The Mobile OS "War"

This seems to be a popular topic recently with news of Android on all sorts of new phones (Droid) and devices (Nook) and Apple’s financial call reporting booming business built on the back of the iPhone. And don’t I know I can’t bear to stay out of a good debate.

Some people think Android will win, others are putting their money on iPhone.

My opinion? Nobody will win. The reason is extremely simple: basic human ambivalence. While Tech Nerds debate the topic on the internet, most people are out losing their phones, dropping their phones, or finding the closest frapuccino with their phones. Whatever handset their network sells that falls into their price range, has a decent feature set, and isn’t unbearably ugly or hard to use is the one that most people will end up with.

And I don’t think this is going to be the iPhone, even if Apple wants it to be. I’ve heard a few people quote Apple’s original iPhone goal of 1% marketshare or their general goal of providing good products over, as some like to say, world domination. But are these stated goals really true? Is dropping the price to $99 for the improvement of the device or to sell more units? Is opening iPods to PCs for the quality of the product, or to sell more iPods? Is being able to run Windows on your Mac to provide a better experience (surely not) or to lure “switchers”?

iPhone’s current popularity comes from a lack of viable alternatives. I think true allegiance to the device is about as common as true allegiance to the Mac. And before you tell me how many people are switching to Macs, did you hear that some 80% of Mac users also have a PC in their household? I don’t call that true brand or OS loyalty.

When everyone else figures out how to make decent mobile devices — and they will — there will be enough alternatives that iPhone will no longer be running away with the game. I don’t think that any of them will be better, but a lot of them will be competitive, almost as good, or simply ‘good enough’.

Will someone finally emerge to dominate 70% or 80% of the market? Possibly, but with the service providers involved it’s not as simple as the PC market. For the time being, it’ll be spread over a lot of platforms and devices.

Psycho Girlfriend

Imagine the girl you're currently sleeping with asking you, “Have you had sex with anyone else?” Obviously a question which she is using to imply between the last time and what you're about to do. Sure, it is a valid question, since it's natural to be sensitive to the proliferation of Cupid’s itch and Venus’s curse.

You might be insulted that she asked, because as uncommitted as the relationship is at the time, she still had your heart, and consequently, other parts of your body as well. Therefore, sex with someone else would have still been cheating on her. You may also not be like that, and it takes a lot before you decide to be intimate with someone. But at the same time, you have to feel a little flattered that she thought you could, or would. Would you consider it a little boost to the ego that is rarely ruled by machismo or testosterone?

Back to the scenario: “I haven’t either”, she reassured, which was something you naturally assumed of your modest muse, but it's likely of little comfort.

The Throwaway Attitude

Perhaps it's that I overheard someone recently make the a resolution to find their "one," or that one of my close friends just married her own paramour this year, but it's brought up some consideration recently about the truth behind the "it" concept.

What is "it"? I suppose it's that thing that guides people to the altar, the meeting that changes their lives, or that "one" who possesses the extra something that leaves them feeling like they have the strength to climb even the most treacherous of mountain paths.

Or is it? The aforementioned concept seems simple enough, and yet I'm afraid we've lost sight of the "it" factor, or maybe it's simply been exchanged for something easier to come by.

Does this sort of meeting have everything to do with accessibility rather than a deeply-rooted connection? You see, I have trouble with the idea that finding someone who fits like a glove is as simple as hanging out at your local brew pub or hot free lovin' singles joint. Are we so easily matched that we're okay with the notion that our "one" is living within a comfortable driving radius to our own homes? Could it be that we're simply settling for close enough to "it", rather than having to make that effort to extend our search beyond the county lines? Is it simply a question of laziness?

One could say that love these days is so ephemeral that it really doesn't matter that we choose to settle for ordinary rather than holding out hope for that extraordinary someone we can say without doubt is our soul mate. The love that's here today is easily gone the next, so what's the difference? I could marry "Cate" tomorrow, and divorce her the next day, only to settle into another relationship with "Jenny" two days later. Okay, perhaps that's a bit too capricious a notion, but you get my point.

