January 2012
6 posts
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b-mobile fail follow up
Following my post from a few days ago I was advised to contact the b-mobile Help Desk. The result can be capsulated in the following two tweets. I am considering my next move and any potential reaction from b-mobile.
Re: sb1.tumblr.com/post/158687175… @bmobile_jci’s service desk says: Yes, the speed is very slow. Consider switching to another provider. 1/2— Chad Kohalyk (@chadkoh) January...
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Watchmashable:
“Because the biggest producers of content on the Internet are not Google and Yahoo — they’re us – we’re the ones getting policed. The real threat to the enactment of PIPA and SOPA is our ability to share things with one another.”
-Clay Shirky, in his “emergency” TED talk about SOPA and why it would create a “consumption-only Internet.”
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b-mobile fail
I have a had a really tough time in Japan so far. Free WiFi in Kyoto is nearly non-existent. The choppy Shijo network is my only oasis, and it is pretty grimy. Being disconnected from the web tough as someone who is a trying to start a web business, does a podcast on the side, and is trying to keep in touch with everyone in general via Twitter and Flickr.
Thus I was excited when my b-mobile SIM...
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My year in books
In 2011 I challenged myself on Goodreads to read 40 books. I had read 32 in 2010, so I set a stretch goal. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to achieve it. That was understandable considering that I read The Name of the Wind, Wise Man’s Fear and the first 2 and half books from the Song of Ice and Fire series. I should get bonus points considering for those…
Most of the books I read I...
December 2011
5 posts
1 tag
Beginning Rails
Well, I have finally completed the Ruby on Rails Tutorial: Learn Rails by Example by Michael Hartl. It was pretty tough for me, and even now I think I only get about 70% of the content. There is no way I am ready to write my own Rails app. But I am no programmer. I know HTML and CSS quite well, have a bit of knowledge about databases and can hack together a JavaScript by leaning heavily on Google....
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Smartphone penetration in Japan: Some numbers
New Straits Times quotes MMRI:
Japan’s smart phone sales — 23.3 million this year — account for 56 per cent of the total mobile phone sales of the year
Yet, TomiAhonen Consulting, based on Ipsos data, ranks Japan’s smartphone penetration at just 14% per capita, tied 33rd with Brazil and Romania in a ranking of 42 countries. They follow that number with a caveat:
...
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A new study finds that atheists are among... →
Possibly a bit of a sensationalist headline, but there is a key take-away in the final graf about battling anti-atheism:
“If you manage to offer credible counteroffers of these stereotypes, this can do a lot to undermine people’s existing prejudice,” he said. “If you realize there are all these atheists you’ve been interacting with all your life and they haven’t raped your children that is...
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November 2011
3 posts
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Old: Impressions of San Francisco
My visit to Silicon Valley last week was great fun. I able to make a pilgrimage to the mothership and visit with some old friends. Best of all I was able to spend time in America, with Americans from all over, which is always an eye-opening experience. As a Canadian, America can be a surprising place to visit simply because of all the subtle differences. America is like a parallel universe,...
October 2011
3 posts
1 tag
Busy week?
Things I have done this week:
mocked up 2 websites
met with a client to clear one of the mocks
edited a 25 min podcast episode
deployed a new website
released a new podcast on iTunes
bought a MacBook Air
bought tickets to Japan
packed up all of my belongings and put them in storage (with the help of 2 great mates)
moved out of my apartment
read 60% of Steve Jobs
worked a full-time job
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Lining Things Up →
My new project: a bi-weekly interview show about creatives and entrepreneurs in Vancouver and greater British Columbia. Just released the first episode.
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September 2011
1 post
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Homeless
About I week ago I mentioned on Twitter that the condo we live in has been sold. The new owner wants to move in as soon as possible, thus we have made an agreement to leave by October 29th.
This decision has forced our hand somewhat.
After considering our options, we have decided to have the baby (which we are tentatively calling “Maya”) in Japan. The baby is due late January. I...
August 2011
5 posts
1 tag
Winter is Coming
Remember back a few months ago when I was in the ER with my wife who had stomach pain?
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Lionize your Bookmark Icons with emoji
Using the UTF characters to save real estate in your Bookmarks Bar is an old trick, tried and true. Now, with emoji in Lion, you can spice up your Bookmarks Bar with some colorful characters. See the before/after below:
click to enlarge
It also syncs perfectly to the iPhone as well:
click to enlarge
Call for feedback →
I have an idea for a new venture and am looking for your help.
July 2011
5 posts
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Why don’t women get drag-and-drop?
I have noticed over the past few years that new or novice computer users that fail in certain types of drag-and-drop operations are overwhelmingly female. This is purely anecdotal, and I may be suffering from confirmation bias, but I find this an interesting path of investigation. Hopefully someone out there can draw some light on this topic.
Advanced D&D
Typical drag-and-drop operations...
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The March
My daughter and I have this little tradition. After our bath, I wrap her up in her hooded bath towel and we walk to her room humming the tune to the Imperial March.
DUM DUM DUM, DUM DA DUM, DUM DAD DUM
Once we get to her room, she throws off her towel and does a little naked jig.
I like to imagine Vader doing the same after getting out of the shower.
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June 2011
8 posts
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The Problem with Facebook in Japan →
Interesting analysis from Adam Acar. See the Risks in part 3.
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“But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay:
for whatsoever is more than...”
– Matthew 5-37
Some religious advice on avoiding nuance. Sure worked out for them…
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iOS devices:computers::telephone:telegraph
Reading Gleick’s The Information, specifically his discussion about the telephone supplanting the telegraph, made me think of iOS devices and their relationship to general computers.
Gleick argues that one reason for the explosion in telephone adoption compared to the telegraph was that no new skills had to be learned. Forget learning to translate from Morse to the alphabet, forget...
May 2011
3 posts
1 tag
Program or be Programmed by Douglas Rushkoff →
Rushkoff’s appeal for a wider understanding of our rapidly changing technological environment seems like it might be the typical anachronistic song for simpler times, heard throughout humankind’s history of technology. It is more subtle than that. Rushkoff broaches a commonly heard criticism in his final chapter when he asks, “We all know how to drive our cars, yet few of us know...
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April 2011
2 posts
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The HIG is undead
Yesterday’s was a great episode of Hypercritical by @siracusa about Apple’s (lack of) UI consistency. This topic struck a cord with me as someone who spends their days teaching new computer users.
As a teacher, my gut reaction is to hate apps that do not follow the HIG.
I understand Tog’s argument about GUI quote-unquote “bandwidth” which has expanded enormously...
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March 2011
6 posts
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February 2011
2 posts
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“I would love Stojkovic to be my successor, there are a hundred reasons for that....”
– Arsene Wenger Wants Dragan Stojkovic To Replace Him
As a Grampus supporter this is cool. Great recognition. But as a Spurs supporter… I don’t want Pixy to become a Gooner.
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January 2011
5 posts
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