The Brooks Review

Category: Links

  • Client Meetings Without Technology Getting In The Way

    Randy Murray writing about why he doesn’t like to use technology in meetings:

    It’s tempting to recreate your desktop productivity system there on the conference table, but it just gets in the way. With a set of simple tools I can listen to, capture ideas from, and make a personal connection with my customers. And they respond to that. They see that I’m interested in their stories. The effect of seeing someone physically write a note is warm and personal, not cool and clinical like typing on a keyboard. This reinforces the connection. I get people to open up and tell stories that they typically wouldn’t in a business session.

    This is interesting, but I have to respectfully disagree with Murray here and I think it comes down to the environment that you work in. In my life pulling out my iPad at meetings conveys who I am and what my company is all about. My company is always on for edge of new technologies and we market ourselves as such. I want my clients to know that with my company they are getting a company that is not stuck with paper and pens, but a company that will email you a copy of the meeting notes before you leave the room.

    I can see how technology might make someone pause, but I usually only see that when you are using a screen as a screen. That is: if you have something propped up in front of you, then you are stifling conversation. I get that people type better and faster with bluetooth keyboards or laptops or keyboard docks for their devices, but I urge you: get an iPad and use the onscreen keyboard, it opens up the space and keeps the conversation on the conversation and not on your tools.

    (One last note: I am not anti-pen and paper in meetings. I am anti-having to transcribe notes from paper to digital. Scanning is not a solution to that problem — all notes should be searchable and archivable and backed-up-able.)

  • Frank Chimero’s Setup

    Frank Chimero details out his computer setup after just switching to the top of the line 13″ MacBook Air. Overall it sounds like he loves it. I certainly can’t blame him.

    Overall it is great to see that I am not the only one making a 13″ MacBook Air work as their primary Mac.

  • Deskercise

    I am honestly disappointed that they missed that title opportunity. Anyways…Joshua Riddle offers some good types to help keep office works in shape, this tip is my favorite of the bunch:

    Practicing good posture will usually alleviate lower back and neck pain. It will help you feel more confident and in control of yourself. Sitting and standing up straight will continually build strength in your abdominal and lower back muscles.

    I don’t know about the confidence and control bit, but I do work from a standing station during parts of the day and I can say that it does in fact wear you out a bit more.

  • 26% of AT&T iPhone Owners Going to Verizon

    An interesting report that of current iPhone users on AT&T, 26% say they will move to Verizon. Out of all total AT&T subscribers just 16% say they will move to Verizon this year.

    Now this was only a poll of 4,000 users and you can question how diverse the group was, but I am guessing these are fair numbers.

    Regardless I am very interested to see what actually happens, also keep in mind Verizon still has not announced what the monthly charges for data will be for iPhone users.

  • “The Verizon iPhone 4: Promising, but Likely to Be Short-Lived”

    This bit was posted on the Consumer Reports electronics blog:

    The less iPhone-addicted consumer, on the other hand, may want to hold off for a newer version of the iPhone before even considering whether to buy one.

    The best part about this is that there will soon be tangible proof of the irrelevance of Consumer Reports. By that I mean a ton of people are going to ignore this “warning” from CR and instead buy the Verizon iPhone 4.

    That said, I do agree with this statement:

    With Apple likely to ship a new iPhone generation in June or July, as it always has for the iPhone, this is a transitional phone to tide Verizon through until the summer.

    I just don’t understand why you buy a Verizon iPhone 4 now, instead of waiting until June/July to see if Apple releases an iPhone 5 at that time.

  • How Did the Duck Hunt Gun Work?

    Matt Soniak:

    When you point at a duck and pull the trigger, the computer in the NES blacks out the screen and the Zapper diode begins reception. Then, the computer flashes a solid white block around the targets you’re supposed to be shooting at. The photodiode in the Zapper detects the change in light intensity and tells the computer that it’s pointed at a lit target block — in others words, you should get a point because you hit a target.

    I must say: that Nintendo gun was one of the coolest things you could have when I was a kid — the only thing that would be cooler was the Nintendo Power Glove (you know what I’m talking about). ((But in case you don’t.))

    It is a pretty impressive solution they came up with for the gun.

  • Verizon iPhone Will Cut Into Android Growth

    John Paczkowski:

    Verizon’s original motivation for embracing Android was to offer its subscribers an iPhone-equivalent. Now that it’s able to offer them the real thing, [Charlie] Wolf feels they’ll likely opt for it over competing Android devices.

    I can see this happening.

    John Gruber:

    And check out this screenshot from Verizon Wireless’s home page — they list three categories of phones: iPhone, Smartphones, Feature Phones. That says it all.

    Verizon is done pushing Android and they couldn’t be happier about it.

    [via DF]

  • One Space, Not Two Between Sentences

    An interesting look at why one space between sentences is the correct method and why so many people believe two spaces is proper. I always thought two spaces was the proper way to do, but that one just looks better.

  • Spray-on Liquid Glass Is About to Revolutionize Almost Everything

    Lin Edwards:

    Liquid glass spray is perhaps the most important nanotechnology product to emerge to date. It will be available in DIY stores in Britain soon, with prices starting at around £5 ($8 US). Other outlets, such as many supermarkets, may be unwilling to stock the products because they make enormous profits from cleaning products that need to be replaced regularly, and liquid glass would make virtually all of them obsolete.

