For the second time this summer I was fortunate enough to see Yo-Yo Ma, king among cellists, live in concert. He performed with the Silk Road Ensemble which is a group he began to explore the historical melodies of Asia. It was announced at the beginning of the performance that the group is currently celebrating its tenth anniversary, and I then realized that in the coming months will also be the tenth anniversary of my cello playing too.

The performance at Blossom Music Center last night was outstanding and clearly featured experienced musicians on each instrument. The mix of instruments itself was eclectic, ranging from strings to bagpipes to the sheng. The first half of the concert featured the whole group playing some enjoyable melodies with composers ranging from the third century to the twentieth century. After the intermission began some chamber music. First a string quartet performed with drum accompaniment then there was a percussion quartet that featured fun improvisation based on classic Asian rhythms. The finale piece featured the whole group yet again, then an organized encore began after the jubilant applause of the audience. The fun started after the first encore, because the sheng player began an improvised melody that was joined by a drummer, then eventually by the bagpiper that morphed into what can only be described as an international jam session, eventually turning into a Galician carol from one of their albums featuring the whole group. Overall, it was quite an amazing experience.

Google’s rolling out a small update for the layout of GMail. The contacts and tasks links are now more prominent in the left-hand column. While it may look like quite a small change, I find it to be convenient because it neatly separates the three main functions that GMail provides. Now it is more distinct that the contacts and tasks functions really are powerful enough to be considered standalone apps rather than buried functions of GMail.

However, today’s security alert from Case made me chuckle.

Incident Description: While walking northbound on Cornell Road at Random Road, the victim reports that she was approached from behind, when the suspect grabbed and pulled a lanyard the victim was wearing around her neck, causing a minor scratch. The suspect demanded money and fled Eastbound on Random Road with the victims cash.

However, here is the best part.

Suspect Description: White Male with skinny hands, nothing further.

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?

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

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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.

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