Sagacious Onlooker

Darth Vader Continues His Evil Habits

Philip Thomas — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 17:00:20 +0000

Darth Vader returns- and rather than blowing up planets, he’s robbing banks. As Gothamist reports, a man in Long Island robbed a Chase bank while wearing a Darth Vader costume, cape and all. With no storm trooper watching his back, he was armed with a handgun and the power of the force. Where’s Luke when you need him?

Steve Jobs Doesn’t Use a Bumper Case

Philip Thomas — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 21:37:31 +0000

With my iPhone 4 due to arrive in the next few weeks, I’m trying to decide what kind of case, if any, to get for it. With my iPhone 3G I have a Zagg InvisibleSHIELD on the screen and use a variety of hard cases, normally a Speck Candyshell, Speck Fitted or Incase Slider, to protect the body of the phone. However, I haven’t dropped this phone at all and hence I’m not sure if getting a hard shell for the iPhone 4 is necessary. I’m considering just a full body InvisibleSHIELD to protect from any scratches, but am unsure if the coating will mess with the optics of the Retina Display. I was curious about the Apple Bumper case and wanted to know if Steve Jobs deemed it useful to use his own Apple-made case. So. . . I emailed him. It’s a short and pertinent email (lest he not respond), and his response says that he does not use a Bumper. I don’t know whether he uses any other cases on it, but it seems like he feels that the phone is durable enough ‘naked.’ That being said, he has access to many replacement phones and prototype devices to use should his main phone break, so take this with a grain of salt.

How have you been protecting your iPhone 4? Does a screen protector interfere with the Retina Display?

Click to Enlarge

Review: Dewey’s Coffee Cafe

Philip Thomas — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 21:35:15 +0000

While driving to Dewey’s Coffee Cafe for the first time, I was a bit disheartened by the neighborhood immediately around Shaker Square. It was not somewhere I would have wanted to stop to ask for directions, let alone have coffee in. However Shaker Square itself, where Dewey’s sits in the northeast corner, is a picturesque area with a diverse crowd. There is a large parking lot behind the cafe and the adjacent CVS that makes accessing the more pedestrian square painless.

The inside of the cafe is nicely designed. The hardwood floor has a unique pattern, the chairs give a nice upscale feel, the wall treatments are subdued and relaxing and the fireplace is a nice addition. There are many tables and chairs inside, but it feels a bit crowded. I later found out that one of the owners is an interior designer, so the thoughtful decor and more high-end furniture made sense. The cafe brews Phoenix coffee and has many pastries. The baristas were a bit impersonal and had what can only be described as funky appearances and hygiene. One seemed to be stoned on the job and another was talking to his coworker about how he couldn’t answer a phone call to him on the cafe phone because it was a creditor trying to contact him.

As is normal, I ordered my cappuccino. It was a bad sign when the barista started spooning foam onto the latte he had made- this is a clear mark of an inexperienced and ill-educated barista. A latte cannot be turned into a cappuccino as an afterthought- the milk foam must be thoughtfully made and poured into the drink with the milk. As could be expected, drink was mediocre. The espresso was flavorless and the milk was watery. The milk foam was inconsistent and badly proportioned to the rest of the drink. I hate to say it, but even Starbucks could have done a better job. On a second visit I ordered an iced mocha, one of my staple drinks during the summer. This was a terrible concoction- it tasted like watered-down chocolate syrup with no coffee flavor.

Wifi is free and the many tables, both inside and out, make getting work done here easy. However, one of the major downsides is that the shop is connected to a popcorn store, which I presume is owned by the same people as Deweys. The occasional popping of popcorn combined with the odors of the roasting can kill the aura of a coffee shop. It was a badly planned idea to connect the stores.

Overall, Dewey’s is not a place I desire to return to. It serves mediocre coffee, has bad service and there are much better alternatives not far from it. Stop by Dewey’s only if you are walking through Shaker Square and happen to stumble upon it. It is not worth making a conscious point of coming here. While the decor looks nice, Dewey’s Coffee Cafe disappoints with every other aspect.

