Andrew Burgess

Andrew Burgess http://andrewburgess.posterous.com Random Thoughts Worth Publishing posterous.com Mon, 14 Feb 2011 15:18:27 -0800 Text File Naming Conventions http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AndrewBurgess/~3/MGVfz6WPzy0/text-file-naming-conventions http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/text-file-naming-conventions <p> <p>Today, both <a href="http://brooksreview.net/2011/02/simplynoted/">Ben Brooks</a> and <a href="http://ianhin.es/linked-to/simplynoted-by-ben-brooks/">Ian Hines</a> talked about their methods of naming text files. For a while now, I’ve been doing something similar, so I thought I’d share my setup.</p> <p>Just like Ben and Ian, I use the current date in my filenames. What’s different about my use of it is this:</p> <ul> <li>I put the date first; this allows me to sort my notes chronologically.</li> <li>I include the time in this, down to the second.</li> </ul> <p>So, each of my notes starts with something like</p> <div class="CodeRay"> <div class="code"><pre>2011-02-14-17-35-27</pre></div> </div> <p>I know, it’s long; but I like that amount of specificity.</p> <p>The second part of my file name is a letter-number combination that categorizes the contents of the note. For example, R2 is for ideas; W3 is non-fiction writing, and N6 is for quotes. I got this idea from <a href="http://dougist.com/">Douglas Barone</a>; he uses the letter for a broad category (like R for Recording or C for Communications) and the number for a specific type of note. If this intrigues you, check out his post on his <a href="http://dougist.com/2009/08/file-system-infobase-manager/">File System Infobase Manager</a>.</p> <p>Finally, I add a few keywords to the end of the title so I can easily see what the note is about from a glance.</p> <p>Ben mentioned in his post about using Merlin Mann’s Qs technique for easily finding certain notes. While I don’t do this exactly, I’ll sometimes add a second suffix to the date for even more specificity. So, while I might have an idea with this title:</p> <div class="CodeRay"> <div class="code"><pre>2011-01-06-17-26-15-R2 mac app store trials</pre></div> </div> <p>A blog post idea will look like this:</p> <div class="CodeRay"> <div class="code"><pre>2011-01-26-12-43-13-R2-BLOG changes</pre></div> </div> <p>Of course, I use TextExpander on both the Mac and iOS to make file naming a cinch. Awesomely, TextExpander can embed snippets within snippets, which makes it easy to write a base date snippet, and then have other snippets call that one.</p> </p> <p><a href="http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/text-file-naming-conventions">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/text-file-naming-conventions#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AndrewBurgess/~4/MGVfz6WPzy0" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/184409/andy.jpg http://posterous.com/users/1brkyGMrHuV Andrew Burgess Andrew Burgess Andrew Burgess http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/text-file-naming-conventions Mon, 06 Dec 2010 12:14:20 -0800 Why I Prefer Posterous http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AndrewBurgess/~3/hjRg7NfTnTk/why-i-prefer-posterous http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/why-i-prefer-posterous <p> <p>As I write this, Tumblr has been down for something like 20 hours. I don’t use Tumblr, so I’m not as concerned as <a href="http://d.pr/KQSg">others</a>. However, I understand the frustration of not having your blog available, so I’d like to mention an alternative.</p> <p>These are the two responses I’ve seen to the outage:</p> <ul> <li>What’s Tumblr’s definition of “shortly”?</li> <li>Are they going to tell us how they’re fixing the issue?</li> </ul> <p>Obviously, I can’t answer these questions, other than to say that it’s not the definition of “shortly” that their users hold. My point here is to suggest that if you’re fed up with Tumblr outages, you might like to give Posterous a try.</p> <p>No, this isn’t an ad, just a suggestion from a happy user. While I know I don’t post here often, I’ve been very pleased with the service Posterous provides. Even better, I feel pretty confident that it will continue to be a first-rate service.</p> <p>Here’s why:</p> <ul> <li>When Posterous had <a href="http://blog.posterous.com/?sort=&search=DOS">a DOS attack</a> in August, they were very up-front about it on their blog, and explained what had happened and how they were solving the problem to prevent it from happening again.</li> <li>If you follow <a href="http://sachin.posterous.com/">Sachin Agarwal’s (Cofounder of Posterous) blog</a>, you’ll quickly learn about his high regard for customer service that goes beyond the call of duty.</li> </ul> <p>If you’re thinking about switching to Posterous from Tumblr, it really couldn’t be easier. Posterous can use Tumblr themes, and they’ve got an <a href="http://posterous.com/switch/tumblr/">importer</a> to bring all your old posts.</p> <p>As a final note, I’ll say that I think it’s really unfair to suggest that the recent Tumblr outages <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post_hoc_ergo_propter_hoc">are due to</a> Marco’s not being there. I haven’t heard any proof of that, and <a href="http://www.marco.org/1161306109">he is still consulting them</a> (<a href="http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=cache:www.marco.org/1161306109">cached version</a>)</p> </p> <p><a href="http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/why-i-prefer-posterous">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/why-i-prefer-posterous#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AndrewBurgess/~4/hjRg7NfTnTk" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/184409/andy.jpg http://posterous.com/users/1brkyGMrHuV Andrew Burgess Andrew Burgess Andrew Burgess http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/why-i-prefer-posterous Sat, 04 Dec 2010 10:25:00 -0800 Reeder and the Keyboard – Shawn Blanc http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AndrewBurgess/~3/48RlAollQG0/reeder-and-the-keyboard-shawn-blanc http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/reeder-and-the-keyboard-shawn-blanc <p> <div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <blockquote class="posterous_long_quote">Zach Holmquist has posted a keyboard shortcut <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/44478674/Reeder-Cheatsheet-V1D1">cheat sheet</a> for Reeder, where you’ll find that the primary keys for navigation are Space, J, K, Shift+P, and Shift+N. While these are not necessarily bad keys to use as the primary navigation, they’re not exactly easy to use with one hand. Moreover, they don’t do much to tie together the overall information hierarchy of your RSS subscriptions — there is a pair of keys for moving between items (J and K) and there is a pair of keys for moving between subscriptions (Shift+P and Shift+N).