Some of you may have heard of Apple upcoming iPhone.
Like a lot of techies, I am exceedingly excited about it, although in all honesty I will wait until a model comes out with bigger capacity. I currently have an 80 Gig iPod, and it is quite close to being completely full. So switching to an 8 Gig iPhone would be exceedingly difficult for me.
That said, I came across this video: http://www.ted.com/tedtalks/tedtalksplayer.cfm?key=j_han
For those of you who never heard of TED, it's an annual conference about innovation in all fields. They post videos of their talks every week, and it is some truly fascinating stuff.
This particular video features a researcher from NYU demonstrating multitouch screen technology and it is mind-blowing.
And that was filmed almost two years ago...
So a few oddball ideas occur to me based on the following facts:
- during the macWorld keynote where Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone, he said it ran Os X.
- iPhone has been in development for more than two years
- the new version of Os X (10.5 Leopard) is due soon
Now it occurs to me that multitouch screen technology could be extremely handy in manipulating multimedia (retouching pictures, managing libraries of pics or music...) so the Mac would be an ideal platform on which such technologies would be actual added value, and not just eye-candy gimmicks.
Might it be possible that Os X Leopard will come with multitouch screen software built-in ?
Now, I'm not by a long shot the first one to raise that question. But most of the other writers who ask it, do so in the context of future hardware releases.
The question that is really burning me is: could the hardware currently available already have a multitouch-enabled monitor ? After all, Apple has been working on both multitouch and Leopard for a while... And Apple is renowned for being able to keep secrets under wraps...
So maybe, maybe, the Macbook I bought in January already has a touchscreen, just waiting for Os X Leopard to be installed and open a whole new desktop environment to me...
Monday, February 26, 2007
ATMs and Murphy's Law
Everyone knows Murphy's Law's corollary regarding queues.
Whatever queue you're in is always the slowest one.
I had to go to the bank earlier, to transfer some money to my travel agent for a job-hunting vacation I am taking next week.
The agency I went to has five ATM machines and for once, they weren't too busy, with only one or two people waiting at each. So I stand in line at one of them, and (you see it coming) the person in front of me takes forever. I counted four people going through each of the other machines in the time I wait there.
And sure enough, as soon as I change lines, she's done...
I could rage at that person, call her names... but I don't, as I am a generally quiet and polite person. But that does not stop me from being quite irritated.
As I look around, it occurs to me that this bank has quick cash deposit machines, quick cheque deposit machines, quick passbook update machines, quick balance check machines...
It has quick everything except quick ATMs...
Furthermore, as ATMs now include more and more services (transfers, bill payments, tax payments, etc...) ATMs are becoming slower and slower.
Would banks consider having ATM express lanes? If you have more than 4 ATM machines, then at least one should be a fast one, where transactions are timed. 60 seconds after logging in, your card gets spit out. If you try to insert it again, you get redirected to another ATM line.
Sure, some people would rage at the whole hurry, hurry mentality, but that is the world we live in. At least in this city...
Whatever queue you're in is always the slowest one.
I had to go to the bank earlier, to transfer some money to my travel agent for a job-hunting vacation I am taking next week.
The agency I went to has five ATM machines and for once, they weren't too busy, with only one or two people waiting at each. So I stand in line at one of them, and (you see it coming) the person in front of me takes forever. I counted four people going through each of the other machines in the time I wait there.
And sure enough, as soon as I change lines, she's done...
I could rage at that person, call her names... but I don't, as I am a generally quiet and polite person. But that does not stop me from being quite irritated.
As I look around, it occurs to me that this bank has quick cash deposit machines, quick cheque deposit machines, quick passbook update machines, quick balance check machines...
It has quick everything except quick ATMs...
Furthermore, as ATMs now include more and more services (transfers, bill payments, tax payments, etc...) ATMs are becoming slower and slower.
Would banks consider having ATM express lanes? If you have more than 4 ATM machines, then at least one should be a fast one, where transactions are timed. 60 seconds after logging in, your card gets spit out. If you try to insert it again, you get redirected to another ATM line.
