Security and Privacy

There has always been a fine line between the two and it becomes very confusing about where to draw the line between what needs to be known and people's privacy.

I believe that privacy should supersede security only in your own home. But in public places like airports, taxi cabs, shopping malls, security should prevail. The reasoning behind this thought is that people are already paranoid to some extent; either from what they see in media or personal experience. It's one thing to keep people secure, it's an entirely different matter when homes and personal spaces are invaded in the name of security.

Honestly, I don't mind cameras watching me in public, it doesn't make me feel any safer or more paranoid: right now it's just a fact of life. Unless you are in a position of power, there's nothing to be done but sit back and watch the battle unfold. I believe the only private place left is your home and bathrooms. Those right now are the only two places one can go where there are not cameras watching them.

But the moment governments move cameras into homes, there will be hell to pay. The home is a personal space, one that gives you comfort; but if there are cameras there, how can one feel comfortable anywhere? This is my biggest fear, is that governments will move cameras into private places in the name of security and people will mindlessly accept them into their homes. People have a right to privacy and security.

Prying into people's private places in the name of security is the worst thing a government or group can do. Human beings are naturally secretive, and invading that would only cause trouble.

iPhone

Yeah, you guys knew this post was coming sooner or later. At first I really liked my iPhone 3G; I felt like I was on top if the world, it was fast, had nice apps and was a good phone. Then the 3GS came around and right then I knew there was a problem with iPhones.

In the past people used their cellphones until they either broke or burned out the battery. Then smartphones rolled around, saying 'hey! I can help connect your business and make your life easy!' which was fine and dandy.

Then iPhones came out. If you notice, each release of iPhone has only little increments of improvement, between the 3G and the 3GS there was: faster processor, better GPS, and a compass. Now unless you're the real outdoorsy types why would anybody need a compass?

Plus there were many features iPhone lacks and still does for example an SD-Mini reader. Lots of older phones are better than iPhone just because of this feature, the ability to increase the storage without buying a new unit.
With custom text tones, apple is only now coming around to the idea of custom tones, which have been with other phones for years and years. It's really sad to see such a forward thinking company be so sluggish with changing times.

Apple wants to make iPhone 5 a global phone, capable of being on any network. The thing is though, motorola already beat them to the punch with the Photon. It puts the previous iPhones to shame and running for it's money.

Technology moves at a blistering pace and while everyone waits with bated breath to see iPhone 5, I can assure you that there are plenty of phones currently available that can match or exceed apple's next offering.

Steve Jobs, stepped down

There hasn't been anybody in the last 20 years who could dramatically turn a company around from falling flat to shaping the future of personal computers, cellphones and handheld multimedia devices.

But Steve could and did. First was the iMac, it took computing from dull beige boxes and showed people that a computer really could be 'personal' even if it was only in color. The next step was the iPod.

An ingenious way to transport peoples' growing amount of music, without the need for CDs or batteries; it was an idea that made sense with people and it took off. The original iPods were perfect for the need: people wanted all their music in one place, on one device without lugging around volumes of CDs.

Even though Apple was late in the game, it changed the landscape of smartphones forever. Gone was the complex menus, options and buttons; with iPhone, it just worked. It sounded like a crazy concept: the entire screen was touch enabled, but had to be precise enough to track multiple fingers.

Now with the iPad, everyone was very critical: it was just an oversized iPod touch right? But as time went on, the 'magic tablet' began to grow on people.

iPad is now the main piece when people think of tablet computers, same goes for cellphones and music players: people are mentally making those connections, that those are Apple devices.

Resumes/applications

I love the Internet. All the websites, video archives, shopping, blogs, it's all exciting to me. Except for one thing: doing applications and resumes online.

I know the Internet has made our lives easier, but with one I think it makes it worse. 5-6 years ago, the way you found a job was running around town to locations, picking up applications and returning them.

Now, it seems that handing in applications or resumes on paper are worthless. I know from first hand experience; they would not take either my application or resume, but told me to go home and fill out the forms online. That's the part that does not make sense to me; I physically drive to a location and present myself to the company, showing that I have the drive to do things but am told to go home.

