| "You write down the problem. You think very hard. Then you write the answer."- Richard Feynman |
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| THINK |
China is always a good place to find strange electronics. Today I picked up a high quality camcorder built
into a tiny device that appears to be a car remote with key chain. The sound and image quality (640 x 480) is
amazingly good.
I have seen video recorders built into tie clips, pens (that write as well) and watches with phones inside.
Along with the ubiquity of recording phones and iPods, we are all now recording or being recorded. What
does this do for privacy? (after all, no one creates a keychain recorder because its a great form factory).
Teachers are probably more careful in class, since some notorious classroom YouTube videos were
circulated. Obviously, there is a downside to being recorded without permission - but attempts to legislate
solutions will make things worse. We probably just need to get used to it (the next generation already has...)
into a tiny device that appears to be a car remote with key chain. The sound and image quality (640 x 480) is
amazingly good.
I have seen video recorders built into tie clips, pens (that write as well) and watches with phones inside.
Along with the ubiquity of recording phones and iPods, we are all now recording or being recorded. What
does this do for privacy? (after all, no one creates a keychain recorder because its a great form factory).
Teachers are probably more careful in class, since some notorious classroom YouTube videos were
circulated. Obviously, there is a downside to being recorded without permission - but attempts to legislate
solutions will make things worse. We probably just need to get used to it (the next generation already has...)
In his marvelous book, The Black Swan, Nassim Nicholas Taleb has a
chapter on Umberto Eco's library. Eco famously owns over 50,000 books,
and people often ask. "wow have you read all 50,000?".
Taleb explains that the question misses the point; of course Eco has not
read all those books. Rather, he has personal and immediate access to a
huge repository of knowledge.
Few people could ever have owned such a dazzling library...until now.
The version of the iPad that I bought holds (I am estimating) somewhere in
the neighborhood of 70,000 text-only books, a bit less with graphics.
This device will spawn hundred of imitators - many at lower prices. No
doubt versions of the iPad will drop in price in the future. Amazon, iBooks,
Stanza and others offer tens of thousands of free public domain volumes.
Amazon has 400,00 downloads available, including paid books.
I would not replace many of my treasured books with a digital version.
Reading Dickens on 19th century version (still amazingly cheap to find) is
a unique experience I would not trade. But I cannot physically own 50,000
books, and many books that I read for pleasure are books that I have no
reason to keep.
These new digital devices will enable all of us to own extensive libraries
on any interest or whim. We may not be able to stroll along rooms of
shelves like Umberto Eco can, but Eco can't take his vast selection with
him to the beach.
Someday, $29 versions of this device will be sent to the poorest children
around the world, and this will help make them rich.
chapter on Umberto Eco's library. Eco famously owns over 50,000 books,
and people often ask. "wow have you read all 50,000?".
Taleb explains that the question misses the point; of course Eco has not
read all those books. Rather, he has personal and immediate access to a
huge repository of knowledge.
Few people could ever have owned such a dazzling library...until now.
The version of the iPad that I bought holds (I am estimating) somewhere in
the neighborhood of 70,000 text-only books, a bit less with graphics.
This device will spawn hundred of imitators - many at lower prices. No
doubt versions of the iPad will drop in price in the future. Amazon, iBooks,
Stanza and others offer tens of thousands of free public domain volumes.
Amazon has 400,00 downloads available, including paid books.
I would not replace many of my treasured books with a digital version.
Reading Dickens on 19th century version (still amazingly cheap to find) is
a unique experience I would not trade. But I cannot physically own 50,000
books, and many books that I read for pleasure are books that I have no
reason to keep.
These new digital devices will enable all of us to own extensive libraries
on any interest or whim. We may not be able to stroll along rooms of
shelves like Umberto Eco can, but Eco can't take his vast selection with
him to the beach.
Someday, $29 versions of this device will be sent to the poorest children
around the world, and this will help make them rich.
Sony has announced that they will no longer manufacture folly disks. Most of us don't care -
who needs them anyway? But this made me think about the geeks whining about the iPad not
having a USB input - and about the future of our devices.
Twelve years ago Apple introduced a G3 Mac with no floppy drive. The complaints were
deafening at the time - Apple is out of touch, we will never be able to use the machines, etc. The
result was that we quickly out grew floppies, Apple just figured it out first.
Now Apple is saying that wireless file transfers work for many devices. I think this is true.
Cloud computing becomes ever more useful - almost all devices are WiFi-ready (get ready for
eventual portable WiFi hard drives...). Why bother with such a lack o elegance as hooking up a
USB cable?
Earlier today I emailed myself a half-completed Word document. The email went immediately
onto my iPad. As I rode as a passenger, I opened Pages on the iPad and completed the work
using Pages. Now the document is back on my laptop in both formats, ready to send or print.
I did not miss using a cable at all. And no CD drives helps me get 11 hours+ on my iPad
(really!).
Moaning about obsolete hardware just perpetuates it, and slows the innovation process. Me,
I'm ready to drink the Kool-aid.
who needs them anyway? But this made me think about the geeks whining about the iPad not
having a USB input - and about the future of our devices.
Twelve years ago Apple introduced a G3 Mac with no floppy drive. The complaints were
deafening at the time - Apple is out of touch, we will never be able to use the machines, etc. The
result was that we quickly out grew floppies, Apple just figured it out first.
Now Apple is saying that wireless file transfers work for many devices. I think this is true.