    You can spray it on a food prep countertop and only need a hot water wipe to sterilize the countertop. Cool stuff.

  • Notational Velocity and Twitter as Birdhouse for Mac

    Great idea.

  • Why Do Emails Contain Legal Warnings?

    Ryan Singel on why corporations put 400 words of legal BS at the end of every email:

    But the ominous warnings that you must obliterate, incinerate, and forget any email not intended for you don’t actually mean anything, according to legal experts.

    and:

    In a trade secrets case, for instance, the absence of a notice could be used to argue that the sender didn’t care about keeping the content under wraps.

    There are edge cases where notices matters in court, but most of the time those legal notices only serve to waste bandwidth.

  • Cultured Code Shares With the World Its Failures

    In the latest installment of: “Why we don’t have the number 1 requested feature” Cultured Code explains how hard of a problem OTA syncing is. Luckily for anyone else trying to develop OTA sync, Cultured Code tells you why a bunch of options that really aren’t options at all.

    But let’s dissect their last paragraph:

    Some people said we shouldn’t have pursued cloud sync with this level of ambition.

    Actually people just want the solution, not the whining. And then:

    But then, that wouldn’t be us. It is not how we developed Things.

    You mean shipping an update that is more than “bug fixes”? Also:

    We know that people are coming to Cultured Code because we take this approach.

    Or because you are prominently displayed in all of Apples promos and App Stores, but you know they probably like you guys too. Lastly:

    They like companies that care, companies that try – and that is what we will keep doing.

    You know another company that really cares and tries: The Omni Group. Seriously, if you have ever talked to them you know they care. Hell @reply their CEO on Twitter and you stand an excellent chance of getting a response from him. Also: they have OTA sync.

  • “Too much hardware choice”

    Marco Arment arguing why the constant deluge of new Android devices is not a good thing:

    People really like cases for their phones, and if the iPhone has 300 cases for it including that gummy pink one they really like, and the Samsung Whocares XL only has a few drab OEM plastic things available, a nontrivial portion of the market will choose the iPhone on that reason alone.

    So very true, popular designers such as Kate Spade are not going to waste time making a case for a phone that won’t be popular by the time they get the case in stores.

  • Why the Home Button Stays

    Craig Grannell nails all the points why getting rid of the home button isn’t happening. About 10 minutes after installing iOS 4.3 beta on my iPad the whole thing froze (I assume because I was gesturing between apps like a mad fool). The iPad wouldn’t respond to any input and I had to force a restart (holding both the home and lock buttons). That home button isn’t going anywhere — mark the date and time.

  • Dashing All of My Childhood Dreams in One Article

    Ryan Anderson dashing all hope that we will ever see epic laser guns:

    There are a lot of issues with using lasers as weapons. First of all: the optics. For a laser to be useful as a weapon, you would have to focus the light as tightly as possible on the target. De-focus at all, and you might still blind them, but there won’t be much vaporization going on. The precision required for the optics to do this makes a hand-held laser really impractical. The slightest bump or wiggle and all of a sudden your gun is a high-powered flashlight.

  • Home Buttons and iPad 2

    Boy Genius Report is saying that the new multi-touch gestures in iOS 4.3 beta and a tip they have received, confirms that the next generation iPad will not have a physical home button. I would call BS on this if it was anyone other than BGR reporting it.

    That said, I played with iOS 4.3 last night and the multi-touch stuff for switching apps and getting back to the home screen is awesome, but it means one thing: two handed operation. You simply cannot pinch with all 5 fingers to get back the home screen unless you are resting the iPad on something or holding it with your other hand.

  • Marital Deafness

    Scott Adams in what I can only describe as: my life. Has this to say:

    Recently I discovered that spouses, like computers, must be booted up before they can hear what you say.  Try walking into a room where your spouse is otherwise engaged and simply launch into your statement or question. Notice that your first sentence doesn’t count.

  • A Safari 5 Extension for Twitter for Mac

    A great little Safari extension that makes that bookmarklet I posted about obsolete. You don’t need the icon in the toolbar, just use the CTRL+T shortcut. Sweet.

  • Carrier Wars Reborn

    Matt Drance on the coming carrier wars between AT&T and Verizon (with the iPhone market being the land they are fighting over, or more specifically the contracts that come with iPhone users):

    Grab your popcorn.

  • John Carey on the Jambox

    I got a Jambox the other day and I was in the process of writing the review. Then John posted his review and I agree with everything he said and can recommend his review as the best one on the Jambox. Now John is an excellent photographer, but by day he is a live audio engineer — which means he is actually qualified to review a speaker. ((Unlike me.))

    John Carey:

    I have never head a small speaker system hold up as well as the Jambox. It’s an incredible feat for such a small enclosure but the low end really does have a substantial kick to it. I won’t recite their marketing jargon here but I can say that I am amazed at what a well rounded sound this little speaker emits with little sacrifice to the higher or midrange frequencies.