The same laziness that causes us to settle for something convenient lends way to our throwaway attitude when it comes to relationships and marriage. Rather than the timeless commitment marriage should exemplify, it seems to have become an expendable institution. Is that because we didn't hold out for our true "one" in the first place, or is it simply that we are a society so used to being catered to, that our throwaway attitude has now permeated those institutions we once considered sacred?

Where women are concerned, I think the idea that there exists just one person out there with the capability to make their hearts go thump in the night seems inane. You've probably spent years formulating an idea of the person they'll end up with. The invisible list of innate qualifications the perfect match will possess is established within our heads and we seek from there. As we grow older in singlehood, I think we give in to one of two options. We either make due with what's within our reach, or we open our minds to the possibility that our "one" may take a little work to find. Some of us on the other hand seem to jump into the game without that template from which to set their standards. Some simply meet people in a game of trial and error, and eventually settle with the best of the lot from their pool of suitors.

Maybe true love and the notion of "it" takes on a different meaning to different people. Do I simply hold on to a romantic idealism that's outdated in this day and age? In a fast food society of crass commercialism, is easy accessibility the favorable option? Or is the preponderance toward fleeting relationships and a divorce rate that makes marriage seem a pretty damned self-deprecating feat, carved from our own addiction to convenience? So many times I've heard people use the excuses of timing or distance as means to forego something that held the possibility for true happiness. Is it that distance and timing required an extra effort in making the whole thing come together? Forget the eliciting of strength to climb mountains, has true love now been diminished to that which comes housed pre-packaged for our "have it here, have it now" taste?

Maybe we convince ourselves that love in all its goopy "I've found my one" and "He/She's It" glory is a foolish concept in itself, so that we are more apt to give in to mating with the first winsome cow that comes grazing through our pasture. We fool ourselves into ignoring our ideal, that mate who reads us like a book and challenges our inner spirit, so that it's easier to jump for the convenient choice when opportunity strikes.

Have you ever stumbled across someone you found yourself crazy about in an instant, even if it was mainly based on something superficial? Maybe it was that beautiful stranger you sat stranded with for hours at an airport layover, or someone you met on a summer holiday and decided to relinquish ties with because she went home to New York, while you returned to your roots in your hometown. Maybe you stumbled upon her at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro and she decided to take the less traveled, exceptionally rugged Lemosho route, while you took the highly populated Marangu path. Perhaps these encounters were your first and last brush with the "one", but because you let the details that divide you keep you from exploring the potential, you simply let it pass. Going home to that which lies conveniently within your grasp, even if it isn't as passionate or fulfilling as that chance encounter, you pacify yourself with thoughts that the opportunity you left behind simply would have been too difficult.

The self described "priest of love", D.H. Lawrence once wrote in a letter to a friend, "I am in love - and, my God, it's the greatest thing that can happen to a man. I tell you, find a woman you can fall in love with. Do it. Let yourself fall in love…Nowadays, men haven't the courage and strength to love." A bit of the dramatist, not to mention the fact that his "one" was another man's wife, but he had a point.

Love is akin to climbing that great mountain. It takes courage and strength. There may exist boulders and cliffs that from a distance seem too steep and dangerous to overcome in order to find that "one" true love waiting at mountain's summit. I mean, the view from the bottom of the mountain is fine and dandy, right? What's the use of making the climb to the top? The valley that lies before the mountain is a land you're familiar with. It's a land filled with niceties that leave you feeling perfectly content and safe. So what if you've caught a photographed glimpse of those breathtaking views from the top that made your heart want to sing, and flips the switch on feelings that you never knew you had the ability to feel.

Wouldn't that climb to the top involve risk and leave you open to falling? Wouldn't it be terrifying and require having the patience it takes to make the journey? More than anything else, wouldn't it require having faith in the fact that the view that sits waiting for you after the long haul is completely worth the strength, courage, and self-sacrifices you had to make to reach the top?

Maybe it's a matter of taste. The details that separate ordinary from extraordinary have never to me seemed that great a burden to overcome in order to feel truly satisfied. Given the option of hearing a play by play made by others who had the courage to make the journey, or flipping through photos that give a one dimensional sense of the extraordinary world that lies atop the mountainous plateau, I'd much rather experience the climb for myself.

