My Little Guys

Having fun in their bouncy seats for the first time!

Windows vs. Walls

I love Microsoft’s new Windows campaign. Not the Seinfeld / Gates commercials about nothing, but the NEW new Windows campaign.

The commercial begins with a PC-looking fellow quite similar to the one featured in Mac vs. PC ads who states simply, “I’m a PC, and I’ve been made into a stereotype.” Then a montage of people from every walk of life, varied professions, and from around around the world begin stating that they too are PCs. The variety of folks runs the gamut from Eva Longoria to Deepak Chopra, to the guy who says. “I’m a PC—and I’ve got a beard.”

The ad does a great job of going up against the Mac ads without directly confronting them. It conveys that everyday people in everyday life use Windows and manages to make Apple seem even more snobbish than before. My favorite line is from the professional boxer at the end of the “I’m a PC” ad: while holding down his opponent, he looks at the camera and says, “Got a problem with that?”

Open Source

As mentioned in an earlier post, I recently paid about $200 for the latest version of Microsoft Office. I am a Vista user--one who hasn't experienced it as terribly as everyone else apparently has--and decided I wanted to upgrade my business mail and contacts to Office 2007. After installation I noticed that besides a new interface and a few improved features, there wasn't a whole lot there that I didn't have already with Office 2003. This of course, got me thinking. Should I have spent that money on baby formula instead?

While reading various tech web-sites, I ran across something called OpenOffice.org, which is a complete suite of office applications that is entirely free. Out of curiosity, I downloaded and installed them without a hitch. I fired up Writer, a word processing program strikingly similar to MS Word, and found it to be completely capable and fully featured. The same went for all the programs--all easy to use and similar to their paid counterparts. Writer reads and saves as Word's .doc file format, so not even compatibility is an issue.

All this got me thinking again: why did I pay money for something that does the same thing? Granted, MS Office is significantly better looking, but looks aren't everything...

Dustin & Shyla

A few photos from an engagement shoot.

 

Like Father, Like Sons

No, my 4-month-olds aren't really playing Nintendo DS, but it made for some pretty cute photos. It looks like a little, baby-sized MacBook! I can only hope that one day, my sons will share their daddy's love for Nintendo...

Taking Better iPhone Photos

If there's one thing I have complaints about concerning the iPhone, it's the camera. All in all, I have more complaints than that but let's focus this post on making the most out of a mediocre situation. At a rather meager 2 megapixels and lacking a flash of any kind, it can be tricky to get photos that aren't blurry, let alone acceptable to share with anyone. The addition of more megapixels would most likely create even more problems due to the technical limitations of the iPhone's lens, but if certain requirements are met, the little do-it-all device can be useful in a pinch as is. Most of these techniques apply to photography in general and are extremely useful for any kind of camera phone.

It should go without saying that lighting is one of the most important aspect of taking a great photo regardless of what camera you're using. It becomes even more crucial when using a lower quality lens such as those found on most camera phones. The iPhone's lens is very sensitive to different lighting situations which is more of a good thing than bad.

Let's examine the photos of the flowers to the right. In the first shot the camera underexposed the subject due to the bright window in the background. In the second shot, I moved so that the wall would become the background, resulting in a much better exposure. Even light, such as outdoors on an overcast day, results in great looking photos.

In addition to good lighting, another step you can take is get close (but not too close) to your subject. In my experience, the iPhone's camera lens focuses best at about 2-10 feet. Any closer, and the subject is blurry. Any further away and the subject can get lost in the composition.

Another step to getting the most out of your iPhone's lens is to keep a very steady hand while shooting. Since a tripod is not an option with the iPhone, try bracing the device against a wall, tree, lamp-post, or any other steady object you may find handy. This is very useful in low-light situations where camera shake is much more obvious.