</blockquote> <div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://shawnblanc.net/2010/12/reeder-keyboard-shortcuts/">shawnblanc.net</a></div> <p>Besides the really nice UI, the keyboard shortcuts are the one feature that's kept me using Reeder longer than any other desktop RSS app, because they are (for the most part) the same as Google Reader's . . . which are taken (at least in concept) from Vim.</p></div> </p> <p><a href="http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/reeder-and-the-keyboard-shawn-blanc">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/reeder-and-the-keyboard-shawn-blanc#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AndrewBurgess/~4/48RlAollQG0" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/184409/andy.jpg http://posterous.com/users/1brkyGMrHuV Andrew Burgess Andrew Burgess Andrew Burgess http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/reeder-and-the-keyboard-shawn-blanc Thu, 25 Nov 2010 18:54:55 -0800 Want to export your Tumblr Followings to Google Reader? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AndrewBurgess/~3/8Cg3mm1k1p4/want-to-export-your-tumblr-followings-to-goog http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/want-to-export-your-tumblr-followings-to-goog <p> <div>In an effort to unify some of my inboxes, I decided to move all the blogs I’m following on Tumblr into Google Reader. Not wanting to spend the time to open all 45 blogs and click my “Subscribe in Google Reader” bookmarklet, I decided to automate the process.</div> <p /><div>Turns out, Tumblr’s API doesn’t let you get at the blogs you’re following.</div><p /><div>My next though was YQL … but the only way that would work was if I could authenticate with Tumblr so I could see my list of blogs (to parse the HTML), and it wasn’t immediately obvious how to do that.</div> <p /><div>So I went to JavaScript.</div><p /><div>I knew from the beginning that if I could get the blogs out of Tumblr and into an OPML file, it would be a snap to import them into Google Reader. So, I opened the page in Firefox, popped open Firebug, and went to work.</div> <p /><div>Here’s what I came up with:</div><p /><div><div class="data type-javascript"> <table class="lines" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td> <pre class="line_numbers"><span rel="#L1" id="L1">1</span> <span rel="#L2" id="L2">2</span> <span rel="#L3" id="L3">3</span> <span rel="#L4" id="L4">4</span> <span rel="#L5" id="L5">5</span> <span rel="#L6" id="L6">6</span> <span rel="#L7" id="L7">7</span> <span rel="#L8" id="L8">8</span> <span rel="#L9" id="L9">9</span> <span rel="#L10" id="L10">10</span> <span rel="#L11" id="L11">11</span> <span rel="#L12" id="L12">12</span> <span rel="#L13" id="L13">13</span> <span rel="#L14" id="L14">14</span> <span rel="#L15" id="L15">15</span> <span rel="#L16" id="L16">16</span> <span rel="#L17" id="L17">17</span> <span rel="#L18" id="L18">18</span> <span rel="#L19" id="L19">19</span> <span rel="#L20" id="L20">20</span> <span rel="#L21" id="L21">21</span> <span rel="#L22" id="L22">22</span> <span rel="#L23" id="L23">23</span> <span rel="#L24" id="L24">24</span> <span rel="#L25" id="L25">25</span> <span rel="#L26" id="L26">26</span> <span rel="#L27" id="L27">27</span> <span rel="#L28" id="L28">28</span> <span rel="#L29" id="L29">29</span> <span rel="#L30" id="L30">30</span> </pre> </td> <td width="100%"> <div class="highlight"><pre /><div class="line" id="LC1"><span class="nx">clear</span><span class="p">();</span></div><div class="line" id="LC2"><span class="kd">var</span> <span class="nx">feeds</span> <span class="o">=</span> <span class="nb">Array</span><span class="p">.</span><span class="nx">prototype</span><span class="p">.</span><span class="nx">slice</span><span class="p">.</span><span class="nx">call</span><span class="p">(</span><span class="nb">document</span><span class="p">.</span><span class="nx">querySelectorAll</span><span class="p">(</span><span class="s2">"div.name a"</span><span class="p">)),</span> </div><div class="line" id="LC3">        <span class="nx">i</span> <span class="o">=</span> <span class="mi">0</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="nx">p</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="nx">f</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="nx">doc</span> <span class="o">=</span> <span class="s2">""</span><span class="p">;</span></div><div class="line" id="LC4"><br /></div><div class="line" id="LC5"><span class="k">while</span> <span class="p">(</span><span class="nx">feeds</span><span class="p">[</span><span class="nx">i</span><span class="p">])</span> <span class="p">{</span></div><div class="line" id="LC6">    <span class="nx">f</span> <span class="o">=</span> <span class="nx">feeds</span><span class="p">[</span><span class="nx">i</span><span class="p">];</span></div><div class="line" id="LC7">    <span class="nx">feeds</span><span class="p">[</span><span class="nx">i</span><span class="o">++</span><span class="p">]</span> <span class="o">=</span> <span class="p">{</span></div><div class="line" id="LC8">        <span class="nx">htmlUrl</span> <span class="o">:</span> <span class="nx">f</span><span class="p">.</span><span class="nx">href</span><span class="p">,</span> </div><div class="line" id="LC9">        <span class="nx">xmlUrl</span> <span class="o">:</span> <span class="nx">f</span><span class="p">.