But still they tell me to fill it out online, even though it's all filled out and with my resume. That makes me kind of frustrated, so the person who sits on their butt and applies at home has the same chance than me who showed up at the place with both documents in hand? Personally I don't think that's right, there is something very wrong with that system.

Chrome OS

You're thinking '...more google stuff? Really?' I'm here to tell you, yeah I'm fascinated by what Google does; and this one really catches my attention.

By now you've heard of the new Chromebooks floating around your Bestbuy that are running Chrome OS. What I find interesting is that it's all done online.

When you're working with Chrome OS, your basically online; all the documents, pictures, and videos you make are stored online too. Missing an important file for a meeting? It will be online, and when your Chromebook is online, it will automatically sync between the two.

The majority of our computer usage is online: watching YouTube, listening to music, surfing, chatting, video calling. So many things we do on computers is stuff we do online; Google saw this and looked to the future and saw that Internet usage is only going to increase, therefore they made an OS that is both online and on a physical machine.

I'm on the same page as Google: more and more of my time with a computer will be spent online. I can only imagine how much data mankind can make online in the coming years. If you had told people 10 years ago that most of their photos, music, videos, and documents were going to be made online they would have laughed.

It's only recently that we have really fast Internet connections that are reasonably affordable; meaning that the Internet is only going to get bigger, and more people wanting to be online and creating content, either for personal use or public.

Chrome OS can fit those needs and evolve with the Internet; making it the OS that will stand the test of time.

Food Awareness

So. I know this is a subject on lots of peoples' minds and there are plenty of weight loss options; but the real kicker is our society. 

Think about it: we associate many events with food, even the seasons. Summertime is here, we think about BBQ-ing, cold drinks, ice cream, and watermelon. Fall is coming and we'll be looking toward Thanksgiving having turkey with all the trimmings, ambrosia,  and plenty of desserts. Same thing at Christmas time. 

As a culture we are dominated by food. The worst part is that it's everywhere; on street corners, open 24 hours a day 7 days a week.  I mean sure nobody wants to be hungry, but at the same time you've got to exert some kind of control of what we put in our mouths. 

That's what I'm learning to do: simply watch what I eat. I can say that I've lost 35 pounds from doing that and changing what I eat. Me and my girlfriend have been eating healthier, lots more veggies, very few deep fried foods, and anything whole grain. Plus there is a satisfaction that comes with creating your own meal. 

I would much rather cook my own burger and fries rather than pay for it, it makes me feel good that even though it's a simple meal, it's something I made myself. 

Google Wallet

I'm sure by now everyone has heard about google wallet; the newest idea to come from the gurus at Mountainview. The process involves using NFC chips to do the transactions. I think this is a fantastic idea: no more lugging around credit cards, it's all in your phone. There are lots of places that will be already setup with Google Wallet, if there's a Fastpay option then Wallet is already there.

There are a few companies on board with this already but I think Google will need to stretch their power a little bit farther, and into a agreement with American Express. With them on board, Wallet could be implemented into a place like Costco; there are millions to be made from the transactions from the both of them on an hourly basis.

Another place Wallet might see major success is in small business. They might not be able to afford a full fledged credit card reader and pay all the fees associated with it; with Wallet in place, all it needs is a tap terminal and a computer with an Internet connection and presto! The small business has a credit card reading system backed by some of the biggest names in the business.

There are lots of things that Wallet could do in the future: everything from holding drivers' licenses to coupons. Even everyday ordinary things like making a reservation at a restaurant; just tap the terminal and you will be booked for a table, when hour phone goes off, your table's ready. Or even Passports, drive up to the border patrol and tap your phone to the machine, then show them your picture from the phone to verify.

There are so many things that we can do with NFC that Google Wallet is literally scratching the surface of what the technology is capable of. Personally, I'm very excited to see how far NFC will progress with different ideas in all points of life.

Tablet Wars

Ever since the iPad came along, there's been two types of people; those who think it's an over-sized iPod, and those who want a portable computer. Things were good for a time; apple raked in cash like water down a storm drain, and people continued.

