Five minutes after realizing that I was one of three people feverishly fiddling with an iPhone on our couch, I thought it was about time I got around to listing off some of my favorite apps (as I've been telling TLM I'd do for over a year now). So, part 1:
Google Mobile App In addition to being super-helpful to those of us who make use of any of the Google services, this app is a must have if only for the fact that is was made by the folks behind Quicksilver - and if you are a QS person you can see the similarities almost immediately. Smart searching of metadata makes for lightning quick search results across contacts, the web, and more.
Air Sharing Basically, this lets you connect your iPhone wirelessly to your Mac or PC, essentially turning it into a flash drive for all intents and purposes. This is particularly handy if you need to have certain documents on hand, like resumes, class schedules, or even ebook PDFs.
Simplify Media Unfortunately for those who don't have it already, this one's not free anymore, and it's currently listed at $3.99. It's well worth it though as it allows you to connect to your entire iTunes library from anywhere. All you need is to be on a wi-fi connection and run an IM-like client on your computer at home. Oh - and you can connect to up to 30 libraries too, by the way, though that can bog down the app's performance.
Solebon Solitaire Ok, we all have our weaknesses, and though there are many games out there (and on my iPhone), I find myself playing this the most. A few minutes here, a few more minutes there - and so many games I'd never heard of. Right now I'm in the "Spiderette", "Russian Revolution", and "Scorpion" rotation. Yay for productivity.
Fake Calls Ah, the app you know you want (or have) but are almost embarrassed to have installed. We all have those moments where we need to get out of a conversation, and this app gives you that "out". Or, for a more harmless application of it, you could pretend to get a call from your favorite celebrity, politician, or Steve Jobs himself.
Sports Radio. It's probably my #1 preference as far as what I listen to when I'm driving (TLM can attest to that). However, Now that I have more time to listen thanks to a lengthier commute to work in the morning, it seems to have all but disappeared. In lieu of listening to discussion about whether Matt Cassel is getting better or if the Celtics look poised to win another Championship, I'm instead barraged with political rhetoric and moronic condemnation from and of both callers and politicos.
I want my Sports Radio back.
I know the election is right around the corner, and I know that lots of people like to talk politics. My complaint is simply that there are other stations for that. It's like buying a newspaper, turning to the sports section and getting nothing but op-eds about everything except that in which you are interested. Enough already.
To make matters worse, the stuff I'm listening to is typical of the times: aggressively close-minded hosts who think they know best arguing with equally know-it-all callers. Is this entertainment? No, it's fuel for the [ratings] fire, and the fact that people like me who tune in to get their sports fix and end up reluctantly listening to these buffoons is testament to why it's currently allowed (and probably encouraged) by those in charge.
I'll give it a few more days. I suppose there will be a lot of airtime spent after the election filled with either intense gloat or warning of impending doom, but I'm holding out hope that all will be right by Friday.
This one is very fun, very innovative, and potentially a BIG time waster, so be warned. The game is called Magic Pen, and you draw and erase lines, triangles, circles and other shapes onto the screen to manipulate an object across some flags. You can play it at MiniClip.com.
I was sad to hear that George Carlin passed away Sunday. He was hands down my favorite comedian, and though he's done much in his career (first host of SNL, Rufus from Bill & Ted), it was his stand-up that made his great.
My introduction to Carlin came when I unearthed my father's record collection. Amidst all of the Beatles and Led Zeppelin albums I found something called "Toledo Window Box" (and I was about the age where I got a stoney kick out of the reference). It was a recording of a show he'd had in Oakland and had some bits that, for lack of a better phrase, made me howl with laughter. Who knew nursery rhymes were that dirty?
Though he might be remembered best for his "Seven Dirty Words", my favorite George Carlin bit of all-time is easily "Baseball and Football", a version of which you can hear below. The lack of success I've had trying to recite mere portions of the skit to people who'd never heard it before stands as testament to his comic genius (or my lack of timing).
We'll miss you and remember you, George. And of course, your unique views on politics, religion, and the English language...