Speck iPhone Case Spotted on Entourage

Philip Thomas — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 20:54:26 +0000

In January I was excited to spot a Speck SeeThru case for the Macbook Pro in use on the TV show 24 and received credit on Speck’s homepage because of it. Last night I spotted what appears to be another Speck product in use on TV! During the season premiere of the seventh season of Entourage on HBO, Mrs. Ari Gold is shown several times throughout the episode talking her iPhone 3g which appears to be protected by a Speck Fitted iPhone 3G case in the black and white plaid design. I have an old Speck fitted case for my iPhone 3G that I like very much. In fact, Speck was kind enough to send it to me for free after I participated in one of their media campaigns. It is both durable and aesthetically interesting. In fact,I will probably be purchasing one for the iPhone 4 when they are first available early next month. Great job making stylish and popular cases, Speck!

A good view of the case

Why are people so fascinated by breaking the iPhone 4?

Philip Thomas — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 20:51:09 +0000

Exhibit A: Destruction by Blender

Exhibit B: Annihilation by .50 Caliber Rifle

Exhibit C: Ruin by Holding It

Apple: WWDC iPhone 4 Demo Problem Different From Current Reception Error

Philip Thomas — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 05:29:08 +0000

Was Steve having the same problem that many current iPhone 4 users are encountering?

Steve Jobs’ iPhone 4 demonstration at WWDC experienced a technical error when the iPhone 4 did not connect to the network during his keynote presentation. At the time Steve blamed the occurrence on the WiFi in the auditorium and asked reporters to turn off their wireless devices. While this was viewed as a minor bug at the time, today some on the web (a la Reddit) are questioning whether this may be the same problem that many iPhone owners are currently experiencing based on the way they hold their phones. As has been published by countless prominent news sources, there is a known error of the iPhone 4 that occurs when the device is held in a specific way that touches the bottom-left portion of the aluminum body that causes reception to drastically decrease. Did this same problem affect Steve during his WWDC keynote? As the picture above shows, the way he held the phone could have plausibly triggered the well-publicized glitch to occur.

This theory about Jobs’ demo problem was reasonable, so I decided to do some investigation. I emailed Steve Jobs. In under one minute I received a reply (below) rebuking the proposed explanation for his keynote error. Could this be the end of the issue?

I use the same pen as White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs

Philip Thomas — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 15:48:12 +0000

Via the New York Times, Robert Gribbs using what appears to be a silver Pilot Namiki Vanishing Point

The Pilot Namiki Vanishing Point has long been one of my favorite pens. It is a dependable fountain pen that is convenient to use. In fact, mine is in my pocket right now after a day of use. I was excited to see the above picture of Robert Gribbs, the current White House Press Secretary, in the New York Times holding what appears to be a Vanishing Point in his hand (see the below picture of the pen to judge for yourself). If so, he just went up a notch in my book!

Review: Koffie Cafe

Philip Thomas — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 21:05:44 +0000

Proceeding through the list of coffee shops I plan to visit in Cleveland, I attempted to go to Talkies’ Cafe after classes on Friday. When I arrived, it turned out that the shop had new owners who re-branded the store as Koffie Cafe. The small cafe is a block from the West Side Market and sits across the street from the Great Lakes Brewing Company. The area is busy and is defined by its pedestrian traffic- in fact, the neighborhood reminded me a bit of a part of Granada I visited because of the more secluded feel. I quite enjoyed sitting outside the cafe and watching the different people walk by. While the neighborhood is promising, the inside of Koffie Cafe is bland and undifferentiated among competitors. The barista was indolent and inconsiderate, further dampening the experience. Free wifi was available as were a variety of sandwiches.

The cappuccino at Koffie's Cafe

The cappuccino at Koffee was quite unique looking- Almost like a coffee parfait, it was a layer of steamed milk followed by a layer of espresso then topped with milk foam. While the aesthetics were pleasing, it was simply a bad drink. The espresso, even undiluted by the milk, was watery, bitter and flavorless. The separated milk and coffee layers were an irreverent homage to a cappuccino rather than an actual cappuccino. Their interpretation lacked one of the most positive traits of the classic drink- rather than having the espresso enriched by the mild sweetness and rich fat of the milk, instead they separated these two ingredients into bad coffee followed by warm milk.