Finding love in its truest "it" form is not an easy task. If you catch a glimpse of it, you must seek it out, for it is not meant to come to you without effort. In order to meet victory at her finish line, you must be willing to do what it takes to ensure the victory. Unfortunately, most choose to only dream of the kind of love to which I refer, rather than fighting to actually have it in their lives.
Robert Frost said it best when he noted "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -- I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference". It's often the treacherous path that yields the most favorable outcome. In this vast world, it seems a narrow-minded view to hold on to the notion that "it" will be found just around the corner, and even if it was discovered close by, it's usually a moving target, are you willing to follow it? If you want the kind of love that gives you the strength to climb even the most perilous of mountains, mustn't you be willing to make the journey it takes to get there?

Atherton Residence by Turnbull Griffin Haesloop Architects

by Turnbull Griffin Haesloop Architects. The design of this house is pretty amazing, it makes good use of large spaces and combining indoor/outdoor environments. Get in on that tax credit yo.

/contemporist.com

Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune...

The new A-Team movie is going to get released next year and the picture above is the first depiction of the the new team made up of Bradley Cooper (The Hangover), Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson (UFC), Sharlto Copley (District 9), Liam Neeson (Taken). Rampage Jackson, physically seems like a decent replacement for Mr. T even though he’s kind of a dick in this season's Ultimate Fighter. [Link]

Li Wei Photography

Check out more wackiness at the Li Wei Photography website. The photos range from hilarious to surreal. At first some just look like some simple photoshop jobs, until you start coming across some truly unusual stuff, and that's when the head scratching begins...

/Li Wei Photography

Extreme Pumpkin Carving

These guys are supreme pumpkin carving machines. This is the season when you get a chance to take advantage of the unique canvas that is the pumpkin. I admit, it does bring a unique angle to the sculpting art form. Artwork that lasts less then the season, enjoy it while it’s here.

Arnold was right, Predator is one ugly M-F-er.

Ray Villafane @ VillafaneStudios.com

Scott Cummins @ PumkinGutter.com

Coasting

Coasting is a new duo -- as in, they've been a band for like a week -- from Brooklyn that showed up on myspace music. These two (Fiona & Madison) make blistering, distorted blasts of simple/catchy fuzz-pop that you may be into if you feel like music that sounds like that. Check a couple more jams from the ladies' here.

Kanye West + Spike Jonze = WTF

Spike Jonze and Kanye West's "We Were Once A Fairytale," the long-discussed short film collaboration that Jonze directed was supposed to debut on iTunes, September 8, but for whatever reason, that didn't happen. You can't blame the infamous Kanye West/Taylor Swift incident either, the 2009 MTV VMAs aired afterwards Sunday, September 13 , but one can understand how that ugly episode didn't hurry up its release.

So, was the short film — that attempts to lampoon Kanye West's arrogance by evincing more self-conceit and self-deprecation with a bizarre, hallucinatory ending that features a small demon-like furry rodent and a form of seppuku — meant to be released today?

Would another date be scheduled once the Kanye controversy died down? Or was it just poor form, post-Swift incident and the filmmakers just let it naturally make it's way onto the web? Who knows, but the clip is embedded below. And yes, it's a fairly normal nightclub setting, but once West gets to the bathroom then it starts to get really weird. You'll see. The short features the West song “See You In My Nightmares” from 808s and Heartbreaks, remixed and pretty severely tweaked by Spike Jonze’s brother and N.A.S.A.'s Squeak E. Clean (Sam Spiegel)."

Also note, if you've seen "Where The Wild Things Are" you know that little demon rat at the end does seem very much to be a part of the same aesthetic. Jonze has yet another short film on the way that features robots and possibly some sort of appearance by Miranda July.

WTF is Google Wave?

IF you've asked yourself the question above, then this video should help.

Amazon Local Delivery

As much as you may love Amazon and your Amazon Prime accounts, from time to time you might still miss the instant gratification that comes from purchasing goods in a brick-and-mortar store and having them with you when you get home. Amazon.com Local Express Delivery ($6 and up, per item) aims to lessen this gap by offering same-day delivery for orders placed before a certain time in New York City, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington D.C., Baltimore, Las Vegas, and Seattle. Great news for procrastinators and the impatient, bad news for the ol' charge card.