Ah, coffee - I love it, and I drink what is probably an unhealthy amount of it daily. But which brand is best? Some might say Starbucks, others Honey Dew. For me, I'll drink almost any kind, but my hands down favorite is, and has been for years, good ol' Dunkin' Donuts. I remember half-kiddingly going online to investigate how to get a franchise, just so I could feed my addiction a little easier (as if having a D&D on practically every corner wasn't enough).
My days of buying medium regulars are now over (ok, slight exaggeration) thanks to a member of my family landing a job at D&D corporate. Now I can bring home a FIVE POUND bag of coffee for a fourth of what it costs me for a fill up at the gas station. Too much? Maybe, though I can pretty much guarantee none will go wasted here. It's all about pacing myself...
This morning I see an ad for a new TV series called "Scarlet" that apparently premiered last night. The show looked interesting enough and I went over to the DVR and searched for it to record an episode...but it was nowhere to be found.
So I went to the site, scarletseries.tv, and saw the trailer, interviews, and even a behind the scenes vignette. Nowhere, however, was there a mention of a channel. I was quickly losing interest (and some patience) and after a quick search to see if anyone saw it and found it worth watching I discovered the horrible truth:
The "hit new TV series" referred to was not a show at all, but rather a new line of televisions by LG.
It's just an ad campaign, and I fell for it, hook, line, and sinker. The news section of the site gives the (very biased) story of the "premiere". My favorite line was "To Win the Game, We Have to Change the Rules"...their way of rationalizing this scam.
The fact that I saw the ad on a podcast for the Onion News Network should have been the first clue. That it was voiced-over by that guy with the deep, melodramatic voice should have been another. Hopefully, at least for my own ego, I wasn't the only one who got duped.
Oh, and by the way, even though this fraud may have gone according to plan, I think the overall idea may backfire. I'm not sure playing someone for a fool will generate sales. As of know, I know I'll certainly never buy one of these things.
Um, not that I was played for a fool or anything....
If you were ever a fan of the comic strip "Family Circus" (and I dare say most of us were), you'll fondly remember that some of the most interesting cartoons were those that featured the dotted paths. Who knows why, but we found ourselves simply needing to go from start to finish every week. When you stop and think about it, the comic's creator, Bil Keane, basically innovated a new way of delivering a narrative, different than the tried and true, left-to-right cell-by-cell method.
Today is April Fool's Day (no really, it is), that wonderful day that comes once a year where people showcase their imagination and creativity through pranks and gags that test the gullibility of others. Ok, so some pranks aren't that imaginative, and most aren't as funny as the pranksters think they are, but there are definitely some out there that get you, and some even make you laugh.
This one is my winner for this year (yes, I know Google may have gotten you with Virgle or Google Weblogs). I don't know if it's real and I don't want to download anything that identifies itself as a virus to find out, old school or not.
I came across this in a feed from HowStuffWorks.com. It's a performance by Arthur Benjamin where he showcases his fairly ridiculous ability to quickly calculate 3, 4, and even 5-digit squares in his head.
Ok, so it might be a little geeky, but I still think it's impressive and entertaining. Click here or the image below to watch the vid.
I came across this on The Graphic Mac...and felt the need to post about it immediately. Apparently someone had entirely too much free time on their hands and created a song using only the system sounds from OSX. Ok, I'll give an "A" from creativity.
If you actually want to tweak this, you can download the actual Garageband file here.
...bright and early at 6AM tomorrow morning. I can't think of a better way to start a day (other than a little later, maybe).
In case you missed it, Jayson Stark's column about the Red Sox was the lead on ESPN.com for a good part of the day today. An image similar to the one below was proudly displayed, followed by nothing less than the clear proclamation that "The incumbent Red Sox are favored to repeat in October. Any questions?"
Yowsa...there was actually a time I'd feel nervous about such bold predictions. Such is not the case anymore, and it feels good.
Content found on The Neoteric is of no particular genre, topic, or focus, other than it was all at some point, in some way, interesting enough to me to write about.