Sure, some people would rage at the whole hurry, hurry mentality, but that is the world we live in. At least in this city...
turning 20...
well, if you checked my profile, you'll know I am actually turning 32.
Thirty-Two.
It bothers me. It is so grown-up.
I was reading a tech article a few days ago about the early days at Apple, when they were inventing the Macintosh. It was the birthday of one of the developers, who was in his late twenties. And one of the revelers commented that if their age was in hexadecimal, they were still a teen-ager.
What a relief to me that thought was. I am not turning 32, I am actually turning 20.
So, for another week, I am still a teenager. No wonder my girlfriend keeps saying I'm immature...
Thirty-Two.
It bothers me. It is so grown-up.
I was reading a tech article a few days ago about the early days at Apple, when they were inventing the Macintosh. It was the birthday of one of the developers, who was in his late twenties. And one of the revelers commented that if their age was in hexadecimal, they were still a teen-ager.
What a relief to me that thought was. I am not turning 32, I am actually turning 20.
So, for another week, I am still a teenager. No wonder my girlfriend keeps saying I'm immature...
It's a start
Here I am, blogging at last, to an audience of one. I do not really plan to give away this blog's address to anyone I know, and at this point, I am wondering if it will actually be well distinct from my email address, so that readers would not be able to actually figure out who I am.
Basic introduction, just to get this out of the way. What are the things that make me the person I am? What are the things that will differentiate this blog from the millions of others on the net?
I'd like to say it's my charming personality, but that would be a lie.
Let's try first to pick a few appropriate ideas:
- expatriate. I have lived in almost a dozen countries, and visited probably another dozen or so. I speak two languages perfectly, a third one quite well, and have some basic knowledge in three more (that's if you count being able to say my address or ask for the bill in Cantonese)
- science and technology. I studied math, building engineering, applied math and algorithmics, in that order. Yes, thanks, I know it doesn't really make sense. I enjoy mind-teasers, math problems, and computer stuff. I'm an internet addict, and a computer addict.
- salsa. I discovered salsa in Asia 6 years ago. I know it's odd, considering I grew up in South America, but it's true. Salsa was an epiphany, and instant addiction. I was teaching within a year, djing within another year. I have always considered it a hobby, now a paying hobby, never a job.
That's enough for a short introduction, and to give an idea about the topics this blog will probably cover. You can expect:
- IT stuff on Windows (gripes) Linux (mixed feelings) and Mac (love it)
- Info on salsa (dancing, teaching, djing, music, communities, politics)
- Anecdotes on living abroad (I'm a born expatriate, so wherever I am, I am abroad)
- Some math stuff, if I feel like expounding on whatever is keeping my mind busy.
Dear lone reader, I hope that you and I will meet here often.
Basic introduction, just to get this out of the way. What are the things that make me the person I am? What are the things that will differentiate this blog from the millions of others on the net?
I'd like to say it's my charming personality, but that would be a lie.
Let's try first to pick a few appropriate ideas:
- expatriate. I have lived in almost a dozen countries, and visited probably another dozen or so. I speak two languages perfectly, a third one quite well, and have some basic knowledge in three more (that's if you count being able to say my address or ask for the bill in Cantonese)
- science and technology. I studied math, building engineering, applied math and algorithmics, in that order. Yes, thanks, I know it doesn't really make sense. I enjoy mind-teasers, math problems, and computer stuff. I'm an internet addict, and a computer addict.
- salsa. I discovered salsa in Asia 6 years ago. I know it's odd, considering I grew up in South America, but it's true. Salsa was an epiphany, and instant addiction. I was teaching within a year, djing within another year. I have always considered it a hobby, now a paying hobby, never a job.
That's enough for a short introduction, and to give an idea about the topics this blog will probably cover. You can expect:
- IT stuff on Windows (gripes) Linux (mixed feelings) and Mac (love it)
- Info on salsa (dancing, teaching, djing, music, communities, politics)
- Anecdotes on living abroad (I'm a born expatriate, so wherever I am, I am abroad)
- Some math stuff, if I feel like expounding on whatever is keeping my mind busy.
Dear lone reader, I hope that you and I will meet here often.
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