Arial and Helvetica

When asked why you prefer helvetica you can now offer specifics.

from ragbag.tumblr.com

Weekly Coffee(s)

Coffee By Week, 2009 — a visual diary of one man’s coffee consumption.

Basic Space Live

The xx perform "Basic Space" during an intimate show at Monkeytown in Brooklyn on their first visit to the States. Shot and edited by Winston Case & Sam Heesen. The group will be back for a busy week during CMJ; check all of their dates here.

Ron Mueck - Livin' Large

Some of these are ~nine years old but damn am I still as impressed as I was when I first saw them. Hyperrealist sculptor, Ron Mueck is an Austrian native with model making credentials in films such as Labyrinth and Jim Henson’s The Storyteller. Maybe you’ve seen these and maybe you haven’t. But regardless, they are always worth revisiting.

You can check out the Flickr tags here: Ron Mueck on Flickr

The Non-Apparent Pick-up

It began with a Neanderthal grunt, moved to "What's your sign?" and has since become a commonly used tool of the trade amongst singles on the prowl. Having heard the worst of them, I have to wonder, does the pick-up line actually do the trick? Is it something men should work on perfecting or is it time to come up with more refined methods for starting conversation? By now, cave-women recognize the club when they see it, and they will surely run like hell before letting you wallop them with it one more time. Given this, if you're going to subject them to your charm, at least know which situations to stay away from and which may keep them entertained just long enough to realize that you're at least a little more ingenious than the average cave dweller.

Put Away the Club

Contrary to popular belief (hah), women don't like feeling that they are the preyed sustenance of men every time they join friends for a night on the town. Sure, some may be out prowling too, but the key is differentiating between those that want to be hunted, and those who simply want to be left alone. So rather than making the hasty approach, observe a bit before you decide to do anything.

One of the easiest is to pay attention and actually be aware of the situation. Is she engrossed in conversation with her group or is she herself looking about the room for her next victim? If she looks to be caught up in a chatter fest with her entourage, let her be. Even if she thinks you’re all that, she'll be peeved that you interrupted her girl time, and thus you'll never even make it to "What's your sign?"

No Cheese Please

There should be a sign posted on every bar entrance that reads: Do not enter without your scum repellent. "I lost my phone number, can I borrow yours?" "I just had to tell you, you're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen." "My name's American Express...you better not leave for home without me!" There's nothing that will turn a woman off quicker than a run in with some d-bag exuding one of these brilliant pick-ups. You may be talking, but the only thing they hear is "Let me into your pants". Most of us know better than to even try one of these methods, but there are the Rico Suave's out there who will persist, and unfortunately it's the cheese spewers that ruin it for the rest of us.

We're Set

So enough about what not to do, right? Here's the scene. It's a Friday night, you're looking dapper, and you've made your way to the trendiest joint in town. You walk through the door and wham, like a bolt of lightening, you are struck by a breathtaking creature sitting at the end of the bar. Now is the time to look before you leap.

I think everyone can agree you shouldn't look too obvious or desperate for attention. After observing her for awhile and noting that she seems open to conversation, make your way to her side of the bar and casually say "Hi". If you're witty, you could throw in a joke, but only if you can pull it off without sounding like a moron. From this point you should be able to pick up her vibe. If she's laughing, has kept her eyes focused on you, and her body turned towards you, proceed, but keep it casual. If after the first "Hi", she turns her nose up and poises her body away from you, stop right there. She's not into it, and there's no way you're going to change her mind. Besides, if you've truly been "non-apparent", you haven't made an ass out of yourself, and can therefore move on unscathed.

It's Practical too!

This approach is not only reserved for the bar scene my friends. Whether you’re struck with lust at first sight in a bar, the grocery store, a wedding, or even your cousin Melvin’s bar mitzvah, being non-apparent will prove your best bet when trying to conjure up a conversation. Don't get me wrong, no matter how smooth you are, approaching a stranger never gets easy. Just don't think you can go about trying lines left and right without regard for your fellow man, because you're making us look bad.

