Frank Ramblings

I’ve always been fascinated by photography. When I was younger, my dad would show me the photos he took when he traveled across Europe as a bachelor. I always admired his natural talent for framing and capturing the best shots. Growing up, I always respected good photography and tried to emulate it, albeit without much success. I always owned some kind of camera and would go through phases when all I wanted to do was take pictures. In the last few years, as digital photography has really come into its own, I’ve gotten to know some pretty amazing photographers, both professional and amateur. And now that everyone carries a camera in the form of a cell phone, we’re all photographers. But is this democratization of the artform necessarily a good thing?

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Almost three years ago, Apple really gave the smartphone market a jumpstart with the iPhone. Since then, the iPhone has completely changed the public’s idea of a smartphone. Long gone are the days of the Treo. In the last year, Google has thrown their hat into the ring with their Android operating system. First there was the Android G1, and then more recently the Droid, with some less noteworthy phones in between. Earlier this week, the first Google-branded phone was unveiled: the Nexus One. This phone is available “unlocked,” which means that you can buy it directly from Google and use it with your existing cell plan (though it’s not available on all carriers), or you can buy the phone at a lower price with a contract from your cell provider. The big question on everyone’s mind is whether Android can be an “iPhone killer.” Many thought the Palm Pre would be the phone to slow Apple’s iPhone momentum, but six months after its release, it seems the Pre was nothing but a blip on the tech radar. In the last few months, especially since the release of the Droid and Android version 2.0, Google has begun gaining a lot of ground in the battle.

But hold on a minute, haven’t we seen this story somewhere before? Think about it. In one corner, we have Apple developing not just the OS, but the phone hardware to go with it. And in the other corner, there’s Google, who is developing the OS and making it available to any manufacturer willing to license it. (Yes, the Nexus One is Google-branded, but it is actually manufactured by HTC for Google.) To me, this seems awfully similar to the Mac vs. PC debate. Apple makes both Macintosh hardware and the Mac OS, while Microsoft only makes Windows (and other software) and licenses it out to manufacturers. In the case of Mac/PC, there is arguably no real winner. Windows enjoys greater market share at a lower price point, but Apple offers a more aesthetically pleasing environment and better customer support. Apple was out of the game for a good portion of the 1990s, but since Steve Jobs’s return, the company has been on a giant upswing. Many Windows users are making the jump to Mac because to them, the ease of use and quality of Apple products outweighs the (outrageous) price tag.

So in the smartphone scenario, does Google represent Microsoft and Apple represents… Apple? You could certainly make that argument. But who will win? That’s a little more difficult to answer. Though the iPhone is widely considered the best phone on the market, there have been a number of complaints about the closed nature of the App Store. Apple has a very strict, yet at times seemingly arbitrary approval process for apps that are submitted to their store. Speaking as someone who actually has an app in the App Store, I can tell you that the process can be pretty bumpy, and sometimes things are rejected for no reason whatsoever, and then accepted when resubmitted without revision. So apparently, depending on whether or not Apple’s App approvers had a good sandwich for lunch, the same app might be rejected on Monday and then approved on Tuesday. That’s very discouraging for developers looking to monetize. If a company dedicates resources to developing an app, only to have that app rejected by Apple at the last minute because the approver has a headache, they would be better off saving their money and not developing the app in the first place. Android, on the other hand, is an open platform in nature. It’s one of many flavors of Linux, the free, open-source operating system. While there is an Android Market for apps, users can get apps from anywhere, even from the developer’s website. Also, updates are available directly from the app developer. So once you’ve downloaded an app to your Android phone, you can get updates whenever they are released by the developer. Apple requires that updates be submitted for approval before they are distributed to users. Again, developers fear that updates might be rejected. Plus, the fact that Android offers seamless Google Voice integration while the iPhone offers none at all could be a real turn-off to some people. I know it’s a factor I would consider.