</span><span class="nx">href</span> <span class="o">+</span> <span class="s1">'rss'</span><span class="p">,</span> </div><div class="line" id="LC10">        <span class="nx">title</span> <span class="o">:</span> <span class="nx">f</span><span class="p">.</span><span class="nx">innerHTML</span><span class="p">,</span></div><div class="line" id="LC11">        <span class="nx">text</span> <span class="o">:</span> <span class="nx">f</span><span class="p">.</span><span class="nx">innerHTML</span> </div><div class="line" id="LC12">    <span class="p">};</span></div><div class="line" id="LC13"><span class="p">}</span></div><div class="line" id="LC14"><br /></div><div class="line" id="LC15"><span class="nx">doc</span> <span class="o">=</span> <span class="s1">'<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?><opml version="1.0"><head><title>'</span> <span class="o">+</span></div><div class="line" id="LC16">        <span class="nx">prompt</span><span class="p">(</span><span class="s2">"What should the folder be called?"</span><span class="p">)</span> <span class="o">+</span></div><div class="line" id="LC17">        <span class="s1">'(Tumblr)</title></head><doc><outline title="tumblr feeds">'</span><span class="p">;</span></div><div class="line" id="LC18"><span class="nx">i</span> <span class="o">=</span> <span class="mi">0</span><span class="p">;</span></div><div class="line" id="LC19"><br /></div><div class="line" id="LC20"><span class="k">while</span> <span class="p">(</span><span class="nx">feeds</span><span class="p">[</span><span class="nx">i</span><span class="p">])</span> <span class="p">{</span></div><div class="line" id="LC21">    <span class="nx">f</span> <span class="o">=</span> <span class="nx">feeds</span><span class="p">[</span><span class="nx">i</span><span class="o">++</span><span class="p">];</span></div><div class="line" id="LC22">    <span class="nx">doc</span> <span class="o">+=</span> <span class="s2">"<outline "</span><span class="p">;</span></div><div class="line" id="LC23">    <span class="k">for</span> <span class="p">(</span><span class="nx">p</span> <span class="k">in</span> <span class="nx">f</span><span class="p">)</span> <span class="p">{</span></div><div class="line" id="LC24">        <span class="k">if</span> <span class="p">(</span><span class="nx">f</span><span class="p">.</span><span class="nx">hasOwnProperty</span><span class="p">(</span><span class="nx">p</span><span class="p">))</span> <span class="p">{</span> <span class="nx">doc</span> <span class="o">+=</span> <span class="nx">p</span> <span class="o">+</span> <span class="s1">'="'</span> <span class="o">+</span> <span class="nx">f</span><span class="p">[</span><span class="nx">p</span><span class="p">]</span> <span class="o">+</span> <span class="s1">'" '</span><span class="p">;</span> <span class="p">}</span></div><div class="line" id="LC25">    <span class="p">}</span></div><div class="line" id="LC26">    <span class="nx">doc</span> <span class="o">+=</span> <span class="s2">" />"</span><span class="p">;</span></div><div class="line" id="LC27"><span class="p">}</span></div><div class="line" id="LC28"><span class="nx">doc</span> <span class="o">+=</span> <span class="s1">'</outline></doc></opml>'</span><span class="p">;</span></div><div class="line" id="LC29"><br /></div><div class="line" id="LC30"><span class="nx">console</span><span class="p">.</span><span class="nx">log</span><span class="p">(</span><span class="nx">doc</span><span class="p">);</span></div></pre></div> </td> </tr> </table> </div></div><p /><div>On the <a href="http://www.tumblr.com/following/">Tumblr Following page</a>, copy that into the Firebug console, hit run. You’ll get the text of a working OPML file that you can copy and paste into a file and import into Google Reader.</div> <p /><div>I know this isn’t a one-click solution, but it’s quicker that doing it “by hand.” The main problem is that if you’ve got more than one page of followings, you’ll get a separate file for each page, that you can concatenate (obviously removing the footer from the first file and the header from the second, etc.).</div> <p /><div>So, if you’re ever moving feeds from Tumblr to Google Reader (or any other RSS reader that takes OPML), this might help you out.</div> </p> <p><a href="http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/want-to-export-your-tumblr-followings-to-goog">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/want-to-export-your-tumblr-followings-to-goog#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AndrewBurgess/~4/8Cg3mm1k1p4" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/184409/andy.jpg http://posterous.com/users/1brkyGMrHuV Andrew Burgess Andrew Burgess Andrew Burgess http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/want-to-export-your-tumblr-followings-to-goog Fri, 02 Jul 2010 05:37:42 -0700 The latest update to @droxbox for iPhone let's you open files in other app! Seems to be an icon issue, though. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AndrewBurgess/~3/ceB7n6IGk0M/the-latest-update-to-droxbox-for-iphone-lets http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/the-latest-update-to-droxbox-for-iphone-lets <p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Image" height="480" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/andrewburgess/uHvhvdArkbjugIxfydghAlphencbotbvwkpJzwEwgeJrdADofFDIkaasGfbA/image.