An old collegue of mine from Gryphon Software (the founder and the guy who hired me, in fact) IM’d me today with news he’s at a new venture. Chumby Industries is working on developing a new device which, in essence, is going to be a new generation of clock radio. It’s a small device with WiFi that can display content based on Flash widgets. Weather, horroscope, headlines, music, and, of course, the time.
They’re just getting started but they seem to have thought about all the options and are going down a good path. They are going to provide premium fee-based content but will also support custom and/or cummunity developed widgets. Unlike a Tivo, if you don’t want the service, it will still work but you’ll forego the content you’d get from the service.
While attending WWDC has been fun and educational this week, I am certainly ready to get home.
Last night, I was able to spend time with my old friend Cary, who works for Apple, at the beer bash at the Apple campus. That was fun, I got a small tour of his building and his office. He has seven computers crammed in there, but somehow, it works.
Of course, with the current raised travel threat level the flight home may be fun. I’m going to check one of my bags (I normally try to do carry-on only) to make sure I can get everything home. I also decided to move my reservation to one that leaves 45 minutes later to make sure that any delays getting through security don’t cost me my flight home.
My “roomate” at work, Kristin, was straightening her desk yesterday and commented that she couldn’t stop. I joked with her that I’d ask her to work on mine, but I wouldn’t knowing that she probably would.
I come in this morning to find that my desk has been completely tidied up. Books put away, papers stacked and everything looking much nicer.
I hope you have the fortune to work with people who are as kind and generous as she.
Thanks, Kristin.
If you remember, I was having problems getting Deepest Sender (a Firefox extension to do blog posts on the fly) to work for me after some unknown event or upgrade caused it to no longer be able to log in.
I’ve found a alternate extension called Performancing. It works quite nicely and I’m using it for this post here. I have found at least one small problem where the editor display is a little muddled (not properly rendering spaces), but otherwise this should be a usefull extension.
Thanks, Kristin.
Becky and I went to see The DaVinci Code this afternoon with some friends of ours. I had "read" the book a few years ago (in quotes as I don’t have time to read and instead listen to books from Audible.com during my commute) and thought it was decent enough work of fiction. Unfortunately, many have come to believe that the assertions of its author, Dan Brown, are true and based in fact. Read more…
My friend at work, Kristin, tipped me on to an album she thought the kids would enjoy. It’s by a group called They Might Be Giants and the album is No! The group has been around since the 80′s but No! is a kids album they made in 2002 and dang it, the thing is horribly addicting. Every song is fun, creative, and agrivatingly memorable. In the month or so we have had the album, we’ve listened to it about 20 times.
Think of it as musical versions of Shel Silverstein poems. You can listen to samples of the songs at the iTunes Music Store if you’re so inclined.
BTW, if you become addicted, I apologize.
Hippo, hippo. Mop!
Thanks, Kristin.
Today is good Friday and mighty good Friday it is. I just wanted to wish anybody reading this a Happy Easter and that you are able to enjoy it with any and all that are close to you.
Perhaps you will get the opportunity to enjoy a tasty treat! Oh, and as I was told by a very insightful pastor once, God can indeed make something like this good for you. His will permitting, of course.
Easter turducken
I like e-cards and my daughter and mother-in-law have really enjoyed sending each other cards. They’re easy, fun, and a sweet, but they’ve always been lacking something that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. That is until yesterday. It turns out, they were missing the monkey factor.
Feel free to send me one at mike at peay.us.
Monk-e-mail
For the second year in a row, my pastor, several men from the church, and myself challenged each other to loose 10 pounds in 4 weeks. In addition to the obvious health and visual benefits to loosing the weight, we were each on the hook for $10 for each pound missed from the target. The final weigh-in was last night and while I was 169 it was 2 over what I should have been (I started at 177). Fortunately, two of the other guys weighed in earlier that evening prior to dinner so they spotted me the 2 pounds (they were 3.5 and 4 pounds heavier we the re-weighed themselves with me).
The interesting thing was unlike last year, all I really did was improve my diet. I cut out drinking and was more conscious of what I was eating (portions and food choices). I did start walking again at lunch along with my friends from work, Kristin and Sven. That is something I totally got out of the habit of after my friend George was laid off (along with the rest of RedZone studio).
When we did the "contest" last year, we did a second round for another 10, we’re not doing that again this year. Sure, I would like to loose 5 or so more pounds, but will do it at a slower rate.
What am I going to do to celebrate? Go out to eat of course! The kids are down at Kay’s for the three day weekend (for them) so Becky and I are going out tonight for Valentine’s day. Why deal with the crowds when you can just go 3 days early?
