Year: 2012

On the one hand I can see why the DOJ stepped in to straighten this out, but on the other all I hear is this sentence in the Bloomberg report from Bob Van Voris:

>Upholding the agency model would give publishers more control over pricing and limit discounting, helping the industry avoid sales losses as more consumers buy books online.

It seems like one of those situations where if the DOJ does find wrong doing then it could ultimately hurt consumers by way of publishers just going out of business. Then again, I have to think, what if self-publishing *is* the future?

Dan Moren makes the case for iMessage and IM to be two separate apps on the Mac and for Apple to give users greater control over iMessage.

It’s an interesting problem, but I don’t think separating the two is the solution. iMessage is great and so is IM, and they are two very different communication methods, BUT one is the future and one is the past.

I would really like to see some stats on teenage usage of IM. My guess is that outside of Facebook Chat, barely any teenagers use something like iChat or AIM. Therefore, I see what Apple is doing as keeping the legacy support of IM for users like Moren and I, while adding in support for iMessages — something that teenagers (the future user base) is likely to be using today — thus making Messages a relevant app for more users.

Those of us that like IM, may not like iMessages, but I the opposite is true of teenagers today: they are all about texting and Facebook.

I had completely forgotten about Tempus for iOS. It’s a great minimal calendar app that has a nice conitnous scrolling week view like Agenda. I like that the app has the ability to add to a specific day so you don’t need to specify that later — it also has the fast entry like its sibling, Calvetica. It’s not perfect on the iPad, but it’s a solid app. Even though I hate the icon, I’m going to give it a go as my main calendar app on my iPad — still doesn’t beat Agenda on the iPhone though.

I have been getting a lot of questions lately about how I sharpen my pocket knives. I use this little v-sharpener by Smith for most day-to-day sharpening tasks. It is also the sharpener that I take hiking/camping with me. It does a nice, but not spectacular job.

For a really sharp edge I use Japanese wet stones — they will give you an edge that will cut your finger a millimeter before the blade touches your finger. Just how I like my knives. (These are wet stones so they need to be kept, umm, wet.)

– Starter stone: [2 in 1 1000 to 6000 grit stone](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000DD2C9/ref=nosim&tag=brooksreview-20).
– [800 Grit stone, to set the blade edge](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000DD1MH/ref=nosim&tag=brooksreview-20).
– [1200 grit stone, to get a good edge](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000DD1MJ/ref=nosim&tag=brooksreview-20).
– [6000 grit stone, to get a truly sharp knife](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000DD1MK/ref=nosim&tag=brooksreview-20).
– [Wet stone holder](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000DD21Y/ref=nosim&tag=brooksreview-20) (so it stays put when you sharpen).

I grew up sharpening my knifes with these stones and I wouldn’t trade them for any other system because I like my knives to be really sharp.

Tina Barseghian:

>In terms of strategies for privacy, 90 percent of the tweens said they don’t include their full names, addresses, phone numbers, and birth dates (only day and month, not the year). About 36 percent said they embedded false information to protect their privacy, and some did so as suggested by their parents.

Hope yet.

Alexandra Chang:
>The 24-inch LCD monitor uses a built-in CMOS sensor to determine your distance from the screen and your neck angle while sitting. The monitor works with software made by DigitalOptics Corporation, and, like a worried mother, will remind you to straighten your back, keep your distance from the display, and take breaks from sitting at the computer.

Awesome, except for the fact that it is *only* 1920 x 1080.

Great new book from Stephen Hackett about life behind the Genius Bar. I’ve only had the chance to read a few chapters, but it has been a great read so far. Get it today.

I’m on it.

Fuck.

They say it will be separate, but integrated — I don’t buy it. I’m out, which frees up a spot on my homescreen. If you value your privacy you will quit too.

Its been a while since an app has made me smile this much. Good fun, even for a rhythmically and tone challenged person like me.

The Macalope:

>Still, if you had told us years ago that people would be only too happy to stand on a street corner talking loudly into a Bluetooth headset about their rash, we would have said you were crazy. And, yet, here we are. So maybe people will wear these dorky things.

Even if Mac-y is right, you’ll still look like a douche.

I love this app so much that it’s not only on my home screen, it’s in my dock. I’d write up a review, but [I’m a little busy right now](http://c276381.r81.cf1.rackcdn.com/sloane.jpg).

This is a pretty good visualization of what [I was talking about](https://brooksreview.net/2012/04/google-ly-eye-ads/).