The Geek, The Hedonist, The Absurdist & The Would-Be Visionary

Hey Apple: Why Hast Thou Forsaken Us?

2015-09-02T11:29:00.000+02:00

I have been an Apple fan boy ever since I owned my first Apple Computer (an Apple IIe) back in 1984. Beyond the aesthetics and hype surrounding Apple, I have always believed, even in dire times, that they had an edge over their competitors. The deep integration of Mac OS with Apple hardware and services made for an unsurpassed user experience that could not be found anywhere else.

As much as I hate to admit it, I have, unfortunately, grown very frustrated over the last few years with their latest services because they don't just work anymore! The philosophy of Apple products used to be about making things simple for the end user by empowering them with metaphorical and intuitive tools that made every task a tap or a click away. Hence, the legions of blind Apple fans that have been blessed by such a wonderful and unbelievable user experience that their dedication to the brand can only be compared to a religion in which Apple Stores are churches, and masses are held by "Genius" priests… One can't help but wonder why services don't end with Apple flavored drinks at the bar.

Ok, ok... I digress… Let's get back to my point:

We now live in the age of cloud computing and I must confess that if there is one thing that Apple never got right it is Cloud & Sync services.

iDisk was their very first attempt at creating an online Hard Drive for Mac users and it was an epic failure… As much as I wanted to use it, I could never understand how they expected me to use such a slow and buggy tool… Upload speeds were close to zero, iDisk would often crash the Finder and files kept disappearing…

The came MobileMe which promised to be "Exchange for the rest of us"… Even Steve Jobs admitted a year after the service was released that it was unreliable and didn't quite fit with all the great products that Apple had.

Then came iCloud that, I'll give you that one, worked for a few years… Syncing contacts, calendars, Notes, Reminders and backing up iPhones & iPads mostly worked as advertised… Mostly because sometimes Apple fan boys that trusted iCloud to back up their iPhone data learned the hard way that iCloud backups were not to be trusted as they would sometimes only partially restore their data when in need to do so…

But Apple didn't learn from their mistakes… They went on to release iCloud Photo Library which promised to solve everyone's problems with photos and videos by automatically syncing them to the cloud and across computers… What a brilliant idea… If only it had just worked…

I was one of the first users to blindly install the update as soon as it became available. After a whole week of uploading 100Gb worth of data, I came to the painful realization that the service magically resurrected long deleted photos that were not present on any of my iOS or Mac computers… To put it in a simple way: Apple had kept hidden from me pictures that I thought were gone forever after I had carefully deleted them from my camera roll, photo stream, and deleted pictures folder… This is just not acceptable in terms of privacy.

Although this may have disastrous consequences in the lives of many, it keeps getting worse as iCloud Photo Library (the one and only stop Apple would want you to think of when it comes to saving & syncing hundreds of gigabytes of photos & videos) can't deal with large photo libraries… Oh wait ??? Isn't this service all about such huge libraries?

Well… I have 100Gb worth of photos and videos. I use an iPhone 6 Plus with 128Gb of memory and have activated the "optimize iPhone storage" option for photos & videos (otherwise I wouldn't have much memory left to use my iPhone for anything else).

Every time an app needs to access my photos it takes about 15 seconds… I can only name two apps that behave correctly in doing so: Facebook & Instagram. Those 2 apps actually access, by default, the most recent photos instead of accessing my entire library. This is an easy and simple work around that every app should use and most importantly that Apple should enforce and write guidelines about. Unfortunately, none of these measures have been implemented since iCloud Photo Library was released more than 6 months ago.

When I take a picture, it sometimes takes 30 seconds to show up in my camera roll (using the buit-in camera app and camera roll)…

For the last 6 months, I have been dreading doing anything that involves photos or videos on my iPhone 6 Plus and iPad because I know that I am going to have to wait 30 seconds for any task related to this… This is not acceptable…

There are forums describing this problem which seems to appear with Photo Libraries that have more than 25.000 pictures… I have 52.000 pictures and 600 videos in mine…

So, as sad as I am to announce this: I'm not gonna buy Apple's next iPhone and am switching to Android as I have lost faith in Apple which made my user experience a nightmare for the last 6 months.

So long Apple…

Apple : Please Let Me Dock My iPhone On My Mac !

2014-06-05T10:55:00.001+02:00

OS X 10.10 & iOS 8 will greatly enhance the user experience. The Continuity concept is exciting but should go beyond what was presented during the 2014 WWDC keynote.

I love the idea of receiving my phone calls and text messages on my Mac as I won't have to juggle between my mac and iPhone as often as I do it now when I'm at work.

My last post was about a dumb iPad and I do think that Apple should implement new functionalities to let their devices interact more between one another.

One great feature would be to let users virtually "dock" their iPhone on their Mac. I would love to be able to "bump" my iPhone against my Mac and then, magically, see the content of my iPhone appear in a desktop window. Wouldn't it be great to access all iPhone features through the Mac without having to deal with two devices (mac, iPhone) at the same time ?

I can't wait for OS X 10.11 & iOS 9 to implement such features !

Why A Dumb iPad Would Be A Great Device

2014-04-22T16:06:00.000+02:00

As smartphones are ubiquitous and tablets are becoming more and more common, we frequently find ourselves configuring two different devices with nearly identical settings. It just seems to me as an awful waste of time and CPU.

I love my iPhone and my iPad but I hate to configure them and keep them up to date. I don't need an iPad with a slightly faster CPU than my iPhone and most importantly I don't notice the difference. What I want and has yet to be released is a totally dumb iPad which only purpose would be to mirror à la Airplay the content of my iPhone on a bigger and more comfortable screen.