Fast forward to today; The iPad 2 is the thing everybody wants: it's fast, has FaceTime, and it can load all your apps. But there is another type of people now who embrace the future and apple's downfall: Android tablet users.

With lots of Android tablets coming around on a daily basis, it's hard to choose the best one. Personally, I believe all of them are better than iPads:

1. All of the Android tablets come with some form of memory expansion. Sure they're SD cards but most support 32GB, and a select few offer 64GB worth of space. Plus since they're on cards, so you can switch them out; one for movies, one for music, etc.

2. Again, the majority of Android tablets have an HDMI out port. Gaming and movies all in HD on your huge TV. iPads need the Apple TV, costing more money, and no gaming.

3. Full-size USB port. There are a select few Android tablets with this special feature like the Acer Iconia A500, the Motorola Xoom, and the Toshiba Folio. Support for USB flash drives is coming, then all the pictures, movies, and documents could all be on your tablet.

But even further than USB flash support, Android could eventually support external hard drives; having hundreds of movies and thousands of songs. Plus printers could supported as well, anything you need printing from your Android tablet? It would be simple: plug it in, and it works. With Apple? You need another app, and then a wireless app supported printer.

I could keep on listing things for why Android tablets are better, and as soon as the platform matures and these things are implemented, it will only be a matter of time until Apple's downfall.

Linux

Yep, I'm moving away from the herd called Windows. Gone will be the worry-some viruses, key loggers, spy-ware...

I installed Kubuntu on Monday and played around with it for a bit, getting used to the menus and how stuff works, like only clicking once to get a program up.

Then last night I tried to get back into Vista. It tried to load, but couldn't. I'm guessing that it was windows flipping the bird for installing Kubuntu. The other option was to completely wipe the drive clean and start all over again with Vista.

I remember using Red Hat Linux when I was a kid, I remember how completely different it was from windows, but even back then I ran into the same problem I have now. The difference now is that I'm totally ready to move to Linux. When I use my computer, it's 99.98% doing stuff online.

The occasional time offline is watching videos or typing up something. Many of the most popular programs around are made for Linux too, like: google chrome, VLC media player, Firefox, Thunderbird, and the list goes on. And there are programs that will mimic what their Windows counterparts can do, for example Open Office can both read and save files like Microsoft Office.

I could talk about Linux until I'm blue in the face and pass out, but I believe that the time people seriously start looking at alternatives to Windows is now. There are 100s of different versions of Linux, there's bound to be one for you.

I KNEW it!

I had been telling people all along that watching the reality TV shows are really dumb. They claim they are 'reality' but have you ever watched the ending credits? Have you seen how many writers there are?

Now its just me, but if they were going for a true reality series, they wouldnt need writers, because it would all come from the people on the show. But clearly thats not the case, as with Surivor, or Teen Mom, and especially Jersey Shore. In fact I read an interesting article about what happens to people after they watch 'reality' shows: it makes them dumb. I had been telling people for as long as Surivior came around that reality TV was just a ploy for more ratings and seasons and I was right. I hate it when Im right, because it usually takes years for other people to catch on and say 'Hey, what are the damaging effects of TV like this?'

Backing it up

I think with all my talk of all the bad stuff that could happen, I think it's time for a brighter topic; namely backing up recent human history.

What do I mean by backing it up? Well exactly like it sounds, putting it all onto a computer and keeping the information. Where would I put something important like this? I would put it in Switzerland, I mean think: they've always been neutral in the wars we have experienced.

What would go on the computer, I think it should contain a record of recent human history. How recent am I talking? Well I would say from the 1850s on: stuff from before this time are typically bias to their own thinking. The things that would go on it would be like snippets on the different languages, national boundary locations, photos of the different nations, landmarks, histories of different countries.

I would also put a detailed description of the births of the nations if the world, major events and disasters that effected the globe. Basically everything you'd find in an encyclopedia would go onto the computer. I imagine it would be done by professionals providing the unbiased history; nothing from Wikipedia since that changes all the time.

And it would be public knowledge about it's location. If only government officials know the location and the modern world goes down the drain; most likely government officials will be gone first from rioting or destruction and it would be lost. I would build it into a mountain, like NORAD where it could survive a nuclear explosion. It would be powered by the grid, but when the power goes out, it would run on batteries, or a hydro-electric plant, or some kind of natural power source.

