myself driving.

It was kind of nice.

When did the phone take over my life? It sure was sneaky, I didn’t even notice it.

I learned something today. The phone is not my life.

The phone messing up reminded me I did not need it.

The are useful, they can be fun, but in the end… they are just computers after all.

I pad head... I pad head... I pad head

Ummm .... just weird.

Thanks to engadget for this one

The stupid network is down....

and my productivity is tanking .

Finally... Some Gingerbread love for my Atrix

I have to say... its been a while but Moto finally came through with some Gingerbread love for its Atrix owners. A software update make me happy like no other. Cant really explain it.

Damn I am a geek.

I am so geeky....

I am excited for windows 8 to be released.

Such
A
Geek

Cool Gear: app refresh Little Photo

I may have waxed nostalgic before about how a silly little app can refresh a phone and make it seem new again.

What is true for the iPhone is also true for the Android.

Little apps  like Little Photo for Android. Tons of cool photo effects with a cool zune like interface.
Apple may still be ahead in the app department but free apps like this make the android market seem like a viable alternative after all. Just about 1 year behind.

COOL GEAR: ASCII ART GENERATOR

 If you dont know what ASCII art is, well you are probabally not as old as I.
Or maybe not so geeky.

If you do know what it is, Or if you want to re-live some old school fun. I found this generator for you to play with.

Click *here* to check it out.

Have fun with it.

You’re living in a computer simulation, and math proves it

*re-post*but totally worth your time.

You’re living in a computer simulation, and math proves it

Ed Grabianowski — Is your life really your life, or is it actually the dream of a butterfly? Or is it a complex computer simulation indistinguishable from "real" reality? Don't worry, it's just a glitch in the Matrix. It happens when they change something.

Questions about the nature of reality weren't invented by high-as-a-kite college sophomores. Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi noticed sometime around 300 BCE that his dreams of being something other than human (a butterfly, most famously) were indistinguishable from his experience being Zhuangzi. He could not say with certainty that he was Zhuangzi dreaming of being a butterfly rather than a butterfly dreaming of being Zhuangzi.

Continue reading *here* at io9.com

Cool gear: Planetary for iPad

For all the saber rattling between Apple and Android there is no doubt, at least in my mind, that Apple is leaps and bounds ahead of its open counterpart in the app department.
Planetary is one of those apps that just cements my point.

Its just a music player. That's it. Just a music player that is so uniquely executed that it is just a joy to use.
Just a music player like no other. One that just blew my mind. If you have an iPad check it out. It free in the iTunes store. You wont be disappointed. Click *here* for a review.

Cloud Living : the Google Path

I have had mixed feelings about this whole iOS to Android move with the new phone.
The Atrix does seem a little, well glitchy at times. It shut off once by itself when I was waiting for a call. It also failed to recognize the fingerprint reader forcing me to re-boot. I cant say that the iPhone never needed to re-boot, because it did. It just seems android is not as polished. I know everyone says that but if you use both you will know what I mean.
On the other hand the Android experience is for lack of a better word, an experience. I have grown to love the finger-print unlock (a Motorola Artix only feature I believe) button. It is quick and easy and hard to remember why I unlocked my phone any other way before. The hardware although slightly lighter and some less sturdy feeling is snappy and responsive even when I am Streaming HD video out to my flat screen TV, While playing music and downloading something in the background.Sure I can hear the battery humming but that puppy screams performance. All this is nice but the real power behind a smartphone is the software, so how is that?

What really got me is the farther down the Google path I go the more interconnected things become.  I was using Google calendar before but now its my main calendar. I had a Google voice number set up, but never really did much with it.
Suddenly things are different. Free from the constraints of iTune syncing suddenly my word seems (almost) effortlessly together.
This morning was a great example. I have to tell you first that the first gen iPhone has not gone away. I am basically using it as an alarm clock/ iPod touch. It works exceedingly well in the charging dock on my night stand it is a great, dead simple alarm that I can pick up and check my email or play Angry birds on. iPhone first gen my not run all the newest software but it still is chugging along.  Besides my old alarm clock just died so it was perfect timing. With that in mind as I was getting up this morning my "clock" chirped. It had already woke me up so what now? It was to reminded me I had to pick up my mother at the dealer today as she was getting her oil changed. I stood there looking at it, blinking, how the hell did it do that. Then I realized that my Google calendar had synced over the wifi and because I had asked the iPhone check Google events (a long time ago) there it was reminding me... pick up your mother.  It had already sent a reminder to my work outlook calendar and well look at that: cross platform syncing over multiple platforms with minimal effort... who knew?
I grabbed the phone and not only was there a reminder there also, but as I was walking out I could SEE a voice-mail transcribed and scrolling across my screen thanks to Google voice and the corresponding widget on my Android phone. Huh... handy, I thought. I jumped in the truck my Bluetooth audio stream kicked in right where I had left off... nice. Three miles down the road the music was interrupted and the the phone rang. It was my mother making sure I was on the way. The Ford Snyc, gently stopped the music, took the call over the hands free connection built into the vehicle, and when I was done picked up again where I left off. Effortless. George Jetson eat your heart out.

To be honest, the iPhone did a lot of this also.Let face it: my morning was a bunch of platforms working together, iOS, Android, MS Office, Ford Snyc and more.  I  just seems freeing that the iTunes has been taken out of the equation and the bottom line Android just works better with Google: Calendar, Mail, Voice and Maps. I almost cringe to say it but 'it just works".
Maybe this it would be different if I was rocking a Mac at home/office as my main computing platform. I am not. So for me, so far, the farther down the Google path I go the more I like it. A little scary at times (like pulling contact info from facebook) , but also nice. Almost familiar. Most of all helpful in a " I don't have to fight with my phone or software" kind of way.
So far, so good as they say. I am hoping that this continues to be a positive experience but for now I guess I am all in. We will see how it all plays out. God help us all if the cloud goes down.

Tonight, It was software update night.

New iOS updates for the iPad.

Much needed updates for the wireless card driver (that was preventing me from downloading windows updates) on the Girls laptop.

A flood of windows updates that was waiting for the above.

A few backups here and there and I was updating practically all night.

Cool Gear: iPad 2

Today, Apple has a bid announcement 1:00 edt.

There have been tons of leaks, and even more speculation but in just a few short hours the world will know and all those iPads you have now will become instantly obsolete.

I
Cant
Wait

Engadgets coverage *here*

Funny Windows Wallpaper

Its funny and I like it.

click to enlarge.