Must Read: Gizmodo and Apple Magic

Another great Must Read article on Gizmodo’s site. Read it. It’s about how Apple shows and sells only products, not concepts. Apple shows products that they end up selling exactly as advertised while most other companies tease with wild concepts that many times don’t end up becoming real. For example, not all the ideas and features of concept cars become real in true-to-concept form. In the consumer’s eyes, it’s like a broken promise. And that’s why Apple succeeds while other companies often disappoint.

Must Read: Gizmodo’s Opinion On The Apple Tablet Interface

Rumors about the upcoming Apple Tablet are peaking since Apple’s revealing is less than a week away. January 27th, 2010 at 1pm ET is the big announcement when it is supposed to be revealed. Any details about the tablet are just rumors, and two of the biggest question marks of the device that could determine its success or failure are:

What will be its main purpose and functions (e-reader, surfing the web, gaming device, etc)?

What type of interface will it use (modal like a large iphone, laptop/desktop-like Mac OS X, combo of both)?

Well posted on gizmodo is an opinion piece of what the interface should be like. Click on the picture below to read the blog. It’s a great read because it runs through the progression of the evolution of the user interface from computers to the windows tablet to the iphone and then the upcoming tablet. And it makes total sense. Here are some selected quotes:

The prediction: “The interface will just be an evolution of an existing user interface, one without folders and windows, but with applications that take over the entire screen.”

Why the Windows Tablet Failed: “While Bill Gates’ idea of a tablet was a market failure, it achieved one significant success: It demonstrated that transferring a desktop user interface to a tablet format was a horrible idea, destined to fail.”

The iPhone Interface: “Every time you launch an app, the machine transforms into a new device, showing a graphical representation of its interface.”

Why the iPhone was Successful: “When it came out, people instantly got this concept. Clicking icons transformed their new gadget into a dozen different gadgets. Then, when the app store appeared, their device was able to morph into an unlimited number of devices, each serving one task.”

The Final Word: “To me, the tablet will be the continuation of the end for the classic windowed environment and the desktop metaphor user interface.”

New Hobby: Learning Guitar

As you know from my previous posts, I just bought a new Macbook Pro. Well it comes pre-installed with the newest GarageBand software as part of iLife. With the new GarageBand, you can download for Free a set of 9 music lessons to learn how to play the guitar (and piano, but I know how to play the piano already). Well starting this Thanksgiving I decided to learn guitar. I’ll be using the GarageBand lessons to learn the basics of guitar. And I’ll be using my Mom’s vintage Yamaha acoustic guitar that I borrowed from my sister who was of course borrowing it from my Mom. I picked it up from my sister when I went with my family to NC to visit her and her husband at their new house for Thanksgiving. Here it is on their couch:

So in support of my new hobby, I’ve surrounded myself with things to inspire me. First of all, I’ve Tivo’d a bunch of MTV Unplugged performances. I’ve also bookmarked a couple of YouTube guitar lessons (Drive by Incubus, Lazy Eye by The Silversun Pickups). And I’ll need to buy a guitar stand so that the guitar will be easily accessible and I can play it for at least 15 mins a day.

So far I’ve gotten through GarageBand lessons 1 and 2 and followed along with some of the two song lessons on YouTube. This weekend I’ve practiced alot and discovered how much patience is needed to learn to play. And my fingers will need to develop some good muscle memory. But I’m up for the challenge. My goal is to be able to play the Incubus and Silversun Pickups songs by Christmas 2010. Just so you know, “Drive” by Incubus is a tough song! Here are the two lessons:

Farewell White Macbook

After close to 3 years of ownership (Bought brand new in January 2007), I am retiring from my hands the first Macbook I have ever owned. My White Macbook has served me well, introduced me to the Mac side of computing and also helped me to finish writing my masters’ thesis. Besides home in NY, it’s been with me while I’ve spent extended periods of time in Connecticut and Florida for work. And of course it’s been a great travel companion for my trips to Cali, Atlanta, Washington DC and more. I’ve had zero problems with it and it can still run just about everything I need it to. But it’s time to move on to the next Mac (no way am I going back to PC!) while this one goes to my sister. So at least it still lives on in my family. Here are its specs and retirement pictures:

White MacBook 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
13.3-inch glossy widescreen display
2GB memory
120GB hard drive
6x SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
Intel Integrated GMA 950 graphics

Goodbye!

Engine Start

So here it is. I am finally starting my blog. Blogging has been on my mind for awhile now, and I think I’ve told many people that I’ve been planning to start one but it just hasn’t materialized…until now. Here are some of the things that interest me and that I will be blogging about:

• Car Stuff (My Corrado and more)
• Apple/Mac and General Technology and Gadgets
• Photography (Nikon and My Growth and Experiences)
• Business Ideas and Entrepreneurship
• Sports (Formula 1, Football, Baseball, Hockey, Basketball)

The list will probably grow as time goes on since I’m the type of person who’s always looking for new hobbies and interests to learn about. And now that I’m blogging I hope I can share with my friends and followers my passions!

So which of those subjects would you look forward to reading about the most?