As many apps are universal (i.e. contain the code for both the iPhone and iPad version), it wouldn't be complicated to scale them to take advantage of the iPad display.

What I want is simple :
- An easy way to pair my iPhone with my dumb iPad using either bluetooth or Wi-Fi (iBeacon ?).
- Once they are paired, I want the iPad to automatically mirror the content of my iPhone on its bigger screen scaling apps to take advantage of the iPad screen estate.
- An Easy way to unpair them (time-out after 5 minutes and/or a gesture).

This would be awesome and allow for sharing the same tablet amongst a household. It just doesn't make any sense to me to have a full-blown ultimate specs iPad with the same apps than on my iPhone. I don't want to download, install everything twice and I don't need twice the memory storage. I just need a device that has enough horsepower to mirror my iPhone content.

Please Apple, make a Dumb iPad!

The Ultimate Hotel For The Seasoned Traveler

2013-08-19T13:29:00.000+02:00

Every time I stay in a hotel, I am annoyed by details which have become to me important issues that most of the hotels I've stayed in haven't tackled yet. So here are my rants, hoping someone will read them:

1) If you promise perks & benefits to guests that hold status with your program, deliver what your promise. For instance, if you promise top-tier status holders that they will be upgraded upon checkin if a higher category room is available, just do it.

I always check room availability on my smartphone minutes before I check in. I just hate it when I see that many rooms are available in higher categories and when I'm told at check-in : "I am sorry we can't upgrade you because we are 100% booked". I'd rather be told: "I'm sorry we're not going to upgrade you because we just don't feel like it". At least, it's not a blatant lie. Otherwise change the list of benefits of your program to "room upgrade depending on availability and mood of the staff member at check-in".

I frequently choose the hotel I'm going to stay at depending on the status I hold with the brand and the benefits that I should receive. When promised benefits aren't delivered, it just feels like I'm being ripped off. This is definitely NOT what you want your frequent guests to feel like.

2) By 2013, all hotels should have easily accessible electrical outlets AND USB ports on BOTH sides of their beds. I just hate it when I have to crawl under the bed to find an electrical outlet or even worse if I have to plug my phone away from my bed because there is no accessible power socket. I don't want to have to get up to get my phone in the morning or before I fall asleep at night.

3) If you charge for wireless internet access then let guests use as many devices as they want. Some hotels still charge on a per device basis and this is not acceptable anymore in this day and age. When I travel with my iPhone, iPad, MacBook & Kindle I just can't fathom being charged $15 X 4 everyday to have internet access. It just kills my mood and makes me never want to go back to that property.

How can you justify charging more for one day than what I pay per month for my cable connection at home?

And Please don't make me go through the trouble of logging in every 24 hours. It just upsets me. I don't want to lose 10 minutes every day to log all my devices back in. If Apple gives away free wireless internet access in all their stores without the need to log in, why can't you?

4) Please provide your guests with decent broadband speeds. 256k isn't acceptable anymore. Every guest should have at least 5Mb/1Mb. I just can't stand it anymore when I update my apps on my iPhone in the morning and it takes me 25 minutes compared to 30 seconds at home. In addition, if I have to restore my iPhone from my iCloud backup, it just shouldn't take me three days (as recently happened to a friend of mine)

5) Get rid of old iPod docks that won't work with most recent iPhones. Get bluetooth speakers a la Jambox that will work with any phone or tablet. You can't imagine how frustrating it can be to see an iPod dock sitting on your bed side table and not being able to use it to charge or listen to music from my iPhone. I just makes me feel like I'm staying in a hotel that was never renovated.

6) Let me open the door to my room with my smartphone so that I don't have to carry a key with me.

7) Let me charge my electronics inside the in-room safe thanks to an integrated electrical outlet.

Any hotel that will comply with these simple suggestions will likely greatly enhance their guest experience. So why not do it right now?

Best Prepaid iPhone Plan in Buenos Aires (Argentina)

2012-12-29T11:58:00.000+01:00

In my quest to find unlimited prepaid data wherever I go, I present to you the results of my trials and errors in Argentina!

Finding a prepaid sim card with unlimited data in Buenos Aires was, to say the least, not easy. After browsing multiple websites in English and Spanish (keep in mind I don't speak Spanish), I was under the assumption that the best deal for me would be to get a Movistar sim card. I, thus, went to a Movistar store where I bought a prepaid sim card for 50 Argentinian pesos (=US$10) (it came loaded with 10 pesos of credit) and was told that I would be able to use their unlimited internet plan for 1 pesos per day.

It took about an hour for the card to become active but data access never worked. I went back to the store where I was told that customer service was handled by a dedicated support store to which I went (you have to be ready to lose time when you want your prepaid sim card to work). I was given there various APN settings that I all tried thanks to the Rebel Sim card website and their custom APN configuration page (you could also try the original unlockit APN changer website but it is now limited in functionality). Nothing worked. So, I resorted to a different carrier and went to a Claro store.

Claro also offers unlimited internet for 1 pesos per day. I was, however, told that their plan wouldn't work my my iPhone 5 although they sold nano-sim cards. Since the sim was much cheaper than at Movistar (10 pesos = US$2), I decided to give it a try. So I bought the sim (remember to bring a passport to the store as you will need it to purchase a sim card) and waited an hour for activation. Since the sim didn't come with any credit, I went to a supermarket to add 20 pesos of credit (you can pretty much top up prepaid sim cards everywhere in Argentina) and bam! A few seconds after handling the money to the cashier, I could feel my iPhone coming to life in my pocket with notifications starting to pour down on it from the clouds!

