2006 October

Sean Hickey has created an amazing workflow for both Brad and myself in bLaugh comic publishing. In doing so, he’s also created a WordPress plugin for the comic (found on his own amazing WP Plugins directory). It’s Sidebar Widget compatible, BTW. I thought it would have been nicer to see bLaugh show up on my Admin Dashboard page – but this’ll do for those who don’t wanna dink with the JavaScript stuff. No matter, I’ve updated our comic syndication page (which now includes MySpace options).

Read more on The World’s Funniest API…

I was feeling emotional when I suggested that Vista Will Double Apple’s Market Share, but I really don’t think I’ll be that far off. More than anything, I believe Vista will triple Apple’s mindshare – which, in many ways, is a valid predictor of future market share. So, MacDailyNews readers gave the article a nod today. In looking at their list of related links directly below the quoted paragraphs, I found that I’m in good company in respect to my Vista opinions:
Read more on Microsoft Windows Vista vs. Apple OS X…

Did you know there’s such a thing as a cordless saw? I had no idea until I started looking around our Tool King section. I’m starting to take that home improvement thing seriously. Yeah, I know about cordless drills and… what the hell is Lincoln Lubrication!? Chicago Pneumatic – wasn’t that a drama series on NBC? Why doesn’t someone create a comprehensive list of “must have” tools for the average home owner? Ya know, tools that won’t cost me an arm and a leg (or remove them if used improperly). I’ve got a cordless drill with a handful of bits, a screwdriver set, a computer repair kit, a big-ass Black and Decker tool kit, laser level kit, and other assorted handheld goodies. Which brands should we trust – and which ones should we avoid? Actually, I bet Black and Decker isn’t good because it’s so readily available (that’s just a guess). Is DeWalt any good? I mean, honestly – how can you tell?

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I was forced to spend an hour (or so) with a notary in my lab this morning. “Forced” isn’t necessarily a bad thing, mind you – it’s just that I had to sign a handful of documents in need of a notary’s signature. I swear, I gave her close to a hundred autographs before all was said and done. She asked about my business, and I told her… I do amazing, wonderful things on the Internet. I told her what we were planning on doing for people soon – opening up Lockergnome so that anybody could more easily generate revenue from their knowledge. She, like other non-geeks I’ve told, was pretty excited. Not sure if this notary is going to actively track my blog, like I discovered the salesman from Acura has been doing! Ponzi used to be a notary, actually – and a mobile one at that.

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My new Acura RL drives like a dream in Seattle, but I’m sure it would fare just as well in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Houston, Orange County, Washington DC, Oakland, Dallas, Philadelphia, San Jose, Riverside, San Diego, Newark, Phoenix, Bergen, Boston, Fort Worth, or San Francisco…

Read more on Acura Pictures…

Dude. This webcam looks and sounds sweet:

• High Definition 2.0 Megapixel Video* (1600 × 1190 pixels)
• High Definition 7.6 Megapixel Still Photos (3200 × 2380 pixels, interpolated)
• Built-in Microphone
• Wide-angle Lens (71 degrees)

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So, if one wanted to take home improvement into his or her own hands, where should one begin to look for help online? I really want to become my own handyman, if only because I’d rather “DIY” than wait around for someone else to do it for me. I can change light bulbs like none other, but beyond that – I’m useless. Awl I know is that I need to start collecting simple tutorials for common problems around the house. Let the link love begin!

Read more on Home Improvement Tools…

Music rights remain one of the most confusing aspects of sharing songs online. Most musical artists, songwriters, record labels or some combination of all three hold the rights over songs determining how they can be used by other people. If you want to share music with other people on your blog or in a podcast, it gets really tricky because you might be violating someone’s rights (and be legally accountable for doing so) if you didn’t get permission first. IODA is trying to simplify this process by being the middleman for musicians who want to connect with blog and podcast audiences. The IODA PROMONET service is the clearinghouse for a library of songs available for sharing through blogs and podcasts. This isn’t some obscure archive of tracks either. IODA has approval for blogs and podcasts to share everything from Elton John, to Bach, to Kottonmouth Kings, to old school hip hop like Kool Keith and Doug E. Fresh. At the 2006 Portable Media Expo, Jake talked with Corey Denis of IODA about how PROMONET works. Jake asks about all the hypothetical scenarios, like playing music with ads, having a subscription fee, and when and where you can use the music, so you come away with a good idea where this music can be used without any repercussions.

Read more on Corey Denis of IODA on Sharing Music Online Legally…

With my 2004 Acura TSX lease ending on October 15th, we had not a moment to lose. It was time to find a new car to carry us through the next three years. I’ve been pretty happy with my TSX – enough to consider the newest model. The 2007 Acura TSX does not offer many improvements over the 2006, but it does have the an audio input jack, Bluetooth, and the wonderful nav system I’ve come to depend on. I thought traffic reports would be color coded on the screen, but that turned out not to be the case.

Read more on Acura RL…

Hi, I’m a journalist doing a story on YouTube ratings, and I need some people for the story. How did your video get on Featured Videos? What’s the trick (catchy title, provocative first frame, etc…) Why is it important (or not) to get on Featured Videos? How did it make you feel? What’s more important to you, Top Rated, Most Viewed, Most Discussed and Featured Videos why? Have you been on Featured Videos before, and has it led to bigger and better things? Please write back asap. I need to write the story by next Thursday. Thanks!

Read more on On YouTube Ratings…

I gave him $10 and requested a photo.

There are a ton of companies trying to figure out creative ways to get podcasts on cell phones. From calling in and burning minutes, to streaming over your data plan, to downloading in proprietary formats, it seems that people have thought of everything. If you have a Windows Mobile phone, there’s one clear choice for downloading podcasts – FeederReader. The app is both a news aggregator and podcatcher with full support for downloading RSS enclosures of audio and video to a mobile phone. As long as you have a memory card with enough room, FeederReader can grab virtually anything. At Podcasting and Portable Media Expo 2006, the app received best of show. In this interview, Jake talks to Greg Smith, creator of FeederReader, about how the app works, what makes it go and why you should dump your iPod for a universal solution of cell phone and portable media player.

Read more on Greg Smith puts Podcasts on Your Phone with FeederReader…

I’m not sure if I can say exactly how it happened, but it did happen yesterday – a chance to speak with Michael Dell, face to face, for about fifteen minutes. No PR flacks, no marketing messages, no imposed limits. I made a bold move by bringing up the subject of “Dell Hell,” and he responded in a very kind manner with a satisfactory answer. I have a great deal of respect for this man (on countless levels, for countless reasons), and that feeling was only strengthened by conversing with him one-on-one. I probably sounded like a babbling idiot (what’s new?), but the entire experience was surreal. Dell is a big, big company – and you’d be crazy to belive that it had a monopoly on hiccups. Dunno if I’ll ever have the chance to shake his hand again, but at least I can say I did it once.

Read more on I Met Michael Dell – In Person…