Yeah, that too...

Thursday

11Dec

2,863 Miles

Thursday, December 11, 2008 at 05:00PM

Despite their promise, I had to fly all the way to Seattle this week to attend the iPhone Tech Talk. They didn't even come close to where I live. It was however an awesome experience. I got to meet a lot of great developers and learn things that the books don't teach you.

And I got a free T-Shirt.

For those of you that don't know, I'll be spinning up sporadicous.com as the domain for my iPhone programming efforts. I've got some great ideas brewing and hopefully I can get them to market before someone else thinks of them.

Apple

iPhone | |

The Captive Mind

Friday, December 5, 2008 at 07:30AM

I have a new favorite iPhone application, Shazam, and now because of it, a favorite new album, Keep Your Eyes Ahead by The Helio Sequence.

Shazam allows you to sample about ten seconds of any song and it will return the name of the song, the artist and provide links to iTunes where you can buy it or to YouTube's related videos. How many times have you heard songs on the radio, while shopping or even when you are watching a movie, but the only thing you know about the music is that you like it? Shazam delivers.

It has been a long time since a complete album or artist has engrossed my attention like this; last time it was Interpol's Antics that got me so wrapped up in my Zune player. While there are artists that I love, there are only a few of them that have complete albums that I enjoy from start to finish:

David Gray, Life in Slow Motion
Josh Rouse, Nashville
Interpol, Antics
The Blue Nile, Hats
Pete Yorn, musicforthemorningafter
Depeche Mode, Violator
Coldplay, X&Y

The Helio Sequence, Keep Your Eyes AheadThe song that started it all was sampled from the back of Terry Wayne's back seat while en route to dinner one night. "Keep Your Eyes Ahead", also name of the album, caught my attention because of its moderate tempo, haunting vocals and crafty guitar riffs. On a hunch, I bought the album from iTunes directly from my iPhone. I wasn't disappointed, especially with the enigmatic lyrics and guitar sequences which sound more like synthesizer loops. While all of the songs are great, one stands out as my favorite, "The Captive Mind".

Shame to shame when you fell apart
But you woke me up and the dreamer came to say,
"Please don't forget, just lay and wait"
Pain the pain when you played the part
And you took it all up when you turned your back away
"Try to forget, and we're okay."

Read the words of the captive mind
And you tried to leave the past behind
But web spun slightly, they catch those likely
To come back again, come back again

Well same the same that you've always been
When you took it all up what it took to do you in
And fall under and run away
Blame the blame on a broken heart
When you pack it all up and you make the start again
But call me up on my birthday

Read the words of the captive mind
And you tried to leave the past behind
But web spun slightly, they catch those likely
To come back again, come back again

Gone in a boat
You're drifting so
The walls you built
The push and pull
Come back again
Come back again

Well you love the love what you could've stayed
You say you'd give it all up for the Mandalay Bay
The plastic beach and passing plates
Shame the shame when you fell apart
But you hold me up and the dreamer came to say,
"Please don't forget, just lay and wait"

Read the words of the captive mind
And you tried to leave the past behind
But web spun slightly, they catch those likely
To come back again, please come back again

The Captive Mind by The Helio Sequence

Music | |

The iPhone is a Gateway Drug

Thursday, September 11, 2008 at 09:46PM

It started innocently actually, which is what every addict says at some point, when they realize they are addicted.

Everyone around me had iPods in all flavors, sizes, colors and storage capacities and I steadfastly held on to my Zune and Microsoft-centric products. I actually like them, and I probably still would still be using them had it not been for the pesky little iPhone I bought my partner for Christmas, then, he dumped me.

I still have the card neatly gift wrapped from Apple. It's a white little envelope with a bright red ribbon around it. It's so cute and a constant reminder of something although at this point I am not sure what. A lesson maybe, but I'm still not sure what kind.

The iPhone was under my elaborate Christmas tree no one ever sees because no one visits me and it didn't stay there long. I downloaded iTunes and activated it and thus began my obsession with Apple. A lot of people thought it was bound to happen and long over due.

It's funny now how people with iPhones gravitate to people with iPhones. All of my friends have one and I have made some new friends just because they have one. We shun others that have inferior phones, and pity those with Razr's. We take them out when we are bored with our company as a subtle reminder to those around us that what is waiting for us on our iPhones is slightly more important than they are.

We prominently display them on restaurant tables and on the bars of clubs.

We TXT/SMS more than we call and it has become our primary method of communication.

;-/

Then came the iPhone accessories. Cases, bluetooth headsets, Bose headphones, holsters, and applications from the AppStore. Around the Spring I got the strangest impression that I was missing something when I connected my iPhone to my Dell laptop. Luckily it died on me and I had to replace it with a MacBook Pro. In my mind, I had no other alternative.

Just when I had satisfied my Apple appetite, Jonathan Ive and Steve Jobs slaps me in the face with the 3G. I had no choice to upgrade. Black. 8gig. All new accessories, of course.

My friend DramaCop talked me down from a iMac 24" ledge last Friday. My thoughts were focused on my ancillary obsession of developing applications for the iPhone and iPod Touch platforms, and the need to have a larger screen for development. If you are not a programmer, then you wouldn't understand. Luckily, he kept me busy just long enough for BestBuy to close.

Now I have my eyes on an AppleTV and a Time Machine to protect all of those precious episodes of The West Wing I have downloaded from iTunes.

I'm not so sure there is an end although I had a break though this week; Mr. Jobs announced a new line of iPods on Tuesday and I walked away from the podcast feeling dull and numb. No breakthrough product. No new Newton. Some may call it a first step. I call it a lull.

Apple

Music

iPhone | |