So, do not hesitate and go for Claro if you're in Argentina and need a prepaid sim card with unlimited data. One thing to keep in mind is that bandwidth is capped after 10 Mb of use per day but you can restore full bandwidth by sending a text message to "252" with the text "TURBO". It will cost you an extra pesos every time you do so. Should you choose not to do so, you will still be able to access the internet but at a reduced speed (64 kbps).

The Ultimate Question Of Battery Life, The Universe And Everything

2012-10-23T15:36:00.002+02:00

Yes, I'm an Apple Fan Boy.

Yes, I love Apple products.

Yes, I actually use them.

And this last statement is actually the source of my rant as for the last five years, I have been constantly obsessed with the battery life of my iPhone (from V1 to 3G to 3GS to 4 to 4S and finally iPhone 5). Each new iPhone with each new iOS iteration brought more features, less power consumption but more or less the same battery and in the end the same battery life.

What Apple failed to realize is that releasing a less power hungry chip doesn't compensate for the increase in use and functionality when coupled to the same battery.

All the talk about great battery life is just marketing BS to me. The iPhone has great battery life if you don't use it. But isn't the point of having a shiny iPhone to actually use it? What if you're heading to the airport after a long day of work (or actually a short day of work) and realize that your boarding pass stored in Passbook won't be available when you get to the airport because you don't have enough battery left?

Well, that's my life and the following picture is what I fear the most and yet see very often:

The average battery life I've been getting on my iPhone for the last four years is around 7-8 hours per charge because I use it a lot. And let me say it cleary: THIS IS NOT ENOUGH.

So, I'm stuck with only one option: carrying a Mophie Juice Pack Powerstation Duo. It holds 6000mAh of battery goodness and therefore can charge an iPhone (or 2 at once) up to 4 times. It's great but, frankly, I really wish my iPhone were 40% thicker and had at least 3 times the battery life it currently has (4 times would make all my worries about battery life vanish and 42 times would actually answer the ultimate question of battery life, the universe and everything).

So, Apple: are you listening to your users?

FaceTime Vs. VoiceTime

2012-10-23T15:06:00.000+02:00

Am I the only wondering when Apple is going to unleash the real power of FaceTime by not implementing a new feature but actually giving users the option to choose between videoconferencing and voice calls?

Videoconferencing has been the holy grail of communications for a very long time until it was actually released and most people realized it was actually uncomfortable and awkward to broadcast their image.

Nevertheless, Apple managed to make Apple fans use their FaceTime product more than they had ever used any kind of videoconferencing software or device. One of the best features of FaceTime is that it uses data connectivity (originally wifi and now cellular as well) to establish a session, hence letting people communicate internationally for free.

The next best thing, in my opinion, will be when Apple decides to let users opt out of the video and and only use Voice (they should name this VoiceTime), therefore letting people call each other for free using internet connectivity.

Now, I see you wondering: this is not new, Skype did this years ago... Well yes and no... The genius idea behind FaceTime was to use one's cellular phone number as a FaceTime ID. In the same line of thinking, Apple could very well allow users to use their cellular phone number as an ID to make voice calls, effectively looping the loop by doing so: users will use their phone number to call other users' phone numbers but they will be bypassing cellular carriers' voice infrastructures and only be using data networks. I could very well see Apple becoming a data-only carrier and be a game changer in that area.

Now do you get it? VoIP calls using one's cellular phone number as their ID!

Another Worthy Burger in Strasbourg (France)

2012-10-23T13:33:00.000+02:00

Every once in a while, fate smiles upon you. As most of you already know, my wife and I founded the "Share-A-Burger" initiative in December 2004 in a genuine attempt to change the world one burger at a time. If you're not already a fan by the way, please like our facebook page immediately.

As of today, we have 479 fans sharing the love of burgers and even better, a restaurant in Strasbourg that serves burgers using our GNU General Public License Burger recipe with only minor modifications. So, do not hesitate to go try it for yourself at Le Catsy's Chez Frieda!

And of course: May The Burger Be With You All!

Summer 2012 Burger Awards

2012-08-23T14:47:00.000+02:00

Following up on last year's Burger Awards, here is this summer's list of the best Burgers I've had.

Starting with this beautiful Bacon & Cheddar Burger with Jalapenos and Red Onion from Bill's Bar and Burger in New York: I loved the generous amount of Jalapenos as well as the overall texture and taste of this one!

Bacon cheeseburger at The Corner Bistro: Although this burger was good, I must admit it didn't live up to the hype of being The best burger in New York City. I, later, learned that the chef that used to prepare this rumored excellent burger doesn't work at The Corner Bistro anymore which might explain my relatively disappointing experience:

Chargrilled Burger with Shoelace Fries at The Spotted Pig: this is also what many people claim to be one of the best Burgers in New York City. Considering that I don't like Burgers that stray away from the classic recipe, I can say that I was unexpectedly pleased with what I would call a "French Burger". The buns were amazingly soft and the beef as tender as you can imagine. The shoelace fries aren't practical to eat but they are excellent.

Cheeseburger at Burger Joint: unexpectedly located behind a red curtain in the lobby of the Parker Meridien Hotel in New York City, this very classic & greasy burger joint does not disappoint with its classic cheeseburger. The line in the lobby at lunch time just tells it all. Count a good 30 minutes if you want to grab a Burger to go. Count even more if you expect to sit in this small establishment. My only regret is that they don't have bacon!

