Therefore to reduce the time it takes to process (and delete) these fake users of my blog I have decided to close blog registration down for the time being. If you are an existing registered user of my blog your account will remain intact. New users will however have to contact me to have an account added to the system.

This MacBook Pro 15.4″ 2.33 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo has been my primary work machine for the past 1.5 years. I have upgraded both the RAM (3 GB) and hard drive (320 GB). Original display and both batteries were replaced 3 months ago under AppleCare warrantee.

The MacBook Pro specifications are a MacBook Pro 15.4″ 2.33 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo w/:

• 3 GB RAM
• 320 GB Hard Drive
• Dual Layer Super DVD Drive
• Built-in iSight Camera
• Built-in 802.11n Airport Extreme (WiFi)
• Built-in BlueTooth (v2.1.6g8)

Package also includes:

• 2nd battery w/ black battery carrying case
• Mac OS X Leopard installed (disks not included) and upgraded to 10.5.7
• Original restore DVDs
• Apple iLife ’09 installed (disks not included) and upgraded with latest updates
• Original Box and documentation
• Applecare TechTools disk
• Remaining AppleCare service (coverage expires on 11/25/09)
• Speck “see-thru” hard shell case (plastic case that protects your Mac)
• Marware leather wrist rest

The machine is in great condition but does show signs of being used; Command, Shift and N keys are slightly worn, exterior case shows some scratches.

AppleCare coverage includes telephone and in-store Apple Genius hardware and software support.

Reason for selling: Recently upgraded to 17″ MacBook Pro

Check out the auction on eBay (Auction #250467093464)

Now I’ve thought of many “do-it-yourself” projects over the years. Norm Abrams is like a god to me. But I have never considered building a coffin for myself or a loved one. While it is really just another wood project I would have to think you can’t just show up at the funeral home with your own box. If you could, we’d all do it. Hell, Home Depot would have a whole section devoted it to it. Could you just imagine the in-store workshops!

I’ll do some research to see if this is legal in my area. If it is I’m going to order the kit and schedule it as the next “father/son” project. We can cover proper use of hand tools and death at the same time!

BTW .. take a moment to read through the user generated comments posted to this product. They are well worth taking a moment to read!

Unlike the iPhone upgrades experienced by 2G and 3G users over the past 2 years, my upgrade to the new 3G S was simple and quick. After sync’g my 2G iPhone to iTunes (creating a fresh backing up) I was able to connect my new 3G S iPhone to iTunes, select the phone number to move to the phone, activate it and restore all my apps, music, video and data. The restore (about 7.5GB) took about 20 minutes.

The conversion

After the restore was complete I was able to send and receive calls from the new phone! That is a huge improvement over last year. (Your mileage may vary). Another HUGE benefit to me is that I am still able to use all of my 2G iPhone’s features except to make phone calls. Using WiFi I can send and receive calls via Skype, take and upload pictures and of course play music and videos. Rather than sell my 2G iPhone I plan to use it as a spare entertainment device for my son.

When you restore data to the iPhone 3G S there are a few things you need to do update on the device. They include:

• Set email account passwords
• Set Voicemail password
• Reconfigure over WiFi “pairing” for apps that sync wirelessly

Almost everything else worked immediately without any configuration changes. To update over WiFi application pairing check the preferences panel in each application and follow their pairing instructions. For THINGS, which I use daily on the Mac, I was able to simply “un-pair” the old iPhone and configure pairing with the new device.

Should I upgrade?

The challenge of explaining the benefits of the 3G S to an interested listener is that the phone consists of two upgrades; OS and hardware. On the OS side, v3.0 of the iPhone OS provides a number of benefits including support for Cut & Paste and Spotlight search as well as a ton of minor upgrades to bundled iPhone apps (i.e., Camera, Mail, etc.). Application developers also have an amazing number of new features accessible to include in their applications via the iPhone v3.0 SDK. I have been beta testing V3.0 on my 2G iPhone for 2 weeks and the improved OS is a wonderful upgrade (free to iPhone owners) and well worth installing and testing before you decide to replace your 2G or 3G device.

One really nice feature of the v3.0 OS is “Find iPHone”. This is the ability to locate your phone via Apple’s Mobile Me service. If you have an active Mobile Me account, you can not only locate your phone on a Google Map, you can also send your phone a message. The phone will play a tone for up to two minutes with the message displayed as an alert on the screen. You can also remotely erase your phone if it truly is lost. I was able to test the map location feature on the 3G S and the alert message on the 2G (see picture above).