I think I'm rambling at this point so I'll leave it there. It's nice to make almost daily updates, it gives a sense of accomplishment, knowing I can stick to a pseudo-schedule.

Hockey

I heard all about the aftermath of game 8 of the Stanley Cup. I mean really? Rioting in the streets won't change the fact that our team lost.

It's really sad to see how far people will go when their team doesn't win. I understand hockey is Canada's game. I understand that some people bleed hockey; and that it's ingrained from a young age. What I don't understand is how it could get so out of hand.

Yes everyone has a favorite team, mine are the Flames, but I don't follow hockey religiously, or make it my heartbeat. I'll get a little more into fan-mode when the Flames come close, but that's all. I won't go out of my way and take time off work to watch a Flames Stanley Cup, or head downtown and cram with other people trying to watch the game.

If Hockey is Canada's game, then all we've shown to the world is that we are a bunch of sore losers. All of the Gold Medal glory from the Olympics is gone, just as fast as the last buzzer sounded; it's quite sad that all of the work from Vancouver is torn down in an instant.

Robots

Hey, I'm back and this time I've been thinking about Robots. Not the little guys we've got running around, I mean the androids bent on our destruction.

I seem to have lots of types of posts, but I think they're important. I mean...living through the Robot/Android Armageddon? Yes please, I like living, and I've got some useful tips for combating the robotic overlords.

First, the most common household items that are effective. Fridge magnets are good since they are small and easily placeable, plus the robots won't want to touch them. Next up would be a microwave; they're great at frying electrical circuits; but can't move too far from a wall outlet unless you've got extension cables. Another one that came to my mind(if you've got one) is a pressure washer; blast their joints and heads and it should break them down.

The more exotic weapons would be like electro-magnets, an EMP, or stuff generally not available to the public. Another one would be a taser gun, easy to find, but a little difficult to get a hold of.

For the programing-inclined individuals, you could write a virus. It would stop them for a while until their memory gets flushed and they reboot.

So a few ideas for surviving the Robot/Android Apocalypse, if you've got a few, leave some comments. Knowledge is Power![ok I'll admit that was even corny for me]

Nintendo Wii HD

Oops. I meant to say the Wii U. Aside from the fancy presentation at E3 this year, the next console from Nintendo sounds quite awesome on paper: HD graphics, new controller, and the list goes on. The biggest thing that makes me excited is the fact that we finally, FINALLY have HD for the Wii.

Honestly I've been waiting on that single feature ever since they released the Wii way back in 2006[I can't believe it's 5 years old! That's crazy!] I remember retailers always being out of stock of the Wii component cables, everybody wanted them, secretly wishing they had full-blown 1080 resolution.

And Nintendo is planning on changing the way we play games. Again. I like the concept of the touch-screen controller, I think there will be lots of innovations both from Nintendo and from the hacker community. I can almost see a version of Android popping on the Wii U's controller, it's only a matter of time

Laundry

Yeah weird topic for a mental note I know, but it's what I'm doing right now. I'm trying the whole in-the-now type posting and honestly: I'm not sure what to write.

Ooh, well I did get Minecraft working and updated which is awesome for me, it makes me feel good that I fixed it. Also in 1.6.6Beta there's actually rainfall? Yeah...it's the coolest thing; though I was hoping that if it rained hard enough it would make little puddles or waterfalls/trickles down hillsides. But it's still cool.

Other than that...there's not much else I can think to say at the moment so I think I'll stop there.

Now for Mobiles!

Yep, I just updated the ol' blog with a new feature that blogger should have had a long time ago: a Mobile version of the Mental Notes! Yeppers, now rather than having a massive page to load onto your smartphone, it will load a mostly text version of the site.

Personally this feature should have been out like a couple of years ago...Mobile phones with internet have been around for a long time and Blogger just released the mobile version for blogs today I take it...It took like 8 years for a mobile version of my blog to come around?

