The Brooks Review

Year: 2011

  • ‘Shutting Down My Porno Site’

    Pat Dryburgh on shutting down his Simple Desks website:
    >Just pointless, casual, look-at-this-empty-fucking-desk-you’ll-never-have porn.

    This kind of awareness is rare. Good for Pat for making the decision that’s never easy.

  • Last Idiotic Post of 2011?

    Ben Kunz is trying for that honor with two choice passages in his latest piece of … article:
    >Jobs’s quote is good advice for his successor as chief executive officer, Tim Cook, who needs a hit.

    *Clearly* Cook needs a hit to turn around the flailing Apple since Jobs’ passing. *Clearly*. It’s not like Apple is, I don’t know, the most valuable company or anything. ((Ok so when I wrote this Apple’s market cap was below Exxon’s. Which *clearly* invalidates everything I say here. *Clearly*. So how about we just agree that I meant Tech company.))

    Then:

    >Could Apple put holograms in every home, break the stranglehold of cable companies, and unlock a $14 billion TV revenue stream? It’s an audacious and perhaps crazy idea.

    Sounds like a joke, but then Kunz follows it up with:

    >Tim Cook, I like the way you think.

    Oh goodness. Anyone who thinks that Apple will enter the TV market by just competing on a feature basis — which is what a hologram TV would be — is an idiot in my book.

    Does anyone even want a hologram TV? I mean a [Holodeck](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holodeck), hell yes, but hologram? That’s *so* 1980.

  • The B&B Podcast – Episode 40: The Last Show of 2011

    My cats fight a little in this episode, so that’s an added bonus for everyone. We talk about the past year and the coming year as well as site redesigns and using iPads with keyboards.

  • Tweet of the Day: @Harrymccracken

    “When Verizon says it won’t charge $2 for online payments, it’s saying it’ll get $2 out of you in some less obvious manner. Some victory.”
    — Harry McCracken (@harrymccracken) December 30, 2011

  • Verizon Says It’s Scrapping $2 Online-Payment Fee

    CNN:
    >Verizon Wireless said it will scrap proposed $2 fee for one-time payments, citing “customer feedback.”

    Just what did they think the “customer feedback” would be? Joy?

  • Automate Your Dropbox

    It’s like ifttt for Dropbox. There’s actually some pretty neat things that it can do too.

  • bitpocket

    Roll your own Dropbox using the extra storage on any server you have SSH access to.

  • Insync, Dropbox Like Syncing, Not the Band

    Jon Russell:
    >Shortly after loading, it will request access to your Google account, from which it creates a new ‘Dropbox’ folder which contains physical copies of all the files on your Google Docs account. The rest is easier, as Insync updates your Google Docs account with any changes you make to the files on your PC or Mac.

    This solves the biggest problem I had with Google Docs, nice.

  • ‘It’s Time to Give GoDaddy a Break’

    [Meet Todd Wasserman](http://mashable.com/2011/12/30/its-time-to-give-godaddy-a-break/), an idiot. ((Via [Stephen Hackett](http://512pixels.net/mashable-its-time-to-cut-go-daddy-a-break/).)) He starts off just dandy:

    >First, the obvious: Go Daddy runs horrible, sexist Super Bowl ads.

    Yep.

    >In addition, those who believe, as I do, that Go Daddy was on the wrong side of the SOPA issue, should also have no qualms if they cut their ties with the company before it changed course.

    For sure.

    >What’s troubling, however, is the anger against the company for not fully internalizing the opposition to SOPA. It seems as if nothing short of a North Korean-style show of emotion will convince Go Daddy haters at this point and that’s just weird. People even got ticked off that it took Go Daddy a full four days — and this was over the Christmas weekend mind you — to get off the House’s list of SOPA supporters.

    Wrong. What’s troubling is that GoDaddy thinks that SOPA was OK and that they weren’t against it from the outset. It doesn’t matter how long it took them to respond, or over which weekend this erupted, nor does it matter if they now publicly denounce SOPA. What matters is that they still likely think SOPA is ok.

    That’s not that hard to understand and the fact that Wasserman can’t understand that shows why is opinion isn’t really that interesting. He then devolves to talking about Kelly Clarkson and Ron Paul… yay?

    Let’s recap the GoDaddy problems as I see them:

    1. Horriblely sexist ads that shove a scantly clad Joan Rivers in my face.
    2. A crappy website that makes it nearly impossible to properly manage domains — thier primary business.
    3. No respect for customers (see point 2).
    4. Elephant hunting.
    5. Supporting SOPA and thinking nothing of that support.
    6. Did I mention the Joan Rivers thing?

    >Now that Go Daddy has unequivocally opposed SOPA, haters are still up in arms because the company seems to have only done it because its business was at risk. Wasn’t this the point?