To Panflute or Not to Panflute?

Just a simple question. Do you need a Pan Flute? Follow the flowchart to get your answer. This discovery saved me a lot of headache and financial strain, and promises to accomplish the same for you. Brilliant.

/boingboing

What Time is it? Playtime!

You might have noticed that I’m part of Amazon’s Associates Program. I do the occasional post recommending fun products that I think you’ll enjoy. For every purchase that you make, I get paid a small percentage of the cost of the item.

Have you ever gone to the park and all the swings are taken or the slide was in disrepair or perhaps the jungle gym was too crowded? I bet seeing that made you and/or your kid pout. Well now you can do something about it. I’d like to recommend this city-park sized playground system for your very own! It’s a steal at a mere $34,933.07, so get one for everyone in your family! Xmas is coming up – it makes a great gift!

Think of the convenience and the fun of having your very own park. BUY NOW!

Oh No They Didn't...

Couples Retreat....uh... Retreat!

Everyone has met that one guy or has that one friend, the one with the "Vegas, Baby, Vegas!" poster positioned proudly above their bed, and the time they rushed into your dorm room some time in 2001 to announce the existence of Jon Favreau's Made: "Dude, it's like Swingers, but with gangster shit!" Though the film would later prove itself less mind-blowing that you'd hoped, the idea of any sort of Swingers continuation seemed pretty great at that time. It wasn't a Star Wars prequel (sigh), but it was something.

So today, let me be your college friend announcing yet another disappointing pseudo-sequel to Swingers, Couples Retreat: Dudes, it's like Swingers! Except now they're middle-aged and in depressing, loveless marriages filled with countless infidelities! And they're friends with Jason Bateman:

hmm ok, I am a little interested now, I'm down to watch this- ..no, no, I'm onto you. Must resist...

I feel like this is sort of tailored for married couples, but also the kind of thing that, if I were married, I would never want to watch with my spouse. Like how when I was a kid, I hated being with my family and watching that episode of Roseanne where DJ's constant use of the bathroom led the family to suspect him of masturbating. A viewing experience is never that enjoyable when the content makes you fearful of being suspected of something. I don't know fore sure of course, but the movie already smells like it reeks of desperation, and the studio is throwing as much money as they possibly can afford to cover it up and fool people to make it a success. Hey it's just a guess from yet another nameless guy on the internet, but if you read this, you have been warned.

And if you watch it anyways, and enjoyed it, then... good. :)

No School, Like the Old School

I'm a fan of the controls on the new Leica X1. A good blend of classic and modern design. Nothing gaudy, nothing forced, but a simple and refined look. As for the camera, I have no idea if it's good. I haven't finished reading the review at dpreview. Check it out there yourself. All I know is that I love my D-Lux 4, and I have no business buying a new camera.

/dpreview

What's the Worst That Could Happen?

You know those rules that we make up following a break-up? No, it's not the good break-up that I speak of. I'm not talking about the one that left you screaming "freedom at last" at the top of your lungs. No, this is the break-up you didn't see coming. It's the one that left you searching for the nearest Voodoo-Doll-R-Us super store. It's the break-up that found you slamming the door as you shut this person out of your life, heart, and mind. The break-up that left you writing 20 page dissertations to the once said love of your life, promising that you'd never make the same mistake twice, especially with them.

Out of the rules that have culminated over the break-ups in my past, the one that I vowed never to waiver on was that same mistake twice bit. When it came to ex sex, or anything else for that matter, I vowed never again to cross the border into Ex-Ville. So I ask, is there ever an exception to this rule? Is it ever a good idea to reel that old fish that once deemed you too small, too slimy, or just too plain fishy, back into your boat for a second paddle around the lake?

There are two ex encounters one will inevitably endure. The first leaves you skipping away from the experience, praising cupid for having shot his arrow awry that go around. You know the experience. You and your friend run into Ms. Ex and she's gained a few pounds, is now a chain smoker, and dons a few dozen tattoos and piercings where her lips, tongue, and swan-like neck used to be. The second is something of a different experience all together. There you see her, and she is HOT! You're still with the friend as you stumble upon her, but this time you want to make it known that you once 'got it on' with the fox standing there before you two, in the mini skirt and an itsy-bitsy halter top.