However, things aren’t perfect in Androidland, either. While the openness of the platform allows for lots of great apps, it also allows for terrible ones. Apple exercises some level of quality control over the apps it approves. Google makes it easy for anyone to develop and distribute an app, regardless of how good or bad it is. In addition to this, different Android phones have different capabilities. For instance, the G1 doesn’t have multi-touch capabilities, but the Droid does. How is a developer supposed to deal with something like that? iPhone developers deal with a more-or-less level playing field. Most apps work on all iPhone and iPod Touch models because Apple controls the hardware. But Android developers have to deal with many different handsets running different versions of the Android software. People like Alex Lindsay would rather stick to iPhone development because they know their software will run on all of the hardware it was designed for.

Still, there is something to be said for hardware options. When you get an iPhone, you only have a choice between the 3G or the faster 3GS. And you’re stuck with AT&T. When you opt for an Android phone, you have a wide range of options before you. The Droid offers both an on-screen keyboard as well as a physical one, but the Droid Eris only has the on-screen one. Some phones offer multi-touch, others don’t. You can pick the phone that’s right for you, on the network that works best for you, whether it’s AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, or Sprint.

I’ve wanted an iPhone since the day it was announced, but I just can’t afford a data plan right now. On the other hand, I wasn’t really excited about Android at first, but the increase in positive feedback since the Droid’s release has me very interested now, especially in the Eris and Nexus One, though again I wouldn’t be able to afford the data plan. While Apple has a bigger App Store, I think Android’s open nature could allow for all sorts of apps that Apple would never approve under the current model. I expect Android will continue to grow as a greater variety of phones running the platform become available. It might even dominate the smartphone market for some time. But I’m sure Apple has something up its sleeve with the next iPhone model, whatever it may be. And eventually, just as many people are abandoning their Windows PCs for Macs, I think we might see Android fall out of favor in a couple of years as the public turns back to Apple. But we shall see. The smartphone is still in its early stages. This week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, many new Android models will undoubtedly be introduced. How successful they will be is still a mystery. The really interesting discussions will come about a year from now when significant hardware and software modifications have been made to both iPhones and Android phones and few ideas have been shared (or stolen). At that time, we’ll have a much clearer picture of the better phone. Right now, I’m just glad to see that Apple finally has some serious competition in the smartphone market and I will eagerly and attentively continue to watch how the battle unfolds.

In Life After the 30-Second Spot, author Joseph Jaffe states clearly and repeatedly that the 30-second television ad is a dying element of years gone by. He seeks to offer methods that businesses can use to invigorate their brand names by using new media alternatives to traditional advertising. Jaffe lists 10 Tenets for Marketing to a New Consumer and he offers 10 approaches that he says are changing the face of advertising and marketing. His overall premise is that the 30-second TV spot is dead, and that advertisers need to face reality and make effective use of new media alternatives if they are to succeed in the high-tech future that is already beginning to assert itself. He makes some valid points, as well as a few that have already been disproven in the short time since the book was written. Nevertheless, his ideas are thought provoking and I found myself agreeing with much of what he had to say.

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So let’s talk music, shall we? It’s been a while since I’ve blogged about it. I consider the Beatles to be the greatest band that ever was or will be, period. Call me closed-minded or biased, but that’s what I think. I’ll admit I’m a bit of a music snob. I’ve been anticipating the re-release of the British versions of the Beatle albums since I heard about it earlier this year. Appropriately, they were released this past Wednesday, 9/9/09.

I listened to every album in chronological order over the course of two days, and let me tell you, this is the way to listen to these albums! Never before have they sounded so crisp and so clear, and never have they been mixed to such perfection. The 1988 CD releases pale in comparison to the new ones. For over 20 years, those releases were the only way these albums could be heard on CD, but now they sound muddy and bland compared to the 2009 editions. I’ve been waiting for something this amazing literally all my life, and I am very pleased indeed.

I found that the biggest improvements could be heard on songs that were heavy in acoustic guitar or piano. There was a freshness and a cleanness to those tracks that I’ve never heard before. Songs like “Yesterday,” “Blackbird,” “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away,” and “Till There Was You” sounded especially crisp. “Yesterday” brought me to the verge of tears; I really felt as though Paul and the string quartet were in the room with me. I could hear every breath, every strike of a pick against a guitar string. Some of the better-sounding piano songs included “The Fool on the Hill,” “Golden Slumbers,” and “Martha My Dear.”