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="320" /> </div> </p> </p> <p><a href="http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/the-latest-update-to-droxbox-for-iphone-lets">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/the-latest-update-to-droxbox-for-iphone-lets#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AndrewBurgess/~4/ceB7n6IGk0M" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/184409/andy.jpg http://posterous.com/users/1brkyGMrHuV Andrew Burgess Andrew Burgess Andrew Burgess http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/the-latest-update-to-droxbox-for-iphone-lets Wed, 23 Jun 2010 06:38:00 -0700 How to move PDFs from Dropbox to iBooks . . . on the iPhone! http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AndrewBurgess/~3/RW3c16fDMe0/how-to-move-pdfs-from-dropbox-to-ibooks-on-th http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/how-to-move-pdfs-from-dropbox-to-ibooks-on-th <p> <p>Today I saw a quick how-to on moving PDFs to your iPad via Dropbox:</p> <div><a href="http://www.simplehelp.net/2010/06/23/how-to-add-pdfs-to-ibooks-using-dropbox/">http://www.simplehelp.net/2010/06/23/how-to-add-pdfs-to-ibooks-using-dropbox/</a></div> <div> </div> <div>Unfortunately, this doesn't work on the iPhone, but here's how you can do it! Open a PDF in Dropbox and then tap the link button in the bottom left corner. Email the link to the PDF to yourself, open it in Safari and choose to import to iBooks. Voila! </div> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Img_0225" height="480" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/andrewburgess/cNcGjaZB1gzchhDqFvrN7dytEKg6fnFh2KFKP5IZpmiFntUgt0WSD6sypP05/IMG_0225.png" width="320" /> <img alt="Img_0226" height="480" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/andrewburgess/xrzb0pPOt6TfWlFAQ2Z8b6OV8JYLfZfvT5OjzL9wCeJicJa6aRGB7KHMMkEM/IMG_0226.png" width="320" /> <img alt="Img_0227" height="480" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/andrewburgess/IREvnH8FoO5CD9Ol7VQg5fxfbm1tZxLCahDMk7BorKU1CuKKZVBUqSy6SoRD/IMG_0227.png" width="320" /> <img alt="Img_0228" height="480" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/andrewburgess/TQsErGUMey0mLPxRs8CJBB6XWVs0xQeEkXOiobTUpsmFU47vh9Yz7X3XcWl8/IMG_0228.png" width="320" /> <img alt="Img_0231" height="480" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/andrewburgess/1BsAjAgZ2yjsACYfM0Y1Qhh5JTQKz6OZ9ezzPUZPUJWb8IQPXwJ6KpKAhnMX/IMG_0231.png" width="320" /> <img alt="Img_0232" height="480" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/andrewburgess/GZkkjHioLMnJ9xiIixU5Qk49pAhA16NeTwm6EAsIafjPLcqpOyv7f8T98UVh/IMG_0232.png" width="320" /> <div class='p_see_full_gallery'><a href="http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/how-to-move-pdfs-from-dropbox-to-ibooks-on-th">See the full gallery on Posterous</a></div> </div> </p> </p> <p><a href="http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/how-to-move-pdfs-from-dropbox-to-ibooks-on-th">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/how-to-move-pdfs-from-dropbox-to-ibooks-on-th#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AndrewBurgess/~4/RW3c16fDMe0" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/184409/andy.jpg http://posterous.com/users/1brkyGMrHuV Andrew Burgess Andrew Burgess Andrew Burgess http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/how-to-move-pdfs-from-dropbox-to-ibooks-on-th Fri, 18 Jun 2010 04:47:00 -0700 Happy 20th Birthday Andrew! http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AndrewBurgess/~3/f6W8_EXb3GU/20546032 http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/20546032 <p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="1andrew" height="600" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2010-06-18/oDzFyytCbgDgAiyhowmIGoeihbqbGxhfDcpanGxDhEniJhgEhbasFFeGHHhz/1Andrew.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="400" /> </div> </p> <p>Happy 20th Birthday Andrew!</p> <p>My older brother Andrew is 20! HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Wow! He is an incredible brother. Thank you so much for the godly example your are to our family Andrew! On his 20th birthday I would like to take a moment to share some random facts about him.</p> <p>Please enjoy! </p> <ol> <li>He was born one year and one day after our parents wedding day.</li> <li>He is the oldest of ten children ranging from 20yrs. old - 2yrs. old.</li> <li>He is half British and half Italian.</li> <li>He loves the Lord and desire to seek Him in all his endeavors.</li> <li>He was homeschooled from grade 3 through grade 12.</li> <li>He was the chief laundry man for 5 years.</li> <li>He is currently enrolled with Athabasca University for Computer Science.</li> <li>He writes tutorials for a computer site called Nettuts.</li> <li>He was a loyal PC user... now he is a MAC user.</li> <li>He is a computer geek. </li> <li>He always wears Crocs in the house.</li> <li>He LOVES children.</li> <li>He is a good pianist and singer.</li> <li>His favourite food is Italian.</li> <li>He does NOT like cold weather.</li> <li>He is 6' tall. </li> <li>He is kind and loving and such a sweet helpful brother.</li> <li>Andrew:Alert, Noble, Determined, Responsible, Enthusiastic, Wise</li> <li>He likes to write -- dictated his first story to Dad at 3 years old.</li> <li>He is most comfortable in blue jeans and a white t-shirt</li> </ol> <p>Lots of Love,</p> <p>Guess Who?</p> </p> <p><a href="http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/20546032">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/20546032#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AndrewBurgess/~4/f6W8_EXb3GU" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/184409/andy.jpg http://posterous.com/users/1brkyGMrHuV Andrew Burgess Andrew Burgess Andrew Burgess http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/20546032 Sun, 07 Feb 2010 18:26:26 -0800 The Ideal Reasoner http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AndrewBurgess/~3/nBC5nSEMd-c/the-ideal-reasoner http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/the-ideal-reasoner <p> “The ideal reasoner,” he remarked, “would, when he had once been shown a single fact in all its bearings, deduce from it not only all the chain of events which led up to it but also all the results which would follow from it. As Cuvier could correctly describe a whole animal by the contemplation of a single bone, so the observer who has thoroughly understood one link in a series of incidents should be able to accurately state all the other ones, both before and after. We have not yet grasped the results which the reason alone can attain to. Problems may be solved in the study which have baffled all those who have sought a solution by the aid of their senses. To carry the art, however, to its highest pitch, it is necessary that the reasoner should be able to utilise all the facts which have come to his knowledge; and this in itself implies, as you will readily see, a possession of all knowledge, which, even in these days of free education and encyclopaedias, is a somewhat rare