After New York, let's move south to South Beach, Miami! Below are Barton G.'s Kobe Beef sliders with foie gras, truffles: once again there are not classic Burgers but they absolutely deserve to be on this list for their juiciness and taste!

Cheeseburger Baby in Miami has delicious Burgers that are really worth a visit. Classic Burgers with the works. They're juicy, fat and tasty.

Shake Shack remains one of the best burger joints on the East Coast and I just love their 100% all natural Angus beef Burgers. This is a must go!

And finally, last but not least: Five Guys. I must confess that I like Five Guys better than last year and that I may find their Burgers better than Shake Shack's. I'm still confused as to which one is the best Burger. An added plus at Five Guys' is that you get free peanuts!

The Bazaar At SLS Hotel Review (South Beach, Miami)

2012-08-20T16:53:00.002+02:00

The recently opened SLS Hotel in South Beach offers two great dining options: Katsuya and The Bazaar by José Andrés. As I had already dined at Katsuya's in L.A., I opted for the Bazaar.

First off, I have to say I really like the overall design of the hotel. You can see Philippe Starck's touch everywhere and although it is not as original as it once was, it still is very pleasing to the eye.

The Bazaar is supposed to be less adventurous in the molecular gastronomy field than the chef's signature restaurant Minibar in Washington, DC. It, however, doesn't cease to surprise.

One great example is the cocktails menu. I ordered a "clean and dirty Martini" as a pre-dinner drink and was not disappointed. The salt air (the foam on top) combined with the liquid olive at the bottom made for a very original taste for this classic cocktail:

As I wanted to try as many dishes as possible, I opted for the tasting menu priced at $100 which started with Aceitunas Rellenas (piquillo pepper, anchovy, olive oil):

Followed by excellent Kueh Pai Ti (Singapore's favorite street food):

Bagels and Lox (salmon roe & dill cream chesse):

José's Taco (caviar and Jamon Iberico) which was one of the simplest and finest combinations I've ever hard:

Yuca Churros with honey and peanut butter in a tube: I liked the presentation but it was a bit too sweet for my taste buds at this point in the meal:

Dragon Fruit Ceviche (tuna, pecans, lime, hibiscus):

Sautéed Shrimps (garlic, parsley, lemon, gindilla pepper):

Black Rossejat (paella-style pasta, squid ink, shrimp, aioli):

Not Your Everyday Caprese (cherry tomatoes & liquid mozzarella): I loved the texture of the liquid Mozzarella:

Brussels Sprouts (lemon purée, apricots, grapes, lemon air & banana): one word: interesting!

Cuban Coffee Rubbed Churrasco (with passion fruit):

Cubano (sandwich in Honor of Café Versailles which is a cuban specialty restaurant in Miami):

Japanese Taco (grilled eel, shiso, cucumber, wasabi & pork chicharrones):

Cuban Escabeche "Estefan's Way" (hamachi, pickled onions, sour orange):

Deconstructed Key Lime Pie:

Tres Leches (coconut, nitro frozen pineapple, Rum):

Banana Mojito (mojito sorbet, mint, caramelized bananas):

I must say I was impressed by this tasting menu and although I did not like every singe dish, I had an overall great experience. The Bazaar ranks amongst the best restaurants in South Beach and is an absolute must-go!

My Favorite Rooftop Bar in New York: 230 Fifth

2012-08-20T15:20:00.000+02:00

Sipping a cocktail on a sunny afternoon in New York while contemplating the skyline is an absolute delight. This is the reason why there are many rooftop bars in the city and I can only recommend any newcomer to the Big Apple to experience it. 230 Fifth is located at 230 5th Avenue (making it rather easy to remember its name/location) and it is a must-go.

Enter the building, be nice to the bouncer and head for the elevators to reach the top floor. Children are only allowed between 4 and 6pm so keep this in mind as my suggestion is to go there before sunset so as to enjoy both the daylight, sunset and night views.

More pictures after the break:

Feel free to explore and see the skyline from all angles!

Another Secret Bar In New York: Bleecker Heights Tavern

2012-08-18T16:12:00.000+02:00

Should you ever wander on Bleecker Street in New York after 4pm and stumble upon the Five Guys burger joint pictured above, then follow this route: head to the counter but instead of ordering food (which is something you can also do before following my instructions), follow the restrooms sign and...

Once you're facing the restrooms door, turn around and you'll see this staircase:

Go all the way up and open the door to enter the Bleecker Heights Tavern which is a secret sports bar located on the first floor of this Five Guys joint.

I might only add that we seem to be living in a perfect world where secret bars are located inside burger or hot dog joints!

WD~50 Molecular Restaurant Review (New York)

2012-08-17T16:16:00.002+02:00

There aren't that many places in the world where one can have the opportunity to eat molecular food. As New York City is one of them, I took advantage of a recent trip there to have dinner at renowned chef Wylie Dufresne's WD~50 restaurant.

First off, let me say that I was surprised by the relatively casual setting of the restaurant which is not necessarily a negative point. If you're sitting at a table, you only have two options: the "Tasting Menu" and "From The Vault". Both are preset menus, the former representing the latest take on molecular gastronomy of the chef and the latter focusing on his all-time classics. We decided to order the tasting menu with wine pairing as it had more items and we wanted to try as many different dishes as possible.