Of course, the louder songs sound amazing, too. “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” and “She’s So Heavy” blew me away, as did “Helter Skelter” and the end of “Hey Jude.” More complex selections like “A Day In The Life,” “Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite,” “And Your Bird Can Sing,” “Because,” and the Abbey Road closing medley (“Golden Slumbers,” “Carry That Weight,” “The End”) were brought up to a whole new level, chiefly because of the excellent use of the stereo field. The rich sound and presence of those songs is more enjoyable than ever.

There were several instances where I noticed small details that had previously been buried, especially on the earlier albums. On the Please Please Me album, for example, I noticed John half-laughing as he sang, Ringo’s voice cracking, and on two or three occasions, a little bit of background noise in the studio. There were occasions on other albums where I could hear someone (presumably John) tapping on his guitar to keep time, and once I even heard Paul whispering as he counted the beats. These imperfections don’t detract from the music at all. In fact, they make it more real. Listening in the best headphones I own, I really felt the music surround me physically. This speaks to the brilliance of the remixes and shows how much was missing from the 1988 versions.

Perhaps what helped me to enjoy this re-issue so much is the fact that I imported it into my iTunes library in Apple Lossless format instead of the usual MP3 or AAC. The best music demands to be heard in the best quality, so I turned to lossless to preserve the remastered edge. I’ve never really considered myself an audiophile, but I had to give this particular collection the Red Carpet treatment. Put simply, Apple Lossless is software that compresses audio files without sacrificing the sound quality. The files are about four times larger than MP3s, but the audio quality is exponentially better. I’m really glad I made that decision, because it enhanced the experience more than I can put into words.

So at the end of the day, I’d call the 2009 Beatles Stereo Box Set a necessary part of any music collector’s library. Apart from vinyl, which will always be special to me, this is the only way anyone should ever experience the Beatles from now on. You haven’t heard these songs until you’ve heard them as they are presented in this set.

Frequent readers of this site (I know, that implies I still post frequently, but just humor me here) will know that I am a Windows fanboy, particularly when it comes to Windows 7. Well a couple of weeks ago I actually did something that I would have thought unthinkable just a few months ago. I bought a Macbook. Sure, it was a lightly used one from a good friend, but it’s still a Mac!

I don’t have anything against Apple, in fact I love my iPod Touch and am looking to upgrade to an iPhone at the first realistic opportunity (it doesn’t look like that’s happening any time soon, but you can’t take my dreams away from me). Generally, though, I’m not a big Mac fan. I’ve always said that Windows makes sense to me and Mac doesn’t. Obviously that’s changed a little bit now that I’ve had easier access to a Mac, but overall I’m still a PC.

The whole reason I even thought to buy a Mac was for podcast production. I produce podcasts in both standard MP3 and Apple’s enhanced AAC formats. The best (but technically not the only) way to produce enhanced AAC podcasts is with Garageband, an application available only for Mac OS. I’ve always wanted a dedicated production machine anyway, so it made sense to use a Mac for that purpose. And I don’t regret it one bit. I love my Mac for podcasting. Garageband is simple yet powerful and it allows me to do just about everything I need. My only reservation is that I prefer Adobe Audition’s highly-customizable noise reduction engine to that of Garageband, but I’ve found a marginally annoying solution to that problem: I do all necessary noise reduction in Audacity before exporting the audio to Garageband for the final editing process.

But I have, of course, also used the Mac for everyday computing and compared it to Windows 7. I’ll admit that OS X is better than I had initially thought. Once I forced myself to learn the OS, it was actually much easier to pick up than it had been in my past attempts. I found some good apps for my everyday casual computing needs. Probably the best is Tweetie for Mac. Since I first tried it the week it was released, I’ve loved it enough to want a Windows version. Sadly the app’s creators atebits Software have said that they have no interest in developing Tweetie for Windows. That’s a real shame and a major lost opportunity, in my opinion, but I digress.