    I mean shouldn’t we all do business with unethical copmanies so long as they cave to the will of the loudest complainer — afterall it makes good business sense for them…

    *Idiot.*

    **Update:** [They also helped write SOPA](http://donttreadonmike.com/2011/12/24/godaddy-not-only-helped-write-sopa-they-are-also-exempt-from-it-scumbags/?queenelizabeth), but you know they now claim not to support it so who cares. Right? RIGHT? ((Via [
    Dan Gribbin](https://twitter.com/dangribbin/status/152813768571756545)))

  • Amazon Item of the Week: SOG Twitch II Knife

    My little sister and her boyfriend gave me this knife for Christmas and I love it. It’s my new everday carry knife. It feels fantastic, is a bit bigger than my other carry, but very slim. It is heavier though, yet I don’t mind that.

    It also opens faster than any other knife I have ever owned. I find it quite nice too look at and to hold.

    What a great gift.

  • Missing the Point

    Peter Burrows penned a post basically urging Apple to start licensing patents to Android handset makers and thus begin to make more money. He says repeatedly that Apple won’t be able to stop Android devices from being sold and thus their attempts to do so are futile.

    I say Burrows is completely missing the point. ((Shocking, I know.))

    It’s pretty clear to everyone that Steve Jobs had one goal: stop Android from ripping off Apple patents. Largely referred to as “copying”. With Jobs gone you have to consider how on board Cook and the board of Apple are with that plan — and I think a reasonable assumption is that they are on board for now.

    So we know the goal and the people in charge seem to back that goal. The plan is self-evident: lawsuits.

    That just leaves the *why*.

    Why does Apple care about this? If they only cared because they feel like they should be getting paid, then yes licensing is the best option — but it seems pretty damned clear that is not the why as Apple sees it.

    I don’t know the why here, but if I had to guess I would say that Apple only wants users to have an iOS experience on an iOS device. And if that is the why, then licensing doesn’t solve a damned thing.

  • Verizon Wireless To Charge You To Conveniently Pay Your Bill

    Marguerite Reardon:
    >Verizon Wireless plans to charge subscribers a new $2 fee every time they pay their wireless bills online or directly over the phone.

    Can you hear me *now*?

  • ‘The Social Networks’

    Justin Williams on how he views his website/blog as a social network:

    >I consider this site to be the landing ground for everything that I consider most important. I publish the content I care most about here because I own every pixel of the experience. It is also a great launchpad to push fine readers like yourself to other areas of the Internet that I frequent or want to share.

    I never thought about this site acting as a “social network”, but after reading this I can’t help but to say: “ditto”.

  • ‘The Infographic Plague Is Just Laziness’

    Well said, but I don’t get the thinking that you should grab an infographic and upload it to your site and post it on your site. That seems trashy to me when a link to the infographics original post is far more beneficial for the entire Internet.

    Then again I never undertsood the “more pageviews!!!!” mentality.

  • Japan Gets Wi-Fi Dispensing Vending Machines

    Serkan Toto for Aol on new Japanese beverage vending machines that come equipped with free WiFi:
    >After logging in, users will see various location-specific information on the home screen, for example on local stores, or sightseeing spots.

    Seem ridiculous to most I am sure, but there are *a lot* of vending machines in Japan — and from what I have expereinced of the culture this will probably work out well for Asahi.

  • ‘Family Apple’

    Hugh Sissling:
    >In 3 years, Apple has made and sold us 19 products, all of which throughout the family are considered some of the best purchases they have made.

    The incredible thing about this story: it doesn’t seem that uncommon anymore.

    This holiday weekend was pretty comical to me because every time someone got a text message everyone checked their phones — because everyone has an iPhone with the same text-tone. More surprising is that no one asked me which phone or computer to get — they just wanted to know which iPad to get and if they should wait for the *next* iPad.

  • Smart Alec Review: Part II

    In part one I talked about my day-to-day usage of the Tom Binh Smart Alec and how it felt to switch from a messenger bag to a backpack. In part II I am going to talk about using the Smart Alec as my only bag for a short weekend away.

    But first some follow-up on part one:

    • I still very much like using a backpack over a messenger/should bag.
    • My only remaining frustration is the friction that is involved in putting on the second strap. Whether the bag gets caught by literal friction of the strap against my clothing, or is hung up on my watch face — I have yet to find it easy to don both straps. I don’t know if this is my inexperience here or if I am just doing it wrong, but it is annoying the crap out of me.
    • I have started advocating to people I know that carry heavy shoulder bags that they should switch to backpacks. I didn’t see that coming.
    • I am really loving the modular-ness of having smaller bags inside my Smart Alec to quickly add and remove a mass of things.
    • I have also posted some photos of the bag on my back, since many of you have asked for that.

    Background on Travel

    Before I dive into using this bag as a weekender I think it is important to give you an idea of the type of weekend I am talking about and my general travel style (as we all travel differently). For starters the trip I am basing this one on is one that I do 6-10 times a year.

    It is a trip down to Portland, OR to visit with my wife’s family. We stay with in-laws and not in a hotel. I have done this trip well over 60 times in the last 4 years. ((No I am not bad at math, I do the trip 6-10 times a year now. In previous years I was doing this trip every other week.)) That’s to say this is a trip I am very familiar with and thus know exactly what I will need every time.