Dinner started with a molecular Grey Goose Dirty Martini with a 2D paprika oil disk just to be in the mood for the molecular dishes to come! This 2D disk is a nice and original attempt at replacing olives with something less common. Then came the "Nigiri, Salsify, Seawed, Sesame" which I found to be tasty and interesting in structure:

Followed by the "Lobster Roe, Charred Lemon, Green Grape, Coriander-Brown Butter":

Then came the "Pho Gras" which I really enjoyed. It consists of Foie Gras, noodles and a broth:

"Amaro Yolk, Chicken Confit, Peas 'N' Carrots":

"Veal Brisket, Za'Atar, Plum, Mustard": this was without a doubt the highlight of the meal. I loved the combination of plum & mustard and the texture of the veal:

"Crab Toast, Saffron, Kaffir-Yogurt, Arare": very original presentation and interesting taste:

"Sole, Black Licorice-Pil Pil, Fried Green Tomato & Fennel": I would say that there was a bit too much licorice for me to enjoy it:

"Lamb Sweet Breads, Nasturtium-Buttermilk, Zucchini, Pistachio": though I'm not usually a fan of Sweet Breads, I did like it:

"Root Beer Ribs, Rye Spaetzle, Apricot": although I do enjoy root beer, this was just too much for my European taste buds. This is the only dish I did not finish (and actually barely touched):

"Jasmine, Cucumber, Honeydew, Chartreuse": Very interesting combination:

"Yuzu Milk Ice, Hazelnut, Rhubarbn Basil": fabulous dessert:

And finally: "S'Mores, Bitter Cocoa, Meringue, Black Currant":

All in all, I would say it was a satisfying experience although it did not live up to my expectations. I found the molecular aspects of the dishes not as impressive as I would have thought. I wouldn't recommend ordering the wine pairing with the tasting menu probably because it is too generous and I found myself overwhelmed by the amount of wine and unfinished glasses at the end of the meal. Service was very attentive and professional.

A New York Secret Bar Experience (Please Don't Tell)

2012-08-07T12:57:00.002+02:00

Secret bars are nothing new but they make for a very special and fun experience. As I had the chance to try one of them, I can only secretly share it with you. So: Please don't tell!

I can't tell you all about it but I strongly suggest you go pay a visit to Crif Dogs on your next trip to New York. If you love hot dogs, you will have the chance to taste the best hot dog in New York so don't hesitate to order one. Here's what the entrance to Crif Dogs looks like just a few steps down from the sidewalk:

Once you're in, you will be facing the counter where you can order New York's finest hot dot. And don't get me wrong, many people come here only for hot dogs so it is usually packed and the secret bar is hidden well!

Look directly to your left and you will see an old-fashioned phone booth:

Enter the phone booth (after 6pm) and dial 1:

The back door of the phone booth will magically open and a hostess will ask you how many you are: gently answer and if there's room she may let you in. Inside it's a different world from Crif Dogs (which looks like the average Hot Dog joint). The bar is sleek and there are vey nice booths where you can sit at a table. You can only be impressed by the cocktails served here as they are prepared with extreme accuracy and are all very original.

Here's a picture of a classic Belvedere Martini which I suggest you shouldn't bother with if you come here as there are extremely interesting cocktails to discover:

The TomR Collins below served with a huge vertical ice cube is excellent:

The one below is my favorite: Benton's Old Fashioned which has a bacon taste. It might not sound appealing but you have to try it!

Behold the Lower East Side Globe Trotter served with a spherical ice cube prepared right in front of you with their special spherical ice cube machine. This cocktail is not on the list (another secret?) so remember to ask for it.

The spherical ice cube didn't melt much while I was drinking this cocktail. That is its practical use as it is a huge chunk of ice that will cool your drink down but not add much water to it:

And if that wasn't enough, you can actually order food from Crif Dogs while having a cocktail at the bar! Fabulous cheese fries below:

All in all, the most fun I had in a long time! I suggest you go try it for yourself and of course (and that is also the name of this secret bar): Please Don't Tell!

Delta Business Elite Flat-Bed Seats Review

2012-08-07T12:29:00.000+02:00

As I recently traveled on the Frankfurt - New York JFK route with Delta, I have to share my impressions of Delta's Business Elite Flat-Bed seats. As you can see above this relatively new seat uses the "pod" design and does provide the passenger with a very wide armrest which is large enough to leave your food tray should you feel the need to get up while in the middle of your meal.

You will aslo find a regular power source as well as a USB port which should be plenty enough to charge your electronic devices while aboard. The In Flight Entertainment (IFE) system is a pleasure to use as the user interface is very responsive (compared to Air France's extremely slow IFE where there's almost a second lag after each press of a button).

In Flat-bed position, I found this seat to be very comfortable. Although it looks and seems narrow and lacking in length, it actually goes very far into the pod located in front of it so that there is plenty of leg room (at least significantly more than with Air France's seats).

Below you can see a picture of a passenger seating half way between upright and flat bed positions.

Of course, the other good thing about flying business class is the food which I found to be very good on this flight. Starting with a preflight drink of Duval Leroy champagne:

Shortly after take-off, cocktail service with a Bloody Mary:

Starters consisted of an excellent shrimp preparation:

Followed by a salad with ranch dressing:

The menu:

I had the grilled beef tenderloin which was very tender and tasty. I loved the blue cheese sauce and the Lyonnaise potatoes!

Cheese selection accompanied by grapes and a strawberry:

And a beautiful sundae:

I can safely say that this was a very pleasant flight. I really liked Delta's flat-bed seats. Their only drawback is that for the seats which are separated from the aisle by the armrest, it can be a very narrow passage to go through. Otherwise, it is an excellent product providing aisle access to all business class passengers. The long and flat bed seat features a very large armrest. It is way ahead of Air France's current product.