So let's say it's the second encounter that you're now faced with. It's been a year or so and you can't believe how beautiful this girl is. The heart that you haven't felt thump for a while is now beating so hard you have trouble believing that the old adage about your heart leaping into your throat, couldn't actually happen. The best part, she says she misses you, and wants to know if you'd be up for hanging out again. So there you were holding true to your never look back rule, and it's all about to be thrown in the wastebasket for a pair of long limbs and a killer smile.

I can recite a thousand and one reasons NOT to accept a past love back into your life. There was a reason for the break up, right? There was logic behind all the pin pricks in the torso of that voodoo doll; a reason you burned the letters, cards, and I Love You teddy bears. For some reason or another however, those that are left (rather than those that do the leaving), seem to have some sort of sketchy memory of the past that leaves out all the bad stuff, in lieu of those glory days you two spent together.

You know the time you caught her lying about something or another, or even worse, the time when you're having a conversation with mutual friends, and they let it slip that she has been seeing someone on the side? Somehow those memories fade into a deep dark abyss, and all you're left with now, as you stand before the halter-top wearing goddess, are memories of the days you spent hand in hand, lip to lip, feeling that your love could outlast anything. There are just some relationships that don't deserve a second, or even third chance. You may have loved her once, but she also broke your heart for one reason or another, and who's to say you can trust her not to do it again.

So as the goddess stands before you, ask yourself a few questions prior to wasting your last 3 carnival tickets taking that second trip down the tunnel of love. Why is she back? Yes, if you coincidentally run into each other, it may be a different story, but what if she phoned you up out of the blue after a year long absence, and is now telling you how much she misses you? The first question to ask yourself (and her, for that matter), is whether or not you're being played for a rebound fool. Has she just come out of another relationship that has perhaps left her feeling a bit nostalgic for those glory days she left behind? Do you symbolize comfort, reliability, and a secure shoulder, now that she's experienced a break-up that wasn't of her doing?

There is another altogether different sort of happening that can take you back to Ex-Ville. An occurrence which leaves even those most steadfast about their original promise never to return to that god forsaken land of broken hearts and unrequited feelings, questioning the significance of the don't go back rule. There are instances wherein the other half of the relationship may have disappeared from your life, not out of actual interpersonal problems or issues, but out of mere circumstance. Say you were in love with this girl, she was in love with you, but due to distance, timing, or emotional unavailability at that specific moment in time that your relationship existed, she felt the need to flee?

There are moments in our lives when relationships just can't find their place. Moments in which we either lived too far away, or just didn't have the time between 3 jobs, 21 units in school, and that garage band that was going to make us a superstar. Perhaps she was just coming out of another relationship, had baggage she needed to sort through, just hadn't found herself, or hadn't yet decided on her relationship needs, when you walked into her life. With time, comes maturity, growth, and the ability to recognize your needs in a relationship partner. Maybe it took a year of dating for her to realize that you were the best thing that ever happened to her. Maybe the three jobs are now pared down to one, the school is now complete, the ex-boyfriends are in her distant past, and she now stands before you, a person ready to actually BE in a relationship with YOU. Perhaps her departure, and that past heartbreak you endured, was the best thing that could have ever happened to you two.

So if you're ever contemplating hitching a ride back to Ex-Ville, be sure she is worth the potential risks.

Canabalt

This is probably one of the coolest games I've seen available for a phone. The aim of the game is to run as far as you can before dying by jumping over obstacles and from building to building. The music combined with the visual style and the simpleness of it all makes this such an addictive game. It’s available for the iPhone and only in the US store but you can play a demo on their website. Note, to jump just click the mouse button. [Link]

Good Idea / Bad Idea

C00lstuff.com just posted a great set of fotos from David and Kelly Sopp’s book “Safe Baby Handling Tips”. Check it out.

Here: CoolStuff.com

You can buy the book by David and Kelly Sopp here: Safe Baby Handling Tips

Daniel Everett Makes Your World Feel Empty

...or at least feel emptier than it usually is.

Daniel Everett Photography: Disconnect