The worst experience I’ve had on my Mac is ironically and without a doubt Microsoft Office. It’s a nightmare! It takes a year to start up, but I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt and blame that on my single solitary, lonely little gigabyte of RAM for now. Once the dock icon decides to stop its infernal bouncing and Word actually starts up, it’s a complete mess. I can’t use it to save my life. It’s as if they took the Windows version, took it apart, and put it together again, except inside out. I hate it. A lot. I’m going to have to try OpenOffice (even though I hated that in Windows, but you never know) or use Google Docs as I’ve done on occasion in the past.

On a side note, I’ve been very happy with the Mac’s battery life. My Lenovo Thinkpad’s one-year-old battery gives me under 3 hours in the Windows 7 “Balanced” power setting, but I’ve been able to squeeze almost 5 hours out the Mac’s two-plus-year-old battery when I really try.

All in all, I’m happy with my Macbook, but I’m still a Windows guy at heart. I’m writing this post from my Thinkpad, but when I record my podcasts later this week, I’ll be using the Mac. And who knows? I’m not ruling Apple out anymore. They won me over with the iPod after a couple of years of resistance. Mac OS may win me over yet!

Those of you who know me personally might know that I believe the people who have been in charge of the Superman films from the very beginning lack a fundamental understanding of the character at his core. Kevin Smith, though, has that understanding and is outspoken about his views. Recently he said that based on the success and quality of Star Trek, he thinks J.J. Abrams should be in charge of Warner Bros./DC’s “reintroduction” of Superman. I’m a little nervous about that idea, but I think it has serious potential.

Wow, I certainly wasn’t expecting this. DC Comics has put together a video trailer for their upcoming maxi-series “Superman: World of New Krypton.” At first I was extremely skeptical about this book, almost to the point of refusing to read it, but NY Comic Con turned that around for me. Now I can’t wait to pick it up when it starts coming out!

Thanks to my friend Andrew for bringing this to my attention:

An editorial from the London Daily Mail 1/6/09

Obama’s Victory–A British View

A victory for the hysterical Oprah Winfrey, the mad, racist preacher Jeremiah Wright, the U.S. mainstream media, who abandoned any sense of objectivity long ago, the Europeans who despise America largely because they depend on her, the comics who claim to be dangerous and fearless but would not dare attack genuinely powerful special interest groups.

A victory for Obama worshipers everywhere. A victory for the cult of the cult. A man who has done little with his life, but has written about his achievements as if he had found the cure for cancer, in between winning a marathon and building a nuclear reactor with his teeth. Victory for style over substance, hyperbole over history, rabble raising over reality.

A victory for Hollywood , the most dysfunctional community in the world. Victory for Streisand, Spielberg, Soros, Moore, and Sarandon. Victory for those who prefer welfare to will, and interference to independence. For those who settle for group think and herd mentality rather than those who fight for individual initiative and the right to be out of step with meager political fashion.

Victory for a man who is no friend of freedom . He and his people have already stated that media has to be controlled so as to be balanced, without realizing the extraordinary irony within that statement. Like most liberal zealots, the Obama worshipers constantly speak of Fox and Limbaugh, when the vast bulk of television stations and newspapers are drastically liberal and anti-conservative. Senior Democrat Chuck Schumer said that just as pornography should be censored, so should talk radio. In other words, one of the few free and open means of popular expression may well be cornered and beaten by bullies who even in triumph cannot tolerate any criticism and opposition.

A victory for those who believe the state is better qualified to raise children than the family, for those who prefer t eachers’ unions to teaching and for those who are naively convinced that if the West is sufficiently weak towards its enemies, war and terror will dissolve as quickly as the tears on the face of a leftist celebrity.

A victory for social democracy, even after most of Europe has come to the painful conclusion that social democracy leads to mediocrity, failure, unemployment, inflation, higher taxes and economic stagnation. A victory for intrusive lawyers, banal sentimentalists, social extremists and urban snobs.

Congratulations America !