Lastly, don't be afraid to get creative with your photography. Get low to ground or stand in a chair. Anything you can do to make the shot more interesting could turn a good photo into a great photo. It won't do much good if the other ideal conditions are met when taking a shot, if the composition is poor. Stand in a location and frame the shot to draw maximum attention to the subject.

Good use of ambient light, getting up close and personal, holding the iPhone steady, and great composition of your subject can all lead to better photography in general, and can make a huge difference when taking pictures with your iPhone.

Trying out Windows Live

There's a sweet little suite of programs from Microsoft that I've been exploring lately, Windows Live. It consists of 5 main downloadable programs, some of which are upgrades or replacements to their counterparts in Windows Vista. These include Windows Live Mail (an upgrade to Windows Mail), Windows Live Photo Gallery (an upgrade to Windows Photo Gallery), Live Messenger (the latest iteration of MSN Messenger), Windows Live Writer (a blogging tool that I am using to create this post), and Live Toolbar (which I didn't install and therefore have no firsthand experience with).

In addition to the programs that exist on your PC, Windows Live also features web-based services such as SkyDrive, a free, 5GB cloud-storage service which I have already found to be very useful and easy to use.

I was able to install the entire suite (sans-toolbar) in under 8 minutes. I appreciate the modular nature of the installation--I was able to easily choose which programs to install and which to ignore. I also like not having to wait for the next version of Windows to get updated versions of Mail and Photo Gallery.

My favorite Live application is Writer, a blogging tool that integrates seamlessly with popular services such a Blogger and WordPress. I am able to insert photos and formatting much easier than before and save drafts on my desktop locally.

Visit http://get.live.com for more information.

Summer Lake Landscapes

Here are some photos I took at Arcadia lake this summer. The one with the lighter fluid is my favorite for some reason.

The New Minesweeper

Windows Vista ships with an updated version of Minesweeper. Showing just exactly how often I actually play Windows' built-in games, I hadn't noticed this fact in the year I've been using Vista. The new Minesweeper, which plays exactly as previous versions, features a slick futuristic theme, complete with sci-fi sound effects and animated explosions. Lacking, sadly, is the classic yellow smiley face.

Apple’s MobileMe Service Is an Uninvited Pest

There's bad news for Windows users who have no intention of ever using Apple's MobileMe service. In a move that would have the world up-in-arms if perpetrated by Microsoft, Apple has decided to sneak MobileMe installation onto your computer in the latest update to iTunes. There's no way to opt-out, there's not even any notification that it's being installed. It just appears in the user's control panel after updating iTunes to version 7.7, unsolicited and without any form of consent whatsoever. When clicked on, a window opens inviting users to "learn more" about MobileMe, Apple's successor to its .Mac service, making this icon nothing more than an advertisement.



There's a term for unwanted software that shows up without the consent of the user. Adware. Apple has decided to install adware on my PC in hopes that I will "see the light" and subscribe to a $99 per month service that I don't want or need.

The best part of all this is that there is no way whatsoever to uninstall or otherwise get rid of this software. If you choose to remove all of what Apple calls "Mobile Device Support" in the Remove Program dialog, iTunes will no longer sync or recognize your iPhone or iPod Touch. Lovely.

This infringement of my right to choose what takes up space on my computer is infuriating. Apple needs to supply an uninstaller or a way to opt out of installation in the first place. "Apple & MobileMe. It Just Works. Whether You Want it to, Or Not."

My New Favorite

I have a new favorite thing. Now without making this into some kind of advertisement, I have to say I am thoroughly hooked on Vanilla Iced Coffee from McDonald's. I have found that the sweetness varies from store to store, but for the most part they are consistenly delicious.

The only other flavor I've tried is hazelnut, and while good, it lacked a certain "I don't know what." The other slightly discouraging turn of events came when I decided to look up the nutrition facts on McDonald's.com. Let's just say there are healthier things I could be drinking every day.