Cloud computing becomes ever more useful - almost all devices are WiFi-ready (get ready for
eventual portable WiFi hard drives...). Why bother with such a lack o elegance as hooking up a
USB cable?
Earlier today I emailed myself a half-completed Word document. The email went immediately
onto my iPad. As I rode as a passenger, I opened Pages on the iPad and completed the work
using Pages. Now the document is back on my laptop in both formats, ready to send or print.
I did not miss using a cable at all. And no CD drives helps me get 11 hours+ on my iPad
(really!).
Moaning about obsolete hardware just perpetuates it, and slows the innovation process. Me,
I'm ready to drink the Kool-aid.
Anxiety as a Business Model. The NY Times has published an
article about a person with serious problems. This middle-aged
Virginia resident suffers from a disease affecting 'collapsitarians' -
those who are sure that global debt, oil spills, farming changes,
and pretty much everything will spell doom for the human race.
In her case, she believe that energy will somehow run out, and
that life would been over SOON. She became literally too
depressed to function, and her co-workers could not put up with
her rants.
She considered becoming an organic farmer (somehow
organic vegetables always enter into these lifestyles) but realized
she was not a farmer.
So she grows vegetables in her kitchen while she worries
about the precious planet.
article about a person with serious problems. This middle-aged
Virginia resident suffers from a disease affecting 'collapsitarians' -
those who are sure that global debt, oil spills, farming changes,
and pretty much everything will spell doom for the human race.
In her case, she believe that energy will somehow run out, and
that life would been over SOON. She became literally too
depressed to function, and her co-workers could not put up with
her rants.
She considered becoming an organic farmer (somehow
organic vegetables always enter into these lifestyles) but realized
she was not a farmer.
So she grows vegetables in her kitchen while she worries
about the precious planet.
So many people suffer from similar emotional problems - the mythical energy theories remind me of the many articles published in
the 70's about the lack of silver nitrate, resulting in a predicted End To Photography. Instead, so many photos are taken today that only
about 2% are every printed.
The reason is that we happen to be pretty smart about figuring out new ways to get what we need. While the world uses more
energy, our use of it becomes ever more efficient. Energy can be obtained from more sources today than ever imagined. Oil shale
alone would likely service North American for decades, if we want it to.
All this is besides the point. Should use resources wisely? Of course. But fretting about imaginary monsters is more about our
internal demons than reality. A well-written blog by Dr. Richard Schwartzman describes the problem:
"The reporting of tragic events has an adverse effect on people who react in accordance with their specific character types. The
depressed, who are often self-absorbed and apathetic can use the news to be roused from their low spirits, or it may drive them deeper
into despair, giving them seemingly justified reasons for their despondency. The bipolar individual can be moved to act with poor
judgement when in a manic state. The distrustful and suspicious, and those with paranoid ideation, have their fearfulness heightened.
The news-involved hysteric overreacts with drama and great emotion. Because they are chronically anxious, the death and disaster
scenarios they expose themselves to leave them in a state of even greater anxiety."( Click to see entire piece)
Anxiety drives much of our existence. In a desperate desire to relieve some of these intolerable;e feelings, we magnify problems
(that later seem trivial) and turn to crusades of groups gathering to fret en mass. They rationalize these actions by using real fact in
unrealistic ways. This is unfortunately part of the modern human condition, and is certainly understandable.
What scrapes my carrot is the depth that news organizations now stoop to, in order to buy eyeballs. The local news always
emphasized murders and disasters. But news organs like the NY Times has only recently turned into the local news. They appear to
sense the looming "Out of Business" signs before them (and the NY Times will, indeed be OOB as we know it within the decade). But
by promoting so much non-news content, they only hasten their demise.
Google and Yahoo both have major plans to replace the newspaper by publishing hyper-local news in a major way, and soon. They
claim to want to cooperate with major newspapers like the Times.
With fear-laden tabloid stories masquerading as news, I say, "why bother?".
I found these signs while cleaning out my parents'
basement. They were packaged as a donation incentive by
Goodwill. Probably from the late 50's or 60's, they are a somewhat
quaint snapshot of the times.
Take the visor sign on the left. Can you imagine someone
believing that a meter maid would leave your vehicle un ticketed
while you scared up the required coins?
Not in today's economic environment, where tickets are a
more of a source of municipal revenue than a tool of law
enforcement.
basement. They were packaged as a donation incentive by
Goodwill. Probably from the late 50's or 60's, they are a somewhat
quaint snapshot of the times.
Take the visor sign on the left. Can you imagine someone
believing that a meter maid would leave your vehicle un ticketed
while you scared up the required coins?
Not in today's economic environment, where tickets are a
more of a source of municipal revenue than a tool of law
enforcement.
This one seems curious only because the term now refers
mostly to having special permission to park in a favored
space, rather than a condition of your vehicle.
mostly to having special permission to park in a favored
space, rather than a condition of your vehicle.
One of my favorites: direct and simple. Although the terms
seem to indicate a temporary problem not requiring the car
to be abandoned.
seem to indicate a temporary problem not requiring the car
to be abandoned.
You still see hand written notes with this lucky complaint. But does
it, or did it ever save your from writing a check to the city?
it, or did it ever save your from writing a check to the city?
I find this striking; almost frightening. Would you stop and
investigate a manned vehicle displaying this sign. A
preprinted sign?
investigate a manned vehicle displaying this sign. A
preprinted sign?