We went to Wingstop. It was a cool sunny day when we talked about:
- The school shooting in Connecticut. This is the reason why we all need to start packing concealed guns, so we can protect ourselves against murderers out there!
- Why is it only African-American people can call themselves “black people”?
- Recommended movies: The Other Guys and Tropic Thunder.
- Spreading rumors: Pauly Shore’s illegitimate father was Rodney Dangerfield. Keep it on the low! YMMV.
- NFC feature on the new Android phones. Gotta touch each other, or not? Fast or slow? I’m an iPhone guy, so I don’t really care. B-)
- Aquabats: A local musician group. Good show for kids!
- Alfonso Ribeiro, aka. “Carlton” from ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel Air”, moon-walked with Michael Jackson in this classic 1984 Pepsi commercial:
There was a Facebook Meme earlier this year to post the #1 song during the week of one’s birthday. Apparently, mine was “Jude” by The Beatles:
I’ve been an Apple fan since the iPhone 3G.1 I appreciated their attention to functional details and widely available accessories. So naturally, I invested some money into their products, all the way to the iPhone 5.
But with the introduction of the 4th generation iPad, this is where I’m drawing the line. I’ve just purchased the 3rd generation iPad in May and now it’s rendered obsolete? That doesn’t sit well with me. If I want my device to get old quick, I would’ve bought an Android device. Apple products are suppose to last longer, at least 12 months between refreshes.
This surprise refresh for iPad lineup is a strange one. It’s not even a huge leap forward. My thought is, Apple is mainly trying to sell their Lightning-based accessories, which will give them huge profits in the short term, since they don’t license to third-party manufacturers. Small incremental change in tech is not typical for Apple – post Steve Jobs era.
Now, there’s not much else I want from Apple. I never wanted to get a Macbook, as I’m happy with the cheaper (and Enterprise approved) Wintel Ultrabook. I don’t want an Apple TV, as I’m perfectly fine with my custom built HTPC. My iPad 3 has retina display and more than capable for consuming media (Flipboard, Netflix, etc.) My iPhone 5 is going to be my last iPhone because, so far, Apple has no interest in making a bigger screen version2.
So thanks, Apple for the wonderful iPhones and iPads. It’s the end of the line for me. I must now disembark the Apple bandwagon.
There was a Verizon FIOS commercial that asked the question: How many devices do you have (at home) use the Internet? Good question. I started counting:
Laptops: 4
Desktops (including HTPCs): 3
Tablets: 2
SAN: 1
Smartphones: 3
Game console: 1
Disc player: 1
I have 15 devices! Barring any breakage1, this number is likely to increase. So if I’m left to my own devices, I’ll probably get more!
- Lost an iPod Touch, already [↩]
Tags: devices, electronics, tools
Mt. Fuji Through The Clouds
My family and I visited Mt. Fuji, for the first time. It was about 83 miles west of Tokyo. We took a Gray Line tour bus, complete with a tour guide.1 We were dropped off at the “5th Station” which was 2400 Meters high. People stopped here and hike their way up Mt. Fuji, hoping to circle the crater so they can be blessed. People from young and old climbed the mountain. Very dedicated (and superstitious) bunch, these Japanese. We only had 30 minutes to look around, so couldn’t do a hike even if we wanted to. In the summer, the peak of Mt. Fuji is usually covered with cloud/fog.2 It was difficult to see the top. Our tour guide got so excited when she could see just a glimpse of it, and told us to take a photo of it (right). Not exactly the postcard version, but hey, we saw it!
Nearby Mt. Fuji, there’s a small city called Hakone. It’s famous for its hot springs. We visited and took photos. After taking a cable car ride, at one of the main hot spring area, the phosphors smelled so bad, it was unbearable to stay there too long. We didn’t stay too long. We started heading down to Togendai to catch a “pirate ship” ride.
The highlight of this Hakone & Mt. Fuji trip was taking the Bullet Train (Shinkansen) back to Tokyo. Amazing speed. Wonderfully clean. Highlighting the people again, I noticed the train crew always bows before and after entering through the door. The locals didn’t notice it much, but us Americans, were just astonished by the discipline and respect to tradition. The bullet train is the symbol of modern, yet highly traditional Japan.
Shinkansen aka Japan’s Bullet Train
Building IT
Jot It Down