accomplishment. It is not so impossible, however, that a man should possess all knowledge which is likely to be useful to him in his work, and this I have endeavoured in my case to do. <p /> - Sherlock Holmes, in "The Five Orange Pips" </p> <p><a href="http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/the-ideal-reasoner">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/the-ideal-reasoner#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AndrewBurgess/~4/nBC5nSEMd-c" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/184409/andy.jpg http://posterous.com/users/1brkyGMrHuV Andrew Burgess Andrew Burgess Andrew Burgess http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/the-ideal-reasoner Tue, 22 Dec 2009 10:22:06 -0800 iPod Touch Tip http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AndrewBurgess/~3/hNz7gDU_j9E/ipod-touch-tip http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/ipod-touch-tip <p> <div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Photo" height="480" src="http://getfile5.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/andrewburgess/dDzG8AqHhSE0pHuW5aQfT1WE1LdOWIv13H45p0O3urwQKuhWR2e06ZuTBHas/photo.jpg" width="320" /> </div> <p>Sent from my iPod</p> </p> <p><a href="http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/ipod-touch-tip">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/ipod-touch-tip#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AndrewBurgess/~4/hNz7gDU_j9E" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/184409/andy.jpg http://posterous.com/users/1brkyGMrHuV Andrew Burgess Andrew Burgess Andrew Burgess http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/ipod-touch-tip Fri, 18 Dec 2009 18:50:36 -0800 One week with my iPod Touch http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AndrewBurgess/~3/12lsXD3bnFU/one-week-with-my-ipod-touch http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/one-week-with-my-ipod-touch <p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Img_0001" height="480" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/andrewburgess/qACAvdjeihhGchmcyIkxcCBikxuhmbHCtjHkfygassCBpihrtGakmogBCaeF/IMG_0001.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="320" /> <img alt="Img_0002" height="480" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/andrewburgess/HppsbwtsrhtiimcitDxiEHDjIfigbwofgzlqtDtyGkqgcjnphqHrJtwnGxEs/IMG_0002.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="320" /> <img alt="Img_0003" height="480" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/andrewburgess/kdnDfFqrHrHkagxAeoxCpqsmixEkEeJpkyDbHmyojbdzsCjmvsHBDHzqabwy/IMG_0003.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="320" /> <div class='p_see_full_gallery'><a href="http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/one-week-with-my-ipod-touch">See the full gallery on Posterous</a></div> </div> </p>It was a week ago today that I got my iPod touch.<p>I know, I wasn't very happy when the this generation iPod Touch came out without a built-in camera. But I finally decided I wanted/needed a mobile device; when you want something wifi-enabled, with good apps and lots of them, you don't have many options in today's market!</p><p>(And just between you and me, I'm starting to see a Mac in the future.) </p><p>My iPod Touch has lived up to all my expectations so far; I've found a lot og great apps; so far, I haven't had to buy any, but I'm definitely going to buy Instapaper soon, and I'm considering Byline. Have any good apps you recommend? Let me know in the comments!</p><p>I've purchased a case for it, too: the RebelTouch from SwitchEasy. But I haven't received yet. </p><p>(Appropriately, this was posted from the Posterous app.)</p> </p> <p><a href="http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/one-week-with-my-ipod-touch">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/one-week-with-my-ipod-touch#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AndrewBurgess/~4/12lsXD3bnFU" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/184409/andy.jpg http://posterous.com/users/1brkyGMrHuV Andrew Burgess Andrew Burgess Andrew Burgess http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/one-week-with-my-ipod-touch Sat, 28 Nov 2009 07:10:42 -0800 Nine-Year Old Whiz-Kid Writes iPhone Application http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AndrewBurgess/~3/A3rDPaGNaW4/nine-year-old-whiz-kid-writes-iphone-applicat-0 http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/nine-year-old-whiz-kid-writes-iphone-applicat-0 <p> <div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <blockquote class="posterous_long_quote"><p>While most children his age sketch on paper with crayons, nine-year old Lim Ding Wen from Singapore, has a very different canvas -- his iPhone. </p> <p> Lim, who is in fourth grade, writes applications for Apple's popular iPhone. His latest, a painting program called Doodle Kids, has been downloaded over 4,000 times from Apple's iTunes store in two weeks, the New Paper reported on Thursday.<p /> The program lets iPhone users draw with their fingers by touching the iPhone's touchscreen and then clear the screen by shaking the phone.<p /> "I wrote the program for my younger sisters, who like to draw," Lim said. His sisters are aged 3 and 5. Lim, who is fluent in six programing languages, started using the computer at the age of 2. He has since completed about 20 programing projects.</p></blockquote> <div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://www.retireat21.com/new/Nine-year-old-whiz-kid-writes-iPhone-application">retireat21.com</a></div> <p>Incredible!