I just think it would be nice if Blogger kept with the times, but meh, the blog is still here, and Ive been updating on a semi more regular basis. Oh if your smartphone/dumbphone doesnt load the mobile page correctly put this after the web address: /?m=1 I know on my Opera browser for iPhone it didnt load the mobile page but with that little addition it loaded it just fine.

Well, not much else to write about so im off to make delicious, hot popcorn...mmmm popcorn.

Movie Review!

Hey everyone, I'm back and this time *gasp* I have a movie Review! The movie I went and saw was Kung Fu Panda 2.

This movie has really set the standard for the martial art/computer animated world, though that genre is pretty bare anyway. The familiar voices return to their roles and perform very well, and we even hear more from the Furious Five, whereas in the first they didn't have a lot of dialog.

The detail of the CG was really impressive, and dare I say it: Dreamworks is right on Pixars' tail in that department. There were many scenes with beautiful imagery, filled with color and lots of fluid movement. The 3D effect they had for the film worked for many of the scenes, but on some it was lost, or rather not needed as much.

All in all, if you liked the first one, you'll like the second too; besides who doesn't want more Kung Fu action in a movie? The kids will like it too, because of the funny lines and antics from Po.

Another update

I love my phone. I love the Internet. I don't love the Internet on my iPhone. It drives me CRAZY!

With such a small screen, it's almost impossible to get what text you're looking for; and even if you manage that, navigating around the page is a nightmare.

And currently I'm without Internet, and have to resort to using my phone...before I really didn't mind browsing around. But, using it much more, I've come to dislike it very much...and landscape doesn't really change things, just puts more text on the screen and the same navigating problem persists...

Yo

Yeah, it's been a long time since I posted on the ol' blog, but I'll keep it around. I mean, it's nice to have every once in a while ya know? Anyway, I won't be closing the blog anytime soon and I don't get a lot of feedback but I'm OK with that.

It's been raining for the past 8 days or so and we finally had the sun come out here in the Great White North. I'm glad that the rain is gone, it reminded me a lot about Oregon, I mean...I liked the place; but not the rain and there's lots of rain. It's been years now and I still don't have all my stuff, some in Oregon and California but I'll face facts: that stuff is gone. I would have liked my 36 inch LCD TV but, meh. I feel it's gone, and if it's returned to me, that would be sweet but until then: meh.

Aside from that stuff though, life is good: just going through the motions, and I gotta say: it's really boring being an adult. You always got to be mindful of how much you spend, what you're going to do about meal times, finding time for your better half...it's lots of work. But I'm ok with that, I'm learning to accept that we can't get what we want by simply wanting it. It must be worked for.

I think I'm going to sign off on that Note but stick around, I'm sure something fresh will come to the blog again

Zombies

Hello everyone, I've been doing lots of thinking about Zombies and how they are portrayed in movies, which I think some movies get it right and others...fall way off the mark.

So I think we should begin with defining what a zombie actually is. I have the dictionary.com app on my iPhone and this is what it gave me:

1. the body of a dead person given the semblance of life, but mute and will-less, by a supernatural force, usually for some evil purpose.

Now with that, it makes sense with zombie movies; they are usually slow, can't really speak other than moans or screams and has enough motor function to walk. But what gets me is that some movies take this definition and throw it out the window.

I watched the remake of Dawn of the Dead and noticed somethings that zombies can't do; let alone a person with full motor function. They climbed up a sheer wall and crawled on the ceiling.

I looked to my girlfriend and laughed[although she is afraid of zombies she's conquering her fear by watching movies] and it just didn't make sense. She turned to me and laughed too, seeing the obvious error the movie had made.

In the Day of the Dead remake, there was a heavy set woman who was bit and turned into a zombie. I wouldn't have a problem with it if she didn't become an instant marathon runner! She was running like she didn't have any weight on her at all.

I think that when people turn onto zombies they don't gain any mystic power of knowing where people are or having inhuman strength. I believe that they will carry most of their physical traits over; if you're nearsighted or farsighted, you'll still have those things. Or if you're overweight you won't be able to run fast, or people in wheelchairs; they won't magically get up on their feet and come after you.

I think I'm just rambling at this point but you get the idea: zombies will be slow and kinda dumb, so that gives you an edge.