Unfortunate calorie issues aside, the caffiene boost I rely on after particularly sleepless nights trying to get my babies to fall asleep comes through loud and clear. The price is well below anything from "other" coffee shops, so give it a try and let me know what you think.

iPhone 1.0 is Good Enough for Me

I have a weakness. I am addicted to technology. I peruse weekly ads looking at the newest and fastest computers just in case my computer suddenly becomes inadequate. I go to Best Buy “just to look” at all the wonderful new digital cameras so tantalizingly on display. I have Ars Technica, Gizmodo, IGN, and many other tech news feeds funneled to me directly via Google Reader and I check for updates several times a day.

I realize I have a problem and they tell me that is the first step.

Google Reader was checked a few more times than usual on Monday during the World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2008, the event which at which Apple would pull back the curtain on the new iPhone 3G.

As mentioned in a previous post, I have only recently become an iPhone user. I can’t really say how or why I held out as long as I did, only that for some reason it never really clicked with me. As much of a tech-whore as I am, the original price of the thing was simply too much. $599 for 8GB of memory? Thank you, no.

Nearly a year later, for some unknown reason, I walked into an AT&T store and went home with an 8GB iPhone for $399, knowing full well that a new version was just over the horizon.

Back to the announcement. Apparently Apple and AT&T have decided to sell the new iPhone at a subsidized cost of $199 for an 8GB and $299 for a 16GB. At first this sounded oh-so-bittersweet to my tech-hungry ears. But here’s the thing. The new “faster” 3G network will come at a premium and instead of paying only $20 a month for unlimited data and 200 text messages included, I would get to pay $30 a month with zero text messages included. And according to Steve Jobs’ key note speech, the iPhone 3G speed is only roughly 2.5 times faster than the current iPhone’s EDGE speed. Again, thank you, no.

By the time my newly re-signed 2-year contract with AT&T is up people will be clamoring for the iPhone 4 which of course will have a 12 MP camera, a 320GB solid state drive, will actually have the ability to send and receive MMS, and will brew your morning coffee. All of this will be mine for just $49.99 and a new 7-year contract.

My Sons

My boys and I enjoyed the beautiful weather out on our back patio. Until the mosquitos arrived, that is, cutting short our pleasant evening.

iPhone

I finally broke down and got an iPhone last week. I really like it so far, but it's missing some key features in my opinion (the lack of support for MMS for one thing). It also may not have been the best time to purchase one with the release of the newer iPhone models expected in June. I will get some more use in, and write up a full Chris review soon.

My Other Baby

Here is his brother. They were both born at 11:26 am so it will be difficult for either of them to argue his status as eldest.

My baby

Here is one of my twin boys!

Babies' Room

We have nearly got the babies' room done! We used earth-tones that complimented the bedding and wall-paper my wife chose. We still lack a few peices of furniture and the bedding to complete the room. Putting together two cribs at one time was a trying experience.



Here is Jen enjoying her gliding chair. Less than 3 months to go!



My mom made a cake for the baby shower that matched the decor in the babies' room. She created each of the animal characters and the "ribbon" out of fondue dough, even mixing the colors herself.

Alone

I've been on a black & white kick lately. I thought this chair was quite sombre sitting alone on my back deck. The lack of color adds to the feeling of loneliness. I like how there are many different groups of lines in this photo. The planks of the deck and fence, and the stripes in the chair all tie together nicely.

Jen

My wife had just awakened from a nap when I shot this photo using natural light from a window. She is almost 7 months pregnant.

Ring

I had seen a photo like this somewhere on the internet, so I don't by any means take credit for the idea. I used natural light for this photo and an ISO setting of 1600. I had to take the photo from several angles before I was satisfied with the shadow the ring casts. I wish the "heart" was more obvious, but I am overall satisfied with the result.

Babies!

My wife and I are expecting our first children (twins boys!) in June. We're very excited. Now we will just have to agree on names.

Hope everyone had as wonderful a Christmas and New Years and we did.

God Bless,

Chris