</p></div> </p> <p><a href="http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/nine-year-old-whiz-kid-writes-iphone-applicat-0">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/nine-year-old-whiz-kid-writes-iphone-applicat-0#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AndrewBurgess/~4/A3rDPaGNaW4" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/184409/andy.jpg http://posterous.com/users/1brkyGMrHuV Andrew Burgess Andrew Burgess Andrew Burgess http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/nine-year-old-whiz-kid-writes-iphone-applicat-0 Tue, 24 Nov 2009 08:52:41 -0800 Stairs Vs Escalator http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AndrewBurgess/~3/kWMdIQ7u6eE/stairs-vs-escalator http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/stairs-vs-escalator <p> <div class='p_embed p_video_embed'> <a href="http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/stairs-vs-escalator"><img alt="" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/andrewburgess/nA8839vfDvX4x26MVHTA6havFTVNJeYh2BjrAfhb9JMzlEeaAFfBCiBDwq7l/Stairs_vs_Escalator.png" /></a> <div class='p_embed_description'> <strong>Stairs vs Escalator.wmv</strong> <a href="http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/stairs-vs-escalator">Watch on Posterous</a> </div> </div> <p></p><div class="gmail_quote"><div><div>I thought this was an interesting experiment; I wonder if the principle carries over to the web. Is a fun website a more usable website? Or should they be saying 'unique and compelling' instead of 'fun'? </div> </div></div> </p> <p><a href="http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/stairs-vs-escalator">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/stairs-vs-escalator#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AndrewBurgess/~4/kWMdIQ7u6eE" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/184409/andy.jpg http://posterous.com/users/1brkyGMrHuV Andrew Burgess Andrew Burgess Andrew Burgess http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/stairs-vs-escalator Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:03:08 -0800 Enlightening Tip http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AndrewBurgess/~3/6FiMYg2ntWQ/enlightening-tip http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/enlightening-tip <p> <div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/andrewburgess/0An1tSo5YBcOlFylSn1da9q21Ee3YapFbCBc4hlP7TP43MPlefUQFLfwSFJG/bulb.jpg"><img alt="Bulb" height="283" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/andrewburgess/CK9zcJVMcyjI8ANOkyRn3z9k6W7j9VK5CDE7J8E1ACOATUaQibu9emABjap3/bulb.jpg.scaled.500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> <p>Recently had a family discussion about light bulbs; this tip sheds some light on the subject. (Pun totally intended)</p> </p> <p><a href="http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/enlightening-tip">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/enlightening-tip#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AndrewBurgess/~4/6FiMYg2ntWQ" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/184409/andy.jpg http://posterous.com/users/1brkyGMrHuV Andrew Burgess Andrew Burgess Andrew Burgess http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/enlightening-tip Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:09:00 -0700 Are you upgrading to Windows 7? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AndrewBurgess/~3/QzmX6P9C_XQ/are-you-upgrading-to-windows-7 http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/are-you-upgrading-to-windows-7 <p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="200" height="200" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/andrewburgess/dQUpmQirnG2YeAP7Ia3lkNLorct7Cr4dKmJkn3tnCZk5P0zZDZiT64ci8Toy/200.png" width="200" /> </div> </p> <p>Today's the day so many people have been waiting for! Microsoft has released Windows 7, the latest of their consumer operating system offerings.</p> <p>So, are you upgrading to Windows 7? Still on the fence about it? That must hurt. Check out my article "<a href="http://net.tutsplus.com/articles/web-roundups/10-reasons-why-you-should-upgrade-to-windows-7">10+ Reasons Why you Should Definitely Upgrade to Windows 7</a>" over at <a href="http://net.tutsplus.com">http://net.tutsplus.com</a>.</p> </p> <p><a href="http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/are-you-upgrading-to-windows-7">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/are-you-upgrading-to-windows-7#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AndrewBurgess/~4/QzmX6P9C_XQ" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/184409/andy.jpg http://posterous.com/users/1brkyGMrHuV Andrew Burgess Andrew Burgess Andrew Burgess http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/are-you-upgrading-to-windows-7 Tue, 20 Oct 2009 09:31:45 -0700 The world’s first Multi-Touch mouse. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AndrewBurgess/~3/ZKDnXhfYojI/the-worlds-first-multi-touch-mouse http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/the-worlds-first-multi-touch-mouse <p> <div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/andrewburgess/orlecgrHEvykfwdIhwdCoqoilliCpiFnJuicIDxAsuDIcvrvnCorfDFpjHxe/media_httpimagesapplecommagicmouseimagesgestures20091020jpg_pmzkzeJtBwmqzld.jpg.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Media_httpimagesapplecommagicmouseimagesgestures20091020jpg_pmzkzejtbwmqzld" height="257" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/andrewburgess/orlecgrHEvykfwdIhwdCoqoilliCpiFnJuicIDxAsuDIcvrvnCorfDFpjHxe/media_httpimagesapplecommagicmouseimagesgestures20091020jpg_pmzkzeJtBwmqzld.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> <div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://www.apple.com/magicmouse/">apple.com</a></div> <p>Apple has just released a mouse, a multi-touch mouse using the same technology as the iPhone, iPod Touch, and MacBook Pro. </p><p>And I just <a href="http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/mice_pointers/mice/devices/2987&cl=ca,en">bought a mouse</a> the other day! Oh, well, chances are, Apple's mouse won't work on Windows. And I got mine at ~60% off.