Saturday, September 22, 2012

Weekend report

All's quiet here.  I am doing nothing of excitement this weekend, which is likely a harbinger of the next many weekends to come.  No major projects in the works but a whole lot of responsibilities stemming from my recent promotion at work and simultaneously heading up the local BB Gun team. 

And for today it amounts to laundry, some light cleaning, and scraping the outdoor window frames before I give them a touch-up coat of white paint.

No hunting in the near future.  I haven't yet read the state's forecast but I wouldn't be surprised if the pheasant population is down this year given the drought and high temps.   Hmmm, maybe Geoana and I can just get out to the gun range and blast away some clays. 

Upgraded the iMac to Mountain Lion.  Like it, but some of the features will not see any use from me.  Such as the share button in the Safari browser that can immediately link what I am currently viewing into a Twitter or Facebook post.  I don't have accounts on either of these services and never will.  That's a subject for a whole different blog entry.  However I am enjoying some of the other tools built into the OS, such as Dictation (did just about a whole blog post a few entries back via the Mac's built-in microphone with only light editing needed from the keyboard).  I also find iMessage useful, I can text with Geogal right from the Mac.  The notifications panel is much improved and overall the entire interface is very smooth.

Next order of business is to upgrade my iPhone and Geoana's iPad to iOS 6.  Geogal already has done so with her iPhone and immediately noticed not only is the native YouTube application gone, but she couldn't install the one offered by Google currently (her system said "you already have this app," or something to that effect).  Probably just a bug the nerds in Cupertino can fix before too long.

Now that fall's here the tech news is heating up.  Not only did iPhone 5 just hit the market but Microsoft is planning an event for late October, likely to roll out Windows 8.  Is this also when the Surface will be released?  Or even give a release date?  With pricing?  With demo units that won't freeze up while onstage?

You already know about Amazon's new line of Kindles.  (With the tech press so eager to declare something, anything, "the iPad killer!")  I'd say Walt Mossberg at All Things D is more accurate when he deemed it topnotch for watching or reading Amazon's content, but not great as an overall tablet.

My guess about reactions to the new Kindles?  Apple:  "You don't even know what we have up our sleeve!"  Google:  "We have deep pockets."   Barnes and Noble:  "whimper"

And if Apple will indeed roll out a product that will fall between the iPod touch and iPad, (the iPad mini, perhaps?  Or iPad nano?)  you can bet it will not be long before said creation hits the market, what with the holiday season approaching and all.

Interesting times. 

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