Carl Jung, The Borgs & Twitter

2012-07-05T14:36:00.000+02:00

Carl Jung believed in a collective unconscious shared by all members of a species. This idea echoes in Rupert Sheldrake's theory of morphic resonance where he posited that acquired changes in one individual of a species will instantaneously benefit other members of the same species.

Subsequently, wouldn't it make sense to think that Twitter is a new medium capable of broadcasting the collective unconscious to the world and can therefore modify humanity as a whole through our sharing of conscious & unconscious thoughts?

One may argue that Tweets aren't unconscious but many Twitterers will answer that most of their tweets are either semi-conscious or at least less censored by their super-ego than oral speech.

I can't help but think about the Borgs in Star Trek that are connected to "the Collective" via a subspace link in a somewhat similar fashion than my favorite aforementioned social network. They are all inter-connected but this network deprives each individual of their freedom. Call me an optimist, but I believe that Twitter is, on the contrary, a powerful liberating tool that will enable us to better understand our neighbors as well as our species in its entirety.

Let the little bird tweet and liberty will certainly ring!

Behold The NiederBurger

2012-07-04T10:23:00.001+02:00

Not content with being the hypest food in France at the moment, the burger is also subject to various Alsatian takes on its recipe.

The French love to do things differently (is that the reason why Steve Jobs would very often refer to France in his keynotes?) and the Alsatian people take pride in setting themselves apart from France. You might ask yourself if that is a good thing in the realm of burgerness and here I come to give you the ultimate answer (which differs from 42): IT IS A GOOD THING.

I had the extreme pleasure of sampling two different Alsatian burgers in less than a week and can only conclude that although they both strayed away from the Classic Burger that I love, they were both excellent and very original. The former is featured in my previous blog post here while the latter is the subject of the post you are reading now (isn't that logic?).

I loved the idea of creating a very tasty and juicy burger using a custom-baked pretzel and crusty and thick patty. The result was absolutely great and I can only advise every single one of you to pay a visit to l'Atelier du Sommelier in Niederbronn-les-Bains (Alsace, France) to try other delicacies (I'm not 100% sure they have the burger on their menu so call in advance should you wish to sample it).

And of course to set things right, my delicious burger was preceded by a fantastic and genuine Caesar salad (in the American sense of the term, not the usual French interpretation of the Caesar salad):

The Alsatian Burger is Here

2012-06-29T09:24:00.000+02:00

Though it may not be the corner stone of any nutritious breakfast, the Alsatian Burger featured at La Tocante Restaurant in Vendenheim is a delightful combination that has to be had! The idea here is to replace the bun with potato pancakes (or "Grumbeerekiechle" as they call them in Alsace) and serve ketchup on the side. The closest idea that comes to mind is, of course, KFC's Double Down sandwich.

As for the meat in my burger, it was not only perfectly cooked but juicy and tasty as well. Moreover, the cheese melted to perfection definitely added a plus to the cheeseburgerness factor of the whole thing:

I wouldn't recommend eating this blob-esque preparation with your hands but this is one of those rare situations where eating a burger with cutlery is perfectly ok and would definitely not be frowned upon. I stated in the past that the perfect burger for me was a classic burger and I still stand by that affirmation. However, I can only say that I really enjoyed this original Alsatian Burger and really encourage you to try it!

1741 Restaurant Review (Strasbourg, France)

2012-06-09T19:51:00.000+02:00

1741 is the much hyped restaurant that recently opened in Strasbourg. Since everybody's talking about it, I had to review it and let me tell you right away: I was not disappointed.

First of all, the setting is absolutely stunning. The place is decorated with great taste and everything in this restaurant is about details. The staff is extremely professional and nice. The ubiquitous Hermès chinaware is just something that you wouldn't expect to see anywhere even in the most expensive restaurant in the world.

1741 consists of 4 floors amongst which the third one is a slightly more casual one which only serves a "surprise" menu prepared right next to you in the open kitchen located on the same floor.

1741 is, in my opinion, the restaurant that Strasbourg was lacking. It made me feel I was away from my hometown and eating at the trendiest place in New York City. There is no question as to if you should try it or not if you live in Strasbourg. So, here are some pictures of the exquisite food served there:

Well it started off with an excellent chip Pizza (who doesn't love chips and who doesn't love pizza?):

Followed by a cloud of morels & chive (Yummy):

Then followed the starters: Tomato soup with a delicious tomato based toast:

The veal was cooked to perfection (but a bit cold when it reached our table):

The cheese selection was just awesome (the Maitre d' told us that the selection is theme based. Today's theme was cheeses from the "North"):

The chocolate dessert was exquisite (you gotta love the skid marks touch on the plate):

You have to like this beautiful alcove:

More desserts:

Pikeperch to be served tonight:

The bathroom and the sink:

Ladies' bathroom with Hermès perfume ("Eau d'Orange verte"):

Why 1741? Well just because the Palais des Rohan (which you can see from the restaurant) was completed in 1741. Attention to details goes as far as the library of the ground floor sporting only books dating back to 1741:

Last picture: sugar for coffee and of course Hermès chinaware:

All in all, I had a terrific time at 1741 and will definitely go back! The last touch I will mention is that this restaurant offers a valet parking service, something that is unique in Strasbourg.

I Can Has Consciousness

2012-06-08T08:54:00.000+02:00

I'm in the habit of listening to podcasts while driving. As a matter of fact, I've come to hate most of my local radio stations as I find it rather depressing to listen to news which are usually focused on one sole thing: keeping their audience by tackling fearsome topics. I've found myself to be in a much better general mood since I decided to let go of local radio stations and started to pick the shows I wanted to listen to while driving.