</p></div> </p> <p><a href="http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/the-worlds-first-multi-touch-mouse">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/the-worlds-first-multi-touch-mouse#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AndrewBurgess/~4/ZKDnXhfYojI" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/184409/andy.jpg http://posterous.com/users/1brkyGMrHuV Andrew Burgess Andrew Burgess Andrew Burgess http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/the-worlds-first-multi-touch-mouse Sat, 17 Oct 2009 17:49:48 -0700 Today is Sweetest Day http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AndrewBurgess/~3/sqbTpTXn2x0/today-is-sweetest-day http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/today-is-sweetest-day <p> <div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <blockquote class="posterous_long_quote"><b>Sweetest Day</b> is an observance celebrated primarily in the Great Lakes region and parts of the Northeast United States on the third Saturday in October. Once known as a day to spread love and cheer to the unfortunate, this popular holiday in the northern U.S. is now known as a day to show affection to the loved ones in your life. It is described by Retail Confectioners International as an "occasion which offers all of us an opportunity to remember not only the sick, aged and orphaned, but also friends, relatives and associates whose helpfulness and kindness we have enjoyed." Sweetest Day has also been referred to as a "concocted promotion" created by the candy industry solely to increase sales of candy.</blockquote><div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweetest_day">en.wikipedia.org</a></div> <p>You've got to love that last sentence . . . </p><p>Hope you had a sweet day!</p></div> </p> <p><a href="http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/today-is-sweetest-day">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/today-is-sweetest-day#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AndrewBurgess/~4/sqbTpTXn2x0" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/184409/andy.jpg http://posterous.com/users/1brkyGMrHuV Andrew Burgess Andrew Burgess Andrew Burgess http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/today-is-sweetest-day Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:19:00 -0700 Do You Believe in Global Warming? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AndrewBurgess/~3/-cGzCC2qNnQ/do-you-believe-in-global-warming http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/do-you-believe-in-global-warming <p> <p>Well, today is <a href="http://blogactionday.org/" title="Blog Action Day Website">Blog Action Day</a>: the day that bloggers all over the world unite to discuss a single topic. This year, that topic is Climate Change. I have mixed feelings about the topic of climate change. It seems that most people just accept the claims that the world is slowly (or not-so-slowly) getting warmer without questioning them. But I don't fall into that category.</p> <p>Back a few years—about half-way through high school—I briefly studied the topic of global warming in science. I've very reticent to write about this topic, though, because I haven't studied it at all since then. However, I know that the general idea is this: the amount of carbon dioxide in the air has been increasing as time continues. This is a result of increased manufacturing and a growing world population, among other things. The fear is that this increase in carbon dioxide will create an increase in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_effect" title="Wikipedia Article on the Greenhouse Effect">greenhouse effect</a>. However, this is just the theory. In reality, the factors are much more complex.</p> <p>My textbook went on to give a few stats that indicated that global temperature was not rising nearly as fast as the amount of carbon dioxide. Also, a 1993 poll showed that only 17% of atmospheric scientists believed that global warming was a problem. The rest either didn't think it was a problem or didn't think there was enough evidence. I know, that was 16 years ago, which is why I don't like to write about this. But the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming#Debate_and_skepticism">debate is by no means settled</a>. So this is my humble conclusion: I don't know if the claims about climate change are completely true; I haven't studied it enough to make any statements. But don't just blindly accept what you hear about global warming (especially if it's from the media*). Do your own research and stay informed!</p> <p><em>* It's my personal theory that most media avenues use global warming as a cover-up story for other, more serious issues they'd rather the public not know about.</em></p> </p> <p><a href="http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/do-you-believe-in-global-warming">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/do-you-believe-in-global-warming#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AndrewBurgess/~4/-cGzCC2qNnQ" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/184409/andy.jpg http://posterous.com/users/1brkyGMrHuV Andrew Burgess Andrew Burgess Andrew Burgess http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/do-you-believe-in-global-warming Sat, 10 Oct 2009 17:42:00 -0700 Extend your Razor Life http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AndrewBurgess/~3/Zj9BvLP7yA4/extend-your-razor-life http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/extend-your-razor-life <p> <p>I shaved this morning.</p> <p>I know, it doesn’t seem like a big deal, but it almost was. Why? Because I’ve been using the same disposable blade for over a month now and it’s still almost as sharp as when it was new. This proved that my recent changes in blade care are actually doing something.</p> <p>Up until a few weeks ago, I didn’t do much to take care of my razor blades: after all, they’re disposable. Of course, I’d use them for a lot longer than I should have anyway, but it wasn’t always comfortable. A quick rinse after shaving was about the most I did before popping it back in my dresser.</p> <p>Recently, however, I’ve improved on that. Here’s my current after-shaving routine:</p> <ul> <li>First, I rinse the blade with hot water to remove as much hair as possible; I might use a towel to help with this. <em>Don’t</em> swish the blade around in water in a sink: you may scratch the sink (I learned this the hard way).</li> <li>Next, I wipe the blade down with rubbing alcohol (usually on a cotton ball) to remove all the water droplets. Any water left on the blade will corrode it, leaving a jagged edge.