    With each passing year I also pare down what I need to bring with me as I travel. I don’t need a ton of clothes — I know what I can wear a couple of times and what I will need for different activities. I travel light — not as light as others — but I travel lighter than most.

    Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, I travel light because I don’t care if I have to go buy something I have at home to better enjoy my trip — I just care about traveling light. That is if I didn’t pack clothes to go do activity X, I would just go buy the clothes to do activity X while away and not worry about having failed to pack something.

    I also stopped packing in rolling suitcases quite a while ago. I much prefer the MLC from Patagonia. It holds more, holds it better, and stows away in overhead bins much easier than other bags.

    The Trip

    I was bound and determined to pack everything for a three day and two night trip away in just the Smart Alec. I honestly had no idea if everything I needed/wanted to bring would fit in the bag, but I laid it all out without concern for what would and wouldn’t fit. It all fit with room to spare, here’s what I packed (in full):

    • One button down oxford shirt.
    • One thin sweater.
    • Four pairs of socks.
    • Two pairs of boxers.
    • Two undershirts.
    • One pair of jeans.
    • Toothpaste (full size tube).
    • Toothbrush.
    • Hair goop.
    • Deodorant (full size).
    • Allergy medicine.
    • Nasal spray (prescription).
    • Electric razor.
    • Finger nail clippers.
    • Comb.
    • Origami keyboard case and stand (with keyboard).
    • iPad 2.
    • Surefire 6PX Pro (why not?).
    • Glif+.
    • Joby Gorillapod Zoom.
    • iPad VGA adapter.
    • HDMI Cable.
    • Belkin 3-Port Surge.
    • iPad Charger.
    • iPhone Charger.
    • iPad HDMI Adapter.
    • 4 AA Batteries.
    • USB to Micro USB 6”.
    • Flask w/ Chivas Regal 12yo.
    • All the goodies listed in part 1.
    • ESEE 4 Knife ((I actually didn’t realize this was at the bottom of the bag until I started writing this list. It has been at the bottom for a while I gather since I tossed it in there for a potential review after getting it.))

    All of that fit in the Smart Alec with room to spare. I did remove the Brain Cell since my MacBook Air wasn’t accompanying me on this trip to gain some extra space. (The clothing was strategically placed to pad my iPad 2.) That is pretty surprising to me, but it was only the beginning of my surprises.

    What surprised me the most was just how much I loved the modular nature of my packing with the Smart Alec. Two small bags for my toiletries (one is TSA approved for liquids, too small for everything) one Snake Charmer for all my electronic goodies and my small pouch for the often used accessories. It was truly great to just pull out a little bag of items when I needed to get something instead of digging through large pockets filled with these items.

    With all this in the bag it carried surprisingly well and allowed me to keep both hands free to carry gifts and my wife’s rolling luggage when we arrived places.

    Smart Alec vs. MLC

    As I mentioned above my go to bag for weekend to week long trips is the Patagonia MLC. It’s large, comes with a shoulder strap and backpack straps. I always thought it was a pretty nice and compact bag to carry, but I usually also carried a messenger bag in addition to it.

    Do you know how difficult it is to carry a messenger bag and a suitcase type bag when each just have one strap to go across your body?

    It’s very difficult and certainly not comfortable.

    The most striking difference between these two bags though is how I had to fold my clothes. In order to maximize space I had to fold my clothes into much smaller bits in order to pack them in the Smart Alec well. This isn’t a problem for underwear, jeans, t-shirts and the like — but it is a problem if you have something you want to keep wrinkle free.

    In the winter this is less of a problem since most of my shirts go under sweaters, but I can imagine this becoming quite frustrating in the summer months when button down shirts aren’t hidden under the warmth of a sweater. I am not sure of what the solution here is, perhaps some type of packing cube thing.

    Beyond that I can see this bag being a far better bag for weekend trips than the MLC — it is just far more compact and controllable.

    I felt quite nimble.

    Weekender Bag Verdict

    As you can tell by now I am smitten with this bag. I think it makes for a great weekend bag just given the surprising amount of stuff that it can hold. The bonus to using this bag as your day to day bag and as a weekend getaway bag is that you need not transfer around a bunch of little times as you would if you were using two different bags.

    That in itself makes this a great choice.

    I had enough room left over that I felt as though I could have packed tighter and squeezed in the Brain Cell with my MacBook Air, or just tossed my Canon 5D on top of everything else that I packed — that’s a nice option to have.

    I never once was uncomfortable carrying all the weight in the bag and was glad on 4-5 occasions to have both hands totally free. I highly recommend this bag for day to day usage and weekend getaway usage.

    Next Up:

    In part three of this series I will be looking at using this bag as part of a larger kit for traveling to a conference. Look for that after Macworld.

  • Quote of the Day: Matt Gemmell

    “A review is the forming of an opinion, and a write-up of your review is the expression of that opinion. That’s what reviewing means.”

  • [Sponsor] OmniGraffle

    Creating in OmniGraffle: a five-step introduction attempt in less than 140 words.

    Desired outcome: a new mockup of WebsiteThing.

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  • ‘I Might Get a Wireless Keyboard’

    David Chartier shares a great “post-pc” story.