I've only discovered "The Skeptic's Guide To The Universe" recently and must say I really enjoy it.

The last episode I listened to (Ep. #358) dealt with theories of consciousness which I find to be a much more interesting topic than the global economy. Facts & theories were presented in a very clear manner and left for the audience to decide towards which side they personally leaned:

- Materialism: this is the theory that considers everything to be anchored in the physical world hence consciousness can only be a product of our physical brain.

- Dualism: in this philosophy, both material and immaterial realities coexist. Think of it as our brain being a receiver or tuner that would receive some kind of metaphysical signal responsible for consciousness. This puts the emergence of consciousness outside of the brain.

- Idealism: in this theory, the physical universe doesn't exist and is just an illusion created by consciousness which is the only "reality" in a non physical universe.

Steven Novella, one of the hosts of the show, is an academic neurologist and this mere fact should only encourage you to download and listen to this podcast as it truly upholds scientific standards.

Make sure you also read Steven Novella's blog: the NeurologicaBlog: I love his post about the "Boiron Settlement - Homeopathic Active Ingredients Are Neither". In fact, in late April a US federal court approved a class action settlement against Boiron (the world's largest manufacturer of homeopathic products) as a result of a class action lawsuit alleging Boiron sold products under false claims. To make it simple, the plaintiffs argued that Boiron could not prove that the ingredients in their products were active but most importantly they could not even prove that they were present as they were diluted to a large extent.

Twitter & The Time Machine Paradigm

2012-05-28T11:06:00.001+02:00

As I finally managed to use the word "paradigm" in a post title, I'm sure it will be read by millions of highly intelligent people so I'm really really going to be very cautious with what comes next.

The advent of social networks and the multiplication of tweets, facebook posts, instagram pictures, tumblr entries etc. have dramatically changed the nature of the Internet by speeding up its evolution and relevance.

I tweet, you tweet, we all tweet. We leave digital artifacts of our lives at any moment and from anywhere. This, in turn, lets us interact with other people though we may never meet them in real life (IRL). There is no doubt, in my mind, that this has a profound impact on the way we relate to the world and one another.

Have you ever realized that Twitter & social networks in general constitute time machines? What better way will future digital archeologists have in order to understand the past than to go back in time by exploring its tweets? How intriguing can it be to just go back to the twitter timeline at the time of a historic event so as to cease the thoughts of the many?

Think of this in terms of "what if Napoleon had had a Twitter account?"

This also leads to the question of what will happen to our digital selves once we are no more of this world. Should our tweets continue to exist on the "timeline" until the end of (digital) time or should they be erased or perhaps saved? I can only be in favor of letting our tweets continue to exist in the timeline though it may come in the way of the process of grief.

How will we overcome the death of our loved ones when we can go through their entire timeline through their tweets and posts at anytime and from anywhere? Should future tombstones include twitter handles? What better way to honor and remember the dead than to read one of their tweets while paying them a visit at the cemetery?

Twitter is a fantastic tool that many struggle to harness thinking about the present and its immediate impact on the future. As history writes itself on the Twitter timeline, we will all learn that the true power of Twitter may actually lie in the past.

Build-A-Culture & The Obsolete Concept of Citizenship

2012-05-23T11:55:00.000+02:00

Before I start with this blog post, let me say that I welcome all comments and critics as I'm sure they will be constructive. I am about to tackle a very sensitive subject that may anger, scare or infuriate some readers.

In my first blog post ever titled "Culture shifting" back in 2007, I intended to describe how modern telecommunication technologies shaped our present at that time. What I wrote, back then, couldn't be more true now.

Most of us, now, have the technological means of immersing ourselves in a totally different culture than the one we geographically live in. Thanks to the Internet, our everyday newspaper can be one from a city located in a distant continent. The same goes for the television shows we watch or the books we read. We even have the ability to almost call anyone on the planet for free thanks to VoIP.

So what does that really mean?

Well, it is my strong opinion that this leads to the inevitable question of asking what it really means to be the citizen of a country and if the concept of nationality still makes sense?

If I live in a country that I don't know much or care about or if I barely speak its language, how good is the fact that I was born there to make me a citizen? Why can't I choose which country I want to be a citizen of insofar as I speak its language, know its history and share its culture?

All of these aspects aren't bound anymore to our geographic location. Why can't we take an exam to become a citizen of a specific country even if we weren't born there?

Moreover, what to make of those that live in a country but don't speak its language?

The obvious example of what I just wrote is the growing influence of the American TV culture throughout the world. Almost everybody watches American TV shows and laughs at the same jokes. We all share this although we live in very different places. This was not the case thirty years ago when access to foreign content was much more limited. Modern technologies are changing our culture whether we want it or not and future policies will be shaped by these change. It is now time to ask ourselves these questions.

The Best Burger in Newquay, UK

2012-05-22T14:01:00.000+02:00

As I was on a trip to Newquay (UK), I thought I'd take advantage of this visit to sample some British burgers. I had done my research before my trip and it seemed that Bank Street Bar & Grill was the place to go for the best burger in town.

Well, let me tell you, I wasn't disappointed at all. I ordered a Bank Street Bad Boy Burger and Boy (no pun intended), I loved it! I usually don't like any burger interpretation that strays away from a classic burger but this time, I was impressed. My chili sauce and the combination with excellent meat, tasty bun and cheese was just delightful.

Staff was extremely courteous too. I learnt that the chef had even once created a "Man V. Food" burger for a charity but unfortunately nobody dared take the challenge. Adam Richman, if you read this, you know what to do!