The hardware benefits of the new phone are nothing to scoff at either. The 3G S sports a faster processor and double the RAM. You can also select storage sizes of 16GB or 32GB. Most of the apps I tested load and run much faster than they did on the 2G. The higher resolution camera with “touch to focus” provide better, sharper pictures and the compass is an excellent addition if you use Google Maps frequently. I also noticed a huge improvement in cell coverage on the 3G S. Phone calls that would drop or not connect from within my apartment worked very well on the new phone.

Conclusion

In summary, if you have a 2G phone and you want both the hardware benefits I have outlined above upgrade to the new 3G S. If all you really want are the software benefits, upgrade to the v3.0 firmware and try it out for a week or two. That will be more than enough time to decide if you need the speed the 3G S provides.

Over the years I have been involved in the design and development of a lot of different web sites. Part of that design process includes developing error pages to handle errors that either the user or system has produced. While these pages normally follow the branding (see the Maghound.com example below) they rarely exhibit rolling in the isle humor. Smashing Magazine has a great article highlighting some of the more unique and stylish 404 Error pages on the internet.

Check out all the ads at Fanhouse

One of the more memorable quotes from Barack Obama’s Inauguration speech, “America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children’s children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God’s grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.”

You can read the entire speech heremebeli.

It has been a long time since I had a momentary feeling of complete helplessness. That feeling that comes when an event is unfolding near a friend or family member when you are far, far away from them and in no position to provide help or assistance. Working as a consultant I often have to travel to a remote client locations for work which means I have to trust that while I am away, everything will be OK at home.

It wasn’t until I had a family of my own that I began to finally understand the some of the apprehensions about traveling colleagues have shared with me. I believe all people who travel for business come to grips with this concern. A concern that can only be resolved by putting your faith (either consciously or unconsciously) that what will be, will be whether I am there or not. I hope that by sending positive energy out to the universe everything will be OK until I return. This is how I am able to leave for days at a time and focus on the job at hand.

When I first became a father I couldn’t imagine not being there for my son very minute of the day. I eventually learned to trust our nanny as she took him shopping, out to play dates and eventually school. The same holds true when I travel. I have to trust deep down that my son has my wife, our nanny, his teachers .. all of whom can be there to help guide and protect him in my absence.

These feelings of insecurity however, all resurfaced yesterday when I received a Twitter message from CNN Breaking News saying that a plane crashed in the Hudson River. I immediately went to the CNN.com site and saw the live feed of the plane floating down river just blocks from my home. What made matters worse was that I was unable to reach anyone at home. Fortunately, my worst fears were abated when I learned that the plane had not struck any buildings as I first feared and that everyone on the flight was rescued and brought to safety.

So while it is good advice not to live in fear of what “might” happen, I would equally recommend that by being prepared you can make a bad situation more manageable. Here are a few suggestions you might want to consider implementing with your family:

• As a family, agree on a place to go if there is an emergency. This can include making an agreement with a nearby friend, a relative that you can come to their house if some disaster strikes and one of you needs help.
• Have an agreed communication plan. If phones are down and you are unable to connect to the internet to check mail, agree on a friend or relative (outside your immediate area) whom you can communicate with and relay information.
• If you have small children, make sure that their name and your phone number (preferably cell phone #) is stitched into their clothes
• Have an emergency bag packed with basic supplies (i.e., water, protein bar, change of clothes, flash light, extra batteries, portable radio [self-powered model], cash [lots of singles and small denomination bills]). Keep the bag small. If you have to move quickly, don’t pack a bag that is too heavy for you to carry. I use a simple Jan-sport water resistant backpack.
• Have pictures of each member of your immediate family with you that you can share with police and emergency workers if the need arises.

Like I said, living in fear is unproductive and a waste of energy. Being prepared however can give you piece of mind. If you have helpful tips on how to help your and your family to be safe during an emergency, please feel free to share them with us by posting a comment to this article.

Be safe, be prepared.

I missed this back in May 2008 when it was first posted .. but damn if this isn’t the most funny, twisted and disturbed use of a childhood cartoon I’ve ever seen!