While I plan on returning to the neighborhood to further explore it, I will stay away from Koffie Cafe. Like their new name, the drink they served me attempted to be a quirky twist on a classic that turned out to just be a bad idea coupled with bad execution.

Review: Lucky’s Cafe in Cleveland

Philip Thomas — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 17:00:43 +0000

It’s stop number two on my tour of Cleveland’s independent coffee houses, today focusing on Lucky’s Cafe in Tremont. After going to Lucky’s Cafe for the first time, I knew that it will become a recurring favorite hangout of mine. I came for lunch after class and had an outstanding reuben. The cafe uses local ingredients, some coming from as close as their garden right outside the window, and it is clear that they take pride in their food. In fact, upon walking in I was surprised to learn from a sign that the cafe was featured on the Food Network show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. My food was professionally prepared- the reuben was delectable, the potato chips were flavorful and fresh from the fryer, and the fresh fruit was a refreshing way to complete the meal. The dining at Lucky’s should set the standard for any respectable restaurant, and it is unusual to see such high-quality ingredients an establishment that still claims to be a diner.

Following the meal, I had a cappuccino. The espresso was flavorful and was made correctly. The coffee beans are the best I have had thus far in Cleveland. The milk foam was a nice uniform consistency, but it was put on like a dome nearly overflowing from the cup. While this differs from the more European-style cappuccino that I prefer, it was still tasty and enjoyable.

The atmosphere of the restaurant is a bit eclectic. The front of the house features a large wooden bar where the wide range of beverage are concocted. In addition, they feature pastries that are made in-house fresh daily. With my sweet tooth, I had to try the vanilla bean cupcake with a chocolate buttercream. The pastry was made with care and plenty of butter. It had a rich and full flavor that could be the backbone of a respectable pastry shop.

The back of the building is the diner, which has a more Victorian feeling with some diner chairs and tables. It is cozy but still informal. The waiters are knowledgeable and friendly, but still have the nonchalant attitude of a diner. One notable part of their staff is their maturity. As a whole they are a bit older, and this long-term dedication to Lucky’s Cafe is apparent in the quality of their service and food.

Overall, I feel that Lucky’s Cafe has the potential to be for Cleveland what Zingerman’s is for Ann Arbor. It is a haven for high-quality ingredients, conscious cooking and epicurean palates. If you are in Cleveland I suggest that you make it a priority to come to Lucky’s Cafe.

Below is the segment from Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives about Lucky’s Diner:

Review: Civilization Coffee in Tremont

Philip Thomas — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 16:50:56 +0000

Stop one on my trail through Cleveland’s independent coffee houses is Civilization in Tremont. It sits in a beautiful and trendy neighborhood. The adjacent park offers a picturesque view and helps to establish the pedestrian traffic that I think can significantly enhance a coffee shop. This traffic further is increased when the farmers’ market is in full swing. During these times the cafe feels connected to the neighborhood because of the varied clientele ranging from businessmen to retirees to police officers. Civilization has no designated parking lot, but the surrounding streets allow room to park. The shop itself has a warm atmosphere. A dark hardwood floor, wooden shelves, a wooden bar, and a brown tin ceiling give it a classic and classy feel. There is plenty of room to sit and the baristas are welcoming and sedate. The wifi is unlocked and free. This combined with the large tables makes it an inviting place to sit down and work.

With the drinks, my favorite part is that real cups are readily available. Your coffee can be served in a real mug and your cold drink can be served in a real glass. A paper coffee cup can make even the best drink seem like McDonald’s drive-through. Civilization’s espresso beans are decent and roasted locally. While their espresso machine isn’t the ostentatious beast that most coffee shops have, the espresso shots are pulled well. Milk foam is properly made with a consistent density. Overall, the coffee is enjoyable. One of my favorite drinks there for a hot summer day has become the iced espresso. Its simplicity makes it refreshing after a long day.

What sets Civilization apart is their pastry selection. Brownies, cake, muffins, bagels- they have it all. While studying a brownie can make me much happier, and theirs are tasty and not overly sweet.

Overall, Civilization in Tremont is a reliable source of good coffee with a relaxing atmosphere that is conducive to studying. It is a solid choice for those wishing to study, relax or get a tasty treat.