The other burger I tasted in Newquay was the Murgatroyd Burger at The Beached Lamb Cafe. Although the reviews of this place were extremely positive, I ended being a bit disappointed with my burger which I found lacking taste and maybe a bit too much on the organic side:

Paris CDG VIP Fast Track "La Conciergerie" Review

2012-05-22T11:21:00.000+02:00

Although the general public may not be aware of it, Paris airports offer personalized services to assist premium customers. As with all Premium services, "La Conciergerie" comes with different levels of service: VIP Fast Track, VIP Premium & VIP Ultimate.

I recently had the chance to try their VIP Fast-Track Departure service and must say I was quite impressed and happy with it.

Upon our arrival at CDG, I called the Concierge number that had been texted to me while I was on my way to the airport. A few minutes later, our concierge showed up at the entrance of the 2E terminal. She accompanied us to the Air France First Class checkin counter (we were flying Economy, I am a Flying Blue Platinum member) and handed our passports & frequent flyer cards directly to the checkin agent. Two minutes later, we were already on our way to security through shortcuts that are not accessible to the general public and that are faster than the regular fast-track lanes labeled "Acces No1" for premium passengers.

At the "Acces No1"security check, we actually bypassed the line (which was kind of weird in a way as I never imagined you could bypass the premium waiting line for security check) but of course went through the hassle of clearing security like everybody else.

After that, we were on our way to passport control which we, once again, cleared in less than two minutes as our concierge escorted us directly to the front of the line.

All in all, after about ten minutes, we arrived at the Air France CDG 2E lounge at which point our concierge informed us that she would call us back in time for boarding to escort us to the plane.

After enjoying the lounge (pictured above) for an hour (which was only possible due to my Flying Blue Platinum status not the Fast-Track service in itself), I did receive the call and there was an announcement in the lounge informing us that someone was waiting for us. We met our concierge at the lounge entrance and were escorted to the gate where we arrived five minutes later.

As with most short-haul Air France flights, there never is a dedicated boarding lane for Elite passengers but our concierge "created" one for us allowing us, once again, to bypass any waiting before boarding the plane.

All in all, I must say this was quite an impressive experience and I don't see how it could have been any easier or faster for us.

Below is a detailed description of all the services offered by "La Conciergerie":

- VIP Fast Track:

Arrival (€150):

√ Welcoming you at the plane’s door

√ Escorting you with privileged and fast access at checkpoints

√ Getting your luggage

√ Escorting you to your car

Departure (€150):

√ Escorting you to your car upon arrival at the airport

√ Taking care of your luggage

√ Registration support

√ Escorting you with privileged and fast access at checkpoints

√ Escorting you to the lounge (Business and First)

√ Escorting you from the lounge to the plane’s door

Connecting flights (€150):

√ Welcoming you at the plane’s door

√ Escorting you with privileged and fast access at checkpoints

√ Escorting you to the lounge (Business and First)

√ Verification of the transfer and boarding luggage on the departure flight

√ Escorting you from the lounge till the plane’s door with pre or post boarding

- VIP Premium:

Arrival ((€330):

√ VIP welcoming service Fast Track VIP Arrival

√ Transfer “airports → Paris” in a luxury car

Departure (€330):

√ Paris transfer→ Airports

√ VIP welcoming service Fast Track Departure

Connecting flights ((€330 or 440):

√ VIP welcoming service Fast Track Arrival

√ Transfer in a luxury car between terminals of the same airport or between CDG and ORY (€440)

√ VIP welcoming service Fast Track Departure

- VIP Ultimate:

- Arrival (€750):

√ Welcoming you at the plane’s door

√ Transfer on the tarmac in a luxury car from the airplane to the private lounge

√ Private lounge entirely dedicated to your comfort; (Meals and drinks on a self-service basis, private space to work calmly with office equipment and Wi-Fi access, local and national press, TV screens)

√ All the safety controls formalities are carried out on the spot

√ We collect your luggage, while you relax in the lounge

- Departure (€750):

√ Welcoming you at the lounge’s door

√ We check in your luggage, while you relax in the lounge

√ All the safety controls formalities are carried out on the spot

√ Transfer on the tarmac, in a luxury car from the private lounge to the airplane

Optional transfer to airports click here

- Connecting Flights (€1500):

√ Welcoming you at the plane’s door

√ Transfer on the tarmac in a luxury car from the airplane to the private lounge

√ We check the loading of your luggage for the departure flight, while you relax in the lounge

√ All the safety controls formalities are carried out in the lounge

√ At boarding time, you will be escorted in a luxury car from the private lounge to the airplane

The Best Burger Blogs

2012-05-12T12:20:00.000+02:00

I have a passion for burgers and I love to take pictures of them. There are, however, dedicated blogs that do a much better job than me. So here's my list of not-to-be-missed burger blogs:

- Burgerac: http://www.burgerac.com/

- Hamburger America: http://hamburgeramerica.blogspot.com/

- Burger Junkies: http://burgerjunkies.com/

Drool more after the break:

- A Hamburger Today: http://aht.seriouseats.com/

- Burger Me: http://www.hamburger-me.com/

- Burger Anarchy: http://burgeranarchy.com/

- The Burger Adventure: http://theburgeradventure.com/

- Boston Burger Blog: http://www.bostonburgerblog.com/

- The Best Hamburger Recipes: http://www.thebesthamburgerrecipes.com/

- Burgers & Nails: http://nailburgerlar.tumblr.com/

@Ladybugberry will certainly appreciate this one!

- The Burger Blog (in French): http://theburgerblog.ch/

- My Burger.fr (In French): http://myburger.fr/accueil.php