</li> <li>Then, I sharpen the blade by <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjSkgz3-2Ig" title="Youtube video on sharpening razor blades">rubbing it 20 times in both directions on a pair of jeans</a>; be sure to push it with the blade, so it doesn’t wreck the jeans. The cross-woven denim fabric will sharpen the blades. This may wear off the padding on the blade, but it shouldn’t matter too much.</li> <li>Store your blade in oil; mineral oil is best, but any kind should do; right now, I’m using vegetable oil. If you can’t store it in oil, at least store it outside the bathroom or other humid areas, as the humidity will corrode the blade.</li> </ul> <p>So far, this has proved to work; my month-old blade still has a good edge. I’ll let you know when it goes out of commission.</p> <p>If you’ve got some blade care techniques of your own, let me hear about them in the comments! Or do you think this is all a waste of time for disposable blades?</p> </p> <p><a href="http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/extend-your-razor-life">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/extend-your-razor-life#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AndrewBurgess/~4/Zj9BvLP7yA4" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/184409/andy.jpg http://posterous.com/users/1brkyGMrHuV Andrew Burgess Andrew Burgess Andrew Burgess http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/extend-your-razor-life Thu, 08 Oct 2009 04:02:19 -0700 Google Maps adds Street View For Canada . . . And I'm in it! http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AndrewBurgess/~3/X963LVRBAtY/google-maps-adds-street-view-for-canada-and-i http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/google-maps-adds-street-view-for-canada-and-i <p> <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=1524+Trowbridge+Dr,+Oshawa,+ON,+Canada&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=38.502405,65.830078&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=1524+Trowbridge+Dr,+Oshawa,+Durham+Regional+Municipality,+Ontario,+Canada&ll=43.936226,-78.859735&spn=0,359.983928&z=16&layer=c&cbll=43.93185,-78.859735&panoid=kKMFmSVTPfytY3Z6Ehcu0w&cbp=13,48.88,,1,15.96"><img src="http://files.iclippy.com/135507/1254999239.jpg" /></a> <p /><div>Yesterday, Google added Street View to their Canadian Maps. Street view allows you navigate the maps as though you were walking down the street. Cars with cameras fixed on them drive around, capturing these shockingly high-quality images as they go. This particular day was back in June: I was helping a neighbour re-lay his interlocking driveway when the Google Car came down our street!</div> </p> <p><a href="http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/google-maps-adds-street-view-for-canada-and-i">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/google-maps-adds-street-view-for-canada-and-i#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AndrewBurgess/~4/X963LVRBAtY" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/184409/andy.jpg http://posterous.com/users/1brkyGMrHuV Andrew Burgess Andrew Burgess Andrew Burgess http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/google-maps-adds-street-view-for-canada-and-i Sat, 12 Sep 2009 18:39:50 -0700 Open Letter to Apple http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AndrewBurgess/~3/pkI7vvwvbik/open-letter-to-apple http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/open-letter-to-apple <p> <div style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: medium;"><p>Dear Apple,</p><p>I can't begin to tell you how upset and disillusioned I am; I literally sat with bated breath as I watch a live blogging of your product announcements. After hearing all the rumours that have been building up over the last few months, I was eagerly awaiting the unveiling of the iPod touch with a camera.</p> <p>No such iPod ever came.</p><p>If I was among the Apple fanboys, this would have been bad. However, I'm the guy who usually just watches your keynotes for good ideas to steal. I'm a PC, and I've been a Microsoft affectionado for most of my life. But this time, it was different. I followed the latest iNews because I actually wanted to buy something. I wanted to give you my <i>money</i>.</p> <p>I'll admit that recently, I've had second thoughts about my Mac antagonism. The idea of a polished interface built on the Unix kernel had begun to look vaguely appealing. I started to look at you, Apple, as a friend, perhaps even more: someone I could go places with.</p> <p>But then, when you abruptly ended the presentation, all that love disappeared. For almost 6 months, I had told myself that when the new iPods came out, the Touches would have cameras and would be worth every penny. I would buy one; it would become my ubiquitous capture device, my ever-present digital to-do list, my technical life-line. I would double, maybe triple my productivity, becoming a GTDer <i>par excellence</i>. Every finger-stroke and smooth, flawless, animated eye-candy piece would slowly draw me into that inner circle; I would unresistingly purchase an iMac, or MacBook, and flaunt it as proudly as the best. I could almost feel the warm hugs of that Apple community.</p> <p>Then this: the cold shoulder.</p><p>Honestly, Apple, you've thrown me for a loop, <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=1+Infinite+Loop,+Cupertino,+CA%E2%80%8E&sll=37.337613,-122.027807&sspn=0.035827,0.077162&ie=UTF8&ll=37.335156,-122.028859&spn=0.008957,0.01929&z=16&iwloc=r0">an infinite loop.</a> It's going to take a while to get over this one; I won't ever be so nieve and trusting of you again. It's hard to believe now, but I think I actually thought you were out for my good. But you're just like the rest: selfish and money-hungery.</p> <p>Now if you'll excuse me, I have a dinner with the Palm Pre.</p><p>Hearbrokenly,</p><p>Andrew</p></div> </p> <p><a href="http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/open-letter-to-apple">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/open-letter-to-apple#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AndrewBurgess/~4/pkI7vvwvbik" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/184409/andy.jpg http://posterous.com/users/1brkyGMrHuV Andrew Burgess Andrew Burgess Andrew Burgess http://andrewburgess.posterous.com/open-letter-to-apple