Technology

The Etiquette of Modern Communication

In Geek, Life, Technology on 29 July 2006 with Comments Off

The other day I found myself needing to contact a friend. This friend and I, we’re both bleeding edge technology nerds, so it got me thinking about how many ways there are for people like us to contact each other, and what the unspoken rules of etiquette are for each one.
Here were the options, in [...]

Generation M

In Geek, Technology, Weblogs on 31 May 2006 with Comments Off

I’m 33. That means I’m stuck somewhere in between Generation X and Y. Generation X was stereotyped as lazy postmodernists, too comfy with our liberal arts degrees to get off the couch and do anything. Generation Y was defined by being, um, younger than that.
Frankly, I never saw much connection between myself and those labels. [...]

Back in Black

In Apple, Design, Geek, Technology on 18 May 2006 with Comments Off

My first laptop was a black Apple Powerbook G3, aka the WallStreet. I dragged the ten pound sucker across Europe in a backpack. I’ve had many computers before and since, but this was the one I pecked out stories on while riding trains through the European countryside, the one I fell asleep next to in [...]

Thanks a lot, Apple

In Apple, Geek, TV, Technology on 12 May 2006 with Comments Off

I’ve used Apple computers since high school. If it wasn’t for the Mac, I probably wouldn’t have wound up working for newspapers, getting into the web, moving to San Francisco, and living the life I have now. I’ve sung the Mac’s praises to friends and family for almost twenty years.
And now I know what, [...]

Abdicatechnology

In Technology on 7 May 2006 with Comments Off

I’ve been thinking about something lately. What do you call it when you voluntarily give up control of some piece of your life, because technology makes it easier? For example:

Automatic transmission cars. Give up a little control, gain a little less to worry about.
Email filters. Save me from spam, even if it’s not always perfect.
TiVo. [...]