Learn one weird old trick to reducing your disappointment in life
Stop buying more stuff, believing that buying more stuff will make you happy. Happy Earth Day.
A few of my favorite movies (or: Hollywood – death by 1,000 paper cuts)
Over a year ago, I wrote a missive about how idiotic Hollywood’s “Rental Window” was. Luckily, things have changed, and now you can easily stream a movie from almost any streaming service the same day it comes out on Blu-ray and DVD. I kid. You know that’s never going to happen. I recall as a kid when we wanted to rent a movie on VHS, we had to go to the video store and see if they a) stocked it…
Windows Store: Show me the numbers.
If you haven’t yet read my post from yesterday, please do. It’s very relevant to this conversation. As I stated – The Windows Store doesn’t need a large number of apps to be successful. It needs a number of great apps that drive people to the platform. Sermon aside, I know many people are visiting this site to find out where the store is at, and where it may be by 10/26. So let’s have a look. As of today, the…
Introducing! The new iPhone Disappointment!
No. This isn’t going to be one of those posts. It’s not going to be derisive about Apple at all. So if you came here for a good old fashioned “Steve Jobs wouldn’t have done that” beating, you might want to just click back or close this tab. Even at the age of 39, I still enjoy visiting Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Why? Because, if you let your mind go, and your imagination wander, they’re amazing places. For a…
How not to announce a consumer electronics device in 2012 – a lesson from Nokia
When you get a piece of spam, there are a couple of key components to it. There’s a subject line – intended to make the reader excited to “make money fast” or “make cheap international phone calls”. There’s an assortment of flattering text, sometimes pictures, and other components to the message, designed to both delude and confuse the reader into thinking this is a legitimate offer. Finally, there’s a call to action. A hook. In most spam, this is a…
Exchange ActiveSync – it’s the new domain join
If you have been following the development of Windows 8 – in particular as Windows RT – the variant of Windows destined for ARM-based processors, there’s a good chance you heard the collective weeping earlier this year about Windows RT, and what it meant to the manageability (or unmanageability, as the case may be) of Windows RT devices. The fact that Windows RT devices cannot be joined to a Windows Active Directory domain may at first glance seem like a…
The odd couple…
Just over two weeks ago, my ThinkPad did the unthinkable. It died. Technically, the hard drive died. All that really matters is that 1)I lost a ton of data I hadn’t backed up (BAD GEEK!), and 2)I didn’t have a computer for almost 3 days. What I did have was a Samsung Series 7 slate. A colleague had gone to the Office 2013 launch and was given a loaner device that he had lent to me for a while. Equipped…
My social media rules of engagement
I’m tired of talking about vapor. I’m tired of beating back rumors and gossip. The rules that follow are for both my followers as well as myself. I’ve recently been realizing how much time I waste in what I am calling “vapor debates”. These are conversations where time is forever lost because I make the mistake of commenting on vapor news, or I stupidly respond after a follower on Twitter nicely asks me my thoughts on (INSERT VAPOR). I’m done. If…
The Windows Registry – It seemed like a good idea at the time
Before I begin, I will disclaim two things. First, I am not a developer. Second, I was not at Microsoft during the formative years of Windows, nor was I there for the creation of Windows 95 or NT 3.1 – I was there during the development of Windows XP and the first 2/3rds of Longhorn’s gestation into Vista. Depending on who you ask, the Windows Registry is either a necessary evil, or just plain evil. The registry was never intended…
Stupid SkyDrive Tricks
The iPad is equipped with many things. One of those things is a double-edged sword that can reach out and cut you. The beauty of the iPad is it’s simplicity. However, when you live in a Windows world and use an iPad, you often run into places where Apple’s simplicity runs counter to getting things done. Now, many of you will snicker at what follows. Some will shake your head, and say, “WTH?”. Still others will say, “Why doesn’t he…